Patent US5099791A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5099791A
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Cluster beam thin film deposition apparatus with thermionic electron control
Assignee: New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
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Filing: 1990-07-31
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Granted: 1992-03-31
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Expires: 2010-07-31
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for depositing, through evaporation, a thin film on a substrate disposed in a vacuum vessel by ionizing a beam of clusters emitted from an evaporation source and causing the ionized cluster beam to impinge on the substrate, comprises a thermionic emission portion for emitting thermoelectrons disposed in a plane orthogonal to the center axis of the cluster beam, a shield plate for preventing the cluster beam from striking the thermionic emission portion, and a reflection electrode for directing the thermoelectrons emitted from the thermionic emission portion toward the center axis of the cluster beam.
Inventors
- 👤 Hisashi Tsukazaki
- 👤 Kenichiro Yamanishi
- 👤 Seiji Yasunaga
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 20:20
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/221; H; H05; H05H; H05H3/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
198 words
Apparatus for depositing a thin film which includes a vacuum vessel maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum, an evaporation source for ejecting a vapor of an evaporation material to be deposited upon a substrate disposed in the vacuum vessel, so as to generate a cluster beam comprising clusters of a multiplicity of atoms loosely bound together in the vapor, means for irradiating the cluster beam from the evaporation source with thermoelectrons to ionize part of the clusters, and an acceleration electrode for accelerating the ionized clusters to cause the ionized clusters to impinge upon the substrate together with the unionized cluster beam, thereby depositing a thin film on the substrate, comprising: a thermionic emission portion including ionizing means for emitting thermoelectrons, said thermionic emission portion being disposed in a plane orthogonal to the center axis of the cluster beam; a shield plate disposed between the thermionic emission portion and the evaporation source in order to prevent direct irradiation of the thermionic emission portion with the cluster beam ejected from the evaporation source; and a reflection electrode for directing the thermoelectrons extracted from the thermionic emission portion in a direction toward the center axis of the cluster beam.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
198 words
Apparatus for depositing a thin film which includes a vacuum vessel maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum, an evaporation source for ejecting a vapor of an evaporation material to be deposited upon a substrate disposed in the vacuum vessel, so as to generate a cluster beam comprising clusters of a multiplicity of atoms loosely bound together in the vapor, means for irradiating the cluster beam from the evaporation source with thermoelectrons to ionize part of the clusters, and an acceleration electrode for accelerating the ionized clusters to cause the ionized clusters to impinge upon the substrate together with the unionized cluster beam, thereby depositing a thin film on the substrate, comprising: a thermionic emission portion including ionizing means for emitting thermoelectrons, said thermionic emission portion being disposed in a plane orthogonal to the center axis of the cluster beam; a shield plate disposed between the thermionic emission portion and the evaporation source in order to prevent direct irradiation of the thermionic emission portion with the cluster beam ejected from the evaporation source; and a reflection electrode for directing the thermoelectrons extracted from the thermionic emission portion in a direction toward the center axis of the cluster beam.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thermionic emission portion comprises an aperture permitting the cluster beam to pass therethrough, and the aperture is sized and shaped to be divergent in the ejecting direction of the cluster beam so as to permit the passage therethrough of the cluster beam with an ejection angle of at least 15°, the ejection angle measured from the center axis of the cluster beam.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein said ionizing means comprises an ionizing filament for emitting the thermoelectrons, and said thermionic emission portion comprises a thermoelectron extraction electrode for accelerating the thermoelectrons to irradiate the cluster beam with the thermoelectrons, the spacing between the ionizing filament and the thermoelectron extraction electrode being about 5 mm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reflection electrode is formed in a mesh shape through chemical etching or electric discharge machining.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 4, wherein the reflection electrode comprises molybdenum.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 4, wherein the reflection electrode comprises tantalum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shield plate comprises a metal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shield plate comprises a ceramic.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein aluminum is used as the evaporation material, and the shield plate comprises ultra high density graphite.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ionizing means of said thermionic emission portion includes an ionizing filament for emitting the thermoelectrons and the reflection electrode and the ionizing filament are set at approximately equal electric potentials.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the ionizing filament comprises a tungsten wire.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the ionizing filament comprises a plate formed of a tungsten material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the ionizing filament comprises a plate formed of a tantalum material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the ionizing filament comprises lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ionizing means comprises a control electrode for controlling the ion distribution in the region in which the thermoelectrons for ionization are present, the control electrode is inserted loosely in an aperture in said shield plate, and the ionizing means controls the ion distribution in the cluster beam.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein the control electrode is formed in an annular shape.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein the control electrode is formed in a conical shape.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 16 or 17, wherein the control electrode is formed in a mesh shape through chemical etching or electric discharge machining.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein the control electrode comprises molybdenum.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein the control electrode comprises tantalum.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein the control electrode is capable of resistance heating.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the aperture is formed in a circular shape so as to cause the cluster beam to be ejected from the aperture in a conical form divergent in the ejecting direction.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the aperture is formed in a polygonal shape so as to cause the cluster beam to be ejected from the aperture in a polygonal pyramidal form divergent in the ejecting direction.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermionic emission portion comprises one ionizing filament for emitting the thermoelectrons, and two thermoelectron extraction electrodes for accelerating the thermoelectrons to irradiate the cluster beam with the thermoelectrons, the thermoelectron extraction electrodes disposed on both sides of the ionizing filament as viewed in the direction of ejection of the cluster beam.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 24, wherein the electric potential of the shield plate is set approximately equal to the electric potential of the ionizing filament.
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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) | 1995-03-31 | 1995-09-30 | 1996-03-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-03-31 | 1999-09-30 | 2000-03-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-03-31 | 2003-09-30 | 2004-03-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |