TWI824225B - Film forming equipment and electronic device manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a film-forming apparatus and an electronic device manufacturing apparatus that can form a film while irradiating and etching the film-forming material, thereby improving the accuracy of the film formation position. [Solution] A chamber (10) is provided, a film-forming material discharge device (100) that discharges the film-forming material toward the surface of the substrate held in the chamber (10) to perform a film-forming operation, and an etching beam irradiation device ( 200) and a conveying device (300) that conveys the film-forming material discharging device (100) and the etching beam irradiation device (200), while conveying the film-forming material discharging device (100) and the etching beam through the conveying device (300) The irradiation device (200) simultaneously performs film forming operations and etching operations while facing the substrate.

Description

Film forming equipment and electronic device manufacturing equipment

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus and an electronic device manufacturing apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate.

Conventionally, a technique for forming a thin film on a substrate by sputtering or the like has been known. However, for example, when the substrate surface is provided with unevenness, cavities called voids may be formed inside the formed thin film. As a countermeasure against this, a technique is known in which sputtering and etching are repeated while conveying the substrate (see Patent Document 1). With this technology, a thin film can be formed along the uneven surface of the substrate.

However, with the above-mentioned technology, in the case of a large substrate, misalignment between the substrate and the mask easily occurs, and it is difficult to improve the accuracy of the position where the thin film is formed. [Prior technical literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-67394

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a film-forming apparatus and an electronic device manufacturing apparatus that can form a film while irradiating and etching the film-forming material, and still improve the accuracy of the film formation position. [Technical means to solve problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention adopts the following means.

That is, the film forming device of the present invention includes: Chamber; a film-forming material discharge device, which is provided in the chamber and discharges the film-forming material toward the surface of the substrate held in the chamber to perform a film-forming operation; An etching beam irradiation device is provided in the chamber and irradiates the etching beam toward the substrate surface to perform an etching operation; and A transport device that transports the aforementioned film-forming material discharge device and etching beam irradiation device; Wherein, while the film-forming material discharge device and the etching beam irradiation device are transported through the transport device, the film forming operation before passing through the film-forming material discharge device and the etching beam irradiation device are simultaneously performed while facing the substrate. The aforementioned etching action.

According to the present invention, while the substrate is held, the film forming operation and the etching operation are performed respectively by the conveyed film forming material discharge device and the etching beam irradiation device, so the accuracy of the formation position of the thin film can be improved. [Compare the effectiveness of previous technologies]

As explained above, according to the present invention, a structure can be adopted in which the film-forming material is irradiated and etched while the film is formed, thereby still improving the accuracy of the film formation position.

Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on examples with reference to the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

(Example 1) A film forming apparatus and an electronic device manufacturing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 . FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram when the internal structure of the film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is viewed from above (viewed from above). 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. More specifically, it is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the film forming apparatus when viewed in the direction of arrow V1 in FIG. 1 . A diagram showing a part of the structure. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. More specifically, it is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the film forming apparatus when viewed in the direction of arrow V2 in FIG. 1 . A diagram showing a part of the structure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the mechanism of the atmospheric arm, showing a schematic cross-sectional view of a part of the atmospheric arm. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the film-forming material discharge device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. (a) of the same figure is a schematic structural diagram of the vicinity of the film-forming material discharge device when viewed from the front, and (b) of the same figure is Section AA in the same figure (a). 6 is a schematic structural diagram of an etching beam irradiation device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. (a) is a plan view of the etching beam irradiation device, and (b) is a plan view of the etching beam irradiation device in (a). BB cross-section diagram. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an electronic device.

＜Overall structure of film forming device＞ The overall structure of the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 . The film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a chamber 10 having a vacuum environment inside, a film forming material discharge device 100 provided in the chamber 10, an etching beam irradiation device 200 similarly provided in the chamber 10, and A conveying device 300 that conveys these while holding them.

The chamber 10 is provided with a substrate holding mechanism 11 that holds the substrate P and a mask holding mechanism 12 that holds the mask M. Through these holding mechanisms, the substrate P and the mask M are held in a stationary state during the film forming operation. The chamber 10 is an airtight container, and the interior of the chamber 10 is maintained in a vacuum state (or decompression state) through the exhaust pump 20 . By opening the gas supply valve 30 and supplying gas into the chamber 10, it is possible to change the gas environment (or pressure zone) suitable for the process as appropriate. The entire chamber 10 is electrically grounded through a ground circuit 40 .

The transport device 300 includes an air tank 310 , a pair of guide rails 321 and 322 that guide the movement direction of the air tank 310 , a driving mechanism 330 that moves the air tank 310 , and an air arm 340 that follows the movement of the air tank 310 . The inside of the air box 310 is made of a cavity, and is configured to communicate with the outside of the chamber 10 through the inside of the air arm 340 . For this reason, the inside of the atmosphere box 310 is exposed to the atmosphere. With such a configuration, the wirings 51 and 52 connected to the power supply 50 provided outside the chamber 10 can be connected to the film-forming material discharge device 100 and the etching beam irradiation device 200 . In addition, the film-forming material discharge device 100 and the etching beam irradiation device 200 are fixed to the air tank 310 .

The air box 310 is configured to be reciprocally movable through a pair of guide rails 321 and 322 . In addition, the air tank 310 is configured to reciprocate through the driving mechanism 330 . The drive mechanism 330 according to this embodiment adopts a ball screw mechanism and includes a ball screw 331 and a drive source 332 such as a motor for rotating the ball screw 331 . The driving mechanism for reciprocating the large air tank 310 is not limited to a ball screw mechanism, and various known technologies such as a rack and pinion mechanism can be used. When a rack and pinion mechanism is used as the drive mechanism 330, a conveyance guide part may be provided.

The atmosphere arm 340 is provided in order to arrange the wirings 51 and 52 connected to the power supply 50 provided outside the chamber 10 in the cavity of the moving atmosphere box 310 . That is, the inside of the atmosphere arm 340 is made of a cavity, and is configured to follow the movement of the atmosphere tank 310 . More specifically, the atmospheric arm 340 includes a first arm 341 and a second arm 342 . The first arm 341 is configured such that one end thereof is rotatable relative to the bottom plate of the chamber 10 . Furthermore, one end of the second arm 342 is rotatably supported relative to the other end of the first arm 341 , and the other end thereof is rotatably supported relative to the air box 310 .

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the structure near one end of the first arm 341 . As shown in the figure, the through hole 10 a is provided in the bottom plate of the chamber 10 , and the first arm member 341 is provided with a cylindrical protruding portion 341 a. Furthermore, a stepped cylindrical member 341b is provided between the bottom plate of the air box 310 and the first arm 341 for connecting them in a rotatable manner. One end of this cylindrical member 341b is inserted into the through hole 10a provided in the bottom plate of the chamber 10. In addition, the protruding portion 341a provided in the first arm 341 is inserted from the other end side of the cylindrical member 341b. In addition, the annular gap between the through hole 10a and the cylindrical member 341b and the annular gap between the protrusion 341a and the cylindrical member 341b are sealed by sealing rings 341c and 341d, respectively.

With the above configuration, the first arm 341 is supported to be rotatable relative to the bottom plate of the chamber 10 , and at the same time, the hollow portion in the first arm 341 and the space outside the first arm 341 (the inside of the chamber 10 space) are separated. That is, the inside of the chamber 10 can be maintained in a vacuum state (or a reduced pressure state). In addition, the first arm 341 and the second arm 342 are rotatably supported, and the second arm 342 and the air box 310 are rotatably supported. They are the same mechanism. The description is omitted.

The transport device 300 configured as above allows the film-forming material discharge device 100 and the etching beam irradiation device 200 fixed to the air box 310 to reciprocate together with the air box 310 . Accordingly, by operating the film-forming material discharge device 100 and the etching beam irradiation device 200 simultaneously during at least one of the forward and return movements, the film-forming operation and the etching operation can be simultaneously performed on the substrate P. Therefore, when a film is formed on a large substrate P, the film forming operation and the etching operation can be performed simultaneously by moving the film forming material discharge device 100 and the etching beam irradiation device 200 through the transport device 300, so that the film formation operation and the etching operation can be performed simultaneously. A thin film is formed continuously from one end side of the substrate P toward the other end side. In addition, when the surface of the substrate P is provided with unevenness, a part of the portion to be filmed is formed while being etched, so that a thin film can be formed along the unevenness on the surface of the substrate P. In addition, when the film-forming material discharge device 100 and the etching beam irradiation device 200 are arranged as shown in FIG. 2 , it is preferable to perform the film-forming operation and the etching operation while moving from the right to the left in the figure. At the same time. Accordingly, a thin film is formed while a part of the film-formed portion is etched.

＜Film-forming material discharge device＞ The film-forming material discharge device in the present invention is applicable to various devices that can form a thin film on a substrate surface using a film-forming material. Here, an example of the film-forming material discharge device 100 applicable to the film-forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . The film-forming material discharge device 100 shown in FIG. 5 is a magnetron sputtering type sputtering device. This film-forming material discharge device 100 includes a target unit 110 and a support block 120 and an end block 130 that support both ends of the target unit 110 . The support block 120 and the end block 130 are fixed on the upper surface of the air tank 310 . The target unit 110 includes a cylindrical target 111, a cathode 112 as an electrode arranged on the inner periphery of the target, and a magnet unit 113 arranged inside the cathode 112. The target 111 is rotatably supported by the support block 120 and the end block 130 , and is rotated during sputtering by a driving source such as a motor (not shown) provided in the end block 130 . In addition, a magnetic field (leakage magnetic field) is formed between the target 111 and the substrate P through the magnet unit 113 arranged inside the cathode 112 .

In the film-forming material discharge device 100 configured as above, a voltage equal to or higher than a certain level is applied between the target 111 and the chamber 10 serving as the anode, thereby generating plasma between them. Furthermore, the cations in the plasma are drawn close to the target 111 through the electric field and collide with the target 111 , thereby emitting particles of the target material from the target 111 . The particles emitted from the target 111 repeatedly collide, and the neutral atoms of the target material among the emitted particles are continuously accumulated on the substrate P. Accordingly, a thin film depending on the constituent atoms of the target 111 is formed on the substrate P. In addition, the plasma can be concentrated in a predetermined area between the target 111 and the substrate P through the above-mentioned leakage magnetic field. According to this, sputtering can be performed efficiently, so the deposition speed of the target material on the substrate P can be increased. Furthermore, the film-forming material discharge device 100 according to this embodiment is configured so that the target 111 rotates during sputtering. According to this, the consumption area (erosion area due to erosion) of the target 111 is not concentrated in one part, and the utilization efficiency of the target 111 can be improved.

Among them, the film-forming material discharge device in the present invention can be applied to various devices as described above, and for example, it can also be applied to a sputtering device equipped with a flat target.

<Beam irradiation device for etching> The etching beam irradiation device of the present invention is applicable to various devices capable of etching a part of the film formed on the surface of the substrate. Here, an example of the etching beam irradiation device 200 applicable to the film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .

The etching beam irradiation device 200 includes an ion source 210 and a high-voltage power supply 220 that applies voltage to the ion source 210 . The high-voltage power supply 220 is configured to apply an anode voltage (~several kV) to the ion source 210 .

The ion source 210 includes a cathode 211, a beam irradiation surface 212, an anode 213, and a permanent magnet 214. In this embodiment, the cathode 211 also serves as the frame of the ion source 210 . The cathode 211 and the anode 213 are each made of SUS, and are electrically insulated. Cathode 211 is fixed to chamber 10 so as to be electrically grounded. On the other hand, the anode 213 is connected to the high-voltage power supply 220 . In this configuration, when high voltage is applied to the anode 213 from the high-voltage power supply 220, the ion beam is emitted from the emission opening provided in the beam irradiation surface 212 of the frame (cathode 211). In addition, the principle of the ion source 210 includes a type that introduces gas from the back side of the housing to generate ions inside the housing, and a type that ionizes ambient gas existing outside the housing, and any of them may be used. In this embodiment, the latter is adopted, and the gas supply valve 30 is opened to supply gas into the chamber 10 . In terms of gas, argon, oxygen, nitrogen, etc. can be used.

The ion source 210 according to this embodiment has a beam irradiation surface 212 having an elongated shape (linear or orbital shape) so that the exit opening has a long-side direction and a short-side direction. Furthermore, the ion source 210 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the emission opening intersects with the longitudinal direction of the substrate P. Using such a vertically long ion source 210, the entire width direction of the substrate P is irradiated with an ion beam. Therefore, the entire surface of the substrate P can be irradiated with a beam in one beam scan along the conveyance direction, thereby speeding up the surface treatment (improving productivity).

In this embodiment, the case where the etching beam is an ion beam has been described. However, the etching beam is not limited to the ion beam, and a laser beam may also be used. For example, when the material of the film to be etched is an inorganic film (SiN, etc.), an oxide film (SiO ₂ , ITO, etc.), or a metal film (Al, Cu, etc.), an ion beam (transmitting Ar, Xe, etc.) is used. The ion beam generated by the rare gas) is suitable. On the other hand, when the material of the film to be etched is an organic film (organic compound, etc.), it is appropriate to use a laser beam. In the former case, the beam diameter is relatively large, while in the latter case, the beam diameter is relatively small. In addition, in the latter case, it is more effective when a photothermal conversion material is included in the film or the base layer.

＜Electronic device manufacturing equipment＞ The electronic device manufacturing apparatus and the electronic device manufactured by the electronic device manufacturing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 7 . The film forming apparatus 1 described above can be used as a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing electronic devices. That is, the film forming apparatus 1 can be used to deposit and form a film on the substrate P (including forming a laminate on the surface of the substrate P) during the production of various electronic devices, optical components, etc., such as semiconductor devices, magnetic devices, and electronic components. Thin films (organic films, metal films, metal oxide films, etc.). More specifically, the film forming apparatus 1 is preferably used for manufacturing electronic devices such as light-emitting elements, photoelectric conversion elements, and touch panels. Among them, the film-forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is preferably particularly applicable to the production of organic light-emitting elements such as organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) elements, and organic photoelectric conversion elements such as organic thin-film solar cells. In addition, the electronic device in the present invention also includes a display device (such as an organic EL display device) with a light-emitting element, a lighting device (such as an organic EL lighting device), an organic solar cell with a photoelectric conversion element, and a sensor (such as an organic CMOS image sensor).

An example of an organic EL element manufactured by an electronic device manufacturing apparatus is shown in FIG. 7 . The organic EL element shown in the figure is formed on the substrate P in the order of anode F1, hole injection layer F2, hole transport layer F3, organic light emitting layer F4, electron transport layer F5, electron injection layer F6, and cathode F7. The film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is particularly suitable for forming a laminated film of a metal film, a metal oxide, etc. for an electron injection layer, an electrode (cathode, anode) on an organic film by sputtering. In addition, the film formation is not limited to the organic film. As long as it is a combination of materials that can be formed into a film by sputtering of a metal material, an oxide material, etc., the film can be laminated and formed on various surfaces.

<Advantages of the film forming apparatus and electronic device manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment> According to the film-forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment and the manufacturing apparatus of an electronic device using the same, while the substrate P is held, the film-forming material discharge device 100 and the etching beam irradiation device 200 are conveyed. Thereby, the film forming operation and the etching operation are performed separately. For this reason, the substrate P and the mask M do not move during the film forming operation, and their misalignment can be suppressed. Therefore, the precision of the thin film formation position can be improved. In addition, since the film forming operation and the etching operation are performed simultaneously, the time required to form a thin film can be shortened and productivity can be improved.

(Example 2) Fig. 8 shows Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This embodiment shows a structure in which the beam irradiation direction of the etching beam irradiation device is determined. Other configurations and functions are the same as those in Embodiment 1, so the same components are marked with the same symbols and their description is omitted.

8 is a main structural diagram of a film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 8 shows only the atmosphere box 310 , the film-forming material discharge device 100 fixed to the atmosphere box 310 , the etching beam irradiation device 200 , and the components for moving the atmosphere box 310 among the configurations of the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment. A part of the ball screw 331, the substrate P and the mask M are arranged in the chamber. Other structural aspects are the same as those shown in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, so the description thereof is omitted.

In this embodiment, the etching beam irradiation device 200 is installed so that the irradiation direction of the etching beam is inclined with respect to the vertical direction of the holding surface on which the substrate P is held. In the figure, arrow D indicates the irradiation direction of the etching beam. Accordingly, the substrate P is irradiated with the etching beam toward the outside of the area X facing the air box 310 . Therefore, particles generated during etching can be suppressed from adhering to the film-forming material discharge device 100 and the etching beam irradiation device 200 . In addition, when a configuration is adopted in which the etching beam is irradiated in the perpendicular direction as described above, part of the etched material is easily reattached to the surface of the substrate P. On the other hand, by irradiating the etching beam obliquely with respect to the above-mentioned vertical direction, re-adhesion can be suppressed, so that the etching efficiency can be improved. In addition, it goes without saying that the film forming device of this embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the above-mentioned Embodiment 1.

(Example 3) Figure 9 shows Embodiment 3 of the present invention. This embodiment shows a configuration in which a pair of etching beam irradiation devices are provided. Other configurations and functions are the same as those in Embodiment 1, so the same components are marked with the same symbols and their description is omitted.

9 is a main structural diagram of a film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows only the atmosphere box 310 , the film-forming material discharge device 100 fixed to the atmosphere box 310 , the etching beam irradiation devices 200A and 200B, among the configuration of the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment. 310 A part of the moving ball screw 331, the substrate P and the mask M are arranged in the chamber. Other structural aspects are the same as those shown in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, so the description thereof is omitted.

Regarding the film forming apparatus of this embodiment, the etching beam irradiation devices 200A and 200B are respectively provided in the film forming direction with respect to the conveying direction of the film forming material discharge device 100 and the etching beam irradiating devices 200A and 200B that pass through the conveying device. Both sides of the material discharge device 100. According to this, the film forming operation and the etching operation can be performed simultaneously on the substrate P regardless of the forward path or the return path. Therefore, productivity can be further improved. In addition, it goes without saying that the film forming device of this embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the above-mentioned Embodiment 1.

In addition, in this embodiment, as in the case of the above-mentioned Embodiment 2, the etching beam irradiation device 200A may be installed in such a manner that the irradiation direction of the etching beam is inclined with respect to the vertical direction of the holding surface on which the substrate P is held. , 200B composition.

1: Film forming device 10: Chamber 100: Film-forming material discharge device 200, 200A, 200B: Beam irradiation device for etching 300:Conveying device 310:Large air box 340:Atmospheric arm M: mask P:Substrate

[Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram when the internal structure of the film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is viewed from a plan view. [Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram when the internal structure of the film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is viewed in cross section. [Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram when the internal structure of the film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is viewed in cross section. [Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a diagram explaining the mechanism of the atmospheric arm. [Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a film-forming material discharge device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of an etching beam irradiation device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an electronic device. [Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a main structural diagram of a film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a main structural diagram of a film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

1: Film forming device

10: Chamber

100: Film-forming material discharge device

200: Beam irradiation device for etching

300:Conveying device

310:Large air box

321,322: Guide rail

330:Driving mechanism

331: Ball screw

332:Drive source

340:Atmospheric arm

341: 1st arm piece

342: 2nd arm member

V1, V2: arrow

Claims (13)

A film-forming apparatus, which is provided with: a chamber; a film-forming material discharge device provided in the chamber, and discharges the film-forming material toward a substrate surface held in the chamber to perform a film-forming operation; and an etching beam irradiation device , which is provided in the aforementioned chamber and irradiates the etching beam toward the surface of the substrate to perform the etching operation; and a conveying device that conveys the film-forming material discharge device and the etching beam irradiation device; wherein, one side passes through the conveying device While transporting the film-forming material discharge device and the etching beam irradiation device, the film-forming operation before passing through the film-forming material discharge device and the etching operation before passing through the etching beam irradiation device are performed on the substrate, and the etching is performed The beam irradiation device is respectively provided on both sides of the film-forming material discharge device with respect to the conveyance direction of the conveyor device. The film forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the film forming material discharging device is a sputtering device that performs sputtering. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sputtering apparatus includes a cylindrical target that rotates during sputtering. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cylindrical target extends in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the conveying device. Such as the film forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which In the invention, the etching beam irradiation device has an emission opening for emitting the etching beam, and the emission opening faces a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the conveying device. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the etching beam irradiated through the etching beam irradiation device is an ion beam. The film forming apparatus of claim 6, wherein the film to be subjected to the etching operation is any one of an inorganic film, an oxide film, and a metal film. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the etching beam irradiated through the etching beam irradiation device is a laser beam. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the film to be subjected to the etching operation is an organic film. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the irradiation direction of the etching beam is inclined with respect to a perpendicular direction of the holding surface on which the substrate is held. The film-forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the conveying device moves the film-forming material discharge device and the etching beam irradiation device back and forth between the film-forming material discharge device and the etching beam irradiation device. The aforementioned etching beam irradiation device is held while being transported, The film-forming material discharge device and the etching beam irradiation device held by the transport device discharge the film-forming material through the substrate during at least one of the forward and return paths of the reciprocating movement. The film forming operation before the device and the etching operation before the device is irradiated with the etching beam. A manufacturing device for an electronic device, which is provided with the film-forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and forms an organic film on a substrate through the film-forming device. A manufacturing device for an electronic device, which is provided with a film forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and a metal film or a metal oxide film is formed on an organic film formed on a substrate through the film forming device.

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