Method for depositing film on a substrate

• US 4,107,350 A
• Filed: 04/24/1975
• Issued: 08/15/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph E. Berg, Randolph E. Brown Jr
• Original Assignee: Joseph E. Berg, Randolph E. Brown Jr
• Inventors: Brown, Randolph E. Jr., Berg, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Newsome, John H.
• Application Number:
  US05/571,480
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 427/38, 427/39, 427/40, 427/54, 427/13, 427/42, 204/164
• US Class Current: 427/474
• 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 7/02 to macromolecular substances, e.g. rubber treatment or coating of shaped articles made of macromolecular substances C08J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/24 for applying particular liquids or other fluent materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00865 Applying coatings; tinting; colouring printing, marking or copying processes B41M; identification in general G09F3/00; producing decorative effects in general B44C; positioning or marking of lenses B24B13/0055
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/32 by explosion; by evaporation and subsequent ionisation of the vapours , e.g. ion-platingC23C14/34 - C23C14/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/48 Ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/04 with beam-forming means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 27/26 using surface ionisation, e.g. field effect ion sources, thermionic ion sources H01J27/20, H01J27/24 take precedence

Abstract

Method and apparatus for use of emitting, ionizing, accelerating and collecting elements in a high vacuum to implant a hard film on a plastic substrate or the like. In preparation, a slug of a selected material to be deposited as a film is placed in the emitter. The specimens or articles to be implanted are placed on supports in the vicinity of the collector. A cover enclosure is then placed in position and the region enclosed by the cover is exhausted to a high vacuum. Selected potentials are applied to various elements of the apparatus and an accelerating/directing field, which may be developed electrostatically, magnetically or by a combination of both, is developed in the acceleration structure. The electrostatic field causes electron emission from the ionizing elements to develop an increased charge on the emitted ionized particles. When implantation is to begin, a shutter control is moved out of beam blocking position and ionized particles from the emitter pick up additional charge from the ionizing elements and are accelerated to high velocity for bombarding the specimens. The collector is provided near the end of the enclosure beyond the specimen support region. The specimens are discharged regularly to eliminate the build-up of surface charge from the stream of bombarding ions.

Claims

1. The method of depositing and implanting a film on a substrate within an airtight enclosure comprising the steps of:

exhausting the atmosphere from said enclosure to maintain a high vacuum;

emitting ionized molecular particles from a source of material to be deposited;

directing the molecular particles to a region adjacent a plurality of electrodes shaped to develop field emission of charged particles;

applying potentials to said shaped electrodes to establish electric fields sufficient to cause the electrodes to emit charged particles into said region for further ionizing said molecular particles after emission from said source of material; and

accelerating and directing the ionized molecular particles to a specimen remote from said source material with sufficient energy to implant a film of said molecular particles on said specimen to a selected depth of penetration and thickness.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said specimen is a non-conductor and further including the step of removing charge from the specimen as it is built up thereon by the impact of ionized molecular particles.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said molecular particles as they are emitted are already negatively ionized and wherein said step of ionizing after emission comprises the step of further ionizing said ionized molecular particles.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of selectively blocking or unblocking the path of said molecular particles to control the deposition of the film.

5. The method of fabricating a tinted plastic transparent device having a hardened film coating comprising the steps of:

emitting particles from a source of material containing the tinting substance;

ionizing said particles after emission from said source;

accelerating and directing said particles to said device for implanting a hardened tinted film thereon; and

exposing said device to ultraviolet radiation to develop the desired tint in said film.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of exposing the device to ultraviolet radiation is performed during the film deposition process.

7. The method of claim 5 further including the step of controlling the rate of implantation of said film such that the ultraviolet radiation present in the plasma during the ionizing process develops the desired tint.

8. The method of claim 5 further including the steps of:

implanting the hardened tinted film to a level of tint deeper than desired in the finished device; and

fading the tinted film to the desired level by exposure to a controlled amount of ultraviolet radiation.

9. The method of developing fire resistant properties for an article having a combustible surface material comprising the steps of:

placing said article in a vacuum chamber for molecular bombardment therein;

emitting ionized molecular particles from a source of mineral material to be deposited on the surface of said article;

further ionizing said particles by field emission after said emission from said source; and

accelerating and directing said particles to said article with sufficient energy to implant a film of deposited mineral material on the surface of said article to a sufficient depth of penetration and thickness to prevent oxidation of the combustible surface material.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the step of selecting as the source material a mineral having a low coefficient of expansion with temperature.

11. The method of claim 9 further including the step of selecting constituents having compensating coefficients of expansion with temperature for the source of mineral material in order to develop a low coefficient of expansion with temperature for the implanted film.

12. The method of implanting a protective film on a substrate comprising:

utilizing a set of interrelated means for emitting, electric field induced ionizing, accelerating and directing particles of a selected material to a predetermined collector region containing the substrate remote from the emitting means in order to implant the ionized particles in said substrate and deposit a film thereon, the utilizing step including directing an electron beam to a source of said material to cause emission of said material particles with at least some of them being ionized and applying electrical potentials to a plurality of electrodes in said interrelated means which are shaped to develop field emission of charged particles in order to cause said field emission to further ionize the selected material particles;

maintaining a high vacuum in the vicinity of the set of interrelated means and the collector region; and

controlling the selective application of electrical potentials to the set of interrelated means in order to control the electric field induced ionizing and the implantation and deposition of said film.

13. The method of implanting ionized particles of a selected material on a specimen surface and building up a film thereon, the method comprising:

mounting the specimen in a first region within an airtight enclosure;

mounting a slug of said material in a second region within said enclosure remote from the first region;

directing a beam of electrons to impinge said slug to cause vaporization and emission of particles therefrom, at least some of which are ionized by said electrons;

selectively applying potentials to an accelerating and directing structure within said enclosure intermediate the first and second regions to develop a controlled electrostatic field for accelerating the ionized particles toward the specimen and implanting the ionized particles to a predetermined depth therein;

building up a layer of said material of a predetermined thickness on the implanted surface of the specimen; and

carrying out all of said steps within said enclosure evacuated to a high vacuum.

14. The method of claim 13 further including the step of discharging the specimen regularly to limit the buildup of surface charge from the stream of ionized material particles.

15. The method of claim 13 further including the step of selectively controlling the particle stream to determine the period of implantation in the specimen surface.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the last-mentioned step comprises moving a shutter into and out of position to block the particle stream.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of selectively applying potentials to the accelerating and directing structure further includes the step of applying a potential of sufficient magnitude to increase the extent of ionization of the ionized particle stream during its traverse between the first and second regions.