Method of forming ultra thin film devices by vacuum arc vapor deposition

• US 6,866,752 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2001
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Schramm, Harry F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cantelmo, Gregg
• Application Number:
  US09/962,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20030038026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.38, 204/298.41, 204/298.25, 204/298.26, 427/540, 427/580
• US Class Current: 204/192.38
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/042 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/325 Electric arc evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67138 Apparatus for wiring semiconductor or solid state device

Abstract

A method for providing an ultra thin electrical circuit integral with a portion of a surface of an object, including using a focal Vacuum Arc Vapor Deposition device having a chamber, a nozzle and a nozzle seal, depressing the nozzle seal against the portion of the object surface to create an airtight compartment in the chamber and depositing one or more ultra thin film layer(s) only on the portion of the surface of the object, the layers being of distinct patterns such that they form the circuit.

Claims

1. A method for providing an ultra thin electrical circuit integral with a portion of a surface of an object comprising:

using a focal VAVD device comprising a chamber, a nozzle and a nozzle seal, depressing said nozzle seal against said portion of the surface to create an airtight compartment in said chamber; and

depositing a non-conductive ultra thin film layer on said portion of said surface of said object; and

depositing a conductive layer on top of said non-conductive ultra thin film layer said film layer being of a conductive material and forming a pattern associated with said circuit.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said conductive ultra thin film layer has an average thickness of approximately 5 Angstroms.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising depositing a non-conductive ultra thin film cover layer over said ultra thin film conductive layer.

4. A method as in claim 3, further comprising providing human-readable characters or machine-readable code on said non-conductive cover layer.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein said machine-readable code is a bar code or 2-dimensional symbol.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said VAVD device further comprises a cleaning means, said method further comprising cleaning said portion of the surface using said cleaning means prior to depositing said conductive ultra thin film layer on said portion.

7. A method for providing an ultra thin electrical circuit integral with a portion of a surface of an object comprising:

using a focal VAVD device comprising a chamber, a nozzle and a nozzle seal, a first mask having a pattern of openings therein between said nozzle and said surface to confine the deposition of a conductive film layer onto said surface between said pattern of openings in said first mask and providing a second mask having a pattern of openings therein between said nozzle and said surface to confine the deposition of a non-conductive ultra thin film layer between and up to the level of the conductive film layer; and

depressing said nozzle seal against said portion of the surface to create an airtight compartment in said chamber; and

depositing said non-conductive ultra thin film layer on said portion of said surface of said object; and

depositing said conductive layer on top of said non-conductive ultra thin film layer said film layer being of a conductive material and forming a pattern associated with said circuit.

8. A method for providing an ultra thin electrical circuit integral with a portion of a surface of an object comprising:

using a focal VAVD device comprising a chamber, a nozzle and a nozzle seal, depressing said nozzle seal against said portion of the surface to create an airtight compartment in said chamber; and

depositing a non-conductive ultra thin film layer on said portion of said surface of said object; and

depositing a conductive layer on top of said non-conductive ultra thin film layer said film layer being of a conductive material and forming a pattern associated with said circuit;

depositing additional ultra thin film layers on top of said conductive film layer to form said circuit.

9. A method for providing an ultra thin electrical circuit integral with a portion of a surface of an object comprising:

using a focal VAVD device comprising a chamber, a nozzle and a nozzle seal, depressing said nozzle seal against said portion of the surface to create an airtight compartment in said chamber; and

depositing a non-conductive ultra thin film layer on said portion of said surface of said object; and

depositing a conductive layer on top of said non-conductive ultra thin film layer said film layer being of a conductive material and forming a pattern associated with said circuit

depositing additional ultra thin film layers on top of said conductive film layer to form said circuit; and

maintaining positioning of said focal VAVD device with respect to said portion of said surface of said object as each additional layer is deposited.

10. A method for providing an ultra thin circuit integral with a portion of a surface of an object comprising:

positioning a focal VAVD device comprising a chamber, a nozzle and a nozzle seal, with respect to said portion of the surface of the object;

depressing said nozzle seal against said portion of the surface to create an airtight compartment in said chamber,

operating said VAVD device to deposit a first ultra thin film layer only on said portion of said surface of said object, said film layer being of a conductive material and being deposited in a first pattern associated with a first layer of said circuit; and

while maintaining the relative positions of said VAVD device and said portion of the surface of the object, depositing a second ultra thin film layer of a second material in a second pattern associated with a second layer of said circuit.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein, if said portion of the surface of the object is conductive, using said VAVD device to deposit a non-conductive thin film layer onto said portion prior to depositing said first ultra thin film layer.

12. A method as in claim 10, wherein said first ultra thin film layer has an average thickness of approximately 5 Angstroms.