Radial flow reactor

Claim 2

Coating apparatus comprising: a. an evacuable chamber; b. a horizontally disposed, imperforate, annular support located within said chamber and having a peripheral portion adapted to hold at least one substrate; c. exhaust means communicating with the centrally disposed aperture of said annular support; and d. coating vapor feed means concentric with and isolated from said exhaust means; e. whereby said vapor feed is induced to flow uniformly across the edge surface of the support and radially inwardly across the at least one said substrate and out through the exhaust.

Claim 3

Apparatus for coating a substrate comprising: a. an evacuable chamber; b. an annular support located in said chamber and having an outer region for holding said substrate and a central region defining an aperture therethrough; c. means for generating a radio frequency discharge within said chamber adjacent said substrate whereby to form a glow discharge plasma from reactant gases within said chamber; d. means for establishing a radial flow, from said outer region of said support toward and out of said aperture, of said reactant gases suitable for forming said plasma and coating on said substrate; and e. means in communication with said aperture for exhausting said gases.

Claim 4

Apparatus for coating a substrate comprising: a. an evacuable chamber; b. an annular support located in said chamber and having an outer region for holding said substrate and a central region defining an aperture therethrough; c. means for generating a radio frequency discharge within said chamber adjacent said substrate whereby to form a glow discharge plasma from reactant gases within said chamber; d. means for establishing a radial flow, from said outer region of said support toward and out of said aperture, of said reactant gases suitable for forming said plasma and coating on said substrate; and e. means in communication with said aperture for exhausting said gases.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 including means for heating said substrate to a preselected temperature.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for generating a glow discharge includes substantially parallel electrodes within said chamber.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein one of said electrodes defines said support.

Claim 8

Apparatus for uniformly coating a plurality of discrete substrates with inorganic material by low temperature plasma deposition comprising: a. an evacuable chamber; b. a first sheath extending through the bottom of said chamber in sealing relationship; c. a second sheath coaxially enclosed by said first sheath and extending beyond both ends thereof defining a mixing chamber in the space between said first and second sheaths which mixing chamber is in communication with the interior of said evacuable chamber, the end of said second sheath within said evacuable chamber spaced from the bottom thereof terminating in sealing relationship with the boundary of an aperture through the central portion of a support, the outer portion of which holds said plurality of substrates, the outer boundary of said support being spaced from the walls of said evacuable chamber, the other end of said second sheath disposed for connection to vacuum means, one end of said first sheath terminating at the interior boundary of the bottom of said evacuable chamber and the other end terminating in a sealing relationship between said first and second sheaths; d. means in communication with said mixing chamber for establIshing laminar flow of reactant gases over said support and plurality of substrates radially toward the center aperture of said support; e. means for exhausting said gases through said aperture; and f. means for generating a radio frequency glow discharge adjacent said substrates.

Claim 9

Apparatus for uniformly coating a plurality of discrete substrates with inorganic material by low temperature plasma deposition comprising: a. an evacuable chamber; b. a first sheath extending through the bottom of said chamber in sealing relationship; c. a second sheath coaxially enclosed by said first sheath and extending beyond both ends thereof defining a mixing chamber in the space between said first and second sheaths which mixing chamber is in communication with the interior of said evacuable chamber, the end of said second sheath within said evacuable chamber spaced from the bottom thereof terminating in sealing relationship with the boundary of an aperture through the central portion of a support, the outer portion of which holds said plurality of substrates, the outer boundary of said support being spaced from the walls of said evacuable chamber, the other end of said second sheath disposed for connection to vacuum means, one end of said first sheath terminating at the interior boundary of the bottom of said evacuable chamber and the other end terminating in a sealing relationship between said first and second sheaths; d. means in communication with said mixing chamber for establIshing laminar flow of reactant gases over said support and plurality of substrates radially toward the center aperture of said support; e. means for exhausting said gases through said aperture; and f. means for generating a radio frequency glow discharge adjacent said substrates.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said support defines one electrode for establishing said glow discharge.

Claim 11

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 including means for heating said substrate to a predetermined temperature.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said predetermined temperature is within a range from 200* to 300* C.