Methods and apparatus for material deposition
AssigneeSymetrix Corporation
InventorsLarry D. McMillan, Carlos A. Paz de Araujo
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Abstract
The present invention discloses methods and apparatus for depositing thin films of complex (compound) materials, including ferroelectrics, superconductors, and materials with high dielectric constants through a technique which is hereby entitled photo-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and activation (PECVDA). The technique involves the use of multiple heating sources including a resistive heat bias heater, a tuned optical source (UV or laser) and a source (halogen lamps or microwave sources) for applying high energy, rapid thermal pulses in a precise time sequence.
Claims20
An apparatus for depositing a stoichiometrically-correct thin film of a complex chemical compound on a substrate, comprising:
- a deposition chamber having an enclosed space therein;
- means for introducing at least one vaporized compound source into the deposition chamber at a predetermined flow rate;
- means for applying a spectral heating bath to the deposition chamber for heating the vaporized compound source as introduced therein;
- and
- control means for controlling the flow rate of said at least one vaporized compound source into the deposition chamber and for controlling said spectral heating bath applying means such that said bath provided thereby is optimally tuned to dissociate at least one complex chemical compound from said at least one vaporized compound source and to deposit said complex chemical compound on a substrate within the deposition chamber;
- said introducing means being adapted to introduce said vaporized compound source into the said deposition chamber as a stabilized source including a substantially stoichiometrically-correct quantity of said at least one complex chemical compound and which will substantially not chemically react to destabilize said complex chemical compound of its pre-established, stoichiometrically-correct formulation within said deposition chamber.
Apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate, comprising:
- a deposition chamber having an enclosed space therein;
- means for introducing at least one vaporized compound source into said chamber at a predetermined flow rate;
- means for applying a spectral heat bath to said chamber for heating said source as introduced therein;
- means for selectively applying high energy heating pulses to said chamber to rapidly thermally stress said source as introduced into said chamber;
- and
- control means for controlling the flow rate of said source into said chamber, and for controlling said spectral heat bath applying means and said heating pulse applying means in combination to optimize the dissociation of said component from said source and the deposition of said component on a substrate within said chamber.
An apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate, comprising:
- a deposition chamber having an enclosed space therein;
- means for introducing at least one vaporized compound source into the deposition chamber at a predetermined flow rate;
- first heating means for applying a spectral heating bath to the deposition chamber for heating the vaporized compound source as introduced therein;
- second heating means for heating the space within the deposition chamber to an elevated temperature;
- third heating means for selectively applying high energy heating pulses to the deposition chamber to rapidly thermally stress said at least one vaporized compound source as introduced into the deposition chamber;
- and
- control means for controlling said first, second and third heating means in combination such that the heat provided thereby optimizes dissociation of at least one component from said at least one vaporized compound source and deposition of said component on a substrate within the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.