ion source

Abstract

To provide an ion source which allows easy maintenance work.SOLUTION: An ion source 10 has a container 11 from the inside of which an ion beam is extracted. The container 11 has: a plasma generation part 12 which internally generates plasma; and an electrode housing part 13 which houses an electrode for taking out the ion beam. The ion source 10 is configured such that the plasma generation part 12 can be removed from the electrode housing part 13 along a predetermined trajectory, with the electrode housing part 13 fixed to a device body 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to ion sources, and more particularly to ion sources for use in ion implanters. [Background technology]

[0002] Ion implantation devices used in flat panel display manufacturing processes and semiconductor manufacturing processes are assembled by fixing an ion source that generates an ion beam to the device body. Conventionally, when replacing components disposed in the ion source or cleaning the inside of the ion source, the ion source has been removed from the device body, and after the replacement or cleaning, the ion source has been reattached to the device body. Patent Document 1 discloses a known ion source movement mechanism used when attaching or detaching the ion source to or from the device body.

[0003] The movement mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a chain block and is equipped with a hanging mechanism that can move an ion source suspended from the chain in vertical and horizontal directions. This movement mechanism is configured to hang a chain around a part of the ion source and then drive the chain block to gradually lift up the ion source, thereby changing the ion source from a lying-down position to an upright position. Also, while the ion source is suspended by the chain, the chain is gradually lowered, thereby changing the ion source from an upright position to a lying-down position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2019-57385 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional ion sources, when performing maintenance work on the inside of the ion source, it was necessary to remove the entire ion source from the main body of the apparatus using, for example, a movement mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, perform the required work, and then reattach the entire ion source to the main body of the apparatus. This series of work becomes more complicated as the ion source becomes larger, so there has been a demand for an ion source that allows easier maintenance work.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an ion source that allows for easier maintenance work of the ion source than conventional ion sources. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The ion source of the present invention is an ion source that includes a container attached to an apparatus main body and extracts an ion beam in one direction from the inside of the container, wherein the container has a plasma generation unit in which plasma is generated, and an electrode accommodating unit that accommodates an electrode for extracting the ion beam and is fixed to the apparatus main body in a state where it is superimposed on the plasma generation unit in the one direction, and the plasma generation unit is configured to be able to detach from the electrode accommodating unit in a predetermined trajectory with the electrode accommodating unit fixed to the apparatus main body.

[0008] According to this configuration, the plasma generating unit can be detached from the electrode accommodating unit while the electrode accommodating unit is fixed to the device body. Therefore, when performing maintenance work on the plasma generating unit, such as part replacement or cleaning, it is sufficient to detach the plasma generating unit from the electrode accommodating unit, and there is no need to remove the entire container from the device body. Furthermore, since the plasma generating unit is configured to detach from the electrode accommodating unit along a predetermined trajectory, the operation of the plasma generating unit during the operation of detaching the plasma generating unit from the electrode accommodating unit is fixed, ensuring the safety of the operation.

[0009] Furthermore, the ion source of the present invention is configured such that, with the electrode housing portion fixed to the device body, the plasma generating portion rotates around a predetermined rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction, thereby causing the plasma generating portion to detach from the electrode housing portion.

[0010] Furthermore, the ion source of the present invention may be configured to further include a connecting member that connects the lower end of the plasma generating unit to the lower end of the electrode accommodating unit when the container is attached to the device body, and that enables the plasma generating unit to perform the rotational movement.

[0011] Moreover, the ion source of the present invention may further include a pressing member that is driven by remote control and applies a pressing force to the plasma generating unit or the electrode accommodating unit while the plasma generating unit and the electrode accommodating unit are facing each other, thereby bringing the plasma generating unit relatively closer to the electrode accommodating unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the ion source of the present invention, maintenance work for the ion source can be performed more easily than in the past. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an ion source and ion implanter according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the plasma generating unit is detached from the electrode housing unit in the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the ion source in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An ion source 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The drawings are created for the purpose of understanding the present invention, and the ratios of the length dimensions of the components in the drawings and the scale ratios do not necessarily match. In this embodiment, the rotation axis A1 shown in each drawing is Y The axis is parallel to the one-way D and the lifting rotation axis A2 X The X-axis is parallel to the horizontal axis, and the Z-axis is perpendicular to the X-axis.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an ion source 10 and a portion of an ion implanter 1 to which the ion source 10 is attached. 1, the ion source 10 is attached to the main body 2 of the ion implantation apparatus 1 when in use. The ion implantation apparatus 1 in this embodiment is used in the process of manufacturing flat panel displays, and is an apparatus that extracts ions generated in the ion source 10 as an ion beam and irradiates the ion beam onto a glass substrate to perform ion implantation processing on the glass substrate. The ion implantation apparatus 1 employs a general configuration except for the ion source 10, and therefore detailed explanation and illustration of the ion implantation apparatus 1 will be omitted here.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the ion source 10 includes a container 11 attached to the main body 2 of the ion implantation device 1. The container 11 includes a plasma generation unit 12 and an electrode housing unit 13, which are fixed to each other in a stacked state. The ion source 10 is configured to extract ions in plasma generated inside the plasma generation unit 12 as an ion beam IB. In this embodiment, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 1, an ion beam IB, which is called a ribbon beam or a sheet beam, is extracted from the ion source 10 in one direction D.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the plasma generating unit 12 is removed from the electrode housing unit 13. As shown in FIG. When the ion source 1 is in operation, plasma is generated inside the plasma generating unit 12 from a raw material gas supplied from outside the vessel 11. A filament or the like that supplies electrons for generating plasma from the raw material gas is disposed inside the plasma generating unit 12. In this embodiment, members such as the filament disposed inside the plasma generating unit 12 are collectively referred to as an internal member 14, and the internal member 14 is schematically shown in FIG.

[0018] A plurality of electrodes, such as an extraction electrode for extracting ions as an ion beam from the plasma generated in the plasma generation unit 12, are arranged inside the electrode housing unit 13. In this embodiment, these multiple electrodes arranged in the electrode housing unit 13 are collectively referred to as an electrode group 15, and the electrode group 15 is schematically shown in FIG.

[0019] 1, when the container 11 is fixed to the apparatus body 2, the plasma generating unit 12 and the electrode accommodating unit 13 are fixed to each other in a state where they are overlapped in one direction D. A first flange 12a is formed on the plasma generating unit 12, and a mounting surface 13a to which the first flange 12a is attached is formed on the electrode accommodating unit 13. The plasma generating unit 12 and the electrode accommodating unit 13 are fixed to each other by pressing the first flange 12a toward the mounting surface 13a with a plurality of pressing members 17, which will be described later, in a state where the first flange 12a is fitted to the mounting surface 13a of the electrode accommodating unit 13.

[0020] Further, a second flange 13b is formed on the electrode housing portion 13, and the second flange 13b is fixed to a fixing surface 2a of the device body 2 with a fastener such as a bolt (not shown), thereby fixing the container 11 to the device body 2. Fixing the container 11 to the device body 2 results in fixing the ion source 10 to the device body 2.

[0021] The ion source 10 further includes a connecting member 16 that connects a first lower end 12c, which is the lower end of the plasma generating unit 12, to a second lower end 13c, which is the lower end of the electrode accommodating unit 13, when the container 11 is attached to the apparatus body 2. The connecting member 16 in this embodiment is a hinge member that enables the plasma generating unit 12 to rotate relative to the electrode accommodating unit 13 in a predetermined orbit. Note that the fact that the connecting member 16 connects the first lower end 12c and the second lower end 13c does not necessarily mean that the fixing points of the connecting member 16 to the plasma generating unit 12 and the electrode accommodating unit 13 are set at the first lower end 12c and the second lower end 13c. The connecting member 16 and the plasma generating unit 12 may be fixed near the first lower end 12c, and may be substantially considered to be fixed at the first lower end 12c. Similarly, the connecting member 16 and the electrode accommodating unit 13 may be fixed near the second lower end 13c, and may be substantially considered to be fixed at the second lower end 13c.

[0022] 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of the side of the ion source 10, and schematically shows the connecting member 16 and some of the components of the container 11 located around the connecting member 16. Note that Fig. 3 shows a state before the plasma generating unit 12 is fixed to the electrode housing unit 13 after the plasma generating unit 12 and the electrode housing unit 13 are made to face each other. 3, the connecting member 16 has a plate-shaped first connecting portion 16a fixed to the first lower end portion 12c and a plate-shaped second connecting portion 16b fixed to the second lower end portion 13c. The connecting member 16 also has a shaft portion 16c formed integrally with the first connecting portion 16a, and a cylindrical portion 16d formed on the second connecting portion 16b to receive the shaft portion 16c.

[0023] The connecting member 16 is configured so that the first connecting portion 16a can rotate about the shaft portion 16c relative to the second connecting portion 16b. Therefore, the plasma generating unit 12 can rotate about the shaft portion 16c relative to the electrode accommodating unit 13. In this embodiment, the shaft portion 16c is arranged parallel to a rotation axis A1 that is parallel to the horizontal direction shown in FIG. 1. More specifically, since the rotation axis A1 is defined by the shaft portion 16c, the position of the shaft portion 16c is determined in accordance with the desired rotational orbit of the plasma generating unit 12.

[0024] 1 and 2, with the electrode housing 13 fixed to the apparatus body 2, the plasma generating unit 12 can be rotated about a predetermined rotation axis A1 parallel to the horizontal direction. That is, by rotating the plasma generating unit 12 about the rotation axis A1 so as to transition from the state shown in Fig. 1 to the state shown in Fig. 2, the plasma generating unit 12 can be removed from the electrode housing 13. Conversely, by rotating the plasma generating unit 12 about the rotation axis A1 so as to transition from the state shown in Fig. 2 to the state shown in Fig. 1, the plasma generating unit 12 can be moved closer to the electrode housing 13 so as to face it, and then fixed.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ion source 10 further includes a pressing member 17 that presses the plasma generating unit 12 toward the electrode housing unit 13 in a state in which the plasma generating unit 12 and the electrode housing unit 13 face each other. More specifically, the ion source 10 includes a plurality of pressing members 17 that press the first flange 12a of the plasma generating unit 12 toward the electrode accommodating unit 13 at least on both sides in the width direction of the plasma generating unit 12. In this embodiment, the ion source 10 includes four pressing members 17 arranged on the mounting surface 13a of the electrode accommodating unit 13. . The number and arrangement of the pressing members 17 may be changed as appropriate.

[0026] 3, the pressing member 17 in this embodiment is an air clamp, and has a cylindrical lifting part 17a that moves up and down about a lifting rotation axis A2 that is parallel to the direction in which the plasma generating part 12 and the electrode accommodating part 13 are overlapped, that is, parallel to one direction D. The pressing member 17 also has a contact part 17b fixed to the end of the lifting part 17a.

[0027] The lifting portion 17a is configured to be movable up and down along the lifting rotation axis A2 and to be rotatable about the lifting rotation axis A2. Accordingly, the contact portion 17b is also movable up and down along the lifting rotation axis A2 and to be rotatable about the lifting rotation axis A2. The pressing member 17 is also driven by remote control.

[0028] In this embodiment, the pressing member 17 is operated by a controller (not shown) located at a position distant from the ion source 10. In this case, an operator can use the controller at a position distant from the ion source 10 to raise and lower and rotate the pressing member 17. This facilitates the work of fixing the plasma generating unit 12 and the electrode housing unit 13, and ensures the safety of the operator.

[0029] 1, when the electrode accommodating unit 13 is fixed to the apparatus body 2, the contact portion 17b of the pressing member 17 contacts the first flange 12a of the plasma generating unit 12 and applies a force to press the first flange 12a against the electrode accommodating unit 13. In addition, the connecting member 16 supports the plasma generating unit 12 from below. In this way, the plasma generating unit 12 is supported from below by the connecting member 16 and is firmly fixed to the electrode accommodating unit 13 by the application of a pressing force from the pressing member 17.

[0030] 1, first, the pressing member 17 is driven so that the contact portion 17b moves away from the plasma generating unit 12. Then, while the plasma generating unit 12 is being removed from the electrode housing unit 13, the contact portion 17b is rotated 90 degrees around the lifting rotation axis A2 so that the plasma generating unit 12 and the contact portion 17b do not interfere with each other.

[0031] Then, using a driving device (not shown), the plasma generating part 12 is rotated around the rotation axis A1. By this operation, the plasma generating part 12 can be separated from the electrode accommodating part 13 as shown in FIG.

[0032] The pressing member 17 is configured so that the contact portion 17b does not come into contact with the plasma generating unit 12 when the plasma generating unit 12 is removed from the electrode accommodating unit 13. More specifically, the pressing member 17 is configured so that the contact portion 17b rotates about an elevating rotation axis A2 parallel to one direction D, thereby avoiding the contact. The pressing member 17 is not limited to the configuration of this embodiment, and may be configured so that the contact can be avoided by, for example, the contact portion 17b rotating in a direction away from the first flange 12a about an axis parallel to the rotation axis A1. Furthermore, the pressing member 17 in this embodiment is a so-called swing-type clamp, but may also be a so-called link-type clamp. Furthermore, the pressing member 17 is not limited to an air clamp, and may be, for example, a hydraulic clamp, and an appropriate configuration may be adopted depending on the configuration, size, weight, etc. of the ion source 10.

[0033] 2, when the plasma generating unit 12 is detached from the electrode housing unit 13, the internal member 14 is exposed to the outside. Therefore, an operator can easily perform maintenance work such as cleaning the inside of the plasma generating unit 12 and replacing the internal member 14 such as a filament. The maintenance work on the plasma generating unit 12 does not necessarily have to be performed in the state shown in Fig. 2. For example, in the state shown in Fig. 2, an operator may first release the connection by the connecting member 16, move the plasma generating unit 12 to another work location, and then perform the maintenance work.

[0034] After the maintenance work on the plasma generating unit 12 has been completed, the plasma generating unit 12 is rotated again from the state shown in Fig. 2 by a driving device (not shown) to position the plasma generating unit 12 so that it faces the electrode accommodating unit 13, as shown in Fig. 3. Thereafter, the pressing member 17 is driven to fix the plasma generating unit 12 to the electrode accommodating unit 13. The driving device used to attach and detach the plasma generating unit 12 to and from the electrode accommodating unit 13 may be a dedicated driving device arranged near the ion source 10, or may be a commonly used chain block or crane.

[0035] In the ion source 10 of this embodiment, attachment parts 18, to which a chain block, a crane hook, or the like can be attached, are disposed in both the plasma generating part 12 and the electrode housing part 13. The ion source 10 also includes rollers 19 to facilitate transportation. The drive device, attachment parts 18, and rollers 19 may employ, for example, the configurations disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-57385, which is cited as the prior art of the present invention.

[0036] In this embodiment, when the plasma generating unit 12 is opposed to the electrode housing unit 13, a gap D1 is formed between the plasma generating unit 12 and the electrode housing unit 13. Therefore, in order to fix the plasma generating unit 12 in close contact with the electrode housing unit 13, it is necessary to move the plasma generating unit 12 by the gap D1 toward the electrode housing unit 13 using the pressing member 17. Therefore, the connecting member 16 is configured so that a gap D2 larger than the gap D1 can be formed between the shaft portion 16c and the cylindrical portion 16d to allow the plasma generating unit 12 to move toward the electrode housing unit 13.

[0037] In the ion source 10 of this embodiment, the plasma generating unit 12 can be detached from the electrode accommodating unit 13 while the electrode accommodating unit 13 is fixed to the apparatus body 2. In general, maintenance work on the plasma generating unit 12 is performed more frequently than maintenance work on the electrode accommodating unit 13. In the ion source 10, when performing maintenance work on the plasma generating unit 12, which is performed more frequently, the large-scale work of removing the entire container 11 from the apparatus body 2 is not necessary.

[0038] Furthermore, in the ion source 10, the plasma generating unit is configured to detach from the electrode housing unit in a predetermined rotational orbit, so the operation of the plasma generating unit in the operation of detaching the plasma generating unit from the electrode housing unit is fixed, ensuring the safety of the operation. The predetermined orbit when the plasma generating unit is removed from the electrode housing unit 13 is not limited to a rotational orbit. For example, a device for removing the plasma generating unit 12 from the electrode housing unit 13 by a predetermined operation may be disposed near the ion source 10, and the plasma generating unit 12 may be removed by the device.

[0039] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modified examples, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1: Ion implantation equipment 2: Device body 2a: Fixed surface 10: Ion source 11: Container 12: Plasma generation unit 13: Electrode housing 14: Internal parts 15: Electrode group 16: Connecting member 17: Pressing member IB: Ion beam A1: Rotation axis A2: Elevating rotation axis D: One direction

Claims

1. An ion source comprising a container attached to an apparatus body, and extracting an ion beam from the inside of the container in one direction, The container a plasma generating unit in which plasma is generated; an electrode housing portion that houses an electrode for extracting the ion beam and is fixed to the device body in a state where it is overlapped with the plasma generating portion in the one direction, the plasma generating unit is configured to be able to detach from the electrode accommodating unit along a predetermined trajectory by rotating the plasma generating unit about a predetermined rotation axis parallel to a horizontal direction while the electrode accommodating unit is fixed to the device body, and the plasma generating unit is configured to be positioned so as to face the electrode accommodating unit by the rotating operation, The ion source is such that a gap can be formed between the plasma generating unit and the electrode housing unit in a state where the plasma generating unit is opposed to the electrode housing unit by the rotational operation.

2. a connecting member that connects a first lower end portion that is a lower end portion of the plasma generating unit and a second lower end portion that is a lower end portion of the electrode accommodating unit, and enables the plasma generating unit to perform the rotational movement; the connecting member has a first connecting portion fixed to the first lower end portion, a second connecting portion fixed to the second lower end portion, a shaft portion formed integrally with the first connecting portion, and a tubular portion that receives the shaft portion, 2. The ion source according to claim 1, wherein, in a state in which the plasma generation unit is caused to face the electrode accommodating unit by the rotation operation, a gap that allows movement of the plasma generation unit toward the electrode accommodating unit can be formed between the shaft portion and the cylindrical portion.

3. 3. The ion source according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing member that applies a pressing force to the plasma generating unit or the electrode accommodating unit in a state in which the plasma generating unit and the electrode accommodating unit face each other, thereby bringing the plasma generating unit relatively closer to the electrode accommodating unit.

4. 4. The ion source of claim 3, wherein the pressing member is remotely actuated.

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