JP2001335948A - Film deposition system and method by plasma cvd - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a film depositing system by applying a plasma CVD method, in which plasma uniformity and long time stability are enhanced and the deposited film excellent in the uniformity of film quality can easily be obtained with high reproducibility, and also to provide a film deposition method. SOLUTION: In a deposit film deposition system by plasma CVD in which, while performing exhaust in a reaction vessel, plasma is generated on the space between a cathode electrode and the substrate to be film-deposited as the counter electrode thereof, and a deposit film is deposited on the substrate to be film-deposited, the vicinity of the inlet part in an exhaust port is provided with a plasma leakage preventing means, and also, the plasma leakage preventing means is set to a position which is a dead space from both of the cathode electrode and the substrate to be film-deposited. Using this system, a deposit film is deposited on the substrate to be film-deposited by plasma CVD.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a deposited film forming apparatus for forming a deposited film by applying a plasma CVD method and a deposited film forming method. More specifically, formation of a deposited film capable of suitably forming a crystalline or non-crystalline functional deposited film used for a semiconductor device, an electrophotographic photoreceptor, an image input line center, an imaging device, a photovoltaic device, and the like. The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for forming a deposited film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method for forming a deposited film used for a semiconductor device, an electrophotographic photoreceptor, an image input line sensor, an imaging device, a photovoltaic device, and other element members used for various electronic elements, a vacuum evaporation method, Sputtering method, ion plating method, heat C
There are many known methods such as a VD method, a photo CVD method, and a plasma CVD method. Further, a deposited film forming apparatus used in the above-described various deposited film forming methods has been put to practical use. Above all,
Plasma CVD, that is, a method of decomposing a raw material gas by direct current, high frequency, or microwave glow discharge to form a thin film deposition film on a substrate is, for example, a method using hydrogenated amorphous silicon (hereinafter, a-Si: H As the most suitable method for forming a deposited film or the like, the most practical method is currently being used. Accordingly, various apparatuses for forming a deposited film by a plasma CVD method have been proposed in accordance with actual applications.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a plasma CVD apparatus generally used for forming an a-Si: H film. The plasma CVD apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is an apparatus based on a VHF plasma CVD method using a high frequency in a VHF band as a high frequency power supply.
This is an apparatus for depositing an a-Si: H film mainly for a cylindrical electrophotographic photosensitive member. FIG. 2A is a longitudinal sectional view of the VHF plasma CVD apparatus, and FIG. 2B is a transverse sectional view.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, a cathode 202 which is electrically insulated from the inside of the reaction vessel 201 by an insulating material, and a film-forming substrate functioning as a counter electrode thereof are provided in a reaction vessel 201 which can be decompressed. A rotation shaft 208 serving as a base holder for holding 205 is arranged. The substrate 205 is heated to a predetermined temperature from the inside by a heating element 207 installed therein. The rotating shaft 208 holding the substrate 205 has a rotating mechanism driven by a motor.
The deposition target substrate 205 is rotated. A high frequency power supply 203 is connected to the cathode electrode 202 via a matching circuit 204. Further, the reaction vessel 201 is provided with an exhaust port 209, and a vacuum exhaust unit (not shown) is connected to the other end of the exhaust port 209 to evacuate the reaction vessel 201. On the other hand, a plasma leakage prevention means 210 is provided at the inlet of the exhaust port 209 in order to prevent a decrease in plasma density. Further, in the reaction vessel 201,
Source gas supply means 206 is attached, and supplies a source gas from this.

An a-Si: H film is generally formed by the following procedure using a conventional film forming apparatus as shown in FIG.

First, the inside of the reaction vessel 201 is evacuated to a high vacuum by vacuum evacuation means (not shown) connected to the other end of the exhaust port 209. Thereafter, the silane gas (SiH ₄ ) and the disilane gas are
(Si ₂ H ₆ ), diborane gas (B ₂ H ₆ ), methane gas (CH ₄ ), ethane gas (C ₂ H ₆ ), etc.
Is maintained at a predetermined pressure. The high-frequency power source 203 is set to a desired power, and the matching circuit 204 and the cathode electrode 202 are set.
, VHF power is introduced into the reaction vessel 201. With this VHF power, plasma is generated between the cathode electrode 202 and the deposition target substrate 205 serving as a counter electrode, and the source gas is decomposed by the plasma. Then, the film formation substrate 2
Reference numeral 05 denotes a heating element 207 which is heated to a predetermined temperature of 200 to 400 ° C., and an a-Si: H film is deposited on the substrate 205.

[0007]

According to the above-described conventional deposited film forming apparatus and deposited film forming method, a
-Si: H-based electrophotographic photoreceptors have been formed and are in practical use. However, there is still room for improvement in further improving the overall characteristics. Specifically, the speed of the electrophotographic apparatus has been rapidly increasing, and further improvement in the electrical characteristics of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is required.

For example, in recent years, the performance of the copying machine itself has been improved, and with the spread of digital machines and color machines, electrophotographic photosensitive members have been improved in image characteristics such as higher image quality and higher quality than ever before. Improvement is required. On the other hand, the demand for smaller photocopiers and smaller diameter electrophotographic photoconductors than ever before has been increasing, as the demand for electrophotographic photoconductors as printers has increased, especially in copiers. There is also a demand for the development of a manufacturing apparatus that can be used.

That is, under these circumstances, in order to meet the above-mentioned demands, in the technology for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, plasma uniformity and long-term stability are improved, and furthermore, the deposition film There is a strong demand for technology development to improve and maintain film quality uniformity and its reproducibility. In addition, in order to further improve image characteristics such as higher image quality, higher quality, and the like, it is necessary to suppress the occurrence of minute image defects that have not been a problem in the past.

The above-mentioned image defect is caused by a defect in the deposited film. The main causes of this deposited film defect are:
Deposition of the deposited film from various places arranged in the reaction vessel, and fine film fragments scattered on the substrate on which the film was formed, resulting in abnormal growth with the fine separated fragments as growth nuclei. is there. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to prevent the film fragments that cause image defects from flying onto the substrate on which the film is likely to be peeled off.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve plasma uniformity and long-term stability when forming a deposited film by applying a plasma CVD method. It is an object of the present invention to provide a deposited film forming apparatus and a deposited film forming method capable of easily forming a deposited film having excellent film quality uniformity with good reproducibility. Specifically, when forming a deposited film, particularly a functional deposited film, it suppresses the occurrence of a deposited film defect that causes an image defect and the like, dramatically improves the yield, and facilitates mass production. An object is to provide an apparatus and a method for forming a deposited film.

[0012]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors, in a conventional deposited film forming apparatus, specify a location where a deposited film is frequently peeled off and generate a deposited film defect. As a result of intensive study and research in order to analyze the relevance in more detail, the deposited film near the exhaust port that connects to the exhaust means for evacuating the inside of the reaction vessel peeled off, and fine film fragments were removed. It has been found that the frequency of flying is extremely high, and that the prevention of the occurrence of the deposited film defects can be greatly suppressed if the prevention is performed. In addition, a plasma leakage prevention means is provided as a means in the vicinity of an inlet portion in the exhaust port, and the plasma leakage prevention means itself is installed at a position where a blind spot is formed from a cathode electrode and a film-forming substrate serving as a counter electrode thereof. It is extremely effective to adopt an apparatus configuration to perform the above, that is, by using the apparatus having the above configuration, it becomes possible to easily form a deposited film having excellent uniformity of film quality with good reproducibility. As a result, the present invention has been completed.

That is, the apparatus for forming a deposited film according to the present invention is connected to a raw material gas introducing means for introducing a raw material gas into a vacuum-tight reaction vessel, and connected to an exhaust port attached to the reaction vessel. Exhaust means for exhausting gas, high-frequency power introducing means for introducing high-frequency power supplied from a high-frequency power supply, and substrate holding means for holding a substrate on which a deposited film is formed on the surface thereof. The introduction means is a cathode electrode, and the film-forming substrate provided on the substrate holding means is not provided with a counter electrode facing the cathode electrode,
A deposition film forming apparatus by plasma CVD for generating plasma between the cathode electrode and the counter electrode and forming a deposition film on the deposition target substrate to be the counter electrode,
A plasma leak preventing means is provided near an inlet portion in the exhaust port, and the plasma leak preventing means is installed at a position where both the cathode electrode and the counter electrode are blind spots. This is a deposition film forming apparatus.

Further, according to the method for forming a deposited film of the present invention, a source gas introducing means for introducing a source gas into a vacuum-tightly sealed reaction vessel, and an exhaust port attached to the reaction vessel,
Exhaust means for exhausting the inside of the reaction vessel, high-frequency power introduction means for introducing high-frequency power supplied from a high-frequency power supply, and substrate holding means for holding a substrate on which a deposited film is formed on the surface thereof Using a new deposited film forming device,
The high-frequency power supply means is a cathode electrode, and the film-forming substrate provided on the substrate holding means is not a counter electrode facing the cathode electrode, and a plasma is generated between the cathode electrode and the counter electrode. A method for forming a deposited film by plasma CVD for forming a deposited film on the substrate on which a film is to be formed as an electrode, wherein a plasma leak preventing means is provided near an inlet of the exhaust port, and an installation position of the plasma leak preventing means is provided. Plasma deposition wherein a plasma is generated in the reaction vessel by the plasma leak preventing means while the plasma leak preventing means is in a position where a blind spot is formed from both the cathode electrode and the counter electrode. This is a method for forming a deposited film by using

In the deposited film forming apparatus and the deposited film forming method of the present invention, the plasma leak preventing means used includes:
It is preferable to use a material made of perforated metal or a metal mesh. Further, in the punching metal, the opening holes are arranged at equal intervals, the area of each hole is selected in the range of 0.8 to 80 mm ² , and the opening ratio is 20 to 80 mm.
% Gives better results. The metal mesh is selected in the range of MESH 2.5 to 60, and more preferable results are obtained when the wire diameter is selected in the range of 0.14 to 2 mm. Note that ME
SH means the number of vertical lines per one inch (25.4 mm) of the mesh.

Further, when forming an a-Si: H film or the like by the deposited film forming apparatus and the deposited film forming method of the present invention, the oscillation frequency of the high-frequency power is set to 50 MHz to 50 MHz.
It is preferable to select in the range of 450 MHz.

Further, in the deposited film forming apparatus and the deposited film forming method according to the present invention, the reaction vessel is formed in a cylindrical shape made of a dielectric member, and the gas of the raw material gas introducing means is provided inside the reaction vessel. An emission unit, the exhaust port, and a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate on which the film is to be formed, and a high-frequency power introduction unit including a plurality of cathode electrodes is disposed outside the reaction container; It is preferable that plasma be generated inside to form a deposited film on the film-forming substrate. Alternatively, an apparatus configuration in which a plurality of substrate holding means for holding the film-forming substrates are arranged on the same circumference, a plurality of film-forming substrates are arranged on the same circumference in a reaction vessel, and the plurality of It is preferable to form a deposited film on the substrate on which the film is to be formed.

[0018] In addition, at least the deposited film forming apparatus
A device capable of forming a deposited film made of an amorphous material containing silicon, and for the purpose of forming a deposited film for an electrophotographic photoreceptor, at least one layer of a deposited film made of an amorphous material containing silicon is formed. In the above-described formation, the above-described deposited film forming apparatus and deposited film forming method of the present invention exhibit more effects.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The deposited film forming apparatus and the deposited film forming method according to the present invention are problematic in the conventional deposited film forming apparatus. The effect of suppressing the adhesion on the substrate was achieved by arranging the plasma leakage prevention means near the entrance portion in the exhaust port, by disposing the means at a blind spot from the film-forming substrate serving as the cathode electrode and the counter electrode. Things. In addition, since the scattering of the film fragments peeled from the plasma leakage prevention means to the region where the film formation substrate serving as the cathode electrode or the opposite electrode is disposed is also suppressed, the plasma distribution derived from the peeled film fragments is suppressed. The effect of suppressing disturbance is also achieved. In addition to preventing the peeled film fragments from directly adhering to the substrate on which the film is to be formed, it is possible to suppress the disturbance of the plasma distribution. The uniformity and long-term stability are improved, and the deposited film quality is uniformed.

In the apparatus and method for forming a deposited film according to the present invention, the reason why the above-mentioned effects are given (action) is presumed to be based on the following mechanism.

The deposited film forming apparatus is provided with a plasma leakage preventing means for preventing the plasma from leaking from the exhaust port and confining the plasma in the film forming space. That is, the plasma leakage prevention means is provided at the exhaust port. This plasma leakage prevention means uses a conductive material because its potential is grounded. For example, a punched metal or a metal mesh is used, but the shape is an opening hole shape or a mesh shape, and since the surface shape is complicated, the internal stress of the formed deposited film tends to increase. For this reason, it is considered that film peeling is much more likely to occur than other members installed in the reaction vessel.

In addition, the plasma leakage prevention means installed at the inlet of the exhaust port needs to have sufficient grounding to confine the plasma generated in the film forming space, and the joint with the exhaust port is strengthened. Was taking. Therefore, it may be difficult to replace the plasma leak prevention means for each film formation, and the film is more likely to be peeled off from the stacked films as the film formation is repeated. Even if film peeling occurs and film fragments are generated, most of them are discharged out of the reaction vessel with exhaust, but a small amount is once scattered in the reaction vessel and then discharged together with the reacted raw material gas etc. Is done. However, when the film fragments are once scattered in the reaction vessel, in the conventional apparatus, the plasma leakage prevention means is not located in a blind spot position with respect to the cathode electrode (high-frequency power introduction means) and the substrate on which the film is to be formed. There were many things that scattered directly. When the directly scattered film fragments adhere to the substrate on which the film is to be formed, or fly on or near the cathode electrode, a large turbulence occurs in the plasma distribution.
In addition, there is a ripple effect that the large turbulence of the plasma distribution also becomes a factor of inducing film peeling.

In the apparatus for forming a deposited film according to the present invention, of the members arranged in the growth vessel, means for preventing plasma leakage, in which film peeling is particularly likely to occur, is provided for the cathode electrode (high-frequency power introducing means) and the substrate on which the film is to be formed. Therefore, by being installed at a position where a blind spot occurs, even if film peeling occurs, directly scattered film fragments are generated directly in the plasma generated in the film forming space, and further, directly on the film-forming substrate to be deposited. It has a configuration that does not have any negative effect.

In addition, in the deposited film forming apparatus and the deposited film forming method according to the present invention, more remarkable effects can be obtained by adopting the constitutions described in detail below.

First, in the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention,
When the reaction vessel is made of a cylindrical member made of a dielectric member and a plurality of cathode electrodes are arranged outside the dielectric member, the plasma stability is further improved, and the characteristic variation of the deposited film is suppressed. More effective.

That is, by forming a discharge space in a reaction vessel made of a dielectric member, the ratio of the cathode area to the anode area becomes larger than that of a deposition film forming apparatus in which the reaction vessel is made of a conductive member. As a result, the plasma potential in the discharge space increases, and the energy of ions entering the plasma leakage prevention means in the anode state (earth potential) also increases. Furthermore, as the energy of the incident ions increases, film peeling is more likely to occur. that time,
In the apparatus of the present invention, by setting the installation position of the plasma leakage prevention means to a position where the cathode electrode and the counter electrode are blind spots, even if film peeling occurs, peeled film fragments are generated.
It is presumed that the above-mentioned effect is further enhanced by preventing direct flight to the plasma space. Furthermore, when a plurality of film-forming substrates are arranged on the same circumference, even among a plurality of film-forming substrates on which a deposited film is formed in the same process, the characteristic variation is suppressed, and the effect of the present invention is particularly remarkable. Become.

When an electrophotographic photoreceptor is manufactured, it is necessary to form the deposited film for a long period of time because the deposited film is thick. As the film thickness increases, the stress due to film distortion increases. As a result, film peeling is more likely to occur. Even in such a case, according to the method of forming a deposited film of the present invention, even when film peeling occurs, the effects of plasma turbulence and film fragments can be effectively eliminated. A greater effect can be obtained with respect to improvement in uniformity and reproducibility.

Conventionally, the adhesion of film fragments resulting from the above-mentioned film peeling and the disturbance of plasma due to the flying of the film fragments are the main factors of the characteristic variation of the deposited film obtained. In a deposited film made of an amorphous material containing at least silicon such as a-Si: H used in the above, the bad influence of the film fragments derived from the film peeling was remarkable. However, in the method of forming a deposited film of the present invention, even if significant film peeling occurs, the influence of plasma turbulence and film fragments can be effectively eliminated, so that the a-Si When applied to a deposited film made of a non-crystalline material containing at least silicon, such as: H, the effect becomes clearer.

Hereinafter, the deposited film forming apparatus and the deposited film forming method of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention.
Specifically, it is a schematic diagram showing an example of an apparatus applied to manufacture of an a-Si: H-based photoconductor. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus, and FIG. 1B is a transverse sectional view thereof.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 comprises a reaction vessel 101 which can be decompressed, a cathode electrode 102 electrically insulated from the inside of the reaction vessel 101 by an insulating material, and a film-forming substrate functioning as a counter electrode thereof. A rotating shaft 108 serving as a substrate holder (substrate holding means) for holding 105 is arranged. The substrate 105 is heated to a predetermined temperature from the inside by a heating element 107 installed inside the substrate. Further, a rotating shaft 108 for holding the film formation substrate 105
Has a rotating mechanism driven by a motor, and when forming a deposited film, the substrate 105 is rotated. A high frequency power supply 103 is connected to the cathode electrode 102 via a matching circuit 104. Further, a source gas supply means 106 is attached to the apparatus, and inside the reaction vessel 101,
The source gas is supplied from the gas discharge part.

The reaction vessel 101 is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports 109 at the bottom cover. The ports of the exhaust ports 109 are integrated, and the other end is evacuated through an exhaust pipe. An exhaust means (not shown) is connected. The evacuation port 109 and the evacuation unit evacuate the reaction vessel 101. On the other hand, near the inlet of the exhaust port 109, a plasma leakage preventing means 110 is provided in order to prevent a decrease in plasma density. The plasma leakage prevention means 110 is installed at a position where the plasma leakage prevention means 110 is in a blind spot from the cathode electrode 102 and the substrate 105 on which the film is to be formed, as shown by a broken line in the drawing. That is, for example, in FIG. 1B, the limit of the visual field from the cathode electrode 102 and the film formation substrate 105 is indicated by a broken line. Located outside the area.

In the apparatus for forming a deposited film of the present invention, the number of exhaust ports may be one or more. In consideration of the fact that the flow of the raw material gas takes a substantially symmetrical shape around the substrate to be processed, It is preferable that the number and positions of the exhaust ports are appropriately determined in consideration of the number of cathode electrodes. Further, the shape of the exhaust port may be a ring shape as in the device shown in FIG. 3 described later, in addition to the port shape as in the device shown in FIG. A ring-shaped exhaust port can provide a large conductance and is generally preferable.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the position which is a blind spot from the cathode electrode 102 and the film-forming substrate 105 serving as the counter electrode is outside the boundary shown by the broken line in the figure. Even if the film fragments peeled off from the deposited film adhering to the plasma leakage prevention means are scattered, they become the cathode electrode and the opposite electrode and cannot directly fly on the surface of the substrate on which the film is to be formed.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention, the plasma leak preventing means 110 needs to be entirely grounded in order to confine the plasma generated in the film forming space. Therefore, it is formed of a conductive material and has a shape which does not significantly hinder the conductance of the exhaust port. Specifically, a material formed of a punched metal or a metal mesh, which is excellent in forming and maintenance, is preferable. Here, the punching metal is a metal or alloy plate having openings formed at a constant pitch. Usually, the opening is formed by punching, and various patterns such as round holes and diamonds are punched out. The materials include Al, Cr, Mo, Au, In, Nb, Te, V, Ti, Pt, Pd, Fe
And alloys thereof, such as stainless steel. Further, the shape of the opening (hole) of the punching metal is not particularly limited, such as a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, a square, a rhombus, and a cross, but usually,
A circle is preferred.

In the apparatus and method for forming a deposited film of the present invention, when a punching metal is used for the plasma leakage preventing means, it generally depends on the opening area of the exhaust port itself.
If the opening ratio of the punching metal is less than 20%, the conductance is greatly reduced, and accordingly, the exhaust capacity is extremely reduced. In the experiments by the inventors, for the above reasons, the pressure in the reaction vessel could not be maintained at a desired value depending on the flow rate of the raw material gas, so that good film quality could not be obtained in some cases. On the other hand, the opening ratio of the punched metal is 80
%, The plasma leakage prevention ability is reduced, depending on the shape and opening area (size) of each opening (hole), and leakage of plasma generated in the reaction vessel under desired conditions becomes significant. If the plasma leakage is remarkable, the plasma density and stability are reduced, and the deposition film speed is reduced. In addition, often accompanied by instability of the plasma,
In some cases, the characteristics of the deposited film are reduced. That is, it is preferable to select the aperture ratio of the punching metal in the range of 20 to 80%. Further, the openings (holes) are preferably arranged at equal intervals. When the area of each hole is 0.8 mm ² or less, it is difficult to press. On the other hand, if the area of the hole is 80
In the case of mm ² or more, the plasma leakage prevention ability is reduced, and the leakage of plasma may be significant. Therefore, the holes of the punching metal are arranged at equal intervals, and the area of each hole is
It is preferable to select from the range of 0.8 to 80 mm ² .

In the apparatus and method for forming a deposited film according to the present invention, when a metal mesh is used for the plasma leakage preventing means, like the above-described punched metal, in order to prevent a decrease in conductance and to prevent inconvenience caused by plasma leakage, It is preferable to use a metal mesh having a MESH range of 2.5 to 60 and a wire diameter of 0.14 to 2 mm. The MESH is one inch (2
(5.4 mm) The combination of MESH and wire diameter may be selected within the above range so that the number of vertical lines on one side is the number of meshes and the opening ratio of the mesh is in the range of 20 to 80%.

For example, using the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and forming a deposited film according to the method for forming a deposited film of the present invention, the formation of the deposited film is generally performed by the following procedure.

First, the substrate 105 on which the film is to be formed is placed in the reaction vessel 101.
And the inside of the reaction vessel is evacuated through a plurality of exhaust ports 109 by vacuum evacuation means (not shown). On the other hand, the substrate 105 is heated and controlled to a predetermined temperature by the heating element 107.

When the temperature of the substrate 105 reaches a predetermined temperature and the temperature is stabilized, the source gas is introduced into the reaction vessel 101 by the source gas introducing means 106. It is confirmed that the flow rate of the source gas reaches the set flow rate and that the pressure in the reaction vessel 101 is stabilized at a predetermined pressure. Thereafter, a predetermined high frequency power is supplied from the high frequency power supply 103 to the cathode electrode 102 via the matching circuit 104. Plasma is generated in the reaction vessel 101 by the supplied high-frequency power, and the source gas is excited and dissociated to form the substrate 105 on which the film is to be formed.
A deposited film is formed thereon.

In the deposited film forming apparatus and method of the present invention, as shown in the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, at least a part of the film forming space in which the source gas is decomposed is limited to a cylindrical region by the wall surface of the dielectric member 311. The central axis of the columnar film forming space passes through the film forming substrate 305, and the four cathode electrodes 302 are positioned outside the wall surface of the dielectric member 311 to improve the use efficiency of the raw material gas. At the same time, defects in the formed deposited film can be suppressed. concrete,
As the non-conductive material of the dielectric member, alumina, titanium dioxide, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, zircon, cordierite, zircon-cordierite, silicon oxide,
Examples include beryllium oxide mica-based ceramics.
Among the above-mentioned various materials, alumina is a more preferable material in terms of workability and durability, as well as less absorption of high-frequency power. In addition, the inner wall surface of the dielectric member,
That is, the inner surface on which the film forming space is formed has a surface roughness of 2.5 mm as a reference length by, for example, blasting.
It is more preferable to provide fine irregularities of about 20 μm.
In other words, it is preferable to perform a treatment for increasing the adhesion of the deposited film and have an inner surface where film peeling does not occur.

In the deposited film forming apparatus and method of the present invention, for example, a plurality of cathode electrodes are provided for the purpose of suppressing the difference in the deposited film characteristics in the circumferential direction of the substrate on which the film is formed.
It is preferable to arrange at equal intervals on the same circumference around the substrate on which the film is to be formed. For example, in the device shown in FIG. 3, the high-frequency power introduction unit introduces the high-frequency power supplied from the high-frequency power supply 303 from the four cathode electrodes 302 by branching the power supply path through the matching circuit 304. Has taken. The high-frequency power introduced from the four cathode electrodes 302 passes through the dielectric member 311 and is supplied into the dielectric member 311 serving as a film forming space. Alternatively, for example, after branching a power supply path from one high-frequency power supply, power supply may be performed via a plurality of matching circuits.
When supplying a large amount of power exceeding the capability of a single high-frequency power supply, for example, a separate high-frequency power supply and a matching circuit may be provided for each of a plurality of cathode electrodes. However,
Considering that the oscillating frequencies of the high-frequency powers introduced from all the cathode electrodes are completely the same, the cost of the device, and the size of the device, it is possible to use one high-frequency power source for all the cathode electrodes as much as possible. It is preferable to employ a configuration for supplying power.

Further, in the method and apparatus for forming a deposited film according to the present invention, as shown in the apparatus shown in FIG. 4, the cylindrical substrates 405 are arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference. The distribution shape of the plasma region where the high energy electron ratio is high with respect to the film formation substrate 405 is all the same, and the types and ratios of the active species reaching the film formation substrate 405 are all the same on the substrate. As a result, the film formation substrate 405
The characteristics of the deposited film formed thereon are also good with little variation in characteristics between the substrates.

In the method and apparatus for forming a deposited film according to the present invention, the frequency of the high-frequency power is not particularly limited. However, according to experiments by the inventors, when the frequency is less than 50 MHz, the frequency is lowered and the high vacuum is applied. (Low pressure in the reaction vessel) makes it difficult to discharge, and in order to stabilize the discharge, if the pressure in the reaction vessel is increased and discharge is performed, particles such as polysilane will be generated in the reaction vessel during film formation. Easy to produce by-products. Particles such as polysilane
It adheres to the opening of the plasma leakage prevention means located near the inlet of the exhaust port and causes clogging, which may make it impossible to stably control the pressure in the reaction vessel. Is also a factor that reduces Meanwhile, 4
If the frequency is higher than 50 MHz, the transmission characteristics of the high-frequency power are deteriorated depending on the condition as the frequency becomes higher, and the plasma may become non-uniform accordingly. Therefore, it is more preferable to select the frequency of the high frequency power in the range of 50 MHz to 450 MHz. Further, when the above-mentioned frequency condition of the high frequency power is used, the pressure in the reaction vessel during the formation of the deposited film is at least in the range of 1.33 × 10 ^{−2 to} 1330 Pa, usually 6.65 × 10 ^{−2 to} 665 Pa. And more preferably 1.33 × 10 ^{-1 to} 133 Pa. In particular, when the method and apparatus of the present invention are applied to, for example, formation of an a-Si: H-based deposited film, it is optimal to select from the above-mentioned frequency range.

The high-frequency waveform may be any waveform as long as power is supplied effectively, but usually a sine wave, a rectangular wave, or the like, from which a high-frequency power supply can be easily obtained, is preferable.

[0046]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the deposited film forming apparatus and the deposited film forming method of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to specific examples. However, the present invention is not limited at all by the specific examples described below.

(Embodiment 1) The deposited film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, which is the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention, that is, the plasma leak preventing means 110 is blind spotted from the cathode electrode 102 and the substrate 105 to be the counter electrode. The oscillation frequency of the high-frequency power supply 103 is set to 1
At 05 MHz, on a mirror-finished Al cylinder (film-forming substrate 105) having a length of 358 mm and an outer diameter of 80 mm,
Under the conditions shown in Table 1, a deposited film for an electrophotographic photosensitive member was prepared.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust port has a port-like shape and is constituted by four symmetrical exhaust ports 109 about the film-forming substrate 105 located at the center of the reaction vessel 101. ing. Plasma leak prevention means 11
For 0, a MESH 40 and a metal mesh having a wire diameter of 0.22 mm are used, and four locations are provided corresponding to the four exhaust ports 109, respectively.

The cathode electrode 102 is made of stainless steel having an outer diameter of φ20 mm and has an outer diameter of 21 mm and an outer diameter of 2 mm.
The structure was covered with a 4 mm alumina pipe. The outer surface of the alumina pipe was blasted to have a surface roughness of 20 μm in Rz with a reference length of 2.5 mm. The above-structured cathode electrode 102 is connected to a rotating shaft (substrate holding means) 10.
8, the film-forming substrate 105 attached to
Four pieces were arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference. Note that the four exhaust ports 109 and the four cathode electrodes 102 are arranged so that they are located between each other, and plasma is uniformly generated in the circumferential direction of the film formation substrate 105. I have. In addition, the above arrangement allows the plasma leakage prevention means 1
10 further ensures that the position of the blind spot is from the cathode electrode 102.

Comparative Example 1 A deposited film for an electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 using the deposited film forming apparatus shown in FIG.

In the deposited film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 2, the plasma leak preventing means 210 is installed on the same level as the entrance of the exhaust port 209 and the bottom cover of the reaction vessel 201, and the cathode electrode 202 and the opposed The position is such that it does not form a blind spot from any of the deposition target substrates 205 serving as electrodes. In addition,
Except for the difference in the installation position of the plasma leakage prevention means, the other device configuration is substantially the same as the device shown in FIG.

The electrophotographic photosensitive members produced in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 each ten times were installed in a Canon copier NP-6750 modified for the following test, and a total of ten electrophotographic photosensitive members were used. Was evaluated. The evaluation items were "characteristic variation", "image density unevenness", and "image defect".
Each item was evaluated.

"Characteristic variation" The maximum value / minimum value among the evaluation values of each photoreceptor is determined based on the evaluation value in the following (charging ability) evaluation method, and then (maximum value) / (minimum value) is determined. Was. Of all the photoconductors, the one with the largest value is the value of the characteristic variation. Therefore, the closer the value is to 1, the better the uniformity and reproducibility.

(Charging Ability) When a constant current is passed through the main charger of the copying machine, the surface potential at the dark portion at the developing device is evaluated by a surface voltmeter. The measured value of the surface potential of the dark part is defined as charging ability. The measurement of the charging ability is performed over the entire region of the photoconductor in the generatrix direction, and the lowest measured value of the surface potential of the dark portion of the series of measured values is used as the evaluation value of the charging ability.
A plurality of evaluation values are obtained within the circumference of the photoconductor.

"Image Density Unevenness" First, the main charger current is adjusted so that the dark portion potential at the developing device position becomes a constant value. After that, a predetermined white paper having a reflection density of 0.1 or less is used as the original, and the image exposure light amount is adjusted so that the bright portion potential at the developing device position becomes a predetermined value. Then, a Canon halftone chart (part number FY9-9042) was placed on a platen and copied, and the reflection density in the entire area was measured on the obtained copy image, and the image density was determined by the difference between the highest value and the lowest value. The unevenness is used as the evaluation value. The evaluation results were average values of all the photoconductors. Therefore, the smaller the numerical value, the better the uniformity and reproducibility.

[Image Defects] A full black chart made by Canon (part number FY9-9073) is placed on a platen, copied, and has a diameter of 0.2 m within the same area of the obtained copied image.
The number of white points of m or more is counted, and the number is used as an evaluation value of an image defect. Therefore, the smaller the numerical value, the smaller the image defect and the better the image.

Table 2 also shows the evaluation results of "characteristic variation", "image density unevenness", and "image defect". In Table 2, the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured in Comparative Example 1 was set to 100, and the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured in Example 1 was expressed as a relative value.

From the results shown in Table 2, the "characteristic variation" and "image density unevenness" were obtained by using the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 as compared with the case of using the conventional deposited film forming apparatus. , And “image defects”, it was confirmed that better results were obtained.

[0059]

[Table 1]

[0060]

[Table 2] (Embodiment 2) In the deposited film forming apparatus shown in FIG.
Are located at positions that are blind spots from the cathode electrode 302 and the film-forming substrate 305 serving as the counter electrode thereof.
Using the deposited film forming apparatus shown in FIG.
3, the oscillation frequency is 105 MHz, the length is 358 mm,
An electrophotographic photosensitive member was manufactured under the conditions shown in Table 3 on a cylindrical Al cylinder (film-forming substrate 305) having an outer diameter of φ80 mm and subjected to mirror finishing.

In the deposited film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the film forming space in which the raw material gas is decomposed is formed by a cylindrical dielectric member 311 on which a film is formed. It is limited to a cylindrical region containing the base 305. The dielectric member 311 has an inner diameter of 150 mm and a thickness of 20 m.
m, made of an alumina cylinder with a height of 500 mm. The inner wall surface of the dielectric member 311 was blasted to have a surface roughness of 20 μm in Rz with a reference length of 2.5 mm.

The cathode electrode 302 is made of stainless steel having an outer diameter of 20 mm, and is installed at a dielectric member 311.
Outside the wall. A total of four cathode electrodes 302 are arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference around the film-forming substrate 305 and at a distance of 30 mm from the outer surface of the wall surface of the dielectric member 311.

In the deposition film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the exhaust port 309 has a ring shape. The plasma leakage prevention means 310 uses Al round punched metal having a hole area of 64 mm ² and an opening ratio of 51%, and is processed into a cylindrical shape corresponding to the ring-shaped exhaust port 309. . The plasma leakage prevention unit 310 is provided at a position where the plasma leakage prevention unit 310 is at a blind spot from the substrate 305.
On the other hand, with respect to the cathode electrode 302 as well, it is located at a position where the dielectric member 311 shields the gap therebetween, so that the cathode electrode 302 is located at a substantially blind spot.

Comparative Example 2 An electrophotographic apparatus was used in the same manner as in Example 2 except that the deposition film forming apparatus shown in FIG. A photoreceptor was produced.

In the apparatus used in this comparative example,
The plasma leakage prevention means is provided at the entrance of the exhaust port 309. That is, the plasma leakage prevention means is provided in addition to the bottom cover of the reaction vessel and the inlet of the exhaust port 309, and is therefore located at a position where it does not form a blind spot from the substrate 305. However, the cathode electrode 302 is connected to the dielectric member 3
Since the dielectric member 311 is provided outside the dielectric member 11, the dielectric member 311 temporarily plays a role of shielding.

The electrophotographic photosensitive members produced ten times in each of Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 were installed in a Canon-made copying machine NP-6750 modified for testing, and the characteristics of a total of ten electrophotographic photosensitive members were each used. An evaluation was performed. Evaluation items are
Each of the items was evaluated by the above-described specific evaluation method, which was defined as “characteristic variation”, “image density unevenness”, and “image defect”.

Table 4 also shows the evaluation results of “variation in characteristics”, “uneven image density”, and “image defect”. In Table 4, the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured in Example 2 was expressed as a relative value, with the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured in Comparative Example 2 as 100.

From the results shown in Table 4, the "characteristic variation" and "image density unevenness" were obtained by using the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 as compared with the case of using the conventional deposited film forming apparatus. , And “image defects”, it was confirmed that better results were obtained.

[0069]

[Table 3]

[0070]

[Table 4] (Embodiment 3) Using the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, the oscillation frequency of the high-frequency power source 303 was variously changed, and mirror processing of 358 mm in length and 80 mm in outer diameter was performed in the same manner as in Embodiment 2. An electrophotographic photosensitive member was manufactured on the Al cylinder (film-forming substrate 305) prepared under the conditions shown in Table 3. In this embodiment, the oscillation frequency of the high-frequency power source 303 is 30 MHz to 6 MHz.
It was changed in the range of 00 MHz. In the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the plasma leakage prevention means 310 is disposed at a position where the plasma leakage prevention means 310 is in a blind spot from the cathode electrode 302 and the substrate 305 to be a counter electrode.

In the third embodiment, the electrophotographic photosensitive members produced 10 times for each oscillation frequency of the high frequency power source 303 were installed in a Canon copying machine NP-6750 modified for testing, and a total of 10 electrophotographic photosensitive members were used. The characteristics of the electrophotographic photosensitive member were evaluated. The evaluation items were “characteristic variation”, “image density unevenness”, and “image defect”, and each item was evaluated by the specific evaluation method described above.

Table 5 also shows the evaluation results of “characteristic variation”, “image density unevenness”, and “image defect”. In Table 5, the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured at the oscillation frequency of 30 MHz of the high-frequency power source 303 is set to 100, and the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured at other oscillation frequencies is expressed as a relative value.

When the results shown in Tables 4 and 5 are combined,
At an oscillation frequency of 105 MHz, an oscillation frequency of 30 MHz to 60
By using the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 within the range of 0 MHz, better results can be obtained in all items of “characteristic variation”, “image density unevenness”, and “image defect”. Was confirmed. Further, when the results shown in Table 5 are examined in detail, the oscillation frequency of the high-frequency power source is set to 5
When selected in the range of 0 to 450 MHz, characteristics almost inferior to each other are obtained. Therefore, in the range of the oscillation frequency, a better result was obtained without depending on the frequency.

[0074]

[Table 5] (Embodiment 4) Using the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, a high-frequency wave was placed on a cylindrical Al cylinder (film-forming substrate 405) having a length of 358 mm and an outer diameter of φ80 mm, which was mirror-finished. Assuming that the oscillation frequency of the power supply 403 is 300 MHz, Table 6
An electrophotographic photoreceptor was produced under the following conditions.

In the deposited film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 4, similarly to the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the film forming space in which the raw material gas is decomposed has a rotating shaft (substrate holding means) 408 formed by a cylindrical dielectric member 411. Is limited to a cylindrical region including the substrate 405 to be formed attached thereto. Dielectric member 411
Is made of an alumina cylinder having an inner diameter of 400 mm, a thickness of 20 mm, and a height of 500 mm. The inner wall surface of the dielectric member 411 was blasted to have a surface roughness of 20 μm in Rz with a reference length of 2.5 mm.

The cathode electrode 402 uses a stainless steel rod-shaped electrode having an outer diameter of 20 mm and is provided outside the dielectric member 411. That is, the cathode electrode 402 total 6
The book is positioned on the same circumference as 3 mm from the outer surface of the wall of the dielectric member 411.
They are installed at equal intervals at positions separated by 0 mm.

On the other hand, six deposition substrates 405 are arranged on the same circumference at equal intervals inside the dielectric member 411. Further, the film formation substrate 405 and the cathode electrode 402
They are arranged so that they are located in the middle of the installation interval.

The exhaust port 409 is formed by a cylindrical L-shaped tube at the center of the reaction vessel. The plasma leakage prevention means 410
In the above-mentioned cylindrical L-shaped tube, it is arranged at a position where the cathode electrode 402 and the substrate 405 to be a film to be a counter electrode serve as a blind spot. Further, as the plasma leakage prevention means 410, an Al round hole punching metal having a hole area of 28 mm ² and an aperture ratio of 40% is used.

(Comparative Example 3) An electrophotographic apparatus was used under the conditions shown in Table 6 in the same manner as in Example 4 except that the deposited film forming apparatus shown in FIG. A photoreceptor was produced.

In the apparatus used in this comparative example,
The plasma leakage prevention means is installed at the entrance of the exhaust port 409. That is, the plasma leakage prevention means is provided along with the bottom lid of the reaction vessel and the inlet of the exhaust port 409, and therefore, is located at a position that does not form a blind spot from the substrate 405 to be formed. However, the cathode electrode 402 is connected to the dielectric member 4
Since the dielectric member 411 is provided outside the dielectric member 11, the dielectric member 411 temporarily plays a role of shielding.

The electrophotographic photosensitive members produced in Example 4 and Comparative Example 3 each five times were installed in a Canon-made copier NP-6750 modified for testing, and the characteristics of a total of 30 electrophotographic photosensitive members were respectively used. An evaluation was performed. The evaluation items were "characteristic variation", "image density unevenness", and "image defect".
Each item was evaluated by the specific evaluation method described above.

Table 7 also shows the evaluation results of "variation in characteristics", "uneven image density", and "image defect". In Table 7, the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured in Comparative Example 3 was set to 100, and the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured in Example 4 was expressed as a relative value.

From the results shown in Table 7, the "characteristic variation" and "image density unevenness" were obtained by using the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 4 as compared with the case of using the conventional deposited film forming apparatus. , And “image defects”, it was confirmed that better results were obtained.

[0084]

[Table 6]

[0085]

[Table 7] (Embodiment 5) Using a deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, a high-frequency wave was placed on a mirror-finished cylindrical Al cylinder (film-forming substrate 505) having a length of 358 mm and an outer diameter of 30 mm. Assuming that the oscillation frequency of the power supply 503 is 105 MHz, Table 8
An electrophotographic photoreceptor was produced under the following conditions.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 5, the film forming space in which the source gas is decomposed is limited by a cylindrical dielectric member 511 to a cylindrical region containing the substrate 505 to be formed.
The dielectric member 511 is made of an alumina cylinder having an inner diameter of 300 mm, a thickness of 20 mm, and a height of 550 mm. The inner wall surface of the dielectric member 511 was blasted to have a surface roughness of 20 μm in Rz with a reference length of 2.5 mm.

The cathode electrode 502 uses a stainless steel rod-shaped electrode having an outer diameter of 20 mm and is provided outside the dielectric member 511. That is, the cathode electrode 502 total 8
The book is positioned on the same circumference as 3 mm from the outer surface of the wall surface of the dielectric member 511.
They are installed at equal intervals at positions separated by 0 mm.

On the other hand, eight deposition substrates 505 are arranged on the same circumference at equal intervals inside the dielectric member 511. The base 505 and the cathode 502 are
They are arranged so that they are located in the middle of the installation interval. The substrate holder for holding the substrate 505 is provided on a base separated from the bottom cover of the reaction vessel.

The exhaust port 509 is connected to the exhaust pipe via the lower passage between the base and the bottom lid of the reaction vessel, with the gap between the base and the inner wall surface of the dielectric member 511 serving as an inlet. It is connected with. For the plasma leakage prevention means 510, a round hole punched metal made of Al having a hole area of 28 mm ² and an aperture ratio of 40% is used. The shape of the hole corresponds to the shape of the exhaust port 509, and is formed into a cylindrical shape. Processing. That is, it is provided in a lower path sandwiched between the base and the bottom cover of the reaction vessel. Therefore, the plasma leakage prevention means 510 is disposed at a position where the plasma deposition prevention means 510 becomes a blind spot from the film formation substrate 505 serving as the counter electrode. Cathode electrode 50
2 is provided outside the dielectric member 511, and the dielectric member 511 temporarily plays a role of shielding.
Are arranged at positions that are substantially blind spots.

Comparative Example 4 An electrophotographic apparatus was used under the conditions shown in Table 8 in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the deposition film forming apparatus shown in FIG. A photoreceptor was produced.

In the apparatus used in this comparative example,
The plasma leakage prevention means is provided at the entrance of the exhaust port 509. That is, the plasma leakage prevention means is disposed in the gap between the base on which the substrate holder for holding the film-forming substrate 505 is provided and the inner wall surface of the dielectric member 511. Therefore, it is at a position that does not form a blind spot from the substrate 505 to be formed. However, since the cathode electrode 502 is provided outside the dielectric member 511, the dielectric member 5
Numeral 11 plays a role of shielding.

The electrophotographic photosensitive members produced in Example 5 and Comparative Example 4 each five times were installed in a Canon-made copying machine NP-6030 modified for testing, and the characteristics of a total of 40 electrophotographic photosensitive members each were used. An evaluation was performed. The evaluation items were "characteristic variation", "image density unevenness", and "image defect".
Each item was evaluated according to the specific evaluation method described above.

Table 9 also shows the evaluation results of “characteristic variation”, “image density unevenness”, and “image defect”. In Table 9, the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured in Comparative Example 4 was set to 100, and the evaluation value for the electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured in Example 5 was expressed as a relative value.

The results shown in Table 9 show that the use of the deposition film forming apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 5 shows that "characteristic variation" and "image density unevenness" are obtained as compared with the case where the conventional deposition film forming apparatus is used. , And “image defects”, it was confirmed that better results were obtained.

[0095]

[Table 8]

[0096]

[Table 9]

[0097]

According to the deposited film forming apparatus and the deposited film forming method of the present invention, when the plasma leak preventing means used for confining the plasma is installed in the exhaust port, the plasma leak preventing means is provided with a cathode electrode and a counter electrode thereof. Since it is arranged at a position where it becomes a blind spot from the substrate on which
The stability of plasma during formation of the deposited film can be improved. At the same time, direct scattering of film fragments caused by film peeling and adhesion to the substrate on which the film is formed can be significantly suppressed, and defects in the formed deposited film, for example, image defects in the electrophotographic photosensitive member Can be effectively suppressed. Due to these advantages, variations in film characteristics themselves are reduced, and a deposited film having excellent uniformity in characteristics can be stably formed with good reproducibility. In addition, the device of the present invention
The effect of the method is also effective when arranging a plurality of substrates to be deposited in the same reaction vessel, so that electrophotographic photosensitive materials which are required to be increasingly diversified in the future, especially for high image quality and small diameter. It can be easily mass-produced in accordance with the body, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a first example of a deposited film forming apparatus according to the present invention, in which (A) shows a longitudinal sectional view and (B) shows a transverse sectional view.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a conventional deposited film forming apparatus, in which FIG. 2A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG.

3A and 3B are schematic views showing a second example of the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 3B is a transverse sectional view.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic views showing a third example of the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention, wherein FIG. 4A is a longitudinal sectional view and FIG.

5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing a fourth example of the deposited film forming apparatus of the present invention, wherein FIG. 5A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 5B is a transverse sectional view thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

101, 201 Reaction vessel 102, 202, 302, 402, 502 Cathode electrode 103, 203, 303, 403, 503 High frequency power supply 104, 204, 304, 404, 504 Matching circuit 105, 205, 305, 405, 505 Substrate 106, 206, 306, 406, 506 Source gas introduction means 107, 207, 307, 407, 507 Heating element 108, 208, 308, 408, 508 Rotating shaft (substrate holder) 109, 209, 309, 409, 509 Exhaust Mouth 110, 210, 310, 410, 510 Plasma leakage prevention means 311, 411, 511 Dielectric member

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Otsuka 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Jin Murayama 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon (72) Inventor Daisuke Tazawa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Kazutaka Akiyama 3-30-2, Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. ( 72) Inventor Tatsuyuki Aoike 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo F-term in Canon Inc. (reference) 2H068 DA00 EA24 4K030 AA06 BA30 CA02 CA16 FA03 GA01 JA18 KA16 KA30 KA45 KA46 LA17

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A source gas introducing means for introducing a source gas into a vacuum-tight airtight reaction vessel, an exhaust means connected to an exhaust port attached to the reaction vessel to exhaust the inside of the reaction vessel, and a high frequency power supply A high-frequency power supply unit for introducing high-frequency power supplied from the substrate, and a substrate holding unit for holding a substrate on which a deposition film is formed on the surface thereof, wherein the high-frequency power supply unit is a cathode electrode, The film-forming substrate provided on the holding means is not a counter electrode facing the cathode electrode, and a plasma is generated between the cathode electrode and the counter electrode to form a deposited film on the film-forming substrate serving as the counter electrode. An apparatus for forming a deposited film by plasma-enhanced CVD, wherein plasma leak preventing means is provided near an inlet in the exhaust port, and the plasma leak preventing means comprises a cathode electrode. And the deposited film forming apparatus by plasma CVD, characterized in that installed in the position where the dead angle from both the counter electrode. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plasma leakage prevention means is made of punched metal. 3. In the punching metal, the opening holes are arranged at equal intervals, the area of each hole is selected in a range of 0.8 to 80 mm ² , and the opening ratio is selected in a range of 20 to 80%. The plasma C according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
An apparatus for forming a deposited film by VD. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plasma leakage prevention means comprises a metal mesh. 5. The metal mesh according to claim 5, wherein said metal mesh is MESH 2.5-60.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wire diameter is selected from a range of 0.14 to 2 mm. 6. The reaction container has a cylindrical shape made of a dielectric member, and has a gas discharge portion of the raw material gas introducing means, the exhaust port, and the substrate on which the film is formed, inside the reaction container. 6. A plasma CVD method according to claim 1, wherein a substrate holding means for holding the substrate is arranged, and a high-frequency power introducing means comprising a plurality of cathode electrodes is arranged outside the reaction vessel. Film deposition equipment. 7. An apparatus for forming a deposited film by plasma CVD according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of substrate holding means for holding said substrate to be deposited are arranged on the same circumference. . 8. The deposited film forming apparatus is an apparatus for forming a deposited film for an electrophotographic photoreceptor.
8. An apparatus capable of forming a deposited film made of an amorphous substance containing silicon.
A deposited film forming apparatus by plasma CVD according to any one of the above. 9. The high-frequency power whose transmission frequency is 5
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is selected from a range of 0 MHz to 450 MHz. 10. A source gas introduction means for introducing a source gas into a vacuum-tight reaction vessel, an exhaust means connected to an exhaust port attached to the reaction vessel to exhaust the inside of the reaction vessel, and a high-frequency power supply A high-frequency power supply means for introducing a high-frequency power supplied from a substrate, and a substrate holding means for holding a substrate on which a deposition film is formed on the surface thereof. The means is a cathode electrode, and the film-forming substrate provided on the substrate holding means is a counter electrode facing the cathode electrode, and a plasma is generated between the cathode electrode and the counter electrode to become the counter electrode. A method for forming a deposited film by plasma CVD for forming a deposited film on a substrate on which a film is to be formed, comprising: a plasma leakage preventing means provided near an inlet portion in the exhaust port; The installation position of the prevention means is set to a position where both the cathode electrode and the counter electrode are blind spots, and the deposited film is formed while confining the plasma generated in the reaction vessel by the plasma leakage prevention means. A method for forming a deposited film by plasma CVD. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the plasma leakage prevention means is made of a punched metal. 12. In the punching metal, the opening holes are arranged at equal intervals, the area of each hole is selected in a range of 0.8 to 80 mm ² , and the opening ratio is selected in a range of 20 to 80%. The method for forming a deposited film by plasma CVD according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: 13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the plasma leakage prevention means is made of a metal mesh. 14. The metal mesh according to claim 2, wherein said metal mesh is 2.5 to 6 MESH.
11. The wire diameter is selected from a range of 0.1 to 2 mm, and the wire diameter is selected from a range of 0.14 to 2 mm.
Or a method for forming a deposited film by plasma CVD according to 13 above. 15. The reaction container has a cylindrical shape made of a dielectric member, and a gas discharge part of the raw material gas introduction means, the exhaust port, and the substrate on which the film is to be formed are provided inside the reaction container. A holding means for holding the substrate; a high-frequency power supply means comprising a plurality of cathode electrodes disposed outside the reaction vessel; generating plasma inside the reaction vessel; and depositing the plasma on the deposition target substrate. The method for forming a deposited film by plasma CVD according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the film is formed. 16. The method according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of the film-forming substrates are arranged on the same circumference, and a deposited film is formed on the plurality of film-forming substrates at the same time. A method for forming a deposited film by plasma CVD. 17. The apparatus for forming a deposited film, comprising:
A device capable of forming a deposited film made of an amorphous material containing silicon, and for the purpose of forming a deposited film for an electrophotographic photoreceptor, at least one layer of a deposited film made of an amorphous material containing silicon is formed. The plasma CVD according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized by being formed as described above.
For forming a deposited film. 18. The transmission frequency of the high-frequency power is 50
The method for forming a deposited film by plasma CVD according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the method is selected from a range of MHz to 450 MHz.