Patent · US Expired

Sputtering apparatus

US5336385A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
8References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 8, 1993
Grant dateAug 9, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 8, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC23C14/54
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved sputtering apparatus is provided which can judge whether or not a normal thin film has been satisfactorily deposited on the surface of a substrate to be processed in a film deposition apparatus. The judgment is made immediately after the sputtering process on the basis of the detection results of the pressure in a vacuum chamber and the waveform of discharge output power supplied from a discharge power source. The improvement comprises necessary condition-determining means for determining conditions necessary for depositing a normal thin film on the surface of the substrate to be processed, executed result-detecting means for detecting the results of a thin film deposition process, comparing means for comparing the executed results detected by the executed result-detecting means with the necessary conditions determined by the necessary condition-determining means, and judging means for judging whether or not the thin film-deposition process has been satisfactorily performed on the basis of the comparison results produced from the comparing means. Further, when the improved sputtering apparatus of this invention is employed in the continuous manufacturing line, the abnor…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.