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US 4,166,784 AGranted
Feedback control for vacuum deposition apparatus
AssigneeApplied Films Lab, Inc.
InventorsJohn Chapin, Charles R. Condon
Life of this patent
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AssigneeApplied Films Lab, Inc.
InventorsJohn Chapin, Charles R. Condon
Estimating the term…
Method and apparatus for controlling vacuum deposition of a thin film onto a substrate, wherein the vacuum deposition produces a glow discharge. The glow discharge is monitored and light therefrom is converted to an electrical signal which is compared to a preset reference signal and used to optimize thin film properties by controlling deposition parameters such as current between electrodes or the supply of gas to a reactive sputtering apparatus. The overall intensity of the glow discharge, or the intensity of certain wavelengths, or the ratio of certain wavelength intensities may be monitored. The time derivative of the electrical signal may be taken to quicken response to light changes. The method and apparatus of the present invention are particularly applicable to reactive sputtering. As an alternative embodiment in reactive sputtering, cathode voltage may be monitored instead of the light.
In an apparatus for depositing an intermediately reacted thin film onto a substrate, said apparatus having a chamber, a power supply, means for providing a flow of reactive gas to the apparatus, and producing a glow discharge having light intensity, a control device comprising:
In an apparatus for reactive sputtering, said apparatus producing a glow discharge and comprising an anode, a cathode, a power supply for creating a potential drop between the anode and the cathode, a cathode adapted to comprise a target material, means for supporting a substrate to be coated, means for producing reduced pressure in the apparatus, means for providing a sputtering gas, a means for providing a flow of reactive gas to the apparatus, said reactive gas reacting with said target material to form an intermediately reacted product, the improvement comprising:
In a process for coating an article by reactive sputtering in a sputtering apparatus including a chamber, an anode, a cathode, means for providing a flow of reactive gas, and a sputtering power supply, said apparatus emitting a glow discharge having a light intensity, the improvement comprising:
In a method for coating an article in a reactive sputtering apparatus including an anode, a cathode and a sputtering power supply, wherein a flow of reactive gas is added to the apparatus to react with material from a target on the cathode surface to form a compound, the improvement comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.