Evaporator arrangement for the coating of substrates

Abstract

The invention relates to an evaporator arrangement with a crucible, wherein the crucible is divided into at least two zones, each of which is heated to different temperatures. The first zone is a melt-down zone and the second zone the evaporation zone proper. The evaporator arrangement is preferably for the evaporation of metals. If metals are evaporated, a metal wire is preferably guided into the melt-down zone. However, metal alloys can also be evaporated thereby that one or several metal wires comprised of different materials are guided into the melt-down zone. Between the melt-down zone and the evaporator zone a heating zone may be provided.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . An evaporator arrangement for the coating of a substrate with at least one material, comprising at least one crucible having 
 a) a melt-down zone,    b) an evaporator zone,    c) a connection between the melt-down zone and the evaporator zone,    d) a heating device which permits heating each of the melt-down zone and the evaporator zone to different temperatures, wherein the connection between the melt-down zone and evaporator zone is a heating zone with a basin open at the top, via the surface of which a molten material flows from the melt-down zone into the evaporator zone, wherein the temperature of the heating zone lies between the temperature of the melt-down zone and the temperature of the evaporator zone.    
     
     
         22 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the crucible is electrically conducting and the heating device is formed by a voltage source in connection with the geometry and the material of the crucible, wherein the voltage source is in contact on the ends of the crucible.  
     
     
         23 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the melt-down zone, the heating zone and the evaporator zone of the crucible are separated from one another by insulating layers and to each zone one voltage source is assigned.  
     
     
         24 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the heating of the zones to different temperatures takes place by means of inductive heating.  
     
     
         25 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the temperature in the heating zone increases continuously from the melt-down zone in the direction toward the evaporator zone.  
     
     
         26 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the zones are formed by different geometric cross sections of the crucible, whereby the electrical resistance in the zones varies.  
     
     
         27 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the zones are comprised of materials of different electrical conductivity.  
     
     
         28 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the heating zone is developed similarly to a channel.  
     
     
         29 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the melt-down zone and the evaporator zone are in the shape of a cylindrical pot.  
     
     
         30 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the deepest sites of the zones are at different levels.  
     
     
         31 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the deepest sites of the zones are at the same level.  
     
     
         32 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the deepest site of the heating zone is at a higher level than the deepest sites of the melt-down zone and of the evaporator zone.  
     
     
         33 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the heating zone has a gradient in the direction toward the evaporator zone.  
     
     
         34 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the melt-down zone and the evaporator zone have a rectangular base.  
     
     
         35 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the melt-down zone and the evaporator zone have a circular base.  
     
     
         36 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the crucible is comprised of a high-melting compound selected from the group consisting of a metallic boride, a metallic nitride, a metallic carbide, a nonmetallic boride, a nonmetallic nitride, a nonmetallic carbide graphite, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         37 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the crucible comprises at least one of TiB 2  and BN.  
     
     
         38 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein a plurality crucibles are disposed one next to the other.  
     
     
         39 . An evaporator arrangement as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein for each crucible a separate supply for a wire is provided, wherein the end of this wire is guided into the melt-down zone of a crucible.  
     
     
         40 . A method comprising coating a substrate with an evaporator arrangement of  claim 21 .  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein metals are evaporated.  
     
     
         42 . The method comprising coating a substrate with the evaporator arrangement of  claim 38 , wherein a substrate is moved along the longitudinal axis of the crucibles.