Vaporized-metal cluster ion source and ionized-cluster beam deposition device

Claim 2

A film deposition device comprising; a crucible containing material to be deposited: means for heating the crucible to vapourize the material: a nozzle formed in the crucible for ejecting the material vapour therethrough into a high vacuum region to form atom aggregates or clusters by the adiabatic expansion: a substrate on which a film of the material is deposited: means for irradiating the clusters with an electron beam to form cluster ions: and means for accelerating the cluster ions toward the substrate to force a fine quality deposited film.

Claim 3

A film deposition system comprising; a high vacuum region held at gas pressure of less than 10 -4 Torr.: a crucible containing material to be deposited, and disposed in the high vacuum region: an ion extractor electrode assembly disposed in the high vacuum region: an electron radiation source contained within the ion extractor electrode assembly or disposed independently of the electrode assembly: means for supplying acceleration voltage between the crucible and the ion extractor electrode assembly: means for heating the crucible to vapourize the material in a manner that the vapour pressure within the crucible becomes more than 10 times higher than that of the high vacuum region, thereby forming atom aggregates or clusters by the abiabatic expansion due to the ejection into the high vacuum region through a nozzle of the heated crucible: means for irradiating the clusters with an electron beam from the electron radiation source to form cluster ions: and means for accelerating the cluster ions toward the substrate.

Claim 4

A film deposition system comprising; a high vacuum region held at gas pressure of less than 10 -4 Torr.: a crucible containing material to be deposited, and disposed in the high vacuum region: an ion extractor electrode assembly disposed in the high vacuum region: an electron radiation source contained within the ion extractor electrode assembly or disposed independently of the electrode assembly: means for supplying acceleration voltage between the crucible and the ion extractor electrode assembly: means for heating the crucible to vapourize the material in a manner that the vapour pressure within the crucible becomes more than 10 times higher than that of the high vacuum region, thereby forming atom aggregates or clusters by the abiabatic expansion due to the ejection into the high vacuum region through a nozzle of the heated crucible: means for irradiating the clusters with an electron beam from the electron radiation source to form cluster ions: and means for accelerating the cluster ions toward the substrate.

Claim 5

A film deposition device as defined in claim 1 wherein the crucible heating means comprises a resistive heating scheme.

Claim 6

A film deposition device as defined in claim 1 wherein the crucible heating means comprises an electron bombardment heating scheme.

Claim 7

A film deposition device as defined in claim 1 wherein the crucible heating means comprises a high frequency coil to heat the crucible by high frequency energy derived therefrom.

Claim 8

A film deposition device as defined in claim 1 wherein the crucible is provided with discharge formation means which forms arc discharge about the surface of the material, thereby increasing the surface temperature of the material.

Claim 9

A film deposition device as defined in claim 1 further comprising means for supplying continuously the material to be deposited to the interior of the crucible.

Claim 10

A film deposition system comprising; a plurality of crucibles each containing material to be deposited: means for heating the respective crucible to vapourize the material: a plurality of nozzles formed in the respective crucibles for ejecting the material vapour within the crucibles therethrough to form atom aggregates or clusters by the adiabatic expansion, the respective nozzles being oriented to join the respective cluster beams together at a specific point: a substrate on which a film of the material is deposited: means for irradiating the combined cluster beam with an electron beam to form cluster ions: and means for accelerating the combined cluster ions toward the substrate to form a deposited film.

Claim 11

A film deposition system comprising; a plurality of crucibles each containing material to be deposited: means for heating the respective crucible to vapourize the material: a plurality of nozzles formed in the respective crucibles for ejecting the material vapour within the crucibles therethrough to form atom aggregates or clusters by the adiabatic expansion, the respective nozzles being oriented to join the respective cluster beams together at a specific point: a substrate on which a film of the material is deposited: means for irradiating the combined cluster beam with an electron beam to form cluster ions: and means for accelerating the combined cluster ions toward the substrate to form a deposited film.

Claim 12

A film deposition system as defined in claim 8 the respective crucibles have lateral nozzles.

Claim 13

A film deposition system as defined in claim 9 wherein the lateral nozzles are divided by partitions.

Claim 14

A film deposition system comprising; a crucible made of material having the electron emission faculty and adapted to accommodate material to be deposited, the crucible being provided with a nozzle: means for heating the crucible to vapourize the material within the crucible, thereby ejecting the material vapour through the nozzle to form atom aggregates or clusters and emitting electrons from the surface of the crucible: a substrate on which a film of the material is deposited: and means for focusing and accelerating the electrons by a magnetic filed or electric field to reach the substrate together with the vapour clusters, thereby fabricating a desposed film.

Claim 15

A film deposition system comprising; a crucible made of material having the electron emission faculty and adapted to accommodate material to be deposited, the crucible being provided with a nozzle: means for heating the crucible to vapourize the material within the crucible, thereby ejecting the material vapour through the nozzle to form atom aggregates or clusters and emitting electrons from the surface of the crucible: a substrate on which a film of the material is deposited: and means for focusing and accelerating the electrons by a magnetic filed or electric field to reach the substrate together with the vapour clusters, thereby fabricating a desposed film.

Claim 16

A film deposition system as defined in claim 11 wherein the electron focusing means comprising the crucible serving as a cathode, a Wehnelt electrode and an anode.

Claim 17

A film deposition device as defined in claim 1 wherein a vapour transportation communicating between the crucible and the nozzle is provided.

Claim 18

A film deposition device as defined in claim 13 further including means for heating the vapour transportation above the crucible temperature to keep vapour particles as fine as possible.

Claim 19

A film deposition device as defined in claim 13 wherein the vapour transportation is curved in order to prevent the outflow of vapour splashes which will occur when boiling within the crucible.

Claim 20

A film deposition device as defined in claim 1 wherein the cluster ionizing means comprises an electron emission filament or cathode and an anode positioned against the cathode.

Claim 21

A film deposition device as defined in claim 16 wherein the anode is of the spiral configuration about the filament, the spiral configuration being adapted to establish a magnetic field upon current flow therethrough.

Claim 22

A film deposition device as defined in claim 17 wherein the magnetic field is established in an orthogonal relationship with respect ot an electric field established between the cathode and the anode.

Claim 23

A film deposition device as defined in claim 16 wherein the cathode and the anode are disposed within the interior of the crucible.

Claim 24

A film deposition device as defined in claim 5 wherein the crucible is made of material not responsive to the high frequency energy, the material having a high melting point.

Claim 25

A film deposition device as defined in claim 1 wherein a shutter is provided in front of the substrate to form a deposited film in a desired pattern.

Claim 26

A film deposition system as defined in claim 2 wherein the high vacuum region is held in the range of 10 -3 -10 -6 Torr. while the vapour pressure of the material within the crucible is equal to or higher than about 10 -2 Torr.

Claim 27

A film deposition system as defined in claim 2 wherein the acceleration voltage is selected in the range of several hundred V-several KV.

Claim 28

A film deposition device as defined in claim 1 wherein the substrate is made of metal, insulator or semiconductor.