JPS6126779A - Plasma cvd apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To vapor deposit amorphous silicon film on base body surface uniformly, by arranging plural cylindrical base bodies parallelly on the same plane as electrodes between a pair of parallel plane plate electrodes, and providing auxiliary rod electrodes at gaps between the base bodies. CONSTITUTION:Plural drums fixed to a holding frame 61 are heated in a heating chamber 1, then positioned between a pair of the plane plate electrodes 7 in a reaction chamber 2 held to vacuum by an exhausting system 5 through a gate valve 13, earthed and used as anode electrodes. Next, the rod shaped auxiliary electrodes 15 are elevated, arranged at gaps between plural drums 15 and at outside parts of both ends in the arranged direction, and a part of cathodic electrode is composed. Raw material gas is jetted to the drums 15 from inside holes of the electrodes 7, and high frequency power is supplied to the electrodes 7 and 16. In this way, discharging intensity in circumferential direction of the drum 15 is made uniform, and amorphous silicon film having uniform thickness and quality is formed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

rTechnical Field] The present invention uses a plasma CVD apparatus to form a circle f on a drum, etc.
[Regarding a plasma CVD device that can continuously produce, for example, electrophotographic photoreceptor drums by depositing a film of amorphous silicon or the like on the surface of a substrate, in particular, it is possible to deposit an amorphous φ silicon film evenly on the drum surface. The present invention relates to a plasma CVD apparatus that can perform vapor deposition.

[Prior art] This type of device has a structure similar to that of a conventional capacitively coupled plasma CVD device, if classified based on the electrode arrangement method of the plasma CVD device. When applied to a commercial plasma CVD apparatus, the cathode electrode and the anode electrode (drum) are arranged concentrically, which limits the number of drums that can be accommodated and complicates the apparatus structure. Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, in order to obtain a mass production device for electrophotographic photoreceptor drums that mainly uses amorphous silicon photoreceptor material, the complicated device structure of the conventional example described above was greatly simplified. By increasing the number of drums that can be stored and improving the electrode arrangement method and shape,
An apparatus has been proposed that advantageously enables mass production of electrophotographic drums and the like and high-speed film formation, which has been difficult with conventional apparatuses. FIG. 1 shows such a plasma CVD apparatus, and in the figure 1
Reference numeral 5 denotes a drum as a cylindrical base body, which is an aluminum substrate formed into a drum shape so as to form an amorphous silicon film on its surface. 1 is a heating chamber for heating the drum 15, 2 is a heating chamber l
A plasma CVD film is applied to the surface of the drum 15.
A reaction chamber 3 is provided following the reaction chamber 2 to form an amorphous Φ silicon film by the method, and is a cooling chamber 3 for cooling the drum 15 after the film is formed. These chambers 1.2 and 3 have an airtight structure. Reference numeral 6 denotes a holding frame which rotates the plurality of drums 15 around their axes and holds them upright so that their center axes are on the same plane and each axis is parallel to each other, and It has a drum rotation conveyance mechanism. A pair of heaters 4 are arranged in the heating chamber 1 along the continuous direction 5 of the chambers 1, 2 and 3. The pair of heaters 4 are arranged upright so as to be parallel to each other, and heat a drum 15 arranged between them so that the arrangement direction is parallel to the heaters 4. An exhaust system 5 is provided on one side wall of each chamber and includes a filter 1 and a baffle for keeping each chamber in a vacuum. 7 is a pair of flat electrodes as cathode electrodes,
They are arranged upright in the reaction chamber 2 so as to be parallel and parallel to each other. This pair of electrodes 7 has a double structure for supplying raw material gas, and has a large number of holes 7A inside that eject gas toward a drum 15 arranged so that the arrangement direction is parallel to the electrodes 7. It has a heater over the entire surface and a heater on the outside. 8 is a raw material gas supply pipe connected to the outside of the flat electrode 7 for supplying raw material gas into the double structure of the electrode 7, and Ill is connected to the electrode 7 via the pipe 8 to is used as a cathode electrode, and a power source for supplying high frequency power to this electrode 7. -1-0-Jt Ground for making the drum 15 held by the holding frame 6 a 7-node electrode. A pair of cooling plates 11 are arranged upright in the cooling chamber 3 so as to be parallel to each other. A pair of cooling plates 1
1 has a refrigerant flow path for water or the like inside to cool the drum 15 between which the film formation has been completed. 12 is a cooling plate l
It is a refrigerant such as water that is supplied into the tank. 13 is a gate valve that isolates each chamber 1, 2, and 3 and is controlled to be open when the drum 15 moves together with the holding frame 8; 14 is a heating chamber 1 and a cooling chamber 3;
This is a leak valve provided in the exhaust system 5 for returning each chamber 1 and 3 to the atmosphere. The drum 15 fixed to the holding frame 6 is carried into the heating chamber 1 together with the holding frame 6 through the gate valve 13 at the left end in FIG. Heater 4 is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow in the figure.
heated by. The heated drum 15 is connected to the gate between chambers 1 and 2.
The drum 15 passes through the valve 13 and is carried together with the holding frame 6 into the reaction chamber 2 kept in a vacuum by the exhaust system 5, and is placed at a predetermined position. They are connected to form an anode electrode for a pair of electrodes 7 serving as cathode electrodes. An electric field is formed with the electrode 7, and the surface of the drum 15 is heated by a heater while rotating as shown by the arrow in the figure.
A raw material gas such as silane supplied from A into the reaction chamber 2 is decomposed in plasma to form an amorphous silicon film. The gas that contributed to film formation is transferred to the reaction chamber 2.
It is exhausted to the outside from the exhaust system 5. The drum 15 after film formation passes through the gate valve 13 between the reaction chamber 2 and the cooling chamber 3, enters the cooling chamber 3 kept in vacuum by the exhaust system 5, and rotates as shown by the arrow in the figure. At the same time, it is cooled by exchanging heat with the refrigerant 12 via the cooling plate 11, and is cooled by the leak valve 14. From the cooling chamber 3 that has been returned to the atmosphere, it passes through the gate φ valve 13 at the right end in FIG. 1 and exits the cooling chamber 3. However, the plasma CVD apparatus having the above configuration has the following drawbacks. Namely, drums! 5
The rate at which an amorphous silicon film is deposited on the surface of the battery increases as the discharge intensity increases. Regarding the drum 15, the discharge intensity within the reaction chamber 2 is strongest near the electrode 7 and weaker as it moves away from there. Therefore, the discharge intensity in the area corresponding to the gap between the drums 15 is the weakest. As a result, the deposition rate of the amorphous silicon tends to be non-uniform in the circumferential direction of the drum 15, and therefore the film thickness and quality of the amorphous silicon obtained on the surface of the drum 15 tend to be non-uniform. [Purpose] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a plasma CVD apparatus capable of producing a cylindrical substrate such as a drum with uniform film thickness and film quality. [Example] Fig. 2 is a plan view of a plasma CVD apparatus according to an example of the present invention. Since the structure is similar to that of the plasma CVD apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the reaction chamber will mainly be described below. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the reaction chamber 21 of the plasma CVD apparatus according to the present invention, a pair of flat electrodes 7 are arranged upright so as to be parallel to each other. A plurality of drums 15 are arranged at predetermined positions between the pair of electrodes 7 by a holding frame 81 having a structure similar to that of the conventional holding frame B. Note that the exhaust system 5 is provided on both side walls of the reaction chamber 21. The drum 15 is grounded and serves as an anode electrode. Rod-shaped auxiliary electrodes 1B, which form part of the cathode electrodes, are arranged in the gaps between the plurality of drums 15 arranged at predetermined positions between the pair of electrodes 7 and in the outer portions of both ends in the arrangement direction. Each electrode 18 is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes 7 as cathode electrodes. Each electrode IB is attached to a suitable elevating means so that it can be raised and lowered by penetrating the ceiling wall of the reaction chamber 21, for example. and in the outer part of both ends in the arrangement direction. Note that each electrode 1B is insulated from the ceiling wall of the reaction chamber 21 and the holding frame 81. Next, the operation in the reaction chamber of the plasma CVD apparatus of the present invention having the above-described configuration will be explained. First, the rod-shaped auxiliary electrode 1B is raised, and a plurality of drums 15 are placed at predetermined positions between a pair of electrodes 7 in the reaction chamber 21 and grounded. Next, the rod-shaped auxiliary electrodes 1B are placed in the gaps between the plurality of drums 15 and at the outer portions of both ends in the arrangement direction, respectively, and are lowered by suitable lifting means. Next, as shown by arrows in FIG. 2, the raw material gas is ejected from the holes inside the pair of electrodes 7 toward the plurality of drums 15, and high-frequency power is applied from the electrode 8 to the pair of electrodes 7 and the rod-shaped auxiliary electrode 1B. supply By providing the auxiliary electrode 1B in this way, it is possible to compensate for the lack of discharge intensity in the gaps between the plurality of drums 15 and in the outer portions at both ends in the arrangement direction,
Therefore, regarding the plurality of drums 15. The non-uniformity of discharge intensity in the circumferential direction is improved satisfactorily. As a result, the deposition rate of amorphous silicon can be made uniform in the circumferential direction of the drum 15, and an amorphous silicon film with uniform thickness and quality is formed on the surface of the drum 15. The processing of the drum 15 in the heating chamber 1 and the cooling chamber 3 is the same as in the conventional case.

【effect】

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently obtain a cylindrical substrate having on its surface a film of amorphous silicon or the like having uniform film thickness and film quality and excellent electrical properties.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional plasma CVD apparatus for manufacturing electrophotographic photoreceptor drums, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the plasma CVD apparatus according to the present invention for manufacturing electrophotographic photoreceptor drums. . 15... Drum, 16... Rod-shaped auxiliary electrode, Ward 21... Reaction chamber, − group

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pair of parallel plate electrodes arranged parallel to each other, and a plurality of cylindrical substrates arranged parallel to each other, each central axis of which is located on the same plane parallel to the electrodes. The method is characterized by comprising: a base holding means for disposing at a predetermined position between the pair of electrodes; and a rod-shaped auxiliary electrode disposed in a gap between the plurality of cylindrical bases disposed at the predetermined position. Plasma CVD equipment.