JP3199587B2 - Arc confinement device for vacuum arc deposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an arc confinement device of a vacuum arc vapor deposition device (arc ion plating device) for evaporating and ionizing a metal by using an arc discharge to coat the surface of a workpiece.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an arc confinement device of this kind, a vacuum arc vapor deposition device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-106025.
The one described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. HEI 9-203 is known. This conventional one,
In order to prevent the arc spot from escaping from the required evaporation surface of the rod-shaped target ("cathode 1" described in the above-mentioned publication), an arc confinement ring ("insulator 12" described in the above-mentioned publication) is provided at one end of the rod-like target. Had. The arc confinement ring had an outer diameter sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the rod-shaped target, and was inserted concentrically at the end of the rod-shaped target.

[0003]

In the conventional arc confinement device, the long-time arc evaporation on the surface of the rod-shaped target causes the surface of the arc confinement ring projecting radially outward from the evaporation surface to evaporate. In some cases, the deposited vapor adheres and deposits, deposits on the surface of the ring short-circuit with the target, and the arc confinement function becomes insufficient.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an arc confinement device for a vacuum arc vapor deposition device that prevents evaporated vapor from being deposited on an arc confinement ring.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following measures. That is, it is an aspect of the present invention, the end portion of the rod-shaped target and maintaining electrical insulation state, arc containment of substantially the same diameter as said target is disposed coaxially, and said arc containment body Tar
Cover that covers the boundary with the get with a predetermined gap in the radial direction
Is provided .

[0006] It is preferable that the arc confinement body is formed in a uniform shape along the circumferential direction. When the arc confinement body is made of metal, it is preferable that a predetermined gap is formed between the target end face and the arc confinement body to maintain an insulating state. When the arc confinement body is made of an insulator, it can be arranged in close contact with the end face of the target.

Preferably, an electrode is connected to the end of the rod-shaped target, and the arc confinement body is provided on the outer periphery of the electrode while maintaining an electrically insulated state.

The radial gap between the outer peripheral surface of the target and the cover is preferably 1 to 10 mm. When the radial gap between the outer peripheral surface of the target and the cover is D and the overlap in the axial direction is L, it is preferable that the relationship of D <L <3D is satisfied. The cover is formed in a ring shape, and preferably has a thickness of 1 to 3 mm.

Preferably, the cover is formed in a ring shape, and the outer peripheral surface of the end of the cover on the target side is formed as a tapered surface. Preferably, an electrode is connected to the end of the rod-shaped target, and the cover is provided on the outer periphery of the electrode while maintaining an electrically insulated state.

[0010] An electrode is connected to the end of the rod-shaped target, the arc confinement body is provided on the outer periphery of the electrode while maintaining an electrically insulated state, the cover is formed in a ring shape, and the cover is formed of the arc. Preferably it is supported by a containment body. Other features of the present invention include:
A cover is provided to cover the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the rod-shaped target arranged so that the axis is vertically oriented with a predetermined gap in the radial direction, and the cover drops and discharges foreign matter passing through the gap. The point is that a discharge unit is provided.

Incidentally, the term "rod-like" of the rod-like target referred to in the present invention includes not only a solid body but also a hollow body, and the outer surface shape thereof is not limited to a circle but also includes an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, and the like. The axis center includes not only a straight line but also a curved line.

[0012]

According to the vacuum arc evaporation apparatus, most of the vapor generated from the target has the property of moving in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the target (radially outward). Therefore, according to the present invention , the arc confinement body is arranged outside the target in the axial direction, and is concentric with the target and has the same diameter, that is, the arc confinement body is radially outside the target. Since it does not exist, the vapor hardly accumulates on the outer peripheral surface of the arc confinement body (since the vapor evaporated from the target does not easily move toward the arc confinement body).
Therefore, no short circuit occurs between the arc confinement body and the target, and the arc confinement function is not impaired.

According to the present invention , since a predetermined gap is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the target end portion and the cover, a short circuit between the target and the cover hardly occurs even if vapor adheres and accumulates on the cover. The arc confinement function is not impaired. In addition, if the foreign matter such as dust in the gap between the data Getto and the arc containment body is clogged, arc containment function is insufficient, also, if the diameter target is exhausted becomes narrower, but caused us it is also a short-circuit, in the present invention , Such a problem is solved.

According to another aspect of the present invention, foreign matter such as dust is easily discharged, so that a short circuit due to foreign matter clogging a gap between the target and the cover is prevented.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a vacuum arc evaporation apparatus, in which a rod-shaped target 2 is arranged in a vacuum vessel 1 in a vertical axis position. A substrate 3 as a work is set so as to surround the target 2. The target
At least the outermost peripheral portion of the cylindrical portion 2 is evaporated to
3 Consists of a material that forms a film on it.

A cathode of an arc power supply 4 is connected to both upper and lower ends of the rod-shaped target 2. The anode of the arc power supply 4 is connected to the vacuum vessel 1. The vacuum container
The striker 5 of the ignition device is provided on the inner surface of 1.
The vacuum vessel 1 can be maintained at a predetermined pressure by an exhaust device (not shown). In order to form a film on the substrate 3 by the vacuum arc evaporation apparatus, first, the inside of the vacuum vessel 1 is evacuated by an exhaust device (not shown) to maintain a vacuum state at a predetermined pressure. Then, when a vacuum arc discharge is generated from the target 2 by the striker 5, an arc spot where an arc current is concentrated appears on the surface of the target 2 to evaporate the target material.

The vapor of the vaporized target material moves toward the substrate 3 placed in the vacuum vessel 1 and forms a film on the substrate 3. A negative voltage (bias voltage) is applied to the substrate 3 by a power source (not shown) as necessary.
The film is formed while accelerating the ions in the vapor. Further, a reactive gas such as nitrogen may be introduced into the vacuum vessel 1 as needed to form a film of a compound with the target material.

In forming the film, an arc spot generated on the surface of the target 2 is moved from one of the axial ends of the target 2 to the other by a control device (not shown) so that the target material is uniformly distributed from the surface of the target 2. Is controlled to evaporate. In this control, arc confinement devices 6 for preventing the arc spot from escaping from the required evaporation surface of the target 2 are provided at both ends of the target 2.

That is, the arc spot is a rod-shaped target 2
There is provided an arc confinement device 6 for preventing the outer peripheral surface from sneaking into the end surface side of the end portion. FIG.
The details of the arc confinement device 6 are shown in FIG.
In FIG. 2, the target 2 is formed into a hollow cylindrical body, and stepped holes 7 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the target 2. An electrode 8 is fitted into the stepped hole 7, and the electrode 8 and the target 2 are electrically connected. This electrode 8 is connected to the cathode of the arc power supply 4.

The electrode 8 has a small-diameter portion 9 fitted into the stepped hole 7 and a target 2 having a larger diameter than the small-diameter portion 9 and having a smaller diameter.
And a flange portion 11 having a diameter larger than that of the intermediate diameter portion 10. This flange part 11
Is smaller than the outer diameter of the target 2. The flange portion 11 is provided with a screw hole 12 having an axis parallel to the axis of the electrode 8 with a predetermined gap in the circumferential direction.

An arc confinement body 13 is provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the electrode 8 protruding outward in the axial direction from both end surfaces 2a of the target 2. The arc confinement body 13
Consists of a short, cylindrical ring of metal, preferably magnetic. The outer diameter of the arc confinement body 13 is
It has the same outer diameter as 2. The arc confinement body 13 and the target 2 are arranged concentrically.

A mounting portion 14 is provided on the inner surface of the arc confinement body 13 at an intermediate portion in the axial direction. The mounting portion 14 protrudes radially inward, and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting portion 14 and the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate diameter portion 10 of the electrode 8 are provided. The surfaces are arranged so as to face each other via a gap. This mounting part 14
Further, mounting holes 15 are provided at the same pitch as the screw holes 12. Then, screw this mounting hole 15 through the insulating insulator 16
17 is inserted, and the screw 17 is screwed into the screw hole 12, so that the arc confinement body 13 is fixed to the electrode 8 while maintaining electrical insulation.

Since the end faces of the arc confinement body 13 and the target 2 face each other with a slight gap of 0.2 mm to 2 mm, they are electrically insulated. According to the arc confinement device 6 having the above-described configuration, the arc confinement body 13 is disposed at the end of the target 2 so as to be electrically insulated. Movement from the outer peripheral surface to the end surface 2a is prevented, and as a result, the arc spot is repelled to a predetermined evaporation surface on the outer peripheral surface of the target 2, thereby stabilizing the arc.

Furthermore, the arc confinement body 13
Since it is arranged coaxially and coaxially with the target 2 and has the same diameter as the outer diameter of the target 2, the deposition of the vapor of the target material generated from the outer peripheral surface of the target 2 on the arc confinement body 13 can be suppressed. That is, in general, with respect to material evaporation from an arc spot, since evaporation particles in a direction parallel to the evaporation surface are extremely small, in the present invention in which the arc confinement body 13 does not protrude from the evaporation surface, the deposition on the arc confinement body 13 is performed. It can be suppressed.

Further, since the arc confinement body 13 is disposed with a predetermined gap between the electrode 8 and the target 2, even if there is a difference in thermal expansion between the two, damage due to thermal deformation is prevented. In addition, if the arc confinement body 13 is not formed by a thin laminated structure, but is formed by an integral body, thermal distortion does not occur, so that a short circuit due to thermal deformation is prevented, and for a long time,
Demonstrate a stable confinement function.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which an arc confinement body 13 is set on an electrode 8 via insulating insulators 18a and 18b. In the case of this embodiment, the target 2 is arranged in a vertical posture, the upper side of FIG. 3 corresponds to the upper part in the vertical direction, and the arc confinement body 13 has a structure mounted on insulating insulators 18a and 18b. The confinement body 13 is not fixed to the electrode 8. Note that, also in this embodiment, the arc confinement body 13, the target 2 and the power supply 8 are electrically insulated.

In FIG. 3, since there is no mounting hole 15 as shown in FIG. 2, uneven distribution of the arc spot is eliminated. That is, when a specific material such as Cr is used for the target, the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 has a problem that the arc spot is unevenly distributed on the surface of the target 2 near the mounting hole 15 and local wear occurs. In the device shown in FIG.
Since the cross section of the arc confinement body 13 is uniform and isotropically configured, the tendency of the arc spot to be unevenly distributed in the missing portion such as the screw hole 12 can be suppressed, and stable evaporation can be performed for a long time.

In particular, when a magnetic field is applied to the end of the target 2 as an additional means of arc control, if the cross section is uniform as in this embodiment, the disturbance of the local magnetic field at the end of the target 2 Can be prevented, and stable scanability of the arc spot can be secured. FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the configuration shown in FIG.
A cover 19 is provided so as to cover a boundary between the arc confinement body 13 and the arc confinement body 13.

That is, the cover 19 is formed in a ring shape, and is attached to the outer periphery of the arc confinement body 13 via the support portion 20. The cover 19 and the target 2 are electrically insulated with a predetermined gap in the radial direction. The support 20 need not be annular, but may be
It is preferable that three or more places are provided to form a discharge space 21 by forming a circumferential gap between the support portions 20 so that foreign matter such as dust is dropped and discharged from the discharge portion 21.

By providing such a cover 19,
Further, it is possible to prevent the arc spot from entering the gap between the target 2 and the arc confinement body 13. FIG.
When the cover 19 covers the end of the target 2 by the distance L as shown in FIG. 7, the arc spot does not reach the end of the target 2 and the arc spot starts to be worn away from the end face 2a by the distance L. Therefore, even if the target 2 is consumed, no step is formed between the target 2 and the arc confinement body 13.
No short circuit occurs between 2 and the arc containment 13. Further, even if a film is deposited on the end face 22 of the cover 19, the diameter of the target 2 corresponding to the deposition position is small, so that no short circuit occurs and no problem occurs in electrical insulation.

By providing the cover 19 in this manner,
Since the arc spot does not come to the end of the target 2, the possibility that the arc spot goes off the evaporation surface is extremely low. Although there is a limit in suppressing runaway of the arc spot due to the magnetic field, the provision of the cover 19 stabilizes the behavior of the arc spot, thereby facilitating the arc spot control over the entire evaporation surface.

By adding the cover 19 to the one shown in FIG. 2, the tendency of the arc spot to be unevenly distributed in the missing portion such as the screw hole 12 can be suppressed. In each of the above embodiments, the arc confinement body 13 and the cover 19 are described as being made of a magnetic metal, but may be made of an insulating material. Ceramics can be used as the insulator.

When the arc confinement body 13 is formed of an insulator, the end face 2a of the target 2 and the end face of the arc confinement body 13 can be brought into close contact with each other, so that the movement of the arc spot to the target end face 2a can be completely prevented. . FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the arc confinement body 13 is not provided, and the end of the rod-shaped target 2 has a predetermined gap in the outer peripheral surface of the end in the radial direction. Cover 19 to cover,
It is arranged so as to be electrically insulated from the target 2.

That is, the cover 19 is formed in a ring shape, and is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the electrode 8 via the insulating material 23 and the support portion 20. The cover 19 and the target 2 have a radial gap D, and are overlapped by a distance L in the axial direction. The gap D is required to be a distance at which the cover 19 and the target 2 are unlikely to be short-circuited by the accumulated dust.
m or more. If the gap D is too large, the size of the overlap L between the cover 19 and the target 2 increases due to the relationship described later, which is uneconomical. Therefore, the gap D is preferably set to 10 mm or less. According to the experiment, the most stable operation was obtained when the gap D was 2 to 5 mm.

The axial overlap L between the cover 19 and the target 2 needs to be experimentally in a relationship of L ≧ D. If L is smaller than D, an arc spot that accidentally enters the cover 19 reaches the end of the target 2, and the target 2
Non-uniform wear occurs near the end. On the other hand, if L is unnecessarily increased, the area where the target 2 is not consumed becomes large, which is uneconomical. The larger the L, the higher the stability of the operation. However, even if L is larger than 3D, the effect of stabilization does not change. Therefore, the maximum value of L is preferably set to 3D. According to experiments, the range of D <L <2D is most preferable.

If the thickness t of the cover 19 is smaller than 0.5 mm, deformation due to heat is apt to occur. Conversely, if the thickness t is too large, the amount of film formed on the end face 22 of the cover 19 increases. From the film, dust is generated, and the dust may short-circuit the cover 19 and the target 2.
The thickness t needs to be 6 mm or less. The most preferable range of the thickness t is 1 to 3 mm.

It is preferable that a discharge section 21 for discharging dust is formed in the support section 20. FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which an arc confinement body 13 and a cover 19 are integrally formed. This integrally molded product is attached to the electrode 8 via the insulator 18.
Further, in order to prevent dust accumulation, a foreign substance discharge hole penetrating vertically is provided at a predetermined gap in the circumferential direction.
Is configured.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the outer surface of the target-side end of the cover 19 is formed as a tapered tapered surface 24. By forming the end face of the cover 19 on the tapered face 24 in this manner, film formation on the end face is reduced, and the frequency of maintenance is reduced. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

That is, the target 2 is not limited to a straight cylindrical shape, but may be bent or solid, and the cross-sectional shape is not limited to a circular shape. The arrangement of the target 2 is not limited to the vertical position with respect to the axis thereof, but may be another position such as a horizontal position.

The arc confining body 13 and the cover 19 are
Not only those that can be attached to
May be provided on a member other than the electrode, such as a step having a small-diameter step formed at the end of the step and being attached to the step while maintaining the insulating state. The electrodes 8 are not limited to those provided at both ends of the target 2 and may be provided only at one end. In this case, the arc confinement or cover provided at the end of the target on which the electrode is not provided is:
The target is attached to the end of the target directly or by an appropriate supporting means while maintaining an electrically insulated state.

The relationship among L, D, and t is not limited to that shown in FIG. 6, but may be applied to the cover 19 shown in other drawings. In addition, the configuration shown in each drawing is replaced with a configuration shown in another drawing, or
The configurations in the respective drawings can be combined with each other. Further, the arc confinement device 6 of the present invention is not limited to the one used in the vacuum arc vapor deposition device having the structure shown in FIG. 1, but can be used in a vacuum arc vapor deposition device having another structure.

[0042]

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the vapor evaporated from the target accumulates on the arc confinement body or the cover and short-circuits with the target, thereby preventing the arc confinement function from being impaired. A long-term stable arc discharge can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vacuum arc evaporation apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a worn state of a target.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Target 6 Arc confinement device 8 Electrode 13 Arc confinement body 19 Cover 21 Discharge part 24 Tapered surface

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-354863 (JP, A) JP-A-5-106025 (JP, A) JP-A-2-232364 (JP, A) JP-A-2-232 19461 (JP, A) JP-A-63-223168 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) C23C 14/00-14/58

Claims (12)

(57) [Claims] The end portion of claim 1. A bar-shaped target and maintaining electrical insulation state, arc containment of substantially the same diameter as said target is disposed coaxially, the arc containment body and target
Cover that covers the boundary with the slot with a predetermined gap in the radial direction
Arc containment device of the vacuum arc deposition apparatus, characterized in that is provided. 2. An arc confinement device for a vacuum arc vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arc confinement body is formed in a uniform shape along a circumferential direction. 3. The arc confinement body is made of metal,
The arc confinement device for a vacuum arc vapor deposition device according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined gap is formed between the target end surface and the arc confinement body. 4. The arc confinement device for a vacuum arc vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arc confinement body is made of an insulating material and is disposed in close contact with an end surface of the target. . 5. The vacuum according to claim 1, wherein an electrode is connected to an end of the rod-shaped target, and the arc confinement body is provided on an outer periphery of the electrode while maintaining an electrically insulated state. Arc confinement device for arc deposition equipment. 6. A radial direction between the outer peripheral surface of the target and the cover.
Characterized in that the facing gap is 1 to 10 mm
An arc confinement device for a vacuum arc vapor deposition device according to claim 1 . 7. When the radial gap between the outer peripheral surface of the target and the cover is D, and the overlap in the axial direction is L, D <
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein L <3D.
Arc confinement equipment for vacuum arc evaporation equipment. 8. The cover is formed in a ring shape.
The wall thickness is set to 1 to 3 mm.
Item 7. An arc confinement device for a vacuum arc vapor deposition device according to Item 1 . Wherein said cover is formed in a ring shape, 該Ka
The outer peripheral surface of the bar's target end is tapered
The arc confinement device for a vacuum arc vapor deposition device according to claim 1, wherein the device is formed. 10. An electrode is in contact with an end of said rod-shaped target.
The cover is electrically insulated from the outer periphery of the electrode.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein
The arc confinement device of the vacuum arc vapor deposition device described above. 11. An electrode is in contact with an end of said rod-shaped target.
The arc confinement body is electrically connected to the outer periphery of the electrode.
The cover is provided in a ring shape.
And the cover is supported by the arc confinement.
2. The arc confinement device for a vacuum arc vapor deposition device according to claim 1, wherein: 12. An arrangement in which an axis is in a vertical direction.
A predetermined gap in the radial direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the rod-shaped target.
And a cover for covering the gap.
A discharge unit is provided to drop and discharge foreign matter passing through
An arc confinement device for a vacuum arc vapor deposition device.