Disclosed is an apparatus for film formation by physical sputtering, which includes a vacuum chamber; a substrate platform arranged inside of the chamber, and provided thereon with a substrate to be formed with a film; a target material arranged inside of the chamber, and arranged opposite to the substrate; at least one square resistance meter, which is connected to the target material to real-timely measure an actual resistance value of the target material; an excitation source, which is used to bombard the target material for sputtering atoms of the target material; and a control system, which is connected to the square resistance meter. The apparatus for film formation by physical sputtering has a simple structure, can monitor the consumption of the target material in real time, effectively avoid damage of a backboard and abnormality of a product resulting from breakdown of the target material, and improve the quality of the product. Meantime, the use efficiency of the target material can be improved and thus the waste of the material, which would otherwise be caused by incomplete use of the target material, can be avoided.

A method comprises: forming a first layer stack on a first substrate by means of a multiplicity of coating processes, each coating process of which forms at least one layer of the first layer stack; detecting an optical spectrum of the first layer stack; determining correction information for at least one coating process of the multiplicity of coating processes using a model, wherein the model provides a right-unique mapping function between a deviation of the spectrum from a desired spectrum and the correction information; and changing at least one control parameter for controlling the at least one coating process of the multiplicity of coating processes using the correction information; and forming a second layer stack on the first or a second substrate by means of the multiplicity of coating processes using the changed control parameter, each coating process of which forms at least one layer of the second layer stack.

Implementations disclosed describe a system that includes a deposition chamber, a light source to produce an incident beam of light, wherein the incident beam of light is to illuminate a region of the deposition chamber, and a camera to collect a scattered light originating from the illuminated region of the deposition chamber, wherein the scattered light is to be produced upon interaction of the first incident beam of light with particles inside the illuminated region of the deposition chamber. The described system may optionally have a processing device, coupled to the camera, to generate scattering data for a plurality of locations of the illuminated region, wherein the scattering data for each location comprises intensity of the scattered light originating from this location.

A method of discriminating a state of a sputtering apparatus in which, by sputtering a target, a film is formed on a substrate disposed to lie opposite to the target, the discrimination being made, prior to the film formation on the substrate, as to whether an atmosphere in the vacuum chamber is in a state fit for film formation. As the sputtering apparatus, use is made of one provided inside the vacuum chamber with an isolated space which is isolated from the vacuum chamber by an isolating means (6, 7173), the isolated space being for the target and the substrate to lie therein opposite to each other, the sputtering apparatus being so arranged that the isolated space is evacuated accompanied by the evacuation in the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is evacuated to a predetermined set pressure and a gas is introduced therein in this state.

A method of discriminating a state of a sputtering apparatus in which, by sputtering a target, a film is formed on a substrate disposed to lie opposite to the target, the discrimination being made, prior to the film formation on the substrate, as to whether an atmosphere in the vacuum chamber is in a state fit for film formation. As the sputtering apparatus, use is made of one provided inside the vacuum chamber with an isolated space which is isolated from the vacuum chamber by an isolating means (6, 7173), the isolated space being for the target and the substrate to lie therein opposite to each other, the sputtering apparatus being so arranged that the isolated space is evacuated accompanied by the evacuation in the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is evacuated to a predetermined set pressure and a gas is introduced therein in this state.

A system and method for in-situ characterization of functional devices. The system comprises a vacuum chamber; a pump system coupled to the vacuum chamber for evacuation the vacuum chamber to near ultra high vacuum pressures of about 10.sup.?8 mbar or lower; a sample holder for a functional device based on nanostructured materials disposed inside the vacuum chamber and configured to provide electrical connection to the functional device for measuring electrical properties of the functional device; and a source system for exposing a surface/interface of the functional device to a modification species; whereby the system is configured to measure the electrical properties of the functional device in-situ upon the exposure to the modification species.

A system and method for in-situ characterization of functional devices. The system comprises a vacuum chamber; a pump system coupled to the vacuum chamber for evacuation the vacuum chamber to near ultra high vacuum pressures of about 10.sup.?8 mbar or lower; a sample holder for a functional device based on nanostructured materials disposed inside the vacuum chamber and configured to provide electrical connection to the functional device for measuring electrical properties of the functional device; and a source system for exposing a surface/interface of the functional device to a modification species; whereby the system is configured to measure the electrical properties of the functional device in-situ upon the exposure to the modification species.

One or more embodiments relates to a system and method for growing ultrasmooth and high quantum efficiency photocathodes. The method includes exposing a substrate of Si wafer to an alkali source; controlling co-evaporating growth and co-deposition forming a growth including Te; and monitoring a stoichiometry of the growth, forming the photocathodes.

One or more embodiments relates to a system and method for growing ultrasmooth and high quantum efficiency photocathodes. The method includes exposing a substrate of Si wafer to an alkali source; controlling co-evaporating growth and co-deposition forming a growth including Te; and monitoring a stoichiometry of the growth, forming the photocathodes.

A temperature measuring method and system for a thin film solar cell process device are provided. The method includes: sending a temperature measuring apparatus into a feeding chamber, a heating chamber, a process chamber, a cooling chamber and a discharging chamber of the thin film solar cell process device in sequence, and measuring and storing a current temperature of each heating zone in the heating chamber, the process chamber and the cooling chamber in sequence; and comparing the current temperature with a preset temperature, and adjusting a heating temperature of a heater of each heating zone in the heating chamber, the process chamber and the cooling chamber according to a comparison result.