Patent ID: 7438955

Claim:
A method for the synthesis of titanium nitride on a metal substrate in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber comprising: introducing a discharge gas into a production chamber through a low leak valve, the production chamber having a cathode with a tungsten filament; igniting the discharge gas in the production chamber by thermionic emission of the tungsten filament using a first DC power supply, the ignition of the discharge gas producing a gas plasma discharge; supplying a potential to the production chamber from a second DC power supply; stabilizing the gas plasma discharge with a first plasma limiter and a second plasma limiter, wherein the first plasma limiter has a first magnet that acts as a first intermediate electrode, wherein the first intermediate electrode acts as a first anode, wherein the second plasma limiter has a second magnet that acts as a second intermediate electrode, wherein the tungsten filament is negatively biased with respect to the second intermediate electrode; igniting the gas plasma discharge in a main vacuum chamber using a third DC power supply to generate a potential between the second intermediate electrode and a second anode, the ignition of the gas plasma discharge producing a cylindrical plasma, the main vacuum chamber having a movable substrate holder; converting the cylindrical plasma in the main vacuum chamber into a sheet plasma via a third magnet and a fourth magnet, the third magnet and the fourth magnet having opposing fields that are separated by a distance; sputtering a titanium target attachable to the second anode by the gas plasma discharge; introducing a reactive gas to the main vacuum chamber, the introduction of the reactive gas producing a mixed plasma; and exposing the metal substrate to the mixed plasma.