CN113728123A

CN113728123A - Sputtering device

Info

Publication number: CN113728123A
Application number: CN202080030081.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 久保田清
Original assignee: Nissin Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nissin Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-04-26
Filing date: 2020-04-27
Publication date: 2021-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 2040-04-27
Also published as: TWI742632B; WO2020218598A1; CN113728123B; KR20210143832A; JP7172839B2; JP2020183550A; TW202039901A

Abstract

The invention makes the pressure of the gas supplied to the target uniform in the film forming chamber, and improves the uniformity of the thin film formed on the substrate. In a sputtering device (1), in any one of two adjacent targets (30) among a plurality of targets (30), an antenna (20) is disposed in a predetermined first positional relationship with respect to a first space (S1) formed between the two targets (30), and the antenna (20) is disposed in a predetermined second positional relationship with respect to a gas inlet (41) and a gas outlet (51) disposed in the first space (S1).

Description

Sputtering device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sputtering apparatus.

Background

As a conventional technique, a sputtering apparatus configured as follows is known: a magnetic field is formed on the surface of the target to generate plasma, and ions in the plasma collide with the target, whereby sputtered particles fly out of the target. As such a sputtering apparatus, for example, a sputtering apparatus disclosed in patent document 1 can be cited.

The sputtering apparatus disclosed in patent document 1 includes a target apparatus in which two adjacent targets are set as one set, and a voltage is applied between the targets of the one set. The target device has a partition wall disposed to face a side surface of the pair of targets, a gas inlet is formed between the partition wall and the targets, and a main exhaust port is formed in a bottom surface of the vacuum chamber. The reaction gas introduced from the gas inlet passes through the space between the targets and is discharged from the main exhaust port.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 4 (published 3/14/2013) 49884 (Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2013)

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the sputtering apparatus disclosed in patent document 1, a gas inlet is formed between the partition wall and the target, but a gas inlet is not formed between a pair of targets. In addition, a main exhaust port is formed between a pair of targets, but the main exhaust port is not formed between the partition wall and the targets.

Therefore, the sputtering apparatus disclosed in patent document 1 has the following problems: the pressure of the gas supplied to the target cannot be sufficiently made uniform in the vacuum chamber, and the thin film formed on the substrate cannot be sufficiently made uniform. An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to improve uniformity of a thin film formed on a substrate by making uniform the pressure of a gas supplied to a target in a film forming chamber.

Means for solving the problems

In order to solve the problem, a sputtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a vacuum container having a film forming chamber for accommodating a substrate formed therein; a plurality of antennas provided to face the substrate and generating plasma; and a plurality of targets which are provided on the side opposite to the substrate side with respect to the plurality of antennas, and which are targets of sputtering; the film forming chamber is provided with a plurality of gas inlet ports for introducing gas into the film forming chamber and a plurality of gas outlet ports for discharging gas from the film forming chamber, and any two adjacent targets among the plurality of targets are arranged with the antenna in a predetermined first positional relationship with respect to a first space formed between the two targets and are arranged with the antenna in a predetermined second positional relationship with respect to the gas inlet ports and the gas outlet ports arranged in the first space.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pressure of the gas supplied to the target can be made uniform in the film forming chamber, and the uniformity of the thin film formed on the substrate can be improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing the structure of a sputtering apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inside of the sputtering apparatus shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the structure of a sputtering apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the inside of the sputtering apparatus shown in fig. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the inside of a modification of the sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

Detailed Description

[ embodiment 1]

< Structure of sputtering apparatus 1 >

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a structure of a sputtering apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inside of the sputtering apparatus 1 shown in fig. 1. Specifically, fig. 2 is a plan view of the inside of the sputtering apparatus 1 as viewed from the direction from the substrate W toward the antenna 20 in fig. 1. In fig. 2, the substrate holding section 70, the vacuum evacuation apparatus 81, and the vacuum evacuation apparatus 91 are omitted. In fig. 1 to 5, the members having the same shapes as those in the drawings are not numbered.

As shown in fig. 1, the sputtering apparatus 1 includes: a vacuum chamber 10, a plurality of antennas 20, a plurality of targets 30, a plurality of target holding portions 31, a plurality of gas introduction pipes 40, an exhaust plate 50, a plurality of insulating portions 60, a substrate holding portion 70, a vacuum exhaust device 81, and a vacuum exhaust device 91.

The sputtering apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a film on a substrate W by sputtering a target 30 using an inductively coupled plasma. Here, the substrate W is, for example, a glass substrate for a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic Electroluminescence (EL) display, a flexible substrate for a flexible display, or the like.

The vacuum chamber 10 is a chamber that is evacuated and supplied with gas. The vacuum chamber 10 is a chamber in which a film forming chamber 11 for accommodating the substrate W is formed. The film forming chamber 11 is formed by being surrounded by the side wall 12 of the vacuum chamber 10, the bottom surface 13 of the vacuum chamber 10, the substrate holding portion 70, the plurality of targets 30, and the plurality of gas introduction pipes 40. The film forming chamber 11 is provided with a plurality of gas inlets 41 and a plurality of gas outlets 51. The gas inlet 41 and the gas outlet 51 will be described later.

Each of the plurality of antennas 20 is an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) antenna that is disposed in the film forming chamber 11 so as to face the substrate W and generates Plasma. Specifically, the plurality of antennas 20 are arranged in parallel on the same plane along the front surface of the substrate W in the film forming chamber 11. For example, the plurality of antennas 20 are arranged substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate W.

The portion of each antenna 20 located inside the vacuum chamber 10 is covered with a straight tubular insulating cover 21. As shown in fig. 2, the antennas 20 are straight in plan view and have the same configuration. Here, the plane view means a view from the substrate W toward the antenna 20.

The targets 30 are provided on the opposite side of the substrate W with respect to the antennas 20, and are targets of sputtering. Each target 30 is a flat plate-like target formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and is made of an oxide semiconductor material such as InGaZnO, for example. Each target holding portion 31 holds a target 30 so as to face the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 70. The target holding portion 31 is provided on the exhaust plate 50 on the side opposite to the side facing the substrate W via an insulating portion 60 having a vacuum sealing function.

As shown in fig. 2, each of the plurality of gas introduction pipes 40 extends in the same direction as the extending direction D1 of the antenna 20. Each gas introduction pipe 40 is connected to an intermediate pipe 100 extending in the same direction as the direction D2 in which the plurality of gas introduction pipes 40 are arranged, via a connection pipe 101. That is, the connection pipe 101 connects each gas introduction pipe 40 to the intermediate pipe 100. The size of the plurality of gas introduction pipes 40 may be appropriately determined according to the amount of gas to be introduced into the film forming chamber 11.

The intermediate pipe 100 is connected to a gas supply mechanism 110 at a central portion in the direction D2. Gas supply means 110 for supplying O₂(oxygen) or N₂A mixed gas of a reactive gas such as (nitrogen) and a sputtering gas such as Ar (argon) is supplied into the intermediate pipe 100. The mixed gas supplied to the inside of the intermediate pipe 100 is supplied to the inside of the gas introduction pipe 40 through the connection pipe 101. The mixed gas supplied to the inside of the gas introduction pipe 40 is introduced from the gas introduction port 41 toward the substrate W side of the target 30 in the film forming chamber 11.

The gas supply mechanism 110 may supply only the reactive gas to the inside of the intermediate pipe 100. In this case, the reactive gas supplied to the inside of the intermediate pipe 100 passes through the connection pipe 101 and is supplied to the inside of the gas introduction pipe 40. The reactive gas supplied to the inside of the gas introduction pipe 40 is introduced from the gas introduction port 41 toward the substrate W side of the target 30 in the film forming chamber 11.

In the case where the gas supply mechanism 110 supplies only the reactive gas to the inside of the intermediate pipe 100, a gas inlet (not shown) for introducing the sputtering gas into the film forming chamber 11 may be formed in the side wall 12 of the vacuum chamber 10. In this case, a gas supply mechanism (not shown) for supplying a sputtering gas introduces the sputtering gas into the film forming chamber 11 from the gas inlet. The gas supply mechanism is connected to the vacuum chamber 10.

The plurality of gas introduction pipes 40 are arranged to extend in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the plurality of targets 30 in a plan view. Each gas introduction pipe 40 is formed with a plurality of gas introduction ports 41 for introducing gas into the film forming chamber 11. The shape of the plurality of gas introduction ports 41 is preferably circular, but is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, triangular or quadrangular.

The direction in which the plurality of gas introduction ports 41 are arranged is the same as the extending direction of the plurality of antennas 20, and the plurality of gas introduction ports 41 are formed along the antennas 20. According to the above configuration, the gas introduced into the film forming chamber 11 is uniformly supplied to the antenna 20. Therefore, the plasma generated by the antenna 20 is uniformly diffused on the surface of the target 30, and therefore, the uniformity of the thin film formed on the substrate W can be improved in the film forming chamber 11.

The exhaust plate 50 is provided on the side of the gas introduction pipe 40 opposite to the substrate W side, and has a plurality of gas exhaust ports 51 for exhausting the gas in the film forming chamber 11. The targets 30 and the gas introduction pipes 40 are alternately arranged on the exhaust plate 50. The plurality of gas exhaust ports 51 are formed along the extending direction of the gas introduction pipe 40, and are formed on both sides of the gas introduction pipe 40.

As shown in fig. 2, the total opening area of the plurality of gas outlets 51 is larger than the total opening area of the plurality of gas inlets 41. Thus, the gas can be exhausted from the film forming chamber 11 to the outside more preferentially than the gas introduced into the film forming chamber 11. Therefore, the pressure in the film forming chamber 11 can be maintained appropriately by securing the differential pressure between the pressure in the film forming chamber 11 and the pressure in the exhaust chamber 15.

Further, the gas exhaust port 51 is formed in the second space S2 on the side opposite to the side communicating with the film forming chamber 11 so that the gas is exhausted through the second space S2 formed between the gas introduction pipe 40 and the target 30 and the target holding portion 31.

According to the above configuration, the gas introduced from the gas introduction port 41 is discharged through the second space S2 formed between the gas introduction pipe 40 and the target 30 and the target holder 31, and therefore the gas is uniformly distributed in the film forming chamber 11. This improves the uniformity of the thin film formed on the substrate W in the film forming chamber 11. The gas exhaust port 51 may be formed on the opposite side of the space between the sidewall 12 of the vacuum chamber 10 and the gas introduction pipe 40 from the side communicating with the film forming chamber 11.

Here, in any of two adjacent targets 30 among the plurality of targets 30, the antenna 20 is disposed in a predetermined first positional relationship with respect to the first space S1 formed between the two targets 30. The antenna 20 is disposed in a predetermined second positional relationship with respect to the gas inlet 41 and the gas outlet 51 disposed in the first space S1.

According to the above configuration, in any one of the two adjacent targets 30, the positional relationship between the antenna 20 and the target 30, the gas introduction port 41, and the gas exhaust port 51 is fixed. Therefore, the pressure of the gas supplied to the target 30 can be made uniform in the film forming chamber 11. This improves the uniformity of the thin film formed on the substrate W.

Specifically, the utilization efficiency of the gas can be improved, and the uniformity of the thickness and quality of the thin film formed on the substrate W can be improved. Here, a case where the target 30 is an oxide semiconductor material such as InGaZnO is particularly considered.

In this case, when the oxygen partial pressure is controlled, when the oxygen partial pressure is changed as a multilayer structure, or when a thin film having a crystal structure is formed on the substrate W, the pressure of the gas supplied to the target 30 becomes uniform. This makes it possible to make the specific resistance and crystallinity of the thin film formed on the substrate W extremely uniform. In addition, the partial pressure of the reactive gas in the direction D2 can be made uniform for all targets 30.

Further, the first positional relationship is a positional relationship in which the distance between the antenna 20 and each of two adjacent targets 30 among the plurality of targets 30 is the same, and the second positional relationship is a positional relationship in which the antenna 20 faces the gas inlet 41 and the gas outlet 51. According to this configuration, the pressures of the gases supplied to the two adjacent targets 30 can be made uniform.

Preferably, the second positional relationship is a positional relationship in which the gas introduction port 41 is arranged on a straight line passing through the antenna 20 in a direction parallel to a direction from the substrate W toward the antenna 20. Thus, the gas introduced from the gas inlet 41 can be supplied to the target 30 through the antenna 20.

The substrate holding unit 70 is a holder for holding the substrate W in a horizontal state in the film forming chamber 11, for example. A main exhaust port 80 is formed in the center of the upper surface 14 of the vacuum vessel 10 in a plan view. The main exhaust port 80 is formed to exhaust the gas introduced into the film forming chamber 11 from the gas introduction port 41 to the outside of the film forming chamber 11.

The gas in the film forming chamber 11 discharged from the plurality of gas outlets 51 is discharged from the main exhaust port 80 to the outside of the vacuum chamber 10 by a vacuum exhaust device 81 such as a vacuum pump. The vacuum evacuation device 81 is connected to the vacuum chamber 10. In addition, a sub-exhaust port 90 is formed in the bottom surface 13 of the vacuum chamber 10. The sub-exhaust port 90 is formed to exhaust the gas in the film forming chamber 11 to the outside of the film forming chamber 11 before and after the film formation on the substrate W. Before and after the film formation on the substrate W, the gas in the film forming chamber 11 is exhausted from the sub-exhaust port 90 to the outside of the vacuum chamber 10 by a vacuum exhaust device 91 such as a vacuum pump. The vacuum evacuation device 91 is connected to the vacuum chamber 10.

Further, a plurality of main exhaust ports 80 may be formed in the upper surface 14 of the vacuum chamber 10. Thus, even when the sputtering apparatus 1 is large in size, that is, the vacuum chamber 10 is large in size, the gas in the film forming chamber 11 can be sufficiently discharged. Further, since the gas in the film forming chamber 11 can be uniformly discharged, the pressure of the gas supplied to the target 30 can be made uniform in the film forming chamber 11. A plurality of sub-exhaust ports 90 may be formed in the bottom surface 13 of the vacuum chamber 10.

Here, the plurality of gas exhaust ports 51 may be formed in the exhaust plate 50 so that the exhaust velocity of the gas is equal to each other, and the number, size, and arrangement thereof may be determined as appropriate. For example, the number of the gas exhaust ports 51 may be increased or the gas exhaust ports 51 may be increased as the distance from the main exhaust port 80 is increased. Further, the number of the gas exhaust ports 51 may be reduced or the gas exhaust ports 51 may be reduced as the distance from the main exhaust port 80 is reduced. In fig. 2, the number, size, and arrangement of the gas exhaust ports 51 are the same as one example.

The plurality of gas introduction ports 41 may be formed in the gas introduction pipe 40 so that the gas introduction ports 41 introduce the gas at an equal flow rate into the film forming chamber 11, and the number, size, and arrangement thereof may be appropriately determined. For example, the number of the gas introduction ports 41 may be increased or the gas introduction ports 41 may be increased as the distance from the gas supply mechanism 110 is increased. Further, the number of the gas introduction ports 41 may be reduced or the gas introduction ports 41 may be reduced as the distance from the gas supply mechanism 110 is reduced. In fig. 2, the number, size, and arrangement of the gas introduction ports 41 are the same as one example.

[ embodiment 2]

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the structure of a sputtering apparatus 2 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the inside of the sputtering apparatus 2 shown in fig. 3. Specifically, fig. 4 is a plan view of the inside of the sputtering apparatus 2 as viewed from the direction from the substrate W toward the antenna 20 in fig. 3. In fig. 4, the antenna 20, the substrate holding portion 70, the vacuum evacuation device 81, and the vacuum evacuation device 91 are omitted.

For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will not be repeated. As shown in fig. 3, the sputtering apparatus 2 differs from the sputtering apparatus 1 in that the gas introduction pipe 40 is changed to a gas introduction pipe 40a and the adhesion preventing plate 120 is included.

The gas introduction pipe 40a extends in the same direction as the extending direction of the antenna 20, and has a cross-sectional concave shape in which the side facing the antenna 20 is open. Specifically, the concave surface 42a of the gas introduction pipe 40a faces the antenna 20. The cross-sectional concave shape of the gas introduction pipe 40a may be, for example, an コ -shaped shape, a shape in which the concave surface 42a is a curved surface, or a V-shaped shape.

The adhesion preventing plate 120 is provided to the open side of the gas introduction pipe 40a, and has a plurality of gas introduction ports 121 for preventing sputtering particles emitted from the target 30 from adhering to the gas introduction pipe 40 a. According to the above configuration, since the adhesion preventing plate 120 is provided to the gas introduction pipe 40a, maintenance can be easily performed by replacing the adhesion preventing plate 120 to which the sputtering particles discharged from the target 30 adhere.

As shown in fig. 4, the adhesion preventing plate 120 covers the gas introduction pipe 40a when viewed from the direction from the substrate W toward the antenna 20. The adhesion preventing plate 120 is disposed between two adjacent targets 30. That is, the adhesion preventing plate 120 is disposed in the first space S1. The exhaust plate 50 is provided on the opposite side of the gas introduction pipe 40a from the open side, and has a plurality of gas exhaust ports 51 formed therein. The adhesion preventing plate 120 is provided with a plurality of second gas exhaust ports 122 for exhausting the gas in the film forming chamber 11 to the plurality of gas exhaust ports 51.

According to the above-described structure, since the second gas outlet 122 is formed in addition to the gas outlet 51, the amount of gas to be discharged can be adjusted in two stages of the gas outlet 51 and the second gas outlet 122. Therefore, a structure for uniformly discharging the gas can be easily realized.

A plurality of second gas exhaust ports 122 are formed at both ends of the adhesion preventing plate 120 in the extending direction. The plurality of attachment prevention plates 120 extend in the same direction as the extending direction D1 of the antenna 20. Some of the second gas outlets 122 are formed between the gas introduction port 121 and the target 30.

As shown in fig. 4, the number of the second gas discharge ports 122 formed in the adhesion preventing plate 120 is greater than the number of the gas introduction ports 121 formed in the adhesion preventing plate 120. In addition, since the total opening area of the plurality of gas exhaust ports 51 is larger than the total opening area of the plurality of gas introduction ports 121, the gas can be exhausted from the film forming chamber 11 to the outside more preferentially than the gas can be introduced into the film forming chamber 11. Therefore, the pressure in the film forming chamber 11 can be maintained appropriately by securing the differential pressure between the pressure in the film forming chamber 11 and the pressure in the exhaust chamber 15.

< modification example >

Next, a modification of the sputtering apparatus 2 will be described with reference to fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the inside of a modification of the sputtering apparatus 2 shown in fig. 4. A modification of the sputtering apparatus 2 is referred to as a sputtering apparatus 2 a. As shown in fig. 5, the sputtering apparatus 2a differs from the sputtering apparatus 2 in that two intermediate pipes 100 and two gas supply mechanisms 110 are provided.

In the sputtering apparatus 2a, two intermediate pipes 100 and two gas supply mechanisms 110 are provided on both sides of the vacuum chamber 10. Two intermediate pipes 100 are connected to the plurality of gas introduction pipes 40a via connecting pipes 101 on both sides of the vacuum chamber 10. Gas supply mechanisms 110 are connected to the two intermediate pipes 100, respectively. Further, three or more intermediate pipes 100 and gas supply mechanisms 110 may be provided for the vacuum chamber 10. In this case, the plurality of intermediate pipes 100 are connected to the plurality of gas introduction pipes 40a via the connection pipes 101, respectively.

Thus, even when the size of the sputtering apparatus 2a is large, that is, the size of the vacuum chamber 10 is large, the gas can be sufficiently introduced into the film forming chamber 11. Therefore, since the gas can be sufficiently introduced into the film forming chamber 11, a thin film can be appropriately formed on the substrate W.

< summary >

The sputtering apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention includes: a vacuum container having a film forming chamber for accommodating a substrate formed therein; a plurality of antennas provided to face the substrate and generating plasma; and a plurality of targets which are provided on the side opposite to the substrate side with respect to the plurality of antennas, and which are targets of sputtering; the film forming chamber is provided with a plurality of gas inlet ports for introducing gas into the film forming chamber and a plurality of gas outlet ports for discharging gas from the film forming chamber, and any two adjacent targets among the plurality of targets are arranged with the antenna in a predetermined first positional relationship with respect to a first space formed between the two targets and are arranged with the antenna in a predetermined second positional relationship with respect to the gas inlet ports and the gas outlet ports arranged in the first space.

According to this configuration, since the positional relationship between the antenna and the target, the gas inlet, and the gas outlet is fixed in any one of the two adjacent targets, the pressure of the gas supplied to the target can be made uniform in the film forming chamber. Therefore, the uniformity of the thin film formed on the substrate can be improved.

The first positional relationship may be a positional relationship in which the distance between the antenna and each of two adjacent targets among the plurality of targets is the same, and the second positional relationship may be a positional relationship in which the antenna faces the gas inlet and the gas outlet. According to the above configuration, since the distance between the antenna and each of the two adjacent targets is the same and the antenna faces the gas inlet and the gas outlet, the pressure of the gas supplied to each of the two adjacent targets can be made uniform.

The gas exhaust port may be formed in a side of the second space opposite to a side communicating with the film forming chamber so that gas is exhausted through the second space formed between the gas introduction pipe and the target holding portion. According to the above configuration, the gas introduced from the gas introduction port is discharged through the second space formed between the gas introduction pipe and the target holding portion, and therefore the gas is uniformly distributed in the film forming chamber. Thus, uniformity of a thin film formed on a substrate can be improved in a film forming chamber.

The sputtering apparatus may further include: a gas introduction pipe extending in the same direction as the extending direction of the antenna and having a cross-sectional concave shape with one side thereof facing the antenna being open; and an adhesion preventing plate provided to an open side of the gas introduction pipe, and having the plurality of gas introduction ports formed therein, for preventing sputtering particles emitted from the target from adhering to the gas introduction pipe. According to the above configuration, since the adhesion preventing plate is provided to the gas introduction pipe, maintenance can be easily performed by replacing the adhesion preventing plate to which the sputtering particles discharged from the target adhere.

The sputtering apparatus may further include: an exhaust plate provided on the opposite side of the gas introduction pipe from the open side and having the plurality of gas exhaust ports formed therein; the deposition preventing plate is provided with a plurality of second gas exhaust ports for exhausting the gas in the film forming chamber to the plurality of gas exhaust ports. According to the above configuration, since the second gas exhaust port is formed in addition to the gas exhaust port, the amount of gas exhaust can be adjusted in two stages of the gas exhaust port and the second gas exhaust port. Therefore, a structure for uniformly discharging the gas can be easily realized.

The direction in which the plurality of gas introduction ports are arranged and the direction in which the plurality of antennas extend may be the same. According to the above configuration, the gas introduced into the film forming chamber is uniformly supplied to the antenna. Therefore, the plasma generated by the antenna is uniformly diffused on the surface of the target, and therefore, the uniformity of the thin film formed on the substrate can be improved in the film forming chamber.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Description of the symbols

1. 2, 2 a: sputtering device

10: vacuum container

11: film forming chamber

20: antenna with a shield

30: target

31: target holding part

40. 40 a: gas inlet pipe

41. 121: gas inlet

50: exhaust plate

51: gas exhaust port

120: anti-adhesion plate

122: second gas exhaust port

D1: direction of extension of the antenna

S1: the first space

S2: second space

Claims

1. A sputtering apparatus characterized by comprising:

a vacuum container having a film forming chamber for accommodating a substrate formed therein;

a plurality of antennas provided to face the substrate and generating plasma; and

a plurality of targets, which are provided on the side opposite to the substrate side with respect to the plurality of antennas, and which are targets of sputtering;

a plurality of gas inlets for introducing gas into the film forming chamber and a plurality of gas outlets for discharging gas from the film forming chamber are formed in the film forming chamber,

in any of two adjacent targets among the plurality of targets, the antennas are disposed in a predetermined first positional relationship with respect to a first space formed between the two targets, and the antennas are disposed in a predetermined second positional relationship with respect to the gas inlet and the gas outlet disposed in the first space.

2. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first positional relationship is a positional relationship in which the distance between said antenna and each of two adjacent targets among said plurality of targets is the same,

the second positional relationship is a positional relationship in which the antenna faces the gas inlet and the gas outlet.

3. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas exhaust port is formed in a side opposite to a side communicating with the film forming chamber in the second space so that gas is exhausted through the second space formed between the gas introduction pipe and the target holding portion.

4. The sputtering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

a gas introduction pipe extending in the same direction as the extending direction of the antenna and having a cross-sectional concave shape with one side thereof facing the antenna being open; and

and an adhesion preventing plate provided to an open side of the gas introduction pipe, and having the plurality of gas introduction ports formed therein, for preventing sputtering particles emitted from the target from adhering to the gas introduction pipe.

5. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

an exhaust plate provided on the opposite side of the gas introduction pipe from the open side and having the plurality of gas exhaust ports formed therein;

the deposition preventing plate is provided with a plurality of second gas exhaust ports for exhausting the gas in the film forming chamber to the plurality of gas exhaust ports.

6. The sputtering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a direction in which said plurality of gas introduction ports are arranged is the same as an extending direction of said plurality of antennas.