US 12,351,901 B2
Deposition of non-stoichiometric metal compound layer
Wilmert De Bosscher, Drongen (BE); Ivan Van De Putte, Waregem (BE); and Ignacio Caretti Giangaspro, Antwerp (BE)
Assigned to SOLERAS ADVANCED COATINGS BV, Deinze (BE)
Appl. No. 18/548,418
Filed by SOLERAS ADVANCED COATINGS BV, Deinze (BE)
PCT Filed Mar. 4, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/055504
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 30, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/184881, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 9, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2021/5169 (BE), filed on Mar. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0133025 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Prior Publication US 2024/0229228 A9, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. C23C 14/54 (2006.01); C23C 14/00 (2006.01); C23C 14/08 (2006.01); C23C 14/16 (2006.01); C23C 14/34 (2006.01); H01J 37/34 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 14/547 (2013.01) [C23C 14/0042 (2013.01); C23C 14/083 (2013.01); C23C 14/165 (2013.01); C23C 14/3407 (2013.01); H01J 37/3426 (2013.01); H01J 37/3476 (2013.01); H01J 2237/24585 (2013.01); H01J 2237/332 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of depositing a layer on a piece by sputter deposition, the method comprising:
providing a metal compound layer by depositing metallic and reactive species simultaneously on a first piece for forming a layer under predetermined sputtering conditions, thereby providing a deposited layer on the first piece comprising the metal compound,
subsequently irradiating the deposited layer on the first piece and measuring optical transmittance through at least the deposited layer, thus providing measurement signals,
sending the measurement signals to a processor,
performing spectral analysis of the measurement signals, and comparing a measured radiation parameter of the radiation transmitted with at least one stored value of the radiation parameter, the processor thus obtaining an indication of a layer thickness and of at least one of the following deposited layer characteristics:
composition,
optical constants consisting of refractive index and/or extinction coefficient, and
density/porosity,
adapting the predetermined sputtering conditions as a response of the comparison, and sputtering a second piece with adapted parameters, wherein the adapted sputtering conditions are provided to change one or more characteristics of a deposited layer on the second piece relative to the deposited layer of the first piece on which the measurement was made.