Method for Production of Uniform Thin Films from the Vapour Phase

Abstract

A general method is described for production of uniform thin films from the vapour phase. A brief review of the prior art reveals that various approaches to this problem, and in particular substrate rotation, fail to achieve uniformity of thickness and composition in such technologies as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) or chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The new technique, for which patent protection has been obtained, involves establishment of uniform growth conditions in one direction, and translation of the substrate at a constant rate in a direction perpendicular to the first. The effect is to integrate and average any property in the direction of translation, so that every point on the substrate experiences an identical history, ensuring complete uniformity of the deposited film.