TWI758740B - Film forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a film forming apparatus capable of forming a flat film that suppresses deterioration of optical properties. The film forming apparatus is a film forming apparatus for forming a film on the workpiece 10, and includes a conveying unit 30 having a turntable 31 for cyclically conveying the workpiece 10, and a film formation processing unit 40 having a target 42 containing a material constituting a film, and a plasma generator for plasmaizing the sputtering gas introduced between the target 42 and the turntable 31, and sputtering the target 42 with plasma to form a film on the workpiece 10; and an ion irradiation unit 60 for irradiating ions The conveying unit 30 circulates and conveys the workpiece 10 in such a way that the workpiece 10 passes through the film formation processing unit 40 and the ion irradiation unit 60 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 irradiates the film on the workpiece 10 in the middle of its formation with ions.

Description

Film forming device

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus.

An optical film that reflects light in a predetermined wavelength region and transmits light in other wavelength regions is formed in an optical device. As an optical device, cold light mirrors, such as a liquid crystal projector, a photocopier, and a condenser mirror of an infrared sensor, are mentioned, for example. The cold mirror is formed with a laminated film that is an optical film that reflects visible light and transmits light in a predetermined wavelength range. As a method of forming such a layered film, a method using sputtering is known, in which a target containing a film-forming material is exposed to plasma to expel particles constituting the target, and the particles are deposited on a workpiece superior.

[Prior Art Literature]

[Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-266538

Here, it is known that in the laminated film formed by sputtering, the deposited particles are sparse and dense, thereby generating unevenness on the surface of the film. As described above, a laminated film to be an optical film in which a film having irregularities on the surface is laminated exists at the interface between the films, resulting in diffuse reflection of light and deterioration of optical properties such as transmittance.

The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a film forming apparatus capable of forming a flat film that suppresses deterioration of optical properties.

The film-forming apparatus of the present invention is a film-forming apparatus for forming a film on a workpiece, and includes: a chamber that can make the inside vacuum; a turntable; a film-forming processing unit having a target containing a material constituting the film, and a plasma generator for plasmaizing the sputtering gas introduced between the target and the turntable, using the plasma The target is sputtered to form a film on the workpiece, and the film processing unit has a cylindrical body protruding toward the inner space of the chamber and opening toward the conveyance path, and a film processing unit for closing the cylindrical body. A window member provided to be opened, a first process gas introduction portion for introducing a first process gas into a process space formed between the turntable and the cylindrical body, and the process space through the window member An antenna for generating an electric field inside, and a power source for applying a high-frequency voltage to the antenna, plasmaizing the first process gas to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the processing space, and causing the film to perform a chemical reaction; and an ion irradiation unit having a cylindrical electrode provided with an opening at one end and attached to the chamber so that the opening faces the conveyance path, and a second process gas is introduced into the cylindrical electrode. A second process gas introduction part and a power supply for applying a high-frequency voltage to the cylindrical electrode irradiate the film with ions generated by plasmaizing the second process gas; the conveying part passes through the workpiece. The workpiece is cyclically conveyed through the film formation processing unit, the film processing unit, and the ion irradiation unit, and the The ion irradiation unit irradiates ions to the film in the middle of formation on the workpiece.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the film-forming apparatus which can form the flat film which suppresses the deterioration of an optical characteristic can be obtained.

10: Workpiece

11: SiO ₂ film

12:Nb ₂ O ₅ film

20: Chamber

20a: top

20b: inner bottom surface

20c: inner peripheral surface

21: exhaust port

21a: Opening

22: Divider

30:Conveying Department

31: Rotary table

32: Motor

33: Keeping Department

34: Tray

40, 40a, 40b: Film formation processing section

41: Processing Space

42: Target

43: Support plate

44: Electrodes

46: Power Department

47: Gas inlet

48: Piping

49: Sputtering gas introduction part

50: Membrane processing department

51: Cylindrical body

52: Window Components

53: Antenna

54: RF Power

55: Match Box

56: Gas inlet

57: Piping

58: Process gas introduction part

59: Processing Space

60: Ion irradiation section

61: Barrel electrode

61a: Opening

61b: Flange

62: Insulation components

63: Shell

64: Shield

65: Process gas introduction part

66: RF Power

67: Match Box

70: Loading/Unloading Section

80: Control device

90: Exhaust part

100: Film forming device

G1: Sputtering gas

G2: Process Gas

G3: Process Gas

L: conveying path

S01~S16: Steps

FIG. 1 is a perspective plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a B-B cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of processing by the film forming apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a processing procedure of a workpiece by the film forming apparatus of the embodiment.

6(a) to 6(c) are cross-sectional images of Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 photographed by a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), and (a) is The cross-sectional image of Example 1, (b) is the cross-sectional image of Example 2, and (c) is the cross-sectional image of Comparative Example 1.

FIGS. 7( a ) to 7 ( c ) are enlarged cross-sectional images of the eight-layer surface layer portions of Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 in FIGS. 6( a ) to 6 ( c ) , (a) is the cross-sectional image of Example 1, (b) is the cross-sectional image of Example 2, and (c) is the cross-sectional image of Comparative Example 1.

8 shows the maximum height of each layer in Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 Graph of degrees Rz.

9 is a graph showing the standard deviation of the maximum height Rz of each layer in Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1. FIG.

(Embodiment)

(constitute)

Embodiments of the film forming apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The film forming apparatus 100 is an apparatus for forming a film on the workpiece 10 . The workpiece 10 is a glass substrate or a resin substrate. The film formed on the workpiece 10 by the film forming apparatus 100 is a laminated film in which a plurality of films are laminated. In the present embodiment, the film is a laminated film to be an optical film, and is formed by alternately laminating SiO ₂ films and Nb ₂ O ₅ films, for example.

The film formation apparatus 100 includes a chamber 20 , a transfer unit 30 , a film formation processing unit 40 , a film processing unit 50 , an ion irradiation unit 60 , a load-lock unit 70 , and a control device 80 .

(Chamber)

The chamber 20 is a cylindrical container that can be evacuated inside. The inside of the chamber 20 is divided by the partition part 22, and is divided into a plurality of areas in a fan shape. Any one of the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , the ion irradiation unit 60 , and the loading/unloading unit 70 is arranged in each region. The conveying direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 1 ) of the parts 40 , 50 , 60 , and 70 with respect to the conveying part 30 is the film formation processing part 40 , the film processing part 50 , the ion irradiation part 60 , and the loading/unloading part 70 . sequence configuration. Film processing unit 50 and ion irradiation unit 60 Adjacency settings.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the chamber 20 is formed by being surrounded by a disk-shaped top portion 20a, a disk-shaped inner bottom surface 20b, and an annular inner peripheral surface 20c. The partition part 22 is a square wall plate arranged radially from the center of the cylindrical shape, extends from the top part 20a toward the inner bottom surface 20b, and does not reach the inner bottom surface 20b. That is, a cylindrical space is secured on the inner bottom surface 20b side. A turntable 31 for conveying the workpiece 10 is arranged in the cylindrical space. The lower end of the partition portion 22 opens a gap through which the workpiece 10 placed on the conveying portion 30 passes, and faces the placement surface of the workpiece 10 on the turntable 31 . By this partition part 22, the process space in which the process of the workpiece|work 10 is performed is divided among the film formation process part 40, the film process part 50, and the ion irradiation part 60. As a result, the sputtering gas G1 of the film formation processing section 40, the process gas (first process gas) G2 of the film processing section 50, and the process gas (second process gas) G3 of the ion irradiation section 60 can be suppressed (see FIG. 3 ). ) diffuses into the chamber 20.

In addition, as will be described later, in the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 , plasma is generated in the processing space, but only the processing space divided into spaces smaller than the chamber 20 should be adjusted. Therefore, the pressure can be easily adjusted and the discharge of the plasma can be stabilized. Furthermore, an exhaust port 21 is provided in the chamber 20 . An exhaust portion 90 is connected to the exhaust port 21 . The exhaust part 90 has piping, a pump, a valve, etc. which are not shown in figure. The inside of the chamber 20 can be reduced in pressure by the exhaust by the exhaust part 90 through the exhaust port 21 to become a vacuum.

(Conveying Department)

The conveyance unit 30 includes a rotary table 31 , a motor 32 , and a holding unit 33 , and cyclically conveys the workpiece 10 along a conveyance path L that is a locus of a circumference. That is, the conveying unit 30 carries the workpiece The workpiece 10 is cyclically conveyed so as to pass through the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 in this order. Therefore, the conveyance part 30 conveys the workpiece|work 10 so that the workpiece|work 10 may pass through the film formation processing part 40 and the ion irradiation part 60 alternately.

The turntable 31 has a disk shape and is greatly expanded so as not to come into contact with the inner peripheral surface 20c. The motor 32 continuously rotates at a predetermined rotational speed using the circular center of the turntable 31 as a rotation axis. In this embodiment, the motor 32 rotates the turntable 31 counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 1 . The holding part 33 is a groove, a hole, a protrusion, a jig, a fixture, etc., which are arranged in the upper surface of the turntable 31 at equal positions on the circumference, and uses a mechanical chuck and an adhesive chuck to hold the pallet on which the workpiece 10 is placed. 34. The workpieces 10 are arranged in a matrix, for example, on the pallet 34 , and on the turntable 31 , six holding parts 33 are arranged at intervals of 60°. The rotation axis is orthogonal to the surface of the rotary table 31 on which the workpiece 10 is placed.

(Film Formation Processing Section)

The film formation processing unit 40 generates plasma, and exposes the target 42 containing the film formation material to the plasma. Thereby, the film-forming process part 40 deposits the particle|grains which comprise the target 42 which were ejected by colliding the ion contained in the plasma with the target 42 on the workpiece|work 10, and performs film-forming. As shown in FIG. 2 , the film formation processing unit 40 includes a sputtering source including a target 42 , a support plate 43 and an electrode 44 , and a plasma generator including a power supply unit 46 and a sputtering gas introduction unit 49 .

The target 42 is a plate-shaped member containing a film-forming material that is deposited on the workpiece 10 to become a film. The target 42 serves as a supply source of particles constituting the film formed on the workpiece 10 . The target 42 is separated and installed on the conveyance path L of the workpiece 10 placed on the turntable 31 . The surface of the target 42 is held in such a manner as to face the workpiece 10 placed on the turntable 31 . The top 20a of the chamber 20. For example, three targets 42 are provided. When viewed from above, the three targets 42 are arranged at positions arranged on the vertices of the triangle.

The support plate 43 is a support member that holds the target 42 . The support plate 43 holds each target 42 individually. The electrode 44 is a conductive member for individually applying electric power to each target 42 from the outside of the chamber 20 , and is electrically connected to the target 42 . The power applied to each target 42 can be varied individually. In addition, a magnet, a cooling mechanism, etc. are suitably included in a sputtering source as needed.

The power supply unit 46 is, for example, a direct current (DC) power supply that applies a high voltage, and is electrically connected to the electrode 44 . The power supply unit 46 applies electric power to the target 42 via the electrode 44 . Furthermore, the potential of the turntable 31 is the same as that of the grounded chamber 20, and a potential difference is generated by applying a high voltage to the target 42 side. The power supply unit 46 may be a radio frequency (RF) power supply in order to perform high-frequency sputtering.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the sputtering gas introduction part 49 introduces the sputtering gas G1 into the chamber 20 . The sputtering gas introduction part 49 has a supply source of the sputtering gas G1 such as a gas cylinder, which is not shown, a piping 48 , and a gas introduction port 47 .

The piping 48 is connected to the supply source of the sputtering gas G1 , penetrates the chamber 20 in an airtight manner, and extends toward the inside of the chamber 20 , and the end portion thereof is opened as a gas introduction port 47 .

The gas introduction port 47 is opened between the turntable 31 and the target 42 , and introduces the sputtering gas G1 for film formation into the processing space 41 formed between the turntable 31 and the target 42 . As the sputtering gas G1, an inert gas can be used, and an argon gas or the like is suitable.

In such a film formation processing unit 40 , when the sputtering gas G1 is introduced from the sputtering gas introduction unit 49 and the power supply unit 46 applies a high voltage to the target 42 via the electrode 44 , the The sputtering gas G1 introduced into the processing space 41 formed between the turntable 31 and the target 42 is plasmaized, and active species such as ions are generated. The ions in the plasma collide with the target 42 to eject particles (hereinafter, also referred to as target-constituting particles) constituting the target 42 . In addition, the workpiece 10 cyclically conveyed by the turntable 31 passes through the processing space 41 . The shot-out target constituent particles are deposited on the workpiece 10 when the workpiece 10 passes through the processing space 41 , and a film containing the target constituent particles is formed on the workpiece 10 . The workpiece 10 is cyclically conveyed by the turntable 31, and passes through the processing space 41 repeatedly, whereby the film formation process is performed. The film thickness of the film deposited every time it passes through the film formation processing section 40 also depends on the processing rate of the film processing section 50 , but may be, for example, a thin film of about 1 atomic order to 2 atomic order (5 nm or less). The workpiece 10 is cyclically conveyed a plurality of times, whereby the thickness of the film increases, and a film having a predetermined film thickness is formed on the workpiece 10 .

The pressure of the sputtering gas in the film formation processing unit 40 may be set to 0.3 Pa or less, and the pressure may be lower than 0.3 Pa as long as the pressure can maintain the plasma generated in the processing space 41 of the film formation processing unit 40 .

In the present embodiment, the film forming apparatus 100 includes a plurality (two in this case) of the film forming processing units 40 , and the film forming processing units 40 are provided in two regions partitioned by the partitioning unit 22 . The plurality of film-forming processing units 40 selectively deposit film-forming materials, thereby forming a film including layers of a plurality of film-forming materials. In particular, in the present embodiment, a sputtering source corresponding to a different type of film-forming material is included, and the film-forming material is selectively deposited, thereby forming a film including layers of a plurality of film-forming materials. The term "including sputtering sources corresponding to different types of film-forming materials" includes not only the case where the film-forming materials of all the film-forming processing units 40 are different, but also the film-forming materials that are common to the plurality of film-forming processing units 40, but other Membrane material is different from it. Selectively depositing the film-forming materials one by one means that the film-forming processing section 40 of the other film-forming material does not form the film while the film-forming processing section 40 of any one of the film-forming materials is performing the film-forming.

In the present embodiment, the target 42 of one of the film-forming processing units 40 contains silicon (Si), and the target 42 of the other film-forming processing unit 40 contains niobium (Nb). During the period of forming the silicon film, the niobium film is not formed, and during the period of forming the niobium film, the silicon film is not formed. In order to distinguish the two film formation processing parts 40, the film formation processing part 40 having the target 42 containing silicon (Si) is referred to as the film formation processing part 40a, and the film formation processing part 40 having the target 42 containing niobium (Nb) is used as the film formation processing part 40a. The part 40 is set as the film formation processing part 40b.

(Membrane processing department)

The film processing unit 50 generates an inductively coupled plasma in the processing space 59 into which the process gas is introduced, and causes ions in the plasma to chemically react with the film formed on the workpiece 10 by the film forming processing unit 40 , thereby generating compound film. The introduced process gas contains, for example, oxygen or nitrogen. In addition to oxygen or nitrogen, the process gas may also contain inert gases such as argon. The film processing section 50 oxidizes the film on the workpiece 10 when the process gas contains oxygen. When the process gas contains nitrogen, the film processing section 50 nitrides the film on the workpiece 10 . The process gas of this embodiment is oxygen. The film processing unit 50 plasmaizes oxygen gas, and causes ions in the plasma to chemically react with the silicon film or niobium film on the outermost surface of the workpiece 10 to form a SiO ₂ film and a Nb ₂ O ₅ film.

The film processing unit 50 has a plasma generator including a cylindrical body 51 , a window member 52 , an antenna 53 , an RF power supply 54 , a matching box 55 , and a process gas introduction part 58 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the cylindrical body 51 is a cylindrical shape having a rounded rectangle in horizontal cross section, and has an opening. The cylindrical body 51 is fitted into the top portion 20 a of the chamber 20 so that its opening is separated from the turntable 31 and protrudes toward the inner space of the chamber 20 . The cylindrical body 51 is made of the same material as the turntable 31 . The window member 52 is a flat plate of a dielectric material such as quartz having a shape substantially similar to the horizontal cross section of the cylindrical body 51 . The window member 52 is provided so as to block the opening of the cylindrical body 51 , and separates the processing space 59 in the chamber 20 into which the process gas G2 containing oxygen is introduced from the interior of the cylindrical body 51 . The processing space 59 is a space formed between the turntable 31 and the inside of the cylindrical body 51 in the film processing unit 50 . The workpiece 10 cyclically conveyed by the rotary table 31 repeatedly passes through the processing space 59 , thereby being oxidized. Furthermore, the window member 52 may be a dielectric such as alumina, or a semiconductor such as silicon.

The antenna 53 is a conductor wound in a coil shape, is disposed in the inner space of the cylindrical body 51 isolated from the processing space 59 in the chamber 20 by the window member 52, and generates an electric field by flowing an alternating current. It is desirable that the antenna 53 is arranged in the vicinity of the window member 52 so that the electric field generated from the antenna 53 is efficiently introduced into the processing space 59 via the window member 52 . An RF power supply 54 to which a high-frequency voltage is applied is connected to the antenna 53 . A matching box 55 as a matching circuit is connected in series to the output side of the RF power supply 54 . The matching box 55 matches the impedance of the input side and the output side, thereby stabilizing the discharge of the plasma.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the process gas introduction part 58 introduces the process gas G2 containing oxygen into the processing space 59 . The process gas introduction part 58 has a supply source of the process gas G2 such as a gas cylinder, which is not shown, a piping 57 , and a gas introduction port 56 .

The piping 57 is connected to the supply source of the process gas G2 and penetrates the chamber in an airtight manner The rear 20 is extended toward the inside of the chamber 20 , and the end portion thereof is opened as a gas introduction port 56 .

The gas introduction port 56 opens to the processing space 59 between the window member 52 and the turntable 31, and introduces the process gas G2.

In such a film processing unit 50 , a high-frequency voltage is applied to the antenna 53 from the RF power supply 54 . Thereby, a high-frequency current flows into the antenna 53, and an electric field is generated by electromagnetic induction. An electric field is generated in the processing space 59 through the window member 52, generating an inductively coupled plasma of the process gas G2. At this time, oxygen gas is also ionized, and the oxygen ions collide with the film on the workpiece 10 to bond with atoms constituting the film. As a result, the film on the workpiece 10 is oxidized to form an oxide film as a compound film.

(Ion irradiation section)

The ion irradiation unit 60 irradiates the object with ions. The ion irradiation unit 60 plasmaizes the process gas, and irradiates the object with ions contained in the plasma. The object is a film in the process of forming on the workpiece 10 . The film in the process of forming on the workpiece 10 refers to a film formed on the workpiece 10 before a film having a desired film thickness, and specifically, refers to a compound on the workpiece 10 processed by the film processing unit 50 . The film, or the film on the workpiece 10 formed by the film formation processing unit 40 . In other words, the conveyance unit 30 cyclically conveys the workpiece 10 so that the workpiece 10 passes through the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 , whereby the ion irradiation unit 60 processes the workpiece processed by the film processing unit 50 . The compound film on 10 is irradiated with ions. Alternatively, when the parts 40 , 50 , and 60 are arranged in the order of the film formation processing part 40 , the ion irradiation part 60 , and the film processing part 50 in the conveying direction of the conveying part 30 , the conveying part 30 passes the workpiece 10 through the film formation. The workpiece 10 is cyclically conveyed in the manner of the processing unit 40, the ion irradiation unit 60, and the film processing unit 50, by The ion irradiation unit 60 irradiates ions to the film on the workpiece 10 formed by the film formation processing unit 40 . The ion irradiation unit 60 includes a plasma generator including a cylindrical electrode 61 , a shield 64 , an RF power source 66 and a process gas introduction unit 65 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the ion irradiation unit 60 includes a cylindrical electrode 61 provided from the upper part to the inside of the chamber 20 . The cylindrical electrode 61 has a rectangular cylindrical shape, has an opening 61a at one end, and is closed at the other end. The cylindrical electrode 61 is attached to the opening 21 a provided on the ceiling surface of the chamber 20 via the insulating member 62 so that one end having the opening 61 a faces the turntable 31 . The side wall of the cylindrical electrode 61 extends toward the inside of the chamber 20 .

At the end of the cylindrical electrode 61 opposite to the opening 61a, a flange 61b protruding outward is provided. The insulating member 62 is fixed between the flange 61b and the edge of the opening 21a of the chamber 20, thereby keeping the inside of the chamber 20 airtight. The insulating member 62 is not limited to a specific material as long as it has insulating properties. For example, the insulating member 62 may include a material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

The opening part 61a of the cylindrical electrode 61 is arrange|positioned in the position which faces the conveyance path L of the turntable 31. As shown in FIG. The turntable 31 serves as the conveyance unit 30, and conveys the pallet 34 on which the workpiece 10 is loaded and passes through the position facing the opening 61a. Furthermore, the opening 61 a of the cylindrical electrode 61 is larger than the size of the tray 34 in the radial direction of the turntable 31 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , when viewed from the plane direction, the cylindrical electrode 61 has a fan shape that expands in diameter toward the outside from the center side in the radial direction of the turntable 31 . The fan shape mentioned here refers to the shape of the part of the fan surface of a fan. The opening 61a of the cylindrical electrode 61 is also fan-shaped. With regard to the speed at which the tray 34 on the turntable 31 passes through the position facing the opening 61a, the more toward the center side in the radial direction of the turntable 31, the above The slower the speed becomes, the more towards the outside, the faster the speed becomes. Therefore, if the opening 61a is only rectangular or square, there is a difference in the time between the center side and the outer side in the radial direction when the workpiece 10 passes through the position facing the opening 61a. By expanding the diameter of the opening 61a from the center side in the radial direction to the outside, the time for passing through the opening 61a can be made constant, and the plasma treatment described later can be made uniform. However, a rectangle or a square may be sufficient as long as the difference in the passing time is not a problem in the product.

As described above, the cylindrical electrode 61 penetrates through the opening 21 a of the chamber 20 , and a part thereof is exposed to the outside of the chamber 20 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the portion of the cylindrical electrode 61 exposed to the outside of the chamber 20 is covered by the case 63 . The space inside the chamber 20 is kept airtight by the case 63 . The portion of the cylindrical electrode 61 located inside the chamber 20 , that is, the periphery of the side wall is covered by the shield 64 .

The shield 64 is a fan-shaped square cylinder coaxial with the cylindrical electrode 61 and is larger than the cylindrical electrode 61 . The shield 64 is connected to the chamber 20 . Specifically, the shield 64 is erected from the edge of the opening 21 a of the chamber 20 , and the end extending toward the inside of the chamber 20 is positioned at the same height as the opening 61 a of the cylindrical electrode 61 . Since the shield 64 functions as a cathode similarly to the chamber 20 , it can include a conductive metal member with low electrical resistance. The shield 64 may be integrally formed with the chamber 20 , or may also be mounted on the chamber 20 using a fixing metal fitting or the like.

The shield 64 is provided to stably generate plasma in the cylindrical electrode 61 . Each side wall of the shield 64 is provided so as to extend substantially parallel to each side wall of the cylindrical electrode 61 with a predetermined gap therebetween. If the gap becomes too large, the electrostatic capacitance becomes small, Or, since the plasma generated in the cylindrical electrode 61 enters the gap, it is desirable that the gap be as small as possible. However, even if the gap becomes too small, the electrostatic capacitance between the cylindrical electrode 61 and the shield 64 becomes large, which is not preferable. The size of the gap can be appropriately set according to the electrostatic capacitance required for the generation of plasma. 3 shows only the two side wall surfaces extending in the radial direction of the shield 64 and the cylindrical electrode 61 , but between the two side wall surfaces extending in the circumferential direction of the shield 64 and the cylindrical electrode 61 . A gap of the same size as the side wall surface in the radial direction is also provided.

In addition, a process gas introduction portion 65 is connected to the cylindrical electrode 61 . The process gas introduction part 65 has, in addition to piping, a gas supply source, a pump, a valve, and the like of the process gas G3 (not shown). The process gas G3 is introduced into the cylindrical electrode 61 through the process gas introduction portion 65 . The process gas G3 can be appropriately changed according to the purpose of processing. For example, the process gas G3 may also contain argon, oxygen or nitrogen, or may also contain oxygen or nitrogen in addition to argon.

An RF power source 66 for applying a high-frequency voltage is connected to the cylindrical electrode 61 . A matching box 67 as a matching circuit is connected in series to the output side of the RF power supply 66 . The RF power source 66 is also connected to the chamber 20 . When a voltage is applied from the power source 66, the cylindrical electrode 61 functions as an anode, and the chamber 20, the shield 64, the turntable 31, and the tray 34 function as a cathode. That is, it functions as an electrode for reverse sputtering. Therefore, as described above, the turntable 31 and the tray 34 have conductivity and are in contact with each other so as to be electrically connected.

The matching box 67 matches the impedance of the input side and the output side, thereby stabilizing the discharge of the plasma. Furthermore, the chamber 20 or the turntable 31 is grounded. connected to chamber 20 The shield 64 is also grounded. Both the RF power source 66 and the process gas introduction part 65 are connected to the cylindrical electrode 61 through through holes provided in the case 63 .

When argon gas as the process gas G3 is introduced into the cylindrical electrode 61 from the process gas introduction part 65 and a high frequency voltage is applied to the cylindrical electrode 61 from the RF power supply 66, capacitively coupled plasma is generated and the argon gas is plasmaized , produce electrons, ions and free radicals. The ions in the generated plasma are irradiated to the film in the middle of formation on the workpiece 10 .

That is, the ion irradiation unit 60 includes a cylindrical electrode 61 having an opening 61 a at one end and introducing the process gas G3 thereinto, and an RF power source 66 for applying a high-frequency voltage to the cylindrical electrode 61 , and the conveying unit 30 conveys the workpiece 10 to the The film formed on the workpiece 10 is irradiated by introducing ions into the film formed on the workpiece 10 by passing through the opening portion 61a. In the ion irradiation section 60, in order to introduce ions into the film formed on the workpiece 10, a negative bias voltage is applied to the tray 34 and the turntable 31 on which the workpiece 10 is placed.

By using the cylindrical electrode 61 such as the ion irradiation unit 60, even if the high-frequency voltage is not applied to the tray 34 or the turntable 31, the tray 34 on which the workpiece 10 is placed and the tray 34 on which the workpiece 10 is placed can be irradiated with these components maintained at the ground potential. The rotary stage 31 applies a desired negative bias voltage to introduce ions into the film-formed thin film. This eliminates the need to add a structure for applying a high-frequency voltage to the tray 34 or the turntable 31, or to take into account the area ratio of the electrode serving as an anode to the area ratio of other members surrounding the electrode serving as a cathode in order to obtain a desired bias voltage. Design made easy.

Therefore, even when film formation and ion irradiation are repeated while moving the workpiece 10 in order to planarize the film in the middle of formation on the workpiece 10, the film formed on the workpiece 10 can be introduced into the film formed on the workpiece 10 with a simple structure. ion.

In this way, the film processing unit 50 has a function of generating ions by plasmaizing oxygen or nitrogen, and producing a compound film by chemically reacting the ions with the film formed on the workpiece 10 . In the film processing unit 50, an inductively coupled plasma with a high plasma density is used, whereby the ions in the plasma and the film formed on the workpiece 10 by the film forming processing unit 40 are chemically reacted efficiently, Thereby, a compound film can be formed.

The ion irradiation unit 60 has a function of applying a negative bias voltage to the tray 34 and the turntable 31 on which the workpiece 10 is placed, and introducing ions into the film formed on the workpiece 10 to flatten the film. In the ion irradiation section 60, the cylindrical electrode 61 is used, whereby ions can be easily introduced into the film formed on the workpiece 10 and planarization can be performed.

(Load/Load Section)

The loading/unloading unit 70 is a device for transporting the tray 34 on which the unprocessed workpiece 10 is loaded from the outside into the chamber 20 by a transport member (not shown) while maintaining the vacuum of the chamber 20 , and The tray 34 loaded with the processed workpieces 10 is discharged to the outside of the chamber 20 . A well-known structure can be applied to the load/unload unit 70, so the description is omitted.

(control device)

The control device 80 controls the exhaust part 90 , the sputtering gas introduction part 49 , the process gas introduction part 58 , the process gas introduction part 65 , the power supply part 46 , the RF power supply 54 , the RF power supply 66 , the conveying part 30 , etc., which constitute the film forming apparatus 100 . various components. The control device 80 is a processing device including a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or a Central Processing Unit (CPU), and stores a program describing the control content. As a specific control content, Examples include the initial exhaust pressure of the film forming apparatus 100, the power applied to the target 42 and the antenna 53, the flow rates of the sputtering gas G1, the process gas G2, and the process gas G3, the introduction time and the exhaust time, the film formation time, and the motor. 32 rotation speed, etc. Furthermore, the control device 80 can cope with various film-forming specifications.

(operation)

Next, the overall operation of the film forming apparatus 100 controlled by the control apparatus 80 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of processing by the film formation apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. First, the pallets 34 on which the workpieces 10 are mounted are sequentially carried into the chamber 20 from the loading/unloading unit 70 by the transport means (step S01 ). In step S01 , the turntable 31 sequentially moves the empty holding portion 33 to the portion where the tray 34 is carried in from the loading/unloading section 70 . The holding parts 33 individually hold the trays 34 carried in by the conveying members. In this way, all the trays 34 on which the workpieces 10 to be film-formed are mounted are placed on the turntable 31 .

The inside of the chamber 20 is always depressurized by exhausting the exhaust portion 90 from the exhaust port 21 . The inside of the chamber 20 is decompressed to a predetermined pressure (step S02). Then, the turntable 31 on which the workpiece 10 is placed is rotated to reach a predetermined rotational speed (step S03).

When the rotation of the turntable 31 reaches a predetermined rotational speed, first, the film formation processing unit 40a starts to operate to form a silicon film on the workpiece 10 (step S04). That is, the sputtering gas introduction part 49 supplies the sputtering gas G1 through the gas introduction port 47 . The sputtering gas G1 is supplied around the target 42 containing the silicon material. The power supply unit 46 applies a voltage to the target 42 . Thereby, the sputtering gas G1 is plasmaized. The ions generated by the plasma collide with the target 42 to eject silicon particles. on the surface of the workpiece 10 passing through the film formation processing section 40a The silicon particles are piled up each time they pass through the surface, forming a silicon film.

The workpiece 10 on which the silicon film is formed passes through the film formation processing part 40 by the rotation of the turntable 31, and goes to the film processing part 50, and the silicon film is oxidized by the film processing part 50 (step S05). That is, the process gas introduction part 58 supplies the process gas G2 containing oxygen through the gas introduction port 56 . The process gas G2 containing oxygen is supplied into the processing space 59 sandwiched by the window member 52 and the turntable 31 . The RF power supply 54 applies a high-frequency voltage to the antenna 53 . The electric field generated by the antenna 53 through which the high-frequency current flows by the application of the high-frequency voltage is generated in the processing space 59 through the window member 52, and the process gas G2 containing oxygen that has been supplied into the space is excited to generate plasma . Furthermore, the oxygen ions generated by the plasma collide with the silicon film formed on the workpiece 10 to bond with silicon, thereby converting the silicon film on the workpiece 10 into a SiO ₂ film.

The workpiece 10 on which the SiO ₂ film is formed passes through the film processing section 50 by the rotation of the turntable 31 , goes to the ion irradiation section 60 , irradiates the SiO ₂ film with ions by the ion irradiation section 60 , and passes through the ion irradiation section 60 . At this time, the entire surface of the film-formed workpiece 10 faces the opening 61a (step S06). That is, the process gas introduction part 65 supplies the process gas G3 containing argon gas through piping. The process gas G3 is supplied to the space inside the cylindrical electrode 61 surrounded by the cylindrical electrode 61 and the turntable 31 . When a voltage is applied to the cylindrical electrode 61 by the RF power supply 66, the cylindrical electrode 61 functions as an anode, the chamber 20, the shield 64, the turntable 31, and the tray 34 function as a cathode, and excitation is supplied to the The process gas G3 in the space within the cylindrical electrode 61 generates plasma. Further, argon ions generated by the plasma collide with the SiO ₂ film formed on the workpiece 10 , thereby moving the particles toward the sparse part in the film, and flattening the film surface.

In this way, in steps S04 to S06 , the film formation process is performed by passing the workpiece 10 through the processing space 41 of the film formation processing section 40 a in operation, and the workpiece 10 passing through the processing space of the film processing section 50 in operation. 59 for oxidation treatment. Furthermore, the SiO ₂ film formed on the workpiece 10 is planarized by passing the workpiece 10 through the space within the cylindrical electrode 61 of the ion irradiation section 60 in operation. In addition, the meaning of "running" is the same as the meaning of the plasma generating operation that generates plasma in the processing space of each of the parts 40a, 50, and 60.

In addition, the operation of the film processing unit 50 may be started in a period before the workpiece 10 on which the first film formation is performed by the film forming processing unit 40 a reaches the film processing unit 50 . In addition, the operation of the ion irradiation unit 60 may be started before the workpiece 10 subjected to the oxidation treatment by the film processing unit 50 reaches the ion irradiation unit 60 .

The turntable 31 continues to rotate until a SiO ₂ film of a predetermined thickness is formed on the workpiece 10 , that is, until a predetermined time obtained in advance by simulation or experiment or the like elapses (NO in step S07 ). In other words, until the SiO ₂ film of a predetermined thickness is formed, the workpiece 10 is continuously circulated in the film formation processing part 40 a , the film processing part 50 , and the ion irradiation part 60 by the conveying part 30 , and the silicon A film formation process for depositing particles on the workpiece 10 (step S04 ), an oxidation process for oxidizing the deposited silicon particles (step S05 ), and a planarization process for planarizing the formed SiO ₂ film by ion irradiation ( Step S06).

When the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in step S07), the operation of the film formation processing unit 40a is stopped (step S08). Specifically, stop using sputtering gas The introduction of the sputtering gas G1 into the body introduction part 49 stops the voltage application to the target 42 by the power supply part 46 . In addition, when the film formation processing part 40a is stopped, the operation of the film processing part 50 and the ion irradiation part 60 may also be stopped, and the first film formation may be performed in the film formation processing part 40b which performs film formation next. The operation is restarted until the 10 reaches the film processing unit 50 and the ion irradiation unit 60 . In addition, even if the operation of the film formation processing part 40a is stopped, the operation of the film processing part 50 and the ion irradiation part 60 may not be stopped. In this case, the film processing unit 50 and the ion irradiation unit 60 are operated until the operations of the film formation processing unit 40a and the film formation processing unit 40b are stopped.

Next, the operation of the film formation processing unit 40b is started, and a niobium film is formed on the flattened SiO ₂ film (step S09 ). That is, the sputtering gas introduction part 49 supplies the sputtering gas G1 through the gas introduction port 47 . The sputtering gas G1 is supplied around the target 42 containing the niobium material. The power supply unit 46 applies a voltage to the target 42 . Thereby, the sputtering gas G1 is plasmaized. The ions generated by the plasma collide with the target 42 to eject niobium particles. On the surface of the workpiece 10 that has passed through the film-forming processing portion 40b, niobium particles are deposited every time the film is passed through, thereby forming a niobium film.

The workpiece 10 on which the niobium film is formed passes through the film formation processing part 40b by the rotation of the turntable 31, and goes to the film processing part 50, and the niobium film is oxidized by the film processing part 50 (step S10). That is, as in step S05 , the process gas G2 containing oxygen is supplied to the processing space 59 through the process gas introduction unit 58 , and the RF power supply 54 applies a high-frequency voltage to the antenna 53 , thereby allowing the processing space 59 Plasma is generated inside. Oxygen ions generated by the plasma collide with the niobium film formed on the workpiece 10 to bond with niobium, thereby converting the niobium film on the workpiece 10 into a Nb ₂ O ₅ film.

The workpiece 10 on which the Nb ₂ O ₅ film is formed passes through the film processing section 50 by the rotation of the turntable 31 , goes to the ion irradiation section 60 , and irradiates the Nb ₂ O ₅ film with ions by the ion irradiation section 60 (step S11 ) . That is, as in step S06 , the process gas G3 containing argon is supplied to the processing space surrounded by the cylindrical electrode 61 and the rotary table 31 through the process gas introduction part 65 , and the RF power supply 66 is used to supply the process gas G3 to the cylindrical electrode 66 . Electrode 61 applies a voltage, thereby exciting the process gas G3 that has been supplied into the processing space to generate plasma. Furthermore, the argon ions generated by the plasma collide with the Nb ₂ O ₅ film formed on the workpiece 10 , thereby moving the particles toward the sparse part in the film, and flattening the film surface.

The turntable 31 continues to rotate until a predetermined time period obtained in advance by simulation or experiment or the like has elapsed until a Nb ₂ O ₅ film of a predetermined thickness is formed on the workpiece 10 (No in step S12 ). In other words, until the Nb ₂ O ₅ film of a predetermined thickness is formed, the workpiece 10 is continuously circulated in the film forming processing section 40 b , the film processing section 50 , and the ion irradiation section 60 by the conveying section 30 , and the cycle is repeated in sequence. A film forming process for depositing niobium particles on the workpiece 10 (step S09 ), an oxidation process for oxidizing the deposited niobium particles (step S10 ), and a process for planarizing the formed Nb ₂ O ₅ film by ion irradiation Flattening process (step S11).

When the predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in step S12 ), the operation of the film formation processing unit 40 b is stopped (step S13 ). Specifically, the introduction of the sputtering gas G1 by the sputtering gas introduction part 49 is stopped, and the voltage application to the target 42 by the power supply part 46 is stopped.

In this way, for example, as shown in FIG. 5 , steps S04 to S13 are repeated until each film reaches a predetermined number, whereby the SiO ₂ film 11 and the Nb ₂ O ₅ film 12 are alternately laminated on the workpiece 10 .

When a predetermined number of SiO ₂ films and Nb ₂ O ₅ films are formed, the operations of the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 are stopped (step S15 ). That is, the introduction of the sputtering gas G1 , the introduction of the process gas G2 and the process gas G3 , and the voltage application by the power supply unit 46 , the RF power supply 54 , and the RF power supply 66 are stopped. Then, the rotation of the turntable 31 is stopped, and the pallet 34 on which the workpiece 10 is placed is discharged from the loading/unloading unit 70 (step S16).

(effect)

As described above, the film formation apparatus 100 uses the conveyance unit 30 to cyclically convey the workpiece 10 so that the workpiece 10 passes through the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 . Therefore, the SiO ₂ film and the Nb ₂ Before each of the O ₅ film and the Nb ₂ O ₅ film reaches a predetermined thickness, the film in the process of being formed is irradiated with ions by the ion irradiation unit 60 to ease the unevenness of the film, so that a flat film can be laminated.

That is, when a laminated film in which a plurality of films are stacked is formed, a part where particles are sparse and a part dense in the film are generated, and unevenness is generated in the film. However, in this embodiment, ion irradiation is performed during the film formation. The portion 60 is used to irradiate the uneven film with ions, thereby moving the particles to the sparse part in the film to flatten the film, so that a flat and fine film with no unevenness or few unevenness can be formed. Furthermore, even in the case of forming another type of film on the film, the film having irregularities is irradiated with ions by the ion irradiation unit 60 in the middle of the film formation in the same manner, whereby the particles are directed toward the particles in the film. The sparse parts are moved and the film is flattened, so that no or less unevenness can be formed flat and fine film.

(Effect)

(1) The film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is a film forming apparatus for forming a film on the workpiece 10 , and includes: a conveying unit 30 having a turntable 31 for cyclically conveying the workpiece 10 ; and a film forming processing unit 40 having a A target 42 of a material, and a plasma generator for plasmaizing the sputtering gas introduced between the target 42 and the turntable 31, sputter the target 42 with plasma to form a film on the workpiece 10; and ions The irradiation part 60 irradiates ions; the conveying part 30 conveys the workpiece 10 in such a way that it passes through the film formation processing part 40 and the ion irradiation part 60 in the middle of film formation, and the ion irradiation part 60 irradiates the film on the workpiece 10 with ions in the middle of the formation. .

Thereby, a flat film can be formed. That is, in the film formation of the film formation processing unit 40 by the method using sputtering, the particles ejected from the target 42 are easily deposited on a specific portion of the workpiece 10, and unevenness is easily generated in the formed film. On the other hand, by irradiating the film on the workpiece 10 with ions by the ion irradiation unit 60, the ions collide with the part protruding from the film, the part collapses, and the collapsed part is accommodated in the surrounding recessed part, thereby The film can be flattened. In addition, since a film is further formed on the flattened film by the film formation processing unit 40 and flattened by ion irradiation, it is compared with the case where only the surface is flattened after forming a film with a predetermined film thickness , can improve the flatness.

Furthermore, there is a method in which thermal energy is imparted to the sputtered particles on the surface of the workpiece by performing a film formation treatment while heating the workpiece in order to suppress unevenness generated on the surface of the film formed by sputtering, make it sparse towards the sputtered particles Parts move to flatten. However, in a film forming apparatus in which the workpiece is cyclically conveyed by the rotation of the turntable, and the workpiece is repeatedly passed directly under the film forming unit for film formation by sputtering, the workpiece on the turntable is For the heating, it is necessary to heat the entire turntable, which requires a large amount of energy and complicates the configuration of the film forming apparatus. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the workpiece 10 is transferred by the transfer unit 30 so that the workpiece 10 passes through the film formation processing unit 40 and the ion irradiation unit 60 in the middle of film formation, and the ion irradiation unit 60 is used to irradiate the workpiece. Since the film in the middle of formation on the 10 is subjected to ion irradiation, even if the workpiece 10 is not heated, the film can be flattened, the apparatus configuration can be prevented from being complicated, and energy saving can be achieved.

In addition, the present embodiment is a film forming apparatus 100 for forming a film on a workpiece 10, which includes: a chamber 20 that can make the inside vacuum; The turntable 31 of the Slurry sputters the target 42 to form a film on the workpiece 10; the film processing unit 50 has a cylindrical body 51 that protrudes toward the inner space of the chamber 20 and opens to the conveyance path, and is provided so as to block the opening of the cylindrical body The window member 52, the first process gas introduction portion (process gas introduction portion 58) for introducing the first process gas (process gas G2) into the processing space 59 formed between the turntable 31 and the cylindrical body 51, through the window member 52 and the antenna 53 for generating an electric field in the processing space 59, and a power supply (RF power supply 54) for applying a high-frequency voltage to the antenna 53, the first process gas G2 is plasmaized to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the processing space 59, and chemically react the film; and the ion irradiation section 60, having There is a second process of introducing a second process gas (process gas G3 ) into the cylindrical electrode 61 by introducing the cylindrical electrode 61 having an opening 61 a at one end and attached to the chamber 20 so that the opening 61 a faces the conveyance path. The gas introduction part (the process gas introduction part 65 ) and the RF power supply 66 applying a high-frequency voltage to the cylindrical electrode 61 irradiate the film with ions generated by plasmaizing the second process gas G3 ; the conveying part 30 passes through the workpiece 10 The workpiece 10 is cyclically conveyed through the film formation processing section 40 , the film processing section 50 , and the ion irradiation section 60 , and the ion irradiation section 60 irradiates the film on the workpiece 10 in the middle of forming with ions.

Thereby, the film formed by the film formation processing part 40 can be chemically reacted by the film processing part 50 , and the film can be planarized by the ion irradiation part 60 . Furthermore, the ion irradiation section 60 includes a second process gas introduction section into which the second process gas G3 is introduced, a cylindrical electrode 61 having an opening 61a provided at one end and introduced into the inside of the second process gas G3, and an application to the cylindrical electrode 61 The power source (RF power source 66 ) of the high frequency voltage can easily apply a negative bias voltage even to the workpiece 10 that is moved by cyclic conveyance. Thereby, ions can be introduced into the workpiece 10, and the film on the workpiece 10 can be efficiently planarized. On the other hand, in the film processing section 50 , the film on the workpiece 10 can be efficiently converted into a compound film by using inductively coupled plasma having a higher plasma density than that generated by the ion irradiation section 60 .

In this way, in the film formation apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the film processing unit 50 and the ion irradiation unit 60 are separated as different components, and circulate through the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 . By conveying the workpiece 10 through each part, the film formation of the atomic-level film thickness, the conversion to the compound film, and the planarization process can be repeatedly performed on the workpiece 10 . Thereby, for example, in forming an optical film including an oxide film In this case, a film with high flatness and high oxidation efficiency can be laminated, and an optical film with high optical properties can be formed.

(2) The conveyance unit 30 conveys the workpiece 10 alternately through the film formation processing unit 40 and the ion irradiation unit 60 . Thereby, since a film is further formed on the flattened film to form a film of a predetermined thickness, a more flat film can be formed.

(3) Including a film processing unit 50 having a process gas introduction unit 58 for introducing the process gas G2 and a plasma generator for plasmaizing the process gas, so that the film formed by the film formation processing unit 40 The film undergoes a chemical reaction, and the transport section 30 transports the workpiece 10 so that the workpiece 10 passes through the ion irradiation section 60 after passing through the membrane processing section 50 . Thereby, the compound film formed on the workpiece 10 can be flattened.

(4) The process gas G2 contains oxygen or nitrogen. Thereby, the film deposited on the workpiece 10 can be oxidized or nitrided.

(5) The pressure of the sputtering gas in the film formation processing unit 40 is set to 0.3 Pa or less. As a result, the reduction in kinetic energy of the target constituent particles due to the collision of the target constituent particles shot from the target 42 with constituent particles such as atoms and ions in the sputtering gas becomes small, so that the target constituent particles are generated in the particles having relatively large kinetic energy. The phenomenon of reaching the workpiece 10 or the film on the surface in the state and moving on the workpiece 10 or the film on the surface, as a result, the target constituent particles are accommodated in the concave portions of the film, and the film can be flattened.

(6) The film formation apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of film formation treatment sections 40 , and the plurality of film formation treatment sections 40 are formed on the workpiece 10 by alternately laminating films having different compositions. Thereby, it is possible to obtain an optical apparatus having an optical film having good optical properties in which diffuse reflection of light on the film surface is suppressed.

(7) The ion irradiation section 60 includes a process gas introduction section 65 for introducing a process gas (second process gas) G3, and a plasma generator for plasmaizing the process gas G3, and irradiates the film with the plasma generated by the plasma generator. ions in the plasma. In addition, the process gas G3 contains argon. As a result, by colliding the film, which is an aggregate of particles deposited on the workpiece 10, with argon ions having a large atomic size, the convex portion of the film, which is a particle-dense portion, can be collapsed, and the collapsed particles can be easily accommodated in the film. In the concave portion of the film, which is a sparse portion, the film can be easily flattened.

(8) The process gas (second process gas) G3 contains oxygen or nitrogen, or contains argon and oxygen or nitrogen. In this way, when the oxidation or nitridation by the film processing part 50 is insufficient, the ion irradiation part 60 chemically reacts oxygen ions or nitrogen ions with the film to oxidize or nitride the film, thereby making it possible to The reaction is supplemented. For example, when the workpiece 10 passes through the film treatment section 50 before passing through the ion irradiation section 60, even if oxidation or nitridation is insufficient in the film treatment section 50, oxygen is allowed to pass through the ion irradiation section 60 next. Ions or nitrogen ions chemically react with the membrane to oxidize or nitride the membrane, thereby complementing the reaction. In addition, when argon gas is contained in the process gas (second process gas) G3, oxygen atoms and nitrogen atoms are separated from the oxidized or nitrided film due to the collision of argon ions, and the oxidation or nitridation of the film becomes ineffective. sufficient condition. Even in this case, the reaction can be supplemented by oxidizing or nitriding the film by chemically reacting oxygen ions or nitrogen ions with the film again. For example, when the workpiece 10 passes through the film processing section 50 before passing through the ion irradiation section 60 , there are cases in which the argon ions in the ion irradiation section 60 may be caused by argon ions in the ion irradiation section 60 even if oxidation or nitridation is carried out in the film processing section 50 . The collision of oxidized or nitrided oxygen atoms, nitrogen atoms separation, oxidation or nitridation becomes an insufficient condition. Even in this case, the reaction can be supplemented by oxidizing or nitriding the film by chemically reacting oxygen ions or nitrogen ions with the film again in the ion irradiation section 60 .

(Example)

Using the film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, under the conditions described in Table 1, a cold mirror in which a total of 22 laminated films of SiO ₂ films and Nb ₂ O ₅ films were alternately formed on the workpiece 10 was produced. In addition, the numerical range of "target applied electric power (W)" in "film formation processing part" in Table 1 shows the range of the electric power supplied to each of the three targets 42.

The cold light mirror of Example 1 was produced by oxidizing the films of the respective layers by the film processing unit 50 , and then irradiating the films with ions by the ion irradiation unit 60 . The cold light mirror of Example 2 was produced under the same conditions as in Example 1, except that the supply flow rate of the sputtering gas G1 to the film formation processing unit 40 was reduced to 50 sccm compared with the case of Example 1. In other words, the pressure of the sputtering gas in the film formation processing section 40 is the same as that in Example 1 It is 0.5Pa, and in Example 2, it is 0.3Pa. Compared with Example 1, the cold light mirror of Comparative Example 1 was produced without ion irradiation by the ion irradiation unit 60 .

Using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) of H-9500 manufactured by Hitachi High-Technologies Co., Ltd., the entire cross-sections of Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 were photographed at an accelerating voltage of 200 kV. and its surface layer eight parts to obtain cross-sectional images.

6(a) to 6(c) are cross-sectional images of Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 photographed by a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and (a) is the image of Example 1. Cross-sectional images, (b) is a cross-sectional image of Example 2, and (c) is a cross-sectional image of Comparative Example 1. FIGS. 7( a ) to 7 ( c ) are enlarged cross-sectional images of the eight-layer surface layer portions of Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 in FIGS. 6( a ) to 6 ( c ) , (a) is the cross-sectional image of Example 1, (b) is the cross-sectional image of Example 2, and (c) is the cross-sectional image of Comparative Example 1.

8 is a graph showing the maximum height Rz of each layer of Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1. FIG. 9 is a graph showing the standard deviation of the maximum height Rz of each layer in Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1. FIG. The “maximum height” in FIGS. 8 and 9 refers to the height of the protruding portion closest to the surface of the workpiece 10 with reference to the portion closest to the workpiece 10 in each layer.

As shown in FIGS. 6( a ) and 7 ( a ) and FIGS. 6 ( c ) and 7 ( c ), it can be seen that the film of each layer is changed in Example 1 compared with Comparative Example 1. be flat. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , compared with Comparative Example 1, it can be seen that the average of the maximum height Rz of each layer is reduced by 38%, and the average of the standard deviation of each layer is reduced. 40%, so the film of each layer becomes flat. In this way, the difference between Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 is due to the presence or absence of ion irradiation to the membrane, so as shown in FIGS. 6( a ) to 6 ( c ) to 9 , regardless of the visual aspect In other words, the effect of flattening the film by ion irradiation was confirmed as well in terms of numbers.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 6( a ) and 7 ( a ) and FIGS. 6 ( b ) and 7 ( b ), it can be seen that in Example 2 compared with Example 1, the The film is further flattened. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , compared with Example 1, it can be seen that the maximum height Rz of each layer is reduced by 56% on average, and the standard deviation of each layer is reduced by 63% on average, so that the film of each layer is reduced. be flat. In this way, the difference between Example 2 and Example 1 is the difference in the flow rate of the sputtering gas supplied to the film formation processing unit 40, that is, the difference in the pressure of the sputtering gas, so the difference in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(a) c) As shown in FIG. 9 , the effect of further flattening the film by making the film-forming environment low pressure can be confirmed both visually and numerically.

In addition, Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 include a laminated film having 22 layers. However, in FIGS. 8 and 9 , if attention is paid to the maximum height Rz and the standard deviation of the first layer, Example 1 and Example 1 In Example 2, since both the maximum height Rz and the standard deviation were smaller than those in Comparative Example 1, it was confirmed that the effect of flattening the film by ion irradiation was not only obtained when forming the laminated film, The effect of flattening the film by ion irradiation can also be obtained when forming a single-layer film.

(Other Embodiments)

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes other embodiments described below. In addition, the present invention also includes the above-described embodiment and other implementations described below. A form in which all or any of the modes are combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, and the modifications are also included in the present invention.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the turntable 31 is rotated counterclockwise in plan view. However, after the film formation is performed by the film formation processing unit 40 , the ion irradiation unit 60 is used to irradiate the film in the middle of formation. The turntable 31 may be rotated clockwise until the ion irradiation is performed until the film formation is performed by the film formation processing unit 40 again. That is, the conveyance part 30 may be comprised so that the circulation conveyance in two directions may be performed, and the membrane processing part 50 may be provided adjacent to the ion irradiation part 60. Thereby, the order of the chemical reaction by the film processing part 50 and the planarization process of the film by the ion irradiation part 60 can be switched.

(2) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the workpiece 10 is cyclically conveyed by the conveying unit 30 in the order of the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 , but the same rotation as in the above-mentioned embodiment may be maintained. In the direction (counterclockwise), the arrangement order of the film processing part 50 and the ion irradiation part 60 is reversed, and the film formation processing part 40 , the ion irradiation part 60 , and the film processing part 50 are cyclically conveyed in this order. In the former case, as in the above-described embodiment, the film after the chemical reaction by the film processing unit 50 can be subjected to ion irradiation to flatten the film. In the latter case, by containing oxygen or nitrogen in the processing space 59 of the membrane processing section 50, the membrane processing section 50 passing through next can be used to supplement the separation from the compound membrane by the ion irradiation by the ion irradiation section 60. of oxygen or nitrogen atoms.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the conveying unit 30 includes the turntable 31, but Instead of the turntable 31 , an arm extending radially from the center of rotation may be used. In this case, the arm rotates while holding the pallet 34 or the workpiece 10 .

(4) The film formation processing part 40 , the film processing part 50 , and the ion irradiation part 60 may be located on the bottom side of the chamber 20 , and the film formation processing part 40 , the film processing part 50 , the ion irradiation part 60 and the upper and lower sides of the turntable 31 may be located. The relationship becomes the opposite. In this case, when the turntable 31 is in the horizontal direction, the surface of the turntable 31 on which the tray 34 is arranged becomes the downward facing surface, that is, the lower surface.

(5) The installation surface of the film forming apparatus 100 may be the ground, the ceiling, or the side wall. In the above-mentioned form, the tray 34 is provided on the upper surface of the horizontally arranged turntable 31, the turntable 31 is rotated in the horizontal plane, and the film formation processing unit 40 and the film processing unit are arranged above the turntable 31. 50. The ion irradiation unit 60 has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, the arrangement of the turntable 31 is not limited to the horizontal, and may be a vertical arrangement or an inclined arrangement. In addition, the tray 34 may be provided on the opposite surface (both surfaces) of the turntable 31 . That is, the direction of the rotation plane of the conveying unit 30 of the present invention may be any direction, the position of the tray 34 , the positions of the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 may be the workpiece 10 held by the tray 34 . The positions that can be processed by the film formation processing unit 40 , the film processing unit 50 , and the ion irradiation unit 60 may be used.

10: Workpiece

20: Chamber

22: Divider

30:Conveying Department

40, 40a, 40b: Film formation processing section

42: Target

50: Membrane processing department

60: Ion irradiation section

61: Barrel electrode

61a: Opening

70: Loading/Unloading Section

80: Control device

100: Film forming device

L: conveying path

Claims (9)

A film forming apparatus, which is a film forming apparatus for forming a film on a workpiece, is characterized by comprising: a chamber capable of making the inside vacuum; a rotary table of the workpiece; a film formation processing unit having a target containing a material constituting the film, and a plasma generator for plasmaizing the sputtering gas introduced between the target and the rotary table, using The target is plasma-sputtered to form a film on the workpiece, and the film processing unit has a cylindrical body protruding toward the inner space of the chamber and opening toward the conveyance path, so as to close the cylindrical body A window member provided to open the body, a first process gas introduction portion for introducing a first process gas into a processing space formed between the turntable and the cylindrical body, and the window member to allow the An antenna for generating an electric field in a processing space, and a power source for applying a high-frequency voltage to the antenna, plasmaizing the first process gas to generate inductively coupled plasma in the processing space, and chemically chemically treating the film a reaction; and an ion irradiation unit having a cylindrical electrode provided with an opening at one end and attached to the chamber such that the opening faces the conveying path, and a second process is introduced into the cylindrical electrode a second process gas introduction part for gas, and a power supply for applying a high-frequency voltage to the cylindrical electrode, and irradiating the film with ions generated by plasmaizing the second process gas; the conveying part uses the The workpiece passes through the film forming processing section, the film processing The workpiece is cyclically conveyed in the manner of the ion irradiation part and the ion irradiation part, and when passing through the ion irradiation part, the entire surface of the workpiece on which the film has been formed faces the opening part, and the ion irradiation part is opposite to the ion irradiation part. The film in the middle of formation on the workpiece is irradiated with ions. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying section conveys the workpiece so that the workpiece passes through the ion irradiation section after passing through the film processing section. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying section conveys the workpiece so that the workpiece passes through the film processing section after passing through the ion irradiation section. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the conveying unit is configured to be capable of performing the cyclic conveying in two directions, and the film processing unit is provided adjacent to the ion irradiation unit. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claim 1 to claim 3, wherein the first process gas contains oxygen or nitrogen. The film-forming apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, comprising: a plurality of the film-forming processing units that alternately laminate the films having different compositions and formed on the workpiece. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claim 1 to claim 3, wherein the second process gas contains argon. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claim 1 to claim 3, wherein the second process gas contains oxygen or nitrogen, or contains argon and oxygen or nitrogen. The film forming apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotary table conveys the workpiece through a rotation cycle around a rotary shaft on which the workpiece is mounted. The faces of the workpiece are orthogonal.

Images