US3904503A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Depositing material on a substrate using a shield
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1974-05-31
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Granted: 1975-09-09
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Expires: 1994-05-31
Abstract
Abstract The uniformity of the thickness of material, deposited on a substrate by ion bombardment of a cathode, i.e., by sputtering, is improved by shielding. A shield is shaped to conform with plots of lines of constant thickness of the material deposited by a sputtering machine. The shield is inserted between the cathode and substrate during a preselected interval of the sputtering time to shade a portion of the substrate and prevent excess deposition of material thereon. Where characteristics of the sputtering machine are such that deposition must be reduced in a wide swath along the length of the substrate, a variable area shield is used.
Inventors
- 👤 Alexander Maxim Hanfmann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:43
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/04; C23C14/042; C23C14/044; C23C14/22; C23C14/34
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR DEPOSITING MATERIAL ON A SUBSTRATE WHEREIN A CATHODE ACTS AS A SOURCE OF MATERIAL, AND WHEREIN A LAYER OF MATERIAL IS DEPOSITED ON THE SUBSTRATE BY ION BOMBARDMENT OF THE CATHODE IN A CHAMBER, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES: INSERTING A SHIELD BETWEEN THE CATHODE AND THE SUBSTRATE TO SELECTIVELY SHADE PORTION OF THE SUBSTRATE FROM THE MATERIAL BEING DEPOSITED THEREON, THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SHIELD BEING DETERMINED BY THE VARIATIONS IN THE DEPOSIT THICKNESS WHICH WOULD OCCURE IN THE ABSENCE OF SAID SHIELD, AND WITHDRAWING THE SHIELD AFTER A PREDETERMINED INTERVAL, TO INCREASE THE UNIFORMITY OF THE LAYER OF MATERIAL DEPOSITED ON THE SUBSTRATE.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR DEPOSITING MATERIAL ON A SUBSTRATE WHEREIN A CATHODE ACTS AS A SOURCE OF MATERIAL, AND WHEREIN A LAYER OF MATERIAL IS DEPOSITED ON THE SUBSTRATE BY ION BOMBARDMENT OF THE CATHODE IN A CHAMBER, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES: INSERTING A SHIELD BETWEEN THE CATHODE AND THE SUBSTRATE TO SELECTIVELY SHADE PORTION OF THE SUBSTRATE FROM THE MATERIAL BEING DEPOSITED THEREON, THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SHIELD BEING DETERMINED BY THE VARIATIONS IN THE DEPOSIT THICKNESS WHICH WOULD OCCURE IN THE ABSENCE OF SAID SHIELD, AND WITHDRAWING THE SHIELD AFTER A PREDETERMINED INTERVAL, TO INCREASE THE UNIFORMITY OF THE LAYER OF MATERIAL DEPOSITED ON THE SUBSTRATE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the area of the shield is variable and the steps include varying the area of the shield in accordance with the size of the substrate portions selected to be shaded.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the substrate is moved intermittently past the cathode in the chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the substrate is moved continuously through the bombardment chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method, as recited in claim 3, wherein the chamber contains a plurality of cathodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method, as recited in claim 1, comprising the further steps of: determining the material thickness contours which are characteristic of the deposition method in the absence of the shield; and configuring the shield accordingly to provide uniform deposition.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
109 words
AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING MATERIAL ON A MOVING SUBSTRATE, WHEREIN A CATHODE ACTS AS A SOURCE OF MATERIAL, AND WHEREIN A LAYER OF THE MATERIAL IS DEPOSITED ON THE SUBSTRATE BY ION BOMBARDMENT OF THE CATHODE IN A CHAMBER, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES: A SHIELD IN THE CHAMBER FOR SHADING SELECTED PORTIONS OF THE SUBSTRATE, THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SHIELD BEING DETERMINED BY THE VARIATIONS IN THE DEPOSIT THICKNESS WHICH WOULD OCCURE IN THE ABSENCE OF SAID SHIELD, AND MEANS FOR POSITIONING THE SHIELD BETWEEN THE CATHODE AND THE SUBSTRATE SELECTED INTERVALS OF BOMBARDMENT, TO INCREASE THE UNIFORMITY OF THE LAYER OF THE MATERIAL DEPOSITED ON THE SUBSTRATE.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
109 words
AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING MATERIAL ON A MOVING SUBSTRATE, WHEREIN A CATHODE ACTS AS A SOURCE OF MATERIAL, AND WHEREIN A LAYER OF THE MATERIAL IS DEPOSITED ON THE SUBSTRATE BY ION BOMBARDMENT OF THE CATHODE IN A CHAMBER, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES: A SHIELD IN THE CHAMBER FOR SHADING SELECTED PORTIONS OF THE SUBSTRATE, THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SHIELD BEING DETERMINED BY THE VARIATIONS IN THE DEPOSIT THICKNESS WHICH WOULD OCCURE IN THE ABSENCE OF SAID SHIELD, AND MEANS FOR POSITIONING THE SHIELD BETWEEN THE CATHODE AND THE SUBSTRATE SELECTED INTERVALS OF BOMBARDMENT, TO INCREASE THE UNIFORMITY OF THE LAYER OF THE MATERIAL DEPOSITED ON THE SUBSTRATE.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus, as recited in claim 7, wherein the shield comprises: at least two portions positioned for overlapping relationship; and means for adjusting the amount of the overlap, and thereby the effective area of the shield, to correspond to the portions of the substrate selected for shading.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
95 words
An apparatus, as recited in claim 7, wherein the positioning means comprises: a fluid power cylinder mounted on the sputtering chamber, said cylinder having a piston rod extending therefrom into the bombardment chamber for supporting the shield therein; means for limiting the extent to which the piston rod is inserted into the chamber to position the shield in relation to the substrate; and means for actuating the piston rod to insert and withdraw the shield at preselected intervals from between the cathode and the substrate so that the selected portions of the substrate are shaded.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus, as recited in claim 9, wherein at least two fluid power cylinders and shields are mounted in cooperating relationship to permit adjusting the size of the area which will be shaded.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-08 | 1979-03-10 | 1979-09-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-08 | 1983-03-10 | 1983-09-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-08 | 1987-03-10 | 1987-09-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |