METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR STABILIZING AN OPERATING POINT OF REACTIVE, PLASMA-ENHANCED VACUUM COATING PROCESSES

摘要

The invention relates to a method for stabilizing an operating point of reactive, plasma-enhanced vacuum coating processes, whereby in a closed, rapid control loop the reactive gas influx to the coating chamber is controlled as the manipulating variable depending on the measurement of a characteristic value of the plasma, which value unambiguously characterizes the operating point. The invention also relates to a system for putting this control method into practice. The aim of the invention is to provide a method and a system for stabilizing an operating point of reactive, plasma-enhanced vacuum coating processes which allow to avoid the problems known for various coating system. For this purpose, the desired value of the rapid control loop is adjusted in a higher-order, slower control loop to a drift of the plasma characteristic value in such a manner that the reactive gas influx into the coating chamber is maintained constant in the temporal mean.