SCIENCE & EDUCATION

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Cathodic arc evaporators are used for coating with functional films. Prolonged or butt-end evaporators may be used for this purposes. In butt-end evaporator cathode spots move continuously on a cathode working surface and evaporate cathode material. High depth excavation profile forms on the cathode work surface while the thick coating precipitation (tens or hundreds microns). Cathode excavation profile is like a “cup” shape with high walls for electrostatic discharge stabilization systems with axial magnetic fields. Cathode spots move on the bottom of the “cup”. Very likely that high “cup” walls occurred as a result of lasting work time influence on the uniformity of precipitated films.

In the present work the influence of excavation profile walls height on the uniformity of precipitated coating was carried out. The high profile walls formed due to lasting work of DC vacuum arc evaporator. Material of the cathode was aluminum 3003 alloy. The prolonged substrate was placed parallel to the cathode working surface. Thickness distribution along the length the substrate with the new cathode, after 6 hours and after 12 hours of continuous work was obtained.

The thickness distribution of precipitated coating showed that the cathode excavation have an influence on the angular distribution of the matter escaping the cathode. It can be clearly seen on the normalized dependence coating thickness vs. the distance from the substrate center. Also the angular distribution of the matter flow from the cathode depending on the cathode working time was obtained. It was sown that matter flow from the cathode is differ from the Lambert-Knudsen law. That more the cathode excavation then more this difference.

So, cathode excavation profile has an influence on the uniformity of precipitated coating and it is necessary to take in account the cathode excavation profile while coating the thick films.

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