Micro-Plasma Deposition System for High-Resolution Thin Films
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thin film deposition methods are costly and restrictive, limiting their accessibility and throughput, particularly for microelectronics and optical devices, as they require expensive machinery and severe design constraints, while alternative methods fail to produce high-quality thin films with comparable quality and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A micro-plasma based PVD/CVD system operating at atmospheric pressure that confines and directs plasma to achieve high-resolution deposition of conductive and insulative thin films, decoupling the plasma generation from the deposition nozzle to enable multiple plasma sources and materials usage with a single nozzle, and employing a multi-axis motion gantry for flexible geometry deposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional thin film deposition methods are used, then uniform deposition quality is achieved, but high equipment cost and severe design constraints result
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the deposition process into modular components: a plasma generation chamber separated from the deposition chamber, with independent control of plasma parameters and deposition conditions. This allows simplified, lower-cost equipment design while maintaining deposition quality through modular optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention operates at atmospheric pressure instead of requiring high vacuum conditions, fundamentally changing the pressure parameter. This eliminates the need for expensive vacuum systems while enabling uniform thin film deposition through controlled plasma chemistry and gas flow parameters.
2Reliability
If conventional thin film deposition is used, then reliable thin film production is achieved, but low throughput and high overhead reduce productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The atmospheric pressure plasma system enables continuous deposition operations without vacuum cycle interruptions. Gas flow is continuously regulated to maintain plasma stability and film quality, allowing uninterrupted high-throughput production while maintaining reliable thin film properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex vacuum mechanical systems with atmospheric pressure plasma chemistry control. This substitution simplifies the mechanical infrastructure, reduces overhead, and increases throughput by eliminating vacuum pumping cycles while maintaining deposition reliability through plasma parameter control.
3Manufacturing precision
If plasma is confined to small region for high resolution deposition, then deposition precision improves, but plasma stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma generation chamber is physically separated from the deposition chamber, allowing the plasma to be generated in a larger, more stable volume while the deposition occurs in a controlled, confined region. This spatial segmentation maintains both plasma stability and deposition precision independently.
Solution Approach 2:
A gas flow system acts as an intermediary, transporting reactive species from the plasma chamber to the deposition chamber. This allows the plasma to remain stable in its generation chamber while delivering controlled amounts of reactive species to achieve high-resolution deposition in the separate deposition chamber.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for high-quality thin film deposition with reduced costs and time, avoiding patterning and vacuum requirements, enabling rapid innovation cycles and versatile manufacturing with improved film properties and deposition rates.
Implementation Method 1
where sputtering of target material occurs at relatively high pressures between 100 mTorr and 10 ATM
Implementation Method 2
a micro-plasma region where a plasma is formed due to a high voltage between an anode and cathode
Implementation Method 3
gas flow hardware including devices to regulate gas flow rate and pressure as gas flows into the micro-plasma region, where the flow directs sputtered particles towards a deposition nozzle
Implementation Method 4
micro-plasma based PVD/CVD system that enables high resolution deposition
Implementation Method 5
micro-plasma based PVD/CVD system that enables high resolution deposition
Data Source
AI summary
A thin-film system comprising a microplasma region where sputtered particles are formed, a power supply that supplies power to the microplasma region, gas flow hardware to regulate flow of gas to the microplasma region, a deposition nozzle that forms a thin film on a substrate and a supply line for supplying sputtered particles to the deposition nozzle, wherein the microplasma region is decoupled from the deposition nozzle.