CN114845453A

CN114845453A - ICP reaction device and ICP generator

Info

Publication number: CN114845453A
Application number: CN202110139699.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 宗坚
Original assignee: Jiangsu Favored Nanotechnology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Jiangsu Favored Nanotechnology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-01
Filing date: 2021-02-01
Publication date: 2022-08-02

Abstract

The present invention provides an ICP reaction apparatus and an ICP generator, wherein the ICP reaction apparatus includes: an ICP generator; and the reaction cavity is provided with a reaction cavity and a discharge channel, the reaction cavity is used for placing a substrate to be coated, the discharge channel is communicated with the reaction cavity, and the ICP generator can be arranged in the discharge channel in a way of relative motion with the reaction cavity so as to excite the gas introduced into the reaction cavity in an inductive coupling mode to generate plasma.

Description

ICP reaction device and ICP generator

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a plasma apparatus, and more particularly, to an ICP reactor and an ICP generator for forming plasma by inductive coupling.

Background

The plasma reaction device is an important processing device and is widely applied to processes such as thin film deposition, etching, surface treatment and the like. Plasma reaction apparatuses are classified into a Capacitively Coupled Plasma (CCP) apparatus and an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) apparatus, depending on the inductive coupling element. At present, a capacitive coupling plasma device adopts a flat capacitive coupling element, the driving frequency is 13.56MHz, and an excitation electric field is provided for a reaction chamber to ionize reaction gas to form plasma. The plasma reactor has low density of plasma generated due to the limitation of the capacitive coupling element, and the density is about 10 ⁹ /cm ³ And meanwhile, the surface of the substrate is easy to be bombarded by active ions due to the high potential of the capacitive coupling plasma, so that the quality of material processing and surface modification is difficult to ensure.

Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) is a low temperature, high density Plasma source that performs radio frequency discharges through an inductive coil. The coupling element of the inductively coupled plasma device adopts an inductively coupled coil, and an excitation magnetic field is provided for the reaction chamber under the drive of a radio frequency power supply so as to ionize reaction gas to form plasma. The plasma generated by ICP excitation and an inductance coil have an electrostatic coupling effect, so that high-energy ions in the plasma are easy to sputter the coil, the uniformity and stability of ICP discharge are damaged, and the plasma density is reduced.

Further, in the conventional inductively coupled plasma device, the ICP device is generally fixed outside the reaction chamber, and the induced magnetic fields at different positions inside the reaction chamber have different magnitudes, so that the generated plasma is not uniformly distributed, thereby affecting the uniformity of the formed film.

The traditional inductive coupling coil has stronger magnetic field excited in the central part of the reaction cavity and weaker magnetic field excited in the edge part, so that the plasma density of the central part of the reaction cavity is higher and the plasma density of the edge part is lower. Particularly, as the processing size of the substrate is enlarged, and the volume of the reaction cavity is correspondingly increased, the plasma excited by the traditional inductive coupling coil has great azimuthal asymmetry, the plasma in the reaction chamber is very unevenly distributed, and the region with low peripheral plasma density can be compensated by means of diffusion. This results in non-uniform deposition or etching rates and thicknesses of the substrate film, affecting process quality and stability.

The chinese patent "inductively coupled coil and inductively coupled plasma device" (publication number: CN101409126A) proposes a structural design scheme of coil, and although the design of this kind of inductive coil has the advantage of plasma uniformity, the structure is often complex, and the manufacturing difficulty of the related ICP discharge device is large. Meanwhile, the complicated coil design also causes larger inductance value, increases the electrostatic coupling effect, reduces the working stability of a discharge system, and limits the application of the ICP device in the high-speed deposition of thin film materials.

Disclosure of Invention

An advantage of the present invention is to provide an ICP reactor, wherein the ICP reactor includes a reaction chamber and an ICP generator, and the ICP reactor changes distribution of an induced magnetic field in the reaction chamber by changing a relative positional relationship between the ICP generator and the reaction chamber, so that plasma formed in the reaction chamber is uniformly distributed.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide an ICP reactor, in which the ICP generator is disposed outside the reaction chamber to move in a predetermined path to form a magnetic field that is transformed in a predetermined manner.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide an ICP reactor apparatus wherein in one embodiment the ICP generator is moved in a horizontal direction along a circumferential side of the reaction chamber to cover the circumferential side of the reaction chamber at different times.

It is an advantage of the present invention to provide an ICP reactor wherein the ICP generator can be selectively moved at uniform or variable speeds to adjust the distribution of the induced magnetic field in a speed controlled manner.

It is an advantage of the present invention to provide an ICP reactor apparatus wherein the ICP generator can be selectively moved along a horizontal, vertical or helical path to adjust the distribution of the induced magnetic field within the reaction chamber in a path-controlled manner.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide an ICP reactor, wherein in one embodiment, the reaction chamber surrounds an exterior of the ICP generator, and the ICP generator is capable of rotating in an axial direction to change an induced magnetic field distribution within the reaction chamber at different times.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide an ICP reactor, wherein in one embodiment the ICP generator is moved along a single side of the reaction chamber to vary the distribution of induced magnetic fields at different locations in the same direction of the reaction chamber.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide an ICP reaction apparatus, wherein in one embodiment, the ICP generator is moved in an up-and-down direction of the reaction chamber such that an induced magnetic field longitudinally covers an inner space of the reaction chamber at different times.

To achieve at least one of the above advantages, an aspect of the present invention provides an ICP reactor, including:

an ICP generator; and

the reaction cavity is provided with a reaction cavity and a discharge channel, the reaction cavity is used for placing a substrate to be coated, the discharge channel is communicated with the reaction cavity, and the ICP generator can be arranged in the discharge channel in a manner of relative motion with the reaction cavity so as to excite gas introduced into the reaction cavity in an inductive coupling manner to generate plasma.

The ICP reaction apparatus according to one embodiment, wherein the ICP generator is disposed outside the reaction chamber, the ICP generator being axially movable about the reaction chamber.

The ICP reaction apparatus according to one embodiment, wherein the ICP generator is disposed outside the reaction chamber, the ICP generator being capable of moving up and down along the reaction chamber.

The ICP reaction apparatus according to one embodiment, wherein the ICP generator is disposed outside the reaction chamber, the ICP generator being capable of helical movement about the reaction chamber.

The ICP reactor according to one embodiment, wherein the ICP generator includes a mounting assembly fixed to an outside of the discharge channel of the reaction chamber, a discharge assembly movably disposed to the mounting assembly by the moving assembly, and a moving assembly.

The ICP reactor according to one embodiment, wherein the mounting assembly includes a mounting frame and a partition plate, the mounting frame is circumferentially and hermetically mounted to the reaction chamber, the mounting frame has a window corresponding to the discharge channel, the partition plate is circumferentially and hermetically mounted to the mounting frame and closes the window, the discharge assembly is movably mounted to the mounting frame, and the partition plate is located between the window of the mounting frame and the discharge assembly.

The ICP reactor according to one embodiment, wherein the discharge assembly includes an induction coil and a fixing plate, the induction coil and the fixing plate being fixed by lamination.

The ICP reactor according to one embodiment, wherein the moving assembly includes a moving member and a mating member, the moving member is movable along the mating member, the discharge assembly is mounted on the moving member, and the mating member is disposed on the mounting assembly.

The ICP reactor according to one embodiment, wherein the ICP generator includes a housing and a fan mounted to the housing, the housing being covered outside the discharge assembly.

The ICP reaction apparatus according to one embodiment, wherein the reaction chamber has an ICP channel inside the reaction chamber, the ICP generator is disposed in the ICP channel, and the ICP generator is axially rotatable within the ICP channel.

The ICP reaction apparatus according to one embodiment, wherein the reaction chamber has an inner wall forming the ICP channel, the discharge channel being disposed at the inner wall.

The ICP reactor according to one embodiment, wherein the ICP generator includes a mounting assembly fixed to the reaction chamber, a discharge assembly disposed on the shaft, and a shaft rotatably disposed in the ICP channel.

The ICP reactor according to one embodiment, wherein the ICP generator includes two discharge assemblies, and the two discharge assemblies are oppositely arranged on the rotating shaft.

The ICP reactor according to one embodiment, wherein the mounting assembly includes a mounting frame circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the inner wall of the reaction chamber, the mounting frame having a window corresponding in position to the discharge channel, and a partition plate circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the mounting frame and closing the window.

The ICP reactor according to one embodiment, wherein the reaction chamber body includes a body forming the reaction chamber and a cover detachably disposed to the body to control opening and closing of the reaction chamber.

According to one embodiment, the ICP reactor includes a lifting frame, and the cover is mounted on the rack to lift the cover.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an ICP generator adapted to cooperate with a reaction chamber, the reaction chamber having a reaction chamber and a discharge channel, for generating a plasma by exciting a gas introduced into the reaction chamber by inductive coupling, comprising: the discharge device comprises a mounting assembly and a discharge assembly, wherein the mounting assembly is suitable for being fixed outside the discharge channel of the reaction cavity, and the discharge assembly is movably arranged on the mounting assembly.

The ICP generator according to one embodiment, wherein the mounting assembly includes a mounting frame adapted to be circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the reaction chamber, the mounting frame having a window corresponding in position to the discharge channel, and a partition plate circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the mounting frame and closing the window, the discharge assembly being movably mounted to the mounting frame, the partition plate being located between the window of the mounting frame and the discharge assembly.

The ICP generator according to one embodiment, wherein the discharge assembly includes an induction coil and a fixing plate, the induction coil and the fixing plate being fixed in a stack.

According to one embodiment, the ICP generator comprises a moving component and a matching component, wherein the moving component comprises a moving component and a matching component, the moving component can move along the matching component, the discharging component is carried on the moving component, and the matching component is arranged on the mounting frame.

The ICP generator according to one embodiment, wherein the discharge assembly includes a housing and a fan mounted to the housing, the housing covering the induction coil and the fixed plate.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an ICP generator adapted to cooperate with a reaction chamber, the reaction chamber having a reaction chamber and a discharge channel, the ICP generator exciting a gas introduced into the reaction chamber by inductive coupling to generate a plasma, comprising: the device comprises a mounting assembly, a discharge assembly and a rotating shaft, wherein the mounting assembly is suitable for being fixed on an ICP channel of the reaction cavity, the discharge assembly is arranged on the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is suitable for being rotatably arranged in the ICP channel.

The ICP generator according to one embodiment, wherein the reaction chamber has an inner wall forming the ICP channel, the discharge channel being disposed at the inner wall.

The ICP generator according to one embodiment, wherein the ICP generator includes two discharge assemblies, and the two discharge assemblies are oppositely arranged on the rotating shaft.

The ICP generator according to one embodiment, wherein the mounting assembly includes a mounting frame adapted to be circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the inner wall of the reaction chamber, the mounting frame having a window corresponding in position to the discharge channel, and a spacer plate circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the mounting frame and closing the window.

Drawings

Fig. 1A, 1B are schematic perspective views of an ICP reaction apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded schematic view of an ICP reactor according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic view of an ICP generator of the ICP reaction apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the object carrier of the ICP reactor according to the first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an ICP reactor according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of an ICP reaction apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of an ICP reactor according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic sectional view of an ICP reaction apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of an ICP reaction apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

The following description is presented to disclose the invention so as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention. The preferred embodiments in the following description are given by way of example only, and other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art. The basic principles of the invention, as defined in the following description, may be applied to other embodiments, variations, modifications, equivalents, and other technical solutions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that in the present disclosure, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and the like are used in an orientation or positional relationship indicated in the drawings for ease of description and simplicity of description, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced devices or components must be in a particular orientation, constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus the above terms are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

It is understood that the terms "a" and "an" should be interpreted as meaning "at least one" or "one or more," i.e., that a quantity of one element may be one in one embodiment, while a quantity of another element may be plural in other embodiments, and the terms "a" and "an" should not be interpreted as limiting the quantity.

References to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "example embodiment," "various embodiments," "some embodiments," etc., indicate that the embodiment described herein may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the feature, structure, or characteristic. In addition, some embodiments may have some, all, or none of the features described for other embodiments.

Fig. 1A, 1B are schematic perspective views of an ICP reaction apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded schematic view of an ICP reactor according to a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic view of an ICP assembly of the ICP reactor according to the first embodiment of the invention.

Referring to fig. 1A to 3, the present invention provides an ICP reaction apparatus 1, where the ICP reaction apparatus 1 includes an ICP generator 10 and a reaction chamber 20, and the ICP generator 10 can move relative to the reaction chamber 20 to change the distribution of an induced magnetic field generated by excitation of the ICP generator in the reaction chamber 20.

The ICP reactor 1 can be used in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition PECVD process to deposit a film on a surface of a substrate. Of course, the ICP reactor apparatus 1 may also be applied to other processes, and the invention is not limited in this respect.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ICP reactor 1 changes the distribution of the induced magnetic field in the reaction chamber 20 by changing the relative positional relationship between the ICP generator 10 and the reaction chamber 20, so that the plasma formed in the reaction chamber 20 is uniformly distributed.

Further, in this embodiment of the present invention, the ICP generator 10 is movably disposed outside the reaction chamber 20. That is, the ICP generator 10 is capable of moving around at least a portion or all of the reaction chamber 20. In other words, the reaction chamber 20 is kept stationary, and the ICP generator 10 can move relative to the reaction chamber 20.

It is worth mentioning that in this embodiment of the present invention, the ICP generator 10 is moving, and the reaction chamber 20 is stationary for example, to illustrate the relative movement between the ICP generator 10 and the reaction chamber 20, while in other embodiments of the present invention, the reaction chamber 20 may be set to move, and the ICP generator 10 is stationary for realizing the relative movement between the ICP generator 10 and the reaction chamber 20. It is also worth mentioning that in general, the ICP generator 10 is smaller, smaller and more mobile due to the larger volume, larger mass and less mobility of the reaction chamber 20. Therefore, when the mass of the ICP generator 10 is small relative to the reaction chamber 20, preferably, the ICP generator 10 moves and the reaction chamber 20 is stationary.

In this embodiment of the invention, at least part of the ICP generator 10 is movable relative to the reaction chamber 20.

The reaction chamber 20 includes a main body 21 and a cover 22, the main body 21 has a reaction chamber 201, and the cover 22 is detachably connected to the main body 21 to open or close the reaction chamber 201. That is, the opening or closing of the reaction chamber 201 can be controlled by controlling the cover 22. In one embodiment of the present invention, the ICP reactor 1 is arranged in a vertical direction, and the cover 22 is located below the main body 21 so as to support a substrate to be coated on the cover 22, that is, the cover 22 is a bottom cover. Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the reaction chamber 20 may be disposed in other ways.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, the main body 21 includes a peripheral wall 211 and a top cover 212, the peripheral wall 211 forms a first opening 2101 and a second opening 2102, the top cover 212 is disposed at the first opening 2101, and the bottom cover is disposed at the second opening 2102. That is, when the top cover 212 and the bottom cover are mounted to the peripheral wall 211, the top cover 212 closes the first opening 2101, and the bottom cover closes the second opening 2102.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the top cover 212 may be hermetically fixed to the first opening 2101 of the peripheral wall 211 by a screw and a sealing gasket.

The reaction chamber 20 has at least one gas inlet 202 and one gas pumping port 203, the gas inlet 202 is used for delivering reaction gas into the reaction chamber 201, and the gas pumping port 203 is used for connecting a gas pumping device to pump gas in the reaction chamber 201, so as to exhaust waste gas in the reaction chamber 20 and control pressure in the reaction chamber 20. In one embodiment of the present invention, the air inlet 202 is provided to the peripheral wall 211 of the main body 21, and the air suction port 203 is provided to the top cover 212 of the main body 21. In other embodiments of the present invention, the air inlet 202 and the air outlet 203 may be disposed at other positions, for example, but not limited to, the air inlet 202 and the air outlet 203 are disposed on the top cover 212, or the air inlet 202 and the air outlet 203 are disposed on the peripheral wall 211, which is not limited in this respect. In other embodiments of the present invention, the gas inlet 202 may also be provided to the ICP generator 10. The gas inlet 202 can be connected to a vaporizer through which the raw material is vaporized and fed into the reaction chamber 20, and the gas outlet 203 can be connected to a gas pumping system, such as but not limited to a vacuum pump system.

The peripheral wall 211 of the reaction chamber 20 has a discharge port 204, and the ICP generator 10 is mounted to the discharge port 204 so that the rf electric field generated by the ICP generator 10 can enter the reaction chamber 201 through the discharge port 204.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the reaction chamber 20 includes a grid 23, and the grid 23 is disposed on the discharge port 204 such that the discharge port 204 is in communication with the inner side and the outer side of the peripheral wall 211 at intervals. In one embodiment of the present invention, the grill 23 is fixed to the inside of the peripheral wall 211, inside the discharge port 204.

The ICP generator 10 includes a mounting assembly 11, a discharge assembly 12, and a moving assembly 13, the discharge assembly 12 being movably disposed to the mounting assembly 11 by the moving assembly 13. The mounting assembly 11 includes a mounting frame 111 and a partition plate 112, the mounting frame 111 has a window 1101, the window 1101 communicates with the inner side and the outer side of the mounting frame 111, and the partition plate 112 is disposed in the window 1101. Preferably, the mounting frame 111 is hermetically mounted to the discharge port 204 of the reaction chamber 20. That is, the mounting assembly 11 may also include a sealing element, such as, but not limited to, a gasket, or be sealed by another sealing element, such as a gel. The partition plate 112 is hermetically mounted to the outer side of the mounting frame 111. The isolation plate 112 shields and isolates the outside of the discharge port 204. That is, the gas entering the reaction chamber 20 is not allowed to escape to the outside from the discharge port 204 and the window 1101 by the partition plate 112 under the passing of the electric field.

The discharge assembly 12 includes an induction coil 121, a fixing plate 122 and a fixing member 123, and the induction coil 121 and the fixing plate 122 are mounted to the fixing member 123 in a stacked manner. The induction coil 121 is located at the inner side, and the fixing plate 122 is located at the outer side, that is, the induction coil 121 is located at the side close to the mounting component 11, and the fixing plate 122 is located at the side far from the mounting component 11.

Further, the isolation plate 112 isolates the induction coil 121 from the inside of the window 1101 of the mounting frame 111, and the electric field of the induction coil 121 can pass through the isolation plate 112, in other words, the isolation plate 112 isolates the gas flowing outside inside the mounting frame 111 but allows the electric field to pass through, so as to generate an induction magnetic field inside the reaction chamber 20.

The dielectric plate is made of an insulating material. Preferably, the isolation plate 112 is a quartz or ceramic sealing plate, so as to reduce the influence of the induced electric field of the induction coil 121 on the reaction chamber 20.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the present invention, the reaction chamber 20 is a circular cylinder, and the ICP generator 10 at least partially surrounds the periphery wall 211 of the main body 21. Further, the horizontal cross section of the mounting frame 111 has an arc-shaped structure to adapt to the shape of the reaction chamber 20, and is sealingly mounted to the reaction chamber 20. The isolation plate 112 has an arc-shaped structure to conform to the shape of the reaction chamber 20 and to hermetically isolate the window 1101. That is, the shape of the mounting frame 111 and the isolation plate 112 is matched with the shape of the reaction chamber 20. In other embodiments of the present invention, the mounting frame 111 and the isolation plate 112 may have other shapes.

The discharge assembly 12 of the ICP generator 10 is movable along the mounting frame 111 to change a relative positional relationship of the discharge assembly 12 and the reaction chamber 20. That is, the distribution of the electric field generated by the ICP generator 10 in the reaction chamber 20 is changed by changing the relative position relationship between the discharge assembly 12 and the reaction chamber 20, so as to change the distribution of the induced magnetic field in the reaction chamber 20.

The moving assembly 13 of the ICP generator 10 includes a moving member 131 and a fitting member 132, and the moving member 131 and the fitting member 132 are selectively provided to the fixing member 123 and the mounting frame 111 to enable the discharge assembly 12 to move along the mounting frame 111. By way of example and not limitation, the moving member 131 and the engaging member 132 are a sliding rail and a sliding groove, or a rail and a roller. For example, a set of sliding rails is installed on two sides of the fixing element 123, and a set of sliding rails is installed on two corresponding sides of the installation frame 111.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the discharge assembly 12 includes a control member that controls the movement of the discharge assembly 12. That is, the control member controls the discharge assembly 12 to move at a predetermined trajectory or a predetermined speed. The motion states are exemplified but not limited to constant speed, variable speed, and motion dwell interval.

The ICP generator 10 is disposed outside the reaction chamber 20 to move in a predetermined path to form a magnetic field that is transformed in a predetermined manner. Further, the control member controls the discharge assembly 12 to move along a predetermined path, for example, the control member controls the discharge assembly 12 to move along an arc path with a predetermined curvature. The predetermined curvature arc is associated with the reaction chamber 20.

In another embodiment, the ICP generator 10 is moved in a horizontal direction along the circumferential side of the reaction chamber 20 to cover the circumferential side of the reaction chamber 20 at different times.

The ICP generator 10 is selectively movable at a uniform or variable speed to adjust the distribution of the induced magnetic field in a speed controlled manner. That is, the control member is capable of controlling the motion state of the discharge assembly 12, for example, but not limited to, the control mode is designed by way of microcontroller programming.

It is worth mentioning that the ICP generator 10 can be selectively moved along a horizontal, vertical or spiral path to adjust the distribution of the induced magnetic field in a path-controlled manner.

In one embodiment, the reaction chamber 20 surrounds the outside of the ICP generator 10, and the ICP generator 10 can rotate in the axial direction to change the distribution of the induced magnetic field in the reaction chamber 20 at different times. For example, the control controls the movement of one of the ICP generators 10 around the cylindrical reaction chamber 20.

The mounting assembly 11 has a lateral extent greater than a lateral extent of the discharge assembly 12 to provide a displacement in which the discharge assembly 12 is movable. Further, the extension dimension of the isolation plate 112 is larger than the transverse dimension of the induction coil 121, so that the induction coil 121 can move to different positions of the reaction chamber 20 to generate induction electric fields, and the induction electric fields can enter the reaction chamber 20.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the discharge assembly 12 is capable of moving axially around the reaction chamber 20, i.e., in a circular or partially arcuate motion centered on the central axis of the reaction chamber 20.

Further, the discharge assembly 12 is capable of unidirectional circular motion or reciprocating motion.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the ICP reactor 1 includes two sets of the ICP generators 10, and the two sets of the ICP generators 10 are respectively disposed around the outer side surface of at least part of the side wall of the reaction chamber 20.

Preferably, two sets of the ICP generators 10 are symmetrically disposed outside the reaction chamber 20.

In this embodiment of the invention, there is a spacing between the two ICP generators 10. The air inlet 202 is provided in the space. That is, the two ICP generators 10 are not integrally connected. The intake port 202 is provided on the peripheral wall 211 of the main body 21 of the spaced space between the ICP generators 10.

The ICP reactor 1 includes a radio frequency power supply and a matcher, and the ICP generator 10 can be electrically connected to the radio frequency power supply and the radio frequency matcher. One end of the induction coil 121 is electrically connected to an output end of the matcher, the other end of the induction coil 121 is electrically connected to a ground end of the matcher, the matcher is electrically connected to a radio frequency power supply, so as to form a working circuit, and the working circuit formed by the induction coil 121, the radio frequency power supply and the matcher provides an electromagnetic field for exciting plasma to the inside of the reaction cavity 20.

In the working process, through the adjustment of the matcher, the power of the radio frequency power supply can be transmitted to the two ends of the induction coil 121 to the greatest extent, the two ends of the induction coil 121 can generate a certain radio frequency current, and the two ends generate a certain amplitude of voltage at the same time. The rf current circulating in the induction coil 121 is excited in space to generate an rf magnetic field, which can penetrate through the isolation plate 112 into the reaction chamber 20, so as to generate a magnetic flux in the reaction chamber 20. According to the Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction, the RF flux induces an RF electric field that accelerates the movement of electrons in the plasma, causing them to collide with neutral gas molecules and ionize them, thereby coupling the RF energy in the induction coil 121 into the ionized gas and maintaining the plasma discharge.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the induction coil 121 is a planar spiral coil. The discharge assembly 12 includes a set of the induction coils 121, the induction coils 121 of the set are electrically connected in series, two ends of the induction coils 121 of the set are respectively electrically connected to the matcher, one end of one of the induction coils 121 is connected to an output end of the matcher, and one end of the other induction coil 121 is connected to a ground end of the matcher. It is worth mentioning that the single-layer plane surrounding induction coil 121 has a simple structural design, small inductance, small volume of occupied discharge space, and can improve ICP discharge performance.

It is worth mentioning that, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the induction coils 121 are in a planar spiral structure, and the two induction coils 121 form the group of induction coils 121 and are arranged to reduce an "electrostatic coupling" effect between the coils and the plasma, so as to effectively inhibit the bombardment of positive ions on the surface material of the coils, obtain a stable and uniform high-density plasma source, and promote the wide application of the ICP plasma technology in the field of thin film deposition.

The ICP generator 10 also includes a housing 14, the housing 14 being mounted to the discharge assembly 12 for covering the discharge assembly 12. The ICP generator 10 further includes a heat dissipating member 15, and the heat dissipating member 15 is disposed on the housing 14 to dissipate heat generated by the discharge element 12. The heat dissipating element 15 is exemplified by but not limited to a fan. In another embodiment of the present invention, the housing 14 may be installed outside the installation component 11, that is, the housing 14 and the installation component 11 form a moving space in which the discharge component 12 can move.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ICP reactor 1 includes a rack 40, and the rack 40 is used for placing a substrate. Further, the carrier rack 40 is mounted to the cover 22. That is, when the cover 22 is opened, the carrier 40 can leave the reaction chamber 201, so that the substrate can be loaded on the carrier 40.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ICP reactor 1 includes a crane 30, and the lid body 22 is mounted to the crane 30 so that the opening and closing of the lid body 22 is controlled by the crane 30. The lifting frame 30 comprises a first platform 31, a second platform 32 and a set of driving mechanisms 33, the main body 21 is arranged on the first platform 31, the cover body 22 is arranged on the second platform 32, and the set of driving mechanisms 33 guides the second platform 32 to lift so as to control the opening or closing of the reaction cavity 20.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ICP reactor 1 includes a bias power supply, a negative output terminal of the bias power supply is connected to the rack, a positive input terminal of the bias power supply is connected to the reaction chamber 201, and the reaction chamber 20 is grounded. That is, the bias power source forms a loop with the carrier and the reaction chamber 20, and a bias electric field is formed in the reaction chamber 201.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present invention, the rf power source is loaded at the power end of the induction coil 121, and the carrier is supplemented with the pulse bias power source, so that the ICP rf power coupling efficiency is much higher than that of a single-frequency CCP (capacitively coupled plasma) generator, thereby obtaining a higher plasma density, and the plasma density is 10 ¹⁰ -10 ¹² /cm ³ The magnitude is higher than that of the conventional inductively coupled plasma; the uniformity of the plasma is good; the generated plasma potential is small, and the bombardment damage of energy ions to the base material is small; therefore, the ICP reaction device 1 has the advantages of high deposition rate of the film, good thickness uniformity of the film, sufficient surface modification, high power coupling efficiency and low energy consumption.

According to the embodiment of the invention, the ICP reactor 1 can be applied to a plasma vapor deposition process to prepare a super-hydrophobic film layer, and when the super-hydrophobic film layer is attached to the surface of the substrate, the super-hydrophobic film layer enables the substrate to have good hydrophobic performance and light transmission performance. The super-hydrophobic film layer does not have excessive influence on the light transmittance of the substrate, that is, the transparent substrate can maintain the original light transmittance or the light transmittance close to the original light transmittance after the super-hydrophobic film layer is formed on the transparent substrate. The super-hydrophobic film layer can contain Si, O or Si, O and H. The super-hydrophobic membrane layer has good hydrophobic performance and light transmission performance. The superhydrophobic film layer can have a water contact angle of greater than 150 °, such as greater than 156 °, a roll off angle of less than 10 °, such as less than 5 °, or less than 3 °, and in some embodiments, a hydrophobic angle of up to 170 ° or more.

The invention provides a preparation method for preparing the super-hydrophobic film layer by using the ICP reaction device 1, which comprises the following steps:

(1) substrate cleaning

And placing the base material in a cleaning agent for cleaning so as to remove the oil stain on the surface.

(2) Substrate activation

Under the inert gas atmosphere: placing the cleaned and dried substrate into a reaction cavity 20 of the ICP reaction device 1, vacuumizing the reaction cavity 20, introducing inert gas, and discharging in the reaction cavity 201 under a certain vacuum degree and a certain voltage to perform ion bombardment activation;

(3) forming the super-hydrophobic film layer

And introducing siloxane monomers and inert gas, and controlling the vacuum degree and the voltage to form a transparent wear-resistant coating on the surface of the base material, namely forming the super-hydrophobic film layer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning step, the cleaning agent may be an organic solvent, such as ethanol or isopropanol. The cleaning agent may also be deionized water. The greasy dirt on the surface of the substrate can be removed with the aid of ultrasound.

It will be appreciated that if the substrate is at risk of being damaged by ultrasound, it may be cleaned using an organic solvent and then cleaned and activated by plasma during the substrate activation step. By using the substrate activation step, impurities and an oxidation layer on the surface of the substrate can be further removed, so that the bonding strength between the super-hydrophobic film layer and the substrate formed in the subsequent process is facilitated.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the substrate cleaning step, the substrate is respectively placed in deionized water and industrial high-purity ethanol or isopropanol for ultrasonic cleaning for 10-20 minutes, so as to remove impurities on the surface of the substrate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the substrate activation step, the inert gas is selected from one or more of He, Ar, and Kr.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step of activating the substrate, after the inert gas is introduced, the vacuum degree of the chamber in the PECVD coating apparatus is controlled to be 0.1 to 50 Pa.

The substrate can be fixedly disposed at a predetermined position of the chamber, and the substrate can also be movably disposed at a predetermined position of the reaction chamber 201.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, after the inert gas is introduced in the substrate activation step, the voltage of the bias power supply may be controlled to 10V to 800V, and the power of the ICP generator 10 may be controlled to 50W to 1000W. The activation time can be controlled to be 1-30 min.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the siloxane monomer may be a chain siloxane compound or a cyclic siloxane compound.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the siloxane may be a hydrocarbyl siloxane, a chain siloxane compound, or a cyclic siloxane compound.

Example 1

Step one, cleaning a substrate

And respectively placing the glass sheets in deionized water and industrial ethanol for ultrasonic cleaning for 10 minutes to remove oil stains on the surfaces.

Step two, activating the substrate

Drying the washed glass sheet, loading the dried glass sheet into the cavity of the PECVD coating equipment, and vacuumizing the cavity to 1 x 10 ^-2 Introducing argon gas with the flow rate of 100sccm and the vacuum degree of 2Pa below Pa, loading 300V bias voltage on the rotating frame, setting the ICP power at 600W, and performing ion bombardment for 10min to increase the surface activity of the glass sheet.

Step three, forming the super-hydrophobic film layer

Preparing a super-hydrophobic film layer, introducing hexamethyldisiloxane steam, introducing argon gas at the monomer flow rate of 200 mu L/min and the flow rate of 100sccm, adjusting a butterfly valve to keep the vacuum pressure at 6Pa, loading 600V bias voltage on a rotating frame, setting the ICP power at 800W, and coating for 300 s.

The superhydrophobic film layer obtained in example 1 had a thickness of 70nm, and the measured water contact angle value was 154 ° or more, and the water droplets rolled away with slight shaking.

The rolling angle of the superhydrophobic film layer obtained in example 1 was less than 3 °.

The light transmittance value of the glass sheet formed with the super-hydrophobic film layer is reduced by less than 0.5%. Simultaneously, the ultra-hydrophobic film layer is respectively tested for ultraviolet aging resistance (0.35W/square meter; the temperature is about 50 ℃, a water tank is arranged in the ultra-hydrophobic film layer, the set temperature of the blackboard is about 50 ℃, the actual temperature is about 47 ℃, the high temperature and high humidity (85 ℃, 85 percent RH) and the salt fog (5 percent NaCl solution, 35 ℃, 1 Kg/cm) ² ) And (4) performance.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the object carrier 40 of the ICP reactor 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment of the invention, the carrier rack 40 is axially rotatable. The article carrier 40 further includes a main frame 41, a transmission assembly 42 and an article carrying assembly 43, the article carrying assembly 43 is disposed on the main frame 41, and the transmission assembly 42 respectively transmits the article carrying assembly 43 to rotate around its central axis.

In one embodiment of the invention, the main frame body 41 is axially rotatable. That is, the main frame 41 and the loading units 43 are each axially rotatable, so that there are two kinds of motions of the base material placed on the loading frame 40, i.e., a rotation motion of the loading units 43 placed thereon and a revolution motion thereof around the center of the main frame 41.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an ICP reactor 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the ICP generator 10 is arranged to extend in a vertical direction of the reaction chamber 20 so that the discharge assembly 12 can move up and down with respect to the reaction chamber 20.

Specifically, the mounting assembly 11 extends along the vertical direction of the reaction chamber 20 and has a substantially square structure. The discharge assembly 12 has a generally square configuration. The moving member 131 is disposed on the mounting frame 111, extends in a vertical direction of the mounting frame 111, and the mating member 132 is disposed on the fixing element 123 of the discharge assembly 12.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the mounting frame 111 and the discharge assembly 12 have a substantially planar structure. The reaction chamber has a mounting window, and an outer opening of the mounting window is a substantially open plane so as to facilitate mounting of the ICP generator 10.

The reaction cavity 20 of the ICP reaction apparatus 1 is longitudinally provided with a plurality of layers of the gas inlets 202, which are respectively arranged at different heights of the reaction cavity 20, and when the ICP discharge assembly 12 moves up and down along the reaction cavity 20, the induction electric field and the magnetic field generated by the ICP discharge assembly 12 can cover spaces at different heights at different times, so that the gas entering at different positions can obtain the effect of the induction electric field, and the plasmas generated at different positions in the reaction cavity 201 tend to be uniform.

This embodiment is suitable for the case where the ICP reactor 1 is large in height.

Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of an ICP reactor 1 according to a third embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the ICP generator 10 is arranged to extend in a spiral direction along the peripheral wall 211 of the reaction chamber 20 so that the discharge unit 12 can move spirally with respect to the reaction chamber 20.

Specifically, the mounting member 11 extends along a spiral direction of the reaction chamber 20. That is, the mounting frame 111 and the partition plate 112 have a spiral structure, respectively. The discharge assembly 12 has a generally square configuration. The moving member 131 is disposed on the mounting frame 111 and extends along a spiral direction of the mounting frame 111, and the engaging member 132 is disposed on the fixing element 123 of the discharge assembly 12 to facilitate movement of the discharge assembly 12 along the spiral direction of the mounting frame 111.

The reaction cavity 20 of the ICP reaction apparatus 1 has a plurality of the gas inlets 202 respectively disposed at the top of the reaction cavity 20, and more specifically, the plurality of the gas inlets 202 are disposed at the top cover 212 of the reaction cavity 20, when the ICP discharge assembly 12 moves spirally along the reaction cavity 20, the induced electric field and the induced magnetic field generated by the ICP discharge assembly 12 can cover spaces with different heights at different times, so that the gas entering at different positions can all be acted by the rod induced electromagnetic field, thereby promoting the plasma generated at different positions in the reaction cavity 201 to tend to be uniform.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the ICP reactor 1 includes one ICP generator 10 to avoid the formation of crossed moving tracks. In other embodiments of the present invention, two ICP generators 10 may be provided.

Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of an ICP reactor 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a partially cross-sectional schematic view of an ICP reaction apparatus 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the ICP reactor 1 includes a rotating shaft 16 and two discharge elements 12, and the two discharge elements 12 are oppositely disposed on the rotating shaft 16 to form an ICP generator element 17. The rotating shaft 16 can drive the two discharge assemblies 12 to axially rotate.

The discharge assembly 12 includes an induction coil 121, a fixing plate 122 and a fixing member 123, and the induction coil 121 and the fixing plate 122 are fixed to the fixing member 123 in a stacked manner. That is, in this embodiment of the present invention, the discharge assembly 12 is axially rotated without providing the moving member 131 and the mating member 132.

The reaction chamber 20 has an ICP channel 205, and preferably, the ICP channel 205 is disposed in a central position of the reaction chamber 20. The ICP generator assembly 17 is disposed within the ICP channel 205 so as to rotate within the ICP channel 205.

The reaction chamber 20 includes an inner wall 25, the inner wall 25 forming the ICP channel 205. That is, in this embodiment of the present invention, the reaction chamber 201 is an annular channel. The discharge port 204 is provided in the inner wall 25. That is, the discharge port 204 communicates the ICP channel and the reaction chamber 201.

The mounting frame 111 is enclosed in the discharge port 204 of the inner wall 25. Preferably, the cross section of the mounting frame 111 is a ring shape. The isolation plate 112 is disposed at the window 1101 of the mounting frame 111 to hermetically isolate the ICP channel from the reaction chamber 201. Accordingly, the isolation plate 112 is disposed in the window 1101 of the mounting frame 111 in a circular ring shape.

It is worth mentioning that, in this embodiment of the present invention, the ICP generator 10 is disposed inside the reaction chamber 20, and the ICP generator 10 is hidden inside the reaction chamber 20, so that it does not need to occupy an external space, so that the ICP reaction apparatus 1 is reduced in volume.

According to this embodiment of the present invention, the ICP generator assembly 17 can be axially rotated, thus covering the entire inner space of the reaction chamber 20 at different time periods, and the two discharge assemblies 12 can be alternately and continuously operated, increasing the frequency of generating the induced magnetic field.

Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of an ICP reaction apparatus 1 according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the reaction chamber 20 of the ICP reaction apparatus 1 is a square structure. The main body 21 of the reaction chamber 20 is a box body, the cover 22 is a control door, the box body forms the reaction chamber 201, the box body has an opening, the opening communicates the reaction chamber 201 and the external space, the control door is installed in the opening, when the control door is opened, the reaction chamber 201 is exposed, when the control door is closed, the reaction chamber 201 is closed.

The control gate may be a front plate of the reaction chamber 20. That is, the reaction chamber 20 may be opened from the front side. The control gate may also be a ceiling of the reaction chamber 20. That is, the reaction chamber 20 may also be opened from the top side. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the form of opening the reaction chamber 20 is merely illustrative, and the manner of opening the reaction chamber 20 of the ICP reaction apparatus 1 of the invention is not limited thereto.

In this embodiment of the invention, the control door is located on the front side, that is, the opening of the cabinet is located on the front side. The movable ICP generator 10 is provided in the case. Further, the movable ICP generator 10 is selectively provided to at least one side surface of the case.

In one embodiment, the ICP generator 10 is moved along a single side of the reaction chamber 20 to change the distribution of the induced magnetic field at different positions in the same direction of the reaction chamber 20.

In one embodiment, the ICP generator 10 is moved in the up and down direction of the reaction chamber 20 so that the induced magnetic field longitudinally covers the inner space of the reaction chamber 20 at different times.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention described above and shown in the drawings are given by way of example only and are not limiting of the invention. The objects of the invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The functional and structural principles of the present invention have been shown and described in the examples, and any variations or modifications of the embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the principles.

Claims

An ICP reaction apparatus, comprising:

an ICP generator; and

the reaction cavity is provided with a reaction cavity and a discharge channel, the reaction cavity is used for placing a substrate to be coated, the discharge channel is communicated with the reaction cavity, and the ICP generator can be arranged in the discharge channel in a manner of relative motion with the reaction cavity so as to excite gas introduced into the reaction cavity in an inductive coupling manner to generate plasma.
2. The ICP reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ICP generator is disposed outside the reaction chamber, the ICP generator being axially movable about the reaction chamber.
3. The ICP reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ICP generator is disposed outside the reaction chamber, the ICP generator being movable up and down the reaction chamber.
4. The ICP reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ICP generator is disposed outside the reaction chamber, the ICP generator being capable of helical movement about the reaction chamber.
5. The ICP reactor as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the ICP generator includes a mounting assembly fixed to an outside of the discharge channel of the reaction chamber, a discharge assembly movably disposed to the mounting assembly by the moving assembly, and a moving assembly.
6. The ICP reactor as set forth in claim 5 wherein the mounting assembly comprises a mounting frame and a spacer plate, the mounting frame being circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the reaction chamber, the mounting frame having a window corresponding in position to the discharge channel, the spacer plate being circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the mounting frame and closing the window, the discharge assembly being movably mounted to the mounting frame, the spacer plate being located between the window of the mounting frame and the discharge assembly.
7. The ICP reactor as claimed in claim 5, wherein the discharge assembly includes an induction coil and a fixing plate, the induction coil and the fixing plate being fixed by lamination.
8. The ICP reactor according to claim 5, wherein said moving assembly includes a moving member and a mating member, said moving member being movable along said mating member, said discharge assembly being carried on said moving member, said mating member being provided to said mounting assembly.
9. The ICP reactor as set forth in claim 5 wherein the ICP generator includes a housing and a fan mounted to the housing, the housing being covered outside the discharge assembly.
10. The ICP reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber has an ICP channel inside the reaction chamber, the ICP generator is disposed within the ICP channel, the ICP generator is axially rotatable within the ICP channel.
11. The ICP reaction apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the reaction chamber has an inner wall forming the ICP channel, the discharge channel being disposed at the inner wall.
12. The ICP reactor as claimed in claim 10, wherein the ICP generator includes a mounting assembly, a discharge assembly and a shaft, the mounting assembly being fixed to the reaction chamber, the discharge assembly being disposed on the shaft, the shaft being rotatably disposed within the ICP channel.
13. The ICP reactor as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ICP generator includes two discharge assemblies, the two discharge assemblies being oppositely disposed to the axis of rotation.
14. The ICP reactor as set forth in claim 12 wherein the mounting assembly comprises a mounting frame and a spacer plate, the mounting frame being peripherally and sealingly mounted to the inner wall of the reaction chamber, the mounting frame having a window corresponding in position to the discharge channel, the spacer plate being peripherally and sealingly mounted to the mounting frame and closing the window.
15. The ICP reactor according to claim 5, wherein said reaction chamber includes a body defining said reaction chamber and a lid detachably disposed to said body for controlling opening and closing of said reaction chamber.
16. The ICP reactor as claimed in claim 15, wherein the ICP reactor includes a lift, the lid is carried on the carrier to lift the lid.
An ICP generator adapted to cooperate with a reaction chamber to excite gas introduced into the reaction chamber by inductive coupling to generate plasma, the reaction chamber having a reaction chamber and a discharge channel, comprising: the discharge device comprises a mounting assembly and a discharge assembly, wherein the mounting assembly is suitable for being fixed outside the discharge channel of the reaction cavity, and the discharge assembly is movably arranged on the mounting assembly.
18. The ICP generator as set forth in claim 17, wherein the mounting assembly includes a mounting frame adapted to be circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the reaction chamber body and having a window corresponding in position to the discharge passage, and a spacer plate circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the mounting frame and closing the window, the discharge assembly being movably mounted to the mounting frame, the spacer plate being located between the window of the mounting frame and the discharge assembly.
19. An ICP generator according to any one of claims 17-18, wherein the discharge assembly includes an induction coil and a mounting plate, the induction coil and the mounting plate being secured by lamination.
20. An ICP generator according to any one of claims 17-18, wherein the moving assembly includes a moving member and a mating member, the moving member being movable along the mating member, the discharge assembly being carried on the moving member, the mating member being provided to the mounting assembly.
21. The ICP generator according to claim 19, wherein the discharge assembly includes a housing and a fan mounted to the housing, the housing being concealed outside the induction coil and the fixed plate.
An ICP generator adapted to cooperate with a reaction chamber to excite gas introduced into the reaction chamber by inductive coupling to generate plasma, the reaction chamber having a reaction chamber and a discharge channel, comprising: the device comprises a mounting assembly, a discharge assembly and a rotating shaft, wherein the mounting assembly is suitable for being fixed on an ICP channel of the reaction cavity, the discharge assembly is arranged on the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is suitable for being rotatably arranged in the ICP channel.
23. The ICP generator according to claim 22, wherein the reaction chamber has an inner wall forming the ICP channel, the discharge channel being disposed in the inner wall.
24. An ICP generator as set forth in claim 22 wherein the ICP generator includes two discharge assemblies disposed oppositely from the axis of rotation.
25. An ICP generator according to any one of claims 22-24, wherein the mounting assembly includes a mounting frame and a spacer plate, the mounting frame is adapted to be circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the inner wall of the reaction chamber, the mounting frame has a window corresponding in position to the discharge channel, and the spacer plate is circumferentially and sealingly mounted to the mounting frame and closes the window.