KR20230129601A - Apparatus for producing negative ion - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a negative ion generating device for irradiating negative ions to an object, and specifically, to a negative ion generating device having a plasma source for supplying plasma into a vacuum chamber and means for lowering the electron temperature of the plasma within the vacuum chamber. will be.

Description

Negative ion generator {APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING NEGATIVE ION}

The present invention relates to a negative ion generating device.

As a film forming device for forming a film on the surface of a film forming object, for example, a film forming device using the ion plating method is known, which diffuses evaporated particles of the film forming material into a vacuum chamber and attaches the particles of the film forming material to the surface of the film forming object. .

In the above-described conventional film formation apparatus, when a film-forming object is taken out into the air, oxygen in the air attaches to the surface of the film of the film-forming object. If oxygen attaches to the film in this way, the film quality may deteriorate.

More specifically, for example, when a ZnO film formed on a film formation object is used as a film for detecting gas in a semiconductor-type hydrogen gas sensor, oxygen in the atmosphere attaches to the surface of the ZnO film in the form of O ^{2 -} , thereby causing hydrogen There is a problem that detection response deteriorates.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an anion generating device and a film forming device that can suppress deterioration of film quality in a film forming object.

In order to solve the above problem, a negative ion generating device according to one aspect of the present invention is a negative ion generating device for irradiating negative ions to an object, including a plasma source for supplying plasma into a vacuum chamber, and a plasma source within the vacuum chamber. It may have a means to lower the electron temperature.

The means for lowering the electron temperature of the plasma in the vacuum chamber may be a control unit that controls the supply of the plasma into the vacuum chamber to be performed intermittently.

It further has a switch unit for switching between supply and cutoff of the plasma into the vacuum chamber, and the control unit can intermittently supply the plasma by switching the switch unit.

The vacuum chamber has a negative ion generation chamber that supplies plasma to the raw material of negative ions to attach electrons to the raw material, and a transfer chamber that transports the object. During negative ion generation in the negative ion generating chamber, electrons in the negative ion generating chamber are transferred to the negative ion generating chamber. A magnetic field generating coil that suppresses inflow into the transfer room may be further provided.

The magnetic field generating coil may form a sealing magnetic field within the vacuum chamber having magnetic force lines extending in a direction intersecting the direction from the negative ion generation chamber to the transfer chamber.

The plasma source may be a pressure gradient plasma gun.

According to another aspect, there is a negative ion generating device for irradiating negative ions to an object, comprising a plasma source for supplying plasma in a vacuum chamber, the plasma source being a pressure gradient plasma gun having an electrode for converging the plasma, and the electrode It may have a switching unit that switches the flow of current.

In addition, in order to solve the above problem, a film forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a film forming apparatus for forming a film forming material on a film forming object, including a vacuum chamber for storing the film forming object and performing film forming processing, and forming the film within the vacuum chamber. It is characterized by comprising a film forming part that attaches material particles to the film forming object and an anion generating part that generates negative ions in a vacuum chamber.

In the film forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, negative ions are generated in the vacuum chamber by the negative ion generating unit, so that the negative ions can be attached to the surface of the film formed on the film forming object through the film forming process. Accordingly, even if the film-forming object after the film-forming treatment is taken out into the air, anions are attached to the surface of the film formed on the film-forming object, and thus the deterioration of the film quality due to oxygen in the atmosphere adhering to the surface of the film in the film-forming object can be suppressed. . From the above, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the film quality in the film-forming object.

In the film forming device, the negative ion generating unit includes a plasma gun that generates plasma within the vacuum chamber, a raw material gas supply unit that supplies negative ion raw material gas into the vacuum chamber, and a control unit that controls the plasma gun to intermittently generate plasma. It's okay too. In this case, since plasma is generated intermittently in the vacuum chamber, when the generation of plasma in the vacuum chamber is stopped, the electron temperature of the plasma in the vacuum chamber drops rapidly, and the particles of the negative ion raw material gas supplied into the vacuum chamber It becomes easier for electrons to attach to. As a result, negative ions can be efficiently generated within the vacuum chamber. As a result, anions can be efficiently attached to the surface of the film formed on the film formation object. As a result of the above, it is possible to reliably suppress the deterioration of the film quality in the film-forming object.

In the film forming apparatus, the negative ion generating unit may further have a switching unit for switching between supply and blocking of plasma into the vacuum chamber, and the control unit may control the plasma gun to intermittently generate plasma by switching the switching unit. In this case, plasma can be easily generated intermittently simply by switching the switching unit.

In the film formation apparatus, the vacuum chamber has a transfer chamber for transporting the film formation object and a film formation chamber for diffusing the film formation material, and generates a magnetic field having a magnetic field in a direction intersecting the direction from the film formation chamber to the transfer chamber, within the film formation chamber. A magnetic field generating coil that prevents electrons from flowing into the transfer chamber may be further provided. In this case, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating coil can prevent electrons in the deposition chamber from flowing into the transfer chamber, making it possible to generate negative ions more efficiently in the deposition chamber. As a result, anions can be more efficiently attached to the surface of the film formed on the film formation object.

In the film formation apparatus, the magnetic field generating coil may be provided within the vacuum chamber between the film formation chamber and the transfer chamber. In this case, a magnetic field having magnetic force lines in a direction that suppresses electrons in the film deposition chamber from flowing into the transfer chamber can be appropriately generated.

In the film forming apparatus, the film forming unit has a plasma gun, and particles of the film forming material are attached to the film forming object by the ion plating method. The plasma gun of the film forming unit may be used concurrently with the plasma gun of the negative ion generating unit. In this case, since the plasma gun of the film forming part and the plasma gun of the negative ion generating part are used simultaneously, the negative ion generating part can be formed without significantly changing the structure originally provided in the vacuum chamber as a necessary component for film forming processing. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide an anion generating portion while suppressing the influence on film formation conditions. Additionally, the device configuration can be simplified because the plasma gun is also used.

The film forming apparatus may further include a voltage application unit that applies a positive bias voltage to the film forming object after film forming processing by the film forming unit. In this case, a positive bias voltage is applied to the film-forming object after the film-forming process by the voltage application unit. As a result, the negative ions generated in the negative ion generating unit are drawn toward the film-forming object and are irradiated to the surface of the film formed on the film-forming object. As a result, deterioration of film quality due to oxygen in the atmosphere adhering to the surface of the film of the film-forming object can be further suppressed.

In the film forming apparatus, the negative ion generating unit may intermittently generate plasma within the vacuum chamber, and the voltage applying unit may apply a positive bias voltage to the film forming object after the generation of plasma by the negative ion generating part stops. As a result, many oxygen anions are irradiated to the film-forming object. As a result, deterioration of film quality due to oxygen in the atmosphere adhering to the surface of the film of the film formation object can be further suppressed.

A film forming apparatus is provided with a vacuum load lock chamber disposed adjacent to a vacuum chamber for loading and unloading a film forming object, wherein the vacuum load lock chamber transports a film forming object after film forming processing from the vacuum chamber and carries out the brought in film forming object. The object may be taken out into the vacuum chamber after generating negative ions by the negative ion generating unit. As a result, the film-forming object is not exposed to the atmosphere and is brought into the vacuum chamber at the appropriate timing when oxygen anions are generated. As a result, oxygen anions can be appropriately irradiated to the film-forming object.

In the film forming apparatus, a support member for supporting a film formation object is provided, and a trolley wire is extended in a vacuum chamber. The support member may be provided with a power feeder that supplies power from the trolley wire. In this case, the power feeder provided on the support member supporting the film-forming object feeds power from a trolley line provided in the vacuum chamber. Accordingly, a positive voltage can be easily applied to the film-forming object through the power supply portion of the support member.

In the film forming apparatus, a tension application unit that applies tension to the trolley wire may be provided. In this case, tension is applied to the trolley line by the tension application unit. As a result, it is possible to suppress bending even when the trolley line is expanded or contracted due to heat generated within the vacuum chamber.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an anion generating device and a film forming device that can suppress deterioration of film quality in a film forming object.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram showing an operating state in a film forming processing mode.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 1, and is a diagram showing the operating state in the oxygen anion production mode.
Figure 3 is a flow chart showing a film forming method in the film forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram showing the operating state in the oxygen anion production mode.
Figure 5 is a schematic front view and a schematic side view showing the configuration of the trolley line fixed end of Figure 4.
FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the film-forming object support member of FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6.
Figure 9 is a diagram explaining the operation of the brush body guided by the brush guide.
Figure 10 is a diagram explaining the operation of the power supply terminal unit.
Figure 11 is a graph showing the time change of the flux of ions existing in the vacuum chamber.
Figure 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the presence or absence of bias voltage application and the carrier density.
Figure 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the presence or absence of bias voltage application and optical mobility.
Figure 14 is a graph showing the relationship between the presence or absence of oxygen anion irradiation and hydrogen gas sensor characteristics.

Hereinafter, a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, in the description of the drawings, like elements are given the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

(First Embodiment)

First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the configuration of the film forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 and 2 are schematic cross-sectional views showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the operating state in the film formation processing mode, and FIG. 2 shows the operating state in the oxygen anion generation mode. However, details of the film formation processing mode and oxygen anion generation mode will be described later.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an ion plating apparatus used in the so-called ion plating method. However, for convenience of explanation, Figures 1 and 2 show the XYZ coordinate system. The Y-axis direction is the direction in which the film-forming object described later is transported. The X-axis direction is a position where the film formation object and the Haas mechanism described later face each other. The Z-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction.

The film forming apparatus 1 is configured to tilt the film forming object 11 from an upright or upright state so that the plate thickness direction of the film forming object 11 is horizontal (X-axis direction in FIGS. 1 and 2), This is a so-called vertical film forming device in which a film forming object 11 is placed and transported within a vacuum chamber 10. In this case, the X-axis direction is horizontal and the plate thickness direction of the film forming object 11, the Y-axis direction is a horizontal direction, and the Z-axis direction is a vertical direction. However, the film forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a so-called horizontal film forming apparatus in which the film forming object is placed and transported in a vacuum chamber so that the sheet thickness direction of the film forming object is substantially vertical. In this case, the Z-axis and Y-axis directions are horizontal, and the X-axis direction is vertical and the plate thickness direction. Hereinafter, a vertical film forming apparatus will be described as an example.

The film forming apparatus 1 is provided with a vacuum chamber 10, a transfer mechanism 3, a film forming part 14, an anion generating part 24, and a magnetic field generating coil 30.

The vacuum chamber 10 accommodates the film forming object 11 and performs film forming processing. The vacuum chamber 10 includes a transfer chamber 10a for transporting the film-forming object 11 in which a film of the film-forming material Ma is formed, and a film-forming chamber (also called an 'anion generation chamber') for diffusing the film-forming material Ma. , 10b), and a plasma sphere 10c that accommodates the plasma P irradiated in a beam form from the plasma source 7 in the vacuum chamber 10. The transfer chamber 10a, the film deposition chamber 10b, and the plasma sphere 10c are in communication with each other. The transfer chamber 10a is set along a predetermined transfer direction (arrow A in the figure) (Y-axis). Additionally, the vacuum chamber 10 is made of a conductive material and is connected to ground potential.

The deposition chamber 10b includes a wall portion 10W, a pair of side walls along the conveyance direction (arrow A), and a pair of side walls 10h along a direction (Z-axis direction) intersecting the conveyance direction (arrow A). , 10i), and a bottom wall 10j disposed across the X-axis direction.

The transport mechanism 3 transports the film-forming object support member 16, which supports the film-forming object 11 while facing the film-forming material Ma, in the transport direction (arrow A). For example, the film-forming object support member 16 is a frame body that supports the outer peripheral edge of the film-forming object 11. The conveyance mechanism 3 is comprised of a plurality of conveyance rollers 15 installed in the conveyance chamber 10a. The conveyance rollers 15 are arranged at equal intervals along the conveyance direction (arrow A) and convey the film-forming object support member 16 in the conveyance direction (arrow A) while supporting it. However, as the film forming object 11, a plate-shaped member such as a glass substrate or a plastic substrate is used, for example.

Next, the configuration of the film forming portion 14 will be described in detail. The film forming portion 14 causes particles of the film forming material Ma to adhere to the film forming object 11 by the ion plating method. The film forming unit 14 has a plasma source 7, a steering coil 5, a Haas mechanism 2, and a ring Haas 6.

The plasma source 7 is, for example, a pressure gradient plasma gun, and its main body is connected to the film formation chamber 10b through a plasma sphere 10c provided on the side wall of the film formation chamber 10b. The plasma source 7 generates plasma P within the vacuum chamber 10. The plasma P generated in the plasma source 7 is emitted in a beam shape from the plasma sphere 10c into the film deposition chamber 10b. As a result, plasma P is generated in the film deposition chamber 10b.

One end of the plasma source 7 is blocked by the cathode 60 . A first intermediate electrode (grid) 61 and a second intermediate electrode (grid) 62 are concentrically disposed between the cathode 60 and the plasma sphere 10c. A ring-shaped permanent magnet 61a for converging the plasma P is built into the first intermediate electrode 61. An electromagnet coil 62a for converging the plasma P is also built into the second intermediate electrode 62. However, the plasma source 7 also has a function as a negative ion generating unit 24, which will be described later. This detail will be described later in the description of the negative ion generating unit 24.

The steering coil 5 is provided around the plasma sphere 10c on which the plasma source is mounted. The steering coil 5 guides the plasma P into the deposition chamber 10b. The steering coil 5 is excited by a steering coil power supply (not shown).

The Haas mechanism 2 supports the film forming material Ma. The Haas mechanism 2 is provided in the film formation chamber 10b of the vacuum chamber 10, and is arranged in the negative direction of the X-axis direction when viewed from the conveyance mechanism 3. The Haas mechanism 2 is a main anode that guides the plasma P emitted from the plasma source 7 to the film forming material Ma, or a main anode that guides the plasma P emitted from the plasma source 7. Has main hearth (17).

The main housing 17 has a cylindrical charging portion 17a filled with the film-forming material Ma extending in the positive direction of the X-axis direction, and a flange portion 17b protruding from the charging portion 17a. Since the main hearth 17 is maintained at a constant potential with respect to the ground potential of the vacuum chamber 10, it attracts the plasma P. A through hole 17c for filling the film forming material Ma is formed in the charging portion 17a of the main hearth 17 where the plasma P enters. And the tip portion of the film forming material Ma is exposed to the film forming chamber 10b at one end of the through hole 17c.

Examples of the film forming material (Ma) include transparent conductive materials such as ITO and ZnO, and insulating and sealing materials such as SiON. When the film-forming material Ma is made of an insulating material, when plasma P is irradiated to the main housing 17, the main housing 17 is heated by the current from the plasma P, and the film-forming material Ma is heated. The tip portion evaporates or sublimates, and the film-forming material particles (evaporated particles) Mb ionized by the plasma P diffuse into the film-forming chamber 10b. In addition, when the film-forming material Ma is made of a conductive material, when the plasma P is irradiated to the main hearth 17, the plasma P is directly incident on the film-forming material Ma, and the tip of the film-forming material Ma The portion is heated to evaporate or sublimate, and the film-forming material particles Mb ionized by the plasma P diffuse into the film-forming chamber 10b. The film-forming material particles Mb diffused in the film-forming chamber 10b move in the X-axis positive direction of the film-forming chamber 10b and adhere to the surface of the film-forming object 11 in the transfer chamber 10a. However, the film-forming material Ma is a solid substance molded into a cylindrical shape of a predetermined length, and a plurality of film-forming materials Ma are filled into the Haas mechanism 2 at a time. And, so that the tip portion of the film-forming material Ma on the most extreme side maintains a predetermined positional relationship with the upper end of the main hearth 17, as the film-forming material Ma is consumed, the film-forming material Ma is stored in the hearth mechanism ( It is sequentially pushed out from the negative X-axis direction of 2).

Ringhas 6 is an auxiliary anode having an electromagnet for inducing plasma (P). The ring hearth 6 is arranged around the filling portion 17a of the main hearth 17 that supports the film-forming material Ma. The ringhas 6 has an annular coil 9, an annular permanent magnet portion 20, and an annular container 12, and the coil 9 and the permanent magnet portion 20 are accommodated in the container 12. It is done. In this embodiment, the coil 9 and the permanent magnet portion 20 are installed in that order in the negative direction of the ) may be installed in the following order. The Ring Haas 6 determines the direction of the plasma P incident on the film forming material Ma or the direction of the plasma P incident on the main Haas 17, depending on the magnitude of the current flowing through the coil 9. Control.

Next, the configuration of the negative ion generating unit 24 will be described in detail. The negative ion generating unit 24 has a plasma source 7, a raw material gas supply unit 40, a control unit 50, and a circuit unit 34. However, some functions included in the control unit 50 and the circuit unit 34 also belong to the film forming unit 14 described above.

The same plasma source 7 as the plasma source 7 included in the above-described film forming unit 14 is used. That is, in this embodiment, the plasma source 7 of the film forming section 14 is used concurrently with the plasma source 7 of the negative ion generating section 24. The plasma source 7 functions as the film forming section 14 and also functions as the negative ion generating section 24. However, the film forming section 14 and the negative ion generating section 24 may have separate and different plasma sources.

The plasma source 7 intermittently generates plasma P within the film deposition chamber 10b. Specifically, the plasma source 7 is controlled to intermittently generate plasma P within the film deposition chamber 10b by the control unit 50, which will be described later. This control will be described in detail in the description of the control unit 50 described later.

The raw material gas supply unit 40 is disposed outside the vacuum chamber 10. The raw material gas supply unit 40 supplies oxygen gas, which is the raw material gas for oxygen anions, into the vacuum chamber 10 through the gas supply port 41 provided on the side wall (for example, the side wall 10h) of the film formation chamber 10b. supply. The raw material gas supply unit 40 starts supplying oxygen gas, for example, when switching from the film formation processing mode to the oxygen anion generation mode. Additionally, the raw material gas supply unit 40 may continue to supply oxygen gas in both the film forming process mode and the oxygen anion generation mode.

The position of the gas supply port 41 is preferably near the boundary between the film formation chamber 10b and the transfer chamber 10a. In this case, oxygen gas from the raw material gas supply unit 40 can be supplied near the boundary between the film formation chamber 10b and the transfer chamber 10a, so that oxygen anions, which will be described later, are generated near the boundary. Therefore, the generated oxygen anions can be suitably attached to the film-forming object 11 in the transfer chamber 10a. However, the position of the gas supply port 41 is not limited to the vicinity of the boundary between the deposition chamber 10b and the transfer chamber 10a.

The control unit 50 is disposed outside the vacuum chamber 10. The control unit 50 switches the switching unit included in the circuit unit 34. The switching of the switching unit by this control unit 50 will be described in detail below along with the explanation of the circuit unit 34.

The circuit unit 34 has a variable power source 80, a first wiring 71, a second wiring 72, resistors R1 to R4, and short-circuit switches SW1 and SW2.

The variable power source 80 applies a negative voltage to the cathode 60 of the plasma source 7 and a positive voltage to the main housing 17 of the housing mechanism 2 across the vacuum chamber 10 at ground potential. Authorize. Thereby, the variable power source 80 generates a potential difference between the cathode 60 of the plasma source 7 and the main hearth 17 of the hearth mechanism 2.

The first wiring 71 electrically connects the cathode 60 of the plasma source 7 to the negative potential side of the variable power source 80. The second wiring 72 electrically connects the main housing 17 (anode) of the housing mechanism 2 with the constant potential side of the variable power source 80.

One end of the resistor R1 is electrically connected to the first intermediate electrode 61 of the plasma source 7, and the other end is electrically connected to the variable power source 80 through the second wiring 72. there is. That is, the resistor R1 is connected in series between the first intermediate electrode 61 and the variable power source 80.

One end of the resistor R2 is electrically connected to the second intermediate electrode 62 of the plasma source 7, and the other end is electrically connected to the variable power source 80 through the second wiring 72. there is. That is, the resistor R2 is connected in series between the second intermediate electrode 62 and the variable power source 80.

One end of the resistor R3 is electrically connected to the wall portion 10W of the film deposition chamber 10b, and the other end is electrically connected to the variable power source 80 through the second wiring 72. That is, the resistor R3 is connected in series between the wall portion 10W of the film deposition chamber 10b and the variable power source 80.

One end of the resistor R4 is electrically connected to the ring housing 6, and the other end is electrically connected to the variable power source 80 through the second wiring 72. That is, the resistor R4 is connected in series between the Ringhas 6 and the variable power supply 80.

The short-circuit switches SW1 and SW2 are switching units that are switched to the ON/OFF state by receiving command signals from the above-described control unit 50, respectively.

The short circuit switch SW1 is connected in parallel to the resistor R2. The ON/OFF state of the short-circuit switch SW1 is switched by the control unit 50 depending on whether it is in the film formation processing mode or the oxygen anion mode. The short circuit switch SW1 is in the OFF state in the film forming process mode. Accordingly, in the film formation processing mode, the second intermediate electrode 62 and the variable power source 80 are electrically connected to each other through the resistor R2, so there is a gap between the second intermediate electrode 62 and the variable power source 80. It is difficult for current to flow. As a result, the plasma P from the plasma source 7 is emitted into the vacuum chamber 10 and enters the film forming material Ma (see Fig. 1).

Meanwhile, the short circuit switch (SW1) is turned ON/OFF by the control unit 50 in order to intermittently generate plasma (P) from the plasma source 7 within the vacuum chamber 10 in the oxygen anion generation mode. The state switches at predetermined intervals. When the short-circuiting switch (SW1) is switched to the ON state, the electrical connection between the second intermediate electrode 62 and the variable power source 80 is short-circuited, so that the electrical connection between the second intermediate electrode 62 and the variable power source 80 is short-circuited. Current flows in That is, a short-circuit current flows through the plasma source 7. As a result, the plasma P from the plasma source 7 is not emitted into the vacuum chamber 10.

When the short circuit switch (SW1) is switched to the OFF state, the second intermediate electrode 62 and the variable power source 80 are electrically connected to each other through the resistor R2, so the second intermediate electrode 62 and the variable power source 80 ), it is difficult for current to flow between them. As a result, plasma P from the plasma source 7 is emitted into the vacuum chamber 10. In this way, the ON/OFF state of the short-circuit switch SW1 is switched at predetermined intervals by the control unit 50, so that the plasma P from the plasma source 7 is intermittently generated within the vacuum chamber 10. That is, the short circuit switch SW1 is a switching unit that switches between supplying and blocking the plasma P into the vacuum chamber 10.

The short circuit switch SW2 is connected in parallel to the resistor R4. The ON/OFF state of the short-circuiting switch SW2 is switched by the control unit 50 depending on whether it is in the standby mode, which is a state before transport of the film forming object 11 before entering the film forming process mode, or in the film forming process mode, for example. The short circuit switch (SW2) is in the ON state in standby mode. As a result, the electrical connection between the ring hearth 6 and the variable power source 80 is short-circuited, making it easier to send current to the ring hearth 6 than the main hearth 17, resulting in unnecessary consumption of the film forming material Ma. can be prevented.

Meanwhile, the short circuit switch SW2 is in the OFF state in the film formation process mode. As a result, the Ring Haas 6 and the variable power supply 80 are electrically connected through the resistor R4, making it easier to send current to the main Haas 17 than through the Ring Haas 6, thereby preventing the emission of plasma P. The direction can be appropriately directed to the film forming material Ma. However, the short-circuit switch (SW2) may be in either the ON or OFF state in the oxygen anion production mode.

The magnetic field generating coil 30 is within the vacuum chamber 10 and is provided between the film deposition chamber 10b and the transfer chamber 10a. The magnetic field generating coil 30 is disposed between the Haas mechanism 2 and the conveyance mechanism 3, for example. More specifically, the magnetic field generating coil 30 is located between the end of the film deposition chamber 10b on the transfer chamber 10a side and the end of the transfer chamber 10a on the film deposition chamber 10b side. The magnetic field generating coil 30 has a pair of coils 30a and 30b facing each other. Each coil 30a, 30b faces each other, for example, in a direction crossing the direction from the deposition chamber 10b to the transfer chamber 10a (the direction from the Haas mechanism 2 to the transfer mechanism 3). there is.

The magnetic field generating coil 30 is not excited in the film forming process mode, but is excited by a power supply (not shown) for the magnetic field generating coil 30 in the oxygen anion generation mode. Here, the film forming process mode is a mode in which film forming processing is performed on the film forming object 11 within the vacuum chamber 10. The oxygen anion generation mode is a mode in which oxygen anions are generated to adhere to the surface of a film formed on the film formation object 11 within the vacuum chamber 10. By being excited in the oxygen anion generation mode, the magnetic field generating coil 30 intersects the direction from the film formation chamber 10b to the transfer chamber 10a (the direction from the Haas mechanism 2 to the transfer mechanism 3). A sealing magnetic field M having magnetic force lines extending in this direction is formed in the vacuum chamber 10 (see FIG. 2). The magnetic field generating coil 30 generates such a sealing magnetic field M, thereby suppressing electrons in the film deposition chamber 10b from flowing into the transfer chamber 10a. The magnetic force lines of the sealing magnetic field M may, for example, have a portion extending in a direction substantially parallel to the transport direction (arrow A) of the film-forming object 11. However, switching of the ON/OFF state of the power supply for the magnetic field generating coil 30 may be controlled by the control unit 50, which will be described later. The magnetic field generating coil 30 is covered with a case 31 to prevent the film forming material Ma from being deposited. However, the magnetic field generating coil 30 does not need to be covered with the case 31.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the film forming method in the film forming apparatus 1 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the film forming method in the film forming apparatus 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, in the film forming apparatus 1, when the control unit 50 switches to the film forming processing mode, a film of the film forming material Ma is formed on the film forming object 11 (S1: film forming process). . At this time, the short circuit switch (SW1) is turned OFF by the control unit 50. Additionally, in the film formation processing mode, the steering coil 5 is excited, while the magnetic field generating coil 30 is not excited. As a result, plasma P is generated within the deposition chamber 10b by the plasma source 7, and the plasma P is irradiated to the main hearth 17 (see FIG. 1). As a result, the film-forming material Ma in the main hearth 17 is ionized by the plasma P to form film-forming material particles Mb, which diffuse into the film-forming chamber 10b and form a film in the transfer chamber 10a. It is attached to the surface of the object 11. In this way, a film of the film forming material Ma is formed on the film forming object 11, and the film forming process S1 is completed.

Subsequently, the film forming apparatus 1 generates oxygen anions in the oxygen anion mode (S2: oxygen anion generation process). Hereinafter, the oxygen anion generation process S2 will be described in detail. First, oxygen gas is supplied into the film formation chamber 10b by the raw material gas supply unit 40 (S21: raw material gas supply process).

Subsequently, the control unit 50 controls the plasma source 7 to intermittently generate plasma P from the plasma source 7 within the film formation chamber 10b (S22: plasma generation process). For example, by switching the ON/OFF state of the short circuit switch SW1 at predetermined intervals by the control unit 50, the plasma P from the plasma source 7 is intermittently generated within the film deposition chamber 10b. do.

When the short circuit switch SW1 is in the ON state, the plasma P from the plasma source 7 is not emitted into the deposition chamber 10b, so the electron temperature of the plasma P in the deposition chamber 10b decreases rapidly. For this reason, electrons of the plasma P tend to attach to the particles of the oxygen gas supplied into the film formation chamber 10b in the above-described raw material gas supply process S21. As a result, oxygen anions are efficiently generated within the film deposition chamber 10b.

Subsequently, a sealing magnetic field M is formed within the vacuum chamber 10 by the control unit 50 (S23: sealing magnetic field forming process). For example, when the magnetic field generating coil 30 is excited, a sealing magnetic field M is formed to be interposed between the film deposition chamber 10b and the transfer chamber 10a within the vacuum chamber 10 (see Fig. 2). . The sealing magnetic field M has magnetic force lines extending in a direction intersecting the direction from the film deposition chamber 10b to the transfer chamber 10a (the direction from the Haas mechanism 2 to the transfer mechanism 3).

The electrons of the plasma P in the film deposition chamber 10b generated in the above-described plasma generation step S22 are blocked by the magnetic force lines of the sealing magnetic field M formed in the sealing magnetic field forming step S23, thereby forming the transfer chamber 10a. Inflow into the system is suppressed. As a result, electrons of the plasma P are easily attached to the oxygen gas particles in the film formation chamber 10b, and oxygen anions can be generated more efficiently. Then, the oxygen anions generated in the plasma generation process S22 move in the X-axis positive direction of the film formation chamber 10b and adhere to the surface of the film formed on the film formation object 11 by the film formation process in the transfer chamber 10a. . However, by applying a positive bias voltage to the film-forming object 11, oxygen anions may be more actively attached to the surface of the film formed on the film-forming object 11. As described above, when the oxygen anion generation process S2 is completed, the film forming method shown in FIG. 3 is completed.

As described above, according to the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, oxygen anions are generated in the vacuum chamber 10 by the anion generating unit 24, and thus the oxygen anions are applied to the film forming object 11 through the film forming process. It can be attached to the surface of the formed film. Accordingly, even if the film-forming object 11 after film-forming treatment is taken out into the air, oxygen anions are attached to the surface of the film formed on the film-forming object 11, so oxygen in the atmosphere does not adhere to the surface of the film in the film-forming object 11. Deterioration of membrane quality due to this can be suppressed. From the above, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the film quality of the film forming object 11.

According to the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the plasma P is generated intermittently in the vacuum chamber 10, so when the generation of the plasma P in the vacuum chamber 10 is stopped, the vacuum chamber 10 ), the electron temperature of the plasma P in the plasma P decreases rapidly, making it easy for electrons to attach to particles of the oxygen gas supplied into the vacuum chamber 10. As a result, oxygen anions can be efficiently generated within the vacuum chamber 10. As a result, anions can be efficiently attached to the surface of the film formed on the film forming object 11. As a result of the above, the deterioration of the film quality of the film forming object 11 can be reliably suppressed.

According to the film forming device 1, the plasma P can be easily generated intermittently simply by switching the short circuit switch SW1. For example, when the plasma source 7 is a pressure gradient type plasma gun, it is difficult to directly stop the generation of plasma P, but according to the film forming device 1 according to this embodiment, the short-circuiting switch SW1 can be switched. This is suitable because the generation of plasma (P) can be easily stopped just by doing this.

According to the film deposition device 1, electrons in the film deposition chamber 10b can be suppressed from flowing into the transfer chamber 10a by the magnetic force lines of the sealing magnetic field M generated by the magnetic field generating coil 30. It becomes possible to generate negative ions more efficiently within the deposition chamber 10b. As a result, anions can be more efficiently attached to the surface of the film formed on the film formation object.

According to the film deposition apparatus 1, since the magnetic field generating coil 30 is provided between the film deposition chamber 10b and the transfer chamber 10a, electrons in the film deposition chamber 10b are prevented from flowing into the transfer chamber 10a. A sealing magnetic field M having magnetic force lines in a suppressing direction can be appropriately generated.

According to the film forming apparatus 1, since the plasma source 7 of the film forming part 14 and the plasma source 7 of the ion generating part 24 are used simultaneously, the vacuum chamber 10 is a necessary configuration for the film forming process. The anion generating unit 24 can be constructed without significantly changing the structure originally provided therein. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide the anion generating section 24 while suppressing the influence on film formation conditions. Additionally, since the plasma source 7 is also used, the device configuration can be simplified.

(Second Embodiment)

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the configuration of the film forming apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The film forming apparatus 1A has the same elements and structures as the film forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. For this reason, the same elements or structures as those of the film forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, detailed descriptions are omitted, and parts different from those of the first embodiment are explained.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, and is a diagram showing the operating state in the oxygen anion production mode. However, compared to FIG. 4, the figure showing the operating state in the film forming processing mode of the film forming apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment shows that the short circuit switch SW1 is in the OFF state and the film forming material particles Mb are in the film forming state. Since it differs only in the point where it is spread within the thread 10b and other points are the same, the illustration is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the film forming apparatus 1A of the present embodiment, the film forming object 11 is placed in a vacuum chamber so that the plate thickness direction of the film forming object 11 is approximately vertical (Z-axis direction in FIG. 4). (10) It is a so-called horizontal film forming device that is placed and transported within. However, the film forming apparatus according to the present embodiment may be the so-called vertical film forming apparatus described above. Hereinafter, a horizontal film forming apparatus will be described as an example.

The film forming apparatus 1A, like the film forming apparatus 1, is provided with a vacuum chamber 10, a transfer mechanism 3, a film forming unit 14, and an anion generating unit 24. On the other hand, unlike the film forming apparatus 1, the film forming apparatus 1A does not include the magnetic field generating coil 30 and its case 31.

Additionally, in the film forming apparatus 1A, the transport direction of the film forming object 11 is not unidirectional but bidirectional (arrow B in the figure), and a film forming object support member 16 is used instead of the film forming object supporting member 16 to support the film forming object 11. , and a film-forming object support member 16A (support member) that supports the film-forming object 11. That is, in this embodiment, the transport mechanism 3 transports the film-forming object support member 16A in the transport direction (arrow B). The film-forming object support member 16A is, for example, a tray that supports and transports the film-forming object 11 in a state in which the film-forming surface of the film-forming object 11 is exposed. However, the detailed configuration of the film forming object support member 16A will be described later.

In addition, the film forming apparatus 1A includes a bias circuit portion 35 for applying a positive bias voltage to the film forming object 11 after film forming, a trolley line 18 provided in the vacuum chamber 10, and a trolley line 18. It differs from the film forming apparatus 1 in that it is provided with a tension application unit 25 that applies tension and a load lock chamber 26 (vacuum load lock chamber) disposed adjacent to the vacuum chamber 10. However, in the first embodiment, the illustration and description of the load lock chamber 26 are omitted, but the film forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment may be provided with the load lock chamber 26. Additionally, in the film forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the transport direction of the film forming object 11 may be bidirectional rather than unidirectional.

The bias circuit unit 35 includes a bias power source 27 (voltage application unit) that applies a positive bias voltage (hereinafter, simply referred to as “bias voltage”) to the film forming object 11, a bias power source 27, and a trolley wire. It has a third wiring 73 that electrically connects (18), and a short-circuit switch (SW3) provided on the third wiring 73. The bias power supply 27 applies a voltage signal (periodic electrical signal), which is a square wave that increases and decreases periodically, as a bias voltage. The bias power supply 27 is configured so that the frequency of the applied bias voltage can be changed under control of the control unit 50. The third wiring 73 has one end connected to the positive potential side of the bias power supply 27 and the other end connected to the pulley 25b of the tension applying portion 25. Accordingly, the third wiring 73 electrically connects the trolley wire 18 and the bias power source 27 through the pulley 25b.

The short-circuit switch SW3 is connected in series between the pulley 25b and the positive potential side of the bias power supply 27 by the third wiring 73. The short-circuit switch SW3 is a switching unit that switches whether or not a bias voltage is applied to the trolley wire 18. The ON/OFF state of the short-circuit switch SW3 is switched by the control unit 50. The short circuit switch SW3 is turned ON at a predetermined timing in the oxygen anion production mode. When the short circuit switch (SW3) is turned ON, the positive potential side of the trolley wire (18) and the bias power supply (27) are electrically connected to each other, and a bias voltage is applied to the trolley wire (18).

On the other hand, the short circuit switch SW3 is turned OFF at a predetermined timing in the film forming process mode and the oxygen anion generation mode. When the short circuit switch (SW3) is in the OFF state, the trolley wire (18) and the bias power supply (27) are electrically disconnected from each other, and the bias voltage is not applied to the trolley wire (18). However, details of the timing for applying the bias voltage will be described later.

The trolley line 18 is an overhead line that supplies power to the film forming object support member 16A. The trolley line 18 is connected to the power feed brush 42, which will be described later, provided on the film-forming object support member 16A, and supplies power to the film-forming object support member 16A through the power feed brush 42. The trolley line 18 is made of, for example, stainless steel wire.

The trolley line 18 is provided extended in the transfer direction (arrow B) within the transfer chamber 10a. One end of the trolley line 18 is fixed to the upper inner wall 10d in the transfer chamber 10a by a trolley line fixing portion 28. On the other end of the trolley line 18, a tensioning portion 25 is provided. However, the detailed configuration of the trolley line fixing unit 28 will be described later.

The tension applying portion 25 includes a pulley support portion 25a fixed to the lower end inner wall 10e in the transfer chamber 10a, a pulley 25b supported on the pulley support portion 25a, and a trolley wire 18. It has a weight member 25c connected to the other end of . The pulley support portion 25a extends from the lower end inner wall 10e of the transfer chamber 10a toward the upper end inner wall 10d and is connected to the axis of the pulley 25b. The pulley 25b supports the trolley line 18 and changes the direction of the trolley line 18 extending in the conveyance direction (arrow B) to the Z-axis direction. The weight member 25c has a predetermined weight, and pulls the trolley line 18 in the Z-axis direction by its weight. As a result, tension is applied to the trolley line 18, so that even when the trolley line 18 is expanded or contracted due to heat or the like, the trolley line 18 is prevented from bending.

The load lock chamber 26 is connected to one end of the conveyance chamber 10a in the conveyance direction (arrow B) through an openable gate 29. However, the load lock chamber 26 is not limited to one end of the transfer chamber 10a, and may be connected to the other end, or may be connected to both the one end and the other end. The vacuum state of the load lock chamber 26 is controlled independently of the transfer chamber 10a and the film deposition chamber 10b. The load lock chamber 26 carries in and out the film forming object 11 between the transfer chamber 10a and the transfer chamber 10a through the gate 29.

The load lock chamber 26 loads the film-forming object 11 after film-forming processing by the film-forming unit 14 from the transfer chamber 10a of the vacuum chamber 10. As a result, the film-forming object 11 after the film-forming process is accommodated in the load-lock chamber 26. Within the load lock chamber 26, the power supply terminal portion 51 (see FIGS. 6 and 8) of the film forming object support member 16A, which will be described later, is operated. For example, the power supply terminal portion 51 is operated to contact the back surface (the surface on the side to be film-formed) of the film-forming object 11. By this operation, a bias voltage can be applied to the back side of the film forming object 11 through the power supply terminal portion 51.

In addition, the load lock chamber 26 stores the film deposition object 11 in the transfer chamber when the above-mentioned operation of the power supply terminal portion 51 is performed within the load lock chamber 26 and a bias voltage can be applied to the back side of the film formation object 11. Export to (10a). For example, the load lock chamber 26 transports the loaded film-forming object 11 to the transfer chamber 10a of the vacuum chamber 10 after generating negative ions by the negative ion generating unit 24.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the detailed configuration of the trolley line fixing unit 28 will be described. Figure 5(a) is a schematic front view of the trolley line fixing part 28, and Figure 5(b) is a schematic side view of the trolley line fixing part 28. As shown in Figures 5 (a) and (b), the trolley line fixing part 28 includes a mounting member 32 mounted on a surrounding structure (here, the upper inner wall 10d), and a trolley line 18. It has a fixing part 33 for fixing and a brush guide part 37 for guiding the power feeding brush 42 (see FIGS. 7 and 9) to the trolley line 18.

The mounting member 32 is a bracket made of, for example, a U-shaped plate-shaped member. The mounting member 32 includes an upper end fixing part 32a fixed to the upper end inner wall 10d (see FIG. 4) in the transfer chamber 10a with a bolt 32f or the like, and a Z from the upper end fixing part 32a. It has an extension portion 32b extending in the axial direction, and a seating surface portion 32c provided at the distal end of the extension portion 32b in the Z-axis direction.

The fixing portion 33 includes a screw support portion 33a provided at an end of the mounting member 32 in the negative direction of the Z-axis direction, a mounting screw 33b protruding from the screw support portion 33a, and a mounting screw. It has a crimp terminal (33c) mounted on (33b). The screw support portion 33a is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped metal block. The screw support portion 33a is fixed to the extended portion 32b of the mounting member 32 via an insulating member 33g such as porcelain or glass, with a bolt 33f or the like. The screw support portion 33a is provided to protrude from the extension portion 32b in the Y-axis positive direction. The mounting screw 33b protrudes in the X-axis positive direction from the side surface of the screw support portion 33a. The crimp terminal 33c is fixed to the mounting screw 33b with a nut 33e or the like. One end of the trolley wire 18 is connected to the crimp terminal 33c.

The guide portion 37 for the brush has an extension portion 37a extending in the X-axis positive direction from the seating surface portion 32c of the mounting member 32, and a mountain-shaped guide portion 37b bent in the Z-axis positive direction. there is. The extension portion 37a is formed integrally with the seating surface portion 32c of the mounting member 32, and protrudes in the X-axis positive direction from the mounting screw 33b of the fixing portion 33.

The guide portion 37b has a mountain-shaped edge 37e that rises in the Z-axis direction when viewed from the X-axis direction. The guide portion 37b is widest at a portion located approximately at the center in the Y-axis direction, and this wide portion corresponds to the position of the crimp terminal 33c of the fixing portion 33. The guide portion 37b guides the feed brush 42 of the film-forming object support member 16A, which has been taken out from the load lock chamber 26 and brought into the transfer chamber 10a, so that it is placed on the trolley line 18. It has a function (see Figure 9).

Next, referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, the detailed configuration of the film-forming object support member 16A will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the film-forming object support member 16A of FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6. 6 to 8 illustrate a rectangular plate-shaped film forming object 11. In FIG. 6, the back surface 11b (the surface on the film-forming side) of the film-forming object 11 is the surface inside the paper, and the surface 11a of the film-forming object 11 is the front surface of the paper.

As shown in FIG. 6, the film-forming object support member 16A has a tray 63 and a holder 66 for placing and transporting the film-forming object 11. The tray 63 and the holder 66 are formed of, for example, a conductive metal material such as stainless steel.

The tray 63 is a frame-shaped container on which the holder 66 on which the film-forming object 11 is supported is placed. The tray 63 has a base 64 on which the holder 66 is placed, and an edge 65 that rises corresponding to the outer diameter of the holder 66. The pedestal portion 64 protrudes from the inner side surface 65a of the edge portion 65 and supports the back surface (the inner surface in the drawing of FIG. 6) of the holder 66. The pedestal portion 64 has an opening 64c whose outer diameter corresponds to the film forming object 11 at its central portion.

The holder 66 is a frame-shaped support portion that supports the film forming object 11. The holder 66 includes a holder main body 67, a plurality of claw parts 68 provided on the back surface 67b of the holder main body 67 (the inner surface of the drawing in FIG. 6), and a holder main body 67. ) has a mounting portion 69 provided through an insulating insulator 70 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) on the back side 67b, and a cover 75 for preventing contamination of the insulating insulator 70. there is.

The holder main body 67 is plate-shaped with a substantially rectangular outer shape, and has an opening 67c in the center corresponding to the outer shape of the film-forming object 11. Additionally, the holder main body portion 67 has a substantially Y-shaped opening portion 67d at a position corresponding to the power feed terminal portion 51, which will be described later.

In addition, the holder main body portion 67 is provided with a power feed brush 42 and a power feed terminal portion 51 as power feeding portions that feed power from the trolley wire 18. The power feeding brush 42 and the power feeding terminal portion 51 are formed of a conductive material. However, details of the function and configuration of the power feeding brush 42 and the power feeding terminal portion 51 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

In this embodiment, when viewed from the top, two power feed brushes 42 and two power feed terminal portions 51 are provided at point-symmetrical positions. As a result, even when the film-forming object 11 is transported with the holder 66 rotated 180 degrees, it is possible to feed power from the trolley wire 18 to the power feed brush 42 and the power feed terminal portion 51. In addition, since the film-forming object 11 can be positioned at a position where it can be contacted with any one of the two power supply terminal parts 51 that are deviated so as to be point symmetrical, the film-forming object 11 on the holder 66 The degree of freedom in size and position can be improved.

The claw portion 68 protrudes inward from the opening portion 67c in plan view, and has an exposed portion that does not overlap the holder main body portion 67. The claw portion 68 supports the back surface 11b of the film-forming object 11 in this exposed portion. However, the portion of the back surface 11b of the film forming object 11 supported by the claw portions 68 remains in an unformed state even after the film forming process because the claw portions 68 overlap. That is, the claw portion 68 and the back surface 11b of the film-forming object 11 are in an insulated state, and even when a bias voltage is applied to the holder body portion 67, the film-forming object is separated from the claw portion 68. Power is not supplied to the back side (11b) of (11).

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the mounting portion 69 is mounted on the pedestal portion 64 of the tray 63 . The mounting portion 69 is fixed to the rear surface 67b side of the holder main body portion 67 using bolts 69f or the like. The mounting portion 69 is fixed away from the back surface 67b of the holder main body 67 and is in non-contact with the back surface 67b of the holder main body 67.

An insulating insulator 70 is provided between the mounting portion 69 and the bolt 69f, and the mounting portion 69 is electrically insulated from the holder main body portion 67. The insulating insulator 70 is formed of an insulating material such as porcelain or glass, for example. The placement portion 69, which is electrically insulated from the holder body portion 67, is interposed between the holder body portion 67 and the tray 63, so that the tray 63 is electrically connected to the holder body portion 67. It is insulated. Accordingly, even when a bias voltage is applied to the holder body portion 67, the tray 63 remains electrically insulated.

The cover 75 protects the insulating insulator 70 so that a conductive film does not adhere to the insulating insulator 70 during film formation. The cover 75 includes a barrel member 75a and a disk member 75b. The cylinder member 75a is in non-contact with the back surface 67b of the holder main body 67, and is provided with an insulating insulator 70 between the back surface 67b of the holder main body 67 and the mounting part 69. ) surrounds the area. The disc member 75b is provided at the lower end (end in the Z-axis direction) of the insulating insulator 70 and covers the entire lower end. In this way, the insulating insulator 70 is protected by the cover 75, and as a result, it is possible to suppress the insulation deterioration of the insulating insulator 70.

Next, the configuration of the power feed brush 42 and the power feed terminal portion 51 will be described in detail.

The power feeding brush 42 feeds power from the trolley wire 18 to the holder main body 67 by contacting the trolley wire 18 to which a bias voltage is applied. That is, the power feeding brush 42 has the function of applying a bias voltage from the trolley wire 18 to the holder main body 67. Also, as described above, even when a bias voltage is applied to the holder body portion 67, power is not supplied from the claw portion 68 to the back surface 11b of the film forming object 11. Accordingly, the power supply terminal portion 51 feeds power from the holder body portion 67 to the back surface 11b of the film-forming object 11 by contacting the rear surface 11b of the film-forming object 11. That is, the power supply terminal portion 51 has a function of applying a bias voltage from the holder body portion 67 to the back surface 11b of the film forming object 11. Hereinafter, each configuration of the power feeding brush 42 and the power feeding terminal portion 51 will be described in more detail.

First, with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, and 9, the power feeding brush 42 will be described. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the power feeding brush 42 includes a plate-shaped brush body 43, a brush shaft portion 44 supporting the brush body 43, and an axis supporting the brush shaft portion 44. It has a support portion (45) and a brush fixing portion (46) that secures the shaft support portion (45) to the surface (67a) of the holder body portion (67).

The brush body 43 has a substantially rectangular shape, and its plate thickness direction is along the Y-axis direction. The brush body 43 has a free end at one end in the longitudinal direction, and a circular base end 43d formed at the other end in the longitudinal direction. The base end portion 43d is rotatably supported on the brush shaft portion 44 extending along the Y-axis direction through a joint not shown. That is, the brush body 43 is rotatable about the brush shaft portion 44, and when the brush body 43 is extended along the X-axis direction, the free end of the brush body 43 is located along the Z-axis. It is possible to move in the direction along the direction (arrow C in FIG. 7). The edge 43e of the brush body 43 is placed on the trolley line 18 extending along the Y-axis direction. As a result, the brush body 43 comes into contact with the trolley line 18. As a result, power is supplied from the trolley line 18 to the holder main body 67 through the brush body 43.

The brush body 43 is guided to be placed on the trolley ship 18 by the brush guide portion 37. FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining the operation of the brush body 43 guided by the brush guide portion 37. As shown in FIG. 9, when transporting the film-forming object support member 16A, the brush body 43 is on the guide portion 37b of the brush guide portion 37 along the Y-axis direction, which is the conveyance direction. Move . At this time, the edge 43e of the brush body 43 and the edge 37e of the guide portion 37b are in contact with each other. As a result, the brush body 43 moves along the Y-axis direction so as to exceed the crimp terminal 33d, and is placed on the trolley line 18 connected to the crimp terminal 33d, so that the brush body 43 moves along the trolley line. Contact (18).

Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7, the brush shaft portion 44 extends in the Y-axis direction, and one end and the other end thereof are fixed to the shaft support portion 45. The shaft support portion 45 is located at one end and the other end of the brush shaft portion 44. The axial support portion 45 is a substantially L-shaped plate member and has a side portion 45a extending along the Z-axis direction and a bottom surface portion 45b extending along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The side surface portion 45a is fixed to the brush shaft portion 44, and the bottom surface portion 45b is fixed to the brush fixing portion 46.

The brush fixing portion 46 is disposed between the shaft support portion 45 and the holder body portion 67. The brush fixing portion 46 is a substantially L-shaped plate member and has a side portion 46a extending along the Z-axis direction and a bottom surface portion 46b extending along the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The side portion 46a can support the edge 43e of the brush body 43 to prevent the brush body 43 from rotating in the Z-axis direction relative to the holder body portion 67. The bottom surface portion 46b is fixed to the bottom surface portion 45b of the shaft support portion 45 and the surface 67a of the holder main body portion 67.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 and 10, the power supply terminal portion 51 will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram explaining the operation of the power supply terminal portion 51. FIG. 10(a) is an enlarged view showing the power supply terminal portion 51 of FIG. 6, and FIG. 10(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line b-b of FIG. 10(a).

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 , the power supply terminal portion 51 includes a lead terminal 52 that can be brought into contact with the back surface 11b of the film forming object 11, and a lead shaft portion 56 that supports the lead terminal 52. It has a shaft support portion 57 that supports the lead shaft portion 56, and a rotation regulating portion 58 that regulates the rotation of the lead terminal 52.

The lead terminal 52 is rotatably supported on a lead shaft portion 56 extending along the Y-axis direction through a joint not shown. That is, the lead terminal 52 is rotatable about the lead shaft portion 56.

The lead terminal 52 is formed by bending a plate-shaped member, and includes an abutting portion 53 that abuts the rotation regulating portion 58 and a bent portion 54 bent in a V shape from the abutting portion 53. And, the bent portion 54 has a tip protrusion 55 bent from the bent portion 54 toward the opposite direction from the bent direction.

The back surface 53b of the abutting portion 53 is supported by the rotation regulating portion 58 by abutting against the surface 58a of the rotation regulating portion 58. As a result, the rotation of the lead terminal 52 with the lead shaft portion 56 as the center of rotation is regulated. A weight member 53c is joined to the surface 53a of the abutting portion 53.

The bent portion 54 is formed from the abutting portion 53 in a state in which the abutting portion 53 is supported by the rotation regulating portion 58, that is, in a state in which the abutting portion 53 is extended along the X-axis direction. It is bent in the Z-axis direction. The bent portion 54 extends to form an obtuse angle with respect to the abutting portion 53 . The tip protrusion 55 is positioned at It is bent in the axial direction. The tip protrusion 55 extends toward the back surface 11b of the film-forming object 11 at a substantially right angle to the bent portion 54. The tip protrusion 55 can be brought into contact with the back surface 11b of the film-forming object 11 by rotation of the lead terminal 52.

The lead shaft portion 56 extends in the Y-axis direction, and one end and the other end thereof are fixed to the shaft support portion 57. The shaft support portion 57 is located at one end and the other end of the lead shaft portion 56. The axial support portion 57 is a substantially L-shaped plate member and has a side portion 57a extending along the Z-axis direction and a bottom surface portion 57b extending along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The side portion 57a hangs from the opening 67d of the holder body 67 toward the back surface 67b of the holder body 67, and is fixed to the lead shaft portion 56. The bottom surface portion 57b is fixed to the surface 67a of the holder body portion 67.

The rotation regulating portion 58 is a substantially rectangular plate-shaped member and is provided on the back surface 67b of the holder main body portion 67. The rotation regulating portion 58 is rotatably supported along the back surface 67b of the holder main body portion 67 by bolts 58f or the like.

Specifically, the rotation regulating portion 58 is rotatable in the direction of arrow E shown in Figure 10 (a) from a position supporting the lead terminal 52 indicated by a solid line, and is moved to a position indicated by a two-dot chain line. It is possible to move. When the rotation regulating portion 58 rotates in the direction of arrow E shown in (a) of FIG. 10 , the surface 58a of the rotation regulating portion 58 stops contacting the back surface 53b of the abutting portion 53. . As a result, the rotation regulation of the lead terminal 52 by the rotation regulation unit 58 is released, and the lead terminal 52 moves in the direction of arrow D shown in FIG. 10(b) due to the weight of the weight member 53c, etc. It rotates. Then, the lead terminal 52 moves from the position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line, and the tip protrusion 55 of the lead terminal 52 contacts the back surface 11b of the film forming object 11. As a result, electric power is fed from the holder main body 67 to the back surface 11b of the film-forming object 11 through the tip protrusion 55.

Additionally, the rotation regulating unit 58 is provided with an operating unit 58d for manipulating the above-described rotational movement. The operating portion 58d is made of, for example, a bolt or the like, and penetrates from the rear surface 58b side of the rotation regulating portion 58 toward the surface 58a and protrudes on the surface 58a. As described above, the operation of the power supply terminal portion 51 is performed at the timing when the film-forming object support member 16A is brought into the load lock chamber 26. That is, the operation portion 58d of the power supply terminal portion 51 is operated within the load lock chamber 26, so that the power supply terminal portion 51 comes into contact with the back surface 11b of the film forming object 11. The operating unit 58d is operated by, for example, an actuator (not shown) that operates when a predetermined operating condition is established. However, the operation of the operation unit 58d is not limited to operation using an actuator, etc., and any other operation method may be used, including manual operation.

Next, with reference to FIG. 11, the appropriate timing for applying the bias voltage to the film forming object 11 will be described. However, the timing for applying the bias voltage to the film-forming object 11 is not limited to the timing described below, and the bias voltage may be applied at any timing in the negative ion generation mode, for example.

FIG. 11 is a graph showing time changes in the flux of ions existing in the vacuum chamber 10. The horizontal axis of FIG. 11 represents the processing time [sec] in the oxygen anion production mode, and the vertical axis of FIG. 11 represents the flux strength of ions in the vacuum chamber 10 [a. u.]. Graph G1 is a graph showing the time change of the flux of argon cations, graph G2 is a graph showing the time change of the flux of oxygen cations, and graph G3 is a graph showing the time change of the flux of oxygen anions. Moreover, in FIG. 11, period T1 represents a period in which the generation of plasma P is being performed, and period T2 represents a period in which the generation of plasma P is stopped. That is, FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the timing of generating the plasma P and the ions present in the vacuum chamber 10.

As shown in FIG. 11, the period T1 for generating the plasma P and the period T2 for stopping the generation of the plasma P are repeated, and the plasma P is generated intermittently. After the production of plasma (P) stops, for about 0.001 to 0.0015 seconds, many argon cations and oxygen cations exist, and corresponding electrons also exist. Then, after the production of plasma P is stopped, after about 0.002 seconds, argon cations and oxygen cations disappear and electrons are lost, while the ratio of oxygen anions increases.

Therefore, in the film forming apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, a bias voltage is applied to the film forming object 11 after the generation of the plasma P by the negative ion generating unit 24 is stopped. For example, the bias power supply 27 applies a bias voltage to the film-forming object 11 at a timing several milliseconds after the generation of the plasma P stops in the oxygen anion generation mode. More specifically, while the plasma P is being generated, the short-circuiting switch SW3 is turned OFF by the control unit 50, and several milliseconds after the plasma P is stopped, The short circuit switch (SW3) is turned ON by the control unit 50. When the short circuit switch (SW3) is turned ON, the trolley wire (18) and the bias power supply (27) are electrically connected to each other, and a bias voltage is applied to the trolley wire (18).

Then, power is supplied from the trolley line 18 to the holder body 67 through the brush body 43, and from the holder body 67 to the back surface 11b of the film forming object 11 through the tip protrusion 55. Power supply is urgent. As a result of applying a positive bias voltage to the back surface 11b of the film-forming object 11 in this way, the oxygen anions generated in the oxyanion production mode are attracted to the back surface 11b of the film-forming object 11.

In particular, in the present embodiment, a bias voltage is applied to the film-forming object 11 at a timing when oxygen anions significantly increase several milliseconds after the generation of the plasma P has stopped. As a result, many oxygen anions are attracted to the back surface 11b of the film-forming object 11 and are irradiated to the film formed on the film-forming object 11.

Additionally, the application of the bias voltage to the film forming object 11 continues until just before the next generation of plasma P by the negative ion generating unit 24 starts. Specifically, just before the next plasma generation in the negative ion generating section 24 starts, the short-circuiting switch SW3 is turned OFF by the control section 50, and the trolley line 18 and the bias power supply ( 27) are electrically disconnected from each other. In this way, the timing of applying the bias voltage to the film forming object 11 alternates with the generation period of the plasma P in the negative ion generation mode.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14, the effect of applying a bias voltage to the film forming object 11 after the film forming process and irradiating oxygen anions will be explained.

First, with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13 , the effect of oxygen anion irradiation on the electrical properties of the film formed on the film forming object 11 will be described. Figure 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the presence or absence of oxyanion irradiation and the carrier density. The horizontal axis of FIG. 12 represents the oxygen gas flow rate (OFR) [sccm], and the vertical axis of FIG. 12 represents the carrier density [cm ^-3 ]. Graph G4 in FIG. 12 is a graph showing the carrier density corresponding to the oxygen gas flow rate when the film formation object 11 is irradiated with oxygen anions in the oxygen anion generation mode. Graph G5 in FIG. 12 is a graph showing the carrier density corresponding to the oxygen gas flow rate in the case where the film forming object 11 is not irradiated with oxygen anions in the oxygen anion generation mode.

Additionally, Figure 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the presence or absence of oxygen anion irradiation and optical mobility. The horizontal axis of FIG. 13 represents the oxygen gas flow rate [sccm], and the vertical axis of FIG. 13 represents the optical mobility (μopt) [cm ² /Vs]. Graph G6 in FIG. 13 is a graph showing the optical mobility corresponding to the oxygen gas flow rate when the film formation object 11 is irradiated with oxygen anions in the oxygen anion generation mode. Graph G7 in FIG. 13 is a graph showing the optical mobility corresponding to the oxygen gas flow rate when the film formation object 11 is not irradiated with oxygen anions in the oxygen anion generation mode. However, the optical mobility is a measurement of the mobility within the crystal grains of the film-forming object 11.

As the film formation conditions in the film formation processing mode, the electric current value is set to 150 A and the oxygen gas flow rate is set to 10 sccm, 15 sccm, 20 sccm, or 25 sccm to form a 50 nm thick ZnO film with Ga of 4.0 wt% on the film formation object 11. did. As conditions for oxygen anion irradiation in the oxygen anion production mode, the discharge voltage value was set to 12 A, the oxygen gas flow rate was set to 10 sccm, and a bias voltage of 15 V as a square wave with a frequency of 60 Hz was applied to the film forming object 11 for 10 minutes. .

As shown in FIG. 12, for all oxygen gas flow rates, the carrier density is lower when the film-forming object 11 is irradiated with oxygen anions than when the film-forming object 11 is not irradiated with oxygen anions. Specifically, when the oxygen gas flow rate is 10 sccm, 15 sccm, and 20 sccm, a decrease in carrier density of about 20% is observed, and when the oxygen gas flow rate is 25 sccm, a decrease in carrier density is observed by about 7%. A decrease in carrier density indicates that carriers (electrons) are trapped in grain boundaries or impurities, or that oxygen vacancies are reduced.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, for all oxygen gas flow rates, the optical mobility increases when the film-forming object 11 is irradiated with oxygen anions compared to the case where the film-forming object 11 is not irradiated with oxygen anions. there is. The increase in optical mobility indicates that the oxygen vacancies in the crystal are reduced and the mobility within the particle is improved. This result is also consistent with the decrease in carrier density. From the above, it can be confirmed that the film formed on the film-forming object 11 after film-forming was modified by oxyanion irradiation.

Therefore, by irradiating oxygen anions to the film forming object 11 after the film forming process, adjustments can be made to reduce oxygen vacancies in the film of the film forming object 11, and the film can be modified. Therefore, even when the film-forming object 11 is taken out into the air, oxygen in the atmosphere can be suppressed from adhering to the surface of the film of the film-forming object 11, and further, deterioration of film quality can be suppressed. .

Next, with reference to FIG. 14, the effect of oxygen anion irradiation on the characteristics of the hydrogen gas sensor when the film of the film forming object 11 is used for the hydrogen gas sensor will be explained. Figure 14 is a graph showing the relationship between the presence or absence of oxygen anion irradiation and hydrogen gas sensor characteristics. The horizontal axis of FIG. 14 represents the response time [sec] of the hydrogen gas sensor, and the vertical axis of FIG. 14 represents the electric current value [A] flowing through the hydrogen gas sensor. Figure 14(a) is a graph showing the total value of the response time of the hydrogen gas sensor when oxygen anions are irradiated to the film forming object 11 in the oxygen anion generation mode. Figure 14(b) is a graph showing the total value of the response time of the hydrogen gas sensor in the case where the film forming object 11 is not irradiated with oxygen anions in the oxygen anion generation mode.

As shown in FIG. 14(b), when the film forming object 11 is not irradiated with oxygen anions, the ground level of the electric current value of the hydrogen gas sensor is not stable, and the operation of the hydrogen gas sensor becomes unstable. . On the other hand, as shown in Figure 14 (a), when the film forming object 11 is irradiated with oxygen anions, the ground level of the electric current value of the hydrogen gas sensor is stabilized, and the operational stability of the hydrogen gas sensor is improved. You can check that.

As described above, according to the film forming apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, a positive bias voltage is applied to the film forming object 11 after the film forming process by the bias power supply 27. Accordingly, the oxygen anions generated in the negative ion generating unit 24 are attracted to the film forming object 11 and are irradiated to the surface of the film formed on the film forming object 11. As a result, deterioration of film quality due to oxygen in the atmosphere adhering to the surface of the film of the film forming object 11 can be further suppressed.

In addition, according to the film forming apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, the power feeding brush 42 and the power feeding terminal portion 51 provided on the film forming object support member 16A for supporting the film forming object 11 are connected to the vacuum chamber 10. Power is supplied from the trolley ship 18 provided within. Accordingly, a positive voltage can be easily applied to the film-forming object 11 through the power supply brush 42 and the power supply terminal portion 51 of the film-forming object support member 16A.

In addition, according to the film forming apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, tension is applied to the trolley wire 18 by the tension applying unit 25. As a result, it is possible to suppress bending of the trolley line 18 even when it is expanded or contracted due to heat generated within the vacuum chamber 10.

Additionally, the oxygen negative ions present in the vacuum chamber 10 increase after the production of plasma P by the negative ion generating unit 24 is stopped. According to the film forming apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, a positive bias voltage is applied to the film forming object 11 at the timing when the oxygen anion increases after the generation of the plasma P has stopped. As a result, many oxygen anions are irradiated to the film forming object 11. As a result, deterioration of film quality due to oxygen in the atmosphere adhering to the surface of the film of the film forming object 11 can be further suppressed.

In addition, according to the film forming apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, the film forming object 11 after the film forming process is brought into the load lock chamber 26 from the transfer chamber 10a of the vacuum chamber 10, and the brought in film forming object 11 is carried into the load lock chamber 26. The object 11 is transported from the load lock chamber 26 to the transfer chamber 10a of the vacuum chamber 10 after generating oxygen anions by the anion generating unit 24. As a result, the film-forming object 11 is brought into the transfer chamber 10a at the appropriate timing when oxygen anions are generated without being exposed to the atmosphere. As a result, oxygen anions can be appropriately irradiated to the film forming object 11.

Although one embodiment of the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be modified or applied to other things without changing the gist described in each claim.

For example, in the above embodiment, the plasma source 7 is a pressure gradient plasma gun. However, the plasma source 7 can only generate plasma in the vacuum chamber 10, and is limited to a pressure gradient plasma gun. It doesn't work.

In addition, in the above embodiment, it is said that plasma is intermittently generated when generating negative ions, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when generating negative ions, current may be normally supplied to the second intermediate electrode 62 to generate a normal discharge.

In addition, in the above embodiment, only one set of the plasma source 7 and the Haas mechanism 2 is provided in the vacuum chamber 10, but multiple sets may be provided. Additionally, plasma P may be supplied from a plurality of plasma sources 7 for one material. In the above embodiment, the Ring Haas 6 is provided, but the Ring Haas 6 may be omitted by considering the direction of the plasma source 7 and the position and direction of the material in the Haas mechanism 2.

The steering coil 5 does not necessarily need to be excited in the oxygen anion production mode.

In the film formation method shown in FIG. 3, the raw material gas supply process S21, plasma generation process S22, and sealing magnetic field formation process S23 included in the anion generation process S2 do not necessarily have to be processed in this order, and processes S21 to S23 are performed. You can do it at the same time. Additionally, in the film formation process S1, before the film formation process is completely completed, the film formation process S1 may be terminated and the anion generation process S2 may proceed.

The film deposition apparatus 1, 1A is disposed outside the vacuum chamber 10, for example, at a position opposite the plasma source 7 (for example, on the side wall 10i of the film deposition chamber 10b). It may be provided with a counter coil. In this case, a magnetic field extending from the plasma source 7 toward the opposing coil may be formed within the vacuum chamber 10. When such a magnetic field is formed, electrons of the plasma P in the vacuum chamber 10 are confined by this magnetic field, and the inflow of the electrons into the film forming object 11 is suppressed. As a result, the negative ions generated in the vacuum chamber 10 can be easily diffused toward the film-forming object 11, and the negative ions can be efficiently attached to the surface of the film formed on the film-forming object 11.

Additionally, the film deposition apparatus 1, 1A may be provided with a counter electrode that functions as an anode and is disposed on, for example, the inner wall 10k of the side wall 10i of the film deposition chamber 10b. The opposing electrode can converge the magnetic field formed in the vacuum chamber 10 when the opposing coil is provided. In addition, by appropriately maintaining the electrons of the plasma P along the magnetic field converged in this way, the inflow of the electrons into the film forming object 11 can be further suppressed. As a result, the oxygen anions generated in the vacuum chamber 10 can be more easily diffused toward the film formation object 11, and the oxygen anions can be more efficiently attached to the surface of the film formed on the film formation object.

Although the film forming apparatus 1, 1A according to the above embodiment is said to be an apparatus for forming a film using an ion plating method, it is not limited thereto. For example, sputtering or chemical vapor deposition may be used.

Although it has been said that the film forming apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment is not provided with the magnetic field generating coil 30 and its case 31, it is not limited to this and includes the magnetic field generating coil 30 and its case 31. You may have it.

In addition, in the above embodiment, it is said that oxygen anions are irradiated to the film-forming object 11 by applying a bias voltage to the film-forming object 11, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, applying a bias voltage to the film-forming object 11 can be used to deposit (film-form) the film-forming material particles Mb on the film-forming object 11. In this case, by applying a negative bias voltage to the film-forming object 11, the film-forming object 11 has a negative charge, thereby suppressing electrons present in the film-forming chamber 10b from entering the transfer chamber 10a. In addition, it becomes possible to promote the ionized film-forming material particles Mb present in the film-forming chamber 10b to enter the transfer chamber 10a side.

One… tabernacle device
7… Plasma source (plasma gun)
10… vacuum chamber
10a… Return room
10b… tabernacle room
11… tabernacle objects
14… Tabernacle
16A… Tabernacle object support member
18... trolley ship
24… Negative ion generation unit
25… Whether tension is applied
26… Load lock chamber (vacuum load lock chamber)
27… Bias power (voltage application)
30… Magnetic field generation coil
40… Raw material gas supply department
42… Power feed brush (power feeder)
50… control unit
51… Power supply terminal section (power supply section)
Ma… tabernacle material
Mb… Film formation material particles
P… plasma
SW1… Short circuit switch (switching part)
M… sealed magnetic field

Claims (5)

A negative ion generating device for irradiating negative ions to an object,
A vacuum chamber having a support portion inside for supporting the object,
a raw material gas supply unit that supplies negative ion raw material gas into the vacuum chamber;
A plasma source that generates plasma in the vacuum chamber,
It has a control unit that controls the plasma source to intermittently generate plasma in the vacuum chamber,
The control unit generates negative ions by attaching electrons to the raw material gas of negative ions by the generated plasma within the vacuum chamber, and causes the negative ions to attach to the object after the production of plasma is stopped and positive ions and electrons are lost. , A negative ion generating device that controls the plasma source. According to paragraph 1,
It further has a switching unit for switching between generating and stopping the plasma in the vacuum chamber,
The negative ion generating device, wherein the control unit intermittently generates the plasma by switching the switching unit. According to claim 1 or 2,
A negative ion generating device having a voltage application unit that applies a positive bias voltage to the object. According to claim 1 or 2,
The vacuum chamber is a negative ion generating device having a negative ion generating chamber in which the negative ions are generated and a conveying chamber in which the object is transported. As a negative ion generation method for irradiating negative ions to an object,
In a vacuum chamber, negative ions are generated by attaching electrons to the raw material gas of negative ions by the generated plasma, and after the production of plasma is stopped and the positive ions and electrons are lost, the negative ions are attached to the object held in the vacuum chamber. , Negative ion generation method.