JP2011117046A - Vacuum treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum treatment device in which the treatment area of a substrate can be increased, also, maintenance can be simplified, and further, the quality of the treated substrate is made higher. <P>SOLUTION: The vacuum treatment device 1 includes: grounding electrodes 10, 31 constituted so as to support a substrate B; and discharge electrodes 11, 32 provided so as to be opposed to the substrate B supported by the grounding electrodes 10, 31, and in which the substrate B is treated between the grounding electrodes 10, 31 in a vacuum state and the discharge electrodes 11, 32. In the device, one electrode pair 10, 32 of the grounding electrodes 10, 31 and the discharge electrodes 11, 32 are formed larger than the opposed region of the electrode pairs, and at least one interelectrode distance holding means 18 fixedly holding the interelectrode distance D between the electrode pairs mutually approaching when the substrate is treated is abutted against one of the electrode pairs 11, 32 at a part more on the outside than the opposed regions 12, 33 to define the interelectrode distance D. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus for processing a substrate.

  In clean energy research and development, solar cells are the mainstream. Among solar cells, thin-film solar cells, in particular, are thin and lightweight, and are easy to increase in area, and are considered to become the mainstream of future solar cells. In order to process a substrate used in a thin film solar cell, a vacuum processing apparatus such as a thin film manufacturing apparatus that forms a film on the substrate by sputtering or an etching apparatus that performs dry etching or the like on the substrate is used. Such a thin film solar cell substrate tends to have a large area from the viewpoint of improving production efficiency. Therefore, thin film manufacturing apparatuses using high-frequency plasma capable of processing a large-area substrate are widely used for substrate processing. Thin film manufacturing apparatuses using high-frequency plasma are widely used for manufacturing high-frequency a-Si (amorphous silicon) solar cells, microcrystalline Si (silicon) solar cells, TFTs (thin film transistors), and the like. Moreover, in the manufacture of thin film solar cells, roll-to-roll type or stepping roll type thin film manufacturing apparatuses configured to transport a film-like substrate are widely used.

  When an ordinary a-Si film is formed on a substrate using such a thin film manufacturing apparatus, the distance between the discharge electrode to which high-frequency power is applied and the ground electrode that supports the substrate is set to about 20 mm to 30 mm. Thus, an error in the distance between electrodes on the order of several mm can be allowed. However, when a microcrystalline Si film for solar cells is formed on a substrate, it is necessary to increase the deposition pressure and reduce the distance between electrodes to about 10 mm in order to improve the quality of the thin film. There is. Therefore, a large distribution error occurs in the film thickness and film quality due to an error in the distance between the electrodes on the order of several mm. Such a distribution error reduces the energy conversion efficiency of the solar cell, and also deteriorates the yield of a product such as a thin film solar cell. Therefore, it is required to maintain the interelectrode distance with high accuracy as the interelectrode distance becomes smaller.

  As one of the techniques for meeting such a requirement, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of inter-substrate electrode distance holding plates protruding from the electrode surface of the discharge electrode are brought into contact with a substrate supported by the ground electrode. Discloses a configuration in which the distance between the discharge electrode and the ground electrode is kept constant.

JP 2008-153378 A

However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, an inter-substrate electrode distance holding plate for maintaining a constant inter-electrode distance between the discharge electrode and the ground electrode is disposed on the electrode surface of the discharge electrode so as to contact the substrate. Therefore, the film formation area of the substrate is reduced at the portion where the substrate electrode distance holding plate is disposed, the production efficiency is lowered, and the production cost is increased.
Further, when the film is formed on the substrate, impurities are easily generated from the inter-substrate electrode distance holding plate disposed between the discharge electrode and the ground electrode, and the quality of the processed substrate is deteriorated.
Further, when the film is formed on the substrate, since the substrate electrode distance holding plate is formed, it is necessary to clean the substrate electrode distance holding plate as well as the discharge electrode and the ground electrode. In addition, when changing the inter-electrode distance between the discharge electrode and the ground electrode, it is necessary to replace all of the plurality of inter-substrate electrode distance holding plates, so that the inter-substrate electrode distance is maintained in order to change the inter-electrode distance. The work of changing the plate becomes complicated. Such work complicates maintenance, requires time for maintenance, and increases maintenance cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and the purpose thereof is a vacuum that can increase the processing area of the substrate, simplify maintenance, and increase the quality of the processed substrate. It is to provide a processing apparatus.

  In order to solve the problem, a vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention includes a ground electrode configured to support a substrate, and a discharge electrode provided to face the substrate supported by the ground electrode, and the ground in a vacuum state In a vacuum processing apparatus configured to process a substrate between an electrode and the discharge electrode, one of the electrode pair of the ground electrode and the discharge electrode is formed to be larger than a facing region of the electrode pair, At least one inter-electrode distance holding means that maintains a constant inter-electrode distance between the electrode pairs approaching each other during processing makes contact with one of the electrode pairs outside the opposing region, thereby reducing the inter-electrode distance. It is configured to determine.

  The vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention further includes a reaction chamber having the ground electrode and the discharge electrode inside, and enabling the inside to be in a vacuum state, and the interelectrode distance holding means includes the reaction chamber. It is supported by being attached to the inside of the wall portion defining the interior of the.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, the reaction chamber having the ground electrode and the discharge electrode inside, and enabling the inside to be in a vacuum state, and the inside of the wall portion defining the inside of the reaction chamber A support member attached to the support member, and the inter-electrode distance holding means is supported by being attached to the support member.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, the interelectrode distance holding means is formed in a substantially rod shape, and the interelectrode distance can be changed by adjusting the length of the interelectrode distance holding means. It is configured.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, one of the electrode pairs is a ground electrode.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, one of the electrode pairs is a discharge electrode.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, the substrate conveyed between the unwinding chamber that houses the unwinding roll that unwinds the substrate and the winding chamber that houses the winding roll that winds the substrate is the ground electrode. After the substrate is transported to the opposing region between the electrode pairs, the inter-electrode distance holding means contacts one of the electrode pairs and the outside of the opposing region. It is configured to touch.

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
The vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention includes a ground electrode configured to support a substrate, and a discharge electrode provided to face the substrate supported by the ground electrode, and the ground electrode and the discharge electrode in a vacuum state, In the vacuum processing apparatus configured to process a substrate between, one of the electrode pair of the ground electrode and the discharge electrode is formed to be larger than a facing region of the electrode pair and approach each other during the substrate processing The at least one inter-electrode distance holding means for keeping the inter-electrode distance of the electrode pair to be constant is configured to determine the inter-electrode distance by coming into contact with one of the electrode pairs outside the facing region. Yes.
Therefore, the interelectrode distance holding means for holding the interelectrode distance is disposed outside the opposing region of the electrode pair that does not affect the substrate processing, thereby reducing the processing area of the substrate. Can be processed uniformly in the counter area, and the quality of the processed substrate can be improved. Further, when a substrate is formed, the generation of impurities from the interelectrode distance holding means can be prevented, and the quality of the processed substrate can be prevented from deteriorating. Further, the interelectrode distance holding means can be prevented from being formed, the frequency of cleaning the interelectrode distance holding means can be reduced, and the maintenance can be simplified.

  The vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention further includes a reaction chamber having the ground electrode and the discharge electrode inside, and enabling the inside to be in a vacuum state, and the interelectrode distance holding means includes the reaction chamber. Since it is supported by being attached to the inside of the wall portion that defines the interior of the electrode, the interelectrode distance holding means can be stably supported by the highly rigid wall portion. Therefore, the distance between the electrodes can be maintained with high accuracy, the substrate can be processed uniformly in the facing region, and the quality of the processed substrate can be further improved. Further, when the interelectrode distance holding means is detachably attached to the wall portion having a relatively simple configuration, the interelectrode distance holding means can be easily attached and detached, and the maintenance can be simplified.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, the reaction chamber having the ground electrode and the discharge electrode inside, and enabling the inside to be in a vacuum state, and the inside of the wall portion defining the inside of the reaction chamber A support member attached to the support member, and the interelectrode distance holding means is supported by being attached to the support member, so that the interelectrode distance holding means is supported by the wall due to the internal / external pressure difference of the reaction chamber. It will be supported by the said supporting member which is not influenced by a deformation | transformation of a part. Therefore, the distance between the electrodes can be maintained with high accuracy, the substrate can be processed uniformly in the facing region, and the quality of the processed substrate can be further improved. Further, when the inter-electrode distance holding means is detachably attached to the support member having a relatively simple configuration, the inter-electrode distance holding means can be easily attached and detached, and the maintenance can be simplified.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, the interelectrode distance holding means is formed in a substantially rod shape, and the interelectrode distance can be changed by adjusting the length of the interelectrode distance holding means. Therefore, various types of substrates can be processed uniformly by changing the inter-electrode distance corresponding to the type of substrate processing. Further, since the distance between the electrodes can be adjusted with high accuracy, the substrate can be processed uniformly. Therefore, the quality of the processed substrate can be further increased.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, since one of the electrode pairs is a ground electrode, grounding from the ground electrode is ensured, and the substrate can be processed with higher accuracy. Quality can be increased.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, since one of the electrode pairs is a discharge electrode, the above-described effect can be obtained with certainty.

  In the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, the substrate conveyed between the unwinding chamber that houses the unwinding roll that unwinds the substrate and the winding chamber that houses the winding roll that winds the substrate is the ground electrode. After the substrate is transported to the opposing region between the electrode pairs, the inter-electrode distance holding means contacts one of the electrode pairs and the outside of the opposing region. Since it is configured to be in contact, the above-described effects can be obtained with certainty in a vacuum processing apparatus that transports a substrate, for example, a roll-to-roll or stepping roll thin film manufacturing apparatus.

It is the schematic which showed typically the thin film manufacturing apparatus of the roll-to-roll system in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is the schematic sectional drawing which decomposed | disassembled and showed the adjustment means which can adjust the length of the distance holding means between electrodes in 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing an interelectrode distance holding means mounting structure in the AA sectional view of FIG. 1 in the case of the third embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows in-plane distribution of the distance between electrodes in Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows in-plane distribution of the distance between electrodes in Example 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows in-plane distribution of the distance between electrodes in a comparative example.

Hereinafter, a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the embodiment of the present invention, a roll-to-roll thin film manufacturing apparatus will be described as an example of a vacuum processing apparatus using high frequency. However, the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a thin film manufacturing apparatus that forms a thin film on a substrate such as a sputtering apparatus or an etching apparatus that etches a substrate such as a dry etching apparatus. It may be. Further, the substrate transport method may be a stepping roll method or the like, and may further be a method of fixing the substrate.

[First Embodiment]
The apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view schematically showing a roll-to-roll thin film manufacturing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “apparatus”) 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1, a common configuration of the first to third embodiments will be described. The apparatus 1 includes a winding chamber 3 for storing a winding roll 2 wound with a flexible film substrate (hereinafter referred to as “substrate”) B, and a winding chamber for storing a winding roll 4 for winding the substrate B. 5 is provided. Between the unwinding chamber 3 and the winding chamber 5, one or a plurality of reaction chambers 6 for forming the substrate B are disposed. In the embodiment of the present invention, three reaction chambers 6 are provided as an example. Has been placed. The interior of the reaction chamber 6 is defined by a wall 6a. A diffusion prevention mechanism 7 having means (not shown) for blocking gas flow and gas outflow between the reaction chambers 6 is provided between the reaction chambers 6. Each reaction chamber 6 is provided with a vacuum passage 9 connected to a vacuum pump 8, and the vacuum passage 9 is configured to discharge the gas in the reaction chamber 6 and to make the reaction chamber 6 vacuum.

  2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a ground electrode 10 configured to support the substrate B and a discharge electrode 11 facing the ground electrode 10 are provided in the center of the reaction chamber 6. The ground electrode 10 and the discharge electrode 11 are formed in parallel plates, and the flat surfaces 10a and 11a of the ground electrode 10 and the discharge electrode 11 face each other. The width of the discharge electrode 11 is formed corresponding to the width of the substrate B supported by the ground electrode 10, while the width of the ground electrode 10 is larger than the facing region 12 between the ground electrode 10 and the discharge electrode 11. Largely formed. The ground electrode 10 is provided with heating means 13 for heating the substrate B. The apparatus 1 is provided with moving means 14 that allows the ground electrode 10 to move in a direction perpendicular to the plane 11 a of the discharge electrode 11. The ground electrode 10 is connected to the moving means 14 via a connecting member 15. Has been. Further, the discharge electrode 11 is connected to a high frequency power source 17 via a connecting member 16 and a capacitor (not shown).

  In the reaction chamber 6, an interelectrode distance holder (hereinafter referred to as “holder”) 18 is provided as an interelectrode distance holding means for holding the interelectrode distance D between the ground electrode 10 and the discharge electrode 11. ing. In the first embodiment, as an example, two holders 18 are provided. The holder 18 is formed in a rod shape extending substantially perpendicular to the flat surface 10 a of the ground electrode 10. The base end portion 18 a of the holder 18 is attached to the wall portion 6 a that faces the flat surface 10 a of the ground electrode 10. On the other hand, the distal end portion 18 b of the holder 18 is configured to be able to contact the outer side portion 10 b outside the opposed region 12 of the ground electrode 10. The holder 18 may be made of a material that is not easily deformed by heat or pressure. For example, a stainless material may be used.

  FIG. 3 is an exploded schematic sectional view showing the adjusting means 19 that enables the length of the holder 18 to be adjusted. Details of the holder 18 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. An adjustment means 19 for adjusting the length of the holding tool 18 is provided at the distal end portion 18 b of the holding tool 18, and the adjusting means 19 includes a ring 20, a ring holding member 21, and a screw 22. ing. The ring 20 is provided with an insertion hole 20a through which the screw 22 can be inserted. The ring holding member 21 is provided with a stepped hole 21a through which the screw 22 can be inserted and the head of the screw 22 can be stored. Further, a screw hole 18c is provided at the distal end portion 18b of the holder 18 so that the screw 22 can be attached. The ring 20 may be made of a material that is difficult to be deformed by heat or pressure, and a stainless steel material may be used as an example. The ring holding member 21 and the screw 22 may be made of an insulating material, and a ceramic material may be used as an example.

  In the adjustment means 19 having such a configuration, the ring 20 is disposed between the tip end portion 18b of the holder 18 and the ring holding member 21, and the screw 22 is inserted through the ring 20 and the ring holding member 21. The ring 20 and the ring holding member 21 are tightened by the screws 22 by being screwed into the 18 screw holes 18c. When the length of the holder 18 is adjusted, the thickness of the ring 20 is changed, or a plurality of the rings 20 are stacked. By adjusting the length of the holder 18 in this way, the inter-electrode distance D between the ground electrode 10 and the discharge electrode 11 can be changed.

Here, the operation of the device 1 in the first embodiment will be described.
In a state where the ground electrode 10 is separated from the substrate B, the substrate B to be deposited is transported to the facing region 12 between the ground electrode 10 and the discharge electrode 11. The ground electrode 10 is moved toward the discharge electrode 11. Thereafter, the tip 18b of the holder 18 comes into contact with the outer portion 10b of the ground electrode 10, the ground electrode 10 cannot move further toward the discharge electrode 11, and the movement of the ground electrode 10 is stopped. As a result, the interelectrode distance D is defined.

  In this state, the pressure in the reaction chamber 6 is adjusted by a pressure controller (not shown), and the raw material gas for forming a thin film is showered from the surface 11a of the discharge electrode 11 while the flow rate is adjusted by a mass flow controller (not shown). Supplied in the form. Further, by applying high frequency power from the high frequency power supply 17, plasma is generated between the ground electrode 10 and the discharge electrode 11 to form a thin film on the substrate B.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in the roll-to-roll system apparatus 1 that forms a thin film on the substrate B, the outer portion 10b of the ground electrode 10 that does not affect the processing of the substrate B by the holder 18. Thus, the inter-electrode distance D is maintained. Therefore, the substrate B can be processed uniformly in the facing region 12 without reducing the processing area of the substrate B, and the quality of the processed substrate B can be improved. Further, when the substrate B is formed, the generation of impurities from the holder 18 can be prevented, and the quality of the substrate B can be prevented from deteriorating. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the holder 18 from being formed into a film, reduce the frequency of cleaning the holder 18, and simplify the maintenance.

  According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the holder 18 can be stably supported by the wall portion 6a of the reaction chamber 6 having high rigidity. Therefore, the inter-electrode distance D can be maintained with high accuracy, the substrate B can be processed uniformly in the facing region 12, and the quality of the processed substrate B can be increased. Moreover, since the holder 18 is detachably attached to the wall portion 6a having a relatively simple structure, the holder 18 can be easily attached and detached, and the maintenance can be simplified.

  According to the first embodiment of the present invention, by adjusting the length of the holder 18, the inter-electrode distance D can be changed in accordance with the type of processing of the substrate B. Can be processed. Moreover, since the inter-electrode distance D can be adjusted with high accuracy, the substrate B can be processed uniformly. Therefore, the quality of the processed substrate B can be increased.

  According to the first embodiment of the present invention, since the holder 18 attached to the wall 6a of the reaction chamber 6 contacts the ground electrode 10 during film formation, the grounding from the ground electrode 10 is ensured, The substrate B can be processed with high accuracy, and the quality of the processed substrate B can be increased.

[Second Embodiment]
The apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The basic configuration of the device 1 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the device 1 of the first embodiment. Elements similar to those in the first embodiment will be described using the same symbols and names as those in the first embodiment. Here, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, a ground electrode 31 configured to support the substrate B and a discharge electrode 32 opposed to the ground electrode 31 are provided in the center of the reaction chamber 6. The ground electrode 31 and the discharge electrode 32 are formed in parallel plates, and the flat surfaces 31a and 32a of the ground electrode 31 and the discharge electrode 32 face each other. The width of the ground electrode 31 is formed corresponding to the width of the substrate B to be supported, while the width of the discharge electrode 32 is formed larger than the facing region 33 between the ground electrode 31 and the discharge electrode 32. . The grounding electrode 31 is provided with the heating means 13 as in the first embodiment. The apparatus 1 is provided with moving means 34 that allows the discharge electrode 32 to move in a direction perpendicular to the plane 31 a of the ground electrode 31, and the discharge electrode 32 is connected to the moving means 34 via a connecting member 35. Has been. Further, the discharge electrode 32 is connected to the high-frequency power source 17 through a connecting member 36 and a capacitor (not shown).

  In the reaction chamber 6, a holder 18 having the same structure as that of the first embodiment is provided. In the second embodiment, as an example, two holders 18 are provided. The base end portion 18 a of the holder 18 is attached to the wall portion 6 b that faces the flat surface 32 a of the discharge electrode 32. On the other hand, the distal end portion 18 b of the holder 18 is configured to be able to abut on the outer side portion 32 b outside the opposed region 33 of the discharge electrode 32.

Here, the operation of the device 1 in the second embodiment will be described.
In a state where the discharge electrode 32 is separated from the substrate B, the substrate B to be deposited is transported to the facing region 33 between the ground electrode 31 and the discharge electrode 32. The discharge electrode 32 is moved toward the ground electrode 31. Thereafter, the holder 18 comes into contact with the outer portion 32b of the discharge electrode 32, the discharge electrode 32 cannot move further toward the ground electrode 31, and the movement of the discharge electrode 32 stops. As a result, the interelectrode distance D is defined.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained except for the effects related to the grounding of the ground electrode by the holder 18.

[Third Embodiment]
The apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The basic configuration of the device 1 of the third embodiment is the same as that of the device 1 of the first embodiment. Elements similar to those in the first embodiment will be described using the same symbols and names as those in the first embodiment. Here, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the mounting structure of the holder 18 of FIG. 2 in the third embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, a plate-like support member 41 is provided on the wall portion 6 a facing the flat surface 10 a of the ground electrode 10. The support member 41 is disposed at a distance from the wall 6a, and the edge of the support member 41 is detachably attached to the wall 6a by the attachment member 42. The proximal end portion 18a of the holder 18 is attached to the support member 41, while the distal end portion 18b of the holder 18 is an outer portion outside the facing region 12 of the ground electrode 10 as in the first embodiment. It is the structure which contacts 10b. Further, since the central portion of the support member 41 is attached to the connecting member 16 of the discharge electrode 11 by the reinforcing member 43, the support member 41 is hardly deformed. The operation of the device 1 in the third embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, since the holder 18 is supported by the support member 41 that is not affected by the deformation of the wall portion 6a due to the internal / external pressure difference of the reaction chamber 6, The distance D can be held with high accuracy, the substrate B can be processed uniformly in the facing region 12, and the quality of the processed substrate B can be further improved. Moreover, since the holder 18 is detachably attached to the support member 41 having a relatively simple structure, the holder 18 can be easily attached and detached, and the maintenance can be simplified.

  The first to third embodiments of the present invention have been described so far. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention. Is possible.

  For example, as a first modification of the embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of the third embodiment may be used as the configuration of the second embodiment. The same effect as the third embodiment of the present invention can be obtained.

[Example 1]
Example 1 of the present invention will be described. In Example 1, the apparatus 1 of the first embodiment is used. The interelectrode distance D in the entire facing region 12 between the ground electrode 10 and the discharge electrode 11 is measured, and the accuracy ratio R of the measured value to the set value of the interelectrode distance D is calculated.

[Example 2]
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In Example 2, the apparatus 1 of the second embodiment is used. The interelectrode distance D in the entire facing region 33 between the ground electrode 31 and the discharge electrode 32 is measured, and the accuracy ratio R of the measured value to the set value of the interelectrode distance D is calculated.

[Comparative example]
A comparative example of the present invention will be described. In the comparative example, an apparatus that does not provide means for defining the interelectrode distance between the ground electrode and the discharge electrode is used. The distance between the electrodes in the entire facing region between the ground electrode and the discharge electrode is measured, and the accuracy ratio R of the measured value to the set value of the distance between the electrodes is calculated.

The results of Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example will be described.
As for the result of Example 1, as shown in FIG. 6, the accuracy ratio R of the measured value of the inter-electrode distance D is 100% within the range from the central portion in the facing region 12 to one edge portion in the substrate width direction W. It was ˜110%, and it was 90% to 100% in other parts of the facing region 12.
In the result of Example 2, as shown in FIG. 7, the accuracy ratio R of the measured value of the interelectrode distance D is 100% to 110% at the central portion of the counter region 12 in the substrate longitudinal direction L. It was 90% to 100% at the edge in the substrate longitudinal direction L.
In the result of the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 8, the accuracy ratio R of the measured value of the interelectrode distance D is 90% to 110% in the central portion of the opposing region, but in the corner portion of the opposing region, A portion where the accuracy ratio R was 80% to 90%, or 110% to 120% was included.

  Therefore, the accuracy of the interelectrode distance D of the first and second embodiments of the present invention is higher than the accuracy of the interelectrode distance D of the comparative example in the entire facing region 12 between the ground electrode 10 and the discharge electrode 11. ing. Therefore, high frequency power is uniformly applied to the facing region 12 and plasma is generated uniformly, so that it was confirmed that the substrate B can be processed uniformly.

1 Thin film production equipment (equipment)
6 Reaction chambers 6a and 6b Wall portions 10 and 31 Ground electrodes 10a and 31a Plane 10b Outer portions 11 and 32 Discharge electrodes 11a and 32a Planes 12 and 33 Opposing region 18 Interelectrode distance holding fixture (holding fixture)
19 adjustment means 32b outer side part 41 support member

B Substrate D Distance between electrodes R Accuracy ratio W Substrate width direction L Substrate longitudinal direction

Claims (7)

A ground electrode configured to support the substrate; and a discharge electrode provided to face the substrate supported by the ground electrode; and processing the substrate between the ground electrode and the discharge electrode in a vacuum state In the vacuum processing apparatus configured in
One of the electrode pair of the ground electrode and the discharge electrode is formed larger than the opposing region of the electrode pair,
At least one inter-electrode distance holding means that keeps the inter-electrode distance of the electrode pairs approaching each other during substrate processing abutting with one of the electrode pairs outside the opposing region, thereby the inter-electrode distance A vacuum processing apparatus configured to define Further comprising a reaction chamber having the ground electrode and the discharge electrode inside, and enabling the inside to be in a vacuum state;
The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interelectrode distance holding means is supported by being attached to an inner side of a wall portion defining the inside of the reaction chamber. A reaction chamber having the ground electrode and the discharge electrode inside, and enabling the inside to be in a vacuum state;
A support member attached to the inside of the wall portion defining the inside of the reaction chamber,
The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interelectrode distance holding means is supported by being attached to the support member.   The inter-electrode distance holding means is formed in a substantially rod shape, and is further configured to change the inter-electrode distance by adjusting the length of the inter-electrode distance holding means. The vacuum processing apparatus as described in any one of 1-3.   The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the electrode pairs is a ground electrode.   The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the electrode pairs is a discharge electrode. A substrate transported between an unwinding chamber storing an unwinding roll for unwinding the substrate and a winding chamber storing a winding roll for winding the substrate is processed between the ground electrode and the discharge electrode. Configured to be
7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the interelectrode distance holding unit is configured to abut one of the electrode pairs on the outer side of the opposing region after the substrate is transported to the opposing region between the electrode pairs. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1.

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