TWI240010B - Sputtering apparatus and carrier thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A sputtering carrier is provided, which is suitable for carrying a substrate to perform a sputtering process. The sputtering carrier comprises a platen, a susceptor, and a plurality of lining casings. Wherein, the platen has a plurality of caves and a plurality of clamp/stop pins movably disposed in the caves. The lining casings are disposed in the caves and expose the clamp/stop pins respectively. In addition, the susceptor is disposed above the platen and the lining casings for carrying the substrate, and the susceptor has a plurality of opening holes corresponding to the caves for exposing the clamp/stop pins. Therefore, the position of the substrate can be fixed as the clamp/stop pins clamp the edge of the substrate. The sputtering apparatus described above can prevent the platen from the sputtering particles in the sputtering process, and then improve the yield factor of the process.

Description

1240010 Technical Field] A sputtering platform and a sputtering platform which are particularly effective in avoiding the residual of sputtering materials during the sputtering process. The continuous progress of process technology has led to the emergence of various new electronic products in the electronics industry. Among them, because of its advantages such as small size, weight, low power consumption, easy to carry without taking up space, the liquid crystal display has a wide range from daily life to industry, including clocks, computers, televisions, communications Liquid crystal displays for air transportation, industrial equipment, and military special applications have gradually replaced traditional color video tubes. V. Description of the invention α) [Technology of the invention The invention is related to a plateable machine and its sputtering [previous technology] With the vigorous development of semiconductors, the light weight and low voltage drive in the display market and the high-level applications of its products, such as medical products, medical materials, etc., have made the trend of high quality. The process of the liquid crystal display is roughly as follows. An electrical layer is formed on the substrate (pattern engineering film (alignment transfer material (spacer) edge material (plastic frame coating process), cutting and cracking of glass substrate corner chamfering, and final inspection. (LCD; Liquid C: cleaning the glass substrate indium tin oxide (IT 0), in the indium tin oxidation process), in two glass, in two glass substrates), injecting two pieces, liquid crystal injection and engineering, and liquid crystal panel, among the above Manufacturing of lead display (pre-cleaning process), forming a layer of alignment glass substrate on the conductive layer of glass; Indium Tin Oxide), interspersing a gap substrate with epoxy resin printed on the outer surface of the gap plate (composite sealer) Pressurized seal, glass inspection of LCD panel, polarizer attaching process, electrical layer mostly by physical vapor deposition

12403twf.ptd Page 9 1240010 V. Description of the invention (2) Manufactured by "Mineral Technology" in the product. Please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B at the same time, which respectively show the operation schematic diagram of the conventional sputtering machine of the liquid crystal display panel. The sputtering machine 100 mainly includes a sputtering chamber 110, a sputtering stage (shown in FIG. 1C), a mask 130, and a cathode 120, among which The clock stage is located in the sputtering chamber 1 10 to carry the glass substrate (not shown) to be sputtered, and the function of the mask 130 is to define the sputtering area and avoid the glass substrate. Metal deposits are formed in other areas of the sputtering stage (not shown). In addition, the cathode 120 is provided at the opening of the ore-spattering chamber 110, and a dry material is arranged inside the cathode 120 for use in low-key bonding. In the sputtering process of the glass substrate 102, the glass substrate 102 is first grasped by the robot arm into the sputtering chamber 110. Next, the cathode 120 is rotated so that the bell chamber 110 and the cathode 120 are in close contact with each other to perform subsequent money plating operations. Please refer to FIG. 1C, which shows the exploded schematic view of the above-mentioned sputtering stage. The components of the base stage are clearly shown, and the glass substrate is not shown in the figure. The coin stage includes, for example, a susceptor 140 and a platen 150, wherein the periphery of the base 150 has a plurality of slotted holes 152a and 152b. In addition, the carrying tray 140 has a plurality of openings 142a and 142b corresponding to the slotted holes 152a and 152b. The slotted holes 1 5 2 a of the base 150 are movably configured with stop & clamp pins 1 respectively. 5 4 a, which can be exposed to the outside through the opening 1 4 2 a, and the corresponding slot 152 b of the opening 1 4 2 b can be used for a supporting pin (not shown) located under the platen 150 (Shown) in and out. Support pin (not shown)

12403twf.ptd Page 10 1240010 V. Description of the invention (3)) It is used to support the glass substrate when it enters above the base 150, and make the glass substrate fall smoothly on the carrier tray 1 4 0, then the positioning pin 1 5 4 a will be fastened to the edge of the glass substrate to fix the position of the glass substrate. It is worth noting that although in the conventional sputtering process of the liquid crystal display panel, the mask and the carrier plate can effectively avoid the deposition of sputtering materials on most areas of the base. However, since the slot hole is directly exposed to the sputtering chamber through the opening during the sputtering process, a portion of the sputtered substance will still be deposited inside the slot hole and its surrounding area after the sputtering is completed. In this way, after performing a plurality of sputtering operations, the sputtered substances adhered to the above-mentioned area will be peeled off due to the increase in thickness and the repeated action of the positioning pin and the support pin, resulting in a decrease in the cleanliness of the sputtering machine, and further, Affects the yield of the sputtering process of the LCD panel. [Summary of the Invention] In view of this, the object of the present invention is to provide a sputtering platform to prevent the sputtering materials from directly attaching to the base during the sputtering process, so as to maintain the cleanliness in the sputtering machine and further improve Yield of the sputtering process. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sputtering machine, which can effectively avoid the residue of the sputtering material during the sputtering process, thus has better cleanliness and can provide better process yield. Based on the above objectives, the present invention proposes a sputtering platform, which is suitable for carrying a substrate for a low-level plating process. The reduction includes: a key stage includes a platen, a plurality of bushes, and a bearing disc (susceptor). ). Among them, the base has, for example, a plurality of slot holes and a plurality of positioning pins (stop & clamp pins) movably disposed in the slot holes, and the bushing is a corresponding sleeve

12403twf.ptd Page 11 1240010 V. Description of the invention (4) The edges of the multiple holes in the socket and the bushing are provided in accordance with the book and exposed, and are used to carry the substrate used to expose the fixed substrate. The preferred casing of the invention and a ring-shaped plate hole inner wall or a lined adjacent pipe-like material are exemplified by a base, and the ring-shaped plate sleeve is sucked near the bearing hole and the slot or metal base as described above. Wherein the plate, and the cathode system matching chamber and the cathode material are deposited on the basis of the principle of the above design during sputtering, the remote sputtering surface of the shaped plate of the present invention is sputtered, and one of the wheel materials is sputtered and hidden. In the glass, the sputtering of the substance is supported by the end of the substance away from the base to expose the profile (such as a non-sputter plating chamber, a plating chamber, a plating chamber, and a sputtering chamber, which is used for the substrate to apply the invention to the base. The positioning position of the base plate attached to the positioning platform of the plating machine implements the ability of the bottom surface, and the corresponding, stainless steel table, is the schedule. Outside the definition of the chamber is the slotted pin of the slot. In addition, the bearing plate is configured At the bottom, and the bearing plate has a pin corresponding to the slot hole, and the positioning pin is adapted to be fastened to the substrate. The above-mentioned bushing, for example, includes a perforation and is set on a bearing surface of the slot, and the sleeve is For example, the inner surface can be roughened to increase the outside. The annular plate is connected to the casing plate and has an inner hole which is connected with the positioning pin. In addition, the material of the casing of the casing can be the casing of the porous case. Surface example 0 This ring should be lined, etc.) The hair cathode is placed on the inner wall of the hole in the substrate of the sputter plating machine, and it is more clear. The plating of the shielding chamber and the shielding area are performed at the periphery of the non-covered area, and the room is provided with a cover system. The sputtering in other areas has a configuration and avoids the above-mentioned example. Destroy the machine a bushing, the base table such as sand blasting machine, the sputter plating such as the load-bearing openings, the original surface to avoid sputtering. This processing etc

12403twf.ptd Page 12 1240010 V. Description of the invention (5) Roughening action, or the liner itself can be made of porous material, so that its surface appears uneven, so as to increase the space between the sputtered material and the liner surface Of adhesion. In this way, the sputtering material can be effectively prevented from falling off, so as to maintain the cleanliness in the sputtering machine, thereby improving the production yield of the sputtering process. It is worth mentioning that, since the bushing of the present invention is movably set in the slot, it is not only simple to disassemble and assemble, but also can be removed for cleaning when cleaning the photomask, and it can be repeated. Use for the purpose of saving costs. In order to make the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. [Embodiment] Please refer to FIG. 2, which illustrates a schematic view of a sputtering machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The sputtering machine 2 0 0 includes, for example, a sputtering chamber 2 1 0, a sputtering platform is located in the sputtering chamber 2 1 0 (shown in FIG. 3), a cover 2 3 0, and a Cathode 2 2 0, for example, a sputtering target (not shown) is disposed in the cathode 2 2 0, which can provide the atoms required for sputter deposition by the impact of plasma ions, and the sputtering stage is suitable for A substrate 202 is carried, which may be, for example, a glass substrate used to make a liquid crystal display panel. In addition, the mask 2 3 0 is disposed at the opening of the sputtering chamber 2 10, and its role is to define the sputtering area on the substrate 2 2 and prevent the sputtering material from being deposited outside the sputtering area. . After the substrate 2 02 is fixed on the sputtering stage, the cathode 2 2 0 can be rotated relative to the sputtering chamber 2 10 to close the sputtering chamber 2 1 0, and the glass substrate 2 0 2 is upright Way to perform sputtering. In order to provide a clearer explanation, please refer to FIG. 3, which shows the

12403twf.ptd Page 13 1240010 V. Description of the invention (6) Exploded schematic diagram of the sputtering platform. The sputtering platform includes, for example, a base 250 and a supporting plate 240, wherein the periphery of the surface of the base 250 has a plurality of slot holes 252a and 252b, and the supporting plate 240 corresponds to the slot holes 252a and the slot holes 2 5 2b. There are a plurality of openings 2 42 a and 242 b in the positions. In addition, the positioning holes 2 5 2 a are respectively provided with positioning pins 2 5 4 a (only one is shown in the figure), which are exposed to the outside through the openings 2 4 2 a, and the slot holes 2 5 2 b and The corresponding openings 242b can pass through a plurality of support pins (not shown) located below the base 250 to support the glass substrate (not shown) to move up and down relative to the base 250. For example, when the robot arm conveys the glass substrate above the base 250, a support pin (not shown) passes through the slot 2 5 2b and the opening 242b and protrudes above the carrier tray 240 to support the glass substrate. . Then, the robot arm leaves the glass substrate, and the support pin (not shown) is retracted downward, so that the glass substrate falls on the carrier plate 240. Then, the positioning pins 2 5 4a are fastened to the outer edge of the glass substrate to fix the position of the glass substrate and perform subsequent plating operations. The sputtering machine 200 of the present invention is to prevent the conventional sputtering materials from adhering to the slot 252a of the base 250 and the surrounding area, and a plurality of bushes 2 6 0 a are arranged in the slot 252a to isolate the base. 2 5 0 and sputtering materials, in which, for the sake of simplicity, only one bushing is shown in FIG. 3. Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 at the same time, wherein FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A ′ of FIG. 3. The carrier plate 2 4 0 covers the base 2 50 and the bushing 2 6 0 a, and the carrier plate 2 4 0 bears the glass substrate 2 0 2, and the bushing 2 6 0 a is correspondingly set in the slot 2 5 2 a, and expose the positioning pins 2 5 4 a respectively, so that

12403twf.ptd Page 14 1240010 V. Description of the invention (7) The positioning pin 2 5 4 a maintains normal operation. In addition, the positioning pins 2 5 4 a are respectively fastened to both side edges of the glass substrate 202 to fix the position of the glass substrate 202. Please also refer to FIG. 5 for a plan view of the bushing of FIG. 3. The bushing 2 6 0 a is composed of, for example, an annular plate 2 6 2 and a set of tubes 2 6 4, and the shape of the rectangular sleeve 2 6 4 corresponds to the slot 2 5 2 a. The annular plate 2 6 2 has an inner hole 262a which is overlapped with the through hole 264a of the sleeve 264 to expose the positioning pin 2 5 4 a. In a preferred embodiment, the annular plate 2 62 can be interconnected with the sleeve 264 by, for example, spot welding, so that the bushing 260a can bear on the base 250 through the annular plate 262. In addition, the sleeve 264 and the annular plate 262 may also be formed integrally, which may be formed by, for example, casting or mechanical cutting. Following the above, the bushing of the present invention may have a rough surface, for example, the upper surface of the annular plate and the inner wall of the sleeve may be roughened by embossing or sandblasting, for example, to make the surface appear uneven. The principle of thin film stress dispersion is used to effectively increase the adhesion between the sputtering material and the surface of the bushing, and the combination of the sputtering material and the surface of the bushing will be more stable and not easy to fall off. In addition, the material of the bushing may be made of a porous material, in addition to metal materials such as steel, to provide better adhesion of the sputtered material. It is worth noting that in the present invention, a bushing can also be arranged in the slot hole for the support pin to enter and exit to avoid deposition of sputtered material in the slot hole. The shape of the bushing set in the slot hole is the same as the slot hole. Corresponding to the outline, but its detailed structure and configuration are similar to the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

12403twf.ptd Page 15 1240010 V. Description of Invention (8). In addition, the bushings shown in the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention are merely examples. Within the scope of the invention, the shape and size of the bushings may be different with the shape of the slot or the positioning pin. The type change is different to meet the needs of actual operation. In summary, the sputtering machine of the present invention is provided with a bushing inside the slot provided with a positioning pin and a support pin for the support pin to enter and exit, so as to prevent the sputtering material from being deposited on the inner wall of the slot and its periphery. Area. In this way, the cleanliness of the sputtering machine can be effectively improved, and the substrate can be prevented from being contaminated by the sputtering material, thereby improving the yield of the production process. In addition, the sleeve of the present invention can be movably sleeved in the slot, so the sleeve can be removed from the base at any time depending on the deposition of the surface of the sleeve or the time schedule of the process maintenance (PM) at regular intervals. The upper part is removed for cleaning to simplify the cleaning action, and the bush can be reused to reduce the cost required. Although the present invention has been disclosed in the preferred embodiment as above, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications and retouching without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention The scope of protection shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.

12403twf.ptd Page 16 1240010 Brief Description of Drawings Figures 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of a conventional liquid crystal display panel splashing machine, respectively. Fig. 1C is an exploded view of the sputtering stage shown in Figs. 1A and 1B. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a sputtering machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the sputtering platform shown in FIG. 2. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A 'in Fig. 3. Figure 5 shows a plan view of the bushing of Figure 3. [Illustration of Graphical Symbols] 1 0 0: Sputtering machine 1 0 2: Glass substrate 1 1 0: Sputtering chamber 1 2 0: Cathode 1 30: Mask 1 4 0: Carrier tray 1 4 2 a, 1 4 2 b: Hole 1 5 0: Base 1 5 2 a, 1 5 2 b: Slot hole 1 5 4 a: Locating pin 2 0 0: Sputtering machine 2 0 2: Glass substrate 2 1 0: Sputtering Chamber 2 2 0: cathode

12403twf.ptd Page 17 1240010 Simple illustration 230: mask 2 4 0: carrier plate 2 4 2 a, 2 4 2 b: opening 250: base 2 5 2 a, 2 5 2 b: slot 2 5 4 a: Locating pin 2 6 0 a: Bushing 2 6 2: Ring plate 262 a: Inner hole 264: Sleeve 264 a: Perforation

12403twf.ptd Page 18

Claims (1)

1240010 VI. Scope of patent application 1. A sputtering platform suitable for carrying a substrate for a sputtering process, the sputtering platform includes at least: a base having a plurality of slots and movably correspondingly disposed on the substrates groove? A plurality of positioning pins in L; a plurality of bushings are correspondingly sleeved in the slots, and the bushings expose the positioning pins; and a bearing plate is disposed on the base and the bushings For supporting the substrate, wherein the carrier disk has a plurality of openings corresponding to the slot holes for exposing the positioning pins, and the positioning pins are adapted to be fastened to the edge of the substrate to Fix the position of the substrate. 2. The sputter platform as described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein each of these profiles includes: a sleeve having a perforation, and the sleeve is sleeved in one of the slots And an annular plate abutting on a bearing surface of the base, wherein the annular plate is connected to an end of the sleeve adjacent to the bearing surface, and the annular plate has an inner hole, and the inner hole is connected with The perforations of the sleeve are overlapped to expose one of the corresponding positioning pins. 3. The sputtering platform according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein at least one of the inner wall of each of the sleeves and the surface of each of the annular plates away from the base is a rough surface. 4. The sputtering platform according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the shapes of the sleeves correspond to the contours of the slots. 5. The sputtering platform as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein these 12403twf.ptd Page 19 1240010 VI. Scope of patent application Material of bushing 6. Material of bushing 7 · Such as including metal. The sputtering platform described in item 5 of the patent includes stainless steel. The material of the sputtered stage bushing described in item 1 of the patent range includes a porous material. Among them, there are 8 kinds of sputtering machines, which are suitable for performing a sputtering process on a substrate. The sputtering machine includes a sputtering, a cathode, and a sputtering including: multiple sets of exposures in the slots. Load out the substrate 'hole to cover the edge of the substrate. 9 · If you apply these bushings to cover the chamber, it should be arranged on the carrier, with most of the bushings in the base. Wherein, the bearing is exposed to be fixed, and is arranged in the patent specification: the opening of the sputtering chamber is opened; it is placed in the sputtering chamber, and the sputtering platform has a plurality of slots And locating corresponding positioning pins movably; correspondingly set in the slots, and the liner pins; configured on the base and the liners, and used to carry the tray with the slots corresponding to the slots A plurality of positioning pins are opened, and the positioning pins are adapted to be fastened to the position of the substrate; and between the sputtering chamber and the cathode. The sputtering machine according to item 8, wherein each of the sleeves has a perforation, and the sleeves are sleeved within the slots and 12403twf.ptd Page 20 1240010 6. Scope of patent application An annular plate bears on a bearing surface of the base, wherein the annular plate is connected to an end of the sleeve adjacent to the bearing surface, and the annular plate has An inner hole coincides with the perforation of the sleeve to expose one of the corresponding positioning pins. 10. The sputtering machine according to item 9 of the scope of patent application, wherein at least one of the inner wall of each of the sleeves and the surface of each of the annular plates away from the base is a rough surface. 1 1. The sputtering machine according to item 9 of the scope of patent application, wherein the shapes of the sleeves correspond to the contours of the slots. 12. The sputtering machine according to item 8 of the scope of patent application, wherein the material of the bushes includes metal. 1 3. The sputtering machine according to item 12 of the scope of patent application, wherein the material of the bushings includes stainless steel. 1 4. The sputtering machine according to item 8 of the scope of patent application, wherein the material of the bushings includes a porous material. 12403twf.ptd Page 21