Sputter deposition of hydrogenated amorphous carbon film and applications thereof

Claim 1

A method of forming a work piece by depositing an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film onto a substrate by reactive sputter deposition which comprises the steps of: providing a deposition chamber containing an ion gun, said substrate, a graphite target outside said ion gun, and a pumping means to evacuate said chamber; introducing a precleaning gas containing an inert gas through the ion gun, producing an energetic flux of said precleaning gas in ionic form and using said precleaning gas to preclean said substrate; providing a process gas containing argon, hydrogen, and a reactant gas containing a hydrocarbon gas and helium gas; introducing said process gas into the chamber, applying a dc bias voltage to the graphite target and using argon as a sputtering gas to reactively sputter deposit an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film from said graphite target onto said substrate wherein: said argon is introduced into said chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to about 100 sccm; said hydrogen is introduced into said chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to about 10 sccm; and an oxygen placed into said chamber is introduced at a flow rate of no more than about 10 sccm; said hydrocarbon and said helium are introduced into said chamber, as a combined gas, at a flow rate of from about 5 to about 100 sccm, said combined gas containing from about 50% to about 1% hydrocarbon and from about 50% to about 99% helium to provide said amorphous hydrogenated carbon film with an optical transmission of 0.5% to 10% at the wavelengths of 365 nm, 248 nm or 193 nm, less than 80% transmission at 488 nm wavelength, and a refractive index 1.6 to 2.2 at 365 nm, 248 nm or 193 nm.

Claim 2

A method of forming a work piece by depositing an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film onto a substrate by reactive sputter deposition which comprises the steps of: providing a deposition chamber containing an ion gun, said substrate, a graphite target outside said ion gun, and a pumping means to evacuate said chamber; introducing a precleaning gas containing an inert gas through the ion gun, producing an energetic flux of said precleaning gas in ionic form and using said precleaning gas to preclean said substrate; providing a process gas containing argon, hydrogen, and a reactant gas containing a hydrocarbon gas and helium gas; introducing said process gas into the chamber, applying a dc bias voltage to the graphite target and using argon as a sputtering gas to reactively sputter deposit an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film from said graphite target onto said substrate wherein: said argon is introduced into said chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to about 100 sccm; said hydrogen is introduced into said chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to about 10 sccm; and an oxygen placed into said chamber is introduced at a flow rate of no more than about 10 sccm; said hydrocarbon and said helium are introduced into said chamber, as a combined gas, at a flow rate of from about 5 to about 100 sccm, said combined gas containing from about 50% to about 1% hydrocarbon and from about 50% to about 99% helium to provide said amorphous hydrogenated carbon film with an optical transmission of 0.5% to 10% at the wavelengths of 365 nm, 248 nm or 193 nm, less than 80% transmission at 488 nm wavelength, and a refractive index 1.6 to 2.2 at 365 nm, 248 nm or 193 nm.

Claim 52

A method of forming a work piece depositing a diamond-like carbon film onto a substrate by sputter vapor deposition which comprises the steps of: providing a sputter deposition chamber containing said substrate and a carbon target; directing a beam at said carbon target to reactively deposit a amorphous carbon film from the graphite target onto the substrate while: introducing argon into said deposition chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to 100 sccm; introducing hydrogen into said deposition chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to about 10 sccm; introducing acetylene diluted with helium, as a combined gas, at a flow rate of from about 5 to about 100 sccm, wherein said combined gas contains from about 50% to about 1% acetylene and from about 50% to about 99% helium to provide said diamond-like carbon film with optical transmission characteristics at a wavelength of 365 nm, 248 nm or 193 nm to make said workpiece suitable for use as a photolithographic mask.

Claim 53

A method of forming a work piece depositing a diamond-like carbon film onto a substrate by sputter vapor deposition which comprises the steps of: providing a sputter deposition chamber containing said substrate and a carbon target; directing a beam at said carbon target to reactively deposit a amorphous carbon film from the graphite target onto the substrate while: introducing argon into said deposition chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to 100 sccm; introducing hydrogen into said deposition chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to about 10 sccm; introducing acetylene diluted with helium, as a combined gas, at a flow rate of from about 5 to about 100 sccm, wherein said combined gas contains from about 50% to about 1% acetylene and from about 50% to about 99% helium to provide said diamond-like carbon film with optical transmission characteristics at a wavelength of 365 nm, 248 nm or 193 nm to make said workpiece suitable for use as a photolithographic mask.