Thin film forming apparatus and thin film forming method

Abstract

With a thin film bearing surface of a substrate directed toward an insulation film which is formed on a surface of a quartz plate, the substrate and the quartz plate are moved closer to each other and the insulation film is tightly adhered to the thin film bearing surface (adhering process). The quartz plate alone is then selectively peeled off, thereby completing transfer of the insulation film onto the substrate (peeling process). In this manner, the insulation film is disposed on the thin film bearing surface of the substrate, and a transportation mechanism then houses the substrate in a substrate cassette. Meanwhile, after the quartz plate is transported by the transportation mechanism to a cleaning unit and cleaned by the cleaning unit (cleaning process), the quartz plate is returned to a plate-like member cassette and waits in this cassette until reused next time.

1 - 11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . A thin film forming method for forming a thin film onto a thin film bearing surface of a substrate, said method comprising: 
 a coating step of forming a thin film onto a plate-like member which is non-flexible;    an adhering step of tightly adhering said thin film to said thin film bearing surface; and    a peeling step of releasing the joining of said thin film and said plate-like member after said adhering step and thereby peeling off said plate-like member,    wherein said plate-like member is a quartz plate.    
   
   
       13 . The thin film forming method of  claim 12 , further comprising a drying step of drying said thin film which is formed onto said plate-like member in advance of said adhering step.  
   
   
       14 . The thin film forming method of  claim 13 , wherein drying of said thin film finishes when said thin film is half dried.  
   
   
       15 . The thin film forming method of  claim 12 , wherein said adhering step comprises the substeps of: directing said thin film bearing surface of said substrate toward said thin film; and moving at least one of said plate-like member and said substrate closer toward the other to thereby tightly adhere said thin film to said thin film bearing surface.  
   
   
       16 . The thin film forming method of  claim 12 , wherein a temperature difference is created between said thin film and said plate-like member to thereby releases the joining of said thin film and said plate-like member.  
   
   
       17 . The thin film forming method of  claim 12 , wherein the joining of said thin film and said plate-like member is released under an ozone atmosphere.  
   
   
       18 . The thin film forming method of  claim 12 , further comprising a cleaning step of cleaning said plate-like member after said peeling step.  
   
   
       19 . The thin film forming method of  claim 18 , wherein said cleaning step comprises the substeps of: holding said plate-like member within a processing chamber; supplying cleaning liquid for cleaning said plate-like member into said processing chamber; and thereafter supplying gas for drying said plate-like member into said processing chamber.  
   
   
       20 . The thin film forming method of  claim 12 , further comprising a unloading step of unloading said plate-like member on which said thin film is formed in said coating step from a plate-like member cassette.  
   
   
       21 . The thin film forming method of  claim 18 , further comprising a housing step of housing said plate-like member in a plate-like member cassette after said cleaning step.  
   
   
       22 . A thin film forming method for forming a thin film onto a thin film bearing surface of a substrate, said method comprising: 
 a coating step of forming a thin film onto a plate-like member which is non-flexible;    an adhering step of tightly adhering said thin film to said thin film bearing surface;    a peeling step of releasing the joining of said thin film and said plate-like member after said adhering step and thereby peeling off said plate-like member; and    a cleaning step of cleaning said plate-like member after said peeling step.    
   
   
       23 . The thin film forming method of  claim 22 , further comprising a drying step of drying said thin film which is formed onto said plate-like member in advance of said adhering step.  
   
   
       24 . The thin film forming method of  claim 23 , wherein drying of said thin film finishes when said thin film is half dried.  
   
   
       25 . The thin film forming method of  claim 22 , wherein said adhering step comprises the substeps of: directing said thin film bearing surface of said substrate toward said thin film; and moving at least one of said plate-like member and said substrate closer toward the other to thereby tightly adhere said thin film to said thin film bearing surface.  
   
   
       26 . The thin film forming method of  claim 22 , wherein a temperature difference is created between said thin film and said plate-like member to thereby releases the joining of said thin film and said plate-like member.  
   
   
       27 . The thin film forming method of  claim 22 , wherein the joining of said thin film and said plate-like member is released under an ozone atmosphere.  
   
   
       28 . The thin film forming method of  claim 22 , wherein said cleaning step comprises the substeps of: holding said plate-like member within a processing chamber; supplying cleaning liquid for cleaning said plate-like member into said processing chamber; and thereafter supplying gas for drying said plate-like member into said processing chamber.  
   
   
       29 . The thin film forming method of  claim 22 , further comprising a unloading step of unloading said plate-like member on which said thin film is formed in said coating step from a plate-like member cassette.  
   
   
       30 . The thin film forming method of  claim 22 , further comprising a housing step of housing said plate-like member in a plate-like member cassette after said cleaning step.