Patent · US Expired

Thin film forming apparatus and method

US7033461B2 · kind B2 · utility

18Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 31, 2002
Grant dateApr 25, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 31, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC23C14/545
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The present invention provides an efficient thin film forming apparatus which is capable of correcting a film thickness so as to take care of a variation in distribution in the film thickness and to take care of the circumferential distribution of the film thickness, as well as a method for forming a thin film using this film forming apparatus. The method comprises the first step of first forming a thin film to a predetermined percentage out of thickness through an opening 8a in a shutter 8, the second step of then using a film thickness monitor 10 to measure the distribution of the thickness of the thin film formed in the first step, and the third step of reducing a film formation rate by an opening 8b in the shutter 8 between a substrate 4 and a sputtering cathode 6 as compared to that of the first step and correcting the thickness of the thin film by an opening 13a in the first film thickness correcting plate 13 between the substrate 4 and the sputtering cathode 6 corresponding to the distribution of the film thickness measured by the film thickness monitor 10 in the second step. Then, the second step is carried out again, during which the film thickness monitor 10 is used to me…

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