Molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) film growth device, comprising: growth chamber, with vacuum pump connection, and inside keeps ultrahigh vacuum state;Substrate mounting portion, it is set in the inside of the growth chamber, and for installing substrate;Load lock chamber, it is set in the outside of the growth chamber, and with the growth chamber communication, and at least one substrate for growing thin film installed on the substrate mounting portion is located in the load lock chamber;Substrate transfer component, it is transferred from load lock chamber to growth chamber or from growth chamber to load lock chamber with substrate, wherein, the load lock chamber is set to face the substrate mounting portion, and be set to with the substrate transfer path of substrate transfer component be same straight line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus, and more specifically, to a molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus capable of growing thin films by depositing evaporated material on a substrate. Background Technology

[0002] Compound semiconductor materials have attracted much attention as a next-generation high-frequency, power semiconductor that can replace traditional silicon due to their excellent material properties. Therefore, research and development (R&D) related to nitride semiconductors is actively underway. However, due to the lack of substrates suitable for nitride semiconductor development, materials are mainly grown on heterogeneous substrates. For reference, sapphire, silicon carbide, and silicon are used in the growth of nitride semiconductors. Sometimes, to improve the performance of existing silicon semiconductors, an epitaxial layer composed of germanium may be regrowed on silicon.

[0003] Examples of epitaxial devices include metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) devices, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) devices, and mixed vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) devices. Among them, MBE devices have advantages such as excellent thin film performance, low-temperature growth, and real-time process monitoring, and are therefore widely used in epitaxial processes.

[0004] MBE (Metal-Based Embedding) devices are used to grow high-quality thin film materials on substrates in an ultra-high vacuum environment using metal flux and plasma.

[0005] Figure 13 and Figure 14 This is a view showing the structure of a currently commercially available and used molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus.

[0006] like Figure 13 and 14 As shown, a typical molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus includes a growth chamber 1, a load locking chamber 2, a preparation chamber (not shown), a vacuum pump 3, a substrate mounting section 4, a substrate transfer section 5, a substrate 7, a gate valve 8, a molecular beam evaporation source 9, and a heater 10.

[0007] In such a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, an air-cleaned substrate 7 is placed into a load-locking chamber 2, producing approximately 10 -6 Torr to 10 -8A vacuum within the Torr range is created, then the gate valve 8 between the load locking chamber 2 and the growth chamber 1 is opened, and the substrate 7 is transferred from the load locking chamber 2 to the substrate mounting section 4 of the growth chamber 1 using the substrate transfer member 5. The grown thin film substrate 7 is then transferred to the load locking chamber 2 using the substrate transfer member 5, the gate valve 8 is closed, gas at a pressure of 1 atm is injected into the load locking chamber 2, and then the substrate 7 is removed from the load locking chamber. This process is repeated to grow a thin film on the substrate 7.

[0008] Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatuses are typically prone to malfunctions. An MBE thin film growth apparatus can only perform thin film growth when all its components are functioning correctly.

[0009] At the same time, refer to Figure 13 In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the surface of the molecular beam evaporation source 9 (for evaporating the material) and the substrate mounting portion 4 are mounted facing each other. In this configuration, the substrate mounting portion 4 has a rotational function along the substrate surface direction. A substrate 7 is transferred from a load-locking chamber 2 using a substrate transfer member 5, and the load-locking chamber 2 is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the line formed by the surface of the molecular beam evaporation source 9 and the substrate mounting portion 4. Here, the substrate 7 is horizontally inserted and then inserted into the substrate transfer member 5 in various ways.

[0010] Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatuses with this structure are prone to sinking due to factors such as the weight of the substrate 7 and substrate support (not shown), and the weight of the substrate transport component 5, making it difficult to move to the accurate position. Therefore, there is a drawback in loading and unloading the substrate 7, and this difficulty increases with repeated use, leading to frequent substrate 7 falls. Sometimes, the substrate support supporting the fallen substrate 7 blocks the molecular beam evaporation source 9, requiring the growth chamber 1 to be opened, causing operational inconvenience.

[0011] In addition, refer to Figure 14 The substrate mounting section 4 is a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus that can rotate in two directions. In other words, the substrate mounting section 4 has a substrate axis that rotates the substrate 7 along the surface direction of the substrate 7.

[0012] That is, when receiving a sample, the substrate mounting part 4 is rotated toward the load locking chamber 2 to receive the substrate 7, and when the thin film is grown, the substrate mounting part 4 on which the substrate 7 is mounted is rotated toward the molecular beam evaporation source 9.

[0013] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus with this structure, the heater 10 and thermocouple wire (not shown) located below the substrate 7 need to be moved simultaneously. Therefore, when the insulation of the heater 10 or thermocouple wire is stripped, a short circuit occurs between the heater 10 or thermocouple wire and the growth chamber 1, or between the heater 10 and the thermocouple wire, leading to malfunction. Furthermore, the temperature of the substrate 7 changes due to the short circuit in the heater 10, causing problems with the film's properties and reproducibility. Therefore, frequent cleaning of the substrate mounting section 4 is required, resulting in a cumbersome process.

[0014] As mentioned above, the causes of failure in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth equipment are varied, but can be broadly categorized into structural factors, factors caused by user negligence, and maintainability factors.

[0015] For example, structural factors may include situations such as the substrate 7 falling into the growth chamber 1 and thus blocking the molecular beam evaporation source 9 when the substrate 7 is transferred or attached / separated in the growth chamber 1, and the substrate mounting part 4 malfunctioning due to heater 10 and temperature measurement errors.

[0016] Furthermore, malfunctions due to user negligence may include situations where the film is grown with the viewing window or reflective high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) baffle open, the viewing window is covered by the film and therefore the interior cannot be observed, the film is applied to fluorescent material in the RHEED or viewing window and therefore the RHEED interference fringes are not visible, the crucible (not shown) of the molecular beam outflow cell 9 is broken and the material flows downwards, thus damaging the molecular beam outflow cell 9, and the vacuum pump 3 and vacuum gauge (not shown) malfunction due to the application of a large amount of material using high vapor pressure materials.

[0017] In addition, maintainable failure factors may include foreign objects being trapped in the gate valve 8 due to long-term use, resulting in unobstructed airflow; the filament of the titanium sublimation pump (not shown) being depleted; the quartz sensor of the quartz thickness monitor (not shown) being coated beyond its limit and therefore requiring replacement; and the solenoid valve (not shown) or pneumatic shutter (not shown) that regulates the pneumatic pressure of the gate valve 8 being damaged.

[0018] When users improve their skills in using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the aforementioned malfunctions caused by user negligence can be resolved, and the lifespan of the components of the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus can be considered when growth chamber 1 is opened.

[0019] However, structural failure factors cannot be resolved by improving user skills, replacing parts, or cleaning devices.

[0020] Therefore, there is a need to develop a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus in which structural failure factors may not occur, and whose structure differs from that of existing MBE thin film growth apparatuses. Summary of the Invention

[0021] The purpose of this invention is to provide a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus that can prevent the substrate from falling off when transferring the substrate from the load-locking chamber to the growth chamber or from the load-locking chamber to the load-locking chamber, and reduce malfunctions of the heater or thermocouple used to heat the substrate due to short circuits.

[0022] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above aspects, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other technical problems not described in the following description.

[0023] The purpose of this invention is to provide a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, comprising:

[0024] The growth chamber is connected to a vacuum pump and maintains an ultra-high vacuum state inside.

[0025] A substrate mounting section is disposed inside the growth chamber and is used to mount a substrate;

[0026] A load-locking chamber is disposed outside and communicates with the growth chamber, and at least one substrate for growing a thin film, mounted on the substrate mounting portion, is located within the load-locking chamber; and

[0027] A substrate transfer component that transfers a substrate from a load-locking chamber to a growth chamber or vice versa.

[0028] The load locking chamber is configured to face the substrate mounting portion and is aligned with the substrate transport path of the substrate transport component.

[0029] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the growth chamber further includes an evaporation source mounting port, on which at least one molecular beam evaporation source is mounted.

[0030] The evaporation source mounting port and the load locking chamber are formed on the same side of the growth chamber, and the evaporation source mounting port is inclined relative to the substrate transport path of the substrate transport component.

[0031] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the connection channel between the load locking chamber and the growth chamber is opened or closed via a gate valve.

[0032] When the thin film begins to grow on the substrate, the connection channel is opened, and the substrate is transferred from the load locking chamber to the growth chamber and mounted on the substrate mounting section through the connection channel opened by the substrate transfer component.

[0033] During the film growth process on the substrate, the connection channel is closed when the substrate transport component leaves the growth chamber, and

[0034] After the film has grown on the substrate, the connection channel is opened again, and the substrate is separated from the substrate mounting part through the connection channel opened by the substrate transfer component, and transferred from the growth chamber to the load locking chamber.

[0035] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the substrate is fixed on a substrate support.

[0036] The substrate support is provided with at least one connecting protrusion, such that the substrate support is connected to the substrate mounting portion and the substrate conveying component, and

[0037] The substrate conveying component and the substrate mounting portion are formed with at least one connecting groove, which is provided in a shape corresponding to the connecting protrusion for inserting and fixing the connecting protrusion.

[0038] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus,

[0039] The substrate conveying component is connected to a substrate connecting portion that is easily connected to the substrate support, and

[0040] The substrate connecting portion has at least one connecting groove corresponding to the connecting protrusion of the substrate support.

[0041] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, when a thin film is grown on a substrate, with the connecting protrusion of the substrate holder engaged with the connecting groove of the substrate connection portion, the substrate holder is transferred from the load locking chamber to the growth chamber via the substrate transfer member. The connecting protrusion then separates from the connecting groove of the substrate connection portion, engages with the connecting groove of the substrate mounting portion, and is located inside the growth chamber.

[0042] After the film has grown on the substrate, the substrate support is transferred from the growth chamber to the load locking chamber by the substrate transfer component, with the connecting protrusion of the substrate support separating from the connecting groove of the substrate mounting part and reconnecting to the connecting groove of the substrate connection part.

[0043] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the coupling groove is formed with a bend on one side to prevent the fixedly inserted coupling protrusion from separating.

[0044] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the load locking chamber further includes a substrate storage section in which at least one substrate transferred to the growth chamber for growing the thin film is stored.

[0045] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the substrate storage unit includes:

[0046] A rotating component, fixed to the center of the load locking chamber and rotating in one or another direction; and

[0047] Multiple storage units are mounted on the rotating component, and multiple substrates are installed inside them.

[0048] The rotating component includes a through-type substrate transfer section, which is positioned at a location where the storage unit is not installed.

[0049] When the substrate is transferred from the load locking chamber to the growth chamber, or from the growth chamber to the load locking chamber, the rotating component rotates so that the substrate transfer path of the substrate transfer component and the substrate transfer section are on the same straight line.

[0050] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the substrate transport path of the substrate transport component and the rotation center of the rotating component are located at different positions.

[0051] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the storage unit includes:

[0052] The outer casing has at least one end formed as an open surface, has a substrate support inside, and has at least one fixing groove, in which a connecting protrusion of the substrate support is installed;

[0053] A fixing component, the fixing component being located inside the housing, and the substrate support located in the housing being placed on the fixing component; and

[0054] An elastomer, multiple substrate supports that are elastically fixed on a fixed component, the substrate supports being positioned between the housing and the fixed component in a state of being inserted into the fixed component.

[0055] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the load lock chamber is equipped with a heater for degassing the substrate stored in the load lock chamber.

[0056] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the growth chamber is provided with a baffle to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the substrate mounted on the substrate mounting portion, and

[0057] The baffle is installed near the substrate mounting portion and is configured to rotate toward the substrate mounting portion.

[0058] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the substrate mounting section is provided with a heating element, which is configured to rotate relative to the growth chamber in one direction or another, and is used to heat the mounted substrate.

[0059] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, a molecular beam evaporation source is installed at the evaporation source port, such that the evaporated material discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source faces the substrate mounting portion, and

[0060] The growth chamber is equipped with an adjustment component to regulate the amount of evaporated material discharged toward the substrate mounting section.

[0061] In a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus, the growth chamber is equipped with a cooling component to reduce the temperature inside the growth chamber when the thin film is grown on the substrate.

[0062] The molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus further includes at least one chamber fixture configured to adjust the tilt of the MBE thin film growth apparatus relative to a surface on which the MBE thin film growth apparatus is mounted.

[0063] Invention Effects

[0064] The advantage of the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus of the present invention is that, since the load locking chamber and the substrate mounting section are arranged facing each other and are on the same straight line as the substrate transport path of the substrate transport member that transports the substrate from the load locking chamber to the growth chamber or from the growth chamber to the load locking chamber, the thin film growth apparatus can be used for a long time.

[0065] Furthermore, in the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus according to the present invention, malfunctions caused by short circuits in the heaters and thermocouples mounted on the substrate mounting section are prevented, thereby improving the reliability of the thin film growth process.

[0066] Furthermore, in the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus according to the present invention, since the substrate storage section is provided inside the load locking chamber, multiple substrates for growing thin films can be stored, and degassing can be performed as needed by heating the stored load locking chamber.

[0067] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand from the following description other effects not described. Attached Figure Description

[0068] Figure 1 This is a view showing a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Figure 2 It is used for explanation Figure 1 A view showing the connection state of the substrate mounting section and the substrate support.

[0070] Figure 3 It is used for explanation Figure 1 A view showing the connection status of the substrate support and substrate transfer components.

[0071] Figure 4 This shows the connection between the substrate connector and the substrate support. Figure 1 A view showing the state of the substrate transfer component.

[0072] Figure 5 This shows the substrate support connected to... Figure 1 A view showing the state of the substrate mounting section.

[0073] Figure 6 It is used for explanation Figure 1 The view shown is of the load-locking chamber.

[0074] Figure 7 It is used to describe Figure 5 The view of the storage unit shown.

[0075] Figures 8 to 10 This is used to illustrate storing the substrate support. Figure 6 A view of the methods in the storage unit shown.

[0076] Figure 11 and Figure 12 It is used for explanation Figure 1 A view showing the installation state of the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus.

[0077] Figure 13 and 14 This is a view showing an example of a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus according to related technologies. Detailed Implementation

[0078] In the following, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, enabling those skilled in the art to readily implement the invention. The invention can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0079] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are schematic and not illustrated to scale. For clarity and convenience, the relative dimensions and ratios of the parts in the drawings are shown in enlarged or reduced form, and the predetermined dimensions are for illustration only and not for limitation. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same structures, elements, or parts shown in two or more drawings to indicate similar features.

[0080] The embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in detail with reference to preferred embodiments. Therefore, various modifications to the drawings are expected. Thus, the embodiments are not limited to a particular shape and include modifications to the shape, for example, through manufacturing.

[0081] Hereinafter, a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus 10 (hereinafter referred to as "thin film growth apparatus") according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] like Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the thin film growth apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a growth chamber 11 that maintains an ultra-high vacuum state, a substrate mounting part 25 disposed inside the growth chamber 11 and on which a substrate support 14 is mounted, a load locking chamber 12 disposed inside the growth chamber 11 and in which a substrate 14b is located, and a substrate transfer part 24 that transfers the substrate 14b from the load locking chamber 12 to the growth chamber 11 or from the growth chamber 11 to the load locking chamber 12.

[0083] Reference Figure 1 The growth chamber 11 is surrounded by an outer wall and has a hollow interior. Except for the load locking chamber 12, most of the components for growing thin films on the substrate 14b are arranged inside the growth chamber 11.

[0084] The growth chamber 11 is connected to the vacuum pump 16, so the interior of the growth chamber 11 is formed and maintained in an ultra-high vacuum state.

[0085] In this case, the vacuum pump 16 connected to the growth chamber 11 can be configured as a roughing pump, a turbomolecular pump, an ion pump, a cryo pump, a titanium sublimation pump, etc., but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0086] The growth chamber 11 and the vacuum pump 16 are connected to each other via a connecting channel 18a, and the connecting channel 18a is opened or closed by a gate valve 18.

[0087] Meanwhile, the substrate mounting part 25 is disposed inside the growth chamber 11.

[0088] The substrate mounting section 25 is the part on which the substrate 14b for growing thin films is mounted, and it is disposed inside the growth chamber 11.

[0089] In this configuration, the substrate mounting portion 25 is located inside the growth chamber 11 and is rotatable in one direction or the other. In other words, the substrate mounting portion 25 is fixed to the upper side of the growth chamber 11 by the substrate mounting drive portion 13 and is configured to rotate in one direction or the other. Therefore, when growing a thin film on the substrate 14b, the film can be grown more efficiently on the substrate 14b.

[0090] A space for mounting a substrate support 14 is formed at the lower end of the substrate mounting portion 25. In this case, the shape of the substrate mounting portion can be modified to a cylindrical shape, a quadrilateral shape, etc., depending on the shape of the substrate support 15.

[0091] Here, refer to Figure 2 At least one connecting groove 25a is provided in the substrate mounting portion 25. The connecting groove 25a is a component for mounting the substrate support 14 on the substrate mounting portion 25. In this case, at least one connecting protrusion 14a is formed on the substrate support 24, and the connecting groove 25a is formed in the form of a groove to correspond to the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14.

[0092] Therefore, the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14 is inserted into the connecting groove 25a of the substrate mounting portion 25, so that the substrate support 14 can be stably positioned on the substrate mounting portion 24.

[0093] On the other hand, the substrate 14b is used while connected to the substrate support 14. In other words, the substrate 14b is mounted on the substrate mounting portion 25 while the substrate support 14 is mounted on the lower end of the substrate support 14. That is, the substrate 14b is mounted on the substrate mounting portion 25 at the same time as the substrate support 14 is mounted on the substrate mounting portion 25.

[0094] The connecting groove 25a of the substrate mounting portion 25 has a shape that bends to one side. In other words, a bent portion 25b is formed to prevent the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14 from disengaging from the substrate mounting portion 25, and the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14 is inserted and fixed into the connecting groove 25a of the substrate mounting portion 25.

[0095] A bent portion 25b is formed on the connecting groove 25a of the substrate mounting portion 25, so that when it is inserted into the connecting groove 25a of the substrate mounting portion 25, the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14 can be prevented from disengaging from the connecting groove 25a. At the same time, the substrate support 14 on which the substrate 14b is mounted can be more stably positioned on the substrate mounting portion 25.

[0096] Furthermore, the substrate mounting portion 25 is provided with a heating element 19. The heating element 19 is a component used to heat the substrate support 14 mounted on the substrate mounting portion 25 to a high temperature. For reference, the heating element 19 may be configured as a heater, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0097] Meanwhile, an evaporation source mounting port 15 is formed in the growth chamber 11, and a molecular beam evaporation source 15a is mounted on the evaporation source mounting port 15.

[0098] The molecular beam evaporation source 15a is a component that generates evaporating material and is used to grow a thin film on the substrate 14b mounted on the substrate mounting part 25.

[0099] The evaporated material discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source 15a is discharged toward the substrate 14b mounted on the substrate mounting portion 25. For reference, the discharged evaporated material can be varied depending on the material heated inside the molecular beam evaporation source 15a.

[0100] Here, the growth chamber 11 is provided with a baffle 20. The baffle 20 is a component used to prevent foreign substances from adhering to the substrate 14b mounted on the substrate mounting section 25.

[0101] The baffle 20 is mounted so that it can rotate toward the substrate mounting portion 25, thereby protecting the surface of the substrate 14b.

[0102] When the molecular beam evaporation source 15a is heated, substances or foreign matter near the molecular beam evaporation source 15a can adhere to the clean substrate 14b mounted on the substrate mounting section 25. In this case, even if a thin film is grown on the substrate 14b, defects may occur or the thin film may not grow normally.

[0103] To prevent such problems, a baffle 20 is provided at the adjacent position of the substrate mounting portion 25 to protect the surface of the substrate 14b, so that foreign objects will not adhere to the substrate 14b mounted on the substrate mounting portion 25.

[0104] For reference, the baffle 20 can be opened or closed from the outside. This is so that the substrate 14b can be coated from the outside.

[0105] In addition, the growth chamber 11 may be provided with a height adjustment component (not shown), such as a wobble (not shown), to adjust the height of the surface of the substrate 14b mounted on the substrate mounting section 25.

[0106] As described above, the molecular beam evaporation source 15a generates and discharges evaporating material for growing a thin film on the substrate 14b. In this case, the molecular beam evaporation source 15a is arranged such that the discharged evaporating material faces the substrate mounting portion 25 and the substrate 14b mounted on the substrate mounting portion.

[0107] Preferably, the amount of evaporated material discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source 15a is adjusted according to the state of the substrate 14b, etc.

[0108] For this purpose, the growth chamber 11 is equipped with an adjustment component 21.

[0109] The adjustment component 21 is located adjacent to the evaporation source mounting port 15, that is, on the tip side of the evaporation source mounting port 15, to adjust the amount of evaporated material discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source 15a toward the substrate mounting portion 25 and the substrate 14b.

[0110] The adjusting component 21 is a baffle that moves linearly to the left or right while blocking the amount of evaporated material discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source 15a, so as to adjust the amount of evaporated material growing on the substrate 14b.

[0111] Meanwhile, although not shown in the figure, the adjustment component 21 may not be located at the tip of the growth chamber 11 and the evaporation source mounting port 15, or it may be directly located on the molecular beam evaporation source 15a. For example, the adjustment component 21 located on the molecular beam evaporation source 15a may be rotated to adjust the amount of evaporated material discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source 15a.

[0112] In this way, when the evaporated material is discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source 15a toward the substrate 14b mounted on the substrate mounting part 25, the molecular beam evaporation source 15a generates a large amount of heat. Due to the heat generated, the temperature of the growth chamber 11 increases, and therefore the vacuum level in the growth chamber 11 decreases.

[0113] To solve this problem, a cooling component 22 is provided in the growth chamber 11, that is, around the evaporation source mounting port 15 in the growth chamber 11.

[0114] The cooling unit 22, located in the growth chamber 11 surrounding the evaporator source mounting port 15, is configured as a cooling jacket using one of various refrigerants, including liquid nitrogen or cooling water. The growth chamber 11 surrounding the evaporator source mounting port 15 is cooled by the cooling unit 22 using the refrigerant.

[0115] Meanwhile, a cooling component 17 is also provided inside the growth chamber 11. When the thin film grows on the substrate 14b, a portion of the evaporated material discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source 15a is discharged towards the inner wall of the growth chamber 11 instead of towards the substrate 14b. Therefore, when the evaporated material impacts the inner wall of the growth chamber 11 and bounces off the inner wall, the evaporated material becomes an impurity, and thus the purity of the thin film grown on the substrate 14b may be reduced.

[0116] In this configuration, the inner wall of the growth chamber 11 is cooled as liquid nitrogen flows through the cooling component 17 located inside the growth chamber 11. Therefore, even when the evaporated material discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source 15a is discharged toward the inner wall of the growth chamber 11, the evaporated material adheres to the cooling component 17, thus not affecting the purity of the film grown on the substrate 14b.

[0117] Furthermore, since the inner wall of the growth chamber 11 is cooled by the cooling component 17, the interior of the growth chamber 11 can maintain an ultra-high vacuum state more advantageously.

[0118] In the cooling component 17 located in the growth chamber 11, a refrigerant other than liquid nitrogen can be used, such as a quencher.

[0119] The load locking chamber 12 is the part where the substrate 14b used for growing thin films is transferred out or transferred in from the outside and stored.

[0120] The load locking chamber 12 is located outside the growth chamber 11 and is in communication with the growth chamber 11. In this case, the load locking chamber 12 and the growth chamber 11 are connected by a connection channel 23a, and the connection channel 23a is opened or closed by a gate valve 23.

[0121] When the growth of the thin film on the substrate 14b begins, the gate valve 23 is opened to open the connection channel 23a. During the growth of the thin film on the substrate 14b, the gate valve 23 is closed, and when the growth of the thin film on the substrate 14d is completed, the gate valve 23 is opened again.

[0122] Therefore, when the growth of the thin film on the substrate 14b begins, the connection channel 23a is opened, and the substrate 14b is transferred from the load locking chamber 12 to the growth chamber 11 by the substrate transfer member 24 through the connection channel 23a and mounted on the substrate mounting part 25.

[0123] After the film growth on the substrate 14b is completed, the connection channel 23a is opened again. The substrate 14b is separated from the substrate mounting part 25 by the substrate transfer member 24 through the opened connection channel 23a and is transferred from the growth chamber 11 to the load locking chamber 12. The substrate 14b transferred to the load locking chamber 12 is transferred to the outside air.

[0124] For reference, during the growth of the thin film on the substrate 14b, the connection channel 23a is closed when the substrate transfer member 24 leaves the growth chamber 11.

[0125] The substrate 14b located inside the load locking chamber 12 is transferred to the growth chamber 11 through the connection channel 23a and is mounted on the substrate mounting section 25.

[0126] The substrate 14b is transferred from the load locking chamber 12 to the growth chamber 11 via the substrate transfer member 24, or it is transferred from the growth chamber 11 to the load locking chamber 12 after the film growth is completed.

[0127] The substrate connection portion 26 is connected to the substrate transfer member 24. The substrate connection portion 26 is connected to the substrate support 14 located in the load locking chamber 12 and the growth chamber 11, so as to transfer the substrate support 14 to the load locking chamber 12 or the growth chamber 11.

[0128] Reference Figure 3 At least one connecting groove 26a is formed on the substrate connecting portion 26. The connecting groove 26a of the substrate connecting portion 26 is a structure that facilitates the mounting of the substrate support 14 on the substrate connecting portion 26. The connecting groove 26a is formed in the form of a groove corresponding to the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14.

[0129] Here, the connecting groove 26a of the substrate connecting portion 26 has a shape that bends to one side. In other words, a bent portion 26b is formed to prevent the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14, which is inserted into and fixed to the connecting groove 26a of the substrate connecting portion 26, from separating.

[0130] Meanwhile, the load locking chamber 12 and the substrate mounting part 25 are arranged facing each other and are collinear with the substrate transport path of the substrate transport member 24. In other words, the load locking chamber 12 and the substrate mounting part 25 are arranged on the same straight line of the substrate transport path of the substrate transport member 24.

[0131] Therefore, as Figure 4 As shown, during film growth, with the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14 connected to the connecting groove 26a of the substrate connection portion 26, the substrate support 12 is transferred from the load locking chamber 12 to the growth chamber 11 via the substrate transfer member 24. At this time, the substrate support 14 disengages from the connecting groove 26a of the substrate connection portion 26 and connects to the connecting groove 25a of the substrate mounting portion 25, and is located inside the growth chamber 11.

[0132] On the contrary, such as Figure 5 As shown, after the film growth of the substrate (14b) is completed, after the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14 is disengaged from the connecting groove 15a of the substrate mounting part 25, and then reconnected to the connecting groove 26a of the substrate connecting part 26, the substrate support 14 is transferred from the growth chamber 11 to the load locking chamber 12 by the substrate transfer member 24.

[0133] Meanwhile, in the thin film growth apparatus 10, the most time-consuming process is exposing the load-locking chamber 12 to air and, after inserting the substrate 14b, bringing the vacuum level to 10. -6 The process of Torr. Therefore, in the thin film growth apparatus 10, when multiple substrates 14b are prepared simultaneously, the time required to grow thin films on the substrates 14b can be greatly reduced.

[0134] like Figures 6 to 10 As shown, the load locking chamber 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a substrate storage section in which a plurality of substrates 14b are stored.

[0135] The substrate storage section is located inside the load locking chamber 12 and is provided with at least one substrate 4b, preferably storing multiple substrates 14b, which are transferred to the growth chamber 11 by the substrate transfer member 24.

[0136] The substrate storage section includes a rotating component 28 and a storage unit 29.

[0137] The rotating component 28 is fixed on the rotating shaft 27a of the rotating drive unit 27 so that it can rotate in one direction or another direction. The rotating drive unit 27 is installed at the center of the load locking chamber 12.

[0138] The rotating component 28 is configured as a circular plate with a certain thickness.

[0139] For reference, the rotation center of the rotating component 28 is set at a position different from the substrate transport path of the substrate transport component 24. In other words, when the rotating component is deviated from the substrate transport path of the substrate transport component 24, the rotation center of the rotating component is located on the periphery.

[0140] The storage unit 29 is used to store multiple substrates 14b and is inserted into the fixed rotating component 28.

[0141] The storage unit 29 has a hollow space so that multiple substrates 14b can be stored therein.

[0142] Meanwhile, the rotating component 28 has a substrate transfer portion 30, which is formed to pass through the position where the storage unit 29 is not installed.

[0143] The substrate transfer section 30 refers to the blank space, which is the part that allows the substrate 14b to be transferred from the load locking chamber 12 to the growth chamber 11 or from the growth chamber 11 to the load locking chamber 12.

[0144] When a substrate 14b stored in the substrate storage section of the load locking chamber 12 is to be transferred from the load locking chamber 12 to the growth chamber 11 or from the growth chamber 11 to the load locking chamber 11, the substrate transfer path of the substrate transfer member 24 and the center of the substrate transfer section 30 need to be arranged to form a straight line.

[0145] For this purpose, the rotating component 28 is rotated by the rotating drive unit 27, so that the substrate transfer unit 30 and the substrate conveying component 24 are collinear with each other.

[0146] Meanwhile, the storage unit 29 includes a housing 34, a fixing component 33, and an elastomer 32.

[0147] The outer casing 34 of the storage unit 29 has at least one end, that is, the lower end is an open end, and the substrate support 14 is located inside the outer casing 34.

[0148] For this purpose, the housing 34 is provided with at least one fixing groove 34a into which the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14 is inserted. The fixing groove 34a is configured to have a groove with a shape corresponding to the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14. For reference, the fixing groove 34a may be provided with a bent portion 34b that bends in one direction to prevent the connecting protrusion 14a of the substrate support 14 assembled in the fixing groove 34a from easily disengaging.

[0149] The fixing member 33 is located inside the housing 34, and the substrate support 14 located in the housing 34 is placed on the fixing member 33. In other words, the fixing member 33 is disc-shaped, and multiple substrate supports 13 are placed on the fixing member 33 in a stacked manner. The upper end of the fixing member 33 is provided to pass through a through groove 34c formed in the housing 34.

[0150] In this case, the elastomer 32 is assembled onto the fixed component 33.

[0151] When the elastomer 32 is assembled with the fixing member 33, it elastically supports a plurality of substrate supports 14 placed on the fixing member 33 between the housing 34 and the fixing member 33.

[0152] The elastomer 32 can be configured as a spring with elasticity, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0153] Reference Figures 7 to 10 A method for storing a substrate support 14 in a storage cell 29 of a load-locking chamber 12 is briefly described.

[0154] First, the fixing member 33 is located inside the housing 34 of the storage unit 29. In this case, the fixing member 33 is located inside the housing 34 with the elastic body 32 fitted into it.

[0155] When the substrate support 14 is pushed into the lower end of the fixing member 33, the substrate support 4 is stored in the housing 34 in a stacked manner due to the elastic force of the elastomer 32.

[0156] In this case, as described above, since a bent portion 34b is formed in one direction in the fixing groove 34a formed in the housing 34, the substrate support 14 is located inside the housing 34 and is not separated from the housing 34.

[0157] More simply, the substrate support 14 is pressed... Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 They are stacked in sequence and stored inside the outer casing 34.

[0158] For reference, the accompanying drawings illustrate the case where three substrate supports 14 are stored in one storage unit 29. However, the invention is not limited to this case. As the depth of the storage unit 29, i.e., the housing 34, increases, the number of substrate supports 14 stored in the housing 34 also increases.

[0159] Furthermore, as described above, since the substrate 14b is connected to the substrate support 14, the substrate 14b is stacked together with the substrate support 14 and stored in the storage unit 29.

[0160] Meanwhile, the load locking chamber 12 is equipped with a heater 31.

[0161] Heater 31 is a component used to degas the substrate 14b stored in load-locking chamber 12 before thin film growth.

[0162] The advantage is that by using heater 31 to degas the substrate 14b stored in load locking chamber 12, the time required to grow a thin film in thin film growth apparatus 10 can be reduced.

[0163] At the same time, such as Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the thin film growth apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one chamber fixture 36.

[0164] The chamber fixture 36 can be installed on the outside of the growth chamber 11 to adjust the tilt of the thin film growth apparatus 10 relative to the side on which the thin film growth apparatus is mounted.

[0165] For example, such as Figure 11 As shown, its advantage is that when the chamber fixing members 36 are arranged at different heights on the outside of the growth chamber 11, even if the substrate support 14 falls off when the substrate 14b is transferred, the thin film growth apparatus 10 can be used without failure for a long time.

[0166] In addition, such as Figure 12 As shown, its advantage is that when the chamber fixing member 36 is set vertically, the installation space of the thin film growth device 10 can be reduced.

[0167] According to the above structure, the advantage of the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is that, since the load locking chamber 12 and the substrate mounting section 25 are arranged opposite to each other, the substrate transport path of the substrate transport member (24) that transports the substrate 14b from the load locking chamber 12 to the growth chamber 11 or from the growth chamber 11 to the load locking chamber 12 is the same straight line, which greatly reduces the possibility of the substrate support 14 falling off when transporting the substrate 14b, thereby enabling the thin film growth apparatus 10 to be used for a long time.

[0168] Furthermore, in the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus 10 according to the present invention, since the substrate mounting portion 25 itself rotates, the cause of failure due to short circuit between the heater 31 and the thermocouple (not shown) mounted on the substrate mounting portion is prevented, thereby improving the reliability of the thin film growth process.

[0169] As described above, embodiments of the present invention have been described through specific details such as detailed components, preferred embodiments, and drawings. However, these are provided merely to aid in a more general understanding of the invention, which is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations can be derived from this description by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the spirit of the invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and all contents equivalent to and modified from the claims, not only the appended claims described below, fall within the scope of the spirit of the invention.

[0170] According to the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus associated with embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the substrate from falling off during substrate transfer and to prevent malfunctions caused by short circuits in the heater or thermocouple of the heated substrate.

Claims

1. A molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus, comprising: The growth chamber is connected to a vacuum pump and maintains an ultra-high vacuum state inside. A substrate mounting section is disposed inside the growth chamber and is used to mount a substrate; A load-locking chamber is disposed outside the growth chamber and communicates with the growth chamber, and at least one substrate for growing a thin film is mounted on the substrate mounting portion and located in the load-locking chamber. and A substrate transfer component that transfers a substrate from a load-locking chamber to a growth chamber or vice versa. The load locking chamber is configured to face the substrate mounting portion and is configured to be aligned with the substrate transport path of the substrate transport component. The load-locking chamber and the growth chamber are connected via a connecting channel. When the thin film begins to grow on the substrate, the connection channel is opened, and the substrate is transferred from the load locking chamber to the growth chamber and mounted on the substrate mounting section through the connection channel opened by the substrate transfer component. During the film growth process on the substrate, the connection channel is closed when the substrate transport component leaves the growth chamber, and After the thin film has grown on the substrate, the connection channel reopens, and the substrate separates from the substrate mounting section through the connection channel opened by the substrate transfer component, and is transferred from the growth chamber to the load locking chamber. The load-locking chamber further includes a substrate storage section, in which at least one substrate is stored that is transferred to the growth chamber for growing the thin film. The substrate storage unit includes: A rotating component, fixed to the center of the load locking chamber and rotating in one or another direction; and Multiple storage units are mounted on the rotating component, and multiple substrates are installed inside them. The rotating component includes a through-type substrate transfer section, which is positioned at a location where the storage unit is not installed. When the substrate is transferred from the load locking chamber to the growth chamber, or from the growth chamber to the load locking chamber, the rotating component rotates so that the substrate transfer path of the substrate transfer component and the substrate transfer section are on the same straight line.

2. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The growth chamber also includes an evaporation source mounting port, on which at least one molecular beam evaporation source is mounted. The evaporation source mounting port and the load locking chamber are formed on the same side of the growth chamber, and The evaporation source mounting port is set at an angle relative to the substrate transport path of the substrate transport component.

3. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The connection channel between the load locking chamber and the growth chamber is opened or closed by a gate valve.

4. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The substrate is fixed on the substrate support. The substrate support is provided with at least one connecting protrusion, such that the substrate support is connected to the substrate mounting portion and the substrate conveying component, and The substrate conveying component and the substrate mounting portion are formed with at least one connecting groove, which is provided in a shape corresponding to the connecting protrusion for inserting and fixing the connecting protrusion.

5. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The substrate conveying component is connected to a substrate connecting portion that is easily connected to the substrate support, and The substrate connecting portion has at least one connecting groove corresponding to the connecting protrusion of the substrate support.

6. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, When a thin film is grown on a substrate, with the connecting protrusion of the substrate support engaged with the connecting groove of the substrate connection portion, the substrate support is transferred from the load locking chamber to the growth chamber via the substrate transfer member. The connecting protrusion then separates from the connecting groove of the substrate connection portion, engages with the connecting groove of the substrate mounting portion, and is located inside the growth chamber. After the film has grown on the substrate, the substrate support is transferred from the growth chamber to the load locking chamber by the substrate transfer component, with the connecting protrusion of the substrate support separating from the connecting groove of the substrate mounting part and reconnecting to the connecting groove of the substrate connection part.

7. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The connecting groove has a curved portion that bends on one side to prevent the fixedly inserted connecting protrusion from separating.

8. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The substrate transport path of the substrate transport component and the rotation center of the rotating component are located at different positions.

9. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The storage unit includes: The outer casing has at least one end formed as an open surface, has a substrate support inside, and has at least one fixing groove, in which a connecting protrusion of the substrate support is installed; A fixing component, located inside the housing, is provided, and the substrate support within the housing is placed on the fixing component; and An elastomer, multiple substrate supports that are elastically fixed on a fixed component, the substrate supports being positioned between the housing and the fixed component in a state of being inserted into the fixed component.

10. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The load-locking chamber is equipped with a heater for degassing the substrate stored in the load-locking chamber.

11. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The growth chamber is equipped with a baffle to prevent foreign objects from adhering to the substrate mounted on the substrate mounting portion, and The baffle is installed near the substrate mounting portion and is configured to rotate toward the substrate mounting portion.

12. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The substrate mounting section is provided with a heating component, which is configured to rotate relative to the growth chamber in one direction or another, and is used to heat the mounted substrate.

13. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, A molecular beam evaporation source is installed at the evaporation source port, such that the evaporated material discharged from the molecular beam evaporation source faces the substrate mounting portion, and The growth chamber is equipped with an adjustment component to regulate the amount of evaporated material discharged toward the substrate mounting section.

14. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The growth chamber is equipped with a cooling component to reduce the internal temperature of the growth chamber when the thin film is grown on the substrate.

15. The molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one chamber fixing member configured to adjust the inclination of the molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus relative to a surface on which the molecular beam epitaxy thin film growth apparatus is mounted.

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