Thin film forming apparatus using laser

• US 6,033,741 A
• Filed: 08/07/1996
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kojima, Kazuyoshi, Ono, Koichi, Takami, Tetsuya, Saito, Yoshio, Haruta, Kenyu, Wada, Yukihiko, Wakata, Hitoshi, Suzuki, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): BUEKER, RICHARD R
• Application Number:
  US08/693,719
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 118/726, 427/596
• US Class Current: 427/596
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/022 by means of bombardment with energetic particles or radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/087 of copper or solid solutions thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/22 characterised by the process of coating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/28 by wave energy or particle radiation C23C14/32 - C23C14/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3471 Introduction of auxiliary energy into the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/54 Controlling or regulating the coating process
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/541 Heating or cooling of the substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/547 using optical methods
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/564 Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 505/732 Evaporative coating with superconducting material

Abstract

A thin film forming apparatus using laser includes a chamber (1), a target (5) placed therein, a laser light source (10) for emitting laser beam to target (5), and a substrate holder (3). When target (5) is irradiated with laser beam (16), a plume (15) is generated, and materials included in plume (15) are deposited on the surface of a substrate (2) held by substrate holder (3). The laser beam emitted from laser light source (10) has its cross section shaped to a desired shape when passed through a shielding plate (4804), for example, so that the surface of the target (5) is irradiated with the beam having uniform light intensity distribution. Therefore, a plume (15) having uniform density distribution of active particles is generated, and therefore a thin film of high quality can be formed over a wide area with uniform film quality, without damaging the substrate.

Claims

1. A thin film forming apparatus comprising:

a chamber having a mounting device configured to mount a target therein;

a laser configured to irradiate the target with a laser beam and thereby generate a plume;

scanning means for scanning the target with the laser beam by changing a direction of the laser beam; and

a device configured to hold a substrate within said chamber such that a material included in the plume is deposited on the substrate,

wherein said scanning means includes an electrooptical deflector.

2. A thin film forming apparatus comprising:

a chamber having a mounting device configured to mount a target therein;

a laser configured to irradiate the target with a laser beam and thereby generate a plume;

scanning means for scanning the target with the laser beam by changing a direction of the laser beam; and

a device configured to hold a substrate within said chamber such that a material included in the plume is deposited on the substrate,

wherein said scanning means includes a deflector having a transparent body with a heater.

3. A thin film forming apparatus comprising:

a chamber having a mounting device configured to mount a target therein;

a laser configured to irradiate the target with a laser beam and thereby generate a plume;

scanning means for scanning the target with the laser beam by changing a direction of the laser beam; and

a device configured to hold a substrate within said chamber such that a material included in the plume is deposited on the substrate,

wherein said scanning means includes an acoustic optical element configured to control the direction of the laser beam by sound wave.

4. A method of depositing a thin film of material on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a target within a chamber;

focusing a laser beam on said target to produce a plume of material by laser beam irradiation; and

changing a direction of the laser beam to evenly distribute the plume of material upon the substrate,

wherein said step of changing the direction of the laser beam includes deflecting the laser beam using an electrooptical deflector.

5. A method of depositing a thin film of material on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a target within a chamber;

focusing a laser beam on said target to produce a plume of material by laser beam irradiation; and

changing a direction of the laser beam to evenly distribute the plume of material upon the substrate,

wherein said step of changing the direction of the laser beam includes deflecting the laser beam using a deflector having a transparent body with a heater.

6. A method of depositing a thin film of material on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a target within a chamber;

focusing a laser beam on said target to produce a plume of material by laser beam irradiation; and

changing a direction of the laser beam to evenly distribute the plume of material upon the substrate,

wherein said step of changing the direction of the laser beam includes controlling the direction of the laser beam by sound wave using an acoustic optical element.