Ion source device

Abstract

The present application relates to an ion source device, comprising: a plurality of Hall ion sources, at least one hollow cathode and a base; the Hall ion sources are distributed and installed on the base, and the hollow cathode is set at a set position away from the Hall ion; a plurality of the Hall ion sources are covered at the same time, the hollow cathode provides neutralizing electrons for at least one Hall ion source, and at least one hollow cathode provides neutralizing electrons for multiple Hall ion sources. The technical solution of the present application can improve the coverage range through the design of multiple Hall ion sources, and adopts a shared hollow cathode design, which also reduces the equipment cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ion sources, and in particular to an ion source device. Background Art

[0002] Ion source is an applied science and technology with wide applications, many types, many sciences involved, strong process technology, and rapid development. As a very common type of ion source, Hall ion source is mostly used in the field of thin film deposition as a deposition auxiliary component to improve the physical properties of thin films. The Hall ion source is a process gas plasmatized by the anode in the cooperation of a strong axial magnetic field. The plasmatized gas is accelerated by the anode to separate the gas ions and form an ion beam. Because the axial magnetic field is too strong, the Hall ion source ion beam needs to be supplemented with electrons to neutralize the ion flow.

[0003] Common ion sources all use tungsten wire (cathode) as the neutralization source. The traditional ion source structure of the traditional Hall ion source is circular, and the working area is a conical range. However, with the further requirements of production efficiency, the coverage range of the ion source is required to be larger and larger, and higher auxiliary efficiency is also required. Since the coverage range of the Hall ion source itself is similar to the Gaussian curve coverage effect, it is difficult for the traditional Hall ion source to ensure the uniformity of coverage. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to solve one of the above-mentioned technical defects, especially the defect of difficulty in ensuring coverage uniformity, and to provide an ion source device.

[0005] An ion source device comprises: a plurality of Hall ion sources, at least one hollow cathode and a base;

[0006] The Hall ion sources are distributed and installed on the base, and the hollow cathode is arranged at a set position away from the Hall ion sources;

[0007] The multiple Hall ion sources are covered simultaneously, the hollow cathode provides neutralizing electrons for at least one Hall ion source, and at least one hollow cathode provides neutralizing electrons for multiple Hall ion sources.

[0008] In one embodiment, the number of the Hall ion sources is two, and the number of the hollow cathode is one;

[0009] The two Hall ion sources are installed adjacent to each other on the base, and the hollow cathode is installed on one side of the two Hall ion sources to provide electrons to the two Hall ion sources.

[0010] In one embodiment, the ion source device further comprises: an anode power supply module, which is used to provide power to each of the Hall ion sources respectively, wherein each of the Hall ion sources is connected to the anode power supply module in series.

[0011] The ion source device described in one embodiment further includes: a gas supply pipeline connected to the gas inlet of each Hall ion source; wherein a flow valve is installed in front of the gas inlet of each Hall ion source, and the flow valve is used to control the flow of gas.

[0012] In one embodiment, the ion source device further includes: a retractable bracket; one end of the bracket is provided with a mounting base, and the other end is connected to the base.

[0013] In one embodiment, the Hall ion source is mounted on a base via an angle adjustment mechanism, and the Hall ion source is rotated via the angle adjustment mechanism to adjust the angle of the Hall ion source.

[0014] In one embodiment, the hollow cathode is mounted on the base via a rotating joint, and the Hall ion source is freely rotated via the rotating joint to adjust the electron emission direction.

[0015] In one embodiment, the ion source device further includes: a circulating water cooling circuit; wherein the water cooling circuits of the various Hall ion sources are connected in series to the circulating water cooling circuit.

[0016] In one embodiment, the angle adjustment mechanism is driven by a built-in motor to rotate the angle, and the rotary joint is driven by a built-in motor to adjust the direction.

[0017] In one embodiment, the ion source device further comprises a controller connected to the flow valve, the angle adjustment mechanism and the rotary joint respectively;

[0018] The controller is used to adjust the flow rate of the flow valve, control the angle adjustment mechanism to adjust the covering direction of each Hall ion source, and / or control the rotation direction of the rotary joint to control the electron emission direction of the hollow cathode.

[0019] The above-mentioned ion source device includes multiple Hall ion sources, which are distributed and installed on the base. The multiple Hall ion sources cover at the same time, and the hollow cathode provides neutralizing electrons for at least one Hall ion source. The design of multiple Hall ion sources can increase the coverage range, and the use of a shared hollow cathode design also reduces the equipment cost.

[0020] In addition, the ion source device of the present application is also designed with a shared anode power supply module, gas supply pipeline and circulating water cooling circuit, which can further reduce the equipment cost.

[0021] Furthermore, the ion source device of the present application is designed with a flow valve, an angle adjustment mechanism and a rotary joint, and can be controlled by a controller, so as to automatically control and adjust the power and coverage of the ion source, further improving the automation and intelligence level of the equipment.

[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be partially given in the following description, which will become apparent from the following description, or will be understood through the practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the ion source structure;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a double-head ion source device;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the power supply module of the ion source device;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the gas supply pipeline structure of the ion source device;

[0028] Figure 5 1 is a schematic diagram of the installation position of the angle adjustment mechanism;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the rotary joint;

[0030] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a circulating water cooling circuit;

[0031] Figure 8 A control topology diagram of a controller according to an embodiment;

[0032] Fig. 9 This is a simulation diagram of the coverage distribution of the ion source device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and cannot be interpreted as limiting the present application.

[0034] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, unless otherwise stated, the singular forms "a", "an", "said" and "the" used herein may also include plural forms. It should be further understood that the term "comprising" used in the specification of the present application refers to the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations.

[0035] The ion source device provided by the present application includes: a plurality of Hall ion sources, at least one hollow cathode and a base 30. Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the ion source structure, which is a top view, taking three Hall ion sources A, B, and C (corresponding to 101 to 103 in the figure) as an example.

[0036] Each Hall ion source is distributed and installed on the base 30, and the hollow cathode is set at a set position away from the Hall ion source; multiple Hall ion sources are covered at the same time, and the hollow cathode provides neutralizing electrons for at least one Hall ion source, and at least one hollow cathode provides neutralizing electrons for multiple Hall ion sources. Figure 1 In which, the hollow cathode ① (corresponding to 101 in the figure) matches the Hall ion sources A and B; the hollow cathode ② (corresponding to 102 in the figure) matches the Hall ion source C; thereby realizing a structural design scheme for improving the coverage range.

[0037] In actual work, each Hall ion source and the hollow cathode work simultaneously, and the process gas enters the discharge area from the bottom of the anode of the Hall ion source. When the anode voltage is applied to the anode of the Hall ion source, the electrons move toward the anode under the action of the electric field. Due to the magnetic field, the electrons move in a spiral orbit around the magnetic lines of force, and collide with atoms to accelerate the ionized ions under the action of the Hall electric field to obtain corresponding energy. The hollow cathode generates hot electrons, which form plasma with some of the hot electrons emitted by the hollow cathode. The plasma is emitted and interacts with the substrate to achieve the purpose of cleaning and auxiliary coating. The role of the hollow cathode is to provide electrons to the discharge area and to compensate for the space charge of the ion beam and neutralize the positive charge of the ion itself.

[0038] In order to make the technical solution of the present application clearer, the ion source device of the present application will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0039] like Figure 2 , Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a double-headed ion source device; the figure shows that the double-headed ion source device is composed of Hall ion sources A, B (corresponding to 101 and 102 in the figure) and a hollow cathode ①. The principle of the scheme with more than two Hall ion sources is similar. The following embodiments of this application are exemplified by two Hall ion sources and do not constitute a limitation on the structure of the ion source device. As shown in the figure, there are two Hall ion sources and one hollow cathode; wherein, two Hall ion sources A and B are adjacently installed on a base 30, and a hollow cathode 201 is installed on one side of the Hall ion sources A and B, and is used in matching with the Hall ion sources A and B to provide electrons to the Hall ion sources A and B.

[0040] In one embodiment, the ion source device provided in the present application may further include: a retractable bracket 310; one end of the bracket 310 is provided with a mounting base 320, and the other end is connected to the base 30. Figure 2 As shown, the bracket 310 can be used to easily install and fix the Hall ion sources A, B and the hollow cathode ①. The entire ion source device is installed in the vacuum coating equipment through the mounting base 320. The distance between the Hall ion source and the substrate can be freely controlled through the retractable bracket 310, so that the ion beam can better interact with the substrate to achieve the purpose of cleaning and auxiliary coating.

[0041] In one embodiment, reference Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the power supply module structure of the ion source device; the power supply part of the ion source device provided in the present application includes: a hollow cathode power supply module 22 (not shown in the figure) and an anode power supply module 12; wherein the hollow cathode power supply module 22 is used to provide power to the hollow cathode; the anode power supply module 12 is used to provide power to each Hall ion source respectively, wherein each Hall ion source is connected to the anode power supply module 12 in series.

[0042] In the above embodiment, a plurality of Hall ion sources are connected in series and share one anode power supply module 12, thereby saving the overall cost of the power supply equipment.

[0043] In one embodiment, reference Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the gas supply pipeline 40 of the ion source device; the ion source device provided by the present application may also include: a gas supply pipeline 40 connected to the gas inlet of each Hall ion source; wherein a flow valve 401 is installed in front of the gas inlet of each Hall ion source, and the flow valve 401 is used to control the flow of gas. The figure corresponds to flow valve A and flow valve B respectively; they are installed in front of the gas inlet of Hall ion sources A and B respectively.

[0044] The scheme of the above-mentioned embodiment facilitates the control of the working current and coverage range of the Hall ion source by controlling the working gas flow rate. As shown in the figure, power supply is provided in series to facilitate power supply by one power supply module. Since the current flowing through the two Hall ion sources is basically equal, it is necessary to adjust the ion coverage range sent by the Hall ion source. Therefore, by controlling the flow rate of the reaction gas, the working coverage range and working power of the Hall ion source can be controlled.

[0045] In one embodiment, in the ion source device provided by the present application, the Hall ion source is installed on the base 30 through the angle adjustment mechanism 13, and the Hall ion source is rotated by the angle adjustment mechanism 13 to adjust the angle of the Hall ion source. Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the installation position of the angle adjustment mechanism 13. The angle adjustment mechanism 13 can be implemented by a hinge, such as Figure 5 The upper middle picture shows the state of plane arrangement, and the lower picture shows the state after rotation. When in use, the angle of the Hall ion source can be adjusted according to needs, thereby controlling the direction of electron emission from the Hall ion source. On the one hand, it can control its reaction with the thermal electrons of the hollow cathode, and on the other hand, it can control the coverage range of the ion source.

[0046] In addition, for the hollow cathode, the hollow cathode can also be mounted on the base 30 via a rotary joint 23, see Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the installation of the rotary joint 23, wherein Figure 6 The upper figure shows the installation position of the rotary joint 23, and the lower figure shows an enlarged view of an example of a selected joint. Through the rotary joint 23, the Hall ion source can rotate freely to adjust the direction of electron emission to better send thermal electrons to neutralize the electrons emitted by the Hall ion source, thereby realizing automatic control of the operation of the ion source device.

[0047] Preferably, the angle adjustment mechanism 13 and the rotary joint 23 can both be driven by a built-in motor. For example, the angle adjustment mechanism 13 can be driven by a motor to rotate the angle, and the rotary joint 23 can also be driven by a motor to adjust the direction.

[0048] In one embodiment, the ion source device provided by the present application may further include: a circulating water cooling circuit 50; wherein the water cooling circuits of each Hall ion source are connected in series to the circulating water cooling circuit 50. Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7It is a schematic diagram of a circulating water cooling loop 50. The water inlet and outlet of each Hall ion source are connected by a water cooling loop to form a common circulation loop. The dotted arrow in the figure indicates the water circulation direction. In this way, only one circulation device 501 needs to be designed for the entire ion source device, which can perform water cooling and heat dissipation, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the equipment and reducing the equipment cost.

[0049] In one embodiment, the ion source device of the present application can also be designed with a controller 60 for controlling the components of the ion source device, and the controller 60 can be implemented based on hardware or equipment such as MCU, processor, industrial computer, etc. As in the embodiment of the present application, the flow valve 401, the angle adjustment mechanism 13 and the rotary joint 23 can be controlled and adjusted by the controller 60; including adjusting the flow size of the flow valve 401, controlling the angle adjustment mechanism 13 to adjust the coverage direction of each Hall ion source, controlling the steering of the rotary joint 23 to control the electron emission direction of the hollow cathode, etc.

[0050] refer to Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 It is a control topology diagram of a controller 60 of an embodiment, wherein the controller 60 is respectively connected to a flow valve 401, an angle adjustment mechanism 13, a rotary joint 23, an anode power supply module 12, a circulation device 501, etc.

[0051] In actual work, the controller 60 can control the anode power supply module 12 to supply power to the Hall ion source, and at the same time control the flow rate of the process gas by controlling the opening size of the flow valve 401, thereby controlling the ionization degree of the Hall ion source, generating a controllable and adjustable ion beam, and realizing intelligent control of the size of the ion beam emitted by the Hall ion source.

[0052] In actual work, the controller 60 can adjust the angle of the angle adjustment mechanism 13 according to the calculated coverage, thereby adjusting the coverage range. Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 It is a coverage distribution simulation diagram of the ion source device. The controller 60 calculates the control rotation angle according to the control range required by the dual ion source, and then outputs a control signal to control the angle of the angle adjustment mechanism 13 to achieve intelligent control of the coverage range of the Hall ion source.

[0053] In actual work, the controller 60 can control the rotation direction of the rotating joint 23, thereby realizing the neutralization degree of electrons generated by the hollow cathode according to the Hall ion source. The controller 60 calculates the direction of thermal electrons required to be emitted by the hollow cathode, accurately calculates the direction of the rotating joint 23, and then outputs a control signal to control the direction of the rotating joint 23, thereby realizing intelligent control of the emission direction of the hollow cathode.

[0054] In actual work, the controller 60 can also control the circulation device 501. The controller 60 detects the temperature of the Hall ion source through a sensor to accurately obtain the heat dissipation status. When the temperature is too high, the circulation speed can be accelerated to achieve intelligent heat dissipation of the Hall ion source.

[0055] Combining the solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, the ion source device designed in the present application is designed with multiple Hall ion sources for common coverage. There is no need for multiple sets of ion sources to work at the same time. Multiple Hall ion sources are driven by a single hollow cathode, which reduces the structural complexity and cost. It has a simple structure, is easy to install, and has adjustable angles. It can ensure multiple coverage efficiency and can be used in extra-large equipment with better coverage uniformity.

[0056] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have meanings consistent with those in the context of the prior art, and will not be interpreted with idealized or overly formal meanings unless specifically defined as here.

[0057] An ion source sputtering system comprises the target material rotating structure of any one of the above embodiments.

[0058] The above description is only a partial implementation method of the present application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present application. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. An ion source device, characterized in that: include: A plurality of Hall ion sources, at least one hollow cathode, an anode power supply module, a retractable bracket and a base; the Hall ion sources are distributed and installed on the base, and the hollow cathode is arranged at a set position away from the Hall ion source; The plurality of Hall ion sources simultaneously send ions to cover the substrate, the hollow cathode provides neutralizing electrons for at least one Hall ion source, and at least one hollow cathode provides neutralizing electrons for a plurality of Hall ion sources; The anode power supply module is used to provide power to each of the Hall ion sources respectively; One end of the bracket is provided with a mounting base, and the other end is connected to the base.

2. The ion source device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the Hall ion sources is two, and the number of the hollow cathode is one; The two Hall ion sources are adjacently mounted on the base, and the hollow cathode is mounted on one side of the two Hall ion sources to provide electrons to the two Hall ion sources.

3. The ion source device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the Hall ion sources is connected in series to the anode power supply module.

4. The ion source device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A gas supply pipeline connected to the gas inlet of each Hall ion source; wherein a flow valve is installed in front of the gas inlet of each Hall ion source, and the flow valve is used to control the flow of gas.

5. The ion source device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Hall ion source is installed on the base through an angle adjustment mechanism, and the Hall ion source is rotated through the angle adjustment mechanism to adjust the angle of the Hall ion source.

6. The ion source device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hollow cathode is mounted on the base through a rotating joint, and the Hall ion source is freely rotated through the rotating joint to adjust the electron emission direction.

7. The ion source device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Circulating water cooling circuit; wherein the water cooling circuits of various Hall ion sources are connected in series to the circulating water cooling circuit.

8. The ion source device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The angle adjustment mechanism is driven to rotate at an angle by a built-in motor, and the rotary joint is driven to adjust its direction by a built-in motor.

9. The ion source device according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also included is a controller connected to the flow valve, the angle adjustment mechanism and the rotary joint respectively; The controller is used to adjust the flow rate of the flow valve, control the angle adjustment mechanism to adjust the covering direction of each Hall ion source, and / or control the rotation direction of the rotary joint to control the electron emission direction of the hollow cathode.

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