Abstract: Monomers containing silicon and oxygen which are liquid at room temperature and have a low vapor pressure are fed in a liquid state via a mass flow regulator to an evaporator provided with a body having capillary action where the liquid is evaporated by radiant heat. Evaporated monomer is fed to the reaction zone of a vacuum chamber where thin coatings are applied on substrates by chemical vapor deposition.

Abstract: An evaporator chamber has an entry end with a conduit connected to the output of a mass flow regulator, an exit end connected to a vacuum, and a wall surface extending therebetween. A body having capillary action is disposed in the chamber and has one end connected to the conduit and a free surface spaced from the wall surface in line of sight thereof. Heating means for the wall surface heats the body radiantly and causes monomer carried thereby to evaporate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring layer erosion in a dry-etching process. The apparatus has a first electrode that is electrically connected to a substrate to be etched, as well as a second electrode that is located above the first electrode. Both electrodes are situated inside a process chamber. An optical photometer is positioned outside of the process chamber and directed onto the substrate in the process chamber. Signals received from the optical photometer are amplified by an electrical circuit and are edited and displayed with a Fourier transformation. The etching process can be automatically interrupted when received periodic signals having essentially constant amplitude and frequency undergo a significant change during the etching process of the upper layer. That is, they are received as signals signficantly deviating from one another, this being identified by the electrical circuit as the passage from one layer to another layer of the substrate during the dry-etching process.