Vapor deposition apparatus including tumbler

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR VAPOR-PHASE DEPOSITION OF A RESISTIVE FILM ON A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL RESISTOR SUBSTRATES, AN INCLINED HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL KILN HAVING A RESISTANCE HEATING COIL TRAVERSING THE INSIDE DIAMETER THEREOF, A ROTATABLE REACTION CHAMBER CONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED ADJACENT THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID RESISTANCE HEATING COIL, SAID REACTION CHAMBER COMPRISING A METAL TUBE HAVING A HELIX OF WIRE FIXEDLY DISPOSED ALONG ITS INSIDE DIAMETER, SPRAY MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY PENETRATING ONE END OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER FOR INTRODUCING AND ATOMIZING A DEPOSITION SOLUTION WITHIN SAID CHAMBER SAID SPRAY MEANS COMPRISING A NOZZLE HAVING A FIRST TUBULAR PASSAGE FOR INTRODUCING SAID DEPOSITION SOLUTION AND A SECOND TUBULAR PASSAGE CONCENTRIC WITH AND SURROUNDING AT LEAST THE PENETRATING PORTION OF SAID FIRST PASSAGE, MEANS FOR PASSING ATOMIZING AIR THROUGH SAID SECOND PASSAGE, TO THEREBY CONTROL HEATING OF SAID DEPOSITION SOLUTION PRIOR TO DISCHARGE AND ATOMIZATION THEREOF, SUBSTRATE ENTRANCE MEANS ADAPTED TO INTRODUCE SAID SUBSTRATES INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER, SAID REACTION CHAMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ADVANCE AND TUMBLE SAID SUBSTRATES AT A PREDETERMINED RATE DURING DEPOSITION, DISCHARGE MEANS ALLOWING EXIT OF THE COATED SUBSTRATES FROM SAID REACTION CHAMBER, EXHAUST CONTROL MEANS ADAPTED TO REMOVE FROM SAID REACTION CHAMBER THE GASEOUS PRODUCTS RESULTING FROM THE VAPOR-PHASE REACTION, THE REACTION CHAMBER ENDS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY BLOCKED FROM EXTERNAL ATMOSPHERIC CONTAMINATION, AND THE COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER BEING SUFFICIENTLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE DEPOSITION MATERIAL SO AS TO CAUSE DISLODGEMENT OF ACCUMULATED COATING DEPOSITS WHEN SAID APPARATUS IS ALLOWED TO COOL.