JP2008516084A - Long gas distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

  A long gas distribution system used in a plasma deposition apparatus or a plasma cleaning apparatus is provided in the form of a stack of a plurality of strips. Each strip has grooves formed by milling, and these grooves form a passage in a state where the strips are stacked on each other. Such a configuration can result in particularly design flexibility and a finely branched gas distribution tree. It is also possible to incorporate gas flow control means such as valves or vanes in or on the gas distribution system. By activating these gas flow control means based on the input of feedback parameters of the plasma, the deposited layer, or the cleaned substrate, a rapidly responsive gas distribution system is realized. In addition, some of the strips can be used to incorporate a cooling circuit that cools the long gas distribution system.

Description

  The present invention relates to a long gas distribution system attached to a plasma device.

  A technique for processing a large area substrate by a vacuum sputtering method has become important. For example, in-line processing of large area glazing in a large vacuum facility is becoming increasingly important because it can finish building glass with low emissivity or antifouling coatings. Within these sputtering facilities, the substrate is transported across an elongated sputtering source oriented orthogonal to the transport direction. The sputtering source is preferably a rotating sputtering target, and a magnetically confined plasma racetrack is maintained on the surface of the rotating target. The plasma is generated by ionization of noble gases, particularly argon. Due to the negative bias applied to the target, the ionized argon atoms collide with the target surface, thereby releasing the target atoms from the target. The emitted atoms collide with the surface of the substrate, and a layer starts to be formed. During processing, when a reactive gas such as oxygen or nitrogen is added in addition to or instead of the rare gas, these gases react with the colliding target atoms to form a composite layer.

  In addition to coating deposition, plasma is also used to clean the surface. In this application, the substrate is maintained at a negative bias and removes contaminants from the surface by the impact of argon ions. This plasma cleaning is becoming more and more advanced in the field of pretreatment when it is difficult to coat the polymer (PTFE, PVDF, etc.) and in the field of removing contaminants from the steel sheet before the next treatment.

  In both these applications, process gas needs to be delivered into the vacuum equipment. As the facilities are designed extensively, gas distribution has become an important issue. For example, if plasma gas is delivered only to one side of the target, the other side of the target will be depleted of gas. This problem is even more pronounced when the reaction gas is consumed by reaction during processing. When gas is delivered to one side of the target, the gas diffuses from one side to the other, resulting in a composite coating with a stoichiometric ratio that varies along the width of the substrate.

  The gas distribution system in state-of-the-art equipment is made from tubes. One of the devices described in the latest literature is a tube with small holes arranged at regular intervals extending along the target (see US Pat. No. 5,096,562). U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,087 describes a system in which premixed gas is distributed through a gas manifold and then fed to a number of tubes terminating in nozzles in the vicinity of a flat target. The gas flow through each of the tubes is controlled by an external valve that is activated by a feedback signal from the deposited film. DE 4412541 discloses a gas inlet device which is characterized by an equal flow resistance between the gas inlet and each of the outlet openings located along a flat target surface. The structural features that such gas devices must have are not described. The advantage of such an apparatus is that Milde et al. In the 44th Annual Technical Committee Proceedings of the Vacuum Coating Machine Society (ISSN, 0737-5921, p. 204) “ Predicted by "gas inlet device".

There are four problems with existing gas distribution systems.
(1) When a change in gas flow is required in the chamber, it takes time for the change in flow due to the control valve to reach the outlet opening of the chamber, thereby creating a lag time between the signal and the reaction.
(2) Since it is necessary to install a different gas distribution system for each processing gas, the cost of the equipment increases.
(3) If different gas delivery is required for each location along the width of the target, more than one (eg, left, center, right) separate gas distribution systems need to be installed. This increases the cost of the gas distribution system.
(4) In particular, in the case of a plasma cleaning device, the gas distribution system is used as an anode, and thus may be extremely hot. Therefore, in such a gas distribution system, the distribution system must be individually cooled to prevent deformation of the distribution system. Even in the case of a sputtering apparatus, for example, cooling is desirable if the gas distribution system is in the vicinity of the plasma.

  Since we are not satisfied with the state-of-the-art gas distribution system on the market, the present inventors are long but excellent in responsiveness and easy to control, and can supply cooling gas. Other ways to realize a gas distribution system that allows different gas delivery at different locations along the width were studied.

  An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned problems of the state-of-the-art long gas distribution system in a plasma deposition apparatus or a plasma cleaning apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to provide a long gas distribution system that allows different process gases to be distributed by a single device. Another object of the invention is to provide different gas supplies from place to place throughout the width of the installation. It is another object of the present invention to provide a gas distribution system that responds quickly with respect to gas supply rates and even with changes in gas delivery that vary from location to location. It is another object of the present invention to provide a gas distribution system that incorporates an integrated cooling system.

  A first aspect of the invention relates to the combination of features of claim 1. An elongated gas distribution system mounted in a plasma deposition apparatus or a plasma cleaning apparatus has at least one inlet and at least one outlet set comprising a plurality of outlets, each outlet set corresponding to one of the inlets. And an outlet set as described above. An outlet set means at least two, preferably more outlets. Most preferred is about 100 outlets. The outlet is a hole that allows gas to flow into the depressurizable chamber of the device. These holes may be replaceable outlet nozzles that fit into the holes. For all outlets belonging to one outlet set, the same inlet is always reached when the gas path through each of the outlets is reversed. Each outlet set is arranged in a row extending in a direction substantially parallel to an elongated target substantially perpendicular to the direction of substrate movement. For example, one outlet set can be provided across the entire width of the facility to deliver a noble gas. Alternatively, different outlet sets can be arranged in a row to supply noble gases to the left, center and right sides of the facility. This is the preferred arrangement for delivering the reaction gas. This is because this arrangement allows different gas delivery from place to place in the width direction of the equipment and thus allows control of the film composition over the entire width of the substrate. Of course, more than three outlet sets can be arranged in a row. These limits are determined by the number of inlets that must be reserved in the gas distribution system.

  The present invention is characterized by a method of constructing a gas distribution system. The gas distribution system includes a set of strips having a length substantially equal to the width of the facility. This length may be between 0.30 m and 10 m. The strip has a thickness that depends on the space utilized for the gas distribution system and the total gas flow to be achieved. In practice, this thickness is approximately between 1 mm and 70 mm. The width of the strip is determined by the arrival time that must be overcome and the total gas flow pattern that must be achieved. Usually this width is between 1 cm and 30 cm. The number of strips depends on the number of inlets and / or the number of process gases that must be delivered to the vacuum chamber. In order to practice the present invention, at least two strips are required.

  Since the gas distribution system extends substantially elongated, the set of outlet openings is arranged longitudinally. Preferably, the gas outlet set is arranged on an end face defined by the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction of the strip. Another possibility is that the gas is released from multiple rows of gas outlet sets arranged on one outer surface (the surface defined by the longitudinal and width directions) of the two outermost strips of the laminate. You may do it.

  The strip is made from a material having the proper combination of hermeticity, strength to weight, durability, and temperature resistance. In some cases, for example, in plasma cleaning operations where the gas distribution system may act as an anode, good electrical conductivity may be important. In some cases, it may also be beneficial to provide an insulating gas distribution system, for example, to prevent arcing. When the plasma is generated in the vicinity of the gas distribution system, the magnetic properties may be important. Depending on the magnetic properties, the gas distribution system guides the magnetic field lines from neutral materials (materials with a permeability close to 1) or ferromagnetic materials (thus possible magnets attached to the gas distribution system). Material).

  Aluminum strips and stainless steel strips have been found to be practical materials. High performance polymers such as Flametec ™ Kytec® PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) or ECTFE (ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer) are also not as comprehensive but relatively tough. It is an electrically insulating and chemically inert material and may be used in the same way. Composite materials are also conceivable.

Each of the strips has a first side surface and a second side surface. A side surface means a surface defined by a longitudinal direction and a width direction. At least one side has a groove. The groove is configured to form a passage in a state where the strips are stacked on each other. Each of the passages connects one of the inlets to a corresponding outlet set. The groove may be made by any kind of suitable method. For example,
(1) The most preferable method for producing the groove includes a method of processing by a semicircular or U-shaped end mill (milling bore head). The most convenient is to use a milling machine driven by numerical control that allows the grooving of extremely complex patterns to form a passage that cannot be achieved with conventional tubing.
(2) As a method similar to the above method, there is a method using selective etching, but this is not so preferable in consideration of the size of the strip.
(3) A groove can be formed by continuous embossing by pushing a rod having an appropriate shape into a strip by a hydraulic press. This rod must be significantly harder than the strip material. It is also possible to obtain a desired pattern at a time by pressing a reverse uneven pattern (mold). This reverse concavo-convex pattern must of course be harder than the strip material.
(4) The groove can also be obtained by casting the strip material into a mold having an uneven shape opposite to the distribution passage. This is a less preferred method because of its high cost and lack of flexibility.

  The lamination of each strip should be made so that the passages are substantially airtight with a smaller pressure differential. This can be done by bolting the strips together, pressing them together with a clamping system, or gluing them, or other means that can form a substantially airtight stack. Achieved by:

  Another way of forming an airtight passage is to cut the passage through the strip, for example by means of a laser cutter, torch burner or other cutting device suitable for cutting material (dependent claims). 2). As a result, the strip loses its continuity and must be positioned between two adjacent strips (like a jigsaw puzzle leaving a gap between each piece) before stacking the strips together. .

  By forming holes at appropriate locations on the strip, a more complex path with the movement of the layer from one strip to another can be achieved (dependent claim 3).

  Gas flow control means can be attached to the interior or surface of the stack of strips (dependent claim 4). Gas flow control means refers to various means known in the art for blocking, partially blocking or redirecting gas flow. The gas flow control means may be mounted on the surface of the strip stack, for example on the outer surface defined by the longitudinal and width directions of the outermost outer strip. In this case, the passage can be communicated with the outer surface of the outer strip through the first hole formed in the outer strip. The gas control means is attached before the passage of the outer strip reaches the path passing through the second hole of the same strip. For example, the gas control means may be provided in the laminated body formed of the strips by providing a shutter or a switching valve in the strips.

The gas flow control means can be adjusted at any time when it is offline, that is, when the apparatus is stopped, and this control means is within a manipulable range. However, it is more preferable if the gas flow control means can be adjusted remotely when the sputtering apparatus is functioning. This is achieved by the method as described below (dependent claim 5).
(1) Remote adjustment is achieved by transmitting operating force to the gas control means through a mechanical method, that is, a solid medium such as a rod, lever, gear, cable, etc. operated from outside the vacuum region. .
(2) Remote adjustment is achieved by an electrical method, that is, by supplying an operating force to the gas control means in the vacuum by supplying power to the electromagnetic transducer or the piezoelectric transducer through a conductive wire connected outside the vacuum region. .
(3) Remote adjustment is achieved by applying an operating force to the gas control means via a pneumatic method, that is, via a gas medium. Such gaseous mediators are preferably noble gases used for processing. This is because the rare gas can be discharged into the vacuum chamber after use, for example. Further, the rare gas does not significantly deteriorate the processing even if some leakage occurs.
Of course, combinations of the above methods are also conceivable.

  The gas flow control means can be divided into two categories: valves and vanes (dependent claim 6). The valve can adjust the gas flow stepwise or continuously from flow interruption to maximum flow through all the passages. Such valves must be installed along the passage. The vane can divert the gas flow from one feed passage to two or more receiver passages. Accordingly, the vane is always attached to the branch of the passage.

  A passage structure that is particularly easy to implement according to the invention is a tree structure (dependent claim 7). As long as the requirements of the tree structure are met, that is, it has a root that branches into two or more branches, each branch branches into another branch, and all branches into leaves Any tree structure can be easily implemented as long as the structure terminates. The inlet of the gas distribution system corresponds to the root, the passage corresponds to the branch, and the outlet set corresponds to the leaf. In the passage, an adjustable valve can regulate the total gas flow, and in the bifurcated branch, the vane can regulate the distribution of the gas flow flowing into each connecting branch.

  When one intermediate strip having grooves on both side surfaces defined by the longitudinal direction and the width direction and two side strips are used, it is possible to provide a gas distribution system that enables distribution of two kinds of gases. Yes (dependent claim 8).

  A diffuser is preferably used so that the gas is released uniformly when it is released from the nozzle into the vacuum chamber. For this purpose, a perforated plate covering the outlet is preferably used. It has also been found that fabric strips made of sintered, woven or knitted metal fibers covering the outlet are effective in scattering gas atoms in all directions (dependent claims). 9). The metal fibers of such a fabric are made from stainless steel (preferably AISI 316L) and have a thickness between 1 μm and 80 μm. Combinations of perforated plates and strips of sintered metal fibers are also possible and are included in the concept of the present invention.

  The gas distribution system is further completed by the integration of the cooling system (dependent claim 10). In fact, the cooling passage is incorporated by applying the same method of making the gas distribution passage to at least one of the sides of the strip. Such a passage has a fluid inlet and a corresponding fluid outlet, a low temperature fluid is introduced from the fluid inlet, and a heated fluid is extracted from the fluid outlet. The shape of the passage can be, for example, a meandering shape having an inlet at one end of the passage of one system and an outlet at the other end. Alternatively, the cooling passage may be a wide supply passage connected to a plurality of parallel lower passages that terminate in a gas collection passage connected to one outlet. Alternatively, the cooling passage can have a net-like structure. Also, if one cooling passage is insufficient, of course, many cooling passages may be incorporated on different sides of the strip. The fluid can be a gas or a liquid.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma deposition apparatus or a plasma cleaning apparatus comprising the gas distribution system described above (independent claim 11).

  Preferably, the gas distribution system according to the invention is used in conjunction with a feedback system (dependent claim 12). The feedback system uses gas specific means of the gas distribution system using as input the specific parameters of the plasma (eg, gas composition by online mass spectroscopy, specific ion concentrations by optical emission analysis, or target voltage that varies with plasma conditions). Remote control. Alternatively, the feedback signal may be based on properties of the film deposited on the substrate, such as reflectivity, conductivity, transparency, or other measurable numerical value. If a plasma is used to remove material from the substrate, the gas distribution system can also be driven by the properties of the remaining coating, eg, the amount of remaining coating.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  A gas distribution system according to the prior art is shown in FIG. In this system, the gas 140 flows into the processing chamber 110 through the first tube 120. The first tube initially distributes gas into a larger diameter second tube 130 secured coaxially with the first tube 120 through a number of holes 122 arranged along the length of the tube. In this second tube, a set of nozzles 132 further distribute the gas into the processing chamber 110. The cavity between both tubes acts as a buffer container for expansion, allowing the gas to expand uniformly at intermediate pressures across the width of the processing chamber. However, this cavity retains the gas for a period of time, thus delaying rapid changes in the amount of gas delivered in response to changes in plasma parameters.

  FIG. 2 shows that the gas distribution system according to the present invention is preferably used in a large area plasma apparatus 200. Such an apparatus essentially comprises a large vacuum chamber 210. The vacuum chamber 210 has auxiliary equipment (not shown) necessary to maintain the vacuum and auxiliary equipment necessary to transfer the large substrate 220, usually by rollers 230, inside the vacuum. is doing. Mounted on the top of the vacuum chamber is an upper box, for example, an upper box 240, which is modular and easily replaceable. Upper box 240 supports two tubular targets 250, 250 'by two pairs of end blocks (not shown) that connect the targets to the upper box. The upper box is necessary to drive the targets 250, 250 ′ in a rotatable manner and all the piping, electrical network, and mechanical drive required to deliver refrigerant and current to the targets 250, 250 ′. It further includes equipment (not shown). A gas distribution system 260, 270 is mounted along the target, and a gas supply rod 280, 290 vacuums the required gas from a gas supply source (not shown) through the upper box 240 and the gas distribution system 260, 270. Feed into chamber 210.

Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the gas distribution system of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. Here, the gas distribution system 300 is constructed by a laminated body of three strips 310, 320, and 330. These strips have a thickness of 7 mm, a width of 100 mm, and a length of 900 mm (in weight percent, Si (0.7-1.3), Mg (0.4-0.8), Fe ( AlMgSi1 having a composition of 0.5), Cu (maximum 0.1), Mn (0.4 to 0.8), Zn (maximum 0.2), Ti (maximum 0.2) and the balance Al) Made from commonly known aluminum alloys. However, the length can easily be expanded to 3860 mm (152 inches) or more, the largest target length used today. In the first strip 310, a binary tree pattern is formed by milling. The groove 316 has a U-shaped cross section with a width of 8 mm. Inlet 312 is connected to an outlet set, of which two outlets are indicated by 314, 314 '. The U groove depth is between 8 mm and 0.5 mm. This depth depends on the branching level of the passage. At each branch point, the depth of the divided branch is half the depth of the branch on the feeding side. This ensures that the gas flow is diverted substantially evenly at each branch point and the pressure difference is maintained evenly between branch levels. Thus, if the inlet groove 312 has a depth of 8 mm, the outlet 314 has a depth of 0.5 mm and the outlet 314 ′ has a depth of 2 mm. However, the distance between the individual outlets must also be adjusted to ensure uniform delivery of gas across the width of the gas distribution system. It will be apparent from the above description that the most preferred method of achieving such lateral uniformity is to use a balanced binary tree pattern with 2 ⁿ exits. Where n is the number of branch levels (preferably n is greater than 4).

  In the strip 320, two buffer spaces 322 and 328 are formed by milling. These spaces are expanded in the width direction of the strip from the inlet 321 toward the center of the strip. In order to allow the gas to expand into the vacuum chamber, a groove that is divided into two passages 326 having an outlet 327, for example a groove 324, is formed by milling.

  The strip 330 forms a passage dug into the strip 320 when attached to the strip 320. The strip 330 is not subjected to any particular embossing. Similarly, the bottom side of the strip 320 forms a passage dug into the strip 310. The three strips are tightly joined together by tightening means such as bolt / nut pairs 340, 350, 340 ', 350', and 340 ", 350". The path of the strip 310 is used to feed a rare gas, and the pattern of the strip 320 is used to feed a reactive gas. The dual structure in the strip 320 can provide different gas delivery between the left and right sides of the gas distribution system. The gas distribution system is mounted with the width direction vertical, thereby saving the footprint near the tubular target. In addition, being mounted in this direction, the strip stack will have sufficient rigidity to prevent the gas distribution system from sagging.

  FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention having a stack of three strips 410, 420, 440 made of stainless steel (AISI 316). The strips 410, 440 are unprocessed material and have not been subjected to any embossing or grooving. The strip 420 is cut into a plurality of pieces. Since this cut is made with a constant width, the difference in gas pressure between the different branch levels decreases towards the outlet. After cutting, the strip 420 is separated into several pieces, for example pieces 422, 424, 426, 428, 430, 432. These pieces must be returned to their original location on the mounting strip 410, for example, by gluing. By bonding strips 440 onto these strips, a passage structure having an inlet 434 and several outlets, eg, outlet 436, is formed. The long gas distribution system is completed by attaching a U-shaped perforated plate 452 with elongated holes 450 for diffusing gas into the apparatus. For example, the perforated plate 452 can be fastened and fixed to a laminated body assembled by screws (not shown). Although not shown, it is conceivable to use a sintered metal fiber cloth strip instead of the perforated plate 452. Alternatively, the metal fiber cloth strip can be held in place by a perforated plate.

  The embodiment of FIG. 5 incorporates the concept of level conversion through the use of holes formed in the strip and gas control means. The gas distribution system includes three strips 510, 520, and 540 that are stacked together. The gas flows into the inlet 522 dug into the strip 520. The holes 524 formed in the strip 520 feed part of the supplied gas into the tree structure 512 dug into the adjacent strip 510. The other part of the gas is fed through the groove 526 to the gas control means 550 incorporated in the strip 540. The gas control means diverts the gas flow to the grooves 528 and 532. This gas control means 550 will be further described with reference to FIG. At the ends of the grooves 528 and 532, the gas is transferred to the next strip 510 by the through holes 530 and 534. The strip 510 has three digging grooves 516, 512, 514, each of which leads to one outlet set. Here, the central outlet set leading to the tree 512 continuously supplies gas to the central part of the gas distribution system, and the distribution of the gas flow between the left tree 516 and the right tree 514 is performed by the gas control means 550. It can be changed freely. By using the through-holes, the gas distribution system design flexibility can be significantly increased because it allows the crossing of different gas passages.

  Hereinafter, the gas control means 550 of FIG. 5 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. Here, at least two strips 630 and 640 are required to realize the gas control means which is a vane. Three grooves spaced apart from each other at an angle of 120 ° are formed in the first strip 630 by milling. Gas is supplied to the groove 610 and delivered to the passages 614, 612 (these passages are shown in side view in FIG. 6b and in top view in FIG. 6c). A stepped circular hole is formed in the second strip 640 by machining. In this circular hole, the close fitting partition plate 600 including the circular cap 606 and the 120 ° arcuate partition piece 602 is rotatable. The partition piece 602 is made of a compressible sliding material such as Hypalon (registered trademark) commercially available from PTFE or DuPont Dow Elastomer. The dividers partially or completely block the entrance to the passages 612, 614 depending on the 120 ° angular arrangement. In this case, the entire area of the passage through which the gas flows is kept constant, and is equal to the area of the passage 610 on the feeding side. Therefore, according to this device, the inflowing gas flow can be divided into two separate gas flows without changing the total amount of outflow gas. The divider plate is held in place by a retaining ring 604 that is secured to the strip 640 by screws or by a retaining ring that is screwed into a hole in the strip 640. The O-ring 605 ensures the airtightness of the entire structure. The distribution of the outflowing gas flow can be easily adjusted by rotating the partition plate 600. Such adjustments can be made off-line with human manipulation or on-line by a remotely controlled electric stepping motor or remotely actuated mechanical gear / toothed lath device. it can.

  Figures 8a and 8b show two online valve embodiments that are simple but very practical. FIG. 8a shows a first strip 820 and a second strip 810 attached to each other. The strip 820 has a passage 822 dug with a certain groove width. The bolt 802 is screwed into the strip 810 and rotated downward toward the receiving hole 812. When the bolt is screwed into this threaded hole, the gas path is partially or completely blocked. Of course, the diameter of the bolt needs to be larger than the width of the passage. FIG. 8b also shows a passage 852 formed between the two strips 854 and 853. This passage 852 can be blocked by a rotatable bolt 856 that fits tightly into a hole that extends through the strip 853 and partially into the strip 854. The bolt 856 has a hole 858 that penetrates in the diameter direction. The bolt is held in place by a U-shaped clip 864 that is secured to the strip 852 and engages the circumferential groove 866 of the bolt 856. O-ring 862 ensures that the valve remains airtight. The gas flow through the passage 852 can be adjusted by rotating the bolt 856 with a screwdriver passed through the elongated hole 860 and adjusting the orientation of the hole 858 relative to the passage 852.

  FIG. 7 shows a preferred embodiment in which an electrically actuated valve is disposed between two strips 710 and 720 of the gas distribution system. FIG. 7a is a cross-sectional view of the valve along the plane AA 'of FIG. 7b. FIG. 7 b is a top view of the valve with the cap 730 removed. An inflow side passage 722 and an outflow side passage 712 are formed on the opposing surfaces of the strips 710 and 720 by milling. The inflow side passage 722 ends at the hole 723 of the strip 720. The outflow side passage 712 terminates in a semicircle. Concentric with this semicircle, a ring 725 is fastened to the strip 710, and an O-ring 724 is fixed on the ring 725. The O-ring is made from an airtight elastic material such as Viton® available from DuPont Dow Elastomer. In the neutral state, a disk-shaped membrane 740 having a ring-like corrugation on the outer rim (preferably made from very thin stainless steel) closes the O-ring 724. A magnetic anchor 736 is attached to the thin film 740 in the region of the thin film 740 opposite the O-ring 724. The magnetic anchor is free to move in a cavity 737 where a small amount of gas, preferably a noble gas, is maintained under a pressure higher than the operating pressure of the gas applied in the inflow passage 722. The electromagnet 732 as part of the cap 730 can be remotely activated by applying a current to the lead 734. The cap 730 is kept airtight by an O-ring 738. The membrane 740 is hermetically attached to the cap 730 by welding or brazing or by other means suitable for the purpose. When current is applied to lead 734, electromagnet 732 lifts magnetic anchor 736 and the thin film attached thereto from O-ring 724 on which they are seated. As a result, gas can flow from the inflow side passage 722 to the outflow side passage 712. When the current is interrupted, the gas under pressure maintained in the cavity 737 causes the membrane to sit again in place and interrupt the gas flow. As an alternative, not shown, the inventors have eliminated the need to provide a high pressure hermetic cavity 737 by pressing the membrane 740 against the O-ring 724 using a helical spring (not shown). Heading. The cap 730 can also be integrated with other strips on the strip 720.

  The integration of the gas control means on the surface or inside of the strip stack described in the last two embodiments significantly improves the overall time response of the system. In fact, since the gas is controlled in the vicinity of the place where the gas is used, the delay on the output side relative to the input side is significantly reduced, resulting in good process control. Of course, such an advantage has a significant meaning when the gas control means is remotely controlled from outside the vacuum chamber. Such control is based on plasma parameters and / or characteristics of the coating deposited on the substrate by the plasma or the coating removed from the substrate by the plasma.

  Still other embodiments of the present invention include an add-on cooling system suitable for attachment to the gas distribution systems described above. For example, FIG. 9 shows a strip 910 in which a single passage 914 is formed by milling. This passage has a serpentine shape that ensures a large contact surface between the coolant and the gas distribution system 930. Coolant is fed through inlet 912 and extracted from outlet 916. In this case, for example, the inlet 912 and the outlet 916 are attached to the side surfaces defined by the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the strip 910. Also included is a heat resistant gasket 920 (even better, two gaskets in parallel for double safety) to prevent leakage of liquid into the vacuum region. A set of screws 922 secures the cooling strip 900 to the gas distribution system 930, thereby forming a single body.

  Another advantageous embodiment is shown in FIG. 10a. A long gas distribution system 1070 is mounted above the two rotatable targets 1050, 1050 '. This long gas distribution system is supported by an upper box 1040 that can be mounted on a module 1010 of a large area coater. Different supply pipes for inert gas 1060 and reactive gas 1060 'are provided. The complete layout of the passages is shown in FIGS. 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e. All the passages are formed in a single rectangular strip of aluminum alloy (AlMgSi1) by milling. A total of five inlet openings 1080, 1090, 1100, 1110, 1120 are provided at one end of the strip. The closure strip on either side of the long gas distribution system is not shown. Outlet holes are provided on both end faces defined by the longitudinal direction and thickness direction of the strip. Although not limited to a particular orientation, for convenience, a plane defined by one longitudinal and width direction, referred to as the “top surface”, shows an inert gas distribution tree 1082 as shown in FIG. 10b. ing. This tree 1082 is a binary tree pattern with two main branches on one side of the gas distribution system. In total, there are 32 outlet openings. All of these outlet openings communicate with a single gas inlet 1080 that leads to an inert gas supply trough 1060. On the “lower surface”, the distribution passage for the reaction gas is formed by milling. Through the supply tank 1060, the reaction gas is fed to four inlets 1090, 1100, 1110, 1120 connected to different corresponding binary trees 1092, 1102, 1112, 1122. Each of the trees emits gas on either side and in different areas along the long gas distribution system. The gas flow to each individual inlet can be controlled by a throttle valve attached to the upper box 1040. Crossing of these passages is possible through loop holes that guide gas to the other side of the strip. For example, tree 1092 leads to entrance 1090. Initially, gas is directed into the passage 1098. A loop hole 1096 on the other side of the strip is required to cross the inert gas supply tree 1082. This path then follows path 1094 and eventually terminates at tree 1092.

  To describe this embodiment in more detail, the gas flow control means 1093, 1103, 1113, and 1123 in the form as described in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 can be easily incorporated into the long gas distribution system. Since these gas flow control means are located in the vicinity of the gas outlet tree, they can respond quickly to the required gas flow changes. In this embodiment, the gas flow control means can be controlled online by interlockable mechanical means 1062, 1062 ', 1062 ", 1062"' in the upper box 1040 (1062 ", 1062" ' 1062 and 1062 'are hidden and cannot be seen). These means can take the form of rotating pins that rotate within the vacuum tight bearing and engage the gas flow control means 1093, 1103, 1113, 1123.

  Many modifications and variations of the embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art based on the above description and the suggestions that appear in the associated drawings. For example, these embodiments allow sputtering in an upward direction instead of a downward direction, and allow sputtering using a vertically oriented target instead of a horizontally oriented target, or It can be easily designed to allow sputtering with different orientations. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but that modifications or alternative embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the claims. It is.

It is a figure which shows embodiment of the prior art example of a "tube in tube" system. 1 is a schematic view of a gas distribution system commonly found in large area coating machines. 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of the present invention in which a gas distribution system can distribute two process gases. FIG. FIG. 6 shows another method for carrying out the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a system in which gas flow can be controlled by vanes. FIG. 5 shows the adjustable vane in more detail. FIG. 3 shows how an electromagnetically controlled thin film valve can be implemented by the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a very simple but easy to use type of valve that can be adjusted off-line. FIG. 6 shows additional strips used to cool the gas distribution system. FIG. 6 shows another method of implementing a long gas distribution system when there is no space available on the side of the target. It is a figure which shows the layout of the long type gas distribution system seen from the upper surface (surface of length x width). It is a figure which shows the layout of the long type gas distribution system seen from the single side | surface (the surface of length x thickness). It is a figure which shows the layout of the long type gas distribution system seen from the bottom face (surface of length x width). It is a figure which shows the layout of the long type gas distribution system seen from the other surface (surface of length x thickness).

Claims (12)

A long gas distribution system for attachment to a plasma deposition apparatus or a plasma cleaning apparatus,
At least one entrance;
At least one outlet set comprising a plurality of outlets, each outlet set corresponding to one of said inlets;
In a long gas distribution system with
Comprising a laminate of a plurality of strips having a first side and a second side;
At least one of the first side surface and the second side surface has a groove that forms a passage in a state where the strips are laminated to each other, and the passage corresponds to the at least one inlet. The long gas distribution system is connected to the outlet set.   The long gas distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the groove is cut through the strip.   The long die according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the strips has a hole that connects a groove on one side of the strip to a groove on the other side of another strip. Gas distribution system.   The gas flow control means for controlling the gas flow through at least one of the passages is further provided, and the gas flow control means is attached to the surface or inside of the laminate of the strips. 4. The long gas distribution system according to any one of 3 above.   5. The long gas distribution system according to claim 4, wherein the gas flow control means is adjustable by a system which is operated by remote control electrically, mechanically or pneumatically.   6. The long gas distribution system according to claim 4, wherein the gas flow control means includes a valve or a vane.   The entrance, the exit set, and the passage form a tree structure, the entrance corresponds to a root of the tree structure, the passage corresponds to a branch of the tree structure, and the exit set corresponds to a leaf of the tree structure. The long gas distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the long gas distribution system corresponds.   The laminate includes an intermediate strip and two side strips, and the intermediate strip has a groove on the first side surface and the second side surface, and the groove includes the first side surface and the second side surface strip. A passage is defined in each of the second side surfaces, and the two side band strips are stacked on the first side surface and the second side surface to form the passage. Item 8. The long gas distribution system according to any one of Items 1 to 7.   The long gas distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a gas diffusion porous metal plate or a gas diffusion metal fiber cloth is attached to the outlet.   The laminate further includes an integrated cooling strip having a first side surface and a second side surface, and a cooling passage is formed on at least one of the side surfaces, and the passage is a groove on the at least one side surface. The fluid inlet and the fluid outlet defined by the fluid inlet, wherein the fluid outlet is connected to the fluid inlet by the passage. Long gas distribution system.   A plasma deposition apparatus or a plasma cleaning apparatus comprising the long gas distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.   12. The gas flow control means is driven remotely by a feedback signal from a plasma or a feedback signal from a film deposited by plasma or a property of a film removed by plasma. Plasma deposition apparatus or plasma cleaning apparatus.

Images