Deposition of carbon-containing layers using vitreous carbon source

Abstract

An effusion source comprises a vitreous C filament and a heater to increase the temperature of the filament to produce a C vapor. Also described is a deposition method comprising (a) depositing a layer of material on a substrate, and (b) during step (a), heating a body of material that includes vitreous carbon so that carbon from the body is vaporized and incorporated into the deposited layer.

1 . An effusion source comprising 
 a vitreous carbon filament, and    a heater to increase the temperature of said filament to produce a carbon vapor.    wherein said heater is configured to pass electric current through said filament so that said filament is resistively heated and carbon is evaporated therefrom in the absence of a chemical reaction between said carbon and any other chemical element.    
   
   
       2 . The effusion source of  claim 1 , wherein said vitreous carbon filament comprises an elongated member having relatively wide end portions connected by a narrower central portion.  
   
   
       3 . Apparatus comprising 
 a vacuum chamber,    apparatus for carrying a substrate on which at least one layer of a carbon-containing material is to be deposited, and    a multiplicity of sources for delivering vaporized materials to said substrate and to deposit thereon said layer,    at least one of said multiplicity comprising an effusion source of vitreous carbon according to  claim 1 .    
   
   
       4 . A method comprising: 
 (a) depositing a layer of material on a substrate, and    (b) during step (a), passing electric current through a body of material that includes vitreous carbon so that said body is resistively heated and carbon is evaporated from said body and incorporated into said layer, said carbon being evaporated in the absence of generating a chemical reaction between said carbon and any other chemical element.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein step (a) includes the steps of: 
 providing a deposition apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber, apparatus for carrying a substrate on which at least one layer of carbon-containing material is to be deposited, a multiplicity of sources for delivering vaporized materials to said substrate and to deposit thereon said layer, at least one of said multiplicity comprising a vitreous carbon filament and a heater to increase the temperature of said filament to produce a carbon vapor, and    directing material from said sources, including carbon vapor from said filament, onto said substrate to form thereon said at least one carbon-containing layer.