# US 5,346,729 A · Solar-induced chemical vapor deposition of diamond-type carbon films

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 5,346,729 A
- Document ID: US5346729A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/062,840
- Filed: 1993-05-17
- Granted: 1994-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 1993-05-17
- Assignees: Midwest Research Institute
- Inventors: J. Roland Pitts; C. Edwin Tracy; David E. King; James T. Stanley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346729A

## CPC

- C23C 16/27: Diamond only
- C23C 16/481: {by radiant heating of the substrate}
- Y10S 427/103: Diamond-like carbon coating, i.e. DLC
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

An improved chemical vapor deposition method for depositing transparent continuous coatings of sp.sup.3 -bonded diamond-type carbon films, comprising: a) providing a volatile hydrocarbon gas/H.sub.2 reactant mixture in a cold wall vacuum/chemical vapor deposition chamber containing a suitable substrate for said films, at pressure of about 1 to 50 Torr; and b) directing a concentrated solar flux of from about 40 to about 60 watts/cm.sup.2 through said reactant mixture to produce substrate temperatures of about 750.degree. C. to about 950.degree. C. to activate deposition of the film on said substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A chemical vapor deposition method for depositing transparent continuous coatings of sp.sup.3 -bonded diamond carbon film, comprising:
a) providing a volatile hydrocarbon gas/ H.sub.2 reactant mixture in a cold wall vacuum chemical vapor deposition chamber containing a substrate for said films, at pressures of from about 1 to about 50 Torr; and
b) directing a concentrated solar flux of from about 40 to about 60 watts/cm.sup.2 through said reactant mixture to produce substrate temperatures of about 750.degree. C. to about 950.degree. C. to activate deposition of the film on said substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the volatile hydrocarbon is methane.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the volatile hydrocarbon is ethane.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the volatile hydrocarbon is ethylene.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the substrate is Ni on which an interface layer selected from silicon nitride or silicon carbide has been interposed prior to providing said volatile hydrocarbon gas/H.sub.2 reactant mixture.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the substrate is polycrystalline silicon.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the substrate is gallium arsenide.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the substrate is a single crystalline silicon.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the substrate is a polycrystalline silicon wafer prepolished with about 1 .mu.m diamond powder.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the methane is from about 1 to about 10% by volume in hydrogen.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein neopentane is substituted for hydrogen.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein neopentane is admixed with hydrogen.