Method for forming a film of lithium metal or lithium alloys and an apparatus for the same

Abstract

A lithium or lithium alloy film forming method comprises: the step of heating and evaporating lithium or lithium alloy under an atmosphere of inert gas in an ultra fine particle producing chamber to produce ultra fine particles of lithium or lithium alloy therein; the step of transporting the ultra fine particles through a transfer pipe with the inert gas into a film forming chamber under vacuum atmosphere; the step of jetting the ultra fine particles onto a substrate arranged in the film forming chamber from a nozzle; the step of moving a substrate holder holding the substrate in the X-direction and/or Y-direction; the step of preheating the substrate at a predetermined temperature within the range of 100 to the melting point of lithium or lithium alloy: and the step of forming a film of lithium or lithium alloy on the substrate being moved with the substrate holder.

1 . A lithium or lithium alloy film-forming method comprising: 
 (a) the step of heating and evaporating lithium or lithium alloy under the atmosphere of an inert gas in an ultra fine particle producing chamber to produce ultra fine particles of lithium or lithium alloy therein;    (b) the step of transporting said ultra fine particles through a transfer pipe with said inert gas into a film forming chamber under vacuum atmosphere;    (c) the step of jetting said ultra fine particles onto a substrate arranged in said film forming chamber from a nozzle;    (d) the step of moving a substrate holder holding said substrate in the X-direction and/or the Y-direction;    (e) the step of heating said substrate at a predetermined temperature within the range of 100° C. to the melting point of lithium or lithium alloy; and    (f) the step of forming a film of lithium or lithium alloy on said substrate while being moved with said substrate holder.    
   
   
       2 . A lithium or lithium alloy film forming method according to  claim 1  in which said inert gas is selected from the group consisting of helium, neon, xenon and argon.  
   
   
       3 . A lithium or lithium alloy film forming method according to  claim 1  in which a heating mechanism is included in said substrate holder to heat said substrate.  
   
   
       4 . A lithium or lithium alloy film forming method according to  claim 1  in which a thermocouple is attached to said substrate and the output of said thermocouple is supplied to a control portion of said substrate holder.  
   
   
       5 . An apparatus for forming a lithium or lithium alloy film comprising: 
 (a) an ultra fine particle producing chamber including a crucible containing lithium or lithium alloy;    (b) a transfer pipe vertically arranged directly above said crucible;    (c) a nozzle attached to a top end of said transfer pipe;    (d) a film-forming chamber including a substrate and a substrate holder holding said substrate, said nozzle being arranged directly under said substrate, and said holder being movable in the X-direction and/or the Y-direction, in the plane of said substrate;    (e) evacuating means for evacuating said ultra fine particle producing chamber, said transfer pipe and said film forming chamber;    (f) means for inductively heating and evaporating the lithium or lithium alloy in said ultra fine particle producing chamber to produce ultra fine particles; and    (g) means for introducing and circulating inert gas into and through said ultra fine particle producing chamber, said transfer pipe and said film-forming chamber, whereby, after said ultra fine particle producing chamber, said transfer pipe and said film-forming chamber have been evacuated to a predetermined pressure, and said inert gas is introduced into said ultra fine particle producing chamber, said produced ultra fine particles are transported through said transfer pipe with said inert gas, and are jetted onto said substrate from said nozzle whereby a lithium or lithium alloy film is formed onto said substrate being moved with said holder, said predetermined pressure being lower than 5×10 −4  Pa.    
   
   
       6 . An apparatus according to  claim 5  in which said inert gas is of purity of 99.9995% or more.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus according to  claim 5  in which said evacuating means includes a turbo-molecular pump.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  5  in which said inert gas is selected from the group consisting of helium, argon, xenon and argon.