1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a thin film on a substrate. The invention is important in the field of new functional devices, such as semiconductors, and superconductors.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technology for forming a thin film on a substrate or for coating a material surface with a film is now essential in the development of new functional devices, such as semiconductors metals, organic materials, composite materials and so forth. Various production processes and apparatuses involving physical vapor deposition such as vacuum deposition sputtering and so forth, chemical deposition such as chemical vapor deposition and so forth, flame coating, application and so forth, and apparatuses therefore have been developed.
In these production processes, there exist a variety of problems involving, for instance, the affinity between the materials to be formed into a thin film and the substrate, the physical and chemical stability of the thin film, controlling the film thickness and film quality and so forth. Such problems are becoming more and more severe as a function of the increasing variety of materials and the increasing complexity regarding the desired properties of the materials to be used.