Claims
- 1. An apparatus for multilayer ion beam deposition, comprising:(a) a process chamber having an interior space adapted to be maintained under vacuum conditions by the action of a single vacuum pump means and including substrate mounting means within said chamber; (b) an ion beam source means within said process chamber for deposition of at least one film on a surface of a substrate held by said substrate mounting means; (c) a plurality of gas supply means for supplying said ion beam source means with source gases for film deposition, each of said plurality of gas supply means including means for providing a substantially constant flow of source gas therefrom; (d) said single vacuum pump means connected to each of said plurality of gas supply means; and (e) a plurality of valve means, including a valve means connected to each of said plurality of gas supply means and to said vacuum pump means for selectively supplying source gas from one of said plurality of gas supply means to said ion beam source means while venting source gases from all others of said plurality of gas supply means to said single vacuum pump means, for maintaining said substantially constant flow of source gas from each of said plurality of gas supply means, wherein: each of said plurality of valve means comprises a first valve means connected to a respective one of said plurality of gas supply means for supplying source gas therefrom to said ion beam source means and a second valve means connected to said one of said plurality of gas source means for venting source gas therefrom to said single vacuum pump means, and the second valve means is open when said first valve means is closed and vice versa.
- 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:each of said plurality of gas supply means supplies said ion beam source means with a different source gas for selective ion beam deposition of differently constituted films on said substrate surface.
- 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:(f) programmable gas flow controller means operatively connected to each said valve means for providing said selective supplying of said ion beam source means with source gas from one of said plurality of gas supply means.
- 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:each said valve means is pneumatically or electrically operated.
- 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:said ion beam source means comprises a broad beam ion source.
- 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:said broad beam ion source comprises an end-Hall type ion beam source or a Kaufman type ion beam source.
- 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:each of said first and second valve means comprise a normally closed valve.
- 8. An apparatus for multilayer ion beam deposition, comprising:(a) a process chamber having an interior space adapted to be maintained under vacuum conditions by the action of a single vacuum pump means and including substrate mounting means within said chamber; (b) an ion beam source means within said process chamber for deposition of at least one film on a surface of a substrate held by said substrate mounting means; (c) a plurality of gas supply means for supplying said ion beam source means with source gases for film deposition, each of said plurality of gas supply means including means for providing a substantially constant flow of source gas therefrom; (d) said single vacuum pump means connected to each of said plurality of gas supply means; and (e) a plurality of valve means, including a valve means connected to each of said plurality of gas supply means and to said vacuum pump means for selectively supplying source gas from one of said plurality of gas supply means to said ion beam source means while venting source gases from all others of said plurality of gas supply means to said single vacuum pump means, for maintaining said substantially constant flow of source gas from each of said plurality of gas supply means, wherein: each of said plurality of valve means is a three-way valve connected to a respective one of said plurality of gas supply means for alternately supplying source gas from said one of said plurality of gas supply means to said ion beam source means and venting source gas from said one of said plurality of gas supply means to said vacuum pump means, and there is only one three-way valve between each of the plurality of gas supply means and said process chamber.
CROSS REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION
This application claims priority from provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/132,213, filed May 3, 1999, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (19)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/132213 |
May 1999 |
US |