JP2014070268A - Plasma treatment device, nozzle plate of discharge device, and discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plasma treatment device capable of preventing interference between a plasma generated between a first electrode and a stage and a plasma generated between a second electrode and a stage electrode without being restricted by device configurations.SOLUTION: A plasma treatment device 100 includes: a stage electrode 120 on which a wafer 200 is placed; a first electrode 110 arranged on one side of the stage electrode; a first power source 111 for applying a first alternating voltage V1 to the first electrode 110; a first phase adjustment part 112 for adjusting the phase of the first alternating voltage V1; a second electrode 120 arranged on the other side of the stage electrode 130; a second power source 121 for applying a second alternating voltage V2 to the second electrode 120; and a second phase adjustment part 122 for adjusting the phase of the second alternating voltage V2, the first and second alternating voltages V1, V2 being equal in frequency to each other and applied to the first and second electrodes 110, 120 in the same phase.

Description

  The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus.

  For example, plasma CVD (chemical vapor deposition) is known as a method for forming a thin film on the surface of a wafer. Further, as a plasma processing apparatus that performs plasma CVD, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a first and second electrodes that are arranged to face each other, and a stage for placing a wafer between the first and second electrodes are chambers. Devices disposed within are known. In this apparatus, a thin film can be simultaneously formed on both surfaces of a wafer by supplying a carrier gas and a film forming raw material into the chamber and applying a high frequency voltage between the first and second electrodes and the stage. . Therefore, for example, work efficiency is improved as compared with an apparatus for forming a film on each side of a wafer.

  However, in the apparatus of Patent Document 1, a single power source is used to apply a high-frequency voltage between the first electrode and the stage and between the second electrode and the stage. Occurs. That is, the power source and the first and second electrodes 2 are connected so that the plasma generated between the first electrode and the stage and the plasma generated between the second electrode and the stage do not interfere with each other. It is necessary to eliminate the phase difference by making the lengths of the book wires equal. For this reason, there is a great restriction on the device configuration. Moreover, since one power supply is used, the high frequency voltage applied between the first electrode and the stage and the high frequency voltage applied between the second electrode and the stage have the same magnitude and the same frequency. For this reason, for example, both surfaces of the wafer cannot be processed under different conditions, and there are significant restrictions on the processing conditions.

JP-A-3-30326

  An object of the present invention is to prevent interference between the plasma generated between the first electrode and the stage and the plasma generated between the second electrode and the stage electrode without being overly constrained by the apparatus configuration. An object of the present invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus that can perform the above, a nozzle plate of a highly reliable discharge apparatus obtained by the plasma processing apparatus, and a discharge apparatus.

Such an object is achieved by the present invention described below.
The plasma processing apparatus of the present invention is connected to a reference potential, a stage electrode for placing the base material so that both main surfaces of the base material are exposed,
A first electrode disposed on one side of the stage electrode;
A first power source for applying a first alternating voltage to the first electrode;
A first phase adjustment unit that is disposed between the first power source and the first electrode and adjusts the phase of the first alternating voltage applied to the first electrode;
A second electrode disposed on the other side of the stage electrode;
A second power source for applying a second alternating voltage to the second electrode;
A second phase adjustment unit that is arranged between the second power source and the second electrode and adjusts the phase of the second alternating voltage applied to the second electrode;
The first alternating voltage and the second alternating voltage have the same frequency and are applied to the first electrode and the second electrode in the same phase.
Accordingly, a plasma processing apparatus that prevents interference between the plasma generated between the first electrode and the stage and the plasma generated between the second electrode and the stage electrode without being excessively restricted by the apparatus configuration. Can be provided.

In the plasma processing apparatus of the present invention, a first intensity adjusting unit that is disposed between the first power source and the first electrode and adjusts the intensity of the first alternating voltage;
It is preferable to have a second intensity adjusting unit that is arranged between the second power source and the second electrode and adjusts the intensity of the second alternating voltage.
Thereby, since the intensity | strength of a 1st, 2nd alternating voltage can each be changed independently, the conditions of the plasma processing in the 1st electrode side and the conditions of the plasma processing in the 2nd electrode side are made independent. Can be set. Therefore, different plasma treatments can be performed on the first electrode side and the second electrode side.

In the plasma processing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable to form a polyorganosiloxane film on both the main surfaces of the substrate.
Thereby, the base material suitable for the nozzle plate of an inkjet head is obtained.
In the plasma processing apparatus of the present invention, the polyorganosiloxane film formed on the main surface of the base material on the first electrode side is a polyorganosiloxane film formed on the main surface of the base material on the second electrode side. It is preferably harder and has a low liquid repellency.
Thereby, the base material more suitable for the nozzle plate of an inkjet head is obtained.

In the plasma processing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the first alternating voltage is larger than the second alternating voltage.
As a result, the polyorganosiloxane film formed on the main surface of the base material on the first electrode side can be easily harder than the polyorganosiloxane film formed on the main surface of the base material on the second electrode side. The liquidity can be low.

The nozzle plate of the discharge device of the present invention is characterized by including the base material processed by the plasma processing apparatus of the present invention.
Thereby, it becomes a nozzle plate which can suppress the discharge failure of ink.
The discharge device of the present invention is mounted such that a main surface located on the first electrode side of the nozzle plate of the discharge device of the present invention is positioned on the discharge liquid chamber side of the discharge device.
Thereby, an ejection device capable of suppressing ink ejection failure is obtained.

It is a figure (sectional drawing and block diagram) which shows suitable embodiment of the plasma processing apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows the 1st alternating voltage and 2nd alternating voltage applied to the 1st electrode and 2nd electrode which are shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an example of an inkjet head. It is sectional drawing of the inkjet head shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a printer in which the ink jet head shown in FIG. 3 is incorporated. It is a figure which shows the 1st alternating voltage and the 2nd alternating voltage in the plasma processing for obtaining the nozzle plate shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the 1st alternating voltage and the 2nd alternating voltage in the plasma processing for obtaining the nozzle plate shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, a plasma processing apparatus, a nozzle plate of a discharge apparatus, and a discharge apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram (a cross-sectional view and a block diagram) showing a preferred embodiment of the plasma processing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first alternating voltage applied to the first electrode and the second electrode shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of an ink jet head, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ink jet head shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a printer incorporating the ink jet head shown in FIG. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are diagrams showing a first alternating voltage and a second alternating voltage in the plasma processing for obtaining the nozzle plate shown in FIG. In the following description, the upper side in FIG. 1 is referred to as “upper” and the lower side is also referred to as “lower”.

  A plasma processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that can perform plasma processing on both main surfaces (first main surface 210 and second main surface 220) of a wafer (base material) 200 simultaneously. Here, the “plasma processing” refers to all processing using plasma, and representative examples thereof include, for example, etching processing for cutting the wafer 200 into a predetermined shape or thinning the wafer 200, and the surface of the wafer 200. Plasma CVM (Chemical Vaporization Machining) for polishing, etc. for polishing, and plasma CVD (chemical vapor deposition) for forming a functional thin film (for example, a liquid repellent film, a hydrophilic film, an insulating film, etc.) on the surface of the wafer 200 ).

The wafer 200 is not particularly limited. For example, a silicon-based material such as SiO ₂ , SiN, or quartz glass, a metal-based material such as Al, Fe, Ni, Cu, or an alloy containing these, alumina, or iron oxide is used. Various oxide materials such as diamond, carbon black, carbon materials such as graphite, various semiconductor materials such as gallium-arsenic, various plastics such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, liquid crystal polymer, phenol resin, acrylic resin ( And a material composed of a dielectric material such as a resin material.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma processing apparatus 100 is positioned between a first electrode 110 and a second electrode 120 that are vertically opposed to each other, and a first electrode 110 and a second electrode 110, and a wafer 200 is placed thereon. A stage electrode 130 that also serves as a stage, a chamber 140 that accommodates these electrodes 110, 120, 130, a processing gas supply unit 150 that supplies the processing gas 300 into the chamber 140, a decompression means 160 that decompresses the chamber 140, And a control unit (not shown) for controlling each part of the apparatus.

  The plasma processing apparatus 100 is provided between a first power supply 111 that applies a first high-frequency alternating voltage V1 to the first electrode 110, and between the first power supply 111 and the first electrode 110. The first phase adjusting unit 112 that adjusts the phase of the first alternating voltage V1 and the first amplifier that is provided between the first power supply 111 and the first phase adjusting unit 112 and adjusts the intensity of the first alternating voltage V1. (First intensity adjusting unit) 113. The first amplifier 113 may be provided between the first electrode 110 and the first phase adjustment unit 112.

  Similarly, the plasma processing apparatus 100 is provided between a second power source 121 that applies a high-frequency second alternating voltage V <b> 2 to the second electrode 120, and between the second power source 121 and the second electrode 120. A second phase adjusting unit 122 that adjusts the phase of the second alternating voltage V2 from the second power supply 121 and a second phase adjusting unit 122 that adjusts the intensity of the second alternating voltage V2. And an amplifier (second intensity adjusting unit) 123. Note that the second amplifier 123 may be provided between the second electrode 120 and the second phase adjustment unit 122.

The first and second power sources 111 and 121, the first and second phase adjustment units 112 and 122, and the first and second amplifiers 113 and 123 are electrically connected to the control unit, respectively, and are controlled by the control unit. Operation is controlled.
The stage electrode 130 has a frame shape and can support the outer edge portion of the wafer 200. Therefore, the wafer 200 supported by the stage electrode 130 is in a state where both the first main surface 210 and the second main surface 220 are exposed from the stage electrode 130. In a state where the wafer 200 is placed on the stage electrode 130, the first main surface 210 faces the first electrode 110 and the second main surface 220 faces the second electrode 120.

  Further, it is preferable that the stage electrode 130 can move inside and outside the chamber 140. According to such a configuration, the stage electrode 130 is moved out of the chamber 140, the wafer 200 is placed on the stage electrode 130, and then the stage electrode 130 is moved into the chamber 140, whereby the wafer 200 can be simplified. Can be disposed in the chamber 140.

  Further, it is preferable that the stage electrode 130 can move up and down in the chamber 140. According to such a configuration, the separation distance D1 between the first main surface 210 of the wafer 200 placed on the stage electrode 130 and the lower surface (surface facing the wafer 200) 115 of the first electrode 110, and the second main surface. The separation distance D2 between the surface 220 and the upper surface (surface facing the wafer 200) 125 of the second electrode 120 can be adjusted. D1 = D2 or D1 <D2 regardless of the thickness of the wafer 200. Or D1> D2. Therefore, more accurate plasma processing can be performed.

Further, the stage electrode 130 may have a protrusion or a recess for positioning the wafer 200. By providing such protrusions and recesses, positional deviation of the wafer 200 can be prevented, and more accurate plasma processing can be performed.
The stage electrode 130 has sufficient conductivity to function as an electrode, and is grounded (that is, connected to a reference potential). The constituent material of the stage electrode 130 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include simple metals such as copper, aluminum, iron, and silver, various alloys such as stainless steel, brass, and aluminum alloys, intermetallic compounds, and various carbon materials. It is done.

  The first electrode 110 is arranged to face the first main surface 210 of the wafer 200 placed on the stage electrode 130. Further, the lower surface 115 of the first electrode 110 forms a flat surface substantially parallel to the first main surface 210. In addition, a guide path 116 having one end opened to the lower surface 115 is formed inside the first electrode 110. The guide path 116 is for supplying a processing gas into the chamber 140. In addition, the guiding path 116 is branched in the first electrode 110, and each branched guiding path extends over the entire lower surface 115 and is uniformly opened.

  By adopting such a configuration for the guide path 116, the processing gas can be reliably and uniformly supplied between the first electrode 110 and the first main surface 210 of the wafer 200, and thus the first electrode 110. A stable and uniform plasma can be generated between the first main surface 210 and the first main surface 210. Therefore, efficient and accurate plasma treatment can be performed on the first main surface 210.

  Similarly to the first electrode 110 as described above, the second electrode 120 is disposed to face the second main surface 220 of the wafer 200 placed on the stage electrode 130. In addition, the upper surface (surface facing the wafer 200) 125 of the second electrode 120 forms a flat surface substantially parallel to the second main surface 220 of the wafer 200. In addition, a guide path 126 having one end opened to the upper surface 125 is formed inside the second electrode 120. The guide path 126 is for supplying a processing gas into the chamber 140. Further, the guiding path 126 is branched in the second electrode 120, and each branched guiding path spreads over the entire upper surface 125 and is uniformly opened.

  Since the guide path 126 has such a configuration, the processing gas can be reliably and uniformly supplied between the second electrode 120 and the second main surface 220 of the wafer 200, and thus the second electrode 120. A stable and uniform plasma can be generated between the first main surface 220 and the second main surface 220. Therefore, efficient and accurate plasma processing can be performed on the second main surface 220.

  The constituent materials of the first and second electrodes 110 and 120 are not particularly limited. For example, simple metals such as copper, aluminum, iron, and silver, various alloys such as stainless steel, brass, and aluminum alloys, intermetallic compounds, Various carbon materials etc. are mentioned. In addition, the lower surface 115 and the upper surface 125 of the first and second electrodes 110 and 120 are preferably covered with a dielectric layer (not shown) made of a dielectric material. By covering the lower surface 115 and the upper surface 125 with a dielectric layer, generation of unstable plasma can be suppressed.

  The processing gas supply unit 150 is supplied from a gas cylinder 151 filled with a predetermined gas, a processing gas supply flow path 152 that is divided into two branches in the middle, and connects the induction paths 116 and 126 and the gas cylinder 151, and the gas cylinder 151. And a valve 154 that opens and closes the flow path in the processing gas supply flow path 152 on the downstream end side and on the upstream side of the branching portion with respect to the mass flow controller 153. The mass flow controller 153 and the valve 154 are each electrically connected to the control unit, and the operation thereof is controlled by the control unit. Such a processing gas supply unit 150 sends the processing gas from the gas cylinder 151 in a state where the valve 154 is opened, and adjusts the flow rate of the processing gas by the mass flow controller 153. Then, the processing gas whose flow rate is adjusted is supplied into the chamber 140 from the lower surface 115 of the first electrode 110 and the upper surface 125 of the second electrode 120.

The decompression means 160 has a discharge port 161 provided in the chamber 140, a flow channel 162 connected to the discharge port 161, and a vacuum pump 163 connected to the flow channel 162. The vacuum pump 163 is electrically connected to the control unit, and its operation is controlled by the control unit. Such a decompression unit 160 is configured to decompress the interior of the chamber 140 by operating the vacuum pump 163. The pressure in the chamber 140 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 1 × 10 ^{−4 to} 1 Torr.
The configuration of the plasma processing apparatus 100 has been described above. For example, the plasma processing apparatus 100 operates as follows.

First, the wafer 200 is placed on the stage electrode 130, and the stage electrode 130 is positioned so that, for example, the separation distances D1 and D2 are equal. Next, the inside of the chamber 140 is decompressed by the decompression means 160, and the processing gas is supplied (introduced) into the chamber 140 by the processing gas supply unit 150.
Next, the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are applied from the first and second power sources 111 and 121 to the first and second electrodes 110 and 120, respectively. Here, the frequencies of the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are equal to each other. The frequency of the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 10 MHz to 100 MHz, for example, and more preferably 13.56614 MHz, which is an industrial frequency. In addition, the case where the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are “equal” includes not only the case where they are equal, but also the case where the mutual frequency error is within 1%. If the error is within 1%, it is possible to achieve substantially the same effect as when the frequencies are equal.

The first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are amplified to a predetermined intensity (size) by the first and second amplifiers 113 and 123, respectively. The intensities of the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 may be equal to or different from each other, and may be set as appropriate based on the target plasma treatment and the relationship with the separation distances D1 and D2.
Further, the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are adjusted in phase by the first and second phase adjusting units 112 and 122 and applied to the first and second electrodes 110 and 120 in the same phase. For example, even if the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are generated from the first and second power supplies 111 and 121 at the timing shown in FIG. It is applied at the timing shown in (b). As described above, the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are applied to the first and second electrodes 110 and 120 in the same phase, so that the gap between the first electrode 110 and the first main surface 210 of the wafer 200 is increased. Interference between the plasma generated between the second electrode 120 and the second main surface 220 of the wafer 200 can be prevented or suppressed. Therefore, desired plasma processing can be performed on the first and second main surfaces 210 and 220 with high accuracy.

  When the first and second phase adjustment units 112 and 122 are provided as in the plasma processing apparatus 100, the application timings of the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 from the first and second power sources 111 and 121 are provided. In addition, there is no restriction on the length of the electrical wiring that connects the first and second power sources 111 and 121 and the first and second electrodes 110 and 120. Therefore, the degree of freedom in designing the plasma processing apparatus 100 is improved.

  Further, since the first and second amplifiers 113 and 123 are provided as in the plasma processing apparatus 100, the strength (magnitude) of the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 can be adjusted as appropriate. Desired plasma treatment can be performed on the first and second main surfaces 210 and 220 under the same conditions or different conditions. Therefore, the convenience of the plasma processing apparatus 100 is further improved. For example, when the separation distances D1 and D2 are equal, if the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are equal, the same plasma treatment can be performed on the first and second main surfaces 210 and 220. If the first alternating voltage V1 is made larger than the second alternating voltage V2, the plasma processing on the first main surface 210 side can be performed with higher energy than the plasma processing on the second main surface 220 side.

Next, as a specific plasma process using the plasma processing apparatus 100, a process of forming a thin film (plasma CVD) on the surface of the nozzle plate 410 of the ink jet head (ink jet recording head) 400 will be described as a representative. Note that the plasma processing using the plasma processing apparatus 100 is not limited to the following example.
An ink jet head (discharge device) 400 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is mounted on an ink jet printer 900 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the ink jet printer 900 includes an apparatus main body 920, a tray 921 in which the recording paper P is installed at the upper rear, a paper discharge port 922 for discharging the recording paper P in the lower front, and an upper surface. An operation panel 970 is provided. The operation panel 970 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED lamp, and the like. And.

  Further, inside the apparatus main body 920, a printing apparatus 940 that mainly includes a reciprocating head unit 930, a paper feeding apparatus 950 that feeds recording paper P to the printing apparatus 940 one by one, a printing apparatus 940, and paper feeding And a control unit 960 that controls the device 950. Under the control of the control unit 960, the paper feeding device 950 intermittently feeds the recording paper P one by one. This recording paper P passes near the lower part of the head unit 930. At this time, the head unit 930 reciprocates in a direction substantially perpendicular to the feeding direction of the recording paper P, and printing on the recording paper P is performed. That is, the reciprocation of the head unit 930 and the intermittent feeding of the recording paper P become the main scanning and the sub-scanning in printing, and ink jet printing is performed.

The printing apparatus 940 includes a head unit 930, a carriage motor 941 serving as a drive source for the head unit 930, and a reciprocating mechanism 942 that reciprocates the head unit 930 in response to the rotation of the carriage motor 941.
The head unit 930 includes an ink jet head 400 having a large number of nozzle holes 411, an ink cartridge 931 that supplies ink to the ink jet head 400, and a carriage 932 on which the ink jet head 400 and the ink cartridge 931 are mounted. ing. Ink cartridge 931 is filled with four color inks of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black (black), thereby enabling full color printing.

  The reciprocating mechanism 942 includes a carriage guide shaft 943 whose both ends are supported by a frame (not shown), and a timing belt 944 extending in parallel with the carriage guide shaft 943. The carriage 932 is supported by the carriage guide shaft 943 so as to be able to reciprocate and is fixed to a part of the timing belt 944. When the timing belt 944 travels forward and backward via a pulley by the operation of the carriage motor 941, the head unit 930 reciprocates while being guided by the carriage guide shaft 943. During this reciprocation, ink is appropriately discharged from the inkjet head 400 and printing on the recording paper P is performed.

  The sheet feeding device 950 includes a sheet feeding motor 951 serving as a driving source thereof, and a sheet feeding roller 952 that rotates by the operation of the sheet feeding motor 951. The paper feed roller 952 includes a driven roller 952 a and a drive roller 952 b that are opposed to each other across the feeding path of the recording paper P, and the drive roller 952 b is connected to the paper feed motor 951. As a result, the paper feed roller 952 can feed a large number of recording sheets P set on the tray 921 one by one toward the printing apparatus 940.

  The control unit 960 performs printing by controlling the printing device 940, the paper feeding device 950, and the like based on print data input from a host computer such as a personal computer or a digital camera. The control unit 960 processes the obtained print data, and controls driving of each unit based on the processing data and input data from various sensors. Thereby, printing is performed on the recording paper P.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inkjet head 400 includes a nozzle plate (nozzle plate of a discharge device) 410, an ink chamber substrate 420, a vibration plate 430, and a piezoelectric element 440 bonded to the vibration plate 430. These are housed in a base 460. The inkjet head 400 constitutes an on-demand piezo jet head.
The nozzle plate 410 is made of, for example, a silicon-based material such as SiO ₂ , SiN, or quartz glass, a metal-based material such as Al, Fe, Ni, Cu, or an alloy containing these, or an oxide-based material such as alumina or iron oxide. The material is composed of carbon-based materials such as carbon black and graphite.

  A number of nozzle holes 411 for ejecting ink droplets are formed in the nozzle plate 410. The pitch between these nozzle holes 411 is appropriately set according to the printing accuracy. An ink chamber substrate 420 is fixed to the nozzle plate 410. The ink chamber substrate 420 includes a plurality of ink chambers 421, a reservoir chamber 423 for temporarily storing ink supplied from the ink cartridge 931, and a reservoir chamber 423. A supply port 424 for supplying ink is defined in each ink chamber 421.

  Each ink chamber 421 is formed in a strip shape and is disposed corresponding to each nozzle hole 411. Each ink chamber 421 has a variable volume due to the vibration of the vibration plate 430, and is configured to eject ink by the change in volume. As a base material for obtaining the ink chamber substrate 420, for example, a silicon single crystal substrate, various glass substrates, various plastic substrates, or the like can be used. Since these substrates are all general-purpose substrates, the manufacturing cost of the inkjet head 400 can be reduced by using these substrates.

On the other hand, a vibration plate 430 is joined to the ink chamber substrate 420 on the side opposite to the nozzle plate 410, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements 440 are provided on the vibration plate 430 on the side opposite to the ink chamber substrate 420. Yes. Further, a communication hole 431 is formed at a predetermined position of the diaphragm 430 so as to penetrate in the thickness direction of the diaphragm 430. Ink can be supplied from the ink cartridge 931 to the reservoir chamber 423 through the communication hole 431.
The base 460 is made of, for example, various resin materials, various metal materials, and the like, and the ink chamber substrate 420 is fixed and supported on the base 460.

  Further, a first polyorganosiloxane film 412 is formed on the surface of the nozzle plate 410 on the ink chamber substrate 420 side, and a second polyorganosiloxane is formed on the surface of the nozzle plate 410 opposite to the ink chamber substrate 420. A film 413 is formed. The first polyorganosiloxane film 412 is harder than the second polyorganosiloxane film 413. On the other hand, the second polyorganosiloxane film 413 has higher liquid repellency than the first polyorganosiloxane film 412. That is, the first polyorganosiloxane film 412 has low liquid repellency but is hard, and the second polyorganosiloxane film 413 is not as hard as the first polyorganosiloxane film 412 but has high liquid repellency. doing.

  The first polyorganosiloxane film 412 is formed on the surface (upper surface) facing the inside of the ink chamber 421 (including the reservoir chamber 423 and the supply port 424) of the nozzle plate 410. Therefore, the strength of the ink chamber 421 can be increased by the first polyorganosiloxane film 412. In addition, since the first polyorganosiloxane film 412 has a sufficiently low liquid repellency, unnecessary ink repelling in the ink chamber 421 is prevented, and smooth ink ejection is ensured.

  On the other hand, the second polyorganosiloxane film 413 is formed on the surface (lower surface) of the nozzle plate 410 facing the outside of the inkjet head 400. Therefore, by forming the second polyorganosiloxane film 413 on such a surface and imparting liquid repellency, it becomes difficult for the ink to remain on the lower surface after ink ejection. Therefore, for example, it is possible to effectively suppress the remaining ink from being solidified around the nozzle hole 411 and inhibiting the ejection of the ink.

  In such an ink jet head 400, the vibration plate 430 is not deformed and the volume of the ink chamber 421 is not changed when no voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes of the piezoelectric element 440. Therefore, no ink droplet is ejected from the nozzle hole 411. On the other hand, when a constant voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes of the piezoelectric element 440, the vibration plate 430 is greatly deflected, and the volume of the ink chamber 421 is changed. At this time, the pressure in the ink chamber 421 increases instantaneously, and ink droplets are ejected from the nozzle holes 411.

When the ejection of one ink is completed, the piezoelectric element 440 returns almost to its original shape, and the volume of the ink chamber 421 increases. At this time, pressure (pressure in the positive direction) from the ink cartridge 931 toward the nozzle hole 411 acts on the ink. Therefore, air is prevented from entering the ink chamber 421 from the nozzle hole 411, and an amount of ink corresponding to the amount of ink discharged is supplied from the ink cartridge 931 (reservoir chamber 423) to the ink chamber 421.
The inkjet head 400 has been described above. According to the plasma processing apparatus 100, the nozzle plate 410 on which the first and second polyorganosiloxane films 412 and 413 are formed can be easily manufactured.

First, a base material 410A to be the nozzle plate 410 is prepared, and the prepared base material 410A is placed on the stage electrode 130. Then, the stage electrode 130 is positioned so that the separation distances D1 and D2 are equal. Next, the inside of the chamber 140 is decompressed by the decompression means 160, and the processing gas is supplied (introduced) into the chamber 140 by the processing gas supply unit 150.
The processing gas contains a raw material, that is, an organosiloxane that is a precursor of a polyorganosiloxane (a raw material for the first and second polyorganosiloxane films 412 and 413), and a carrier gas. The “carrier gas” refers to a gas introduced for starting discharge and maintaining discharge. The flow rate of the raw material is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 10 to 500 sccm. The flow rate of the carrier gas is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 1 to 100 sccm.

  Examples of the polyorganosiloxane include dialkyl silicones such as dimethyl silicone and diethyl silicone, cycloalkyl silicones, and the like, and one or more of these can be used. Among these, as the polyorganosiloxane, those having a dialkyl silicone (particularly, dimethyl silicone) as a main component are suitable.

In the case of forming the first and second polyorganosiloxane films 412 and 413 mainly composed of dimethyl silicone, examples of the raw material (precursor) thereof include methylpolysiloxane, octamethyltrisiloxane, decamethyltetrasiloxane, and decamethyl. One or two or more of cyclopentasiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, methylphenylpolysiloxane and the like can be used. Among these, those containing octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane as a main component are preferable. According to such a material, the first and second polyorganosiloxane films 412 and 413 having a uniform and uniform film thickness can be easily formed.
On the other hand, as the carrier gas, for example, a rare gas such as He, Ne, Ar, or Xe can be used. These can be used alone or in a mixed form of two or more. Further, O ₂ may be mixed to promote dissociation of the processing gas.

  Next, the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are applied from the first and second power sources 111 and 121 to the first and second electrodes 110 and 120, respectively. As described above, the frequencies of the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are equal to each other, for example, set to 13.5614 MHz. The first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 are applied to the first and second electrodes 110 and 120 in the same phase after the phases are adjusted by the first and second phase adjustment units 112 and 122, respectively. Thus, uniform first and second polyorganosiloxane films (plasma polymerization films) 412 and 413 can be formed on the main surface of the base material 410A for the reasons described above.

  Further, the first alternating voltage V1 applied to the first electrode 110 is amplified by the first amplifier 113, and as shown in FIG. 6, the first alternating voltage V1 is larger than the second alternating voltage V2 ( Is strong). Therefore, the plasma generated between the first electrode 110 and the base material 410A is stronger than the plasma generated between the second electrode 120 and the base material 410A, and the surface of the base material 410A on the first electrode 110 side. And the plasma treatment for the surface of the base material 420 on the second electrode 120 side are different.

Specifically, since the plasma intensity is high on the first electrode 110 side, many methyl groups (-CH on the surface (and near the surface) of the polyorganosiloxane film 412A formed on the surface on the first electrode 110 side are present. ₃ ) is cut and removed. The polyorganosiloxane film 412A has a surface similar to a SiO ₂ film. By removing the methyl group, the polyorganosiloxane film 412A becomes hard and the liquid repellency is lost. The polyorganosiloxane film 412A becomes the first polyorganosiloxane film 412.

On the other hand, since the plasma intensity is lower on the second electrode 120 side than on the first electrode 110 side, the polyorganosiloxane film 413A formed on the surface of the second electrode 120 side (and the vicinity thereof) has a polyorgano Many methyl groups remain as compared with the siloxane film 412A. For this reason, the polyorganosiloxane film 413A is not as hard as the polyorganosiloxane film 413A, but is a film exhibiting better liquid repellency than the polyorganosiloxane film 413A. The polyorganosiloxane film 413A becomes the second polyorganosiloxane film 413.
Thus, a base material 410A in which the first polyorganosiloxane film 412 is formed on one surface and the second polyorganosiloxane film 413 is formed on the other surface is obtained. Then, the obtained base material 410A is processed into a predetermined shape, and the nozzle hole 411 is formed at a predetermined position, whereby the nozzle plate 410 is obtained.

The first and second polyorganosiloxane films 412 and 413 may be formed by the following method. The method described below is the same as the above method except that the intensity of the second AC voltage V2 is changed during the plasma processing.
First, as shown in FIG. 7A, first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 having the same strength are applied to the first and second electrodes 110 and 120, respectively. The strengths of the first and second alternating voltages V1 and V2 at this time are substantially equal to the first alternating voltage V1 in the above-described method. Therefore, in this step, a polyorganosiloxane film 412A that is hard and has low liquid repellency is formed on each of the first and second main surfaces 210 and 220.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the strength of the second alternating voltage V2 is lowered by the second amplifier 123 while maintaining the strength of the first alternating voltage V1. Then, a hard polyorganosiloxane film 412A having a low liquid repellency is further formed on the first electrode 110 side. The polyorganosiloxane film 412A becomes the first polyorganosiloxane film 412.
On the other hand, on the second electrode 120 side, a polyorganosiloxane film 413A that is softer and higher in liquid repellency than the polyorganosiloxane film 412A is formed on the polyorganosiloxane film 412A. That is, on the second electrode 120 side, a film in which the polyorganosiloxane films 412A and 413A are stacked is formed. This laminated film becomes the second polyorganosiloxane film 413.

In this way, by changing the strength of the second alternating voltage V2 during the plasma processing, the portion other than the vicinity of the surface of the second polyorganosiloxane film 413 can be formed of a hard layer. As compared with the above, the overall strength of the second polyorganosiloxane film 413 can be increased.
The plasma processing apparatus, the nozzle plate of the discharge apparatus, and the discharge apparatus of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiments. The present invention is not limited to these. The structure of each part of the plasma processing apparatus of the present invention, the nozzle plate of the discharge apparatus, and the discharge apparatus can be replaced with an arbitrary structure having the same function. Moreover, other arbitrary structures and processes may be added.

  In the above-described embodiment, the first amplifier is provided between the first electrode and the first power supply. However, the first amplifier may be omitted. Similarly, a second amplifier is provided between the second electrode and the second power supply, but the second amplifier may be omitted. When the first and second amplifiers are omitted, it is preferable that the first and second alternating voltages having the same strength (magnitude) are generated from the first and second power sources.

In the above-described embodiment, the processing gas is supplied into the chamber through the guide paths in the first and second electrodes, but the method for supplying the processing gas is not limited to this. For example, the configuration may be such that the processing gas is supplied into the chamber through a supply port formed on the wall surface of the chamber.
In the above-described embodiment, the raw material and the carrier gas are supplied into the chamber as processing gases from one supply line, but the raw material and carrier gas supply lines may be provided separately. That is, the raw material may be supplied alone into the chamber, and separately from this, the carrier gas may be supplied alone into the chamber.
In the above-described embodiment, the stage electrode is configured to move up and down in order to adjust the separation distance between the first and second electrodes and the wafer. However, the stage electrode is fixed, The first and second electrodes may be configured to move up and down.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Plasma processing apparatus 110 ... 1st electrode 111 ... 1st power supply 112 ... 1st phase adjustment part 113 ... 1st amplifier 115 ... Lower surface 116 ... Induction path 120 ... 2nd electrode 121 ... 2nd power supply 122 ... 2nd phase adjustment Numeral 123: Second amplifier 125 ... Upper surface 126 ... Induction path 130 ... Stage electrode 140 ... Chamber 150 ... Process gas supply unit 151 ... Gas cylinder 152 ... Process gas supply channel 153 ... Mass flow controller 154 ... Valve 160 ... Pressure reducing means 161 ... Exhaust Outlet 162 ... Flow path 163 ... Vacuum pump 200 ... Wafer 210 ... First main surface 220 ... Second main surface 300 ... Processing gas 400 ... Inkjet head 410 ... Nozzle plate 410A ... Base material 411 ... Nozzle hole 412 ... First polyorgano Siloxane film 412A ... Polyorgano Loxane film 413 ... second polyorganosiloxane film 413A ... polyorganosiloxane film 420 ... ink chamber substrate 420 ... base material 421 ... ink chamber 422 ... side wall 423 ... reservoir chamber 424 ... supply port 430 ... diaphragm 431 ... communication hole 440 ... Piezoelectric element 460 ... Substrate 900 ... Inkjet printer 920 ... Device main body 921 ... Tray 922 ... Paper discharge port 930 ... Head unit 931 ... Ink cartridge 932 ... Carriage 940 ... Printing device 941 ... Carriage motor 942 ... Reciprocating mechanism 943 ... Carriage guide shaft 944 ... Timing belt 950 ... Paper feed device 951 ... Paper feed motor 952 ... Paper feed roller 952a ... Driven roller 952b ... Drive roller 960 ... Control unit 970 ... Operation panel V1 ... First Ban voltage V2 ... second alternating voltage D1, D2 ... distance P ... recording paper

Claims (7)

A stage electrode connected to a reference potential and placing the substrate so that both main surfaces of the substrate are exposed;
A first electrode disposed on one side of the stage electrode;
A first power source for applying a first alternating voltage to the first electrode;
A first phase adjustment unit that is disposed between the first power source and the first electrode and adjusts the phase of the first alternating voltage applied to the first electrode;
A second electrode disposed on the other side of the stage electrode;
A second power source for applying a second alternating voltage to the second electrode;
A second phase adjustment unit that is arranged between the second power source and the second electrode and adjusts the phase of the second alternating voltage applied to the second electrode;
The plasma processing apparatus, wherein the first alternating voltage and the second alternating voltage have the same frequency and are applied to the first electrode and the second electrode in the same phase. A first intensity adjusting unit arranged between the first power source and the first electrode and adjusting the intensity of the first alternating voltage;
The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second intensity adjusting unit that is disposed between the second power source and the second electrode and adjusts the intensity of the second alternating voltage.   The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a polyorganosiloxane film is formed on both the main surfaces of the base material.   The polyorganosiloxane film formed on the main surface of the base on the first electrode side is harder than the polyorganosiloxane film formed on the main surface of the base on the second electrode side, and The plasma processing apparatus of Claim 3 with low liquid repellency.   The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first alternating voltage is greater than the second alternating voltage.   A nozzle plate of a discharge device comprising the base material processed by the plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5.   The discharge device mounted so that a main surface located on the first electrode side of the nozzle plate of the discharge device according to claim 6 is located on the discharge liquid chamber side of the discharge device.

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