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  Thin film forming apparatus and thin film forming methodUSPTO Application #: 20050230035Title: Thin film forming apparatus and thin film forming method Abstract: Apparatus for forming a thin film pattern on the surface of a substrate. This apparatus is provided with: a transfer member having a thin film carrying surface which carries a thin film pattern; and a thin film transfer mechanism for joining the transfer member to a substrate for transferring, to the substrate, the thin film pattern on the thin film carrying surface. The thin film pattern may be a wiring film pattern. A gelatinous film may previously be formed on the substrate, and the thin film pattern may be transferred as embedded in the gelatinous film. (end of abstract)
Agent: Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen - New York, NY, US Inventors: Tsutomu Ueyama, Izuru Iseki USPTO Applicaton #: 20050230035 - Class: 156230000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Adhesive Bonding And Miscellaneous Chemical Manufacture, Methods, Surface Bonding And/or Assembly Therefor, Direct Contact Transfer Of Adhered Lamina From Carrier To Base The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050230035. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to thin film forming apparatus for and thin film forming method of forming a thin film pattern or a plurality of thin films on a surface of any of a variety of substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a liquid-crystal-display-panel, a glass substrate for a plasma-display-panel, a photo mask substrate, a print-circuit board and the like. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] A damascene method is known as an example of the method of forming a metallic wiring such as a copper wiring or the like on a surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as wafer). FIGS. 11A to 11D show a wiring forming process according to the damascene method. [0005] Formed on the wafer 1 is an insulating film 2, on which there are pattern-formed resists 3 having openings 3a corresponding to a metallic wiring pattern to be formed (FIG. 11A). With the use of the resists 3 as masks, etching is conducted, thus forming, in the insulating film 2, openings or recess portions 2a corresponding to the wiring pattern to be formed (FIG. 11B). [0006] Then, a wiring metallic film 4 is formed all over the surface of the wafer 1 in such thickness that the openings or recess portions 2a are entirely buried (FIG. 11C). Then, according to a CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) method, the metallic film 4 is ground or polished until the surface of the insulating film 2 is exposed. This forms metallic wiring patterns 4W embedded in the openings or recess portions 2a in the insulating film 2 as shown in FIG. 11D. [0007] However, the wiring forming process above-mentioned requires not only patterning with photolithography applied to the insulating film 2 on the wafer 1, but also grinding or polishing the entire surface of the wiring metallic film 4 according to the CMP method. This makes the process complicated, disadvantageously increasing the wiring pattern forming cost. [0008] On the other hand, a transfer method is known as an example of the method of forming an interlayer insulating film on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. According to this transfer method, another sheet different from the semiconductor wafer is coated at its surface with an interlayer insulating film material, thus forming a coated film. This sheet having the coated film formed thereon and the semiconductor wafer are laminated on each other. Then, only the sheet is separated from the semiconductor wafer, thus transferring the coated film from the sheet to the semiconductor wafer. [0009] The use of the thin film forming method according to this transfer method, can eliminate the problem of voids encountered with forming of an SOG (Spin On Glass) layer with the use of a spin-coater. Further, a flat interlayer insulating film can be formed without a flattening processing such as a CMP method or the like. [0010] In a recent semiconductor integrated circuit having a complicated arrangement, however, a number of thin films are formed on the surface of the substrate as typically seen in the case where multi-layer wirings are formed on a semiconductor substrate. In such a case, when there is used the prior art above-mentioned in which only one-type thin film is transferred, at one time, from the sheet to the semiconductor wafer, it is required to execute the transferring processing many times. This complicates the production process, thus disadvantageously increasing the semiconductor production cost. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] It is a first object of the present invention to provide a thin film forming apparatus capable of forming a thin film pattern on a substrate with a simple and economical process. [0012] It is a second object of the present invention to provide a thin film forming method capable of forming a thin film pattern on a substrate with a simple and economical process. [0013] It is a third object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of forming a thin film pattern on a substrate with a simple and economical process. [0014] It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a thin film forming apparatus capable of transferring a plurality of thin films to a substrate with a fewer number of transfer times, thereby simplifying the process to accordingly reduce the thin film forming processing cost. [0015] It is a fifth object of the present invention to provide a thin film forming method capable of transferring a plurality of thin films to a substrate with a fewer number of transfer times, thereby simplifying the process to accordingly reduce the thin film forming processing cost. [0016] A first thin film forming apparatus according to the present invention, is arranged to form a thin film pattern on the surface of a substrate, and comprises: a transfer member having a thin film carrying surface which carries a thin film pattern; and a thin film transfer mechanism for joining the transfer member and a substrate to each other for transferring, to the substrate, the thin film pattern on the thin film carrying surface. [0017] A first thin film forming method according to the present invention, is arranged to form a thin film pattern on the surface of a substrate, and comprises the steps of: forming a thin film pattern on a thin film carrying surface of a transfer member; and joining the transfer member and a substrate to each other for transferring, to the substrate, the thin film pattern on the thin film carrying surface. [0018] The substrate may be a substrate on which a fine wiring pattern or device is to be formed. Examples of the substrate include a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate for a liquid-crystal-display-panel, a glass substrate for a plasma-display-panel, a print-circuit board and the like. [0019] The thin film pattern formed on the substrate surface may be a wiring film pattern. This wiring film pattern may be a sunken wiring film pattern to be embedded in a film (insulating film or the like) formed on the substrate. [0020] For example, provision may be made such that a gelatinous film (insulating film or the like) is previously formed on the substrate, and that the substrate and the transfer member are joined to each other to transfer, to the substrate, the thin film pattern (wiring film pattern or the like) on the transfer member so that the thin film pattern is embedded in the gelatinous film thereon. [0021] The transfer member may be provided on a surface thereof with a recess portion and a projecting portion, and the thin film carrying surface may be formed on the surface of the projecting portion. [0022] The transfer member may have a flat surface and the thin film pattern may be formed on a predetermined area of the flat surface. Continue reading... Full patent description for Thin film forming apparatus and thin film forming method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Thin film forming apparatus and thin film forming method patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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