Abstract: Glass substrates suitable for thin film processing can be batch heated to processing temperatures and batch cooled after processing by radiant heating and cooling in a vacuum chamber. The heating and/or cooling chamber is fitted with a cassette including heat conductive shelves that can be heated or cooled, interleaved by the glass substrates mounted on supports so that a gap exists between the shelves and the substrates. As the shelves provide heating or cooling, the glass substrates are radiantly heated or cooled by the shelves, thereby providing uniform heating or cooling of the glass substrates so as to avoid damage or warpage of the substrates.A vacuum system for processing the substrates includes batch-type heating and cooling of the substrates using the chambers of the invention in combination with one-at-a-time film processing chambers that can deposit one or more thin films on the substrates.

Abstract: A method of producing doped and undoped polycrystalline silicon layers on a substrate by chemical vapor deposition at elevated pressures of from about 10 to about 350 Torr whereby deposition occurs at practicable rates. A substrate is loaded in a vacuum chamber, the temperature adjusted to obtain a silicon deposit of predetermined crystallinity, and the silicon precursor gases fed to the chamber to a preselected high pressure. Both undoped and doped silicon can be deposited at high rates up to about 3000 angstroms per minute.

Abstract: In a single substrate vacuum processing chamber for processing large glass substrates, a novel vacuum exhaust system is built into the lid of the chamber. A plenum chamber which is connected to a continuous vacuum pump is mounted around a gas dispersion plate, also built into the lid, and has continuous access to the reaction region of the chamber by means of a restricted access passage. The plenum chamber is large with respect to the access passage which provides uniform and continuous evacuation of process gases and particulates from the full periphery of the processing region. This design minimizes the deposition of particulates onto the large area substrate and onto the port by which the substrate enters and leaves the chamber and, by the same design, creates a chamber which has a small volume in relation to the size of the substrate is can process.

Abstract: A barrier to prevent reactant gases from reaching the surfaces of a susceptor support for a substrate upon which polysilicon films are to be deposited provides improved uniformity of the depositing film across the substrate, and prevents substrate-to-substrate variations during sequential depositions. A suitable barrier includes a preheat ring extension that mates with an extension of the susceptor support.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the turbulent mixing of gases are described. The invention has particular application when it is desired to produce a gas mixture including a very small quantity (ppm or less) of at least one component gas and/or wherein there is a substantial density difference between the component gases to be used to make up the gas mixture.

Abstract: Ion implantation equipment is modified so as to provide filament reflectors to a filament inside of an arc chamber, and to remove the electrical insulators for the filament outside of the arc chamber and providing a shield, thereby reducing the formation of a conductive layer on said insulators and greatly extending the lifetime and reducing downtime of the equipment. The efficiency of the equipment is further enhanced by an interchangeable liner for the arc chamber that increases the wall temperature of the arc chamber and thus the electron temperature. The use of tungsten parts inside the arc chamber, obtained either by making the arc chamber itself or portions thereof of tungsten, particularly the front plate having the exit aperture for the ion beam, or by inserting a removable tungsten liner therein, decreases contamination of the ion beam. Serviceability of the arc chamber is improved by using a unitary clamp that separately grips both the filament and filament reflectors.

Abstract: A technique for automatically compensating for differences in orientation of a workpiece, such as a rectangular substrate, a substrate cassette, a loadlock for accessing a vacuum chamber, and a substrate support on a robot mechanism. Sensors on the substrate support detect the position of a front edge of a substrate, a cassette or a loadlock, and measurements taken at the time the sensors are tripped by the edge are used to compute linear, angular and radial position corrections. More specifically, in moving a substrate from a cassette to the loadlock, the substrate support compensates for the orientation of the cassette, compensates for the orientation of the substrate within the cassette, and withdraws the substrate without contact with the cassette walls, and without the need for moving edge guides to orient the substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating a robot for differences between the actual and predicted positions of a robot chamber with respect to the robot, and for differences between the actual and predicted positions of a processing chamber with respect to the robot. A substrate support on the robot is first moved angularly across a fixed sensor in the robot chamber, to detect the actual position of the sensor in terms of angle, and second is moved radially out across the fixed sensor to detect actual position in terms of radius with respect to a center of rotation. The difference, if any, between the actual and predicted positions of the sensor is used to calibrate a home position of the robot. A similar technique is used to calibrate the robot for any discrepancy between the actual and predicted positions of a processing chamber adjoining the robot chamber.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for the turbulent mixing of gases. The invention has particular application when it is desired to produce a gas mixture including a very small quantity (ppm or less) of at least one component gas and/or wherein there is a substantial density difference between the component gases to be used to make up the gas mixture.

Abstract: A method for depositing sequential thin films on glass substrates by single substrate deposition comprising loading a batch of substrates into a load lock chamber and evacuating the chamber, transferring the substrates to a batch heating chamber for heating the substrates to elevated temperatures; transferring the glass substrates singly to one or more single substrate processing chambers, and sequentially transferring the substrates back to the load lock chamber where they are batch cooled.A vacuum system for carrying out the method includes a load lock/cooling chamber for evacuating a plurality of glass substrates; a heating chamber for heating a plurality of substrates to elevated temperatures; one or more single substrate processing chambers; and a transfer chamber having access to all of said chambers and having automated means therein for transferring the glass substrates into and out of said chambers in a preselected order.

Abstract: A sheet material useful for preparing high strength composite structures, especially in the field of light weight construction material, comprises a layer (A) of a high strength fibrous material impregnated and/or coated with a curable synthetic resin in the B-stage and a layer (B) of a polyamide polymer or another polymer having similar properties and being compatible with the curable synthetic resin of layer (A), which layer (B) is partially or completely bound to or embedded in layer (A).

Abstract: A process for producing a rigid orthopedic cast in which a bandage material is provided which is impregnated or coated in the form of webs or sheets with a solvent solution of a polyurethane prepolymer, a bifunctional chain-extender and a catalyst. The prepolymer urethane having two isocyanate end groups, being formed by the reaction of a bifunctional compound reactive with an isocyanate group with a molar excess of a diisocyanate, forms a final thermoplastic polymer in the presence of the chain-extender when the solvent is removed under evaporative conditions. The heated thermoplastic impregnated fabric can be wrapped in multiple layers under normal conditions around a broken body member, molded and cooled to form a strong, rigid supportive cast which is porous so as to prevent skin maceration or other medical ramifications related to a non-porous material.