JP6677485B2 - Vacuum processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a vacuum processing apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a sputtering apparatus has been used as an apparatus for forming an optical thin film used for glasses, lenses, filters for blocking light of a specific wavelength, or the like, or a decorative film used for automobile parts, watches, and the like. (For example, see Patent Document 1)
When an object to be deposited has a three-dimensional shape with irregularities, such as an optical lens or an automobile part, the object to be deposited is generally mounted on a holder and transported.

  The holder has, for example, a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and can hold a film formation target at the bottom.

  In a sputtering apparatus, a film to be formed also adheres to the above-described holder during a film forming process. The attached film absorbs moisture when exposed to the atmosphere, causing a change in film stress.

  By the way, the holder is used repeatedly for a certain period or a certain number of times. Therefore, another film having a film stress is stacked on the film having the film stress described above. As a result, the film attached to the holder has an increased film stress as it is laminated, and eventually peels off from the inner surface and the bottom of the holder.

  A film peeled off from such a holder (hereinafter, referred to as a “peeled film”) falls and adheres to a film formation target during transportation. Alternatively, the peeled film that has fallen to the bottom of the holder flies up due to the airflow generated by the transport operation and adheres to the film formation target. The peeled film that has adhered to the film formation target becomes an adhered substance. If the film formation process is performed while the attached matter is attached to the film formation target, there is a problem that the yield is reduced.

JP-A-2002-256428

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vacuum processing apparatus that can easily remove the deposits attached to the processing target.

An embodiment of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention has a vacuum processing chamber in which a vacuum processing is performed on an object to be processed, and a vacuum vessel that can be depressurized to an atmosphere that is depressurized below atmospheric pressure.
A load lock chamber connected to the vacuum vessel and capable of reducing pressure independently of the vacuum vessel;
A transport mechanism for transporting the object to be processed between the vacuum processing chamber and the load lock chamber,
A vacuum processing source disposed in the vacuum processing chamber and performing vacuum processing on the processing object;
An external transport mechanism that transports the processing target between the load lock chamber and an input unit disposed outside the vacuum vessel,
The processing object is held in a processing object holding unit that holds the processing object,
In the vacuum processing apparatus transported by the transport mechanism and the external transport mechanism,
The external transfer mechanism is a vacuum processing apparatus , comprising: a gas blowing unit that blows a gas to the processing target during transfer ; and the gas blowing unit includes a discharge electrode that ionizes the gas .

1 is an overall view of a vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the transfer device according to the present invention. It is an enlarged view of the vacuum lid of 1st Embodiment, (a) is a front view of a vacuum lid, (b) is sectional drawing of XX cross section. FIG. 3 is a bottom view schematically showing a discharge electrode provided on the vacuum lid according to the first embodiment. It is a front view of a vacuum lid in a 2nd embodiment of a conveyance device concerning the present invention.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the vacuum processing apparatus is specifically a single-wafer magnetron sputtering apparatus.

  The vacuum processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a main chamber 2 as a vacuum container, as shown in FIG. The main chamber 2 has a substantially circular shape in plan view, and includes a main body 2a and an upper wall portion 2b disposed on the main body 2a and hermetically closing the main body 2a. The internal space S of the main chamber 2 is evacuated by a not-shown evacuation system.

  In the center of the internal space S of the main chamber 2, there is provided a rotating shaft 3 that extends vertically through the bottom wall of the main chamber 2. The lower end of the rotary shaft 3 is connected to a motor (not shown) fixed to the lower surface of the main chamber 2, and the upper end of the rotary shaft 3 is connected to the center of a disk-shaped rotary table 5 in plan view. The rotary table 5 has a plurality of circular openings 5a. The plurality of circular openings 5a are arranged on the same circumference around the rotation shaft 3.

  The rotary table 5 functions as a transport mechanism.

  In the present embodiment, there are two circular openings 5a. Each circular opening 5 a is arranged at a point-symmetric position with respect to the rotation center of the turntable 5.

  At positions corresponding to the respective circular openings 5a on the rotary table 5, cylindrical work chambers 6 each having a bottom portion having a larger diameter than the circular openings 5a are supported. The work chamber 6 is provided with an upper opening 6a and a lower opening 6b. On the inner wall of the work chamber 6, a reflector (not shown) for preventing sputter particles from adhering is arranged.

  The film formation target 7 as a processing target is supplied to the inside of the main chamber 2 while being placed on a holder 8 as a processing target holding unit. Therefore, the film formation target 7 held in the work chamber 6 in FIG. 1 is held in the work chamber 6 while being placed on the holder 8.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the holder 8 has a disc-shaped bottom portion 8a in plan view and a receiving portion 8b provided on an outer peripheral portion of an upper surface of the bottom portion 8a. The receiving portion 8b is a quadrangular prism, and has an opening 8c at its free end. In the present embodiment, the number of the receiving portions 8b is three, and they are arranged at equal intervals (here, 120 ° intervals) on the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the bottom portion 8a.

  The holder 8 has four cylindrical protection members 8d on the upper surface of the bottom 8a.

  The protection member 8d is arranged at a position in contact with the side surface of the film formation target 7 so as to surround the film formation target 7. The height of the protection member 8 d is preferably lower than the height of the upper end of the side surface of the film formation target 7. This is because if the protective member 8d is higher than the side surface of the film formation target 7, the protective member 8d blocks sputtered particles, and a film cannot be formed on the shielded portion.

  The protection member 8d prevents the film-forming target 7 from being positioned with respect to the holder 8 and the position of the film-forming target 7 from being misaligned due to gas blowing described later.

  Further, pushers 9 and 10 are provided in the main chamber 2 with the rotating shaft 3 interposed therebetween. The lower ends of the pushers 9 and 10 are connected to an actuator (not shown), and the pushers 9 and 10 are moved up and down by the actuator (not shown). The pushers 9 and 10 penetrate the bottom wall of the main chamber 2, pass through the circular opening 5 a of the turntable 5, and move up and down in the internal space S while supporting the work chamber 6. In the pushers 9 and 10 in the lowered state, the upper surface thereof is positioned lower than the height position of the lower surface of the turntable 5.

  FIG. 1 shows a state where the pushers 9 and 10 are raised. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper end positions of the pusher 9 and the pusher 10 are different. This will be described later.

  On the other hand, the upper wall 2b of the main chamber 2 is provided with a vacuum processing opening 2c and a load lock opening 2d. The vacuum processing opening 2c and the load lock opening 2d are on the same circumference where the circular opening 5a of the turntable 5 is arranged, and are formed at point-symmetric positions with respect to the rotation center of the turntable 5. ing. Thus, when one circular opening 5a of the rotary table 5 is rotationally moved to a position facing the vacuum processing opening 2c, the other circular opening 5a is located at a position facing the load lock opening 2d.

  Of the pushers 9 and 10 described above, the pusher 9 is located below the vacuum processing opening 2c, and the pusher 10 is located below the load lock opening 2d.

  In addition, a cylindrical lid 20 is provided on the vacuum processing opening 2c of the upper wall 2b.

  When the work chamber 6 is lifted upward by the pusher 9, a space formed by the vacuum processing opening 2 c, the work chamber 6, and the lid 20 is a vacuum processing chamber for performing vacuum processing of the film formation target 7. Is the vacuum processing space 12. When the work chamber 6 is lifted upward by the pusher 10, the space formed by the load lock opening 2 d, the work chamber 6, and a vacuum lid 33 described later becomes a load lock space 13 as a load lock chamber. Becomes That is, the main chamber 2 has a vacuum processing chamber and a load lock chamber.

  Note that a gap of several mm is provided between the upper opening 6a of the work chamber 6 lifted to the highest position by the pusher 9 and the lower edge of the vacuum processing opening 2c, so that the airtight sealing is not performed. . This is because the vacuum processing space 12 is evacuated by the above-described evacuation system that evacuates the internal space S.

  A substantially annular reflector 14 for preventing sputter particles from adhering to the inner wall of the main chamber 2 is disposed on the side wall of the vacuum processing opening 2c.

  The lid part 20 has a flange part 20a on the outer peripheral part. The lid 20 is connected to the upper edge of the vacuum processing opening 2c at the flange 20a, and hermetically closes the vacuum processing opening 2c.

  Further, the lid 20 includes a sputter source 21 as a vacuum processing source.

  The sputtering source 21 includes a target 22 and a magnet (not shown). The sputter source 21 is arranged so that it penetrates the lid 20 and the tip thereof faces the vacuum processing opening 2c. The distal end is located outside the device above the lid 20.

  The target 22 has a disk shape made of a film-forming substance, and is fixed to the tip of the sputtering source 21 via a backing plate (not shown) or the like. The material of the target 22 is, for example, Al, Ag, or the like.

  A gas inlet (not shown) for introducing a gas into the main chamber 2 is provided on a side wall of the main chamber 2. A gas introduction pipe (not shown) is connected to the gas introduction port, and a discharge gas such as an argon (Ar) gas is supplied thereto.

  Note that the amount of discharge gas introduced into the main chamber 2 is adjusted by controlling the mass flow controller via a valve provided in the gas introduction pipe.

  An external transfer mechanism 30 is disposed on a pedestal 17 provided on a side wall of the main chamber 2 near the load lock opening 2d. Although the detailed configuration of the external transport mechanism 30 will be described later, the external transport mechanism 30 is provided with two vacuum lids 33. The vacuum lid 33 has a function as a holding device that holds the holder 8 on which the film formation target 7 is placed and releases the holding.

  The load lock opening 2d is hermetically closed by the vacuum lid 33 positioned on the load lock opening 2d among the vacuum lids 33.

  A loading unit 41 for loading the holder 8 on which the film formation target 7 is placed is arranged adjacent to the main chamber 2.

  Therefore, the external transport mechanism 30 is configured such that when one of the vacuum lids 33 is positioned on the load lock opening 2 d, the other vacuum lid 33 is positioned on the input section 41. Thus, the holder 8 is supplied from the charging section 41 to the work chamber 6 in the internal space S by the vacuum lid 33.

  Here, the input section 41 has a positioning member (not shown) for positioning the holder 8. With this positioning member (not shown), the chuck portion 33b (see FIG. 3) of the vacuum lid 33 can hold the opening 8c provided in the receiving portion 8b of the holder 8. The holder 8 may be inserted into the input section 41 by an operator, or may be automatically input by a robot or the like.

  When the load lock opening 2d is closed by the vacuum lid 33, the load lock space 13 is evacuated by an exhaust pump (not shown) separate from the above-described vacuum exhaust system, and the load lid 2d is opened by the vacuum lid 33. Is opened, the load lock space 13 is released to the atmosphere by a vacuum release valve (not shown).

  Further, a power supply 42 and a control device 43 are provided outside the main chamber 2. The power supply 42 is, for example, a DC power supply, and supplies power to the sputtering source 21 via a power supply line 44.

  The control device 43 is a circuit device including a microprocessor, for example, and controls the power supply of the power source 42 to the sputter source 21. The control device 43 controls the operations of the motor, the actuator, the mass flow controller, the external transport mechanism 30, the valve, and the like, in addition to the control of the power supply 42.

  Next, a film forming process using the above-described vacuum processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  Although details of the transfer operation of the external transfer mechanism 30 will be described later, as shown in FIG. 1, the film formation target 7 is carried into the main chamber 2 by the external transfer mechanism 30. Then, when the film formation target 7 is carried into the main chamber 2, the load lock opening 2 d is hermetically closed by the vacuum lid 33.

  The work chamber 6 is lifted upward by the pusher 10 while the film formation target 7 is carried into the main chamber 2 by the external transfer mechanism 30. Thus, even when the load lock opening 2d is open, the vacuum exhaust system (not shown) in the internal space S of the main chamber 2 can always be kept in a reduced pressure state. When the load lock opening 2d is hermetically closed by the vacuum lid 33, the load lock space 13 is immediately formed.

  The load lock space 13 is depressurized by an exhaust pump (not shown). At this time, the holder 8 held by the vacuum lid 33 is placed in the work chamber 6 together with the film formation target 7.

  After the pressure in the load lock space 13 is sufficiently reduced, preferably, the pressure in the main chamber, the pusher 10 is lowered, and the work chamber 6 on which the holder 8 is placed is supported by the rotary table 5. When the work chamber 6 is supported by the turntable 5, the pusher 9 is also in a lowered state.

  The rotating shaft 3 is rotated by a motor (not shown), whereby the rotary table 5 is rotated in a horizontal plane. The work chamber 6 supporting the holder 8 at a position facing the load lock opening 2d moves along a circular locus with the rotation of the rotary table 5 while being supported on the rotary table 5, and is evacuated. It is moved to a position facing the processing opening 2c.

  Here, the pusher 9 is raised, and the work chamber 6 (where the holder 8 is placed) is lifted by the pusher 9. As described above, a gap of several mm is provided between the upper opening 6a of the work chamber 6 lifted to the highest position by the pusher 9 and the lower edge of the vacuum processing opening 2c. By providing the interval of several mm, the vacuum processing space 12 is always kept in a state where the pressure is reduced by a vacuum exhaust system (not shown).

  For example, an argon (Ar) gas is introduced into the vacuum processing space 12 as a discharge gas through a gas introduction pipe and a gas introduction port. After the work chamber 6 is lifted to the highest position by the pusher 9, when the pressure in the vacuum processing space 12 is stabilized at a desired pressure (for example, 0.5 to 1 [Pa]), the power supply 42 is turned on. Power is supplied to the target 22. By the supply of the electric power, a discharge occurs in which the target 22 is used as a cathode and the wall of the vacuum processing space 12 is used as an anode, and argon (Ar) gas is ionized to generate plasma in the vacuum processing space 12 and accelerated argon The target 22 is sputtered by the (Ar) ions.

  The constituent atoms of the sputtered target 22 are attached and deposited on the film formation surface of the film formation target 7, and a film of the target material is formed on the film formation target 7. At this time, the target material is also deposited on the holder 8. Moreover, unlike the film-forming target 7, the holder 8 is used repeatedly for a set number of times of use or for a set period of time, for example, one week. As a result, the target material adheres and accumulates on the holder 8 only during this use period.

  When the film forming process is completed, the pusher 9 is lowered, and the work chamber 6 is returned onto the turntable 5. Next, the rotary table 5 is rotated, and the holder 8 holding the film-forming target 7 after the processing is rotated together with the work chamber 6 to a position facing the load lock opening 2d. Then, the work chamber 6 on which the holder 8 is placed is lifted by the pusher 10 and is brought into close contact with the lower edge of the load lock opening 2d. Thereafter, the load lock space 13 is opened to the atmosphere.

  After being released to the atmosphere, the external transport mechanism 30 holds the holder 8 holding the processed film-forming target 7 on one lower surface of the vacuum lid 33, and holds the film-forming target before processing on the other lower surface of the vacuum lid 33. Holder 8 (holder 8 put into throwing section 41) holding 7 is held.

  In this state, the external transport mechanism 30 is rotated in a horizontal plane, whereby the processed film-forming target 7 is carried out of the main chamber 2 and the film-forming target 7 before processing is load-locked. Is moved to a position facing the opening 2d. The same operation and processing as described above are performed on the film-forming target 7 that has been moved to a position facing the load lock opening 2d before processing.

  The above operations are repeated, and the film formation target 7 is subjected to film formation processing one by one.

  If this film forming process is repeatedly performed, the film adhered and deposited on the holder 8 may be peeled off from the holder 8 and adhered to the film forming target 7 being transported.

  That is, unlike the film-forming target 7, the holder 8 is repeatedly used a preset number of times. Therefore, the number of films corresponding to the number of times of use is stacked on the holder 8.

  When the film deposited under the above-described reduced pressure atmosphere is exposed to the air, it absorbs moisture and causes a change in film stress. By repeatedly using the holder 8, a film having a film stress is further laminated on the film having the film stress. Therefore, the film stress increases with an increase in the number of laminations. Peeling occurs. In this manner, a film peeled from the holder 8 (hereinafter, referred to as a “peeled film”) may adhere to the film formation target 7 before the film formation processing or after the film formation processing. In such a case, the following problems occur. In this specification, a film that has been peeled off from the holder 8 and adhered to the film formation target 7 is referred to as an “adhered matter”.

  That is, if the film forming process is performed with the attached matter adhered on the film formation target 7 before the film forming treatment, a film cannot be formed on the portion where the attached matter is attached.

  If the film formation process cannot be performed even on a very small part of the film formation surface (portion where the attached matter is attached), for example, when the film to be formed is an optical thin film, desired optical characteristics cannot be obtained. In the case of a decorative film, the color of the portion to which the peeled film adheres looks different.

  As described above, the film formation target 7 on which the film formation process is performed with the attached matter cannot pass the quality inspection after the film formation process. This leads to a decrease in yield.

  Further, if a peeled film adheres to the film formation target 7 during transportation after the film formation process, the same problem as described above occurs when a subsequent process, for example, a film formation process by vapor deposition or CVD is performed. . After all, this also leads to a decrease in yield.

  Therefore, it is necessary to remove the peeled film adhered on the film formation target 7.

  Therefore, the external transport mechanism 30 of the present embodiment includes the gas blowing unit 35.

  Hereinafter, the external transport mechanism 30 including the gas blowing unit 35 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the external transport mechanism 30 includes a rotation mechanism 31, a base 32, a vacuum lid 33, and a gas blowing unit 35.

  The rotation mechanism 31 is arranged on a pedestal 17 provided on a side wall of the main chamber 2. The rotation mechanism 31 includes a rod 36 formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The rod 36 is rotated forward and backward by 180 ° by the rotation mechanism 31.

  The rod 36 has an opening 36a on a side surface near the end connected to the rotation mechanism 31. The rod 36 has an opening 36b at its upper end. Further, a base portion 32 is connected to an upper end of the rod 36.

  The base section 32 is configured to include a long horizontal arm 321 and vertical arms 322 arranged one at each end of the horizontal arm 321, and the center of the horizontal arm 321 is supported by the upper end of the rod 36. I have.

  The horizontal arm 321 is a rectangular parallelepiped having a width larger than the height, and an opening 323 communicating with the opening 36 b of the rod 36 is provided at the center of the horizontal arm 321.

  The vertical arm 322 is provided at both ends of the horizontal arm 321 via the linear guide 37.

  The linear guide 37 includes a guide rail 37a, a guide block 37b, and an actuator (not shown) for driving the guide block 37b. The guide rail 37a is connected to the horizontal arm 321 and the guide block 37b is connected to the vertical arm 322. That is, the vertical arm 322 moves in the vertical direction by the linear guide 37.

  The vertical arm 322 is a plate formed in an L shape when viewed from the front. The vacuum lid 33 is attached to the lower surface of the horizontal portion of the vertical arm 322. Further, a circular opening 324 is provided in a horizontal portion of the vertical arm 322 at a portion corresponding to the center of the vacuum lid 33, and is airtightly connected to a circular opening 33 a provided in the center of the vacuum lid 33. ing.

  A vacuum flange 38 is connected to an upper edge of the opening 324 of the vertical arm 322. The vacuum flange 38 includes a cylindrical portion 38a and a flange portion 38b, and is airtightly connected to the vertical arm 322 by the flange portion 38b.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the vacuum lid 33 has three chuck portions 33b on its lower surface. The chuck portion 33b is a hook-type chuck, and is disposed at equal intervals (here, 120 ° intervals) on the outer peripheral portion of the vacuum lid 33, and closes the opening 8c of the holder 8 on which the film formation target 7 is placed. Hold or release this hold.

  When one of the vacuum lids 33 is moved to a position above the load lock opening 2 d of the main chamber 2 by the above-described forward / reverse rotation of the rod 36 by 180 °, the other of the vacuum lids 33 is Move to the upper position.

  The gas blowing unit 35 includes a clean air supply device 39, a vacuum tube 35a, a valve 35b, and an injection unit 35c.

  The clean air supply device 39 includes a high-pressure gas supply unit 39a for supplying compressed air, a dust filter 39b for removing dust, and a mist filter 39c for removing moisture. The clean air supply device 39 generates clean air from the compressed air supplied from the high-pressure gas supply unit 39a via the dust filter 39b and the mist filter 39c. The generated clean air passes through the vacuum tube 35a and is supplied to the film formation target 7.

  The vacuum tube 35a is a tube formed of, for example, polyurethane or elastomer.

  One end of the vacuum tube 35a is connected to the mist filter 39c of the clean air supply device 39, and the other end is introduced into the external transport mechanism 30 from the opening 36a of the rod 36. At this time, the vacuum tube 35a is mounted on the pedestal 17 of the main chamber 2 using a support (not shown) in a state where the pedestal 17 has a sufficient length so that the bent portion F is formed outside the opening 36a. Supported. By supporting the vacuum tube 35a in this way, it is possible to prevent friction with the rod 36 and the like during the transfer operation. The vacuum tube 35a passes through the rod 36, is led out of the opening 323 of the horizontal arm 321 to the outside of the external transfer mechanism 30, and is branched into two branches.

  One of the forked vacuum tubes 35a is hermetically sealed to the cylindrical portion 38a of the vacuum flange 38 via a valve 35b disposed on the horizontal arm between the opening 323 of the horizontal arm 321 and the vertical arm 322. Connected to.

  Similarly, the other is connected to the other vacuum flange 38.

  At this time, the vacuum tube 35a is provided with a fixing device (not shown) in a state in which a length is provided at the upper end of the vertical arm 322 so as to form a bending portion F between the valve 35b and the vertical arm 322. It is fixed using. By fixing the vacuum tube 35a in this manner, it is possible to prevent the vertical arm 322 from rubbing when the vertical arm 322 is moved up and down.

  Here, the vacuum flange 38, the opening 324 of the vertical arm 322, and the circular opening 33 a provided at the center of the vacuum lid 33 function as an injection unit 35 c of the gas blowing unit 35.

  As described above, after connecting the vacuum tube 35a to the vacuum flange 38, opening and closing the valve 35b starts or stops the supply of clean air onto the film formation target 7. Can be.

  Next, the operation of the external transport mechanism 30 using the gas blowing unit 35 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The vacuum lid 33 of the external transport mechanism 30 is stopped at a position above the load lock opening 2d or a position above the loading section 41 by the forward / reverse rotation of the rod 36 by 180 °. That is, when the holder 8 is loaded into the charging section 41, the vacuum lid 33 stands by at a position above the charging section 41.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the holder 8 (on which the film formation target 7 is placed) is loaded into the loading section 41. At this time, the holder 8 is positioned by the above-described positioning member (not shown).

  After the holder 8 is inserted into the charging section 41, the vacuum lid 33 is lowered by the linear guide 37, and the chuck section 33b of the vacuum lid 33 holds the holder 8.

  After the chuck 33 b holds the holder 8, the clean air supplied from the clean air supply device 39 is blown onto the film formation surface of the film formation target 7 from the opening 33 a of the vacuum lid 33. Specifically, when the holding of the holder 8 by the chuck portion 33b is completed, the valve 35b is opened, and the clean air supplied from the clean air supply device 39 is supplied to the opening 33a of the vacuum lid 33, and the film forming target is formed. 7 is sprayed on the film formation surface. At this time, the positional deviation of the film-forming target 7 is prevented by the above-described protective member 8d.

  With the holder 8 held on the lower surface of the vacuum lid 33, the linear guide 37 raises the vacuum lid 33. After ascending, the rotation mechanism 31 rotates the base 32 clockwise by 180 °, and moves the vacuum lid 33 over the load lock opening 2d. Then, the vacuum lid 33 is lowered by the linear guide 37, and the load lock opening 2 d is hermetically closed by the vacuum lid 33.

  In this way, the film formation target 7 is carried into the main chamber 2 by the external transfer mechanism 30.

  At this time, the blowing of the clean air is started when the vacuum lid 33 holds the holder 8 with the input section 41, the vacuum lid 33 moves over the load lock opening 2d, and the load lock opening 2d is closed. Continued until just before the blockage. Specifically, the blowing of the clean air is stopped at the same time as the blockage or 1 to 2 seconds before the blockage.

  The timing at which the supply of clean air is stopped may be determined in advance by calculation or by experiment.

  Simultaneously with or after stopping the blowing of the clean air, or 1 to 2 seconds after the stopping, the load lock opening 2 d is hermetically closed by the vacuum lid 33.

  As soon as the load lock opening 2d is closed, the load lock space 13 is depressurized by an exhaust pump (not shown). At this time, the holder 8 held by the vacuum lid 33 is placed in the work chamber 6.

  In the external transfer mechanism 30 according to the present embodiment, the gas blowing unit 35 starts blowing clean air on the film formation surface of the film formation target 7 after the vacuum lid 33 holds the holder 8 with the input unit 41. I do. Thereafter, the blowing of the clean air is continued, and the blowing of the clean air is stopped at the same time as when the vacuum lid 33 closes the load lock opening 2d or 1-2 seconds before the closing.

  For this reason, it is possible to remove the deposit attached to the film formation target 7. Further, even if the film adhered to the holder 8 is peeled off during transportation, it is possible to prevent the peeled film from adhering to the film formation target 7. Further, even if the peeled film adheres to the film formation target 7, it can be blown off and removed. Further, even if particles floating in the factory at the time of being thrown into the throwing section 41 adhere, they can be removed. Further, it is possible to prevent particles floating in the factory from adhering to the film formation target 7 during transportation.

As shown in FIG. 4, a discharge electrode 35 d is provided in the opening 33 a of the vacuum lid 33, and while the object 7 is being conveyed, ionized gas is applied to the surface of the object 7. You may always spray. With such a configuration, even if the peeled film or the film formation target 7 is charged with static electricity, the peeled film can be more easily removed by removing the static electricity. In addition, since the film formation target 7 can be prevented from being charged, it is possible to prevent particles floating in the factory from being attracted to and adhere to the film formation target 7.
[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, an external transport mechanism 30 is formed by attaching the same reference numerals to the same components as those in the above-described first embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a camera unit 51 for imaging the film formation surface of the film object 7 is provided. Therefore, the configurations of the vertical arm 322 and the vacuum lid 33 are also different. That is, in the present embodiment, in order to increase the certainty of the effect of preventing the film forming process with the attached matter attached, it is confirmed that the attached matter attached to the film formation target 7 has been removed. A camera section 51 is provided for each vacuum lid 33. The camera section 51 is supported by the vertical arm 322 as described later. First, the configuration of the vertical arm 322 will be described sequentially.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the vertical arm 322 has a circular opening 325 at a position adjacent to the vacuum flange 38 in a horizontal portion thereof. Note that a circular opening 33d communicating with the opening 325 is formed in the vacuum lid 33, and is connected airtightly.

  A viewing window 52 is provided above the opening 325. The viewing window 52 includes a glass viewing plate 52a and a locking piece 52b that locks the viewing plate 52a. The viewing window 52 is provided so as to cover the opening 325 from above, and airtightness is maintained.

  Above the viewing window 52, a quadrangular prism-shaped fixing portion 53 for fixing the camera section 51 at a position facing the viewing window 52 is provided on a vertical portion of the vertical arm 322.

  The fixing unit 53 fixes the camera unit 51 at a position above the viewing window 52 at a position where the focus of the camera unit 51 matches the film formation surface of the film formation target 7. In FIG. 5, for convenience, the camera unit 51 is shown above the edge of the film formation target 7, and the length of the opening 325 and the opening 33 d connected to the opening 325 are relatively long. Although it seems that the imaging range of the unit 51 is limited to the vicinity of the edge of the film formation target 7, actually, the arrangement position of the camera unit 51 and the sizes of the openings 325 and 33 d are appropriately selected. In addition, it is possible to image the entire film formation target 7. Note that a lens for expanding the field of view, such as a wide-angle lens, may be appropriately provided in the opening 33d of the vacuum lid 33.

  The camera section 51 has a cable 54. The cable 54 is guided so as not to hinder the transport operation of the external transport mechanism 30 and transmits the image information from the camera unit 51 to the control device 43, and is connected to the control device 43.

  Next, the operation will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The holder 8 loaded into the loading section 41 is transported by the external transport mechanism 30 to the load lock opening 2d by the same operation as that described in the first embodiment. Then, the supply of the clean air is completed, the load lock opening 2d is airtightly closed by the vacuum lid 33, and the pressure in the load lock space 13 is reduced.

  The imaging of the film formation surface of the film formation target 7 by the camera unit 51 is performed until the load lock opening 2 d is airtightly closed by the vacuum lid 33 and the pressure in the load lock space 13 starts to be reduced. .

  The data of the captured image is transmitted to the control device 43 via the cable 54. The control device 43 analyzes the transmitted data and determines whether or not the deposit is attached to the film formation surface of the film formation target 7.

  Specifically, the image of the clean film formation surface stored in advance and the image of the film formation surface captured above are compared using a known image processing technique to determine the presence or absence of the adhesion.

  When the control device 43 determines that no deposit is attached to the film formation surface of the film formation target 7, the load lock space 13 is depressurized by an exhaust pump (not shown).

  When the control device 43 determines that an adhering substance is attached on the film-forming surface of the film-forming target 7, the control device 43 sends a processing stop signal, and the device stops. At this time, if a film forming process has been performed in the vacuum processing space 12, the apparatus is stopped after the film forming process is completed.

  According to the present embodiment, the same effects as in the previous embodiment can be obtained. Further, in the external transport mechanism 30, in order to confirm that no deposit is attached on the deposition surface of the deposition target 7 before the deposition process is performed, when the deposit is attached, It is possible not to perform the film forming process on the film forming target 7. Further, after taking out the film formation target 7 from the main chamber 2 and performing cleaning, the film formation processing can be performed again. As a result, the yield is improved as a result.

  According to the vacuum processing apparatus 1 of the embodiment described above, since the external transfer mechanism 30 has the gas spraying section 35 and the vacuum lid 33 holds the holder 8 with the charging section 41, the spraying of clean air is performed. The process starts with respect to the film formation surface of the object 7. After that, the blowing of the clean air is continued until the vacuum lid 33 closes the load lock opening 2d or until 1 to 2 seconds before closing the load lock opening 2d. It is possible to remove the deposit attached to the surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent the yield from being reduced due to the inability to form a film on the portion where the deposit is attached.

  Further, even if the film adhered to the holder 8 is peeled off during transportation, it is possible to prevent the peeled film from adhering to the film formation target 7. Even if the peeled film adheres, it can be removed by blowing it off.

  Further, even if particles floating in the factory at the time of being thrown into the throwing unit 41 are attached, it can be removed. Further, it is possible to prevent particles floating in the factory from adhering to the film formation target 7 during transportation.

  While some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

  For example, the number of the protective members 8d is not limited to four, and the mounting position and the number thereof can be appropriately changed depending on the shape of the film formation target 7.

  Further, the number of openings 33a of the vacuum lid 33 is not limited to one, and a plurality of openings may be provided.

  Further, a shower head may be provided on the lower surface of the vacuum lid 33, and the shower head and the opening 33a may be connected. By doing so, clean air can be blown onto the film formation target 7 from a plurality of locations.

  Further, as the vacuum tube 35a, a metal pipe may be used, or both the tube and the metal pipe may be used in combination.

  Further, in the embodiment, the valve 35b is arranged on the horizontal arm 321. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the valve 35b may be arranged on the vertical arm or on the vacuum lid.

  Further, in the embodiment, the base portion 32, specifically, the vertical arm 322 is moved in the vertical direction by using the linear guide 37. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A mechanism may be provided to rotate and raise / lower the base.

Further, in the embodiment, the gas blown onto the film-forming surface of the film-forming target 7 uses clean air, but is not limited thereto, and dry air generated only through the mist filter 39c may be used. The compressed air supplied from the high-pressure gas supply unit 39a may be used as it is. Alternatively, a high-purity gas such as argon (Ar), nitrogen (N ₂ ), or oxygen (O ₂ ) may be used.

  Further, in the embodiment, the timing of stopping the blowing of the clean air is immediately before the load lock opening 2d is closed by the vacuum lid 33 or 1 to 2 seconds before the load lock opening 2d is closed, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the blowing of the clean air may be stopped several seconds after the load lock opening 2d is closed by the vacuum lid 33.

  In this case, the evacuation may be started by an evacuation pump (not shown) immediately before the load lock opening 2 d is closed by the vacuum lid 33. By doing so, since the film-forming target 7 wipes the clean air even after being carried into the main chamber 2, it is possible to further prevent the deposits from adhering. Further, even when the deposit is mixed in the load lock space 13, the deposit is exhausted to the outside of the apparatus by an exhaust pump (not shown), so that the deposit can be prevented from attaching to the film formation target 7 again.

  In the second embodiment, the camera 51 is installed in the external transport mechanism 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the camera 51 may be arranged on the upper outer edge of the load lock opening 2d and on the insertion section 41.

  The camera unit 51 may have a coaxial light source, process an image captured in a dark field using a known image processing technique, and determine whether or not the peeled film is attached.

  Alternatively, a plurality of camera sections 51 may be provided for one vacuum lid 33 to cut and image the entire film-forming surface. When a plurality of cameras 51 are provided, a plurality of viewing windows 52 corresponding to the number of cameras 51 are arranged on the vacuum lid 33. If it is known that a peeled film (including the reflector 14) adheres to a certain range on the film formation target 7, imaging may be performed only in that range.

  Further, the viewing window 52 is provided on the horizontal arm 222, but is not limited to this, and may be provided on the vacuum lid 33.

  Further, when it is determined that the peeled film is attached, before the apparatus is stopped, the load lock space 13 is evacuated, and then the supply of clean air is executed again. The film formation target 7 may be imaged to determine whether or not there is any attached matter. At that time, the supply pressure of the clean air may be set to a pressure higher than the pressure during the conveyance, or the exhaust and the supply may be performed a plurality of times. By doing so, the removal capability of the gas blowing unit 35 is improved.

  Further, the supply of the clean air and the exhaust of the load lock space 13 may be performed simultaneously. By doing so, the attached matter removed from the film-forming surface by the clean air is discharged from the load lock space 13 to the outside of the apparatus, so that the attached matter can be prevented from attaching again.

  Further, in a state where the film formation target 7 after the film formation process is disposed immediately below the load lock opening 2d, before the inside of the load lock space 13 is opened to the atmosphere, the film formation target after the film formation process is performed. 7 may be imaged by the camera 51. By imaging the film-forming surface of the film-forming target 7 after the film-forming process, film peeling from the reflector 14 provided in the vacuum processing opening 2c can be evaluated, and the reflector 14 can be removed at an optimal timing. Exchange can take place.

  Further, the camera unit 51 may image the film formation surface of the film formation target 7 even immediately after the vacuum lid 23 holds the holder 8 in the charging unit 41. In this way, before the transfer of the film formation surface of the film formation target 7 (immediately after the holder 8 is loaded into the loading section 41) and after transfer (immediately after the holder 8 is loaded into the load lock space 13), the comparison is made can do. This makes it possible to determine whether the deposit on the deposition surface has adhered before or after the transfer.

  For example, it is possible to take measures such as adding a cleaning step of the film formation target 7 before the transfer, cleaning the holder or replacing the holder with a new one after the transfer, so that the yield can be prevented from lowering.

  In addition, by imaging the film-forming surface before, after, and after the film-forming process, the state of each film-forming surface can be compared. This makes it possible to determine at which stage the cause of the decrease in yield occurs before transport, after transport, and before the film forming process. For this reason, since an optimal countermeasure can be taken, a decrease in yield can be further prevented.

Further, in the embodiment, the clean air is blown to the film formation target 7 before the film formation process. However, the clean air is blown while the film formation target 7 after the film formation process is transported to the input unit 41. It may be sprayed on the film formation target 7. If the peeled film adheres to the film formation target during the transportation after the film formation process, the same problem as described above occurs when the subsequent process, for example, the film formation process by vapor deposition or CVD is performed. Problems can be solved.

  Further, in the embodiment, the film forming process of the single-wafer magnetron sputtering apparatus as the vacuum process has been described. However, examples of the film formation treatment include vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and ion plating, and are not limited to the sputtering method.

1 vacuum processing device 2 main chamber (vacuum vessel)
2a body 2b upper wall 3 rotating shaft 5 rotating table (transport mechanism)
5a Circular opening 6 Work chamber 6a Upper opening 6b Lower opening 7 Film forming object 8 Holder (processing object holding section)
8a bottom portion 8b receiving portion 8c opening 8d protective member 9 pusher 10 pusher 12 vacuum processing space (vacuum processing chamber)
13 Load lock space (Load lock room)
14 reflector 17 pedestal 20 lid 21 sputter source (vacuum processing source)
22 Target 30 External transport mechanism 31 Rotary mechanism 32 Base part 33 Vacuum lid 33a, 33d Opening part 33b Chuck part 35 Gas blowing part 35a Vacuum tube 35b Valve 35c Injecting part 35d Discharge electrode 36 Rod 36a, 36b Opening 37 Linear guide 37a Guide rail 37b Guide block 38 Vacuum flange 38a Cylindrical part 38b Flange part 39 Clean air supply unit 39a High pressure gas supply unit 39b Dust filter 39c Mist filter 41 Input unit 42 Power supply 43 Control unit 44 Supply line 51 Camera unit 52 Viewing window 52a Peep Plate 52b Locking piece 53 Fixed part 54 Cable 321 Horizontal arm 322 Vertical arm 323, 324, 325 Opening S Internal space F Flexure

Claims (4)

A vacuum container having a vacuum processing chamber in which vacuum processing is performed on the processing target, and which can be depressurized to an atmosphere depressurized below atmospheric pressure;
A load lock chamber connected to the vacuum vessel and capable of reducing pressure independently of the vacuum vessel;
A transport mechanism for transporting the object to be processed between the vacuum processing chamber and the load lock chamber,
A vacuum processing source disposed in the vacuum processing chamber and performing vacuum processing on the processing object;
The load lock chamber, comprising an external transport mechanism for transporting the object to be processed between the charging unit disposed outside the vacuum vessel,
In the vacuum processing apparatus, the processing target is transported by the transport mechanism and the external transport mechanism in a state where the processing target is held in a processing target holding unit that holds the processing target.
The external transfer mechanism includes a gas blowing unit that blows a gas to the processing target during transfer,
The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas blowing unit includes a discharge electrode for ionizing a gas .   2. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas blowing unit constantly blows gas on the processing object while the processing object is transported from the input unit to the load lock chamber. 3. A camera unit provided in the external transport mechanism for imaging the object to be processed,
3. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit configured to determine presence or absence of an adhered substance on a film formation surface of the processing target based on an image captured by the camera unit. 4. . Wherein the processing object that has been transported to the vacuum processing chamber by the transport mechanism, the film formation process in the state of being retained at the processing object holding unit is performed, the deposit, the processing target at the time of the film formation process 4. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the film adhered and deposited on the object holding section is a peeled film generated by peeling off.

Images