Veeco Instruments Inc.

Applied Epi, Inc.

Scott Wayne Priddy

Richard Charles Bresnahan

Paul E Colombo

Chad Michael Conroy

Rikki Scott LaBere

Eric Daniel Readinger

David William Gotthold

Mark Lee O'Steen

Richard C Bresnahan

Systems are provided that include one or more retractable deposition source assemblies that eliminate the need for a bellows, but do not require breaking the ultra-high vacuum of a growth module for source replacement or recharging with deposition material. Systems of the present invention may include source heads that allow for a differential pumping option that provides marked improvement in base pressure around the source head (and material) that provides longer lifetimes for sources in corrosive, reactive or oxidizing environments. In addition, systems of the invention do not require an entire growth module to be vented to refill or repair an effusion source. Instead, for maintenance events that are tied to a specific source, a retractable source assembly of the present invention allows the sources to be withdrawn from the system, isolated from the growth environment, and removed without venting the entire chamber of the growth module.

Bellows-free retractable vacuum deposition sources

The present invention provides deposition sources that can efficiently and controllably provide vaporized material for deposition of thin film materials. Deposition sources described herein can be used to deposit any desired material and are particularly useful for depositing high melting point materials at high evaporation rates. An exemplary application for deposition sources of the present invention is deposition of copper, indium, and gallium in the manufacture of copper indium gallium diselenide based photovoltaic devices.

Vacuum deposition sources having heated effusion orifices

The present invention provides deposition sources, systems, and related methods that can efficiently and controllably provide vaporized material for deposition of thin-film materials. The deposition sources, systems and related methods described herein can be used to deposit any desired material and are particularly useful for depositing high vapor pressure materials such as selenium in the manufacture of copper indium gallium diselenide based photovoltaic devices.

Deposition of high vapor pressure materials

The present invention provides electrical contact assemblies can be used with vacuum deposition sources. In one exemplary application, the electrical contact assemblies of the present invention provide electrical contact to an arcuate or otherwise curved surface of a heating device used with a vacuum deposition source.

Electrical contacts for use with vacuum deposition sources

The present invention provides electrical contact assemblies can be used with vacuum deposition sources. In one exemplary application, the electrical contact assemblies of the present invention provide electrical contact to an arcuate or otherwise curved surface of a heating device used with a vacuum deposition source. In one embodiment, a set of power straps are each connected at one end to a power source feed-through wire and at the other end are urged by a pressure pin and a flat spring into electrical communication with one of the electrical contacts on the heating device.

The present invention relates to vacuum depositions systems and related deposition methods. Vacuum deposition systems that use one or more cyropanels for localized pumping of a deposition region where a substrate is positioned are provided. The present invention is particularly applicable to pumping and minimizing reevaporation of high vapor pressure deposition materials during molecular beam epitaxy.

Thermally isolated cryopanel for vacuum deposition systems

An integrated phase separator for use in an ultra high vacuum system, for example, a molecular beam epitaxy system, is described. The vacuum chamber has a cryogenic panel disposed therein. The cryogenic panel includes a cryogenic shroud region and a phase separator region. Liquid nitrogen is introduced into the cryogenic panel via an inlet line. As the liquid nitrogen warms and vaporizes, nitrogen vapor rises within the shroud. The phase separator region within the cryogenic panel provides a near atmospheric pressure vapor barrier over the liquid nitrogen so that the nitrogen vapor may escape smoothly through the outlet of the panel, without forming gas bursts. Also, the phase separator region is vacuum jacketed to prevent cryogenic shroud surface temperature changes due to variations in liquid nitrogen levels, thereby increasing the cryogenic shroud's pumping stability. In one embodiment, used in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), the cryopanel is divided into first and second cooling chambers. The first cooling chamber contains liquid nitrogen and surrounds the substrates to be coated, while the second cooling chamber contains a different fluid such as water, and surrounds the effusion cells so as to dissipate heat generated during the operation of effusion cells.

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Saint Louis Park, MN, United States of America

Scott Wayne Priddy