Process for controlling, under void, a jet of particles with an aerodynamic lens and associated aerodynamic lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11076476-B2
Application number	US-201615381542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling the divergence of a jet of particles in vacuo with an aerodynamic lens, the aerodynamic lens including at least one chamber; a diaphragm, a so-called inlet diaphragm, intended to form an inlet of the aerodynamic lens for a jet of particles, the inlet diaphragm having a given diameter (d 1 ); and another diaphragm, a so-called outlet diaphragm, intended to form an outlet of the aerodynamic lens for this jet of particles; the method including: a step for generating the jet of particles from the inlet to the outlet, in vacuo, of the aerodynamic lens; and a step for adjusting the diameter (d s ) of the outlet diaphragm for controlling the divergence of the jet of particles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling the divergence of a jet of particles in vacuo with an aerodynamic lens, the aerodynamic lens comprising:
a diaphragm, a so-called inlet diaphragm, intended to form an inlet of the aerodynamic lens for a jet of particles, the inlet diaphragm having a given diameter (d 1 );
n chambers with n≥2, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable, the diameter of each diaphragm decreasing from the inlet of the aerodynamic lens; and
another diaphragm, a so-called outlet diaphragm, intended to form an outlet of the aerodynamic lens for this jet of particles, the outlet diaphragm having an adjustable diameter;
the method including:
a step for generating the jet of particles from the inlet to the outlet, in vacuo, of the aerodynamic lens; and
a step for adjusting the diameter (d s ) of the outlet diaphragm to a value strictly less than the diameters of the diaphragms other than said outlet diaphragm for making the jet of particles divergent and for controlling the divergence of the jet of particles.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic lens includes n chambers, with n≥3, and therefore n diaphragms other than the outlet diaphragm, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet diaphragm is non-removable and has a non-adjustable diameter.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure at the inlet of the aerodynamic lens is comprised between 2 mbars and 5 mbars.

5. A method for depositing, in vacuo, particles on a target surface, the method comprising providing an aerodynamic lens according to claim 4 , and depositing, in vacuo, particles on a target surface.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the target surface has a surface area greater than or equal to one cm 2 .

7. An aerodynamic lens for applying a method according to claim 1 , comprising:
a diaphragm, a so-called inlet diaphragm, intended to form an inlet of the aerodynamic lens for a jet of particles, the inlet diaphragm having a given diameter (d 1 );
n chambers with n≥2, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable, the diameter of each diaphragm decreasing from the inlet of the aerodynamic lens; and
another diaphragm, a so-called outlet diaphragm, intended to form an outlet of the aerodynamic lens for this jet of particles;
wherein the outlet diaphragm has an adjustable diameter to a value strictly less than the diameters of the diaphragms other than said outlet diaphragm.

8. The aerodynamic lens according to claim 7 , including n chambers, with n≥3, and therefore n diaphragms other than the outlet diaphragm, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable.

9. The aerodynamic lens according to claim 7 , wherein the number n of chambers and therefore of diaphragms other than the outlet diaphragm is such that n≥5, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable.

10. The aerodynamic lens according to claim 7 , wherein the inlet diaphragm is non-removable and has a non-adjustable diameter.

11. The aerodynamic lens according to claim 7 , wherein the inlet diaphragm of the chamber including the outlet diaphragm of the aerodynamic lens has a thickness (e) comprised between 0.2 mm and 5 mm.

12. The aerodynamic lens according to claim 7 , wherein the number n of chambers and therefore of diaphragms other than the outlet diaphragm is such that n≥5 and n≤15, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable.

13. The aerodynamic lens according to claim 7 , further comprising a motor, wherein the outlet diaphragm is mounted on the motor which adjusts the diameter (d s ) of the outlet diaphragm using an external control.

14. An assembly for applying a method according to claim 1 , including an aerodynamic lens comprising:
a diaphragm, a so-called inlet diaphragm, intended to form an inlet of the aerodynamic lens for a jet of particles, the inlet diaphragm having a given diameter (d 1 );
n chambers with n≥2, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable, the diameter of each diaphragm decreasing from the inlet of the aerodynamic lens; and
another diaphragm, a so-called outlet diaphragm, intended to form an outlet of the aerodynamic lens for this jet of particles, the outlet diaphragm having a given diameter with a value strictly less than the diameters of the diaphragms other than the outlet diaphragm;
wherein the outlet diaphragm is removably mounted within the aerodynamic lens and the assembly further comprises at least one additional diaphragm ( 25 ′, 25 ″, . . . , 25 n ) having a diameter different from that of the outlet diaphragm, but with a value strictly less than the diameters of the diaphragms other than said outlet diaphragm, the at least one additional diaphragm being intended to be removably mounted in the aerodynamic lens instead and in place of the outlet diaphragm.

15. The assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the aerodynamic lens includes n chambers, with n≥3, and therefore n diaphragms other than the outlet diaphragm, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable.

16. The assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the number n of chambers and therefore of diaphragms other than the outlet diaphragm is such that n≥5, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable.

17. The assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the inlet diaphragm is not removable and has a diameter which is not adjustable.

18. The assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the inlet diaphragm of the chamber including the outlet diaphragm of the aerodynamic lens has a thickness (e) comprised between 0.2 mm and 5 mm.

19. The assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the number n of chambers and therefore of diaphragms other than the outlet diaphragm is such that n≥5 and n≤15, two successive chambers being separated from each other by a non-removable diaphragm and having a given diameter, which is not adjustable.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Sublemontier Olivier
• Rousseau Youri

Classifications

• B05B1/3026 Primary

  Gate valves; Sliding valves; Cocks (B05B1/326 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C24/04

  Impact or kinetic deposition of particles · CPC title

• H05H3/00 Primary

  Production or acceleration of neutral particle beams, e.g. molecular or atomic beams · CPC title