Method and apparatus for monitoring optical characteristics of thin films in a deposition process
US7008518B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 18, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 7, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 18, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B11/0683
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention is directed at least in part to methods and apparatus for optically monitoring selected optical characteristics of coatings formed on substrates during the deposition process and controlling the deposition process responsive thereto. In one aspect, the system includes a retroreflector for reflecting an electromagnetic beam transmitted by the coating and substrate back through the substrate and coating before selected properties of the retroreflected beam are measured. The system and method improve the signal to noise properties of the measured beam. The present invention may be used in systems for coating one or an array of substrates, and is particularly suitable for deposition processes where the substrates are translated past the sources of material to be deposited, and wherein the angle of incidence of a monitor beam on the substrate changes as the substrate translates past the beam source.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.