Surface treatment material deposition and recapture

• US 6,365,229 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Robbins, Roger A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARR, MICHAEL E
• Application Number:
  US09/406,386
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 427/248.1, 427/255.14, 427/255.6, 427/314, 427/294, 118/719, 118/720, 118/726, 118/715
• US Class Current: 427/248.1
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/185 applying monomolecular layers B05D1/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/60 Deposition of organic layers from vapour phase vapour phase deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/083 involving the use of fluoropolymers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/12 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/228 Gas flow assisted PVD deposition

Abstract

A method and system for applying a surface treatment to an object. The system comprises: a source chamber (106) for holding a source of surface treatment material (102); a deposition chamber (112) enclosing the object to be treated (104); a recovery chamber (108); a supply of carrier gas (110); conduit (116) connecting the source chamber (106) to the deposition chamber (112) and the deposition chamber (112) to the recovery chamber (108) and for controlling the flow of the carrier gas between the source chamber (106), the deposition chamber (112) and the recovery chamber; and a heater (124) for heating the source chamber (106), the source of surface treatment material (102), the deposition chamber (112), an upper portion (120) of the recovery chamber (108), the carrier gas, and the conduit (116). When heated, the source material (102) evaporates into the carrier gas and is carried to the deposition chamber (112) where is attaches to the surface of the object being treated (104). The depleted carrier gas is then delivered to the cooler lower portion (122) of the recovery chamber (108) where it condenses out of the carrier gas. After the supply of material (102) is depleted, the system flow is reversed to reuse the remaining source material (102). Throughout the deposition process, the carrier gas and all system surfaces are held above the condensation point of the source material-laden carrier gas to prevent unwanted deposition of the source material (102).

Claims

1. A method of applying a surface treatment, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a surface treatment material in a source chamber;

evacuating a deposition chamber enclosing an object to be treated;

heating said source chamber, said deposition chamber, said object, and an upper portion of a recovery chamber to a temperature above the melting point of said surface treatment material;

heating said surface treatment material in the presence of a carrier gas to evaporate said surface treatment material;

exposing said object to said carrier gas and said evaporated surface treatment material;

removing said carrier gas and said evaporated surface treatment material to said recovery chamber;

recovering said evaporated surface treatment material in said recovery chamber;

cooling a lower portion of said source chamber;

heating a lower portion of said recovery chamber to evaporate said recovered surface treatment material into said carrier gas;

transferring said evaporated recovered surface treatment material and said carrier gas into a second deposition chamber;

removing said carrier gas and said evaporated recovered surface treatment material to said source chamber; and

condensing said evaporated recovered surface treatment material in said lower portion of said source chamber.

2. The method of claim 1, said step of recovering comprising condensing said evaporated surface treatment material in a removable lower portion of said recovery chamber.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of cleaning said source chamber after said evaporation of said surface treatment material.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of purging said deposition chamber with an additional quantity of said carrier gas.

5. The method of claim 1, said step of providing a surface treatment material in a source chamber comprising the step of providing a quantity of PFDA in said source chamber.

6. The method of claim 1, said step of heating said source chamber, said deposition chamber, said object, and said upper portion of a recovery chamber comprising heating said source chamber, said deposition chamber, said object, and said upper portion of said recovery chamber to a temperature at least 10°

C. above the melting point of said surface treatment material.

7. The method of claim 1, said step of heating said source chamber, said deposition chamber, said object, and said upper portion of a recovery chamber to a temperature above the melting point of said surface treatment material comprising heating said source chamber, said deposition chamber, said object, and said upper portion of said recovery chamber to a temperature of at least 100°

C.

8. The method of claim 1, said step of heating said source chamber, said deposition chamber, said object, and said upper portion of a recovery chamber to a temperature above the melting point of said surface treatment material comprising heating said source chamber, said deposition chamber, said object, and said upper portion of said recovery chamber to a temperature of at least 105°

C.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

removing said object to be treated prior to said transferring step; and

replacing said object with a second object prior to said transferring step.

10. A system for applying a surface treatment to an object, said system comprising:

a source chamber for holding a source of surface treatment material;

a first deposition chamber enclosing a first object to be treated;

a second deposition chamber enclosing a second object to be treated;

a recovery chamber;

a supply of a carrier gas;

conduit connecting said source chamber to said deposition chambers and said deposition chambers to said recovery chamber and controlling the flow of said carrier gas between said source chamber, said deposition chambers and said recovery chamber; and

a heater for heating said source chamber, said source of surface treatment material, said deposition chambers, said recovery chamber, said carrier gas, and said conduit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said heater evaporates said source of surface treatment material into said carrier gas, said conduit transfers said evaporated surface treatment material into at least one of said deposition chambers where a portion of said evaporated surface treatment material is deposited on at least one said object to be treated, said conduit further transferring a remaining portion of said surface treatment material to said recovery chamber where it condenses in a lower portion of said recovery chamber.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said recovery chamber comprises an upper portion and a removable lower portion.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a vacuum pump connected to said conduit, said vacuum pump operable to remove said carrier gas from said source chamber, said first and second deposition chambers, and said recovery chamber.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said heater evaporates said remaining portion of said surface treatment material in said recovery chamber into said carrier gas, said conduit transfers said evaporated remaining portion of said surface treatment material into at least one of said deposition chambers where a portion of said evaporated surface treatment material is deposited on another object to be treated, said conduit further transferring a second remaining portion of said surface treatment material to said source chamber where it condenses in a lower portion of said source chamber.