JP4881220B2 - CVD apparatus, semiconductor device, and photoelectric conversion apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a CVD device, a semiconductor device, and a photoelectric conversion device.

  In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or a photoelectric conversion device, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method in which a thin film is formed using a chemical reaction of a raw material is used. As the CVD method, for example, a plasma CVD method using a plasma space in a reaction system and a thermal CVD method using a heating reaction are known.

  In the plasma CVD method or the thermal CVD method, the substrate is exposed to the plasma or the substrate is heated to a high temperature, and therefore, the substrate and the thin film are easily damaged electrically and thermally. In addition, the plasma CVD method and the thermal CVD method require high uniformity in the plasma density and the substrate temperature, so that it is difficult to cope with an increase in the area of the substrate.

Therefore, in the CVD method, so-called catalytic CVD method, in which a source gas is brought into contact with a heated catalyst body such as tungsten to decompose the source gas into reactive species, has been attracting attention in the past. For example, Patent Document 1). In the catalytic CVD method, since the surface of the catalyst body is responsible for the progress of the chemical reaction, electrical and thermal damage to the substrate and the thin film can be suppressed as compared with the plasma CVD method and the thermal CVD method. Further, since the catalytic CVD method can increase the film formation region only by increasing the number of catalyst bodies, it can relatively easily cope with the increase in the area of the substrate.
Patent No. 3780364

  The CVD apparatus described in Patent Literature 1 has a connection terminal holder for holding a connection terminal in a space in the processing container. In this connection terminal holder, a plurality of connection terminals are held, and the power supply lines are screwed and fixed to the input side of each connection terminal, and the catalyst body is connected to the output side of each connection terminal. Has been.

  In the CVD apparatus of Patent Document 1, when replacing one catalyst body, in order to take out the corresponding connection terminal holder from the space in the processing container, all the connection terminals and all the catalyst bodies held by the connection terminal holder are removed. Must be removed from the space in the processing vessel at the same time. Moreover, in order to take out a plurality of catalyst bodies at the same time, all the connections between the connection terminal and the power supply line must be released.

  As a result, the CVD apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that it takes a long time to replace the catalyst body and greatly impairs the productivity of a semiconductor device or a photoelectric conversion device manufactured using the catalytic CVD method.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a CVD apparatus with improved maintainability, a semiconductor device manufactured using the CVD apparatus, and a photoelectric conversion apparatus. .

In order to achieve the above object, a CVD apparatus according to claim 1 is provided with a bottomed cylindrical casing, a lid that is detachably stacked on the casing, and a substrate disposed in a space within the casing. A plurality of catalyst bodies disposed in a space in the housing and facing the substrate, a plurality of connection terminals disposed in a space in the housing and connected to the catalyst bodies, A plurality of pressing terminals that are attached to the lid body and press the connection terminals by stacking the lid bodies, and are separated from the connection terminals by detachment of the lid body, and are connected to the pressing terminals. The present invention includes a plurality of power supply wires for supplying a predetermined power to each of the pressing terminals.

  According to the CVD apparatus of the first aspect, the connection between each pressing terminal and the corresponding connection terminal can be simultaneously released by simply removing the lid from the housing. Therefore, the space in the housing can be exposed in a short time, and the time required for exchanging each connection terminal, each catalyst body, stage, etc. can be greatly shortened. As a result, the maintainability of the CVD apparatus can be improved.

  The CVD apparatus according to claim 2 is the CVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the casing is a bottomed cylindrical first casing and a cylinder that is detachably stacked on the first casing. A second casing, a space between the first casing and the second casing, and a space in the casing, a space in the first casing and a space in the second casing And a partition in the first casing accommodates the stage and the catalyst bodies, and the partition includes the space in the first casing and the second casing. Having a plurality of communication holes communicating with the space inside the body, each end of each catalyst body is led out to the space inside the second housing, and the space inside the second housing is connected to each connection terminal, The gist is to accommodate the end portions of the catalyst bodies connected to the connection terminals.

  According to the CVD apparatus of the second aspect, the space in the second housing can be exposed and the exposure of the space in the first housing can be suppressed only by removing the lid from the housing. . That is, it is possible to expose the connection terminals and the ends of the catalyst bodies only by removing the lid from the casing, and to suppress the exposure of the stage and the catalyst bodies. Therefore, the time required for replacing each connection terminal can be greatly shortened, and contact between the film formation space and the atmosphere can be suppressed. As a result, at the time of exchanging the connection terminals, the film forming environment in the housing can be recovered in a shorter time, and the maintainability of the CVD apparatus can be further improved.

  A CVD apparatus according to a third aspect is the CVD apparatus according to the second aspect, comprising a plurality of connection terminal holders for supporting the connection terminal holders, and the connection terminal holders corresponding to the communication terminals. Removably fitted in a hole, the space in the first housing and the space in the second housing are partitioned in the area of each communication hole, and the catalyst bodies are respectively provided in the areas of the communication holes. The gist is to have a plurality of guide holes for guiding from the space in the first housing to the space in the second housing.

  According to the CVD apparatus of the third aspect, the corresponding connection terminal and the corresponding catalyst body can be simultaneously removed from the partition wall by simply removing the connection terminal holder from the communication hole. Therefore, the predetermined connection terminal and the predetermined catalyst body can be selectively removed simply by removing the connection terminal holder from the communication hole. Further, when the connection terminal or the catalyst body is replaced, the exposure in the first housing can be suppressed to the area of the communication hole. As a result, the time required for replacing the connection terminal and the catalyst body can be greatly shortened, and contact between the film formation space and the atmosphere can be further suppressed.

  The CVD apparatus according to claim 4 is the CVD apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the partition is a shower plate that disperses and discharges the source gas into the space in the first casing. The gist.

According to the CVD apparatus of the fourth aspect, since the partition wall is constituted by the shower plate, the number of members of the CVD apparatus can be reduced as compared with a case where a separate partition wall is provided.
As a result, the maintainability of the CVD apparatus can be further improved.

A CVD apparatus according to a fifth aspect is the CVD apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the purity of the catalyst body is 99.99%.
A CVD apparatus according to a sixth aspect is the CVD apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the purity of the catalyst body is 99.999%.

According to the CVD apparatus of the fifth and sixth aspects, it is possible to reduce the level of metal contamination in the vacuum chamber caused by the combustion of the catalyst body.
In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor device according to claim 7 is a semiconductor device including a layer containing silicon, and the layer containing silicon is according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The gist is that it is formed using a CVD apparatus.

  According to the semiconductor device of the seventh aspect, it is possible to improve the maintainability of the CVD apparatus, and it is possible to improve the operating rate of the CVD apparatus, and thus the productivity of the semiconductor device having a layer containing silicon. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 8 is a photoelectric conversion device including a layer containing silicon, and the layer containing silicon is according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The gist is that it is formed using the described CVD apparatus.

  According to the photoelectric conversion device of claim 8, the maintainability of the CVD device can be improved, and the productivity of the photoelectric conversion device having a layer containing silicon can be improved. Can do.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a CVD apparatus with improved maintainability, and a semiconductor device and a photoelectric conversion apparatus manufactured using the CVD apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the CVD apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the CVD apparatus 10.
(CVD apparatus 10)
In FIG. 1, a CVD apparatus 10 is a cluster type system, which is connected to a load lock chamber 11 (hereinafter simply referred to as an LL chamber 11), a transfer chamber 12 connected to the LL chamber 11, and a transfer chamber 12. A plurality of catalytic CVD chambers 13.

  The LL chamber 11 has an internal space that can be decompressed (hereinafter simply referred to as a storage chamber 11a), and allows a plurality of substrates B to be loaded and unloaded. When starting the film forming process for the substrate B, the LL chamber 11 depressurizes the storage chamber 11 a so that the substrate B can be transferred to the transfer chamber 12. Further, the LL chamber 11 enables the substrate B to be carried out of the CVD apparatus 10 by setting the storage chamber 11a to atmospheric pressure when the film formation process for the substrate B is completed. As the substrate B, various plate materials such as a disk-shaped silicon substrate and a rectangular plate-shaped glass substrate can be used.

The transfer chamber 12 has an internal space that can be depressurized (hereinafter simply referred to as a transfer chamber 12a), and forms a vacuum system that can communicate with the LL chamber 11 and the catalytic CVD chamber 13. When the transfer robot 12 is mounted in the transfer chamber 12a and the film forming process of the substrate B is started, the transfer chamber 12 carries the substrate B of the LL chamber 11 into the transfer chamber 12, and the substrate B of the transfer chamber 12 is catalyzed. Transfer to the CVD chamber 13. In addition, when the film forming process is completed, the transfer chamber 12 drives the transfer robot 14 to transfer the substrate B of the catalytic CVD chamber 13 to the transfer chamber 12 and transfer the substrate B of the transfer chamber 12 to the LL chamber 11. To do.

(Catalytic CVD chamber 13)
Next, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 will be described below. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the catalytic CVD chamber 13.

  In FIG. 2, a catalytic CVD chamber 13 is a vacuum chamber for forming a thin film on a substrate B using a catalytic CVD method. The catalytic CVD chamber 13 has a box-shaped chamber body 21, and a space S is formed in the chamber body 21.

  The chamber body 21 has a bottomed cylindrical bottom body 21A, a first cylinder 21B that is detachably stacked on the bottom body 21A, and a second cylinder that is detachably stacked on the first cylinder 21B. 21C and a lid 21D that is detachably stacked on the second cylinder 21C. In the present embodiment, the bottom main body 21A and the first cylinder 21B constitute a first casing, and the second cylinder 21C constitutes a second casing.

The chamber main body 21 has a gas line LS connected to the mass flow controller MFC, and when the mass flow controller MFC supplies the raw material gas at a predetermined flow rate, the raw material gas is transported along the gas line LS to have a predetermined flow rate. The raw material gas is introduced into the space S. The source gas can be appropriately selected according to the film type to be formed. For example, when forming a silicon film, silane (SiH ₄ ) and hydrogen (H ₂ ) can be used as source gases, and when forming a silicon nitride film, silane and ammonia (NH ₃ ) are used. it can. In the case of forming a silicon oxynitride film, silane and nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) can be used as a source gas.

  The chamber body 21 has a stage 22 in a space inside the bottom body 21A. When the substrate B is carried into the space S, the stage 22 positions the substrate B on the upper surface thereof. The chamber main body 21 has a deposition preventing plate 23 on the inner surface of the first cylinder 21B and the outer surface of the stage 22, and when the film forming process is performed, the chamber body 21 and the outer surface of the stage 22 are removed. The deposition of deposition species on the side surface is suppressed.

  The chamber body 21 has a shower plate 24 as a partition wall on the upper side of the first cylinder 21B. The shower plate 24 is formed in a plate shape extending in the surface direction of the substrate B (hereinafter simply referred to as the horizontal direction). The shower plate 24 divides the space S into two along the horizontal direction, the first chamber S1 surrounded by the bottom body 21A, the first cylinder 21B, and the shower plate 24, the shower plate 24, and the second cylinder. 21C and the second chamber S2 surrounded by the lid 21D are formed.

  The shower plate 24 has a pair of upper and lower first plates 24a and a second plate 24b made of a highly corrosion-resistant metal such as aluminum or stainless steel. When the mass flow controller MFC supplies the source gas, the shower plate 24 disperses the source gas introduced into the center of the second plate 24b through a flow path provided in the second plate 24b, The source gas is dispersed and released by the flow path between the plate 24b and the first plate 24a.

The first chamber S1 is connected to the exhaust system 25 via the first port P1, and between the first port P1 and the exhaust system 25, the first sensor PS1, the first adjustment valve Vc1, and the first exhaust. And a valve Vd1. As the exhaust system 25, various pumps such as a dry pump or a turbo molecular pump can be used. When the exhaust system 25 starts the exhaust operation, the first chamber S1 is decompressed according to the driving amount of the first adjustment valve Vc1 and is maintained at a predetermined pressure.

  The second chamber S2 is connected to the exhaust system 25 via the second port P2, and between the second port P2 and the exhaust system 25, the second sensor PS2, the second adjustment valve Vc2, and the second exhaust And a valve Vd2. When the exhaust system 25 starts the exhaust operation, the second chamber S2 is decompressed according to the driving amount of the second adjustment valve Vc2, and is maintained at a pressure lower than the pressure of the first chamber S1.

In the present embodiment, the pressure in the first chamber S1 for executing the film forming process is set to “first target pressure”, and the pressure in the second chamber S2 for executing the film forming process is set to “second target”. It is called “pressure”.
The shower plate 24 has a plurality of communication holes H communicating between the first chamber S1 and the second chamber S2, and the catalyst unit 30 is fitted in each communication hole H. Each catalyst unit 30 includes a connection terminal holder 31 that fits in the communication hole H, a pair of connection terminals 32 that are held by the connection terminal holder 31 and arranged in the second chamber S2, and a pair of connection terminals 32. And a catalyst body W that is connected between the second chamber S2 and the first chamber S1.

  The catalyst body W is a wire that is bent in a U-shape, and for example, a metal such as tungsten, tantalum, platinum, or palladium can be used, and the purity thereof is, for example, 99.99% or more, and more preferable. Is 99.999% or more. The catalyst body W exposes the vicinity of both ends connected to the connection terminals 32 to the low-pressure second chamber S2, and exposes an intermediate region sandwiched between the connection terminals to the first chamber S1.

  The chamber body 21 has a plurality of pressing terminals T on the lid 21D. Each pressing terminal T is disposed immediately above the pair of connection terminals 32 and is fixed to the lid 21D with screws. The pair of pressing terminals T corresponding to the pair of connection terminals 32 respectively extend from the upper part of the lid 21D, one of which is connected to the external power source GE via the power supply wiring, and the other is connected to the ground potential via the ground wiring. Connected to. When the lid 21D is attached to the second cylinder 21C, each pressing terminal T presses the corresponding connection terminal 32 downward, and is electrically connected to the catalyst body W via the connection terminal 32. The

  When the external power source GE outputs predetermined power, the catalyst body W receives power from the external power source GE via the corresponding pressing terminal T and connection terminal 32, and a temperature corresponding to the power (for example, 1500 ° C.). ˜2000 ° C.). When the source gas is supplied to the first chamber S1, the catalyst body W in the first chamber S1 exhibits a catalytic action due to its heat generation, decomposes or excites the source gas, and forms a desired thin film on the surface of the substrate B. Form a film. On the other hand, the catalyst body W in the second chamber S2 is exposed to a low pressure space without exhibiting its catalytic action because the connection terminal 32 absorbs the amount of heat of the catalyst body W.

  At this time, since the atmosphere of the catalyst body W in the second chamber S2 is maintained at the “second target pressure”, the frequency of collision with the raw material gas can be sufficiently lowered, and the temperature of the catalyst body W is related to the temperature. Therefore, the reaction with the source gas can be avoided and the deterioration thereof can be suppressed.

(Catalyst body unit 30)
Next, the catalyst unit 30 will be described in detail below. 3 is a view of the catalytic CVD chamber 13 as viewed from above, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the catalyst body unit 30.

In FIG. 3, 16 communication holes H are formed in the shower plate 24. Each communication hole H is equally distributed on a concentric circle centered on the center point of the substrate B, and is formed to extend along the tangential direction of the concentric circle. For example, each communication hole H is disposed at a point-symmetrical position with the center position of the substrate B being the center of rotation four times. As a result, the catalyst body units 30 can be arranged in each communication hole H substantially isotropically when viewed from the center of the substrate B.

Here, when viewed from the vertical direction, the longitudinal direction of each communication hole H (the tangential direction of the concentric circle) is referred to as the “wiring direction” of the corresponding communication hole.
In FIG. 4, the connection terminal holder 31 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from a highly heat-resistant ceramic material (for example, quartz). On the outer periphery of the lower part of the connection terminal holder 31, notches 31a are formed on both sides in the wiring direction. When the connection terminal holder 31 is fitted into the communication hole H, the notch 31a is separated from the inner wall of the communication hole H and forms an introduction port N between the connection terminal holder 31 and the first plate 24a. When the mass flow controller MFC supplies the source gas, the connection terminal holder 31 introduces the source gas dispersed by the shower plate 24 into the first chamber S1 from each inlet N as shown by the arrow in FIG. To do.

  In the lower part of the connection terminal holder 31, pin insertion holes 31b penetrating from the first chamber S1 to the second chamber S2 are formed on both sides in the wiring direction. Each pin insertion hole 31b is formed along the vertical direction, and the corresponding guide pin 33 is inserted therethrough.

  Each guide pin 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape by a ceramic material having high heat resistance (for example, quartz) and has a guide hole 33a extending in the vertical direction. When each guide pin 33 is inserted into the corresponding pin insertion hole 31 b, its head is supported and fixed to the connection terminal holder 31. Each guide pin 33 guides the catalyst body W extending in the wiring direction through the corresponding guide hole 33a from the first chamber S1 to the second chamber S2 along the vertical direction.

  A pair of recesses 31 c and a pair of terminal insertion holes 31 d are respectively formed on the upper side of the connection terminal holder 31 on both sides in the corresponding wiring direction. Each of the pair of terminal insertion holes 31d is a through-hole penetrating from the corresponding recess 31c to the upper end of the connection terminal holder 31, and is formed immediately above the corresponding pin insertion hole 31b, through which the connection terminal 32 is inserted. .

  Each connection terminal 32 is formed in a rod shape having a flange 32a. When each connection terminal 32 is inserted into the corresponding terminal insertion hole 31d, the flange portion 32a is fixed to the upper end of the connection terminal holder 31, and the lower end of the connection terminal 32 is moved into the recess 31c by a predetermined length. Invade.

  A grip portion 32 b is formed at the lower end of each connection terminal 32. The grip portion 32b is formed so that its outer diameter becomes thinner toward the lower end, and has a circular hole having an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the catalyst body W. A fastening screw 34 is attached to the lower end of each connection terminal 32. When the tightening screw 34 is screwed into the lower end of the connection terminal 32, the inclined surface expanding upward corresponds to the lower end of the gripping portion 32 b, and the lower end of the gripping portion 32 b is tightened by the inclined surface. When the tightening screw 34 is screwed into the lower end of the connection terminal 32, the grip portion 32b tightens and fixes the catalyst body W in the hole to electrically connect the connection terminal 32 and the catalyst body W. The catalyst body W is exposed to the second chamber S <b> 2 in the vicinity of the lower end of the connection terminal 32 by the distance between the fastening screw 34 and the guide pin 33.

  When the external power source GE outputs a predetermined power, the catalyst body W in the first chamber S1 receives the power via the corresponding pressing terminal T and the connection terminal 32, and generates heat to a predetermined temperature. A desired film forming process is executed in S1.

At this time, the raw material gas in the first chamber S1 flows into the second chamber S2 via the gap between the guide hole 33a and the catalyst body W according to the differential pressure between the “first target pressure” and the “second target pressure”. To do. The catalyst body W in the second chamber S2, which is the portion where the temperature is lowest, that is, the catalyst body W at the lower end of the grip portion 32b.
Is sufficiently separated from the guide hole 33a and continues to release its periphery. For this reason, the low-temperature catalyst body W can sufficiently reduce the collision frequency with the inflowing raw material gas.

  Furthermore, before the raw material gas in the first chamber S1 flows between the guide hole 33a and the catalyst body W, it collides in advance with the high temperature catalyst body W, and the reaction proceeds sufficiently. Therefore, most of the raw material gas entering between the guide hole 33a and the catalyst body W flows into the second chamber S2 in an inactive state with respect to the low-temperature catalyst body W.

  As a result, the catalyst body W can avoid the reaction with the raw material gas regardless of the temperature, and can suppress the deterioration thereof. Further, since the gas in the second chamber S2 does not flow into the first chamber S1, the cleanliness of the first chamber S1 can be maintained sufficiently high, and the film forming process can be performed with high reproducibility. Can do.

Next, a maintenance method for the catalytic CVD chamber 13 will be described below. 5 to 7 are side sectional views showing a maintenance method of the catalytic CVD chamber 13, respectively.
In FIG. 7, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 moves the lid 21D upward to separate the lid 21D from the second cylinder 21C. At this time, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 maintains the connection state between the power supply wiring and the pressing terminal T and the connection state between the ground wiring and the pressing terminal T so that all the pressing terminals T are connected to the corresponding connection terminals. Separate from 32 at the same time.

  Therefore, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 can make the entire second chamber S2 an object of maintenance (for example, cleaning, member replacement, etc.) only by moving the lid 21D upward. On the contrary, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 can connect all the press terminals T to the corresponding connection terminals 32 only by moving the lid 21D downward.

  In FIG. 8, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 moves the connection terminal holder 31 to be selected, and separates the catalyst body unit 30 to be selected from the shower plate 24. At this time, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 maintains the fitting state of the connection terminal holder 31 that is not selected, and removes only the catalyst body unit 30 to be selected from the shower plate 24. Further, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 opens only the region of the selected communication hole H with respect to the first chamber S1.

  In other words, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 can be used only for the corresponding catalyst body unit 30 for maintenance (for example, cleaning, member replacement, etc.) only by moving the connection terminal holder 31 upward. Moreover, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 can suppress the state fluctuation | variation of the 1st chamber S1 by air | atmosphere at the time of the maintenance of the catalyst body unit 30, and can recover the vacuum degree of the 1st chamber S1 more rapidly.

  In FIG. 9, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 moves the second cylinder 21C upward to separate the second cylinder 21C from the first cylinder 21B. At this time, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 can maintain the fitted state of the catalyst body unit 30 and simultaneously separate all the catalyst body units 30 from the second chamber S2.

  That is, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 can make the entire first chamber S1 subject to maintenance (for example, cleaning, member replacement, etc.) only by moving the second cylinder 21C upward. On the contrary, the catalytic CVD chamber 13 can set all the catalyst bodies W in the first chamber S1 only by moving the second cylinder 21C downward.

(Semiconductor device 40)
Next, the semiconductor device 40 manufactured using the CVD apparatus 10 will be described below. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing the semiconductor device 40.

  In FIG. 8, a semiconductor device 40 is, for example, a memory device including various RAMs and various ROMs, a logic device including MPUs and general-purpose logic, and the like. A plurality of element isolation regions 41 are formed on the substrate B of the semiconductor device 40, and thin film transistors Tr are formed in regions surrounded by the element isolation regions 41.

  Each of the plurality of thin film transistors Tr includes a gate insulating film 42 made of a silicon oxide film and a gate electrode 43 made of a polysilicon film. Around the gate insulating film 42 and the gate electrode 43, a first side wall 44 made of a silicon oxide film and a second side wall 45 made of a silicon nitride film are formed. The gate electrode 43, the first sidewall 44, and the second sidewall 45 are each formed by a film forming process using the CVD apparatus 10. Thereby, the semiconductor device 40 can improve its productivity.

(Photoelectric conversion device 50)
Next, the photoelectric conversion apparatus 50 manufactured using the CVD apparatus 10 will be described below. FIG. 9 is a principal cross-sectional view showing the photoelectric conversion device 50.

  In FIG. 9, the photoelectric conversion device 50 is, for example, a silicon solar cell that uses the photovoltaic effect of a silicon film. The photoelectric conversion device 50 has a light-transmitting substrate B such as a glass substrate, and a transparent electrode 51 made of a metal oxide or the like is formed on the surface of the substrate B. On the upper side of the transparent electrode 51, a p-type amorphous silicon film 52, an i-type amorphous silicon film 53, an n-type amorphous silicon film 54, and a metal electrode 55 are laminated in order. A pin junction made of a silicon film is formed between 51 and the metal electrode 55. Each of the amorphous silicon films 52, 53, and 54 is formed by a film forming process using the CVD apparatus 10. Thereby, the photoelectric conversion apparatus 50 can improve the productivity.

According to the said embodiment, there exist the following effects.
(1) In the above embodiment, the chamber main body 21 has a bottom main body 21A, a first cylindrical body 21B, a second cylindrical body 21C, and a lid 21D, which are detachably stacked. The chamber body 21 has a stage 22 on which the substrate B is placed, a plurality of catalyst bodies W facing the substrate B, and a plurality of connection terminals 32 connected to each catalyst body W in the space S, Further, the lid body 21 </ b> D has a plurality of pressing terminals T corresponding to the connection terminals 32. And lid 21D presses corresponding connection terminal 32 in the state where it is piled up on the 2nd cylinder 21C.

  Therefore, the CVD apparatus 10 can simultaneously release the mechanical connection between each pressing terminal T and the corresponding connection terminal 32 only by removing the lid 21D from the second cylinder 21C. As a result, the CVD apparatus 10 can open the second chamber S2 in a short time, and can greatly reduce the maintenance time related to the second chamber S2. As a result, the maintainability of the CVD apparatus 10 can be improved.

  (2) In the above embodiment, the space S of the chamber body 21 is partitioned into the first chamber S1 and the second chamber S2 by the shower plate 24. The first chamber S1 and the second chamber S2 each have a stage 22 and a connection terminal 32. Further, the catalyst body W is led out from the first chamber S <b> 1 to the second chamber S <b> 2 through the communication hole H of the shower plate 24, and an end thereof is connected to the connection terminal 32.

Therefore, the CVD apparatus 10 can expose the second chamber S2 and suppress the exposure of the first chamber S1 only by removing the lid 21D from the second cylinder 21C. That is, the CVD apparatus 10 simply removes the lid 21D from the second cylinder 21C, and each connection terminal 32
In addition, the end of each catalyst body W can be exposed, and the exposure of the stage 22 and the center of each catalyst body W can be suppressed. As a result, the CVD apparatus 10 can greatly reduce the time required for replacing each connection terminal 32 and can suppress contact between the film formation space and the atmosphere. As a result, when the connection terminal 32 is exchanged, the degree of vacuum in the first chamber S1 can be recovered in a shorter time, and the maintainability of the CVD apparatus 10 can be further improved.

  (3) In the above-described embodiment, the pair of connection terminals 32 are each held by one connection terminal holder 31. The connection terminal holder 31 guides the catalyst body W from the first chamber S1 to the second chamber S2 along the guide hole 33a, and is detachably fitted into the communication hole H.

  Therefore, the CVD apparatus 10 can remove the corresponding connection terminal 32 and the corresponding catalyst body W from the shower plate 24 only by removing the connection terminal holder 31 from the communication hole H. Further, when the connection terminal 32 or the catalyst body W is replaced, the exposure of the first chamber S1 can be suppressed only in the area of the communication hole H. As a result, the time required for exchanging the connection terminal 32 and the catalyst body W can be significantly shortened, and contact with the atmosphere in the film formation space can be further suppressed.

  (4) In the above embodiment, since the purity of the catalyst body W is 99.99% or more (more preferably 99.999% or more), the metal contamination level of the first chamber S1 due to the combustion of the catalyst body W Can be reduced. As a result, the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device 40 and the photoelectric conversion device 50 can be improved by reducing the contamination level of the thin film.

In addition, you may implement the said embodiment in the following aspects.
In the above embodiment, the CVD apparatus is embodied in a cluster type system. For example, the CVD apparatus may be embodied in one catalytic CVD chamber 13. That is, the CVD apparatus of the present invention is not limited to various apparatuses for transporting a substrate, such as the LL chamber 11 and the transport chamber 12.

  In the above embodiment, the shower plate 24 defines the first chamber S1 and the second chamber S2 in the chamber body 21. For example, the shower plate 24 may have a configuration in which the space S is not partitioned, and the stage 22 and the catalyst unit 30 may be arranged in one common space.

  In the above embodiment, the chamber body 21 includes the bottom body 21A, the first cylinder 21B, the second cylinder 21C, and the lid 21D. For example, the bottom main body 21A and the first cylinder 21B may be integrally formed, and the bottom main body 21A, the first cylinder 21B, and the second cylinder 21C are integrally formed. It may be a configuration.

  In the above embodiment, the second chamber S2 has a lower pressure than the first chamber S1. For example, the second chamber S2 and the first chamber S1 may have the same pressure, or the first chamber S1 may have a lower pressure than the second chamber S2. That is, the CVD apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the differential pressure between the first chamber and the second chamber.

  -In above-mentioned embodiment, although the catalyst body W is actualized to a wire, it is not restricted to this, For example, you may form the catalyst body W in plate shape. In other words, the CVD apparatus of the present invention is not limited by the shape of the catalyst body, and may be any configuration as long as the connection region between the catalyst body and the connection terminal is disposed in the second chamber.

The top view which shows typically the CVD apparatus of this invention. Similarly, the sectional side view which shows a catalytic CVD chamber. Similarly, the top view which shows a catalytic CVD chamber. Similarly, the sectional side view which shows a connection terminal holder. Similarly, the figure which shows the maintenance method of a catalytic CVD chamber. Similarly, the figure which shows the maintenance method of a catalytic CVD chamber. Similarly, the figure which shows the maintenance method of a catalytic CVD chamber. Similarly, the sectional side view which shows a semiconductor device. Similarly, the sectional side view which shows a photoelectric conversion apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  B ... substrate, H ... communication hole, S ... space, W ... catalyst body, S1 ... first chamber, S2 ... second chamber, T ... pressing terminal, 10 ... CVD apparatus, 21 ... chamber main body as casing, 21A ... bottom main body constituting the first casing, 21B ... first cylinder constituting the first casing, 21C ... second cylinder as the second casing, 21D ... lid, 22 ... stage, 24 ... shower Plate 31, connection terminal holder, 32, connection terminal, 33 a, guide hole, 40, semiconductor device, 50, photoelectric conversion device.

Claims (8)

A bottomed cylindrical casing;
A lid that is detachably stacked on the housing;
A stage placed in a space in the housing and on which a substrate is placed;
A plurality of catalyst bodies disposed in a space in the housing and facing the substrate;
A plurality of connection terminals arranged in a space in the casing and connected to the catalyst bodies;
A plurality of pressing terminals attached to the lid body, respectively pressing the connection terminals by stacking of the lid bodies, and separating from the connection terminals by detachment of the lid body;
A plurality of power supply wires connected to each of the pressing terminals and supplying a predetermined power to each of the pressing terminals;
A CVD apparatus comprising: The CVD apparatus according to claim 1,
The housing is
A bottomed cylindrical first housing;
A cylindrical second casing detachably stacked on the first casing;
A plate-shaped partition wall disposed between the first housing and the second housing and dividing a space in the housing into a space in the first housing and a space in the second housing. And comprising
The space in the first housing accommodates the stage and each catalyst body,
The partition wall has a plurality of communication holes that communicate the space in the first housing and the space in the second housing, and each end of each catalyst body is led out to the space in the second housing. And
The space in the second housing accommodates the connection terminals and end portions of the catalyst bodies connected to the connection terminals;
A CVD apparatus characterized by the above. The CVD apparatus according to claim 2,
A plurality of connection terminal holders for supporting each connection terminal,
Each of the connection terminal holders is
Removably fitted to the corresponding communication holes, respectively, to divide the space in the first housing and the space in the second housing in the region of the communication holes, in the region of the communication holes, Each having a plurality of guide holes for guiding the catalyst body from the space in the first housing to the space in the second housing;
A CVD apparatus characterized by the above. The CVD apparatus according to claim 2 or 3,
The partition is
A shower plate that disperses and discharges the source gas into the space in the first housing;
A CVD apparatus characterized by the above.   5. The CVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst body has a purity of 99.99% or more. The CVD apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the purity of the catalyst body is 99.99.
A CVD apparatus characterized by being 999% or more. A semiconductor device comprising a layer containing silicon,
7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the layer containing silicon is formed using the CVD apparatus according to claim 1. A photoelectric conversion device including a layer containing silicon,
The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing layer is formed using the CVD device according to claim 1.

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