Patent ID: 9175377
Filing Date: 2015-11-03
Classification: C23C

Abstract:
1. A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a process-target substrate by sputtering a target containing a film forming material using a sputtering gas and causing at least one kind of reactive gas and the film forming material to react with each other in a vacuum chamber, the film forming apparatus comprising: a shield board surrounding a sputtering space between the process-target substrate and the target facing each other in the vacuum chamber; a gas supply unit for supplying a mixed gas containing the reactive gas and the sputtering gas to the vacuum chamber in forming the film, the gas supply unit including a first gas introduction unit for introducing the mixed gas into the sputtering space surrounded by the shield board and a second gas introduction unit for introducing the mixed gas into a sputtering outside space between an inner wall of the vacuum chamber and the shield board, the second gas introduction unit branching off from the first gas introduction unit; a valve, provided on the second gas introduction unit, for adjusting a flow rate of the mixed gas to be introduced into the sputtering outside space by the second gas introduction unit against a flow rate of the mixed gas to be introduced into the sputtering space by the first gas introduction unit; a detection unit for detecting a first signal value indicating a first pressure in the sputtering space before a recovery process for the shield board and a second signal value indicating a second pressure in the sputtering space after the recovery process for the shield board; and a controller configured to adjust a valve opening of the valve to make the second signal value equal to the first signal value.