Abstract
The new horizontal high-current HCD apparatus can accomplish very stable and continuous TiN coating over a long period of 40 h at a high ionization rate of 75% and a high evaporation rate of 5 μm/min. The characteristics of this apparatus are (1) the use of a horizontal and high-current HCD electron beam which was bent 90° on the crucible, (2) adoption of a coupled structure in the Ta cathode and focusing coil, (3) setting up of the focusing coils around the crucible, in the path of evaporant, and behind the substrate, and (4) protection of the focusing coil by a jacket around its periphery.
By installing this horizontal HCD gun in a continuous air-to-air ion plating apparatus (pilot line), it became possible to perform very stable and continuous TiN coating of the stainless steel coil for a period of 40 h.
The properties of the TiN films coated using the pilot line are comparable to those of films coated using the batch-type HCD apparatus.
