High-power pulsed magnetron sputtering process as well as a high-power electrical energy source

1. A high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering process, wherein:

producing within a process chamber via an electrical energy source, a sequence of complex discharge pulses to apply an electrical voltage (V) between an anode and a cathode in order to ionize a sputtering gas; and

coating a substrate with a ceramic material,

wherein each complex discharge pulse is applied for a complex pulse time (τ) and the cathode being a target comprising a material to be sputtered for the coating of the substrate;

wherein the complex discharge pulse comprises an electrical high-power sputtering pulse having a negative polarity with respect to the anode that is applied for a first pulse-time (τ 1 ) followed by an electrical low-power charge cleaning pulse having a positive polarity with respect to the anode that is applied throughout an entire second pulse-time (τ 2 ),

wherein a voltage of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 400V and 2000V,

wherein a peak power density of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 1 and 20 KW/cm 2 ,

wherein a ratio τ 1 /τ 2 of the first pulse-time (τ 1 ) in proportion to the second pulse-time (τ 2 ) is 0.5 at the most, and

wherein subsequent to the low-power charge cleaning pulse and before another high-power sputtering pulse is applied, the process further comprises at least one of switching off and setting to zero the voltage (V) applied between the anode and the cathode for a third pulse-time (τ 3 ), said third pulse-time (τ 3 ) being less than the second pulse-time (τ 2 ), and

wherein at least one of:

a peak current density of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 0.05 A/cm 2 and 5 A/cm 2 , and

a peak power of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 0.1 MW and 3 MW.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the ratio τ 1 /τ 2 of the first pulse-time (τ 1 ) in proportion to the second pulse-time (τ 2 ) is between 0.005 and 0.5.

3. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of the high-power sputtering pulse and the low-power charge cleaning pulse is at least one of a low frequency AC-voltage, a rectified low frequency AC-voltage, and a DC-voltage pulse.

4. A process in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the frequency of the at least one of the high-power sputtering pulse and the low-power charge cleaning pulse is between 0 Hz and 10 kHz.

5. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

the voltage of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 600V and 2000V, and

a voltage of the low-power charge cleaning pulse is between 0V and 500V.

6. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first pulse-time (τ 1 ) of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 1 μs and 5000 μs.

7. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

the second pulse-time (τ 2 ) of the low-power charge cleaning pulse is longer than 25 μs, and

the complex pulse time (τ) is between 50 μs and 1000 ms.

8. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an ionization degree of the sputtering gas is between 3% and 100%.

9. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

the sputtering method for coating the substrate is a reactive sputtering method or a non-reactive sputtering process.

10. High-power electrical energy source for producing a complex discharge pulse for carrying out a process in accordance with claim 1 .

11. A process in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the ceramic material comprises at least one of a nitride, an oxide and a carbide.

12. A high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering process, said process comprising:

producing within a process chamber via an electrical energy source, a sequence of complex discharge pulses to apply an electrical voltage (V) between an anode and a cathode in order to ionize a sputtering gas, said cathode comprising an oxide target material that is sputtered onto a substrate:

applying each complex discharge pulse for a complex pulse time (τ), said complex discharge pulse comprising an electrical high-power sputtering pulse having a negative polarity with respect to the anode that is applied for a first pulse-time (τ 1 ) followed by an electrical low-power charge cleaning pulse having a positive polarity with respect to the anode that is applied for a second pulse-time (τ 2 ) that is longer than the first pulse time (τ 1 );

subsequent to the electrical low-power charge cleaning pulse and before another electrical high-power sputtering pulse is applied, switching off and/or setting to zero the electrical voltage (V) applied between the anode and the cathode for a third pulse-time (τ 3 ), said third pulse-time (τ 3 ) being less than the second pulse-time (τ 2 ):

utilizing a voltage of the high-power sputtering pulse of between 600V and 2000V; and

utilizing a peak power density of the high-power sputtering pulse of between 1 and 20 KW/cm 2 ,

wherein a ratio τ 1 /τ 2 of the first pulse time (τ 1 ) in proportion to the second pulse-time (τ 2 ) is 0.5 at most, and

wherein at least one of:

a peak current density of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 0.05 A/cm 2 and 5 A/cm, and

a peak power of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 0.1 MW and 3 MW.

13. A high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering process, said process comprising:

producing within a process chamber via an electrical energy source, a sequence of complex discharge pulses to apply an electrical voltage (V) between an anode and a cathode in order to ionize a sputtering gas, wherein said cathode is a target comprising a material to be sputtered for coating on a substrate;

applying each complex discharge pulse for a complex pulse time (τ), said complex discharge pulse comprising an electrical high-power sputtering pulse having a negative polarity with respect to the anode that is applied for a first pulse-time (τ 1 ) followed by an electrical low-power charge cleaning pulse having a positive polarity with respect to the anode that is applied for a second pulse-time (τ 2 );

subsequent to the electrical low-power charge cleaning pulse and before another electrical high-power sputtering pulse is applied, switching off and/or setting to zero the electrical voltage (V) applied between the anode and the cathode for a third pulse-time (τ 3 ), said third pulse-time (τ 3 ) being greater than the first pulse-time (τ 1 ) and less than the second pulse-time (τ 2 );

utilizing a peak voltage of the high-power sputtering pulse of between 800V and 2000V;

utilizing a peak power density of the high-power sputtering pulse of between 1 and 20 KW/cm 2 ; and

the coating on the substrate being a ceramic material,

wherein a ratio τ 1 /τ 2 of the first pulse-time (τ 1 ) in proportion to the second pulse-time (τ 2 ) is 0.5 at most, and

wherein at least one of:

a peak current density of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 0.05 A/cm 2 and 5 A/cm 2 , and

a peak power of the high-power sputtering pulse is between 0.1 MW and 3 MW.

14. A process in accordance with claim 13 , wherein during the third pulse-time (τ 3 ) time is provided in order to relax into a starting state.

15. A process in accordance with claim 1 , wherein during the third pulse-time (τ 3 ) time is provided in order to relax into a starting state.

16. A process in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the third pulse-time (τ 3 ) is less than the second pulse-time (τ 2 ).