Plasma-induced, in-situ generation, transport and use or collection of reactive precursors
US5085885A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 10, 1990 |
| Grant date | Feb 4, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 10, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S423/10
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A beam or flow of a reactive or metastable precursor such as a hydride or organometallic compound is created, and this beam or flow is used to treat (e.g. dope or coat or otherwise modify) a substrate, e.g. an advanced material such as a semiconductor layer, a photovoltaic cell, or a solar cell. The beam or flow can also be directed into a storage zone so that the precursor or precursors can be collected for future use. The beam or flow is created in an apparatus comprising at least three zones. Zone 1 is irradiated with microwave energy to generate a reactive gas rich in free radicals (e.g. rich in H.sup.., CH.sub.3.sup.., etc.) zone 2 (downstream from zone 1) is substantially free of microwave energy and contains a target which is impinged upon by the free radicals and becomes a source of the precursor; zone 3 (downstream from zone 2) is where the precursors are either collected for storage or are used to treat the substrate. In a typical apparatus of this invention, a feed gas such as H.sub.2 or CH.sub.4 is introduced into an elongated tube 50 which communicates with a microwave cavity 57 containing a microwave plasma. A reactive gas containing free radicals (and perhaps some io…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.