Thin film-forming method and thin film-forming apparatus therefor

Abstract

Disclosed is a thin film-forming apparatus comprising a coating liquid feed means 6 for feeding a thin film-forming coating liquid onto a surface of a transfer roll 2, a transfer means 4 including the transfer roll 2 a surface of which is coated with the thin film-forming coating liquid fed from the coating liquid feed means to form a transfer thin film 8, and a substrate conveying means 16 for continuously conveying a substrate 9 under the transfer roll, a surface of said substrate 9 to be provided with a thin film, wherein the transfer means is so fabricated that the transfer roll surface having the transfer thin film thereon is closely contacted with the surface of the substrate conveyed by the substrate conveying means, to transfer the transfer thin film formed on the transfer roll surface to the substrate surface. Also disclosed is a thin film-forming method using the thin film-forming apparatus. By the apparatus and the method, formation of a planar thin film on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer can be carried out continuously, stably and at a low cost, and quality lowering of the thin film and property change thereof with time caused by adherence of impurities to the thin film or contamination of the thin film with impurities are avoidable. Moreover, the apparatus and the method are applicable to large-sized substrates.