US4740267A
Expired / Lapsed
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Energy intensive surface reactions using a cluster beam
Assignee: Salomon SAS
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Filing: 1987-02-20
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Granted: 1988-04-26
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Expires: 2007-02-20
Abstract
Abstract Chemical reactions are accomplished at a surface of a substrate by supplying both a chemical reactant and energy by means of a cluster beam of a volatile material. Discrete units containing a volatile reactant are formed into clusters, ionized, accelerated to high energy, and impacted against the surface. The clusters disintegrate, and the reactant species reacts at the surface, under the influence of the energy transferred by the accelerated cluster. The clustered species may be the only reactant, as in a decomposition reaction, or additional reactants may be supplied from the surface or from other external sources, as in a film deposition, etching reaction, or catalysis reaction.
Inventors
- 👤 Wolfgang Knauer
- 👤 John L. Bartelt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 14:14
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/24; C23C14/32; C23C14/221; H; H10; H10D; H10D64/00; H10D64/01; H10D64/011; H10D64/0111; H10D64/0112; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/24; H10P50/242; H01; H01J; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/06; H01J2237/08; H01J2237/0812; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/961
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A process for accomplishing externally energized chemical reactions at a surface, comprising the steps of: forming clusters of a volatile reactant species containing from 2 to about 10,000 units, each unit containing a reactant species; ionizing the clusters; accelerating the clusters toward the surface; and impacting the clusters upon the surface, so that the clusters disintegrate and provide a reactant and energy to the chemical reaction at the surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
69 words
A process for accomplishing externally energized chemical reactions at a surface, comprising the steps of: forming clusters of a volatile reactant species containing from 2 to about 10,000 units, each unit containing a reactant species; ionizing the clusters; accelerating the clusters toward the surface; and impacting the clusters upon the surface, so that the clusters disintegrate and provide a reactant and energy to the chemical reaction at the surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 1, wherein each unit is a single atom.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 1, wherein each unit is a molecule.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 1, wherein all reactant species are contained in a unit of the clusters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 1, wherein at least one reactant is contained in a unit of the clusters, and at least one reactant is present on the surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1, wherein at least one reactant is contained in a unit of the clusters, and at least one reactant is supplied to the surface from another source external to the surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the surface is made of a semiconductor material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the clusters are impacted upon the surface intermittently.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
A process for etching a surface, comprising the steps of: forming clusters of units of a volatile reactant etchant species, each cluster containing from 2 to about 10,000 units of the reactant species; ionizing the clusters; accelerating the clusters toward the surface; and impacting the clusters upon the surface, so that the clusters disintegrate and provide the etchant species and energy to the etching reaction at the surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
68 words
A process for etching a surface, comprising the steps of: forming clusters of units of a volatile reactant etchant species, each cluster containing from 2 to about 10,000 units of the reactant species; ionizing the clusters; accelerating the clusters toward the surface; and impacting the clusters upon the surface, so that the clusters disintegrate and provide the etchant species and energy to the etching reaction at the surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 9, wherein each unit is a gas molecule.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 9, wherein the etchant species is a molecule containing a halogen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
83 words
A process for accomplishing externally energized chemical reactions at a surface comprising the steps of: forming clusters of a volatile reactant species containing from 2 to about 10,000 units by exhausting said volatile species through a supersonic nozzle; ionizing the clusters outside the nozzle by electron or photon impact; accelerating the clusters by electrostatic fields towards the surface; and impacting the clusters upon the surface so that the clusters disintegrate and provide a reactant and energy to the chemical reaction at the surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
83 words
A process for accomplishing externally energized chemical reactions at a surface comprising the steps of: forming clusters of a volatile reactant species containing from 2 to about 10,000 units by exhausting said volatile species through a supersonic nozzle; ionizing the clusters outside the nozzle by electron or photon impact; accelerating the clusters by electrostatic fields towards the surface; and impacting the clusters upon the surface so that the clusters disintegrate and provide a reactant and energy to the chemical reaction at the surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
131 words
A process for accomplishing externally energized chemical reactions at a surface, comprising the steps of: forming first clusters containing from 2 to about 10,000 units of a volatile reactant species, each unit containing a first reactant species; ionizing the first clusters; accelerating the first clusters toward the surface; impacting the first clusters upon the surface, so that the first clusters disintegrate and provide the first reactant and energy to the chemical reaction at the surface; forming second clusters containing from 2 to about 10,000 units, each unit containing a second reactant species; ionizing the second clusters; accelerating the second clusters toward the surface; and impacting the second clusters upon the surface, so that the second clusters disintegrate and provide the second reactant and energy to the chemical reaction at the surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
131 words
A process for accomplishing externally energized chemical reactions at a surface, comprising the steps of: forming first clusters containing from 2 to about 10,000 units of a volatile reactant species, each unit containing a first reactant species; ionizing the first clusters; accelerating the first clusters toward the surface; impacting the first clusters upon the surface, so that the first clusters disintegrate and provide the first reactant and energy to the chemical reaction at the surface; forming second clusters containing from 2 to about 10,000 units, each unit containing a second reactant species; ionizing the second clusters; accelerating the second clusters toward the surface; and impacting the second clusters upon the surface, so that the second clusters disintegrate and provide the second reactant and energy to the chemical reaction at the surface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 13, wherein the steps of impacting the first clusters and impacting the second clusters occur substantially simultaneously.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
95 words
A process for producing a reacted film upon a surface, comprising the steps of: forming clusters containing units of a volatile reactant species to be deposited in a film, each cluster containing from 2 to about 10,000 units of the species; ionizing the clusters; accelerating the clusters toward the surface; and impacting the clusters upon the surface, so that the clusters disintegrate and provide the reactant species and energy to the deposition reaction at the surface, the film that is produced being the result of a chemical reaction involving the species provided in the clusters.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
95 words
A process for producing a reacted film upon a surface, comprising the steps of: forming clusters containing units of a volatile reactant species to be deposited in a film, each cluster containing from 2 to about 10,000 units of the species; ionizing the clusters; accelerating the clusters toward the surface; and impacting the clusters upon the surface, so that the clusters disintegrate and provide the reactant species and energy to the deposition reaction at the surface, the film that is produced being the result of a chemical reaction involving the species provided in the clusters.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 15, wherein the chemical reaction is the decomposition of the units of the clusters.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 15, wherein the chemical reaction is the reaction of the reactant species in the clusters with another species on the surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 15, wherein the chemical reaction is the reaction of the reactant species in the clusters with another species provided from another source external to the surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-04-26 | 1991-10-26 | 1992-04-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-04-26 | 1995-10-26 | 1996-04-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-04-26 | 1999-10-26 | 2000-04-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |