Method for producing an inhomogeneous film for selective reflection/transmission of solar radiation
AssigneeDeposition Technology, Inc.
InventorsNathan K. Meckel, Benjamin B. Meckel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sputtered thin film coating characterized by a stepwise and/or variable refractive index as a function of film depth. By means of an in-line assembly of planar magnetrons, each magnetron essentially isolated from the others but for a region of sputtering overlap, select materials and combinations of said materials with reactive gases can be continuously deposited upon a dynamic substrate whereby to obtain pre-determined refractive index gradients. Substrates coated with an inhomogeneous thin film exhibit superior non-spectral reflective characteristics particularly desirable for architectural designs and applications.
Claims5
A method for sputtering an inhomogeneous thin film laminate upon a transparent substrate which comprises the steps of:
- (a) positioning a substrate upon a holder within a vacuum chamber, said chamber defined by two or more essentially isolated sub-chambers;
- (b) adjusting apertures through which said substrate translates into adjacent sub-chambers whereby to form regions of overlap wherein said substrate simultaneously receives sputter deposition from magnetron cathodes contained within adjacent sub-chambers;
- (c) positioning at least one magnetron cathode within each of said sub-chambers, said cathodes comprising material to be sputter deposited;
- (d) evacuating said chamber to a predetermined low pressure;
- (e) flushing said evacuated chamber with non-reactive gas thereby to reduce wall gas impurities contained therein;
- (f) back filling each of said sub-chambers to predetermined pressures with non-reactive gas;
- (g) further introducing reactive gas into one or more of said sub-chambers whereby predetermined atmospheres are produced within each of said sub-chambers;
- (h) differentially pumping said gases through said sub-chambers whereby the predetermined atmospheres within each of said sub-chambers are maintained;
- and
- (i) sequentially translating said substrate at a constant rate of speed through each of said sub-chambers whereby an inhomogeneous coating of cathode material is deposited thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.