Apparatus for, and methods of, depositing a substance on a substrate

Abstract

A beam of substantially coherent light passes through a window in an enclosure in a direction substantially parallel, but contiguous, to a substrate in the enclosure to produce a deposition of a substance on the substrate. The beam may have a width corresponding substantially to the width of the substrate or it may be relatively narrow and swept across the substrate. The beam is relatively narrow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate. Differences in the beam strength at individual positions along the substrate may be compensated by reflecting the beam, after passing the substrate, to travel in a reverse direction along the substrate or by directing the beam slightly downwardly along the substrate during movement along the substrate. A second substrate may be substantially parallel to, but slightly spaced from, the first substrate, so that the light beam passes between the substrates to obtain a deposition of the substance on both substrates. The substrate(s) may be moved relative to the beam either along the beam, transverse to the beam or in a rotary direction or in a combination of such directions. Gases reactive at high energies to form the substance are introduced into the enclosure to form the substance when energized by the light beam. The gases may be introduced into the enclosure at a first side of the substrate(s) in contiguous relationship to the substrate(s) for passage along the substrate(s). The gases may be exhausted from the enclosure is contiguous relationship to the substrate(s) at a second end of the substrate(s) opposite the first end. Neutral gases such as nitrogen may be directed past the window for preventing the substance from being deposited on the window and may be leaked into the enclosure for mixture with the gases in the enclosure.