AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR THE DEPOSITION OF HIGH T(C) SUPERCONDUCTING THIN FILMS AND OTHER MULTI-COMPONENT OXIDE FILMS

THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH TC SUPERCONDUCTING THIN FILMS WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON A LARGE NUMBER OF MODERN TECHNOLOGIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF ADVANCED MICROCIRCUITRY. ALTHOUGH SUPERCONDUCTING THIN FILMS HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY A VARIETY OF METHODS, ALL OF THESE METHODS REQUIRE HIGH TEMPERATURE PROCESSING STEPS WHICH ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH DENSITY MICROCIRCUITRY, AND NONE OF THE METHODS DEVELOPED TO DATE ARE SUFFICIENTLY REPRODUCIBLE FOR LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION TO PERMIT ROUTINE MANUFACTURING OF CHIPS WHICH INCORPORATE SUPERCONDUCTING ELEMENTS. CORIUM INDUSTRIES PROPOSES A PROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE DEMONSTRATION OF A MULTICOMPONENT OXIDE THIN FILM DEPOSITION SYSTEM WHICH ELIMINATES MOST OF THE VARIABLES OF THE DEPOSITION PROCESS AND IN PRINCIPLE CAN BE USED AS THE BASIS OF A TOTALLY AUTOMATED MULTI-COMPONENT OXIDE THIN FILM DEPOSITION SYSTEM. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SUCH OXIDE FILMS WHICH ARE OF SIGNIFICANT TECHNOLOGICAL INTEREST THE HIGH TC SUPERCONDUCTING OXIDE YBA(2)CU(3)O(7-X) WILL BE USED TO DEMONSTRATE OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM. IN THIS CONTEXT, A NUMBER OF STEPS INCLUDING IN-SITU SUBSTRATE PREPARATION, AND DEPOSITION OF DIFFUSION BARRIERS, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS AND ENCAPSULANT MATERIALS TO PROTECT THE FILM FROM DEGRADATION BY CONTACT WITH ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE WILL BE DEMONSTRATED AS PART OF A SINGLE, FULLY AUTOMATED DEPOSITION CYCLE.