Vacuum deposition means and methods for manufacture of electronic components

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMING A PLURALITY OF SIMILAR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS BY SUCCESSIVE VACUUM EVAPORATION OF MATERIALS UPON A SUBSTRATE, THE STEPS OF: (A) PROVIDING A SEALED ENCLOSURE; (B) PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF EVAPORANTS WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE FOR SERIAL EVAPORATION; (C) PROVIDING A PLANAR FRANGIBLE RELATIVELY RIGID SUBSTRATE HAVING AN EXPOSED PLANAR AREA GREATER TAHN THAT OF A COMPLETED COMPONENT, AND SUPPORTING THE SAME IN FIXED RELATION WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE; (D) PROVIDING A FLEXIBLE PLANAR MASKING ELEMENT, HAVING A PLURALITY OF MAJOR AREAS THEREON, EACH MAJOR AREA CORRESPONDING TO THE AREA OF SAID SUBSTRATE AND HAVING THEREIN A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY SIMIALY MASKING OPEINING EXTENDING OVER INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS OF SAID MAJOR AREAS, SAID PROTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE AREAS OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS; (E) SUPPORTING SAID FLEXIBLE PLANAR MASKING ELEMENT WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID SUBSTRATE IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID SUBSTRATE BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE EVAPORATONS, BETWEEN SAID PLURALITY OF EVAPORANTS AND SAID SUBSTRATE; (F) DEPOSITING A FIRST OF SAID PLURALITY OF EVAPORANTS THROUGH THE OPENINGS OF ONE OF SAID MAJOR AREAS; (G) MOVING SAID MASKING ELEMENT TO POSITION SUCCESSIVE MAJOR AREAS OF SAID MASKING ELEMENTS BETWEEN SAID EVAPORATNS AND SAID SUBSTRATE TO POSITION THE OPENINGS THEREIN IN PREDETERMINED POSITION RELATIVE TO THE AREAS OF PREVIOUS DEPOSIT OF EVAPORANT, AND DEPOSITING A SUBSEQUENT EVAPORANT UPON SAID SUBSTRATE BETWEEN EACH OF SAID MOVEMENTS; AND (H) SUBDIVIDING SAID SUBSTRATE TO FORM INDIVIDUAL ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS.