Film forming device

Abstract

The present invention provides a film forming device which reduces the adhesion of film forming materials to a chamber and improves maintainability. The film forming device (D) of the embodiment includes: a chamber (1) capable of making the interior thereof vacuum; a film forming section (4a-4d, 4f, 4g) having a target material (61) containing a film forming material, wherein the film forming material is deposited on a workpiece (W) by sputtering in the chamber to form a film; a partition member (9) arranged at a distance from the target material (61) to form a film forming chamber (S) for forming a film using the film forming section (4a-4d, 4f, 4g) and to partition the film forming chamber (S) in the chamber (1) from the outside; and a suppression section (104) disposed between the target material (61) and the partition member (9) to suppress the adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a film forming device. Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of various products such as semiconductors, displays, or optical disks, a thin film such as an optical film is sometimes formed on a workpiece such as a wafer or a glass substrate. The thin film can be produced by forming a film of a metal or the like on the workpiece and repeatedly performing film treatments such as etching, oxidation, or nitridation on the formed film.

[0003] Film formation and film treatment can be performed using various methods, one of which is a method using plasma. During film formation, an inert gas is introduced into a vacuum container, i.e., a chamber, in which a target is arranged, and a DC voltage is applied. The ions of the inert gas in plasma form collide with the target, and the material knocked out from the target is deposited on the workpiece to form a film. In film treatment, a process gas is introduced into a chamber in which an electrode is arranged, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the electrode. The ions of the process gas in plasma form collide with the film on the workpiece, thereby performing film treatment.

[0004] There is a film forming apparatus (for example, see Patent Document 1) in which a rotating table is provided inside a chamber, and a plurality of film forming chambers and film processing chambers are partitioned by partition members called shielding members on the top surface of the chamber supporting the target material, i.e., above the rotating table, so that such film forming and film processing can be performed continuously. In such a film forming apparatus, an optical film or the like can be formed by holding a workpiece on the rotating table and conveying it, and passing it directly under the film forming section and the film processing section.

[0005] [Prior art literature]

[0006] [Patent Document]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-49018 Summary of the invention

[0008] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In the film forming device as described above, the partition member forming the film forming chamber is maintained to have a gap between it and the top surface of the chamber supporting the target material. That is, a gap will be generated between the target material and the partition member. As a result, the film forming material scattered from the target material will leak from the gap and scatter to the outside of the film forming chamber in the chamber, and adhere to the inner surface of the chamber such as the top surface. As a result, since the film forming material adheres to the inner surface of the chamber to form a film, it will take time to remove the film, and the maintainability will deteriorate. Therefore, it is required to reduce the adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber and improve the maintainability.

[0010] An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a film forming apparatus in which adhesion of a film forming material to an inner surface of a chamber is reduced and maintainability is improved.

[0011] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a film forming device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with: a chamber capable of making the interior of the chamber into a vacuum; a film forming unit having a target material containing a film forming material, wherein the film forming material is deposited on a workpiece by sputtering in the chamber to form a film; a partition member arranged at a distance from the target material to form a film forming chamber for forming a film using the film forming unit and to separate the film forming chamber in the chamber from the outside; and a suppression unit arranged between the target material and the partition member to suppress the film forming material from adhering to the inner surface of the chamber.

[0013] [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the film forming apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention, adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber can be reduced, thereby improving maintainability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a perspective plan view schematically showing the structure of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 AA cross-section diagram.

[0017] Figure 3 Yes means Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the top surface side of the partition member of an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4 Yes means Figure 1 A stereoscopic view of the bottom surface side of the surrounding member of an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 Yes means Figure 2 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the surrounding components and partition components around the target material.

[0020] Figure 6Yes means Figure 5 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the enclosing member.

[0021] Figure 7 (A) is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the adhesion form of film-forming particles, Figure 7 (B) is an illustration of the prior art.

[0022] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the suppression portion.

[0023] Fig. 9 It is a perspective view showing a modified example of the surrounding member.

[0024] Fig.10 It is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the surrounding member.

[0025] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0026] 1: Chamber

[0027] 1a: Cover

[0028] 2: Exhaust

[0029] 3: Rotating platform

[0030] 3a: Holding part

[0031] 3b: Rotation axis

[0032] 3c: Pillar

[0033] 3d: ball bearing

[0034] 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, 4g: Processing section (film forming section)

[0035] 4e: Processing section (membrane processing section)

[0036] 5: Loading interlock

[0037] 6: Sputtering source

[0038] 61: Target

[0039] 62: Back panel

[0040] 63: Electrode

[0041] 7: DC power supply

[0042] 8: Sputtering gas inlet

[0043] 9: Partition components

[0044] 91: Opening

[0045] 92: Top face

[0046] 92a: Target hole

[0047] 92b: Facing surface

[0048] 93: Side face

[0049] 93a: Outer wall

[0050] 93b: Inner wall

[0051] 93c: Divider wall

[0052] 93d: Divider wall

[0053] 94: Concave

[0054] 95: Suppression Department

[0055] 10: Cylindrical electrode

[0056] 11: Opening

[0057] 12: External shielding

[0058] 13: Internal shielding

[0059] 14: Flange

[0060] 15: RF power supply

[0061] 16: Process gas introduction part

[0062] 20: Control Department

[0063] 21: Matcher

[0064] 100: Enclosing component

[0065] 101: Opening

[0066] 102: Facing surface

[0067] 103: convex part

[0068] 104: Suppression Department

[0069] 105: Inclined surface

[0070] 106: Slot

[0071] 107: Conductive part

[0072] α: Tilt angle

[0073] d: width

[0074] D: Film forming device

[0075] G1, G2, G3: Interval

[0076] P: Support part

[0077] IP: Inner peripheral support

[0078] OP: Peripheral support

[0079] L: Portage Road

[0080] PA: Sputtered particles

[0081] S: Film forming room

[0082] W: Workpiece DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0083] [structure]

[0084] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0085] [Chamber]

[0086] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the film forming device D has a chamber 1. The chamber 1 is a substantially cylindrical container with a bottom. The chamber 1 can make the interior of the chamber 1 a vacuum and has a cover 1a that can be opened and closed at the top. The cover 1a is a circular plate-like member that hermetically seals the top of the chamber 1. In addition, an exhaust unit 2 is provided in the chamber 1, which can exhaust the interior of the chamber 1 into a vacuum. That is, the chamber 1 functions as a vacuum container.

[0087] [Transportation Department]

[0088] In the chamber 1, a rotating platform 3 is provided as a conveying portion for rotating and conveying the workpiece W in a circular trajectory. That is, a hollow rotating shaft 3b passes through the bottom of the chamber 1 and is vertically arranged inside the chamber 1, and a roughly circular rotating platform 3 is mounted on the rotating shaft 3b. A driving mechanism not shown in the figure is connected to the rotating shaft 3b. Driven by the driving mechanism, the rotating platform 3 rotates around the rotating shaft 3b. An immovable pillar 3c is arranged inside the hollow rotating shaft 3b. The pillar 3c is fixed to a base not shown in the figure provided outside the chamber 1, and passes through the bottom of the chamber 1 and is vertically arranged inside the chamber 1. An opening is provided at the center of the rotating platform 3. The pillar 3c passes through the opening of the rotating platform 3, and the front end is located between the upper surface of the rotating platform 3 and the upper surface of the chamber 1.

[0089] A ball bearing 3d is disposed between the opening of the rotating platform 3 and the support 3c. That is, the rotating platform 3 is rotatably supported by the support 3c via the ball bearing 3d. In addition, the front end of the support 3c constitutes an inner peripheral support portion IP described later.

[0090] The chamber 1, the rotating stage 3 and the rotating shaft 3b preferably include a conductive metal member with low resistance because they function as cathodes in the film forming apparatus D. The rotating stage 3 is preferably a stainless steel plate member on which alumina is thermally sprayed, for example.

[0091] A plurality of holding portions 3a for holding the workpiece W are provided on the upper surface of the rotating platform 3. The plurality of holding portions 3a are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotating platform 3. The workpiece W held by the holding portions 3a is moved along the circumferential direction of the rotating platform 3 by the rotation of the rotating platform 3. In other words, a circumferential movement track of the workpiece W, i.e., a conveying path (hereinafter referred to as "conveying path L"), is formed on the surface of the rotating platform 3. The holding portion 3a can be, for example, a tray for placing the workpiece W.

[0092] Hereinafter, the case where the “circumferential direction” is simply referred to as the “circumferential direction of the rotating platform 3”, and the case where the “radial direction” is simply referred to as the “radial direction of the rotating platform 3”. In addition, in the present embodiment, a flat substrate is used as an example of the workpiece W, but the type, shape and material of the workpiece W to be plasma treated are not limited to a specific one. For example, a curved substrate having a concave portion or a convex portion at the center may also be used. In addition, the following substrates may also be used, namely, a substrate containing a conductive material such as metal or carbon, a substrate containing an insulator such as glass or rubber, and a substrate containing a semiconductor such as silicon.

[0093] A processing unit is provided above the rotating platform 3, and the processing unit performs processing in each process in the film forming apparatus D. The processing units are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other with a predetermined interval along a conveying path L for the workpiece W formed on the surface of the rotating platform 3. The workpiece W held by the holding unit 3a is passed under each processing unit, and the processing in each process is performed.

[0094] [Processing Department]

[0095] exist Figure 1In the example of , seven processing units 4a to 4g are arranged along the conveying path L on the rotating platform 3. In the present embodiment, the processing unit 4a, the processing unit 4b, the processing unit 4c, the processing unit 4d, the processing unit 4f, and the processing unit 4g are film forming units that perform film forming processing on the workpiece W. The processing unit 4e is a film processing unit that processes the film formed on the workpiece W by the film forming unit. In the present embodiment, the film forming unit 4a, the film forming unit 4b, the film forming unit 4c, the film forming unit 4d, the film forming unit 4f, and the film forming unit 4g are described as processing units that perform film formation by depositing a film forming material on the workpiece W conveyed by the rotating platform 3 by sputtering. In addition, the film processing unit 4e is described as a component that performs post-oxidation. The so-called post-oxidation refers to a process in which oxygen ions generated by plasma are introduced into a metal film formed by the film forming unit to oxidize the metal film.

[0096] A load-lock unit 5 is provided between the processing unit 4a and the processing unit 4g. The load-lock unit 5 carries an unprocessed workpiece W from the outside into the chamber 1 and carries a processed workpiece W out of the chamber 1 while maintaining the vacuum in the chamber 1. In the present embodiment, the conveying direction of the workpiece W is set to be along the Figure 1 The clockwise direction of the processing unit 4a is from the processing unit 4g. Of course, this is an example, and the conveying direction, the type, arrangement order and number of the processing units are not limited to specific ones and can be appropriately determined.

[0097] [Film Forming Department]

[0098] The structure of the processing unit 4a as a film forming unit is shown in FIG. Figure 2 The other film forming parts 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, and 4g may be configured similarly to the film forming part 4a, but other configurations may also be applied.

[0099] (Sputtering Source)

[0100] like Figure 2 As shown, the film forming section 4a has a sputtering source 6. The sputtering source 6 is a supply source of the film forming material. The sputtering source 6 has a target 61, a backing plate 62, and an electrode 63. The target 61 is a plate-shaped member containing a film forming material that is deposited on the workpiece W to form a film. The target 61 is arranged at a position facing the workpiece W when the workpiece W passes under the film forming section 4a. The target 61 of this embodiment is circular and three targets are provided. The centers of the two targets 61 are arranged in the radial direction of the rotating platform 3. The center of one target 61 is arranged at a position that forms the vertex of an isosceles triangle with the centers of the other two targets 61.

[0101] The backing plate 62 is a member for holding the target 61. The electrode 63 is a conductive member for applying electric power to the target 61 from the outside of the chamber 1. In addition, the sputtering source 6 appropriately includes a magnet, a cooling mechanism, and the like as necessary.

[0102] A direct current (DC) power source 7 for applying a direct current voltage is connected to the target 61 via an electrode 63. In addition, a sputtering gas introduction part 8 for introducing a sputtering gas into the chamber 1 is provided at the bottom of the chamber 1 at a position facing the target 61. For example, an inert gas such as argon can be used as the sputtering gas.

[0103] (Partition components)

[0104] A partition member 9 is provided below the sputtering source 6 as described above. The partition member 9 is a member having an opening 91 on the side through which the workpiece W passes, and forming a film forming chamber S for forming a film using the film forming portion 4a. The partition member 9 separates the film forming chamber S in the chamber 1 from the outside. The partition member 9 is also called a shielding member because it has a shielding function of preventing the film forming material scattered from the target material from adhering to the outside of the film forming chamber S or preventing the sputtering gas introduced into the film forming chamber S from flowing out to the outside of the film forming chamber S.

[0105] The partition member 9 has a top surface portion 92 and a side surface portion 93. The top surface portion 92 is a member that forms the top surface of the film forming chamber S. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the top surface portion 92 is a substantially fan-shaped plate-like body arranged parallel to the plane of the rotating platform 3. On the top surface portion 92, a target hole 92a having the same size and shape as the target 61 is formed at a position corresponding to each target 61, so that each target 61 is exposed in the film forming chamber S. In addition, inside the film forming chamber S formed by the partition member 9, the front end of the sputtering gas introduction portion 8 extends to the vicinity of the target 61.

[0106] The side surface portion 93 is a member forming the side surface of the periphery of the film forming chamber S. The side surface portion 93 has an outer peripheral wall 93a, an inner peripheral wall 93b, a partition wall 93c, and a partition wall 93d. The outer peripheral wall 93a and the inner peripheral wall 93b are rectangular parallelepiped shapes curved in an arc shape, and are plate-like bodies drooping in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the rotating platform 3. The upper edge of the outer peripheral wall 93a is attached to the outer edge of the top surface portion 92. The upper edge of the inner peripheral wall 93b is attached to the inner edge of the top surface portion 92.

[0107] The partition wall 93c and the partition wall 93d are flat rectangular parallelepiped and are plate-like bodies that droop in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the rotating platform 3. The upper edges of the partition walls 93c and the partition walls 93d are respectively mounted on a pair of radial edges of the top surface portion 92. The joint between the top surface portion 92 and the side surface portion 93 is hermetically sealed. In addition, the top surface portion 92 and the side surface portion 93 may be formed integrally, that is, continuously formed using a common material. The film forming chamber S is formed by such a partition member 9, the upper and peripheral sides of which are covered by the top surface portion 92 and the side surface portion 93 and open toward the lower part of the workpiece W.

[0108] The film forming chamber S is the area where most of the film formation is performed, but even in the area away from the film forming chamber S, there is leakage of the film forming material from the film forming chamber S, so there is not completely no film accumulation. That is, the film forming area where the film forming part 4a performs film formation becomes an area slightly wider than the film forming chamber S defined by the partition member 9.

[0109] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, when viewed from above, the partition member 9 is roughly fan-shaped, expanding from the center side in the radial direction of the rotating platform 3 toward the outside. The roughly fan-shaped described here refers to the shape of the fan surface portion. The opening 91 of the partition member 9 is also roughly fan-shaped. The speed at which the workpiece W held on the rotating platform 3 passes through the bottom of the opening 91 is slower as it moves toward the center side in the radial direction of the rotating platform 3, and faster as it moves toward the outside. Therefore, if the opening 91 is a simple rectangle or square, there will be a difference in the time when the workpiece W passes directly below the opening 91 on the center side and the outside in the radial direction. By expanding the opening 91 from the center side in the radial direction toward the outside, the time for the workpiece W to pass through the opening 91 can be set to be fixed, and the plasma treatment described later can be made equal. However, if the time difference in passing is to the extent that it will not cause problems in the product, it can also be a rectangle or a square. As the material of the partition member 9, for example, aluminum or stainless steel (Stainless Steel, SUS) can be used.

[0110] like Figure 2 As shown, the partition member 9 is supported by a support portion P. The support portion P is a member fixedly arranged in the chamber 1 and independent of the cover body 1a. In the present embodiment, the support portion P includes an outer peripheral support portion OP and an inner peripheral support portion IP. The outer peripheral support portion OP is a plurality of columnar members erected from the bottom of the chamber 1, and extends outside the rotating platform 3 to a position slightly higher than the workpiece W mounted on the rotating platform 3. The inner peripheral support portion IP is a flat surface provided at the front end of the support column 3c. The inner peripheral support portion IP is set in a manner to be the same height as the outer peripheral support portion OP.

[0111] The partition member 9 is mounted on the outer peripheral support portion OP and the inner peripheral support portion IP. Thus, the upper end of the outer peripheral support portion OP supports the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 93a of the partition member 9, and the inner peripheral support portion IP supports the lower end of the inner peripheral wall 93b of the partition member 9. A gap is formed between the lower ends of the partition walls 93c and 93d and the rotating platform 3 so that the workpiece W on the rotating platform 3 can pass. That is, the height of the support portion P is set so that a small gap is generated between the lower edge of the partition member 9 and the workpiece W.

[0112] On the other hand, regarding the upper portion of the partition member 9, i.e., the top surface portion 92, the height of the outer peripheral support portion OP, the inner peripheral support portion IP, the height of the side surface portion 93, and the thickness of the top surface portion 92 are set so as to be at a height that does not contact the cover 1a when the cover 1a is closed. The gap between the cover 1a and the top surface portion 92 is set to a distance that does not contact the top surface portion 92 when the cover 1a is bent during vacuuming. For example, the displacement amount in the height direction caused by the bending of the cover 1a during vacuuming, i.e., the amount of warping, is investigated in advance by experiments, and a gap larger than the amount of warping is set as the distance generated between the lower surface of the cover 1a and the upper surface of the top surface portion 92.

[0113] (Enclosing component)

[0114] like Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, a surrounding member 100 is provided between the target 61 and the partition member 9. The surrounding member 100 is a conductive member and has the following function: by setting the target 61 as a cathode to an anode potential and capturing electrons in the plasma to stably maintain the discharge. Therefore, the surrounding member 100 is also called an anode ring, a ground shield, a ring anode, an anode plate, an anode electrode, etc.

[0115] Figure 4 1 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the enclosure member 100. That is, the view is made such that the surface of the enclosure member 100, which is the bottom side of the chamber 1, that is, the facing surface 102, faces upward. Figure 4 As shown, the surrounding member 100 is a plate-like body, and surrounds each target material 61 by forming a plurality of openings 101 for exposing each target material 61. The surrounding member 100 of this embodiment is mounted on the cover 1a so as to cover the portion of the sputtering source 6 facing the film forming chamber S other than the target material 61. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, a gap G1 is provided between the inner periphery of the opening 101 and the outer periphery of the target 61. Such a gap is provided to prevent the surrounding member 100 set at the anode potential and the target 61 from short-circuiting by preventing the surrounding member 100 and the target 61 from contacting each other.

[0116] Here, the partition member 9 constituting the film forming chamber S is relatively heavy, so it is very difficult to install it on the cover 1a by hand or to open / close the cover 1a in a state where it is installed on the cover 1a. Therefore, as described above, the partition member 9 is provided in the chamber 1 separately from the cover 1a. On the other hand, the surrounding member 100 is installed on the cover 1a by bolts or the like so as to maintain a certain distance from the target 61 provided on the cover 1a side of the chamber 1 and not to contact the target. That is, the cover 1a can be opened / closed in a state where the target 61 and the surrounding member 100 are installed.

[0117] The portion of the surrounding member 100 installed on the cover body 1a is spaced apart from the partition member 9 and overlaps in the vertical direction. That is, the portion of the surrounding member 100 on the side away from the target material 61 forms a ventilation path between the partition member 9 and the partition member 9, and is covered by the partition member 9. In consideration of the installation error when the cover body 1a is installed in the chamber 1, such a gap between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 is required to prevent the two from colliding. In addition, the flat surface of the surrounding member 100 facing the partition member 9 is set as the facing surface 102. In the partition member 9, the flat surface facing the surrounding member 100 is a part of the top surface part 92, and is set as the facing surface 92b (refer to Figure 5 , Figure 6 ).

[0118] In this embodiment, a curved ventilation path is formed in the region between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 (for example, the region on the opposite side to the target material 61). For example, by forming a convex portion 103 at the end of the surrounding member 100, forming a concave portion 94 on the partition member 9 facing the surrounding member 100, and overlapping the two with a gap, a so-called labyrinth structure is formed. In addition, a concave portion may be provided on the surrounding member 100, and a convex portion may be provided on the partition member 9.

[0119] The plurality of openings 101 are circular and concentric with the target 61 and along the outer periphery of the sputtering surface of the target 61. As described above, a gap is provided between the inner periphery of the opening 101 and the outer periphery of the target 61, and the interval G1 of the gap is set to a size such that even if there is a size error or an installation error of the surrounding member 100, the target 61 is not in contact with the surrounding member 100, or even if film-forming particles (hereinafter also referred to as sputtering particles) scattered from the target 61 exist in the gap, the target 61 is not in contact with the surrounding member 100 through the film-forming particles. The interval G1 is preferably set to about 2 mm, for example.

[0120] An inhibition portion 104 is provided at a position along the outer periphery of the target material 61 of the opening 101. The inhibition portion 104 is provided between the target material 61 and the partition member 9, and inhibits the film-forming material from adhering to the inner surface of the chamber 1. That is, the inhibition portion 104 is provided to prevent the sputtered particles from intruding into the gap between the partition member 9 and the surrounding member 100. More specifically, the inhibition portion 104 is a portion of the surrounding member 100 after the thickness is increased. The inhibition portion 104 has an inclined surface 105 that is inclined due to the gradual increase in thickness in the direction away from the target material 61 side. The inclined surface 105 is an annular conical surface that gradually widens the cross-section of the surrounding member 100 in the thickness direction and faces the inner side of the film-forming chamber S.

[0121] The inclination angle α of the inclined surface 105 with respect to the surface parallel to the surface of the target 61 is preferably set to, for example, 135° to 170° (see Figure 6 ). The surface of the target 61 mentioned here refers to a flat surface before being consumed by film formation, and is a surface perpendicular to the axis of the target 61. That is, the inclined surface 105 is a surface inclined relative to the sputtering surface of the target 61.

[0122] The surface of the suppression part 104 has a surface connected by a curved surface. That is, on the surface of the suppression part 104, both ends of the inclined surface 105 are connected to other parts via the curved surface. In addition, the parts other than the inclined surface 105 are also connected by a curved surface. In addition, it is also possible to be connected by a blunt-angled surface instead of a curved surface. In addition, the surface of the suppression part 104 can be roughened, and further, the surface can be roughened by forming a spray coating. As a result, the film-forming material is easy to adhere and difficult to peel off.

[0123] A groove 106 is formed in the suppression portion 104. The groove 106 has a width d that sputtered particles are not easily penetrated. The width d is preferably set to 1 mm to 5 mm, for example. The groove 106 is annular along the opening 101, and the depth direction is parallel to the thickness direction of the target material 61. In addition, the width d is the length in the direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the target material 61.

[0124] A gap of interval G2 is provided between the outer periphery of the suppression part 104 and the side surface of the partition member 9 as described above. The interval G2 between the outer periphery of the suppression part 104 and the side surface of the partition member 9 is preferably set to about 8 mm, for example. If there is no gap, sputtered particles invade between the partition member 9 and the surrounding member 100, and although it is not easy to adhere to the facing surfaces of both parties, the reason for setting such a certain gap is that, as described above, in consideration of the installation error, the two sides are not allowed to contact when the cover 1a is installed. For the same reason, the interval G3 of the gap between the facing surface 102 of the surrounding member 100 on the opposite side of the target 61 and the partition member 9 is preferably set to about 1 mm to 3 mm. Furthermore, the interval of the gap between the convex portion 103 of the surrounding member 100 and the concave portion 94 of the partition member 9 is also preferably set to be equal to G3. In addition, these intervals G1 to G3 are preferably set to the above values ​​after the cover 1a is bent during the vacuuming of the chamber 1 described later.

[0125] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, a conductive portion 107 for electrically connecting the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 is provided in the region between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 (for example, the region on the opposite side to the target material 61). The conductive portion 107 is formed of a conductive elastic member and is mounted on either the surrounding member 100 or the partition member 9. The conductive portion 107 has elasticity in order to absorb the error in the interval between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 when the cover 1a is mounted. For example, the conductive portion 107 can be a copper compression coil spring.

[0126] [Membrane treatment department]

[0127] The membrane processing section 4e includes an electrode (hereinafter referred to as a "cylindrical electrode") 10 which is provided on the inner upper surface of the chamber 1 and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The cylindrical electrode 10 is in the shape of a square cylinder, has an opening 11 at one end, and is closed at the other end. The cylindrical electrode 10 is configured in the following manner: it passes through a through hole provided on the upper surface of the chamber 1, and the end on the side of the opening 11 is located inside the chamber 1, and the closed end is located outside the chamber 1. The cylindrical electrode 10 is supported on the periphery of the through hole of the chamber 1 via an insulating material. The opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10 is arranged at a position opposite to the conveying path L formed on the rotating platform 3. That is, the rotating platform 3 serves as a conveying section to convey the workpiece W and pass it directly below the opening 11. Moreover, the position directly below the opening 11 becomes the passing position of the workpiece W.

[0128] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, when viewed from above, the cylindrical electrode 10 and its opening 11 are roughly fan-shaped, expanding from the center side in the radial direction of the rotating platform 3 toward the outside, similarly to the partition member 9. The reason for forming a roughly fan-shaped shape is the same as that of the partition member 9, and if the time difference in passing is not to the extent that it will cause problems in terms of products, it can also be rectangular or square.

[0129] As described above, the cylindrical electrode 10 passes through the through hole of the chamber 1, and a portion thereof is exposed to the outside of the chamber 1. The portion of the cylindrical electrode 10 exposed to the outside of the chamber 1 is as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the cylindrical electrode 10 is covered by an outer shield 12. The inner space of the chamber 1 is kept airtight by the outer shield 12. The periphery of the portion of the cylindrical electrode 10 located inside the chamber 1 is covered by an inner shield 13.

[0130] The internal shield 13 is a square cylinder coaxial with the cylindrical electrode 10 and supported on the upper surface of the chamber 1. The side surfaces of the cylinder of the internal shield 13 are arranged substantially parallel to the side surfaces of the cylindrical electrode 10. The lower end of the internal shield 13 is at the same position as the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10 in the height direction, and a flange 14 extending parallel to the upper surface of the rotating platform 3 is arranged at the lower end of the internal shield 13. The flange 14 suppresses the plasma generated inside the cylindrical electrode 10 from flowing out to the outside of the internal shield 13. The workpiece W transported by the rotating platform 3 is moved into the position directly below the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10 through the gap between the rotating platform 3 and the flange 14, and is moved out from the position directly below the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10 through the gap between the rotating platform 3 and the flange 14 again.

[0131] A radio frequency (RF) power source 15 for applying a high frequency voltage is connected to the cylindrical electrode 10. A matching device 21 as a matching circuit is connected in series to the output side of the RF power source 15. The RF power source 15 is also connected to the chamber 1. The cylindrical electrode 10 functions as an anode, and the rotating platform 3 erected from the chamber 1 functions as a cathode. The matching device 21 stabilizes the discharge of the plasma by matching the impedance of the input side and the output side. In addition, the chamber 1 or the rotating platform 3 is grounded. The internal shield 13 having the flange 14 is also grounded.

[0132] In addition, a process gas inlet 16 is connected to the cylindrical electrode 10, and a process gas is introduced into the inside of the cylindrical electrode 10 from an external process gas supply source via the process gas inlet 16. The process gas can be appropriately changed according to the purpose of the film treatment. For example, in the case of etching, an inert gas such as argon can be used as an etching gas. In the case of oxidation treatment or post-oxidation treatment, oxygen can be used. In the case of nitridation treatment, nitrogen can be used. The RF power supply 15 and the process gas inlet 16 are both connected to the cylindrical electrode 10 via a through hole provided on the external shield 12.

[0133] [Control Department]

[0134] The film forming device D further includes a control unit 20. The control unit 20 includes a calculation processing device called a processor such as a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a central processing unit (CPU). The control unit 20 performs the following control, namely, control related to the introduction and exhaust of sputtering gas and process gas into the chamber 1, control of the DC power supply 7 and the RF power supply 15, and control of the rotation speed of the rotating platform 3.

[0135] [action]

[0136] The operation of the film forming device D of this embodiment is described. In the state where the cover 1a is opened, the partition member 9 is mounted on the outer peripheral support portion OP and the inner peripheral support portion IP. The outer peripheral support portion OP and the inner peripheral support portion IP are set to the height as described above, so that the lower end of the partition member 9 is supported with a gap that allows the workpiece W to pass.

[0137] Next, the chamber 1 is sealed by the cover 1a. Thus, the target 61 mounted on the cover 1a side is located at a position facing the inside of the film forming chamber S from the target hole 92a provided on the top surface 92 of the partition member 9. The inclined surface 105 of the suppression portion 104 in the surrounding member 100 enters the target hole 92a and faces the center of the film forming chamber S, and the facing surface 102 faces the top surface of the partition member 9 with a gap. At this time, the convex portion of the surrounding member 100 overlaps with a gap in a manner that enters the concave portion 94 of the partition member 9, so that a ventilation path of a labyrinth structure can be formed. In addition, the conductive portion 107 is sandwiched by the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 and contacts and is compressed with both parties, so that electrical conduction between the two parties can be ensured.

[0138] After the chamber 1 is sealed by the cover 1a as described above, the interior of the chamber 1 is exhausted by the exhaust unit 2 to be in a vacuum state. The unprocessed workpiece W is carried into the chamber 1 from the load lock unit 5 while maintaining the vacuum state in the chamber 1. The carried workpiece W is held by the holding portion 3a of the rotating platform 3 sequentially positioned at the load lock unit 5. Furthermore, by continuously rotating the rotating platform 3, the workpiece W is rotated and transported along the transport path L so that it passes under each of the processing units 4a to 4g.

[0139] When vacuuming, the cover 1a is bent due to the atmospheric pressure. However, the partition member 9 is not mounted on the cover 1a, but is supported by the outer peripheral support portion OP and the inner peripheral support portion IP which are independent of the cover 1a. Moreover, the top surface portion 92 of the partition member 9 is located at a position that does not contact the bent cover 1a. Therefore, even if the cover 1a is bent due to vacuuming, the initially set interval between the partition member 9 and the rotating platform 3 will not change, so that the gap between the workpiece W and the lower end of the partition member 9 is maintained.

[0140] In the film forming section 4a, sputtering gas is introduced from the sputtering gas inlet section 8, and a DC voltage is applied to the sputtering source 6 from the DC power supply 7. By applying the DC voltage, the sputtering gas is plasmatized, thereby generating ions. When the generated ions collide with the target material 61, the film forming material of the target material 61 flies out. The film forming material that flies out is accumulated on the workpiece W passing under the film forming section 4a, thereby forming a thin film on the workpiece W. The other film forming sections 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, and 4g also perform film formation in the same way. However, it is not necessarily necessary to use all the film forming sections for film formation. As an example, here, a silicon (Silicon, Si) film is formed on the workpiece W by DC sputtering.

[0141] When such film formation is performed, Figure 7 As shown in (A), the sputtered particles also adhere to the inclined surface 105 of the suppression part 104, and thus, the film-forming material scattered from the target 61 in the vertical direction and the direction inclined to the vertical direction is blocked and captured by the suppression part 104, so that the film-forming material is not easy to adhere to the area outside the suppression part 104, that is, the facing surface 102, the top surface of the chamber 1, etc. In addition, the film-forming material is not easy to enter the groove 106 formed on the inclined surface 105, and therefore is not easy to adhere.

[0142] The workpiece W on which the film is formed by the film forming section 4a is then transported by the rotating platform 3 on the transport path L, and passes through the position directly below the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10, i.e., the film processing position, in the film processing section 4e. As described above, in this embodiment, an example of post-oxidation in the film processing section 4e is described. In the film processing section 4e, a process gas, i.e., oxygen gas, is introduced into the cylindrical electrode 10 from the process gas inlet 16, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the cylindrical electrode 10 from the RF power supply 15. By applying the high-frequency voltage, the oxygen gas is plasmatized, thereby generating electrons, ions, and radicals. The plasma flows from the anode, i.e., the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10, to the cathode, i.e., the rotating platform 3. The ions in the plasma collide with the thin film on the workpiece W passing below the opening 11, so that the thin film is post-oxidized. In addition, since the partition member 9 and the surrounding member 100 form a labyrinth-structured ventilation path, it is possible to prevent the process gas from the film processing unit 4e from invading the film forming chamber S and adhering to the surface of the target material 61, thereby preventing the surface of the target material 61 from being contaminated by oxidation or the like.

[0143] [Effect]

[0144] (1) The film forming device D of this embodiment includes: a chamber 1, which can make the interior of the chamber vacuum; film forming parts 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g, each having a target material 61 containing a film forming material, wherein the film forming material is deposited on a workpiece W by sputtering in the chamber to form a film; a partition member 9, which is arranged at a distance from the target material 61 to form a film forming chamber S for forming a film using the film forming parts 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g, and which isolates the film forming chamber S in the chamber 1 from the outside; and a suppression part 104, which is arranged between the target material 61 and the partition member 9 to suppress the film forming material from adhering to the inner surface of the chamber 1.

[0145] As described above, since the suppression portion 104 is provided, even if a gap is formed between the partition member 9 and the inner wall surface of the chamber 1, it is possible to suppress the film-forming material from scattering from the gap to the outside of the film-forming chamber S in the chamber 1, and it is possible to suppress the film-forming material from adhering to the area other than the suppression portion 104, which is a member in the chamber 1, such as the inner surface of the chamber 1. Therefore, in order to remove the attached film, the area of ​​the member in the chamber 1 to be cleaned can be reduced, and the maintainability is improved.

[0146] (2) A surrounding member 100 is provided, which is a plate-like body provided between the target material 61 and the partition member 9, and surrounds the periphery of the target material 61 by forming an opening 101 that exposes the target material 61, and the suppression portion 104 is a portion of the opening 101 where the thickness is increased along the outer periphery of the target material 61.

[0147] Therefore, the film-forming material adheres to the suppression part 104 provided around the target material 61, and the film-forming material can be suppressed from adhering to other areas. Therefore, the film can be suppressed from adhering to the chamber 1 by the surrounding member 100, and when performing maintenance, it is only necessary to remove the film adhering to the suppression part 104, so the area to be cleaned can be reduced, and the maintainability is improved. This is also clear from the following situation: Figure 7 Compared with the present embodiment shown in (A), Figure 7 When the surrounding member 100 shown in (B) is flat, the sputtered particles PA are not hindered and can easily enter between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 .

[0148] (3) The suppression portion 104 has an inclined surface 105 that is inclined by gradually increasing thickness in a direction away from the target 61. Therefore, the film-forming material in the vertical direction and the film-forming material in the oblique direction scattered from the target 61 are easily shielded and captured by the inclined surface 105, and the film-forming material is not easily attached to the area other than the inclined surface 105. Therefore, the cleaning area can be reduced, and the maintainability is improved.

[0149] (4) The inclination angle α of the inclined surface 105 relative to the surface parallel to the surface of the target 61 is 135° to 170°. As described above, by making the inclination angle α of the inclined surface 105 gentle relative to the surface parallel to the surface of the target 61, the film-forming material is easily attached, and the adhesion of the film-forming material to other places can be reduced.

[0150] (5) The surface of the suppression portion 104 has surfaces connected at a curved surface or an obtuse angle. When a film-forming material is attached to a surface connected at an acute angle, it is easy to peel off. However, by setting it as a surface connected at a curved surface or an obtuse angle, the film-forming material is easy to adhere, and the peeled film-forming material is not easy to fall onto the workpiece W, thereby reducing the possibility of deterioration of the film quality.

[0151] (6) A groove 106 is formed in the suppression portion 104. Therefore, it is not easy for sputtered particles to penetrate into the groove 106, so even if the film-forming material is deposited on the surface of the suppression portion 104, a conductive surface can be ensured inside the groove 106. Therefore, the suppression portion 104 around the target material 61 with a high magnetic flux density can maintain a state in which electrons can be efficiently captured, thereby preventing the anode from disappearing due to the loss of the function of the surrounding member 100 as an anode. In this way, it is possible to prevent the discharge from becoming unstable and the film quality or film thickness uniformity from deteriorating, and sputtering can be performed well. This is particularly effective when the film-forming material is a highly insulating material such as silicon and anode disappearance is prone to occur.

[0152] (7) A conductive portion 107 is provided in the region between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9, and the conductive portion 107 electrically connects the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9. Therefore, by ensuring the electrical connection between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9, the partition member 9, which has a portion where no film is formed compared to the surrounding member 100, can also capture electrons. Therefore, the partition member 9 also functions as an anode, and the disappearance of the anode can be prevented. In addition, by making the conductive portion 107 exist between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9, the situation in which different types of processing gases from other processing units in the chamber 1 bypass the film forming chamber S and contaminate the target material 61 is reduced.

[0153] (8) The film processing unit 4e is provided in the chamber 1 and processes the film formed by the film forming units 4a to 4d, 4f and 4g; and the rotating platform 3 is provided in the chamber 1 and is a conveying unit for conveying the workpiece W between the film forming units 4a to 4d, 4f and 4g and the film processing unit 4e. A curved ventilation path is formed in the region between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9. Therefore, various gases such as the process gas containing oxygen from the film processing unit 4e can be prevented from bypassing, thereby suppressing the surface contamination of the target material 61.

[0154] [Modifications]

[0155] The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned form, and also includes the following forms. In addition, the description of the same structure as the above-mentioned form is omitted.

[0156] (1) Either or both of the groove 106 and the conductive portion 107 may be omitted. Figure 8 As shown, a suppressing portion 95 may be provided on the partition member 9. For example, a portion of the partition member 9 near the target 61 that protrudes in a manner that narrows the interval between the target 61 and the partition member 9 may be provided as the suppressing portion 95. Thus, the same effect as that of the suppressing portion 104 can be obtained. In addition, for example, such a suppressing portion 95 may be formed as an inclined surface as described above, or a surface connected at a curved surface or an obtuse angle.

[0157] (2) As a film processing section, it is also possible to use a processing section that forms a compound film by allowing active species generated by plasma generated by inductive coupling to penetrate into a film deposited on the surface of the workpiece W. In addition, it is also possible that it is not a device that performs film formation or film processing while rotating and transporting, but a device that performs film formation in a film forming section and film processing in a film processing section in a stationary state, that is, a film forming device in which a transport section transports between a film forming section and a film processing section. The transport section is not limited to the rotating platform 3. In addition, it is also possible to use a device that only performs film formation in a stationary state and performs film processing elsewhere, that is, a film forming device without a transport section.

[0158] (3) can also be constructed as follows Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , the surrounding member 100 is divided into a plurality of parts corresponding to each target material 61. Fig.10 As shown, for example, by providing the suppression portion 104 to be detachable from the surrounding member 100 using fastening members such as bolts, when performing maintenance, only the suppression portion 104 needs to be removed, thereby improving maintainability.

[0159] [Other embodiments]

[0160] The above has described the embodiments of the present invention and the modified examples of each part, but the embodiments or the modified examples of each part are presented only as an example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the main purpose of the invention. These embodiments or their modifications are included in the scope or main purpose of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims. How to set the invention of each technical solution as a combination form is free, and any of the features described above can be selected for combination or omitted.

Claims

1. A film forming device, characterized in that: include: The chamber is capable of making the interior of the chamber vacuum and has a cover at the top; A film forming section having a target material including a film forming material, wherein the film forming material is deposited on the workpiece by sputtering in the chamber to form a film; a partition member disposed at a distance from the target material, forming a film forming chamber for forming a film using the film forming unit, and partitioning the film forming chamber in the chamber from the outside, wherein the partition member has a target material hole for exposing the target material; as well as A support portion, disposed at the bottom of the chamber, supporting the partition member; A gap is provided between the lower surface of the cover of the chamber and the upper surface of the partition member; The film forming device further comprises: a surrounding member, the surrounding member being a plate-shaped body disposed in the gap and surrounding the target by forming an opening for exposing the target; as well as an inhibiting portion, which is disposed on the side of the opening of the surrounding member, is located in the target hole of the partition member, and inhibits the film-forming material from adhering to the inner surface of the chamber, The suppression portion is formed as a portion whose thickness increases in a direction away from the target material so as to suppress the film-forming material from being attached to the surrounding member by attachment.

2. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suppression portion has an inclined surface that is inclined so as to gradually increase in thickness in a direction away from the target.

3. The film forming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inclination angle of the inclined surface with respect to a surface parallel to the surface of the target material is 135° to 170°.

4. The film forming device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The surface of the suppressing portion has surfaces connected at a curved surface or an obtuse angle.

5. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove is formed in the suppressing portion.

6. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A conductive portion is provided in a region between the surrounding member and the partition member, and the conductive portion electrically connects the surrounding member and the partition member.

7. The film forming device according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: include: a film processing unit, disposed in the chamber, for processing the film formed by the film forming unit; as well as a transporting section, disposed in the chamber, for transporting the workpiece between the film forming section and the film processing section, and A bent ventilation path is formed in a region between the surrounding member and the partition member.

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