US5456945A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for material deposition
Assignee: Symetrix Corp
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Filing: 1992-12-18
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Granted: 1995-10-10
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Expires: 2012-12-18
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus are disclosed for forming thin films of chemical compounds utilized in integrated circuits. The method includes steps of forming a precursor liquid comprising a chemical compound in a solvent, providing a substrate within a vacuum deposition chamber, producing a mist of the precursor liquid, and flowing the mist into the deposition chamber while maintaining the chamber at ambient temperature to deposit a layer of the precursor liquid on the substrate. The liquid is dried to form a thin film of a solid material on the substrate, then the integrated circuit is completed to include at least a portion of the film of solid material in a component of the integrated circuit.
Inventors
- 👤 Larry D. McMillan
- 👤 Carlos A. Paz de Araujo
- 👤 Tommy L. Roberts
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:38
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6342; B; B05; B05D; B05D1/00; B05D1/60; B05D3/00; B05D3/04; B05D3/0493; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/40; C23C16/409; C23C16/44; C23C16/4412; C23C16/448; C23C16/4486; C23C16/455; C23C16/45561; C23C16/45563; C23C16/4558; C23C16/46; C23C16/48; C23C16/482; C23C16/52; C23C18/00; C23C18/02; C23C18/12; C23C18/1204; C23C18/1208; C23C18/1216; C23C18/125; C23C18/1287; C23C18/1295; C23C18/14; C23C18/143; C23C26/00; C23C26/02; C30; C30B; C30B29/00; C30B29/60; C30B29/68; C30B7/00; H10B; H10B53/00; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10D1/682; H10D1/684; H10D1/692; H10N; H10N30/00; H10N30/01; H10N30/07; H10N30/074; H10P14/65; H10P14/6516; H10P14/6536; H10P14/6538; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/10; H05K3/105; H10P14/66; H10P14/668; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6938; H10P14/69398; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S427/00; Y10S427/101
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit comprising the steps of: (a) providing a liquid precursor; (b) placing a substrate inside an enclosed deposition chamber; (c) producing a mist of said liquid precursor; (d) flowing said mist through said deposition chamber to form a layer of the precursor liquid on said substrate while maintaining said deposition chamber and said ..substrate at substantially ambient temperature; (e) treating the liquid layer deposited on the substrate to form a film of solid material; and (f) completing the fabrication of said integrated circuit to include at least a portion of said film of solid material in a component of said integrated circuit.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit comprising the steps of: (a) providing a liquid precursor; (b) placing a substrate inside an enclosed deposition chamber; (c) producing a mist of said liquid precursor; (d) flowing said mist through said deposition chamber to form a layer of the precursor liquid on said substrate while maintaining said deposition chamber and said ..substrate at substantially ambient temperature; (e) treating the liquid layer deposited on the substrate to form a film of solid material; and (f) completing the fabrication of said integrated circuit to include at least a portion of said film of solid material in a component of said integrated circuit.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a liquid precursor; (b) placing a substrate inside an enclosed deposition chamber; (C) producing a mist of said liquid precursor; (d) flowing said mist into said deposition chamber to form a film on said substrate; (e) maintaining a vacuum in the deposition chamber during said step of flowing; (f) maintaining said deposition chamber and said substrate at substantially ambient temperature during said step of flowing; (g) treating the film deposited on the substrate to form a film of solid material; and (h) completing the fabrication of said integrated to include at least a portion of said film of solid material in a component of said integrated circuit.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a liquid precursor; (b) placing a substrate inside an enclosed deposition chamber; (C) producing a mist of said liquid precursor; (d) flowing said mist into said deposition chamber to form a film on said substrate; (e) maintaining a vacuum in the deposition chamber during said step of flowing; (f) maintaining said deposition chamber and said substrate at substantially ambient temperature during said step of flowing; (g) treating the film deposited on the substrate to form a film of solid material; and (h) completing the fabrication of said integrated to include at least a portion of said film of solid material in a component of said integrated circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2, including the additional step of applying ultraviolet radiation to said mist while the mist is flowing through the deposition chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of flowing said mist into said deposition chamber is performed while maintaining a vacuum in the deposition chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said film is deposited while said deposition chamber is maintained at a vacuum of between approximately 200 Torr and 600 Torr.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said mist is an aerosol.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of flowing comprises injecting said mist into said deposition chamber in close proximity to and around the periphery of one side of said substrate and exhausting said mist from said deposition chamber at a region in close proximity to and around the periphery of an opposite side of said substrate to create a substantially evenly distributed flow of mist across the substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 1, wherein a surface of said substrate defines a substrate plane and said mist is flowed between said substrate and a barrier plate located within said deposition chamber in a spaced relation to said substrate and parallel to said substrate plane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said barrier plate is adjustable to vary the distance between the barrier plate and the substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, including the additional step of rotating said substrate in a plane parallel to a surface of said substrate while said mist is flowing over the substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1, including the additional step of mixing a plurality of different mists external of said deposition chamber to form a mist mixture to be flowed into the deposition chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1, including the additional step of applying ultraviolet radiation to said mist while the mist is flowing through the deposition chamber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, including the step of applying a DC bias between said deposition chamber and said substrate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, including the additional step of ultrasonically vibrating a quantity of said liquid precursor to form said mist by nebulization.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of treating includes one or more steps from the group of drying, heating and annealing said layer deposited on said substrate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of treating comprises drying said liquid precursor deposited on said substrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step of drying comprises maintaining a sub-atmospheric pressure in said deposition chamber.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a liquid precursor; (b) placing a substrate inside an enclosed deposition chamber; (C) producing a mist of said liquid precursor; (d) flowing said mist into said deposition chamber to form a film of the precursor liquid on said substrate while maintaining said substrate at ambient temperature; (e) treating the film deposited on the substrate to form a film of solid material; and (f) completing the fabrication of said integrated circuit to include at least a portion of said film of solid material in a component of said integrated circuit.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a liquid precursor; (b) placing a substrate inside an enclosed deposition chamber; (C) producing a mist of said liquid precursor; (d) flowing said mist into said deposition chamber to form a film of the precursor liquid on said substrate while maintaining said substrate at ambient temperature; (e) treating the film deposited on the substrate to form a film of solid material; and (f) completing the fabrication of said integrated circuit to include at least a portion of said film of solid material in a component of said integrated circuit.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 18, including the additional step of maintaining said deposition chamber at sub-atmospheric pressure during said flowing step.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said deposition chamber is maintained at a pressure less than 200 Torr below atmospheric pressure.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said step of treating comprises drying said liquid precursor deposited on said substrate.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 21 wherein said step of drying comprises maintaining a sub-atmospheric pressure in said deposition chamber.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said step of flowing comprises injecting said mist into said deposition chamber in close proximity to and around the periphery of one side of said substrate and exhausting said mist via the periphery of an opposite side of said substrate to create a substantially evenly distributed flow of mist across the substrate.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 18, including the step of applying a DC bias between said deposition chamber and said substrate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said step of treating includes one or more steps from the group of drying, heating and annealing said substrate.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 18 wherein said step of treating comprises drying said liquid precursor deposited on said substrate.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said step of drying comprises maintaining a sub-atmospheric pressure in said deposition chamber.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said step of treating includes one or more steps from the group of drying, heating and annealing said substrate.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 2, including the step of applying a DC bias between a plate in said deposition chamber and said substrate.
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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) | 1998-10-09 | 1999-04-10 | 1999-10-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-10-09 | 2003-04-10 | 2003-10-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-10-09 | 2007-04-10 | 2007-10-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |