JP2005248260A - Vacuum deposition system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum deposition system capable of improving a throughput. <P>SOLUTION: Substrate holders 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D where holes and substrates are alternately provided on the same radius at the same intervals, and a dummy holder 27 provided with a plurality of holes on the same radius at the intervals double the above intervals are fitted to a supporting stem 22, so as to be stacked in such a manner that the dummy holder 27 is located at the side of a crucible 7. They are rotated around the supporting stem 22 in such a manner that the substrate in each substrate holder communicates with each hole in the dummy holder 27 successively, and film deposition to the substrate fitted to each substrate holder is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum deposition apparatus provided with a substrate holder to which a plurality of substrates are attached.

    Vacuum deposition apparatuses are widely used for film formation, such as an antireflection film for optical lenses.

  The vacuum deposition apparatus heats and evaporates the evaporation material placed in the vacuum chamber, and attaches the evaporated particles to the substrate. The heating method includes a method of heating and evaporating the evaporation material by resistance heating, or an electron beam heating. There are a method of evaporating the evaporation material by heating, and a vapor deposition method includes a method of directly attaching the evaporated particles to the substrate, a method of ionizing and attaching the evaporated particles, and the like.

  FIG. 1 shows one schematic example of a vacuum deposition apparatus.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum chamber which is evacuated by a vacuum pump 3 through an exhaust passage 2.

  A substrate holder 5 in which a plurality of substrates 4 (4a, 4b, 4c,...) Are set is attached to the center of the upper wall of the vacuum chamber 1.

  On the bottom wall of the chamber below the substrate holder 5, a crucible 7 containing the evaporation material 6 is installed.

  An electron gun 8 is disposed at a position where the electron beam from the electron gun is deflected 270 ° by a deflector (not shown) and the evaporation material 6 accommodated in the crucible 7 is impact-heated. . Incidentally, between the electron gun 8 and the evaporating material 6 accommodated in the crucible 7, the evaporating material is scanned by the electron beam EB generated from the electron gun 8 and deflected 270 ° by a deflector (not shown). A scanning coil (not shown) is provided.

  Reference numeral 9 denotes a shutter capable of blocking the scattering of evaporated particles from the crucible 7 toward the substrate holder 5, and is rotatably attached by a drive mechanism 12 including a motor or the like via a support rod 10 and a rotation shaft 11. Yes. Reference numeral 13 denotes a holder support shaft.

  When a film is formed on a substrate with the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus having such a configuration, first, the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated by a vacuum pump 3.

  When the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 reaches a predetermined degree of vacuum, the electron gun 8 is operated. At this time, the shutter 9 has already come between the crucible 7 and the substrate 4, that is, at the shielding position by the operation of the shutter driving mechanism 12.

  By the operation of the electron gun 8, the electron beam EB from the electron gun is deflected 270 ° by a deflector (not shown) and strikes the evaporation material 6 accommodated in the crucible 7. The electron beam EB scans the evaporation material 6 by the action of a scanning coil (not shown). The electron gun 8 is composed of a filament, a grid, and an anode, and an electron beam generated from the filament passes through the anode at a constant opening angle via the grid, and the evaporation material 6 is melted by devising a structure such as a deflector. When the surface is at a predetermined height, a spot-shaped cross section with a constant diameter is formed on the molten surface. The spot diameter at this time is referred to as a reference spot diameter.

Due to the impact of the electron beam, the evaporation material is heated and eventually evaporates.
When this evaporation is stabilized, the shutter 9 is rotated and moved to a position greatly deviated from the line connecting the crucible 7 and the substrate 4 by the operation of the shutter drive mechanism 12.

  By this movement, the evaporated particles from the crucible 7 reach the substrate 4 and adhere to these surfaces in the form of a thin film.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1 and shows a substrate holder 5 to which a substrate is attached.
Prior to film formation, the substrates 4 a, 4 b, 4 c,... Are set on the surface of the substrate holder 5, and the substrate holder is attached to the holder support shaft 13 installed on the upper wall of the chamber 1. Then, a film is formed on each substrate by the above operation.

When the predetermined film formation is completed, the inside of the chamber 1 is returned to atmospheric pressure, and the substrate holder 5 is removed from the holder support shaft 13. Then, a new substrate is set on the substrate holder 5, the substrate holder is attached to the holder support shaft 13, and a film is formed on each substrate. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated to form a film on a large number of substrates.
JP-A-5-230633 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-200018 JP-A-5-279851 JP-A-10-135146

  As described above, when replacing the substrate, the chamber 1 is returned to atmospheric pressure, and the substrate holder 5 on which the substrate 4 on which film formation has been completed is set is removed from the holder support shaft 13 with the chamber 1 opened. The operation of attaching the substrate holder 5 on which the new substrate 4 is set to the holder support shaft 13 is performed. If the chamber 1 is left open, the amount of air that enters the chamber and the amount of moisture contained in the air increases during that time, and a considerable time is required until the inside of the chamber 1 is brought into a predetermined vacuum state. (As a matter of course, when the film is formed at an insufficient degree of vacuum, not only the quality of the film is deteriorated, but also the film formation state of each substrate is different.) Therefore, as the number of substrate exchanges increases, the substrate deposition throughput decreases.

  An object of this invention is to provide the novel vacuum evaporation apparatus which solves such a problem.

  The vacuum deposition apparatus of the present invention is a vacuum deposition apparatus configured to attach evaporated particles from an evaporation source to a plurality of substrates provided on a substrate holder attached to a support shaft. A plurality of substrate holders in which a plurality of holes and substrate mounting holes are alternately provided, and a plurality of holes on a radius of the same size as the radius at a distance twice as large as a distance between the holes in the substrate holder and the substrate mounting holes The provided dummy holders are mounted on the support shaft so that the dummy holders are positioned on the evaporation source side, and the substrate holders are individually rotatable around the support shaft. And

  According to the present invention, when the chamber is evacuated once for film formation, film formation can be performed on a very large number of substrates in the vacuum state. The throughput of substrate deposition is significantly improved.

  The substrate before film formation set in the first substrate holder is covered with a dummy holder, and the substrates set in the second and subsequent substrate holders are covered with the dummy holder and other substrate holders provided in front. Since it is covered, contamination in the process before film formation is prevented.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic example of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those used in FIG. 1 denote the same components.

  In the vacuum deposition apparatus shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of, for example, four substrate holders 21A (first substrate holder), 21B (second substrate holder), 21C (third substrate holder), 21D (fourth substrate holder). Are attached to the support shaft 22 so as to overlap each other and to be rotatable independently of each other. These substrate holders have a disk shape of the same size and structure, and as shown in FIG. 4 (FIG. 4 (b) shows a BB cross section of FIG. 4 (a)), Substrates 23a, 23b, 23c, and 23d are attached every 90 degrees on the same radius, and holes 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d are formed at intermediate positions of the respective substrates. As shown in FIG. 4B, the holes 25a, 25b, 25c, and 25d (25b are shown in the figure) are slightly larger in diameter than the substrate and slightly deeper than the thickness of the substrate. Is formed so that the substrate can be attached to the bottom of the hole. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 26 denotes a bearing.

  A dummy holder 27 is attached to the support shaft 22 in front of the first substrate holder 21A (on the evaporation source side). As shown in FIG. 5, the dummy holder has a disk shape having the same size as the substrate holder, and holes 28a, 28b, 28c, and 28d are opened every 90 degrees on the same radius.

  FIG. 6 (FIG. 6 (b) shows a CC cross section of FIG. 6 (a)) shows an outline of the drive mechanism of each of the substrate holders 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D. Teeth are formed on each side of the substrate holder (21A, 21B, 21C, 21D), and gears 29A, 29B, 29C, 29D are arranged so as to mesh with the teeth on each side. 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D are rotation shafts of the gears 29A, 29B, 29C, and 29D, and are connected to the rotation shafts of the motors 31A, 31B, 31C, and 31D outside the chamber 1, respectively. Reference numeral 32 denotes a control device for driving each motor.

  Next, the operation of the vacuum deposition apparatus having such a configuration will be described.

  First, the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 3.

  When the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 reaches a predetermined degree of vacuum, the electron gun 8 is operated. At this time, the shutter 9 has already come between the crucible 7 and the substrate, that is, in the shielding position by the operation of the shutter driving mechanism 12.

  By the operation of the electron gun 8, the electron beam EB from the electron gun is deflected 270 ° by a deflector (not shown) and strikes the evaporation material 6 accommodated in the crucible 7. The electron beam EB scans the evaporation material 6 by the action of a scanning coil (not shown).

  Due to the impact of the electron beam, the evaporation material is heated and starts to evaporate, and eventually the evaporation is stabilized.

  The following operations (1) and (2) are performed slightly before, simultaneously with, or slightly after such an evaporation state.

  (1) A drive signal is sent from the control device 32 to each of the motors 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D, and the substrate holders 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D are rotated via the gears 29A, 29B, 29C, 29D. As shown in (a), the four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of each substrate holder are completely overlapped with the four holes (28a, 28b, 28c, 28d) of the dummy holder 27.

(2) A drive signal is sent from the control device 32 to the motor 31A, and the first substrate holder 21A is rotated, for example, by 45 ° clockwise via the gear 29A. As shown in FIG. The four substrates (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) of the holder 21A are completely overlapped with the four holes (28a, 28b, 28c, 28d) of the dummy holder 27.
In this state, by operating the shutter drive mechanism 12, the shutter 9 is rotated and moved to a position greatly deviated from the line connecting the crucible 7 and the substrate, and the evaporated particles from the crucible 7 are moved to the holes (28a, 28b, 28c) of the dummy holder 27. , 28d) and is attached to the substrate (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) of the first substrate holder 21A in a thin film shape. When attached for a predetermined time, the shutter 9 is brought between the crucible 7 and the substrate by the operation of the shutter drive mechanism 12.

  Next, a drive signal is sent from the control device 32 to the motor 31A and the motor 31B, the first substrate holder 21A is rotated 45 ° counterclockwise via the gear 29A, and the second substrate holder 21B is rotated clockwise via the gear 29B. 7 °, and as shown in FIG. 7C, the four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of the first substrate holder 21A and the four substrates (23a, 23b) of the second substrate holder 21B. , 23c, 23d) so that the four holes (28a, 28b, 28c, 28d) of the dummy holder 27 completely overlap each other.

  In this state, by operating the shutter drive mechanism 12, the shutter 9 is rotated and moved to a position greatly deviated from the line connecting the crucible 7 and the substrate, and the evaporated particles from the crucible 7 are moved to the holes (28a, 28b, 28c) of the dummy holder 27. 28d) and the four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of the first substrate holder 21A are passed through and attached to the substrates (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) of the second substrate holder 21B in a thin film shape. When attached for a predetermined time, the shutter 9 is brought between the crucible 7 and the substrate by the operation of the shutter drive mechanism 12.

  Next, a drive signal is sent from the control device 32 to the motor 31B and the motor 31C, the second substrate holder 21B is rotated 45 ° counterclockwise via the gear 29B, and the third substrate holder 21C is rotated clockwise via the gear 29C. 7 °, and as shown in FIG. 7D, the four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of the first substrate holder 21A and the four holes (24a, 24b) of the second substrate holder 21B. 24c, 24d) and the four substrates (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) of the third substrate holder 21C completely overlap the four holes (28a, 28b, 28c, 28d) of the dummy holder 27, respectively.

  In this state, by operating the shutter drive mechanism 12, the shutter 9 is rotated and moved to a position greatly deviated from the line connecting the crucible 7 and the substrate, and the evaporated particles from the crucible 7 are moved to the holes (28a, 28b, 28c) of the dummy holder 27. 28d), the four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of the first substrate holder 21A and the four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of the second substrate holder 21B are allowed to pass through the third substrate holder 21C. A thin film is attached to the substrates (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d). When attached for a predetermined time, the shutter 9 is brought between the crucible 7 and the substrate by the operation of the shutter drive mechanism 12.

  Next, a drive signal is sent from the control device 32 to the motor 31C and the motor 31D, the third substrate holder 21C is rotated 45 ° counterclockwise via the gear 29C, and the fourth substrate holder 21D is rotated clockwise via the gear 29D. 7 °, and as shown in FIG. 7E, the four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of the first substrate holder 21A and the four holes (24a, 24b) of the second substrate holder 21B. 24c, 24d), the four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of the third substrate holder 21C and the four substrates (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) of the fourth substrate holder 21D, respectively, of the dummy holder 27 Four holes (28a, 28b, 28c, 28d) are made to completely overlap.

  In this state, by operating the shutter drive mechanism 12, the shutter 9 is rotated and moved to a position greatly deviated from the line connecting the crucible 7 and the substrate, and the evaporated particles from the crucible 7 are moved to the holes (28a, 28b, 28c) of the dummy holder 27. 28d), four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of the first substrate holder 21A, four holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) of the second substrate holder 21B, and four of the third substrate holder 21C. The holes (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) are passed through and attached to the substrate (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) of the fourth substrate holder 21D in the form of a thin film. When attached for a predetermined time, the shutter 9 is brought between the crucible 7 and the substrate by the operation of the shutter drive mechanism 12.

  In this way, when the deposition of all the substrates attached to all the substrate holders is completed, the inside of the chamber 1 is returned to the atmospheric pressure, and all the substrate holders 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D are removed from the support shaft 22. Then, a new substrate is set in each substrate holder, each substrate holder is attached to the support shaft 22, and film formation is performed on each substrate. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated to form a film on a large number of substrates.

  The present invention is not limited to the structure described with reference to FIGS. For example, in the above example, four substrate holders with four sets of substrates and holes are used, and a square of 4, that is, 16 substrates are formed. It is also possible to use five substrate holders provided with five sets and to form a square of 5, that is, to form 25 substrates. That is, it is possible to use N substrate holders having N sets (N ≧ 2) and N substrate holders having holes, and to form a film on a number of squares of N. , Improve throughput.

1 shows a schematic example of a vacuum deposition apparatus. 1 shows a schematic example of a conventional substrate holder. 1 shows a schematic example of a vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention. 1 shows a schematic example of a substrate holder of the present invention. 4 shows a schematic example of a dummy holder used in the vacuum evaporation apparatus shown in FIG. It shows the outline of the drive mechanism of each substrate holder used for the vacuum evaporation system shown in FIG. The movement of each substrate holder used for description of operation | movement of the vacuum evaporation system of this invention is shown.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vacuum chamber 2 ... Exhaust passage 3 ... Vacuum pump 4 ... Substrate 5 ... Substrate holder 6 ... Evaporation material 7 ... Crucible 8 ... Electron gun 9 ... Shutter 10 ... Support rod 11 ... Rotating shaft 12 ... Shutter drive mechanism 13 ... Holder support Axis 21A ... first substrate holder 21B ... second substrate holder 21C ... third substrate holder 21D ... fourth substrate holder 22 ... support shafts 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d ... substrates 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d ... holes 25a, 25b , 25c, 25d ... hole 26 ... bearing 27 ... dummy holder 28a, 28b, 28c, 28d ... hole 29A, 29B, 29C, 29D ... gears 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D ... rotating shafts 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D ... motor 32 …Control device

Claims (4)

  In a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus configured to attach evaporated particles from an evaporation source to a plurality of substrates provided on a substrate holder attached to a support shaft, holes and substrate mounting holes are alternately arranged at the same interval on the same radius. A plurality of substrate holders, and a dummy holder in which a plurality of holes are provided on a radius having the same size as the radius at a distance twice as large as a distance between the hole in the substrate holder and the substrate mounting hole. A vacuum deposition apparatus in which the respective substrate holders are individually rotatable around the support shaft, and are attached to the support shaft so as to be positioned on the evaporation source side.   The vacuum evaporation system according to claim 1, wherein the number of holes and substrate attachment holes provided in the substrate holder is two or more.   2. The vacuum deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each substrate mounting hole is formed deeper than the thickness of the substrate, and is provided so that the substrate can be accommodated so as not to come out on the surface of the substrate holder. 2. The vacuum deposition according to claim 1, wherein teeth are formed on a side surface of each substrate holder, and a gear is provided for each substrate holder so as to mesh with the teeth, and the gears are individually rotated. apparatus.

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