KR20230045541A - Film formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To provide a film formation apparatus with improved maintenance properties by reducing adhesion of film formation materials to the inside of a chamber.
[Solution] A film forming apparatus D of an embodiment has a chamber 1 capable of vacuuming the inside thereof and a target 61 containing a film forming material, and in the chamber, a workpiece W by sputtering ), the film forming units 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g for depositing and forming a film, and the target 61 and the film forming units 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g, which are arranged at a distance from each other to form a film. A chamber S is formed and installed between a partition member 9 that partitions the film formation chamber S and the outside in the chamber 1, and between the target 61 and the partition member 9, and the chamber 1 ) has a restraining portion 104 that suppresses film formation material from adhering to the inner surface of .

Description

Film formation apparatus {FILM FORMATION APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus.

BACKGROUND ART In manufacturing processes of various products such as semiconductors, displays, and optical disks, thin films such as optical films may be formed on workpieces such as wafers and glass substrates. A thin film can be created by repeating film formation for forming a film of metal or the like on a workpiece and film treatment such as etching, oxidation, or nitriding on the formed film.

Although film formation and film processing can be performed by various methods, plasma is used as one of them. In film formation, an inert gas is introduced into a chamber that is a vacuum container in which a target is placed, and a DC voltage is applied. Ions of an inert gas converted into plasma are caused to collide with the target, and the material separated from the target is deposited on the workpiece to form a film. In film processing, a process gas is introduced into a chamber in which electrodes are placed, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the electrodes. The film treatment is performed by colliding ions of the process gas converted into plasma into a film on the workpiece.

In order to continuously perform such film formation and film processing, a rotation table is installed inside one chamber, and a plurality of film formation partitioned by a partition member called a shield member is placed on the ceiling of the chamber in which the target is supported, that is, above the rotation table. There is a film forming apparatus comprising a chamber and a film processing chamber (see Patent Document 1, for example). In such a film forming apparatus, an optical film or the like can be formed by holding and transporting a workpiece on a rotary table and passing it directly below the film forming unit and the film processing unit.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-49018

In the above film formation apparatus, the partition member forming the film formation chamber is held with a gap between the ceiling of the chamber in which the target is supported. That is, a gap will arise between a target and a partition member. Then, the film formation material scattered from the target leaks through this gap, scatters to the outside of the film formation chamber in the chamber, and adheres to the inner surface of the chamber such as the ceiling. In that case, since the film formation material adheres to the inner surface of the chamber and the film is formed, it takes time to remove the film and the maintenance performance deteriorates. For this reason, it has been desired to reduce adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber and to improve maintenance performance.

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a film formation apparatus with improved maintainability by reducing adhesion of film formation material to the inner surface of a chamber.

In order to achieve the above object, a film forming apparatus of an embodiment according to the present invention has a chamber capable of evacuating the inside and a target containing a film forming material, and in the chamber, the film forming material is deposited on a workpiece by sputtering. a film formation unit for depositing and forming a film; a partition member disposed at a distance from the target and forming a film formation chamber in which film formation is performed by the film formation unit, and dividing the film formation chamber and the outside in the chamber; and the target and a restraining portion provided between the partition member and suppressing adhesion of the film-forming material to the inner surface of the chamber.

According to the film forming apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention, adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber can be reduced and maintenance performance can be improved.

1 is a perspective plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a AA cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 .
Fig. 3 is a perspective view from the top surface side showing the partition member of the embodiment of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a bottom side perspective view showing the enclosing member of the embodiment of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing an enclosing member and a partition member around the target of Fig. 2;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing the periphery of the enclosing member in Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram (A) of an embodiment and an explanatory diagram (B) of a prior art showing the adhesion mode of film-forming particles.
8 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the restraining unit.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the enveloping member.
Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the enclosing member.

[composition]

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Embodiment of this invention is specifically described with reference to drawings.

[chamber]

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the film forming apparatus D has a chamber 1 . The chamber 1 is a vessel with a substantially cylindrical bottom. The chamber 1 has a cover body 1a capable of vacuuming the inside and opening and closing the upper portion. The cover body 1a is a circular plate-like member and airtightly seals the upper part of the chamber 1 . In addition, an exhaust unit 2 is installed in the chamber 1 so that the interior of the chamber 1 can be evacuated to a vacuum. That is, the chamber 1 functions as a vacuum vessel.

[Return Department]

In the chamber 1, a rotary table 3 is installed as a conveying unit for rotationally conveying the workpiece W along a circumferential trajectory. That is, a hollow rotating shaft 3b penetrates the bottom of the chamber 1 and is erected inside the chamber 1, and a substantially circular rotary table 3 is attached to the rotating shaft 3b. A drive mechanism (not shown) is connected to the rotating shaft 3b. The rotary table 3 is rotated around the rotary shaft 3b by the drive of the drive mechanism. An immovable post 3c is arranged inside the hollow rotary shaft 3b. The support 3c is fixed to a base (not shown) installed outside the chamber 1, penetrates the bottom of the chamber 1, and stands inside the chamber 1. An opening is formed in the center of the rotary table 3 . The post 3c penetrates through the opening of the rotary table 3, and its tip is located between the upper surface of the rotary table 3 and the upper surface of the chamber 1.

A ball bearing 3d is disposed between the opening of the rotary table 3 and the support 3c. That is, the rotary table 3 is rotatably supported by the support 3c via the ball bearing 3d. In addition, the tip of the support column 3c constitutes an inner circumferential support portion IP described later.

Since the chamber 1, the rotary table 3, and the rotary shaft 3b act as cathodes in the film forming apparatus D, they may be formed of conductive metal members with low electrical resistance. The rotary table 3 may be formed by spraying aluminum oxide on the surface of a plate-like member made of, for example, stainless steel.

A plurality of holding parts 3a holding the workpiece W are provided on the upper surface of the rotary table 3 . A plurality of holding portions 3a are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotary table 3 . As the rotary table 3 rotates, the workpiece W held on the holder 3a moves in the circumferential direction of the rotary table 3 . In other words, on the surface of the rotary table 3, a conveyance path (hereinafter referred to as "conveyance path L") is formed as a circumferential movement trajectory of the workpiece W. The holding portion 3a can be, for example, a tray on which the workpiece W is placed.

Hereinafter, in the case of simply "circumferential direction", it means "the circumferential direction of the turn table 3", and in the case of simply "radial direction", it means the "radial direction of the turn table 3". Further, in the present embodiment, a flat substrate is used as an example of the workpiece W, but the type, shape, and material of the workpiece W to be subjected to the plasma treatment are not limited to specific ones. For example, a curved substrate having a concave portion or a convex portion in the center may be used. Moreover, you may use what contains a conductive material, such as metal and carbon, what contains an insulator, such as glass and rubber, and what contains a semiconductor, such as silicon.

Above the rotary table 3, a processing unit that performs processing of each process in the film forming apparatus D is installed. Each of the processing units is disposed so as to be adjacent to each other at a predetermined distance along the conveyance path L of the workpiece W formed on the surface of the rotary table 3 . Each process is performed by passing the workpiece W held by the holding portion 3a under each processing portion.

[processing unit]

In the example of FIG. 1, seven processing parts 4a-4g are arrange|positioned along the conveyance path L on the turn table 3. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the processing units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, and 4g are film forming units that perform a film forming process on the workpiece W. The processing unit 4e is a film processing unit that performs processing on the film formed on the workpiece W by the film forming unit. In the present embodiment, the film forming units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, and 4g are described as processing units that form a film by depositing a film forming material on the workpiece W conveyed by the rotary table 3 by sputtering. do. In addition, the film processing unit 4e will be described as performing post-oxidation. The post-oxidation is a process of oxidizing the metal film by introducing oxygen ions or the like generated by plasma into the metal film formed in the film forming unit.

Between the processing unit 4a and the processing unit 4g, an unprocessed workpiece W is brought into the chamber 1 from the outside in a state where the vacuum inside the chamber 1 is maintained, and the processed workpiece W A load lock unit 5 carrying the to the outside of the chamber 1 is installed. In the present embodiment, the transport direction of the workpiece W is the clockwise direction in FIG. 1 from the position of the processing unit 4a to the processing unit 4g. Of course, this is an example, and the conveying direction, type, arrangement order and number of processing units are not limited to specific ones, and can be determined appropriately.

[Holy Tabernacle]

2 shows an example of the configuration of the processing unit 4a serving as the film forming unit. The other film forming sections 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f and 4g may be configured in the same way as the film forming section 4a, but other structures may be applied.

(Sputter One)

As shown in FIG. 2 , the film forming portion 4a has a sputter source 6 . The sputtering source 6 is a supply source of a film forming material. The sputter source 6 has a target 61, a backing plate 62, and an electrode 63. The target 61 is a plate-like member composed of a film forming material that is deposited on the workpiece W to become a film. The target 61 is installed at a position facing the workpiece W when the workpiece W passes under the film forming portion 4a. As for the target 61 of this embodiment, three circular ones are provided. The two targets 61 are lined up side by side in the radial direction of the rotary table 3 with their centers. One target 61 is arranged at a position where its center forms the vertex of an isosceles triangle with the centers of the other two targets 61 .

The backing plate 62 is a member holding the target 61 . The electrode 63 is a conductive member for applying electric power to the target 61 from the outside of the chamber 1 . Further, the sputter source 6 is appropriately equipped with a magnet, a cooling mechanism, and the like as needed.

The target 61 is connected to a DC power source 7 that applies a DC voltage through an electrode 63 . Further, at the bottom of the chamber 1, a sputtering gas inlet 8 for introducing sputtering gas into the chamber 1 is provided at a position facing the target 61. As the sputtering gas, an inert gas such as argon can be used.

(partition member)

Below the sputter source 6 as described above, a partition member 9 is provided. The partition member 9 is a member that has an opening 91 on the side through which the workpiece W passes, and forms a film formation chamber S in which film formation is performed by the film formation section 4a. The partition member 9 partitions the film formation chamber S in the chamber 1 and the outside. The partition member 9 is a shield that prevents film formation material scattered from the target from adhering to a member outside the film formation chamber S and sputtering gas introduced into the film formation chamber S from flowing out to the outside of the film formation chamber S. Because it has a function, it is also called a shield member.

The partition member 9 has a ceiling portion 92 and a side portion 93 . The ceiling portion 92 is a member forming the ceiling of the deposition chamber S. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the ceiling portion 92 is a substantially fan-shaped plate-shaped body disposed parallel to the plane of the turn table 3 . In the ceiling portion 92, a target hole 92a having the same size and shape as the target 61 is formed at a position corresponding to each target 61 so that each target 61 is exposed in the deposition chamber S. . Further, inside the film formation chamber S formed by the partition member 9, the front end of the sputtering gas introduction section 8 extends to the vicinity of the target 61.

The side surface portion 93 is a member that forms the side surface of the periphery of the film formation chamber S. The side surface portion 93 has an outer circumferential wall 93a, an inner circumferential wall 93b, and partition walls 93c and 93d. The outer circumferential wall 93a and the inner circumferential wall 93b have a rectangular parallelepiped shape curved in an arc shape, and are plate-shaped bodies that extend in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the turn table 3 . The upper edge of the outer circumferential wall 93a is attached to the outer edge of the ceiling portion 92 . The upper edge of the inner circumferential wall 93b is attached to the inner edge of the ceiling portion 92 .

The partition walls 93c and 93d have a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are plate-shaped bodies extending in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the turntable 3. Upper edges of the partition walls 93c and 93d are attached to a pair of radial edge portions of the ceiling portion 92, respectively. The joint between the ceiling portion 92 and the side surface portion 93 is hermetically sealed. Further, the ceiling portion 92 and the side surface portion 93 may be integrally formed, that is, continuously formed of a common material. With such a partition member 9, a film formation chamber S is formed in which the top and side surfaces of the periphery are covered by the ceiling portion 92 and the side portion 93, and the lower portion facing the workpiece W is open.

This film formation chamber S is an area where most of the film formation takes place, but even in areas outside the film formation chamber S, there is leakage of film formation material from the film formation chamber S, so there is no film deposition at all. That is, the film formation area in which the film is formed in the film formation section 4a is slightly wider than the film formation chamber S composed of the partition member 9 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the partition member 9 has a substantially fan-shaped diameter extending outward from the center side of the rotary table 3 in the radial direction when viewed from above. The approximate fan shape here means the shape of the fan surface portion of the fan. The opening 91 of the partition member 9 is similarly substantially fan-shaped. The speed at which the workpiece W held on the rotary table 3 passes under the opening 91 decreases toward the center in the radial direction of the rotary table 3 and increases toward the outside. Therefore, if the opening 91 is a simple rectangular or square shape, a difference occurs in the time for the workpiece W to pass directly below the opening 91 between the center side and the outer side in the radial direction. By expanding the diameter of the opening 91 from the center side toward the outside in the radial direction, the time for the workpiece W to pass through the opening 91 can be made constant, and the plasma treatment described later can be performed evenly. . However, as long as the difference in passing time does not cause a problem on the product, it may be rectangular or square. As a material of the partition member 9, aluminum or SUS can be used, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2, the partition member 9 is supported by the support part P. As shown in FIG. The support portion P is a member fixed to the chamber 1 and independent from the cover body 1a. In this embodiment, the support part P has the outer circumferential support part OP and the inner circumferential support part IP. The outer circumferential support portion OP is a plurality of columnar members installed upright from the bottom of the chamber 1, and is located outside the rotary table 3 and slightly higher than the workpiece W mounted on the rotary table 3. extended up to The inner circumferential support portion IP is a flat surface formed at the tip of the support column 3c. This inner circumference support part IP is set so that it may become height equal to the outer circumference support part OP.

The partition member 9 is mounted on the outer support portion OP and the inner support portion IP. Accordingly, the upper end of the outer circumferential support part OP supports the lower end of the outer circumferential wall 93a of the partition member 9, and the inner circumference support part IP supports the lower end of the inner circumferential wall 93b of the partition member 9. . Between the lower ends of the partition walls 93c and 93d and the rotary table 3, a gap through which the workpiece W on the rotating rotary table 3 can pass is formed. That is, the height of the support portion P is set such that a slight gap is created between the lower edge of the partition member 9 and the workpiece W.

On the other hand, the upper portion of the partition member 9, that is, the ceiling portion 92, has an outer circumferential support portion OP and an inner circumferential support portion IP such that the height does not come into contact with the lid 1a when the lid 1a is closed. ), the height of the side part 93, and the thickness of the ceiling part 92 are set. The distance between the cover body 1a and the ceiling portion 92 is such that the cover body 1a that bends does not come into contact with the ceiling portion 92 when the vacuum is released. For example, by experimentation in advance, when the vacuum is released, the amount of deflection, which is the amount of displacement in the height direction caused by the bending of the cover 1a, is investigated, and a gap larger than this amount of deflection is formed between the lower surface of the cover 1a and the upper surface of the ceiling 92. as the distance generated by

(absence of siege)

Between the target 61 and the partition member 9, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, an enclosing member 100 is provided. The enclosing member 100 is a conductive member, is set at an anode potential with respect to the target 61 serving as the cathode, and has a function of stably maintaining discharge by capturing electrons in the plasma. For this reason, the enclosing member 100 is also called an anode ring, earth shield, annular anode, anode plate, anode electrode, or the like.

4 is a perspective view from the bottom side showing the enclosing member 100. As shown in FIG. That is, in the enclosing member 100, it is a view in which the opposing surface 102, which is the surface on the bottom surface side of the chamber 1, faces upward. As shown in this FIG. 4, the enclosing member 100 is a plate-shaped body, and surrounds each target 61 by forming a plurality of openings 101 through which each target 61 is exposed. The enveloping member 100 of the present embodiment is attached to the lid 1a so as to cover a portion of the sputtering source 6 that faces the film formation chamber S other than the target 61 . As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , a gap G1 is formed between the inner periphery of the opening 101 and the outer periphery of the target 61 . This gap is provided to prevent contact between the enclosing member 100 and the target 61, thereby preventing a short circuit between the enclosing member 100 and the target 61 having an anode potential.

Here, since the partition member 9 constituting the film formation chamber S is relatively heavy, it is attached to the cover body 1a by hand or attached to the cover body 1a while being attached to the cover body 1a. It is very difficult to open and close the For this reason, as described above, the partition member 9 is installed in the chamber 1 separately from the cover body 1a. On the other hand, the enclosure member 100 is bolted to the cover 1a in order to maintain a constant distance from the target 61 provided on the side of the cover 1a of the chamber 1 so as not to contact the target. attached, etc. That is, the cover body 1a can be opened and closed in a state where the target 61 and the enclosing member 100 are attached.

The portion where the enclosing member 100 is attached to the cover body 1a overlaps the partition member 9 in the vertical direction with a gap therebetween. That is, the portion of the enclosing member 100 on the side away from the target 61 is covered by the partition member 9 while forming an air passage between it and the partition member 9 . Such a gap between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9 is necessary to prevent collision between the two in consideration of an attachment error when attaching the cover body 1a to the chamber 1 . Also, a flat surface facing the partition member 9 of the enclosing member 100 is the opposing surface 102 . In the partition member 9, the flat surface facing the enclosing member 100 is part of the ceiling portion 92, and is referred to as the opposing surface 92b (see Figs. 5 and 6).

In this embodiment, a bent ventilation path is formed in the region between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9 (as an example, the region on the opposite side of the target 61). For example, a convex portion 103 is formed at the end of the enclosing member 100, and a concave portion 94 is formed in the partition member 9 that opposes the concave portion 94, and the two are overlapped at intervals to form a so-called labyrinth structure. Further, a concave portion may be formed in the enclosing member 100 and a convex portion may be formed in the partition member 9 .

The plurality of openings 101 are circular concentrically with the target 61 along the outer circumference of the sputtering surface of the target 61 . As described above, a gap is formed between the inner periphery of the opening 101 and the outer periphery of the target 61, and the distance G1 of the gap is such that even if there is a dimensional error or an attachment error of the enveloping member 100, the target ( 61), or even if film-formed particles scattered from the target 61 (hereinafter referred to as sputtered particles) exist in this gap, the target 61 and the enclosing member 100 pass through the film-formed particles. It is dimensioned to the extent that it does not touch. The interval G1 is preferably about 2 mm, for example.

A restraining portion 104 is installed at a position along the outer circumference of the target 61 of the opening 101 . This restraining part 104 is provided between the target 61 and the partition member 9, and suppresses the film-forming material from adhering to the inner surface of the chamber 1. That is, the restraining portion 104 is provided to prevent sputtered particles from entering the gap between the partition member 9 and the enclosing member 100 . More specifically, the restraining portion 104 is a portion where the thickness of the enclosing member 100 is increased. The restraining portion 104 has an inclined surface 105 that is inclined by gradually increasing the thickness in a direction away from the target 61 side. The inclined surface 105 is a ring-shaped tapered surface in which the cross section in the thickness direction of the enclosing member 100 is extended distally and faces the inside of the film formation chamber S.

The inclination angle α of the inclined surface 105 with respect to a plane parallel to the surface of the target 61 is preferably 135° to 170°, for example (see Fig. 6). The surface of the target 61 here is a flat surface before being consumed by film formation, and is a surface orthogonal to the axis of the target 61 . That is, the inclined surface 105 is an inclined surface with respect to the sputtering surface of the target 61 .

The surface of the restraining part 104 has a surface connected by a curved surface. That is, on the surface of the restraining portion 104, both ends of the inclined surface 105 are continuous with other parts via a curved surface. In addition, portions other than the inclined surface 105 also continue as a curved surface. Moreover, it may be continuous not on a curved surface but on an obtuse surface. In addition, the surface of the restraining portion 104 is roughened by being subjected to a roughening process and further by forming a thermal sprayed coating. This makes it easy for the film-forming material to adhere and difficult to peel off.

A groove 106 is formed in the restraining portion 104 . This groove 106 has a width d that is difficult for sputtered particles to enter. This width d is preferably 1 to 5 mm, for example. The groove 106 is an annular shape along the opening 101, and its depth direction is parallel to the thickness direction of the target 61. Here, the width d is a length in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the target 61 .

A gap G2 is formed between the outer periphery of the restraining portion 104 and the side surface of the partition member 9 as described above. The distance G2 between the outer periphery of the restraining portion 104 and the side surface of the partition member 9 is preferably about 8 mm, for example. If there is no gap, sputtered particles enter between the partition member 9 and the enclosing member 100, making it difficult to adhere to the opposing surfaces of the two. Similarly, when attaching the cover body 1a, it is to prevent the two from contacting each other in consideration of an attaching error. For the same reason, it is recommended that the distance G3 of the gap formed between the opposing surface 102 of the enclosing member 100 on the side opposite to the target 61 and the partition member 9 is about 1 to 3 mm. desirable. Further, it is preferable that the interval of the gap formed between the convex portion 103 of the enclosing member 100 and the concave portion 94 of the partition member 9 be equal to G3. In addition, it is preferable to set these intervals G1 to G3 so that they become the above-described values after warping of the cover body 1a when vacuuming the chamber 1 described later.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 , in the region between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9 (as an example, the region on the opposite side of the target 61), the enclosing member ( 100) and a conducting portion 107 electrically connecting the partition member 9 are provided. The conducting portion 107 is formed of a conductive, elastic member and is attached to either the enclosing member 100 or the partition member 9 . The reason why the conducting portion 107 has elasticity is to absorb an error in the distance between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9 when the cover body 1a is attached. For example, the conductive portion 107 can be a copper compression coil spring.

[Membrane Processing Unit]

The film processing unit 4e is provided on the upper surface of the inside of the chamber 1 and includes a tubular electrode (hereinafter referred to as a "tubular electrode") 10 . The tubular electrode 10 has a rectangular tubular shape, has an opening 11 at one end, and is closed at the other end. The tubular electrode 10 passes through a through hole formed on the upper surface of the chamber 1, the end on the side of the opening 11 is located inside the chamber 1, and the closed end is located outside the chamber 1. placed so as to be located on The tubular electrode 10 is supported on the peripheral edge of the through hole of the chamber 1 via an insulating material. The opening 11 of the tubular electrode 10 is disposed at a position facing the conveyance path L formed on the turn table 3 . That is, the rotary table 3, as a conveying unit, conveys the workpiece W and passes it directly below the opening 11. And, the position immediately below the opening 11 becomes the passing position of the workpiece W.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the tubular electrode 10 and its opening 11, like the partition member 9, look outward from the center side in the radial direction of the rotary table 3 when viewed from above. It is roughly fan-shaped, expanding in diameter toward the The reason why it is said to be substantially fan-shaped is that it may be rectangular or square, as long as the difference in passing time does not cause a problem on the product, similarly to the partition member 9.

As described above, the tubular electrode 10 passes through the through hole of the chamber 1, and a part of it is exposed to the outside of the chamber 1. A portion of the tubular electrode 10 exposed to the outside of the chamber 1 is covered by an external shield 12 as shown in FIG. 2 . The space inside the chamber 1 is airtightly maintained by the outer shield 12 . The periphery of the tubular electrode 10 located inside the chamber 1 is covered by the inner shield 13 .

The inner shield 13 is coaxial with the tubular electrode 10 and is supported on the upper surface of the chamber 1 . Each side surface of the cylinder of the inner shield 13 is formed substantially parallel to each side surface of the tubular electrode 10 . The lower end of the inner shield 13 is at the same position as the opening 11 of the tubular electrode 10 in the height direction, but at the lower end of the inner shield 13 is a flange extending parallel to the upper surface of the rotary table 3. (14) is formed. By this flange 14, the outflow of the plasma generated inside the tubular electrode 10 to the outside of the inner shield 13 is suppressed. The workpiece W transported by the rotary table 3 passes through the gap between the rotary table 3 and the flange 14 and is brought directly under the opening 11 of the tubular electrode 10, and is then transported to the rotary table again. (3) and the flange 14, it is taken out from directly below the opening 11 of the tubular electrode 10.

An RF power supply 15 for applying a high frequency voltage is connected to the tubular electrode 10 . A matching box 21 as a matching circuit is connected in series to the output side of the RF power supply 15 . An RF power source 15 is also connected to the chamber 1 . The tubular electrode 10 acts as an anode, and the rotary table 3 erected from the chamber 1 serves as a cathode. The matching box 21 stabilizes plasma discharge by matching impedances on the input side and the output side. Also, the chamber 1 and the rotary table 3 are grounded. The inner shield 13 with the flange 14 is also grounded.

In addition, a process gas introduction part 16 is connected to the tubular electrode 10 , and process gas is introduced into the tubular electrode 10 from an external process gas supply source through the process gas introduction part 16 . The process gas can be appropriately changed according to the purpose of film processing. For example, when etching is performed, an inert gas such as argon can be used as an etching gas. Oxygen can be used for oxidation treatment or post-oxidation treatment. Nitrogen can be used in nitriding treatment. The RF power source 15 and the process gas introduction part 16 are connected to the tubular electrode 10 through a through hole formed in the outer shield 12 together.

[control part]

The film forming apparatus D also includes a control unit 20 . The control unit 20 is composed of an arithmetic processing device called a processor such as a PLC or a CPU. The control unit 20 controls introduction and exhaustion of the sputter gas and process gas into the chamber 1, controls the DC power supply 7 and the RF power supply 15, controls the rotational speed of the rotary table 3, and the like. take control

[movement]

The operation of the film forming apparatus D of this embodiment will be described. With the cover body 1a open, the partition member 9 is mounted on the outer circumferential support part OP and the inner circumferential support part IP. Since the outer circumferential support part OP and the inner circumferential support part IP are set at the same height as above, the lower end of the partition member 9 is supported with a gap through which the workpiece W can pass.

Next, the chamber 1 is sealed by the cover body 1a. As a result, the target 61 attached to the lid 1a side is positioned toward the inside of the deposition chamber S from the target hole 92a formed in the ceiling portion 92 of the partition member 9 . The inclined surface 105 of the containment portion 104 in the enclosing member 100 enters the target hole 92a and faces the center of the film formation chamber S, and the opposing surface 102 is the upper part of the partition member 9 Face each other with a gap between them. At this time, since the convex portions of the enclosing member 100 are overlapped at intervals so as to enter the concave portions 94 of the partition member 9, a labyrinth structure ventilation path is formed. Further, since the conductive portion 107 is sandwiched between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9 and compressed while contacting both, electrical conduction between the two is ensured.

After the chamber 1 is sealed by the cover body 1a in this way, the interior of the chamber 1 is evacuated by the exhaust unit 2 and brought into a vacuum state. An unprocessed workpiece W is loaded into the chamber 1 from the load lock unit 5 while maintaining a vacuum state inside the chamber 1 . The loaded workpiece W is held by the holding portion 3a of the rotary table 3 sequentially positioned in the load lock portion 5. Furthermore, by continuously rotating the rotary table 3, the workpiece W is rotated and conveyed along the conveyance path L, and passed under the respective processing units 4a to 4g.

When the vacuum is released, the cover body 1a is bent by atmospheric pressure. However, the partition member 9 is not attached to the cover body 1a, but is supported by an outer circumferential support portion OP and an inner circumference support portion IP independent of the cover body 1a. And, the ceiling part 92 of the partition member 9 is in a position where it does not come into contact with the curved cover body 1a. For this reason, even if the lid 1a is bent by vacuum release, the initially set distance between the partition member 9 and the rotary table 3 does not change, and the workpiece W and the partition member 9 The gap at the bottom is maintained.

In the film formation section 4a, sputtering gas is introduced from the sputtering gas introduction section 8, and DC voltage is applied to the sputtering source 6 from the DC power supply 7. By applying the DC voltage, the sputter gas is converted into plasma and ions are generated. When the generated ions collide with the target 61, the film forming material of the target 61 protrudes. A thin film is formed on the workpiece W by depositing the protruding film-forming material on the workpiece W passing under the film-formation portion 4a. Film formation is performed in the same manner in the other film formation units 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, and 4g. However, it is not always necessary to form a film in all the film formation sections. As an example, here, a Si film is formed on the workpiece W by DC sputtering.

At the time of such a film formation, as shown in FIG. 7(A), sputtered particles also adhere to the inclined surface 105 of the restraining portion 104, and as a result, the vertical direction scattered from the target 61 and this Since the film-forming material in the inclined direction is obstructed by the restraining portion 104 and captured, the film-forming material adheres to areas other than the suppressing portion 104, such as the opposing surface 102, the ceiling of the chamber 1, and the like. it becomes difficult In addition, since it is difficult for the film forming material to enter into the groove 106 formed in the inclined surface 105, it becomes difficult to adhere.

The workpiece W, on which a film has been formed in the film formation section 4a, is then conveyed by the rotary table 3 over the conveyance path L, and in the film processing section 4e, the opening 11 of the tubular electrode 10 is transported. ), that is, passes through the film processing position. As described above, in this embodiment, an example in which post-oxidation is performed in the film processing unit 4e will be described. In the film processing unit 4e, oxygen gas as a process gas is introduced into the tubular electrode 10 from the process gas introduction unit 16, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the tubular electrode 10 from the RF power source 15. Oxygen gas is converted into plasma by application of a high-frequency voltage, and electrons, ions, radicals, and the like are generated. Plasma flows from the opening 11 of the tubular electrode 10, which is an anode, to the rotary table 3, which is a cathode. Ions in the plasma collide with the thin film on the workpiece W passing under the opening 11 to post-oxidize the thin film. In addition, in order to form a labyrinth structure ventilation path between the partition member 9 and the enclosing member 100, the process gas from the film processing unit 4e penetrates into the film formation chamber S and spreads to the surface of the target 61. It adheres, and contamination of the surface of the target 61 by oxidation or the like is suppressed.

[effect]

(1) The film formation apparatus D of this embodiment includes a chamber 1 capable of evacuating the inside thereof, and a target 61 containing a film formation material. ), the film forming units 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g for depositing and forming a film, and the target 61 and the film forming units 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g, which are arranged at a distance from each other to form a film. A chamber S is formed, and a partition member 9 for partitioning the film formation chamber S and the outside in the chamber 1 is provided between the target 61 and the partition member 9, and the chamber 1 ) is characterized in that it has a restraining portion 104 that suppresses adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the film.

Since the restraining portion 104 is provided in this way, even if a gap is formed between the partition member 9 and the inner wall surface of the chamber 1, the film formation chamber S in the chamber 1 is formed from this gap. Scattering of the film-forming material to the outside is suppressed, and adhesion of the film-forming material to regions other than the restraining portion 104, which is a member in the chamber 1, such as the inner surface of the chamber 1, is suppressed. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the area to be cleaned of the member in the chamber 1 in order to remove the adhered film, and the maintenance performance is improved.

(2) Enclosing member 100, which is a plate-shaped body provided between the target 61 and the partition member 9, and surrounds the periphery of the target 61 by forming an opening 101 through which the target 61 is exposed. is provided, and the restraining portion 104 is a portion having an increased thickness at a position along the outer circumference of the target 61 of the opening 101 .

For this reason, since the film-forming material adheres to the restraining portion 104 provided around the target 61 and the film-forming material adheres to other areas, the enclosing member 100 prevents the film-forming material from adhering to the inside of the chamber 1. Since adhesion of the film is suppressed and the film adhered to the restraining portion 104 can be removed during maintenance, the area to be cleaned can be reduced and the maintenance performance is improved. This is more than the present embodiment shown in Fig. 7(A), when the enclosing member 100 shown in Fig. 7(B) is flat, the sputtered particles PA are not disturbed and the enclosing member 100 and the partition member are not disturbed. It is also clear that it is easy to enter between (9).

(3) The restraining portion 104 has an inclined surface 105 that is inclined by gradually increasing the thickness toward the direction away from the target 61 . For this reason, the film formation material in the vertical direction and the film formation material scattered from the target 61 in the oblique direction are easily shielded and captured by the inclined surface 105, and the film formation material is difficult to adhere to areas other than the inclined surface 105. do. For this reason, the cleaning area can be reduced, and the maintenance performance is improved.

(4) The inclination angle α of the inclined plane 105 with respect to a plane parallel to the surface of the target 61 is 135° to 170°. In this way, by making the inclination angle α of the inclined surface 105 gentle with respect to the surface parallel to the surface of the target 61, the adhesion of the film formation material is facilitated and the adhesion of the film formation material to other parts can be reduced. there is.

(5) The surface of the restraining portion 104 has a curved surface or a surface connected at an obtuse angle. The surface connected at an acute angle is easily peeled off when the film forming material adheres thereto, but by using a curved surface or a surface connected at an obtuse angle, the film forming material is easily adhered and the peeled film forming material is difficult to fall onto the workpiece W. , the possibility of membrane quality deterioration can be reduced.

(6) A groove 106 is formed in the restraining portion 104. For this reason, it is difficult for sputtered particles to enter the inside of the groove 106, so even if a film forming material is deposited on the surface of the restraining portion 104, a conductive surface can be secured inside the groove 106. Therefore, in the restraining portion 104 around the target 61 having a high magnetic flux density, it is possible to maintain a state in which electrons can be captured efficiently, thereby preventing the loss of the anode function as the anode of the enveloping member 100. can stop This prevents deterioration of the film quality or film thickness uniformity due to unstable discharge, and can perform sputtering satisfactorily. This is particularly effective when the film formation material is a material with high insulating properties such as Si, and anode loss is likely to occur.

(7) In a region between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9, a conducting portion 107 electrically connecting the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9 is provided. For this reason, by securing the electrical connection between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9, the partition member 9 having areas where no film is formed compared to the enclosing member 100 can also capture electrons. Accordingly, the partition member 9 can also function as an anode to prevent loss of the anode. In addition, by interposing the conducting portion 107 between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9, different processing gases from other processing units in the chamber 1 return to the film formation chamber S, and the target 61 ) is reduced.

(8) a film processing unit 4e installed in the chamber 1 to process films formed by the film forming units 4a to 4d, 4f and 4g; 4d, 4f, 4g) and the film processing unit 4e, and has a rotary table 3 as a transport unit that transports the workpiece W, and in the region between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9 A ventilation path is formed. For this reason, it is possible to prevent foreign gases such as process gas containing oxygen from the film processing unit 4e from entering, and contamination of the surface of the target 61 can be suppressed.

[modified example]

Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above aspects, but also include the following aspects. In addition, description about the structure similar to the above-mentioned aspect is abbreviate|omitted.

(1) Either or both of the groove 106 and the conducting portion 107 may be omitted. Further, as shown in FIG. 8 , a restraining portion 95 may be provided in the partition member 9 . For example, in the vicinity of the target 61 in the partition member 9, it is good also considering the restraining part 95 as a protruding part so that the space|interval between the target 61 and the partition member 9 may be narrowed. Accordingly, the same effects as those of the suppression unit 104 described above can be obtained. Further, for example, such a restraining portion 95 may also be provided with a surface connected at an inclined surface, a curved surface, or an obtuse angle as described above.

(2) The film processing unit may be a processing unit for infiltrating active species generated by plasma generated by inductive coupling into the film deposited on the surface of the workpiece W to form a film of a compound. In addition, it is not an apparatus that performs film formation or film processing while being rotated and transported, but an apparatus that performs film formation in the film formation unit and film processing in the film processing unit in a stopped state, and the transfer unit transports the film between the film formation unit and the film processing unit. A film forming device may be used. The transport unit is not limited to the rotary table 3 . Further, it is an apparatus that only performs film formation in a stopped state and performs film processing at another location, and may be a film formation apparatus without a transfer unit.

(3) As shown in FIG. 9 , the enveloping member 100 may be divided into a plurality of parts for each target 61 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 10 , for example, by attaching the restraining part 104 detachably from the enclosing member 100 by means of fastening members such as bolts, only the restraining part 104 can be removed and cleaned during maintenance. Therefore, maintenance performance is improved.

[Other Embodiments]

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention and the modified example of each part were described, this embodiment and the modified example of each part are presented as an example, and limiting the scope of the invention is not intended. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims. It is free to make the invention of each claim into a combined aspect, and any of the above characteristics may be selected and combined, or may be omitted.

1: chamber 1a: cover body
2: exhaust part 3: rotary table
3a: holding part 3b: rotation shaft
3c: Strut 3d: Ball Bearing
4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, 4g: processing unit (film formation unit)
4e: processing unit (film processing unit) 5: load-lock unit
6: Sputter One 61: Target
62: backing plate 63: electrode
7: DC power source 8: sputter gas inlet
9: partition member 91: opening
92 ceiling portion 92a target hole
92b: opposite surface 93: side part
93a: outer circumferential wall 93b: inner circumferential wall
93c: bulkhead 93d: bulkhead
94: concave portion 95: suppression portion
10: tubular electrode 11: opening
12: outer shield 13: inner shield
14: flange 15: RF power
16: process gas introduction part 20: control part
21: matching box 100: enveloping member
101: opening 102: opposite surface
103: convex portion 104: suppression portion
105: slope 106: groove
107: conducting part

Claims (9)

A chamber capable of vacuuming the inside;
a film forming unit having a target containing a film forming material, and forming a film by depositing the film forming material on a workpiece by sputtering in the chamber;
a partition member disposed at a distance from the target, forming a film formation chamber in which film formation is performed by the film formation unit, and partitioning the film formation chamber in the chamber from the outside;
A restraining unit installed between the target and the partition member to suppress adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber.
A film forming apparatus characterized in that it has a. According to claim 1,
It is a plate-like body installed between the target and the partition member, and an enclosure member is provided that surrounds the periphery of the target by forming an opening through which the target is exposed,
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restraining portion is a portion having an increased thickness at a position of the opening along the outer circumference of the target. According to claim 1,
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restraining portion is a portion protruding in the vicinity of the target in the partition member so as to narrow a gap between the target and the partition member. According to claim 2 or 3,
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restraining portion has an inclined surface that is inclined by gradually increasing its thickness in a direction away from the target. According to claim 4,
An inclination angle of the inclined plane with respect to a plane parallel to the surface of the target is 135° to 170°. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the restraining portion has a curved surface or a surface connected at an obtuse angle. According to claim 2,
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a groove is formed in the restraining portion. According to claim 2,
A film forming apparatus comprising a conducting portion electrically connecting the enclosing member and the partition member in a region between the enclosing member and the partition member. According to claim 2 or 8,
a film processing unit installed in the chamber to process the film formed by the film forming unit;
A transport unit installed in the chamber to transport a workpiece between the film forming unit and the film processing unit.
have
A film forming apparatus characterized in that a curved ventilation path is formed in a region between the enclosing member and the partition member.

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