Substrate vapor-deposition

To get around the difficulties involved in preparing for study an interface consisting of a monolayer of polyimide on a metal substrate, vapor-deposited components of polyimide (9-111 and model molecules for parts of the polyimide (11-121 on metals have been studied recently. Due to the limited size of these model molecules, they can be vapor-deposited in monolayers on the surface of clean metallic substrate in an ultra high vacuum system. In this way, useful information concerning the initial interface formation of (parts of) polyimide on a metal surface can be obtained. 

Photoreceptors are prepared by the sequential application of the various layers onto a web or drum substrate. Vapor-deposition methods can be used for some pigments. Most layers, however, are coated from solution or dispersions in organic solvents. Wicks (1986) has reviewed film formation from polymer solutions. The choice of solvent is determined by such factors as solubility, evaporation rates, surface tension, toxicity, as well as environmental... 

Low angle shadowing requires that the specimen to be imaged is adsorbed to a smooth substrate. Consequently, the polyetherurethane materials were cast against the surface of a mercury puddle. This provided a surface sufficiently smooth to image individual macromolecules. The other plastic substrates were cast against glass microscope slides, and the carbon substrates vapor deposited onto the surface of freshly cleaved mica. 

Metallization layers are generally deposited either by CVD or by physical vapor deposition methods such as evaporation (qv) or sputtering. In recent years sputter deposition has become the predominant technique for aluminum metallization. Energetic ions are used to bombard a target such as soHd aluminum to release atoms that subsequentiy condense on the desired substrate surface. The quaUty of the deposited layers depends on the cleanliness and efficiency of the vacuum systems used in the process. The mass deposited per unit area can be calculated using the cosine law of deposition ... 

Chemical Vapor Deposition. In chemical vapor deposition (CVD), often referred to as vapor transport, the desired constituent(s) to be deposited are ia the form of a compound existing as a vapor at an appropriate temperature. This vapor decomposes with or without a reducing or oxidizing agent at the substrate— vapor interface for film growth. CVD has been used successfully for preparing garnet and ortho ferrite films (24,25). Laser-assisted CVD is also practiced. 

Copper Sulfide—Cadmium Sulfide. This thin-film solar cell was used in early aerospace experiments dating back to 1955. The Cu S band gap is ca 1.2 eV. Various methods of fabricating thin-film solar cells from Cu S/CdS materials exist. The most common method is based on a simple process of serially overcoating a metal substrate, eg, copper (16). The substrate first is coated with zinc which serves as an ohmic contact between the copper and a 30-p.m thick, vapor-deposited layer of polycrystaUine CdS. A layer is then formed on the CdS base by dipping the unit into hot cuprous chloride, followed by heat-treating it in air. A heterojunction then exists between the CdS and Cu S layers. 

The slurry process requires less coating component. The latter is suspended in a vehicle, eg, lacquer or water, and is painted onto the substrate. The coated part is heated in an alumina retort containing a layer of activator at the bottom. The coating component forms a haHde and is deposited onto and diffused into the substrate. Slurry processes can be either activated or nonactivated. In the latter case, development of the coating reHes purely on diffusion without the possible benefits of vapor deposition. 

In chemical vapor deposition processing, the principal source of residual stress is from a coefficient of expansion mismatch. One of the principal criteria for CVD processing is the matching of the coefficient of expansions of the film and substrate, which limits the possible film—substrate combinations that can be used. 

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