Claims
- 1. A film forming apparatus for forming a film consisting of a plurality of layers on the surface of a substrate, this film forming apparatus comprising a first optical monitor which measures the spectroscopic characteristics arising from the formed layers in a first wavelength region, and a second optical monitor which measures the spectroscopic characteristics arising from the formed layers in a second wavelength region.
- 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, which is characterized in that the first wavelength region is a wavelength region within the visible region, and the second wavelength region is a wavelength region within the infrared region.
- 3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, which is characterized in that the second wavelength region includes a specified wavelength region in which the film is used.
- 4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, which is characterized in that the first and second wavelength regions are wavelength regions within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region is a partial wavelength region within the first wavelength region.
- 5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, which is characterized in that the second wavelength region includes a specified wavelength region in which the film is used.
- 6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, which is characterized in that the apparatus comprises means for determining the film thicknesses of the respective layers that are formed on the basis of the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the first optical monitor or the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the second optical monitor, or both.
- 7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, which is characterized in that the apparatus comprises means for determining the film thicknesses of the respective layers that are formed on the basis of the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the first optical monitor, and memory means for storing data indicating the spectroscopic characteristics of at least a portion of the wavelength region among the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the second optical monitor in a state in which all of the layers constituting the film have been formed.
- 8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7, which is characterized in that the apparatus comprises characteristics of at least a portion of the wavelength region among the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the second optical monitor in a state in which only some of the layers among the layers constituting the film have been formed.
- 9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, which is characterized in that the apparatus comprises means for determining the film thickness of the layer formed as the uppermost layer following the formation of each layer on the basis of only the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the first optical monitor or the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the second optical monitor, and these means for determining the film thickness determine the film thickness of the layer formed as the uppermost layer on the basis of only the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the first optical monitor in cases where the total thickness of the formed layers or number of formed layers is equal to or less than a specified thickness or a specified number of layers, and determine the film thickness of the layer formed as the uppermost layer on the basis of only the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the second optical monitor in cases where the total thickness of the formed layers or number of formed layers exceeds a specified thickness or a specified number of layers.
- 10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 9, which is characterized in that the second wavelength region includes a specified wavelength region in which the film is used.
- 11. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, which is characterized in that the apparatus comprises means for determining the film thickness of the layer that is formed as the uppermost layer following the formation of each layer on the basis of the overall spectroscopic characteristics combining both the spectroscopic characteristics that are measured by the first optical monitor and the spectroscopic characteristics that are measured by the second optical monitor, these means for determining the film thickness determine the film thickness of the layer formed as the uppermost layer by fitting the corresponding spectroscopic characteristics calculated using various assumed thicknesses of the layer formed as the uppermost layer to the overall spectroscopic characteristics, and these means for determining the film thickness perform the fitting described above while giving greater weight to the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the first optical monitor than to the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the second optical monitor in cases where the overall thickness of the layers that are formed or the number of layers that are formed is equal to or less than a specified thickness or a specified number of layers, and perform the fitting described above while giving greater weight to the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the second optical monitor than to the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the first optical monitor in cases where the overall thickness of the layers that are formed or the number of layers that are formed is greater than a specified thickness or a specified number of layers.
- 12. The film forming apparatus according to claim 11, which is characterized in that the second wavelength region includes a specified wavelength region in which the film is used.
- 13. The film forming apparatus according to claim 6, which is characterized in that the apparatus comprises adjustment means for adjusting the set film thickness values of layers that are formed subsequent to at least one of the layers constituting the film on the basis of the film thickness determined for this layer by the means for determining the film thickness in a state in which this layer has been formed as the uppermost layer.
- 14. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, which is characterized in that the second wavelength region includes a specified wavelength region in which the film is used, and the apparatus comprises means for determining the film thicknesses of the respective layers that are formed, means for judging whether or not the evaluation value of the deviation between the spectroscopic characteristics in the specified wavelength region measured by the second optical monitor in a state in which only some of the layers constituting the film have been formed and the spectroscopic characteristics calculated on the basis of the film thicknesses of these same layers determined by the means for determining the film thickness is within a specified permissible range, and means for stopping the film formation of layers subsequent to these layers in cases where it is judged by the judgement means that this evaluation value is not within the specified permissible range.
- 15. A method for manufacturing an optical member which has a substrate and an optical thin film consisting of a plurality of layers formed on top of this substrate, this method comprising a step in which the respective layers constituting the optical thin film are successively formed on the basis of set film thickness values for these respective layers, and a step in which the film thicknesses of the respective layers that are formed are determined on the basis of the spectroscopic characteristics measured by at least one optical monitor among a first optical monitor that measures the spectroscopic characteristics arising from the formed layers in a first wavelength region and a second optical monitor that measures the spectroscopic characteristics arising from the formed layers in a second wavelength region.
- 16. A method for manufacturing an optical member which has a substrate and an optical thin film consisting of a plurality of layers formed on top of this substrate, this method comprising a step in which the respective layers constituting the optical thin film are successively formed on the basis of set film thickness values for these respective layers, a step in which the film thicknesses of the respective layers that are formed are determined on the basis of the spectroscopic characteristics measured by a first optical monitor that measures the spectroscopic characteristics arising from the formed layers in a first wavelength region, and a step in which the set film thickness values or film formation conditions of the respective layers constituting the next optical thin film, which are used to form this next optical thin film on the next substrate, are determined on the basis of the spectroscopic characteristics for at least a portion of the wavelength region among the spectroscopic characteristics measured by a second optical monitor that measures the spectroscopic characteristics arising from the formed layers in a second wavelength region that differs from the first wavelength region in a state in which all of the layers constituting the optical thin film have been formed.
- 17. A method for manufacturing an optical member which has a substrate and an optical thin film consisting of a plurality of layers formed on top of this substrate, this method comprising a step in which the respective layers constituting the optical thin film are successively formed on the basis of set film thickness values for these respective layers, a step in which the film thicknesses of the respective layers that are formed are determined on the basis of the spectroscopic characteristics measured by a first optical monitor that measures the spectroscopic characteristics arising from the formed layers in a first wavelength region, and a step in which the set film thickness values or film formation conditions of the respective layers constituting the next optical thin film, which are used to form this next optical thin film on the next substrate, are determined on the basis of the respective spectroscopic characteristics for at least a portion of the wavelength region among the respective spectroscopic characteristics measured by a second optical monitor that measures the spectroscopic characteristics arising from the formed layers in a second wavelength region that differs from the first wavelength region in a state in which only some of the layers constituting the optical thin film have been formed and in a state in which all of the layers constituting the optical thin film have been formed.
- 18. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 15, which is characterized in that the method further comprises a step in which the set film thickness values of layers that are formed subsequent to at least one of the layers constituting the optical thin film are adjusted on the basis of the film thickness determined for this layer in the step in which the film thickness is determined in a state in which this layer has been formed as the uppermost layer.
- 19. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 15, which is characterized in that the first wavelength region is a wavelength region within the visible region, and the second wavelength region is a wavelength region within the infrared region.
- 20. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 19, which is characterized in that the optical thin film is used in a specified wavelength region within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region includes the specified wavelength region in which the optical thin film is used.
- 21. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 15, which is characterized in that the first and second wavelength regions are wavelength regions within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region is a partial wavelength region within the first wavelength region.
- 22. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 21, which is characterized in that the optical thin film is used in a specified wavelength region within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region includes the specified wavelength region in which the optical thin film is used.
- 23. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 16, which is characterized in that the method further comprises a step in which the set film thickness values of layers that are formed subsequent to at least one of the layers constituting the optical thin film are adjusted on the basis of the film thickness determined for this layer in the step in which the film thickness is determined in a state in which this layer has been formed as the uppermost layer.
- 24. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 16, which is characterized in that the first wavelength region is a wavelength region within the visible region, and the second wavelength region is a wavelength region within the infrared region.
- 25. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 24, which is characterized in that the optical thin film is used in a specified wavelength region within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region includes the specified wavelength region in which the optical thin film is used.
- 26. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 16, which is characterized in that the first and second wavelength regions are wavelength regions within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region is a partial wavelength region within the first wavelength region.
- 27. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 26, which is characterized in that the optical thin film is used in a specified wavelength region within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region includes the specified wavelength region in which the optical thin film is used.
- 28. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 17, which is characterized in that the method further comprises a step in which the set film thickness values of layers that are formed subsequent to at least one of the layers constituting the optical thin film are adjusted on the basis of the film thickness determined for this layer in the step in which the film thickness is determined in a state in which this layer has been formed as the uppermost layer.
- 29. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 17, which is characterized in that the first wavelength region is a wavelength region within the visible region, and the second wavelength region is a wavelength region within the infrared region.
- 30. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 29, which is characterized in that the optical thin film is used in a specified wavelength region within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region includes the specified wavelength region in which the optical thin film is used.
- 31. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 17, which is characterized in that the first and second wavelength regions are wavelength regions within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region is a partial wavelength region within the first wavelength region.
- 32. The method for manufacturing an optical member according to claim 31, which is characterized in that the optical thin film is used in a specified wavelength region within the infrared region, and the second wavelength region includes the specified wavelength region in which the optical thin film is used.
- 33. A method for manufacturing an optical member which has a substrate and an optical thin film consisting of a plurality of layers formed on top of this substrate, this method comprising a step in which the optical thin film is formed on the substrate using the film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 14.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2001-385613 |
Dec 2001 |
JP |
|
2002-319149 |
Oct 2002 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part- form PCT International Application No. PCT/JP02/13168 filed on Dec. 17, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/JP02/13168 |
Dec 2002 |
US |
Child |
10867631 |
Jun 2004 |
US |