Apparatus and method for thin film deposition onto substrates

An apparatus for depositing a thin film on a plurality of substrates, the apparatus comprising in combination:

• a vacuum chamber;
• vaporizing means for vaporizing a source material to provide vapors for deposition on the substrates, the vaporizing means being in the interior of the vacuum chamber;
• optical monitoring means for measuring the thickness of a thin film which is being deposited on the substrates, the optical monitoring means including a light source, the optical monitoring means being adapted for measuring characteristics of light transmitted through the substrate when the substrate is in the vacuum chamber and thin film is being deposited thereon, the measurement being conducted along an axis of observation that traverses the vacuum chamber;
• a plurality of holding means each of which is adapted for holding one of the substrates within the vacuum chamber;
• a plurality of first means each of which is adapted for imparting orbiting planetary motion and spinning motion to one of the holding means and thereby to the substrate held in the respective holding means;
• second means for imparting a superimposed super-planetary motion simultaneously to each of the holding means, the second means also being adapted for halting the super-planetary motion and for placing a selected holding means and the corresponding first means into a position wherein the center of the orbiting planetary motion of the substrate held in the respective holding means is within the substrate itself and coincides with the axis of observation of the optical monitoring means, whereby thickness of the film deposited on the substrate can be directly monitored by the optical monitoring means.

An apparatus for depositing a thin film on a plurality of substrates, the apparatus comprising in combination:

• a vacuum chamber;
• vaporizing means for vaporizing a source material to provide vapors for deposition on the substrates, the vaporizing means being in the interior of the vacuum chamber;
• optical monitoring means for measuring the thickness of a thin film which is being deposited on the substrates, the optical monitoring means including a light source, the optical monitoring means being adapted for measuring characteristics of light transmitted through the substrate when the substrate is in the vacuum chamber and thin film is being deposited thereon, the measurement being conducted along an axis of observation that traverses the vacuum chamber;
• a plurality of holding means each of which is adapted for holding one of the substrates within the vacuum chamber, each of the holding means being at a different distance from the vaporizing means whereby the rate of deposition of vapor on each substrate is different;
• a plurality of first means each of which is adapted for imparting orbiting planetary motion and spinning motion to one of the holding means and thereby to the substrate held in the respective holding means;
• second means for imparting a superimposed super planetary motion simultaneously to each of the holding means, the second means also being adapted for halting the super-planetary motion and for placing a selected holding means and the corresponding first means into a position wherein the center of the orbiting planetary motion of the substrate held in the respective holding means is within the substrate itself and coincides with the axis of observation of the optical monitoring means, whereby thickness of the film deposited on the substrate can be directly monitored by the optical monitoring means;
• a plurality of uniformity masks, each uniformity mask being operatively associated with one of the holding means and first means and disposed between the vaporizing means and one of the substrates, and wherein each of the first means are also adapted for causing orbiting planetary motion and spinning motion to the respective uniformity mask, and
• a plurality of shutter means, each shutter means being operatively associated with one of the holding means and first means and disposed between the vaporizing means and one of the substrates and adapted for optionally being closed to prevent deposition of vapors on the substrate with which it is operatively associated and for optionally being open to allow deposition of vapors on the substrate with which it is operatively associated.

A method of depositing a thin film on a plurality of substrates, the method comprising the steps of:

• (1) placing a plurality of substrates in a vacuum chamber equipped with
• (a) vaporizing means for vaporizing a source material to provide vapors for deposition on the substrates,
• (b) with optical monitoring means for measuring the thickness of a thin film which is being deposited on the substrates, the measurement being conducted along an axis of observation that traverses the vacuum chamber, and
• (c) with a plurality of shutter means, each shutter means being operatively associated with one of the substrates and adapted for optionally being closed to prevent deposition of vapors on the substrate with which it is operatively associated and for optionally being open to allow deposition of vapors on the substrate with which it is operatively associated;
• (2) simultaneously imparting super-planetary motion and orbiting planetary and spinning motion to each of the substrates while measuring the rate of deposition of vapor at a fixed location in the chamber while vaporizing the source material;
• (3) halting the super-planetary motion of the substrates when deposition of vapor deposition at the fixed location has reached a first predetermined limit and imparting orbiting planetary and spinning motion to a first substrate which is in closest proximity to the source material said first substrate being in a position where the center of the orbiting planetary motion of the first substrate is within said first substrate itself and coincides with the axis of observation of the optical monitoring means, whereby thickness of the film deposited on said first substrate can be directly monitored by the optical monitoring means and continuing vaporizing the source material and measuring the thickness of film deposited on said first substrate with the optical monitoring means until the desired thickness of film is deposited on said first substrate;
• (4) thereafter closing the shutter means which is operatively associated with said first substrate thereby preventing further deposition of vapor on said first substrate and again simultaneously imparting super-planetary motion and orbiting planetary and spinning motion to each of the substrates while measuring the rate of vapor deposition at a fixed location in the chamber while vaporizing the source material until deposition of vapor at the fixed location has reached a second predetermined limit, and
• (5) thereafter repeating said steps of (3) and (4) with each substrate in the sequence of their proximity of location to the source material until the desired thickness of film is deposited on each of the substrates.