JP2006348318A - Hearth mechanism, handling mechanism and film-forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hearth mechanism for decreasing a frequency of a deposit-removing operation which is carried out after a vacuum state in a vacuum vessel has been released; a film-forming apparatus therefor; and a handling mechanism to be suitably used for the hearth mechanism. <P>SOLUTION: The hearth mechanism 2 comprises: a main hearth 21 for holding a film-forming material (Ma); side walls 22b to 24b which surround the main hearth 21; and a plurality of multiplexed covers 22 to 24 which are placed around the main hearth 21. The covers 22 to 24 prevent the main hearth 21 and an auxiliary anode 6 from causing a short circuit due to a deposit (D) of the film-forming material (Ma). Then, the hearth mechanism 2 can further decrease the frequency of the deposit-removing operation which is carried out after the vacuum state in the vacuum vessel 10 has been released, because a film-forming operation can be continued while maintaining the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel 10, by sequentially moving the covers 22 and 23 having the deposit (D) accumulated thereon, till the deposit (D) accumulates on all of the covers 22 to 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hearth mechanism, a handling mechanism, and a film forming apparatus.

  As a method of forming a film forming material on the surface of the object to be processed, for example, the film forming material is evaporated and ionized by irradiating the film forming material with plasma in a vacuum vessel, and ionized on the surface of the object to be processed. There is an ion plating method in which the film forming material is attached to form a film. In this method, a part of the evaporated film forming material stays in the vicinity of the film forming material and is deposited on the edge of the main hearth (main anode) holding the film forming material or on the auxiliary anode arranged around the main hearth. If the deposit is excessively deposited and the main hearth and the auxiliary anode are short-circuited, the functions of the main anode and the auxiliary anode are lost.

  On the other hand, in the vapor deposition apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, a cover for preventing the deposition material from adhering to the auxiliary anode is provided around the main hearth. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing a configuration in the vicinity of the main hearth of this vapor deposition apparatus. In this vapor deposition apparatus, a cover 103 is disposed between a main hearth 101 that holds a film forming material Ma and an annular auxiliary anode 102 provided around the main hearth 101. This prevents a short circuit between the main hearth 101 and the auxiliary anode 102 due to deposits of film forming materials. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that enables film formation work for a long time while maintaining the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel by applying impact to the deposit attached to the wall surface of the cover 103 and dropping it. ing.

JP 2001-000854 A

  If the deposit is excessively deposited inside the cover 103, the evaporation path of the film forming material is affected, and the film quality and film thickness distribution of the film formed on the object to be processed are changed. Therefore, when a certain amount of deposit accumulates inside the cover 103, the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel must be released and the deposit must be removed. If the frequency of the deposit removing operation can be reduced, the film forming operation can be performed while maintaining the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel for a longer time, and thus the film can be formed more efficiently.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and is suitable for a hearth mechanism and a film forming apparatus that can reduce the frequency of deposit removal work performed by releasing the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel, and the hearth mechanism. An object of the present invention is to provide a handling mechanism used in the above.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the hearth mechanism according to the present invention is a hearth mechanism for holding a film forming material in a vacuum container of a film forming apparatus, and forms a film with one end of the film forming material exposed. A main hearth holding the material and a side wall surrounding the main hearth are provided, and a plurality of covers arranged in a multiple manner around the main hearth.

  In the above-described Hearth mechanism, a plurality of covers are arranged around the main Hearth. Since the plurality of covers have side walls surrounding the main hearth, it is possible to prevent a short circuit between the main hearth and the auxiliary anode due to the deposition of the film forming material. Further, the deposit of the film forming material is accumulated inside the cover disposed closest to the main hearth among the plurality of covers, so that the deposit can be removed by moving the cover, and the cover can be removed. The remaining cover located on the outside can be used to further accumulate deposits. As described above, according to the above-mentioned Hearth mechanism, the film forming operation can be performed while maintaining the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel until the deposits are accumulated in all of the plurality of covers. The frequency of removal work can be reduced.

  The hearth mechanism may be characterized in that the plurality of covers can rotate around the main hearth. According to the knowledge of the present inventors, the deposit of the film forming material deposited on the cover tends to be deposited in a specific direction. According to this hearth mechanism, the amount of deposits inside the cover can be made uniform regardless of the direction by rotating the cover. Therefore, more deposits can be deposited on the inside of the cover, and the frequency of deposit removal work performed by releasing the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel can be further reduced. In this case, it is preferable that the plurality of covers have one or more engaging portions at the upper end of the side wall. Thereby, a cover can be easily rotated using the member which has a protrusion etc. which engage with this engaging part, for example.

  The hearth mechanism may be characterized in that at least one of the plurality of covers has a supported portion on the side wall for receiving a supporting force from below. Thereby, the cover in which the deposit of the film-forming material is accumulated can be easily lifted and transferred. When at least two of the plurality of covers have supported parts, it is preferable that the distance of the supported part from the central axis of the side wall surrounding the main hearth is different for each cover. Alternatively, at least two of the plurality of covers have supported parts, and the supported parts of each of the at least two covers are arranged at intervals from each other in the direction along the central axis. preferable. By these, when supporting the supported part of the cover where the deposit of the film-forming material is accumulated, interference by the supported part of the other cover can be prevented.

  Further, the handling mechanism according to the present invention is a handling mechanism for transferring a cover having a side wall surrounding the main hearth holding the film forming material and arranged around the main hearth to a cover retracting position in the vacuum vessel. And a cover support part that supports the cover, and an operation part that is provided outside the vacuum vessel and controls the position of the cover support part. According to this handling mechanism, the operator operates the operation unit outside the vacuum vessel, so that the cover in which the deposits of film forming materials are accumulated can be easily moved to the cover retracting position while keeping the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel. it can.

  In addition, the handling mechanism is attached to the ceiling portion of the vacuum vessel, is configured to be vertically extendable, and has an arm portion provided with a cover support portion at the lower end, and transfers the cover from above the main hearth to a cover retracting position. It may be characterized by further comprising a transfer means. In this handling mechanism, the arm portion extends downward to bring the cover support portion closer to the cover, and after the cover support portion supports the cover, the arm portion contracts to lift the cover upward. Then, the cover is transferred to the cover retracting position by the transfer means. According to this handling mechanism, it is possible to easily move the cover in which the deposit of the film forming material is accumulated to the cover retracting position while keeping the vacuum state of the vacuum container.

  Further, the handling mechanism may be characterized in that the arm portion has a pantograph structure. Thereby, the arm part which can be expanded-contracted can be comprised simply.

  The handling mechanism further includes a rotation shaft extending along the arm portion, and the cover support portion has a plurality of claw portions that open and close according to the rotation of the rotation shaft and support the cover from below. Also good. According to this handling mechanism, when the cover support part is brought close to the cover from above, the cover can be easily supported from below by opening and closing the claw part of the cover support part.

  The film forming apparatus according to the present invention is a film forming apparatus that forms a film by diffusing a film forming material and adhering it to an object to be processed. The film forming apparatus is provided in a vacuum container and the vacuum container. A hearth holding a film forming material in a state where one end of the hearth is exposed, a hearth mechanism having a side wall surrounding the main hearth and having a plurality of covers arranged around the main hearth, and a vacuum chamber And a workpiece support portion that supports the workpiece so as to face the film forming material held by the hearth mechanism.

  According to this film forming apparatus, similarly to the above-described Hearth mechanism, the film forming operation can be performed on the object to be processed while maintaining the vacuum state of the vacuum container until deposits are accumulated in all of the plurality of covers. The frequency of deposit removal work performed by releasing the vacuum state of the container can be further reduced.

  In addition, the film forming apparatus includes a cover support unit that supports the cover and an operation unit that is provided outside the vacuum vessel and controls the position of the cover support unit, and at least one of the plurality of covers is attached. A handling mechanism for transferring the cover to a cover retracting position in the vacuum container may be further provided, and the vacuum container may include a storage chamber for storing the cover support portion. According to this film forming apparatus, the operator operates the operating part of the handling mechanism, so that the cover in which the deposits of film forming materials are accumulated can be easily moved to the cover retracting position while keeping the vacuum state of the vacuum container. it can. Further, according to this film forming apparatus, a handling mechanism that is not used during film formation can be suitably accommodated in the vacuum vessel.

  In addition, the film forming apparatus may further include a shutter mechanism that opens and closes the accommodation chamber. Thereby, it can prevent that the film-forming material adheres to a cover support part during film-forming. In this case, the shutter mechanism preferably has a cooling pipe in order to prevent overheating due to film formation.

  According to the hearth mechanism and the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the frequency of deposit removal work performed by releasing the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel can be further reduced. Further, according to the handling mechanism of the present invention, the hearth mechanism can be easily handled while keeping the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a hearth mechanism, a handling mechanism, and a film forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a configuration of an embodiment of a film forming apparatus according to the present invention. The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an ion plating apparatus used for a so-called ion plating method. In FIG. 1, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is also shown for ease of explanation.

  The film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a hearth mechanism 2, a transport mechanism 3, a handling mechanism 4, an auxiliary anode 6, a plasma source 7, a vacuum container 10, and a shutter mechanism 13.

  The vacuum container 10 includes a transfer chamber 10a for transferring the object 11 to be formed, a film forming chamber 10b for evaporating the film forming material Ma, and a plasma P irradiated from the plasma source 7 in the vacuum container 10. It has a plasma opening 10c for receiving it, a cover retracting chamber 10d for retracting covers 22 and 23 described later, and a storage chamber 10f for storing a cover support 43 described later. The transfer chamber 10a extends in a predetermined transfer direction (arrow A in the figure) and is disposed on the film forming chamber 10b. In the present embodiment, the transport direction (arrow A) is set along the X axis. The vacuum vessel 10 is made of a conductive material and connected to a ground potential.

  The transport mechanism 3 is a workpiece support unit that supports the workpiece 11 so as to face the film forming material Ma. The transport mechanism 3 in the present embodiment is configured to transport the workpiece holding member 32 that holds the workpiece 11 in a state of facing the film forming material Ma in the conveyance direction (arrow A). The transport mechanism 3 is composed of a plurality of transport rollers 31 installed in the transport chamber 10a. The conveyance rollers 31 are arranged at equal intervals along the conveyance direction (arrow A), and can be conveyed in the conveyance direction while supporting the workpiece holding member 32. In addition, as the to-be-processed object 11, plate-shaped members, such as a glass substrate and a plastic substrate, are illustrated, for example. Alternatively, a substrate product in which a functional element layer such as an organic EL layer is formed on the plate-like member may be used as the object to be processed 11.

  The plasma source 7 is a pressure gradient type, and its main body is provided on the side wall (plasma port 10c) of the film forming chamber 10b. The plasma P generated in the plasma source 7 is emitted from the plasma port 10c into the film forming chamber 10b. The exit direction of the plasma P is controlled by a steering coil (not shown) provided in the plasma port 10c.

  The hearth mechanism 2 is a mechanism for holding the film forming material Ma. The hearth mechanism 2 is provided in the film forming chamber 10 b of the vacuum vessel 10 and is disposed in the negative direction of the Z-axis direction when viewed from the transport mechanism 3. The hearth mechanism 2 has a main hearth 21 that guides the plasma P emitted from the plasma source 7 to the film forming material Ma. The main hearth 21 is kept at a positive potential with respect to the vacuum vessel 10 which is the ground potential, and sucks the plasma P. A through-hole for loading the film forming material Ma is formed in the central portion of the main hearth 21 where the plasma P is incident. And the front-end | tip part of film-forming material Ma is exposed in the end of this through-hole.

  The auxiliary anode 6 is an electromagnet for inducing the plasma P. The auxiliary anode 6 is disposed around the main hearth 21 that holds the film forming material Ma, and includes an annular container, and a coil 6a and a permanent magnet 6b accommodated in the container. The coil 6a and the permanent magnet 6b control the direction of the plasma P incident on the main hearth 21 according to the amount of current flowing through the coil 6a.

  Examples of the film forming material Ma include transparent conductive materials such as ITO and ZnO, and insulating sealing materials such as SiON. When the film forming material Ma is made of an insulating material, when the main hearth 21 is irradiated with the plasma P, the main hearth 21 is heated by the current from the plasma P, the tip portion of the film forming material Ma evaporates, and the plasma P The film forming material particles Mb ionized by the diffusion diffuse into the film forming chamber 10b. When the film forming material Ma is made of a conductive material, when the main hearth 21 is irradiated with the plasma P, the plasma P is directly incident on the film forming material Ma, and the tip portion of the film forming material Ma is heated and evaporated. Then, the film forming material particles Mb ionized by the plasma P diffuse into the film forming chamber 10b. The film forming material particles Mb diffused into the film forming chamber 10b move upward (Z-axis positive direction) above the film forming chamber 10b, and adhere to the surface of the workpiece 11 in the transfer chamber 10a. The film forming material Ma is formed into a substantially cylindrical solid having a predetermined length, and a plurality of film forming materials Ma are set in the hearth mechanism 2 at a time. The film forming material Ma is applied from below the hearth mechanism 2 according to the consumption of the film forming material Ma so that the tip portion of the uppermost film forming material Ma maintains a predetermined positional relationship with the upper end of the main hearth 21. Extruded sequentially.

  In addition, the hearth mechanism 2 further includes a plurality of covers 22 to 24 that are arranged around the main hearth 21. The plurality of covers 22 to 24 are made of a material such as copper, for example, in order to prevent a short circuit between the main hearth 21 and the auxiliary anode 6 due to the deposition material Ma being deposited around the main hearth 21 during film formation. Provided. Further, as will be described in detail later, the plurality of covers 22 to 24 are arranged to be stacked on each other and can be moved individually. Accordingly, when a certain amount of deposit accumulates in the cover 22, the cover 22 is retracted from the main hearth 21, and when deposit accumulates in the cover 23 thereafter, the cover 23 is retracted from the main hearth 21. Thereby, it is possible to perform film formation without releasing the vacuum state of the vacuum container 10 until deposits are accumulated in all of the covers 22 to 24.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the hearth mechanism 2 and its peripheral structure in detail. Referring to FIG. 2, the covers 22 to 24 included in the hearth mechanism 2 are cylindrical bottomed containers, and have side walls 22 b to 24 b arranged so as to surround the main hearth 21 in multiple layers. In addition, circular openings 22 a to 24 a through which the main hearth 21 is inserted are formed at the bottoms of the covers 22 to 24. And the covers 22-24 are mutually piled up and arrange | positioned around the main hearth 21, and the main hearth 21 is penetrated from these opening 22a-24a from the downward direction. The center axis _{C 1} of the side wall 22b~24b cover 22 to 24 is substantially coincident with the central axis of the annular auxiliary anode 6. In contrast, the central axis C ₂ of the main hearth 21 is biased in the direction of the plasma source 7 (see FIG. 1) to the central axis C _1.

Further, since the covers 22 to 24 are not fixed to each other, they can rotate around the main hearth 21. However, since the central axis of the circular opening 22a~24a the cover 22 to 24 is coincident with the central axis _{C 1,} a gap is formed between the opening 22a~24a and the main hearth 21. In order to eliminate this gap and rotate the covers 22 to 24 around the central axis C ₁ , a spacer 25 is disposed around the main hearth 21. The spacer 25 is formed in a disk shape, and has a through hole 25a fitted to the main hearth 21 and an outer peripheral surface 25b. The outer peripheral surface 25b is fitted in a gap with the opening 24a of the cover 24 located on the outermost (downward) side of the covers 22-24.

Here, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the shape of the cover 22. As shown in FIG.
The upper part of the side wall 22 b of the cover 22 is gradually warped toward the side of the cover 22. Then, the outer surface near the upper end of the side wall 22b is made substantially flat surface extending perpendicularly, i.e. the supported portion 22d for receiving the supporting force from below to the central axis C _1. An engaging portion 22c is formed on the outer surface near the upper end of the side wall 22b. In the present embodiment, the engagement portion 22c is made of a direction through hole formed along the central axis C _1.

  The plurality of engaging portions 22 c are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the cover 22. Then, for example, by using the rod-like member 12 having the protrusion 12a that engages with the engaging portion 22c, the cover 22 can be rotated by hooking the protrusion 12a on the engaging portion 22c and applying a force in the circumferential direction. . Although a plurality of engaging portions 22c are preferably formed along the circumferential direction of the cover 22 as in this embodiment, only one engaging portion 22c may be formed near the upper end of the side wall 22b.

Refer to FIG. 2 again. The cover 23 has the same shape as the cover 22 (FIG. 3) described above. That is, the upper part of the side wall 23 b of the cover 23 is gradually warped toward the side of the cover 23. Then, the outer surface near the upper end of the side wall 23b are spread substantially perpendicularly to the center axis C _1, and has a supported portion 23d for receiving the supporting force from below.

However, the supported portion 23d of the cover 23, the distance from the central axis _{C 1} is different from the supported portion 22d of the cover 22. Specifically, since the diameter of the outer edge portion of the cover 23 is smaller than the diameter of the outer edge portion of the cover 22, the distance between the supported portion 23d and the central axis C _1, which is formed near the upper end of the side wall 23b is is shorter than the distance between the supported portion 22d and the central axis C _1, which is formed near the upper end of the side wall 22b. Alternatively, the supported portion 23d of the supported portion 22d and the cover 23 of the cover 22, for example, are spaced apart from one another in a direction along the central axis C ₁ as the distance between the supported portion 23d and the cover 24 May be.

An engaging portion 23 c is formed on the outer surface near the upper end of the side wall 23 b of the cover 23. Engaging portion 23c is formed of a direction through hole formed along the central axis C _1. The engaging portions 23 c of the cover 23 are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the cover 23.

  The cover 24 has engaging portions 24c formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the cover 23, similarly to the cover 22 (FIG. 3) described above.

  Refer to FIG. 1 again. The handling mechanism 4 is configured to cover the remaining covers 22 and 23 except for the cover 24 arranged on the outermost side among the plurality of covers 22 to 24 described above, in the cover retracting position set in the cover retracting chamber 10d of the vacuum vessel 10. It is a mechanism for transferring to 10e. The handling mechanism 4 has a cover support portion 43 for supporting and lifting the covers 22 and 23. The handling mechanism 4 has an arm portion 41. The arm portion 41 is attached to a ceiling portion on the transfer chamber 10a in the vacuum vessel 10 and is configured to be extendable in the vertical direction, and a cover support portion 43 is fixed to the lower end thereof. The handling mechanism 4 includes a table 48 for transferring the covers 22 and 23 lifted by the cover support portion 43 to the cover retracting position 10e.

  The storage chamber 10f is provided on the transfer chamber 10a. When the handling mechanism 4 is not used, the arm portion 41 and the cover support portion 43 are stored in the storage chamber 10f. The housing chamber 10 f has an opening 10 g formed in the top plate 10 h so that the cover support portion 43 goes into the film forming chamber 10 b, and the opening 10 g is opened and closed by the shutter mechanism 13.

  FIG. 4 is a side view showing a detailed configuration of the handling mechanism 4. Referring to FIG. 4, the arm portion 41 of the handling mechanism 4 has a pantograph structure in which a unit structure in which a pair of links 41 a are pin-coupled to each other at the center is coupled over a plurality of stages. The arm portion 41 can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction by this structure. A cover support portion 43 is attached to one end (lower end) of the arm portion 41. A pair of nuts 44a and 44b for a ball screw are attached to the tip of the link 41a at the other end (upper end) of the arm portion 41, and the distance between the pair of nuts 44a and 44b according to the rotation of the screw shaft 46a. It becomes the composition which changes. A handle 46b is attached to the tip of the screw shaft 46a as an operation portion, and the arm portion 41 can be expanded and contracted by the operator operating the handle 46b. That is, in this handling mechanism 4, the operator can control the vertical position of the cover support portion 43 by operating the handle 46b.

  The cover support portion 43 includes a substrate 43a supported by the arm portion 41, three or more finger portions 43b provided on the edge of the substrate 43a, a protrusion 43d provided on the lower surface of the substrate 43a, and a substrate 43a. On the other hand, it has a moving plate 43e provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction. One end of the finger portion 43b extends along the upper surface of the substrate 43a, and has a recess that is pin-coupled to the substrate 43a and engages with the end portion of the moving plate 43e. The other end of the finger portion 43b extends downward along the side surface of the substrate 43a, and a claw portion 43c is formed at the tip thereof. With this configuration, the claw portions 43c of the plurality of finger portions 43b are opened and closed with each other by the vertical movement of the moving plate 43e.

  The moving plate 43e moves in the vertical direction by the rotation of the rotating shaft 42 provided along the arm portion 41. Specifically, a ball screw nut is incorporated in the moving plate 43e, and the nut is moved in the vertical direction in accordance with the rotation of the screw shaft formed at the lower end of the rotating shaft 42. Yes. The rotating shaft 42 has a telescopic structure, for example, and can change the length according to the expansion and contraction of the arm portion 41 (that is, according to the vertical position change of the cover support portion 43). The upper end of the rotating shaft 42 is connected to a shaft 47 a via a bevel gear 45. A handle 47b is attached to the tip of the shaft 47a, and the operator can operate the handle 47b to rotate the rotating shaft 42 and control the opening and closing of the claw portion 43c.

  When transferring the cover 22 (or 23), the operator opens the shutter mechanism 13 and rotates the handle 46b to extend the arm portion 41, and the cover support portion 43 is moved from the opening 10g of the top plate 10h to the film forming chamber 10b. Send in. And the cover support part 43 is positioned by the protrusion 43d of the board | substrate 43a contacting the cover 22 (23). When the cover support part 43 reaches the cover 22 (23), the operator opens and closes the claw part 43c by turning the handle 47b, and the claw part 43c is below the supported part 22d (23d) of the cover 22 (23). Send in. Thereafter, the cover 46 (23) can be lifted upward by turning the handle 46b in the opposite direction to contract the arm portion 41. The cover 22 (23) lifted upward is placed on a table 48 that is provided below the cover 22 (23).

  FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of the handling mechanism 4 in the vicinity of the table 48. 5 shows a cross section taken along line II of the film forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 5, the handling mechanism 4 further includes a table 48 and a horizontal transfer mechanism 49 in addition to the arm part 41 and the cover support part 43 described above. The table 48 and the horizontal transfer mechanism 49 are transfer means in this embodiment for transferring the covers 22 and 23 from above the main hearth 21 to the cover retracting position 10e. The cover retracting position 10e may be set to a size corresponding to the number of covers to be transferred (two in this embodiment). Further, the cover retracting position 10e is preferably set at a position far from the film forming chamber 10b in order to suppress the influence of deposits attached to the retracted cover 22 (23) on the film forming process.

  The table 48 is a plate-like member having an upper surface along a horizontal plane (XY plane in the present embodiment), and is provided so as to be movable in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction in the present embodiment). The table 48 is accommodated in the cover waiting room 10d when not in use. The table 48 is provided on the opposite side of the film forming chamber 10b with respect to the placement portion 48a on which the cover 22 (or 23) lifted by the cover support portion 43 is placed, and the placement portion 48a. And a retracting portion 48b for retracting the covers 22 and 23 on 48a.

  The horizontal transfer mechanism 49 includes a link 49a and a cover receiving portion 49b. One end of the link 49a is pin-supported on the bottom wall surface of the cover retracting chamber 10d, and the link 49a is rotatable around the one end in the XY plane. One end of the cover receiving portion 49b is pin-supported by the other end of the link 49a so as to be rotatable. The other end (tip) of the cover receiving portion 49 b is formed in a Y shape and can be inserted to the side of the cover 22 (or 23) placed on the placement portion 48 a of the table 48.

  When the cover 22 (or 23) is transferred to the cover retracting position 10e, the table 48 is translated in the negative direction of the X axis by the operator so that the placement portion 48a reaches above the main hearth 21 (this) The position of the table 48 at the time is indicated by a virtual line in the figure). And if the cover 22 (23) is mounted in the mounting part 48a using the arm part 41 and the cover support part 43, the table 48 will be returned to cover cover chamber 10d. Here, the cover 22 (23) is moved by the horizontal transfer mechanism 49 from the mounting portion 48a to the retracting portion 48b while the table 48 is being returned to the cover retracting chamber 10d.

  That is, when the table 48 is returned to the cover retracting chamber 10d in a state where the cover 22 (23) is placed on the placing portion 48a of the table 48, the operator operates the horizontal transfer mechanism 49, thereby operating the cover receiver. The tip of the portion 49b is inserted into the cover 22 (or 23). Then, when the operator moves the tip of the cover receiving portion 49b onto the retracting portion 48b of the table 48, the cover 22 (23) is moved onto the retracting portion 48b. Thereafter, the table 48 is returned to a predetermined position in the cover retracting chamber 10d, whereby the cover 22 (23) on the retracting portion 48b is transferred to the cover retracting position 10e.

  FIGS. 6A and 6B are plan views showing in detail the configuration of the shutter mechanism 13. 6A and 6B show a cross section taken along line II-II of the film forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6A shows a state in which the shutter mechanism 13 is closed. FIG. 6B shows a state where the shutter mechanism 13 is opened.

  Referring to FIG. 6, the shutter mechanism 13 rotates the shutter plate 13a for closing the shutter plate 13a for closing the opening 10g of the top plate 10h of the vacuum vessel 10, the cooling pipe 13b for cooling the shutter plate 13a, and opens and closes the shutter plate 13a. And a shaft 13c. The shutter plate 13a has the same shape as the opening 10g, and is formed slightly larger than the opening 10g.

  The cooling pipe 13b is bent and arranged on the shutter plate 13a on the side of the storage chamber 10f (see FIG. 1) so as to be bent as long as possible. A cooling liquid such as water is introduced into the cooling pipe 13b to prevent overheating of the shutter plate 13a during film formation. Although not shown, a similar cooling pipe is also provided on the top plate 10h. Further, both ends of the cooling pipe 13b are connected to a cooling device (chiller unit) (not shown) for cooling the cooling liquid via a shaft 13c. The cooling pipe 13b is preferably made of a metal material having excellent thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum.

  The shaft 13c is attached near the end of the shutter plate 13a, and supports the shutter plate 13a from the accommodation chamber 10f side (see FIG. 1). When the shaft 13c rotates, the shutter plate 13a rotates about the shaft 13c, and the opening 10g opens. In this embodiment, since the cooling plate 13b is provided on the shutter plate 13a, it is preferable to rotate the shaft 13c while moving the shaft 13c and the shutter plate 13a downward when opening the shutter plate 13a. . Thereby, interference with the cooling pipe 13b and the top plate 10h can be avoided.

  Next, the film forming method according to the present embodiment using the film forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the film forming material Ma is attached to the main hearth 21 and a plurality of workpiece holding members 32 holding the workpiece 11 are set in the transport mechanism 3. A plurality of covers 22 to 24 are stacked around the main hearth 21. And the inside of the vacuum vessel 10 is made into a vacuum state.

  Subsequently, across the vacuum vessel 10 at the ground potential, a negative voltage is applied to the plasma source 7 and a positive voltage is applied to the main hearth 21 to cause discharge to generate plasma P. The plasma P is guided to the auxiliary anode 6 and irradiated to the main hearth 21. The film forming material particles Mb that are sublimated and activated by the plasma P rise in the positive direction in the Z-axis direction in the film forming chamber 10b, that is, fly toward the object 11 to be processed.

  On the other hand, the workpiece 11 is transported by the transport mechanism 3 and reaches the upper part of the film forming chamber 10b and is exposed to the film forming material particles Mb diffused in the film forming chamber 10b. Then, ionized particles of the film forming material particles Mb diffused in the film forming chamber 10b adhere to the film forming surface of the object 11 to be processed facing the main hearth 21 in a film shape. A film having a predetermined thickness is formed on the surface of the processing object 11 by exposing the processing object 11 to the film forming material particles Mb for a predetermined time while being transported at a constant speed. In this way, a desired film is formed on the surface of the workpiece 11.

  In the film forming process described above, a plurality of objects 11 to be processed are formed on these objects 11 while being conveyed. The main hearth 21 can be equipped with a plurality of film forming materials Ma. Therefore, the film forming operation can be performed for a long time while maintaining the vacuum state of the vacuum container 10, but as a result of the long film forming operation, the deposit D ( (See FIG. 2). This deposit D is gradually formed larger as the evaporated film forming material particles Mb stay around the main hearth 21 without rising.

  Further, the deposit D tends to be deposited in a specific direction as viewed from the main hearth 21, for example, in a direction opposite to the plasma source 7 as viewed from the main hearth 21. Accordingly, the cover 22 is rotated by hooking the protrusion 12a of the member 12 on the engaging portion 22c of the cover 22, as shown in FIG. Thereby, since the deposition amount of the deposit D can be made uniform over the entire circumference of the side wall 22b of the cover 22, a larger amount of the deposit D can be accumulated. Further, for example, by using the member 12 and scraping the deposit accumulated on the side wall 22b to the bottom, a larger amount of deposit D can be accumulated in the cover 22.

  The film forming operation is continued while repeating such operations. After deposit D is deposited over the entire circumference of the side wall 22b of the cover 22, the cover 22 is lifted using the handling mechanism 4 and the cover 22 is transferred to the cover retracting position 10e. (See FIGS. 4 and 5). Subsequently, since the deposit D accumulates in the cover 23 as well as the cover 22, a large amount of the deposit D is accumulated in the cover 23 while rotating the cover 23. Then, after the deposit D is deposited over the entire circumference of the side wall 23b of the cover 23, the cover 23 is lifted using the handling mechanism 4, and the cover 23 is transferred to the cover retracting position 10e. Thereafter, since the deposit D is deposited in the cover 24 as well as the covers 22 and 23, a large amount of the deposit D is accumulated in the cover 24 while the cover 24 is rotated. In this way, after the deposit D accumulates in all of the plurality of covers 22 to 24, the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel 10 is released, the covers 22 to 24 are taken out, and the deposit D is removed.

  The effects obtained by the film forming apparatus 1 and the hearth mechanism 2 of the present embodiment described above are as follows. That is, in the film forming apparatus 1 and the hearth mechanism 2 of the present embodiment, a plurality of covers 22 to 24 are arranged around the main hearth 21 as described above. Since the covers 22 to 24 have side walls 22 b to 24 b surrounding the main hearth 21, a short circuit between the main hearth 21 and the auxiliary anode 6 due to the deposit D can be prevented.

  Moreover, since the deposit D accumulates inside the cover disposed closest to the main hearth 21 among the covers 22 to 24, the deposit D is accumulated in the covers 22 and 23 by sequentially moving the covers 22 and 23. The deposit D can be removed, and the remaining covers 23 and 24 can be used to further accumulate the deposit D. As described above, according to the film forming apparatus 1 and the hearth mechanism 2 of this embodiment, the film forming operation can be performed while maintaining the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel 10 until the deposit D is accumulated in all of the plurality of covers 22 to 24. Therefore, the frequency of the deposit removal operation performed by releasing the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel 10 can be further reduced.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, the plurality of covers 22 to 24 are preferably rotatable around the main hearth 21. As described above, the deposit D deposited on the covers 22 to 24 tends to be deposited in a specific direction. On the other hand, by rotating the covers 22 to 24, the amount of deposit D inside the covers 22 to 24 can be made uniform regardless of the direction, so that a large amount of deposit D is deposited on the covers 22 to 24. Thus, the frequency of deposit removal work performed by releasing the vacuum state of the vacuum vessel 10 can be further reduced. Further, since the covers 22 to 24 have the engaging portions 22c to 24c at the upper ends of the side walls 22b to 24b, the covers 22 to 24 can be easily rotated by using the member 12 having the projection 12a as shown in FIG. Can be made.

Further, as in the present embodiment, the covers 22 and 23 preferably have supported portions 22d and 23d for receiving a supporting force from below by the cover supporting portion 43. Thereby, the covers 22 and 23 in which the deposit D is accumulated can be easily lifted and transferred. In this case, as in the present embodiment, the supported portion 22d and 23d are are preferably spaced apart from each other in a direction along the central axis C _1. The distance of the supporting portion 22d and 23d from the center axis C ₁ may be different from each other. Accordingly, when the supported portion 22d of the cover 22 in which the deposit D is accumulated is supported by the cover support portion 43, interference by the supported portion 23d of the cover 23 can be prevented. Unlike the present embodiment, when the film forming apparatus includes n covers (n ≧ 4), the supported portions of the n−1 covers to be transferred are arranged with a space between each other. Good. Further, it is preferable distance of the supported portion from the central axis C ₁ of the (n-1) of the cover is different for each cover.

  The effects obtained by the handling mechanism 4 of the present embodiment are as follows. That is, as described above, the handling mechanism 4 of the present embodiment includes the cover support portion 43 that supports the covers 22 and 23 and the handle that is provided outside the vacuum vessel 10 and controls the position of the cover support portion 43. 46b (see FIG. 4). According to this handling mechanism 4, the operator operates the handle 46 b outside the vacuum container 10, so that the covers 22 and 23 in which the deposits D are accumulated inside the vacuum container 10 while the vacuum state of the vacuum container 10 is maintained. Can be easily moved to the cover retracting position 10e.

  Further, as in this embodiment, the handling mechanism 4 preferably includes an arm portion 41 and transfer means such as a table 48 and a horizontal transfer mechanism 49. Accordingly, the covers 22 and 23 in which the deposits D are accumulated can be easily moved to the cover retracting position 10e inside the vacuum container 10 while maintaining the vacuum state of the vacuum container 10. Moreover, in this case, the arm part 41 can be expanded and contracted with a simple configuration by having the pantograph structure as in the present embodiment.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, the handling mechanism 4 has a rotation shaft 42 (see FIG. 4), and the cover support portion 43 opens and closes according to the rotation of the rotation shaft 42 and the cover 22 (or 23) is moved downward. It is preferable to have a plurality of (preferably three or more) finger portions 43b (claw portions 43c) that are supported from above. Moreover, it is preferable that the rotating shaft 42 has a telescopic structure that can be expanded and contracted according to a change in the position of the cover support portion 43 as in the present embodiment. With these configurations, when the cover support portion 43 is brought close to the cover 22 (23) from above, the cover 22 (23) is opened from below by the claw portion 43c by opening and closing the claw portion 43c of the cover support portion 43. Can be easily supported. Moreover, the claw part 43c of the cover support part 43 which moves to an up-down direction can be opened and closed suitably by comprising the rotating shaft 42 for opening and closing the claw part 43c so that expansion and contraction is possible.

  Further, when the film forming apparatus 1 includes the handling mechanism 4 as in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the vacuum container 10 includes a storage chamber 10 f that stores the cover support portion 43. Thereby, the handling mechanism 4 which is not used at the time of film-forming can be suitably accommodated in the inside of the vacuum vessel 10. In this case, the film forming apparatus 1 preferably includes a shutter mechanism 13 that opens and closes the film forming chamber 10f. Thereby, the film forming material particles Mb can be prevented from adhering to the cover support portion 43. More preferably, the shutter mechanism 13 may include a cooling pipe 13b as in the present embodiment.

  The hearth mechanism, the handling mechanism, and the film forming apparatus according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various other modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration of the present invention is applied to an ion plating apparatus. However, the configuration of the present invention can be applied to various physical vapor deposition apparatuses such as a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus and a sputtering apparatus.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, a to-be-processed object support part is comprised by the conveyance mechanism, and it forms into a film, conveying a to-be-processed object. In addition to this, the workpiece support portion may have a structure in which the workpiece is fixed by, for example, a chuck.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the handling mechanism has a handle as an operation part for controlling the position of a cover support part, and a handle and a cover support part are mechanically connected via the arm part. . In addition to this, the handling mechanism has a switch as an operation unit, for example, and electrically controls the operation of this switch to the arm unit, and drives the arm unit by an actuator or the like to control the position of the cover support unit. Good.

It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the structure of one Embodiment of the film-forming apparatus by this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows a hearth mechanism and its periphery structure in detail. It is a perspective view which shows the shape of a cover. It is a side view which shows the detailed structure of a handling mechanism. It is a top view which shows the structure of the handling mechanism near a table. (A) It is a top view which shows in detail the structure of a shutter mechanism in the state in which the shutter mechanism was closed. (B) It is a top view which shows in detail the structure of the shutter mechanism in the state in which the shutter mechanism was opened. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the structure of the main hearth vicinity of the conventional vapor deposition apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Film forming apparatus, 2 ... Hearth mechanism, 3 ... Transfer mechanism, 4 ... Handling mechanism, 6 ... Auxiliary anode, 7 ... Plasma source, 10 ... Vacuum container, 10a ... Transfer chamber, 10b ... Film formation chamber, 10d ... Cover Reservation chamber, 10e ... cover retracting position, 10f ... storage chamber, 10h ... top plate, 11 ... workpiece, 13 ... shutter mechanism, 21 ... main hearth, 22-24 ... cover, 22a-24a ... opening, 22b-24b ... side walls, 22c to 24c ... engaging parts, 22d and 23d ... supported parts, 25 ... spacers, 31 ... transport rollers, 32 ... workpiece holding members, 41 ... arm parts, 42 ... rotating shafts, 43 ... cover support Part, 48 ... table, 49 ... horizontal transfer mechanism, D ... deposit, Ma ... film forming material, Mb ... film forming material particle, P ... plasma.

Claims (14)

A hearth mechanism for holding a film forming material in a vacuum container of a film forming apparatus,
A main hearth holding the film-forming material with one end of the film-forming material exposed;
A hearth mechanism comprising: a side wall surrounding the main hearth, and a plurality of covers arranged around the main hearth.   The hearth mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of covers are rotatable around the main hearth.   The hearth mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of covers have one or a plurality of engaging portions at an upper end of the side wall.   The hearth mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of covers has a supported portion on the side wall for receiving a supporting force from below. .   At least two of the plurality of covers have the supported portion, and the distance of the supported portion from the central axis of the side wall surrounding the main hearth is different for each cover. The hearth mechanism according to claim 4.   At least two of the plurality of covers have the supported portions, and the supported portions of each of the at least two covers are arranged spaced apart from each other in a direction along the central axis. The hearth mechanism according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the hearth mechanism is provided. A handling mechanism for transferring a cover disposed around the main hearth to a cover retracting position in a vacuum vessel having a side wall surrounding the main hearth holding a film forming material,
A cover support for supporting the cover;
A handling mechanism, comprising: an operating portion that is provided outside the vacuum vessel and controls a position of the cover support portion. An arm portion attached to the ceiling portion of the vacuum vessel, configured to be extendable in the vertical direction, and provided with the cover support portion at the lower end;
The handling mechanism according to claim 7, further comprising transfer means for transferring the cover from above the main hearth to the cover retracting position.   9. The handling mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the arm portion has a pantograph structure. A rotation axis extending along the arm portion;
10. The handling mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the cover support portion includes a plurality of claw portions that open and close in accordance with rotation of the rotation shaft and support the cover from below. A film forming apparatus for forming a film by diffusing a film forming material and attaching it to an object to be processed,
A vacuum vessel;
A main hearth that is provided in the vacuum vessel and holds the film forming material in a state where one end of the film forming material is exposed, and a side wall that surrounds the main hearth, and is multiplexed around the main hearth. A hearth mechanism having a plurality of covers disposed;
A film forming apparatus, comprising: a processing object support portion that is provided in the vacuum container and supports the processing object so as to face the film forming material held by the hearth mechanism. A cover support portion that supports the cover; and an operation portion that is provided outside the vacuum vessel and controls a position of the cover support portion, wherein at least one of the plurality of covers is the vacuum A handling mechanism for transferring to a cover retracting position in the container;
The film forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the vacuum container has a storage chamber for storing the cover support portion.   The film forming apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a shutter mechanism that opens and closes the storage chamber.   The film forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the shutter mechanism includes a cooling pipe.

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