JP5051954B2 - Sputtering method and cover for spattering target used in the method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sputtering method and a sputtering target cover used in the method for preventing contamination and breakage of the sputtering target when the sputtering target is mounted on a sputtering apparatus.
[0002]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The spattering target is usually accommodated in a packaging material in order to prevent adhesion of dust to the target material surface, damage to the target material surface, or the like during transportation or storage. However, when the packaging material is opened and the sputtering target is fixed to the cathode of the sputtering device with a bolt, the surface of the target material may be inadvertently scratched with a tool. In addition, an O-ring is attached to the base of the sputtering target for maintaining airtightness during this fixing, but the grease of the O-ring contaminates the target material, which causes particles during sputtering. .
[0003]
Contamination or the like that occurs when the sputtering target is fixed to the sputtering apparatus is regarded as carelessness of the operator, and no special measures have been taken. At present, countermeasures against contamination of the surface of the target material have been taken exclusively during transportation and storage.
[0004]
However, the surface of the target material is contaminated by O-ring grease without being noticed, and this may cause particles to be generated during sputtering, which may reduce the yield of the final microdevice. It had been.
[0005]
In addition, when fixing the sputtering target to the sputtering apparatus, care must be taken not to damage or contaminate the surface of the target material, which contributes to a reduction in sputtering work efficiency and also from the viewpoint of work efficiency. Fundamental measures were required.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when the sputtering target is mounted on the sputtering device, the sputtering target is not damaged, contaminated, or has dirt marks. An object of the present invention is to provide a sputtering method and a cover used in the method.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The sputtering method of the present invention that achieves the above object is characterized by comprising the following steps (1) to (3) as a sputtering method in which sputtering is carried out by mounting a sputtering target in a sputtering apparatus.
[0008]
(1) A step of covering the sputtering target and protecting the sputtering target;
(2) A process of fixing the sputtering target covered in the protection process in the sputtering apparatus and mounting an O-ring in a groove provided on the base of the sputtering target;
(3) The process of removing the cover after completion of the mounting process.
[0009]
The cover includes a cover portion that covers the sputtering target and a fastening pin portion that detachably attaches the cover portion to a base of the sputtering target. The retaining pin portion is preferably an engagement pin that is provided on the base of the sputtering target and is detachably engaged with an O-ring removal groove for removing an O-ring.
[0010]
Moreover, when the said sputtering apparatus is a direct current | flow sputtering apparatus which performs sputtering by direct current glow discharge, it is preferable to comprise the said cover from a nonmagnetic material. In this case, it is preferable that the cover part and the fastening pin part are formed separately, the cover part is made of acrylic resin, and the fastening pin part is made of PEEK (polyether ether ketone) resin.
[0011]
Moreover, the cover for a sputtering target of the present invention that achieves the above object is a cover for a sputtering target that protects the sputtering target, and covers the sputtering target when the sputtering target is mounted on a sputtering apparatus. A cover part that is open at one end and closed at the other end to protect the (upper surface, peripheral surface) and one end edge of the cover part can be attached to and detached from the base of the sputtering target. It is characterized by comprising a retaining pin portion to be attached to.
[0012]
It is preferable that the retaining pin portion is an engagement pin that is provided on a base of the sputtering target and is detachably engaged with an O-ring removal groove for removing an O-ring.
[0013]
Moreover, it is preferable that the cover part and the fastening pin part are formed separately, the cover part is made of acrylic resin, and the fastening pin part is made of PEEK (polyether ether ketone) resin.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a cross-sectional view of a sputtering target equipped with the cover of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sputtering target, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cover, FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cover, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 3 showing a mounting hole for a retaining pin portion. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 4 showing a state where the retaining pin portion is inserted into the mounting hole. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a sputtering apparatus used in the sputtering method of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the method of the present invention.
[0015]
First, an embodiment of the cover for a sputtering target according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The sputtering target 20 is configured, for example, by depositing a target material 22 such as aluminum (Al) or titanium (Ti) on a disk-shaped base 21. An O-ring groove 24 for mounting an O-ring 23 is provided at the peripheral edge of the surface of the base 21 so as to surround the target material 22, and the O-ring is positioned inside the O-ring groove 24. Four O-ring removal grooves 25 that are communicated with the groove 24 and into which a tool is inserted when removing the O-ring 23 from the O-ring groove 24 are provided at substantially equal intervals. Further, at the periphery of the base 21 located outside the O-ring groove 24, as shown in FIG. 2, the head used for fixing the sputtering target 20 to the sputtering apparatus 30 (see FIG. 7). Twenty insertion holes 26 for bolts (not shown) are provided at equal intervals.
[0016]
An embodiment of the cover of the present invention for protecting the target material 22 from scratches, dirt, dirt marks and the like when the sputtering target 20 is mounted on the sputtering apparatus 30 (see FIG. 7) will be described. .
[0017]
According to the present embodiment, the cover 10 covers the upper surface and the peripheral surface of the target material 22, and has a cylindrical cover portion 11 that is open at one end and closed at the other end, and an open end of the cover portion 11. And a plurality of retaining pin portions 12 attached thereto.
[0018]
The cover portion 11 is formed of, for example, an acrylic resin and is set to a size that surrounds the target material 22 on the 6-inch sputtering target 20. In addition, a plurality of, for example, twelve mounting holes 13 for inserting and attaching the retaining pin portion 12 to the opening end surface provided at one end of the cover portion 11 are arranged at substantially equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the cover portion 11. (See FIGS. 3 and 5).
[0019]
The retaining pin portion 12 is configured to detachably engage with the O-ring removing groove 25 (the outer diameter of the retaining pin portion 12 is set in accordance with the O-ring removing groove 25). There is a risk of breakage or damage during use. For this reason, the fastening pin portion 12 is harder than the acrylic resin and is not easily broken. For example, the fastening pin portion 12 is formed separately from the cover portion 11 with PEEK (polyether ether ketone) resin. The fastening pin portion 12 can be attached by being inserted into another attachment hole 13 of the cover portion 11.
[0020]
In this embodiment, there are, for example, four fastening pin portions 12, and 12 pieces are provided on the cover portion 11 at equal intervals (so that the opening angle between the fastening pin portions 12 is 90 °). Of these mounting holes 13, they are easily attached to the cover portion 11 by being inserted into predetermined four mounting holes 13.
[0021]
When the fastening pin portion 12 is integrated with the cover portion 11, if the fastening pin portion 12 is broken or damaged, the entire cover 10 must be discarded even if the cover portion 11 has no broken portion, which is uneconomical. However, this situation can be avoided.
[0022]
According to the cover 10 of the above embodiment, when the cover 10 is mounted on the sputtering target 20, the retaining pin portion 12 is formed so that the O-ring removal groove 25 provided on the base 21 of the sputtering target 20 can be used. In addition, since it is configured to be detachably attached to the sputtering target 20 via the retaining pin portion 12, it is not necessary to perform special processing for attaching the cover 10 to the sputtering target 20, and the target material 22 In the case where a new sputtering target 20 is exchanged for consumption, it can be used continuously and is economical.
[0023]
Moreover, since the cover part 11 is made of acrylic resin and the retaining pin part 12 is made of PEEK resin, both of the cover 10 are made of a nonmagnetic material, the sputtering apparatus 30 performs sputtering by direct current glow discharge. This is convenient when the type is a direct current sputtering apparatus. That is, tools (tools for fixing the sputtering target 20 to the sputtering apparatus 30) collide with the cover 10 due to the influence of the magnetic force of the magnet 31 (see FIG. 7) provided in the DC sputtering apparatus, and the cover 10 is There is no risk of damage.
[0024]
Next, an example of the sputtering method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the sputtering method of this embodiment, the cover 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 is used. Moreover, the sputtering apparatus 30 uses the DC sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. 7, for example. This direct current sputtering apparatus performs direct current glow discharge in the chamber 32, collides the generated ions with the target material 22 of the sputtering target 20 fixed on the negative potential cathode 33, and discharges the atoms with the sputtering target 20. It is comprised so that it may adhere on the wafer 34 arrange | positioned in the opposing position. The magnet 31 disposed in the vicinity of the cathode 33 promotes glow discharge. In FIG. 7, 35 is a DC power source, 36 is an argon gas inlet provided in the chamber 32, and 37 is a suction port provided in the chamber 32 connected to a vacuum pump (not shown).
[0025]
First, a packaging material (not shown) for the sputtering target 20 is opened (step 40). At this time, care should be taken not to damage or contaminate the surface of the target material 22 with the packaging material. Next, the cover 10 is placed on the sputtering target 20 so that the upper surface and the peripheral surface of the target material 22 are covered with a space by the cover portion 11, and the distal end portion of the retaining pin portion 12 is the base of the sputtering target 20. Engage with the O-ring removal groove 25 provided on the base 21 (step 41). When the cover 10 is thus mounted and the target material 22 is protected, the sputtering target 20 is fixed to the cathode 33 of the chamber 32 via a headed bolt (not shown), and the O-ring 23 is formed from the outside of the cover 10. And is mounted in the O-ring groove 24 (step 42). FIG. 7 shows this state. After the mounting of the sputtering target 20 is completed, the engagement between the tip of the retaining pin portion 12 and the O-ring removal groove 25 is released, the cover 10 is removed from the sputtering target 20, and the target material 22 is exposed (step 43). Next, the inside of the chamber 32 is depressurized to a predetermined pressure, a predetermined voltage is applied by the DC power source 35, and DC glow discharge is performed in the chamber 32 to perform sputtering (step 44). When the target material 22 is deposited on the wafer 34 and film formation is performed, the target material 22 is taken out from the chamber 32, a new wafer 34 is mounted, and sputtering is repeated until the target material 22 runs out. When the target material 22 is lost and the sputtering is repeated, the sputtering target 20 with the target material 22 lost is removed from the cathode 33, a new sputtering target 20 is prepared, and the same steps are repeated.
[0026]
According to the sputtering method of the above embodiment, the sputtering target 20 is attached to the sputtering target 20 in advance and the target material 22 is protected, the sputtering target 20 is fixed to the cathode 33, and the O-ring is attached to the base of the sputtering target 20. 23 is attached, there is no possibility that the surface of the target material 22 is scratched by tools or contaminated by the grease of the O-ring 23 (the adhered grease does not become particles during sputtering). It is possible to improve the yield of microdevices and the like manufactured by repeating such a sputtering method. Further, in the fixing operation for fixing the sputtering target 20 to the cathode 33, it is not necessary to pay attention so that the surface of the target material 22 is not damaged or contaminated, and the efficiency of the sputtering operation can be improved.
[0027]
Moreover, the surface of the target material 22 can be protected economically by using the cover 10 shown in FIGS. The cover 10 can be used repeatedly as described above.
[0028]
In addition, when the magnet 31 is not equipped in the sputtering apparatus 30, it is also possible to comprise the cover 10 with a metal except the part which contacts the base 21. FIG. The portion of the cover 10 that comes into contact with the base 21 is made of a synthetic resin such as an acrylic resin in order to prevent generation of particles due to rubbing between the cover 10 and the base 21. Even in the sputtering apparatus 30 equipped with the magnet 31, the cover 10 can be made of a nonmagnetic metal such as aluminum or copper except for a portion that contacts the base 21.
[0029]
Moreover, although the case where the fastening pin part 12 was inserted in the attachment hole 13 of the cover part 11 was shown, the internal thread is formed in the attachment hole 13, the external thread is formed in the fastening pin part 12, and the fastening pin part 12 may be screwed into the mounting hole 13. Further, instead of being inserted or screwed, the fastening pin portion 12 may be fixed to the cover portion 11 using an adhesive.
[0030]
【Effect of the invention】
As described above, according to the sputtering method of the present invention, the target material is protected in advance by the cover, the sputtering target is fixed to the sputtering apparatus, and the cover is removed after the fixing operation is completed. It is possible to reliably prevent the target material from being scratched or soiled when it is fixed to the apparatus. Further, when fixing the sputtering target, it is not necessary to pay attention to scratches and dirt on the target material, and the efficiency of the fixing operation is improved.
[0031]
Moreover, according to the cover for sputtering targets of this invention, the cover part which covers a sputtering target and protects the target material surface (upper surface, peripheral surface) with one end opened and the other end closed, and the cover part Since it is provided with a retaining pin portion that is provided at one end edge of the base plate and detachably attaches the cover portion to the base of the sputtering target, it is easy to attach to the sputtering target, and ensures that the surface of the target material is scratched and soiled. Can be prevented.
[0032]
In addition, when the retaining pin portion is configured to be detachably engageable with an O-ring removal groove provided on the base of the sputtering target, no processing for attaching the cover to the sputtering target is performed. The cover can be attached to an existing sputtering target as it is.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sputtering target equipped with a cover of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sputtering target.
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cover.
FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the cover.
5 is a partially enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 3 showing a mounting hole for a fastening pin portion. FIG.
6 is a partially enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 4 showing a state in which a fastening pin portion is inserted into the mounting hole.
FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sputtering apparatus used in the sputtering method of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a sputtering method of the present invention. It is the bottom view.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cover 11 Cover part 12 Fastening pin part 13 Mounting hole 20 Sputtering target 21 Base 22 Target material 23 O-ring 24 O-ring groove 24 25 O-ring removal groove 25
30 Sputtering device 32 Chamber 33 Cathode

Claims (7)

A sputtering method in which sputtering is performed by mounting a sputtering target in a chamber of a sputtering apparatus,
Covering the sputtering target and protecting the sputtering target;
Fixing the sputtering target covered in the protection step in the chamber, and attaching an O-ring to a groove provided on a base of the sputtering target;
And a step of removing the cover after completion of the mounting step. In the sputtering method according to claim 1,
The said cover consists of a cover part which covers the said sputtering target, and a fastening pin part which attaches this cover part to the base of the said sputtering target so that attachment or detachment is possible. In the sputtering method according to claim 2,
The sputtering method according to claim 1, wherein the retaining pin portion is an engagement pin that is provided on a base of the sputtering target and is detachably engaged with an O-ring removal groove for removing the O-ring. In the sputtering method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The sputtering method is a direct current sputtering device that performs sputtering by direct current glow discharge, and the cover is made of a nonmagnetic material. In the sputtering method according to claim 2 ,
The said cover part and the said fastening pin part are comprised separately, the said cover part is a product made from an acrylic resin, and the said fastening pin part is a product made from PEEK (polyether ether ketone) resin, The sputtering method characterized by the above-mentioned. Sputtering target cover to protect the sputtering target,
When the sputtering target is mounted on a sputtering apparatus, a cover part that covers the sputtering target and protects the surface of the target material is opened at one end and closed at the other end, and provided at one end edge of the cover part. A cover pin portion is detachably attached to the base of the sputtering target,
The cover for a sputtering target, wherein the retaining pin portion is an engagement pin that is provided on a base of the sputtering target and is detachably engaged with an O-ring removal groove for removing an O-ring. A cover for a sputtering target according to claim 6,
The cover for a sputtering target, wherein the cover part and the fastening pin part are configured separately, the cover part is made of acrylic resin, and the fastening pin part is made of PEEK (polyether ether ketone) resin.

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