Magnetron sputtering device and magnetron sputtering equipment
By employing a dual-drive mechanism to control the movement trajectory of the magnetron in the magnetron sputtering device, the problem of uneven magnetic field distribution of the target material is solved, the service life of the target material is extended, and the utilization rate is improved, thus achieving efficient utilization of the target material.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202423054073.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-10
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-10
AI Technical Summary
In existing magnetron sputtering technology, the uneven distribution of the magnetic field on the target material results in a weak magnetic field at the center and a strong magnetic field at the edge, leading to low target utilization and easy formation of grooves and breakdown during the coating process, which affects the service life of the target material.
The movement of the magnetron is controlled by a dual-drive mechanism, which combines parallel and vertical movements. The magnetron's movement trajectory is designed to be high at both ends and low in the middle, which reduces the plasma density at the beginning and end, slows down the etching rate of the target material, and improves the utilization rate of the target material.
By optimizing the movement path of the magnetron, the lifespan of the target material is extended, the utilization rate of the target material is improved, the difference in etching depth between the edge and the center of the target material is reduced, and the speed at which the target material is etched through is slowed down.
Smart Images
Figure CN223561668U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model relates to a coating technology field especially relates to a magnetron sputtering device and magnetron sputtering equipment. BACKGROUND
[0002] Magnetron sputtering has the advantages of low substrate temperature, pure film quality, uniform and dense organization, firmness and good repeatability, and is widely used in semiconductor, solar and flat panel display industries. The working principle of magnetron sputtering is that argon atoms form argon ions and electrons under the action of an electric field, argon ions accelerate to the cathode target under the action of an electric field, and hit the target surface with high energy, so that the target material sputters, and the neutral target atoms or molecules deposited on the substrate form a thin film.
[0003] In the related art, the magnetron reciprocates on the back of the target material to perform scanning, so as to form a magnetic field orthogonal to the electric field between the target material and the substrate to be coated. However, during the reciprocating scanning of the magnetron, a stop will occur due to the need for commutation. When the magnet stops, the central magnetic field of the target material is weak and the edge magnetic field is strong, so that the magnetic field distribution is uneven relative to the target surface of the entire target material. In this case, as the coating time increases, a groove will be formed at the position of the target material corresponding to the stop of the magnetron, and the groove will gradually deepen as the coating time increases, until the target material is penetrated, causing the entire target material to be unusable, but the middle position of the target material is not completely consumed, thereby reducing the utilization rate of the target material. SUMMARY
[0004] The utility model aims at solving one of the technical problems in the prior art. To this end, the utility model provides a magnetron sputtering device which can delay the etching speed of the target material, improve the service life of the target material and the utilization rate of the target material.
[0005] The utility model further provides a magnetron sputtering equipment with the magnetron sputtering device.
[0006] According to the magnetron sputtering device of the first aspect embodiment of the utility model, comprising:
[0007] The magnetron;
[0008] The driving mechanism is connected with the magnetron, and the driving mechanism includes a first driving member and a second driving member, the first driving member is used for driving the magnetron to move along the first direction parallel to the target material, and the second driving member is used for driving the magnetron to move along the second direction perpendicular to the target material to approach or move away from the target material;
[0009] The magnetron is configured to move towards the target under the driving of the first driving member, and move away from the target under the driving of the second driving member.
[0010] The magnetron sputtering device has at least the following beneficial effects:
[0011] The moving track of the magnetron has a form of high at both ends and low in the middle, the track rising at both ends corresponds to a low-speed moving stage of the magnetron at the beginning and end of the preset path, and the track falling in the middle corresponds to a high-speed moving stage of the magnetron at a middle position of the preset path.
[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, the movement of the magnetron from one end of the target to the other end is defined as a movement stroke, and in one movement stroke, the magnetron has a starting position, a first lifting position, a second lifting position and a turning position in sequence.
[0013] According to some embodiments of the present application, in the first direction, the distance from the starting position to the first lifting position is 50mm to 100mm.
[0014] According to some embodiments of the present application, the distance between the magnetron and the target remains unchanged when the magnetron moves from the first lifting position to the second lifting position.
[0015] According to some embodiments of the present application, the movement of the magnetron from one end of the target to the other end is defined as a movement stroke, and in one movement stroke, the magnetron has a starting position, a first lifting position and a turning position in sequence.
[0016] According to some embodiments of the present application, the distance between the magnetron and the target material is 1mm to 10mm when the magnetron is at the first lifting position.
[0017] According to some embodiments of the present application, the distance between the magnetron and the target material is 5mm to 50mm when the magnetron is at the initial position; and / or, the distance between the magnetron and the target material is 5mm to 50mm when the magnetron is at the turning position.
[0018] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first driving member is connected with the magnetron to drive the magnetron to move along the first direction, and the second driving member is connected with the first driving member to drive the first driving member and the magnetron to move along the second direction.
[0019] Alternatively, the second driving member is connected with the magnetron to drive the magnetron to move along the second direction, and the first driving member is connected with the second driving member to drive the second driving member and the magnetron to move along the first direction.
[0020] According to some embodiments of the present application, the magnetron sputtering device further comprises a slide, and the target material is arranged between the magnetron and the slide.
[0021] According to some embodiments of the present application, the magnetron sputtering device further comprises a slide, and the target material is arranged between the magnetron and the slide.
[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the following description, become apparent from the following description, or be understood by practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0023] The present application will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments, wherein:
[0024] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a magnetron sputtering device according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0025] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a target material after being etched according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0026] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a trajectory of a magnetron viewed from above according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0027] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a trajectory of a magnetron viewed from the front according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0028] Figure 5Another trajectory schematic view of the magnetron is observed from the front for the embodiment of the utility model;
[0029] Figure 6 The distance curve between the magnetron and the target material for the embodiment of the utility model;
[0030] Figure 7 The depth curve of the target material etched for the embodiment of the utility model.
[0031] Reference signs:
[0032] Magnetron 100; magnetron in starting position 101; magnetron in first lifting position 102; magnetron in second lifting position 103; magnetron in turning position 104;
[0033] Target material 200;
[0034] Carrying sheet table 300;
[0035] Substrate 400; DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] The embodiments of the utility model are described in detail below, and the examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, wherein the same or similar reference signs represent the same or similar elements or elements with the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the utility model, and cannot be understood as a limitation of the utility model.
[0037] In the description of the utility model, it is understood that the orientation description, such as the orientation or position relationship indicated by up, down, front, back, left, right, etc. is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the utility model.
[0038] In the description of the utility model, the meaning of several is more than one, the meaning of multiple is more than two, greater than, less than, more than, etc. is not included in the number, above, below, etc. is included in the number. If it is described as first, second, it is only used to distinguish the technical features for the purpose, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the sequence of indicated technical features.
[0039] In the description of the utility model, unless otherwise explicitly limited, the words such as setting, installing and connecting should be understood broadly, and the person skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above words in the utility model according to the specific content of the technical scheme.
[0040] In the description of this utility model, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0041] For ease of understanding, such as Figure 2 As shown, the overall structure of the magnetron sputtering apparatus will be described first. A magnetron sputtering apparatus typically includes a carrier (not shown in the figure), a magnetron 100, a drive mechanism (not shown in the figure), and a stage 300. The stage 300 carries the substrate 400, which is placed on the stage 300 awaiting deposition. The carrier carries the target 200 and can be a support frame. The support can clamp one or more sides of the target 200 to fix the target 200 above the stage 300. The magnetron 100 is connected to the drive mechanism, and the magnetron 100 and the stage 300 are located on opposite sides of the target 200.
[0042] In magnetron sputtering, an inert gas (usually argon) is first introduced into a vacuum chamber. When a high-voltage electric field is applied to the gas, the argon is ionized to form a plasma composed of positively charged ions and free electrons. The high-energy argon ions in the plasma, accelerated by the electric field, bombard the surface of the target 200, causing atoms from the target 200 to be sputtered. These sputtered atoms are then deposited onto the substrate 400, layer by layer, to form the desired thin film.
[0043] When the magnetron sputtering device is working, the magnetron 100 is driven by the driving mechanism to move so that the magnetron 100 can move back and forth relative to the target 200 along a preset path, thereby forming a specific magnetic field between the target 200 and the substrate 400, so that the electrons make an approximate cycloidal motion in the orthogonal electromagnetic field, thereby greatly increasing the ionization probability of the electrons.
[0044] Due to the limited size of the target material 200 on the carrier, there must be an endpoint when the magnetron 100 moves linearly in any direction. The magnetron 100 decelerates until its speed reaches zero near the endpoint, then gradually accelerates after changing direction, repeating this cycle. This results in a strong magnetic field easily forming at the beginning and end of the preset path of the magnetron 100. It should be noted that the slower speed of the magnetron 100 at the beginning and end of the preset path and the faster speed in the middle create an uneven magnetic field, resulting in inconsistent consumption rates of the target material 200. With prolonged use, grooves are etched into the edges of the target material 200 corresponding to the beginning and end of the preset path of the magnetron 100 due to the faster consumption rate (see reference). Figure 2 As shown, once the target 200 is etched through, it becomes unusable. At this point, the central part of the target 200 is not completely consumed, resulting in a low utilization rate of the target 200.
[0045] To address the aforementioned problems, a first aspect of this application proposes a magnetron sputtering apparatus, which includes a magnetron 100 and a drive mechanism connected to the magnetron 100. It should be noted that, compared to related technologies where the magnetron 100 can only reciprocate parallel to the target 200, in this embodiment, the magnetron 100, driven by the drive mechanism, can not only move parallel to the target 200 but also move relatively closer to or relatively farther away from the target 200.
[0046] Specifically, the drive mechanism includes two drive components (not shown in the figure), which are named the first drive component and the second drive component for easy distinction. The first drive component drives the magnetron 100 to move along a first direction parallel to the target 200, and the second drive component drives the magnetron 100 to move along a second direction perpendicular to the target 200 to move closer to or away from the target 200. It is understood that the first drive component can be a motor, an air pump, or other drive device, and the second drive component can also be a motor, an air pump, or other drive device. The first drive component and the second drive component can be the same or different.
[0047] It is noted that the magnetron 100 is driven by the first driving member to move from one end of the target material 200 to the other end, and one moving stroke can be understood as that the magnetron 100 turns around after completing one moving stroke, and continues the next moving stroke, and so on. Based on the foregoing, in one moving stroke, the magnetron 100 is driven by the first driving member to first perform an acceleration action and then perform a deceleration action, and corresponding to the acceleration and deceleration actions of the magnetron 100, the second driving member drives the magnetron 100 to ascend or descend. More specifically, when the magnetron 100 is driven by the first driving member to move at acceleration, the second driving member drives the magnetron 100 to move towards the target material 200. When the magnetron 100 is driven by the first driving member to move at deceleration, the second driving member drives the magnetron 100 to move away from the target material 200.
[0048] Therefore, the moving track of the magnetron 100 presents a form of high at both ends and low in the middle as shown in Figure 4 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the track rising at both ends corresponds to the low-speed moving stage of the magnetron 100 at the beginning and end of the preset path, and the track lowering in the middle corresponds to the high-speed moving stage of the magnetron 100 at the middle position of the preset path. It can be understood that, since the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 is increased, the plasma density at the beginning and end is reduced, the etching intensity of the corresponding beginning and end regions of the target material 200 is reduced, the depth difference between the etching depth of the two sides of the edge of the target material 200 and the etching depth of the middle position is reduced, and thus the speed of the target material 200 being etched through is slowed down, the service life of the target material 200 is improved, and the utilization rate of the target material 200 is improved.
[0049] In the embodiment as shown in Figure 7 , the A line represents the groove depth of the target material 200 after sputtering in a conventional way in which the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 maintain the same distance, and the B line represents the groove depth of the target material 200 after sputtering in the improved way in which the magnetron 100 can move up and down in the present application. In the case of the same sputtering time, the deepest depth of the groove of the target material 200 in the conventional way is 9 mm, and the deepest depth of the groove of the target material 200 in the improved way of the present application is 7 mm. It can be found that the depth of the target material 200 etched by the magnetron sputtering device of the present application is smaller under the same sputtering time, and thus the utilization rate of the target material 200 is higher.
[0050] In some embodiments, in one moving stroke, the magnetron 100 has a starting position, a first lifting position, a second lifting position and a turning position in sequence, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, from left to right, the magnetron 101 is in the starting position, the magnetron 102 is in the first lifting position, the magnetron 103 is in the second lifting position, and the magnetron 104 is in the turning position. The magnetron 100 is configured to gradually reduce the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target 200 during the movement from the starting position to the first lifting position, and gradually increase the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target 200 during the movement from the second lifting position to the turning position. It should be noted that the above-mentioned starting position, first lifting position, second lifting position and turning position are all positions of the magnetron 100 in the first direction, and do not involve the limitation in the second direction. It can be understood that the distance from the starting position to the turning position is greater than the size of the substrate 400 in the first direction, and the size of the target 200 in the first direction is not less than the distance from the starting position to the turning position, so that the scanning path of the magnetron 100 covers an area of the target 200 which is greater than the area of the substrate 400.
[0051] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the initial speed of the magnetron 100 at the starting position is 0, and gradually accelerates in the direction of the first lifting position, while the second driving member drives the magnetron 100 to gradually move towards the target 200, until the first lifting position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target 200 reaches the first set distance, and the moving speed of the magnetron 100 in the first direction reaches the first set speed. Then, under the continuous driving of the first driving member, the magnetron 100 moves from the first lifting position to the second lifting position at the first set speed. Then, the first driving member controls the magnetron 100 to gradually decelerate, while the second driving member drives the magnetron 100 to gradually move away from the target 200, until the turning position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target 200 reaches the second set distance, and the speed of the magnetron 100 is 0. Then, the magnetron 100 moves from the turning position towards the starting position to start a new moving stroke. In the new moving stroke, the original turning position is set as the new starting position, the original second lifting position is set as the new first lifting position, the original first lifting position is set as the new second lifting position, and the original starting position is set as the new turning position, which is repeated to complete the multiple reciprocating scanning of the magnetron 100.
[0052] It can be understood that the first set distance, the first set speed and the second set distance need to be set according to the size of the target 200, the working field strength of the electromagnetic field, the distance between the target 200 and the substrate 400, and other specific conditions.
[0053] Further, the distance from the starting position to the first lifting position is 50mm to 100mm, and the distance from the starting position to the first lifting position is inversely proportional to the driving speed of the second driving member. The faster the second driving member drives the magnetron 100 to lift, the shorter the distance from the starting position to the first lifting position can be set, but at the same time, the influence on the uniformity of the film plated on the substrate 400 also needs to be considered. Therefore, preferably, the distance from the starting position to the first lifting position is set to any value within the range of 50mm to 100mm. Similarly, the distance from the second lifting position to the turning position is 50mm to 100mm.
[0054] Further, when the magnetron 100 moves from the first lifting position to the second lifting position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 remains unchanged. Further, when the magnetron 100 is at the first lifting position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 is 1mm to 10mm, that is, during the movement from the first lifting position to the second lifting position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 is maintained at any fixed value within the range of 1mm to 10mm, and during this process, the second driving member maintains the magnetron 100 at a fixed height.
[0055] Further, when the magnetron 100 is at the starting position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 is 5mm to 50mm, and when the magnetron 100 is at the turning position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 is 5mm to 50mm. It can be understood that no matter how the distance between the magnetron and the target material 200 is set at the first lifting position, the second lifting position, the starting position and the turning position, it is necessary to ensure that the distance D1 between the magnetron 101 at the starting position and the target material 200, the distance D2 between the magnetron 104 at the turning position and the target material 200, the distance D3 between the magnetron 102 at the first lifting position and the target material 200, and the distance D4 between the magnetron 103 at the second lifting position and the target material 200 have the following relationship: D3=D4
[0056] In some embodiments, in one moving stroke, the magnetron 100 has the starting position, the first lifting position and the turning position in sequence, and the magnetron 100 is configured to: when moving from the starting position to the first lifting position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 gradually decreases, and when moving from the first lifting position to the turning position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 gradually increases.
[0057] In this embodiment, from the front of the magnetron sputtering device, the moving track of the magnetron 100 is similar to a circular arc, that is, there is only one lowest point. When reaching the first lifting position, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target material 200 reaches the set minimum value, and then the second driving member drives the magnetron 100 to start rising.
[0058] Further, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target 200 is 1mm to 10mm when the magnetron 100 is in the first lifting position.
[0059] Further, the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target 200 is 5mm to 50mm when the magnetron 100 is in the starting position, and the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target 200 is 5mm to 50mm when the magnetron 100 is in the turning position. It can be understood that, no matter how the distance between the magnetron 100 and the target 200 is set in the first lifting position, the starting position and the turning position, the distance D1 between the magnetron 101 in the starting position and the target 200, the distance D2 between the magnetron 104 in the turning position and the target 200, and the distance D3 between the magnetron 102 in the first lifting position and the target 200 should satisfy the following relationship: D3 < D1 = D2.
[0060] In some embodiments, the first driving member is connected with the magnetron 100 to drive the magnetron 100 to move in the first direction, and the second driving member is connected with the first driving member to drive the first driving member and the magnetron 100 to move in the second direction. Specifically, taking the first driving member and the second driving member as both being motor-driven as an example, the first driving member includes a first body part and a first output part which is driven to move relative to the first body part, the second driving member includes a second body part and a second output part which is driven to move relative to the second body part, the first output part of the first driving member is connected with the magnetron 100, the first body part of the first driving member is connected with the second output part of the second driving member, and the second body part of the second driving member is connected with the rack of the magnetron sputtering device or the mounting base (such as the ground, the experiment table, etc.) of the magnetron sputtering device, so that the first driving member and the magnetron 100 are synchronously lifted when the second driving member is driven.
[0061] Alternatively, the second driving member is connected with the magnetron 100 to drive the magnetron 100 to move in the second direction, and the first driving member is connected with the second driving member to drive the second driving member and the magnetron 100 to move in the first direction. Specifically, still taking the first driving member and the second driving member as both being motor-driven as an example, in this embodiment, the first body part of the first driving member is connected with the rack of the magnetron sputtering device or the mounting base (such as the ground, the experiment table, etc.) of the magnetron sputtering device, the first output part is connected with the second body part of the second driving member, and the second output part is connected with the magnetron 100, so that the second driving member and the magnetron 100 are synchronously horizontally moved when the first driving member is driven.
[0062] In some embodiments, the sputtering power source adopts a constant voltage mode.
[0063] In some embodiments, the distance from the starting position to the corresponding side edge of the target 200 is 0 to 200 mm, and the distance from the turning position to the corresponding side edge of the target 200 is 0 to 200 mm.
[0064] The second aspect of the present application also proposes a magnetron sputtering device, which comprises the magnetron sputtering device mentioned in any of the above embodiments.
[0065] The embodiments of the utility model are explained in detail above in combination with the drawings, but the utility model is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various changes can be made within the knowledge range possessed by the ordinary skilled in the art without departing from the purpose of the utility model. In addition, the embodiments and the features in the embodiments of the utility model can be combined with each other without conflict.
Claims
1. A magnetron sputtering apparatus, characterized in that, include: Magnetron; A driving mechanism is connected to the magnetron. The driving mechanism includes a first driving member and a second driving member. The first driving member is used to drive the magnetron to move along a first direction parallel to the target material, and the second driving member is used to drive the magnetron to move along a second direction perpendicular to the target material to move closer to or further away from the target material. The magnetron is configured such that when it is accelerated by the first driving member, the second driving member drives the magnetron to move toward the target; and when it is decelerated by the first driving member, the second driving member drives the magnetron to move away from the target.
2. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movement of the magnetron from one end of the target to the other is defined as a travel stroke. During one travel stroke, the magnetron sequentially has a starting position, a first lifting position, a second lifting position, and a turning position. The magnetron is configured such that when it moves from the starting position to the first lifting position, the distance between the magnetron and the target gradually decreases, and when it moves from the second lifting position to the turning position, the distance between the magnetron and the target gradually increases.
3. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the first direction, the distance from the starting position to the first lifting position is 50mm to 100mm.
4. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the magnetron moves from the first lifting position to the second lifting position, the distance between the magnetron and the target remains unchanged.
5. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movement of the magnetron from one end of the target to the other is defined as a travel stroke. During one travel stroke, the magnetron sequentially has a starting position, a first lifting position, and a turning position. The magnetron is configured such that when it moves from the starting position to the first lifting position, the distance between the magnetron and the target gradually decreases, and when it moves from the first lifting position to the turning position, the distance between the magnetron and the target gradually increases.
6. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 2 or 5, characterized in that, When the magnetron is in the first lifting position, the distance between the magnetron and the target material is 1mm to 10mm.
7. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 2 or 5, characterized in that, When the magnetron is in the initial position, the distance between the magnetron and the target is 5mm to 50mm; and / or, when the magnetron is in the reverse position, the distance between the magnetron and the target is 5mm to 50mm.
8. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first driving member is connected to the magnetron to drive the magnetron to move along the first direction, and the second driving member is connected to the first driving member to drive the first driving member and the magnetron to move along the second direction. Alternatively, the second driving member is connected to the magnetron to drive the magnetron to move along the second direction, and the first driving member is connected to the second driving member to drive the second driving member and the magnetron to move along the first direction.
9. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetron sputtering apparatus further includes a wafer stage for placing a substrate, and the target is disposed between the magnetron and the wafer stage.
10. A magnetron sputtering apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the magnetron sputtering apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.