Method and apparatus for depositing a material on a surface

Apparatus for depositing from the gaseous phase a layer of a surface-compatible material onto a selected surface of a body comprising

• a deposition chamber,
• means for supporting said body in said chamber,
• a laser source of energy operating at a wavelength shorter than 700 nm,
• an optical system for focusing said energy toward said selected surface at a position adjacent said selected surface, said optical system further directing said energy onto said selected surface, and
• means for introducing a gaseous medium into said chamber adjacent said surface, at least one component of said gaseous medium absorbing energy at said frequency for effecting photodecomposition of said at least one component of said medium in said gas phase at a photodissocation rate which is linear with power, for depositing said surface-compatible material product of said photodecomposition onto said surface in a selected pattern.

Apparatus for forming a selectively doped region by depositing a selected material from the gaseous phase onto a surface of a semiconductor substrate body comprising

• a deposition chamber,
• means for supporting said body in said chamber,
• a laser source of energy operating at a wavelength shorter than 700 nm,
• an optical system for focusing said energy toward said selected surface at a position adjacent to said selected substrate surface, said optical system further directing said energy onto said selected surface,
• means for introducing a gaseous medium into said chamber adjacent said surface, at least one component of said gaseous medium absorbing said laser energy at said frequency for effecting photodecomposition of said at least one component of said medium in the gas phase at a photodissocation rate which is linear with power, for depositing said selected material upon said surface in a selected pattern, and
• means for locally heating said substrate surface for producing said selectively doped surface region.

Apparatus for repairing a surface discontinuity in a surface layer of a body by depositing a selected material from the gaseous phase onto said body surface layer at said discontinuity comprising

• a deposition chamber,
• means for supporting said body in said chamber,
• a laser source of energy operating a wavelength shorter than 700 nm,
• an optical system for focusing said energy toward said surface layer at a position adjacent to the surface discontinuity in said surface layer, said optical system further directing said energy onto said selected surface, and
• means for introducing a gaseous medium into said chamber adjacent said surface, at least one component of said gaseous medium absorbing said laser energy at said frequency for effecting photodecomposition of said at least one component of said medium for depositing, from the gas phase at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power, said material upon said surface at said surface discontinuity in a selected pattern,
• whereby said surface discontinuity can be repaired.

Apparatus for producing a pn junction in a surface layer of a doped semiconductor substrate comprising

• a deposition chamber,
• means for supporting said substrate in said chamber,
• a laser source of energy operating at a wavelength shorter than 700 nm,
• an optical system for focusing said energy towards said selected surface at a position adjacent to said surface layer at a substrate surface portion thereof, said optical system further directing said energy onto said selected surface,
• means for introducing a gaseous medium into said chamber adjacent said surface portion, at least one component of said gaseous medium absorbing said laser energy at said frequency for effecting photodecomposition of said at least one component of said medium from the gaseous phase at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power, for depositing a pn junction producing material upon said surface in a selected pattern, and
• means for locally heating said substrate surface for aiding diffusion of said deposited material into said substrate at said surface.

Apparatus for depositing from the gaseous phase a layer of a material onto a selected surface of a body in a predetermined spatially disjoint pattern comprising

• a deposition chamber,
• means for supporting said body in said chamber,
• a laser source of energy operating at a wavelength shorter than 700 nm,
• an optical system for focusing said energy toward said selected surface at a position adjacent said selected surface, said optical system having means for focusing a spatially defined pattern of energy toward said selected surface at said position, said optical system further directing said energy onto said selected surface, and
• means for introducing a gaseous medium into said chamber adjacent said surface, at least one component of said gaseous medium absorbing energy at said frequency for effecting photodecomposition of said at least one component of said medium in said gas phase at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power, for depositing said material product of said photodecomposition onto said surface according to said pattern.

Apparatus for depositing, from a gaseous phase, a layer of a compound onto a selected surface of a body comprising

• a deposition chamber,
• means for supporting said body in said chamber,
• a laser source of energy operating at a wavelength shorter than 700 nm,
• an optical system for focusing said energy toward said selected surface at a position adjacent said selected surface, said optical system further directing said energy onto said selected surface, and
• means for introducing into said chamber and adjacent said surface a gaseous medium, said gaseous medium having a first component for absorbing energy at said frequency for effecting photodecomposition of said first component in the gaseous phase at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power, and a second component for reacting in the gaseous phase with a product of said photodecomposition for depositing on said surface a compound comprising two gaseous phase reactants.

A method for selectively depositing a surface-compatible film on a surface of a substrate body comprising the steps of

• supporting said substrate body in an enclosed chamber,
• exposing at least said substrate surface of said body in said chamber to a gaseous environment containing at least one photolytically decomposable compound,
• directing a laser source of energy onto said surface,
• focusing said laser source of energy at a position adjacent to said surface, said source having an energy output at a wavelength to effect photolytic decomposition of said one photolytically decomposable compound in the gaseous phase at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power, and
• photolytically decomposing said one compound to effect deposition of said surface-compatible film onto said surface in a selected pattern.

A method for selectively depositing a surface-compatible film on a surface of a substrate body comprising the steps of

• supporting said substrate body in an enclosed chamber,
• exposing at least said substrate surface of said body in said chamber to a gaseous environment containing at least one photolytically decomposable compound,
• focusing a laser source of energy at a position adjacent to said surface, said source having an energy output at a wavelength to effect photolytic decomposition of said one photolytically decomposable compound in the gaseous phase,
• photolytically decomposing said one compound to effect deposition of said surface-compatible film onto said surface, and
• introducing a scavenger gas component into said chamber for aiding in the removal of selected undesired products of said gaseous decomposition.

A method for selectively depositing a surface-compatible film on a surface of a substrate body comprising the steps of

• supporting said substrate body in an enclosed chamber,
• exposing at least said substrate surface of said body in said chamber to a gaseous environment containing at least one photolytically decomposable compound,
• focusing a laser source of energy at a position adjacent to said surface, said source having an energy output at a wavelength to effect photolytic decomposition of said one photolytically decomposable compound in the gaseous phase,
• photolytically decomposing said one compound to effect deposition of said surface-compatible film onto said surface, and
• introducing a buffer gas component into said chamber for aiding localization of the deposition of the decomposed composition on said surface.

A method for selectively depositing a surface-compatible film on a surface of a substrate body comprising the steps of

• supporting said substrate body in an enclosed chamber,
• exposing at least said substrate surface of said body in said chamber to a gaseous environment containing at least one photolytically decomposable compound,
• directing a laser source of energy onto said surface,
• focusing said laser source of energy at a position adjacent to said surface, said source having an energy output at a wavelength to effect photolytic decomposition of said photolytically decomposable compound in the gaseous phase at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power,
• photolytically decomposing said compound to effect deposition of said surface-compatible film layer onto said surface, and
• scanning said focused energy along a path parallel to said surface for effecting the deposition of the film layer on said surface in a desired pattern.

A method for forming a selectively doped region by depositing a selected material from a gaseous phase onto a surface of a substrate body comprising the steps of

• supporting said substrate surface in an enclosed chamber,
• exposing at least said substrate surface of said body in said chamber to a gaseous environment containing at least a photolytically decomposable compound,
• directing a laser source of energy onto said surface,
• focusing said laser source of energy at a position adjacent to said surface, said source having an energy output at a wavelength which effects photolytic decomposition of said photolytically decomposable compound at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power,
• photolytically decomposing said compound to form said selected material as a product thereof in a selected pattern, and
• locally heating said substrate surface for producing said selectively doped region in said substrate surface.

A method for repairing a surface discontinuity on a surface of a body by depositing a selected material from the gaseous phase onto the body surface at said discontinuity in a selected pattern comprising the steps of

• supporting the body in an enclosed chamber,
• exposing at least the surface layer of said body in said chamber to a gaseous environment containing at least a photolytically decomposable compound selected to produce as a product of decomposition said selected material,
• directing a laser source of energy onto said surface,
• focusing said laser source of energy at a position adjacent to said surface, said source having an energy output at a wavelength selected to produce photolytic decomposition of said photolytically decomposable compound at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power,
• photolytically decomposing said compound for repairing said surface discontinuity.

A method for producing a pn junction in a surface layer of a doped semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of

• supporting said doped semiconductor substrate in an enclosed chamber for exposing said surface layer,
• exposing at least the surface layer of said substrate in said chamber to a gaseous environment containing at least a photolytically decomposable compound having as a product of decomposition a pn junction forming component,
• directing a laser source of energy onto said surface,
• focusing said laser source of energy at a position adjacent to said surface, said source having an energy output at a wavelength which effects photolytic decomposition of said photolytically decomposable compound at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power,
• photolytically decomposing said compound to form and deposit said junction forming material in a selected pattern, and
• locally heating said substrate surface at said deposition for diffusing said deposited material into said substrate at said surface for forming said pn junction.

A method for selectively depositing a surface-compatible film in a selected spatially disjoint pattern on a substrate surface comprising the steps of

• supporting said substrate body in an enclosed chamber,
• exposing at least said substrate surface of said body in said chamber to a gaseous environment containing at least one photolytically decomposable compound,
• providing a laser source of energy directed toward said chamber through an optical system,
• directing a laser source of energy onto said surface,
• generating said selected pattern of energy from said laser source at a position adjacent to said surface,
• wherein said source has an energy output at a frequency to effect photolytic decomposition of said one photolytically decomposable compound at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power, and
• photolytically decomposing said compound to effect formation of said surface-compatible film in said selected pattern.

A method for selectively depositing a film on a surface of a substrate body, said film being composed of two components, comprising the steps of

• supporting the substrate body in an enclosed chamber,
• exposing at least said substrate surface of said body in said chamber to a gaseous environment containing at least one photolytically decomposable compound, and
• directing a laser source of energy onto said surface,
• focusing said laser source of energy at a position adjacent to said surface, said source having an energy output at a wavelength to effect photolytic decomposition of said one photolytically decomposable compound at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power,
• photolytically decomposing said one compound to effect formation of a reactive material therefrom, and
• providing a second material with which said reactive material is compatible for forming said compound layer.

A method for selectively depositing a surface-compatible film on a surface of a substrate body comprising the steps of

• supporting said substrate body in an enclosed chamber,
• exposing at least said substrate surface of said body in said chamber to a fluid environment containing at least one photolytically decomposable compound,
• directing a laser source of energy onto said surface,
• focusing said laser source of energy at a position adjacent to said surface, said source having an energy output at a wavelength to effect photolytic decomposition of said one photolytically decomposable compound in the fluid phase at a photodissociation rate which is linear with power, and
• photolytically decomposing said one compound for effecting decomposition of said surface-compatible film layer in a selected pattern.