JPS6210270A - Sputtering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a sputtering apparatus ridding a downtime due to the exchange of a target by partitioning each fitting region of a couple of targets so that these can be opened and closed and making the exchange of the other target possible even when either of the targets is in service for the sputtering treatment. CONSTITUTION:A couple of targets 2a, 2b are individually fitted to a vacuum chamber 11 and each fitting region of the targets incorporated in the inside of the chamber 11 is partitioned from a handling region of a material W to be treated so that these can be opened and closed. Therefore even while either of the targets 2a, 2b for example the target 2a is used and the sputtering treatment is performed, the target 2b being free from use can be exchanged without effecting both a sputtering chamber 12a performing the sputtering treatment and a handling chamber 13 when closing a gate valve 15b. The sputtering chamber 12b and the target 2b which are exposed to the atmosphere and polluted are cleared and can be allowed to remain on standby for the restarting of use.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] In a sputtering apparatus, a pair of targets is provided, and each target is attached by partitioning the area so that it can be opened and closed.
b) sputtering chambers (12a, 12b) in which the other can be replaced even when one is in use for sputtering;
This configuration eliminates downtime due to target replacement.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an improvement in a sputtering apparatus that forms a deposited film on an object to be processed, such as a semiconductor wafer, by a sputtering method.

A sputtering device is a device that forms a deposited film made of a target material or its compound on an object to be processed that is placed opposite a target.For example, it is used for forming metal films, silicide films, and insulating films in the wafer process of semiconductor device manufacturing. It is widely used.

When used in mass production, it is desired to reduce downtime as much as possible.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of essential parts of an example of a conventional sputtering apparatus used for mass production, and FIG. 4 is a diagram of its exhaust and gas introduction system.

In FIG. 3, 1 is a vacuum chamber where sputtering is performed;
Reference numeral 2 denotes a target; 3 a load rotor for carrying a workpiece W, such as a wafer, into the vacuum chamber 1; and 4 a load lock for carrying out the workpiece W from the vacuum chamber 1.

In addition, in FIG. 4, 5a and 5b are a low cryopump and a cryopump that evacuate the vacuum chamber 1, and 6a, 6b, and 6
0 is a rotary pump, mechanical booster, and turbo molecular pump that vacuum the load lock 3.4, G1
G2 is a leak gas used to leak the vacuum, and G2 is a processing gas such as argon required for sputtering.

The sputtering process is performed by keeping the vacuum chamber 1 in a clean vacuum state, and placing the object W to be processed, which has been carried into the vacuum chamber 1 from the left side of FIG. 3 through the load lock 3, in a position facing the target 2. be exposed.

The object W to be processed after the sputtering process is placed in a load lock 4.
It is carried out to the right side of Figure 3 through.

Therefore, the vacuum chamber 1 is maintained in a vacuum state by the action of the load lock 3.4 regardless of the loading and unloading of the objects W to be processed, and it is possible to sequentially and continuously perform sputter processing on a plurality of objects W to be processed. I can do it.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the sputtering process, the target 2 is a consumable item,
When used for mass production, it is replaced, for example, once every few days.

During this exchange, the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 is exposed to the atmosphere, and deposits on the inner surface take in oxygen (02) and moisture (HzO), resulting in contamination.

This contamination deteriorates the quality of the deposited film formed by sputtering, and therefore needs to be removed before restarting sputtering.

A cleaning process for cleaning the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 including this removal is, for example, as follows.

After replacing and installing the target 2, first, use a high vacuum (approximately 10-3 Torr) that is higher than the vacuum for sputtering (approximately 10-3 Torr).
The temperature is evacuated to a temperature of about 10-7 to 10-" Torr and maintained for about 2 hours to remove the above contamination. Then, the same operation as the sputtering process is performed without using the wafer that will become a product to clean the surface of target 2. Further, the vacuum is again evacuated to the above-mentioned high degree of vacuum and maintained for about 0.5 hours to remove contamination again.

By doing this, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the quality of the deposited film formed when sputtering is restarted, but the downtime required to replace target 2, which makes sputtering impossible, is This problem takes about 4 to 5 hours, and disrupts the manufacturing process.

[Means for solving problems]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the main part of an embodiment of a sputtering apparatus according to the present invention.

The above problem is that, as shown in Fig. 1, the pair of targeters 2a and 2b are individually installed in the vacuum chamber 11, and each targeter 2a and 2b in the vacuum chamber 1 is installed in the area to be treated. A sputtering chamber 12 is partitioned openable and closably from the handling area of the body W, and even if one of the paired targets 2a, 2b is being used for sputtering, the other can be replaced.
A and 12b are solved by the spatta device of the present invention.

[Effect]

This spafter device has a pair of targets 2a as described above.
, 2b can be replaced while the other target is being sputtered, so even if it takes a long time to replace the target, there will be no downtime. This makes it possible to avoid disrupting the manufacturing flow.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a block diagram (al) of a main part of an embodiment of a sputtering apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram of its exhaust and gas introduction system.

In the sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum chamber 1 of the conventional example shown in FIG. 3 is replaced with a vacuum chamber 11, and accordingly, there are two targets 2, targets 2a and 2b.

The vacuum chamber 11 is partitioned into sputtering chambers 12a and 12b and a handling chamber 13.
a, attached to 12b.

The partition between the sputtering chambers 12a, 12b and the handling chamber 13 includes partition walls 14a, 14b and a gate valve 1.
5a115b, gate valve 15a or 15
The sputtering chamber 12a or 12b opens and closes with respect to the handling chamber 13 by opening and closing the gate valve b (the gate valve 15a in FIG. 1(a) is open, and the closed state is shown by a broken line). and closed gate valve 15
O-rings 16a, 16b are arranged between the partition walls 14a, 14b and the handling chamber 1.
3 vacuum tightness is maintained.

In the handling chamber 13, in order to perform sputter processing on the object to be processed W brought in as in the conventional example, the target 2 is sputtered by selecting the arm 18a or 18b shown in the first part.
It is arranged so that it can be arbitrarily selected and placed opposite to either a or 2b, and the same is true for carrying out.

The sputtering process is performed using either target 2a or 2b, opening the gate valve 15a or 15b on the side to be used, and arranging the object to be processed W facing each other (FIG. (shows the state of sputtering). Therefore, the closed positions of the gate valves 15a and 15b may be moved back or forth relative to the opposed position of the object to be processed W without any problem.

Note that 17 provided in the sputtering chambers 12a and 12b
17a and 17b are screens for preventing adherents from adhering to the O-rings 16a and 16b during sputtering.

The exhaust and gas introduction systems for operating the sputtering apparatus are as shown in FIG. 2, and the system connected to the vacuum chamber 1 in the conventional example is connected to the handling chamber 13,
A newly added system is connected to 12b. The exhaust system in this added system is a rotary pump 7 a
s mechanical booster 7b, turbo molecular bomb 7
Similarly to the handling chamber 13, the gas introduction system is composed of a leak gas G1 and a processing gas G2.

The sputtering apparatus thus configured has targets 2a and 2b.
For example, even when the target 2a is in use and sputtering is being performed, the gate valve 15b can be closed to allow use without affecting the sputtering chamber 12a and the handling chamber 13 where the sputtering is being performed. It is possible to replace the target 2b that has not been used, perform a cleaning process to clean the sputtering chamber 12b and the target equipment 2b which have been exposed to the atmosphere and become contaminated, in the same manner as in the conventional example, and wait for use again.

This eliminates downtime due to target replacement, making it possible to avoid disrupting the manufacturing flow.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to eliminate downtime due to target replacement in a sputtering apparatus that forms a deposited film on an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer by sputtering, and it is possible to mass-produce. This has the effect of making it possible to avoid disrupting the manufacturing flow.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a diagram (a), ('b) showing the main part of an embodiment of a sputtering apparatus according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram of its exhaust and gas introduction system, and Fig. 3 is a main part arrangement of an example of a conventional sputtering apparatus. Figure 4 is a diagram of the exhaust and gas introduction system. In the figure, ① and 11 are vacuum chambers, 2.2a and 2b are targets, 3.4 is a load rotor, 5a, 6a, and 7a are rotary pumps, 5b is a talio pump, 6b and 7b are mechanical boosters, and 6c and 7c are turbo molecules. Bomb, 12a, 1
2b is a sputtering chamber, 13 is a handling chamber, 14a, 14b are partition walls, 15a, 15b are gate valves, 16a, 16b are O-rings, 17a, 17b are screens, 18a, 18b are arms, G1 is a leak gas, G2 is a processing gas , W is the object to be processed.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pair of targets (2a, 2b) is individually attached to the vacuum chamber (11), and the attachment area of each target (2a, 2b) in the vacuum chamber (11) is the handling area of the object to be processed (W). A pair of targets (2
sputtering chambers (12a, 12b) that can be replaced even if either one is in use for sputtering.
A sputtering apparatus comprising b).