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US 4,392,931 AGranted
Reactive deposition method and apparatus
AssigneeNorthern Telecom Limited
InventorsShmuel Maniv, William D. Westwood
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AssigneeNorthern Telecom Limited
InventorsShmuel Maniv, William D. Westwood
Estimating the term…
Using a sputter deposition system to reactively deposit a material such as an oxide, it is relatively easy to achieve either an oxygen-doped film with appreciable metallic content or an oxide film. However it is difficult with known systems to obtain an intermediate film having an accurately controlled resistivity, transparency, and composition, such films being of much use in semiconductor applications, in displays and in photovoltaic cells. It is now proposed that an apertured barrier be used to accurately fix the flow rate of target material to the substrate and in addition, that reactive gas flow be regulated and directed only to the immediate vicinity of the substrate. In this way the composition of the film can be accurately fixed. By establishing an r.f. field at the substrate, increased dissociation of the reactive gas can be achieved to render the gas more reactive and so enhance certain film properties such as transparency.
Thin film deposition apparatus for reactively sputter depositing a film, the apparatus comprising a substrate, a target, means for directing sputtered target material towards the substrate, means for directing reactive gas at a present flow rate to the substrate, an apertured barrier containing a series of vertical slots intermediate the target and the substrate to limit passage of the reactive gas to the target and to control the rate at which target material reaches the substrate, whereby at said preset reactive gas flow rate to fix the composition of a film reactively deposited from the target material and the reactive gas;
Thin film deposition apparatus for reactively sputter depositing a film, the apparatus comprising a substrate;
A method for reactively sputter depositing a film, the method comprising generating and directing sputtered target material towards a substrate, applying an inert atmosphere around the target, directing reactive gas at a preset flow rate to a deposition area of the substrate, and, using an apertured barrier intermediate the target and the substrate, limiting passage of reactive gas to the substrate and controlling the rate at which target material reaches the deposition area of the substrate whereby at said preset reactive gas flow rate to fix the composition of a film reactively deposited from the sputtered target material and the reactive gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.