Patent EP0112132A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0112132A2
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EP
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Method of depositing a highly conductive, highly transmissive film
Assignee: Energy Conversion Devices Inc
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Filing: 1983-12-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-12-08
Abstract
Abstract (57) An improved method of and apparatus for depositing metallic oxide coatings that are highly electrically transmissive and highly electrically conductive onto a substrate. An r.f. signal is employed to develop an ionized plasma of metal and oxygen atoms, said plasma adapted for deposition onto a large area substrate which preferably includes semiconductor layers thereon. The method and apparatus of this invention are particularly adapted for the improved deposition of transmissive and conductive coatings which include low melting point metals onto the surface of plastic, glass or metallic substrates. The deposition may be accomplished in either a continuous or batch process mode.
Inventors
- 👤 Prem Nath
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 20:17
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F99/00; H10F71/00; H10F71/138; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/06; C23C14/08; C23C14/086; H10F71/10; H10F71/107; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
Claim 1. An improved method of depositing a thin, light transmissive, electrically conductive film onto a substate, said method including the steps of: vacuumizing a chamber; supporting a substrate in the chamber; providing a source of metallic material; evaporating the metallic material in the vacuumized chamber for producing a metallic vapor in the zone formed between the substrate and the source of metallic material; introducing oxygen gas into the zone; disposing an r.f. powered cathode source adjacent the source of metallic material; and energizing the cathode to develop an ionized plasma from the oxygen gas atoms introduced into the zone and the metallic atoms evaporated into the zone, whereby a metal oxide film is deposited onto the substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
20 words
Claim 2. A method as in Claim 1, wherein the metal material has a melting point of less than 450°C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
Claim 3. A method as in Claim 2, wherein the metallic material is- selected from the group consisting of indium, tin, cadmium, zinc and mixtures thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
Claim 4. A method as in Claim 1, including the further step of heating the substrate to 150 - 300°C and evaporating an indium-tin compound in the chamber, whereby indium-tin oxide is deposited onto the surface of the substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
Claim 5. A method as in Claim 4, wherein the r.f. power source is energized to a frequency of about 13.56 megaherz.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
Claim 6. A method as in Claim 4, wherein the pressure within the chamber is maintained at about 10 -2 to 10 -4 torr.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
Claim 7. A method as in Claim 1, wherein the metallic material is zinc and the substrate is maintained at room temperature.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
Claim 8. A method as in Claim 1, wherein the metallic material is indium and the substrate is heated to a temperature of less than about 300°C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
Claim 9. A method as in Claim 1, including the additional step of depositing the metallic oxide film onto a continuously moving substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
Claim 10. A method as in Claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor body onto which the metallic oxide film is deposited.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
Claim 11. A method as in Claim 10, wherein the semiconductor body comprises a plurality of amorphous semiconductor layers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
116 words
Claim 12. Apparatus for depositing a light transmissive, electrically conductive film onto a substrate, said apparatus including: a vacuum chamber; a resistance heater in the chamber; a source of metallic material disposed for evaporation by the heater; a substrate spaced from the source of metallic material; and a vapor zone formed between the source of metallic material and the substrate; the improvement comprising, in combination: means for introducing oxygen gas into the vapor zone; and an r.f. powered cathode disposed adjacent the source of metallic material for developing an ionized plasma from the oxygen gas and metallic atoms in the vapor zone, whereby the apparatus is adapted to deposit a metal oxide film onto the substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
Claim 13. Apparatus as in Claim 12, wherein the metallic material is selected from the group tonsisting of indium, tin, cadmium, zinc and mixtures thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
Claim 14. Apparatus as in Claim 13, wherein means for heating the substrate is provided.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
Claim 15. Apparatus as in Claim 14, wherein means for maintaining the chamber at a pressure of 10 -2 to 10 -5 torr is provided.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
Claim 16. Apparatus as in Claim 12, wherein the chamber includes means for continuously moving the substrate therethrough at a preselected rate of speed, whereby a thin metallic oxide film of preselected thickness may be continuously deposited onto the substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
Claim 17. Apparatus as in Claim 16, wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor body on the surface of which the metallic oxide film is deposited.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
Claim 18. Apparatus as in Claim 17, wherein the semiconductor body comprises a plurality of amorphous semiconductor layers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
Claim 19. Apparatus as in Claim 12, wherein the substrate is formed from stainless steel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
Claim 20. Apparatus as in Claim 12, wherein the substrate is formed from a synthetic plastic resin.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
Claim 21. Apparatus as in Claim 12, wherein the substrate is formed from a glass-like material.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
99 words
Claim 22. A method of uniformly depositing a film onto the surface of a substrate, said film formed by evaporating a material into a vapor zone for disassociation into plamsa and deposition onto the substrate; the method of uniformly depositing the film, including the further steps of: providing a plurality of sources of said material; spacedly supporting said sources at equal distances from each other and from said substrate, whereby the spacing between the adjacent sources and the spacing between the sources and the substrate are such as to deposit a film of substantially uniform thickness onto the substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
Claim 23. A method as in Claim 22, including the further step of providing four substantially equally spaced sources.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
Claim 24. A method as in Claim 22, including the addtional steps of providing the material from the group consisting of indium, tin, cadmium, and zinc and combinations thereof; and including oxygen in the ionized plasma.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
Claim 25. A method as in Claim 24, including the further step of spacing each of the four sources at a distance of approximately eighteen inches from the substrate.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
Claim 26. A method as in Claim 25, including the additional step of spacing each of the sources at a distance of approximately eleven inches from each other.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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