JP3042056B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates, Tokoro to the substrate under a predetermined vacuum
Apparatus for performing a predetermined process, for example , a substrate for a liquid crystal display device, EL
The present invention relates to a thin film manufacturing apparatus for forming a thin film having a function suitable for each application, such as a film for a liquid crystal element, a film for an EL element, and a superconducting film on a surface of a substrate such as a substrate for a display device or a substrate of a superconducting member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A predetermined process is performed on a substrate under a predetermined vacuum.
For example, there are various types of thin film manufacturing equipment,
As one of them, a film forming chamber and a load lock chamber for exchanging a substrate are connected to each other, and when installing a new substrate or exchanging a substrate, the load lock chamber is provided with a valve body also serving as a holder for the substrate. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a type in which a valve body supporting a substrate is disposed in a film forming chamber in an airtight manner while being isolated from a film forming chamber.

[0003] An example of this type of thin film manufacturing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 6. A load lock chamber 20 is provided continuously above a film forming chamber 10. A target 40 is disposed in the film forming chamber 10, and the ion source 3 is directed toward the target 40.
From 0, the ion beam is irradiated. The upper end opening of the load lock chamber 20 is opened and closed by a door 100. The film forming chamber 10 can be evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by a high vacuum pump PH.
Can be evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by a roughing vacuum pump PL.

The opening between the film forming chamber 10 and the load lock chamber 20 can be hermetically sealed by a valve body 60. The valve body 60 supports the base 50 on its upper surface, and the load lock chamber 20 is provided around the base support portion.
An O-ring 70 is provided which can be in airtight contact with the valve seat 201 on the lower surface. The valve body 60 is supported on the upper end of a rod 901 that moves up and down by driving an air cylinder 90 disposed below the film forming chamber 10. When the rod 901 rises, the O-ring 70 on the valve body moves the load lock chamber. Valve seat 201
The load lock chamber 20 is airtightly isolated from the film formation chamber 10. Further, by lowering the rod 901, the base 50 on the valve body can be arranged at a film forming position in the film forming chamber 10 and exposed to sputter particles from the target 40. The rod 901 is connected to the bottom wall 101 of the film forming chamber 10.
Are slidably and slidably penetrated by a telescopic bellows-type airtight sealing device 80 provided between the outer surface of the bottom wall and the rod 901.

According to this conventional apparatus, initially, the load lock chamber 20 is airtightly isolated from the film forming chamber 10 by the valve body 60, and in this state, the inside of the film forming chamber 10 is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the pump PH. Is done. On the other hand, in the load lock chamber 20, the door 100 is opened, and the base 5 is placed on the valve body 60.
0 is set. After the installation of the base 50, the door 100 is closed airtightly, and the load lock chamber 20 is opened by the vacuum pump PL.
The inside is roughened to a predetermined degree of vacuum.

Thereafter, the rod 901 is lowered by the air cylinder 90, whereby the substrate 50 is disposed at the film forming position in the film forming chamber 10, and
The inside is set to a film forming vacuum degree by a pump PH, and then sputtered particles are emitted from a target 40 by ion beam irradiation from an ion source 30, and the substrate 5
A desired thin film is formed on the zero surface.

After the thin film is formed, the base 50 is raised together with the valve body 60 by raising the rod 901 by the air cylinder 90, and the O-ring 70 on the upper surface of the valve body 60 comes into airtight contact with the valve seat 201 of the load lock chamber 20. In this state, the door 10
0 is opened, and the replacement of the base 50 is performed. After replacing the base 50, the inside of the load lock chamber 20 is roughly evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the pump PL as in the first place.
0 is arranged at the film forming position together with the valve element 60.

[0008]

However, according to the conventional thin film manufacturing apparatus, when the substrate 50 is installed on the valve body 60 or when the substrate 50 is replaced, the inside of the film forming chamber 10 is prepared in preparation for film formation. Since the door 100 of the load lock chamber 20 is opened in a state where the pump 100 has been evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum in advance, atmospheric pressure is applied to the upper surface of the valve body 60. If 80
It can be 0 kg. This atmospheric pressure is directly applied to the valve drive system. Further, in order to prevent the valve body from being warped under such atmospheric pressure, the valve body is thick and heavy, and the weight of the valve body also acts on the drive system. Further, to receive this atmospheric pressure, the O-ring 70 of the valve body 60 is strongly pressed against the valve seat 201, but the reaction force of the O-ring tightening is also applied to the drive system. As described above, the drive system of the valve body including the air cylinder 90 must support all of the atmospheric pressure, the weight of the valve body, and the reaction force against the tightening of the O-ring. However, there is a problem that the size and cost of the apparatus are correspondingly increased.

Therefore, the present invention provides a method for applying a predetermined
And a load lock chamber for installing and exchanging the substrate are connected to each other, and the load lock chamber is hermetically isolated from the substrate processing chamber by a valve that also serves as a holder for the substrate. In the substrate processing apparatus of the type that can be performed, a large load is not applied to the drive system of the valve body when installing or replacing the substrate , and a substrate processing apparatus, such as a thin film manufacturing apparatus, that can be manufactured as small and inexpensively as a whole is provided. The purpose is to provide.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing chamber having an opening at a lower end, an opening at a lower end and a valve seat around the lower end. It provided continuously in side by side next to next to the substrate processing chamber to be placed adjacent the side of the substrate processing chamber bottom opening, installation of the base, and one or more load lock chambers for the exchange, next a valve movement path extending transversely beneath their opening said substrate processing chamber and facing the lower end opening of the lower end opening and the load lock chamber of the substrate processing chamber so as to communicate the load lock chamber fit, moving the valve The passage is provided so as to be laterally movable so as to selectively face the opening of the substrate processing chamber or the opening of the load lock chamber, and also serves as a substrate holder having an upwardly directed valve seat contact portion. A valve element and the valve element in the valve moving path. And a driving means for lateral movement I, the valve seat around the load lock chamber bottom opening, the base in the lateral direction of movement along the valve movement path of the valve body
The valve seat of the valve body is located on an inclined surface parallel to the inclined surface, and the valve seat abutment portion of the valve body is located on an inclined surface that inclines downward as the distance from the processing chamber lower end opening increases. And the valve seat contact portion of the valve body, the valve body is the
It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus , characterized in that the substrate is brought into air-tight contact with each other on the inclined surface as it laterally moves from a position facing the opening of the substrate processing chamber to a position facing the opening of the load lock chamber.

[0011]

According to the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the valve body is laterally moved by the driving means and is selectively disposed at a position facing the substrate processing chamber or a position facing the load lock chamber. The valve seat around the lower end opening of the load lock chamber is located on an inclined surface that is inclined downward downward as the distance from the lower end opening of the substrate processing chamber in the lateral movement direction along the valve moving path of the valve body, and the valve body comes into contact with the valve seat. The portion is located on an inclined surface parallel to the inclined surface, and accordingly, the valve body disposed at a position facing the load lock chamber, when its valve seat abutment portion moves from the substrate processing chamber , causes the valve seat to contact the valve. The load lock chamber is air-tightly in contact with the valve seat around the opening of the load lock chamber in a wedge-like manner with a slope inclined with respect to the body movement direction, and the load lock chamber is air-tightly isolated from the substrate processing chamber .

[00012] While this substrate processing chamber while the to be evacuated to a predetermined vacuum degree, this is in the load lock chamber is installed base on the valve body, or substrate on the valve body is exchanged,
Thereafter, the load lock chamber is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum, and then the base is moved and arranged together with the valve body to a position facing the base processing chamber , where predetermined processing is performed on the base.
You. After the treatment, the substrate is moved again to the load lock chamber together with the valve body, and is replaced with a new substrate.

The hermetic closing of the load lock chamber opening by the valve element is performed on an inclined surface which is inclined with respect to the lateral movement direction of the valve element, so that the atmospheric pressure applied to the upper surface of the valve element has a lateral component. Only will directly participate in the valve drive means. As for other forces applied to the valve element, only the lateral component force is applied to the valve element driving means. Therefore, the valve drive means can close the load lock chamber opening airtight with a relatively low output.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross section of a state where the load lock chamber is closed by a valve body.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross section of a state in which the substrate on the valve body faces the film forming chamber. FIG. 3 shows the valve body moving mechanism viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG.

This apparatus comprises a film forming chamber 1 and a load lock chamber 2
Are arranged side by side. The film forming chamber 1 has an opening 10 at the lower end, and the load lock chamber 2 also has an opening 20 at the lower end. The lower end openings 10 and 20 of both chambers communicate with each other by a valve moving path 30 extending in the horizontal direction. A target 4 is provided in the film forming chamber 1 and an ion beam is irradiated from the ion source 3 toward the target. Below the target 4, a mask plate 11 having an opening at the center just at the position of the opening 10 is provided.
The film forming chamber 1 can be evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by a high vacuum pump PH.

The upper end opening of the load lock 2 is a door 10A.
The door 10A is provided with an O-ring 21 for hermetic sealing at a portion where the door 10A is closed. The load lock chamber 2 can be evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by a roughing vacuum pump PL. The valve body 6 is provided in the valve moving path 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the valve body 6 is fixedly supported on a valve body support
Is externally fitted from above to a linear guide 62 that extends horizontally along the longitudinal direction of the valve element moving path 30, moves horizontally along this guide, and faces a position or load facing the opening 10 of the film forming chamber 1. It can be selectively located at a position facing the opening 20 of the lock chamber 2. In this embodiment, the guide 62 has a flat rail shape, but may have a slide shaft shape.

A rod 91 extending in the horizontal direction is connected to the valve body 6. The rod 91 passes through the side wall 12 extending from the film forming chamber 1 to the valve moving path 30 and is connected to the air cylinder 9. The outer surface of the side wall 12 is provided with a telescopic bellows-type hermetic sealing device 8 which surrounds and is connected to a rod 91, and the rod 91 hermetically seals a portion passing through the side wall 12. ing.

A valve seat surface 22 is formed around the opening 20 of the load lock chamber 2.
It is inclined by an angle θ (about 3 ° to 10 °) with respect to the horizontal direction so as to incline downward in a direction away from the camera. On the other hand, the valve body 6 has a portion 63 on the upper surface of which the base 5 is installed, and a valve seat contact portion 64 around the portion 63. The valve seat contact portion 64 is inclined by an angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction so as to correspond to the valve seat surface 22 of the load lock chamber. Further, the valve seat contact portion 64 includes the O-ring 7 for hermetically contacting the valve seat surface 22.

Therefore, when the valve element 6 is moved from the position facing the film forming chamber 1 to the position facing the load lock chamber 2, the valve element moves between the valve seat surface 22 and the linear guide 62 supporting the valve element. The O-ring 7 on the valve body comes into contact with the valve seat surface 22 in an airtight manner, and the base mounting portion 63 faces the load lock chamber 2. According to the thin film manufacturing apparatus described above, the valve element 6 is initially disposed at a position where the opening 20 of the load lock chamber 2 is airtightly closed by the air cylinder 9 as shown in FIG. 1 is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by a vacuum pump PH, while its door 10A is opened in the load lock chamber 2,
The substrate 5 on which a film is to be formed is installed on the substrate installation portion 63 of the valve element 6. Thereafter, the door 10A is closed, and the inside of the load lock chamber 2 is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by operating the roughing vacuum pump PL. Thereafter, the valve body 6 is moved by the air cylinder 9.
Is moved to a position facing the opening 10 of the film forming chamber 1, and the substrate 5 on the valve body is moved through the central opening of the mask 11.
Face to. FIG. 2 shows this state.

Thus, the inside of the film forming chamber 1 is evacuated to a predetermined film forming vacuum degree by the operation of the vacuum pump PH.
When the target 4 is irradiated with an ion beam, sputter particles emitted from the target 4 adhere to the surface of the base 5 and a predetermined thin film is formed thereon. At this time, a part of the sputtered particles emitted from the target 4 is blocked by the mask plate 11, and is prevented from adhering and depositing on the valve seat contact portion 64 of the valve element 6 and the O-ring 7 there.

When the formation of the predetermined thin film is completed, the valve body 6 is again placed at a position facing the load lock chamber 2 by the air cylinder 9, and the O-ring 7 on the valve body is moved to the valve seat surface 22 of the load lock chamber 2. Be airtight. After the valve V connected to the load lock chamber 2 is opened and vented while the interior of the film forming chamber 1 is maintained at a vacuum, the door 10A is opened. In this way, the base 5 on the valve body 6 is replaced. After the replacement, the door 10A is closed again, and the inside of the chamber 2 is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the roughing vacuum pump PL. The valve body 6 is moved toward the film forming chamber 1 where a thin film is formed. In this manner, a thin film is sequentially formed on the substrate 5.

During the process described above, when the valve 6 is closed so that the load lock chamber 2 is airtightly isolated from the film forming chamber 1 (see FIG. 1), when the door 10A of the chamber is opened,
The atmospheric pressure P1 is applied to the upper surface of the valve body 6, but not all of the atmospheric pressure is applied to the air cylinder 9 side. Only the horizontal component P3 = P1 sin θ corresponding to the inclination angle θ of the valve seat surface is applied to the air cylinder 9. It only joins the side. Vertical component P2
Joins the linear guide 62. In addition, only the horizontal component force of the O-ring 7 is applied to the air cylinder 9 side. Further, the weight of the valve body 6, its support 61, etc. does not directly add to the air cylinder 9.

Therefore, the output of the air cylinder 9 for maintaining the valve element 6 at the position for closing the load lock chamber 2 is relatively low, and the cylinder can be made small and inexpensive, so that it can be extended. Can reduce the size and cost of the entire thin film manufacturing apparatus. Further, since the valve element 6 is supported by the flat valve element support 61, there is no possibility of warping due to atmospheric pressure, and the valve element 6 can be manufactured relatively light. The weight of the valve body 6 and its support base 61 is supported by a linear guide 62 provided in the valve moving path 30. Therefore, by selecting a small friction coefficient μ between the support base 61 and the guide 62, the load on the air cylinder 9 for moving the valve body can be reduced,
Also in this regard, the air cylinder 9 requires a lower output than the conventional valve body driving cylinder, and contributes to labor saving and downsizing of the driving system.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is different from the previous embodiment in that the load lock chambers 2 provided side by side with the film forming chamber 1 are not one as in the previous embodiment, but two symmetrically connected left and right sides of the film forming chamber 1. The structure is substantially the same as that of the above-described embodiment except that two valve bodies 6 are provided corresponding to the provision of the two load lock chambers. In the drawings, parts having substantially the same structure and operation as those in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The two valve elements 6 in this device are integrally connected to each other, and accordingly, a valve element support base 610 for supporting these valve elements 6, 6 is also formed large. The linear guide 620 for traveling is also formed long. Further, the valve moving path 300 is also formed to be long. The valve body driving air cylinder 9 is arranged outside one of the load lock chambers, and a valve body driving rod 91 connected to the air cylinder 9 passes through the wall of this chamber. Note that a mask plate 110 having a central opening for allowing the base 5 to face the target 4 is provided at the lower end opening of the film forming chamber 1.

According to this embodiment, each valve element 6 has a base 5
Can be placed, but when one of the valve elements is disposed at a position facing the film forming chamber 1, the other valve element seals the lower end opening 20 of the load lock chamber 2 corresponding thereto. Close to. In the state shown in FIG. 4, the left valve body 6 is disposed at a position facing the film forming chamber 1, and a thin film is formed on the base 5 on the valve body, while the right valve body 6 is placed on the right load lock chamber. 2 is airtightly closed, and the valve 6
The base 5 can be installed or the base 5 can be replaced. Further, in the state shown in FIG. 5, the right valve 6 faces the film forming chamber 1 and a thin film is formed on the base 5 on the valve, while the left valve 6 corresponds to the left load. The lock chamber 2 is airtightly closed, and the base 5 can be installed on the left valve body 6 in the load lock chamber, or the base 5 on the valve body can be replaced.

The operation timings of the roughing vacuum pump PL and vent valve V connected to each load lock chamber and the high vacuum pump PH connected to the film forming chamber 1 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment. According to this apparatus, the substrate can be replaced in any one of the load lock chambers during the film formation, so that a high throughput can be obtained and the apparatus is suitable for mass production. In the above embodiment , the ion source 3 and the target 4 are used as the film forming means, but other film forming means may be adopted as necessary. Note that the above
Although the manufacturing apparatus has been described, the idea of the present invention is that under a predetermined vacuum.
What can be applied to various devices that perform a predetermined process on a substrate is
It goes without saying that it is clear.

[0028]

According to the present invention, as described above, according to the present invention, group
Substrate processing of a type in which a body processing chamber and a load lock chamber for installing and exchanging a substrate are connected to each other, and the load lock chamber can be hermetically isolated from the substrate processing chamber by a valve body also serving as a holder for the substrate. In the device , when installing or replacing the base, a large load is not applied to the drive system of the valve body, and the whole can be made small and inexpensive.
A substrate processing apparatus, for example, a thin film manufacturing apparatus can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a load lock chamber is closed by a valve body.

2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a valve body faces a film forming chamber.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a moving mechanism of the valve element as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross section of another embodiment of the present invention;
This shows a state in which the right valve body closes the right load lock chamber.

5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4, showing a state in which a left valve element closes a left load lock chamber.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film-forming chamber 10 opening 2 Load lock chamber 20 opening 22 Valve seat surface 3 Ion source 4 Target 5 Base 30, 300 Valve movement path 6 Valve 61, 610 Valve support 62, 620 Linear guide 63 Base installation part 64 Valve Seat contact part 7 O-ring 8 Airtight seal bellows 9 Air cylinder 91 Rod PH High vacuum pump PL Rough vacuum pump V Vent valve

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) C23C 14/00-14/58 C23C 16/00-16/56 B01J 3/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A substrate processing chamber having an opening at a lower end, an opening at a lower end and a valve seat around the lower end, and the lower end opening and a valve seat around the lower end are adjacent to a lower end opening of the substrate processing chamber. One or more load lock chambers for installing and exchanging a substrate, which are arranged side by side next to the substrate processing chamber so as to be disposed, and the adjacent substrate processing chamber and the load lock chamber. a valve movement path extending transversely beneath their opening faces the lower end opening of the lower end opening and the load lock chamber of the substrate processing chamber so as to communicate, to the valve movement path, said substrate processing chamber opening or loadlock A valve body that is provided so as to be able to move laterally so as to be able to selectively face the chamber opening, and also functions as a base holder having a valve seat abutting portion directed upward, and the valve body is moved along the valve moving path. Driving means for lateral movement Together with the load lock chamber bottom opening around the valve seat is located on the inclined surface of inclined downward downwards As in the lateral direction of movement along the valve movement path of the valve body away from said substrate processing chamber <br/> lower opening The valve seat abutment portion of the valve body is located on an inclined surface parallel to the inclined surface, and the valve seat of the load lock chamber and the valve seat abutment portion of the valve body have the valve body being the base. A base body which comes into airtight contact with each other on the inclined surface as it moves laterally from a position facing the processing chamber opening to a position facing the load lock chamber opening.
Processing equipment .