TW202111139A - Film deposition apparatus and film deposition method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique for obtaining a film formation object conveying speed which forms a thin film with a higher film thickness accuracy. A film formation method of the present invention which forms a film on a film formation object by applying a continuous sputtering to a target while traverse transporting the film formation object relative to the target. The film formation method includes a measurement step, a storage step, a speed determination step, and a film formation step. In the measurement step, the correspondence relationship between a reciprocal of the conveying speed of the film formation object and the film thickness of a film formed on the film formation object is measured in advance. In the storage step, the correspondence relationship is stored. In the speed determination step, the conveying speed is determined based on a film thickness target value and the correspondence relationship. In the film formation step, the film formation object is conveyed according to the conveying speed determined by the speed determination step, and a film is formed on the film formation object by continuous sputtering.

Description

Film forming device and film forming method

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus and a film forming method.

Since the conventional knowledge, there has been proposed a film forming apparatus that performs a film forming process on a film forming object (for example, Patent Document 1). The film forming device uses reactive sputtering to form a thin film on the surface of the substrate. The film forming apparatus is provided in a vacuum chamber with a conveying device, a pair of cylindrical rotating cathodes, a magnetic field generating part, a reactive gas injection part, and an inert gas injection part. The conveying device conveys the substrate in a horizontal direction.

The pair of rotating cathodes are arranged on the same side with respect to the substrate conveying path and at positions facing a part of the conveying path. The rotating cathode is arranged with its central axis along the width direction of the conveying path, and is rotationally driven by the rotation of the central axis. A pair of rotating cathodes are arranged side by side along the conveying path. A cylindrical target is installed in each rotating cathode. Specifically, the target is installed coaxially with the rotating cathode and covering the outer circumference of the rotating cathode. The magnetic field generating unit is arranged inside each rotating cathode, and forms a magnetic field near the outer peripheral surface of each target.

The reactive gas injection part is arranged between the pair of rotating cathodes and sprays the reactive gas toward the substrate. The inert gas jetting part is also arranged between the pair of rotating cathodes and jets the inert gas toward the substrate. A voltage for sputtering is applied to a pair of rotating cathodes. The application of the voltage generates plasma, and the plasma acts on the target. Thereby, the target particles fly out from the target and react with the reactive gas, and then deposit on the surface of the substrate. Therefore, a thin film can be formed on the surface of the substrate.

According to this film forming apparatus, the substrate undergoes a substantial film forming process while passing through a part of the conveying path facing the rotating cathode. That is, while passing through this part of the conveying path, a thin film is formed on the surface of the substrate.

In Patent Document 1, in order to make the film thickness distribution of the thin film uniform, the rotation speed of the rotating cathode is controlled according to the amount of light emitted by the plasma. Specifically, a plurality of light detection units that detect the amount of plasma light emission are provided. These plural light detecting parts are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the substrate conveying path in the vicinity of each rotating cathode. The film forming device controls the rotation speed of the rotating cathode in such a way that the luminous intensity of the light detected by each light detection unit is within the allowable range. [Prior Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-204705

(The problem to be solved by the invention)

In Patent Document 1, although the rotation speed of the rotating cathode is controlled in order to reduce the film thickness distribution of the thin film, there is no description about the control to make the film thickness value match the target value (for example, the design value).

Furthermore, in the film forming process, the reactants of the target particles and the reactive gas are sequentially deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film. Therefore, as time passes, the film thickness of the film also increases. That is, the film thickness of the thin film formed on the substrate (film formation object) is that the longer the processing period during which the substrate undergoes the substantial film formation process, the thicker it becomes. The processing period is also a period during which the substrate passes through a part of the transport path facing the rotating cathode. That is, the lower the conveyance speed of the substrate, the longer the processing period, and the thicker the thin film can be formed on the substrate.

Therefore, it is considered to determine the transfer speed of the substrate in order to be able to form a thin film on the substrate according to the required film thickness. For example, the film thickness of a thin film formed on the substrate when the substrate is transported at a certain transport speed is measured in advance, and then the film formation rate (dynamic rate) of the thin film is calculated based on the transport speed and film thickness of the substrate. If the film formation rate is calculated, based on the required film thickness and the film formation rate, the substrate transport speed to achieve the required film thickness can be calculated.

However, if the film forming apparatus forms a thin film on the substrate at the calculated substrate transport speed, the film thickness of the actually formed thin film will deviate from the target value.

For this reason, the object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can obtain a transport speed of a film-forming object capable of forming a thin film with higher film thickness accuracy. (Technical means to solve the problem)

The first aspect of the film formation method is to apply continuous sputtering of sputtering to the target when the object to be filmed is transported to the target in a manner that traverses the target, so that the film is formed on the target. The film forming method of forming a film on the film; includes: a measurement step, a storage step, a speed determination step, and a film forming step; and the measurement step is to measure the inverse of the transport speed of the film forming object in advance, and the film forming object The corresponding relationship of the film thickness of the film formed on the above; the storing step stores the above-mentioned corresponding relationship; the speed determining step determines the above-mentioned conveying speed according to the above-mentioned target film thickness value and the above-mentioned corresponding relationship; the film forming step depends on the above-mentioned speed The transport speed determined in the determining step transports the film formation object, and forms the film on the film formation object by continuous sputtering.

The second aspect of the film forming method refers to the first aspect of the film forming method, wherein the above-mentioned correspondence relationship includes a linear function formula with an intercept.

The third aspect of the film forming method relates to the first aspect of the film forming method, wherein the correspondence relationship includes a comparison table, and in the speed determination step, the determination is made based on linear interpolation processing on the comparison table. Transport speed.

The aspect of the film-forming device is a film-forming device that uses continuous sputtering to perform a film-forming process on a film-forming object, and includes: a chamber, a cathode, a conveying unit, a gas supply unit, a voltage applying unit, and a control unit; and , The cathode is installed in the chamber and contains a target; the conveying part is in the chamber, and the film-forming object is conveyed relative to the target in a manner of crossing the target; the gas supply part is facing The inert gas is supplied in the chamber; the voltage applying unit applies a voltage to the cathode; the control unit controls the data storage for performing the film formation process; wherein the control unit stores the information of the film formation object The reciprocal of the transport speed and the correspondence relationship with the film thickness of the film formed on the film formation object, and then the transport speed of the film formation object is determined based on the target film thickness value and the correspondence relationship. (Compared with the effect of previous technology)

According to the first aspect of the film forming method and the aspect of the film forming apparatus, the corresponding relationship between the film thickness and the reciprocal of the conveying speed is that the film thickness changes linearly with the reciprocal of the conveying speed. The approximate straight line system has an intercept. Since the coefficient of determination of the approximate straight line is relatively high, by performing the film forming step at the transport speed obtained from the corresponding relationship, a thin film can be formed on the film forming target surface with a film thickness closer to a target value (for example, a design value). That is, a thin film can be formed with high film thickness accuracy.

According to the second aspect of the film formation method, by substituting the target value of the film thickness in the linear function, the conveying speed can be easily calculated.

According to the third aspect of the film formation method, since the linear interpolation processing system is equivalent to the linear function equation for the film thickness target value, it is possible to calculate an appropriate conveying speed.

Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to parts having the same configuration and functions, and repeated descriptions are omitted in the following description. In addition, the following embodiment is only an example, and is not an example that limits the technical scope. Moreover, in the drawings, the size and number of each part may be exaggerated or simplified in order to make it easier to understand. In addition, in each drawing, the XYZ orthogonal coordinate axis is appropriately indicated in order to explain the direction. The Z direction of the coordinate axis indicates the vertical direction, and the XY plane is the horizontal plane. Hereinafter, one of the sides in the X direction is referred to as "+X side", and the opposite side is referred to as "-X side". The same applies to the Y axis and the Z axis, and the +Z side indicates the vertical upper side.

Regarding the performance of the positional relationship (for example: "one direction", "along one direction", "parallel", "orthogonal", "center", "concentric" and "coaxial", etc., without special statement, It not only strictly expresses the positional relationship, but also covers the relative displacement state with respect to the angle or distance within the tolerance or the same degree of function can be obtained. The performance of the equal state (for example: "identity", "equal", and "equal quality", etc.), without special declaration, not only means the state of strict equality of quantification, but also covers tolerance or can obtain the same degree of function The status of the difference within the range. Represents the performance of shapes (for example: "square shape" and "cylindrical shape", etc.), unless otherwise specified, not only indicates a strict geometric shape, but also covers the range that can achieve the same degree of effect, such as unevenness , Chamfer and other shapes. The expression of "set", "have", "have", "contain", or "have" a constituent element does not exclude the exclusive expression of the existence of other constituent elements. The performance of "at least one of A, B, and C" covers: only A, only B, only C, any combination of the two from A to C, and all of A to C.

<Overall Configuration of Sputtering Apparatus 1> FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an example of the configuration of the sputtering apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. The sputtering apparatus 1 is a film forming apparatus that uses continuous sputtering to form a thin film on the film formation target surface of a film formation target (herein, the substrate 91). The base material 91 is, for example, a glass substrate. As an example of this embodiment, the sputtering apparatus 1 performs reactive sputtering. The type of film to be formed by the sputtering apparatus 1 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an optical film such as an anti-reflection film. For example, by appropriately laminating a silicon _{oxide (SiO 2} ) film and a niobium oxide (Nb ₂ O ₅ ) film on the substrate 91, an anti-reflection film (multilayer film) can be formed. However, in order to simplify the explanation, the sputtering apparatus 1 will be explained with the focus on the formation of a single thin film.

The sputtering apparatus 1 includes a chamber 100, a holding and conveying mechanism 10 (a conveying part), a plasma processing part 20, a gas supply part 500, and a control part 200.

The chamber 100 is, for example, a vacuum chamber, and has a hollow member with a cubic shape. The chamber 100 is arranged in a state where the top of the bottom plate is in a horizontal posture. In addition, the X axis and the Y axis respectively become parallel axes of the side wall of the chamber 100.

The holding and conveying mechanism 10 is provided in the chamber 100, holds the base material 91, and conveys the base material 91 along the conveying path L. Here, the extending direction of the conveyance path L is the horizontal direction (the X direction in FIG. 1).

The gas supply part 500 supplies sputtering gas and reactive gas to the processing space V (described later). The sputtering gas system can use an inert gas such as argon or xenon. As the reactive gas system, a gas of the type that is matched to the film formed on the substrate 91 can be used. More specifically, the reactive gas system contains, for example, at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor, fluorine gas, ammonia gas, and carbon-based gas (such as methane gas). When a silicon oxide film or niobium oxide is formed on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91, the reactive gas system can be, for example, oxygen.

The plasma processing unit 20 is located in the processing space V, and is arranged at a position opposite to the conveying path L. As shown in FIG. As shown in the example in FIG. 1, the plasma processing unit 20 is arranged on the -Z side of the conveying path L. As shown in FIG. Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a plasma processing unit and its surroundings. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the plasma processing unit 20 includes a target 32. The plasma processing unit 20 generates plasma to sputter the target 32 as described in detail later. The target particles flying out of the target 32 by sputtering are deposited on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91 in a state of reacting with the reactive gas to form a thin film (film formation process).

The material of the target 32 can be a material that matches the type of film formed on the surface of the substrate 91 to be film-formed. The material system includes, for example: aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), niobium (Nb), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) or indium (In ) And other materials. For example, when a silicon oxide film is formed on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91, silicon may be used as the material of the target 32, and niobium may be used when a niobium oxide film is formed.

The substrate 91 is transported from the −X side to the +X side along the transport path L by the holding and transport mechanism 10, and the substrate 91 crosses the plasma processing section 20 in a plan view. When the substrate 91 traverses the plasma processing unit 20, the plasma processing unit 20 receives substantial film forming processing. That is, when the substrate 91 traverses the plasma processing section 20, a thin film is formed on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91.

As shown in the example in Fig. 1, the sputtering device 1 is further provided with compartment members (hereinafter referred to as "chimney duct 130"). The chimney duct 130 is arranged in the chamber 100 to surround the plasma processing unit 20 and has an opening toward the conveyance path L side (+Z side in the figure). The opening is opposed to a part of the conveying path L in the Z direction. Hereinafter, the internal space of the chimney duct 130 and the space between the opening of the chimney duct 130 and the conveyance path L are defined as the processing space V.

As shown in the example in FIG. 1, the sputtering apparatus 1 further includes a temperature control unit 120. The temperature control unit 120 is provided on the opposite side (the +Z side in FIG. 1) of the plasma processing unit 20 with the conveyance path L as a boundary, for example. The temperature control unit 120 heats or cools the substrate 91 conveyed in the chamber 100. In addition, the temperature adjustment unit 120 does not necessarily have to be provided.

As shown in the example in FIG. 1, in the chamber 100, at the end of the conveying path L on the −X side, a shutter 160 for carrying the base material 91 into the chamber 100 is provided. On the other hand, in the chamber 100, a gate 161 for carrying the base material 91 out of the chamber 100 is provided at the end of the conveying path L on the +X side. In addition, the two ends of the chamber 100 in the X direction are configured to maintain an airtight connection with the openings of other chambers such as a load lock chamber or an unload lock chamber. The gates 160 and 161 are configured to switch between opening and closing.

As shown in FIG. 1, the chamber 100 is connected to a high-vacuum exhaust system 170. The high vacuum exhaust system 170 reduces the gas in the internal space of the chamber 100 to a predetermined pressure (for example, 0.5 Pa). The high-vacuum exhaust system 170 is controlled by the control unit 200 in such a way that the pressure in the processing space V maintains a predetermined range pressure.

＜Maintain conveyance mechanism＞ As shown in the example in FIG. 1, the holding and conveying mechanism 10 includes a pair of conveying rollers 11, and a drive unit (omitted). The pair of conveyance rollers 11 are arranged in the Y direction, are respectively provided on both sides of the conveyance path L, and are opposed to each other in the Y direction. In addition, in FIG. 1, the roller located on the upper side (-Y side) of the paper surface in the drawing among the pair of conveying rollers 11 is depicted. The conveyance roller 11 is provided in plural pairs along the extending direction of the conveyance path L. As shown in FIG. The driving unit drives the conveying roller 11 to rotate synchronously. The drive unit is controlled by the control unit 200.

The base material 91 uses, for example, a claw-shaped member (not shown) provided on the lower surface of the carrier 90 and holds the lower surface of the carrier 90 detachably. The holding and conveying mechanism 10 holds the base material 91 such that the film formation target surface faces the plasma processing section 20 (here, the -Z side). The carrier 90 is composed of a plate-shaped tray or the like. In addition, the substrate 91 of the carrier 90 maintains the state, and various aspects can be adopted in addition to the aspect of the present embodiment. For example, by inserting the base material 91 into the hollow part of the plate-shaped tray provided with the hollow part in the vertical direction, the base material 91 can be maintained in a state in which film formation can be performed on the lower surface of the base material 91.

If the carrier 90 with the substrate 91 is loaded into the chamber 100 through the gate 160, the conveying rollers 11 are rotated synchronously, and the carrier 90 and the substrate 91 are conveyed along the conveying path L. In this embodiment, each transport roller 11 can transport the carrier 90 and the substrate 91 in both directions (±X directions).

The conveyance path L includes a position P to be formed relative to the plasma processing unit 20 (see also FIG. 2 ). Specifically, the film formation position P is the relative position of the opening of the chimney duct 130. Therefore, while the substrate 91 transported by the holding and transport mechanism 10 passes through the film-forming position P, the film-forming target surface of the substrate 91 is subjected to film-forming processing, but the substrate 91 does not pass the film-forming position P. During this period, the film formation process is not performed on the film formation target surface of the base material 91.

＜Gas Supply Department＞ The gas supply unit 500 supplies sputtering gas and reactive gas to the processing space V. More specifically, referring also to FIG. 1, the gas supply unit 500 includes a reactive gas supply unit 510 and a sputtering gas supply unit 520. The reactive gas supply unit 510 supplies the reactive gas into the processing space V. The sputtering gas supply part 520 supplies the sputtering gas into the processing space V.

The reactive gas supply unit 510 includes a reactive gas supply source 511 that is a reactive gas supply source, and a pipe 612. One end of the pipe 612 is connected to the reactive gas supply source 511, the other end is branched into a plurality of branches, and the end of each branch is connected to a nozzle 614 communicating with the processing space V (see FIG. 2).

As shown in the example in FIG. 2, two nozzles 614 are provided at a height position between the conveying path L and the chimney duct 130. The two nozzles 614 are respectively provided in the X direction so as to face the opening of the chimney duct 130. In the example of the drawing, when viewed from the top (that is, viewed in the Z direction), the two nozzles 614 are arranged so as not to overlap the opening of the chimney duct 130. The nozzle 614 is also a multi-channel nozzle that can extend in the Y direction. On the facing surfaces of the two nozzles 614, a plurality of discharge ports are formed at intervals in the Y direction. The two nozzles 614 discharge reactive gas in the X direction from each discharge port toward the opening of the chimney duct 130. The discharged reactive gas diffuses in the processing space V.

A valve 613 is provided in the middle of the path of the pipe 612 (refer to FIG. 1). The valve 613 is a valve that can automatically adjust the flow rate of the gas flowing through the pipe 612, and preferably includes a mass flow controller. The valve 613 is controlled by the control unit 200 to adjust the amount of reactive gas supplied to the processing space V.

The sputtering gas supply unit 520 includes a sputtering gas supply source 521 of a sputtering gas supply source, and a pipe 522. One end of the pipe 522 is connected to the sputtering gas supply source 521, and the other end is branched into a plurality of branches, and each branch end is connected to a nozzle 524 (see FIG. 2) provided in the processing space V.

As shown in FIG. 2, two nozzles 524 are located in the chimney duct 130 and are arranged at a height between the top surface of the chimney duct 130 and the upper end of the rotating cathode 30 (described later). The two nozzles 524 are respectively provided in the X direction so as to face the opening of the chimney duct 130. In the example of the drawing, when viewed from above, the nozzle 524 is provided so as not to overlap with the opening of the chimney duct 130. The nozzle 524 is similar to the nozzle 614, and is also a multi-channel nozzle that can extend in the Y direction. The two nozzles 524 discharge sputtering gas in the X direction from each discharge port toward the opening of the chimney duct 130. The sputtered gas diffuses in the processing space V.

A valve 523 is provided in the middle of the path of the pipe 522 (refer to FIG. 1). The valve 523 is a valve that can automatically adjust the flow rate of the gas flowing through the pipe 522, and preferably includes a mass flow controller. The valve 523 is controlled by the control unit 200 to adjust the amount of sputtering gas supplied to the processing space V.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, an optical fiber probe 140 is provided on the -Z side of the nozzle 524 upstream of the conveying path L. In addition, a spectroscope 180 (refer to FIG. 1) capable of measuring the spectral intensity of the plasma luminescence incident on the probe 140 is provided. The spectroscope 180 is a sensor that monitors the plasma emission and spectroscopy, and outputs the measured value to the control unit 200. The control unit 200 controls the introduction amount (flow rate) of the sputtering gas by controlling the valve 523 by the plasma emission monitoring (PEM) method based on the output of the spectroscope 180.

＜Plasma Processing Department＞ 1 and 2, the plasma processing unit 20 includes a rotating cathode 30, a rotating drive unit 19, and a sputtering power supply 311 (voltage application unit). In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 2, although the plasma processing unit 20 is provided with an inductive coupling antenna 151, it is not necessary to provide the inductive coupling antenna 151. The inductive coupling antenna 151 will be summarized later.

The rotating cathode 30 has the function of an electrode used in sputtering. The rotating cathode 30 has a cylindrical shape and is arranged in the chimney duct 130 in a state of being rotatable about its central axis Q1. The rotating cathode 30 is installed in a state where its central axis Q1 crosses (for example, orthogonal to) the extending direction of the conveying path L (here, the X direction). In the example of the diagram, the rotating cathode 30 is arranged in a state where its central axis Q1 is along the Y direction. The rotation driving unit 19 is controlled by the control unit 200 to rotate the rotating cathode 30 around the central axis Q1.

The rotating cathode 30 includes a base member 31 and a target 32. The base member 31 has a cylindrical shape and is designed such that its central axis Q1 is along the Y direction. The base member 31 is an electrical conductor. The target 32 also has a cylindrical shape and covers the outer periphery of the base member 31. In the processing space V, the outer peripheral surface of the target 32 is exposed. In addition, when the target 32 is a conductor, the rotating cathode 30 may not include the base member 31 and may be constituted by the target 32.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plasma processing unit 20 further includes a magnet unit 40. In addition, the magnet unit 40 may not necessarily be installed. In the example of the figure, the magnet unit 40 is installed inside the rotating cathode 30 and forms a magnetic field (magnetic force field) near the outer peripheral surface of the target 32. The magnet unit 40 has magnetic pole surfaces 40a, 40b, and the magnetic pole surfaces 40a, 40b are on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating cathode 30 and face a part of the area in the circumferential direction. In the example of the figure, the magnet unit 40 has the magnetic pole faces 40a, 40b facing the conveying path L (+Z side in the illustration), so the magnetic pole faces 40a, 40b face the conveying path L on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating cathode 30 area. The magnet unit 40 is located in the outer peripheral surface of the target 32 and forms a magnetic field near the area.

The rotating cathode 30 is designed to be capable of relatively rotating the magnet unit 40. By rotating the cathode 30 to rotate the magnet unit 40, the magnetic field can relatively surround the outer peripheral surface of the target 32. That is, the magnetic field acts on the entire circumference of the target 32.

The combination of the base member 31 and the magnet unit 40 is also called a magnetron cathode (cylindrical magnetron cathode). When the base member 31 is not provided, the target 32 and the magnet unit 40 are composed of a magnetron cathode.

As shown in FIG. 2, the magnet unit 40 includes a yoke 41 (support plate) and a plurality of magnets 43. The yoke 41 is formed of a magnetic material such as magnetic steel. The plural magnets 43 include a central magnet 43a and a peripheral magnet 43b, and are arranged on the yoke 41.

The yoke 41 is a flat member, for example, and extends in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the rotating cathode 30 facing the inner peripheral surface of the rotating cathode 30. On the main surface (surface) of the yoke 41 facing the inner peripheral surface of the rotating cathode 30, a central magnet 43a and a peripheral magnet 43b are erected. The center magnet 43 a extends in the longitudinal direction of the yoke 41 and is arranged on a center line along the longitudinal direction of the yoke 41. The peripheral magnet 43b is attached to the outer edge of the surface of the yoke 41, and is provided in a ring shape (endless shape) surrounding the center magnet 43a. The central magnet 43a and the peripheral magnet 43b are permanent magnets such as neodymium magnets.

The polarities of the magnetic pole faces 40a and 40b on the side of the target 32 of the central magnet 43a and the peripheral magnet 43b are different from each other. For example, the polarity of the magnetic pole surface 40a of the central magnet 43a is the N pole, and the polarity of the magnetic pole surface 40b of the peripheral magnet 43b is the S pole.

The other main surface (rear surface) of the yoke 41 is joined to one end of the fixing member 47. The other end of the fixing member 47 is joined to a support rod 2 extending along the central axis of the sputtering device 1. The two ends of the support rod 2 extend to the outside than the rotating cathode 30, and are respectively fixed to the floor of the chamber 100 via predetermined support members (not shown). The two ends of the rotating cathode 30 in the Y direction are respectively equipped with sealed bearings. The rotating cathode 30 is rotatably connected to the support rod 2 via a pair of sealed bearings. Each sealed bearing system is fixed to the floor of the chamber 100 via the base 9.

The base 9 connected to one of the sealed bearings is provided with a rotation drive unit 19 including a motor and gears (both not shown) that rotate with the transmission motor. In addition, the rotating cathode 30 is provided with a gear (not shown) that meshes with the gear of the rotating drive unit 19. The rotation driving unit 19 uses the rotation of the motor to rotate the rotating cathode 30 around the center axis Q1. The rotation speed of the rotating cathode 30 is set to, for example, 10 to 20 rotations/minute, and during the film formation process, it rotates at a constant speed at the above-mentioned rotation speed. The rotating cathode 30 rotates clockwise as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

The internal space of the rotating cathode 30 is sealed by a pair of sealed bearings. The rotating cathode 30 is appropriately cooled by circulating cooling water or the like in the internal space via the sealed bearing and the support rod 2.

The sputtering power supply 311 applies a sputtering voltage to the rotating cathode 30. The electric wire connected to the sputtering power supply 311 is introduced into the processing space V and then introduced into the sealed bearing of the rotating cathode 30. A brush electrically coupled to the base member 31 of the rotating cathode 30 is provided at the front end of the wire. The sputtering power supply 311 applies a sputtering voltage including a negative voltage to the base member 31 via the brush. Other manifestations of sputtering voltage are also referred to as target voltage, cathode applied voltage, or bias voltage.

The sputtering power supply 311 includes, for example, a switching power supply circuit (not shown). This switching power supply circuit is, for example, a constant voltage type switching power supply circuit, and outputs the sputtering voltage to the rotating cathode 30. The sputtering power supply 311 can output a pulsed sputtering voltage by controlling the switching power supply circuit. The sputtering power supply 311 can control the sputtering voltage by controlling the duty of the pulse. The so-called load refers to the ratio of the pulse width to one period of the pulse.

If a sputtering voltage is applied to the rotating cathode 30, the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating cathode 30, especially the magnetic field generated by the magnet unit 40, will generate plasma. Then, when high-energy bodies such as ions in the plasma collide with the target 32, target particles fly out of the target 32 (so-called sputtering). The target particles react with the reactive gas and form a thin film of the compound on the surface of the substrate 91 on the -Z side (the surface to be filmed).

By relatively rotating the magnet unit 40 by the rotating cathode 30, the magnetic field relatively surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the target 32, and sputtering is performed on the outer peripheral surface of the target 32 across the entire periphery. Therefore, the target 32 can be used efficiently.

＜Inductively coupled antenna＞ As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plasma processing unit 20 further includes an inductive coupling antenna 151. In addition, the plasma processing unit 20 may not include the inductive coupling antenna 151.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of inductive coupling antennas 151 are embedded in the bottom plate of the chamber 100. One of the inductive coupling antennas 151 is arranged on the -X side of the rotating cathode 30, and the other inductive coupling antenna 151 is arranged on the rotating cathode 30. Lean more on the +X side. The plurality of inductively coupled antennas 151 can also be arranged in the Y direction, respectively. That is, it is also possible to arrange a plurality of inductive coupling antennas 151 in the Y direction at a place closer to the -X side than the rotating cathode 30, or to arrange a plurality of inductive coupling antennas 151 in the Y direction at a place closer to the +X side than the rotating cathode 30 Coupled antenna 151. Each inductive coupling antenna 151 is covered by a dielectric protective member 152 made of quartz (quartz glass) or the like, and is provided through the bottom plate of the chamber 100.

Furthermore, on both sides of each inductively coupled antenna 151 in the X direction, nozzles 514 for introducing the reactive gas supplied from the reactive gas supply source 511 into the processing space V are respectively provided. The nozzle 514 is connected to a reactive gas supply source 511 via a pipe 512 (refer to FIG. 1). A valve 513 is provided in the middle of the path of the pipe 512. The valve 513 is a valve that can automatically adjust the flow rate of the gas flowing through the pipe 512, and preferably includes a mass flow controller or the like. The valve 513 is controlled by the control unit 200 to adjust the amount of reactive gas supplied to the processing space V (specifically, near the inductive coupling antenna 151).

Furthermore, on both sides of each inductive coupling antenna 151 in the X direction, nozzles 624 are respectively provided for introducing the sputtering gas supplied from the sputtering gas supply source 521 into the processing space V (see FIG. 2). The nozzle 624 is connected to a sputtering gas supply source 521 via a pipe 622. A valve 623 is provided in the middle of the path of the pipe 622. The valve 623 is a valve that can automatically adjust the flow rate of the gas flowing through the pipe 622, and preferably includes a mass flow controller or the like. The valve 623 adjusts the amount of sputtering gas supplied to the processing space V (specifically, near the inductive coupling antenna 151) under the control of the control unit 200.

Each inductive coupling antenna 151 is formed by bending a metal tubular conductor into a U-shape, and penetrating the bottom plate of the chamber 100 in a state where the U-shape is upside down and protruding into the processing space V. The inductively coupled antenna 151 is appropriately cooled by circulating cooling water or the like inside.

One end of each inductively coupled antenna 151 is electrically coupled to the high-frequency power supply 153 via the integrated circuit 154. In addition, the other end of each inductive coupling antenna 151 is grounded. With this configuration, if high-frequency power (for example, 13.56MHz high-frequency power) is supplied from the high-frequency power supply 153 to the inductively coupled antenna 151, a high-frequency induced magnetic field is generated around the inductively coupled antenna 151, and sputtering gas and sputtering gas are generated in the processing space V. Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) of reactive gas. The above-mentioned inductively coupled plasma is also called "high-frequency inductively coupled plasma".

As mentioned above, the inductively coupled antenna 151 has a U-shape. This U-shaped inductively coupled antenna 151 is equivalent to an inductively coupled antenna with less than one turn, because the inductance is lower than that of an inductively coupled antenna with more than one turn, and the high-frequency voltage generated at the two ends of the inductively coupled antenna 151 The reduction can suppress the high-frequency fluctuation of the plasma potential due to the electrostatic combination of the generated plasma. Therefore, the excessive electron loss caused by the fluctuation of the plasma potential on the ground potential is reduced, and the plasma potential is particularly suppressed.

＜Control Department＞ The components of the sputtering device 1 are electrically coupled to the control unit 200, and the components are controlled by the control unit 200. The control unit 200 is specifically composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs various arithmetic processing, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory), hard disks storing programs and various data files, and general FA (Factory Automation) computers, via LAN (Local Area Network, local area network), etc., using bus lines It is configured by connecting to a data communication unit with a data communication function and the like. In addition, the control unit 200 is connected to a display that performs various displays, an input unit composed of a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. The sputtering apparatus 1 performs a predetermined process on the substrate 91 under the control of the control unit 200.

＜Operation of sputtering device 1＞ Next, an overview of an example of the operation of the sputtering device 1 will be given. First, the substrate 91 is carried in through the shutter 160 of the sputtering apparatus 1. The control unit 200 controls the holding and conveying mechanism 10 to convey the substrate 91 at a predetermined conveying speed. Thereby, the substrate 91 passes through the film formation position P opposite to the opening of the chimney duct 130 at a predetermined conveying speed. In other words, in plan view, the substrate 91 traverses the plasma processing section 20 (rotating cathode 30) at a predetermined transport speed. The conveyance speed of the substrate 91 is determined based on the target value (for example, a design value) of the film thickness of the thin film formed on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91. The method for determining the conveying speed will be described in detail later. In addition, the holding and conveying mechanism 10 may be controlled by the control unit 200 to reciprocate the base material 91 in the X direction a predetermined number of times.

The control unit 200 controls the gas supply unit 500 to supply sputtering gas and reactive gas to the processing space V, and controls the rotation driving unit 19 to rotate the rotating cathode 30. In addition, the control unit 200 controls the sputtering power supply 311 to apply a sputtering voltage to the rotating cathode 30 and controls the high-frequency power supply 153 to supply high-frequency power to the inductively coupled antenna 151. Thereby, a plasma of high-density sputtering gas is generated, and the plasma acts on the target 32 to fly out target particles from the target 32. When the target particles react with the reactive gas, they move from the opening of the chimney duct 130 to the substrate 91 and are deposited on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91. Thereby, while the base material 91 passes through the film formation position P, a thin film is formed on the film formation target surface of the base material 91.

In addition, the holding and conveying mechanism 10 does not necessarily need to reciprocate the substrate 91 during the film formation process, and for example, the substrate 91 may be unidirectionally moved from the −X side to the +X side.

＜Conveying speed and film thickness＞ As described above, the substrate 91 undergoes a film forming process during the process passing through the film forming position P. The lower the conveyance speed of the substrate 91, the longer the processing period required to pass the film formation position P, and the longer the processing period, the larger the film thickness of the thin film formed on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91. Therefore, the lower the transport speed, the greater the film thickness of the film.

Here, in the present embodiment, the control unit 200 controls the film thickness of the film in accordance with the transport speed of the substrate 91. In other words, the control unit 200 determines the transport speed of the base material 91 based on the target film thickness of the film. The following is a specific description.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the relationship between the transport speed of the base material 91 and the film thickness. Figure 3 shows four drawing points P1~P4. The example shown in FIG. 3 relates to this relationship when a niobium oxide film is formed on the substrate 91. As shown in Fig. 3, the higher the transport speed, the smaller the film thickness of the film.

Furthermore, since it is considered that the film thickness of the film is proportional to the processing period, it can be considered that the film thickness of the film is inversely proportional to the conveying speed. Here, the approximate curve G1 is calculated by performing power approximation on the four drawing points P1 to P4. The so-called "power approximation" refers to the method of setting a and b as variables and obtaining the approximate formula represented ^{by Y=a·X b.} The approximate curve G1 for the drawing points P1 to P4 is expressed by the following formula. In the following formula, y represents the film thickness, and x represents the conveying speed.

y=39.275・x ^-1.012・・・(1) It can be understood from formula (1) that the exponent of x deviates from "-1". That is, strictly speaking, it is understood that the film thickness is not inversely proportional to the conveying speed.

In order to clarify this reason, the film formation rate was investigated. The so-called "film formation rate" here is the dynamic rate. Fig. 4 shows an example of the relationship between the transport speed and the film formation rate. Fig. 4 shows the film formation rate of the four drawing points P1~P4 in Fig. 3, which are represented by the drawing points P11~P14 respectively. It can be understood from FIG. 4 that the film formation rates of the drawing points P11 to P13 are at the same level as each other. In contrast, the film formation rate of the drawing points P14 is significantly lower than the other drawing points P11 to P13. This phenomenon means that the drawing points P1 to P3 are formed according to the thickness of the film almost as the assumed film thickness. In contrast, the film formed at the drawing point P4 is thinner than the assumed film thickness. In other words, in areas where the transport speed is very high, the film thickness is different from the assumed value. Therefore, it is considered that the thickness of the film is not inversely proportional to the transport speed.

Next, consider the reason why the film thickness of the area with a higher conveying speed is different from the assumed value. During the sputtering process, the target particles flying out of the target 32 and the reactive gas are initially made to react with each other, and the compound will be combined with the substrate 91 and deposited on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91. After the thin film is formed on the film-forming target surface of the substrate 91, the compound of the target particles and the reactive gas will be combined with the thin film and sequentially deposited on the thin film. As a result, the film thickness will increase with time.

As mentioned above, the compound of the target particle and the reaction gas (hereinafter referred to as the film material) is initially combined with the substrate 91 of a different material and deposited, and then deposited on the thin film of the same material. Because the ease of bonding between dissimilar materials is different from the ease of bonding between the same materials, the difference between the initial film formation rate and the subsequent film formation rate is investigated.

In the case where the conveying speed is very high (that is, when the processing period is very short), the period during which the film material is bonded to the substrate 91 occupies most of the processing period. Therefore, the film formation rate when the transport speed is very high becomes the same level as the film formation rate formed by the combination of the film material and the substrate 91. On the other hand, if the conveying speed is low, that is, if the processing period is long, the period of bonding between membrane materials occupies a large portion of the processing period. Therefore, the film formation rate when the conveying speed is low becomes a value close to the film formation rate formed by the bond between the film materials.

For the above reasons, it is considered that the film formation rate in the region where the transport speed is very high is significantly different from the film formation rate in other regions.

However, the ease of bonding between the membrane material and the substrate 91 depends on the combination of the membrane material and the substrate 91 material. For example, the ease of bonding can be considered to depend on the difference in work function between the film material and the material of the base material 91. Therefore, in the above example, although the film formation rate decreases in the region where the conveying speed is very high, the film formation rate may increase depending on the combination of the film material and the material of the base material 91. Specific examples will be shown later.

In addition, the reason for the difference in the ease of coupling can also be explained from the following viewpoints. During the film forming process, the film material has high kinetic energy and moves on the surface of the substrate 91. Therefore, if there is a reactive place on the surface of the substrate 91, the film material will react and bond with the substrate 91 at that place. Therefore, the more the reactable places, the easier it is for the film material to bond to the substrate 91, and the smaller the reactable places, the less likely it is to bond. The number of reactable places is determined according to the combination of the membrane material and the substrate 91.

Furthermore, the ease of bonding between the film material and the base 91 also depends on the state of the film-forming target surface of the base 91. For example, impurities in the atmosphere (for example, molecules containing atoms such as carbon (C) and oxygen (O), and OH groups), on the surface of the substrate 91, bind to the constituent atoms of the substrate 91. In this case, at the initial stage of the film formation process, it can be considered that the bond between the substrate 91 and the impurities is cut off by the ions or radicals in the plasma, and the film material is deposited on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91. That is, because the energy of the plasma is used to block the bonding of impurities, this part will reduce the bonding speed of the membrane material and the substrate 91.

As mentioned above, because the initial film formation rate in the film formation process is different from the subsequent film formation rate, it is considered that the transport speed is not inversely proportional to the film thickness.

Therefore, the reciprocal of the transport speed is introduced, and the relationship between the transport speed and the film is examined. Fig. 5 shows an example of the relationship between the reciprocal of the conveying speed and the film thickness. Fig. 5 shows four drawing points P21 to P24 obtained by reciprocating the conveying speed of the drawing points P1 to P4 in Fig. 4. The drawing point P21 is a drawing point obtained by the inverse of the conveying speed of the drawing point P4.

Linear approximation is performed on the four drawing points P21 to P24, and an approximate straight line G2 is calculated. The so-called linear approximation is a method that uses a and b as variables and obtains the approximate line shown by Y=a·X+b. The approximate straight line G2 for the drawing points P21 to P24 is expressed by the following formula. In the following formula, y represents the film thickness, and x'represents the reciprocal of the conveying speed.

y=39.86・x'-34.04 ・・・(2) It can be understood from the formula (2) that although the film thickness changes linearly with the inverse of the conveying speed, there is an intercept. That is, if the film formation rate does not change with the conveying speed and always maintains a constant, there will be no intercept, and the film thickness will be proportional to the reciprocal of the conveying speed, but in fact, as mentioned above, the film formation rate will be different. In this case, an intercept will be produced. In addition, since the film thickness has to become a negative value, the area where the film thickness becomes a negative value means that almost no thin film is actually formed.

The coefficient of determination (R2 value) of formula (2) is 0.9999. The so-called coefficient of determination is an index indicating how close the drawing point is to the approximate line. The coefficient of determination of the formula (2) is greater than the coefficient of determination of the formula (1). That is, the approximate formula of formula (2) reflects the actual phenomenon better than the approximate formula of formula (1), and the reliability is higher. The reason can be considered that the power approximation calculated by formula (1) does not consider the intercept.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the correspondence relationship between the film thickness and the reciprocal of the conveying speed is preset by experiment or simulation, and the correspondence relationship is stored in the memory unit (pre-processing). The storage unit is, for example, a storage medium of the control unit 200. The control unit 200 determines the conveying speed to achieve the required thickness based on the correspondence relationship.

Fig. 6 shows a flowchart of an example of pre-processing performed in advance. First, for example, an experiment is used to measure the relationship between the reciprocal of the conveying speed of the substrate 91 and the thickness of the film formed on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91 (step S1: measurement step). Specifically, the sputtering apparatus 1 performs a film formation process at a certain conveying speed, and then measures the film thickness of the substrate 91 obtained by the film formation process. By repeatedly performing the film forming process and measurement while changing the conveying speed, it is possible to measure the respective plural films corresponding to the plural conveying speeds.

Next, the corresponding relationship between the measured film and the reciprocal of the conveying speed is stored in the memory (step S2: storage step). The storage unit is, for example, a storage medium of the control unit 200. This storage process is performed, for example, by an operator's input process on an interface not shown. Specifically, the operator uses the interface to input information (conveying speed and film) indicating the corresponding relationship, and then the control unit 200 stores the corresponding relationship information indicating the corresponding relationship in the memory unit based on the information. The correspondence information system can be, for example, the information of a linear function as shown in formula (2), or it can also be a comparison table.

Next, an example of the operation of the sputtering device 1 will be described. FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of an example of the operation of the sputtering apparatus 1. First, the control unit 200 determines the transport speed of the substrate 91 based on the film target value and the correspondence information stored in the storage unit (step S11: speed determination step). The film target value can be input by an operator, for example. For example, the operator inputs the target value of the film using the user interface, and the user interface outputs the input information to the control unit 200. Alternatively, a device (not shown) that is upstream from the sputtering device 1 transmits the thin film target value to the control unit 200.

In addition, the target value of the film can also be included in the formula information. The so-called "formulation information" refers to information such as the processing conditions (for example, the target value of the film, the flow rate of the inert gas, the flow rate of the reactive gas, the rotation speed of the rotating cathode, and the sputtering voltage, etc.) performed on the substrate 91. The recipe information is input by an operator, or transmitted to the control unit 200 from a device on the upstream side, for example.

The control unit 200 determines the conveying speed based on the target value of the film and the correspondence information. If the correspondence information is a comparison table, the control unit 200 uses the film target value to perform linear interpolation of the correspondence information to calculate the conveying speed. On the other hand, if the correspondence information is a linear function formula, the control unit 200 substitutes the film target value into the linear function formula to calculate the conveying speed. In this way, the conveying speed can be easily calculated.

Next, the control unit 200 performs a film forming process (step S12: film forming step). Specifically, the holding conveying mechanism 10 conveys the substrate 91 at the conveying speed determined by the speed determining step, the reactive gas and the inert gas are supplied from the gas supply part 500, and the rotating cathode 30 is rotated by the rotary driving part 19, and the rotating cathode 30 is rotated by the sputtering The plating power supply 311 applies a sputtering voltage to the rotating cathode 30, and the high-frequency power supply 153 supplies high-frequency power to the inductively coupled antenna 151.

Thereby, while the base material 91 passes through the film formation position P, the film material is deposited on the film formation target surface of the base material 91 to form a thin film.

As described above, the sputtering apparatus 1 can form a thin film on the film formation target surface of the substrate 91. In addition, the control unit 200 substantially utilizes the approximate straight line including the intercept (linear function equation) exemplified in Equation (2) to determine the transport speed (step S11). For example, when the correspondence information is a linear function formula, the control unit 200 naturally uses the linear function formula to determine the conveying speed. Even if the correspondence information is a comparison table, the calculation of the conveying speed by linear interpolation of the correspondence information is essentially equivalent to the processing of substituting the target value of the film into the equation (2).

As mentioned above, the coefficient of determination of the approximate straight line including the intercept is higher, and the correspondence relationship between the film thickness and the conveying speed can be expressed more accurately. Therefore, the sputtering apparatus 1 can form a thin film with a film thickness closer to the target value.

In this case, it is less necessary to adjust the conveying speed in such a way that the film thickness approaches the target value. For example, under the premise that the film formation rate does not vary according to the transport speed, if the transport speed is determined from the film thickness target value, the film thickness of the actually formed film will deviate greatly from the target value. Therefore, it is necessary to repeat the film forming process while adjusting the value of the conveying speed, and to specify the conveying speed when the film thickness is within the allowable range.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the difference between the film formation rate and the film formation rate is found, and under the premise of this investigation, a corresponding relationship that is more suitable for the actual phenomenon is obtained. In addition, the transport speed is determined based on the correspondence relationship, so that an appropriate transport speed can be quickly determined.

Furthermore, in the above example, the sputtering device 1 forms an optical thin film. The allowable range of the film thickness of such an optical film is narrow. Therefore, the sputtering apparatus 1 capable of forming a thin film with high film thickness accuracy is particularly useful for forming optical thin films.

In the above example, in the correspondence relationship between the film thickness and the reciprocal of the conveying speed, the intercept takes a negative value (see FIG. 5). The reason is as described above, because the film formation rate when the film material is combined with the substrate 91 is low (also refer to the drawing point P14 in FIG. 4). However, in the case where the film material is easier to bond with the substrate 91, it can be considered that the intercept will become a positive value. Fig. 8 shows another example of the correspondence relationship between the film thickness and the reciprocal of the conveying speed. FIG. 8 illustrates the relationship when a silicon oxide film is formed on the substrate 91. As shown in Figure 8, the intercept of the approximate straight line is positive.

<Modifications> As mentioned above, the embodiment of the sputtering apparatus has been described. However, in this embodiment, various changes other than those described above can be implemented without escape.

For example, the above-mentioned film forming process can also be applied to various film forming processes such as forming a cathode electrode on an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence), or a passivation film forming of a solar cell semiconductor.

For example, the sputtering voltage applied by the sputtering power supply 311 to the rotating cathode 30 may also be an AC voltage. In this case, the magnitude of the sputtering voltage can be the amplitude of the AC voltage.

Furthermore, in the above example, although one rotating cathode 30 is provided, a plurality of rotating cathodes 30 may be arranged side by side at intervals in the extending direction of the conveying path L. FIG. 9 shows an example of a part of the structure of the sputtering apparatus 1A. As shown in FIG. 9, two rotating cathodes 30 are arranged at intervals in the X direction. The two rotating cathodes 30 are connected to a power supply 311 for sputtering. The sputtering power supply 311 applies a sputtering voltage containing a negative voltage to the rotating cathode 30. For example, the power supply 311 for sputtering may apply alternating-phase sputtering voltages with alternating opposite phases to the two rotating cathodes 30. In addition to this aspect, the sputtering power supply 311 may apply a negative sputtering voltage, or the applied sputtering voltage may be a pulse-like voltage composed of a negative voltage and a positive voltage. If the applied sputtering voltage is a pulse voltage or an AC voltage, the sputtering voltage may be applied alternately to the rotating cathodes 30 arranged side by side to perform reactive sputtering.

The magnet units 40 installed inside the two rotating cathodes 30 are installed with the magnetic pole faces facing each other. That is, the magnetic pole faces 40a, 40b of one of the magnet units 40 are opposite to the magnetic pole faces 40a, 40b of the other magnet unit 40 in the X direction, respectively. Thereby, a magnetic field can be formed in the space between the two rotating cathodes 30, and a high-density plasma can be formed in the space.

As shown in FIG. 9, an inductive coupling antenna 151 may also be provided. As shown in FIG. 9, the inductive coupling antenna 151 is arranged between two rotating cathodes 30 in the X direction.

Furthermore, in the above example, the plasma processing unit 20 includes a rotating cathode 30. However, it is not necessarily limited to this, and the plasma processing unit 20 may include a flat cathode.

Above, the sputtering apparatus of the embodiment and its modified examples are described, but these are only preferred embodiments and do not limit the scope of implementation. This embodiment is within the scope of the disclosure, and it is also possible to freely combine each embodiment, or change any constituent elements of each embodiment, or omit any constituent elements in each embodiment.

1,1A: Sputtering device 2: Support rod 10: Conveying department (maintaining conveying mechanism) 11: Conveying roller 19: Rotary drive unit 20: Plasma Processing Department 30: Cathode (rotating cathode) 31: Base member 32: Target 40: Magnet unit 40a, 40b: magnetic pole face 41: Yoke 43: Magnet 43a: central magnet 43b: Peripheral magnet 47: fixed component 90: Vehicle 91: Film-forming object (substrate) 100: chamber 120: Temperature Control Department 130: chimney duct 140: Probe 151: Inductively coupled antenna 160,161: Gate 170: High vacuum exhaust system 180: splitter 200: Control Department 311: Voltage application section (power supply for sputtering) 500: Gas Supply Department 510: Reactive Gas Supply Department 511: Reactive gas supply source 512,522,612: Piping 513,523,613,623: Valve 514,524,614,624: nozzle 520: Sputtering Gas Supply Department 521: Sputtering gas supply source L: Transport path P: Position to be filmed Q1: Central axis V: processing space

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of the structure of a sputtering device; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of the periphery of the plasma processing unit; Figure 3 is an example diagram of the relationship between film thickness and conveying speed; Figure 4 is an example diagram of the relationship between film forming rate and conveying speed; Figure 5 is an example diagram of the relationship between film thickness and the reciprocal of the conveying speed; Figure 6 is a flow chart of an example of pre-processing; Figure 7 is a flow chart of an example of the operation of the sputtering device; Figure 8 is another example of the relationship between film thickness and the reciprocal of the conveying speed; and Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an example of the configuration of a sputtering apparatus.

Claims (4)

A method of forming a film by applying continuous sputtering to the target while transporting the object to be filmed relative to the target in a manner that traverses the target to form a film on the object to be filmed The film forming method; including: The measuring step is to measure in advance the corresponding relationship between the reciprocal of the conveying speed of the film-forming object and the film thickness of the film formed on the film-forming object; The storing step is to store the above-mentioned corresponding relationship; A speed determination step, which is based on the above-mentioned film thickness target value and the above-mentioned corresponding relationship to determine the above-mentioned conveying speed; and The film formation step includes conveying the film formation object according to the transport speed determined by the speed determination step, and forming the film on the film formation object by continuous sputtering. Such as the film forming method of claim 1, wherein the above-mentioned corresponding relationship contains a linear function formula with an intercept. Such as the film forming method of claim 1, wherein the above-mentioned corresponding relationship includes a comparison table, In the above-mentioned speed determination step, the above-mentioned conveying speed is determined based on the linear interpolation processing performed on the above-mentioned look-up table. A film-forming device is a film-forming device that uses continuous sputtering to perform film-forming processing on a film-forming object, and includes: Chamber; The cathode, which is arranged in the aforementioned chamber and contains a target; A conveying part, which is located in the chamber, and conveys the film-forming object relative to the target in a manner of traversing the target; A gas supply part, which supplies inert gas into the aforementioned chamber; A voltage applying part, which applies a voltage to the above-mentioned cathode; and The control unit, which controls the data storage for the above-mentioned film forming process; Wherein, the control unit stores the reciprocal of the transport speed of the film-forming object and the corresponding relationship with the film thickness of the film formed on the film-forming object, and determines the above based on the target film thickness and the corresponding relationship. The conveying speed of the film-forming object.

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