EP0299754A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method of plasma enhanced silicon oxide deposition
Assignee: General Vacuum Equipment Ltd
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Filing: 1988-07-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-07-13
Abstract
Abstract A method of depositing a hard silicon oxide based film is provided by controllably flowing a gas stream including an organosilicon compound into a plasma and depositing a silicon oxide onto a substrate while maintaining a pressure of less than about 100 microns during the depositing. The organosilicon compound is preferably combined with oxygen and helium and at least a portion of the plasma is preferably magnetically confined adjacent to a substrate during the depositing, most preferably by an unbalanced magnetron. These silicon oxide based films may be reproducibly deposited on small or large substrates, such as glass, plastic, mineral or metal, with preselected properties.
Inventors
- 👤 Eugene S. Lopata
- 👤 John T. Felts
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 02:18
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08J; C08J5/00; C08J5/12; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/52; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/40; C23C16/401; C23C16/402; C23C16/50; C23C16/505; C23C16/509; C23C16/5096
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of depositing an adherent, silicon oxide based film comprising: providing a gas stream including a volatilized organosilicon compound, oxygen, and an inert gas; establishing a glow discharge plasma derived from the gas stream in a previously evacuated chamber, the chamber including a substrate removably positionable in the plasma; and flowing the gas stream into the plasma to deposit a silicon oxide onto the substrate when positioned in the plasma, the deposited silicon oxide being a reaction product of the gas stream, the chamber being maintained at a pressure of less than about 100 microns during the depositing.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of depositing an adherent, silicon oxide based film comprising: providing a gas stream including a volatilized organosilicon compound, oxygen, and an inert gas; establishing a glow discharge plasma derived from the gas stream in a previously evacuated chamber, the chamber including a substrate removably positionable in the plasma; and flowing the gas stream into the plasma to deposit a silicon oxide onto the substrate when positioned in the plasma, the deposited silicon oxide being a reaction product of the gas stream, the chamber being maintained at a pressure of less than about 100 microns during the depositing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to Claim 1, wherein the substrate is conveyed into and out of the plasma during the depositing.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of depositing a hard, substantially inorganic silicon oxide based film in a previously evacuated chamber by glow discharge comprising: vaporizing an organosilicon component and admixing the volatilized organosilicon component with an oxygen component and an inert gas component to form a gas stream exterior the chamber; establishing a glow discharge plasma in the chamber from one or more of the gas stream components; controllably flowing the gas stream into the plasma while confining at least a portion of the plasma therein; and conveying a substrate into and out of the plasma adjacent the confined plasma.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of depositing a hard, substantially inorganic silicon oxide based film in a previously evacuated chamber by glow discharge comprising: vaporizing an organosilicon component and admixing the volatilized organosilicon component with an oxygen component and an inert gas component to form a gas stream exterior the chamber; establishing a glow discharge plasma in the chamber from one or more of the gas stream components; controllably flowing the gas stream into the plasma while confining at least a portion of the plasma therein; and conveying a substrate into and out of the plasma adjacent the confined plasma.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to Claim 3, wherein the substrate is at a temperature below about 80°C during the conveying.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the substrate is electrically isolated from the chamber except for contact with the confined plasma.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
34 words
A method according to any of Claims 3 to 5, further comprising magnetically confining at least a portion of the plasma adjacent to the substrate during the depositing to increase an ion flux thereat.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
29 words
A method according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the chamber is maintained at a pressure of between about 20 to about 100 microns during the depositing.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of plasma enhanced thin film deposition comprising: providing a gas stream including a volatilized organosilicon compound; establishing a glow discharge plasma derived from the gas stream in a chamber previously evacuated to about 10⁻⁶ Torr, the chamber including a substrate removably positioned in the plasma; and flowing sufficient of the gas stream to establish a pressure in the chamber of about 25 to about 100 microns and depositing a silicon oxide film on the substrate when positioned in the plasma while magnetically confining at least a portion of the plasma adjacent the substrate during the depositing to increase an ion flux thereat.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of plasma enhanced thin film deposition comprising: providing a gas stream including a volatilized organosilicon compound; establishing a glow discharge plasma derived from the gas stream in a chamber previously evacuated to about 10⁻⁶ Torr, the chamber including a substrate removably positioned in the plasma; and flowing sufficient of the gas stream to establish a pressure in the chamber of about 25 to about 100 microns and depositing a silicon oxide film on the substrate when positioned in the plasma while magnetically confining at least a portion of the plasma adjacent the substrate during the depositing to increase an ion flux thereat.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
22 words
A method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the organosilicon compound being flowed into the plasma is in an adjustably controlled amount.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method according to Claim 9, wherein the organosilicon compound and oxygen of the gas stream being flowed into the plasma are in a flow rate ratio between about 1.2:1 to about 1:1.8 and the inert gas of the gas stream being flowed into the plasma is helium or argon in an amount effective to increase the deposition rate and the hardness of the deposited silicon oxide.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
55 words
A method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the inert gas is helium ad the gas stream being flowed into the plasma comprises organosilicon compound and oxygen in a ratio in the range from about 1.2:1 to about 1:1.8 and organosilicon compound and helium in a ratio in the range from about 1:1.5 to 1:2.3.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
19 words
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the organosilicon compound is 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane, hexamethyldisiloxane, vinyltrimethylsilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane or hexamethyldisilazane.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
15 words
A method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the deposited silicon oxide is substantially inorganic.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
34 words
A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 12, wherein the inert gas is helium, the gas stream includes a minor amount of propylene, and the deposited silicon oxide includes carbon moieties.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
28 words
A method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the gas stream includes a minor amount of nitrogen or nitrous oxide and the deposited silicon oxide includes nitrogen moieties.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of depositing a thin film on a substrate by a plasma process within an evacuated chamber, comprising the steps of: providing a said chamber a gas stream that includes a source of a material desired to be deposited on said substrate, establishing within said chamber a glow discharge plasma derived from the gas of said stream in a region of high electric field removably positioning the substrate in said plasma without any electrical connection therewith, generating within said plasma a magnetic field having a substantial magnetic flux directed against said substrate.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of depositing a thin film on a substrate by a plasma process within an evacuated chamber, comprising the steps of: providing a said chamber a gas stream that includes a source of a material desired to be deposited on said substrate, establishing within said chamber a glow discharge plasma derived from the gas of said stream in a region of high electric field removably positioning the substrate in said plasma without any electrical connection therewith, generating within said plasma a magnetic field having a substantial magnetic flux directed against said substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method according to Claim 16, wherein the step of generating a magnetic flux includes positioning within said chamber two magnetic pole pairs, a first magnetic pole of each pair being oriented to face said plasma and a second magnetic pole of each pair being oriented to face away from said plasma.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method according to Claim 16, wherein the step of generating a magnetic flux includes positioning within said chamber a magnetic structure having a surface adjacent said plasma that is characterized by a magnetic flux distribution function in substantially any direction thereacross which varies from a maximum magnetic strength of one polarily separated by a lesser magnetic strength of another polarity.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
21 words
A method according to any of Claims 1 to 16, wherein the plasma is confined by means of an unbalanced magnetron.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method according to Claim 19, wherein a vacuum pump is in fluid communication with the chamber, is spaced from the magnetron, and the gas stream is flowed into the plasma upstream or a vacuum pump used to evacuate the chamber and downstream of the magnetron.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
16 words
A method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the substrate is glass, plastics, mineral or metal.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
29 words
A method according to any preceding Claim, which comprises the step of evacuating the chamber to a pressure substantially within a range of about 43 to about 49 microns.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
93 words
In a vacuum system wherein a thin film of material is deposited on a substrate positioned within a previously evacuated chamber glow discharge, comprising: a vaporizer of sufficient construction for vaporizing a liquid having a boiling point above ambient temperature and delivering a controlled flow of a vapor into a previously evacuated chamber; electrical means for establishing a glow discharge plasma in the chamber from the vapor; a substrate positioned within the chamber; and magnetic means for generating a magnetic field within the plasma having a substantial magnetic flux directed against the substrate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
93 words
In a vacuum system wherein a thin film of material is deposited on a substrate positioned within a previously evacuated chamber glow discharge, comprising: a vaporizer of sufficient construction for vaporizing a liquid having a boiling point above ambient temperature and delivering a controlled flow of a vapor into a previously evacuated chamber; electrical means for establishing a glow discharge plasma in the chamber from the vapor; a substrate positioned within the chamber; and magnetic means for generating a magnetic field within the plasma having a substantial magnetic flux directed against the substrate.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
47 words
A vacuum system according to Claim 23, further comprising at least one additional source of gas adapted to introduce such at least one additional gas along with the vapor into the chamber as a gas stream, and the glow discharge plasma being formed from said gas stream.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
A vacuum system according to Claim 23 or 24, wherein the magnetic means includes an unbalanced magnetron positioned within the chamber.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
51 words
A vacuum system according to Claim 24 or 25, wherein the magnetic means includes two magnetic pole pairs positioned within the chamber, a first magnetic pole of each pair being oriented to face the plasma and a second magnetic pole of each pair being oriented to face away from the plasma.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
60 words
A vacuum system according to Claim 24 or 25, wherein the magnetic means comprises a magnetic structure positioned within the chamber having a surface adjacent the plasma that is characterized by a magnetic flux distribution function in substantially any direction thereacross which varies from a maximum magnetic strength of one polarity separated by a lesser magnetic strength of another polarity.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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