Method of making hard, transparent amorphous hydrogenated boron nitride
Reference Number: N 03-03
Inventors: Tamor, Michael A.; Vassell, William C.
Owner: NISTAC
USPTO Link:5518780
Invention Summary
The invention is directed to a process for providing a hard, transparent, film comprising
amorphous hydrogenated boron nitride on a substrate. The process comprises the step
of depositing the film on the substrate at a temperature less than about 200.degree.
C. by condensation from a flux of ions generated from gaseous precursors comprising
borazine, the kinetic energy of the ions being between 50 and 300 electron volts (eV)
per ion. Preferably, the gaseous precursors also comprise ammonia. The process may
be carried out even at low temperatures below 100.degree. C. as is desirable for many
plastic substrates.
Preferably, deposition takes place by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition in
a radio frequency (RF) plasma deposition system maintained at a pressure less than
1 Torr, wherein the substrate is maintained at a potential of -150 and -900 volts
relative to the plasma generated by the system.