Patent ID: 8163144

Claim:
A magnetron sputtering device for applying a coating to an object comprising: a planetary drive system including a central rotational axis and a plurality of planets disposed substantially equidistant from the central rotational axis, each planet having a secondary axis adapted for independent rotation and a diameter defining a coating area, each planet adapted to support one or more objects in an object plane, wherein a distance from the central rotational axis to the secondary axes comprises a rotation radius of the planetary drive system; a circular cathode including a target comprising material for forming the coating having a surface plane disposed a throw distance from the object plane, the cathode having a center point, and having a cathode diameter greater than the planet diameter and up to twice the planet diameter; anode means for providing a voltage difference to the cathode, such that electrons are returned to the anode means; a chamber having walls for housing the cathode and the planetary drive system adapted to be evacuated in operation; and a gas delivery system for providing a flow of sputter gas into the chamber, wherein the rotation radius of the planetary drive system and the throw distance are between half and twice the size of the planet diameter thereby providing minimized radial runoff of the coating quality without the use of a mask, and wherein the anode means comprises a conductive interior surface of a vessel electrically connected to a positive potential of a power supply having a single opening in communication with a chamber interior, and the conductive interior surface is surrounded by an electrically insulated outer body and electrically isolated from the walls of the chamber, and wherein the gas delivery system providing the flow of sputter gas is disposed within the vessel, the opening and the flow of gas being operative to pressurize the anode vessel before passing through the opening into the chamber.