System and method for depositing a material on a substrate
View Patent ↗An apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate which includes a distributor for providing a semiconductor coating on a substrate, a power source for heating the distributor and a plasma source positioned proximate to a distributor for exposing the semiconductor coating to a plasma prior to deposition on the substrate.
1. A deposition system comprising:
a distributor configured to vaporize a semiconductor material and direct the vaporized semiconductor material through at least one distribution hole in the distributor for deposition on a substrate, the distributor configuration including a five-sided volume, two sides of said volume being defined by a pair of tubes, two sides of said volume being defined by spacers each of which has an hour glass-shape, and a backcap, the distributor volume having an outlet across from said backcap and toward the substrate;
a first electrical power supply configured to heat the distributor; and
a plasma source having an electrode configured to generate a plasma, wherein the electrode is driven by a second electrical power supply electrically independent from the first electrical power supply and the plasma source is positioned between the at least one distribution hole in the distributor and the substrate to expose the vaporized semiconductor material to a plasma prior to deposition on the substrate.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an additional electrode configured to bias the plasma source with respect to the substrate.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrode includes a non-metallic material.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrode includes carbon.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an additional electrode wherein the additional electrode comprises the backcap.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the backcap comprises graphite.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pair of tubes includes a first sheath tube and a second sheath tube.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the electrode comprises one of the hour glass-shaped spacers between the first sheath tube and the second sheath tube.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the spacers comprises graphite.
10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising an additional electrode wherein the additional electrode comprises the backcap.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pair of tubes includes a first sheath tube and a second sheath tube, and the plasma source includes three graphite components electrically isolated from one another.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first graphite component is a first spacer separating the first sheath tube from the second sheath tube, the second graphite component is a second spacer separating the first sheath tube from the second sheath tube, and the third graphite component is the backcap over the first sheath tube and the second sheath tube.
13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising an insulator between the backcap and each of the spacers.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distributor includes a plurality of distribution holes configured to provide a semiconductor coating on the substrate.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plasma source is driven by direct current.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is driven by alternating current.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plasma source is driven by pulsed direct current.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plasma source is driven by radiofrequency electrical excitation.
19. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor configured to transport the substrate past the distributor.
20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distributor is positioned within a deposition chamber, the deposition chamber including an entry through which substrates to be coated are introduced into the deposition chamber; and the deposition chamber including an exit through which coated substrates leave the deposition chamber.
21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distributor includes a ceramic tube.
22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pair of tubes includes mullite.
23. The system of claim 1 , wherein each tube is a ceramic sheath tube.
24. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a permeable heater positioned within the distributor.
25. The system of claim 1 wherein the plasma source is configured to generate plasma in a region less than 10 centimeters from the substrate.
26. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plasma source is configured to generate plasma in a region less than 7 centimeters from the substrate.
27. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plasma source is configured to generate plasma in a region less than 5 centimeters from the substrate.
28. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plasma source is configured to generate plasma in a region less than 2 centimeters from the substrate.