JP2020050939A - Film deposition apparatus and method of manufacturing film deposition product - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a film deposition apparatus capable of obtaining excellent uniformity in film thickness distribution, and a method of manufacturing a film deposition product.SOLUTION: A film deposition apparatus has: a chamber 1 in which a vacuum can be produced; a conveyance part which is provided in the chamber 1, and rotates to convey a work W along a circumferential conveyance path L; a film deposition part 4a which deposits a film deposition material constituting a target 61 on the work W conveyed by the conveyance part to deposit a film by making a sputter gas G1 into plasma; a shield member S1 which is provided at the film deposition part 4a to define a part of a film deposition chamber Dp into which the sputter gas G1 is introduced, and also has an opening 91 directed to the conveyance path; a sputter gas introduction part 8 which introduces the sputter gas G1 into the film deposition chamber Dp; a correction member 94 which is provided in the film deposition chamber Dp protruding in such a direction that the opening 91 is narrowed; and a pressure adjustment part which suppresses the pressure in the film deposition chamber Dp from rising through the correction member 94 by reducing the pressure in the film deposition chamber Dp.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus and a method for manufacturing a film formed product.

  In a process of manufacturing various products such as a semiconductor, a display, and an optical disk, a thin film such as an optical film may be formed on a work such as a wafer or a glass substrate. The thin film can be formed by repeatedly forming a film of a metal or the like on a workpiece and performing film processing such as etching, oxidation, or nitridation on the formed film.

  Film formation and film treatment can be performed by various methods, and one of them is a method by plasma treatment. In film formation, a sputtering gas is introduced into a chamber, which is a vacuum vessel in which a target is arranged, and a DC voltage is applied to the target. The target is made to collide with ions of the sputtering gas that has been turned into plasma, and the material beaten from the target is deposited on the work to form a film. In the film processing, a process gas is introduced into a chamber in which electrodes are arranged, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the electrodes. Film processing is performed by colliding ions of the process gas that has been turned into plasma with the film on the work.

  In order to perform such film formation and film processing (hereinafter referred to as plasma processing including both) continuously, a rotary table is mounted inside one chamber, and the ceiling of the chamber, that is, the peripheral area above the rotary table, is mounted. There is a film forming apparatus in which a plurality of film forming units and a film processing unit are arranged in a direction (for example, see Patent Document 1). Thus, an optical film or the like can be formed by holding and transporting the work on the rotary table and passing the work immediately below the film forming unit and the film processing unit.

Japanese Patent No. 4428873

  Such a film forming apparatus has a processing chamber, which is a space for performing plasma processing, in a chamber. A part of this processing chamber is constituted by a shield member. The shield member prevents the film-forming material from the target from being scattered and adhering to the inner wall of the chamber, and the sputter gas or process gas to be introduced (hereinafter, referred to as a reaction gas including both) flowing out of each processing chamber. Provided to prevent.

  The edge of the shield member is close to the work with a gap in order to allow passage of the work. In order to minimize the leakage of the reaction gas, it is preferable to make the gap between the shield member and the work as small as possible. For example, it is set so that a gap of about several mm is formed between the edge of the shield member and the work.

  However, in the film forming chamber of the processing chamber, the film forming rate, which is the amount of film forming material deposited per unit time or the film thickness, is different in a desired region on the surface of the work. In some cases, the distribution of the film thickness is not uniform over the entire surface to be formed. For this reason, attempts have been made to achieve uniform film thickness distribution by adjusting the flow rate of the sputtering gas, the size, position, number, applied voltage, etc. of the target. However, even with such an adjustment method, good film thickness uniformity may not always be obtained.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a film forming apparatus and a method for manufacturing a film formed product, which can obtain good uniformity of film thickness distribution.

  In order to achieve the above object, a film forming apparatus of the present invention is provided with a chamber capable of evacuating the inside thereof, and a work provided along the circumferential transfer path provided in the chamber and rotated. A transfer unit for transferring, a film forming unit for forming a film by forming a film forming material forming a target by plasmatizing a sputtering gas on the work transferred by the transfer unit; A shield member provided in the film section and defining a part of a film formation chamber into which the sputtering gas is introduced, and having an opening toward the transport path; and a sputtering gas introduction for introducing the sputtering gas into the film formation chamber. A correction member provided in the film formation chamber so as to protrude in a direction to narrow the opening, and a pressure adjustment unit configured to suppress a pressure increase in the film formation chamber due to the correction member.

  The correction member may be provided at an edge on the opening side of the shield member. The correction member may be provided at a position where the rotation of the transport unit does not overlap with the target in the axial direction.

  The pressure adjustment unit may include a supply amount adjustment unit that adjusts a supply amount of the sputtering gas to the film formation chamber. The pressure adjusting unit may include an exhaust amount adjusting unit that adjusts an exhaust amount of the sputtering gas from the film forming chamber. The displacement adjusting unit may include a window that is a through hole formed in the shield member, a shutter that opens and closes the window, and an operation member that operates the shutter from outside the chamber. . Note that a method for manufacturing a film-formed product using such a film formation apparatus is also one embodiment of the present invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the manufacturing method of the film-forming apparatus and film-forming product which can obtain favorable uniformity of a film thickness distribution can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective plan view schematically illustrating a configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the shield member of embodiment of FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the shield member of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a correction member of FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of the film forming apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows a displacement control part. It is a perspective view which shows an adjustment member. It is a side view which shows an adjustment member and a workpiece | work.

[Constitution]
Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction according to gravity is defined as the downward direction, and the direction against the gravity is defined as the upward direction.

[Chamber]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the film forming apparatus 100 has a chamber 1. The chamber 1 is a bottomed container having a substantially cylindrical shape. The inside of the chamber 1 can be evacuated. An opening / closing lid 1 a is provided at an opening of the chamber 1. The lid 1a is a circular plate-shaped member, and hermetically seals the upper part of the chamber 1. Further, an exhaust unit 2 is provided in the chamber 1 so that the inside of the chamber 1 can be evacuated to a vacuum. That is, the chamber 1 functions as a vacuum container. The exhaust unit 2 has a pipe connected to a pneumatic circuit including a vacuum source (not shown). The connection point of this pneumatic circuit is the exhaust position. In the present embodiment, the exhaust position is at the bottom of the chamber 1. In the present embodiment, the lid 1a of the chamber 1 is at the top and the bottom is at the bottom, but the lid 1a may be at the bottom and the bottom may be at the top.

[Rotary table]
In the chamber 1, a circular rotary table 3 that rotates horizontally is provided as a transport unit that transports the work W along a circumferential transport path L. That is, the hollow rotary cylinder 3b penetrates the bottom of the chamber 1 and stands inside the chamber 1, and the rotary table 3 is attached to the rotary cylinder 3b. A drive mechanism (not shown) including a motor 31 (see FIG. 6) and the like is connected to the rotary cylinder 3b. The rotary table 3 is rotated around the rotary cylinder 3b by the drive of the drive mechanism. An immovable column 3c is arranged inside the hollow rotary cylinder 3b. The column 3 c is fixed to a base (not shown) provided outside the chamber 1, penetrates the bottom of the chamber 1, and stands inside the chamber 1. An opening is provided at the center of the turntable 3. The column 3 c passes through the opening of the turntable 3, and the tip is located between the upper surface of the turntable 3 and the upper surface of the chamber 1. In the following description, the axis of the rotary cylinder 3b is the axis of rotation of the rotary table 3. The side closer to the rotation axis of the turntable 3 is defined as the inner side, and the side away from the rotation axis is defined as the outer side.

  A ball bearing 3d is arranged between the opening of the turntable 3 and the column 3c. That is, the turntable 3 is rotatably supported by the column 3c via the ball bearing 3d. Note that the tip of the column 3c constitutes an inner peripheral support portion IP described later.

  On the upper surface of the turntable 3, a plurality of holding portions 3a for holding the work W are provided. The plurality of holding portions 3a are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the turntable 3. As the rotary table 3 rotates, the work W held by the holder 3a moves in the circumferential direction of the rotary table 3. In other words, on the surface of the turntable 3, a transport path L, which is a circumferential movement locus of the work W, is formed. The holding unit 3a can be, for example, a depression or a tray on which the work W is placed. The holding unit 3a may be provided with a chuck member such as an electrostatic chuck or a mechanical chuck for gripping the work W.

  In the present embodiment, a substrate having a convex portion in the center is used as an example of the work W, but the type, shape, and material of the work W to be subjected to the plasma processing are not limited to specific ones. For example, a flat substrate may be used, or a curved substrate having a concave portion or a convex portion may be used. Further, a material containing a conductive material such as metal or carbon, a material containing an insulator such as glass or rubber, or a material containing a semiconductor such as silicon may be used. The work W formed by the film forming apparatus 100 may be referred to as a film-formed product.

[Processing unit]
At a position facing the holding unit 3 a of the turntable 3, a processing unit 4 that performs each process in the film forming apparatus 100 is provided. The processing units 4 are arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval along the transport path L of the work W formed on the surface of the turntable 3. The process of each process is performed by the workpiece W held by the holding unit 3a passing through the position facing each processing unit 4.

  In the example of FIG. 1, seven processing units 4 are arranged along the transport path L on the turntable 3. In the present embodiment, the processing unit 4 that performs the film forming process on the work W is the film forming unit 4a. The processing unit 4 that performs processing on the film formed on the work W by the film forming unit 4a is the film processing unit 4b. In the present embodiment, the film forming unit 4a forms a film by sputtering using plasma. That is, the film forming unit 4a forms a film by depositing a film forming material constituting the target 61 by turning the sputtering gas G1 into plasma on the work W conveyed by the rotary table 3 (FIG. 2). reference).

  The film processing unit 4b will be described as a processing unit 4 that performs post-oxidation. The post-oxidation is a process of oxidizing the metal film formed by the film forming unit 4a with oxygen ions generated by plasma. The processing of the film processing unit 4b is not limited to this. For example, nitriding may be performed after nitriding the metal film by nitrogen ions or the like generated by plasma. Oxynitridation with oxygen ions or nitrogen ions may be performed. The film forming unit 4a and the film processing unit 4b are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. In the present embodiment, there are six film forming units 4a and one film processing unit 4b. However, among the plurality of processing units 4, it is sufficient that at least one film forming unit 4a is provided.

(Deposition unit)
The film forming unit 4a has a sputtering source 6, as shown in FIG. The sputtering source 6 is a supply source of a film forming material. The sputtering source 6 has a target 61, a backing plate 62, and an electrode 63. The target 61 is a plate-shaped member made of a film-forming material that is deposited on the work W to form a film. The target 61 is installed at a position facing the work W when the work W passes through a position facing the film forming unit 4a. The target 61 of the present embodiment is provided with three circular targets. The centers of the two targets 61 are arranged in the radial direction of the turntable 3. One target 61 is arranged at a position where the center forms the vertex of an isosceles triangle with the centers of the other two targets 61 (see FIG. 1).

  The backing plate 62 is a member that holds the target 61. The electrode 63 is a conductive member for applying electric power to the target 61 from outside the chamber 1. The sputter source 6 is provided with a magnet, a cooling mechanism, and the like as necessary.

  The target 61 is connected to a DC power supply 7 for applying a DC voltage via an electrode 63. At the bottom of the chamber 1, a sputtering gas introduction unit 8 is provided at a position facing the target 61 so as to introduce the sputtering gas G1 into the inside of the chamber 1. The sputtering gas G <b> 1 is a gas for causing ions generated to collide with the target 61 by plasma generated by application of electric power and depositing the material of the target 61 on the surface of the work W. For example, as the sputtering gas G1, for example, an inert gas such as argon can be used.

  The shield member S1 is provided at a position surrounding the target 61 of the sputtering source 6 as described above. The shield member S1 is a member that defines a part of a gas space into which the sputtering gas G1 is introduced, and has an opening 91 toward the transfer path L inside the chamber 1. The gas space here is a film forming chamber Dp in which a film is formed by the film forming unit 4a. “Defining a part of the gas space” means forming a boundary of a part of the gas space. Therefore, the shield member S1 does not cover the entire gas space, and does not cover the gas space between the end surface of the shield member S1 facing the rotary table 3 and the rotary table 3.

  The shield member S1 has a cover portion 92 and a side portion 93. The cover portion 92 is a member that forms a ceiling of the film forming chamber Dp. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover portion 92 is a substantially fan-shaped plate-shaped body arranged in parallel with the plane of the turntable 3. In the cover portion 92, a target hole 92a having the same size and shape as the target 61 is formed at a position corresponding to each target 61 so that each target 61 is exposed in the film forming chamber Dp.

  The side surface portion 93 is a member that forms the side surface of the peripheral edge of the film forming chamber Dp. The side surface portion 93 has an outer peripheral wall 93a, an inner peripheral wall 93b, and partition walls 93c and 93d. The outer peripheral wall 93a and the inner peripheral wall 93b have a rectangular parallelepiped shape curved in an arc shape, and are plate-like bodies extending in the axial direction of the turntable 3. The upper edge of the outer peripheral wall 93 a is attached to the outer edge of the cover 92. The upper edge of the inner peripheral wall 93 b is attached to the inner edge of the cover 92.

  Each of the partition walls 93c and 93d is a plate having a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape and extending in the axial direction of the turntable 3. Upper edges of the partitions 93c and 93d are respectively attached to a pair of radial edges of the cover 92. The joint between the cover 92 and the side 93 is hermetically sealed. The cover portion 92 and the side surface portion 93 may be formed integrally, that is, continuously formed of a common material. With such a shield member S1, the upper and peripheral side surfaces are covered with the cover portion 92 and the side surface portion 93, and a part of the film forming chamber Dp whose side toward the work W is open is formed.

  The film forming chamber Dp is an area where most of the film forming is performed. However, even in a region deviating from the film forming chamber Dp, there is leakage of the film forming material from the film forming chamber Dp. This is not to say that there is no film deposition at all. That is, the film formation region where the film formation is performed in the film formation unit 4a is a region slightly larger than the film formation chamber Dp defined by the shield member S1. Note that a pressure sensor SE (see FIG. 6) for detecting the pressure inside the film forming chamber Dp is provided in the shield member S1.

  The shield member S <b> 1 has a substantially fan shape whose diameter increases outward from the center in the radial direction of the turntable 3 in plan view. The term "substantially sector-shaped" as used herein means the shape of the sector of the fan. The opening 91 of the shield member S1 is also substantially fan-shaped. The speed at which the work W held on the turntable 3 passes through the position facing the opening 91 becomes slower toward the center in the radial direction of the turntable 3 and becomes faster toward the outside. Therefore, if the opening 91 is simply a rectangle or a square, there is a difference in the time when the workpiece W passes through the position facing the opening 11 between the center side and the outside in the radial direction. By increasing the diameter of the opening 91 from the center side to the outside in the radial direction, the time during which the workpiece W passes through the opening 91 can be constant, and the plasma processing described later can be made uniform. However, a rectangular or square shape may be used as long as the difference between the passing times does not cause a problem in the product.

  The shield member S1 is supported by the support P. The support portion P is a member that is immovable with respect to the chamber 1 and independent of the lid 1a. In the present embodiment, the support portion P has an outer peripheral support portion OP and an inner peripheral support portion IP. The outer peripheral support portion OP is a plurality of columnar members erected from the bottom of the chamber 1 and extends to a position outside the turntable 3 and slightly higher than the work W mounted on the turntable 3. I have. The inner peripheral support portion IP is a flat surface provided at the tip of the column 3c. The inner peripheral support portion IP is set so that the axial length, that is, the height, of the rotary table 3 is equal to the outer peripheral support portion OP.

  The shield member S1 is mounted on the outer peripheral support OP and the inner peripheral support IP. Thus, the upper end of the outer peripheral support OP supports the outer peripheral wall 93a of the shield member S1, and the inner peripheral support IP supports the inner peripheral wall 93b of the shield member S1. An interval is formed between the partition walls 93c and 93d and the rotary table 3 so that the work W on the rotating rotary table 3 can pass through. That is, the height of the support portion P is set so that a slight gap is generated between the shield member S1 and the work W.

  Further, a correction member 94 is provided on the shield member S1, as shown in FIGS. The correction member 94 is provided in the film forming chamber Dp so as to protrude in a direction to narrow the opening 91. Further, the correction member 94 is provided at the edge on the opening 91 side. Further, the correction member 94 is provided at a position where the rotation table 3 does not overlap with the target 61 in the axial direction. The correcting member 94 can correct the film thickness distribution by forming a region that blocks a part of the sputtered particles of the film forming material. That is, the correction member 94 is a member that shields a portion where a large amount of sputter particles adhere and a film is likely to be thickened so that sputter particles do not adhere more than necessary. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the correction member 94 is formed by a plate-like body that is at the lower end of the partition wall 93d of the shield member S1 and protrudes in the direction inside the film forming chamber Dp.

  As an example, the correction member 94 has three peaks protruding toward the film forming chamber Dp at locations where the film thickness in the circumferential direction increases. Thereby, the sputtered particles are shielded at the peaks and are prevented from adhering to the work W more than necessary, so that the film thickness distribution can be made uniform. However, this shape is an example, and various shapes for making the film thickness distribution uniform can be considered, and thus the shape is not limited to a specific shape.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a sputtering gas introduction unit 8 is connected to the film forming chamber Dp. The sputtering gas introduction unit 8 is a component that introduces the sputtering gas G1 into the film formation chamber Dp. The sputter gas introduction unit 8 has a pipe 81 connected to a supply source of the sputter gas G1 such as a cylinder (not shown). The tip of the pipe 81 extends through the chamber 1 in a gas-tight manner and extends inside the shield member S1.

  The film forming apparatus 100 has a pressure adjusting unit that suppresses a pressure increase in the film forming chamber Dp due to the correction member 94. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the pressure adjustment unit of the present embodiment is a supply amount adjustment unit 82 that adjusts the supply amount of the sputtering gas G1 to the film forming chamber Dp. The supply amount adjuster 82 adjusts the supply amount of the sputtering gas G1 so that the sputtering pressure is maintained. The supply amount adjusting unit 82 is, for example, a mass flow controller (MFC). The MFC is a member having a mass flow meter that measures the flow rate of a fluid and a solenoid valve that controls the flow rate. By reducing the supply amount of the sputtering gas G1 by the supply amount adjusting unit 82, the pressure in the film formation chamber Dp can be reduced, and the pressure increase in the film formation chamber Dp can be suppressed.

(Film processing unit)
The membrane processing unit 4b is provided on the lid 1a of the chamber 1 and includes a cylindrical electrode (hereinafter, referred to as a "cylindrical electrode") 10. The cylindrical electrode 10 is a plasma source that generates plasma for performing plasma processing on the workpiece W passing through the transport path L in a gas space into which the process gas G2 is introduced. The gas space referred to here is a film processing chamber Cp in which film processing is performed by the film processing unit 4b.

  The cylindrical electrode 10 of the present embodiment has a rectangular cylindrical shape, has an opening 11 at one end, and is closed at the other end. The cylindrical electrode 10 passes through a through hole provided in the lid 1 a of the chamber 1, the end on the opening 11 side is located inside the chamber 1, and the closed end is located outside the chamber 1. It is arranged to be. The cylindrical electrode 10 is supported on the periphery of the through hole of the chamber 1 via an insulating material. The opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10 is disposed at a position facing the transport path L formed on the turntable 3. That is, the rotary table 3 transports the work W and passes the work W through the position facing the opening 11. Then, the position facing the opening 11 is the passage position of the work W.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cylindrical electrode 10 and the opening 11 thereof are substantially the same as the shield member S <b> 1, as viewed from above, the diameter of which increases from the center to the outside in the radial direction of the turntable 3. It has a fan shape. The reason for the substantially sector shape is the same as that of the shield member S1, and a rectangular or square shape may be used as long as the difference in passage time does not cause a problem in the product.

  The cylindrical electrode 10 is housed inside the shield member S2. The shield member S2 defines a part of a gas space into which the process gas G2 is introduced, and can be regarded as a shield member S having an opening 13a toward the transfer path L inside the chamber 1. “Defining a part of the gas space” means forming a boundary of a part of the gas space. Therefore, the shield member S2 does not cover the entire gas space, and does not cover the gas space between the end surface of the shield member S2 facing the rotary table 3 and the rotary table 3. In the following description, when the shield members S1 and S2 are not distinguished, they may be referred to as shield members S.

  The process gas G2 is a gas for forming a compound film by causing active species generated by plasma generated by microwaves to penetrate into a film deposited on the surface of the work W. The process gas G2 can be appropriately changed depending on the purpose of the processing. For example, oxygen is used to oxidize a film, nitrogen is used to nitride a film, and a mixed gas of oxygen and nitrogen is used to oxynitride a film. Further, when etching is performed, an inert gas such as argon can be used as an etching gas. In the following description, the sputter gas G1 and the process gas G2 may be referred to as a reaction gas G when not distinguished.

  The shield member S2 has an outer shield 12 and an inner shield 13. As described above, the cylindrical electrode 10 penetrates the through hole of the chamber 1, and a part thereof is exposed to the outside of the chamber 1. A portion of the cylindrical electrode 10 exposed to the outside of the chamber 1 is covered with an external shield 12 as shown in FIG. The space inside the chamber 1 is kept airtight by the outer shield 12. The periphery of a portion of the cylindrical electrode 10 located inside the chamber 1 is covered with an internal shield 13.

  The inner shield 13 has a rectangular cylindrical shape similar to the cylindrical electrode 10, and is supported by the lid 1 a inside the chamber 1. Each side surface of the cylinder of the inner shield 13 is provided substantially parallel to each side surface of the cylindrical electrode 10. The end face of the inner shield 13 facing the rotary table 3 is located at the same position in the height direction as the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10, but the end face of the inner shield 13 is an opening 13a. The opening 13 a is provided with a flange 14 extending parallel to the plane of the turntable 3. The flange 14 suppresses the plasma generated inside the cylindrical electrode 10 from flowing out of the inner shield 13. The work W conveyed by the rotary table 3 passes through a gap between the rotary table 3 and the opening 13a and is carried into a position facing the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10, and is again moved between the rotary table 3 and the opening 13a. It is carried out from the position facing the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10 through the gap.

  An RF power supply 15 for applying a high-frequency voltage is connected to the cylindrical electrode 10. On the output side of the RF power supply 15, a matching box 21 as a matching circuit is connected in series. RF power supply 15 is also connected to chamber 1. The cylindrical electrode 10 functions as an anode, and the turntable 3 erected from the chamber 1 functions as a cathode. The matching box 21 stabilizes the plasma discharge by matching the impedance on the input side and the impedance on the output side. The chamber 1 and the turntable 3 are grounded. The inner shield 13 having the flange 14 is also grounded.

  Further, a process gas introduction unit 16 is connected to the cylindrical electrode 10, and a process gas is supplied from an external process gas supply source through the process gas introduction unit 16 to the inside of the cylindrical electrode 10 inside the shield member S2. Gas G2 is introduced. The process gas introduction unit 16 is a gas supply unit that supplies the process gas G2 into the film processing chamber Cp. The RF power supply 15 and the process gas introduction unit 16 are both connected to the cylindrical electrode 10 via through holes provided in the outer shield 12.

[Load lock section]
As shown in FIG. 1, between any one of the processing units 4, an unprocessed work W is loaded into the chamber 1 from outside while maintaining the vacuum in the chamber 1, There is provided a load lock section 5 for carrying out the work W to the outside of the chamber 1. In the present embodiment, the transport direction of the work W is clockwise in plan view. However, this is an example, and the transport direction, the type of the processing unit, the arrangement order, and the number are not limited to specific ones, and can be determined as appropriate.

[Control unit]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the control unit 70 is a device that controls each unit of the film forming apparatus 100. The control unit 70 can be configured by, for example, a dedicated electronic circuit including a processor, a memory, or the like, or a computer that operates according to a predetermined program. That is, the control regarding the introduction and exhaust of the sputtering gas G1 and the process gas G2 to the shield members S1 and S2 in the chamber 1, the control of the DC power supply 7 and the RF power supply 15, the control of the rotation of the turntable 3, and the like are performed. Content is programmed. The control unit 70 executes this program by a processing device such as a PLC or a CPU, and can correspond to various types of plasma processing specifications.

  The specific targets to be controlled are as follows. That is, the rotation speed of the motor 31 of the turntable 3, the initial exhaust pressure of the chamber 1, the selection of the processing unit 4 to be operated, the power applied to the target 61, the flow rates, types, introduction time, and exhaust of the sputtering gas G1 and the process gas G2. And the time of film formation and film processing.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the control unit 70 controls the film formation rate by controlling the application of electric power to the target 61 of the film formation unit 4a and the supply amount of the sputtering gas G1 from the sputtering gas introduction unit 8. . The control unit 70 controls the film processing rate by controlling the supply amount of the process gas G2 from the process gas introduction unit 16.

  The configuration of the control unit 70 for executing the operation of each unit as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 6 which is a block diagram. That is, the control unit 70 includes a mechanism control unit 71, a power supply control unit 72, a gas control unit 73, a storage unit 74, a setting unit 75, and an input / output control unit 76.

  The mechanism control unit 71 is a processing unit that controls driving sources such as the exhaust unit 2, the sputtering gas introduction unit 8, the process gas introduction unit 16, the turntable 3, and the load lock unit 5, solenoid valves, switches, and power supplies. The power control unit 72 is a processing unit that controls the DC power supply 7 and the RF power supply 15.

  For example, the power supply control unit 72 individually controls the power applied to each target 61. To make the film forming rate uniform over the entire work W, the power is increased from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side in consideration of the speed difference between the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side. In other words, the power may be determined in proportion to the inner and outer speeds.

  However, the proportional control is an example, and the power may be increased as the speed increases, and the processing rate may be set to be uniform. In addition, the power applied to the target 61 may be increased at a portion where the film thickness to be formed on the work W is to be increased, and the power applied to the target 61 may be decreased at a portion where the film thickness is desired to be reduced.

  The gas control unit 73 is a processing unit that controls the introduction amount of the sputtering gas G1 by the supply amount adjustment unit 82. For example, when the film formation rate is desired to be uniform over the entire work W on the premise that the correction member 94 is provided, the supply amount of the sputtering gas G1 to the film formation chamber Dp is reduced. More specifically, the film thickness distribution in the case where the correction member 94 is not provided is obtained beforehand by trial or experiment to determine the conditions of the film forming conditions. Then, the pressure in the film forming chamber Dp determined by the supply amount per unit time of the sputtering gas G1 used in the above experiment and the like is set as a reference pressure. That is, the reference pressure is a pressure value in the film forming chamber Dp when a film is formed without the correction member 94. The reference pressure may be one value or selected from a plurality of profiled values. Then, the operator monitors the pressure in the film formation chamber Dp detected by the pressure sensor SE after starting the film formation, and if the detected pressure becomes higher than the reference pressure, the pressure is detected. The supply amount adjustment unit 82 reduces the supply amount of the sputtering gas G1 per unit time so that the pressure becomes the reference pressure. Note that the gas control unit 73 may perform feedback control so that the detected pressure becomes the reference pressure.

  The storage unit 74 is a configuration unit that stores information necessary for control of the present embodiment. The information stored in the storage unit 74 includes the exhaust amount of the exhaust unit 2 per unit time, the power applied to each target 61, the supply amounts of the sputtering gas G1 and the process gas G2 per unit time, and the reference pressure. The setting unit 75 is a processing unit that sets information input from the outside in the storage unit 74.

Such a setting can be performed, for example, as follows. First, the relationship between the film thickness and the applied power or the supply amount of the sputtering gas G1 corresponding thereto, and the relationship between the applied power and the supply amount of the process gas G2 corresponding thereto are determined in advance by experiments or the like. Then, at least one of them is tabulated and stored in the storage unit 74. Then, according to the film thickness, applied power, or supply amount input from the outside, the setting unit 75 determines the applied power or the supply amount with reference to the table.

  The input / output control unit 76 is an interface that controls signal conversion and input / output with each unit to be controlled. Further, an input device 77 and an output device 78 are connected to the control unit 70. The input device 77 is an input unit such as a switch, a touch panel, a keyboard, and a mouse for an operator to operate the film forming apparatus 100 via the control unit 70. For example, the selection of the film forming unit 4a and the film processing unit 4b to be used, the desired film thickness, the applied power of each target 61, the supply amounts of the sputtering gas G1 and the process gas G2, and the reference pressure can be input by the input unit. it can. Further, the supply amount adjusting unit 82 can be operated using the input device 77.

  The output device 78 is an output unit such as a display, a lamp, and a meter that makes information for confirming the state of the device visible to an operator. For example, the output device 78 can display a screen for inputting information from the input device 77. In this case, the introduction positions of the target 61, the sputtering gas G1, and the process gas G2 may be displayed in a schematic diagram, and the respective positions may be selected so that numerical values can be input. Alternatively, the positions where the target 61, the sputter gas G1, and the process gas G2 are introduced may be displayed in a schematic diagram, and the values set for each may be displayed numerically. Further, the pressure detected by the pressure sensor SE is displayed as a numerical value, and the operator can operate the supply amount adjusting unit 82 with the input device 77.

[motion]
The operation of the film forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. Note that a method of manufacturing a film-formed product by the following procedure is also an aspect of the present embodiment. In the film forming apparatus 100, film forming conditions are set according to the film to be formed on the work W to be processed, and the film forming conditions are set according to the shape of the work W and the mounting position on the holding unit 3a. A correction member 94 having a shape is attached. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the chamber 1 sealed by the lid 1a is evacuated and evacuated by the exhaust unit 2 as shown by a black arrow in the figure. An unprocessed work W is carried into the chamber 1 from the load lock unit 5 while maintaining the vacuum state in the chamber 1. The loaded work W is held by the holding section 3a of the turntable 3 sequentially positioned in the load lock section 5. Further, by rotating the rotary table 3 continuously, the workpiece W is circulated and transported along the transport path L, and passes through the position facing each processing unit 4.

  In the film forming section 4a, the sputtering gas G1 is introduced from the sputtering gas introduction section 8, and a DC voltage is applied from the DC power supply 7 to the sputtering source 6. The application of the DC voltage converts the sputter gas G1 into plasma and generates ions. When the generated ions collide with the target 61, the material of the target 61 jumps out. The thin material is formed on the work W by the protruding material being deposited on the work W passing through the position facing the film forming unit 4a. However, it is not always necessary to form a film in all the film forming units 4a. As an example, here, a metal film such as Si is formed on the work W by DC sputtering.

  The workpiece W on which the film is formed by the film forming unit 4a is continuously conveyed by the rotary table 3 on the conveying path L, and the film processing unit 4b opposes the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10, that is, the film processing. Pass through the position. As described above, in the present embodiment, an example in which post-oxidation is performed in the film processing unit 4b will be described. In the film processing section 4b, an oxygen gas, which is a process gas G2, is introduced into the cylindrical electrode 10 from the process gas introducing section 16 and a high frequency voltage is applied to the cylindrical electrode 10 from the RF power supply 15. Oxygen gas is turned into plasma by application of a high frequency voltage, and electrons, ions, radicals, and the like are generated. The plasma flows from the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10 as the anode to the rotary table 3 as the cathode. When the ions in the plasma collide with the thin film on the work W passing under the opening 11, the thin film is post-oxidized.

  In the course of the processing as described above, the value of the pressure in the film forming chamber Dp is detected by the pressure sensor SE and displayed on the output device 78. If the displayed pressure value exceeds the reference pressure, the operator controls the supply amount adjusting unit 82 using the input device 77 to reduce the supply amount of the sputtering gas G1 and display the display. The pressure is maintained at the reference pressure. That is, a pressure increase in the film forming chamber Dp caused by the provision of the correction member 94 can be prevented by comparison with the reference pressure. Further, it is not necessary to constantly monitor the pressure detected by the pressure sensor SE, and the pressure sensor SE may be turned off when the pressure reaches the reference pressure.

[Effects]
(1) The film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is provided in the chamber 1 whose interior can be evacuated, and transports the work W along the transport path L around the chamber 1 by rotating. A film is formed by depositing a film forming material constituting the target 61 by turning the sputtering gas G1 into plasma on the rotary table 3 which is a transporting unit and the work W transported by the rotary table 3. A film part 4a, a shield member S1 provided in the film formation part 4a, defining a part of the film formation chamber Dp into which the sputtering gas G1 is introduced, and having an opening 91 toward the transport path L; By introducing a sputtering gas G1 into the film formation chamber Dp, a correction member 94 provided in the film formation chamber Dp so as to protrude in the direction to narrow the opening 91, and reducing the pressure in the film formation chamber Dp. Correction unit Having a pressure regulator to reduce the pressure rise in the deposition chamber Dp by 94.

  This suppresses a pressure increase due to the correction member 94 and can maintain uniformity of the film thickness distribution. Here, basic control of the film thickness can be achieved by adjusting the voltage applied to the plurality of targets 61. Therefore, by controlling the voltage applied to each target 61, it is possible to obtain a certain degree of uniformity of the film thickness distribution. For example, it is possible to obtain a uniformity of about ± 3%. However, it is difficult to obtain, for example, uniformity of about ± 1% only by controlling the applied voltage.

  In order to cope with this, first, the present inventor studied to make the film thickness uniform by providing a correction member 94 in addition to controlling the voltage applied to the target 61. That is, an attempt was made to reduce the deposited film forming material by blocking a part of the sputtered particles in the film forming chamber Dp by the correction member 94 at the place where the film thickness tends to be large. As a result, it was confirmed that the correction member 94 improved the uniformity of the film thickness distribution. However, there was a difference in the degree of improvement depending on the device to which the correction member 94 was applied. When this was examined, it was found that there was a difference in the degree of improvement depending on the shape and size of the correction member 94.

  As a result of intensive studies on why such a difference occurs, the inventor has found that a difference in the pressure in the film forming chamber Dp occurs due to a difference in the shape and size of the correction member 94. Then, it has been found that the difference in pressure in the film forming chamber Dp during film formation is more remarkable when the correction member 94 is not provided and when the correction member 94 is provided. That is, it was considered that the increase in the pressure in the film forming chamber Dp during film formation due to the provision of the correction member 94 affected the film thickness distribution.

  Here, the correction member 94 is interposed so as to narrow the opening 91 in a gap between the end surface of the shield member S1 on the opening 91 side and the rotary table 3 or the work W. For this reason, in the correction member 94, the conductance value indicating the difficulty of the flow of the sputtering gas G1 in the gap between the end surface of the shield member S1 on the opening 91 side and the rotary table 3 or the work W decreases, and the film forming chamber It is considered that the sputter gas G1 introduced into Dp became more difficult to flow out, resulting in an unnecessary increase in pressure. Therefore, the present inventor has found that by providing a pressure adjusting section for reducing the pressure increase in the film forming chamber Dp caused by the correction member 94, good uniformity of the film thickness distribution can be realized.

(2) The correction member 94 is provided at the edge of the shield member S1 on the opening 91 side. Here, focusing only on the conductance, the conductance can be increased by providing the correction member 94 on the target 61 side rather than the opening 91 side of the shield member S1. However, in this case, since the distance between the correction member 94 and the work W is increased, the sputtered particles that collide with the reactive gas G molecules below the correction member 94 and are scattered easily adhere to the work W. The effect of 94 is diminished. In the present embodiment, since the pressure adjusting section is provided, it is possible to suppress an increase in the pressure of the film forming chamber Dp. Therefore, the correcting member 94 is provided on the edge of the shield member S1 on the opening 91 side, and the scattered sputtered particles are provided. Can be prevented from adhering to the work W, and the uniformity of the film thickness can be maintained.

(3) The correction member 94 is provided at a position where the rotation of the turntable 3 does not overlap the target 61 in the axial direction. When the correction member 94 is opposed to the target 61, the shielding effect becomes too large, and the influence of the processing error of the correction member 94 and the assembly error by the assembling operator becomes large, and the uniformity of the film thickness is rather spoiled. In the present embodiment, since the correction member 94 is provided at a position where the correction member 94 does not overlap with the target 61, good uniformity of the film thickness can be maintained.

(4) The pressure adjustment unit has a supply amount adjustment unit 82 that adjusts the supply amount of the sputtering gas G1 to the film formation chamber Dp. When the supply amount adjusting unit 82 is provided in this manner, the pressure in the film forming chamber Dp is appropriately maintained according to the shape and size of the attached correction member 94 (the area interposed in the film forming chamber Dp). Can be.

[Modification]
Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described aspects, and include the following modifications.

(1) As shown in FIG. 7, the pressure adjusting section may be an exhaust amount adjusting section 83 for adjusting the exhaust amount of the sputtering gas G1 from the film forming chamber Dp. The displacement adjusting unit 83 includes, for example, an exhaust port 95 formed in the shield member S1, and an opening / closing mechanism 96 that opens and closes the exhaust port 95. The exhaust port 95 is a through hole formed in the outer peripheral wall 93a of the side surface portion 93 of the shield member S1. The exhaust port 95 allows the sputtering gas G1 in the film forming chamber Dp to flow into the chamber 1. The exhaust port 95 of the present embodiment is circular, but is not limited to this shape.

  The opening / closing mechanism 96 has a shutter 96a and an operation member 96b. The shutter 96a is a member that closes the exhaust port 95 from outside the outer peripheral wall 93a. The shutter 96a of the present embodiment is a drop-shaped plate-shaped body, but is not limited to this shape. The operation member 96b is a rod-shaped member, airtightly penetrates the side surface of the chamber 1, and has one end rotatably connected to the outer peripheral wall 93a of the shield member S1. A shutter 96a is fixed near one end of the operation member 96b. Further, the other end of the operation member 96b air-tightly penetrates the side surface of the chamber 1 and is exposed outside the chamber 1. The exposed end of the operation member 96b serves as a handle for the operator to grip and rotate.

  In such an opening / closing mechanism 96, in the initial state, the shutter 96a is located at a position where the shutter 96a blocks the exhaust port 95, thereby preventing leakage of the sputter gas G1. When the operator determines that the pressure in the film forming chamber Dp measured by the pressure sensor SE exceeds the reference pressure during the film forming process as described above, the operator rotates the operating member 96b. . Then, the shutter 96a rotates and the exhaust port 95 is opened. As a result, the sputtering gas G1 is exhausted, and a pressure increase in the film forming chamber Dp is suppressed. Therefore, the pressure increase due to the correction member 94 can be suppressed, and the uniformity of the film thickness can be maintained. Further, the degree of opening of the exhaust port 95 can be adjusted in accordance with the shape and size of the attached correction member 94 (the area interposed in the film forming chamber Dp). For this reason, even if the shape and the like of the work W change and the correction member 94 is changed accordingly, the pressure in the film forming chamber Dp can be maintained at an appropriate pressure.

(2) The correction member 94 may not be directly fixed to the shield member S1. The correction member 94 may be provided detachably on the shield member S1. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a correction member 94 is provided on an adjustment member 97 which is detachably provided on the partition 93d of the shield member S1. The adjustment member 97 has the same shape as the partition 93d, but is provided with a correction member 94 that protrudes in a direction to narrow the opening 91 of the shield member S1.

  A positioning portion F for positioning is formed on the adjusting member 97. The positioning portion F of the present embodiment has a hook shape with a bent nail. A plurality of substantially square lightening holes Ha are formed in the partition walls 93c and 93d to reduce the weight. A locking portion Hb for locking the positioning portion F is formed on the lower edge of the lightening hole Ha. The locking portion Hb of this embodiment is a notch into which the hook-shaped positioning portion F fits. The adjusting member 97 is inserted from the opening 91 below the shield member S1, and is locked by hooking the positioning portion F to the locking portion Hb. Thereby, the correction member 94 is attached to the shield member S1. By preparing the adjusting members 97 having the correcting members 94 of various shapes, the film thickness distribution can be changed only by replacing the adjusting members 97.

(3) As shown in FIG. 9, even if an edge 97 a shaped along the curved surface of the work W is formed on the end surface of the shield member S <b> 1 on the opening 91 side or the end of the adjustment member 97 facing the work W. Good. In the example of FIG. 9, the work W is conveyed on the rotary table 3 by being placed on a holding portion 3 a such as a tray having a convex shape such as a curved surface on the surface due to the curvature and having a concave shape on the back surface thereof. This is the case. In this example, the edge 97a is formed on the adjustment member 97 by a concave portion having a shape along the convex portion of the work W. As a result, the edges 70a of the adjustment member 97 face each other at intervals so as to match the shape of the work W on the holding portion 3a conveyed to the rotary table 3, so that the shield member S1 Is prevented from increasing, and leakage of the film forming material and the sputtering gas G1 can be prevented.

(4) Since the film-forming material at the time of sputtering in the film-forming chamber Dp adheres to the adjustment member 97, the adjustment member 97 also functions as a deposition-preventing plate for preventing formation of a film on the shield member S1. The membrane can be removed by removing or adjusting or cleaning the adjusting member 97. Therefore, the trouble of cleaning or replacing the heavy shield member S1 can be saved. The correction member 94 or the adjustment member 97 may be provided on one of the partition walls 93c and 93d, or may be provided on both.

(5) In the above embodiment, the transport section is the rotary table 3, but the transport section is not limited to the rotary table 3. A mode in which a tray or a work W is held by an arm extending radially from the rotation center and rotated is also possible. Further, the processing unit 4 may be located on the bottom side of the chamber 1 and the vertical relationship between the processing unit 4 and the turntable 3 may be reversed. In this case, the surface of the turntable 3 on which the holding portion 3a is disposed is a surface facing downward when the turntable 3 is in the horizontal direction, that is, a lower surface. The openings 91 and 13a of the shield member S face upward.

  The installation surface of the film forming apparatus 100 may be a floor surface, a ceiling, or a side wall surface. In the above embodiment, the holding section 3a is provided on the upper surface of the horizontally arranged rotating table 3, the rotating table 3 is rotated in a horizontal plane, and the processing section 4 is arranged above the rotating table 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the arrangement of the turntable 3 is not limited to horizontal, but may be vertical or inclined. Further, the holding portion 3a may be provided on an opposite surface of the turntable 3. That is, in the present invention, the direction of the rotation plane of the transport unit may be any direction, and the position of the holding unit 3a and the position of the processing unit 4 are determined by setting the processing unit 4 to the workpiece W held by the holding unit 3a. Should just be the position which faces.

(6) The apparatus that generates plasma in the processing unit 4 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Any device that can perform film formation and film processing by plasma processing using the reaction gas G may be used.

(7) The cross section of the shield member S in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotary table is not limited to a substantially sector shape. The cross section may be a rectangular tube shape having a rectangular shape or a cylindrical shape having a rounded rectangular shape. However, when the cross section of the shield member S is substantially fan-shaped, a difference in processing amount due to a difference in speed in the radial direction can be compensated for by a difference in circumference.

(8) Although the embodiment of the present invention and the modification of each unit have been described above, the embodiment and the modification of each unit are presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. . These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims. Any combination of the inventions of the claims can be freely made.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chamber 1a Lid 2 Exhaust part 3 Rotary table 3a Retaining part 3b Rotating cylinder 3c Support 3d Ball bearing 4 Processing part 4a Film forming part 4b Film processing part 5 Load lock part 6 Sputter source 7 DC power supply 8 Sputter gas introducing part 10 Tube Shaped electrode 11 Opening 12 External shield 13 Internal shield 13a Opening 14 Flange 15 RF power supply 16 Process gas introduction unit 21 Matching box 31 Motor 53 Gas supply unit 61 Target 62 Backing plate 63 Electrode 70 Control unit 70a Edge 71 Mechanism control unit 72 Power control unit 73 Gas control unit 74 Storage unit 75 Setting unit 76 Input / output control unit 77 Input device 78 Output device 81 Piping 82 Supply amount adjustment unit 83 Exhaust amount adjustment unit 91 Opening 92 Cover unit 92a Target hole 93 Side surface 93a Outer wall 93b Inner peripheral wall 93c Partition wall 93d Partition wall 9 Correcting member 95 Exhaust port 96 Opening / closing mechanism 96a Shutter 96b Operating member 97 Adjusting member 100 Film forming apparatus Cp Film processing chamber Dp Film forming chamber F Positioning section G Reaction gas G1 Sputter gas G2 Process gas Ha Lightening hole Hb Locking section IP Inner circumference Support L Transport path OP Peripheral support P Support S, S1, S2 Shield member W Work

Claims (7)

A chamber capable of evacuating the inside,
A transfer unit that is provided in the chamber and transfers a work along a circumferential transfer path by rotating.
A film forming unit that forms a film by depositing a film forming material constituting a target by turning a sputtering gas into plasma for the work carried by the carrying unit,
A shield member provided in the film forming unit, defining a part of a film forming chamber into which the sputtering gas is introduced, and having an opening toward the transport path;
A sputtering gas introduction unit for introducing the sputtering gas into the film forming chamber,
A correcting member provided in the film forming chamber so as to protrude in a direction to narrow the opening;
A pressure adjusting unit that suppresses a pressure increase in the film formation chamber due to the correction member;
A film forming apparatus comprising:   The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction member is provided at an edge of the shield member on an opening side.   3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction member is provided at a position where the rotation of the transport unit does not overlap with the target in an axial direction. 4.   The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjusting unit includes a supply amount adjusting unit that adjusts a supply amount of the sputtering gas to the film forming chamber.   The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjusting unit includes an exhaust amount adjusting unit that adjusts an exhaust amount of the sputtering gas from the film forming chamber. The displacement control unit,
A window that is a through hole formed in the shield member,
A shutter for opening and closing the window,
An operation member for operating the shutter from outside the chamber;
6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 5, comprising: A method for manufacturing a film-forming product that performs film formation on the work using the film-forming apparatus according to claim 4,
A method for manufacturing a film-forming product, comprising: reducing a supply amount of the sputtering gas to the film-forming chamber by the supply-amount adjusting unit, thereby suppressing a pressure increase in the film-forming chamber.

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