Patent US3402117A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4816291A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for making diamond, doped diamond, diamond-cubic boron nitride composite films
Assignee: University of California
•
Filing: 1987-08-19
•
Granted: 1989-03-28
•
Expires: 2007-08-19
Abstract
Abstract A process and apparatus that may be used for the production of diamond and doped diamond films at high rates by activated reactive vapor deposition. Carbon is evaporated in a vacuum chamber in the presence of atomic hydrogen containing plasma to form diamond precursors which then deposit on a substrate located within the vacuum chamber.
Inventors
- 👤 Chandra V. Desphandey
- 👤 Rointan F. Bunshah
- 👤 Hans J. Doerr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:49
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/24; C23C14/06; C23C14/0605; C23C14/32; C30; C30B; C30B25/00; C30B25/02; C30B29/00; C30B29/02; C30B29/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
A process for depositing films comprising diamond on a substrate, said process comprising the steps of: supporting a substrate in a vacuum; evaporating a source of carbon to produce a carbon vapor in a zone between the source of carbon and the substrate; introducing a hydrogen containing gas into said zone; accelerating electrons from an electron source into said zone to ionize said carbon vapor and hydrogen containing gas to form carbon-hydrogen complex precursor molecules in said zone, depositing said precursor molecules from said zone onto said substrate; and maintaining said substrate at a temperature sufficient to dissociate said deposited precursor molecules to form said film comprising diamond.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
A process for depositing films comprising diamond on a substrate, said process comprising the steps of: supporting a substrate in a vacuum; evaporating a source of carbon to produce a carbon vapor in a zone between the source of carbon and the substrate; introducing a hydrogen containing gas into said zone; accelerating electrons from an electron source into said zone to ionize said carbon vapor and hydrogen containing gas to form carbon-hydrogen complex precursor molecules in said zone, depositing said precursor molecules from said zone onto said substrate; and maintaining said substrate at a temperature sufficient to dissociate said deposited precursor molecules to form said film comprising diamond.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 1 wherein said source of carbon is graphite.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 2 wherein said graphite is evaporated by an electron beam.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 1 wherein said hydrogen containing gas is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methane ethane and other hydrocarbon gases.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 4 wherein said hydrogen containing gas is a mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbon gases or a mixture of hydrogen and argon or a mixture of hydrogen, argon and hydrocarbon gases.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, molybdenum, glass, quartz, silicon and aluminum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 1 wherein the temperature of said substrate is maintained at temperatures of between about 600° C. and 1000° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 1 wherein the partial pressure of said hydrogen containing gas is between about 2×10 -4 torr and 20×10 -3 torr.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 8 wherein said hydrogen containing gas is hydrogen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 1 wherein the electrons which are deflected into said zone are produced by said electron source comprising a heated filament.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 10 wherein said filament is tungsten, tantalum, molybdenium or carbon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 1 wherein said electrons are deflected into said zone by accelerating said electrons toward an anode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 10 wherein the electrons generated by said filament are accelerated through said zone toward an anode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 13 wherein the potential at said anode is about 80 volts.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 1 wherein said film is doped with p and n type dopants such as aluminum, lithium or boron.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A deposition process according to claim 1 wherein a film comprising diamond cubic boron nitride is deposited.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 15 wherein a boron containing gas is introduced into said zone to provide a film comprising boron doped diamond.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 15 wherein vapor of metal organic compounds such as trimethyl aluminum are introduced into said zone to provide a film comprising aluminum doped diamond.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
40 words
A diamond deposition process according to claim 1 wherein said hydrogen containing gas contains CH 4 , nitrogen and hydrogen and boric acid/boric oxide is co-evaporated with said carbon to thereby form a film comprising cubic boron nitride doped diamond.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3791852A
Cited
US3916052A
Cited
US4416912A
Cited
US4297387A
Cited
US4551221A
Cited
US4336277A
Cited
US4554201A
Cited
US4436830A
Cited
US4452686A
Cited
US4486286A
Cited
US4415420A
Cited
US4412899A
Cited
US4655893A
Cited
US4495044A
Cited
US4656052A
Cited
US4643952A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-03-27 | 1992-09-26 | 1993-03-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-03-27 | 1996-09-26 | 1997-03-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-03-27 | 2000-09-26 | 2001-03-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |