Ion gun deposition and alignment for liquid-crystal applications

Abstract

An apparatus for depositing and aligning an amorphous film in a single step, a method of forming an aligned film on a substrate in a single step by combining the deposition and alignment of an alignment layer into a single-step using ion beam processing and an amorphous film having an aligned atomic structure prepared by a method in which an aligned film is deposited and aligned in a single step are provided. The film is deposited and aligned in a single step by bombarding a substrate with an ion beam at a designated incident angle to simultaneously (a) deposit the film onto the substrate and (b) arrange an atomic structure of the film in at least one predetermined aligned direction.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus for depositing an amorphous film having an aligned atomic structure on a substrate, comprising: 
 at least one ion beam source disposed at a designated incident angle of from about 25 to about 60 degrees capable of producing at least one ion beam having an energy from about 100 to 300 eV for bombarding said substrate with said ion beam to simultaneously (a) deposit said amorphous film onto said substrate, and (b) arrange said atomic structure of said amorphous film in at least one predetermined aligned direction.    
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said amorphous film is optically transparent in the visible spectrum.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said amorphous film is a diamond-like carbon film.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said designated incident angle produces a net deposition on a surface of said substrate.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said ion beam comprises impinging species and wherein the energy of said impinging species is kept below the energy required for etching said amorphous film on a surface of said substrate.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said ion beam is generated by a process comprising the steps of: 
 introducing a carbon-containing gas into a discharge chamber of a source of said ion beam;    ionizing said carbon-containing gas in said discharge chamber to produce said ion beam comprising ions; and    applying sufficient voltage to said ion beam to accelerate said ions out of said ion beam source.    
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said ion beam has an energy from about 200 to 300 eV.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said ion beam source is an ion gun.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said ion beam further comprises neutral molecules.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 means for moving said substrate relative to said ion beam source.    
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 means for moving said ion beam source relative to said substrate.    
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said ion beam source comprises a first ion beam source to produce a first ion beam and a second ion beam source to produce a second ion beam for bombarding simultaneously with said first and said second ion beams.  
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 means for moving at least one ion beam source relative to the others and relative to said substrate.    
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 means for varying said designated incident angle in said first or said second ion beam such that said designated incident angle in said first or said second ion beam is different from the designated incident angle of the other.    
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 means for varying said designated incident angle in said first or said second ion beam over time.    
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 means for moving said substrate or said ion beam source relative to the other over time.    
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 a collimnator in the path of said ion beam between said substrate and said ion beam source at a designated incident angle for sputtering material of said collimnator onto said substrate.    
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , further comprising: 
 means for moving said substrate or said ion beam source relative to the other and to said collimnator over time.    
   
   
       34 . An apparatus for depositing an amorphous film having an aligned atomic structure on a substrate, comprising: 
 at least one ion beam source disposed at a designated incident angle of from about 25 to about 60 degrees for producing at least one ion beam having an energy from about 100 to 300 eV; and    a collimnator placed in the path of said ion beam produced from said ion beam source between said substrate and said ion beam source at a designated incident angle with said ion beam for bombarding said collimnator to sputter material of said collimnator onto said substrate and thereby simultaneously (a) depositing said amorphous film onto said substrate and (b) arranging said atomic structure of said amorphous film in at least one predetermined aligned direction.    
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein said ion beam is produced by a method comprising the steps of: 
 introducing a carbon-containing gas into a discharge chamber of an ion beam source;    ionizing said carbon-containing gas in said discharge chamber to produce an ion beam comprising ions;    applying sufficient voltage to said ion beam to accelerate said ions out of said ion beam source to produce at least one ion beam from said ion beam source.    
   
   
       36 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein said amorphous film is optically transparent in the visible spectrum.  
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein said amorphous film is a diamond-like carbon film.  
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein said designated incident angle produces a net deposition on a surface of said substrate.