US 5,672,211 AGranted

Apparatus for depositing a thin layer on a substrate by laser pulse vapor deposition

OwnerHermann Mai, Reiner Dietsch +1inventors

InventorsHermann Mai, Reiner Dietsch, Klaus Schubert

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method for depositing a thin layer on a substrate by laser pulse vapor deposition provides a substantially cylindrical target having a cylinder axis and a curved target surface. A pulsed laser beam is generated having an initial path section and an initial path section axis and is capable of producing a plasma plume from the target when the pulsed laser beam impinges on the curved target surface. A first mirror located between the target and the initial path section of the laser beam is provided having a plurality of reflective interior surfaces and a first mirror axis substantially coincident with an initial path section axis of the laser beam. The laser beam is deflected so as to impinge on the reflective interior surface of the first mirror and subsequently to be reflected and to impinge on the curved target surface by controlling a plane reflective mirror that intersects the first mirror axis and is located on a side of the first mirror opposite from the target. The plane reflective mirror is tilted at an angle to the laser beam axis and is rotatable about a rotation axis substantially coincident with the first mirror axis. The laser beam is focussed on a center of the target to produce the plasma plume on the curved target surface. The plasma plume is moved on the curved target surface over a track by moving a position where the laser beam impinges on the reflective interior surface of the first mirror step-by-step rotation of the plane reflective mirror about the rotation axis, with a thin layer being deposited with a substantially uniform thickness on the substrate by contact of the plasma plume with the substrate. The first mirror includes a plurality of plane mirrors connected in a cylindrical manner.

Claims22

Dependent claims

Apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate by laser pulse vapor deposition, comprising:

a target which has a longitudinally extending target axis and a curved target surface extending at least partially around the target axis;
a laser beam source for projecting a pulsed laser beam;
first and second mirrors disposed in series between the laser beam source and the curved target surface, said first and second mirrors being arranged to deflect the laser beam from the first mirror to the second mirror to the curved target surface where a plasma plume of target material is produced in response to the laser beam impinging on the curved target surface;
and
a substrate positioned adjacent the target such that a coating surface of the substrate is substantially parallel to said target axis and such that the plasma plume applies a coating layer of target material to the coating surface;
wherein said first mirror has a planar reflective surface which is rotatable about a first mirror axis, which said first mirror axis is in the planar reflective surface and is obliquely inclined with respect to the target axis,
wherein said second mirror has a reflective second mirror surface means which is either movable along an arc or configured as the arc, said arc extending at least partially circumferentially around the target axis, and
wherein means are provided for rotating said first mirror in successive angular steps about the first mirror axis so as to move the laser beam along successive points on said arc, said laser beam being deflected from said successive points by said second mirror surface means to impinge upon respective corresponding successive points on said curved target surface, said corresponding successive points being located on a target surface arc which extends through a central point of said curved target surface located nearest said coating surface, said target surface arc being disposed in a plane which is perpendicular to said target axis and which contains said central point, said laser beam impinging upon each of said corresponding successive points to produce a respective plasma plume of target material which propagates in a substantially radial direction from said target to said coating surface in order to produce a constant thickness of plasma plume coating over the coating surface of the substrate.

5 more elements

Apparatus for depositing a thin layer on a substrate by laser pulse vapor deposition, comprising:

a target which has a longitudinally extending target axis, a lateral axis extending perpendicular to said target axis, and a curved target surface extending at least partially around the target axis;
a laser beam source for projecting a pulsed laser beam onto the curved target surface where a plasma plume of target material is produced in response to the laser beam impinging on the curved target surface;
a substrate positioned adjacent the target such that the plasma plume applies a coating layer of target material to a coating surface of the substrate;
means for displacing said target in successive steps along said lateral axis such that the laser beam impinges upon the curved target surface along respective successive points of a target surface arc, said laser beam impinging upon each of said successive points to produce a respective plasma plume of target material which propagates in a substantially radial direction from the target to the coating surface,
means for swivelling said substrate synchronously with said successive steps such that a respective normal line of said coating surface is aligned with each said respective plasma plume and
means for controlling said target displacement in order to produce a constant thickness of plasma plume coating over the coating surface of the substrate.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.