Patent ID: 7718042

Claim:
A method of manufacturing substrates with a vacuum plasma treated surface comprising the steps of providing a target with a target surface being circular about an axis; providing at least one substrate distant from and opposite said target surface having a substrate surface; generating in the volume between said target surface and said substrate surface a magnetic field pattern of a) a magnetron field pattern forming, considered in direction towards said target surface: a substantially circular closed loop eccentrically with respect to said axis and along said target surface, said substantially circular closed loop having a radial extension extending towards a center area of said substantially circular closed loop and considered parallel to said target surface, tunnel-like arcing from an outer area of first magnetic pole to an inner area of second magnetic pole, whereby said inner area is confined with respect to said outer area by a locus of zero component of magnetic field perpendicular to said target surface, said locus being substantially circular and closed loop about said center area and having a respective radial extension extending towards said center area, b) an unbalanced long-range field pattern which is asymmetrical generated by an additional magnetic flux along a distinct area of said outer area relative to magnetic flux along said inner area and relative to the remainder of said outer area; said distinct area extending along the periphery of said target surface thereby crescent shaped increasing said outer area; said long range field pattern reaching the substrate surface having a component of magnetic field parallel to said substrate of at least 0.1 Gauss, generating a plasma discharge in said magnetic field pattern; plasma treating said substrate surface, thereby sweeping said magnetic field pattern along said target surface, by rotational movement about said axis.