Apparatus and method for depositing a coating on a substrate at atmospheric pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752994-B2
Application number	US-201816198002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2014
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for depositing a coating on a substrate at atmospheric pressure comprises (a) a plasma torch comprising a microwave source coupled to an antenna disposed within a chamber having an open end, the chamber comprising a gas inlet for flow of a gas over the antenna to generate a plasma jet; (b) a substrate positioned outside the open end of the chamber a predetermined distance away from a tip of the antenna; and (c) a target material to be coated on the substrate disposed at the tip of the antenna.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for depositing a coating on a substrate at atmospheric pressure, the apparatus comprising:
a plasma torch comprising:
a microwave source coupled to an antenna disposed within a chamber, the antenna being a linear antenna, the chamber having an open end and comprising a gas inlet for flow of a gas over the antenna to generate a plasma jet; and
an arc source comprising an internal electrode separated from an external electrode, the external electrode being in electrical contact with a first arc power input, and the internal electrode being in electrical contact with a second arc power input, the internal and external electrodes being tubular and extending linearly;
the external electrode being in electrical contact with the antenna, and also functioning as the antenna, the antenna having a tip;
a substrate positioned outside the open end of the chamber, and disposed a predetermined distance away from the tip of the antenna; and
a target material, that is different from the gas, to be coated on the substrate disposed at the tip of the antenna.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a discharge tube surrounding the antenna and defining a pathway for gas flow over the antenna.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a cylindrical nozzle disposed radially outside the discharge tube to direct a flow of nonreactive gas into a region surrounding the plasma jet.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a hollow core, and wherein the target material comprises a continuous feed to the tip of the antenna through the hollow core.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance between the substrate and the tip of the antenna is from about 0.8 mm to about 51 mm.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is grounded.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the target material includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of: Al, Au, Sn, Ag, Ti, Fe, and Cr.

8. An apparatus for depositing a coating on a substrate at atmospheric pressure, the apparatus comprising: a plasma torch comprising:
a microwave source coupled to an antenna disposed within a chamber, the antenna being a linear antenna, the chamber having an open end and comprising a gas inlet for flow of a gas over the antenna to generate a plasma jet, and the antenna comprising a hollow core;
an arc source comprising an internal electrode separated from an external electrode, the external electrode being in electrical contact with a first arc power input, and the internal electrode being in electrical contact with a second arc power input, the internal and external electrodes being tubular and extending linearly;
the external electrode being in electrical contact with the antenna, and also functioning as the antenna, the antenna having a tip;
a substrate positioned outside the open end of the chamber, and disposed a predetermined distance away from the tip of the antenna; and
a target material that is different from the gas, to be coated on the substrate disposed at the tip of the antenna, the target material comprising a continuous feed to the tip of the antenna through the hollow core.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a discharge tube surrounding the antenna and defining a pathway for gas flow over the antenna.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a cylindrical nozzle disposed radially outside the discharge tube to direct a flow of nonreactive gas into a region surrounding the plasma jet.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the chamber is grounded.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the target material includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of: Al, Au, Sn, Ag, Ti, Fe, and Cr.

Assignees

• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Ruzic David N
• Wu Yuilun
• Shchelkanov Ivan
• Hong Jungmi
• Ouyang Zihao
• Cho Tae Seung

Classifications

• H01J37/32055

  Arc discharge · CPC title

• C23C14/0021 Primary

  Reactive sputtering or evaporation · CPC title

• H05H1/463

  using antennas or applicators · CPC title

• C23C14/32

  by explosion; by evaporation and subsequent ionisation of the vapours {, e.g. ion-plating}(C23C14/34 - C23C14/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• C23C16/517 Primary

  using a combination of discharges covered by two or more of groups C23C16/503 - C23C16/515 · CPC title