Thin-film deposition evaporator

Abstract

A material source evaporator for use with an evacuable interior deposition chamber in which evaporated materials are deposited on substrates comprising a container with an associated heater that can heat an vaporizable material provided in the container to provide a vapor thereof. A manifold having a plurality of output apertures also has an associated heater that can heat the material vapor provided in the manifold to remain sufficiently vaporous to pass out of output apertures which are in a selected pattern to provide a calibrated spatial distribution of material vapor that results in a deposition thereof in a layer on an adjacent substrate in a fixed position. Thus, the layer has a relatively uniform thickness.

1 . A material source evaporation system for depositing evaporated materials on substrates, said evaporation system comprising:
 a container having an output port and having an associated heater that can heat an vaporizable material provided in said container to provide a vapor thereof at said output port;   a manifold having an input port and a plurality of output apertures on a common side thereof, including three positioned without centers thereof along a common straight line, and having an associated heater that can heat said material vapor provided in said manifold through said input port thereof to remain sufficiently vaporous to pass out of said output apertures, said output apertures being in a selected pattern in said manifold to provide a spatial distribution of said material vapor that results in a deposition thereof in a layer on an adjacent said substrate with a fixed position so that said layer has a thickness sufficiently uniform to be within three percent of that average thickness achieved over said substrate;   a transport duct extending between, and connected only to each of, said container output port and said manifold input port at opposite ends of said transport duct so as to transport only vapors for deposition obtained from only vaporizable materials in said container; and   an evacuable interior deposition chamber in which is positioned at least said manifold and a portion of said transport duct.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said output apertures can be actuated into selected angular positions. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said output apertures has a moveable cover positioned thereat which can be moved to selectively cover at least a portion of an aperture opening provided by that said output aperture. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a flow control valve having an input and an output and being controllable to selectively restrict rates of vapor flows between said input and said output thereof, said transport duct extending between said container output port and said manifold input port having said flow control valve positioned therein for controlling rates of vapor flows between said container output port and said manifold input port. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said container contains in addition to any said vaporizable material disposed therein a high thermal conductivity material which is vaporizable only at temperatures significantly higher than said vaporizable material. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said container is a first container and further comprising a second container having an output port and having an associated heater that can heat an vaporizable material provided in said container to provide a vapor thereof at said output port, said transport duct provided with a further connect ion duct to only said second container output port so as to have said transport duct extend between both said first and second containers output ports and said manifold input port. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said container is a first container, said manifold input port is a first input port with said manifold having a second input port such that said associated heater that can heat said material vapor provided in said manifold through said second input port thereof to remain sufficiently vaporous to pass out of said output apertures, and further comprising a second container having an output port and having an associated heater that can heat an vaporizable material provided in said container to provide a vapor thereof at said output port, and a further transport duct extending between, and connected only to each of, said second container output port and said manifold second input port at opposite ends of said further transport duct. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said transport duct has a small opening therein and further comprising an evaporant material sensor positioned outside of and adjacent to said small opening. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising an evaporant material sensor positioned outside of and adjacent to an aperture opening provided by a corresponding said output aperture of said manifold. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a temperature sensor positioned on at least one of said manifold and said transport duct. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said output apertures can be selectively angularly positioned with respect to said common side of said manifold. 
   
   
       12 . A material source evaporator for mounting in an evacuable interior deposition chamber in which evaporated materials are deposited on substrates, said evaporator comprising:
 a plurality of containers each having an output port and each having an associated heater that can heat a vaporizable material provided in that said container associated therewith to provide a vapor thereof at said output port of that, said container;   a manifold with a plurality of submanifolds thermally isolated from one another to at least some extent each having an input port and a plurality of output apertures on a common side thereof, including three positioned without centers thereof along a common straight line, and each having an associated heater that can heat said material vapor provided in said submanifold through said input port therein to remain sufficiently vaporous to pass out of said output apertures in that said submanifold; and   a plurality of transport ducts each extending between, and connected only to each of, said output port of a corresponding one of said plurality of containers and said input port of a corresponding one of said plurality of submanifolds at opposite ends of that said transport duct.   
   
   
       13 . A material source evaporator for mounting in an evacuable interior deposition chamber in which evaporated materials are deposited on substrates, said evaporator comprising:
 a plurality of containers each having an output port and each having an associated heater that can heat a vaporizable material provided in that said container associated therewith to provide a vapor thereof at said output port of that said container;   a manifold having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output apertures and having an associated heater that can heat said manifold; and   a plurality of transport ducts each extending between, and connected only to each of, said output port of a corresponding one of said plurality of containers and a corresponding one of said plurality of input ports of said manifold at opposite ends of that said transport duct but with said ends of each of said transport ducts at a corresponding one of said input ports having a further extension therefrom extending said through that said input port to a corresponding one of said plurality of output apertures in said manifold, said heater associated with said manifold for heating said manifold so that said material vapor from said output port of a said container provided to a corresponding one of said plurality of transport ducts remains sufficiently vaporous to pass out of said one of said output apertures corresponding thereto.   
   
   
       14 . A material source evaporator for mounting at least in part in an evacuable interior deposition chamber in which evaporated materials are deposited on substrates, said evaporator comprising:
 a container positioned in an evacuable compartment that is exterior to, but attached and sealable to said deposition chamber, with said container having an output port and having an associated heater that can heat a vaporizable material provided in said container to provide a vapor thereof at said output port;   a manifold positionable in a region located within said evacuable interior of said deposition chamber, said manifold having an input port and a plurality of output apertures on a common side thereof, including three positioned without centers thereof along a common straight line, and having an associated heater that can heat said material vapor provided in said manifold through said input port thereof to remain sufficiently vaporous to pass out of said output apertures;   a transport duct extending between, and connected only to each of, said container output port and said manifold input port at opposite ends of said transport duct so as to transport only vapors for deposition obtained from only vaporizable materials in said container; and   an evacuable replenisher with a material injection port that is exterior to, but attached and sealable to said compartment, said replenisher having a material transferor therein that is engageable with said container and which can have selected materials inserted therein through said material injection port, said material transferor at engagement with said container being activatable to transfer any said selected material therein to said container.   
   
   
       15 . A material source evaporator for mounting in an evacuable interior deposition chamber in which evaporated materials are deposited on substrates, said evaporator comprising:
 a container having an output port and having an associated heater that can heat a vaporizable material provided in said container to provide a vapor thereof at said output port;   a manifold having an input port and a plurality of output apertures on a common side thereof, including three positioned without centers thereof along a common straight line, and having an associated heater that can heat said material vapor provided in said manifold through said input port thereof to remain sufficiently vaporous to pass out of said output apertures;   a pair of flow control valves each having an input and an output and each controllable to selectively restrict rates of vapor flows between said input and said output thereof; and   a transport duct extending between, and connected only to each of, said container output port and said manifold input port at opposite ends of said transport duct so as to transport only vapors for deposition obtained from only vaporizable materials in said container, said transport duct having said pair of flow control valves positioned therein for controlling rates of vapor flows between said container output port and said manifold input port.