Film forming apparatus and material supply apparatus used in same

Abstract

In order to supply an appropriate amount of material with respect to the storage volume of a hearth liner, a film formation device is provided with: a film formation chamber (2) in which at least a film formation material (M) and a film formation object (S) are provided and which can be set to a predetermined film formation atmosphere; a hearth liner (23) which is provided inside the film-forming chamber and which accommodates the film-forming material; a heating source (24) that is provided inside the film-forming chamber and heats the film-forming material housed in the hearth liner; a material feeder (3) that supplies the film-forming material to the hearth liner; and a height measuring device (4) that measures the height of the melting surface of the film-forming material contained in the hearth liner. And a controller (6) that calculates the mass of the film-forming material to be supplied on the basis of the height of the melting surface measured by the height measuring device, and that controls the material feeder so as to supply the film-forming material having the calculated mass to the hearth liner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming device and a material supply device used for the film forming device, and in particular to a film forming device preferably applicable to a vacuum evaporation method. Background Art

[0002] As such a film-forming device, there is known a film-forming device comprising: a film-forming chamber which can be set to a specified film-forming atmosphere; a furnace bed lining which accommodates a film-forming material; a heating source which heats the film-forming material accommodated in the furnace bed lining; a material supply chamber which has a material filling portion which is filled with the film-forming material to be supplied to the furnace bed lining, and the material supply chamber is connected to the film-forming chamber via a connecting passage having a gate valve and can be set to a specified pressure atmosphere; and a weight measuring device which measures the weight of the film-forming material supplied to the furnace bed lining (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6959680 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] According to the above-mentioned prior art, the weight of the film-forming material supplied to the hearth lining can be measured by a weight meter. However, even if the weight of the film-forming material supplied to the hearth lining is known, the supply amount may not be an appropriate amount. For example, if the supply amount is too small relative to the storage volume of the hearth lining during supply, the material is insufficient during film formation, and the electron beam as a heating source overheats the hearth lining, which may become the main cause of particle generation. In addition, if the supply amount is too much, the material may overflow from the hearth lining, and when the material overflows from the hearth lining, it will be discarded, so there is a problem of increased material costs.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a film forming apparatus capable of supplying an appropriate amount of material to a storage volume of a hearth lining, and a material supply device used in the film forming apparatus.

[0009] Means for solving problems

[0010] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by measuring the height of the melting surface of the film-forming material accommodated in the furnace bed lining, calculating the mass of the film-forming material to be supplied based on the measured melting surface height, and controlling the material feeder to supply the calculated mass of the film-forming material to the furnace bed lining.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, the insufficient volume of the film-forming material relative to the volume of the hearth lining is determined by measuring the height of the melting surface of the film-forming material stored in the hearth lining, and the insufficient mass of the film-forming material is determined based on the insufficient volume and the specific gravity of the film-forming material. The material feeder is controlled to supply the obtained insufficient mass of the film-forming material to the hearth lining, thereby being able to supply an appropriate amount of material relative to the storage volume of the hearth lining. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is a block diagram including a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a main part of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Floor plan.

[0015] Figure 3A It is shown Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a first example of a material feeder.

[0016] Figure 3B It is shown Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a second example of a material feeder.

[0017] Figure 3C It is shown Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a third example of a material feeder.

[0018] Figure 4A It is shown that the Figure 1 Front view of the dispersing components of the nozzle.

[0019] Figure 4B yes Figure 4A IVB view.

[0020] Figure 4C yes Figure 4A IVC view.

[0021] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 A longitudinal sectional view of a height measuring device.

[0022] Figure 6 It is shown by Figure 1 Flowchart of the main processing performed by the controller.

[0023] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 6 Flow chart of the subroutine of step S4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figure 11 is a block diagram including a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a main part of a film forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a plan view thereof. The film forming device of the present invention can be typically embodied as a vacuum evaporation device, and therefore, a film forming device 1 using a vacuum evaporation method is described below as an embodiment of the present invention. However, the film forming device of the present invention is not limited to a vacuum evaporation device using a vacuum evaporation method, but includes a film forming device in a broad sense including film forming devices other than vacuum evaporation devices.

[0025] 《Overall structure of film forming device 1》

[0026] The film forming device 1 of this embodiment has a film forming chamber 2, which is provided with at least a film forming material M and a film-forming object S, and can be set to a predetermined film forming atmosphere. In the film forming chamber 2, an exhaust device 21 is provided via a gate valve 21a, and by opening the gate valve 21a to discharge the gas inside the film forming chamber 2, the inside of the film forming chamber 2 can be set to a vacuum atmosphere suitable for, for example, a vapor deposition process. When the pressure inside the film forming chamber 2 becomes lower, the mean free path of the film forming material M becomes larger, and the evaporation temperature of the film forming material also decreases, thereby promoting the vapor deposition process. In addition, the exhaust device 21 and the gate valve 21a are controlled by a command signal from the controller 6.

[0027] A film-forming object holder 28 for supporting a film-forming object S such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate, or a plastic substrate is provided suspended from the top of the film-forming chamber 2. Although not particularly limited, the film-forming object holder 28 of the present embodiment is composed of a plate-like member having a concave spherical surface so that the distance between the furnace bed lining 23 for evaporating the film-forming material M and each film-forming object S is as uniform as possible. In addition, although not particularly limited, the film-forming object holder 28 of the present embodiment can be rotated by a holder driving unit 29 composed of a motor, etc., thereby making the thickness of the film formed on each film-forming object S substantially uniform. In addition, the holder driving unit 29 is controlled by a command signal from the controller 6.

[0028] In addition, the film forming chamber 2 is connected to a load lock chamber (vacuum preparation chamber) 7 via a gate valve 71. The interior of the load lock chamber 7 can also be set to the same vacuum atmosphere as the film forming chamber 2 by an exhaust device (not shown) provided in the load lock chamber 7. In addition, the load lock chamber 7 is provided with a door (not shown) through which communication with the outside of the film forming apparatus 1 in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere can be achieved.

[0029] The object holder 28 can be loaded and unloaded relative to the rotating shaft 29a of the holder driving unit 29. In addition, when film forming is performed, the object holder 28 on which a plurality of objects S before film forming are mounted is held by a robot (not shown) and moved from the load lock chamber 7 to the film forming chamber 2, and mounted on the rotating shaft 29a of the holder driving unit 29. In addition, after the film forming is completed, the load lock chamber 7 is set to the same vacuum atmosphere as that of the film forming chamber 2, and then the gate valve 71 is opened, and the object holder 28 on which the objects S after film forming are mounted is held by a robot (not shown) and moved from the film forming chamber 2 to the load lock chamber 7. In this way, by providing the load lock chamber 7, the objects S can be moved into or out of the film forming chamber 2 while maintaining the vacuum atmosphere of the film forming chamber 2. Furthermore, the film forming apparatus of the present invention can also be applied to a so-called batch film forming apparatus in which the film forming chamber 2 is returned to the atmospheric pressure and the film forming object holder 28 on which a plurality of film forming objects S are mounted is replaced every time a film forming process is completed.

[0030] A hearth holder 22 is rotatably supported on the bottom surface of the film forming chamber 2 about a shaft 27. The hearth holder 22 can be rotated stepwise at a predetermined rotation angle about the shaft 27 by a hearth holder driving unit 26 including a motor and a rotary encoder (not shown).

[0031] The hearth holder 22 is not particularly limited, but Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, eight hearth liners 23 are supported on concentric circles. Although not particularly limited, the eight hearth liners are arranged at equidistant angles with respect to the shaft 27 in the circumferential direction.

[0032] The hearth lining 23 is a crucible of a so-called melting furnace into which the film-forming material M is put and heated and melted, and is also called a hearth module or simply a hearth. The hearth lining 23 of the present embodiment is not particularly limited, and can be made of, for example, copper, molybdenum, or tungsten. When an electron beam from an electron gun serving as a heating source 24 is irradiated onto the surface of the film-forming material M stored in the hearth lining 23 to allow electrons to enter, current flows through the hearth lining 23, the hearth lining 23 turns red, and the stored film-forming material M reaches a temperature at which it can evaporate. In addition, although the hearth retainer 22 is not particularly limited, it is made of copper.

[0033] The heat source 24 is provided inside the film forming chamber 2 and heats and evaporates the film forming material M stored in the hearth lining 23. As the heat source 24, in addition to electron beam heating using an electron gun, resistance heating, high frequency induction heating, and laser beam heating can be used. Figure 1The heat source 24 of the film forming apparatus 1 of the embodiment shown is an electron beam heating using an electron gun, and the heat source 24 is used to heat the hearth lining 23 ( Figure 2 The evaporation position P1 is also referred to as the evaporation position irradiated with an electron beam.

[0034] In addition, the film-forming material M of the present embodiment is put into the hearth lining 23 in the form of particles, and is dissolved in the hearth lining 23 by the heat source 24. The types of the film-forming materials M put into the eight hearth linings 23 may all be the same type of film-forming materials M, or all different types of film-forming materials M may be put in. Alternatively, less than eight types of film-forming materials M may be distributed to the eight hearth linings 23.

[0035] The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes, inside the film forming chamber 2, a material supply device 3 for supplying the film forming material M to the hearth lining 23, and a height measuring device 4 for measuring the height h (refer to FIG. 1 ) of the melt surface of the film forming material M stored in the hearth lining 23. Figure 5 ). In addition, there is also a controller 6, which calculates the mass of the film-forming material M to be supplied based on the height h of the melting surface measured by the height measuring device 4, and controls the material supplier 3 to supply the calculated mass of the film-forming material M to the furnace bed lining 23. In addition, in the present embodiment, the controller 6 for controlling the film-forming device 1 and the controller 6 for controlling the material supplier 3 are composed of one controller, but they can also be composed of different controllers and send and receive signals to each other.

[0036] 《Structure of Material Feeder 3》

[0037] Figure 3A 1 is a diagram showing a first example of the material feeder 3 according to the present embodiment. Figure 3B 2 is a diagram showing a second example of the material feeder 3 according to the present embodiment. Figure 3C : is a diagram showing a third example of the material feeder 3 of the present embodiment. Figure 4A is a front view showing a dispersing member provided in a nozzle, Figure 4B yes Figure 4A IVB view, Figure 4C yes Figure 4A IVC view.

[0038] The material feeder 3 of this embodiment is provided at Figure 2 In the plan view shown in FIG. 1 , the film-forming material M is supplied to a furnace lining 23 located at a position P3 (hereinafter also referred to as a supply position P3) different from the evaporation position P1. Figure 2As shown by the middle arrow, when the hearth retaining frame 22 rotates counterclockwise, the height measuring device 4 of the present embodiment is configured to measure the height h of the melting surface of the film-forming material M of a hearth lining 23 located at a position P2 (hereinafter also referred to as the measuring position P2) which is different from the evaporation position P1 and is closer to the upstream side of the feeding position P3 in the rotation direction.

[0039] In addition, regarding the positional relationship between the measurement position P2 of the melt surface measured by the height measuring device 4 and the feeding position P3 supplied by the material supply device 3, the measurement position P2 is located near the upstream side of the feeding position P3 with respect to the rotation direction of the hearth holder 22. This has the following advantages: the rotation distance of the hearth holder 22 from measuring the height h of the melt surface to supplying the film forming material M is reduced. However, this is not limited to this, and the measurement position P2 and the feeding position P3 can be arbitrarily set as long as they are positions other than the evaporation position P1.

[0040] like Figure 3A As shown, the material feeder 3 of the first example of the present embodiment includes a hopper 31, a vibrating disk feeder 32, a measuring and feeding mechanism 33, and a nozzle 34. The hopper 31 is a tank for storing a granular film-forming material M, and a gate (not shown) is provided at the opening of the lower portion. By opening the gate, the granular film-forming material M falls to the vibrating disk feeder 32 by its own weight. In the preparation process before starting the film-forming process, the film-forming chamber 2 is in an atmospheric atmosphere, so in the preparation process, a sufficient amount of the granular film-forming material M is put into the hopper 31 in advance.

[0041] The vibrating disk feeder 32 is a device that vibrates the granular film-forming material M put into the vibrating disk 321 from the hopper 31, thereby moving the granular film-forming material M in a spiral guide path (not shown) formed in the vibrating disk 321 and conveying it toward the chute 322. The vibrating disk feeder 32 of this embodiment includes a vibrating body such as a piezoelectric element, and the granular film-forming material M is conveyed toward the chute while the vibrating body is turned on, and the conveying of the granular film-forming material M is stopped when the vibrating body is turned off. The vibrating body is turned on / off by the controller 6.

[0042] The measuring and supplying mechanism 33 of the present embodiment comprises: a weighing element 332, which is arranged on a base 331; a tray 333, which temporarily holds the granular film-forming material M supplied from the chute 322; and a partition plate 334, which is fixed to the film-forming device 1 side in order to prevent the granular film-forming material M from overflowing from the tray 333. The measuring and supplying mechanism 33 of the present embodiment has the following functions: while receiving the granular film-forming material M supplied from the vibrating disk feeder 32 by the tray 333, the weighing element 332 is used to measure the mass, and when a predetermined mass is reached, a signal for stopping the supply from the vibrating disk feeder 32 is output.

[0043] The weighing element 332 functions as a mass sensor that detects the mass of the tray 333 and the granular film-forming material M supplied to the tray 333 and outputs the mass as an electrical signal to the controller 6. The weighing element 332 and the tray 333 are rotated in the direction indicated by the double-dashed arrow by a dumping mechanism (not shown) to cause the granular film-forming material M supplied to the tray 333 to fall into the opening wall 341 of the nozzle 34.

[0044] In addition, the tray 333 is in the shape of a dustpan having a bottom surface and three continuous sides. Since one side is open, Figure 3A When a granular film-forming material M is put into the original position shown in FIG. 3 , the film-forming material M may overflow from the side of the opening. Therefore, when the tray 333 is in the original position, the partition plate 334 that covers the side of the opening and prevents the film-forming material M from overflowing is fixed to the film-forming device 1. Furthermore, when the weighing element 332 and the tray 333 rotate in the direction indicated by the double-dashed arrow, the film-forming material M falls toward the nozzle 34 from the gap between the partition plate 334 and the tray 333 whose positions are fixed.

[0045] The nozzle 34 is fixed to the film forming device 1 side in a manner located directly above the feeding position P3. The nozzle 34 of this embodiment has an opening wall 341 having an opening area larger than the inner part of the cylindrical body formed at the upper end of the cylindrical body, thereby preventing the granular film forming material M dropped from the tray 333 from overflowing around the upper end of the nozzle 34.

[0046] Furthermore, the nozzle 34 of the present embodiment is provided with a dispersing member 342 . Figure 4A is a front view showing a dispersing member provided in a nozzle, Figure 4B yes Figure 4A IVB view, Figure 4C yes Figure 4A The dispersion component 342 of this embodiment includes: a pair of side plates 342A, 342A; a back plate 342B which is continuous with the pair of side plates 342A, 342A; a cutout 342C which is formed in the pair of side plates 342A, 342A and is used to be fixed to the nozzle 34; and a dispersion body 342D which is provided at the lower end of the pair of side plates 342A, 342A and has a conical surface facing upward.

[0047] like Figure 4BAs shown in the IVB arrow view (plan view), the dispersing member 342 of this embodiment is installed on the nozzle 34 in such a manner that the dispersion body 342D is located approximately at the center of the nozzle 34. The granular film-forming material M dropped from the tray 333 passes through the cylindrical body of the nozzle 34 and drops from the opening at the lower end to the hearth lining 23. However, at this time, the granular film-forming material M needs to be dispersed as evenly as possible in the opening of the hearth lining 23. By setting the dispersing member 342 of this embodiment on the nozzle 34, as shown in FIG. Figure 3A As shown in the front view of , the granular film-forming material M dropped from above contacts the conical surface of the dispersion body 342D and is dispersed in 360-degree directions around it, so it can be uniformly supplied to the opening of the hearth lining 23.

[0048] Figure 3B This is a diagram showing a second example of the material feeder 3 of this embodiment, which is a replacement for Figure 3A The vibrating tray feeder 32 of the material feeder 3 of the first example shown in the figure is provided with a tray 335 and a dumping mechanism 336. Figure 3B As shown, the material feeder 3 of the second example of the present embodiment includes a hopper 31, a tray 335, a dumping mechanism 336 for rotating the tray 335, a measuring and feeding mechanism 33, and a nozzle 34. The hopper 31 of this example is the same as the first example, and is a tank for storing the film-forming material M formed into a granular state. A gate (not shown) is provided at the opening of the lower part, and the granular film-forming material M is dropped to the vibrating plate feeder 32 by its own weight by opening the gate. In the preparation process before starting the film-forming process, the film-forming chamber 2 is in the air atmosphere, so in the preparation process, a sufficient amount of the granular film-forming material M is put into the hopper 31 in advance.

[0049] The tray 335 of this example receives the granular film-forming material M put into the hopper 31 and is rotated in the direction indicated by the double-dashed arrow by the dumping mechanism 336 at a predetermined timing, so that the granular film-forming material M supplied to the tray 335 falls toward the tray 333 at the lower stage.

[0050] The measuring and supplying mechanism 33 of this example has: a weighing element 332, which is set on the base 331; a tray 333, which temporarily holds the granular film-forming material M supplied from the chute 322; and a partition plate 334, which is fixed to the film-forming device 1 side to prevent the granular film-forming material M from overflowing from the tray 333. The measuring and supplying mechanism 33 of this example has the following functions: while receiving the granular film-forming material M supplied from the vibrating disk feeder 32 by the tray 333, the weighing element 332 is used to measure the mass, and when the mass reaches a predetermined value, a signal to stop the supply from the vibrating disk feeder 32 is output. Since the measuring and supplying mechanism 33 of this example is the same as the first example above, the same reference numerals are given to the same structures, and the description thereof is cited here.

[0051] The nozzle 34 of this example is fixed to the film forming device 1 side in a manner located just above the feeding position P3. The nozzle 34 of this example is formed with an opening wall 341 having an opening area larger than the inner part of the cylindrical body at the upper end of the cylindrical body, thereby preventing the granular film forming material M dropped from the tray 333 from overflowing around the upper end of the nozzle 34. In addition, the nozzle 34 of this example is also provided with the above-mentioned dispersing member 342. Since the nozzle 34 of this example is the same as the first example, the same reference numerals are given to the same structures, and the description thereof is cited here.

[0052] Figure 3C 3 is a diagram showing a third example of the material feeder 3 of the present embodiment, which is a replacement for Figure 3A In the first example shown, the material feeder 3 is provided with a vibration tray feeder nozzle 323 instead of the chute 322, and a linear feeder 337 and a linear feeder nozzle 338 are provided instead of the tray 333 and its dumping mechanism. Figure 3C As shown, the material feeder 3 of the third example of the present embodiment includes a hopper 31, a vibrating disk feeder 32, a measuring and feeding mechanism 33, and a nozzle 34. The hopper 31 of this example is the same as the first example, and is a tank for storing the film-forming material M formed into a granular state. A gate (not shown) is provided at the opening of the lower part, and the granular film-forming material M falls to the vibrating disk feeder 32 by its own weight by opening the gate. In the preparation process before starting the film-forming process, the film-forming chamber 2 is in an atmospheric atmosphere, so in this preparation process, a sufficient amount of the granular film-forming material M is put into the hopper 31 in advance.

[0053] The vibrating disk feeder 32 is a device that vibrates the granular film-forming material M put into the vibrating disk 321 from the hopper 31, thereby moving the granular film-forming material M in a spiral guide path (not shown) formed in the vibrating disk 321 and conveying it toward the vibrating disk feeder nozzle 323. The vibrating disk feeder 32 of this embodiment includes a vibrating body such as a piezoelectric element, and while the vibrating body is turned on, the granular film-forming material M is conveyed toward the vibrating disk feeder nozzle 323, and when the vibrating body is turned off, the conveying of the granular film-forming material M is stopped. The vibrating body is turned on / off by the controller 6.

[0054] The measuring supply mechanism 33 of this example includes: a weighing element 332, which is provided on the linear feeder 337; and a linear feeder nozzle 338, which temporarily holds the granular film-forming material M supplied from the vibration disk feeder nozzle 323. The measuring supply mechanism 33 of this example has the following functions: while receiving the granular film-forming material M supplied from the vibration disk feeder 32 by the linear feeder nozzle 338, the weighing element 332 is used to measure the mass, and when a predetermined mass is reached, a signal for stopping the supply from the vibration disk feeder 32 is output.

[0055] The weighing element 332 functions as a mass sensor that detects the mass of the linear feeder nozzle 338 and the granular film-forming material M supplied to the linear feeder nozzle 338 and outputs it as an electrical signal to the controller 6. The linear feeder nozzle 338 is vibrated by operating the linear feeder 337, so that the granular film-forming material M supplied to the linear feeder nozzle 338 falls into the inside of the opening wall 341 of the nozzle 34.

[0056] 《Structure of Altimeter 4》

[0057] Figure 5 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the height measuring device 4 of this embodiment. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the height measuring device 4 of this embodiment includes a laser displacement sensor 41 having a built-in camera and a housing 42 that hermetically surrounds the laser displacement sensor 41 together with a wiring tube 43. An opening 421 is formed on the bottom surface of the housing 42 to allow the laser to pass through and to ensure the field of view of the camera, and a glass plate 422 is provided therein to maintain an airtight state. Furthermore, since the wiring 44 of the laser displacement sensor 41 is led out to the outside of the film forming chamber 2 via the wiring tube 43, the laser displacement sensor 41 and its wiring 44 can be used in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere even if the interior of the film forming chamber 2 is set to a vacuum state.

[0058] The laser displacement sensor 41 with a built-in camera irradiates a laser toward the opening of the hearth lining 23 at the measurement position P2 and receives the reflected light to measure the height h of the melting surface of the hearth lining 23. The height h of the melting surface here refers to the distance from the bottom surface of the hearth lining 23 to the melting surface. That is, the position of the bottom surface of the hearth lining 23 at the measurement position P2 and the height position of the laser displacement sensor 41 are known, so the height h of the melting surface can be calculated based on the measurement value of the laser displacement sensor 41.

[0059] In addition, in the height measuring device of the present invention, in addition to using Figure 5In addition to the structure of the laser displacement sensor 41 shown, it also includes a structure that uses other optical units to measure the height h of the melting surface, a structure that measures the height h of the melting surface based on image data obtained using a camera, etc., and a contact displacement sensor that measures the height h of the melting surface by contacting the contactor with the melting surface.

[0060] 《Structure and operation flow of controller 6》

[0061] The controller 6 calculates the mass of the film-forming material to be supplied based on the height h of the molten surface measured by the height measuring device 4, and controls the material supplier 3 to supply the calculated mass of the film-forming material M to the hearth lining 23. That is, the height h of the molten surface of the hearth lining 23 at the measurement position P2 is calculated by the laser displacement sensor 41, so that the volume of the film-forming material M remaining in the hearth lining 23 can be calculated. For example, in the case where the hearth lining 23 is a container of uniform cylindrical shape, the height h of the molten surface is proportional to the volume, so the volume of the remaining film-forming material M can be calculated from the height h of the molten surface using this relationship. In addition, for example, in the case where the hearth lining 23 is not a container of uniform shape, the relationship between the volume and the height h of the molten surface is obtained in advance, and the volume of the remaining film-forming material M can be calculated from the height h of the molten surface using this relationship. When the remaining film-forming material M becomes less, the mass of the insufficient material is calculated based on the volume of the insufficient material and the specific gravity of the material, and the insufficient weight of the granular film-forming material M is supplied to the hearth lining 23 by controlling the material feeder 3 .

[0062] Next, an overview of a film forming process using the film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described. Figure 6 1 is a flowchart showing the main processing executed by the controller 6 of the film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. First, when the film forming process is started, in step S1, the gate valve 21a of the film forming chamber 2 is opened and the exhaust device 21 is used to exhaust the air, so that the interior of the film forming chamber 2 becomes a predetermined vacuum atmosphere.

[0063] Next, in step S2, the object holder 28 on which the plurality of objects S before film formation are mounted is held by a robot (not shown) and after being carried into the load lock chamber 7, the interior of the load lock chamber 7 is made into the same vacuum atmosphere as the film forming chamber 2. Then, the gate valve 71 is opened, the object holder 28 on which the plurality of objects S before film formation are mounted is carried from the load lock chamber 7 into the film forming chamber 2 by a robot, and after being mounted on the rotating shaft 29a of the holder driving unit 29, the gate valve 71 of the load lock chamber 7 is closed. In addition, the order of steps S1 and S2 at the start of film formation may be reversed.

[0064] Next, in step S3, the hearth holder driving unit 26 is driven to move the hearth lining 23 containing the film-forming material M to be vapor-deposited to the vapor deposition position P1. Then, while the holder driving unit 29 is driven to rotate the film-forming object holder 28 at a predetermined constant speed, the heating source 24 is driven to heat the hearth lining 23 located at the vaporization position P1 to evaporate the film-forming material M. Thus, the evaporated film-forming material M is vapor-deposited on the film-forming object S to form a film.

[0065] In the next step S4, it is determined whether the film forming material M needs to be supplied (replenished). When the film forming process is continuously performed while maintaining the vacuum state of the film forming chamber 2 or when the type of the film forming material M is changed, the film forming material needs to be supplied. Figure 7 After the materials for explanation are supplied, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0066] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 6 The flowchart of the subroutine of step S4 of material supply is shown in FIG. First, in step S401, the hearth holder driving unit 26 is driven to move the hearth lining 23 to be fed to the measuring position P2. In the next step S402, the laser displacement sensor 41 irradiates the molten surface of the hearth lining 23 with laser light and receives reflected light, and the height measuring device 4 inputs a measured value corresponding to the height h of the molten surface.

[0067] In the film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the appropriate height h of the melting surface of each hearth lining 23 is preset, for example, a reference value having a lower limit is set. In step S403, it is determined whether the measured value of the height h of the melting surface input from the height measuring device 4 is within the preset reference value (whether it is above the lower limit), and if the measured value of the height h of the melting surface is within the reference value, the process proceeds to step S404, and the process is set as normal processing and material supply is not required, so the material supply process is terminated.

[0068] On the other hand, when the measured value of the height h of the melting surface input from the height measuring device 4 is not within the reference value, no or only a small amount of the film-forming material M remains in the hearth lining 23, and therefore the process proceeds to step S405 to calculate the supply amount of the film-forming material M to be supplied based on the measured value of the height h of the melting surface input from the height measuring device 4. For example, the volume of the film-forming material M to be supplied can be obtained based on the measured value of the height h of the melting surface input from the height measuring device 4, and the mass of the film-forming material M to be supplied can be calculated based on the volume of the film-forming material M to be supplied and the specific gravity of the film-forming material M to be supplied.

[0069] In the next step S406, the hearth holder driving unit 26 is driven to move the hearth lining 23 to be fed to the feeding position P3, and the material feeder 3 is operated in step S407. In the next step S408, while the granular film-forming material M is fed by the material feeder 3, its weight is measured by the weighing element 332. If it reaches the weight (feeding amount) calculated in step S405, the process proceeds to step S409, and the film-forming material M that has been measured and confirmed as a predetermined feeding amount is fed to the hearth lining 23. At the same time, the material feeder 3 is stopped. In this step S408, if the measured value of the weighing element 332 does not reach the feeding amount calculated in step S405 for some reason, the process proceeds to step S413, and the material feeding process is terminated after executing the abnormality process.

[0070] In step S410, the hearth holder driving unit 26 is driven to move the hearth lining 23 fed in step S409 to the measurement position P2 again. In the next step S411, the laser displacement sensor 41 irradiates the molten surface of the hearth lining 23 with laser light and receives the reflected light, so that a measured value corresponding to the height h of the molten surface is input from the height measuring device 4. Then, in step S412, it is determined whether the measured value of the height h of the molten surface input from the height measuring device 4 is within a preset reference value (whether it is above the lower limit value). If the measured value of the height h of the molten surface is within the reference value, the material supply process is terminated. On the other hand, in step S412, if the measured value of the height h of the molten surface input from the height measuring device 4 is not within the preset reference value, the process returns to step S406 and the processes of steps S406 to S411 are executed again.

[0071] return Figure 6 In step S5, it is determined whether the film forming process is completed. If it is continued, the process returns to step S3 and the film forming process is continued until a vapor-deposited film of a specified film thickness is formed on the multiple film-forming objects S mounted on the film-forming object holder 28. In step S5, if it is determined that the film forming process is completed, the process proceeds to step S6. After the load lock chamber 7 is set to the same vacuum atmosphere as the film forming chamber 2, the gate valve 71 is opened, and the film-forming object holder 28 on which the multiple film-forming objects S that have completed the film forming process are mounted is held by a robot or the like, and is moved out from the film forming chamber 2 to the load lock chamber 7. Then, after closing the gate valve 71, the load lock chamber 7 is restored to the atmospheric pressure atmosphere, and the film-forming object holder 28 on which the film-forming objects S are mounted is moved out to the outside through a door not shown. Thus, the film forming process is completed.

[0072] Description of symbols

[0073] 1: film forming device; 2: film forming chamber; 21: exhaust device; 21a: gate valve; 22: hearth holder; 23: hearth liner; 24: heating source; 26: hearth holder drive unit; 27: shaft; 28: film-forming material holder; 29: holder drive unit; 3: material feeder; 31: hopper; 32: vibrating plate feeder; 321: vibrating plate; 322: chute; 323: vibrating plate feeder nozzle; 33: measuring and feeding mechanism; 331: base; 332: weighing element; 333: tray; 334: partition plate; 335: tray; 336: Dumping mechanism; 337: linear feeder; 338: linear feeder nozzle; 34: nozzle; 341: opening wall; 342: dispersion component; 342A: side plate; 342B: back plate; 342C: cutout; 342D: dispersion; 4: height measuring device; 41: laser displacement sensor; 42: housing; 421: opening; 422: glass plate; 43: wiring tube; 44: wiring; 6: controller; 7: load lock chamber; 71: gate valve; M: film-forming material; S: film-forming object; P1: evaporation position; P2: measurement position; P3: feeding position.

Claims

1. A film forming device, comprising: A film forming chamber, which is provided with at least a film forming material and a film-forming object, and the film forming chamber can be set to a predetermined film forming atmosphere; A hearth lining, which is disposed inside the film forming chamber and contains the film forming material; a heating source disposed inside the film forming chamber and heating the film forming material accommodated in the lining of the hearth; a material supplier for supplying the film-forming material to the hearth lining; a height measuring device for measuring the height of a melted surface of the film-forming material accommodated in the hearth lining; and A controller calculates the mass of the film-forming material to be supplied based on the height of the melt surface measured by the height measuring device, and controls the material supplier to supply the film-forming material of the calculated mass to the hearth lining.

2. The film forming device according to claim 1, wherein: The material supplier and / or the height measuring device are disposed inside the film forming chamber.

3. The film forming device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The film forming device comprises a hearth holder, which is rotatably arranged inside the film forming chamber and supports a plurality of hearth liners on a concentric circle. For the hearth lining located at the evaporation position among the plurality of hearth linings, the film forming material is heated by the heating source, For the hearth lining located at a measurement position different from the evaporation position among the plurality of hearth linings, the height of the melted surface of the film forming material is measured by the height measuring device; The film forming material is supplied by the material supplier to the hearth lining located at a supply position different from the evaporation position and the measurement position among the plurality of hearth linings.

4. The film forming device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The material feeder comprises: A hopper for storing the film-forming material; a conveying mechanism for conveying the film-forming material stored in the hopper to the hearth lining; as well as a weighing element for measuring the mass of the film-forming material during transport; The controller determines whether the mass measured by the weighing element reaches the calculated mass, and supplies the film-forming material to the hearth lining when the mass measured by the weighing element reaches the calculated mass.

5. The film forming device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The material feeder comprises: a vibrating plate feeder for conveying the granular film-forming material by applying vibration to the granular film-forming material; and a weighing element for sequentially measuring the mass of the film-forming material conveyed from the vibrating plate feeder, The controller controls the vibrating plate feeder to apply vibration to the granular film-forming material until the mass measured by the weighing element reaches the calculated mass.

6. The film forming device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The material feeder comprises: A hopper for storing the film-forming material; a conveying mechanism that conveys the film-forming material stored in the hopper to the hearth lining; and a nozzle for guiding the film-forming material conveyed by the conveying mechanism to the hearth lining, The nozzle comprises: a cylindrical nozzle body extending in a vertical direction; and The dispersing member is provided inside the nozzle body and disperses the granular film-forming material naturally falling from above the nozzle body.

7. A material supply device for a film forming device, wherein: The material supply device comprises: A hopper for storing film-forming materials; a conveying mechanism for conveying the film-forming material stored in the hopper to a hearth lining of the film-forming device; A weighing element for measuring the mass of the film-forming material during transportation; as well as Controller, The controller determines whether the mass measured by the weighing element reaches a predetermined mass, and supplies the film-forming material to the hearth lining when the mass measured by the weighing element reaches the predetermined mass.

8. The material supply device according to claim 7, wherein: The material supply device comprises: a vibrating plate feeder for conveying the granular film-forming material by applying vibration to the granular film-forming material; and a weighing element for sequentially measuring the mass of the film-forming material conveyed from the vibrating plate feeder, The controller controls the vibrating plate feeder to apply vibration to the granular film-forming material until the mass measured by the weighing element reaches the predetermined mass.

9. The material supply device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The material supply device comprises: A hopper for storing the granular film-forming material; a conveying mechanism that conveys the film-forming material stored in the hopper to the hearth lining; and a nozzle for guiding the film-forming material conveyed by the conveying mechanism to the hearth lining, The nozzle comprises: a cylindrical nozzle body extending in a vertical direction; and The dispersing member is provided inside the nozzle body and disperses the granular film-forming material naturally falling from above the nozzle body.

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