Sputtering method for thin film deposition on a substrate

Claim 2

METHOD OF COATING A THIN FILM ON ELONGATE SUBSTRATE MEANS BY ELECTRIC FIELD SPUTTERING PLASMA VAPOR DEPOSITION IN A PRESSURE VESSEL WHICH COMPRISES MOVING THE SUBSTRATE MEANS ALONG A PREDETERMINED TORTUOUS AND GENERALLY CIRCULAR PATH ESTABLISHED WITHIN SAID VESSEL WHILE SUBJECTING ONLY THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID SUBSTRATE MEANS TO AN ARCUATELY CONFIGURED VOLUME OF PLASMA VAPOR REPEATEDLY BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE TORTUOUS PATH, THE CONFIGURATION OF THE VOLUME OF PLASMA VAPOR GENERALLY CONFORMING TO THE GEOMETRIC FIGURE GENERATED BY THE TORTUOUS PATH AND CATHODIC TARGET MEANS HAVING THE

Claim 3

The method as claimed in claim 1 in which the tortuous path is generally convoluted.

Claim 4

The method as claimed in claim 1 which includes the steps of moving the substrate means in a substantially continuous movement from the exterior of the vessel into said vessel, then in said tortuous path and then out of said vessel while maintaining said plasma vapor within said vessel.

Claim 5

The method as claimed in claim 2 in which said path is in addition helical.

Claim 6

The method as claimed in claim 1 in which the path defines for the most part a cylinder.

Claim 7

The method as claimed in claim 2 in which the path comprises a series of parallel turns arranged side by side and defining for the most part a cylinder except for the bottoms of the turns, there being a bight extending between the end of one turn and the beginning of the following turn at the bottom of the cylinder thereby enabling the shifting of the substrate means from turn to turn while moving the said means circumferentially and axially of the cylinder along said path.

Claim 8

The method as claimed in claim 6 in which the surface of the substrate means which defines the exterior of the cylinder is exposed to the plasma.

Claim 9

The method as claimed in claim 7 in which the plasma vapor is established on the exterior of the cylinder in a configuration generally conforming to the said cylinder.

Claim 10

The method as claimed in claim 1 in which the plasma vapor is established by means of a radio frequency field.

Claim 11

The method as claimed in claim 5 in which the plasma vapor is established on the exterior of said cylinder and in annular form coaxial with said cylinder.

Claim 12

The method as claimed in claim 6 in which the bights are loosely hanging.

Claim 13

The method as claimed in claim 1 which includes magnetically preventing substantial impingement of secondary electrons on said substrate means while it defines said tortuous path.

Claim 14

The method as claimed in claim 1 which includes removing surface charge from said substrate means while it defines said tortuous path.

Claim 15

The method as claimed in claim 1 which includes controlling the temperature within the vessel to a predetermined range during said coating.

Claim 16

Method of thin film deposition which comprises: A. establishing a thin film deposition electric field sputtering condition within a pressure vessel in such a manner as to create a plurality of consecutive plasma vapor volumes forming a generally cylindrical configuration, B. providing a supply of uncoated substrate and structure to accumulate coated substrate, C. moving the substrate in the vessel along a generally circular path which carries the substrate from said supply to said accumulating structure while subjecting only the radially outwardly facing surface of said substrate to said deposition condition to coat the same on account of impingement of said vapor, said path being such as consecutively to present said outwardly facing surface of said substrate to said plasma vapor volumes whereby to achieve highly uniform deposit by the end of said path, said cylindrical configuration of said plasma vapor volumes being defined by said generally circular path of the substrate and a plurality of arcuate cathodic targets which together define the general configuration of at least partially cylindrical target means surrounding and substantially uniformly spaced from said path, and D. maintaining the substrate at a controlled temperature range below that which would damage the substrate while same is moving on said path.

Claim 17

Method of thin film deposition which comprises: A. establishing a thin film deposition electric field sputtering condition within a pressure vessel in such a manner as to create a plurality of consecutive plasma vapor volumes forming a generally cylindrical configuration, B. providing a supply of uncoated substrate and structure to accumulate coated substrate, C. moving the substrate in the vessel along a generally circular path which carries the substrate from said supply to said accumulating structure while subjecting only the radially outwardly facing surface of said substrate to said deposition condition to coat the same on account of impingement of said vapor, said path being such as consecutively to present said outwardly facing surface of said substrate to said plasma vapor volumes whereby to achieve highly uniform deposit by the end of said path, said cylindrical configuration of said plasma vapor volumes being defined by said generally circular path of the substrate and a plurality of arcuate cathodic targets which together define the general configuration of at least partially cylindrical target means surrounding and substantially uniformly spaced from said path, and D. maintaining the substrate at a controlled temperature range below that which would damage the substrate while same is moving on said path.

Claim 18

The method as claimed in claim 15 in which said path is tortuous.

Claim 19

The method as claimed in claim 16 in which the path is convoluted.

Claim 20

The method as claimed in claim 16 in which the convoluted path is helical.

Claim 21

The method as claimed in claim 17 in which the convoluted path is formed of a series of coaxially generally circular parallel turns cross-connected from one turn to the next following at their bottom ends.

Claim 22

The method as claimed in claim 15 in which the electrical field is a direct current field.

Claim 23

The method as claimed in claim 15 in which the electrical field is a radio frequency field.

Claim 24

The method as claimed in claim 17 in which the convoluted path defines generally a cylinder, the said surface of said substrate defines the exterior of said cylinder and the condition is established by providing a high voltage plasma vapor arranged about the exterior of the cylinder and extending over a substantial portion of the surface of said cylinder.

Claim 25

The method as claimed in claim 15 in which the substrate is moved through the vessel while being moved on said path.

Claim 26

The method as claimed in claim 22 in which the surface of the substrate opposite said first-mentioned surface is blocked from being subjected to said thin film depositing condition while defining said convoluted path.

Claim 27

The method as claimed in claim 22 in which the voltage is r.f.

Claim 28

The method as claimed in claim 22 in which the controlled temperature range is maintained at least by magnetically sweeping secondary electrons relative to said substrate in a direction carrying them transversely of the surface of the substrate while defining said convoluted path.

Claim 29

The method as claimed in claim 22 in which the substrate is moved through the vessel while defining said path.

Claim 30

The method as claimed in claim 22 in which surface charge is electrically removed from said substrate while said substrate is moving in said vessel.

Claim 31

The method as claimed in claim 15 in which the controlled temperature range is maintained at least by heat exchange through said substrate.

Claim 32

The method as claimed in claim 15 in which surface charge is electrically removed from said substrate while it is moving on said path.