Method and apparatus for forming thin film and multilayer film
AssigneeMatsushita Research Institute Tokyo, Inc.
InventorsYuka Yamada, Katsuhiko Mutoh
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Abstract
A thin film is formed on a substrate in a reaction chamber using a photo CVD technique by decomposing a reactive gas supplied to the reaction chamber by means of light irradiated through a light introducing window. The reduction in film deposition rate due to clouding of the light introducing window is corrected in order to form a thin film of a desired film thickness.
Claims8
A thin film depositing apparatus using a photo-induced CVD technique for depositing a thin film having a desired film thickness on a substrate in a reaction chamber by introducing a reactive gas and irradiating light through a light introducing window into the reaction chamber to decompose the reactive gas,
- characterized by the provision of means for studying the standard clouding characteristics of the light introducing window in advance of depositing film on the substrate, and determining the time duration of light irradiation for film deposition on the substrate depending on the current degree of clouding of the light introducing window by reference to the standard clouding characteristics, thereby accommodating a reduced deposition rate due to said clouding, enabling the deposition of the thin film of the desired film thickness.
A multilayer film depositing apparatus for depositing a multilayer film composed of at least two kinds of thin films alternately deposited using a photo-induced CVD technique depositing the respective thin films of associated desired film thicknesses within a reaction chamber by sequentially introducing in order corresponding reactive gases and irradiating light through a light introducing window into the reaction chamber to decompose the corresponding reactive gases,
- characterized by the provision of means for studying the standard clouding characteristics of the light introducing window in advance of depositing film on the substrate, and determining the time duration of light irradiation for film deposition on the substrate depending on the current degree of clouding of the light introducing window by reference to the standard clouding characteristics, thereby accommodating respective reduced deposition rates thereof due to the clouding, enabling the formation of the alternately deposited thin films.
An apparatus for depositing a first thin film of a desired first thickness upon a substrate, said apparatus comprising:
- a chamber containing reactive gas of a first type and having a light introducing window for permitting light to enter the chamber with said substrate disposed within;
- irradiation means for irradiating light upon the light introducing window and supplying light within the chamber for depositing a film, as said first thin film, on said substrate as the light decomposes the reactive gas of the first type at a rate determined by the reactive gas of the first type and by light intensity;
- and
- control means for studying the standard clouding characteristics of the light introducing window in advance of depositing film on the substrate, and determining the time duration of light irradiation for film deposition on the substrate depending on the current degree of clouding of the light introducing window by reference to the standard clouding characteristics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.