US4663183A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Glow discharge method of applying a carbon coating onto a substrate
Assignee: Ovonic Synthetic Materials Co Inc
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Filing: 1984-09-10
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Granted: 1987-05-05
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Expires: 2004-09-10
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a method of forming a hard, carbonaceous film on a substrate and the hard carbonaceous film formed thereby. The hard carbonaceous film is formed by decomposing a gaseous hydrocarbon having carbon atoms tetrahedrally coordinated to carbon nearest neighbors through carbon-carbon single bonds. The gaseous hydrocarbon is decomposed in a radio frequency maintained plasma and the plasma decomposition products are deposited on a cathodic substrate. Optionally, fluorocarbons may be present in a decomposition gas.
Inventors
- 👤 Stanford R. Ovshinsky
- 👤 James Flasck
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 19:54
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P95/00; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/26; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/6336; H10P14/66; H10P14/668; H10P14/69; H10P14/6902
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 60
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of depositing a solid film comprising disordered carbon, said disordered carbon having (1) long range disorder, and (2) properties associated with local order of the type characterized by tetrahedral, four-fold carbon-carbon coordination, an optical band gap of 0.7 to 2.9 electron volts, and an electrical resistivity of 10 8 to 10 12 ohm centimeters, said method comprising depositing the film on a solid substrate by glow discharge decomposition of a reaction gas comprising at least a gaseous hydrocarbon compound having at least one carbon atom in tetrahedral coordination with four nearest neighbor carbon atoms through carbon-carbon single bonds, and depositing the film on a solid substrate while the solid substrate is at a temperature of 20° C. to 100° C.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of depositing a solid film comprising disordered carbon, said disordered carbon having (1) long range disorder, and (2) properties associated with local order of the type characterized by tetrahedral, four-fold carbon-carbon coordination, an optical band gap of 0.7 to 2.9 electron volts, and an electrical resistivity of 10 8 to 10 12 ohm centimeters, said method comprising depositing the film on a solid substrate by glow discharge decomposition of a reaction gas comprising at least a gaseous hydrocarbon compound having at least one carbon atom in tetrahedral coordination with four nearest neighbor carbon atoms through carbon-carbon single bonds, and depositing the film on a solid substrate while the solid substrate is at a temperature of 20° C. to 100° C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the disordered material is a wide band gap material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the wide band gap material has an optical band gap of at least about 1.3 electron volts.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the gaseous hydrocarbon is an x,x-dialkyl hydrocarbon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 4, wherein the x,x-dialkyl hydrocarbon is 2,2-dimethyl propane.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction gas further includes a halogen compound.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the halogen compound is a fluorine compound.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the fluorine compound is a fluorocarbon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the fluorocarbon compound is chosen from the group consisting of fluorinated hydrocarbons.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction gas mixture further comprises an inert gas.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the inert gas is argon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 11 comprising maintaining the volume ratio of the hydrocarbon to argon above about 1:1 whereby to obtain a relatively soft, carbonaceous film.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 11 comprising maintaining the volume ratio of hydrocarbon to argon below about 1:1 whereby to obtain a relatively hard, carbonaceous film.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 13 comprising maintaining the volume ratio of hydrocarbon to argon between about 0.1:1 to 1:1.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 comprising depositing the solid film on a polymeric substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 15, wherein the polymeric substrate is chosen from the group consisting of polycarbonates, polyacrylates, and poly(allyl carbonates).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 comprising depositing the solid film on a metallic substrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 comprising depositing the solid film on a semiconductor substrate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 comprising depositing the solid film on a moving, continuous web substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 19 comprising depositing the solid film substantially continuously on the moving, continuous web substrate.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 20 comprising depositing the solid film substantially continuously on the moving web substrate in a multi-deposition chamber deposition means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 comprising applying biasing energy to the solid film during the deposition thereof.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of depositing a film comprising carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine, said film having long range disorder, the local order of the carbon having properties associated with tetrahedral, four-folded carbon-carbon coordination, an optical band gap of 0.7 to 2.9 electron volts, and an electrical resistivity of 10 8 to 10 12 ohm-centimers, said method comrpising depositing the film atop a substrate by glow discharge decomposition of a reaction gas comprising at least (a) a gaseous hydrocarbon compound having at least one carbon atom in tetrahdral four-fold coordination with four nearest neighbor carbon atoms through carbon-carbon double bonds, and (b) a fluorine compound, wherein fluorine is incorporated into the solid during deposition thereof, while said substrate is maintained at a temperature of 20° to 100° C., whereby a yield (a) the solid, tetrahedral-like film.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of depositing a film comprising carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine, said film having long range disorder, the local order of the carbon having properties associated with tetrahedral, four-folded carbon-carbon coordination, an optical band gap of 0.7 to 2.9 electron volts, and an electrical resistivity of 10 8 to 10 12 ohm-centimers, said method comrpising depositing the film atop a substrate by glow discharge decomposition of a reaction gas comprising at least (a) a gaseous hydrocarbon compound having at least one carbon atom in tetrahdral four-fold coordination with four nearest neighbor carbon atoms through carbon-carbon double bonds, and (b) a fluorine compound, wherein fluorine is incorporated into the solid during deposition thereof, while said substrate is maintained at a temperature of 20° to 100° C., whereby a yield (a) the solid, tetrahedral-like film.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 23, wherein the material has an optical band gap intermediate that of graphite and diamond.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 24, wherein the material has an optical band gap of at about 0.7 to 2.9 electron volts.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 23, wherein the gaseous hydrocarbon material has carbon atoms tetrahedrally coordinated to carbon nearest neighbors through carbon-carbon single bonds.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 26, wherein the gaseous hydrocarbon is a x,x-dialkyl hydrocarbon.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 22, wherein the x,x-dialkyl hydrocarbon is 2,2-dimethyl propane.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 27, wherein the fluorine compound is a fluorocarbon.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 29, wherein the fluorocarbon compound is chosen from the group consisting of fluorinated hydrocarbons.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 23, wherein the reaction gas mixture further comprises an inert gas.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 31, wherein the inert gas is argon.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 23 comprising depositing the solid film on a moving, continuous web substrate.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 33 comprising depositing the solid film substantially continuously on the moving, continuous web substrate.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 34 comprising depositing the solid film substantially continuously on the moving web substrate in a multi-deposition chamber deposition means.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 35 comprising depositing the solid film on a cathodically biased substrate.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 23 comprising applying biasing energy to the film to expand the normal available bonding orbitals thereof.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 37 comprising maintaining the glow discharge plasma with microwave radiation.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 38 comprising applying direct current biasing energy to the film.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 38 comprising applying radio frequency biasing energy to the film.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 38 comprising applying an ion beam to the film.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of making a film comprising a sold including carbon and hydrogen, said film having long range disorder and properties associated with local order characterized by tetrahedral, four-fold carbon-carbon coordination, said method comprising depositing the film atop a substrate by microwave glow discharge decomposition of a reaction gas comprising at least a gaseous hydrocarbon compound having at least one carbon atom in tetrahedral coordination with four nearest neighbor carbon atoms through carbon-carbon single bonds, while said substrate is maintained at a temperature of 20° C. to 100° C. whereby to yield a solid, tetrahedral like film.
Claim 45
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of making a film comprising a sold including carbon and hydrogen, said film having long range disorder and properties associated with local order characterized by tetrahedral, four-fold carbon-carbon coordination, said method comprising depositing the film atop a substrate by microwave glow discharge decomposition of a reaction gas comprising at least a gaseous hydrocarbon compound having at least one carbon atom in tetrahedral coordination with four nearest neighbor carbon atoms through carbon-carbon single bonds, while said substrate is maintained at a temperature of 20° C. to 100° C. whereby to yield a solid, tetrahedral like film.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 42, wherein the disordered material has an optical band gap intermediate that of graphite and diamond.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 43, wherein the wide band gap material has an optical band gap of at about 0.7 to 2.9 electron volts.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 42, wherein the gaseous hydrocarbon is a x,x-dialkyl hydrocarbon.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 45, wherein the x,x-dialkyl hydrocarbon is 2,2-dimethyl propane.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 42, wherein the fluorine compound is a fluorocarbon.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 47, wherein the fluorocarbon compound is chosen from the group consisting of fluorinated hydrocarbons.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 42, wherein the reaction gas mixture further comprises an inert gas.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 49, wherein the inert gas is argon.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 42 comprising depositing the solid film on a moving, continuous web substrate.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 54 comprising depositing the solid film substantially continuously on the moving, continuous web substrate.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 52 comprising depositing the solid film substantially continuously on the moving web substrate in multi-deposition chamber deposition means.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 42 comprising applying biasing energy to the solid film during the deposition thereof.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 54 comprising applying direct current biasing energy to the film.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 54 comprising applying radio frequency biasing energy to the film.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 54 comprising applying an ion beam to the film.
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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) | 1990-05-04 | 1990-11-03 | 1991-05-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-05-04 | 1994-11-03 | 1995-05-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-05-04 | 1998-11-03 | 1999-05-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |