Combinatorial synthesis of material chips

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing in situ, controllably variable concentrations of one, two or more chemical components on a substrate to produce an integrated materials chip. The component concentrations can vary linearly, quadratically or according to any other reasonable power law with one or two location coordinates. In one embodiment, a source and a mask with fixed or varying aperture widths and fixed or varying aperture spacings are used to produce the desired concentration envelope. In another embodiment, a mask with one or more movable apertures or openings provides a chemical component flux that varies with location on the substrate, in one or two dimensions. In another embodiment, flow of the chemical components through nuzzle slits provides the desired concentrations. An ion beam source, a sputtering source, a laser ablation source, a molecular beam source, a chemical vapor deposition source and/or an evaporative source can provide the chemical component(s) to be deposited on the substrate. Carbides, nitrides, oxides, halides and other elements and compounds can be added to and reacted with the deposits on the substrate.

1 . A system for depositing on a substrate a mixture of selected first and second chemical components having concentrations of the first and second components that vary controllably with a location coordinate measured along a surface of the substrate, the system comprising: 
 first and second sources of respective first and second chemical components, spaced apart from the substrate, with the first source and the second source providing first and second fluxes, respectively, of the first and second components;    a mask, having a first end and a second end and being positioned between the substrate and the first and second sources, that is movable in a direction transverse to at least one of a first line of sight extending from the first source to the substrate and a second line of sight extending from the second source to the substrate; and    a motor that moves the mask, from a first location, in which at least a portion of the substrate is visible from the first source, to a second location in which the substrate is not visible from the first source and that moves the mask, from a third location, in which the substrate is not visible from the second source, to a fourth location in which at least a portion of the substrate is visible from the second source.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second sources are positioned relative to said substrate so that, when said mask is located at a selected fifth location, no portion of said substrate is visible from said first source and no portion of said substrate is visible from said second source.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first source, said second source, said mask and said motor is configured to provide a mixture of said chemical components on said substrate surface in which said concentration of at least one of said first chemical component and said second chemical component varies linearly with a location coordinate measured along said substrate surface.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said first source, said second source, said mask and said motor is configured to provide a mixture of said chemical components on said substrate surface in which said concentration of at least one of said first chemical component and said second chemical component varies nonlinearly with a location coordinate measured along said substrate surface.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first source and said second source is configured to provide a corresponding chemical component flux that varies with time according to a selected function of time.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said motor moves said mask at a uniform rate with respect to time in said direction transverse to at least one of said first line of sight and said second line of sight.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said motor moves said mask at a non-uniform rate with respect to time in said direction transverse to at least one of said first line of sight and said second line of sight.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first source and said second source is drawn from a group of chemical component sources consisting of an ion beam sputtering source, a sputtering source, a laser ablating source, a molecular beam source, a chemical vapor deposition source and an evaporative source.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second chemical components includes at least one chemical element drawn from a group of chemical elements consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, berkelium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, aluminum, gallium, carbon, silicon, germanium, nitrogen, phosphorous, arsenic, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine.  
   
   
       10 . A system for depositing on a substrate a mixture of selected first and second chemical components having concentrations of the first and second components that vary controllably with a location coordinate measured along a surface of the substrate, the system comprising: 
 first and second sources of respective first and second chemical components, spaced apart from the substrate, with the first source and the second source providing first and second fluxes, respectively, of the first and second components;    a mask, having at least one aperture with an aperture width and being positioned between the substrate and the first and second sources, that is movable in a direction transverse to at least one of a first line of sight extending from the first source to the substrate and a second line of sight extending from the second source to the substrate; and    a motor that moves the aperture location, from a first location in which at least a portion of the substrate is visible through the aperture from the first source, to a second location in which at least a portion of the substrate is visible through the aperture from the second source.    
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said aperture width for said at least one aperture is fixed at a selected value.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said aperture width for said at least one aperture varies with time in a selected manner.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said first source, said second source, said mask and said motor is configured to provide a mixture of said chemical components on said substrate surface in which said concentration of at least one of said first chemical component and said second chemical component varies linearly with a location coordinate measured along said substrate surface.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said first source, said second source, said mask and said motor is configured to provide a mixture of said chemical components on said substrate surface in which said concentration of at least one of said first chemical component and said second chemical component varies nonlinearly with a location coordinate measured along said substrate surface.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said first source and said second source is configured to provide a corresponding chemical component flux that varies with time according to a selected function of time.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said motor moves said mask at a uniform rate with respect to time in said direction transverse to at least one of said first line of sight and said second line of sight.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said first source and said second source is drawn from a group of chemical component sources consisting of an ion beam sputtering source, a sputtering source, a laser ablating source, a molecular beam source, a chemical vapor deposition source and an evaporative source.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said first and second chemical components includes at least one chemical element drawn from a group of chemical elements consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, berkelium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, aluminum, gallium, carbon, silicon, germanium, nitrogen, phosphorous, arsenic, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine.  
   
   
       19 . A system for depositing on a substrate a mixture of selected first and second chemical components having concentrations of the first and second components that vary controllably with a location coordinate measured along a surface of the substrate, the system comprising: 
 first and second sources of the respective first and second chemical components, spaced apart from the substrate, with the first source and the second source providing first and second fluxes, respectively, of the first and second components;    first and second nuzzle slits, associated with the first and second sources, respectively, that direct the first and second fluxes of the first and second components toward the substrate in selected first and second flux patterns, respectively, in a selected coordinate direction.    
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said first nuzzle slit directs said first flux in said first pattern in said first coordinate direction and in a selected third pattern in a selected second coordinate direction.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said first and second nuzzle slits direct said first flux and second fluxes in said first and second flux patterns, respectively, and in selected third and fourth patterns, respectively, in a selected second coordinate direction.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of said first source and said second source is drawn from a group of sources consisting of an ion beam sputtering source and a chemical vapor deposition source.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of said first and second chemical components includes at least one chemical element drawn from a group of chemical elements consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, berkelium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, aluminum, gallium, carbon, silicon, germanium, nitrogen, phosphorous, arsenic, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine.  
   
   
       24 . A system for depositing on a substrate a selected chemical component having a concentration that varies controllably with a location coordinate measured along a surface of the substrate, the system comprising: 
 a source of a selected chemical component, spaced apart from the substrate by a selected distance, s 1 +s 2 , where the source provides a chemical component flux in a flux direction extending from the source toward the substrate;    a mask, positioned between the source and the substrate at a selected distance s 1  from the source, having two or more apertures with selected aperture widths and selected aperture spacings in a coordinate direction x that is transverse to the flux direction,    where the aperture widths and the aperture spacings are selected so that a concentration envelope C(x), representing the concentration of the chemical component deposited on the substrate as a function of the coordinate x, is substantially equal to a selected function f(x).    
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein said function f(x) is drawn from the group of functions consisting of: f(x)=a+b·x,f(x)=a+b|x| and f(x)=a′+b′·(x)q, where a, b, a′, b′ and q are selected real numbers.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein said source is drawn from a group of chemical component sources consisting of an ion beam sputtering source, a sputtering source, a laser ablating source, a molecular beam source, a chemical vapor deposition source and an evaporative source.  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of said first and second chemical components includes at least one chemical element drawn from a group of chemical elements consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, berkelium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, aluminum, gallium, carbon, silicon, germanium, nitrogen, phosphorous, arsenic, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine.  
   
   
       28 . A system for depositing on a substrate a selected chemical component having a concentration that varies controllably with a location coordinate measured along a surface of the substrate, the system comprising: 
 a target surface that includes selected precursor particles;    an ion beam source, directed at the target surface, to provide a flux of precursor particles in response to collision of the ion beam with the target surface;    direction control means for directing at least a portion of the precursor particles flux toward a surface of a substrate;    a mask, positioned between the target surface and the substrate surface and having at least one aperture of selected aperture shape and diameter that permits at least a portion of the precursor particle flux to reach at least a portion of the substrate surface, where the aperture shape and diameter are selected to provide a selected non-uniform distribution of precursor particles that are received by the substrate surface.    
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said source is configured to provide a corresponding chemical component flux that varies with time according to a selected function of time.  
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 a motor that moves the mask, from a first location, in which at least a portion of the substrate is visible from said source, to a second location in which no portion of the substrate is visible from said source.    
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein at least one of said source, said mask and said motor is configured to provide a mixture of said chemical components on said substrate surface in which said concentration of at least one of said first chemical component and said second chemical component varies linearly with a location coordinate measured along said substrate surface.  
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein at least one of said source, said mask and said motor is configured to provide a mixture of said chemical components on said substrate surface in which said concentration of at least one of said first chemical component and said second chemical component varies nonlinearly with a location coordinate measured along said substrate surface.  
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein said motor moves said mask at a uniform rate with respect to time in said direction transverse to at least one of said first line of sight and said second line of sight.  
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein said motor moves said mask at a non-uniform rate with respect to time in said direction transverse to at least one of said first line of sight and said second line of sight.  
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 a source of a selected compound, containing an element drawn from a group of elements consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, berkelium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, aluminum, gallium, carbon, silicon, germanium, nitrogen, phosphorous, arsenic, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine, located adjacent to said substrate, and particle means for producing particles of the selected compound; and    second direction control means for directing at least a portion of the selected compound particles toward said substrate surface.    
   
   
       36 . A method for depositing on a substrate surface a mixture of selected first and second chemical components having a relative concentration of the first and second components that varies controllably with a location coordinate, the method comprising: 
 directing first and second fluxes of first and second chemical components, respectively, toward at least one surface of a substrate; and    providing a mask that allows a first selected portion of the first chemical component flux to be deposited on the substrate, that prevents a second selected portion of the first chemical component flux from being deposited on the substrate, that allows a first selected portion of the second chemical component flux to be deposited on the substrate, and that prevents a second selected portion of the second chemical component flux from being deposited on the substrate, where the mask has at least one opening that is chosen to allow deposit of at least one of the first and second chemical components on the substrate according to a selected variable concentration.    
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising the step of moving said mask at a selected movement rate in a direction that is transverse to a selected line of sight that is approximately parallel to at least one of said first chemical component flux and said second chemical component flux.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising configuring at least one of said first source, said second source, said mask and said mask movement rate to provide a mixture of said chemical components on said substrate surface in which said concentration of at least one of said first chemical component and said second chemical component varies linearly with a location coordinate measured along said substrate surface.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising configuring at least one of said first source, said second source, said mask and said mask movement rate to provide a mixture of said chemical components on said substrate surface in which said concentration of at least one of said first chemical component and said second chemical component varies nonlinearly with a location coordinate measured along said substrate surface.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising configuring at least one of said first source and said second source to provide a corresponding chemical component flux that varies with time according to a selected function of time.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising providing at least one of said first chemical component and said second chemical component from a group of chemical component sources consisting of an ion beam sputtering source, a sputtering source, a laser ablating source, a molecular beam source, a chemical vapor deposition source and an evaporative source.  
   
   
       42 . The method if  claim 36 , further comprising choosing at least one of said first and second chemical components to include at least one chemical element drawn from a group of chemical elements consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, berkelium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, aluminum, gallium, carbon, silicon, germanium, nitrogen, phosphorous, arsenic, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine.