Patent ID: 8591706
Filing Date: 2013-11-26
Classification: C23C,G11B

Abstract:
1. A sputtering system for depositing a thin film, comprising: a thin film depositing section for depositing the thin film on a surface of a substrate; and a substrate carrying-in and carrying-out section for carrying the substrate from outside of the sputtering system for depositing the thin film into the thin film depositing section and carrying out the substrate on which the thin film is deposited by the thin film depositing section to the outside of the sputtering system for depositing a thin film, wherein: a mask member is placed on the surface of the substrate mounted on a substrate holder to cover a partial region on the surface of the substrate, and the thin film is deposited by sputtering in a region on the surface of the substrate not covered with the mask member; the substrate carrying-in and carrying-out section has a substrate holder holding and releasing means performing mechanical holding and releasing of the substrate holder mounting the substrate, and a mask member holding and releasing means performing mechanical holding and releasing of the mask member; the substrate carrying-in and carrying-out section places the mask member on the surface of the substrate mounted on the substrate holder to cover the partial region on the surface of the substrate and carries the mask member together with the substrate mounted on the substrate holder into the sputtering system; the substrate carrying-in and carrying-out section takes out the mask member together with the substrate mounted on the substrate holder to the outside of the sputtering system, the mask member holding and releasing means releases the mask member, and the substrate carrying-in and carrying-out section carries out only the substrate and the substrate holder; the substrate is disc-shaped with an opening portion defined centrally thereof; the substrate holder has a cylindrical positioning section for positioning the substrate by being inserted through the opening portion of the substrate; the mask member comprises an annular inner mask covering a periphery of the opening portion of the substrate and having an opening portion through which the positioning section of the substrate holder is inserted, and an annular outer mask covering an outer peripheral portion of the substrate and engaging an outer periphery of the substrate holder; the substrate carrying-in and carrying-out section has: the substrate holder holding and releasing means, the mask member holding and releasing means which includes inner mask holding and releasing means performing mechanical holding and releasing of the inner mask, and outer mask holding and releasing means performing mechanical holding and releasing of the outer mask, and holding and releasing control means performing a control of switching between holding and releasing of the substrate holder by the substrate holder holding and releasing means and a control of holding or releasing of the inner mask by the inner mask holding and releasing means; the thin film depositing section has holding and releasing control means performing a control of holding or releasing of the outer mask by the outer mask holding and releasing means; the substrate holder holding and releasing means is a chuck for holding or releasing the substrate holder by an inner peripheral surface of the positioning section of the substrate holder; the inner mask holding and releasing control means is a chuck for holding or releasing the inner mask by an outer peripheral surface of the inner mask; the outer mask holding and releasing control means is a chuck for holding or releasing the outer mask by an outer peripheral surface of the outer mask; the positioning section of the substrate holder has a groove in an inner peripheral surface thereof; each of the inner mask and the outer mask has a groove in an outer peripheral surface thereof; the chuck for holding or releasing the substrate holder has a claw for engagement with the groove in the inner peripheral surface of the positioning section of the substrate holder; the chuck for holding or releasing the inner mask has a claw for engagement with the groove in the outer peripheral surface of the inner mask; and the chuck for holding or releasing the outer mask has a claw for engagement with the groove in the outer peripheral surface of the outer mask.