The fabrication of beam lead silicon integrated-circuit devices involves the vapor deposition of platinum, which is generally accomplished by electron-beam bombardment or by low-voltage sputtering. In an effort to develop alternative platinum-deposition techniques, we have evaluated the feasibility of using a cw laser as the energy source for a thermal-evaporation process. Using a 20-W-output YAG laser, uniform platinum films were successfully deposited in a stable easily controlled process. Films deposited on oxidized silicon slices evidenced no space-charge buildup in the oxide, the change in flat-band voltage following platinum deposition being negligible. Although the evaporation rate that was obtained is but 0.2 Å/min at a 6-cm source-to-substrate distance, it is concluded that this is entirely a result of the limited power output of the particular laser that was used. No theoretical limitation to the utilization of a laser in vapor-deposition processes was encountered in this study.
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