Patent ID: 7182976
Filing Date: 2007-02-27
Classification: C23C,G02B

Abstract:
1. A process for forming a thin film, comprising the steps of: forming a first thin film by flying and depositing a film-forming material onto a surface of an article and on a monitor glass; continuously measuring a thickness of the first thin film using an optical film thickness meter during formation of the first thin film; and continuously controlling the amount of the film-forming material in flight during the formation of the first thin film until an amount of light measured by the optical film thickness meter becomes substantially equal to a predetermined reference value for the amount of measured light, wherein prior to forming the first thin film, the process further comprises the steps of: conducting a test formation of a test thin film, wherein a refractive index of the formed test thin film is determined at a first plurality of wavelengths by using the optical film thickness meter; and calculating a first reference value for the amount of measured light at a second plurality of wavelengths from refractive indices corresponding to the first plurality of wavelengths, the refractive indices being determined from the amount of measured light or the change in the amount of measured light measured continuously by the optical film thickness meter during test formation of the test film, using a theoretical calculation so thin film formation forms the first thin film to have a controlled optical thickness at a first predetermined wavelength, and using the calculated first reference value as the predetermined reference value for the amount of measured light, wherein a) the optical film thickness meter is an optical thickness meter utilizing dependency on an amount of light of prescribed wavelength transmitted through, or reflected by, thin film based upon at least thin film thickness and thin film refractive index and, when the monitor glass on which the first thin film is formed is irradiated with prescribed light at the second plurality of wavelengths, the optical film thickness meter provides a measurement of the thickness of the first thin film by measuring an amount of light transmitted or reflected by the first thin film; and b) the optical film thickness meter continuously measures, during the formation of the first thin film, an amount of transmitted or reflected light, or a change in the amount of transmitted or reflected light, which changes with the change in the thickness of the first thin film deposited on the surface of the article.