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US 10,483,093 B2Granted
Plasma source and methods for depositing thin film coatings using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition
AssigneesAgc Flat Glass North America, Inc., Asahi Glass Company, Limited, Agc Glass Europe
InventorPeter Maschwitz
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Abstract
The present invention provides novel plasma sources useful in the thin film coating arts and methods of using the same. More specifically, the present invention provides novel linear and two dimensional plasma sources that produce linear and two dimensional plasmas, respectively, that are useful for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The present invention also provides methods of making thin film coatings and methods of increasing the coating efficiencies of such methods.
Claims87
A plasma source forming a coating using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) comprising:
- i) a first electron emitting surface and a second electron emitting surface separated by a gas containing space,
- wherein a first restricted opening is disposed in the first electron emitting surface and a second restricted opening is disposed in the second electron emitting surface,
- wherein the first and second restricted openings are configured to face the substrate to be coated,
- wherein the first electron emitting surface and the second electron emitting surface are positioned so that a current comprising secondary electrons flows from the first electron emitting surface through the first restricted opening, through the gas containing space, and through the second restricted opening to the second electron emitting surface;
- ii) at least one precursor gas manifold supplying precursor gas;
- iii) at least one reactant gas manifold supplying reactant gas;
- iv) a power source to which the electron emitting surfaces are electrically connected supplying a voltage that alternates between positive and negative to cause the voltage supplied to the first electron emitting surface to be out of phase with the voltage supplied to the second electron emitting surface and creating a current comprising electrons that flows between the electron emitting surfaces;
- and
- v) one or more walls for pressure control, wherein the operating gas pressure between the first electron emitting surface and the second electron emitting surface is 1 millibar to 10−3 millibar;
- wherein the current creates a plasma between the electron emitting surfaces that is substantially uniform over its length in the substantial absence of Hall current;
- wherein the at least one reactant gas manifold is positioned so that reactant gas flows along the electron emitting surfaces;
- wherein the at least one precursor gas manifold is positioned so that the precursor gas flows into the gas containing space separating the electron emitting surfaces;
- and
- wherein the plasma energizes, partially decomposes, or fully decomposes the precursor gas proximate to the substrate to be coated, and
- wherein the plasma source is able to produce a coating at a rate of deposition of at least 0.2 μm/second.
12 more elements
A plasma source forming a coating using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) comprising:
- i) a first hollow cathode and a second hollow cathode comprising a first restricted opening disposed in the first hollow cathode and a second restricted opening disposed in the second hollow cathode,
- wherein the first and second restricted openings are configured to face the substrate to be coated,
- wherein the first hollow cathode and second hollow cathode are positioned so that a current comprising secondary electrons flows from the first hollow cathode through the first restricted opening, through the gas containing space, and through the second restricted opening to the second hollow cathode separated by a gas containing space, and wherein each hollow cathode comprises facing cathodic surfaces;
- ii) at least one precursor gas manifold supplying precursor gas;
- iii) at least one reactant gas manifold supplying reactant gas;
- iv) a power source to which the hollow cathodes are electrically connected supplying a voltage that alternates between positive and negative to cause the voltage supplied to the first hollow cathode to be out of phase with the voltage supplied to the second hollow cathode and creating a current comprising electrons that flows between the hollow cathodes;
- and
- v) one or more walls for pressure control, wherein the operating gas pressure between the first hollow cathode and the second hollow cathode is 1 millibar to 10−3 millibar;
- wherein the current creates a plasma between the hollow cathodes that is substantially uniform over its length in the substantial absence of Hall current;
- wherein the at least one reactant gas manifold is positioned so that reactant gas flows between the two facing cathodic surfaces of each hollow cathode;
- wherein the at least one precursor gas manifold is positioned so that the precursor gas flows into the gas containing space separating the hollow cathodes;
- and
- wherein the plasma energizes, partially decomposes, or fully decomposes the precursor gas proximate to the substrate to be coated, and
- wherein the plasma source is able to produce a coating at a rate of deposition of at least 0.2 μm/second.
11 more elements
A plasma source forming a coating using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) comprising:
- i) a plurality of pairs of electron emitting surfaces, each pair comprising a first electron emitting surface and a second electron emitting surface separated by a gas-containing space,
- wherein a first restricted opening is disposed in the first electron emitting surface and a second restricted opening is disposed in the second electron emitting surface,
- wherein the first and second restricted openings are configured to face the substrate to be coated,
- wherein the first electron emitting surface and the second electron emitting surface are positioned so that a current comprising secondary electrons flows from the first electron emitting surface through the first restricted opening, through the gas containing space, and through the second restricted opening to the second electron emitting surface,
- ii) at least one precursor gas manifold supplying a precursor gas;
- iii) at least one reactant gas manifold supplying a reactant gas;
- iv) a power source to which each pair of electron emitting surfaces is electrically connected supplying a voltage that alternates between positive and negative to cause the voltage supplied to the first electron emitting surface of each pair to be out of phase with the voltage supplied to the second electron emitting surface of each pair and creating a current comprising electrons that flows between the electron emitting surfaces of each pair;
- and
- iv. one or more walls for pressure control, wherein the operating gas pressure between the first electron emitting surface and the second electron emitting surface is 1 millibar to 10−3 millibar;
- wherein the plurality of pairs of electron emitting surfaces are disposed adjacently in an array;
- wherein the current creates a two dimensional plasma between the electron emitting surfaces of each pair that is substantially uniform in two dimensions in the substantial absence of Hall current;
- wherein the at least one reactant gas manifold is positioned so that reactant gas flows along the electron emitting surfaces;
- wherein the at least one precursor gas manifold is positioned so that the precursor gas flows into the gas containing space separating the electron emitting surfaces;
- and
- wherein the plasma energizes, partially decomposes, or fully decomposes the precursor gas proximate to the substrate to be coated, and
- wherein the plasma source is able to produce a coating at a rate of deposition of at least 0.2 μm/second.
13 more elements
A plasma source forming a coating using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) comprising:
- i) a first electron emitting surface and a second electron emitting surface separated by a gas containing space,
- wherein a first restricted opening is disposed in the first electron emitting surface and a second restricted opening is disposed in the second electron emitting surface,
- wherein the first and second restricted openings are configured to face the substrate to be coated,
- wherein the first electron emitting surface and the second electron emitting surface are positioned so that a current comprising secondary electrons flows from the first electron emitting surface through the first restricted opening, through the gas containing space, and through the second restricted opening to the second electron emitting surface;
- ii) at least one precursor gas manifold supplying precursor gas;
- iii) at least one reactant gas manifold supplying reactant gas;
- iv) a power source to which the electron emitting surfaces are electrically connected supplying a voltage that alternates between positive and negative to cause the voltage supplied to the first electron emitting surface to be out of phase with the voltage supplied to the second electron emitting surface and creating a current comprising electrons that flows between the electron emitting surfaces;
- and
- v) one or more walls for pressure control, wherein the operating gas pressure between the first electron emitting surface and the second electron emitting surface is 1 millibar to 10−3 millibar;
- wherein the current creates a plasma between the electron emitting surfaces that is substantially uniform over its length in the substantial absence of Hall current;
- wherein the at least one reactant gas manifold is positioned so that reactant gas flows along the electron emitting surfaces;
- and
- wherein the plasma energizes, partially decomposes, or fully decomposes the precursor gas proximate to the substrate to be coated, and
- wherein the plasma source is able to produce a coating at a rate of deposition of at least 0.2 μm/second.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.