Patent US5510151A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5510151A
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Continuous film-forming process using microwave energy in a moving substrate web functioning as a substrate and plasma generating space
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1992-09-11
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Granted: 1996-04-23
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Expires: 2012-09-11
Abstract
Abstract A microwave plasma CVD method for continuously forming a large area and length functional deposited film, the method comprises: continuously moving a substrate web in the longitudinal direction by paying out it by a pay-out mechanism and taking it up by a take-up mechanism; establishing a substantially enclosed film-forming chamber by curving and projecting the moving substrate web to form a columnar portion to be the circumferential wall of the film-forming chamber as the substrate is moving from the pay-out mechanism toward the take-up mechanism; introducing a film-forming raw material gas through a gas feeder into the film-forming chamber; and simultaneously, radiating a microwave energy in the film-forming chamber by using a microwave applicator, which is so designed that it can radiate a microwave energy in the direction parallel to the microwave propagating direction, to generate plasma in the film-forming chamber, thereby continuously forming a deposited film on the inner wall face of the continuously moving circumferential wall exposed to the plasma.
Inventors
- 👤 Jinsho Matsuyama
- 👤 Toshimitsu Kariya
- 👤 Yasushi Fujioka
- 👤 Tetsuya Takei
- 👤 Katsumi Nakagawa
- 👤 Masahiro Kanai
- 👤 Hiroshi Echizen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 19:59
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F10/00; H10F10/10; H10F10/17; H10F10/172; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/50; C23C16/511; C23C16/54; C23C16/545; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32192; H01J37/32211; H01J37/32229; H01J37/32431; H01J37/32733; H01J37/32752; H01J37/32761; H01J37/3277; H10D; H10D8/00; H10D8/60; H10F71/00; H10F71/10; H10F71/103; H10F71/1035; H10F71/107; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/24; H10P14/29; H10P14/2901; H10P14/2923; H10P14/32; H10P14/3202; H10P14/3204; H10P14/3211; H10P14/3242; H10P14/3244; H10P14/3251; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3404; H10P14/3411; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/548; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
224 words
A method for continuously forming a functional deposited film by a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition process, which comprises: continuously moving a substrate web supported by an internal supporting means in the longitudinal direction while guiding said substrate web by means of a guiding and internal supporting means for said substrate web; establishing a substantially enclosed film-forming chamber having a film-forming space by curving and projecting said moving substrate web by means of said guiding and internal supporting means to form a columnar portion to be the cylindrical wall of said film-forming chamber and; introducing a film-forming raw material gas through a gas feed means into said film-forming space while simultaneously radiating microwaves using a microwave applicator means into said film-forming space and directing said microwaves in a direction that is substantially parallel to a width direction of the substrate web and perpendicular to the circumference of the cylindrical wall of said film-forming chamber to generate a microwave plasma in said film-forming space, said plasma being confined in said film-forming space and maintaining the film-forming space at a pressure which is lower than atmospheric pressure such that the inside of said film-forming chamber communicates with the space outside said film-forming chamber, thereby continuously forming a functional deposited film on the inner face of said continuously moving cylindrical wall which is exposed to said plasma.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
224 words
A method for continuously forming a functional deposited film by a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition process, which comprises: continuously moving a substrate web supported by an internal supporting means in the longitudinal direction while guiding said substrate web by means of a guiding and internal supporting means for said substrate web; establishing a substantially enclosed film-forming chamber having a film-forming space by curving and projecting said moving substrate web by means of said guiding and internal supporting means to form a columnar portion to be the cylindrical wall of said film-forming chamber and; introducing a film-forming raw material gas through a gas feed means into said film-forming space while simultaneously radiating microwaves using a microwave applicator means into said film-forming space and directing said microwaves in a direction that is substantially parallel to a width direction of the substrate web and perpendicular to the circumference of the cylindrical wall of said film-forming chamber to generate a microwave plasma in said film-forming space, said plasma being confined in said film-forming space and maintaining the film-forming space at a pressure which is lower than atmospheric pressure such that the inside of said film-forming chamber communicates with the space outside said film-forming chamber, thereby continuously forming a functional deposited film on the inner face of said continuously moving cylindrical wall which is exposed to said plasma.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the columnar portion is formed by curving the moving substrate web by means of a pair transporting rollers while leaving a spacing in the longitudinal direction of the substrate web between said pair of rollers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said microwave applicator means is provided to at least one side face of the film-forming chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the microwave energy is radiated through a microwave transmissive member fixed to the microwave applicator means into the film-forming chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 4, wherein the microwave transmissive member is hermetically connected to at least one side face of the film-forming chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a first microwave applicator means is provided to one of the side faces of the film-forming chamber and at least a second microwave applicator means is provided to the other side face of the film-forming chamber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
The method according to claim 6, wherein said at least first microwave applicator means is connected to one side face of the film-forming chamber and said second microwave applicator means is connected to the opposite side face of the film-forming chamber such that said first microwave applicator means does not receive microwaves radiated from said second microwaves applicator means and said second microwave applicator means does not receive microwave radiated from said first microwave applicator means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said microwaves radiated into the film-forming space are prevented from leaking out of the film-forming chamber.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
15 words
The method according to clam 1, wherein the surface of the substrate web is electorconductive.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
15 words
The method according to clam 1, wherein the surface of the substrate web is electorconductive.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the microwave applicator means contains a rectangular waveguide or an elliptical waveguide.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
71 words
The method according to claim 10, wherein at least a first microwave applicator means containing a first waveguide is provided to one of the faces of the film-forming chamber and at least a second microwave applicator means containing a second waveguide is provided to the other side face of the film-forming chamber, said first and second waveguides being selected from the group consisting of a rectangular waveguide and an elliptical waveguide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
92 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said at least first microwave applicator means is connected to one side face of the film-forming chamber and said at least second microwave applicator means is connected to an opposite surface of the film-forming chamber such that a face containing the major edge or the major axis of said first waveguide of said at least first microwave applicator means is not in parallel to a face containing the major edge or the major axis of the waveguide of said at least second microwave applicator means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 1, which further comprises a step of adjusting the potential of the microwave plasma.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of adjusting the potential of the microwave plasma is carried out by using a voltage means isolated from the substrate web.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein a voltage means is placed in the film-forming space such that at least part of said means comes to contact with the microwave plasma generated.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 15, wherein a voltage of DC or AC is further applied onto the voltage means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 15, wherein a pulsating voltage is further applied onto the voltage means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the voltage means serves also as the gas feed means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the voltage means comprises one or more bias bars.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of adjusting the potential of the microwave plasma is carried out by applying a voltage onto the substrate web.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 20, wherein the gas feed means is electrically grounded and is placed in the film-forming space such that at least part of said means comes to contact with the microwave plasma generated.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-04-23 | 1999-10-23 | 2000-04-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-04-23 | 2003-10-23 | 2004-04-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-04-23 | 2007-10-23 | 2008-04-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |