Rapid-response electron-beam deposition system having a controller utilizing leading and trailing deposition indicators

• US 20060169920A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Canada Limited (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Harris, Geoffrey George, Gabura, Andrew James
• Granted Patent: US 7,130,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/492.210
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/30 by electron bombardment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/542 Controlling the film thickness or evaporation rate
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2487 using digital signal processors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3132 Evaporating

Abstract

An electron-beam deposition system includes an evaporation source having a source target with a target location at which a deposition material may be positioned, and a controllable electron-beam source disposed to direct an electron beam at the target location. A trailing-indicator monitor measures a past evaporation performance of the evaporation source and has a trailing-indicator output, and a leading-indicator monitor measures a future evaporation performance of the evaporation source and has a leading-indicator output. A controller receives the trailing-indicator output and the leading-indicator output, and controls the electron-beam source responsive to the trailing-indicator output and to the leading-indicator output. Preferably, the trailing-indicator monitor measures a deposition of the deposition material on a monitored substrate, and the leading-indicator monitor measures a brightness of the deposition material in the evaporation source.

Claims

1. An electron-beam deposition system, comprising:

an evaporation source comprising

a source target having a target location at which a deposition material may be positioned, and

a controllable electron-beam source disposed to direct an electron beam at the target location;

a trailing-indicator monitor that measures a past evaporation performance of the evaporation source and has a trailing-indicator output;

a leading-indicator monitor that measures a future evaporation performance of the evaporation source and has a leading-indicator output; and

a controller which receives the trailing-indicator output and the leading-indicator output, and controls the electron-beam source responsive to the trailing-indicator output and to the leading-indicator output.

2. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 1, wherein

the trailing-indicator monitor is a deposition monitor that measures a deposition of the deposition material on a monitored substrate.

3. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 1, wherein

the leading-indicator monitor is a brightness monitor that measures a brightness of the deposition material in the evaporation source.

4. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 1, further including

the deposition material at the target location, wherein the deposition material is an inorganic nonmetal.

5. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 1, wherein

the controller controls an electron-beam spot size of the electron-beam source.

6. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 1, wherein

the controller controls an electron-beam position of the electron-beam source.

7. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 1, wherein

the controller controls the electron-beam source responsive to a time rate of change of the leading-indicator output.

8. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 1, wherein

the controller controls the electron-beam source responsive to a logarithmic function of the leading-indicator output.

9. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 1, wherein

the controller controls the electron-beam source responsive to a logarithmic function of the trailing-indicator output.

10. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 1, wherein the electron-beam deposition system includes an optical fiber bundle having a first optical fiber subbundle and a second optical fiber subbundle,

wherein the trailing-indicator monitor includes the first optical fiber subbundle that receives a thickness optical signal from the monitored substrate responsive to a thickness of a deposit of the deposition material on the monitored substrate, and

wherein the leading-indicator monitor includes the second optical fiber subbundle that receives an optical brightness signal responsive to a brightness of the deposition material in the evaporation source.

11. An electron-beam deposition system, comprising:

an evaporation source comprising

a source target having a target location at which a deposition material may be positioned, and

a controllable electron-beam source disposed to direct an electron beam at the target location;

a deposition monitor that measures a deposition of the deposition material on a monitored substrate and has a deposition-rate output;

a brightness monitor that measures a brightness of the deposition material 10 in the evaporation source and has a brightness output; and

a controller which receives the deposition-rate output and the brightness output, and controls the electron-beam source responsive to the deposition-rate output and to the brightness output, wherein the controller controls an electron-beam spot size of the electron-beam source.

12. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 11, further including

the deposition material at the target location, wherein the deposition material is an inorganic nonmetal.

13. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 11, wherein the deposition monitor comprises a deposit-thickness deposition monitor.

14. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 11, wherein the brightness monitor measures a reflected brightness of the deposition material.

15. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 11, wherein

the controller controls the electron-beam source responsive to a time rate of change of the brightness output.

16. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 11, wherein

the controller controls the electron-beam source responsive to a logarithmic function of the brightness output.

17. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 11, wherein

the controller controls the electron-beam source responsive to a logarithmic function of the deposition-rate output.

18. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 11, wherein

the controller controls an electron-beam position of the electron-beam source.

19. The electron-beam deposition system of claim 11, wherein the electron-beam deposition system includes an optical fiber bundle having a first optical fiber subbundle and a second optical fiber subbundle,

wherein the deposition monitor includes the first optical fiber subbundle that receives a thickness optical signal from the monitored substrate responsive to a thickness of a deposit of the deposition material on the monitored substrate, and

wherein the brightness monitor includes the second optical fiber subbundle that receives an optical brightness signal responsive to the brightness of the deposition material in the evaporation source.