COATING FORMATION BY REACTIVE DEPOSITION

• US 20090288601A1
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nanogram Corporation (Teijin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nanogram Corporation (Teijin Limited)
• Inventors: Chiruvolu, Shivkumar, Kumar, Sujeet, Bi, Xiangxin, Mosso, Ronald J., Gardner, James T., McGovern, William E., Lim, Seung M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,163,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/722
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/228 using electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 9/14 the auxiliary operation involving heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/06 by exposure to radiation B05D3/02 takes precedence ; plasma treatment B05D3/141
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/402 Silicon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/482 using incoherent light, UV to IR, e.g. lamps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/483 using coherent light, UV to IR, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1266 Particles formed in situ
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 24/10 with intermediate formation of a liquid phase in the layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 26/02 applying molten material to the substrate

Abstract

Light reactive deposition uses an intense light beam to form particles that are directly coated onto a substrate surface. In some embodiments, a coating apparatus comprising a noncircular reactant inlet, optical elements forming a light path, a first substrate, and a motor connected to the apparatus. The reactant inlet defines a reactant stream path. The light path intersects the reactant stream path at a reaction zone with a product stream path continuing from the reaction zone. The substrate intersects the product stream path. Also, operation of the motor moves the first substrate relative to the product stream. Various broad methods are described for using light driven chemical reactions to produce efficiently highly uniform coatings.

Claims

1. A coating apparatus comprising:

a reactant inlet defining a reactant stream path wherein the opening of the reactant inlet is elongated in one dimension relative to the orthogonal dimension;

a reactant supply system connected to the reactant inlet to supply a reactant along the reactant stream path wherein the reactant supply system comprises a reactant source;

optical elements forming a light path intersecting the reactant stream path at a reaction zone with a product stream path continuing from the reaction zone wherein the light beam is oriented to project along the elongated dimension of the reactant inlet; and

a first substrate intersecting the product stream path wherein the first substrate is positioned such that the substrate does not intersect with the light path;

a motor connected to the apparatus such that operation of the motor moves the first substrate relative to the product stream; and

a chamber sealed from the ambient atmosphere and a pump connected to the chamber, wherein the reactant inlet and the first substrate are within the chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motor moves the first substrate relative to the conduit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motor moves the conduit relative to the deposition chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inlet is positioned to deliver the reactant stream in a downward direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inlet is configured to deliver the reactant stream in an upward direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the chamber and pump are designed for operation over a pressure range from about 80 Torr to about 700 Torr.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the chamber and pump are designed for operation over a pressure range from about 80 Torr to about 1000 Torr.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical elements comprise a cylindrical lens.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the particle production apparatus further comprises a laser positioned to direct a laser beam along the light path.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the particle production apparatus further comprises an intense incoherent light source configured to direct light along the light path.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reactant supply system comprises a source of gaseous reactants.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reactant supply system comprises a source of vapor reactants.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the a reactant supply system comprises an aerosol generator.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the particle production apparatus further comprises a shielding gas duct surrounding the reactant inlet.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the deposition apparatus further comprises a stage supporting the first substrate and connected to the motor and wherein the motor moves the stage relative to the product stream path to direct the product stream path at different portions of the first substrate.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reactant inlet opening is elongated in one dimension and wherein the product stream has a shape of a line of particles on the substrate and wherein the motion caused by the motor moves the product stream to sweep the line across the substrate surface.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reactant inlet has dimensions selected to coat the entire substrate in a single pass.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second substrate and a stage connected to the motor supporting the first substrate and second substrate and wherein the motor moves the stage relative to the product stream to remove the first substrate from an intersection with the product stream and place the second substrate within the product stream.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an external field generator positioned to produce an external field that directs the product stream to intersect the first substrate wherein the external field generator comprises a thermal gradient generator or an electric field generator.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the external field generator is positioned to defocus the product stream path to deposit an approximately uniform coating over the entire substrate surface.