Fabrication of thin metallic films by arc discharges under ultra-high vacuum conditions

Cathodic arc deposition technology offers an excellent approach to producing pure metal, alloy and compound films at very high rates and with excellent adhesion and density. High ion energy is the main factor allowing one to produce more compact films, with much stronger adhesion to the substrate than those obtained by other methods. It was shown that the cathodic arc working in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions solves the problem of the oxygen contamination originating from water vapour thus paving the road to applications where very pure metallic films are needed. The paper presents systems used for deposition of thin coatings by means of arc discharges performed under the UHV conditions. The most important experimental results and characteristics of the arc-deposited thin superconducting films are discussed, and the progress achieved recently in the formation of such films is described.