Method of Hard Coating a Blade

Abstract

A sputtering apparatus includes a chamber for containing a feed gas. An anode is positioned inside the chamber. A cathode assembly comprising target material is positioned adjacent to an anode inside the chamber. A magnet is positioned adjacent to cathode assembly. A platen that supports a substrate is positioned adjacent to the cathode assembly. An output of the power supply is electrically connected to the cathode assembly. The power supply generates a plurality of voltage pulse trains comprising at least a first and a second voltage pulse train. The first voltage pulse train generates a first discharge from the feed gas that causes sputtering of a first layer of target material having properties that are determined by at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the first voltage pulse train. The second voltage pulse train generates a second discharge from the feed gas that causes sputtering of a second layer of target material having properties that are determined by at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the second voltage pulse train.

1 . A sputtering apparatus comprising:
 a) a chamber for containing a feed gas;   b) an anode that is positioned inside the chamber;   c) a cathode assembly comprising target material that is positioned adjacent to the anode inside the chamber;   d) a magnet positioned adjacent to cathode assembly;   e) a platen that supports a substrate positioned adjacent to the cathode assembly;   f) a power supply having an output that is electrically connected to the cathode assembly, the power supply generating a plurality of voltage pulse trains comprising at least a first and a second voltage pulse train, the first voltage pulse train generating a first discharge from the feed gas that causes sputtering of a first layer of target material having properties that are determined by at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the first voltage pulse train, the second voltage pulse train generating a second discharge from the feed gas that causes sputtering of a second layer of target material having properties that are determined by at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the second voltage pulse train.   
   
   
       2 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the cathode assembly comprises a segmented cathode assembly comprising at least a first and a second isolated cathode segment. 
   
   
       3 . The plasma source of  claim 2  wherein the power supply applies the first voltage pulse train to the first isolated cathode segment and applies the second voltage pulse train to the second isolated segment. 
   
   
       4 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the cathode assembly comprises a first and a second separate cathode assembly. 
   
   
       5 . The plasma source of  claim 4  wherein the power supply applies the first voltage pulse train to the first separate cathode assembly and applies the second voltage pulse train to the second separate cathode assembly. 
   
   
       6 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the target material comprises at least one of Ti, Al, Cr, C, B, Fe, Ta, W, Si, Ge, Ag, Cu, V, Pt, Zr, In, Sn, and Co. 
   
   
       7 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the magnet that is positioned proximate to cathode assembly generates a magnetic field parallel to the target material that is in the range of 100 to 10,000 Gauss. 
   
   
       8 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the cathode assembly is formed in a rectangular shape. 
   
   
       9 . The plasma source of  claim 1  where the cathode assembly is formed in a round shape. 
   
   
       10 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the platen comprises a rotating platen. 
   
   
       11 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the platen comprises a translation stage. 
   
   
       12 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the platen comprises a temperature controller that controls a temperature of a substrate positioned on the platen. 
   
   
       13 . The plasma source of  claim 1  further comprising a bias voltage power supply having an output that is electrically connected to at least one of the platen and the substrate positioned on the platen. 
   
   
       14 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the feed gas comprises a portion of reactive feed gas that reacts with the target material. 
   
   
       15 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the peak amplitude, the rise time, and the duration of at least two pulses in one of the first and the second voltage pulse train are the same. 
   
   
       16 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the at least one of the amplitude, the rise time, and the duration of pulses in at least one of the first and the second pulse train is chosen so that at least one of atoms and molecules in the feed gas are incorporated in at least one of the first and the second sputtered layer. 
   
   
       17 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the at least one of the amplitude, the rise time, and the duration of pulses in at least one of the first and the second pulse train is chosen to form at least one of the first and the second layer of target material with a hardness that is in the range of 1-200 GPa. 
   
   
       18 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the at least one of the amplitude, the rise time, and the duration of pulses in at least one of the first and the second pulse train is chosen to form at least one of the first and the second layer of target material with a surface roughness that is in the range of 1-10,000 Å. 
   
   
       19 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the at least one of the amplitude, the rise time, and the duration of pulses in at least one of the first and the second pulse train is chosen to form at least one of the first and the second layer of target material with a desired compressive or tensile stress value. 
   
   
       20 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the at least one of the amplitude, the rise time, and the duration of pulses in at least one of the first and the second pulse train is chosen so that a desired ratio of ions to neutral atoms is generated. 
   
   
       21 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein the power supply comprises a controller that selects the plurality of voltage pulse trains from a group of predetermined voltage pulse trains. 
   
   
       22 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein at least one voltage pulse in the first and the second voltage pulse trains comprises at least one of an amplitude, a rise time, and a pulse duration that shifts an electron energy distribution in a weakly-ionized plasma to energies that rapidly increase electron density in a weakly-ionized plasma so as to form a strongly-ionized plasma. 
   
   
       23 . The plasma source of  claim 1  wherein at least one voltage pulse in the first and the second voltage pulse trains comprises at least one of an amplitude, a rise time, and a pulse duration that generates a strongly-ionized plasma. 
   
   
       24 . A method for sputtering, the method comprising:
 a) confining a feed gas in a plasma chamber;   b) applying a first voltage pulse train to a cathode assembly comprising target material thereby generating a plasma from the feed gas that sputters a first layer of target material, a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the first voltage pulse train being selected to achieve desired properties of the first layer of target material; and   c) applying a second voltage pulse train to a cathode assembly comprising target material thereby generating a plasma from the feed gas that sputters a second layer of target material, a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the first voltage pulse train being selected to achieve desired properties of the second layer of target material.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising repeating step c) and step d) until a desired film thickness with desired film properties is achieved. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising generating a magnetic field proximate to the cathode assembly. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in at least one of the first and the second voltage pulse train being chosen so that an electron energy distribution in the weakly-ionized plasma shifts to higher energies that rapidly increase electron density in a weakly-ionized plasma, thereby forming a strongly-ionized plasma. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in at least one of the first and the second voltage pulse train being chosen so as to form a strongly-ionized plasma. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24  wherein at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of one of the individual voltage pulses in one of the first and second voltage pulse trains is different from at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of another one of the individual voltage pulses in one of the first and second voltage pulse trains. 
   
   
       30 . A method for generating a plasma, the method comprising:
 a) confining a feed gas in a plasma chamber;   b) applying a first voltage pulse train to a first isolated cathode segment comprising a first target material thereby generating a plasma from the feed gas that sputters a layer of the first target material, a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the first voltage pulse train being selected to achieve desired properties of the first layer of target material; and   c) applying a second voltage pulse train to a second isolated cathode segment comprising a second target material thereby generating a plasma from the feed gas that sputters a layer of the second target material, a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the first voltage pulse train being selected to achieve desired properties of the first layer of target material.   
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30  further comprising repeating step c) and step d) until a desired film thickness with desired film properties is achieved. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30  further comprising generating a magnetic field proximate to at least one of the first and the second isolated cathode assembly. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30  wherein a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in at least one of the first and the second voltage pulse train being chosen so that an electron energy distribution in the weakly-ionized plasma shifts to higher energies that rapidly increase electron density in a weakly-ionized plasma, thereby forming a strongly-ionized plasma. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 30  wherein a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in at least one of the first and the second voltage pulse train being chosen so as to form a strongly-ionized plasma. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 30  wherein at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of one of the individual voltage pulses in one of the first and second voltage pulse trains is different from at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of another one of the individual voltage pulses in one of the first and second voltage pulse trains.