Film forming device

Abstract

A film forming apparatus is provided that reduces adhesion of film forming materials to the inside of a chamber and improves maintainability. [Solution] The film forming apparatus D of the embodiment has a chamber 1 whose interior can be evacuated and a target 61 containing a film forming material, and within the chamber, film forming sections 4a to 4d, 4f, 4g that deposit the film forming material on a workpiece W by sputtering to form a film, and a film forming chamber S that is arranged at a distance from the target 61 and in which film formation is carried out by the film forming sections 4a to 4d, 4f, 4g, a partition member 9 that separates the film forming chamber S within the chamber 1 from the outside, and a suppression section 104 that is provided between the target 61 and the partition member 9 and suppresses adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber 1.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing processes of various products such as semiconductors, displays, and optical disks, thin films such as optical films are sometimes formed on workpieces such as wafers and glass substrates. Thin films can be created by repeatedly forming a metal film or other material on the workpiece and then subjecting the formed film to film treatments such as etching, oxidation, or nitriding.

[0003] Film formation and film processing can be performed in various ways, one of which is using plasma. In film formation, an inert gas is introduced into a chamber, which is a vacuum container in which a target is placed, and a DC voltage is applied. Ions of the inert gas that has been converted into plasma are made to collide with the target, and the material that is knocked out from the target is deposited on the workpiece to form a film. In film processing, a process gas is introduced into a chamber in which an electrode is placed, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the electrode. Film processing is performed by making the ions of the process gas that has been converted into plasma collide with the film on the workpiece.

[0004] To enable such film formation and film processing to be performed continuously, there is a film formation apparatus in which a rotary table is installed inside one chamber, and multiple film formation chambers and film processing chambers are separated by partition members called shield members above the ceiling of the chamber where the target is supported, i.e., above the rotary table (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a film formation apparatus, an optical film or the like can be formed by holding and transporting a workpiece on the rotary table and passing it directly under the film formation section and film processing section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-49018 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the above-described film formation apparatus, the partition member forming the film formation chamber is held with a gap between it and the ceiling of the chamber on which the target is supported. In other words, a gap is generated between the target and the partition member. As a result, film formation material scattered from the target leaks through this gap, scatters outside the film formation chamber within the chamber, and adheres to the inner surface of the chamber, such as the ceiling. As a result, the film formation material adheres to the inner surface of the chamber, forming a film, which requires a lot of work to remove and deteriorates maintainability. Therefore, there has been a demand for a method to reduce the adhesion of film formation material to the inner surface of the chamber and improve maintainability.

[0007] An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a film forming apparatus that reduces adhesion of film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber and improves maintainability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has a chamber capable of being evacuated, a target containing a film forming material, and within the chamber, a film forming section that deposits the film forming material on a workpiece by sputtering to form a film, a partition member that is spaced apart from the target and forms a film forming chamber in which film formation is carried out by the film forming section, and separates the film forming chamber from the outside within the chamber, and a suppression section that is provided between the target and the partition member and suppresses adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the film forming apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention, adhesion of film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber can be reduced, thereby improving maintainability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective plan view schematically illustrating a configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top surface side of the partition member of the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a bottom perspective view showing the enclosing member of the embodiment of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the surrounding member and the partition member around the target in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the surrounding member of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 1A is an explanatory diagram showing the adhesion of film-forming particles according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram of the prior art. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the suppression portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the surrounding member. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the surrounding member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [composition] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. [Chamber] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the film forming apparatus D has a chamber 1. The chamber 1 is a substantially cylindrical container with a bottom. The chamber 1 can be evacuated and has a lid 1a whose top can be opened and closed. The lid 1a is a circular plate-like member that airtightly seals the top of the chamber 1. The chamber 1 is also provided with an exhaust unit 2, which allows the inside of the chamber 1 to be evacuated to a vacuum. In other words, the chamber 1 functions as a vacuum container. [Transport section] A rotary table 3 is provided within the chamber 1 as a transport unit that rotates and transports the workpiece W along a circular trajectory. That is, a hollow rotary shaft 3b penetrates the bottom of the chamber 1 and stands upright inside the chamber 1, and a substantially circular rotary table 3 is attached to the rotary shaft 3b. A drive mechanism (not shown) is connected to the rotary shaft 3b. The drive mechanism causes the rotary table 3 to rotate around the rotary shaft 3b. A stationary support pillar 3c is disposed within the hollow rotary shaft 3b. The support pillar 3c is fixed to a base (not shown) provided outside the chamber 1 and stands upright inside the chamber 1, penetrating the bottom of the chamber 1. An opening is provided in the center of the rotary table 3. The support pillar 3c penetrates the opening in the rotary table 3, and its tip is located between the upper surface of the rotary table 3 and the upper surface of the chamber 1.

[0012] A ball bearing 3d is disposed between the opening of the turntable 3 and the support column 3c. That is, the turntable 3 is rotatably supported by the support column 3c via the ball bearing 3d. The tip of the support column 3c constitutes an inner peripheral support part IP, which will be described later.

[0013] The chamber 1, the turntable 3, and the rotation shaft 3b act as cathodes in the film forming apparatus D, and are therefore preferably made of conductive metal members with low electrical resistance. The turntable 3 may be, for example, a stainless steel plate member with aluminum oxide sprayed on its surface.

[0014] A plurality of holders 3a for holding the workpiece W are provided on the upper surface of the turntable 3. The plurality of holders 3a are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the turntable 3. As the turntable 3 rotates, the workpiece W held by the holders 3a moves in the circumferential direction of the turntable 3. In other words, a transport path (hereinafter referred to as "transport path L"), which is the circumferential movement trajectory of the workpiece W, is formed on the surface of the turntable 3. The holders 3a can be, for example, trays on which the workpiece W is placed.

[0015] Hereinafter, simply referring to the "circumferential direction" means the "circumferential direction of the turntable 3," and simply referring to the "radial direction" means the "radial direction of the turntable 3." In addition, in this embodiment, a flat substrate is used as an example of the workpiece W, but the type, shape, and material of the workpiece W to be subjected to plasma treatment are not limited to a specific one. For example, a curved substrate having a recess or protrusion in the center may also be used. Furthermore, substrates containing conductive materials such as metal and carbon, insulating materials such as glass and rubber, and semiconductors such as silicon may also be used.

[0016] Above the turntable 3, there are provided processing sections that perform the various steps in the film forming apparatus D. The processing sections are arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval along a transport path L for the workpiece W formed on the surface of the turntable 3. The workpiece W held by the holder 3a passes under each processing section, whereby the workpiece W is processed in each step. [Processing section] In the example of FIG. 1, seven processing units 4a to 4g are arranged along the transport path L on the turntable 3. In this embodiment, the processing units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, and 4g are film formation units that perform film formation processing on the workpiece W. The processing unit 4e is a film processing unit that performs processing on the film formed on the workpiece W by the film formation unit. In this embodiment, the film formation units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, and 4g are described as processing units that deposit a film formation material by sputtering on the workpiece W transported by the turntable 3 to form a film. In addition, the film processing unit 4e is described as performing post-oxidation. Post-oxidation is a process of oxidizing the metal film formed in the film formation unit by introducing oxygen ions generated by plasma or the like.

[0017] Between processing section 4a and processing section 4g, a load lock section 5 is provided which loads an unprocessed workpiece W from the outside into chamber 1 and loads a processed workpiece W out of chamber 1 while maintaining the vacuum inside chamber 1. In this embodiment, the workpiece W is transported clockwise in FIG. 1 from the position of processing section 4a to processing section 4g. Of course, this is just one example, and the transport direction, type, order and number of processing sections are not limited to specific ones and can be determined appropriately. [Film forming section] An example of the configuration of the processing section 4a, which is a film forming section, is shown in Figure 2. The other film forming sections 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, and 4g may be configured similarly to the film forming section 4a, but other configurations may also be applied. (Sputter source) As shown in FIG. 2, the film forming unit 4a has a sputtering source 6. The sputtering source 6 is a supply source of film forming material. The sputtering source 6 has a target 61, a backing plate 62, and an electrode 63. The target 61 is a plate-shaped member made of a film forming material that is deposited on the workpiece W to form a film. The target 61 is installed in a position facing the workpiece W when the workpiece W passes under the film forming unit 4a. In this embodiment, three circular targets 61 are provided. The centers of two targets 61 are aligned in the radial direction of the turntable 3. One target 61 is positioned so that its center forms the vertex of an isosceles triangle with the centers of the other two targets 61.

[0018] The backing plate 62 is a member that holds the target 61. The electrode 63 is a conductive member that applies power to the target 61 from outside the chamber 1. The sputtering source 6 is appropriately equipped with a magnet, a cooling mechanism, etc., as necessary.

[0019] A DC power supply 7 that applies a direct current voltage via an electrode 63 is connected to the target 61. A sputtering gas inlet 8 that introduces a sputtering gas into the chamber 1 is installed at the bottom of the chamber 1 at a position facing the target 61. The sputtering gas may be, for example, an inert gas such as argon. (Partition material) A partition member 9 is provided below the sputtering source 6 described above. The partition member 9 has an opening 91 on the side where the workpiece W passes, and is a member that forms a film formation chamber S where film formation is performed by the film formation unit 4a. The partition member 9 separates the film formation chamber S from the outside within the chamber 1. The partition member 9 has a shielding function that prevents film formation material scattered from the target from adhering to members outside the film formation chamber S and prevents sputtering gas introduced into the film formation chamber S from leaking out of the film formation chamber S, and is therefore also called a shield member.

[0020] The partition member 9 has a ceiling portion 92 and side portions 93. The ceiling portion 92 is a member that forms the ceiling of the film formation chamber S. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ceiling portion 92 is a substantially fan-shaped plate-like body that is arranged parallel to the plane of the turntable 3. Target holes 92a having the same size and shape as the targets 61 are formed in the ceiling portion 92 at positions corresponding to each target 61 so that each target 61 is exposed inside the film formation chamber S. Furthermore, inside the film formation chamber S formed by the partition member 9, the tip of the sputtering gas inlet portion 8 extends to the vicinity of the targets 61.

[0021] The side surface portion 93 is a member that forms the side surface of the periphery of the film formation chamber S. The side surface portion 93 has an outer peripheral wall 93a, an inner peripheral wall 93b, and partition walls 93c and 93d. The outer peripheral wall 93a and the inner peripheral wall 93b are rectangular parallelepipeds curved in an arc and are plate-like bodies that hang down in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the turntable 3. The upper edge of the outer peripheral wall 93a is attached to the outer edge of the ceiling portion 92. The upper edge of the inner peripheral wall 93b is attached to the inner edge of the ceiling portion 92.

[0022] The partition walls 93c, 93d are flat, rectangular parallelepiped-shaped plates that hang down in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the turntable 3. The upper edges of the partition walls 93c, 93d are respectively attached to a pair of radial edges of the ceiling portion 92. The joint between the ceiling portion 92 and the side portion 93 is airtightly sealed. The ceiling portion 92 and the side portion 93 may be integrally formed, that is, formed continuously from the same material. With this partition member 9, the upper and peripheral side surfaces are covered by the ceiling portion 92 and the side portion 93, forming a film formation chamber S with an open lower portion facing the workpiece W.

[0023] This film formation chamber S is the region where most of the film formation takes place, but even in regions outside the film formation chamber S, there is leakage of film formation material from the film formation chamber S, so that does not mean that there is no film deposition at all. In other words, the film formation region where film formation takes place in the film formation section 4a is an area slightly larger than the film formation chamber S defined by the partition member 9.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the partition member 9 has a generally fan-shaped configuration when viewed from above, with its diameter expanding from the center toward the outside in the radial direction of the turntable 3. The "generally fan-shaped" refers to the shape of the fan-shaped portion of a folding fan. The opening 91 in the partition member 9 is also generally fan-shaped. The speed at which the workpiece W held on the turntable 3 passes under the opening 91 decreases toward the center in the radial direction of the turntable 3 and increases toward the outside. Therefore, if the opening 91 is simply rectangular or square, the time it takes for the workpiece W to pass directly under the opening 91 will differ between the center and the outside in the radial direction. By expanding the diameter of the opening 91 from the center toward the outside in the radial direction, the time it takes for the workpiece W to pass through the opening 91 can be made constant, thereby enabling uniform plasma processing, as described below. However, a rectangular or square shape is also acceptable as long as the difference in passing time is not a problem for the product. Examples of materials that can be used for the partition member 9 include aluminum and stainless steel.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the partition member 9 is supported by a support portion P. The support portion P is a member that is fixedly disposed in the chamber 1 and is independent of the lid body 1a. In this embodiment, the support portion P has an outer peripheral support portion OP and an inner peripheral support portion IP. The outer peripheral support portion OP is a plurality of columnar members that stand upright from the bottom of the chamber 1, and extends to the outside of the turntable 3, to a position slightly higher than the workpiece W placed on the turntable 3. The inner peripheral support portion IP is a flat surface provided at the tip of the support column 3c. This inner peripheral support portion IP is set to be at the same height as the outer peripheral support portion OP.

[0026] A partition member 9 is mounted on such outer peripheral support part OP and inner peripheral support part IP. As a result, the upper end of the outer peripheral support part OP supports the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 93a of the partition member 9, and the inner peripheral support part IP supports the lower end of the inner peripheral wall 93b of the partition member 9. A gap is formed between the lower ends of the partition walls 93c, 93d and the turntable 3, allowing the workpiece W on the rotating turntable 3 to pass through. In other words, the height of the support part P is set so that a small gap is created between the lower edge of the partition member 9 and the workpiece W.

[0027] On the other hand, the heights of the outer peripheral support portion OP, the inner peripheral support portion IP, the height of the side portion 93, and the thickness of the ceiling portion 92 are set so that the upper part of the partition member 9, i.e., the ceiling portion 92, is at a height that does not contact the lid body 1a when the lid body 1a is closed. The distance between the lid body 1a and the ceiling portion 92 is set so that the lid body 1a, which has been bent when a vacuum is drawn, will not come into contact with the ceiling portion 92. For example, the amount of warping, which is the amount of displacement in the height direction caused by the lid body 1a being bent when a vacuum is drawn, is determined in advance through an experiment or the like, and a gap larger than this amount of warping is set as the distance between the underside of the lid body 1a and the upper surface of the ceiling portion 92. (enclosure member) 2 and 5, an enclosing member 100 is provided between the target 61 and the partition member 9. The enclosing member 100 is a conductive member that is set at an anode potential relative to the target 61, which serves as a cathode, and has the function of capturing electrons in the plasma to maintain a stable discharge. For this reason, the enclosing member 100 is also called an anode ring, earth shield, annular anode, anode plate, anode electrode, etc.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom side of the surrounding member 100. That is, the view is of the surrounding member 100 with the facing surface 102, which is the surface facing the bottom of the chamber 1, facing upward. As shown in FIG. 4, the surrounding member 100 is a plate-like body and has multiple openings 101 through which the targets 61 are exposed, thereby surrounding the periphery of each target 61. In this embodiment, the surrounding member 100 is attached to the lid 1a so as to cover the portion of the sputtering source 6 facing the film formation chamber S other than the targets 61. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a gap G1 is provided between the inner periphery of the opening 101 and the outer periphery of the target 61. The reason for providing such a gap is to prevent contact between the surrounding member 100 and the targets 61 and thereby prevent a short circuit between the surrounding member 100, which is at an anode potential, and the targets 61.

[0029] Here, the partition member 9 constituting the film formation chamber S is relatively heavy, making it very difficult to manually attach it to the lid 1a or to open and close the lid 1a when it is attached to the lid 1a. For this reason, as described above, the partition member 9 is provided in the chamber 1 separately from the lid 1a. Meanwhile, the surrounding member 100 is attached to the lid 1a with bolts or the like to maintain a constant distance from the target 61 provided on the lid 1a side of the chamber 1 and to prevent contact with the target. In other words, the lid 1a can be opened and closed with the target 61 and surrounding member 100 attached.

[0030] The portion of the surrounding member 100 attached to the lid 1a overlaps the partition member 9 with a gap in the vertical direction. In other words, the portion of the surrounding member 100 away from the target 61 is covered by the partition member 9 while forming an air passage between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9. This gap between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 is necessary to prevent collision between the two, taking into account installation errors that may occur when the lid 1a is attached to the chamber 1. The flat surface of the surrounding member 100 facing the partition member 9 is referred to as the facing surface 102. The flat surface of the partition member 9 facing the surrounding member 100 is part of the ceiling portion 92 and is referred to as the facing surface 92b (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0031] In this embodiment, a curved ventilation path is formed in the region between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9 (for example, the region on the opposite side from the target 61). For example, a convex portion 103 is formed at the end of the enclosing member 100, and a concave portion 94 is formed in the partition member 9 facing it, and the two overlap with a gap between them, thereby forming a so-called labyrinth structure. Note that the enclosing member 100 may have a concave portion and the partition member 9 may have a convex portion.

[0032] The multiple openings 101 are concentric with the target 61 and have a circular shape that follows the outer periphery of the sputtering surface of the target 61. As described above, a gap is provided between the inner periphery of the opening 101 and the outer periphery of the target 61, and the gap interval G1 is set to a size that prevents contact with the target 61 even if there is a dimensional error or installation error in the enclosing member 100, or a size that prevents contact between the target 61 and the enclosing member 100 via the film-forming particles (hereinafter also referred to as sputtering particles) scattered from the target 61 even if they are present in the gap. The gap G1 is preferably, for example, about 2 mm.

[0033] A suppression portion 104 is provided in the opening 101 at a position along the outer periphery of the target 61. This suppression portion 104 is provided between the target 61 and the partition member 9 and suppresses adhesion of the film formation material to the inner surface of the chamber 1. In other words, the suppression portion 104 is provided to prevent sputtered particles from entering the gap between the partition member 9 and the surrounding member 100. More specifically, the suppression portion 104 is a portion of the surrounding member 100 where the thickness is increased. The suppression portion 104 has an inclined surface 105 that is inclined by gradually increasing the thickness in a direction away from the target 61. The inclined surface 105 is a ring-shaped tapered surface that widens in cross section in the thickness direction of the surrounding member 100 and faces inward into the film formation chamber S.

[0034] The inclination angle α of the inclined surface 105 with respect to a plane parallel to the surface of the target 61 is preferably, for example, 135° to 170° (see FIG. 6). The surface of the target 61 here refers to a flat surface before it is worn away by film formation, and is a surface perpendicular to the axis of the target 61. In other words, the inclined surface 105 is a surface inclined with respect to the sputtering surface of the target 61.

[0035] The surface of the suppression section 104 has surfaces that are connected by curved surfaces. In other words, on the surface of the suppression section 104, both ends of the inclined surface 105 are continuous with other parts via curved surfaces. Furthermore, areas other than the inclined surface 105 are also continuous with curved surfaces. Note that the continuity may be an obtuse-angled surface rather than a curved surface. Note that the surface of the suppression section 104 is roughened by a surface roughening treatment and then by the formation of a thermal sprayed film. This makes it easier for the film-forming material to adhere and less likely to peel off.

[0036] A groove 106 is formed in the suppression section 104. This groove 106 has a width d that makes it difficult for sputtered particles to enter. This width d is preferably set to, for example, 1 to 5 mm. The groove 106 is annular and extends along the opening 101, and its depth direction is parallel to the thickness direction of the target 61. The width d is the length in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the target 61.

[0037] A gap G2 is provided between the outer periphery of the suppression unit 104 and the side surface of the partition member 9. The gap G2 between the outer periphery of the suppression unit 104 and the side surface of the partition member 9 is preferably, for example, approximately 8 mm. Without this gap, sputtered particles would penetrate between the partition member 9 and the surrounding member 100 and would be less likely to adhere to the opposing surfaces. However, such a gap is provided to prevent contact between the two when attaching the lid body 1a, taking into account installation errors, as described above. For the same reason, the gap G3 between the opposing surface 102 of the surrounding member 100 on the side opposite the target 61 and the partition member 9 is preferably approximately 1 to 3 mm. Furthermore, the gap between the convex portion 103 of the surrounding member 100 and the concave portion 94 of the partition member 9 is preferably set to the same value as G3. It is preferable that these gaps G1 to G3 be set to the above values ​​after the lid body 1a is deflected when the chamber 1 is evacuated, as described below.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 , a conductive part 107 that electrically connects the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 is provided in a region between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 (for example, a region on the opposite side from the target 61). The conductive part 107 is formed of a conductive elastic member and is attached to either the surrounding member 100 or the partition member 9. The conductive part 107 has elasticity so as to absorb any error in the gap between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 when attaching the lid 1a. For example, the conductive part 107 can be a copper compression coil spring. [Membrane processing section] The membrane processing unit 4e is provided with a cylindrical electrode (hereinafter referred to as "cylindrical electrode") 10, which is installed on the upper surface of the interior of the chamber 1. The cylindrical electrode 10 is rectangular and has an opening 11 at one end and a closed end. The cylindrical electrode 10 passes through a through-hole provided on the upper surface of the chamber 1, and is positioned so that the end on the opening 11 side is located inside the chamber 1 and the closed end is located outside the chamber 1. The cylindrical electrode 10 is supported on the periphery of the through-hole of the chamber 1 via an insulating material. The opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10 is positioned opposite the transport path L formed on the turntable 3. That is, the turntable 3 serves as a transport unit, transporting the workpiece W and passing it directly below the opening 11. The position directly below the opening 11 is the passing position of the workpiece W.

[0039] 1 and 2, the cylindrical electrode 10 and its opening 11, like the partition member 9, are generally fan-shaped when viewed from above, with the diameter expanding from the center toward the outside in the radial direction of the turntable 3. The reason for the generally fan-shaped shape is the same as for the partition member 9, and they may be rectangular or square as long as the difference in the passage time does not cause any problems in the product.

[0040] As described above, the cylindrical electrode 10 passes through the through-hole of the chamber 1, and a portion of it is exposed to the outside of the chamber 1. The portion of the cylindrical electrode 10 exposed to the outside of the chamber 1 is covered by an external shield 12, as shown in FIG. 2. The external shield 12 keeps the space inside the chamber 1 airtight. The periphery of the portion of the cylindrical electrode 10 located inside the chamber 1 is covered by an internal shield 13.

[0041] The internal shield 13 is a rectangular cylindrical structure coaxial with the cylindrical electrode 10 and is supported on the upper surface inside the chamber 1. Each side of the internal shield 13 is arranged approximately parallel to each side of the cylindrical electrode 10. The lower end of the internal shield 13 is at the same height as the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10, but a flange 14 extending parallel to the upper surface of the turntable 3 is provided at the lower end of the internal shield 13. This flange 14 prevents plasma generated inside the cylindrical electrode 10 from leaking out of the internal shield 13. The workpiece W transported by the turntable 3 is carried in through the gap between the turntable 3 and the flange 14, directly below the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10, and then carried out from directly below the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10 through the gap between the turntable 3 and the flange 14 again.

[0042] An RF power supply 15 for applying a high-frequency voltage is connected to the cylindrical electrode 10. A matching box 21, which is a matching circuit, is connected in series to the output side of the RF power supply 15. The RF power supply 15 is also connected to the chamber 1. The cylindrical electrode 10 acts as the anode, and the turntable 3 standing upright from the chamber 1 acts as the cathode. The matching box 21 stabilizes the plasma discharge by matching the impedance on the input and output sides. The chamber 1 and the turntable 3 are grounded. The internal shield 13 having a flange 14 is also grounded.

[0043] A process gas inlet 16 is connected to the cylindrical electrode 10, and a process gas is introduced into the cylindrical electrode 10 from an external process gas supply source via the process gas inlet 16. The process gas can be changed as appropriate depending on the purpose of the film processing. For example, when etching is performed, an inert gas such as argon can be used as the etching gas. When performing oxidation or post-oxidation, oxygen can be used. When performing nitriding, nitrogen can be used. Both the RF power source 15 and the process gas inlet 16 are connected to the cylindrical electrode 10 via through holes provided in the external shield 12. [Control Unit] The film forming apparatus D further includes a control unit 20. The control unit 20 is composed of a processing unit called a processor, such as a PLC or CPU. The control unit 20 controls the introduction and exhaust of sputtering gas and process gas into the chamber 1, the DC power supply 7 and the RF power supply 15, and the rotation speed of the turntable 3. [Operation] The operation of the film forming apparatus D of this embodiment will be described. With the lid 1a open, the partition member 9 is mounted on the outer peripheral support part OP and the inner peripheral support part IP. Since the outer peripheral support part OP and the inner peripheral support part IP are set at the heights as described above, the lower end of the partition member 9 is supported with a gap that allows the workpiece W to pass through.

[0044] Next, the chamber 1 is sealed with the lid 1a. As a result, the target 61 attached to the lid 1a is positioned facing the interior of the film formation chamber S through the target hole 92a provided in the ceiling portion 92 of the partition member 9. The inclined surface 105 of the suppression portion 104 of the enclosing member 100 enters the target hole 92a and faces the center of the film formation chamber S, and the opposing surface 102 faces the ceiling surface of the partition member 9 with a gap therebetween. At this time, the convex portion of the enclosing member 100 overlaps with a gap therebetween so as to enter the concave portion 94 of the partition member 9, thereby forming a ventilation path with a labyrinth structure. In addition, the conductive portion 107 is sandwiched between the enclosing member 100 and the partition member 9 and is compressed while in contact with both, ensuring electrical conduction between them.

[0045] After sealing the chamber 1 with the lid 1a in this way, the interior of the chamber 1 is evacuated to a vacuum state by the exhaust unit 2. While maintaining the vacuum state inside the chamber 1, an unprocessed workpiece W is loaded into the chamber 1 from the load lock unit 5. The loaded workpiece W is held by the holder 3a of the turntable 3, which is sequentially positioned in the load lock unit 5. Furthermore, by continuously rotating the turntable 3, the workpiece W is rotated and transported along the transport path L, passing under each of the processing units 4a to 4g.

[0046] When the vacuum is drawn, the lid body 1a bends due to atmospheric pressure. However, the partition member 9 is not attached to the lid body 1a, but is supported by an outer peripheral support portion OP and an inner peripheral support portion IP that are independent of the lid body 1a. The ceiling portion 92 of the partition member 9 is positioned so that it does not come into contact with the bent lid body 1a. Therefore, even if the lid body 1a bends due to the vacuum, the initially set distance between the partition member 9 and the turntable 3 does not change, and the gap between the workpiece W and the bottom end of the partition member 9 is maintained.

[0047] In the film forming unit 4a, sputtering gas is introduced through the sputtering gas inlet 8, and a DC voltage is applied to the sputtering source 6 from the DC power supply 7. The application of the DC voltage converts the sputtering gas into plasma, generating ions. When the generated ions collide with the target 61, the film forming material on the target 61 is ejected. The ejected film forming material is deposited on the workpiece W passing under the film forming unit 4a, forming a thin film on the workpiece W. Film formation is performed in the same manner in the other film forming units 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, and 4g. However, it is not necessarily necessary to form films in all film forming units. As an example, here, a Si film is formed on the workpiece W by DC sputtering.

[0048] 7(A), sputtered particles also adhere to the inclined surface 105 of the suppression unit 104 during such film formation, but as a result, the film formation material scattered from the target 61 in the vertical direction and in directions inclined thereto is blocked and captured by the suppression unit 104, making it difficult for the film formation material to adhere to the opposing surface 102, the ceiling of the chamber 1, and other areas other than the suppression unit 104. In addition, the film formation material is difficult to enter into the grooves 106 formed in the inclined surface 105, making it difficult for the film formation material to adhere thereto.

[0049] The workpiece W on which the film has been formed in the film forming unit 4a continues to be transported on the transport path L by the turntable 3 and passes through a position directly below the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10, i.e., the film processing position, in the film processing unit 4e. As described above, this embodiment describes an example in which post-oxidation is performed in the film processing unit 4e. In the film processing unit 4e, oxygen gas, which is the process gas, is introduced into the cylindrical electrode 10 from the process gas inlet 16, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the cylindrical electrode 10 from the RF power source 15. The application of the high-frequency voltage converts the oxygen gas into plasma, generating electrons, ions, radicals, and the like. The plasma flows from the opening 11 of the cylindrical electrode 10, which serves as the anode, to the turntable 3, which serves as the cathode. Ions in the plasma collide with the thin film on the workpiece W passing under the opening 11, resulting in post-oxidation of the thin film. Furthermore, since a labyrinth-structure ventilation path is formed between the partition member 9 and the enclosing member 100, the process gas from the film processing section 4e is prevented from entering the film formation chamber S and adhering to the surface of the target 61, thereby preventing the surface of the target 61 from being contaminated by oxidation or the like. [effect] (1) The film forming apparatus D of this embodiment has a chamber 1 whose interior can be evacuated, and a target 61 containing a film forming material. Within the chamber, film forming sections 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g are formed to deposit the film forming material on a workpiece W by sputtering to form a film, and a film forming chamber S is formed that is spaced apart from the target 61 and in which film formation is performed by the film forming sections 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g. The film forming apparatus D is characterized by having a partition member 9 that separates the film forming chamber S from the outside within the chamber 1, and a suppression section 104 that is provided between the target 61 and the partition member 9 and suppresses adhesion of the film forming material to the inner surface of the chamber 1.

[0050] In this way, because suppression unit 104 is provided, even if a gap is formed between partition member 9 and the inner wall surface of chamber 1, scattering of the film formation material from this gap to the outside of film formation chamber S within chamber 1 is suppressed, and adhesion of the film formation material to areas of components within chamber 1, such as the inner surface of chamber 1, other than suppression unit 104, is suppressed. Therefore, the area of ​​components within chamber 1 that needs to be cleaned to remove the adhered film can be reduced, improving maintainability. (2) A plate-like body provided between the target 61 and the partition member 9, in which an opening 101 is formed to expose the target 61, and an enclosing member 100 is provided surrounding the periphery of the target 61, and the suppression portion 104 is a portion with increased thickness at a position along the outer periphery of the target 61 at the opening 101.

[0051] Therefore, the deposition material adheres to the suppression section 104 provided around the target 61, preventing the deposition material from adhering to other areas. Therefore, the surrounding member 100 suppresses deposition of a film inside the chamber 1, and during maintenance, the film adhering to the suppression section 104 only needs to be removed, reducing the area to be cleaned and improving maintainability. This is also evident from the fact that the sputtered particles PA are more likely to enter between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 without being obstructed than in the present embodiment shown in Figure 7(A) compared to the case where the surrounding member 100 is flat as shown in Figure 7(B). (3) The suppression unit 104 has an inclined surface 105 that is gradually thicker in the direction away from the target 61. Therefore, the film formation material scattered from the target 61 in the vertical direction and the oblique direction is easily blocked and captured by the inclined surface 105, and the film formation material is less likely to adhere to areas other than the inclined surface 105. This reduces the area to be cleaned, improving maintainability. (4) The inclination angle α of the inclined surface 105 with respect to a plane parallel to the surface of the target 61 is 135° to 170°. By making the inclination angle α of the inclined surface 105 gentle with respect to the plane parallel to the surface of the target 61 in this way, the film forming material can be more easily adhered, and the adhesion of the film forming material to other locations can be reduced. (5) The surface of the suppression portion 104 has a curved surface or a surface that is connected at an obtuse angle. If a film-forming material adheres to a surface that is connected at an acute angle, the film-forming material is likely to peel off. However, by using a curved surface or a surface that is connected at an obtuse angle, the film-forming material is more likely to adhere and the peeled film-forming material is less likely to fall onto the workpiece W, thereby reducing the possibility of deterioration of the film quality. (6) Grooves 106 are formed in the suppression section 104. Therefore, sputter particles are less likely to penetrate into the grooves 106, ensuring a conductive surface within the grooves 106 even when the film-forming material is deposited on the surface of the suppression section 104. Therefore, the suppression section 104 around the target 61, which has a high magnetic flux density, can maintain a state in which it can efficiently capture electrons, preventing anode loss, which would cause the enclosing member 100 to lose its function as an anode. This prevents discharge instability and deterioration of film quality and film thickness uniformity, ensuring good sputtering. This is particularly effective when the film-forming material is a highly insulating material, such as Si, which is prone to anode loss. (7) The region between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9 has a conductive portion 107 that electrically connects the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9. Therefore, by ensuring electrical connection between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9, the partition member 9, which has a portion on which a film is not formed compared to the surrounding member 100, can also capture electrons. Therefore, the partition member 9 also functions as an anode, preventing anode loss. Furthermore, by providing the conductive portion 107 between the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9, contamination of the target 61 due to infiltration of different types of processing gases from other processing sections in the chamber 1 into the film formation chamber S is reduced. (8) A curved ventilation path is formed in the region between the film processing unit 4e, which is provided in the chamber 1 and processes the films formed by the film forming units 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g, the turntable 3, which is provided in the chamber 1 and serves as a transport unit for transporting the workpiece W between the film forming units 4a to 4d, 4f, and 4g and the film processing unit 4e, and the surrounding member 100 and the partition member 9. This prevents the intrusion of different types of gases, such as process gases containing oxygen, from the film processing unit 4e, and suppresses contamination of the surface of the target 61. [Variations] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above aspects, but also include the following aspects: Note that a description of the same configurations as the above aspects will be omitted. (1) Either or both of the groove 106 and the conductive portion 107 may be omitted. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, a suppression portion 95 may be provided on the partition member 9. For example, a protruding portion of the partition member 9 near the target 61 so as to narrow the gap between the target 61 and the partition member 9 may serve as the suppression portion 95. This can provide the same effect as the suppression portion 104 described above. Also, for example, such a suppression portion 95 may also be formed with an inclined surface, a curved surface, or a surface connected at an obtuse angle as described above. (2) The film processing section may be a processing section in which active species generated by plasma produced by inductive coupling penetrate into a film deposited on the surface of the workpiece W to form a compound film. Furthermore, the film forming apparatus may not be an apparatus that performs film formation and film processing while rotating and transporting, but may be an apparatus that performs film formation in the film forming section and film processing in the film processing section in a stationary state, and in which a transport section transports between the film forming section and the film processing section. The transport section is not limited to the turntable 3. Alternatively, the film forming apparatus may be an apparatus that performs only film formation in a stationary state and performs film processing elsewhere, and does not have a transport section. (3) The enclosing member 100 may be configured to be divided into multiple parts, one for each target 61, as shown in Fig. 9. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 10, for example, by providing the suppression unit 104 detachably from the enclosing member 100 with a fastening member such as a bolt, only the suppression unit 104 needs to be removed and cleaned during maintenance, thereby improving maintainability. [Other embodiments] The above describes embodiments of the present invention and modifications of each part. However, these embodiments and modifications of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions described in the claims. The inventions of each claim can be freely combined, and any of the above features may be selected and combined, or omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 chamber 1a Lid body 2 Exhaust section 3 Rotating table 3a Holding part 3b Rotation axis 3c strut 3d ball bearing 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4f, 4g Processing section (film forming section) 4e Processing section (membrane processing section) 5 Load lock section 6. Sputter Source 61 Target 62 Backing Plate 63 Electrode 7 DC power supply 8 Sputtering gas inlet 9 Partition material 91 Aperture 92 Ceiling 92a target hole 92b Opposite surface 93 Side part 93a Outer wall 93b Inner wall 93c Bulkhead 93d bulkhead 94 recess 95 Suppression part 10 Cylindrical electrode 11 Opening 12 Outer shield 13 Inner shield 14 flange 15 RF power supply 16 Process gas inlet 20 Control Unit 21 Matching Box 100 Enclosing member 101 Aperture 102 Opposite surface 103 Convex part 104 Suppression part 105 Slope 106 Groove 107 Conductive part

Claims

1. a chamber capable of creating a vacuum inside; a film forming unit having a target containing a film forming material and configured to deposit the film forming material on the workpiece by sputtering within the chamber; a partition member disposed at a distance from the target, forming a film formation chamber in which film formation is performed by the film formation unit, and separating the film formation chamber from the outside within the chamber; a suppression unit provided between the target and the partition member and configured to suppress adhesion of a film forming material to an inner surface of the chamber; A film forming apparatus comprising:

2. a plate-like body provided between the target and the partition member, and an opening through which the target is exposed is formed, thereby providing a surrounding member that surrounds the periphery of the target; 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suppression portion is a portion having an increased thickness at a position along the outer periphery of the target in the opening.

3. 2. The film deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suppressing portion is a protruding portion of the partition member in the vicinity of the target so as to narrow the gap between the target and the partition member.

4. 4. The film deposition apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the suppression portion has an inclined surface that is inclined by gradually increasing its thickness in a direction away from the target.

5. 5. The film deposition apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the inclined surface has an inclination angle of 10° to 45° with respect to a plane parallel to the surface of the target.

6. 6. The film deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the suppression portion has a curved surface or a surface that is connected at an obtuse angle.

7. 3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the suppression portion has a groove formed therein.

8. 3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a conductive portion electrically connecting the surrounding member and the partition member in a region between the surrounding member and the partition member.

9. a film processing unit provided in the chamber for processing the film formed by the film forming unit; a transfer unit provided in the chamber and configured to transfer a workpiece between the film forming unit and the film processing unit; 9. The film deposition apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a bent ventilation path is formed in the region between the surrounding member and the partition member.

Images