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.