Inventors:
Scott M. Tyson - Colorado Springs CO
Richard Y. Kwor - Colorado Springs CO
Leonard L. Levenson - Colorado Springs CO
Assignee:
United Technologies Corporation - Hartford CT
International Classification:
C23C 1648
Abstract:
Sapphire, a highly stable oxide of aluminum having the chemical formula of Al. sub. 2 O. sub. 3, is placed in a crucible. The crucible is heated to vaporize the sapphire therein. The sapphire vapor is ejected through a nozzle in the crucible and into a region having a vacuum pressure of approximately 10. sup. -5 Torr or less. As the vapor leaves the crucible through the nozzle, atom aggregates or clusters are formed through a supercooled phenomenon due to adiabatic expansion. The vacuum region has disposed therein a substrate comprised of one of various materials, including metals, oxides or silicon. The sapphire vapor is accelerated towards the substrate where it deposits on a surface of the substrate in a uniformly distributed thin layer.