JPH0772340B2 - Vacuum deposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus that causes charged particles to collide with a vapor deposition material in a vacuum container to evaporate material components by the kinetic energy thereof to form a film on a predetermined sample surface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional structure of a pressure gradient ion plating film forming apparatus which is a vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the prior art (for this apparatus, for example, "Vacuum", Vol. 25, No. 10, Vol. 27, No. 2).

In FIG. 4, 1 is a plasma gun which is a cathode, 2 is a direct current power source for applying a potential between the cathode and anode, 3 is a vacuum vessel, 4 is a hearth on which an evaporation material is placed, and 5 is a plasma beam. A magnet for guiding to the hearth 4, 6 an exhaust port, 7 a leak port, 8 a holding table for holding a substrate on which a film is to be formed, 9 a plasma beam, 10 a coil for focusing the plasma beam, 11 a vacuum container 3 is an aperture window.

A Ta-LaB ₆ composite electrode is arranged in the plasma gun 1, and a potential is applied to the electrode so that Ar or H
An inert gas such as e is supplied from the rear part of the plasma gun 1, and a high-density plasma of the inert gas is generated.

The high density plasma is radiated as a beam by the grid electrode in the plasma gun 1 and the magnetic field, and is further guided into the vacuum container 3 evacuated to a high vacuum by the magnetic field of the coil 10 and the magnet 5 as shown in the figure. Plasma beam 9
As a result, it collides with the vapor deposition material on the hearth 4. The vapor deposition material is evaporated by the kinetic energy of the plasma particles and adheres to the surface of the substrate 8 to form a film.

After film formation, in order to cool the cathode of the plasma gun 1, the vacuum gun is left for 10 to 20 minutes, the exhaust port 6 is closed, the leak port 7 is opened, and the atmosphere is introduced into the vacuum container 3. Then, the substrate 8 is taken out.

[0007]

In such a conventional batch type film forming apparatus, after the film formation is completed, the atmosphere is introduced into the vacuum container 3 to take out the film-formed substrate 8.
At that time, since the internal space of the vacuum container 3 and the inside of the plasma gun 1 communicate with each other, the cathode of the plasma gun 1 which has been at a high temperature is exposed to the atmosphere. for that reason,
The following problems occur.

(1) When the high temperature cathode is exposed to the atmosphere, the cathode portion is oxidized to form an insulating oxide, which makes it difficult for current to flow and makes discharge difficult. (2) When the high temperature at the time of plasma generation and the rapid cooling by the atmosphere are repeated for a long period of time, the fatigue due to the heat cycle load causes the cathode to crack and the life is shortened.

(3) Moisture and dust contained in the atmosphere at the time of introduction into the atmosphere adhere to the cathode portion and cause an abnormal discharge at the time of discharge, and the splash at that time further generates dust and causes a pinhole on the substrate 8. Cause.

(4) If the cathode is cooled while keeping the vacuum in order to prevent the cathode from oxidizing due to the introduction of air, a cooling time for that is required. (5) Furthermore, when only the plasma gun is to be removed for maintenance or cleaning, the vacuum container will also leak and be introduced into the atmosphere at the same time, so it is necessary to evacuate the vacuum container again after reattaching the plasma gun. There is.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus which is highly reliable and has a long service life and enables stable film formation.

[0012]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus of the present invention, the vacuum container is arranged so as to be airtight between the opening of the vacuum container and the charged particle beam source. The valve means capable of opening and closing the open hole portion was provided.

[0013]

The valve means allows the internal space of the vacuum container and the charged particle beam source to communicate with each other when the opening is opened so that a vapor deposition operation can be performed. When the opening is closed, the vacuum means is used. The inside space of the container and the charged particle beam generation source are cut off and separated so that the atmosphere can be introduced into the vacuum container. At the same time, the vacuum container and the charged particle generation source are separated and the atmosphere contacts the charged particle generation source. Let me not.

[0014]

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional structure of a pressure gradient type ion plating film forming apparatus which is a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is an arc discharge type plasma gun which is a cathode, 2 is a DC power source for applying an electric potential between the cathode and the anode, 3 is a vacuum vessel, 4 is a hearth on which an evaporation material is placed, and 5 is a hearth. A magnet for guiding the plasma beam to the hearth 4, 6 an exhaust port, 7 a leak port, 8 a holder for holding a substrate on which a film is to be formed, 9 a plasma beam, 10 a coil for converging the plasma beam, 11 a vacuum Opening windows 12 and 12 of the container 3 are gate valves arranged between the opening window 11 and the plasma gun 1 in an airtight manner. The material of the gate valve is preferably Al, which has high thermal conductivity and small thermal emissivity.

A Ta-LaB ₆ composite electrode is arranged in the plasma gun 1, and a high-density plasma of inert gas such as Ar or He is generated by applying a potential to the electrode. The high-density plasma is radiated as a beam by the grid electrode and the magnetic field in the plasma gun 1, and is further evacuated to a high vacuum by the magnetic field by the coil 10 and the magnet 5 and the electric field by the hearth (anode) 4 into the vacuum container 3. It is guided and collides with the vapor deposition material on the hearth 4 as a plasma beam 9 as shown. The vapor deposition material is evaporated by the kinetic energy of the plasma particles and adheres to the surface of the substrate on the holding table 8 to form a film.

In this type of vacuum deposition apparatus, a Kauffman type ion gun or the like may be used as the charged particle beam generation source in addition to the arc discharge type plasma gun.
In the vapor deposition process, the gate valve is in an open state as shown in FIG. 1, the plasma gun 1 and the inside of the vacuum container 3 are in communication with each other, and a high vacuum is exhausted.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the gate valve 1 and shows a state in which the gate valve is closed. After the film formation is completed, the supply of the inert gas such as Ar or He is stopped, and the gate valve 12 is closed as shown in FIG. 2 to disconnect and separate the plasma gun 1 and the vacuum container 3 from each other.

Although not shown, the plasma gun 1 is preferably provided with an independently controllable exhaust system. For example, the plasma gun 1 is connected to the exhaust device by a valve that works in conjunction with the gate valve 12. Therefore, the inside of the plasma gun 1 is sealed while maintaining the vacuum.

Then, the exhaust port 6 is closed, the leak port 7 is opened, and the atmosphere is introduced into the vacuum container 3 to take out the substrate on the holding table 8. Gate valve 12 inside the plasma gun 1
As a result, since the vacuum state is maintained independently of the vacuum container 3 into which the atmosphere is introduced, oxidation of the high temperature cathode by the atmosphere and adhesion of water, dust, etc. are eliminated.

During maintenance and cleaning of the plasma gun 1, the gate valve 12 is closed to disconnect and separate the plasma gun 1 and the vacuum container 3 from each other.
Remove the plasma gun 1.

In the example of the conventional vacuum deposition apparatus,
The time required for one batch was 35 minutes for the exhaust step, 10 minutes for the film forming step, and 15 minutes for the plasma gun cooling step, for a total of 60 minutes, while an example of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the above-described embodiment was used. Then, the cooling step of the plasma gun was reduced by 15 minutes, and the time per batch was 45 minutes, and the throughput was improved.

In the above description of the embodiment, the gate valve 12 having a structure of sliding with respect to the aperture window 11 to open and close is shown as the structure of the valve, but the valve of the present invention is not limited to this, and the vacuum container is not limited thereto. And the plasma gun can be opened and closed with airtightness, the plasma beam can be introduced into the vacuum vessel in the open state, and the vacuum vessel and the plasma gun can be shut off and separated in the closed state. A valve with the above structure can be used.

FIG. 3 shows another structural example of the gate valve portion. When the gate valve 12 is opened, the vacuum container 3
The opening window 11 of is exposed. When vapor deposition is performed in this state,
The sealing plate, sealing surface, and O-ring of the valve are at risk of being contaminated by plasma heat and vapor deposition. When a vapor deposition material or the like is deposited on these exposed surfaces, the vacuum holding capacity is deteriorated. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the device. In this configuration, the cylindrical cover 13 is arranged in the opening for protection of this heat and dirt.

When the cover 13 receives heat and dirt, the O-ring, the sealing surface and the like, which are required to be airtight, are protected. When the cover 13 gets dirty to some extent, the cover 1
Only 3 needs to be replaced. Since the cover 13 can be easily replaced, the vapor deposition apparatus can be easily maintained.

Although the cylindrical cover attached integrally with the seal plate of the gate valve is shown, the cover may be of a mechanism for feeding from the vacuum chamber side. Further, the cylindrical shape may be a cylinder, a polygon, or any shape as long as it can perform the function of shielding. Various materials such as metal and ceramics can be used.

The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments.
The present invention is not limited to these. For example,
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, improvements, combinations and the like can be made.

[0028]

[Effect] In the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained by disposing valve means that can be opened and closed between the charged particle generation source and the vacuum container. (1) Since the cathode does not come into contact with the atmosphere after the film forming step, an insulating oxide is not formed on the cathode part. (2) Since there is no heat cycle between the high temperature at the time of plasma generation and the rapid cooling due to the introduction of air, cracks and the like are reduced and the life of the cathode is extended. (3) Since the cathode does not come into contact with the atmosphere after the film forming process, abnormal discharge due to moisture or dust contained in the atmosphere does not occur, which can prevent the occurrence of pinholes in the substrate. (4) After the film formation is completed, the vacuum container can be leaked without waiting for the cooling of the cathode, and the substrate on which the film formation is completed can be taken out from the vacuum container, so that the throughput is improved. (5) Furthermore, when it is desired to remove only the plasma gun for maintenance or cleaning, the vacuum container can be operated while keeping the vacuum, so that it is not necessary to exhaust the vacuum container again after reattaching the plasma gun. Since the number of exhausts is reduced, the product quality is stable.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall cross-sectional view of a vacuum vapor deposition device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a gate valve portion of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the gate valve open state of another configuration of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an overall cross-sectional view of a conventional vacuum vapor deposition device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Plasma gun 2 ... DC power supply 3 ... Vacuum container 4 ... Hearth 5 ... Magnet 6 ... Exhaust valve 7 ...・ ・ Leak valve 8 ・ ・ ・ Holding stand 9 ・ ・ ・ Plasma beam 10 ・ ・ ・ ・ Magnetic field coil 11 ・ ・ ・ ・ Aperture window 12 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Gate valve 13 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Cover

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An inner space capable of being evacuated, and arranged in the inner space.
The charged particle beam source and the charged particle beam
It includes a charged particle beam supply means having a morphism emitting holes, an opening for introducing the charged particle beam emitted from said charged particle beam supply means, the charged particle beam supplied hand
A vacuum container having an internal space that can be evacuated independently of the internal space of the step, and the charged particle beam collides by being arranged in the internal space of the vacuum container and applying a predetermined potential difference to the charged particle beam generation source. An evaporation source, a sample holding means arranged so that an evaporation component from the evaporation source adheres, and a valve means capable of opening and closing connecting the opening portion and the radiation hole while maintaining airtightness, communicates the internal space of the charged particle beam supply means and the interior space of the vacuum vessel when said valve means in an open state, the charged particle beam subjected to the internal space of the vacuum vessel when closed
With the internal space of the feeding means isolated and isolated
While maintaining the vacuum state of the internal space of the vacuum container
Removing the charged particle beam supply means from the valve means
A vacuum deposition apparatus having the valve means that can be removed . 2. The vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an airtight holding member and a shielding cover member arranged in the opening when the valve means opens the opening of the vacuum container. .