JPS63481A - Device for glow discharge decomposition - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form homogeneous amorphous semiconductor layers on respective cylindrical substrates by forming an introducing port for forming gases to the top of a reaction chamber at the time of forming the amorphous semiconductor layers on the surface of the plural substrates by the single reaction chamber. CONSTITUTION:The device for glow discharge decomposition is installed with, for example, 4 pieces of the cylindrical substrates 9, at prescribed intervals, in the reaction chamber 6 into which the gases for forming the amorphous semiconductor layers are introduced. Electrode plates 7 for glow discharge are respectively disposed to face the respective substrates 9 and the amorphous semiconductor layers are simultaneously formed on the surfaces of the four substrates 9 by the glow discharge generated between the substrates 9 and the electrode plates 7. The introducing port 8 for the gas for forming the amorphous semiconductors is installed to the central part on top of the reaction chamber 6.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a glow discharge decomposition device for producing an amorphous semiconductor layer, and more specifically, it relates to a glow discharge decomposition device for producing an amorphous semiconductor layer, and more specifically, a glow discharge decomposition device for producing an amorphous semiconductor layer, and more specifically, a glow discharge decomposition device for producing an amorphous semiconductor layer. The present invention relates to a glow discharge decomposition device that forms an amorphous semiconductor layer and has excellent mass productivity.

[Prior art and its problems]

Recently, photoelectric components made of amorphous semiconductors such as amorphous silicon (hereinafter abbreviated as a-3i) have been used in electrophotographic photoreceptors, solar cells, etc., and their excellent photoelectric conversion characteristics and efficiency (amorphous semiconductor layer) For example, in the field of electrophotographic photoreceptors, a-Si is used as a photocarrier generating layer, and a glow discharge decomposition device is used to form the film to produce high quality films. A photoreceptor has been obtained, and an apparatus for mass-producing a-Si photoreceptors using a glow discharge decomposition method is currently being developed.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-215767 proposes a glow discharge decomposition apparatus for simultaneously producing four A-5I noxious lights using a single reaction chamber.

To explain the basic configuration of this device with reference to FIG. 1, four cylindrical glow discharge electrode plates 2 are installed inside a cylindrical reaction chamber 1, and a-3i[ A cylindrical substrate 3 on which a-
The gas enters the interior of the reaction chamber 1 through the gas inlet 4 formed in the peripheral wall of the reaction chamber 1 for the gas for manual generation of the St layer, and is ejected to the substrate 3 from the gas outlet 5 formed in the electrode plate 2. There is.

Under such a gas flow system, glow discharge is generated between the electrode plate 2 and the substrate 3, and when the gas is decomposed by discharge, an a-5i layer is generated on the surface of the substrate 3.

However, according to the above-mentioned apparatus, there is a problem in that an equal amount of gas is not supplied to each substrate at the same time.

That is, since the distance from the gas inlet 4 to each electrode plate 2 is different, the same amount of gas does not necessarily reach each electrode plate, and as a result, the same amount of gas is not ejected into the inside of each electrode plate. , as a result, the deposition speed differs between substrates,
There were differences in quality between the substrates in terms of film formation, doping amount, etc. of the a-5i layer.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention was completed in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a mass-produced glow discharge decomposition device that simultaneously generates amorphous semiconductor layers on individual substrates, makes the quality uniform, and improves the reliability of film formation. It's about doing.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the present invention, a plurality of cylindrical substrates are installed at predetermined intervals inside a reaction chamber into which gas for forming an amorphous semiconductor layer is introduced, and a glow discharge electrode plate is opposed to each substrate. In a glow discharge decomposition device that simultaneously generates amorphous semiconductor layers on the surfaces of multiple substrates by glow discharge generated between the substrate and the electrode plate, amorphous semiconductor layers are applied to each substrate so that a homogeneous amorphous semiconductor layer is generated on each substrate. There is provided a glow discharge decomposition apparatus characterized in that a gas inlet for supplying the gas is formed on the upper surface of the reaction chamber.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the WW of the present invention will be explained in detail by taking a glow discharge decomposition apparatus for producing an a-Sii light body as an example.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing a glow discharge decomposition apparatus capable of simultaneously producing four A-5I ill-effect photos, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the section line A--A in FIG.

According to this device, when four cylindrical glow discharge electrode plates 7 of the same size are left inside the reaction chamber 6, each electrode plate 7 is arranged substantially on the circumference and at equal intervals. A gas inlet 8 is formed on the upper surface 6a of the reaction chamber corresponding to the center of this circumference, and a concentric cylindrical substrate 9 is installed on a substrate support 10 inside the electrode plate 7. There is. The gas for forming the a-3i layer is supplied from the gas inlet 8 to the reaction chamber 6.
The gas enters the inside of the electrode plate 7 and is ejected toward the substrate 9 from a gas ejection port 11 formed in the electrode plate 7 .

Electric power for glow release is supplied from one high frequency power supply 12 via one matching box 13 to terminals 14 and 15 provided outside the reaction chamber 6. Terminal 14 is connected to reaction chamber 6
The peripheral wall 6b and top surface 6a of the terminal 15 are electrically connected to the electrical panel 7 via leads 16, and the other terminal 15 is electrically connected to the substrate 9 via the substrate support 10 from the bottom surface 6c of the reaction chamber 6. A glow discharge occurs between the electrode plate 9 and the electrode plate 7. still,
17 is an insulating ring that electrically insulates the peripheral wall 6b and the bottom surface 6c, and 18 is a gas exhaust port.

Further, a first electrode electrically connected to the substrate 9 is provided inside the reaction chamber 6.
A conductor 19 and a second conductor 20 electrically connected to the electrode plate 7 are formed, and settings are made so that discharge can occur between the first conductor 19 and the second conductor 20. .

According to the glow discharge decomposition apparatus having such a configuration, the distance from the gas inlet 8 to each electrode plate 7 is the same, and as a result, the amount of gas ejected into each electrode plate becomes equal, and the As a result, homogeneous a-Si13 was formed on all the substrates.
will be formed.

In addition, the remaining gas after the formation of the a-3i layer heads to the gas exhaust port 18 and is exhausted from there. In this case, the distance from each substrate to the gas exhaust port 18 is the same, so that The amount of gas discharged to the substrate becomes even, and more homogeneous a-Si is formed.

Further, in the device of the above embodiment, since the second conductor 20 is formed opposite to the first conductor 19 (corresponding to the bottom surface 6c), the substrate 9 and the electrode plate 7 are opposed to each other. The main discharge regions 21 are substantially integrated into a single discharge region via a preliminary discharge region 22 formed by a first conductor 19 and a second conductor 20 facing each other. Therefore, when high-frequency power is applied from the high-frequency power supply 12 and discharge starts at a certain point between the substrate 9 and the t-electrode plate 70 or between the first conductor 19 and the second conductor 20, the a-Si The layer forming gas dissociates and becomes various neutral radicals, ions, or electrons and diffuses, and a discharge instantly occurs across the entire area between the substrate and the electrode plate and between the first conductor and the second conductor. . As a result, the discharge conditions occurring between the substrate 9 and the electrode plate 7 are the same for all four types, and there is no unevenness in the quality of film formation among the four substrates 9.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the glow discharge decomposition apparatus of the present invention, which forms films on multiple substrates in a single operation, it is possible to simultaneously generate amorphous semiconductor layers on each substrate, and as a result, a highly reliable and excellent An amorphous semiconductor layer is obtained.

Further, if the device of the present invention is used, only one matching box and one high-frequency power source for glow discharge are required, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and is a glow discharge decomposition process in which a plurality of substrates are provided inside, each is provided with an electrode plate for glow discharge, and an amorphous semiconductor layer is simultaneously formed on the plurality of substrates. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that this applies to all devices.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a top view of a conventional glow discharge decomposition device;
The figure is a top view showing the glow discharge decomposition apparatus shown in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the cut plane yAA-8 in FIG. 1.6...Reaction chamber 6a...Top surface of reaction chamber 2.7...Glow discharge electrode plate 3.9...Substrate 4.8...Gas inlet

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of cylindrical substrates are installed at predetermined intervals inside a reaction chamber into which gas for forming an amorphous semiconductor layer is introduced, and a glow discharge electrode plate is opposed to each substrate,
In a glow discharge decomposition apparatus that simultaneously generates amorphous semiconductor layers on the surfaces of a plurality of substrates by glow discharge generated between the substrate and the electrode plate, each substrate is separated so that a homogeneous amorphous semiconductor layer is generated on each substrate. A glow discharge decomposition apparatus characterized in that a gas inlet for supplying the gas to the reaction chamber is formed on the upper surface of the reaction chamber. (2) The glow discharge decomposition apparatus according to claim (1), wherein the gas inlet is formed substantially in the center of the upper surface of the reaction chamber.