JPH09186135A - Apparatus and method for surface treatment using creeping discharge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for surface treatment wherein high treatment rate is obtained with less damage to a workpiece. SOLUTION: This apparatus contains electrodes for creeping discharge: a first electrode 30 and a second electrode 40 positioned with a dielectric 20 in between. The first electrode 30 is connected with an alternating-current power supply, and the second electrode 40, which is grounded, has an opening 42. Creeping discharge is induced in an area 72 in proximity to the opening 42 to produce active species 74. These active species 74 are used to treat the surface 1a of a workpiece 1, placed in proximity to and opposed to the second electrode 40.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a surface treatment apparatus and method using creeping discharge.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The applicant of the present application has found that, instead of the conventional vacuum plasma, the process gas is activated by atmospheric pressure plasma, and the activation gas enhances the wettability of a workpiece to be soldered. Techniques for improving the same have already been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-2950).

According to the above technique, the processing gas is activated by introducing helium He as a carrier gas and a reaction gas into the plasma generating section to generate atmospheric pressure plasma. The work is surface-treated by exposing the activated processing gas to the work.

According to this technique, in order to stably generate atmospheric pressure plasma, a large amount of He for facilitating the plasma is required, which causes a new problem that the running cost increases.

Further, when atmospheric pressure plasma is generated, even if it is not so remarkable as in vacuum plasma, when a target object such as a work is exposed to plasma, plasma damage to the target object cannot be ignored.

In order to reduce this plasma damage,
There has also been attempted a method in which the plasma generating section and the processing section are separated from each other and the active species generated in the plasma generating section are guided to the processing section for processing.

However, it has been pointed out that since the active species have a lifetime, the reaction energy becomes lower as the distance from the plasma generating portion becomes longer, and the processing rate is lowered.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to position the object to be processed close to the plasma generating electrode to improve the processing rate, but not to expose the object to plasma to the plasma. It is an object of the present invention to provide a surface treatment apparatus and method using creeping discharge that can reduce damage.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A surface treatment apparatus using creeping discharge according to the present invention is a first surface treatment apparatus having a dielectric material sandwiched therebetween.
Creeping discharge electrodes including an electrode and a second electrode, an AC power source is connected to the first electrode, the grounded second electrode has an opening, and the creeping discharge is present in the vicinity of the opening. Is induced to treat the surface of the object to be treated, which is disposed in close proximity to the second electrode, by the active species generated by the creeping discharge.

In the surface treatment method using creeping discharge according to the present invention, an AC voltage is applied to the first electrode arranged on one surface of the dielectric, and an opening is formed on the other surface of the dielectric. A step of grounding the second electrode and inducing a creeping discharge in the vicinity of the opening of the second electrode; and an object to be processed is disposed in the vicinity of the second electrode to face the second electrode. A step of treating the surface of the object to be treated with active species generated by the creeping discharge.

The electrode structure used in each of the inventions is different from the ozone generating electrode disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-275403, in which an opening is formed in the grounded second electrode,
A creeping discharge is formed near this opening. Since this creeping discharge is formed in a region that is almost closed by the first and second electrodes, even if the object to be processed is brought close to the second electrode and a high processing rate is applied, the object to be processed is treated. Is not directly exposed to plasma. Therefore, plasma damage to the object to be processed can be reduced, and particles generated from the object to be processed are reduced, so that the processing yield is improved.

At this time, it is more preferable that the outer shape of the second electrode is formed larger than the outer shape of the first electrode. This is because the plasma formed at the outer edge portion of each electrode can be generated by shifting it to the first electrode side, and the damage due to the plasma at the outer edge portion of this electrode is also reduced.

When the opening is formed as a plurality of slits, a plurality of strip-shaped electrode pattern portions are formed on the second electrode by the slits. Alternatively, when a plurality of openings are formed vertically and horizontally, a grid-shaped electrode pattern portion is formed on the second electrode by the plurality of openings.

In any case, since the creeping discharge is generated in the vicinity of each of the plurality of openings, the discharge area is expanded and the processing rate can be improved. Also, the electrode pattern part with the opening functions as a ground mesh shield,
Since the electromagnetic waves directed to the object to be processed are also reduced, the electrical damage to the object to be processed due to the electromagnetic waves is also reduced.

An opening may be provided in the first electrode at a position that does not face the opening of the second electrode. This reduces the stray capacitance between the first and second electrodes, and the power consumed by this stray capacitance can be used as power for creeping discharge. Therefore, the plasma density is increased and the processing rate is further improved.

It is more preferable to form a plasma resistant protective film so as to cover the second electrode. By reducing plasma damage of the second electrode and preventing generation of particles from the second electrode, the life and yield of the device are improved.

When the first electrode is formed of a metal block and the dielectric and the second electrode are formed of a thin film, it is preferable to further provide means for controlling the temperature of the metal block. Dielectric heated by plasma, second
The warp of the electrode can be prevented by controlling the temperature. Further, it is preferable to further provide a means for vacuum-sucking the dielectric on the side of the metal block forming the first electrode. The warp of the dielectric and the second electrode heated by plasma can be corrected by vacuum suction. When the temperature adjusting means and the vacuum suction means are used together, the first electrode, the dielectric and the second electrode can be brought into close contact with each other, and the heat exchange efficiency between them can be improved.

The second electrode is preferably grounded via impedance adjusting means. By reducing the DC component generated in the second electrode, it is possible to reduce the electrical damage to the object to be processed due to the DC component.

Examples of the treatment to which the method of the present invention is applied include surface modification treatment for improving the wettability of solder on the surface of the object to be treated, adhesiveness, ashing or etching. .

It is also possible to form a laminated shape composed of the first electrode, the dielectric and the second electrode along the surface to be processed of the object to be processed having a shape other than a flat surface. Especially 3
If each of the layers is made of a flexible material, it can be processed according to the shape of the object to be processed, and can be processed according to the surface to be processed of various shapes.

The method of the present invention is suitable for inducing the creeping discharge under atmospheric pressure or a pressure in the vicinity thereof.

According to another aspect of the surface treatment apparatus using creeping discharge according to the present invention, a first dielectric and a first dielectric formed on one surface of the first dielectric and connected to an AC power source. Electrode, a second electrode formed on the other surface of the first dielectric body and having an opening, and a second dielectric body embedded or enclosed in the opening to flatten the second electrode. And a third dielectric that is disposed so as to cover the flattened surface of the second electrode, and a creeping discharge electrode that includes the third dielectric, and is disposed at a position facing the opening of the second electrode. Inducing a creeping discharge on the surface of the third dielectric, and treating the surface of the object to be treated, which is disposed in close proximity to the third dielectric, with the active species generated by the creeping discharge. Characterize.

According to still another aspect of the surface treatment apparatus using the creeping discharge according to the present invention, the first dielectric is formed on one surface of the first dielectric and is connected to an AC power source. Creeping discharge including one electrode, a second dielectric formed on the other surface of the first dielectric, and a second electrode embedded in the second dielectric and having an opening A second electrode, a creeping discharge is induced on the surface of the second dielectric at a position facing the opening of the second electrode, and the active species generated by the creeping discharge cause the second It is characterized in that the surface of an object to be processed, which is arranged in proximity to the dielectric material, is processed.

In any of the devices, the dielectric covering the second electrode can function as a protective film for the electrode while inducing a creeping discharge along the surface of the dielectric.

[0025]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
A specific description will be given with reference to the drawings.

Description of Overall Surface Treatment Apparatus FIG. 1 schematically shows the overall configuration of a surface treatment apparatus according to an embodiment.

In the figure, this surface treatment apparatus has a surface discharge electrode 10 arranged to face the object to be treated 1. The creeping discharge electrode 10 has a three-layer structure in which the first electrode 30 and the second electrode 40 are provided on both surfaces of the dielectric 20, respectively. Then, in the first electrode 30,
For example, a low-frequency power source 50 that outputs low-frequency power of 10 kHz is connected, and the second electrode 40 is grounded via an impedance adjusting means, for example, a variable capacitor 60.

The dielectric 20 is, for example, SiO ₂ or Al ₂ O.
It is formed of ₃ etc., and its thickness is preferably 0.5-3 m
m, which is 1 mm in this embodiment. The smaller the thickness of the dielectric 20, the smaller the electrical loss, but below the lower limit, the mechanical strength becomes poor and the problem of dielectric breakdown occurs.

The first and second electrodes 30 and 40 are made of a material that can serve as electrodes, for example, Al, Ag, Cu, C.
r, stainless steel (SUS), Ti, W, Ta, Mo, etc. can be used. In this embodiment, the first and second electrodes 3
Both 0 and 40 are formed as a thin film. Further, the outer shape of the second electrode 40 is formed larger than that of the first electrode 30. The reason for this will be described later.

The second electrode 40 is shown in FIGS.
The opening 42 is formed as shown in FIG. FIG. 2 (A)
In the structure shown in (1), a plurality of openings 42 are formed in each of the vertical and horizontal directions to form a grid-like electrode pattern portion 44 on the second electrode 40. In the case shown in FIG. 2B, the opening 42 is formed as a plurality of slits, and the plurality of slits 42 form a strip-shaped electrode pattern portion 46.

Description of Surface Treatment Method Next, a method of treating the surface to be treated 1a of the object to be treated 1 using the surface treatment apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of the surface discharge electrode 10 shown in FIG.

When low frequency power of, for example, 10 kHz is supplied between the first and second electrodes 30 and 40, the second electrode 40
Near the opening 42 of the electric line of force 70 as shown in FIG.
Is formed. The electric force lines 70 are densely formed in the regions where the first and second electrodes 30 and 40 face each other, but the side faces 40a of the second electrode facing the opening 42.
Electric lines of force 70 as shown in FIG. 3 are also formed between and the first electrode 30. Then, the gas near the opening 42 of the second electrode 40 is excited by the electric field that reflects the line of electric force 70. As a result, a creeping discharge is induced in the region 72 along the exposed surface of the dielectric 20 exposed in the opening 42.

The active species 74 generated in the creeping discharge area 72 adhere to the surface 1a of the object 1 to be processed, so that the active species 74 and the surface 1a undergo a chemical reaction. Then, the surface 1a to be processed is surface-treated.

In this embodiment, the first and second electrodes 30, 4 are
By supplying a low-frequency power of 10 kHz during 0, a stable creeping discharge can be induced in the region 72 shown in FIG. 3 without supplying a gas that easily excites plasma, such as He. It was

The processing contents of the surface to be processed 1a of the object 1 to be processed in this manner include surface modification processing such as improving solder wettability or adhesiveness, or ashing or etching. be able to. Surface to be processed 1a
In order to modify the surface of, the surface discharge may be induced using air or compressed air, and nitrogen (N ₂ ) may be added thereto. When performing the ashing process, oxygen (O ₂ ) may be supplied, and for the etching process, a predetermined etching gas such as CF ₄ may be supplied.

Here, in the method of this embodiment, the distance between the second electrode 40 and the object to be processed 1 during processing (gap G shown in FIG. 1) is set to 1 to 3 mm, and the object to be processed 1 is set. By approaching the second electrode 40, the active species with high energy immediately after being generated in the creeping discharge region 72 are used,
The surface to be processed 1a could be surface-treated. Moreover, since the surface to be processed 1a is not directly exposed to the creeping discharge region 72, the plasma damage to the object to be processed 1 can be reduced. In particular, since the electrode on the side close to the object to be processed 1 is the grounded second electrode 40, even if the object to be processed 1 is set to the ground potential, the position away from the second electrode 40 No electric discharge occurs between the target object 1 and the target object 1. As a result, plasma damage to the object 1 can be further reduced.

In order to reduce this plasma damage, it is advisable to adjust the capacitance of the impedance adjusting means, for example, the variable capacitor 60 inserted and contacted between the second electrode 40 and the ground potential, as shown in FIG. Therefore, by adjusting the impedance of the path that flows through the second electrode 40 by adjusting the capacitance of the variable capacitor 60, it is possible to control the electrical charge to the object 1 to be processed that is in proximity. As a result, it is possible to reduce electrical damage to the object to be processed 1. In order to adjust the impedance of the above path, a coil whose reactance can be changed may be inserted and connected instead of the variable capacitor.

Further, according to the method of this embodiment, the object 1 to be processed is
Since no direct discharge is generated between the particles to be processed, even if the surface to be processed 1a of the object to be processed 1 has irregularities, abnormal discharge or the like does not occur between the surface to be processed and the particles from the object to be processed 1 It is also possible to reduce the occurrence of

As described above, in the method of this embodiment, 10 k
By using a low frequency of Hz, a creeping discharge can be stably formed without the need to supply a gas such as He,
Running costs can also be reduced. However,
The frequency of the AC voltage applied to the electrodes is not limited to the above, and high frequency power such as 13.56 MHz may be used. By using a high frequency of 13.56 MHz, damage to the electrodes can be further suppressed, and particles from both the object to be processed 1 and the first and second electrodes 30 and 40 can be prevented from being processed. Even with this high-frequency power, creeping discharge can be generated without requiring a gas such as He that easily excites plasma.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
The outer shape of the electrode 40 is larger than the outer shape of the first electrode 30. The reason for this is shown in FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B).
This will be described with reference to FIG. 4A and 4B schematically show discharges formed on the outer edge portions of the first and second electrodes 30 and 40.

In the case of the device of this embodiment shown in FIG. 4 (A), the lines of electric force 80 shown in FIG. 4 (A) are formed at the outer edges of the electrodes 30, 40, and are induced based on this. The discharge region 82 is formed so as to be deviated to the first electrode 30 side. As a result, the object 1 to be processed is not directly exposed to the discharge region at the outer edge of the electrode, and the plasma damage to the object 1 to be processed is reduced. Further, the direct discharge by the electrode 30 and the electrode 40 and the arc discharge are not induced. The reason is that the end faces of the electrodes 30 and 40 are spatially distant from each other and the dielectric 20 is present in the space, so that the impedance between the end faces of the electrodes 30 and 40 is increased. As a result, no direct discharge occurs due to the electrodes 30 and 40, and no electrode damage occurs.

On the other hand, the first and second electrodes 30, 40
4B, the electric force lines 90 as shown in FIG. 4B are formed, and the discharge region 92 induced based on the electric force lines 90 protrudes from the lower surface of the second electrode 40. Will be formed. In this case, the object 1 to be processed is exposed to the discharge region 92, and plasma damage to the object 1 to be processed occurs. In addition, in the case of FIG. 4B, a direct discharge is generated between the end faces of the electrodes 30 and 40, causing destructive damage to the electrodes 30 and 40. That is, in the case of FIG.
This is because, as compared with the case of (A), the end faces of the electrodes 30 and 40 are spatially close to each other, and since the dielectric 20 does not exist in that space, the impedance between them is significantly reduced.

Regarding the electrode pattern portion of the second electrode In this embodiment, the electrode pattern portion formed on the second electrode 40 has the shape shown in FIG. 2A or 2B. In any case, a plurality of openings 42 are formed in the second electrode 40, and the above-described creeping discharge region 72 is induced in each of the openings 42, so that the total area of the creeping discharge region is expanded. The processing rate of the object 1 can be improved.

By forming a plurality of openings 42 in the second electrode 40, the size of one opening 42 is reduced. As a result, the region where the object to be processed 1 directly faces the first electrode 30 can be reduced through the opening 42, and this also has the effect of preventing direct discharge to the object to be processed 1. Considering this point, it is preferable to employ the electrode pattern portion 44 of FIG. 2A, which allows the size of the opening 42 to be smaller than that of the electrode pattern portion 46 shown in FIG. 2B.

Another reason for adopting each electrode pattern portion 44 or 46 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B is that the electrode pattern 44 or 46 is used as an earth shield mesh and an electromagnetic wave directed to the object 1 to be processed. It is effective to shield. By shielding the electromagnetic wave that goes toward the object to be processed 1, it is possible to reduce electrical damage to the object to be processed 1. In order to enhance the shield effect, the size of the opening 42 may be determined in consideration of the wavelength of electromagnetic waves. If the width W1 of the opening 42 shown in FIG. 3 is set shorter than the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave shielding effect is enhanced. However, when no electromagnetic wave passes through the opening 42, the creeping discharge region 72 is formed in the opening 42 of the second electrode 40.
Therefore, the width W1 of the opening 42 should be determined in consideration of this point.

By setting the width of the line-and-space of each electrode pattern portion 44 or 46 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B to a desired value, the plasma density of the creeping discharge region 72 induced in the opening 42 is increased. Can be increased to improve the processing rate. The reason for this will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the creeping discharge electrode 10 formed between the low frequency power source 50 and the ground potential. Since the first and second electrodes 30 and 40 are opposed to each other with the dielectric 20 interposed therebetween, a capacitor is formed between the opposed electrodes and a resistance component is also present. The capacitance C1 and the resistance R1 shown in FIG. 5 are the equivalent capacitance and the equivalent resistance existing between the center position of the electrode pattern portion 44 of the second electrode 40 and the first electrode 30. The capacitance C2 and the resistance R2 shown in FIG. 5 indicate the equivalent capacitance and the equivalent resistance existing between the side surface 40a of the second electrode 40 and the first electrode 30.

Here, the equivalent capacitance C1 increases as the width W2 of the electrode pattern portion 44 increases, so that the low frequency power consumed by the equivalent capacitance C1 also increases. On the other hand, the equivalent resistance R1 increases as the width W2 of the electrode pattern portion 44 decreases, and the low-frequency power consumed by the equivalent resistance R1 also increases.

Here, in order to increase the plasma density of the creeping discharge region 72 induced in the opening 42 of the second electrode 40, the low frequency power consumed by the equivalent capacitance C1 and the equivalent resistance R1 should be reduced. Good. This is because the low frequency power consumed by the equivalent capacitance C2 and the equivalent resistance R2 increases.

Therefore, the width of each line and space of the electrode pattern portions 44 and 46 shown in FIG. 2 (A) or FIG. 2 (B) is in the range of about 0.1 to 5 mm, taking the above points into consideration. Therefore, the plasma density in the creeping discharge region 72 should be set to an optimum value that can secure a relatively large discharge area.

As considered in FIG. 5, when the first and second electrodes 30 and 40 face each other, a capacitor is formed there, and a loss is generated by the amount of power consumed by the capacitor. become. In order not to form such a capacitor, it is advisable to adopt any one of the configurations shown in FIGS.

6A to 6C, the opening 32 is formed in the first electrode 30 at a position not facing the opening 42 of the second electrode 40. This opening 32
By forming the, the electrode pattern portion 34 is also formed on the first electrode 30.

FIG. 6A shows the opening 32 of the first electrode 30.
The width W3 and the width of the opening 42W1 of the second electrode 40 are both set to be the same. By doing so, the width W4 of the electrode pattern portion 34 of the first electrode 30 becomes smaller than that of the second electrode 40.
The width W2 of the electrode pattern portion 44 or 46 of

In the case of FIG. 6B, the width W3 of the opening 32 of the first electrode 30 is set to the width W of the opening 42 of the second electrode 40.
It is narrower than 1. Similarly, in the case of FIG. 6C, the width W3 of the opening 32 of the first electrode 30 is set wider than the width W1 of the opening 42 of the second electrode 40.

In FIGS. 6A to 6C, there is no area where the electrode pattern portions of the first and second electrodes 30 and 40 face each other, or there is only a slight remaining area. The equivalent capacitance C1 is reduced. By reducing the power consumed by the equivalent capacitance C1, the plasma density of the creeping discharge region 72 induced in the opening 42 can be increased.

Manufacturing Method of Creepage Discharge Electrode 10 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the dielectric 20 and the first and second electrodes 30 and 40 are formed as thin films, respectively.

The first and second layers formed on both sides of this dielectric 20
The second electrode can be formed using various methods. One of them is to use a thin film forming technique such as a sputtering method. In order to form the electrode pattern portion 44 or 46 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B after forming the thin film, one of the following methods may be adopted. One of them uses a lithography process established in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The other is to use a laser cutting method of cutting a fine pattern with a laser beam. As a method other than the thin film forming technique, a relatively inexpensive printing technique such as silver paste or copper plating may be used.

Protective Film Formed on Second Electrode 40 Since the second electrode 40 is directly exposed to plasma, FIG.
As shown in, the second electrode 40 may be covered with the protective film 100 having high plasma resistance. Oxidation resistance can be mentioned as one of the plasma resistance.
That is, in order to prevent alteration due to oxidation on the surface of the second electrode 40 caused by plasma, for example, Si
It is preferable to form an oxide film of O ₂ or the like. Heat resistance is another one of the plasma resistance characteristics. In order to ensure heat resistance, for example, when the second electrode is aluminum (Al), the protective film 100 may be formed of a refractory metal having a melting point higher than that of aluminum. Further, as described above, even when the second electrode 40 is formed by silver paste, copper plating, or the like, the surface thereof may be coated with SiO ₂ or the like. Similarly C
After forming a thin film made of a material such as r, Al, or Tr through a lithography process to form the electrode pattern portion 44 or 46,
The surface can be coated with SiO ₂ or the like. When the processing content is etching, SiO ₂
Is not suitable as a protective film because it has no etching resistance. In this case, as the protective film 100, for example, Al ₂ O _{3 is used.}
And so on.

If a film of high melting point metal can be formed directly on the surface of the dielectric 20, the high melting point metal is used as the second electrode 40.
It also serves as the protective film 100. However, in general, it is preferable to form a metal thin film that is easy to form as a base, and it is preferable to form a refractory metal on the metal thin film.

In addition, including the protective film 100,
It is preferable that the second electrodes 30 and 40 and the dielectric 20 have a low impurity concentration, and especially Na-based impurities are not included as much as possible in consideration of the fact that they may be a factor in generating particles.

Other Shapes of Creeping Discharge Electrode In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the creeping discharge electrode 10 is a flat plate-shaped electrode, but it can be configured in various other shapes.
For this purpose, the dielectric 20 is formed of a flexible material such as glass fiber, Teflon (trade name), or polyimide, and the first and second electrodes 30, 40 are formed on both surfaces of the dielectric 20. May be formed as a thin film. By doing so, the surface discharge electrode 10 can be processed into various three-dimensional shapes such as a cylindrical shape, a rectangular tube shape, a conical shape, or a donut shape. Then, for example, when the object 1 to be processed is a hollow pipe, if the creeping discharge electrode 10 has a cylindrical shape, the inner surface or the outer surface of the hollow pipe can be surface-treated.

Other Construction of Surface Treatment Apparatus Next, another embodiment of the surface treatment apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
0 will be described.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line AA in the plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 9, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. In FIG. 8, the surface treatment apparatus includes a first electrode 110 made of a relatively thick metal block, and a dielectric 112 and a second electrode 11 formed on the lower surface thereof.
And 4. The electrode pattern portion of the second electrode 114 is formed in any of the shapes shown in FIG. 2A or 2B. Further, the first electrode 112 is connected to an AC power supply (not shown). These three-layer structure creeping discharge electrodes include a first metal holder 116 and a second metal holder 1 that are electrically connected to the electrode pattern portion of the second electrode 114.
It is supported by the base board 120 by 18. The base board 120 is grounded. Furthermore, these three-layer structure creeping discharge electrodes are composed of the first to third insulators 1.
22 to 126 also support the base board 120.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the vacuum suction section 130 is formed on the first electrode 110 made of a metal block. And during the process,
Through the vacuum suction unit 130, the dielectric 112 and the second
The electrode part 114 is attracted to the side of the first electrode 110 which is a rigid body made of a metal block. As a result, even if the dielectric 112 and the second electrode 114 are warped due to the temperature rise due to the plasma, the above-mentioned vacuum suction prevents the warpage.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, a passage 132 for the temperature control medium is formed inside the first electrode portion 110 made of a metal block. In this embodiment, a cooling medium such as cold water is circulated and supplied into the passage 132.

The vacuum suction portion 130 and the refrigerant passage 13
2, the dielectric 112 and the second electrode 114 can be always brought into close contact with the first electrode 110 side to perform heat exchange. As a result, the heated dielectric 112 and the second electrode 114 can be cooled.

Further, the apparatus of this embodiment has a gas supply block 134 shown in FIG. 10 on the side surface on the downstream side in the moving direction C of the object 1 to be processed shown in FIG. The gas supply block 134 has a gas storage chamber 136 that stores a gas supplied from the outside. The gas stored in the gas storage chamber 136 passes through the gap between the gas supply block 134 and the gas supply block 134, and as shown in FIG.
It is supplied toward the D direction opposite to the above.

With this structure, a processing gas other than the atmosphere, for example, an O ₂ gas for the ashing processing and a processing gas such as CF ₃ for the etching processing are reliably supplied toward the object 1. can do.

Another Example of Structure of Surface Discharge Electrode The surface discharge electrode 150 shown in FIG.
The first electrode 142 connected to the low-frequency power source 50 is provided on one surface of the second electrode 40, and the second electrode 144 grounded via the variable capacitor 60 is provided on the other surface of the first dielectric 140. The features are the same as the embodiment shown in FIG.

The creeping discharge electrode 150 shown in FIG. 11 further has a second dielectric 146 which is embedded or enclosed in the opening 144a of the second electrode 144 to flatten the second electrode 144. This second dielectric 146 is
Although it may be formed of a solid like the dielectric 140, it may be a liquid such as Fluorinert (trade name).

The creeping discharge electrode 150 further has a third dielectric 148 which covers the lower surface side of the second electrode 144 and is made of, for example, a quartz plate or the like.

Then, the first and second electrodes 142 and 144
As shown in FIG. 11, by supplying low-frequency power between the surfaces of the second electrode 144, the creeping discharge regions are formed on the lower surface side of the third dielectric 148 at positions substantially opposite to the openings 144a. 152 is formed. This creeping discharge area 15
By attaching the active species generated in 2 to the surface 1a to be processed of the object 1 to be processed in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the surface 1a to be processed can be processed.

At this time, since the third dielectric 148 functions as the protective film 100 shown in FIG. 7, the second electrode 144 is formed.
It is possible to reduce the plasma damage.

FIG. 12 shows another example of the structure of the surface discharge electrode. The surface discharge electrode 160 shown in FIG.
Has a first electrode 172 on the upper surface of the first dielectric 170 and a second dielectric 174 on its lower surface. And
Inside the second dielectric 174, as shown in FIG.
The second electrode 176 having the electrode pattern portion shown in FIG.

Also in this case, the opening 1 of the second electrode 176 is formed.
A creeping discharge region 180 is formed along the surface of the second dielectric 174 at a position facing the 76a. Therefore, the surface to be processed 1a of the object to be processed 1 can be processed by the active species generated in the creeping discharge region 180. In addition, the second dielectric 174 is the protective film 1 of FIG.
And also serves as a support member that supports the second electrode 176.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. In each of the above-mentioned examples, a creeping discharge is induced under atmospheric pressure or a pressure in the vicinity thereof, which has been confirmed by experiments by the present inventors, but the present invention should be carried out in a vacuum atmosphere. Is also considered possible.

As the object 1 to be processed by the apparatus or method of the present invention, various objects can be applied according to the purpose of processing, and in particular, electronic parts such as packaged IC, silicon substrate, liquid crystal display device. By targeting a glass substrate or the like used for (LCD), it is possible to perform processing without causing defects due to plasma damage.

[0079]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a surface treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 (A) and (B) are respectively the second portion shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a plan view for explaining an electrode pattern portion of the electrode of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a process using creeping discharge in the device of the embodiment shown in FIG.

4A is an explanatory view showing a discharge state at an electrode edge portion in the embodiment apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4B is a schematic explanatory view for explaining an undesired discharge phenomenon at the electrode edge portion. Is.

5 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the surface discharge electrode shown in FIG.

6A to 6C are schematic cross-sectional views showing modifications in which openings are formed in the first and second electrodes, respectively.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a modified example in which a protective film is formed so as to cover the second electrode.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view showing another structure of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention.

9 is a plan view of the surface treatment apparatus shown in FIG.

10 is a cross-sectional view of the surface treatment apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining another electrode structure of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining still another electrode structure of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 150, 160 creeping discharge electrode 20, 112 dielectric 30, 110, 142, 172 first electrode 32, 42, 144a, 176a opening 40, 114, 144, 176 second electrode 44, 46 electrode pattern portion 50 Low Frequency Power Supply 60 Impedance Adjusting Means (Variable Capacitor) 70, 80 Electric Force Lines 72, 152, 180 Creeping Discharge Area 100 Protective Film 130 Vacuum Suction Section 132 Temperature Control Medium Passage 134 Gas Supply Block 136 Gas Storage Chamber 140, 170 First Dielectric 146, 174 Second Dielectric 148 Third Dielectric

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiaki Mori 3-5-5 Yamato, Suwa-shi, Nagano Prefecture Seiko Epson Corporation

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A creeping discharge electrode including a first electrode and a second electrode arranged with a dielectric material sandwiched therebetween, wherein an AC power source is connected to the first electrode, and the first electrode is grounded. The second electrode has an opening, and induces a creeping discharge in the vicinity of the opening, and the active species generated by the creeping discharge causes the surface of the object to be processed, which is arranged in proximity to the second electrode, to face the surface. A surface treatment device using creeping discharge, which is characterized by treatment. 2. The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outer shape of the second electrode is formed larger than the outer shape of the first electrode. 3. The creeping surface according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the second electrode is formed as a plurality of slits, and a plurality of strip-shaped electrode pattern portions are formed by the slits. Surface treatment equipment using electric discharge. 4. The second electrode according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the openings are formed in each of the vertical and horizontal directions, and a grid-shaped electrode pattern portion is formed by the plurality of the openings. Surface treatment equipment using creeping discharge. 5. The creeping surface according to claim 1, wherein an opening is formed in the first electrode at a position not facing the opening of the second electrode. Surface treatment equipment using electric discharge. 6. The surface treatment apparatus using creeping discharge according to claim 1, wherein a plasma resistant protective film is formed to cover the second electrode. 7. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the electrode of the first electrode is formed of a metal block, and the dielectric and the second electrode are formed of a thin film. A surface treatment apparatus using creeping discharge, further comprising a temperature control means. 8. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the electrode of the first electrode is formed of a metal block, and the dielectric and the second electrode are formed of a thin film, and the metal block side. A surface treatment apparatus using creeping discharge, further comprising means for vacuum suctioning the dielectric. 9. The surface treatment apparatus using creeping discharge according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is grounded via an impedance adjusting unit. 10. An AC voltage is applied to a first electrode arranged on one surface of the dielectric, and a second electrode with an opening arranged on the other surface of the dielectric is grounded to make the second electrode. Inducing a creeping discharge in the vicinity of the opening of the electrode, and by arranging the object to be treated close to the second electrode, the surface of the object facing the second electrode is treated by the creeping discharge. A surface treatment method using creeping discharge, comprising: a step of treating with the generated active species. 11. The outer shape of the second electrode is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the first electrode according to claim 10, and the creeping discharge formed on the peripheral portion of the second electrode is generated. A surface treatment method using creeping discharge, which is induced at a position deviated to the first electrode side to reduce plasma damage to the object to be treated. 12. The surface treatment using creeping discharge according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the surface of the object to be treated is modified by the active species, or ashing or etching is performed. Method. 13. The surface to be processed of the object to be processed according to claim 10, wherein the laminated shape including the first electrode, the dielectric and the second electrode is formed on a surface to be processed of the object having a shape other than a flat surface. A surface treatment method using creeping discharge, characterized in that the surface to be treated is formed by copying. 14. The surface treatment method using creeping discharge according to claim 10, wherein the creeping discharge is induced under atmospheric pressure or a pressure in the vicinity thereof. 15. A first dielectric, a first electrode formed on one surface of the first dielectric, to which an AC power source is connected, and formed on another surface of the first dielectric, A second electrode having an opening; a second dielectric embedded or encapsulated in the opening to flatten the second electrode; and a second electrode disposed over the flattened surface of the second electrode. And a creeping discharge electrode including a third dielectric, and a creeping discharge is induced on the surface of the third dielectric at a position facing the opening of the second electrode, and the creeping discharge is generated. A surface treatment apparatus using creeping discharge, characterized in that the surface of an object to be treated, which is disposed in proximity to and facing the third dielectric, is treated with the active species generated by. 16. A first dielectric, a first electrode formed on one surface of the first dielectric and connected to an AC power supply, and formed on another surface of the first dielectric. A creeping discharge electrode including a second dielectric and a second electrode embedded in the second dielectric and having an opening; and at a position facing the opening of the second electrode. Inducing a creeping discharge on the surface of the second dielectric, and treating the surface of an object to be treated, which is disposed in close proximity to the second dielectric, with active species generated by the creeping discharge. A surface treatment device using creeping discharge.