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Title: Method and system using power modulation for maskless vapor deposition of spatially graded thin film and multilayer coatings with atomic-level precision and accuracy

Patent ·
OSTI ID:921900

A method and system for producing a film (preferably a thin film with highly uniform or highly accurate custom graded thickness) on a flat or graded substrate (such as concave or convex optics), by sweeping the substrate across a vapor deposition source operated with time-varying flux distribution. In preferred embodiments, the source is operated with time-varying power applied thereto during each sweep of the substrate to achieve the time-varying flux distribution as a function of time. A user selects a source flux modulation recipe for achieving a predetermined desired thickness profile of the deposited film. The method relies on precise modulation of the deposition flux to which a substrate is exposed to provide a desired coating thickness distribution.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Assignee:
Montcalm, Claude (Livermore, CA); Folta, James Allen (Livermore, CA); Tan, Swie-In (San Jose, CA); Reiss, Ira (New City, NY
Patent Number(s):
6,425,988
Application Number:
09/711,441
OSTI ID:
921900
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (4)

Multilayer coating of 10X projection optics for extreme ultraviolet lithography conference June 1999
Advances in multilayer reflective coatings for extreme ultraviolet lithography conference June 1999
Advances in the reduction and compensation of film stress in high-reflectance multilayer coatings for extreme-ultraviolet lithography conference June 1998
Design and performance of graded multilayers as focusing elements for x-ray optics journal August 1999