JPH08165567A - Electrical-insulating seal structure and method of using thesame in high-vacuum pvd apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain an electrically insulated seal structure for high vacuum and high temp., which is easy to fabricate and to handle, by constituting a three dimensional structure by using a polymer whose electrical, chemical, mechanical and thermal properties are especially designed.

CONSTITUTION: In a sputtering processing apparatus which is operated under a high vacuum and at a high temp., a sputtering process chamber 138 of the anode to which substrates to be deposited are introduced, a target assembly 124 of the cathode and a chamber cap 113 are fabricated by sealing with the electrical insulator comprising a main insulator 133, an outside insulator 134 and a top insulator 117. The insulator is constituted of a monolithic or a fabricated three dimensional structure comprising a plastic such as a polyether imide, polyimide and polyether-ether ketone. The plastic has a volume resistivity of ≥10 Ω.cm, a deflection temp. of ≥300°F under 264 psi, a surface finishing of ≥16 μinch, a prescribed water absorption coefficient, coefficient of linear expansion, impact strength and compression strength.

COPYRIGHT: (C)1996,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrically insulating seal structure which can be used in semiconductor processing equipment such as physical vapor deposition (sputtering). The electrically insulative seal structure is operated at a vacuum of at least 10 ^-6 Torr and has a temperature of about -10 ° F (-23.2 ° C) to about 55 ° C.
It is particularly useful for processing equipment that requires continuous use at temperatures in the range of 0 ° F (287.8 ° C).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It can be said that there are many physical techniques for sputtering (DC plasma excitation sputtering, R
F plasmas and ion guns, etc.), which are commonly used in the semiconductor industry to deposit thin films of the following metals on a substrate: aluminum, aluminum alloys, refractory metal nitrides, gold, copper, Titanium-tungsten, tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum and, rarely, silicon dioxide and silicon. Generally, these techniques involve the use of an electric field in a degassed chamber to produce a gas plasma of ionized inert gas "particles" (atoms or molecules). The ionized particles head toward the target and collide with the target. As a result of this collision, the target material is essentially converted into free atoms or molecules and the free atoms or groups of ionized atoms of the target material are ejected from the surface of the target. The free atoms ejected from the target surface head toward the substrate and form (deposit) a thin film on the substrate surface.

A typical plasma sputtering apparatus uses a magnetic field to increase the concentration of plasma ions that form the sputtering activity in the magnetic field region so that sputtering of the target occurs at high rates and low processing pressures. In DC sputtering, the target itself is electrically biased with respect to the substrate on which the sputtering material is deposited as well as the sputtering process chamber. The sputtering target acts as a cathode, the substrate (depending on the material of the substrate), the platform on which the substrate is mounted and / or the process chamber are
Acts as an anode. High voltage, typically 200
A voltage of ˜800 volts is applied between these electrodes with respect to the substrate located on the platform opposite the cathode. The pressure in the sputtering process chamber is typically reduced to 10 ^-6 to 10 ^-9 Torr, after which, for example, argon is introduced to ^bring the pressure to about 10 ^-2 to.
An argon partial pressure of 10 ⁻⁴ Torr is generated. A certain amount of energy is required to generate a gas plasma and generate a flow of ions colliding with the cathode, and the temperature of the inner wall surface, especially the temperature of the dark space shield inside the sputtering process chamber is 400 ° F (20 ° C).
It is not common to raise the temperature above 4.4 ° C).

Recent research on liquid crystal flat panel displays has resulted in interest in processing equipment capable of sputtering on extra-large scales. For example, 15 inches x 19 inches (0.38mX
0.48m) rectangular flat panel is not uncommon,
In the industry, 48 inches x 48 inches (1.2m x 1.2
It has moved to the panel of m). In order to realize the display performance which is allowed in such a large area, it is necessary to remarkably increase the conductivity of the metal electrode of the internal semiconductor device that controls the operation of the liquid crystal composition. In order to achieve this high conductivity, it is preferable to use aluminum for the metal electrode, but at this time, the presence of oxygen causes the generation of aluminum oxide at a very high rate to be mixed in the aluminum deposited layer, It impairs conductivity.
In order to deposit a low stress film of a pure layer of aluminum with the desired conductivity by sputtering, it is necessary to perform the sputtering operation in a special high vacuum. As a result, the partial pressure of the residual atmospheric components such as oxygen and water vapor, which leads to the oxidation of the deposited aluminum, becomes low. For example, 1
In the sputtering process chamber depressurized to 0 ^-6 Torr, the oxygen remaining in the sputtering chamber formed a monolayer of oxygen on the surface of the aluminum substrate within about 1 second, while the depressurized oxygen was depressurized to 10 ^-9 Torr. 1,0 for forming a monolayer of oxygen on the substrate in the chamber
It takes nearly 00 seconds. Therefore, in order to deposit a conductive aluminum layer and obtain a low-stress aluminum deposition layer having sufficient conductivity, it is preferably 10 ⁻⁶ Torr and 10 ⁻⁸ to 10 ⁻⁹ Torr. Preferably there is.

FIG. 1 shows a sputtering processing apparatus 1 for manufacturing a flat panel display semiconductor device.
It is an exploded view of 00. The sputtering process chamber 138 allows the substrate to be deposited to be transferred to the sputtering pedestal 146 via a slit valve opening 145. The insulating structure for insulating the target assembly 124 (cathode) from the process chamber 138 (anode) includes an outer insulator 134 and a main insulator 133. Further, the upper insulator 117 allows the target assembly 124 to move to the chamber cap 113.
Insulated from. Output is applied through the output connection 155 which fits into the output connection hole 92 through the device. A vacuum passage 156 provides the ability to degas the assembly, and a cooling manifold (not shown) that is part of the target assembly 124 allows the sputtering target to cool. Details of this sputtering process chamber and its function are described in US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 236,715 filed April 29, 1994.

The upper insulator 117 and the outer insulator 134 are
It is typically constructed of a plastic material such as acrylic or polycarbonate, which does not expose these insulators to the high temperatures that are exerted on the main insulator 133.
This is because the requirement for sealing is not so strict as that required for the main insulator 133. In the past, the main insulator was
For example, 99.7% pure aluminum oxide (alumina)
It should have been provided with a dielectric material in an operating environment. In a typical operating environment, this ceramic material will have a voltage of 1,000 volts, sometimes 550 ° F (287.8 ° C), and often 40 ° C.
It is exposed to a high temperature of 0 ° F (204.4 ° C). Furthermore,
The main insulator 133 must withstand a compressive load (a few tons) and must be vacuum sealed to the process chamber base pressure in the preferred range of 10 ⁻⁸ to 10 ⁻⁹ Torr. Therefore, the materials that make up the main insulator must meet stringent requirements.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the sputtering process chamber shown in FIG. 1 when assembled. Details of the main insulator 133 are shown in FIG. The target assembly 124 has an O-ring groove 129 of the target backup plate 128.
The 9 fits with an elastic O-ring (not shown), typically made of Viton (a fluorocarbon from DuPont). This O-ring seals against the target backup plate 128 and the ceramic main insulator 133. The ceramic main insulator 133 further seals to the sputtering chamber 138 via an O-ring groove 139 within the top flange of the sputtering chamber 138. It also includes an elastic O-ring (not shown) constructed of a material such as Viton. The direction indication P indicates a direction perpendicular to the seal.

[0008]

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the sputtering process chamber shown in FIG. 1 when assembled, showing the arrangement of the main insulator, the upper insulator and the lower insulator in detail. There is.

FIG. 3 shows in more detail the arrangement of the main, upper and lower insulators shown in FIG.

The main insulator 133 is particularly difficult to manufacture and handle, because of the physical properties of the material alumina. Outside size 48 inches X 48 inches (1.2mX1.2
m) main insulator is about 1 inch (0.0254m) wide,
With a thickness of about 0.5 inch (0.0127 m), it is very difficult and expensive to fabricate, and difficult to handle without damage during the sputtering process operation. Further, due to the notch sensitivity of the crystalline ceramic material, it is not practical to machine the groove on the surface of the main insulator 133. Therefore, the sputtering target assembly 12
4 and the main insulator 133, the O-ring means used to support the O-ring means is the target assembly 12
4 surface needs to be machined. Since the target assembly 124 is consumed during the operation of the sputtering apparatus, the groove needs to be processed into each of the consumer sputtering targets, which increases the cost of the target.

It would be highly desirable to provide a primary insulator that has the required dielectric properties, suitable mechanical properties to function in this application, yet is easy to fabricate and handle.

[0012]

In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus useful in semiconductor processing is provided. The device functions as an electrical insulator and provides a sealing surface for use in semiconductor processing operations performed under high vacuum and high temperatures. In particular, the device is a three-dimensional structure made of a polymeric material with specially designed electrical, chemical, mechanical and thermal properties. This structure has a one-piece structure and may be formed by directly molding a polymer material, or may be assembled by fixing a large number of parts by various techniques.

The device with an insulating structure must not decompose under vacuum and the outgassing of water and absorbed gas maintains a base pressure of at least 10 ^-6 Torr, preferably 10 ^-9 Torr. Must be low enough to do The insulating surface of the insulating seal structure should be polishable such that the height of the surface roughness is less than about 16 microinches (0.40 μm) with respect to the direction perpendicular to the sealing direction. is there. Further, the insulating seal structure has at least 50 kV / in. It should have a dielectric strength of (1.96 MV / m) and a deflection temperature of at least 300 ° F (148.9 ° C) at 264 PSI (1.82 MPa).

When the insulating seal structure is constructed by fixing a plurality of parts, the fixing may be mechanical fixing means, or physical fixing means such as diffusion bonding or solvent bonding. Alternatively, it may be a chemical fixing means such as a covalent bond or an ionic bond using an adhesive, or any other suitable means. However, since the sealing performance must be exhibited even under high vacuum,
A monolithic structure is preferred.

One of the preferred embodiments of the insulating seal structure is an insulating seal structure having grooves formed on at least one surface of the structure, which is an elastic O-ring. Can be used in combination with other surfaces to form a seal and a suitable seal can be achieved with minimal contact pressure between the insulating seal structure.

A second preferred embodiment of the insulating seal structure comprises a continuous contact bead or molding machined or formed on at least one surface of the insulating seal structure. This continuous contact bead or molding is
Eliminates the need for O-rings to provide a mating face seal.
The continuous contact bead or molding has a triangular, raised ridge toward the relatively narrow upper surface, which forms a continuous contact line forming a seal. The continuous contact bead or molding may be in the form of a more rounded mound, or it may be of any suitable design that optimizes the continuous bead's ability to properly seal the mating surfaces.

A third preferred embodiment of the insulative seal structure is an insulative seal structure having a continuous coating of elastic material on its surface, which coating causes the insulative seal structure to properly seal the mating surfaces. Helps to form.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to an electrically insulating seal structure component for semiconductor processing equipment. The structural component is three-dimensional and is typically used in sputtering process equipment as the primary insulator to insulate the cathode portion of the device from the anode portion of the device.

The insulating structure (insulating device) is typically composed of
Used in high vacuum where the degree of vacuum in operation exceeds 10 ^-6 Torr. Due to the degree of vacuum used, sealing the sputtering process equipment from ambient pressure is a significant issue. The insulating structure, when used in the method shown in FIG. 1, should act as a sealing structure as well as an insulating structure.

Electrical, chemical, to be provided by being made of a combination of polymeric material and this structure,
The mechanically and thermally important properties are as follows.

(1) The apparatus provided with this insulating seal structure does not break even under vacuum, and since the release of water and absorbing gas is sufficiently small, it is 10 ^-6 Torr, preferably 10 ^-8 〜. A pressure of 10 ^-9 Torr can be maintained. This means that the polymeric material does not break under vacuum and does not contain a larger amount of water, oxygen, etc. than when it was first manufactured, and it has a resistance to water absorption during storage and use. That is. For example, AS
The water absorption of the polymeric material, measured by TM D-570, is 0.25 at 73 ° F (22.8 ° C), 24 hours.
Must not exceed%. ASTM D-570 is an Amer
It is one of the standards of ican Society for Testing and Materials.

(2) The sealing surface of this insulating sealing structure has a height of about 16 with respect to the direction perpendicular to the sealing direction.
It is necessary to be able to polish to a surface roughness of microinch (0.40 μm), preferably 8 microinch (0.20 μm). The height of this surface roughness is 0.40μ
The ability to polish to a range of m or less is particularly important,
The reason is that this performance affects to obtain a proper seal and create a pressure of at least 10 ^-6 Torr.

(3) This insulating seal structure has a dielectric,
By properly maintaining dimensional and mechanical stability, pressures of at least 10 ^-6 Torr will produce a pressure of about 300 ° F (1
It will continue to function properly after continuous exposure to a continuous operating temperature above 48.9 ° C.) for a suitable period of time required for manufacturing, preferably for several weeks. The dielectric, dimensional and mechanical stability known to provide suitable insulating seal structures is listed below, but insulating seal structures having these properties are 300 at about 10 ^-6 Torr. ° F (14
It was possible to operate satisfactorily even under a continuous operation environment of 8.9 ° C. or higher: (a) The permittivity in air of a sample having a thickness of 1/16 inch (1.7 mm) was measured by ASTM D-149. 50 kV / in (1.96 MV / m); or the volume resistivity measured by ASTM D-257 is at least 10 ¹⁰ Ωm at 73 ° F (22.8 ° C): (b) According to ASTM E-228, linear expansion coefficient is about 50x
10 ^-6 in / in / ° F (90 x 10 ^-6 mm / mm /
(C) Deflection temperature is at least 300 ° F (148.9 ° C) at 264 PSI (1.82 MPa): (d) ASTM D-695 with ultimate compressive strength of about 1.
5,000 PSI (103.4 MPa) or more.

When the insulating seal structure is constructed by fixing a plurality of parts, the fixing may be mechanical fixing means or physical fixing means such as diffusion bonding or solvent bonding. Alternatively, it may be a chemical fixing means such as a covalent bond or an ionic bond using an adhesive, or any other suitable means. However, since the sealing performance must be exhibited even under high vacuum,
A monolithic structure is preferred.

FIG. 1 shows a sputtering processing apparatus 1 for manufacturing a flat panel display semiconductor device.
It is an exploded view of 00. Sputtering process device 10
0 has a main insulator 133, and this main insulator 133 is
Electrical isolation is provided between the target assembly 124 (acting as a cathode) and the sputtering process chamber 138 (acting as a cathode). The voltage across main insulator 133 is typically about 200 volts to about 800 volts. The vacuum at the location of the main insulator 133 should be at least 1
It is 0 ^-6 torr, preferably 10 ^-8 to 10 ^-9 torr.
Further, the continuous operating temperature at the location of the main insulator 133 is at least 100 ° F (37.8 ° C), about 550 ° F.
(287.8 ° C) in some cases. Main insulator 1
The compression pressure acting on the surface of 33 is typically about 75
lb./lineal inch (13.1 N / lineal mm),
Depending on the design of the sputtering process equipment and the processing conditions used, it may increase by at least 2-3 times.

In the past, the main insulator 133 was composed of alumina. The preferred alumina has a minimum purity of 99.5.
% With a density of about 2.2-2.4 g / cc. The material of this structure is:
It has an outgassing rate of less than about 2.0 × 10 ⁻⁷ Torr-liter / sec / cm ² . Moisture absorbed by calcined alumina of the type used for insulators is significantly lower on exposure to ambient pressure, which is not a problem. The main insulator structure made of alumina is 8
It can be polished to a microinch (0.20 μm) surface roughness. The dielectric constant of alumina material in air is about 250 kV /
in (9.8 MV / m). The volume resistivity of the alumina material is typically 10 ¹² to 10 ¹⁴ Ω / cm ³ . The coefficient of linear expansion of alumina material is 9 × 10 ⁶ in / i
n / ° F (16.2 mm / mm / ° C). The ultimate compressive strength of the alumina material is about 15,000 to about 60,000.
It is 0 PSI (103-414 MPa). One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that this alumina material meets the electrical and vacuum performance previously specified for the electrically insulating material used for the primary insulator 133. .

However, as mentioned above, since the flat panel display technology has been well developed, there is an increasing demand for manufacturing a larger display panel, which leads to a demand for a larger sputtering apparatus. Due to the increased size of the sputtering chamber 138 (FIG. 1), the main insulator 133 is proportionately increased.
The outer dimensions of the car have become larger. As a result, the dimensions of the now rectangular main insulator 133 have a width of approximately 1 inch (0.0254).
m), the thickness is about 1/2 inch (0.0127 m), and the length of the four sides is preferably 48 inches (1.2 m). Construction of a main insulator of such dimensions requires the use of a sheet of "green" alumina about 48 inches square (1.2 m square) and 1/2 inch thick (13 mm) thick. It is possible to process into a general (jointless) structure. Alternatively, the structure can be directly cast and formed by an alumina manufacturer. The reason why a jointless structure is needed is to fix the alumina parts in a way that does not leak from the stuck joint when a vacuum of at least 10 ^-6 Torr acts on the joint while electrically insulating. It is not possible to do it. Whichever method is used, the method of manufacturing the alumina main insulator 133 is very expensive. In fact, the cost of a main insulator made with these dimensions is about 2.5 to 3 times higher than the same main insulator made from the polymeric material of the present invention.

Furthermore, alumina is a very brittle crystalline material, and handling during the sputtering process increases the likelihood of damaging the main insulator 133. By the way, 1
The tensile strength of alumina of a 1/2 inch (13 mm) rod is about 700 to about 3,000 PSI (4.8 to 20.
7 MPa) and the impact strength (without notch) is about 0.
17 to about 0.25 ft-lb (0.34J). In comparison with this, the tensile strength of the polymer material of the present invention is
About 5,000 to about 15,200 PSI (34 to 105M
Pa) and the Izod impact strength without notch is about 2
5 to about 30 ft-lb (1,300 to 1,600 J / m).

It is highly desirable to use an insulating material that has the necessary dielectric properties and suitable mechanical properties to function for this application, yet is easy to process and handle. For this reason, the outer insulator 134 and the upper insulator 117 of the sputtering apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 are typically made of a plastic material such as acrylic or polycarbonate. However, these materials cannot be used for manufacturing a main insulator because they have creep properties, insufficient compressive strength at high temperature, and insufficient performance at high vacuum.

Vespel polyimide (D
available from Upont), Arlon polyetheretherketone (Green, Tweed &
High-performance engineering plastics such as Ultem polyetherimide (available from General Electric), various small structures for semiconductor applications under high temperature,
For example, it has been used for coating bearing surfaces, bushes, washers, spacers, and the like. But,
These materials cannot be used in structures such as the main insulator of the present invention, as there are many potential problems with this application.

The biggest obstacles in making the main insulator 133 with this type of material are the outgassing properties of these materials under process operating conditions and the operation of 10 ^-8 to 10 ^-9 Torr. Sealing ability under vacuum, especially 400 ° F
Sealing capacity under this vacuum under continuous operating temperature conditions ranging from (204.4 ° C) to 550 ° F (287.8 ° C).

Table 1 below shows the particularly important physical and mechanical properties of Ultem 1000 polyetherimide, Vespel SP-1 polyimide and Aaron 1000 polyether ether ketone. These high temperature type and high function type engineering plastics and other materials having the same properties as those shown in Table 1 can be used as the material constituting the insulating seal structure of the present invention. .

[0033]

[Table 1]

(Example) Using Ultem 1000, a rectangular main insulator was manufactured in the following manner. FIG. 4 is a top view of the main insulator, and FIG. 5 is a side view of one member of the main insulator, which will be described with reference to these drawings. The two main rectangular insulator members 310 and 312 were machined to dimension A with a length of 26.7 inches (0.678 m). 2 remaining
Two members 314 and 316 are 23.2 inches (0.5
It was processed to a dimension B with a length of 89 m). The four members 310, 312, 314 and 316 were secured by flash lap joints 317 at each end of each member. This flash lap joint 317 is shown in FIG.
Is illustrated in. The lap joint 317 is 1.5
It has a dimension C of inches (38 mm) and is symmetric so that this dimension fits the length of the joint in the main direction where the members are joined together. The outer circumference radius 318 of the lap joint 317 is about 0.75 inches (19 mm),
The inner radius 319 was about 0.50 inch (13 mm). The flash lap joint is made using standard solvent bonding techniques. Using methylene chloride, as shown in FIG. 5, surface 320 of member 310.
The adhesive surface such as swelled (partially dissolved). Then, at least 20 PSI (0.138MP
Compress in a) and expose to atmosphere to volatilize methylene chloride. The width D of the main insulator members 310, 312, 314 and 316 was 1.0 inch (25.4 mm) and the thickness E was 0.5 inch (13 mm).

When the four members of the main insulator 133 are assembled, the upper surface 321 and the lower surface 322 shown in FIG. 5 are polished to a finish of 8 micro inches (0.20 μm) in the direction perpendicular to the sealing direction. became. Due to the finish of 8 micro inches (0.20 μm), the sealing surface has an O-ring (not shown, O-ring grooves 129 and 1).
The O-ring, which is located in the inner surface of the sputtering chamber 138 of FIG. 2), as shown in FIG. And a seal between the main insulator 133 and the main insulator 133.

Next, the main insulator 133 produced by using Ultem 1000 is degassed in a sputtering apparatus as shown in FIG. The voltage applied to the main insulator 133 is about 1.0 kV / in (0.039 MV /
m); the degree of vacuum at the sealing surface of the insulator is 6.7x
It is 10 ^-7 Torr; maximum temperature of the insulator in the degassing was about 300 ° F. A pressure leak was seen from a portion of the flashlap joint.

Leakage of pressure from the flash lap joint is caused by Ultem 1000 at the joint overlap closest to the sealing surface, as shown in FIGS.
Improved by the inclusion of a wedge-shaped member of FIG. 6 is a side view of the flash lap joint 317, which has a wedge shaped member 412 of the Ultem 1000 secured by solvent bonding / crimping. The protruding portion 414 of the wedge shaped member 412 is subsequently machined to provide a flash surface 321 as shown in the top view of FIG. The solvent bonding of the wedge-shaped member 412 was performed by the same procedure as the solvent bonding of the flash lap joint described above. The flash top surface 321 of each of the modified joints 317 was regrinded to an 8 microinch (0.20 μm) finish.

The main insulator 133 was reexposed under the degassing conditions described above and satisfactory properties could be obtained.

From Ultem 1000, it was detected that there was some outgassing. It is also necessary to reduce this outgassing in order to optimize the properties of the insulating seal structure.

Aaron 1000 and Vespel SP-1
Is currently under investigation for performance characteristics. If these materials have better outgassing properties,
In order to make the main insulator from sheet stock of these materials, another joint bonding means is needed. The reason is that it is not known if solvent bonding can be used to successfully bond these materials. There are many adhesives recommended by the manufacturers of each material, and these adhesives are currently under evaluation. The preferred adhesive is probably an epoxy resin based glass filled adhesive, CYBOND453
7B or CYBOND 4537BHT (high Tg cured product) adhesive available from American Cyanamid Co.

While other, more complex types of joints will provide better vacuum seals, the lap joint has better properties than the other joint designs evaluated to date.

The insulating seal structure is preferably formed of a single continuous piece without joints. This can be obtained by drying a polymer material in the form of pellets or powder to remove any substances that may become pollutants for outgassing, and then molding it into a desired insulating seal structure by pressing or injection molding. I can.

One preferred embodiment of the insulating seal structure comprises a groove machined into at least one side of the insulating seal structure so that the insulating seal structure can be used with a resilient O-ring, This allows proper sealing between the other surface to be sealed and the insulating seal structure with a minimum of contact pressure. FIG.
Exemplifies a main insulator 133 having a machined O-ring groove 510 on a sealing surface 512. FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the O-ring groove 610 depicted in FIG. 8, the groove 610 being machined into the upper sealing surface 512 and the lower sealing surface 612 of the main insulator 133. Figure 10
Illustrates another O-ring groove 614 depicted in FIG. 8, which O-ring groove is machined into the upper sealing surface 512 and the lower sealing surface 612 of the main insulator 133 of 614. For example, an elastic O-ring 616 made of a high temperature type material such as Viton is shown in place within the O-ring groove 614. FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of another groove structure, which may be machined along the outer edge 511 of the main insulator 133.
The other groove structure 622 is the cap structure 62.
No. 4, and the cap structure preferably comprises a high temperature type elastic material capable of functioning as a sealing surface for the main insulator 133 at 300 ° F. (148.9 ° C.) or higher.

In a second preferred embodiment, the insulative seal structure comprises a contact bead or molding of the continuation portion,
It is machined or formed on at least one side of the insulating seal structure. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a seal bead or seal molding 710 machined into the upper and lower sealing surfaces 711 and 313 of the main insulator 133. FIG. 13 shows another form of the seal bead 7 machined on the upper sealing surface 711 and the lower sealing surface of the main insulator 133.
12 is a sectional view of FIG. By forming a contact bead or molding in the sequel, no O-ring is needed for sealing at the mating surfaces.

In a third preferred embodiment, the insulating seal structure has a continuous coating of elastic material on at least one of its own surfaces, the coating comprising:
Helps provide a proper seal between the insulating seal structure and the mating surface. FIG. 14 shows a cross section of a layer 714 of sealing material, which is preferably Viton.
n) and other high temperature elastic materials, such as the main insulator 13
3 are deposited on the upper sealing surface 711 and the lower sealing surface 713. FIG. 15 shows a cross section of a bead 716 of sealing material, which is preferably a high temperature type elastic material, deposited on the upper and lower sealing surfaces 711, 713 of the main insulator 133.

[0046]

As described in detail above, the insulating seal structure of the present invention is made of a polymer material having specially designed electrical, chemical, mechanical and thermal properties.
It may be a one-dimensional structure that is a one-dimensional structure and may be formed by directly molding a polymer material, or may be formed by fixing a large number of parts by various techniques.

The insulating seal structure provides a main insulator having sufficient dielectric properties, suitable mechanical properties, and easy to manufacture and handle.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a process chamber for manufacturing flat panel display semiconductor devices.

2 is a cross-sectional view of the process chamber shown in FIG. 1, with the main insulator, top insulator and bottom insulator specifically shown.

FIG. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a main insulator, an upper insulator and a lower insulator shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a rectangular main insulator for manufacturing flat panel display semiconductor devices.

5 is a side view of the main insulator shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

6 is a side view of the main insulator flash lap joint shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

7 is a top view of the improved lap joint shown in FIG.

8 is a main insulator for use in the process chamber shown in FIG.

9 is a cross-sectional view of the O-ring groove of the main insulator shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of another O-ring groove.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of another O-ring groove.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a seal bead machined on the sealing surface of the main insulator.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of another seal bead machined on the sealing surface of the main insulator.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a layer of sealing material machined on the sealing surface of the main insulator.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a bead of sealing material machined on the sealing surface of the main insulator.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 ... Sputtering process device, 124 ... Target assembly, 128 ... Target assembly backup plate, 133 ... Main insulator, 134 ... Outer insulator, 138 ...
Sputtering process chamber, 310, 312, 3
14, 316 ... Main insulator member, 317 ... Flash lap joint, 321, ... Flash surface, 412 ... Wedge type member, 414 ... Projection part, 510 ... O ring groove,
511 ... Outer edge, 512 ... Sealing surface, 610 ... O-ring groove, 612 ... Sealing surface, 614 ... O-ring groove, 616 ... O-ring, 622 ... Groove structure,
624 ... Cap structure, 710 ... Seal bead, 71
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Upper sealing surface, 712 ... Seal bead, 713 ... Lower sealing surface, 714 ... Layer of sealing material, 716 ... Bead of sealing material.

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Manuel Jay. Herrera USA, California 94402, San Mateo, Brandy Wine Road 1583

Claims (26)

[Claims] 1. A volume resistance value of at least 10 Ω-m; 2
Deflection temperature at 64 PSI (1.82 MPa) is at least 300 ° F (148.9 ° C); surface finish is 16 microinches (0.40 μm) perpendicular to the seal face
An electrically insulating sealing device useful for semiconductor processing in a vacuum, which has a three-dimensional structure made of plastic having the above properties. 2. The water absorption of the plastic is about 2.5%
The electrically insulating sealing device according to claim 1, which is less than. 3. The linear expansion coefficient of the plastic is about 3
About 50x10 ^-6 at a temperature below 00 ° F (148.9 ° C)
3. The electrical insulating seal device according to claim 1, which has an in / in / ° F. (90 × 10 ⁻⁶ mm / mm / ° C.) or less. 4. The unnotched Izod impact strength of the plastic is at least 1.0 ft-lbs. / In
(52 J / m) 3. The electrically insulating sealing device according to claim 1 or 2. 5. The electrically insulative sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the ultimate compressive strength of the plastic is at least about 15,000 PSI (103.4 MPa). 6. The electrically insulating seal device according to claim 1, wherein the plastic is selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide, polyimide, and polyetheretherketone. 7. The polyetherimide is Ultem 10
The electrical insulating sealing device according to claim 6, which is 00 (Ultem 1000). 8. The polyimide is Vespel SP-1 (V
The electrically insulating sealing device according to claim 6, which is espel SP-1). 9. The polyetheretherketone is Arlon 1000. 6.
The electrically insulating sealing device as described in. 10. The electrical insulating seal device according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional structure is composed of a single piece of member. 11. The three-dimensional structure is composed of a plurality of members, and the plurality of members are adhered to each other.
Or the electrically insulating sealing device according to any one of 2). 12. The electrical insulating seal device according to claim 11, wherein an adhesive is used for the adhesion. 13. The electrically insulating sealing device according to claim 12, wherein the adhesive is a glass-filled epoxy-based adhesive. 14. The electrically insulating sealing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the three-dimensional structure has a groove. 15. The electrically insulative sealing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the three-dimensional structure has a continuous contact bead or a molding. 16. The three-dimensional structure comprises at least one surface having an elastic coating, the at least one surface contacting another surface to provide a continuous seal. The electrically insulating sealing device according to any one of 1 or 2. 17. A method for providing an electrically insulating seal between a wall surface of a first chamber containing a cathode and a wall surface of a second chamber containing an anode in a sputtering apparatus, comprising: (a) a volume resistance value. Is at least 10Ω
-m; selecting a three-dimensional structure made from plastic having a deflection temperature at least 300 ° F (148.9 ° C) at 264 PSI (1.8 MPa),
(B) providing a first continuous seal between the first surface of the electrically insulative seal structure and the first chamber wall surface;
And accommodating the first chamber wall containing the cathode and the anode in a manner that provides a second continuous seal between the second surface of the electrically insulative seal structure and the second chamber wall. Disposing the three-dimensional structure between the second chamber wall surface and the second chamber wall surface. 18. The method of providing an electrically insulative seal according to claim 17, wherein the plastic has a surface finish of 16 microinches (0.40 μm) or greater in a direction perpendicular to the sealing surface. 19. The method of providing an electrically insulative seal according to claim 18, wherein the plastic has a surface finish of 8 microinches (0.20 μm) or greater in a direction perpendicular to the sealing surface. 20. The electrical according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the first continuous seal and the second continuous seal is formed by contact between a surface of the electrically insulative sealing device and an O-ring. How to give an insulating seal. 21. The O-ring is mounted in a groove located on the electrically insulative sealing device.
A method of providing an electrically insulating seal according to. 22. At least one of said first continuous seal and said second continuous seal is formed by contact between at least one continuous contact bead or molding located on said electrically insulative seal surface. Claim 17
A method of providing an electrically insulating seal according to. 23. At least one of said first continuous seal and said second continuous seal is formed by contact between at least one resilient coating present on said electrically insulative seal surface. A method of providing an electrically insulating seal according to. 24. A method of manufacturing an electrically insulating sealing device according to claim 10 or 13.
(A) a step of drying the plastic in the form of pellets or powder to remove components that may release gas, and (b) a method of melt pressing or melt compression or injection molding to obtain the three-dimensional structure. A method of making an electrically insulative sealing device, the method comprising: forming. 25. A method of manufacturing an electrically insulating sealing device according to claim 11, wherein: (a) selecting the plurality of members to be bonded to each other; and (b) bonding the plurality of members. And a step of manufacturing one three-dimensional structure. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the adhering step is performed using an epoxy based adhesive.