Process and apparatus for forming thin films of metallic compounds

摘要

A process of forming films of metallic compounds on a substrate is disclosed, which essentially comprises producing a sputtered ultra-thin film and transforming this film into one of a metallic compound such as a metal oxide by exposing it to a reactive gas plasma. This operation is repeated until the resulting film product gains a desired thickness. An apparatus for carrying the process into practice is also disclosed, which comprises a sputtering electrode in a film-forming zone for producing a sputtered film of metal or metallic compound and a plasma generator in a plasma exposure zone to which the sputtered film is exposed to transform into one of a metallic compound. The two zones are respectively shielded against mutual interference.