The Boc Group, Inc.

Ferrotec (usa) Corporation

Ferrotec Corporation

Ping Chang

P A Smith

Russell J Hill

Cris Keith Kroneberger

Gregg Wallace

A vapor deposition device using a lift-off process includes an evaporation source, a support frame mounted for rotation about a first axis that passes through the evaporation source, a central dome-shaped wafer holder mounted to the support frame wherein a centerpoint of the central dome-shaped wafer holder is aligned with the first axis, an orbital dome-shaped wafer holder mounted to the support frame in a position offset from the first axis and rotatable about a second axis that passes through a centerpoint of the orbital dome-shaped wafer holder and the evaporation source, and a plurality of wafer positions on the central dome-shaped wafer holder and the orbital dome-shaped wafer holder where each of the wafer positions are offset from the first axis and the second axis.

Lift-off deposition system featuring a density optimized HULA substrate holder in a conical deposition chamber

An electron beam gun with an arched shaped beam former as an integral part of a massive cathode block which conducts heat away from the beam former and with a filament mounted to the cathode block for improved alignment.

Electron beam gun

In a rotational rod-fed electron-beam evaporation source used with sublimating rod material, the ingot rod can be free-standing with respect to the crucible. This means that the side of the ingot rod near the tip of the rod does not contact a cooling crucible. In this way, the system can be operated in a defocused position of the electron beam, and the sweep of the electron beam can go over the edge of the ingot rod tip. Using these features, a substantially radial sweep of the tip of an ingot rod that sweeps over the edge can produce a substantially flat evaporation pattern on the ingot rod, producing a good utilization of the expensive ingot rod material.

Free-standing rotational rod-fed source

A rod-fed electron beam evaporation system having a rod-fed electron beam evaporation source for evaporating an ingot. The ingot is of rod-like configuration and has a peg-like element to self-engage a socket of a replacement ingot so that both ingot and replacement ingot are brought into alignment.

Rod-fed electron beam evaporation system

The present invention provides an electron beam evaporation source designed so that the size of the impact area of the electron beam on an evaporant will remain essentially constant in any position of the impact area on the evaporant; and thus, the rate of evaporation will remain essentially constant. To this end, a quadrapole comprising a set of two pairs of electromagnets is used to deflect the electron beam. The quadrapoles provide a uniform magnetic deflection field to prevent distortion of the impact area. A pair of pole pieces, used in deflecting the electron beam through an arc of 270 degrees, are provided with a predetermined thickness and spacing to prevent lengthening of the impact area parallel to the pole pieces as the electron beam is deflected parallel to the pole pieces. The pole pieces, however, produce the formation of tail regions in the impact area when the impact area is positioned near the pole pieces. In order to eliminate such tail regions, a pair of surface dipoles are connected to the pole pieces at an angle of 45 degrees such that the electron beam passes between the ends of the dipoles at a near vertical location of the arc of the electron beam. The maintenance of the impact area essentially free of distortion, tail region formation, and lengthening, ensures essential consistency in the size of the impact areas.

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Danville, CA, United States of America

Ping Chang