WO2011013697A1

WO2011013697A1 - Film-forming apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2011013697A1
Application number: PCT/JP2010/062687
Authority: WO
Inventors: 康男清水; 勝彦森; 浩一松本; 智彦岡山; 和森岡; 幸一播磨; 邦彦岡嶋
Original assignee: 株式会社アルバック
Priority date: 2009-07-31
Filing date: 2010-07-28
Publication date: 2011-02-03
Also published as: CN102473608A; TW201117264A; JPWO2011013697A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a film-forming apparatus (10) which includes: a film-forming chamber (11), which has an upper part (22) in the gravitational direction, and has a substrate (W) disposed therein such that the substrate (W) surface, on which a film is to be formed, is parallel to the gravitational direction; an electrode unit (31), which has a flat-board-like cathode (75) having a voltage applied thereto, and an anode (67) disposed to face the cathode (75) by being spaced apart from the cathode, and which is removably provided in the film-forming chamber (11); and an attaching/detaching rail (41), which is provided on the upper part of the film-forming chamber (11), in the direction wherein the electrode unit (31) is drawn from the film-forming chamber (11), and which guides the electrode unit (31).

Description

Deposition equipment

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus used for manufacturing a thin film solar cell, for example.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-179413 filed on Jul. 31, 2009, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Most of the materials used in current solar cells are occupied by single-crystal Si-type and polycrystalline Si-type materials, and there is concern about the shortage of Si materials.
Therefore, in recent years, there is an increasing demand for thin-film solar cells in which a thin-film Si layer having a low manufacturing cost and a low risk of material shortage is formed.
Furthermore, in addition to the conventional thin film solar cell having only an a-Si (amorphous silicon) layer, recently, the conversion efficiency is improved by laminating an a-Si layer and a μc-Si (microcrystal silicon) layer. There is an increasing demand for tandem thin film solar cells.
As an apparatus for forming a thin film Si layer (semiconductor layer) of this thin film solar cell, a plasma CVD apparatus is often used.
As a plasma CVD apparatus, a single-wafer PE-CVD (plasma CVD) apparatus, an inline PE-CVD apparatus, a batch PE-CVD apparatus, and the like are known.

Considering the conversion efficiency required for thin-film solar cells, the film thickness required for the μc-Si layer of the tandem solar cell is approximately 5 times the film thickness of the amorphous Si layer (approximately 1.5 μm). ) Must be secured. Further, in the process of forming the μc-Si layer, it is necessary to form a high-quality microcrystal film uniformly, and there is a limit to increasing the film formation rate. For this reason, it is required to improve productivity by increasing the number of batches. That is, there is a demand for an apparatus that realizes a high deposition rate at a low film formation rate.

Also, a CVD apparatus has been proposed that can form a high-quality thin film and that is intended to reduce manufacturing costs or maintenance costs (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The CVD apparatus of Patent Document 1 includes a substrate (substrate) delivery / dispensing device, a film forming chamber group that can store a plurality of substrates, a moving chamber, and a chamber moving device. An airtight shutter is provided at the entrance / exit of the film forming chamber (the entrance / exit of the film forming chamber). The entrance / exit of the transfer chamber (storage chamber entrance / exit) is always open.

When the film is formed on the substrate, the chamber is moved to the position of the substrate delivery / dispensing device by the chamber moving device, and the substrate carrier is transferred from the substrate delivery / dispensing device to the movement chamber. Further, the chamber moving device joins the moving chamber to the film forming chamber and moves the substrate carrier to the film forming chamber. In the film forming chamber, a film is formed on the substrate. The film forming chamber is provided with a plurality of heaters used for heating the substrate and a plurality of electrodes used for generating plasma of a film forming gas supplied to the film forming chamber. The plurality of heaters and the plurality of electrodes are alternately arranged in parallel, and the base is disposed between the heater and the electrodes.

JP 2005-139524 A

By the way, in the above-described CVD apparatus, when the film is formed on the substrate, the film may be formed on the heater or the electrode as the temperature in the film forming chamber increases. If a film is formed on these heaters or electrodes, an appropriate film may not be formed on the substrate, or the production efficiency may be reduced. For this reason, periodic maintenance work such as replacement of a heater or an electrode is required according to the frequency of use of the CVD apparatus.

When performing such maintenance work, the heaters and the electrodes are alternately arranged in parallel in the film forming chamber, so that the work space for maintenance is limited and the maintenance work is difficult to perform. For this reason, there exists a subject that the work burden which arises in a maintenance work will become large.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and provides a film forming apparatus capable of reducing the work load generated in the maintenance work.

In order to solve the above problems, a film formation apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention includes an upper portion in the direction of gravity, and the substrate is disposed so that a film formation surface of the substrate is parallel to the direction of gravity. An electrode unit having a film chamber, a flat cathode to which a voltage is applied, and an anode spaced apart from the cathode and arranged detachably (detachably) in the film formation chamber; And a detachable rail provided along the direction in which the electrode unit is pulled out from the film forming chamber and guiding the electrode unit.

In the film forming apparatus having such a configuration, the electrode unit having the cathode and the anode can be separated from the film forming chamber, and maintenance work can be performed in a single electrode unit. For this reason, a large work space can be secured. Further, the electrode unit is guided by the detachable rail provided in the upper part of the film forming chamber in the direction of gravity, and the electrode unit moves along the extending direction of the detachable rail. Moreover, the electrode unit is suspended by the attachment / detachment rail. In this structure, for example, the electrode unit can be easily pulled out from the film forming chamber even when the floor surface on which the film forming apparatus is installed is uneven. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the work load generated in the maintenance work. Furthermore, the electrode unit can be easily reattached to the film forming apparatus simply by moving the electrode unit drawn out from the film forming chamber toward the film forming apparatus along the attachment / detachment rail. Therefore, the reproducibility that the position of the electrode unit before the electrode unit is pulled out from the film forming chamber and the position where the electrode unit is mounted in the film forming chamber after the electrode unit is pulled out can be improved. Can be performed with high accuracy.

In the film forming apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention, the electrode unit constitutes one surface of the film forming chamber, and is separated from the film forming chamber in a state where the cathode and the anode are attached to the electrode unit. It is preferable to have a side plate part that is possible.
In the film forming apparatus having such a configuration, part of the electrode unit and part of the film forming chamber can be used, so that the structure of the film forming apparatus can be prevented from becoming complicated and the number of parts can be reduced. It becomes possible to make it.

The film forming apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention preferably includes a cable bear disposed (laid) on the detachable rail, and a cable connected to the electrode unit is disposed (routed).
In the film forming apparatus having such a configuration, an operation of removing the electrode unit from the film forming chamber and a work of attaching the electrode unit to the film forming chamber can be performed in a state where the cable is connected to the electrode unit (detaching operation). ). For this reason, it becomes possible to further reduce the work load generated in the maintenance work.

In the film forming apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention, the length of the detachable rail (arrangement length, laying length) is set so that at least the entire cathode and the anode are exposed to the outside of the film forming chamber. It is preferable that the distance is determined according to the distance that the electrode unit moves.
In the film forming apparatus having such a configuration, a work space in the maintenance work of the single electrode unit can be reliably ensured.

In the film forming apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention, the electrode unit preferably includes a carriage.
In the film forming apparatus having such a configuration, the load of the electrode unit applied to the attachment / detachment rail can be distributed to the carriage. For this reason, it is possible to prevent damage to the detachable rail accompanying the increase in the weight of the electrode unit. Moreover, it is not necessary to increase the rigidity of the detachable rail more than necessary, and the detachable rail can be prevented from being enlarged. In addition, the electrode unit can be moved by using the detachable rail as a guide and mainly using a carriage. Furthermore, it is possible to mount a heavy RF power source (high frequency power source) on the carriage, and the distance between the RF power source and the electrode unit can be shortened, so that the cable connecting the RF power source and the electrode unit can be shortened. .

According to the present invention, the electrode unit having the cathode and the anode can be separated from the film forming chamber, and the maintenance work can be performed in the single electrode unit. For this reason, a large work space can be secured. Further, the electrode unit is guided by a mounting / dismounting rail provided in the upper part of the film forming chamber in the direction of gravity, and the electrode unit moves along the extending direction of the mounting / detaching rail. In this structure, for example, the electrode unit can be easily pulled out from the film forming chamber even when the floor surface on which the film forming apparatus is installed is uneven. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the work load generated in the maintenance work.

It is a figure which shows schematically the structure of the film-forming apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows roughly the structure of the film-forming chamber in embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a film forming chamber in an embodiment of the present invention, which is a perspective view different from FIG. 2. It is a side view which shows the film-forming chamber in embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows roughly the structure of the electrode unit in embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of an electrode unit in the embodiment of the present invention, which is a perspective view different from FIG. 5. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing a cathode unit and an anode in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the carrier in embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a film forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings used for the following description, the dimensions and ratios of the respective components are appropriately changed from the actual ones in order to make the respective components large enough to be recognized on the drawings.

(Deposition system)
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a film forming apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 1, the film formation apparatus 10 includes a film formation chamber 11, a preparation / removal chamber 13, a substrate removal chamber 15, a substrate removal robot 17, and a substrate storage cassette 19.
In the film forming chamber 11, for example, a microcrystal silicon film can be formed on a plurality of substrates W simultaneously.
The preparation / removal chamber 13 can simultaneously accommodate a substrate W (hereinafter referred to as a pre-treatment substrate) carried into the film formation chamber 11 and a substrate W (hereinafter referred to as a post-treatment substrate) carried out from the film formation chamber 11. It is.
In the following description, “pre-treatment substrate” means a substrate before film formation processing (substrate before film formation treatment), and “post-treatment substrate” means after film formation processing has been performed. This means a substrate (substrate after film formation).
In the substrate removal chamber 15, the unprocessed substrate W is attached to the carrier 21 (see FIG. 8), or the processed substrate W is removed from the carrier 21.
The substrate removal robot 17 attaches or removes the substrate W to / from the carrier 21.
The substrate storage cassette 19 is used when transporting the substrate W to a different processing chamber different from the film forming apparatus 10 and stores a plurality of substrates W.

In the present embodiment, four substrate film forming lines 16 each including a film forming chamber 11, a loading / unloading chamber 13, and a substrate desorbing chamber 15 are provided.
Further, the substrate removal robot 17 can move on the rail 18 arranged (laid) on the floor surface, and the substrate removal robot 17 performs the process of transferring the substrate W to all the substrate deposition lines 16.
Further, the substrate film forming module 14 is configured by integrating the film forming chamber 11 and the loading / unloading chamber 13 and has a size that can be loaded on a transport truck.

(Deposition room)
2 and 3 schematically show the configuration of the film forming chamber 11, FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen from a certain position, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view seen from a position different from the position seen in FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the film forming chamber 11.
As shown in FIG. 2, the film forming chamber 11 is formed in a box shape.
A carrier through which the carrier 21 on which the substrate W is mounted passes through the first side surface 23 of the film formation chamber 11 connected to the preparation / removal chamber 13 (the side surface of the film formation chamber 11 shown in front of the paper surface in FIG. 2). Three carry-in / out entrances 24 are formed.

The carrier carry-in / out port 24 is provided with a shutter 25 that opens and closes the carrier carry-in / out port 24. When the shutter 25 is closed, the carrier carry-in / out port 24 is closed so as to ensure the airtightness of the film forming chamber 11. Further, an exhaust pipe 29 used for decompressing the film forming chamber 11 so as to be in a vacuum atmosphere is connected to the lower side of the side surface of the film forming chamber 11. A vacuum pump 30 is provided in the exhaust pipe 29. (See FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 3, in order to form a film on the substrate W on the second side surface 27 (the side surface of the film forming chamber 11 shown in front of the paper surface in FIG. 3) located opposite to the first side surface 23. Three electrode units 31 to be used are attached. These electrode units 31 are detachable from the film forming chamber 11 along a direction substantially perpendicular to the second side surface 27.
Here, on the upper surface 22 (upper part) of the film forming chamber 11 in the gravity direction, three attachment / detachment rails 41 on which the electrode unit 31 is suspended are provided substantially in parallel with each other. Each attachment / detachment rail 41 is positioned above the electrode unit 31 and extends along the attachment / detachment direction of the electrode unit 31.

As the detachable rail 41, for example, I-shaped steel is used. The length L1 of the detachable rail 41 is set to a length that allows the electrode unit 31 to be completely pulled out from the film forming chamber 11. That is, the length L1 is determined according to the distance that the electrode unit 11 moves so that the electrode unit 31 is exposed to the outside of the film forming chamber 11. A hanging portion 43 is slidably provided on the detachable rail 41, and the upper end of the electrode unit 31 is attached to the hanging portion 43. A cable bear 44 is disposed (laid) on each detachable rail 41. A cable K is stored in the cable bear 44. The cable K has a first end and a second end located opposite to the first end. The first end of the cable K is connected to the electrode unit 31.

A rail support member 42 is erected at the tip of the detachable rail 41. The rail support member 42 includes a crossing portion 42A and

support portions

42B and 42B. The crossover portion 42A extends in a direction in which the attachment / detachment rails 41 are arranged in parallel and in a substantially horizontal direction. The

support portions

42B and 42B support both ends of the crossover portion 42A. As the material and structure of the crossover part 42A, for example, I-shaped steel is used. Moreover, as a material and structure of

support part

42B, 42B, a square pipe (square pipe steel) is used, for example. The distance W1 between the two

support portions

42B and 42B is set to a length that allows the three electrode units 31 to pass between the two

support portions

42B and 42B.
As the size of the I-shaped steel used as the detachable rail 41 or the crossing portion 42A, for example, when the weight of the electrode unit 31 is about 1.5 t, the size is 200 × 150 (height H × width B). I-shaped steel is used.

(Electrode unit)
5 and 6 schematically show the configuration of the electrode unit 31, FIG. 5 is a perspective view seen from a certain position, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view seen from a position different from the position seen in FIG. It is. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cathode unit 68 and the anode 67 (counter electrode).
As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the electrode unit 31 can be attached to and detached from three openings 26 formed in the second side surface 27 of the film forming chamber 11 (see FIG. 3). The electrode unit 31 includes a carriage 60 and is movable on the floor surface. The carriage 60 includes a bottom plate portion 62 and wheels 61 attached to the four corners of the bottom plate portion 62.
The bottom plate portion 62 is opposite to the front portion 62a (position near the cathode unit 68, right side in FIG. 6) adjacent to the film forming chamber 11 in the direction in which the electrode unit 31 is pulled out from the film forming chamber 11. The rear part 62b is located (left side in FIG. 6), and the center part 62c is located between the front part 62a and the rear part 62b.

A support portion 46 is erected on the rear portion 62 b of the bottom plate portion 62. The support part 46 is formed in a bowl shape by a square pipe. The support unit 46 includes a suspension unit 461 and a storage unit 462. The storage portion 462 is provided at the end of the bottom plate portion 62 in the rear portion 62b. In addition, the height from the surface of the carriage 60 to the upper portion of the storage portion 462 is lower than the height from the surface of the carriage 60 to the upper portion of the suspension portion 461. A connecting portion 47 that can be connected to the hanging portion 43 of the detachable rail 41 is provided on the upper portion 461A of the suspension portion 461.

Further, a guide plate 48 for guiding the cable K is provided on the suspension portion 461 so as to extend along the direction of gravity. The guide plate 48 is located above the rear part 62b. One end of a cable bear 44 is attached to the tip of the guide plate 48. The first end of the cable K is connected to the electrode unit 31. The second end of the cable K is arranged (routed) in the cable bear 44 while being guided by the guide plate 48.

Further, a side plate portion 63 that rises from the bottom plate portion 62 along the vertical direction is provided at the center portion 62 c of the bottom plate portion 62. That is, the side plate portion 63 is provided at a position closer to the film forming chamber 11 than the suspension portion 462. The side plate portion 63 is formed in a size larger than the opening portion 26 so as to close the opening portion 26 of the second side surface 27 of the film forming chamber 11. That is, the side plate portion 63 constitutes a part of the wall surface of the film forming chamber 11.
On one surface 65 (the surface facing the inside of the film forming chamber 11) of the side plate portion 63, an anode used when forming a film on the substrate W and disposed so as to face each of both surfaces of the substrate W. 67 and a cathode unit 68 are provided.

That is, in the electrode unit 31, the anode 67 is arranged so as to be spaced from both sides of the cathode unit 68 so as to sandwich the cathode unit 68, and a film formation space 81 is formed between each cathode unit 68 and the anode 67. Is formed.
By disposing the substrate W in each of the

film formation spaces

81, 81, a film can be simultaneously formed on the two substrates W in one electrode unit 31.

The storage portion 462 constituting the support portion 46 includes a drive mechanism 71 used to drive the anode 67 and a matching box 72 (used to supply power to the cathode unit 68 when a film is formed on the substrate W. The details will be described later). Further, the side plate portion 63 is formed with a connection portion (not shown) used as a pipe for supplying a film forming gas to the cathode unit 68.

In such a configuration, even if flexible piping is adopted as piping for supplying the film forming gas to the cathode unit 68, this flexible piping is arranged along the guide plate 48, and the flexible piping is accommodated in the cable bear 44. Good.
In addition, for example, a matching box 72 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) is provided on the support portion 42B of the rail support member 42 erected at the tip of the detachable rail 41, and the matching box 72 includes three electrodes. A configuration commonly used in the unit 31 may be adopted. In the film forming apparatus having such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide the matching box 72 in each electrode unit 31, and the number of matching boxes 72 installed in the film forming apparatus 10 can be reduced.

(anode)
As shown in FIG. 7, a heater H is incorporated in the anode 67 as a temperature control device that adjusts the temperature of the substrate W. The two

anodes

67 and 67 are driven by a drive mechanism 71 provided on the side plate portion 63 in a direction in which the anode 67 approaches the cathode unit 68 and a direction in which the anode 67 moves away from the cathode unit 68, that is, in the horizontal direction. It is movable. The drive mechanism 71 controls the distance between the substrate W and the cathode unit 68.

Specifically, when a film is formed on the substrate W, the two

anodes

67 and 67 move toward the cathode unit 68 (see the arrow in FIG. 7) and come into contact with the substrate W. Further, the two

anodes

67 and 67 move so as to approach the cathode unit 68, and the distance between the substrate W and the cathode unit 68 is adjusted to a desired distance. Thereafter, a film forming process for forming a film on the substrate W is performed. After the film forming process is completed, the

anodes

67 and 67 move away from the cathode unit 68. Thus, the drive mechanism 71 controls the positions of the

anodes

67 and 67, whereby the substrate W can be easily taken out from the electrode unit 31.

Further, the anode 67 is attached to the drive mechanism 71 via a hinge (not shown) or the like, and a surface 67A facing the cathode unit 68 of the anode 67 is formed in a state where the electrode unit 31 is pulled out from the film forming chamber 11. It can be rotated (opened) until it becomes substantially parallel to one surface 65 of the side plate portion 63.
That is, the anode 67 is configured to be able to turn approximately 90 ° when viewed from the vertical direction of the bottom plate portion 62 (see FIG. 5).

(Cathode unit)
The cathode unit 68 includes a shower plate 75 (cathode), a cathode intermediate member 76 that is in contact with the outer periphery of the shower plate 75, an exhaust duct 79, and a floating capacity body 82. In the cathode unit 68, shower plates 75 are arranged on the surface facing the anode 67 and on both sides of the cathode unit 68. Each

shower plate

75, 75 has a plurality of small holes (not shown), and a film forming gas is ejected from the small holes 74 toward the substrate W.

The cathode intermediate member 76 is electrically connected to the matching box 72 through a wiring (not shown). The matching box 72 has a function of performing matching (impedance matching) between the cathode intermediate member 76 and the high frequency power source, and is connected to a high frequency power source (not shown) via a cable K housed in the cable bear 44. . That is, the cathode intermediate member 76 is connected to a high frequency power source via a wiring (not shown), the matching box 72, and the cable K.

The cathode intermediate member 76 and the shower plate 75 are made of a conductor, and each

shower plate

75, 75 is electrically connected to the matching box 72 via the cathode intermediate member 76. That is, each

shower plate

75, 75 functions as a cathode (high frequency electrode). In order to generate plasma between the shower plate 75 and the anode 67, voltages having the same potential and the same phase are applied to the

shower plates

75 and 75, respectively.

Space portions

77 and 77 are formed between the cathode intermediate member 76 and the

shower plates

75 and 75, and a film forming gas is introduced into the

space portions

77 and 77 from a gas supply device (not shown). The

The spaces

77 and 77 are separated by the cathode intermediate member 76 and are formed separately corresponding to the

shower plates

75 and 75. The gas discharged from each

shower plate

75, 75 is controlled independently. That is, the

spaces

77 and 77 function as a gas supply path. In this embodiment, since each of the

space portions

77 and 77 is formed corresponding to each

shower plate

75 and 75, the cathode unit 68 has two systems of gas supply paths.

Furthermore, a hollow exhaust duct 79 is provided at the peripheral edge of the cathode unit 68 at substantially the entire circumference of the cathode unit 68. The exhaust duct 79 is formed with an exhaust port 80 used for exhausting a film forming gas or a reaction byproduct (powder) existing in the film forming space 81. Specifically, the exhaust port 80 is formed so as to communicate with (be face) the film formation space 81 formed between the substrate W and the shower plate 75 when performing the film formation process. A plurality of the exhaust ports 80 are formed along the peripheral edge of the cathode unit 68, and are configured so that the film forming gas or the reaction product (powder) can be sucked and removed almost uniformly on the entire circumference of the cathode unit 68. Yes.

Further, an opening (not shown) is formed on the surface of the exhaust duct 79 located below the cathode unit 68 and facing the film forming chamber 11. The film forming gas removed through the exhaust port 80 is discharged into the film forming chamber 11 through this opening. The gas discharged into the film formation chamber 11 is exhausted to the outside of the film formation chamber 11 through an exhaust pipe 29 provided at the lower side of the film formation chamber 11.

Further, at least one of a dielectric and a floating capacitor 82 is provided between the exhaust duct 79 and the cathode intermediate member 76, that is, on the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion formed on the cathode intermediate member 76. In addition, the stray capacitance body 82 has a stacked space. The exhaust duct 79 is connected to the ground potential. The exhaust duct 79 also functions as a shield frame used to prevent abnormal discharge that occurs in the shower plate 75 and the cathode intermediate member 76.

Further, a mask 78 is provided on the peripheral edge of the cathode unit 68 so as to cover a portion (region) extending from the outer periphery of the exhaust duct 79 to the outer periphery of the cathode intermediate member 76. The mask 78 covers a clamping piece 59A (see FIG. 8) of the clamping part 59, which will be described later, provided on the carrier 21, and is present in the space 77 integrally with the clamping piece 59A when the film forming process is performed. A gas flow path R that guides the film forming gas or the reaction product (powder) to the exhaust duct 79 is formed. That is, the gas flow path R is formed between the mask 78 and the shower plate 75 covering the carrier 21 (the sandwiching piece 59A) and between the mask 78 and the exhaust duct 79. Note that the film forming gas or the reaction product (powder) may be exhausted from the space 77 toward the outer periphery of the substrate W without providing the exhaust duct 79, the mask 78, and the gas flow path R.

(Preparation / removal room)
As shown in FIG. 1, a moving rail 37 is formed so that the carrier 21 can move between the film forming chamber 11 and the loading / unloading chamber 13 and between the loading / unloading chamber 13 and the substrate desorption chamber 15. It is laid between the film chamber 11 and the substrate desorption chamber 15.
The preparation / removal chamber 13 is formed in a box shape.
A carrier carry-in / out port (not shown) through which the carrier 21 on which the substrate W is mounted is provided on one side surface (lower surface in FIG. 1) of the preparation / removal chamber 13. A shutter 36 that can ensure the airtightness of the charging / extraction chamber 13 is provided at the carrier carry-in / out entrance. Further, a vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the preparation / removal chamber 13, and the vacuum pump depressurizes the inside of the preparation / removal chamber 13 so as to be in a vacuum state.

Further, the loading / unloading chamber 13 is provided with a push-pull mechanism (not shown) that moves the carrier 21 between the film forming chamber 11 and the loading / unloading chamber 13 along the moving rail 37.
In addition, a moving mechanism (not shown) is provided in the preparation / removal chamber 13 in order to accommodate the pre-treatment substrate and the post-treatment substrate simultaneously (collectively). This moving mechanism moves the carrier 21 by a predetermined distance in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the moving rail 37 is laid in a plan view viewed from the vertical direction of the floor surface on which the film forming apparatus 10 is installed.

(Substrate desorption chamber)
In the substrate removal chamber 15, the pre-treatment substrate can be attached to the carrier 21 arranged on the moving rail 37, and the post-treatment substrate can be detached from the carrier 21. In the substrate desorption chamber 15, three carriers 21 can be arranged in parallel.

(Substrate removal robot)
The substrate removal robot 17 has a drive arm 45, and has a suction unit that sucks the substrate W at the tip of the drive arm 45. The drive arm 45 drives between the carrier 21 disposed in the substrate removal chamber 15 and the substrate storage cassette 19. Specifically, the drive arm 45 can take out the pre-treatment substrate from the substrate accommodation cassette 19 and attach the pre-treatment substrate to the carrier 21 disposed in the substrate removal chamber 15. Further, the drive arm 45 can remove the processed substrate from the carrier 21 that has returned to the substrate removal chamber 15 and transport the substrate to the substrate storage cassette 19.

(Career)
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the carrier 21. As shown in FIG. 8, the carrier 21 is used for transporting the substrate W, and two frame-shaped frames 51 to which the substrate W can be attached are formed. That is, two substrates W can be attached to one carrier 21. The two

frames

51 and 51 are integrated by a connecting member 52 at an upper portion thereof.
Further, above the connecting member 52, a wheel 53 placed on the moving rail 37 is provided. When the wheel 53 rolls on the moving rail 37, the carrier 21 can move along the moving rail 37.

Further, a frame holder 54 is provided below the frame 51 in order to suppress the shaking of the substrate W when the carrier 21 moves. The front end of the frame holder 54 is fitted to a rail member (not shown) provided on the bottom surface of each chamber and having a concave cross-sectional shape. In addition, in the plan view seen from the vertical direction of the floor surface on which the film forming apparatus 10 is installed, a rail member (not shown) is arranged in a direction along the moving rail 37.
If the frame holder 54 is composed of a plurality of rollers, the substrate W can be transported more stably.

Each of the frames 51 has an opening 56, a peripheral edge 57, and a clamping part 59. When the substrate W is mounted on the frame 51, the surface that is the film formation surface of the substrate W is exposed at the opening 56. At the peripheral edge 57 of the opening 56, both surfaces of the substrate W are sandwiched by the sandwiching portion 59, and the substrate W is fixed to the frame 51.
The sandwiching portion 59 includes a sandwiching piece 59A that abuts on the front surface of the substrate W and a sandwiching piece 59B that abuts on the back surface (back surface) of the substrate W. The clamping

pieces

59A and 59B are connected via a spring or the like. By this spring, a biasing force acts in a direction in which the sandwiching piece 59A and the sandwiching piece 59B are close to each other.

Also, the clamping piece 59A is movable in accordance with the movement of the anode 67 in the direction in which the clamping piece 59A approaches the clamping piece 59B or in the direction in which the clamping piece 59A moves away from the clamping piece 59B. Here, one carrier 21 is attached on one moving rail 37. That is, one carrier 21 that can hold a pair (two) of substrates W on one moving rail 37 is attached. Accordingly, in one set of film forming apparatus 10, three carriers 21 are attached, that is, three pairs (six substrates) are held.

(Method for manufacturing thin film solar cell)
Next, a method for forming a film on the substrate W using the film forming apparatus 10 will be described.
In this description, the drawing of one substrate film forming line 16 is used, but a film is also formed on the substrate in the other three substrate film forming lines 16 by substantially the same method.
As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate storage cassette 19 that stores a plurality of pre-processed substrates (substrates W) is disposed at a predetermined position.

Next, the drive arm 45 of the substrate removal robot 17 is moved to take out one unprocessed substrate from the substrate storage cassette 19, and this unprocessed substrate is placed on the carrier 21 (see FIG. 8) installed in the substrate removal chamber 15. Install. At this time, the arrangement direction of the unprocessed substrates arranged in the horizontal direction in the substrate accommodation cassette 19 changes to the vertical direction, and the unprocessed substrates are attached to the carrier 21. This operation is repeated once, and two pre-treatment substrates are attached to one carrier 21.
Further, this operation is repeated to attach the pre-treatment substrates to the remaining two carriers 21 installed in the substrate removal chamber 15. That is, at this stage, six pre-treatment substrates are attached to the three carriers 21.

Subsequently, the three carriers 21 to which the unprocessed substrates are attached move substantially simultaneously along the moving rail 37 and are accommodated in the preparation / removal chamber 13. After the carrier 21 is accommodated in the preparation / removal chamber 13, the shutter 36 at the carrier loading / unloading port (not shown) of the preparation / removal chamber 13 is closed. Thereafter, the inside of the preparation / removal chamber 13 is kept in a vacuum state using a vacuum pump (not shown).
Next, in the plan view seen from the vertical direction of the floor surface on which the film forming apparatus 10 is installed, each of the three carriers 21 is moved in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the moving rail 37 is laid using a moving mechanism. Move a predetermined distance.

Subsequently, the shutter 25 of the film forming chamber 11 is opened, and the carrier 21 to which the post-processing substrate after the film forming process is completed in the film forming chamber 11 is loaded using a push-pull mechanism (not shown). Move to.
Further, the carrier 21 holding the unprocessed substrate is moved to the film forming chamber 11 using a push-pull mechanism. After the movement of the carrier 21 is completed, the shutter 25 is closed. Note that the inside of the film forming chamber 11 is kept in a vacuum state.
At this time, the substrate before processing attached to the carrier 21 moves along a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate before processing. In the film forming chamber 11, the pre-treatment substrate is inserted along the vertical direction between the anode 67 and the cathode unit 68 so that the surface of the pre-treatment substrate is substantially parallel to the direction of gravity.

Next, the drive mechanism 71 moves the two anodes 67 of the electrode unit 31 in the direction in which the anode 67 approaches the cathode unit 68 (see the arrow in FIG. 7), so that the anode 67 and the back surface of the substrate W come into contact with each other. Let Further, by driving the drive mechanism 71, the pre-treatment substrate moves toward the cathode unit 68 so as to be pushed by the anode 67. Further, the pre-treatment substrate moves toward the cathode unit 68 until the gap between the substrate W and the shower plate 75 of the cathode unit 68 reaches a predetermined distance (film formation distance). The gap (film formation distance) between the substrate W and the shower plate 75 of the cathode unit 68 is 5 to 15 mm, for example, about 5 mm.

At this time, the sandwiching piece 59A of the carrier 21 in contact with the surface of the substrate W is displaced so as to be separated from the sandwiching piece 59B as the substrate W moves (the anode 67 moves). The substrate W is sandwiched between the anode 67 and the sandwiching piece 59A. When the substrate W moves toward the cathode unit 68, the clamping piece 59A comes into contact with the mask 78, and at this point, the movement of the anode 67 stops.

In such a state, a film forming gas is ejected from the shower plate 75 of the cathode unit 68 toward the substrate W, and the matching box 72 is activated to apply a voltage to the cathode intermediate member 76 (shower plate 75) of the cathode unit 68. Applied. As a result, plasma of a film forming gas is generated in the film forming space 81, and a film is formed on the surface of the substrate W. At this time, the substrate before processing is heated to a desired temperature by the heater H built in the anode 67.

Subsequently, during the film forming process and after the film forming process, the gas or the reaction product (powder) in the film forming space 81 is exhausted through the exhaust port 80 formed in the peripheral portion of the cathode unit 68. Specifically, the gas or reaction product in the film formation space 81 is exhausted to the exhaust duct 79 at the peripheral edge of the cathode unit 68 via the gas flow path R and the exhaust port 80. Thereafter, the gas or reaction product passes through the opening of the exhaust duct 79 facing the inside of the film forming chamber 11 in the lower part of the cathode unit 68. Further, the gas or the reaction product is exhausted to the outside of the film forming chamber 11 from an exhaust pipe 29 provided at the lower side of the film forming chamber 11.
The reaction product (powder) generated when forming a film on the substrate W adheres to and accumulates on the inner wall surface of the exhaust duct 79 and is collected and disposed of.
Since all the electrode units 31 in the film forming chamber 11 perform the same process as described above, films can be formed simultaneously on six substrates.

Then, when the film forming process is completed, the anode 67 is moved in the direction in which the two anodes 67 are separated from each other by the drive mechanism 71, and the processed substrate and the frame 51 (the sandwiching piece 59A) are returned to their original positions. Further, by moving the anode 67 in a direction in which the two anodes 67 are separated from each other, the substrate after processing is separated from the anode 67.
Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the shutter 25 of the film formation chamber 11 is opened, and the carrier 21 is moved to the preparation / removal chamber 13 using a push-pull mechanism (not shown).
At this time, the inside of the preparation / removal chamber 13 is depressurized, and the carrier 21 to which the pre-treatment substrate on which a film is to be formed next is attached is already located in the preparation / removal chamber 13.
Then, in the preparation / removal chamber 13, the heat stored in the processed substrate is transferred to the unprocessed substrate, and the temperature of the processed substrate is lowered.

Subsequently, after the carrier 21 on which the substrate before processing is moved moves into the film forming chamber 11, the carrier 21 on which the substrate after processing is mounted is returned to the position of the moving rail 37 by the moving mechanism. After the shutter 25 is closed, the shutter 36 is opened, and the carrier 21 on which the processed substrate is mounted is moved to the substrate removal chamber 15.
In the substrate removal chamber 15, the substrate removal robot 17 removes the processed substrate from the carrier 21 and transports the processed substrate to the substrate storage cassette 19.
After the process of removing all the processed substrates from the carrier is completed, the substrate storage cassette 19 on which the processed substrates are mounted is moved to a place (apparatus) where the next process is performed, and the film forming process in the film forming apparatus 10 is performed. Ends.

(Electrode unit maintenance work)
Next, a procedure for maintenance work of the electrode unit 31 in the film forming apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.
In this description, the procedure of maintenance work for one electrode unit 31 among the three electrode units 31 attached to one film forming chamber 11 will be described, and the maintenance work for other electrode units 31 will be described. Is omitted. Maintenance work of the other electrode unit 31 is performed according to the procedure described below.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when a film is formed on the cathode unit 68 or the anode 67 of the electrode unit 31 attached in the film forming chamber 11 or a reaction by-product (powder) is attached, Maintenance work such as cleaning or replacement of the cathode unit 68 or the anode 67 is performed.
To perform the maintenance work, first, the electrode unit 31 is moved in the pulling direction (the arrow direction in FIGS. 3 and 4).
At this time, since the electrode unit 31 is supported by the hanging portion 43 of the attachment / detachment rail 41 via the connecting portion 47, the electrode unit 31 is moved along the attachment / detachment rail 41 while using the suspension portion 43 and the carriage 60 together. Is extracted from the film forming chamber 11.

The length L1 of the detachable rail 41 is set to a length that allows the electrode unit 31 to be completely pulled out from the film forming chamber 11, so that the cathode unit 68 or the anode 67 is exposed to the outside of the film forming chamber 11. To do.
Therefore, the anode 67 can be opened by about 90 ° with respect to the cathode unit 68 (see FIG. 5). The single electrode unit 31 separated from the film forming chamber 11 is left in the state exposed to the outside air until the temperature of the electrode unit 31 reaches a temperature at which maintenance work can be performed.
When the electrode unit 31 is lowered to a desired temperature, the anode 67 is opened, and the surface of the anode 67 and the surface of the cathode unit 68 facing each other are exposed.

Here, in the film forming process, a film forming space 81 is formed by the mask 78, the shower plate 75 of the cathode unit 68, and the substrate W. That is, a film is formed on the surface of the cathode unit 68 facing the anode 67 (shower plate 75) or the surface 67A of the anode 67 facing the cathode unit 68 (see FIG. 7), or reaction by-products (powder) are adhered. There are many cases. Further, also in the mask 78 and the gas flow path R, a film or a reaction byproduct (powder) adheres. For this reason, by opening the anode 67, the operation of cleaning each surface, the replacement operation of the shower plate 75 or the mask 78, and the like can be easily performed. When the cleaning or replacement of each part of the electrode unit 31 is finished, the maintenance work is finished.

Further, the exhaust duct 79 installed in the electrode unit 31 can also be pulled out from the film forming chamber 11 at the same time as the maintenance work.
For this reason, the reaction by-product (powder) adhering / depositing on the exhaust duct 79 can also be easily maintained (cleaned). After the maintenance work for one electrode unit 31 is completed, this electrode unit 31 is mounted again in the opening 26 of the film forming chamber 11. Then, another electrode unit 31 is pulled out from the film forming chamber 11, and the maintenance work is performed as described above.
Thus, by pulling out the plurality of electrode units 31 from the film forming chamber 11 in order, it is possible to prevent the anodes 67 of the adjacent electrode units 31 from interfering with each other.

Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, the electrode unit 31 having the cathode unit 68 and the anode 67 can be easily separated from the film forming chamber 11. For this reason, it is possible to perform maintenance work with the electrode unit 31 alone, and to secure a large work space. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the work load generated in the maintenance work. In addition, a detachable rail 41 is provided on the upper surface 22 of the film forming chamber 11, and the electrode unit 31 is suspended from the detachable rail 41 via a hanging portion 43 and a connecting portion 47. For this reason, for example, even when the installation floor surface of the film forming apparatus 10 is uneven, the electrode unit 31 is guided by the detachable rail 41, and the electrode unit 31 can be easily pulled out from the film forming chamber 11. . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the work load generated in the maintenance work.

Furthermore, the electrode unit 31 can be easily mounted again only by moving the electrode unit 31 drawn out from the film forming chamber 11 along the attachment / detachment rail 41. Therefore, the reproducibility that the position of the electrode unit 31 before the electrode unit 31 is pulled out from the film forming chamber 11 and the position where the electrode unit 31 is mounted in the film forming chamber 11 after the electrode unit 31 is pulled out is improved. In addition, the positioning operation of the electrode unit 31 can be performed with high accuracy.
The bottom plate portion 62 of the electrode unit 31 is provided with a side plate portion 63 that rises in the vertical direction, and this side plate portion 63 constitutes a part of the wall surface of the film forming chamber 11. For this reason, a part of the electrode unit 31 can also serve as a part of the film forming chamber 11, so that the structure of the film forming apparatus can be prevented from becoming complicated and the number of parts can be reduced.

A cable bearer 44 is disposed on each of the attachment / detachment rails 41, and a cable K is accommodated in the cable bearer 44. In addition, one end of a cable K is connected to the electrode unit 31. For this reason, the operation of removing the electrode unit 31 from the film forming chamber 11 and the operation of attaching the electrode unit 31 to the film forming chamber 11 can be performed with the cable K connected to the electrode unit 31 (detachment operation). For this reason, it becomes possible to further reduce the work load generated in the maintenance work.
Further, since the cable bearer 44 is laid on each of the attachment / detachment rails 41, when a flexible pipe is adopted as a pipe for supplying the film forming gas to the cathode unit 68, the flexible pipe is arranged along the guide plate 48. The flexible piping can be stored in the cable bear 44. For this reason, the work load which arises in a maintenance work can be further reduced.

Further, for example, a matching box 72 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) is provided on the support portion 42B of the rail support member 42 erected at the tip of the detachable rail 41, and the matching box 72 is provided with three electrodes. A configuration commonly used in the unit 31 may be adopted. For this reason, the number of parts can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the film forming apparatus 10 can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the length L1 of the detachable rail 41 is set to a length that allows the electrode unit 31 to be completely pulled out from the film forming chamber 11, that is, the length L1 is the length of the electrode unit 31 in the film forming chamber. 11 is determined according to the distance that the electrode unit 11 moves so as to be exposed to the outside. For this reason, the cathode unit 68 or the anode 67 can be completely exposed to the outside of the film forming chamber 11. Thus, a work space for maintaining the single electrode unit 31 can be ensured.

Further, the electrode unit 31 is provided with a carriage 60, and the electrode unit 31 can move on the floor surface. And when attaching / detaching the electrode unit 31 from the film forming chamber 11, the electrode unit 31 can be attached / detached along the attaching / detaching rail 41 while using the hanging portion 43 of the attaching / detaching rail 41 and the carriage 60 together. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the attachment / detachment rail 41 from being damaged due to an increase in the weight of the electrode unit. Moreover, it is not necessary to increase the rigidity of the detachable rail 41 more than necessary, and the detachable rail can be prevented from being enlarged.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the said embodiment, although the case where I-shaped steel was used as the rail 41 for attachment / detachment on which the electrode unit 31 is suspended was demonstrated, this invention does not limit this material or structure. As the detachable rail 41, a structure in which the electrode unit 31 can be suspended is employed.
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the rail support member 42 that supports the tip of the mounting / dismounting rail 41 is configured by the crossover portion 42A and the

support portions

42B and 42B that support both ends of the crossover portion 42A will be described. did.
However, the present invention is not limited to this structure, and other structures may be adopted as long as the structure can support the detachable rail 41.

The present invention can be applied to a film forming apparatus used for manufacturing a thin film solar cell.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Film-forming apparatus 11 ... Film-forming chamber 22 ... Upper part 31 ... Electrode unit 41 ... Detachable rail 42 ... Rail support member 43 ... Suspension part 44 ... Cable bearer 46 ... Support part 60 ... Cart 63 ... Side plate part 67 ... Anode 68 ... Cathode unit 75 ... Shower plate (cathode) 81 ... Deposition space W ... Substrate.

Claims

A film forming apparatus,
A film forming chamber having an upper part in the direction of gravity and in which the substrate is disposed so that a film forming surface of the substrate is parallel to the direction of gravity;
An electrode unit having a flat cathode to which a voltage is applied and an anode disposed opposite to the cathode so as to be detachably provided in the film formation chamber;
A detachable rail provided in the upper part of the film forming chamber, provided along a direction in which the electrode unit is pulled out from the film forming chamber, and guiding the electrode unit;
A film forming apparatus comprising:
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The electrode unit is
A film forming apparatus comprising a side plate portion that constitutes one surface of the film forming chamber and is separable from the film forming chamber in a state where the cathode and the anode are attached to the electrode unit.
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A film forming apparatus comprising: a cable bear disposed on the detachable rail and disposed with a cable connected to the electrode unit.
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The length of the detachable rail is determined according to the distance that the electrode unit moves so that at least the whole of the cathode and the anode are exposed to the outside of the film forming chamber. apparatus.
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The electrode unit includes a carriage.