Controlled coating apparatus, systems, and methods

Abstract

Apparatus and systems may operate to provide a first reactant as a gas that flows under reduced atmospheric pressure to interact with a surface, such as a tool body surface, the interaction confined to a passage within the tool body, wherein the passage includes the surface and extends without interruption from an entrance end of the passage to an exit end of the passage. Additional activity may include providing a second reactant as a gas under the reduced atmospheric pressure, subsequent to the first reactant, to interact with the surface of the tool body; and repeated provision of the first and second reactants until a selected coating thickness on the surface is formed. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a tool body; 
 gas valves to control entry of first and second reactants via at least one flow tube into a passage within the tool body, the passage including a surface and extending without interruption from an entrance end of the passage to an exit end of the passage; 
 a mass measurement device or a refractive index measurement device coupleable to the exit end to indicate a thickness of a coating on the surface as the first and the second reactants interact with the surface to form the coating; 
 a vacuum pump to promote movement of the first and the second reactants within the passage from the entrance end to the exit end; and 
 a control unit including instructions that, when executed:
 cause a first quantity of a first reactant to be provided as a gas that flows under reduced atmospheric pressure to interact with a surface of the tool body, the interaction being confined to the passage within the tool body, wherein providing the first quantity comprises providing the first quantity until presence of the first reactant proximate to the exit end is indicated, using a mass measurement obtained from the mass measurement device or an index of refraction measurement obtained from the refractive index device; 
 cause a second quantity of a second reactant to be provided as a gas under reduced atmospheric pressure, subsequent to the first quantity, to interact with the surface of the tool body; and 
 cause providing of the first quantity and the second quantity to be repeated until a selected thickness of a coating on the surface is formed. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a sump to consume residual amounts of the first and the second reactants and byproducts of interaction between the first reactant and the second reactant, the sump coupled to the exit end of the passage and the vacuum pump. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas valves comprise at least three valves to separately control flow of the first reactant, the second reactant, and a buffer into the entrance end of the passage. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a processor to control flow of at least one of the first reactant and the second reactant based on measurements obtained from the mass measurement device or the refractive index measurement device. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a display to publish a frequency change or a refractive index change indicating the thickness of the coating. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a vacuum chamber to house the tool body. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: an oven to heat the tool body.