Method for making continuous thin diamond film

• US 5,607,723 A
• Filed: 05/05/1994
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Refractory Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Crystallume Co.
• Inventors: Plano, Linda S., Ravi, Kramadhati V., Peters, Michael G., Pinneo, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Roy V.
• Application Number:
  US08/238,989
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 427/249, 427/255, 427/255.1, 427/122, 427/577, 423/446, 428/408, 117/929
• US Class Current: 427/249.8
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/272 using DC, AC or RF discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/04 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/22 Masks or mask blanks for imaging by radiation of 100nm or shorter wavelength, e.g. X-ray masks, extreme ultraviolet [EUV] masks; Preparation thereof

Abstract

A continuous thin diamond film having a thickness of less than about 2 microns has a low leakage. The thin diamond film may be supported on a supporting grid and may be incorporated into an X-ray window. The film may be formed in a DC assisted CVD process where in a first phase a relatively high concentration of a carbonaceous gas is introduced into the reactor and in a second phase the concentration of the carbonaceous gas is reduced to a lower value.

Claims

1. A process for making a continuous thin diamond film, comprising the steps of:

placing a substrate in a CVD reactor,

creating a vacuum in the CVD reactor,

raising the temperature of the CVD reactor to between about 300°

-275°

C.,

introducing hydrogen into the CVD reactor,

during a first phase introducing about 2-5% by volume of a carbonaceous gas into the CVD reactor, to ensure formation of diamond nucleation, and

during a second phase following said first phase reducing the concentration of the carbonaceous gas to about 0.2% by volume to achieve the desired end thickness of the continuous thin diamond film.