Method for preparing an optical thin film
First Claim
1. A method for preparing an optical thin film having multiple optical layers on a substrate using a magnetron sputtering apparatus having cathodes and at least two kinds of targets disposed in a sputtering chamber of the magnetron sputtering apparatus along with the substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
- introducing an inert gas and a reactive gas into the sputtering chamber; and
forming at least some of the multiple optical layers on the substrate by successively alternately repeatedly forming at least two kinds of optical layers each having a different optical constant by means of the reactive magnetron sputtering apparatus under a condition of providing a discharge pressure no greater than 1.3×
10−
1 Pa.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for forming an optical thin film having multiple optical layers on the surface of a substrate using a magnetron sputtering apparatus with a sputtering chamber having cathodes, the substrate, and at least two kinds of targets disposed therein. An inert gas and a reactive gas are introduced into the sputtering chamber to form at least some of the multiple optical layers on the substrate by successively alternately repeatedly forming at least two kinds of optical layers each having a different optical constant by means of the reactive magnetron sputtering apparatus under a condition of a discharge pressure being no greater than 1.3×10−1 Pa.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for preparing an optical thin film having multiple optical layers on a substrate using a magnetron sputtering apparatus having cathodes and at least two kinds of targets disposed in a sputtering chamber of the magnetron sputtering apparatus along with the substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
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introducing an inert gas and a reactive gas into the sputtering chamber; and
forming at least some of the multiple optical layers on the substrate by successively alternately repeatedly forming at least two kinds of optical layers each having a different optical constant by means of the reactive magnetron sputtering apparatus under a condition of providing a discharge pressure no greater than 1.3×
10−
1 Pa.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
providing N optical monitors associated with N shutters to monitor N regions associated with the multiple optical layers being formed on the substrate in N sequential region monitoring operations, with N≧
2; and
sequentially controlling each particular shutter of the N shutters to be open to expose a corresponding particular region of the N regions to monitoring by an associated one of the N optical monitors while all others of the N shutters remain closed during each of the N sequential region monitoring operations.
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21. The method for preparing an optical thin film according to claim 20, further comprising slowing down the optical layer sputtering rate when the monitoring condition signal from a particular one of the N optical monitors indicates that the desired optical layer sputtered thickness is close to being obtained in the particular regions of the N regions being monitored.
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22. The method for preparing an optical thin film according to claim 19, further comprising slowing down the optical layer sputtering rate when the monitoring condition signal from the at least one optical monitor indicates that the desired optical layer sputtered thickness is close to being obtained.
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23. The method for preparing an optical thin film according to claim 1, further comprising disposing or moving a magnet relative to each cathode in a manner providing an erosion region of each target to be an entire surface of that target.
Specification