High-rate automated deposition system for the manufacture of complex multilayer coatings

A previously described automated thin-film deposition system based on rf-ma gnetron sputtering could deposit quite complex optical multilayer systems w ith good precision and with no one in attendance [Sullivan and Dobrowolski, Appl. Opt. 32, 2351-2360 (1993)]. However, the deposition rate was slow, a nd the uniform area on the substrate was limited. We describe an ac-magnetr on sputtering process in which the same deposition accuracy has been combin ed with significantly better film uniformity and a fivefold or sevenfold in crease in the deposition rate. This makes the equipment of commercial inter est. Experimental results are presented for several difficult coating probl ems. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 310.1860, 310.0310, 31 0.1620.