Method of plasma-activated reactive deposition of electrically conducting multicomponent material from a gas phase

• US 5,618,395 A
• Filed: 05/02/1996
• Issued: 04/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Gartner, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Bruce F.
• Application Number:
  US08/642,016
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 204/290 R, 429/209, 429/218
• US Class Current: 204/290.02
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/04 Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/14 Deposition of only one other metal element
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/18 from metallo-organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/40 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45523 Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/00 Coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of groups C23C2/00 - C23C26/00 or by combinations of methods provided for in subclasses C23C and C25C or C25D
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/023 only coatings of metal elements only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/42 characterized by the composition of the alternating layers

Abstract

Uniform electrically conducting multicomponent material is deposited on an electrically conducting substrate by means of a PCVD method. A plasm, for example a glow discharge plasm, a high frequency plasm or a microwave plasm is generated in a reaction space. The plasma is periodically reciprocated. Starting materials for the single components of the multicomponent material are added to a flowing gas phase. To obtain multicomponent material of the desired composition, the flowing gas phase is split into at least two flowing gas phases each comprising only starting materials for a single component of the multicomponent material. The separate gas phases are time sequentially applied to the plasma. The deposited multicomponent material my be subjected to a thermal treatment.

Claims

1. A substrate carrying a precursor layer for a multicomponent material layer, said precursor layer comprising a plurality of parallel sub-layers one deposited on top of the other, each sub-layer comprising a plurality of adjacent regions which regions each comprise a single component material of the multicomponent material, the distribution of the single component materials in the various sub-layers being such that in a cross section normal to said substrate the adjacent regions of each two adjacent sub-layers comprise different single component materials.

2. A substrate carrying a multicomponent material layer, obtained from a precursor layer comprising a plurality of parallel sub-layers one deposited on top of the other, each sub-layer comprising a plurality of adjacent regions which regions each comprise a single component material of the multicomponent material, the distribution of the single component materials in the various sub-layers being such that in a cross section normal to said substrate adjacent regions of each two adjacent sub-layers comprise different single component materials, the multicomponent material layer being obtained by interdiffusion of the single component materials of the precursor layer.

3. A cathode body comprising a multicomponent material layer, obtained from a precursor layer comprising a plurality of parallel sub-layers one deposited on top of the other, each sub-layer comprising a plurality of adjacent regions which regions each comprise a single component material of the multicomponent material, the distribution of the single component materials in the various sub-layers being such that in a cross section normal to said substrate adjacent regions of each two adjacent sub-layers comprise different single component materials, the multicomponent material layer being obtained by interdiffusion of the single component materials of the precursor layer.

4. A cathode having a cathode body comprising a multicomponent material layer, obtained from a precursor layer comprising a plurality of parallel sub-layers one deposited on top of the other, each sub-layer comprising a plurality of adjacent regions which regions each comprise a single component material of the multicomponent material, the distribution of the single component materials in the various sub-layers being such that in a cross section normal to said substrate adjacent regions of each two adjacent sub-layers comprise different single component materials, the multicomponent material layer being obtained by interdiffusion of the single component materials of the precursor layer, the cathode being obtained by providing the cathode body with emissive material.