JP2014109058A - Film deposition apparatus characterized in stage for mounting film-deposited object - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a film deposition apparatus capable of: uniformly depositing a film on a film-deposited object; being manufactured and maintained at a low cost with a simple structure; and using a chamber efficiently to reduce film-deposition cost.SOLUTION: A film-deposition apparatus is provided, in which a stage 6 for mounting a film-deposited object H thereon is arranged on a rotary body 7 provided inside a chamber 2. The rotary body 7 is configured to rotate about a perpendicular rotating shaft 10 by predetermined drive mechanisms 11 and 13, and is provided with an inclination part 15 at an upper part thereof. The stage 6 is slidably arranged on the inclination part 15, and is engaged to a fixing member 25 inside the chamber 2 via a predetermined swinging mechanism 8 so as not to rotate with respect to the chamber 2.

Description

  The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus for forming a thin film by a physical vapor deposition method such as vacuum vapor deposition, ion plating, sputtering, etc., and relates to a film forming apparatus characterized by a stage on which a film-formed product is placed. is there.

  Examples of the molded product having a thin film of the order of several hundreds of nanometers to several μm on the surface of the resin molded product include door levers and lamps installed in vehicles, decorative parts of cosmetic containers and furniture, and the like. . Such a formed article is light in weight and has an increased application field because it gives a high-class feeling due to metallic luster.

  The film-formed product is obtained by injection molding as is well known in the art, and a film forming method for forming a film thereon is also well known, but there are various methods. For example, an article to be deposited is placed on a stage and opposed to a target such as stainless steel or aluminum, and a negative voltage of several kV is applied to the target in an argon gas atmosphere of several Pa to several tens Pa. A sputtering method is known in which a positive voltage is applied to the stage, plasma is generated by discharge, and argon positive ions are sputtered onto the target, and a thin film is formed by target molecules jumping out of the target. In addition to this, a vacuum film formation method in which a substrate and an evaporation source are housed in a vacuum vessel, and a vacuum film formation is performed under a pressure of several Pa of argon gas by applying a negative voltage of several kV to the substrate. Also known are ion plating methods and the like, all of which can be referred to as physical vapor deposition methods.

  Such a film forming method is performed by a film forming apparatus including a chamber. Since the target molecules that jump out of the target fly linearly, in the case of a film-formed product with unevenness, the target molecules cannot reach the portion that is shaded from the target. Actually, a few gas molecules remain in the chamber, and a predetermined proportion of target molecules are scattered by them, so that the target molecules reach a certain extent even in the shadowed part from the target, and the film is formed. . However, film formation becomes insufficient and unevenness occurs. In view of this, various film forming apparatuses have been proposed that can form a film without unevenness even on an uneven film-forming product.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-121237 JP 2006-104514 A

  Patent Document 1 describes a film forming apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor wafer. In this film forming apparatus, a stage on which a film-formed product is placed is driven by first and second motors. More specifically, the second motor is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the chamber, and its rotation axis stands perpendicular to the bottom surface of the chamber. A cylindrical support is fixed to the rotating shaft and rotated. A support portion is fixed at a predetermined angle with respect to the support tool at the distal end portion of such a support tool, and the first motor is embedded in the support portion. A substrate holder, that is, a stage, on which the film-formed product is placed is provided on the rotation shaft of the first motor. By such a mechanism, the stage is rotated by the first motor while being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, and is further rotated by the second motor. Therefore, the stage is driven like a so-called precession motion in which the rotation shaft swings. As a result, the film-formed product placed on the stage undergoes a complicated motion in which the inclination angle changes and the horizontal position in the chamber also changes, and the angle at which the film-formed product looks at the target changes. Therefore, even if the film-formed product has irregularities, it is possible to eliminate or reduce the shaded portion during film formation, and a uniform thin film can be formed. In addition, the fixed angle of the support part with respect to a support tool can be adjusted now.

  Patent Document 2 also describes a film forming apparatus that changes the tilt angle of a film formation product to change the angle at which the target is viewed, thereby forming a film without unevenness even on a film formation product with unevenness. Yes. In this film forming apparatus, the stage on which the film-formed product is placed is driven by a rotating plate and two motors. In brief, the rotating plate rotates horizontally and is driven by a single motor. On the upper surface of the rotating plate, a sample table shaft is provided perpendicular to the rotating plate at a position spaced from the rotating shaft. A stage is provided on the sample table axis, and the sample table axis is rotated by another motor. Accordingly, the stage is revolved by the former motor and is rotated by the latter motor. Furthermore, the stage is provided on the sample table axis via a gimbal mechanism. Accordingly, a slight swing is allowed with respect to the sample table axis. Such a stage comes into contact with a predetermined inclined support base, whereby the stage rotates and revolves while being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the film-formed product is driven in a complicated manner, and the film is formed without unevenness.

  The film forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 and the film forming apparatus described in Patent Document 2 are excellent in that a film with unevenness can be formed without unevenness, and there is no problem. . That is, there is no problem with the quality of the film formation. However, there are also problems to be solved. Specifically, there is a problem of cost. There are two cost problems, but the first problem is that the manufacturing and maintenance costs of the film forming apparatus increase. In the apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the film-formed product placed on the stage is not only changed in inclination angle but also moved in a complicated manner to change the horizontal position in the chamber. In order to reduce the shaded portion of the film-formed product, it is not necessary to change the horizontal position in the chamber, and it can be said that it is sufficient to precess the film-formed product. However, the devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 make a much more complicated movement than the precession movement, which requires at least two motors and a complicated structure. Yes. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the apparatus increases. In addition, since the structure is complicated and easily broken, maintenance costs increase.

  The second problem of cost is that the film formation cost of the film-formed product increases. Since the stage rotates in the film forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the stage must be formed in a disk shape regardless of the planar shape of the chamber. By the way, the chamber of the film forming apparatus may be formed in a cylindrical shape, but it is preferable to provide the carry-in port for the film-formed product on the side of the apparatus. In this case, the chamber is often formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. That is, in many film forming apparatuses, the planar shape of the chamber is rectangular. If a disc-shaped stage is provided in such a chamber, a useless space is generated in the chamber. Therefore, for example, when it is desired to form a plurality of film formation products at the same time, a useless area where the film formation products cannot be placed is generated. If a rectangular holder that matches the shape of the chamber is prepared, a plurality of film-formed products are placed on the holder, and the holder is fixed to the stage, the chamber may be used effectively. However, in this way, neither the holder nor the stage can rotate. In the film forming apparatus described in Patent Document 2, since the stage revolves as well as rotates, the size of the stage must be further reduced as compared with the chamber. The area on which the film-formed product is placed is further reduced. In other words, in the apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, since a useless area is generated in the chamber and the chamber cannot be used efficiently, the number of molded products that can be formed at one time is limited, and the film formation cost increases. End up.

  There are other problems. In a production line, when a film-formed product molded in an injection molding machine is transported to a film forming apparatus or a film-formed product formed in a film forming apparatus is transported to another apparatus, it is handled by a robot arm or the like. Often. In the apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the stage rotates, the rotational position of the film-formed product placed on the stage becomes indefinite unless the rotational position is accurately controlled. In this case, an error may occur when the film is taken out by the robot arm. If the rotational position is to be accurately controlled, a sensor for detecting the rotational angle is required, which further increases manufacturing costs.

  Therefore, the present invention is a film forming apparatus capable of forming a high-quality thin film by forming a film without unevenness even if the film is uneven, and has a simple structure, low manufacturing cost and low maintenance cost, An object of the present invention is to provide a film forming apparatus that can be efficiently used to reduce the film forming cost.

  The present invention is configured as a film forming apparatus characterized by a stage on which a film-formed product is placed, and the stage is provided on a rotating body provided at the bottom of the chamber. The rotating body has an inclined portion at the top, and is rotated around a vertical rotation axis by a predetermined driving mechanism. The inclined portion is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation axis. The stage is slidably provided on such an inclined portion. The stage is engaged with a fixed member in the chamber via a predetermined swing mechanism so that rotation is restricted.

That is, in order to achieve the object, the invention described in claim 1 is provided with a rotating body at the bottom of the chamber, and a stage on which a film-formed product is placed on the rotating body. In the film forming apparatus, the rotating body is rotated around a vertical rotation axis by a predetermined driving mechanism, and an upper portion thereof is an inclined portion inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation axis. The stage is slidably provided on the inclined portion, and is engaged with a fixing member in the chamber via a predetermined swinging mechanism to restrict rotation. Configured as a device.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the film forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the angle of the inclined portion with respect to the rotation axis is adjustable.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the film forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the swing mechanism is fixed to the stage and a first pin fixedly provided to the fixing member. The connecting bar is composed of a second pin and a connecting bar. One end of the connecting bar is rotatably connected to the first pin and the other end is connected to the second pin. It is comprised as a film-forming apparatus characterized by having.
The invention according to claim 4 is the film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inclined portion and the stage are connected via a bearing. Configured as

  As described above, according to the present invention, the film forming apparatus includes the rotating body at the bottom of the chamber, and the stage on which the film-deposited product is placed on the rotating body. The rotating body is rotated around a vertical rotation axis by a predetermined drive mechanism, and the upper part thereof is an inclined portion inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation axis, and the stage is arranged on the inclined portion. It is provided so as to be slidable, and is engaged with a fixed member in the chamber via a predetermined swing mechanism to restrict rotation. Since the stage is provided in this way, the stage swings so as to swing in a state where rotation is restricted. Therefore, in the film-formed product placed on the stage, the angle at which the target is viewed changes, and there is no portion hidden behind the target. Or it decreases. Therefore, the film-formed product can be formed without unevenness. In order to swing the stage in this way, it is only necessary to rotate the rotating body. That is, substantially one motor is sufficient. Therefore, the structure is simple, it is difficult to break down, and the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost are small. Further, since the stage does not rotate with respect to the chamber, it is not necessary to form the disk. That is, it can be formed in accordance with the shape of the chamber. Alternatively, a holder for supporting the film-formed product can be formed so as to match the shape of the chamber and fixed to the stage. If the stage or holder is matched to the shape of the chamber in this way, the film-formed product can be formed using the entire chamber, so even a large film-formed product can be formed. In the case of forming individual film-formed products, the number of films that can be formed at a time is large, and the efficiency is high. That is, the film formation cost is reduced. Since the stage does not rotate, the horizontal position of the film formation product does not change, and the film formation product after film formation is also located at the same position. In other words, the rotational position is unchanged. Therefore, handling is facilitated when a film-formed product or a film-formed product is taken in and out by a robot arm or the like.

It is a front view which shows typically the film-forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows a part of film-forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  The present invention can be applied to a film forming apparatus that performs various physical vapor deposition methods such as a vacuum vapor deposition method, an ion plating method, etc., but the film formation according to the embodiments of the present invention described below The apparatus 1 is a film forming apparatus that forms a film by a so-called sputtering method. A film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is schematically shown in FIG. 1, but like a conventional film forming apparatus, a chamber 2, a vacuum source for sucking air from the chamber 2, and air sucked An argon gas supply source for supplying argon gas into the chamber 2, a target 4 made of stainless steel, aluminum, or the like, provided on the upper portion of the chamber 2, a stage 6 on which the film-formed product H is placed, and a stage 6. A voltage applying device for applying a voltage of several kV between the chamber 2 and the target 4 is configured. The vacuum source, the argon gas supply source, and the voltage application device are not shown in FIG.

  The film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is characterized by a stage 6, and the stage 6 swings in a state where the rotation is restricted. In order to realize such swinging, the stage 6 is provided on a rotating body 7 having a predetermined structure as described below, and the swinging mechanism 8 is attached to a fixed member in the chamber 2. Is engaged through.

  The rotating body 7 is provided at the bottom of the chamber 2 and is rotated around a vertical rotating shaft 10 by a predetermined driving mechanism. More specifically, the motor 11 is provided on the side of the film forming apparatus 1, that is, outside the chamber 2, and the drive shaft 12 of the motor 11 is horizontally inserted into the chamber 2. The rotation of the drive shaft 12 is transmitted to the rotation shaft 10 via a rotation transmission mechanism 13 such as a bevel gear. That is, the rotating body 7 is rotated by a driving mechanism having only one motor. The rotating body 7 rotated in this way includes a horizontal plate 14 that is fixed perpendicularly to the rotating shaft 10 and an inclined plate 15. The horizontal plate 14 and the inclined plate 15 are connected to each other at one end by a predetermined hinge mechanism 17. An angle adjusting mechanism is provided at each other end. That is, a vertical piece 19 rising vertically is provided at the other end of the horizontal plate 14, and a coupling piece 20 extending downward by a predetermined length is provided at the other end of the inclined plate 15. The screw vertical piece 19 and the coupling piece 20 are fixed by screws 22. In addition, the vertical piece 19 has a long hole 23 in the vertical direction, and the shaft portion of the screw 22 is inserted therethrough. Therefore, when the screw 22 is loosened, the fixing position of the coupling piece 20 with respect to the vertical piece 19 can be adjusted. Thereby, the angle of the inclined plate 15 with respect to the horizontal plate 14 can be adjusted. Such an inclined plate 15 can be said to be an inclined portion inclined with respect to the rotation shaft 10.

  The stage 6 is slidably provided on such an inclined portion, that is, the inclined plate 15. Specifically, the inclined plate 15 and the stage 6 are connected via a bearing 24 so that they can rotate relatively smoothly. In the present embodiment, the inclined portion is constituted by the plate-like inclined plate 15 as described above, and the inclined portion and the stage 6 are connected by the bearing 24, but such a configuration is not necessarily employed. For example, the inclined portion may be constituted by a frame body, and an annularly closed rail may be provided thereon so that the stage 6 can rotate relatively smoothly with respect to the inclined portion. Alternatively, the rotating body 7 is formed as a cylinder, the upper part of the cylinder is obliquely cut off at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation axis 10 to form a slope, and this is used as an inclined part, and an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene or the like is formed on the inclined part. A self-lubricating sheet may be attached. Then, the stage 6 slides smoothly on the inclined portion.

  The swing mechanism 8 that engages the stage 6 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, a fixing member, that is, a support column 25 is provided in the chamber 2. The swing mechanism 8 is provided between the support column 25 and the stage 6. That is, the swing mechanism 8 connects the first pin 27 fixed to the support column 25, the second pin 28 fixed to the side portion of the stage 6, and the first and second pins 27 and 28. And a connecting bar 29. The tip portions 31 and 32 of the first and second pins 27 and 28 are formed in a spherical shape, and spherical receiving seats are formed at both ends of the connecting bar 29. The connecting bar 29 rotatably connects the tip portions 31 and 32 of the first and second pins 27 and 28 by this spherical seat. Accordingly, the stage 6 is allowed to swing as indicated by arrows Y1 and Y2 in a state where the rotation of the stage 6 is restricted with respect to the chamber 2.

  The operation of the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Similar to the conventional film forming apparatus, the film formation product H is placed on the stage 6. Alternatively, a predetermined holder is fixed on the stage 6 and the film formation product H is placed on the holder. The chamber 2 is closed, the air in the chamber 2 is sucked by a vacuum source, and then argon gas is supplied from the argon gas source so that the gas pressure is about several Pa to several tens Pa. When a glow discharge is generated by applying a voltage of several kV so that the stage 6 becomes the anode and the target 4 becomes the cathode, the argon gas is turned into plasma, the argon cations collide with the target 4 and target molecules jump out. The film formation target H is formed by the target molecules that have jumped out. The motor 11 is driven when the film is formed in this way. The rotation is transmitted by the rotation transmission mechanism 13 to rotate the rotating body 7, and the inclined portion, that is, the inclined plate 15 rotates in a state where it is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotating shaft 10. The stage 6 is rotated with respect to the inclined plate 15 because the rotation with respect to the chamber 2 is restricted by the swing mechanism 8, but is swung because the inclined plate 15 is inclined. More precisely, as shown in FIG. 2, the axis 34 perpendicular to the stage 6 swings in an arc as indicated by the arrow Y3. However, since the stage 6 does not rotate around the vertical axis 34, it is not so-called precession. Since the stage 6 is driven in this way, the film formation product H placed on the stage 6 changes its angle with respect to the target 4. Accordingly, the shadowed portion from the target 4 disappears or decreases, and the film-formed product H is formed without unevenness. After film formation for a predetermined time, the motor 11 is stopped and the chamber 2 is opened. The film-formed product is taken out.

  In the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, since the stage 6 does not rotate with respect to the chamber 2, the position of the film formation target H on the stage 6 does not change before and after film formation. Therefore, when the film-formed product H or the film-formed product is handled by a robot arm or the like, handling becomes easy. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the stage 6 is formed in a disc shape, but the stage 6 does not rotate with respect to the chamber 2, so the stage 6 is matched to the shape of the chamber 2. Can be formed. Alternatively, a holder on which the film-formed product H is placed may be formed so as to match the shape of the chamber 2, and this may be fixed on the stage 6. In this way, the chamber 2 can be used efficiently, and when a plurality of film-formed products are formed, the number of films that can be formed simultaneously can be increased.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film-forming apparatus 2 Chamber 4 Target 6 Stage 7 Rotating body 8 Oscillating mechanism 10 Rotating shaft 11 Motor 14 Horizontal plate 15 Inclined plate 19 Vertical piece 20 Coupling piece 24 Bearing 25 Support column 27 First pin 28 Second pin 29 Connection Bar H Deposition product

Claims (4)

A film forming apparatus in which a rotating body is provided at the bottom of the chamber, and a stage on which a film-forming product is placed is provided on the rotating body,
The rotating body is configured to be rotated around a vertical rotation axis by a predetermined driving mechanism, and an upper portion thereof is an inclined portion inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation axis,
The film forming apparatus, wherein the stage is slidably provided on the inclined portion, and is engaged with a fixing member in the chamber via a predetermined swinging mechanism to restrict rotation.   2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an angle of the inclined portion with respect to the rotation axis is adjustable.   3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the swing mechanism includes a first pin fixedly provided on the fixing member, and a second pin fixedly provided on the stage; And a connecting bar, wherein one end of the connecting bar is rotatably connected to the first pin and the other end is rotatably connected to the second pin. .   The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion and the stage are connected via a bearing.

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