US4486464A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method of making planarizing non-conductive layers employing conductive metals
Assignee: Unisys Corp
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Filing: 1982-09-27
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Granted: 1984-12-04
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Expires: 2002-09-27
Abstract
Abstract During the manufacture of Josephson junction devices, it is necessary to provide superconducting layers for electrodes. During the manufacture of semiconductors, it is necessary to provide conductive paths and leads. A layer of conducting metal or superconducting metal may be vacuum deposited in such a manner that any predetermined pattern or shape of normally conducting metal is made transversely non-conducting. The layer metal which is transversely non-conductive is vacuum deposited in the presence of an inert gas at a pressure which is high enough to cause the evaporated and deposited metal to form islands of conductive metal separated by insulating voids to provide gross electrical anisotropy.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter L. Young
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 02:08
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10N; H10N60/00; H10N60/10; H10N60/12; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/24; H10N60/01; H10N60/0912
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A method of making a planarized non-conductive pattern layer on a substrate, comprising: providing a thermally oxidized silicon substrate wafer, placing said substrate wafer in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, metering a predetermined amount of inert gas into said vacuum chamber to provide a higher pressure than said high vacuum, evaporating and depositing a first conductive metal on said substrate to provide a layer which is laterally non-conductive and vertically conductive, removing said substrate from said vacuum chamber, etching a predetermined pattern in said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal, placing said substrate in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, evaporating and depositing a layer of high pressure durable conductive metal over said first conductive metal and said substrate to provide a layer of second conductive metal which is laterally non-conductive only where the second conductive layer is deposited over said first conductive layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
166 words
A method of making a planarized non-conductive pattern layer on a substrate, comprising: providing a thermally oxidized silicon substrate wafer, placing said substrate wafer in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, metering a predetermined amount of inert gas into said vacuum chamber to provide a higher pressure than said high vacuum, evaporating and depositing a first conductive metal on said substrate to provide a layer which is laterally non-conductive and vertically conductive, removing said substrate from said vacuum chamber, etching a predetermined pattern in said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal, placing said substrate in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, evaporating and depositing a layer of high pressure durable conductive metal over said first conductive metal and said substrate to provide a layer of second conductive metal which is laterally non-conductive only where the second conductive layer is deposited over said first conductive layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method of making a non-conductive pattern layer as set forth in claim 1 which further includes the step of maintaining said inert gas being metered into said vaccum chamber at a pressure of 18 to 100 microns during evaporation and deposition of said first conductive metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method of making a non-conductive layer as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of metering a predetermined amount of inert gas comprises metering argon inert gas into said vacuum chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method of making a non-conductive pattern layer as set forth in claim 3 wherein said step of evaporating and depositing a first conductive metal further comprises depositing said first conductive metal at an angle of deposition which does not exceed twenty degrees.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method of making a non-conductive pattern layer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of metering a predetermined amount of inert gas into said vacuum chamber further includes restricting the flow rate of said inert gas to a flow rate of approximately forty cubic centimeters per minute.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of making a non-conductive pattern layer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of evaporating and depositing a first conductive layer comprises depositing a layer of lead alloy approximately two hundred to four hundred angstroms thick.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method of making a non-conductive pattern layer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of evaporating and depositing a second conductive metal over said first conductive metal comprises depositing a high pressure durable lead alloy base electrode layer for a Josephson junction device approximately fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred angstroms thick.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method of making a non-conductive pattern layer as set forth in claim 7 wherein said lead alloy comprises at least fifty percent lead and the alloy metals comprise gold and indium.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
196 words
A method of making a planarized non-conductive pattern layer on a substrate, comprising: providing a thermally oxidized silicon substrate wafer, placing said substrate wafer in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, metering a predetermined amount of inert gas into said vacuum chamber to provide a higher pressure than said high vacuum, evaporating and depositing a first conductive metal on said substrate to provide a layer which is laterally non-conductive and vertically conductive, removing said substrate from said vacuum chamber, providing a predetermined photoresist pattern on said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal, placing said substrate in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, depositing a layer of second conductive metal over said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal and said pattern to provide areas of exposed conductive metal which is laterally conductive where the second conductive layer is deposited over said first conductive layer, and removing said photoresist pattern and said second conductive metal which is deposited thereon leaving said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal laterally non-conductive where said photoresist pattern was removed.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
196 words
A method of making a planarized non-conductive pattern layer on a substrate, comprising: providing a thermally oxidized silicon substrate wafer, placing said substrate wafer in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, metering a predetermined amount of inert gas into said vacuum chamber to provide a higher pressure than said high vacuum, evaporating and depositing a first conductive metal on said substrate to provide a layer which is laterally non-conductive and vertically conductive, removing said substrate from said vacuum chamber, providing a predetermined photoresist pattern on said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal, placing said substrate in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, depositing a layer of second conductive metal over said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal and said pattern to provide areas of exposed conductive metal which is laterally conductive where the second conductive layer is deposited over said first conductive layer, and removing said photoresist pattern and said second conductive metal which is deposited thereon leaving said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal laterally non-conductive where said photoresist pattern was removed.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
179 words
A method of making a planarized non-conductive pattern layer on a substrate, comprising: providing a photoresist patterned thermally oxidized silicon substrate wafer, providing a lift-off photoresist pattern on said substrate, placing said substrate wafer in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, metering a predetermined amount of inert gas into said vacuum chamber to provide a higher pressure than said high vacuum, evaporating and depositing a first conductive metal on said substrate and said pattern to provide a layer which is laterally non-conductive and vertically conductive, removing said substrate from said vacuum chamber, removing said pattern and said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal thereon, placing said substrate in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, evaporating and depositing a layer of high pressure durable conductive metal over said first conductive metal and said substrate to provide a layer of second conductive metal which is laterally non-conductive only where the second conductive layer is deposited over said first conductive layer.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
179 words
A method of making a planarized non-conductive pattern layer on a substrate, comprising: providing a photoresist patterned thermally oxidized silicon substrate wafer, providing a lift-off photoresist pattern on said substrate, placing said substrate wafer in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, metering a predetermined amount of inert gas into said vacuum chamber to provide a higher pressure than said high vacuum, evaporating and depositing a first conductive metal on said substrate and said pattern to provide a layer which is laterally non-conductive and vertically conductive, removing said substrate from said vacuum chamber, removing said pattern and said laterally non-conductive layer of first conductive metal thereon, placing said substrate in a vacuum chamber, producing a high vacuum in said vacuum chamber to approximately 1.0×10 -6 torr, evaporating and depositing a layer of high pressure durable conductive metal over said first conductive metal and said substrate to provide a layer of second conductive metal which is laterally non-conductive only where the second conductive layer is deposited over said first conductive layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-12-04 | 1988-06-04 | 1988-12-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-12-04 | 1992-06-04 | 1992-12-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-12-04 | 1996-06-04 | 1996-12-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |