Laser absorption wave deposition process and apparatus
AssigneeMcDonnell Douglas Corporation
InventorStephen L. Thaler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Laser energy is used to make precursors of crystalline materials, such as diamond, by providing an environment in which optical radiation may be efficiently absorbed to create significant precursor concentrations. In some instances this process is augmented by evaporating or liquefying a sacrifice to induce heterogeneous nucleation. In other cases two chemically and spatially distinct plasmas are juxtaposed to initiate the required chemistry.
Claims26
A method of coating a substrate material with a layer containing a first material comprising:
- (a) providing a first gas in molecular form;
- (b) irradiating the first gas and the substrate material with a pulse of energy from a laser to create at least a first plasma from the first gas wherein the molecules of the first gas are dissociated and ionized;
- (c) cooling the at least first plasma into neutral precursors comprising atomic elements and radicals;
- and
- (d) transporting the neutral precursors to the substrate material to form the layer thereon.
A method of coating a substrate material with a layer at least containing diamond comprising:
- (a) providing hydrogen gas and a source of carbon;
- (b) irradiating the hydrogen gas and the source of carbon with a pulse of energy from a laser to create at least a first plasma from the hydrogen gas and the source of carbon wherein ionized hydrogen and carbon is created;
- (c) cooling the ionized hydrogen and carbon within the at least first plasma into neutral precursors comprising atomic elements and radicals;
- and
- (d) transporting the neutral precursors to the substrate material to form the diamond layer thereon.
A method of creating a diamond layer on a carbon substrate material comprising:
- (a) providing a non-carbon gas in molecular form, the non-carbon gas being capable of absorbing energy at frequencies produced by lasers and being at a pressure at which laser absorption waves can be produced;
- (b) irradiating the non-carbon gas with focused pulses of energy from a laser to create laser absorption waves that move toward the substrate;
- and
- (c) spacing the focus of the focused pulses of energy from the laser at a distance from the carbon substrate material so that the laser absorption waves reacting toward the carbon substrate create pressure and temperature conditions thereat that convert the surface of the carbon substrate into diamond.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.