JPH04247871A - Film forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve film quality by subjecting substrates to film forming treatments in plural reaction chambers around an intermediate chamber and heating the substrates under transportation in the intermediate chamber. CONSTITUTION:An inlet/outlet chamber 2 for heating or cooling the substrates and the plural reaction chambers 3 to 5 for subjecting the substrates to the film forming treatments are disposed around the octagonal intermediate chamber 1. A substrate transporting mechanism for transporting the substrates is provided in the intermediate chamber 1. The films are formed on the substrates in the plural reaction chambers 3 to 5. Heaters 15 are provided in the intermediate chamber 1 and the substrates under transportation are heated by these heaters. The temp. fall of the substrate surfaces during the course of the transportation is suppressed in this way.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, and more particularly to a film forming chamber having an intermediate chamber for transporting a substrate.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Film forming apparatuses such as sputtering apparatuses and plasma CVD apparatuses are used as apparatuses for forming thin films such as insulating films on substrates.

[0003] This film forming apparatus mainly consists of an entrance/exit chamber into which substrates to be deposited are carried in and out, and a reaction chamber which is provided adjacent to the entrance/exit chamber and performs a film forming process. During film formation, the substrate carried into the entrance/exit chamber is introduced into the reaction chamber and subjected to film formation processing, and after a predetermined film formation process is carried out again from the entrance/exit chamber to the outside of the apparatus.

Among such film forming apparatuses, a so-called composite type film forming apparatus has been proposed in which an entrance/exit chamber and a plurality of reaction chambers are arranged around an intermediate chamber. A transport mechanism for transporting the substrate between each reaction chamber is provided in the intermediate chamber.

[0005] When performing a film forming process using this composite type film forming apparatus, first, a substrate carried into an entrance/exit chamber is introduced into a reaction chamber by a transport mechanism in an intermediate chamber. Then, the substrate subjected to the film formation process in this reaction chamber is introduced into the next reaction chamber via the intermediate chamber by the transport mechanism. In this way, a thin film such as a multilayer film is formed on the substrate while the substrate is transferred between each reaction chamber and the intermediate chamber. In this composite film forming apparatus, the reaction chambers are arranged radially around the intermediate chamber, so that the process can be easily expanded. Furthermore, since maintenance can be performed separately for each chamber, processing capacity is improved. The substrate on which the film-forming process has been completed is transported from the intermediate chamber to the outside of the apparatus through the entrance/exit chamber by the transport mechanism.

[0006]

In the conventional apparatus described above, when a substrate is transferred from one reaction chamber to another, the substrate is always transferred to the other reaction chamber through the intermediate chamber. Therefore, the temperature of the substrate temporarily decreases during transportation, which may result in problems such as changes in film quality.

An object of the present invention is to provide a film forming apparatus that can improve film quality.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A film forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an intermediate chamber, a plurality of reaction chambers, and a heater. The intermediate chamber is for transporting the substrate. The reaction chamber is arranged around the intermediate chamber, and performs a film forming process while heating the substrate. The heater is arranged in the intermediate chamber and is used to heat the substrate during transportation.

[0009]

[Operation] In the present invention, a film forming process is performed while heating the substrate in each reaction chamber arranged around the intermediate chamber. Further, during this process, a substrate subjected to a film formation process in a certain reaction chamber is transported to another reaction chamber through an intermediate chamber, and a film formation process is performed thereon. When the substrate is transferred between the reaction chambers, a heater placed in the intermediate chamber heats the substrate during transfer.

[0010] This makes it possible to suppress the temperature drop of the substrate during transportation and improve the film quality.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a composite type (multi-chamber type) film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the intermediate chamber 1 is generally formed into an octagonal shape. Arranged around the intermediate chamber 1 are an entrance/exit chamber 2 for heating or cooling a substrate, and a plurality of reaction chambers 3 to 5 for performing a film forming process. Entrance/exit chamber 2 and each reaction chamber 3
5 are provided corresponding to each side of the intermediate chamber 1. Gate valves 6 to 8 are provided between each reaction chamber 3 to 5 and intermediate chamber 1, respectively. In addition, in each reaction chamber 3 to 5,
Gas introduction system 9 for introducing respective predetermined reaction gases
~11 are connected. Although not shown, a sheathed heater for heating the substrate during the film forming process is arranged in each of the reaction chambers 3 to 5.

In the intermediate chamber 1, substrates are transferred between each reaction chamber 3 to 5 and the intermediate chamber 1, and each reaction chamber 3 to
A substrate transport mechanism (not shown) is provided for transporting the substrate between 5 and 5. Intermediate chamber 1 on the side facing each reaction chamber 3 to 5
A heater 15 is provided above. This heater 15 is for suppressing a temperature drop on the surface of the substrate during transportation within the intermediate chamber 1. The heater 15 includes a heater 15 a provided on a side facing the reaction chamber 3 and a heater 15 b provided on a side facing the reaction chamber 5 . Each heater 15a, 15b is provided with a portion extending on the side facing the reaction chamber 4, respectively.

Next, the operation will be explained. During the film forming process, first, the cassette holder 16 on which the substrate to be processed is placed is carried into the entrance/exit chamber 2 . At this time, the substrate is preheated in the entrance/exit chamber 2. Next, the substrate transport mechanism in the intermediate chamber 1 is driven to take out the substrate on the cassette holder 16, and the substrate is held in the reaction chamber 1.
(a position below the heater 15a). At this time, the heater 15a is on, and the substrate is preheated by the heater 15a. From this state, the gate valve 6 is opened and the substrate is introduced into the reaction chamber 3 by driving the substrate transport mechanism. After the introduction process, the gate valve 6 is closed again, and a predetermined film forming process is performed within the reaction chamber 3. That is, a predetermined reaction gas is introduced into the reaction chamber 3 from the gas introduction system 9, and the film forming process is performed with the substrate heated.

After the film forming process in the reaction chamber 3, the gate valve 6 is opened, and the substrate after the film forming process is taken out from the reaction chamber 3 by the substrate transport mechanism, and the substrate is transferred to the reaction chamber 4 where the next film forming process will be performed. The heaters 15a and 15b are moved to opposing positions (positions below the heaters 15a and 15b). During this substrate transfer, the substrate is constantly heated by heaters 15a and 15b.
Heat is applied to the substrate to prevent the temperature of the substrate surface from decreasing during transportation. This can prevent changes in film quality due to temperature drop.

Next, in the same manner as in the case of the treatment in the reaction chamber 3, the gate valve 7 is opened and the substrate is introduced into the reaction chamber 4.
A predetermined film forming process is performed while heating the substrate in the reaction chamber 4 in the same manner. After the film forming process, the substrate is transported again by the substrate transport mechanism and moved to a position facing the reaction chamber 5 (a position below the heater 15b). During this transportation, the heater 15b similarly prevents the temperature of the substrate surface from decreasing. Next, the substrate is introduced into the reaction chamber 5 and a film forming process is performed. In this way, a multilayer film (here, a three-layer film) is formed on the substrate. After processing in the reaction chamber 5, the substrate is transported to the entrance/exit chamber 2 by the substrate transport mechanism, placed on the cassette holder 16, and transported outside the apparatus.

[0017] In this way, the film forming process is performed while maintaining the homogeneity of the film.

[Other Embodiments] In the embodiments described above, two heaters 15a and 1 are used as heaters corresponding to each of the reaction chambers 3 to 5.
5b, a heater may be provided for each reaction chamber, and a total of three heaters may be provided.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each heater 15a,
Although the heater 15b is simply turned on, the temperature of the heaters 15a and 15b may be controlled in accordance with each processing temperature in each of the reaction chambers 3 to 5. In this case, the homogeneity of the film can be further improved.

[0020]

Effects of the Invention In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, since a heater for heating the substrate is disposed in the intermediate chamber, it is possible to suppress a drop in temperature of the substrate surface during transportation, and improve film quality.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Intermediate room 3-5 Reaction chamber 15 Heater

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An intermediate chamber for transporting a substrate; a plurality of reaction chambers arranged around the intermediate chamber for performing film formation processing while heating the substrate; A film forming apparatus equipped with a heater for heating a substrate.