JP2014005488A - Sputtering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sputtering device capable of disposing an anode used for a conveying deposition-type sputtering device with which a large-sized substrate is subjected to deposition process, therein without causing deformation due to a warpage and a bend, preventing an anomalous discharge during sputtering film formation to maintain discharge stability, and having a generalized implement for facilitating handling in association with such as changing and cleaning of an anode.SOLUTION: The sputtering device includes a substrate as a depositing object and a target for supplying a deposition material, which face parallel to each other, and the anode provided between a substrate surface and a target surface facing each other so that the anode is parallel to both surfaces. The anode is made of a conductive material having flexibility and held linearly by tensile force applied from both ends of the anode.

Description

  The present invention relates to a sputtering apparatus mainly including a magnetron sputtering apparatus.

  Sputtering devices have been widely used as a means for forming a thin film that maintains film thickness and film quality uniformity and can be easily controlled in the manufacturing process of various electronic components. In particular, it is effective for forming a large-area thin film having excellent electrical or optical characteristics. For example, in recent years, as the size of the mother substrate of a color filter used in a flat panel display device such as a liquid crystal display device has increased, the technology for forming a large area of an ITO (indium tin oxide) film used for the transparent conductive film has been developed. A method using a sputtering apparatus contributes.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view for explaining an example of a main part of a conventional apparatus.
The substrate 1 is a transparent glass substrate having a thin plate thickness of about 0.7 mm and excellent flatness. A carrier film-forming type sputtering apparatus is particularly effective when one side exceeds 1 m. As indicated by the block arrows, while the single-wafer substrate 1 is transported in one direction, the target 2 shown at the bottom in the figure is the cathode electrode side, and in a decompressed space mainly containing an inert gas such as argon. A plasma state is generated. On the surface of the substrate 1 that faces the target 2 and passes at a constant speed, the molecules ejected from the target by sputtering are deposited to form a uniform film.

  Conventionally, as a means for improving a general sputtering apparatus for obtaining a high-quality thin film with few impurities, for example, a net-like anode electrode is provided between the target 2 on the cathode side and the substrate 1 to thereby negatively affect the substrate surface. It is known that a biasing voltage of 2 is applied and a cleaning effect by ions is received. In addition, by providing a magnetic field generation source on the target, it is possible to increase the probability of collision between sputtered molecules and the gas in the chamber and to perform sputter deposition at a low gas pressure. (See Patent Document 1).

  A magnetron sputtering apparatus in which the latter means is improved is proposed in Patent Document 2. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses that, in a transfer film formation type magnetron sputtering apparatus, as a means for putting the above-mentioned improvement into practical use when sputtering ITO on a large glass substrate, Devised how to install. It has been proposed that by preventing warpage of the rod-shaped anode, discharge stability during sputtering film formation can be obtained and variation in film thickness distribution can be prevented in an arrangement in which the target and the substrate are inclined in parallel.

  As in the sputtering apparatus of the transport film formation method in Patent Document 3, various inclinations can be maintained while maintaining the parallel relationship between the target and the substrate, and foreign matter adhesion when a large substrate is formed is processed. The device is designed according to various factors such as prevention, handling convenience, installation space, and the like. FIG. 3 is a generalized representation of the tilt while maintaining the parallel relationship between the target and the substrate. The rod-shaped anode 40 is made of a conductive material having rigidity. Further, a frame-shaped chimney 5 having a function of an adhesion preventing plate for stabilizing the spatter discharge between the rod-shaped anode 40 and the target 2 and restricting the adhesion of sputtered molecules to a substrate other than the substrate to be deposited is provided. Provide. For the rod-like anode and chimney described above, a metal material such as titanium and stainless steel having high rigidity and relatively light weight is used.

JP-A-60-138069 JP-A-5-239638 JP 2007-126694 A

  It is inevitable that the rod-shaped anode 40 used in the transfer film forming type sputtering apparatus for forming a film on a large substrate becomes longer and heavier as the size of the target substrate increases. With the device in Patent Document 3, the discharge stability can be maintained by preventing warpage due to its own weight with respect to the rod-shaped anode provided with a certain inclination. However, the above measures cannot cope with device design that changes the inclination of the anode, and are inconvenient in handling associated with replacement cleaning when the anode becomes heavy.

  The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is that the anode used in the sputtering apparatus of the transfer film forming method for forming a film on a large substrate is caused by warping or bending. It can be installed so that it does not deform, can prevent abnormal discharge during sputter deposition and maintain discharge stability, and has also been generalized to facilitate handling associated with anode replacement cleaning, etc. It is to propose a sputter device with countermeasures taken.

  As means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a substrate to be film-formed and a target for supplying a film-forming material face each other in parallel, and the substrate surface and the target surface are opposed to each other. A sputtering apparatus in which anodes are provided in parallel between both sides, wherein the anode is made of a conductive material having flexibility and is held in a straight line by tension from both ends of the anode. is there.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the anode is a light body of a linear body or a strip-shaped body.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the sputtering apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a winding mechanism at both ends of the anode.

  The present invention is a sputtering apparatus in which a substrate to be deposited and a target for supplying a deposition material are opposed in parallel, and an anode is provided in parallel between both sides of the opposed substrate surface and the target surface, Since the sputtering device is characterized in that the anode is made of a conductive material having flexibility and is held in a straight line by tension from both ends of the anode, the sputtering method using a transport film forming method for forming a film on a large substrate. The anode used in the apparatus can be installed so as not to be deformed by warping or bending, and abnormal discharge during sputtering film formation can be prevented and discharge stability can be maintained. In addition, it is possible to propose a sputtering apparatus with a generalized measure that facilitates handling associated with anode replacement cleaning and the like.

It is a model perspective view for demonstrating an example of the principal part of the apparatus of this invention. It is a model perspective view for demonstrating another example of the principal part of the apparatus of this invention. It is a model perspective view for demonstrating an example of the principal part of the conventional apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining an example of a main part of the apparatus of the present invention.
The present invention is a sputtering apparatus in which a substrate 1 for film formation and a target 2 for supplying a film formation material are opposed in parallel, and an anode 41 is provided in parallel between both surfaces of the opposed substrate surface and the target surface. The sputtering apparatus is characterized in that the anode 41 is made of a conductive material having flexibility and is held in a straight line by tension from both ends of the anode.

  By using the linear anode 41 thinner than the conventional rod-shaped anode 40, not only can the anode be stretched in a straight line without deformation, but also the shielding effect at the time of film formation by the anode can be reduced, and the substrate to be film-formed can be processed. The film deposition efficiency can be improved. This improves the efficiency of the power used for sputtering and the utilization efficiency of the target, and the target replacement cycle can be extended.

  In this example, the anode is a linear anode 41 made of a conductive material having a flexible linear body such as a metal wire, and windings similar to bobbins for electric wires are provided on both ends of the linear anode 41. By providing the winding mechanism / tension retainer 6 using the core, the linear anode is linearly held by the tension from both ends. Although not shown, the winding mechanism / tension retainer 6 can be wound and fixed so that the end of the linear anode is wound and fixed, and an appropriate tension is applied to the linear anode, and the wound state is fixed. It also has a mechanism to do. With the tension control mechanism for applying an appropriate tension, it is possible to prevent troubles that the linear anode is loosened or disconnected due to overtightening.

The anode is not limited to a linear body as long as it is a conductive material having flexibility. For example, a strip-shaped anode 42 formed of a strip-shaped body described later can be used. Both the linear anode 41 and the strip-shaped anode 42 can be made of a lighter material than the conventional rod-shaped anode 40 made of a conductive material having rigidity, and attract each other by applying appropriate tension from both ends of the anode. Therefore, it can be installed so as not to be deformed by its own weight, and it is easy to handle because of its light weight.
Examples of the flexible conductive material used for the linear anode 41 and the strip-shaped anode 42 include materials that can be generally used inside a vacuum apparatus, such as metal materials such as titanium and stainless steel used for conventional rod-shaped anodes. Can do.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining another example of the main part of the apparatus of the present invention.
In this example, in addition to using the above-described belt-like anode 42, the fixing method at both ends of the anode is different from that in FIG. One of the anode end portions uses a winding mechanism and tension holder 6 'similar to that shown in FIG. 1, but the other end is not wound or tightened by the end fixing jig 7 without winding the anode end portion. , Fix it in a form that can be swallowed. The anode end on the side using the other winding mechanism / tension retainer 6 ′ is wound and fixed to the anode end fixed by the end fixing jig 7, and an appropriate tension is applied to the anode. It can be tightened.

  The winding mechanism / tension holders 6 and 6 'and the end fixing jig 7 can connect the linear anode 41 and the strip-shaped anode 42 to a predetermined wiring via an insulating ceramic, The mechanism for tightening or pinching can be configured in the same manner as a processing apparatus such as a general wire or ribbon. Further, it can be used in a state where it can be generally used inside the vacuum apparatus by adding a tension control mechanism.

  In addition, the anode used in the transport film-formation type sputtering apparatus, like the rod-shaped anode 40, has a film attached to the anode surface unless it is periodically replaced and washed after a certain period of continuous film formation. It becomes a foreign substance at the time of film and causes a product defect. In order to perform the exchange cleaning, it is generally necessary to open the evacuated sputtering chamber to the atmosphere, and scratches and breaks due to handling of the rod-shaped anode are inevitable. On the other hand, in the sputtering apparatus using the anode made of the conductive material having flexibility according to the present invention, handling at the time of replacement cleaning becomes easy due to the weight reduction and flexibility of the anode, and scratches and breakage are possible. Sex can be reduced.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, by having a winding mechanism at both ends of the anode, the working area acting as the anode is wound up and moved in a vacuum after a certain film formation time, so that the working area of the fresh anode is Can be placed on the target. As described above, the method in which the working area of the anode is moved in a vacuum eliminates the need for an exchange time for opening the atmosphere for exchange cleaning of the anode, and can greatly reduce the maintenance time.

  Further, in the example shown in FIG. 1, since the change of the active region of the anode is facilitated, a measure for increasing the replacement frequency of the active region of the anode can be taken so as to change the deposition time in a shorter time than conventional. Foreign matter defects on the film formation substrate due to the sputtered film deposited on the anode can be reduced.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Board | substrate 2 ... Target 5 ... Chimney 6, 6 '... Winding mechanism and tension holding tool 7 ... End part fixing jig 40 ... Rod-shaped anode 41 ... Linear Anode 42 ... strip-shaped anode

Claims (3)

A sputtering apparatus in which a substrate to be deposited and a target for supplying a deposition material are opposed in parallel, and an anode is provided in parallel between both surfaces of the opposed substrate and the target.
A sputtering apparatus, wherein the anode is made of a conductive material having flexibility and is held in a straight line by tension from both ends of the anode.   The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the anode is a light body of a linear body or a strip.   The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a winding mechanism at both ends of the anode.