Installation and method for vacuum treatment or powder production

Abstract

Vacuum treatment installation with a vacuum treatment chamber containing a plasma discharge configuration as well as a gas supply configuration. The plasma discharge configuration has at least two plasma beam discharge configurations with substantially parallel discharge axes and a deposition configuration is positioned along a surface which extends at predetermined distances from the beam axes and along a substantial section of the longitudinal extent of the discharge beam.

1 . A vacuum treatment installation, comprising: a vacuum treatment chamber ( 1 ); a plasma discharge configuration in the chamber; as a gas supply configuration connected to the chamber; the plasma discharge configuration having at least two plasma beam discharge configurations ( 5 ,  9 ) with substantially parallel discharge axes (A) and at least one deposition configuration positioned along a surface ( 13 ) which extends at selected distances from the beam axes (A) and along a substantial section of the discharge beam longitudinal extension; a gas suction configuration connected to the chamber; the gas supply configuration ( 15 ) and the gas suction configuration ( 17 ) being connected to the vacuum chamber ( 1 ) such that a gas flow (G) through the chamber ( 1 ) is generated, which is substantially parallel to the discharge axes (A), and the deposition configuration is disposed between the discharge axes and/or the discharge axes (A) are disposed between two deposition configurations facing one another.  
   
   
       2 . An installation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one deposition configuration is formed by a workpiece support configuration for one or several workpieces ( 13   a ).  
   
   
       3 . An installation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one deposition configuration is formed by a substantially continuous planar configuration as a powder capture surface.  
   
   
       4 . An installation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein plasma beam discharge gaps between cathode ( 5 ) and anode ( 9 ) are low-voltage high-current arc discharge gaps.  
   
   
       5 . An installation as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the gaps are driveable independently of one another.  
   
   
       6 . An installation as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein gaps are cold cathodes.  
   
   
       7 . An installation as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein gaps are hot cathodes ( 5 ).  
   
   
       8 . An installation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the gas supply configuration ( 15 ) is connected to a gas tank configuration containing at least one of a carbon-, boron-, nitrogen-, hydrogen- or silicon-containing gas.