JP7229016B2 - Film forming apparatus, film forming method, and electronic device manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a film forming method, and an electronic device manufacturing method.

A sputtering method is widely known as a method for forming a thin film made of a material such as a metal or a metal oxide on a film-forming object such as a substrate or a laminate formed on the substrate. 2. Description of the Related Art A film forming apparatus that forms a film by a sputtering method has a configuration in which a target made of a film forming material and an object to be film formed face each other in a vacuum chamber. When a voltage is applied to the target, plasma is generated in the vicinity of the target, and the ionized inert gas elements collide with the target surface. Then, a film is formed. Also known is the magnetron sputtering method, in which a magnet is placed behind the target (inside the target in the case of a cylindrical target) and the generated magnetic field increases the electron density near the cathode for efficient sputtering. there is

As a conventional film forming apparatus of this type, for example, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known. The film forming apparatus of Patent Document 1 forms a film by moving a target in parallel with respect to a film forming surface of a film forming object.

JP 2015-172240 A

Here, the pressure inside the chamber of the film forming apparatus may not be uniform. That is, the pressure distribution in the chamber may become non-uniform such that the pressure is high near the gas inlet for introducing the sputtering gas and low near the exhaust port connected to the vacuum pump. When sputtering is performed while moving the cathode within the chamber as in Patent Document 1, the sputtering region where sputtered particles are emitted from the surface of the target also moves relative to the chamber. Therefore, when sputtering is performed while moving the sputtering region under the condition that the pressure distribution in the chamber is uneven as described above, the pressure around the sputtering region changes during the sputtering process. The mean free path of the sputtered particles is inversely proportional to the pressure, and is longer in a region of low molecular density and low pressure, and short in a region of high molecular density and high pressure. As a result, there is a risk that the quality of film formation will be degraded, for example, unevenness in film thickness and film quality will occur. However, Patent Document 1 does not describe film formation control according to the pressure distribution of the sputtering gas in the chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to suppress quality deterioration of sputtering even when sputtering is performed while moving the sputtering region in a chamber having a non-uniform pressure distribution. .

A film forming apparatus as one aspect of the present invention includes a chamber in which a film forming object and a target are arranged, and a moving means for moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber. and depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object while moving the sputtering area by the moving means, wherein the moving means has a high pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area. The moving speed of the sputtering region is changed according to the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region so that the moving speed of the sputtering region decreases as much as possible.
In addition, a film forming apparatus as one aspect of the present invention includes a chamber in which a film forming object and a target are arranged, a moving means for moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber, and depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming target object while moving the sputtering area by the moving means, wherein the moving means is a pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area is a first pressure, moving the sputtering region at a first velocity when the pressure proximate the sputtering region is a second pressure higher than the first pressure, moving the sputtering region to the The moving speed of the sputtering region is changed according to the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region so as to move at a second speed that is smaller than the first speed.

A film formation apparatus as one aspect of the present invention is a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are arranged, the chamber having an exhaust port for discharging gas from the chamber, and sputtering particles generated from the target. and a moving means for moving the sputtering area within the chamber, wherein the moving means moves the sputtering area while depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film. The moving means adjusts the moving speed of the sputtering region according to the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the exhaust port so that the closer the sputtering region and the exhaust port are, the faster the moving speed of the sputtering region is. is characterized by changing
Further, a film forming apparatus as one aspect of the present invention is a chamber in which an object to be film-formed and a target are arranged, and an exhaust port for discharging a gas from the chamber and an exhaust port for introducing the gas into the chamber. and moving means for moving within the chamber a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target, wherein the moving means moves the sputtering region while the sputtered particles are formed. A film forming apparatus for depositing a film on a film target, wherein the moving means moves the sputtering region and the sputtering region so that the moving speed of the sputtering region decreases as the introduction port is closer to the sputtering region. The moving speed of the sputtering region is changed according to the positional relationship of the inlets.

A film formation method as one aspect of the present invention is a film formation method using a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are arranged, wherein a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target is moved within the chamber. and a film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film forming object to form a film, and in the film forming step , the higher the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region, the lower the moving speed of the sputtering region. Secondly, the moving speed of the sputtering area is changed according to the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area.
A film formation method as one aspect of the present invention is a film formation method using a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are arranged, wherein a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target is formed in the chamber. a film-forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the object to be film-formed while moving the film-forming object, wherein in the film-forming step, the sputtering is performed when the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region is a first pressure; moving the region at a first velocity and moving the sputtering region at a second velocity less than the first velocity when the pressure proximate the sputtering zone is a second pressure greater than the first pressure; The moving speed of the sputtering area is changed according to the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area so that the moving speed of the sputtering area is changed.

A film formation method as one aspect of the present invention is a film formation method using a chamber in which an object to be film-formed and a target are arranged and which is provided with an exhaust port for discharging gas from the chamber, a film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber; The moving speed of the sputtering region is changed according to the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the exhaust port so that the moving speed of the sputtering region increases as the exhaust port is closer to the exhaust port .
In addition, a film forming method as one aspect of the present invention is a chamber in which a film-forming object and a target are arranged, an exhaust port for discharging a gas from the chamber and an introduction port for introducing the gas into the chamber. wherein a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target is moved within the chamber, and the sputtered particles are deposited on the film-forming object to form a film. In the film forming step, the moving speed of the sputtering region is decreased as the sputtering region and the introduction port are closer to each other, according to the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the introduction port. It is characterized by changing the moving speed of the sputtering region.

A method of manufacturing an electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the steps of arranging an object to be film-formed and a target in a chamber so as to face the object to be film-formed; a film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the object to be film-formed to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from a target within the chamber; The moving speed of the sputtering region is changed according to the pressure near the sputtering region so that the moving speed of the sputtering region decreases as the pressure in the vicinity increases .
Further, a method of manufacturing an electronic device as one aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the step of arranging an object to be film-formed and a target in a chamber so as to face the object to be film-formed. forming a film by depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber; moving the sputtering region at a first velocity when the pressure proximate the region is a first pressure, and when the pressure proximate the sputtering region is a second pressure higher than the first pressure; The moving speed of the sputtering region is changed according to the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region so that the sputtering region is moved at a second speed that is smaller than the first speed.

A method of manufacturing an electronic device as one aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising a film-forming object and an exhaust port for discharging a gas so that a target faces the film-forming object. and a film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber, In the film forming step, the moving speed of the sputtering region is changed according to the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the exhaust port so that the moving speed of the sputtering region increases as the sputtering region and the exhaust port are closer. It is characterized by
Further, a method for manufacturing an electronic device as one aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an electronic device, wherein gas is discharged from a chamber so that a film-forming object and a target face the film-forming object. disposing in the chamber having an exhaust port and an inlet for introducing the gas into the chamber; a film forming step of depositing on a film-forming object to form a film, wherein in the film forming step, the closer the sputtering region and the introduction port, the smaller the moving speed of the sputtering region and the sputtering region. The moving speed of the sputtering area is changed according to the positional relationship of the inlets.

According to the present invention, deterioration of sputtering quality can be suppressed even when sputtering is performed while moving the sputtering region in a chamber having a non-uniform pressure distribution.

(a) is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus of Embodiment 1, and (b) is a side view of (a). 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the magnet unit; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of changing the moving speed according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the pressure distribution in the chamber and the moving speed of the sputtering region; (a) is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus of Embodiment 2, and (b) to (d) are diagrams showing movement of the magnet unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 3; It is a figure which shows typically the general layer structure of an organic EL element.

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. However, the following embodiments merely exemplify preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to those configurations. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the scope of the present invention is limited only to the hardware configuration and software configuration of the device, processing flow, manufacturing conditions, dimensions, materials, shapes, etc., in the following description. It's not intended.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitable for forming a thin film, particularly an inorganic thin film, on a film-forming object such as a substrate. The present invention can also be regarded as a film forming apparatus, its control method, and a film forming method. The present invention can also be regarded as an electronic device manufacturing apparatus and an electronic device manufacturing method. The present invention can also be regarded as a program that causes a computer to execute the control method, and a storage medium that stores the program. The storage medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[Embodiment 1]
A basic configuration of the film forming apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. The film forming apparatus 1 deposits and forms a thin film on a substrate (including a substrate on which a laminate is formed) in the manufacture of various electronic devices such as semiconductor devices, magnetic devices, electronic parts, and optical parts. used for More specifically, the film forming apparatus 1 is preferably used in manufacturing electronic devices such as light emitting elements, photoelectric conversion elements, and touch panels. Among others, the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is particularly preferably used in the manufacture of organic light emitting devices such as organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) devices and organic photoelectric conversion devices such as organic thin film solar cells. The electronic device in the present invention includes display devices (eg, organic EL display devices) and lighting devices (eg, organic EL lighting devices) equipped with light-emitting elements, and sensors (eg, organic CMOS image sensors) equipped with photoelectric conversion elements.

<Organic EL element>
FIG. 7 schematically shows a general layer structure of an organic EL element. A general organic EL element shown in FIG. , and the cathode 607 are formed in this order. The film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is suitably used for forming a laminated film of metal, metal oxide, or the like used for an electron injection layer or an electrode (cathode) on an organic film by sputtering. In addition, it is not limited to film formation on an organic film, and lamination film formation is possible on various surfaces as long as it is a combination of materials that can be formed by sputtering, such as metal materials and oxide materials. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to film formation using metal materials or oxide materials, and can also be applied to film formation using organic materials. By using a mask having a desired mask pattern during film formation, each layer to be formed can be formed arbitrarily.

<Device configuration>
FIG. 1(a) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The film forming apparatus 1 can accommodate therein a film forming object 6 which is a substrate. A film forming apparatus 1 includes a chamber 10 in which a target 2 is arranged, and a magnet unit 3 arranged in the chamber 10 at a position facing a film forming object 6 with the target 2 interposed therebetween. there is In this embodiment, the target 2 has a cylindrical shape, and together with the magnet unit 3 arranged inside, constitutes a rotating cathode unit 8 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "cathode unit 8") that functions as a film forming source. are doing. The term "cylindrical" here does not mean only a mathematically rigorous cylindrical shape, but also a shape whose generatrix is a curve rather than a straight line, or a shape whose section perpendicular to the central axis is mathematically rigorous. Including things that are not "yen". That is, the target 2 in the present invention may have a substantially cylindrical shape rotatable about its central axis.

Before film formation is performed, the object 6 to be film-formed is aligned with the mask 6b and held by the holder 6a. The holder 6 a may include an electrostatic chuck for attracting and holding the film-forming target 6 by electrostatic force, or may include a clamping mechanism for clamping the film-forming target 6 . Further, the holder 6a may include a magnet plate for drawing the mask 6b from the back surface of the object 6 to be film-formed. In the film forming process, the target 2 of the cathode unit 8 moves in a direction orthogonal to the rotation center axis while rotating around the rotation center axis. On the other hand, unlike the target 2, the magnet unit 3 does not rotate, and always generates a stray magnetic field on the surface of the target 2 facing the film-forming object 6, thereby increasing the electron density in the vicinity of the target 2 for sputtering. The area where this leakage magnetic field is generated is the sputtering area A1 where sputtered particles are generated. By moving the sputtering area A1 of the target 2 with respect to the chamber 10 together with the movement of the cathode unit 8, film formation is sequentially performed on the entire film formation object 6. FIG. Although the magnet unit 3 does not rotate here, it is not limited to this, and the magnet unit 3 may also rotate or swing.

The film-forming object 6 held by the holder 6a is horizontally arranged on the side of the ceiling wall 10d of the chamber 10. As shown in FIG. The film-forming object 6 is, for example, carried in through one gate valve 17 provided on the side wall of the chamber 10 to form a film, and after the film formation, is carried out through a gate valve 18 provided on the other side wall of the chamber 10 . be. In the figure, the structure is such that the film formation is performed with the film formation surface of the film formation object 6 facing downward in the direction of gravity. However, the film formation target 6 is arranged on the bottom side of the chamber 10, the cathode unit 8 is arranged above it, and the film formation is performed in a state in which the film formation surface of the film formation target 6 faces upward in the direction of gravity. , may be a depot-down configuration. Alternatively, the film formation may be performed in a state in which the film formation target 6 is set vertically, that is, in a state in which the film formation surface of the film formation target 6 is parallel to the direction of gravity. Alternatively, the film-forming object 6 may be carried into the chamber 10 through either one of the gate valves 17 and 18 to form a film, and after the film formation, may be carried out through the gate valve through which it was carried in.

As shown in FIG. 1(a), in this embodiment, introduction ports 41 and 42 connected to gas introduction means 16 (described later) are arranged at both ends of the chamber 10 in the X-axis direction, and an exhaust port is provided at the center. An exhaust port 5 is arranged which is connected to means 15 (described later).

FIG. 1(b) is a side view of the film forming apparatus 1 of FIG. 1(a) viewed from another direction. The cathode unit 8 is supported by a support block 210 and an end block 220 both ends of which are fixed on a moving table 230 . The cylindrical target 2 of the cathode unit 8 is rotatable, and the magnet unit 3 inside is supported in a fixed state.

The moving table 230 is movably supported along a pair of guide rails 250 via a transport guide 240 such as a linear bearing. The cathode unit 8 moves along the guide rails 250 within the movement area facing the film-forming object 6 while rotating about the rotation axis with its rotation axis N extending in the Y-axis direction ( White arrow in Fig. 1(a)).

The target 2 is rotationally driven by a target driving device 11, which is rotating means. As the target driving device 11, a general driving mechanism having a driving source such as a motor and transmitting power to the target 2 via a power transmission mechanism can be used. Target drive 11 may be mounted on support block 210 or end block 220 .

The carriage 230 is driven along the guide rails 250 by the carriage drive device 12 . In this embodiment, the movement of the moving table 230 causes the cathode unit 8 including the target 2 to move within the chamber 10, and the sputtering area A1 moves within the chamber 10 accordingly. Therefore, the moving table driving device 12 in the present embodiment is moving means for moving the sputtering area A1 within the chamber 10, and the moving speed of the moving table 230 is the moving speed of the cathode unit 8. FIG. Also, when the magnet unit is fixed to the cathode unit 8, the moving speed of the moving table 230 is the moving speed of the sputtering area A1. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the moving means changes the moving speed of the sputtering area A1 according to the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area A1. As for the carriage drive device 12, various known motion mechanisms such as a screw feed mechanism using a ball screw or the like for converting the rotary motion of a rotary motor into drive force, a linear motor, and the like can be used. The carriage driving device 12 in the illustrated example moves the target in a direction (X-axis direction) intersecting the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the target. Anti-adhesion plates 261 and 262 may be provided before and after the moving table 230 for moving the sputtering area in the target moving direction. It should be noted that the guide rail 250, the moving table 230, and the control unit 14 may be included in the moving means.

The target 2 functions as a supply source of a film-forming material for forming a film on the film-forming object 6 . Examples of materials for the target 2 include single metals such as Cu, Al, Ti, Mo, Cr, Ag, Au, and Ni, or alloys or compounds containing these metal elements. Alternatively, transparent conductive oxides such as ITO, IZO, IWO, AZO, GZO, and IGZO may be used. A layer of the backing tube 2a made of another material is formed inside the layer on which these film-forming materials are formed. A power supply 13 is connected to the backing tube 2a via a target holder (not shown). At this time, the target holder (not shown) and the backing tube 2 a function as a cathode that applies a bias voltage (for example, negative voltage) applied from the power supply 13 to the target 2 . However, the bias voltage may be applied to the target itself without providing the backing tube. Note that the chamber 10 is grounded.

The magnet unit 3 forms a magnetic field in the direction toward the film-forming object 6 . As shown in FIG. 2, the magnet unit 3 includes a central magnet 31 extending parallel to the rotation axis of the cathode unit 8, a peripheral magnet 32 surrounding the central magnet 31 and having a different polarity than the central magnet 31, and a yoke plate 33. It has It can also be said that the center magnet 31 extends in a direction intersecting with the moving direction of the cathode unit 8 . The peripheral magnet 32 is composed of a pair of linear portions 32a and 32b extending parallel to the central magnet 31 and turning portions 32c and 32d connecting both ends of the linear portions 32a and 32b. The magnetic field formed by the magnet unit 3 has magnetic lines of force returning in a loop from the magnetic poles of the central magnet 31 toward the linear portions 32 a and 32 b of the peripheral magnets 32 . As a result, a toroidal magnetic field tunnel extending in the longitudinal direction of the target 2 is formed near the surface of the target 2 . This magnetic field traps electrons, concentrates the plasma near the surface of the target 2, and enhances the efficiency of sputtering. A region of the surface of the target 2 through which the magnetic field of the magnet unit leaks is shown as a sputtering region A1 where sputtered particles are generated in FIG. 1(a). The gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area A1 affects the flying distance of the sputtered particles. Note that the range in the vicinity of the sputtering area A1 is not necessarily limited by the distance, and may be appropriately defined according to the effect on the desired film forming accuracy.

Gas introduction means 16 and exhaust means 15 are connected to the chamber 10 . The gas introducing means 16 and the exhausting means 15 function as pressure adjusting means, and introduce and exhaust the sputtering gas under the control of the control section 14, thereby adjusting the pressure inside the chamber and maintaining the inside of the chamber at a predetermined pressure. to maintain. The sputtering gas is, for example, an inert gas such as argon or a reactive gas such as oxygen or nitrogen. The gas introduction means 16 of this embodiment introduces the sputtering gas through introduction ports 41 and 42 provided on both sides of the chamber 10 . An exhaust means 15 such as a vacuum pump exhausts the gas from the inside of the chamber 10 to the outside through the exhaust port 5 .

The gas introduction means 16 includes a supply source such as a gas cylinder, a piping system connecting the supply source and the introduction ports 41 and 42, various vacuum valves, a mass flow controller, and the like provided in the piping system. The gas introducing means 16 can adjust the amount of gas introduced by the flow control valve of the mass flow controller. The flow control valve has an electrically controllable configuration such as a solenoid valve. The positions where the introduction ports 41 and 42 are arranged are not limited to both side walls of the chamber, and may be one side wall, the bottom wall, or the ceiling wall. Alternatively, the pipe may extend into the chamber and the inlet may open into the chamber 10 . In addition, a plurality of introduction ports 41 and 42 on each side wall may be arranged in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the target 2 .

The exhaust means 15 includes a vacuum pump, a piping system connecting the vacuum pump and the exhaust port 5, and an electrically controllable flow control valve such as a conductance valve installed in the piping system. Adjustable configuration. The position where the exhaust port 5 is arranged is not limited to the central portion of the bottom wall as in the illustrated example, and may be the end portion of the bottom wall (position near the side wall), the side wall, or the ceiling wall. Alternatively, the piping may extend into the chamber and the exhaust port 5 may open into the chamber 10 .

In the illustrated example, the inlet ports 41 and 42 are provided in the side wall 10b on the starting end side and the side wall 10a on the terminal end side of the movement area in which the cathode unit 8 moves, and the exhaust port 5 is provided at the bottom of the central position of the movement area of the moving platform. It is provided on the wall 10c side. In the film formation process (sputtering process), film formation is performed while introducing a sputtering gas from the introduction port 4 and exhausting it from the exhaust port 5 .

The film forming apparatus 1 has a pressure sensor 7 that is provided on a moving table 230 and that can acquire the pressure in the vicinity of the cathode unit 8 . That is, the film forming apparatus 1 has a pressure sensor 7 movable together with the cathode unit 8 . In other words, the pressure sensor 7 is movable with the sputtering area A1. The pressure sensor 7 may be considered as pressure acquisition means, or the pressure sensor and the control unit 14 may be considered as pressure acquisition means. The pressure sensor 7 transmits the acquired pressure value to the control unit 14 . As the pressure sensor 7, a diaphragm vacuum gauge such as a capacitance manometer, a heat conduction vacuum gauge such as a Pirani vacuum gauge or a thermocouple vacuum gauge, and various vacuum gauges such as a crystal friction vacuum gauge can be used. It should be noted that the pressure sensor 7 only needs to be able to measure the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area. Therefore, pressure sensors may be installed on the anti-adhesion plates 261 and 262 . Alternatively, a plurality of pressure sensors may be installed inside the chamber, and the measured value of the nearest pressure sensor may be acquired according to the positional information of the moving table 230 . At this time, the plurality of pressure sensors 7 are preferably arranged side by side along the moving path of the cathode unit 8 . When the pressure sensor 7 is installed inside the chamber, it is preferably installed at substantially the same height as the sputtering area.

<Deposition method>
Next, a film forming method using the film forming apparatus 1 will be described. The film forming method according to this embodiment includes a film forming process (sputtering process). In the film forming process, the control unit 14 drives the target driving device 11 to rotate the target 2 and applies a bias voltage to the target 2 from the power source 13 . While rotating the target 2, a bias voltage is applied to the target 2, and the moving table driving device 12 is driven to move the cathode unit 8 from the starting end to the terminal end of the moving area. When a bias voltage is applied to the target 2, plasma is generated intensively near the surface of the target 2 facing the film-forming object 6, and gas ions in the positive ion state in the plasma sputter the target 2 and scatter. The sputtered particles are deposited on the film-forming object 6 . As the cathode unit 8 moves, the sputtered particles are deposited sequentially from the upstream side to the downstream side in the moving direction of the cathode unit 8 . Thereby, a film is formed on the object to be film-formed.
In this embodiment, while moving the sputtering area A1 in the film forming process, the moving speed of the sputtering area A1 is controlled according to the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area A1.

<Movement speed control>
Next, movement speed control during the film forming process by the film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the flow of changing the moving speed.

After starting the film forming process, the control unit 14 acquires a pressure value from the pressure sensor 7 in step S101. Thereby, the control unit 14 acquires pressure information in the vicinity of the sputtering area A1.

In step S102, the control unit 14 refers to a table or formula stored in a storage unit (not shown), and determines a suitable moving speed of the sputtering area A1 based on the pressure value acquired in step S101.

At step S103, the controller 14 changes the moving speed of the cathode unit 8 to the moving speed determined at step S103. Sputtering is thereby performed at an appropriate moving speed determined based on the pressure in the vicinity of the cathode unit 8 .

In step S104, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the film formation on the film formation object 6 has been completed. As a result of the determination, if the film formation is not completed, the process proceeds to step S106, and the film formation is continued while the cathode unit 8 is moved and the movement speed is controlled.

FIG. 4 shows the pressure P(x) that changes according to the position X of the target in the chamber 10 defined by the apparatus configuration of this embodiment. Also, the moving speed V(x) of the sputtering area A1, which is the target in this embodiment, is shown. In this embodiment, since the position of the sputtering area A1 where sputtered particles are generated is determined according to the position of the target 2, the moving speed of the sputtering area A1 can be considered the same as the moving speed of the target 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pressure in the chamber 10 has a non-uniform distribution, being relatively high at the starting end position x1 near the inlet 42 and the terminal end position x3 near the inlet 41, and the exhaust port 5 is relatively low at the central position x2 where . When sputtering is performed while moving the sputtering area A1 under the condition that the pressure distribution in the chamber is uneven, the pressure around the sputtering area A1 changes during the sputtering process. The mean free path of the sputtered particles ejected from the sputtering area A1 is inversely proportional to the pressure, being longer in areas of low pressure and short in areas of high pressure. Therefore, when the pressure around the sputtering area A1 is low, the amount of sputtered particles reaching the film-forming object 6 is relatively large, and the film-forming rate is relatively high. On the other hand, when the pressure around the sputtering area A1 is low, the amount reaching the film-forming object 6 is relatively small, and the film-forming rate is relatively small. If the film formation rate fluctuates in this way, the film thickness and film quality of the film formed on the film formation object 6 will be uneven.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the moving speed V of the sputtering area A1 is changed so as to be small at the starting end side x1 and the terminal end side x3 of the moving path of the cathode unit 8 and be large at the central portion x2. . That is, the sputtering area A1 is moved at the first moving speed V(x2) when the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area A1 is the first pressure P(x2). Then, when the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area A1 is a second pressure P(x3) higher than the first pressure P(x2), the sputtering area A1 is moved to a second pressure lower than the first moving speed V(x2). at a moving speed V(x3).

As a result, when the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area A1 is high and the mean free path of the sputtered particles is short, the time that the sputtering area A1 stays in the area facing the predetermined area of the object 6 to be film-formed increases. Therefore, even if the mean free path of sputtered particles is shortened, the film formation rate can be kept substantially constant. Further, when the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area A1 is low and the mean free path of the sputtered particles is long, the time that the sputtering area A1 stays in the area facing the predetermined area of the film-forming object 6 is shortened. Therefore, even if the mean free path of sputtered particles becomes long, the film formation rate can be kept substantially constant. As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the pressure distribution of the gas inside the chamber is uneven, the film formation rate can be made substantially uniform. Therefore, it is possible to reduce unevenness in the film thickness and film quality of the film formed on the film-forming object 6, and to suppress deterioration in sputtering quality.

In the above example, the pressure sensor 7 sequentially acquires pressure values, the control unit 14 determines a suitable moving speed based on the pressure values, and determines the control conditions for the carriage driving device 12 as moving means. rice field. However, if an appropriate moving speed is determined in advance for each position of the cathode unit 8 in the X-axis direction, the pressure sensor is not necessarily required. A storage unit (not shown) may store in advance a table or mathematical expression in which the position of the cathode unit 8 in the X-axis direction and the moving speed are associated with each other. Then, instead of steps S101 and S102 in the flowchart of FIG. 3, the control unit 14 may determine the moving speed based on the information on the position of the target in the X-axis direction and the table or formula. The above table or formula can be generated based on the pressure distribution obtained in advance from the pressure distribution in the chamber. Alternatively, the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region is obtained based on the pressure distribution in the chamber previously obtained based on the position of the cathode unit 8 in the X-axis direction, and an appropriate moving speed is determined based on the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region. may decide. Since the pressure distribution in the chamber is determined based on the capacity and flow rate control value of the exhaust means 15, the capacity and flow control value of the gas introduction means 16, the positional relationship between the exhaust port and the gas introduction port, etc., simulations and pressure sensors are used in advance. It can be obtained by measuring

Also, in the illustrated example, the inlets are arranged on both side walls, and the exhaust outlets are arranged on the bottom wall. However, no matter how the inlets and the exhaust ports are arranged, the control unit 14 controls the carriage driving device 12 according to the output value of the pressure sensor, or the pressure distribution acquired in advance by actual measurement or simulation. By programming the control value of the carriage driving device 12 according to the position in the axial direction, the moving speed can be appropriately determined.

[Embodiment 2]
Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment, and the same components will be given the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

FIG. 5A shows the film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment. The film forming apparatus 1 uses a planar cathode unit 308 using a flat plate-shaped target 302 instead of a rotary cathode unit using a cylindrical target. The planar cathode unit 308 has a target 302 arranged parallel to the film-forming target 6 , and the magnet unit 3 as a magnetic field generating means is arranged on the opposite side of the target 302 from the film-forming target 6 . A backing plate 302a to which power is applied from the power source 13 is provided on the surface of the target 302 opposite to the film formation object 6 . By applying power to the backing plate 302a, sputtered particles are emitted from the sputtering area A1. The planar cathode unit 308 is installed on the upper surface of the moving table 230 .

In the film formation process, the planar cathode unit 308 moves along the guide rails 250 on the movement area facing the film formation surface of the film formation object 6 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the target 302 (in the drawing, X-axis direction). The vicinity of the surface of the target 302 facing the film-forming object 6 is the sputtering area A1 where the electron density is increased by the magnetic field generated by the magnet unit 3 and the sputtered particles are generated. In the film-forming process, the sputtering area A1 moves along the film-forming surface of the film-forming object 6 as the planar cathode unit 308 moves, and films are sequentially formed on the film-forming object 6 .

It should be noted that the magnet unit 3 may be movable relative to the target 302 in the planar cathode unit 308, as shown in FIGS. 5(b) to 5(d). By doing so, the sputtering area A1 can be relatively shifted with respect to the target 302, and the utilization efficiency of the target 302 can be improved.

In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the moving speed of the sputtering area A1 is adjusted according to the position of the sputtering area A1 (in this embodiment, according to the position of the planar cathode unit 308). The moving speed of the sputtering area A1 can be considered to be the same as the moving speed of the planar cathode unit 308 when the magnet unit 3 is fixed with respect to the target 302 . Also, when the magnet unit 3 moves with respect to the target 302, the moving speed of the sputtering area A1 can be considered to be the combined speed of the moving speed of the planar cathode unit 308 and the moving speed of the magnet unit 3.

As a result, even in the present embodiment, even if the pressure distribution of the gas inside the chamber is uneven, the film formation rate can be kept substantially constant. As a result, it is possible to reduce unevenness in the film thickness and film quality of the film formed on the film-forming object 6, and to suppress deterioration in sputtering quality.

[Embodiment 3]
Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. The following description will focus on the differences from the above-described embodiments, and the same components will be given the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

FIG. 6 shows the film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment. 5(b) to 5(d) described above, the magnet unit 3 in the planar cathode unit is movable relative to the target 302. In FIG. In this embodiment, a flat-plate-shaped target 402 is larger than the film-forming object 6 in both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and is fixed to the chamber 10 . Also, the magnet unit 3 as magnetic field generating means moves with respect to the target 402 fixed to the chamber 10 (that is, with respect to the chamber 10). Along with this, the sputtering area A1 from which the target particles of the target 402 are emitted also moves with respect to the film-forming object 6 .

The target 402 is arranged at the boundary between the vacuum region and the atmospheric pressure region, and the magnet unit 3 is placed in the atmosphere outside the chamber 10 . That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the target 402 is arranged so as to airtightly close the opening 10c1 provided in the bottom wall 10c of the chamber 10. As shown in FIG. The target 402 faces the inner space of the chamber 10 and faces the film-forming object 6 . A backing plate 402a to which power is applied from the power source 13 is provided on the surface of the target 402 opposite to the film formation object 6, and the backing plate 402a faces the external space. Although the target 402 is arranged at the boundary between the vacuum region and the atmospheric pressure region here, the present invention is not limited to this, and another member may be provided between the target 402 and the atmospheric pressure region. , the target 402 may be placed on the bottom wall 10 c of the chamber 10 .

The magnet unit 3 is arranged outside the chamber 10 and the pressure sensor 7 is arranged inside the chamber 10 . The magnet unit 3 is supported by a magnet unit moving device 430 outside the chamber 10 and is movable along the target 402 in the X-axis direction. The magnet unit 3 is driven by the magnet driving device 121 driving the magnet unit moving device 430 . The magnet unit moving device 430 is a device that linearly guides the magnet unit 3 in the X-axis direction, and although not shown, is composed of a moving base that supports the magnet unit 3 and a guide such as a rail that guides the moving base. . This movement of the magnet unit 3 causes the sputtering area A1 to move in the X-axis direction. The pressure sensor 7 is supported by a sensor moving device 450 arranged inside the chamber 10 and is movable along the target 402 in the X-axis direction. Similarly to the magnet unit moving device 430, the sensor moving device 450 is also composed of a moving table that supports the pressure sensor 7 and a guide such as a rail that guides the moving table. The magnet unit 3 and the pressure sensor 7 move under the control of the control unit 14, and the control unit 14 acquires the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor 7 at any time.

In this embodiment, the introduction port 42 is arranged on the side wall 10b on the starting end side of the movement area in which the cathode unit 8 moves, and the exhaust port 5 is arranged on the side wall 10a on the terminal side. Therefore, there is a pressure distribution in the chamber 10 in which the pressure is high in the vicinity of the side wall 10b on the starting end side and the pressure is low in the vicinity of the side wall 10a on the terminal side. The positions and numbers of the introduction ports 41 and 42 and the exhaust ports 51 and 52 are not limited to this example.

In this embodiment, as in each of the embodiments described above, the moving speed of the sputtering area A1 is adjusted according to the position of the sputtering area A1 (in this embodiment, according to the position of the magnet unit 3). Note that the moving speed of the sputtering area A1 can be considered similar to the moving speed of the magnet unit 3 .

As a result, even in the present embodiment, even if the pressure distribution of the gas inside the chamber is uneven, the film formation rate can be kept substantially constant. As a result, it is possible to reduce unevenness in the film thickness and film quality of the film formed on the film-forming object 6, and to suppress deterioration in sputtering quality.

[Other embodiments]
In each of the above embodiments, one cathode unit 8 and one planar cathode unit 308 are provided, but a plurality of these units may be arranged inside the chamber. Alternatively, these units may be one, or multiple targets may be arranged within the unit. Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the moving speed of the sputtering area A1 is adjusted in the film formation process is shown. At least one of the pressure in the chamber 10, the power supplied to the target 2, and the distance (TS distance) between the target 2 and the film formation object 6 may be adjusted. Further, the constituent elements shown in the above embodiments are not limited to the examples of the above embodiments, and may be combined arbitrarily with each other as long as there is no contradiction.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 film deposition apparatus 2 target 6 film deposition object 10 chamber 12 moving table driving device (moving means)
14 control unit A1 sputtering area

Claims (23)

a chamber in which the object to be film-formed and the target are arranged;
moving means for moving within the chamber a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target;
has
A film forming apparatus for depositing the sputtered particles on the object to be film-formed while moving the sputtering area by the moving means to form a film,
The moving means changes the moving speed of the sputtering region according to the pressure near the sputtering region so that the moving speed of the sputtering region decreases as the pressure near the sputtering region increases. A film forming apparatus. a chamber in which the object to be film-formed and the target are arranged;
moving means for moving within the chamber a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target;
has
A film forming apparatus for depositing the sputtered particles on the object to be film-formed while moving the sputtering region by the moving means to form a film,
The moving means moves the sputtering region at a first speed when the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region is a first pressure, and the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region is higher than the first pressure. Varying the speed of movement of the sputtering region in response to the pressure proximate the sputtering region such that the sputtering region moves at a second speed less than the first speed at a pressure of 2.
A film forming apparatus characterized by: 3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising pressure acquisition means for acquiring pressure in the vicinity of said sputtering area. 4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said pressure acquisition means is a pressure sensor. 5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pressure obtaining means obtains the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering area based on the pressure distribution in the chamber obtained in advance. 6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving means moves the sputtering region by moving the target within the chamber. 7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the moving means moves the sputtering region by moving the target in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the target. 8. The moving device according to claim 6 , wherein the moving device moves the sputtering region by moving a magnetic field generating device arranged to face the object to be film-formed through the target. deposition equipment. The target is fixed to the chamber so as to face the film formation object,
6. The moving means moves the sputtering region by moving a magnetic field generating means arranged to face the object to be film-formed through the target. 1. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1. The target has a cylindrical shape,
9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising rotating means for rotating said target. 10. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the target has a flat plate shape. a chamber in which the object to be film-formed and the target are placed, the chamber comprising an exhaust port for exhausting gas from the chamber;
moving means for moving within the chamber a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target;
has
A film forming apparatus for depositing the sputtered particles on the object to be film-formed while moving the sputtering region by the moving means to form a film,
The moving means changes the moving speed of the sputtering region according to the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the exhaust port so that the moving speed of the sputtering region increases as the sputtering region and the exhaust port are closer. A film forming apparatus characterized by: The chamber further comprises an inlet for introducing the gas into the chamber,
13. The film forming apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said moving means changes the moving speed of said sputtering area according to the positional relationship between said sputtering area and said inlet. 14. The film forming apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the moving means decreases the moving speed of the sputtering area as the sputtering area and the introduction port are closer to each other. A chamber in which a film-forming object and a target are arranged, the chamber comprising an exhaust port for discharging a gas from the chamber and an inlet for introducing the gas into the chamber;
moving means for moving within the chamber a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target;
has
A film forming apparatus for depositing the sputtered particles on the object to be film-formed while moving the sputtering region by the moving means to form a film,
The moving means changes the moving speed of the sputtering region according to the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the inlet so that the closer the sputtering region and the inlet, the lower the moving speed of the sputtering region. let
A film forming apparatus characterized by: A film formation method using a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are arranged,
A film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber,
In the film forming step, the moving speed of the sputtering region is changed according to the pressure near the sputtering region so that the moving speed of the sputtering region decreases as the pressure near the sputtering region increases. A film forming method characterized by: A film formation method using a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are arranged,
A film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber,
In the film forming step, the sputtering region is moved at a first speed when the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region is the first pressure, and the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region is higher than the first pressure. Varying the moving speed of the sputtering region in response to the pressure proximate the sputtering region such that when at a second pressure the sputtering region moves at a second speed less than the first speed.
A film forming method characterized by: A film formation method using a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are arranged, the chamber including an exhaust port for discharging gas from the chamber,
A film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber,
In the film formation step, the moving speed of the sputtering region is increased according to the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the exhaust port so that the closer the sputtering region and the exhaust port are, the faster the moving speed of the sputtering region is. A film forming method characterized by changing. A film formation method using a chamber in which a film-forming object and a target are arranged, the chamber including an exhaust port for discharging a gas from the chamber and an introduction port for introducing the gas into the chamber, ,
a film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber;
,
In the film formation step, the moving speed of the sputtering region is adjusted according to the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the inlet so that the closer the sputtering region is to the inlet, the lower the moving speed of the sputtering region. change
A film forming method characterized by: A method for manufacturing an electronic device,
placing an object to be film-formed and a target in a chamber so as to face the object to be film-formed;
A film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber,
In the film forming step, the moving speed of the sputtering region is changed according to the pressure near the sputtering region so that the moving speed of the sputtering region decreases as the pressure near the sputtering region increases. A method of manufacturing an electronic device characterized by: A method for manufacturing an electronic device,
placing an object to be film-formed and a target in a chamber so as to face the object to be film-formed;
A film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber,
In the film forming step, the sputtering region is moved at a first speed when the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region is the first pressure, and the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region is higher than the first pressure. Varying the moving speed of the sputtering region in response to the pressure proximate the sputtering region such that when at a second pressure the sputtering region moves at a second speed less than the first speed.
An electronic device manufacturing method characterized by: A method for manufacturing an electronic device,
A step of arranging an object to be film-formed and a target in a chamber provided with an exhaust port for exhausting gas so as to face the object to be film-formed;
A film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber,
In the film formation step, the moving speed of the sputtering region is increased according to the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the exhaust port so that the closer the sputtering region and the exhaust port are, the faster the moving speed of the sputtering region is. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, characterized by changing. A method for manufacturing an electronic device,
placing an object to be film-formed and a target in the chamber provided with an exhaust port for discharging gas from the chamber and an introduction port for introducing the gas into the chamber so as to face the object to be film-formed; ,
A film forming step of depositing the sputtered particles on the film-forming object to form a film while moving a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are generated from the target within the chamber,
In the film formation step, the positional relationship between the sputtering region and the introduction port is such that the closer the sputtering region and the introduction port, the smaller the moving speed of the sputtering region.
changing the moving speed of the sputtering region according to the
An electronic device manufacturing method characterized by:

Images