Laser and laser-assisted free electron beam deposition apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A vapor deposition apparatus for vaporizing a material contained in a crucible contained in a deposition chamber to coat a thin film of the material on a substrate contained in the deposition chamber, comprising:
- a first laser located outside of the deposition chamber provided with means for directing a first laser beam emitted by said laser to the crucible;
a second vaporizing beam apparatus selected from the group consisting of at least one electron beam generating apparatus and at least one second laser provided with means for directing a vaporizing beam generated by said second vaporizing beam generating apparatus to the crucible.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A laser and laser-assisted multi-beam deposition apparatus for evaporating and/or sublimating a material to deposit on a substrate comprises using a laser and an electron beam, or two lasers, simultaneously applied to the material to vaporize the material with reduced ejection of material particulates and reduced oxidation of the material. The apparatus and method is particularly useful in the processing of blanket refractory metal depositions on large flat panel display substrates, silicon wafer substrates, and tribological/ceramic coatings.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A vapor deposition apparatus for vaporizing a material contained in a crucible contained in a deposition chamber to coat a thin film of the material on a substrate contained in the deposition chamber, comprising:
-
a first laser located outside of the deposition chamber provided with means for directing a first laser beam emitted by said laser to the crucible; a second vaporizing beam apparatus selected from the group consisting of at least one electron beam generating apparatus and at least one second laser provided with means for directing a vaporizing beam generated by said second vaporizing beam generating apparatus to the crucible. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A vapor deposition apparatus for vaporizing a material contained in a crucible contained in a deposition chamber to coat a thin film of the material on a substrate contained in the deposition chamber, comprising:
-
at least one laser located outside of the deposition chamber provided with means for directing a high energy laser beam emitted by said laser into the crucible; means for controlling operation of said laser; at least one an electron beam generating apparatus with means for directing the electron beam generated by said electron beam generating apparatus to the crucible; means for controlling operation of said electron beam generating apparatus; said electron beam and said laser beam being directed to said crucible; said laser beam providing sufficient energy to said material whereby said material may be vaporized by said electron beam with minimal ejection of material particulates, to coat the substrate with minimal oxidation of said material in said coating. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A vapor deposition apparatus for vaporizing a material contained in a crucible contained in a deposition chamber to coat a thin film of the material on a substrate contained in the deposition chamber, comprising:
-
at least one first laser provided with means for directing a high energy first laser beam emitted by said first laser into the crucible; means for controlling operation of said first laser; at least one second laser provided with means for directing a high energy second laser beam emitted by said second laser to the crucible; means for controlling operation of said second laser; said first and second laser beams being directed to said crucible; said first laser beam providing sufficient energy to said material whereby said material may be vaporized by said second laser beam with minimal ejection of material particulates, to coat the substrate with minimal oxidation of said material in said coating. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. In a beam deposition apparatus for vaporizing a material contained in a crucible contained in a deposition chamber to coat a thin film of the material on a substrate contained in the deposition chamber, an aperture apparatus for a laser beam directed at said crucible to vaporize the material, comprising:
-
a housing for mounting inside the deposition chamber, said housing having an aperture located whereby said laser beam may be directed through said aperture to said crucible; a disc located inside said housing which disc is formed of a material which is capable of transmitting said laser beam, whereby said laser beam may be directed along a path through said disc and to said aperture in said housing; means for providing rotation of said disc whereby said laser beam is not continuously directed at a same position on said disc; a disc cleaning energy beam directed inside said housing to said disc to clear deposited material on said disc at a location prior to rotation of said location into said path of said laser beam through said disc. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
-
17. A process of vapor deposition of a material on a substrate, in a deposition chamber containing the substrate and a crucible in which is located the material to be deposited on the substrate, comprising:
-
generating a laser beam of selected power and directing said laser beam into said crucible; generating an electron beam of selected power and directing said electron beam into said crucible; said laser beam providing sufficient energy to said material whereby said material may be vaporized by said electron beam, with minimal ejection of material particulates, to coat the substrate with minimal oxidation of said material in said coating. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A process of vapor deposition of a material on a substrate, in a deposition chamber containing the substrate and a crucible in which is located the material to be deposited on the substrate, comprising:
-
generating a first laser beam of selected power and directing said first laser beam into said crucible; generating a second laser beam of selected power and directing said second laser beam into said crucible; said first laser beam providing sufficient energy to said material whereby said material may be vaporized by said second laser beam, with minimal ejection of material particulates, to coat the substrate with minimal oxidation of said material in said coating. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
Specification