Sputter coating of microspherical substrates by levitation
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsArthur T. Lowe, Charles D. Hosford
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Abstract
Microspheres are substantially uniformly coated with metals or nonmetals by simultaneously levitating them and sputter coating them at total chamber pressures less than 1 torr. A collimated hole structure 12 comprising a parallel array of upwardly projecting individual gas outlets 16 is machined out to form a dimple 11. Glass microballoons, which are particularly useful in laser fusion applications, can be substantially uniformly coated using the coating method and apparatus.
Claims8
A method of coating a microsphere with a substantially uniform coating of at least one coating material selected from the group consisting of metals and non-metals, said method comprising:
- a. levitating said microsphere over a dimple hollowed out in a collimated hole structure comprising an array of parallel linear gas outlets by passing at least one levitating gas through said array;
- and
- b. simultaneously sputtering said coating material onto said microsphere.
An apparatus suitable for sputter deposition comprising:
- a. a collimated hole structure comprising a parallel array of a multiplicity of upwardly projecting gas jet outlets, wherein at least one dimple adapted to levitate a single microsphere is hollowed out from said collimated hole structure;
- b. a sputtering means for sputtering a material, said sputtering means being located above said dimple;
- c. a supply means for supplying a levitating gas through said parallel array of gas jet outlets so as to levitate a microsphere when said microsphere is placed near said dimple;
- d. a housing for enclosing said collimated hole structure, said sputtering means, and said supply means;
- and
- e. a vacuum means for reducing the total pressure within said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.