JP2004091890A - Sputtering system and film forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sputtering system capable of efficiently forming films having a uniform film thickness distribution without the need for preparing a fresh collimator every time the erosion form of a target changes, and to provide a film forming method. <P>SOLUTION: A collimator 6 is disposed between the target 2 and a substrate 4, and sputtering is performed by shielding the prescribed one or more apertures 7a among a plurality of the apertures 7, thereby regulating the amount of sputter particles SP arriving at the prescribed region of the substrate 4 and controlling the film thickness distribution. Also, the deviation in the film thickness direction in a circumferential direction is suppressed while rotating the substrate 4 relatively with the target 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[Claims]
1. A film forming method for forming a thin film on a substrate by a sputtering method,
Arrange a collimator having a plurality of openings between the target and the substrate,
Of the plurality of openings of the collimator, one or more predetermined openings are shielded and sputtering is performed, so that the amount of sputter particles reaching a predetermined region of the substrate is adjusted and formed on the substrate. A film forming method characterized by controlling the thickness of a film.
2. The film forming method according to claim 2, wherein the sputtering is performed while rotating the substrate relative to a target.
3. A film having a uniform thickness is formed on said substrate by performing sputtering while shielding at least one of a plurality of openings of said collimator. Item 3. The film forming method according to item 1 or 2.
4. A collimator disposed between a target and a substrate, the collimator having a plurality of openings, and capable of shielding any of the plurality of openings. Equipped with a configured collimator,
By performing sputtering while shielding one or more predetermined openings among the plurality of openings of the collimator, the amount of sputter particles reaching a predetermined region of the substrate can be adjusted. A sputtering apparatus.
5. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising driving means for rotating said substrate relative to a target.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sputtering apparatus and a film forming method using the sputtering apparatus, and more particularly, to a sputtering apparatus having a collimator disposed between a target and a substrate, and a film forming method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, when a thin film is formed on a substrate using a sputtering device, a collimator having a plurality of openings is disposed between the target and the substrate in order to enhance the perpendicular incidence of the particles, and from the original direction. A method has been used in which sputtering is performed while removing detached sputter particles.
[0003]
By the way, when sputtering is performed using a sputtering apparatus provided with a collimator, if the erosion form (erosion state) of the target becomes non-uniform, it becomes difficult to form a film having a uniform film thickness distribution on the substrate.
[0004]
To solve this problem, a method has been disclosed in which sputtering is performed using collimators having different shapes in accordance with the erosion form (eroded state) of the target to make the film thickness inside the substrate uniform (for example, Patent Document 1). 1) .
For example, when erosion erosion is severe around the target, the thickness of the film formed on the substrate is thin at the center and thick at the periphery. In such a case, sputtering is performed using a collimator having a smaller diameter of the opening (opening) and a longer opening at the periphery of the collimator, thereby reducing the amount of sputtered particles passing around the collimator. This makes it possible to make the film thickness distribution in the substrate uniform.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-7-307288 [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the method of Patent Document 1 , each time the erosion form of the target changes, it is necessary to prepare a new collimator having a shape corresponding to the erosion form, and since the shape of the collimator is complicated and manufacturing is not easy, There is a problem that the cost is increased.
[0007]
The present invention solves the above-described problems, and can efficiently form a film having a uniform film thickness distribution without having to prepare a new collimator each time the erosion form of the target changes. It is an object to provide a simple sputtering apparatus and a film forming method.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a film forming method of the present invention (claim 1)
A film forming method for forming a thin film on a substrate by a sputtering method,
Arrange a collimator having a plurality of openings between the target and the substrate,
Of the plurality of openings of the collimator, one or more predetermined openings are shielded and sputtering is performed, so that the amount of sputter particles reaching a predetermined region of the substrate is adjusted and formed on the substrate. It is characterized in that the thickness of the film is controlled.
[0009]
A collimator is provided between the target and the substrate, and one or more of the plurality of openings are shielded to perform sputtering, thereby performing sputtering to reach a predetermined region of the substrate. Can be adjusted to control the film thickness distribution.
[0010]
Further, a film forming method according to a second aspect is characterized in that sputtering is performed while rotating the substrate relatively to a target.
[0011]
By performing the sputtering while rotating the substrate relatively to the target, it is possible to suppress the bias of the film thickness distribution in the circumferential direction and to achieve a uniform film thickness distribution.
[0012]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a film having a uniform thickness is formed on the substrate by performing sputtering while shielding at least one of the plurality of openings of the collimator. It is characterized by:
[0013]
A new collimator is prepared every time the erosion form of the target is changed by blocking one or more of the plurality of openings of the collimator and forming a film with a uniform film thickness distribution. It is possible to efficiently form a film having a uniform film thickness distribution without the need for a thin film.
[0014]
The sputtering apparatus of the present invention (claim 4)
A collimator disposed between a target and a substrate, the collimator having a plurality of openings, and configured to be able to shield any of the plurality of openings. Equipped,
By performing sputtering while shielding one or more predetermined openings among the plurality of openings of the collimator, the amount of sputter particles reaching a predetermined region of the substrate can be adjusted. It is characterized by having.
[0015]
A collimator having a plurality of openings between the target and the substrate, and arranged so as to be able to shield any of the plurality of openings, is provided. By employing a configuration in which sputtering can be performed while shielding one or more predetermined openings, it is possible to control the film thickness distribution by adjusting the amount of sputter particles reaching a predetermined region of the substrate. It is possible to provide a sputtering apparatus.
[0016]
Further, the sputtering apparatus according to claim 5 is provided with a driving unit for rotating the substrate relatively to a target.
[0017]
By providing a driving means for rotating the substrate relatively to the target, it is possible to rotate the substrate relatively to the target and to suppress the deviation of the film thickness distribution in the circumferential direction. Thus, it is possible to provide a sputtering apparatus capable of more efficiently forming a film having a uniform film thickness distribution.
[0018]
Note that rotating the substrate relative to the target is a broad concept including rotating the substrate, rotating the target, and rotating both the substrate and the target.
[0019]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described, and features thereof will be described in more detail.
[0020]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sputtering apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing a main part configuration, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a collimator.
This parallel plate type sputtering apparatus includes a film forming chamber (vacuum chamber) 1, a target 2 provided inside the film forming chamber 1, a power source for sputtering (for example, DC power source) 3, and an electrode on which a substrate 4 is provided. 5 and a collimator 6 disposed between the target 2 and the substrate 4.
[0021]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the collimator 6 used in this embodiment has a structure in which a planar shape is a regular hexagon and a plurality of openings 7 having the same length L are assembled. It is configured such that any one or more of the openings 7 can be shielded.
The collimator 6 is disposed so that the centers of the target 2, the substrate 4, and the collimator 6 are located on the same axis.
[0022]
Further, the sputtering apparatus of this embodiment includes a driving unit 8 for rotating the substrate 4, and is configured to perform sputtering while rotating the substrate 4 relative to the target 2. I have.
[0023]
In this embodiment, a collimator 6 having a diameter D of 220 mm, a length L of the opening 7 of 80 mm, and a radius w of the opening 7 of 10 mm (diameter 2w = 20 mm) was used.
Further, a substrate having a diameter of 100 mm was used as the substrate 4. Further, the distance h between the substrate 4 and the target 2 was 315 mm.
[0024]
In performing sputtering using the sputtering apparatus configured as described above, first, the erosion form of the target 2 is examined.
Then, according to the erosion form of the target 2, a predetermined opening 7 (one opening 7 a in this embodiment) (FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) among the plurality of openings 7 of the collimator 6 is shielded, The substrate 4 is rotated (rotated) in a state where the sputtered particles SP (FIG. 2) do not pass from the portion 7a, and sputtering is performed while exerting a shielding effect on the entire periphery of the substrate 4, thereby forming a film on the substrate 4.
In this embodiment, the shielded opening 7a is the opening 7 whose distance A from the center to the center of the collimator 6 is 40 mm.
[0025]
By forming a film under these conditions, even when the thickness of the central portion of the substrate 4 is small and the peripheral portion is thick without the shielding, a uniform film is formed over the entire region of the substrate 4. It is possible to form a thick film.
This is because, when sputtering is performed without blocking the opening 7a of the collimator 6, when more sputtered particles reach the peripheral portion than the central portion of the substrate 4, the opening 7a is blocked. This is because it becomes possible to reduce sputter particles reaching the peripheral portion of the substrate 4.
[0026]
It should be noted that which of the plurality of openings 7 of the collimator 6 is to be shielded (that is, the shielding position) is determined from an arbitrary point on the substrate 4 through the collimator 6 on the surface of the target 2. Can be determined from an area (viewing range) 9 (FIG. 4) over which the image can be seen. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, considering the sputtered particles SP incident on the peripheral portion of the substrate 4, these sputtered particles SP are generated from the respective visual field ranges 9 on the surface of the target 2 and are indicated by bold lines. It reaches the substrate 4 through the opening 7b. Therefore, by blocking any one of these openings 7b (opening 7a in FIGS. 2 and 3), it is possible to reduce the amount of sputtered particles SP reaching the periphery of the substrate 4. In addition, it is possible to make the thickness of the peripheral portion of the substrate 4 thin, thereby making the overall thickness distribution uniform.
[0027]
Measurement of the film thickness distribution in the substrate when the film is formed by shielding the predetermined opening 7a of the collimator 6 by the method according to this embodiment and when the film is formed by the conventional method (comparative example) without shielding. FIG. 5 shows the results.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the film is formed by the method according to this embodiment, a film having a more uniform film thickness distribution in the substrate can be obtained than when the film is formed by the conventional method (comparative example). .
[0028]
Although related to the erosion form of the target 2, of the plurality of openings 7 of the collimator 6, the opening 7 having a larger view range 9 (that is, the opening near the surface of the substrate 4 just below an arbitrary point). , The more the shielding effect at an arbitrary point on the surface of the substrate 4 appears.
[0029]
When it is desired to further reduce the film thickness at the peripheral portion of the substrate 4, a plurality of openings 7b highlighted by thick lines in FIG. To do so, the opening near the center of the collimator 6 may be shielded.
[0030]
As described above, the thickness of the film formed at the arbitrary position of the film formed on the substrate 4 can be manipulated by appropriately selecting the opening to be shielded from among the plurality of openings 7 of the collimator 6 (changing the shielding position). Becomes possible. Therefore, it is possible to easily uniform the thickness distribution in the substrate by determining the opening to be shielded from the thickness distribution in the substrate before shielding, and performing the sputtering while shielding the predetermined opening. .
[0031]
Further, even when the erosion form of the target 2 changes, it is not necessary to manufacture a new collimator, and it is possible to cope with a uniform film thickness distribution by changing the opening to be shielded.
[0032]
Note that, in the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the type of a sputtering apparatus used for film formation, and the present invention can be widely applied when film formation is performed using various types of sputtering apparatuses. .
[0033]
Further, in the above embodiment, the collimator provided with a plurality of cylindrical openings having a regular hexagonal planar shape is used, but various planar shapes other than a regular hexagon, such as a polygon, a parallelogram, a circle, and an ellipse are used. It is possible to use a collimator with a shaped opening.
[0034]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment in other respects, and various applications and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the film forming method of the present invention (claim 1), a collimator is disposed between a target and a substrate, and at least one of the plurality of openings is shielded. Since the sputtering is performed, it is possible to control the film thickness distribution by adjusting the amount of sputter particles reaching a predetermined region of the substrate.
[0036]
Further, when the sputtering is performed while rotating the substrate relatively to the target as in the film forming method of claim 2, the bias of the film thickness distribution in the circumferential direction is suppressed, and the film thickness distribution is reduced. Can be made uniform.
[0037]
Further, as in the film forming method of claim 3, one or more predetermined openings among a plurality of openings of the collimator are shielded to form a film having a uniform film thickness distribution. Each time the erosion mode changes, it is possible to efficiently form a film having a uniform film thickness distribution without having to prepare a new collimator.
[0038]
Further, the sputtering apparatus of the present invention (claim 4) has a plurality of openings between the target and the substrate, and can be configured to shield an arbitrary one of the plurality of openings. The collimator is arranged so that one or more of the plurality of openings is shielded so that sputtering can be performed. Therefore, the amount of sputter particles reaching a predetermined region of the substrate is adjusted. Thus, it is possible to provide a sputtering apparatus capable of controlling the film thickness distribution.
[0039]
In addition, as in the sputter apparatus of claim 5, by providing a driving means for rotating the substrate relatively to the target, the substrate is rotated relatively to the target, and the rotation in the circumferential direction is achieved. It is possible to suppress a bias in the film thickness distribution, and to provide a sputtering apparatus capable of more efficiently forming a film with a uniform film thickness distribution.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sputtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing a configuration of a main part of a sputtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a collimator used in a sputtering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of determining an opening to be shielded among a plurality of openings of a collimator when performing the film forming method of the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows a measurement result of a film thickness distribution in a substrate when a film is formed by shielding a predetermined opening of a collimator by a method according to an embodiment of the present invention and when a film is formed by a method of a comparative example without shielding. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Deposition chamber 2 Target 3 Sputtering power supply 4 Substrate 5 Electrode 6 Collimator 7 Opening 7a Shielded opening 7b Predetermined opening 8 Driving means 9 Viewing range A From the center of the shielded opening to the center of the collimator Distance D Collimator diameter w Radius of opening h Distance between substrate and target L Length of opening SP Sputtered particles

Claims (5)

A film forming method for forming a thin film on a substrate by a sputtering method,
Arrange a collimator having a plurality of openings between the target and the substrate,
Of the plurality of openings of the collimator, one or more predetermined openings are shielded and sputtering is performed, so that the amount of sputter particles reaching a predetermined region of the substrate is adjusted and formed on the substrate. A film forming method characterized by controlling the thickness of a film. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the sputtering is performed while rotating the substrate relative to a target. The film having a uniform thickness is formed on the substrate by performing sputtering while shielding one or more predetermined openings among the plurality of openings of the collimator. Film formation method. A collimator disposed between a target and a substrate, the collimator having a plurality of openings, and configured to be able to shield any of the plurality of openings. Equipped,
By performing sputtering while shielding one or more predetermined openings among the plurality of openings of the collimator, the amount of sputter particles reaching a predetermined region of the substrate can be adjusted. A sputtering apparatus. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a driving unit that rotates the substrate relative to a target.

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