IN SITU-FORCE MEASUREMENT FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE EVAPORATION RATE WITH HIGH-RATE ELECTRON-BEAM EVAPORATION

A technique for the measurement of force at a water-cooled crucible du ring high rate electron beam evaporation is described. This technique has been used for the in situ measurement of the evaporation rate of t itanium. With an electron beam power in the range of 30-150 kW an evap oration rate of 0.3-2.5 g s(-1) was measured with this method. The for ce on the molten titanium surface caused by recoil and vapor pressure was measured to be 0.2-1.5 N. An additional force has been measured in the case of a spotless cathodic are burning in the titanium vapor to achieve a high-rate plasma activated deposition. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sci ence S.A.