JP2001073148A - Method for continuously using substrate surface heater for pcvd - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the method capable of continuously using a substrate surface heater to be used for a PCVD SYSTEM. SOLUTION: This method comprises a stage where a beltlike heater element 4a, e.g. having a network shape or a parallel wirelike shape is arranged between an electrode 5 and the substrate 3 to be treated, a stage where reactive gas is fed to the space between the electrode and the substrate to be treated, moreover, high frequency voltage is applied to make the reactive gas into plasma, the surface of the substrate to be treated is heated by the heater element to activate radicals in the plasma on the substrate surface, and a film of high quality is formed on the surface of the substrate to be treated, a stage where the heater element deposited with film forming components in the film forming plasma is coiled, and, instead of this, a new heater element which has not yet been exposed to plasma is fed and deposited onto the space between the electrode and the substrate to be treated, and a stage where reactive gas is fed to the space between the electrode and the substrate to be treated, moreover, high frequency voltage is applied to mae the reactive gas into plasma, the surface of the substrate to be treated is heated by the new heater element to activate radicals in the plasma on the substrate surface, and a film of high quality is formed on the surface of the substrate to be treated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate surface heater for activating radicals in plasma on a substrate surface and heating the surface of the substrate to form a high-quality film on the surface of the substrate. The present invention relates to a method for continuously using a substrate surface heater for PCVD which can be used continuously for a long period of time.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 3, a plasma CVD apparatus is provided with a substrate surface heater 4 in a plasma generation region sandwiched between a substrate 3 and an electrode 5. The substrate surface heater 4 heats the surface of the substrate to be processed to activate radicals in the plasma on the surface of the substrate, and forms a high-quality film on the surface of the substrate to be processed. A large amount of film-forming components adhere due to the use of, the aperture ratio is reduced, the amount of process gas passing, the amount of radicals reaching the substrate surface is reduced, and the film quality of the film formed on the surface of the substrate to be processed is reduced. Frequent replacement is required because it affects the film thickness distribution.

[0003]

For this reason, at present, it is necessary to open the film forming chamber and perform frequent maintenance for replacing the substrate surface heater, which makes the condition of the film forming chamber unstable and increases the cost. Is the cause.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a method of continuously using a substrate surface heater for PCVD which can continuously use a substrate surface heater used in a PCVD apparatus. The purpose is to do.

[0005]

A method for continuously using a substrate surface heater for PCVD according to the present invention comprises the steps of arranging a strip-shaped heater element such as a mesh or parallel parallel wire between an electrode and a substrate to be processed. And supplying a reactive gas between the electrode and the substrate to be processed and applying a high-frequency voltage to convert the reactive gas into plasma, and heating the surface of the substrate to be processed by the heater element to remove radicals in the plasma on the substrate surface. Activating and forming a high-quality film on the surface of the substrate to be processed, and winding the heater element with the film-forming component adhered in the generated plasma, and replacing it with a new one that has not yet been exposed to the plasma. Supplying a simple heater element between the electrode and the substrate to be processed, supplying a reactive gas between the electrode and the substrate to be processed, and applying a high frequency voltage to the reactive element. And heating the substrate surface by the new heater element to activate radicals in the substrate surface plasma to form a high quality film on the surface of the substrate. It is characterized by the following.

[0006] By repeating the feeding of the belt-shaped heater element by a predetermined length in this manner, the frequency of replacement of the heater is reduced, so that the manufacturing cost and the maintenance cost are reduced, and the condition of the film forming chamber is stabilized for a long time.

A method of continuously using a substrate surface heater for PCVD according to the present invention includes a step of arranging a heater element, such as a mesh or parallel parallel wire, between an electrode and a substrate to be processed. A reactive gas is supplied during the reaction and a high-frequency voltage is applied to turn the reactive gas into plasma, and the surface of the substrate to be processed is heated by the heater element to activate radicals in the plasma on the substrate surface. And forming a film on the surface of the substrate to be processed, and connecting the film forming chamber and the preparatory chamber during non-plasma generation, carrying out the heater element with the film forming components from the film forming chamber to the preparatory chamber, and replacing the element. Transporting a new heater element not yet exposed to the plasma from the preliminary chamber to the film forming chamber and replacing it between the electrode and the substrate to be processed; A reactive gas is supplied and a high-frequency voltage is applied to convert the reactive gas into plasma.The surface of the substrate to be processed is heated by the new heater element to activate radicals in the plasma on the substrate surface, thereby forming a high-quality film. Forming a film on the surface of the substrate to be processed.

A method for continuously using a radical heater for PCVD according to the present invention includes a step of disposing a heater element, such as a net-like or parallel-parallel wire, between an electrode and a substrate to be processed, A reactive gas is supplied to the substrate and a high-frequency voltage is applied to convert the reactive gas into plasma. The surface of the substrate to be processed is heated by the heater element to activate radicals in the plasma on the substrate surface, thereby forming a high quality film. A step of forming a film on the surface of the processing substrate, and a step of removing the film-forming component adhered to the surface using the difference in thermal expansion by forcibly cooling the heater element during non-plasma generation from the heater element. And supplying a reactive gas between the electrode and the substrate to be processed and applying a high-frequency voltage to convert the reactive gas into a plasma. Activating the radicals in the substrate surface plasma by heating the surface of the treatment substrate, characterized by comprising the step of film formation of high quality films to the surface of the substrate, the.

In this case, it is desirable to forcibly cool the heater element by blowing hydrogen gas. Further, it is desirable that hydrogen gas be blown onto the heater element from a gas supply mechanism for supplying a reactive gas. On the other hand, hydrogen gas may be blown to the heater element from a nozzle other than the gas supply mechanism for supplying the reactive gas. Further, the heater element may be forcibly cooled using a thermoelectric conversion element.

Further, two or more of the above cooling means can be used in combination. That is, hydrogen gas may be blown from a gas supply mechanism for supplying a reactive gas to the heater element, and the heater element may be forcibly cooled using a thermoelectric conversion element.

It is best to use industrially pure hydrogen gas as the gas used for forced cooling of the heater element.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First Embodiment) An apparatus according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The plasma CVD apparatus 1 includes a substrate heating heater 2 for heating the glass substrate 3 to a predetermined target temperature. The heater 2 may be of a double-sided heating type. In this case, the substrate 3 is held on the other side (not shown). Each substrate 3 is pressed and held against the heating surface of the heater 2 by, for example, a positioner (not shown). Note that the heater 2 is grounded.

A ladder electrode 5 is arranged so as to face the substrate 3 on the heater 2. The ladder electrode 5 is connected to a high frequency power supply (not shown). The operation of the high frequency power supply is controlled by a matching circuit (not shown) of the controller 16. This high frequency power supply is 13.56 ~
100 MHz high frequency power (voltage) is applied to the electrode 5,
Plasma is generated between the electrode 5 and the substrate 3.

Further, a gas supply mechanism 6 is arranged on the back side of the electrode 5, and further, a deposition preventing plate 7 is arranged on the back side of the gas supply mechanism 6. The piping of the gas supply mechanism 6 is connected to a gas supply source (not shown) so that a process gas containing silane as a main component is supplied as a reactive gas.

The distance between the substrate 3 and the electrode 5 is 20 to 4
The distance between the substrate 3 and the gas supply mechanism 6 is set to, for example, 40 to 90 mm. The plasma is generated in a narrow area sandwiched between the substrate 3 and the electrode 5. In this narrow area, the heater element 4
A substrate surface heater 4 having a is disposed, and is supplied with power from a power source (not shown) to generate heat.

The heater element 4a is, for example, made of an alloy net that generates resistance heat with a mesh roughness of about 5 to 20 mesh and has a belt shape. Such a belt-shaped heater element 4a is provided with a motor 1 as a continuous heater supply device.
5 are wound around the upper and lower reels 14, respectively. The upper reel 14 corresponds to the supply side, and the heater element 4a is supplied to the narrow region between the substrate 3 and the electrode 5 via the insulating bar 12 from now on. The lower reel 14 corresponds to the collecting side, and winds up the used heater element 4 a to which the film forming component has adhered via the insulating bar 12.

Each of the insulating bars 12 is a shaft 1 of an upper and lower cylinder 13.
3a are connected and supported so as to be able to move up and down. The tension applied to the heater element 4a by the upper and lower cylinders 13 is adjusted. The operation of each cylinder 13 and each motor 15 is controlled by a controller 16.

An amorphous silicon film was actually formed on the substrate 3 using the above apparatus, and continuous use of a substrate surface heater was attempted.

The substrate 3 to be processed is 400 mm × 505 m.
An m-size glass substrate was tested. Silane gas was used as a raw material process gas. Also, the pressure of the film formation atmosphere is 0.
1 to 0.03 Torr. The heating condition of the substrate surface heater is 100 to 150 ° C. at the surface temperature of the substrate 3.
And

When used under such film forming conditions,
The film forming component adheres to the surface of the heater element 4a, and the mesh opening ratio is reduced, so that the amount of process gas and the amount of radicals reaching the substrate surface are reduced. Because it affects the film quality and film thickness distribution,
The film forming process was repeated 600 times before the film could not be used any more. Next, the used heater element 4 a to which the components were attached was wound around the lower reel 14, and a new heater element 4 a was supplied from the upper reel 14 to a narrow area between the substrate 3 and the electrode 5. Then, after the film forming process was further repeated 600 times under the above conditions, the winding and replacement of the heater element 4a were performed again.

According to the present embodiment, the film winding process can be continuously repeated up to 3000 times at the maximum without the maintenance and inspection or replacement of the substrate surface heater by employing the reel winding system.

(Second Embodiment) An apparatus according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that description of parts common to the present embodiment with the above-described embodiment will be omitted. In the PCVD apparatus 1A of the second embodiment, the used substrate surface heater 4 is replaced with a new one by using the spare chamber 20 which can communicate with the film forming chamber 10. The substrate surface heater 4 includes a heater element 4a as a resistance heating element and a heater element 4a.
4b which forms and holds the frame and serves as a terminal
It has.

A plurality of spare substrate surface heaters 4 are housed in the spare chamber 20. The spare room 20 has the shutter 2
2 has a lower opening that can be opened and closed. When the shutter 22 is opened, the preliminary chamber 20 communicates with the film forming chamber 10. A transport mechanism (not shown) is provided in the preliminary chamber 20 so that the used substrate surface heater 4 can be replaced with a new one.

As a result of using the substrate surface heater 4 under the same film forming conditions as in the first embodiment described above, the used substrate surface heater 4 was replaced with a new one after an average of 600 film forming processes. The collected used heater 4 was carried out of the preliminary chamber 20 through a door (not shown).

According to the present embodiment, by adopting the spare heater replacement method, the film forming process up to 2,000 times can be continuously repeated without maintenance and inspection or replacement of the substrate surface heater.

(Third Embodiment) An apparatus according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that description of parts common to the present embodiment with the above-described embodiment will be omitted.
In the PCVD apparatus 1B of the third embodiment, the attached film forming component is removed from the heater element 4a by giving a heating / cooling heat cycle to the heater element 4a. The heat cycle of heating / cooling is achieved by forcibly cooling the heater element 4a.
That is, the mode is switched from the film formation mode to the heat cycle mode, and the heater element 4a is directly or indirectly electronically cooled by the thermoelectric conversion element 30 during non-film formation, and hydrogen gas is supplied to the heater element 4a using the gas supply mechanism 6. Spray and cool. As the thermoelectric conversion element 30, an electronic cooling element utilizing the Peltier effect was used. The thermoelectric conversion element 30 may directly cool the heater element 4a or may indirectly cool the heater element 4a via the frame 4b.

Hydrogen gas is most suitable as the cooling gas. This is because hydrogen gas has a cleaning action of removing film forming components.

By thus forcibly cooling the heater element 4a which has been heated during film formation, a heat cycle is generated, and the adhered component 8 is efficiently removed from the heater element 4a.

According to the method of this embodiment, an average of 1000
The heater element 4a can be continuously used up to the number of times.

(Fourth Embodiment) An apparatus according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that description of parts common to the present embodiment with the above-described embodiment will be omitted.
In the PCVD apparatus 1C of the fourth embodiment, the heater element 4a is forcibly cooled by using a plurality of other gas nozzles 40 different from the gas supply mechanism 6 for supplying the process gas.
By applying a heat cycle of heating / cooling to the heater element 4a, the attached film forming component is removed from the heater element 4a.
a. The gas nozzle 40 is connected to a hydrogen gas supply source (not shown) provided with a mechanism for adjusting the temperature of the gas.

When the mode is switched from the film forming mode to the heat cycle mode and the heater element 4a is forcibly cooled by the blowing gas from each nozzle 40, the adhering component 8 is efficiently removed from the heater element 4a.

The gas nozzle 40 of the present embodiment may be used in combination with the Peltier element 30 of the third embodiment.

In the above embodiment, 400 mm × 50
Although the case where a film is formed on a substrate having a size of 5 mm has been described, the present invention is not limited thereto.
It is also possible to apply to a large substrate of 0 mm × 1000 mm size.

[0035]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, P
In the CVD apparatus, the substrate surface heater can be used repeatedly and continuously. For this reason, the throughput of the film forming process is significantly improved, and the manufacturing cost and the maintenance cost are reduced.

Further, since the maintenance due to the opening of the film forming chamber is reduced, the condition of the film forming chamber can be stabilized for a long time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an apparatus used for a method for continuously using a substrate surface heater for PCVD according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram showing an outline of an apparatus used for a method of continuously using a substrate surface heater for PCVD according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a plasma CVD apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a configuration block diagram showing an outline of an apparatus used for a method for continuously using a PCVD substrate surface heater according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration block diagram showing an outline of an apparatus used for a method for continuously using a PCVD substrate surface heater according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 1A, 1B, 1C: PCVD apparatus, 2: heater for substrate heating, 3: substrate, 4: substrate surface heater, 4a: heater element (mesh), 4b: frame, 5: electrode, 6: gas supply mechanism , 7: anti-adhesion plate, 8: attached foreign matter, 1
0: film forming chamber, 12: insulating roller, 13: cylinder, 14
... Reel, 15 ... Motor, 16 ... Controller, 20 ... Preparatory room, 22 ... Shutter, 30 ... Thermoelectric conversion element (Peltier element), 40 ... Gas nozzle.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tatsufumi Aoi 1-1, Akunoura-cho, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Nagasaki Shipyard (72) Inventor Eishiro Sasakawa 1-1-1, Akunoura-cho, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture Inside Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Nagasaki Shipyard (72) Inventor Yoshikazu Nawata 1-1, Akunoura-cho, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Nagasaki Shipyard F-term (reference) 3F064 AA06 CA01 FA04 4K030 FA03 KA24 KA25 KA26 KA45 4M104 BB01 DD44 5F045 AA08 AB04 AC01 AD05 AE17 AE19 AF07 BB08 BB10 EB08 EH04 EJ06 EJ08 EJ10 EK07 EK08

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A step of arranging a strip-shaped heater element such as a mesh or parallel parallel wire between an electrode and a substrate, supplying a reactive gas between the electrode and the substrate, and applying a high-frequency voltage Applying a plasma to the reactive gas, heating the substrate surface to be processed by the heater element to activate radicals in the substrate surface plasma, and forming a high-quality film on the surface of the substrate to be processed. Winding the heater element having the film-forming component attached thereto in the generated plasma, and supplying and arranging a new heater element which is not yet exposed to the plasma between the electrode and the substrate to be processed; A reactive gas is supplied between the substrate and the substrate to be processed, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to convert the reactive gas into plasma, and the surface of the substrate to be processed is heated by the new heater element. Activating the radicals in the plasma on the substrate surface to form a high-quality film on the surface of the substrate to be processed. 2. A step of disposing a heater element, such as a mesh or parallel parallel wire, between an electrode and a substrate, supplying a reactive gas between the electrode and the substrate and applying a high-frequency voltage. Reacting the reactive gas into plasma, heating the substrate surface by the heater element to activate radicals in the substrate surface plasma, and forming a high-quality film on the surface of the substrate. When plasma is generated, the film forming chamber and the preparatory chamber are communicated with each other, and the heater element with the film forming components is carried out of the film forming chamber to the preparatory chamber, and a new heater element not yet exposed to the plasma is preliminarily replaced. A process of carrying the film from the chamber to the film forming chamber and replacing it between the electrode and the substrate to be processed; supplying a reactive gas between the electrode and the substrate to be processed; Converting the gas into plasma, heating the substrate surface by the new heater element to activate radicals in the substrate surface plasma, and forming a high-quality film on the surface of the substrate to be processed. A method for continuously using a substrate surface heater for PCVD. 3. A step of arranging a heater element, such as a mesh or parallel parallel wire, between an electrode and a substrate, supplying a reactive gas between the electrode and the substrate and applying a high-frequency voltage. Reacting the reactive gas into plasma, heating the substrate surface by the heater element to activate radicals in the substrate surface plasma, and forming a high-quality film on the surface of the substrate. Removing the film-forming components adhered to the surface from the heater element by utilizing the difference in thermal expansion by forcibly cooling the heater element at the time of plasma generation; and reacting again between the electrode and the substrate to be processed. The reactive gas is turned into plasma by supplying a gas and applying a high-frequency voltage, and the surface of the substrate to be processed is heated by the heater element, thereby causing the A method of activating the substrate and forming a high-quality film on the surface of the substrate to be processed. 4. The P according to claim 3, wherein said heater element is forcibly cooled by blowing hydrogen gas.
A method of continuously using a substrate surface heater for CVD. 5. The method for continuously using a substrate surface heater for PCVD according to claim 4, wherein hydrogen gas is blown from said gas supply mechanism for supplying said reactive gas to said heater element. 6. The P according to claim 4, wherein hydrogen gas is blown to the heater element from a nozzle other than a gas supply mechanism for supplying the reactive gas.
A method of continuously using a substrate surface heater for CVD. 7. The P according to claim 3, wherein said heater element is forcibly cooled using a thermoelectric conversion element.
A method of continuously using a substrate surface heater for CVD. 8. The method according to claim 3, wherein a hydrogen gas is blown from a gas supply mechanism for supplying the reactive gas to the heater element, and the heater element is forcibly cooled using a thermoelectric conversion element. PC
How to use VD substrate surface heater continuously.