Sputtering coating device and coating method for reducing film layer damage

Abstract

The invention provides a sputter coating device and a coating method for reducing film layer damage. The sputter coating device comprises a vacuum cavity, and a target material and a substrate are located in the vacuum cavity; the auxiliary anode plate is arranged on one side, opposite to the substrate, of the target material in the vacuum cavity; one end of the resistor element is connected with the auxiliary anode plate, and the other end of the resistor element is grounded. According to the sputter coating device, the auxiliary anode plate and the resistor element structure are arranged, the potential of the auxiliary anode plate is improved, negative charge diversion in the sputtering process is achieved, bombardment damage to a thin film is reduced, thin film defects are reduced, the thin film quality is improved, and meanwhile the sputter coating device is simple in structure and easy to achieve and has great industrial application value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of film preparation, and relates to a sputtering coating device, and in particular to a sputtering coating device and a coating method for reducing film damage. Background Art

[0002] Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) is a technology widely used in thin film preparation. Its basic principle is to convert solid materials into gaseous state (evaporation or sputtering) by physical means, and let these gaseous substances deposit on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film. It is usually used for the preparation of various thin film materials such as metals, ceramics, semiconductors, transparent conductive films, etc. Among them, the basic principle of sputtering deposition is to accelerate ions to hit the target material through an electric field, so that the target atoms are splashed out and deposited on the substrate. In order to generate these high-energy ions, it is usually necessary to use plasma gas (such as argon) in a vacuum environment, and use an electric field to make the plasma collide with the target material. During the coating process, the quality and performance of the film are affected by multiple factors, among which the negative charges brought by the electrons of the plasma and the ionization of the gas have a particularly significant effect on the film. These negative charges obtain greater energy under the action of the electric field, bombarding the thin film deposited on the substrate, which will cause damage to the internal structure of the film, thereby affecting the density, hardness, wear resistance and service life of the film. With the continuous development of coating technology and the increasing requirements for film performance, how to reduce the defects caused by negative charge bombardment on the film surface without affecting film deposition has become an important issue in the coating field.

[0003] At present, the technology commonly used in the industry is to weld two molybdenum rods in front of the target material to connect it to the cavity of the coating equipment, thereby reducing the distance between the plasma on the surface of the anode of the cavity and the cathode target material, thereby improving the ability of negative charges to flow away and reducing the bombardment density of negative charges on the thin film on the substrate. However, this technology has certain limitations in the application process. When the thickness of the thin film deposition layer increases, the molybdenum rod is easily deformed due to heat, which leads to contact between the molybdenum rod and the target material or product surface, and may even cause the film layer to fall off, resulting in particle pollution, affecting the appearance and quality of the product. In addition, the traditional method requires regular disassembly and maintenance, which is cumbersome and affects production efficiency. The contact area of ​​the molybdenum rod is small, and its improvement effect is limited. If the area of ​​the molybdenum rod is increased, it may hinder the deposition of the film on the substrate, thereby affecting the quality of the film.

[0004] CN211311570U discloses a magnetron sputtering device for reducing charge accumulation, including a cavity, a transmission assembly and a first flow guide assembly, wherein the transmission assembly includes a metal roller for rotating and driving a substrate to move linearly, and the metal roller is arranged in the cavity; one end of the first flow guide assembly is connected to the metal roller, and the other end is grounded, and the first flow guide assembly makes the metal roller and the ground equipotential. The device is provided with a flow guide structure on one side of the substrate to guide the charge on the surface of the substrate. The flow guide structure is provided on one side near the substrate, and the flow guide effect is limited, and a large amount of charge will still accumulate on the surface of the substrate. If the position of the flow guide is adjusted or the size is increased, similar problems as the provision of a molybdenum rod will occur.

[0005] CN203065565U discloses a sputtering coating device for generating a transparent conductive film on a graphene film, wherein an anode device and a voltage output device are arranged between a target material and a substrate, a low voltage output terminal of the voltage output device is connected to the target material, and a high voltage output terminal is connected to the anode device, so as to achieve uniform coating and reduce the resistivity of the conductive film. The structure and principle of this method are similar to those of the molybdenum rod design, and similar problems cannot be avoided.

[0006] Therefore, providing a more effective negative charge flow path and reducing film damage problems without affecting thin film deposition are of great significance to improving film quality. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a sputtering coating device which can reduce film damage, and realize negative charge conduction in a vacuum chamber through an auxiliary anode plate and a resistor element structure, thereby reducing film damage.

[0008] In order to achieve the purpose of the invention, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a sputtering coating device for reducing film layer damage, the sputtering coating device comprising:

[0010] A vacuum chamber, in which the target material and the substrate are arranged relative to each other;

[0011] An auxiliary anode plate, the auxiliary anode plate being arranged in the vacuum chamber on a side of the target material facing away from the substrate;

[0012] A resistance element, one end of which is connected to the auxiliary anode plate, and the other end of which is grounded.

[0013] The sputtering coating device provided by the present invention adds a conductive auxiliary anode plate next to the cathode target in a vacuum chamber, and then connects the auxiliary anode plate to a resistor element. During sputtering, the auxiliary anode plate has a higher potential than the vacuum chamber, so that the negative charges generated in the sputtering process are conducted away by the auxiliary anode plate, thereby reducing the bombardment damage of the negative charges to the film, reducing film defects, and improving the film quality. At the same time, the auxiliary anode plate is arranged on the side facing away from the substrate, which will not affect the film deposition process. There is also less deposition on the surface of the auxiliary anode plate, which can have a larger conduction space and conduction area, thereby improving the charge conduction effect.

[0014] Preferably, the auxiliary anode plate is arc-shaped and is arranged concentrically with the periphery of the target material.

[0015] Preferably, the center angle of the auxiliary anode plate is 60-180°, for example, it can be 60°, 80°, 100°, 120°, 140°, 150°, 160° or 180°, but is not limited to the listed values, and other unlisted values ​​within the numerical range are also applicable.

[0016] Preferably, the radial distance between the auxiliary anode plate and the periphery of the target material is 20-100 mm, for example, it can be 20 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 70 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, or 100 mm, but is not limited to the listed values, and other unlisted values ​​within the numerical range are also applicable.

[0017] Preferably, the auxiliary anode plate is mounted on the vacuum chamber and is insulated from the vacuum chamber.

[0018] Preferably, the material of the auxiliary anode plate includes any one of silver, copper, aluminum, stainless steel or molybdenum, or a combination of at least two of them. Typical but non-limiting combinations include a combination of silver and copper, a combination of aluminum and molybdenum, a combination of silver, copper and aluminum, a combination of copper, aluminum and molybdenum, or a combination of silver, copper, aluminum, stainless steel and molybdenum.

[0019] Preferably, the height of the auxiliary anode plate is 50-100% of the target material, for example, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% or 100%, but is not limited to the listed values, and other unlisted values ​​within the numerical range are also applicable.

[0020] Preferably, the plane of the substrate is parallel to the axis of the target.

[0021] Preferably, the vacuum chamber is connected to the positive electrode of the sputtering power supply, and the target is connected to the negative electrode of the sputtering power supply.

[0022] Preferably, the vacuum chamber is grounded.

[0023] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a sputtering coating method, wherein the sputtering coating method uses the sputtering coating device described in the first aspect.

[0024] Preferably, the material of the resistor element includes nickel-chromium alloy and / or manganese-copper alloy.

[0025] Preferably, the resistance of the resistor element is 0.5-5 kilohms, for example, it can be 0.5 kilohms, 1 kilohms, 1.5 kilohms, 2 kilohms, 2.5 kilohms, 3 kilohms, 3.5 kilohms, 4 kilohms, 4.5 kilohms or 5 kilohms, but is not limited to the listed values, and other values ​​not listed within the numerical range are also applicable.

[0026] Preferably, during the sputtering coating process, the potential of the auxiliary anode plate is higher than that of the vacuum chamber.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] The sputtering coating device provided by the present invention increases the potential of the auxiliary anode plate by setting an auxiliary anode plate and a resistor element structure, thereby realizing the conduction of negative charges during the sputtering process, thereby reducing bombardment damage to the film, reducing film defects, and improving film quality. At the same time, the device has a simple structure, is easy to implement, and has great industrial application value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the top view of the sputtering coating device provided in Example 1;

[0030] Figure 2 is a front view structural schematic diagram of the sputtering coating device provided in Example 1;

[0031] Figure 3 is a left-side structural schematic diagram of the sputtering coating device provided in Example 1;

[0032] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the top view of the sputtering coating device provided in Comparative Example 1;

[0033] Figure 5 is a front view structural schematic diagram of the sputtering coating device provided in Comparative Example 1;

[0034] Among them, 1, vacuum chamber; 2, sputtering target; 21, sputtering target fixing part; 3, substrate; 4, auxiliary anode plate; 41, auxiliary anode fixing part; 5, resistor element; 6, molybdenum rod; 61, molybdenum rod fixing part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The technical solution of the present invention is further described below by specific implementation methods. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments are only to help understand the present invention and should not be regarded as specific limitations of the present invention.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] This embodiment provides a Figure 1-3 The sputtering coating device for reducing film layer damage shown in the embodiment of the present invention comprises:

[0038] Vacuum chamber 1.

[0039] A sputtering target 2 and a substrate 3 are provided in the vacuum chamber 1 . The sputtering target 2 is mounted on the vacuum chamber 1 through a sputtering target fixing member 21 . The plane of the substrate 3 is parallel to the axial direction of the sputtering target 2 .

[0040] The auxiliary anode plate 4 is arranged on the side of the sputtering target 2 facing away from the substrate 3 , and is mounted on the vacuum chamber 1 through an auxiliary anode fixing member 41 , and is insulated from the vacuum chamber 1 .

[0041] The auxiliary anode plate 4 is arc-shaped and is arranged concentrically with the outer periphery of the sputtering target 2, with a center angle of 180°.

[0042] The radial distance between the auxiliary anode plate 4 and the outer periphery of the sputtering target 2 is 20 mm.

[0043] The height of the auxiliary anode plate 4 is 90% of the height of the sputtering target 2 .

[0044] The auxiliary anode plate 4 is made of molybdenum.

[0045] The resistor element 5 has one end connected to the auxiliary anode plate 4 and the other end grounded.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] This embodiment provides a sputtering coating device for reducing film layer damage, the sputtering coating device comprising:

[0048] Vacuum chamber 1.

[0049] A sputtering target 2 and a substrate 3 are provided in the vacuum chamber 1 . The sputtering target 2 is mounted on the vacuum chamber 1 through a sputtering target fixing member 21 . The plane of the substrate 3 is parallel to the axial direction of the sputtering target 2 .

[0050] The auxiliary anode plate 4 is arranged on the side of the sputtering target 2 facing away from the substrate 3 , and is mounted on the vacuum chamber 1 through an auxiliary anode fixing member 41 , and is insulated from the vacuum chamber 1 .

[0051] The auxiliary anode plate 4 is arc-shaped and is arranged concentrically with the outer periphery of the sputtering target 2, with a center angle of 120°.

[0052] The radial distance between the auxiliary anode plate 4 and the outer periphery of the sputtering target 2 is 50 mm.

[0053] The height of the auxiliary anode plate 4 is 70% of the height of the sputtering target 2 .

[0054] The auxiliary anode plate 4 is made of molybdenum.

[0055] The resistor element 5 has one end connected to the auxiliary anode plate 4 and the other end grounded.

[0056] Example 3

[0057] This embodiment provides a sputtering coating device for reducing film layer damage, the sputtering coating device comprising:

[0058] Vacuum chamber 1.

[0059] A sputtering target 2 and a substrate 3 are provided in the vacuum chamber 1 . The sputtering target 2 is mounted on the vacuum chamber 1 through a sputtering target fixing member 21 . The plane of the substrate 3 is parallel to the axial direction of the sputtering target 2 .

[0060] The auxiliary anode plate 4 is arranged on the side of the sputtering target 2 facing away from the substrate 3 , and is mounted on the vacuum chamber 1 through an auxiliary anode fixing member 41 , and is insulated from the vacuum chamber 1 .

[0061] The auxiliary anode plate 4 is arc-shaped and is arranged concentrically with the outer periphery of the sputtering target 2, with a center angle of 60°.

[0062] The radial distance between the auxiliary anode plate 4 and the outer periphery of the sputtering target 2 is 100 mm.

[0063] The height of the auxiliary anode plate 4 is 50% of the height of the sputtering target 2 .

[0064] The auxiliary anode plate 4 is made of molybdenum.

[0065] The resistor element 5 has one end connected to the auxiliary anode plate 4 and the other end grounded.

[0066] Example 4

[0067] This embodiment provides a sputtering coating device for reducing film damage. Compared with the first embodiment, the auxiliary anode plate is set to be flat, the width of the auxiliary anode plate is the same as the sputtering target, and the rest is the same as the first embodiment.

[0068] Comparative Example 1

[0069] This comparative example provides a Figure 4 and Figure 5 The sputtering coating device shown in the figure comprises:

[0070] Vacuum chamber 1.

[0071] A sputtering target 2 and a substrate 3 are arranged in the vacuum chamber 1 . The sputtering target 2 is mounted on the vacuum chamber 1 via a sputtering target fixing member 21 .

[0072] The molybdenum rod 6 is disposed between the sputtering target 2 and the substrate 3 , and the molybdenum rod 6 is mounted on the vacuum chamber 1 through a molybdenum rod fixing member 61 .

[0073] There are two molybdenum rods 6 , which are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the sputtering target 2 and the substrate 3 .

[0074] The diameter of the molybdenum rod 6 is 50 mm, and its length is the same as that of the sputtering target 2 .

[0075] Comparative Example 2

[0076] This comparative example provides a sputtering coating device. Compared with Example 1, no resistance element is provided, that is, the auxiliary anode plate is directly grounded, and the rest is the same as Example 1.

[0077] The ITO thin film was deposited on a substrate using the sputtering coating device provided in the embodiment and the comparative example. In the device, the resistance value of the resistor element was 2 kilo-ohms, and the sputtering process parameters included: a power density of 5 kw / m, a coating pressure of 0.5 Pa, an argon volume of 600 sccm, an oxygen ratio of 0.8%, a temperature of 120°C, a coating speed of 0.23 m / min, and a target rotation speed of 10 revolutions / minute.

[0078] The prepared ITO film was subjected to resistance measurement and analysis using a four-probe method to obtain the surface resistance value of the ITO film. The results are listed in Table 1.

[0079] Table 1

[0080] Resistance value(Ω) Example 1 10.3 Example 2 11.2 Example 3 12.6 Example 4 16.0 Comparative Example 1 14.9 Comparative Example 2 14.5

[0081] It can be seen from Table 1 that the surface resistance of the prepared ITO film is significantly reduced by the structural arrangement of the auxiliary anode plate and the resistor element, indicating that the defects caused by charge bombardment inside the film are reduced.

[0082] In summary, the sputtering coating device provided by the present invention increases the potential of the auxiliary anode plate by setting an auxiliary anode plate and a resistor element structure, thereby realizing the conduction of negative charges during the sputtering process, thereby reducing the bombardment damage to the film, reducing film defects, and improving the film quality. At the same time, the device has a simple structure, is easy to implement, and has great industrial application value.

[0083] The applicant declares that the above is only a specific implementation mode of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention shall fall within the protection scope and disclosure scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sputtering coating device for reducing film damage, characterized in that: The sputtering coating device comprises: A vacuum chamber, in which the target material and the substrate are arranged relative to each other; An auxiliary anode plate, the auxiliary anode plate being arranged on a side of the target material facing away from the substrate in the vacuum chamber; A resistance element, one end of which is connected to the auxiliary anode plate, and the other end of which is grounded.

2. The sputtering coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary anode plate is arc-shaped and is arranged concentrically with the periphery of the target material.

3. The sputtering coating device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The center angle of the auxiliary anode plate is 60-180°.

4. The sputtering coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The radial distance between the auxiliary anode plate and the periphery of the target material is 20-100 mm.

5. The sputtering coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The auxiliary anode plate is mounted on the vacuum chamber and is insulated and connected to the vacuum chamber.

6. The sputtering coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The material of the auxiliary anode plate includes any one of silver, copper, aluminum, stainless steel or molybdenum, or a combination of at least two thereof.

7. The sputtering coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The height of the auxiliary anode plate is 50-100% of the target material.

8. The sputtering coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The plane of the substrate is parallel to the axial direction of the target; Preferably, the vacuum chamber is connected to the positive electrode of the sputtering power supply, and the target is connected to the negative electrode of the sputtering power supply; Preferably, the vacuum chamber is grounded.

9. A sputtering coating method, characterized in that: The sputtering coating method uses the sputtering coating device described in any one of claims 1-8.

10. The sputtering coating method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The material of the resistance element includes nickel-chromium alloy and / or manganese-copper alloy; Preferably, the resistance of the resistor element is 0.5-5 kilo-ohms.

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