Patent ID: 6328865
Filing Date: 2001-12-11
Classification: C23C,G02B,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus for forming a thin film of a composite metal compound, comprising:film deposition process chambers into which a working gas is introduced and in which independent targets formed of at least two different metals are sputtered so as to form on a substrate an ultra-thin film of a composite metal or an an incompletely-reacted composite metal;a reaction process chamber for irradiating the ultra-thin film formed in said film deposition process chambers with the electrically neutral, activated species of a reactive gas so as to convert the composite metal or the incompletely-reacted composite metal to a composite metal compound through the reaction of the ultra-thin film with the activated species of the reactive gas; andseparation means for separating said reaction process chamber from said film deposition process chambers in terms of space and pressure by means of shield plates,wherein said separation means prevents the reactive gas from mixing with the working gas in said film deposition process chambers so that there can be sequentially repeated a stable film deposition process and a reaction process to thereby form on the substrate a thin film of a composite metal compound having a desired thickness.