Thin film forming method and system

Claim 2

A thin film forming method comprising the steps of: (a) preheating a plurality of base plates transferred form a loading chamber and placed at a first position in a transport room of a deposition chamber; (b) sequentially picking up said base plates one by one by a pick-up member in a state where the pick-up member holds a part of a picked-up base plate, and positioning said picked-up base plate at a second position in the transport room; (c) heating both surfaces of said picked-up base plate at said second position by heater elements facing the both surfaces of said picked-up base plate so that a temperature of said picked-up base plate becomes approximately equal to a predetermined temperature and a temperature distribution of the base plates at the first position is corrected; (d) moving said picked-up base plate from said second position in the transport room to a third position in a deposition room of the deposition chamber close to said second position; and (e) growing a thin film on a surface of said picked-up base plate at said third position in the deposition room.

Claim 3

A thin film forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step (c) comprises the step of (c-1) measuring the temperature of said picked-up base plate at said second position.

Claim 4

A thin film forming method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said step (c-1) comprises the steps of: detecting a thermal radiation ray emitted from said picked-up base plate; and detecting the temperature of said picked-up base plate on the basis of said thermal radiation ray detected by said step of detecting the thermal radiation ray.

Claim 5

A thin film forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step (e) comprises the step of growing the thin film on both the surface of said picked-up base plate by a sputtering process.

Claim 6

A thin film forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said base plates is a disk member, and said thin film is formed of a magnetic material.

Claim 7

A thin film forming system comprising: first heating means for preheating a plurality of base plates transferred from a loading chamber and placed in a first room of a deposition chamber; pick up means for sequentially picking up said base plates one by one by holding apart of a picked-up base plate and for placing said picked-up base plate at a predetermined waiting position in said first room; second heating means for heating both surfaces of said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting by heater elements facing the both surfaces of said picked-up base plate so that a temperature distribution of the base plates in the first room is corrected; temperature measuring means for directly measuring a temperature of said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position; control means for controlling said second heating means so that the temperature of said picked-up base plate measured by said temperature measuring means becomes approximately equal to a predetermined temperature; moving means for moving said picked-up base plate from said predetermined waiting position in said first room to a second room in the deposition chamber close to said first room; and thin film forming means for growing a thin film on a surface of said picked-up base plate in said second room of the deposition chamber.

Claim 8

A thin film forming system comprising: first heating means for preheating a plurality of base plates transferred from a loading chamber and placed in a first room of a deposition chamber; pick up means for sequentially picking up said base plates one by one by holding apart of a picked-up base plate and for placing said picked-up base plate at a predetermined waiting position in said first room; second heating means for heating both surfaces of said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting by heater elements facing the both surfaces of said picked-up base plate so that a temperature distribution of the base plates in the first room is corrected; temperature measuring means for directly measuring a temperature of said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position; control means for controlling said second heating means so that the temperature of said picked-up base plate measured by said temperature measuring means becomes approximately equal to a predetermined temperature; moving means for moving said picked-up base plate from said predetermined waiting position in said first room to a second room in the deposition chamber close to said first room; and thin film forming means for growing a thin film on a surface of said picked-up base plate in said second room of the deposition chamber.

Claim 9

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said moving means comprises arm means for receiving said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position and for rotating said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position in a state where said picked-up base plate is heated by said second heating means.

Claim 10

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said temperature measuring means comprises: a reflecting mirror which reflects a thermal radiation ray emitted from said base plate held at said predetermined waiting position; and detection means for detecting said thermal radiation ray reflected by said reflecting mirror and for generating an electrical signal from said thermal radiation ray detected by said detection means, said electrical signal being supplied to said control means.

Claim 11

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second heating position is provided near said predetermined waiting position.

Claim 12

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said temperature measuring means comprises: a reflecting mirror which reflects a thermal radiation ray emitted from said base plate held at said predetermined waiting position; detection means for detecting said thermal radiation ray reflected by said reflecting mirror and for generating an electrical signal from said thermal radiation ray detected by said detection means, said electrical signal being supplied to said control means; and wherein said control means comprises temperature control means for receiving said electrical signal supplied from said conversion means and for controlling said second heating means on the basis of said electrical signal so that the temperature of said base plate becomes approximately equal to said predetermined temperature.

Claim 13

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said thin film forming means comprises sputtering means for forming said thin film on the opposite surface of said base plate by sputtering.

Claim 14

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising means for maintaining said first room at a substantially vacuum state.

Claim 15

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said base plates is a disk member and said tin film comprises a magnetic material.

Claim 16

A thin film forming system comprising: conveyor means for transporting a holder holding a plurality of base plate from a loading chamber to a first room of a deposition chamber; first heating means for heating said plurality of base plates held by said holder so that temperature of said base plates respectively become approximately equal to a first predetermined temperature; first arm means for picking up said base plates from said holder one by one by holding a part of a picked-up base plate and for successively placing, one by one, said base plates at a predetermined waiting position in said first room; temperature measuring means for directly measuring the temperature of said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position; second arm means for receiving said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position and for placing said base plate in a second room of the deposition chamber close to said predetermined waiting position; second heating means, provided near said predetermined waiting position, for heating both surfaces of said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position by heater elements facing the both surfaces of said picked-up base plate so that a temperature distribution of the base plates in the first room is corrected; control means, coupled to said temperature measuring means and said second heating means, for controlling said second heating means on the basis of the temperature of said base plate measured by temperature measuring means so that the temperature of said picked-up base plate becomes approximately equal to a second predetermined temperature; and thin film forming means for growing a thin film on a surface of said picked-up base plate placed by said second arm means.

Claim 17

A thin film forming system comprising: conveyor means for transporting a holder holding a plurality of base plate from a loading chamber to a first room of a deposition chamber; first heating means for heating said plurality of base plates held by said holder so that temperature of said base plates respectively become approximately equal to a first predetermined temperature; first arm means for picking up said base plates from said holder one by one by holding a part of a picked-up base plate and for successively placing, one by one, said base plates at a predetermined waiting position in said first room; temperature measuring means for directly measuring the temperature of said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position; second arm means for receiving said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position and for placing said base plate in a second room of the deposition chamber close to said predetermined waiting position; second heating means, provided near said predetermined waiting position, for heating both surfaces of said picked-up base plate at said predetermined waiting position by heater elements facing the both surfaces of said picked-up base plate so that a temperature distribution of the base plates in the first room is corrected; control means, coupled to said temperature measuring means and said second heating means, for controlling said second heating means on the basis of the temperature of said base plate measured by temperature measuring means so that the temperature of said picked-up base plate becomes approximately equal to a second predetermined temperature; and thin film forming means for growing a thin film on a surface of said picked-up base plate placed by said second arm means.

Claim 18

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first temperature is equal to said second temperature.

Claim 19

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said temperature measuring means comprises: a reflecting mirror which reflects a thermal radiation ray emitted from said base plate held at said predetermined waiting position; and detection means for detecting said thermal radiation ray reflected by said reflecting mirror and for generating an electrical signal from said thermal radiation ray, said electrical signal being supplied to to said control means.

Claim 20

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said control means comprises means for controlling said second heating means on the basis of said electrical signal supplied from said detection means.

Claim 21

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said thin film forming means comprises sputtering means for forming said thin film on the opposite surface of said picked-up base plate by sputtering.

Claim 22

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said deposition chamber is a sputtering chamber.

Claim 23

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of said base plates is a disk member and said thin film comprises a magnetic material.

Claim 24

A thin film forming system as claimed in claim 14, further comprising means for maintaining said first room at a substantially vacuum state.

Claim 25

A thin film forming system comprising: first heating means for preheating a plurality of base plates transferred from a loading chamber and placed at a first position in a transport room of deposition chamber; pick up means for sequentially picking up said base plates one by one by holding a part of a picked-up base plate and positioning said picked-up base plate at a second position in the transport room; second heating means for heating both surfaces of said picked-up base plate at said second position by heater elements facing the both surfaces of said picked-up base plate so that a temperature of said picked-up base plate becomes approximately equal to a predetermined temperature and a temperature distribution of the base plates at the first position is corrected; moving means for moving said picked-up base plate from said second position to a third position in a deposition room of the deposition chamber close to said second position: and thin film forming means for forming a thin film on a surface of said picked-up base plate at said third position in the deposition room.

Claim 26

A thin film forming system comprising: first heating means for preheating a plurality of base plates transferred from a loading chamber and placed at a first position in a transport room of deposition chamber; pick up means for sequentially picking up said base plates one by one by holding a part of a picked-up base plate and positioning said picked-up base plate at a second position in the transport room; second heating means for heating both surfaces of said picked-up base plate at said second position by heater elements facing the both surfaces of said picked-up base plate so that a temperature of said picked-up base plate becomes approximately equal to a predetermined temperature and a temperature distribution of the base plates at the first position is corrected; moving means for moving said picked-up base plate from said second position to a third position in a deposition room of the deposition chamber close to said second position: and thin film forming means for forming a thin film on a surface of said picked-up base plate at said third position in the deposition room.