CN112981332A

CN112981332A - Film forming method and film forming apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN112981332A
Application number: CN202011385928.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 竹见崇; 阿部可子
Original assignee: Canon Tokki Corp
Current assignee: Canon Tokki Corp
Priority date: 2019-12-02
Filing date: 2020-12-01
Publication date: 2021-06-18
Also published as: KR102486192B1; KR20210068997A; JP2021088731A; KR20230011443A

Abstract

The invention provides a film forming method and a film forming apparatus capable of suppressing generation of voids when a thin film is formed on a substrate surface on which a convex portion and a concave portion are formed. The film forming method is a film forming method for forming a film on a substrate (10) on which convex portions extending in a first direction and concave portions extending in the first direction are alternately formed along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and includes: a step of forming a thin film while conveying the substrate (10) in the second direction; a first etching step of irradiating the substrate (10) with a first etching beam while conveying the substrate (10) on which the thin film is formed in the second direction, and etching the substrate; and a second etching step of irradiating the substrate (10) with a second etching beam from a different irradiation direction from the first etching beam while conveying the substrate (10) irradiated with the first etching beam in the second direction.

Description

Film forming method and film forming apparatus

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a film formation method and a film formation apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate.

Background

Conventionally, a technique for forming a thin film on a substrate by sputtering or the like is known. However, when the substrate surface is provided with irregularities, a cavity called a void may be formed in the thin film to be formed. This point will be described with reference to fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate on which a thin film is formed by a film formation method of a conventional example.

The illustrated substrate 710 has a convex portion 711 and a concave portion 712 on its surface. Fig. 10(a) shows an initial state during the film formation process. As shown in this figure, the film 720a formed on the upper surface of the convex portion 711 is formed so that a part thereof protrudes toward the concave portion 712 side and covers it. Therefore, when the film formation process is directly performed, the void V is formed above the concave portion 712. Fig. 10(b) shows a state in which film formation is performed until the upper surface of the thin film 720b becomes substantially planar. If the voids V are formed in this manner, desired functions and qualities may not be obtained.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2015-529744

Patent document 2: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2012-67394

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The present invention aims to provide a film forming method and a film forming apparatus capable of suppressing the generation of voids when forming a thin film on a substrate surface on which a convex portion and a concave portion are formed.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention adopts the following means to solve the above problems.

That is, the film forming method of the present invention is a film forming method for forming a film on a substrate in which convex portions extending in a first direction and concave portions extending in the first direction are alternately formed along a second direction intersecting the first direction,

the film forming method includes:

forming a thin film while conveying the substrate in the second direction;

a first etching step of irradiating the substrate on which the thin film is formed with a first etching beam while conveying the substrate in the second direction, thereby performing etching; and

and a second etching step of irradiating the substrate with a second etching beam from a different irradiation direction from the first etching beam while conveying the substrate irradiated with the first etching beam in the second direction.

According to the present invention, even if the film thickness of the film formed in the film forming step is different at each position, the film thickness is reduced and thinned at the portion where the film thickness is thin by etching, and a portion of the reduced material adheres to and thickens at the portion where the film is thin. Further, since the irradiation directions of the first etching beam and the second etching beam are different, an effect of flattening the film surface can be obtained.

The film forming apparatus of the present invention is a film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate on which convex portions extending in a first direction and concave portions extending in the first direction are alternately formed along a second direction intersecting the first direction,

the film forming apparatus includes:

a chamber;

a film-forming material irradiation device that is provided in the chamber and irradiates a film-forming material toward the substrate;

a first etching device disposed in the chamber and configured to irradiate a first etching beam toward the substrate;

a second etching device disposed in the chamber and configured to irradiate a second etching beam in a different irradiation direction from the first etching beam; and

and a control device that controls the film forming material irradiation device, the first etching device, and the second etching device.

Effects of the invention

As described above, according to the present invention, when a thin film is formed on the surface of a substrate on which projections and recesses are formed, the generation of voids can be suppressed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of a film forming apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an etching operation of the film forming apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the film forming apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory view of an ion source according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is an explanatory view of the film forming method according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory view of the film forming method according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate on which a thin film is formed by the film formation apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of a film formation apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate on which a thin film is formed by a film formation method of a conventional example.

Description of the reference numerals

1 … film forming device; 10 … a substrate; 11 … protrusions; 12 … recess; 15 … substrate conveying device; 15a … holding member; 15b … support member; 15c … connecting member; 15d … rolling elements; 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d … film; 100 … stocker chamber; 111 … mounting table; 112 … guide rails; 121 … driving source; 122 … guide rails; 200 … air pressure switch chamber; 210 … guide rails; 221. a 222 … heater; 300 … process chamber; 300a … pretreatment area; 300b … film forming region; 300c … etching area; 301 … chamber; 302 … guide rails; 303 … exhaust pump; 304 … gas supply valve; 310 … a substrate processing apparatus; 320 … sputtering device; 330 … beam irradiation apparatus for etching; 331 … ion source; 331a … ion beam; 331a … beam for etching; 332 … cathode; 333 … beam irradiation surface; 334 … an anode; 335 … a permanent magnet; 336 … high voltage power supply; 337 … a motor; 338 … bearing; 340 … a first etching beam irradiation apparatus; 350 … second etching beam irradiating means; c … control device; f … holding surface; n … normal.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the following embodiments are merely exemplary of preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these configurations. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration and software configuration, the process flow, the manufacturing conditions, the dimensions, the materials, the shapes, and the like of the devices are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these.

(embodiment mode 1)

A film forming method and a film forming apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 8. Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of a film formation apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows a schematic configuration of the entire inside of the film formation apparatus as viewed from above. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an etching operation of the film forming apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the film forming apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows a schematic configuration of the vicinity of the apparatus in which the etching beam irradiation apparatus is installed, as viewed in the substrate conveyance direction. Fig. 5 is an explanatory view of an ion source as an etching beam irradiation apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view showing a beam irradiation surface of the ion source, (b) is an AA cross-sectional view in the drawing (a), and (c) is a graph showing an etching intensity in a longitudinal direction of an ion beam. Fig. 6 and 7 are explanatory views of the film forming method according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate on which a thin film is formed by the film formation apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[ Overall Structure of film Forming apparatus ]

In particular, the overall configuration of the film deposition apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1. The film forming apparatus 1 includes: a stocker chamber 100 for storing substrates 10 to be subjected to film formation; an air pressure switching chamber 200 for switching the chamber between an atmospheric state and a vacuum state; and a processing chamber 300 for performing various processes on the processing surface of the substrate 10.

The stocker chamber 100 serves to accommodate a plurality of substrate conveying devices 15 capable of conveying substrates 10 while holding the substrates. The stocker chamber 100 includes a mounting table 111 on which the plurality of substrate conveying devices 15 are mounted, and a driving mechanism for reciprocating the mounting table 111. The driving mechanism includes a driving source 121 such as a motor for rotating the ball screw, a guide rail 122 for regulating the moving direction of the mounting table 111, and the like. However, the driving mechanism for reciprocating the mounting table 111 is not limited to this configuration, and various known techniques can be employed. Further, the mounting table 111 is provided with a plurality of guide rails 112 for regulating the moving direction of the substrate transfer device 15.

The atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 plays a role of switching the chamber from the atmospheric state to the vacuum state at a stage before the substrate carrier device 15 carried in from the stocker chamber 100 in the atmospheric state is carried into the processing chamber 300 in the vacuum state. Further, the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 of the present embodiment is provided with

heaters

221 and 222 for heating the substrate 10. That is, depending on the material of the substrate 10, when the substrate is transported to the processing chamber 300 at normal temperature, various gases are generated from the substrate 10, and adverse effects are generated during film formation. Therefore, the substrate 10 is heated by the

heaters

221 and 222, and thus the gas is forcibly generated at an early stage, and the generation of the gas in the processing chamber 300 can be suppressed. Further, the air pressure switching chamber 200 is also provided with a guide rail 210 that regulates the movement direction of the substrate transfer device 15.

The processing chamber 300 includes a chamber 301 having a vacuum atmosphere therein and a guide rail 302 for regulating the movement direction of the substrate transfer device 15. Various known techniques can be applied to the mechanism for reciprocating the substrate transport device 15, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The processing chamber 300 is provided with a pretreatment region 300a, a film formation region 300b, and an etching region 300 c. The pre-processing area 300a is provided with a substrate processing apparatus 310 for performing a pre-processing such as cleaning of the processing surface of the substrate 10 before the film formation processing. In the film formation area 300b, a sputtering apparatus 320 is provided as a film forming material irradiation apparatus for performing a film forming process on the processing surface of the substrate 10. In the etching region 300c, an etching beam irradiation device 330 for etching a film formed on the substrate 10 by the sputtering device 320 is provided. The space at the front stage of the substrate processing apparatus 310 provided in the pre-processing area 300a is a space where the substrate transport apparatus 15 stands by before the pre-processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus 310 is performed. The film deposition apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to carry the substrate 10 while holding it, and perform a series of processes on the substrate 10, that is, a so-called tandem configuration.

[ operation of the entire film deposition apparatus ]

The film deposition apparatus 1 includes a control device C for controlling the substrate transport device 15 to transport the substrate 10, in addition to the drive mechanism for reciprocating the stage 111, the air pressure in the air pressure switching chamber 200, the

heaters

221 and 222, the air pressure in the processing chamber 300, the substrate processing device 310, the sputtering device 320, and the etching beam irradiation device 330. The following operations (film formation step, first etching step, second etching step, and the like) are executed under the control of the controller C. The control device C may be constituted by a computer having a processor, a memory, a storage device, an I/O, and the like, for example. In this case, the functions of the control device C are realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory or the storage device. As the computer, a general-purpose personal computer may be used, or an embedded computer or a PLC (programmable logic controller) may be used. Alternatively, a part or all of the functions of the control device C may be constituted by circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. The control device C may be configured to transmit a control command through a wire connected to various devices to be controlled, or may be configured to transmit a control command to various devices by radio. Hereinafter, the operation of the entire film deposition apparatus 1 will be described with reference to fig. 2.

[ preparation Process ]

In the stocker chamber 100, a plurality of substrate conveying devices 15 each holding a substrate 10 are housed. The substrate transfer device 15 holding the substrate 10 to be processed is transferred from the stocker chamber 100 to the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 (step S101). In the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200, a pressure reduction operation is performed, and the inside of the chamber is switched from an atmospheric state to a vacuum state. Further, the heating process to the substrate 10 is simultaneously performed depending on the material of the substrate 10 (step S102). For example, the substrate 10 is heated to about 100 to 180 ℃ by the heat treatment for about ten minutes. Then, the substrate 10 is transferred from the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 to the pretreatment area 300a of the treatment chamber 300 (step S103). In the pre-processing region 300a, the substrate processing apparatus 310 performs surface processing by ion beam irradiation on the processing surface of the substrate 10 (step S104).

[ film Forming Process ]

Next, the substrate 10 is transported to the film formation region 300b (step S105), and the sputtering apparatus 320 performs a sputtering process on the processing surface of the substrate 10 (step S106). The sputtering apparatus 320 is a known technique, and therefore, a detailed description thereof is omitted, but it includes a target or the like that discharges a film forming material by applying a high voltage. As the target, a flat plate-shaped target may be used, or a cylindrical target that is configured to be rotatable may be used.

[ etching Process ]

The substrate 10 subjected to the film formation process is transported to the etching region 300c (step S107), and is subjected to an etching process by the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 (step S108).

After the etching process is performed, the control device C determines whether the number of times of sputtering X reaches N (step S109), and if not, the substrate 10 returns to the film formation region 300b to perform the film formation process and the etching process again. In the present embodiment, the film formation process and the etching process are repeated a predetermined number of times N. In fig. 1, lower arrows T11, T21, T12, T22, …, T1X, and T2X indicate the moving step of the substrate 10 (substrate transport device 15). After repeating the film formation process and the etching process N times, the processed substrate 10 is transferred to the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200, switched from the vacuum state to the atmospheric state, and then carried out to the stocker chamber 100.

In the present embodiment, a configuration is shown in which the substrate transport device 15 is carried in and out in the stocker chamber 100 and the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 provided at one end side of the processing chamber 300. However, the stocker chamber 100 and the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 provided on one end side of the processing chamber 300 may be configured such that only the substrate transport device 15 is carried in, and the atmospheric pressure switching chamber for carrying out the substrate transport device 15 and the stocker chamber for storing the processed substrate 10 are provided on the other end side of the processing chamber 300.

The film formation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can be applied to various electrode formations accompanied by pretreatment, for example. Specific examples of the film formation include the formation of a seed-plated film for mounting an FC-BGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) substrate and the formation of a metal laminated film for a SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) device. Further, the conductive hard film in the bonding portion of the LED, the formation of a terminal portion film of an MLCC (Multi-Layered Ceramic Capacitor), and the like can be given. The present invention can also be applied to the formation of an electromagnetic shielding film in an electronic component package and the formation of a terminal portion film of a chip resistor. The size of the substrate 10 is not particularly limited, and in the present embodiment, a substrate 10 having a size of about 200mm × 200mm is used. The material of the substrate 10 is arbitrary, and for example, a substrate made of polyimide, glass, silicon, metal, or ceramic is used.

[ substrate processing apparatus and etching Beam irradiation apparatus ]

In particular, referring to fig. 3 and 4, the substrate processing apparatus 310 and the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 will be described. The basic structure of the substrate processing apparatus 310 and the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 is the same. That is, the substrate processing apparatus 310 and the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 are apparatuses for performing a process of cleaning or etching a surface (processing surface) of a substrate by ion beam irradiation. Since the basic configurations of both are the same as above, the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 will be described here.

The etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 includes an ion source 331 and a high-voltage power supply 336 for applying a voltage to the ion source 331. Fig. 4 also shows an ion beam 331a irradiated from the ion source 331. The etching beam irradiation device 330 of the present embodiment includes a variable mechanism that changes the irradiation direction of the etching beam (ion beam 331 a). More specifically, the ion source 331 includes a motor 337 for rotating the rotation axis thereof and a bearing 338 for the rotation axis. However, the variable mechanism is not limited to such a configuration, and various known techniques can be employed. In the case of the substrate processing apparatus 310, it is not necessary to provide such a variable mechanism. Of course, for some technical reasons, the substrate processing apparatus 310 may be provided with a variable mechanism for changing the irradiation direction of the ion beam.

The chamber 301 in the processing chamber 300 is an airtight container, and the inside thereof is maintained in a vacuum state (or a reduced pressure state) by an exhaust pump 303. By opening the gas supply valve 304 and supplying gas into the chamber 301, the atmosphere (or pressure zone) can be appropriately changed to an appropriate atmosphere for the process. The chamber 301 is electrically grounded as a whole. The substrate transfer device 15 is configured to be capable of holding the substrate 10 in a vertical posture so that the processing surface of the substrate 10 is along the vertical direction, and to move on a guide rail 302 laid on the bottom surface of the chamber 301. The guide rails 302 extend in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate 10, and the substrate conveyance device 15 is moved in the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate 10 by a drive mechanism, not shown.

The substrate transfer device 15 includes: a holding member (substrate holder) 15a for holding the substrate 10; a support member (transport carrier) 15b that supports the holding member 15 a; a connecting member 15c that mechanically connects the holding member 15a and the supporting member 15b while being electrically insulated; and rolling elements 15d provided at the lower end of the support member 15 b. The rolling bodies 15d roll on the guide rails 302, and the substrate carrier device 15 moves along the guide rails 302. Here, a surface on which the holding member 15a holds the substrate 10 is referred to as a holding surface F.

Fig. 3(a) shows the etching beam irradiation device 330 and the substrate transport device 15 in the step (first etching step) in which the substrate transport device 15 performs the etching process while moving in the directions of arrows T11, T12, and T1X in fig. 1. Fig. 3(b) shows the etching beam irradiation device 330 and the substrate transport device 15 in the step (second etching step) of performing the etching process by moving the substrate transport device 15 in the directions of arrows T21, T22, and T2X in fig. 1. The distance between the ion source 331 and the substrate 10 is set to about 100 to 200 mm. The high voltage power supply 336 is configured to apply an anode voltage (several kV) to the ion source 331.

[ ion Source ]

Referring specifically to FIG. 5, the ion source 331 is illustrated in greater detail. The ion source 331 includes a cathode 332, a beam irradiation surface 333, an anode 334, and a permanent magnet 335. In this embodiment, the cathode 332 also serves as a housing of the ion source 331. The cathode 332 and the anode 334 are respectively formed of SUS, and are electrically insulated from each other. The cathode 332 is electrically grounded by being fixed to the chamber 301. On the other hand, the anode 334 is connected to a high voltage power supply 336. In this configuration, when a high voltage is applied from the high voltage power supply 336 to the anode 334, the ion beam is emitted from an emission opening of the beam irradiation surface 333 provided in the housing (cathode 332). The ion source 331 is based on a principle of introducing a gas from the back side of the housing to generate ions inside the housing and a principle of ionizing an atmosphere gas existing outside the housing. In fig. 4, the latter case is shown, and gas is supplied into the chamber 301 by opening the gas supply valve 304. As the gas, argon, oxygen, nitrogen, or the like can be used.

The ion source 331 of the present embodiment has a beam irradiation surface 333 having an elongated shape (a line shape or a racetrack shape) of about 300 to 400mm × about 70mm so that the emission opening has a long side direction and a short side direction. The ion source 331 is disposed so that the longitudinal direction of the emission opening intersects the conveyance direction of the substrate 10. By using such a vertically long ion source 331, the ion beam is irradiated to the entire longitudinal direction (direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction) of the substrate 10. Therefore, the entire surface of the substrate 10 can be irradiated with the beam by 1 beam scan in the transport direction, and the surface treatment can be performed at high speed (productivity is improved).

Fig. 5(c) shows the etching strength of the ion beam emitted from the ion source 331 in the longitudinal direction. As shown in the figure, the intensity of the ion beam in the longitudinal direction is not uniform, and the intensity of the central portion is increased as indicated by a broken line L2 or decreased as indicated by a solid line L1 depending on the magnetic field design of the ion source 331. If the distribution of the etching strength as shown in fig. 5(c) is biased, the amount of etching varies, which is not preferable. Therefore, by using the beam irradiation surface 333 having a size of about 1.5 to 2 times as large as the substrate 10, the distribution of the etching strength can be made uniform.

[ procedure for surface treatment by substrate treatment apparatus ]

According to the substrate processing apparatus 310 configured as described above, when the substrate 10 is transferred to the pretreatment area 300a of the processing chamber 300, the control device C controls the high-voltage power supply to start the beam irradiation by the ion source. In this state, the controller C moves the substrate transfer device 15 at a constant speed to pass the substrate 10 through the ion beam. By such a method, the surface of the substrate 10 is irradiated with the ion beam, and the surface treatment (cleaning treatment) is performed on the front surface side of the substrate 10. By adopting such a configuration for beam scanning, the entire substrate can be processed with an ion beam having an irradiation range smaller than the area of the substrate 10, and therefore, the ion source can be downsized, and further, the entire apparatus can be downsized. Further, by adopting the configuration in which the substrate 10 is supported in such a posture that the processing surface of the substrate 10 is along the vertical direction and the ion beam is irradiated to the processing surface in the horizontal direction, the particles reduced by the etching fall down by the gravity and do not remain on the processing surface of the substrate 10, and therefore, there is an advantage that the occurrence of processing unevenness due to the remaining particles can be prevented.

[ film Forming Process and etching Process ]

The film forming step and the etching step will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 6 and 7 in particular. The film formation method and the film formation apparatus of the present embodiment are suitable for use when forming a thin film on the surface of a substrate 10 having linear convex portions 11 and concave portions 12 alternately formed on the surface side. That is, the film forming method and the film forming apparatus according to the present embodiment are suitable for use when forming a film on the substrate 10 in which the convex portions 11 extending in the first direction and the concave portions 12 extending in the first direction are alternately formed in the second direction intersecting the first direction. As described with reference to fig. 3, the etching step of the present embodiment includes a first etching step and a second etching step. In the film formation method of the present embodiment, film formation by the film formation step, etching by the first etching step, and etching by the second etching step are performed while the substrate 10 is conveyed in the direction (second direction) perpendicular to the direction (first direction) in which the convex portions 11 and the concave portions 12 extend.

Fig. 6(a) schematically shows a case where the substrate 10 is conveyed in these steps, and fig. (b) shows a case where the substrate 10 is conveyed in the film forming step. Fig. 7(a) shows a case where the substrate 10 is transferred in the first etching step, and fig. 7(b) shows a case where the substrate 10 is transferred in the second etching step. The substrate 10 in fig. 6(b) and 7 corresponds to the BB cross section in fig. 6. In fig. 6 and 7, the substrate transfer device 15 is omitted, and only the substrate 10 transferred by the substrate transfer device 15 is shown. In the following description, for convenience, the normal line of the holding surface F held by the holding member 15a holding the substrate 10 to be conveyed is referred to as "normal line N". The beam irradiated in the first etching step is referred to as a "first etching beam", and the beam irradiated in the second etching step is referred to as a "second etching beam".

The direction of irradiation of the substrate 10 with the film forming material in the film forming step is parallel to the normal N. Fig. 6(b) shows that the irradiation direction d1 of the film forming material irradiated from the sputtering apparatus 320 (target) toward the substrate 10 is parallel to the normal N. As shown in fig. 6(b), the film 20a formed in the first film forming step is formed so that the film thickness t1 of the film formed on the upper surface of the convex portion 11 is thicker than the film thickness t2 of the film formed on the upper surface of the concave portion 12, and a part of the film formed on the upper surface of the convex portion 11 protrudes toward the concave portion 12 side and covers it.

Then, the film formed in the film forming step is irradiated with a first etching beam to perform etching (see fig. 7 (a)). Then, the film etched by the first etching beam is irradiated with a second etching beam at an incident angle different from that of the first etching beam, thereby performing etching (see fig. 7 (b)). The first etching beam and the second etching beam will be described in more detail below.

The irradiation direction of the first etching beam and the irradiation direction of the second etching beam are both perpendicular to the direction in which the convex portion 11 and the concave portion 12 in the substrate 10 extend. Here, a plane parallel to the direction in which the convex portion 11 and the concave portion 12 in the substrate 10 extend, including the irradiation portion irradiated with the first etching beam and the second etching beam and the normal line N, is defined as an interface. Then, the first etching beam is irradiated from one of 2 regions divided across the interface, and the second etching beam is irradiated from the other of the 2 regions. For example, in fig. 7, the portion indicated by the arrow S is an irradiation portion, and a plane (interface) including the irradiation portion S and the normal line N and parallel to the direction in which the convex portion 11 and the concave portion 12 in the substrate 10 extend corresponds to the straight line T in the figure. In this case, it is understood that the first etching beam is irradiated from a region on the left side in the figure with respect to the straight line T corresponding to the interface (see fig. 7 a), and the second etching beam is irradiated from a region on the right side in the figure with respect to the straight line T corresponding to the interface (see fig. 7 b). In addition, an angle α on the acute angle side of angles at which the first etching beam intersects the normal N and an angle β on the acute angle side of angles at which the second etching beam intersects the normal N are both set to 10 ° or more and 75 ° or less. In addition, when both the cross-sectional shape of the convex portion 11 and the cross-sectional shape of the concave portion 12 are symmetrical with respect to the center thereof (the center of the width of the substrate 10 in the conveying direction), α ═ β is preferably set.

When the film is irradiated with an etching beam, the film is gradually cut in the irradiation direction of the beam. Therefore, the film 20a formed on the surface of the substrate 10 is reduced by the first etching beam around the left side vicinity of the portion formed on the upper surface of the convex portion 11 in fig. 7 (a). The film 20b in fig. 7(a) shows a state after the first etching step. The broken line L1 shown in the figure indicates the position of the surface of the film 20a after the film formation step. In addition, a part of the material cut by etching is attached to the film to become a part of the film. In this case, the material tends to adhere to a portion not irradiated with the etching beam, and thus the material tends to be thick due to the adhesion of a thin portion.

In the second etching step performed after the first etching step, the film 20b is cut by the second etching beam around the vicinity of the right side in the drawing of the portion formed on the upper surface of the convex portion 11 in fig. 7 (b). The film 20c in fig. 7(b) shows a state after the second etching step. In addition, a broken line L2 shown in the figure indicates the position of the surface of the film 20b after the first etching step. In this step, as in the case of the first etching step, a part of the material to be etched is attached to the film and becomes a part of the film.

[ Excellent points of the film deposition method and film deposition apparatus of the present embodiment ]

According to the film formation method and the film formation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, after film formation, by performing etching in the first etching step and the second etching step, a thick portion is reduced, a thin portion of the film is increased, and the film formation step and the etching step are repeated. Thereby, the surface of the film is flattened, and the film thickness of the entire film gradually becomes thicker. This can suppress the generation of voids. Further, by setting the number N of times of repeating the film formation process and the etching process to be constant or more, as shown in fig. 8, the film 20d having a planar upper surface can be formed.

Further, the incidence angle is different between the first etching beam in the first etching step and the second etching beam in the second etching step, and thus variation in reduction of the film due to etching can be suppressed. In particular, in the present embodiment, assuming that a plane including the irradiation portion irradiated with the etching beam and the normal N and parallel to the direction in which the convex portion 11 and the concave portion 12 of the substrate 10 extend is an interface, the first etching beam is irradiated from one of 2 regions divided by the interface, and the second etching beam is irradiated from the other of the 2 regions. This can effectively suppress variations in film reduction due to etching.

The etching beam irradiation device 330 of the present embodiment includes a variable mechanism that changes the irradiation direction of the etching beam (ion beam 331 a). Thereby, the first etching beam and the second etching beam are irradiated by the common etching beam irradiation device 330. Therefore, only one etching beam irradiation device 330 may be provided.

(embodiment mode 2)

Fig. 9 shows embodiment 2 of the present invention. In embodiment 1, a configuration in which the first etching beam and the second etching beam are irradiated by a common etching beam irradiation apparatus is shown. In contrast, in the present embodiment, a description will be given of a configuration in a case where a first etching beam irradiation device that irradiates a first etching beam and a second etching beam irradiation device that irradiates a second etching beam are provided separately. Since the basic configuration and operation are the same as those of embodiment 1, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

Fig. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the film formation apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, and shows a schematic configuration of the entire inside of the film formation apparatus when viewed from above. The film deposition apparatus 1 of the present embodiment also includes the stocker chamber 100, the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200, and the processing chamber 300, as in the case of embodiment 1. The configuration of the stocker chamber 100 and the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 is the same as that described in embodiment 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted. The processing chamber 300 is provided with a pretreatment region 300a, a film formation region 300b, a first etching region 300c, and a second etching region 300 d. The configurations of the substrate processing apparatus 310 provided in the pre-processing area 300a and the pre-processing area 300a, the film formation area 300b, and the sputtering apparatus 320 provided in the film formation area 300b are the same as those described in embodiment 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

Further, an etching beam irradiation device is provided in each of the first etching region 300c and the second etching region 300 d. The etching (first etching step) shown in fig. 7 a described in embodiment 1 is performed by the first etching beam irradiation device 340 provided in the first etching region 300c, and the etching (second etching step) shown in fig. 7 b described in embodiment 1 is performed by the second etching beam irradiation device 350 provided in the second etching region 300 d. In the case of the present embodiment, the substrate transport apparatus 15 performs the first etching step and the second etching step while moving in the directions of arrows T11, T12, and T1X in fig. 9. When the substrate transport apparatus 15 moves in the directions of arrows T21, T22, and T2X in fig. 9, the control device C controls the substrate transport apparatus so as not to irradiate the etching beam.

In the etching beam irradiation apparatus of the present embodiment, as in the case of embodiment 1, a configuration including a variable mechanism that varies the irradiation direction of the etching beam (ion beam) can be employed. However, in the case of this embodiment, etching is performed by different etching beam irradiation apparatuses in the first etching step and the second etching step. Therefore, it is only necessary to determine the irradiation direction of the ion beam irradiated from the etching beam irradiation apparatus in advance, and therefore the etching beam irradiation apparatus of the present embodiment may not include the variable mechanism unlike the case of embodiment 1.

The operation of the entire film deposition apparatus (preparation step, film deposition step, and etching step) is basically the same as that of embodiment 1 described above, except that the manner of movement of the substrate transfer apparatus 15 in the first etching step and the second etching step is different, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted. The configuration of the etching beam irradiation apparatus is the same as that of embodiment 1 except that the variable mechanism is not required, and therefore, a detailed description thereof is omitted. The positional (directional) relationships among the substrate 10, the first etching beam, and the second etching beam in the first etching step and the second etching step are the same as those in embodiment 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

As described above, the film forming method and the film forming apparatus according to the present embodiment can also provide the same effects as those of embodiment 1. In the case of this embodiment, although it is necessary to provide an etching beam irradiation device in each of the first etching region 300c and the second etching region 300d, it is not always necessary to provide a variable mechanism, and thus the device configuration can be simplified. In the present embodiment, the stocker chamber 100 and the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 provided on one end side of the processing chamber 300 may be configured to perform only the loading operation of the substrate transport device 15, and the atmospheric pressure switching chamber for loading and unloading the substrate transport device 15 and the stocker chamber for storing the processed substrates 10 may be provided on the other end side of the processing chamber 300.

(others)

In the above-described embodiments, the case where the first etching beam and the second etching beam are ion beams has been described. However, the etching beam is not limited to the ion beam, and a laser beam may be used. For example, the material of the film to be etched is an inorganic film (SiN or the like), an oxide film (SiO)₂ITO, etc.), and a metal film (Al, Cu, etc.), an ion beam (an ion beam generated from a rare gas such as Ar, Xe, etc.) is preferably used. On the other hand, when the material of the film to be etched is an organic film (organic compound or the like), a laser beam is preferably used. In the former case, the beam diameter is relatively large, whereas in the latter case, the beam diameter is relatively small. In addition, in the latter case, it is more effective if the photothermal conversion material is contained in the film or the base layer.

In addition, in embodiment 1, the configuration is shown in the case where the etching beam irradiation device includes a variable mechanism for changing the irradiation direction of the etching beam, and thereby the first etching beam and the second etching beam are irradiated by the etching beam irradiation device which is common. However, for example, the following structure may also be adopted: the substrate transfer device is provided with a mechanism for rotating the substrate 10, and the first etching beam and the second etching beam are irradiated by a common etching beam irradiation device by changing the orientation of the substrate 10. Further, the following structure may be adopted: by providing a mechanism for varying the inclination of the substrate transfer apparatus itself and changing the orientation of the substrate 10, the first etching beam and the second etching beam are irradiated by a common etching beam irradiation apparatus.

Claims

1. A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate having convex portions extending in a first direction and concave portions extending in the first direction alternately formed along a second direction intersecting the first direction,

the film forming method includes:

forming a thin film while conveying the substrate in the second direction;

2. The film forming method according to claim 1,

in the first etching step and the second etching step, a direction of carrying the substrate is reversed.

3. The film forming method according to claim 1 or 2,

the irradiation direction of the first etching beam and the irradiation direction of the second etching beam are both perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The film forming method according to claim 1 or 2,

assuming that a plane parallel to the first direction including a normal line of an irradiation part irradiated with the first etching beam and the second etching beam and a holding surface held by a holding member holding a substrate to be transported is a boundary plane,

the first etching beam is irradiated from one of 2 regions divided by the interface, and the second etching beam is irradiated from the other of the 2 regions.

5. The film forming method according to claim 4,

an angle on an acute angle side of angles at which the first etching beam intersects the normal line and an angle on an acute angle side of angles at which the second etching beam intersects the normal line are both 10 ° or more and 75 ° or less.

6. The film forming method according to claim 4,

the direction of irradiating the substrate with the film forming material in the film forming step is parallel to the normal line.

7. The film forming method according to claim 1 or 2,

the first etching beam and the second etching beam are ion beams or laser beams.

8. A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate having convex portions extending in a first direction and concave portions extending in the first direction alternately formed along a second direction intersecting the first direction,

the film forming apparatus includes:

a chamber;

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8,

the film forming apparatus includes a substrate carrying device for carrying the substrate,

the control device also performs transfer control by the substrate transfer device.

10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 9,

the chamber is provided with a region provided with the film forming material irradiation device and a region provided with the first etching device and the second etching device, and the substrate is transported to each region by the substrate transport device.

11. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, 9 or 10,

the first etching apparatus and the second etching apparatus are configured as a common etching apparatus, and the film formation apparatus includes a variable mechanism that varies an irradiation direction of the first etching beam or an irradiation direction of the second etching beam, or both of the irradiation direction of the first etching beam and the irradiation direction of the second etching beam.

12. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, 9 or 10,

the etching apparatus includes a first etching apparatus for irradiating the first etching beam and a second etching apparatus for irradiating the second etching beam.

13. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, 9 or 10,

the control device performs control for repeatedly operating the film forming material irradiation device, the first etching device, and the second etching device a predetermined number of times.