Method and apparatus for pulsed energy induced vapor deposition of thin films
US5015492A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 3, 1989 |
| Grant date | May 14, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 3, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC23C14/28
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Vapor deposition of a thin film is accomplished by employing a pulsed laser to irradiate at least a region of a homogeneous stoichiometric complex material pellet with sufficient energy density to accomplish congruent evaporation of constituents of the material. The energy density is further at least sufficient to cause at least a predetermined portion, a central forward lobe, of the evaporant to have approximately the same stoichiometry as the irradiated material. A substrate is positioned to allow deposit thereon of that lobe portion of the evaporant as a thin film. Also shown are apparatus for masking out predetermined portions of the evaporant outside said lobe and passing at least a part of the lobe evaporant through a mask aperture, use of apparatus for causing relative movement of the substrate and the mask to achieve film deposition over a substrate area substantially larger than the area of the aperture, apparatus for charge level detection in the evaporant stream to detct lobe drift, and apparatus for tilting the pellet to compensate for drift of the forward lobe away from the mask aperture.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.