Film forming device

Abstract

Provided is a film forming device that can make a boundary between electrodes constant and clear, and suppresses variations in appearance and quality. A film forming device 1 according to an embodiment comprises: a mask 110; a receiving base 130; a chamber 31; a target 352 disposed at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane in a film forming compartment 351 provided in the chamber 31; an angle changing mechanism 354 that supports the receiving base 130 holding the mask 110 and inclines a surface parallel to an opening 112a of a mask hole 112 of the mask 110 with respect to the surface of the target 352, the angle changing mechanism 354 inclining the mask 110 so that one corner of a side surface S of an electronic component C comes into contact with one corner of the mask hole 112; and a control device 4 that controls the angle of the surface of the mask 110 on the opposite side to the receiving base 130 and parallel to the opening 112a of the mask hole 112 with respect to the surface of the target 352 such that a corner of the mask hole 112 diagonal to the corner in contact with the electronic component C is shielded by the electronic component C from the target 352.

Description

Film forming equipment

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

[0002] Currently, chip-type electronic components with external electrodes formed on both ends are widely used in various electronic circuits. For example, chip capacitors are formed by dividing a block of laminated dielectric sheets with internal electrodes into individual rectangular parallelepiped pieces. External electrodes are formed on both ends of the rectangular parallelepiped elements using a conductive material connected to the internal electrodes.

[0003] As shown in Patent Document 1, a method for forming external electrodes involves inserting and holding electronic components in through-holes provided on a transport strip, exposing (exposing) portions of the electronic components through the through-holes using a push-in pin of a component pusher, and then applying (forming a film of) a conductive paste to these exposed portions to form external electrodes. In this case, the through-holes in the strip act as a mask that covers portions of the electronic components and prevents the paste from adhering.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-22846

[0005] In the above method, the electronic component is inverted while being held in place to form a film on both opposing ends of the electronic component. This requires the electronic component to be firmly held on the ribbon to prevent it from falling. In the above method, the electronic component is forced into a through-hole that is smaller than the size of the electronic component that can be elastically held. Forcing the electronic component into a small through-hole with a force such as a push pin can damage the surface of the electronic component or deform the electronic component. Furthermore, after forming a film on one exposed end to form an external electrode on both end surfaces of the electronic component, the applied film may be pushed out by a force to push the applied end out and protrude the opposite end, potentially damaging the applied surface.

[0006] To address this issue, the through-holes serving as masks are made larger than the electronic components, making it easier to insert and move the electronic components within the through-holes. However, this makes it impossible to hold the electronic components. Furthermore, gaps are formed between the electronic components and the through-holes. This allows the conductive material to penetrate through these gaps during film formation, resulting in inconsistent or unclear boundaries between the external electrodes and the electronic components, resulting in variations in product appearance and quality. Due to variations in the formation of electronic components and through-holes, it is extremely difficult to create through-holes large enough to hold the electronic components without creating gaps between them and push the electronic components with a force strong enough to prevent damage to the electronic components.

[0007] The embodiments of the present invention have been proposed to solve the problems of the conventional technology as described above, and their purpose is to provide a film forming apparatus that can make the boundaries of external electrodes uniform and clear, thereby reducing variations in appearance and quality.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a film formation apparatus according to an embodiment is a film formation apparatus for forming an electrode on an end portion of a rectangular parallelepiped electronic component, and includes a mask having a mask hole that covers a part of the electronic component, the opening of the mask hole being large and of the same shape as a cross section of the electronic component parallel to the opening, a support that holds one surface of the mask and that is in contact with one end portion of the electronic component that has passed through the mask hole, a chamber that can be evacuated, and a film formation chamber provided in the chamber, the film formation chamber being disposed at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane, and containing a film formation material that is deposited on the electronic component by sputtering to form a film. and an angle changing mechanism that supports a pedestal that holds the mask and tilts a plane parallel to the opening of the mask hole with respect to the surface of the target, wherein the angle changing mechanism tilts the mask so that one corner of a side of the electronic component comes into contact with one corner of the mask hole, and a control device that controls the angle of the plane of the mask on the opposite side from the pedestal and parallel to the opening of the mask hole with respect to the surface of the target so that the corner of the mask hole diagonally opposite to the corner with which the electronic component comes into contact is shielded from the target by the electronic component.

[0009] According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a film forming apparatus that can make the boundaries of external electrodes uniform and clear, thereby reducing variations in appearance and quality.

[0010] 1A and 1B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of an electronic component to be film-formed in an embodiment, and a perspective view showing the electronic component inserted into a mask hole, respectively, and a perspective view showing the electronic component inserted into a mask hole, respectively, and a partial perspective plan view showing the film-forming apparatus of an embodiment. 1A is a plan view showing the electronic component inserted into a mask hole, and a plan view showing the electronic component with a corner of the mask hole in contact with a corner of the mask hole, respectively, and a side view showing the electronic component with a film formed thereon, respectively, and a side view showing the electronic component with a film formed thereon, respectively, and a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing the mask, respectively, and a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows B-B, respectively, and a plan view and a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows C-C, respectively, and a diagram showing a procedure for inverting the mask, respectively, and a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows A-A in FIG. 2 showing the film-forming apparatus of an embodiment, respectively, and a diagram showing the movement of an electronic component due to tilting of the mask, respectively, and a diagram showing the angle between the mask and the target, respectively, and a cross-sectional view showing the film-forming chamber of FIG. 8 when opened, respectively, and a cross-sectional view showing the film-forming chamber of FIG. 8 when sealed, respectively, and a cross-sectional view showing the film-forming chamber of FIG. 8 when a film is formed thereon. 1A is a side view showing a state in which a film is formed when there is a gap between a mask hole and an electronic component, and FIG. 1B is a side view showing an electronic component on which a film has been formed. FIG. 1B is a perspective plan view showing a modified example in which a supply unit has an inversion mechanism and a supply mechanism.

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are schematic diagrams, and the size, proportions, etc. of each part are exaggerated for ease of understanding.

[0012] [Electronic Component] As shown in FIG. 1A , the electronic component C formed according to this embodiment is a chip-shaped electronic component C having electrodes E (external electrodes) made of a conductive material formed on both ends. For example, elements such as capacitors, resistors, coils, and inductors are included in the electronic component C. The electronic component C of this embodiment has a rectangular parallelepiped (including cubic and thin plate) outer shape. The end of the electronic component C is a region including a rectangular end face T and four side faces S in its vicinity, and both ends are a pair of separate regions. The electrodes E are formed in close contact with each other so as to cover both ends in a box-like shape. The ends on which the electrodes E are formed are also referred to as electrode formation regions R.

[0013] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a multilayer ceramic capacitor formed as an electronic component C, in which dielectric sheets on which internal electrodes En are formed are stacked. A pair of electrodes E formed on the outer surface of the electronic component C has a multilayer structure in which multiple layers of conductive material are stacked, and are electrically connected to the internal electrodes En of the electronic component C. In this embodiment, nickel chromium (NiCr), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), or aluminum (Al) can be selectively deposited. For example, a copper (Cu) seed layer for the electrode E is deposited on a titanium (Ti) base layer for improving adhesion. Then, using the seed layer as a seed, copper (Cu) is deposited by electroplating in the electrode formation region R, thereby completing the electronic component C with the electrode E formed thereon. Because the base layer and seed layer also form part of the electrode E, the deposition of these layers will also be referred to as "depositing the electrode E" in the following description of this embodiment.

[0014] 1C is a perspective view showing a state in which an electronic component C is inserted into a mask hole 112 of a mask 110 (described later) and an electrode formation region R is exposed through an opening 112a of the mask hole 112. FIG. 1C schematically shows a state in which a pair of opposing corners of a side surface S of the electronic component C are oriented toward a pair of targets 352 arranged at an angle. As will be described later, the targets 352 are arranged so that a normal N to the sputtering surface (a line perpendicular to the sputtering surface and parallel to the axis of the target 352) faces the upper surface of the mask 110 at an angle (see FIGS. 10A and 10B ).

[0015] In the following description, the straight line passing through the centers of both end faces T covered by the electrode E is referred to as the axis Axc of the electronic component C. In this embodiment, for example, the electronic component C may be an extremely small one having a length in the axis Axc direction of 0.6 mm, a length of the electrode E in the axis Axc direction of 0.2 mm, and a rectangular cross section perpendicular to the axis Axc of the electrode E measuring 0.3 mm × 0.3 mm. However, the present invention is applicable to both smaller and larger electronic components C.

[0016] [Overview] As shown in FIG. 2 , the film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a supply unit 2, a film forming unit 3, and a control device 4. As shown in FIG. 1C , the supply unit 2 supplies the electronic component C to the film forming unit 3 while masking the electronic component C in an area other than one electrode formation region R using a mask hole 112 in a mask 110 (described later). The film forming unit 3 forms a film of electrode material in the unmasked, exposed electrode formation region R. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4A , the electronic component C is loaded into the film forming unit 3 so that one corner of the side surface S of the electronic component C faces a target 352 (described later) that is disposed at an angle. The film is formed while the electronic component C is tilted. The control device 4 controls the supply unit 2 and the film forming unit 3 to perform this film formation.

[0017] 3(B) and 4(A), by tilting the mask 110, the electronic component C is tilted toward the target 352, and one corner of the electronic component C is brought into contact with one corner of the mask hole 112 due to its own weight, thereby closing the gap between the mask hole 112 and two adjacent side surfaces S of the electronic component C. Furthermore, the mask 110 is tilted so that the two side surfaces S adjacent to the corner of the electronic component C that is in contact with one corner of the mask hole 112, and the gap that occurs between these two side surfaces S and the mask hole 112, are shadowed by the electronic component C with respect to the target 352.

[0018] In the following description, the horizontal alignment direction of the supply unit 2 and the film formation unit 3 is referred to as the Y direction, the horizontal direction perpendicular to this is referred to as the X direction, and the vertical direction is referred to as the Z direction. The electronic component C is inserted into the mask hole 112 so that the axis Axc is along the Z direction. Note that FIG. 3 shows a state in which the mask 110 is horizontally shifted by 45° around its center as an axis so that one corner of the mask 100 and one corner of the electronic component C face a target 352 (described later). In other words, the figure shows a state in which the target 352 is present in the left-right direction (see FIGS. 1C, 10A, and 10B).

[0019] In the following description, one end of the electronic component C and the corresponding end of the mask hole 112 are referred to as the lower end, and the other end of the electronic component C and the corresponding end of the mask hole 112 are referred to as the upper end. Furthermore, one surface of the mask 110 held from below by the receiving stand 130 (described later) is referred to as the lower surface, and the other surface opposite to this is referred to as the upper surface. However, the orientation of the electronic component C, mask 110, and mask hole 112 is not limited to this. Furthermore, both ends of the electronic component C may become one end (lower end) and the other end (upper end) by insertion into the mask hole 112. Both surfaces of the mask 110 may become one surface (lower surface) and the other surface (upper surface) by inversion. In this embodiment, the electronic component C is inserted vertically into the guide hole 122 and the mask hole 112, so that one end of the electronic component C in contact with the receiving stand 130 is lower, and the other end opposite to this is upper.

[0020] [Mask] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B , the mask 110 has a plate 111, mask holes 112, and restriction holes 113. The plate 111 is a circular plate-like member. The mask holes 112 are a plurality of holes into which electronic components C are inserted one by one, covering a portion of the electronic components C. Each mask hole 112 penetrates the surface of the plate 111 in a direction perpendicular to the surface and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the axis Axc of the inserted electronic component C is aligned vertically. A vertical line passing through the center of the mask hole 112 is defined as the axis Axm. The length of the mask hole 112 in the axis Axm direction is shorter than the length of the electronic component C in the axis Axc direction. More specifically, the length of the mask hole 112 in the axis Axm direction is the length of the electronic component C in the axis Axc direction other than one electrode formation region R. That is, the length of the mask hole 112 in the direction of the axis Axm is the length of the region of the electronic component C that is not sputtered in the direction of the axis Axc (see FIG. 1C).

[0021] The opening 112a at the end of the mask hole 112 is large and has the same shape as the cross section of the electronic component C parallel to the opening 112a. The size of the opening 112a and the cross section of the mask hole 112 perpendicular to the axis Axm that follows the opening 112a need only be large enough to allow the electronic component C to fall and be inserted under its own weight, with the axis Axc aligned vertically. In other words, the inner diameter of the mask hole 112 is large enough to allow the electronic component C to pass through, and the cross section of the mask hole 112 perpendicular to the axis Axm is slightly larger than the cross section of the electronic component C perpendicular to the axis Axc, but smaller than the size that would cause the axis Axc to be inserted at an angle relative to the vertical. Therefore, the size is set larger than the size that requires press-fitting. Furthermore, the mask holes 112 are arranged in a matrix within a plurality of compartments 112b that are arranged symmetrically about the center of the plate body 111.

[0022] The restriction holes 113 are through-holes into which restriction portions 132 of the receiving table 130, which will be described later, are inserted to align the mask 110 with the receiving table 130 and prevent misalignment. A plurality of restriction holes 113 are provided outside each compartment 112b to correspond to the plurality of restriction portions 132. The restriction holes 113 have a shape corresponding to the shape of the restriction portions 132 and a size corresponding to the size of the restriction portions 132 so as to achieve an allowable misalignment state.

[0023] [Receiving Table] The receiving table 130 is a table that holds one or the other surface of the mask 110 and contacts one or the other end of the electronic component C inserted into the mask hole 112. As shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), the receiving table 130 has a plate body 131 and a restricting portion 132. The plate body 131 is a circular plate-like member having the same diameter as the mask 110. When the masks 110 are overlapped, the receiving table 130 closes the lower ends of the mask holes 112 in each section 112b.

[0024] The restricting portion 132 is a cylindrical pin fixed to one surface of the plate body 131. The restricting portion 132 is provided at a position corresponding to the restricting hole 113 of the mask 110, and by being inserted into the restricting hole 113, the restricting portion 132 aligns the receiving base 130 and the mask 110 during movement and prevents misalignment.

[0025] In this embodiment, as described below, in order to form a film on one end of an electronic component C and then form a film on the other end, the overlapping receiving pedestal 130 and mask 110 are inverted. In this case, a pair of receiving pedestals 130A and 130B are used to sandwich the electronic component C (see FIG. 7 ). The receiving pedestal 130A faces the underside of the mask 110, and the lower ends of the electronic components C that have passed through the mask holes 112 are in contact with the receiving pedestal 130B. The receiving pedestal 130B is placed over the mask 110 so as to face the upper surface of the mask 110, so that the upper ends of the electronic components C that have passed through the mask holes 112 are in contact with the covered receiving pedestal 130B. By inverting the mask 110 in this state, the overlapping state of the receiving pedestal 130A, mask 110, and receiving pedestal 130B is reversed. As a result, the state in which one end of the electronic component C that has passed through the mask holes 112 is in contact with the receiving pedestal 130A is reversed to the state in which the other end of the electronic component C that has passed through the guide holes 122 is in contact with the receiving pedestal 130B.

[0026] When the mask 110 is inverted, the end faces T of the electronic components C that were on the upper side become the lower side and are positioned at the lower ends of the mask holes 112, and the end faces T that were on the lower side become the upper side and are exposed from the upper ends of the mask holes 112. In other words, when the upper and lower end faces T of the electronic components C are inverted, the mask 110 is also inverted and falls downward along the electronic components C, so that the exposed ends of the electronic components C are inverted.

[0027] The cradles 130A and 130B have the same shape. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the cradles 130A and 130B, they will be referred to as the cradles 130. In this embodiment, all the cradles 130 have the same size and shape, and the functions are the same regardless of which one is used interchangeably.

[0028] In addition, the electronic component C passing through the mask hole 112 means that, as shown in FIG. 1C, the lower end face T of the electronic component C inserted into the mask hole 112 is at least flush with the surface of the mask 110; it is not necessary for the lower end face T of the electronic component C to protrude from the mask hole 112.

[0029] The holder H is formed by either the holder 130A or the holder 130B and the mask 110 supported thereby (see FIG. 7). That is, with the electronic component C inserted into the mask hole 112 of the mask 110 of the holder H, a film is formed in the film forming unit 3 on the electrode formation region R exposed through the mask hole 112.

[0030] [Holder] The holder 140 is a transport jig on which the receiving table 130 is placed and which is transported within the supply unit 2 and the film forming unit 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 , the holder 140 has a base 141, a stage 142, and an extension 143.

[0031] The base 141 is a circular plate having a larger diameter than the receiving table 130, and is mounted on the rotary tables 212 and 321 (described later) via legs provided at the bottom. The stage 142 is a circular plate having a larger diameter than the receiving table 130 but a smaller diameter than the base 141, and is supported above the base 141 via a pillar so as to be parallel to the base 141. The stage 142 is provided with a pedestal 142a having a smaller diameter than the receiving table 130 and on which the receiving table 130 is placed. The extension 143 stands from the vicinity of the outer edge of the base 141, and is a member that is gripped by a holder 362 of the loading / unloading unit 360 (described later).

[0032] 2 and 8, the supply unit 2 has a transport unit 210 housed in a housing 2a. The transport unit 210 is a mechanism that transports the mask 110 having the electronic components C inserted into the mask holes 112. The transport unit 210 of this embodiment transports the mask 110 placed together with the receiving table 130 on the stage 142 of the holder 140.

[0033] The transport unit 210 has a turntable 212 that is rotated intermittently by a motor 211. The turntable 212 has a plurality of holding holes 212a, which are through-holes, formed at equal intervals. The holders 140 are held by these holding holes 212a. The holding holes 212a are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, four holding holes 212a are provided, and therefore four holders 140 are held on the turntable 212 at 90° intervals.

[0034] A loading / unloading position PA and a delivery position PB are set in the supply unit 2. The turntable 212 repeats intermittent rotation, rotating and stopping so that each holding hole 212a of the turntable 212 is positioned at each position. In the present embodiment, the turntable 212 intermittently rotates counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 2 .

[0035] The carry-in / carry-out position PA is a position at which the mask 110 with electronic components C inserted into the mask holes 112 is carried in and out of the film forming apparatus 1. The transfer position PB is a position at which electronic components C are transferred between the film forming unit 3 and the supply unit 2. That is, the transfer position PB is a position at which electronic components C are supplied from the supply unit 2 to the film forming unit 3, or at which electronic components C that have already been film-formed in the film forming unit 3 are returned to the supply unit 2.

[0036] [Film Forming Unit] The film forming unit 3 is an apparatus that uses plasma to form a film on the portion of the electronic component C that is exposed through the mask hole 112, i.e., the electrode formation region R. As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the film forming unit 3 has a chamber 31, a transport unit 32, a heating unit 33, a pre-treatment unit 34, a film forming treatment unit 35, a cooling unit 36, and a load lock unit 37.

[0037] (Chamber) The chamber 31 is a container whose interior can be evacuated to a vacuum by exhausting the gas through the exhaust unit 311. The exhaust unit 311 can be, for example, a turbo pump connected to an exhaust port.

[0038] (Transport Unit) The transport unit 32 supports a plurality of sets of masks 110 and receiving tables 130, and positions the holders 140 holding each set of masks 110 and receiving tables 130 in positions facing the heating unit 33, pre-processing unit 34, film-forming processing unit 35, cooling unit 36, and load lock unit 37, respectively, in sequence. The transport unit 32 of this embodiment includes a rotary table 321, a driving source 322, a sealer 323, and a pusher 324. The rotary table 321 is a circular table that carries the holder 140 carried into the chamber 31 and is rotated intermittently by a motor, which is the driving source 322, to move the holder 140 to each unit, such as the heating unit 33, pre-processing unit 34, film-forming processing unit 35, cooling unit 36, and load lock unit 37.

[0039] The turntable 321 has a plurality of holding holes 321a formed at equal intervals. A through-hole is provided in the center of each holding hole 321a, and the holder 140 is held by the edge of the holding hole 321a. The holding holes 321a are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, eight holding holes 321a are provided, and therefore eight holders 140 are held on the turntable 321 at 45° intervals. The film forming unit 3 has a supply position P1, a heating position P2, a pre-processing position P3, film forming positions P4 to P7, and a cooling position P8. The turntable 321 repeatedly rotates and stops intermittently so that each holding hole 321a in the turntable 321 is positioned at each position. In this embodiment, the turntable 321 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2.

[0040] The seal 323 is a member that seals each part and isolates the internal region from the chamber 31. The holder 140 is placed on the seal 323 and is held in holding holes 321a that are provided at equal intervals in the turntable 321. Therefore, the holder 140 is held on the turntable 321 via the seal 323. The seal 323 is held by the edges of the holding holes 321a. An opening is provided at the bottom of the seal 323.

[0041] The pusher 324 raises and lowers the sealing body 323 at positions corresponding to each part of the film forming unit 3. Therefore, the pusher 324 is provided at a position corresponding to each part of the film forming unit 3. The pusher 324 has a drive shaft 324b that is raised and lowered by a drive source 324a such as a cylinder, and a sealing plate 324c that is provided on the drive shaft 324b and contacts the bottom surface of the sealing body 323 to seal the opening. The drive shaft 324b is rotatable relative to the sealing plate 324c, and the drive source 324a includes a motor that rotates the drive shaft 324b to rotate the sealing body 323.

[0042] (Heating Unit) The heating unit 33 corresponds to the heating position P2 and heats the electronic component C. The heating unit 33 has a heater that generates heat when energized. The heating unit 33 is provided on the ceiling side of the chamber 31, is sealed by the raised sealing body 323, and has a heating chamber that heats the electronic component C.

[0043] (Pretreatment Unit) The pretreatment unit 34 corresponds to the pretreatment position P3 and performs surface treatment on the electrode formation region R using plasma. The surface treatment is, for example, an ion bombardment process in which ions generated in a process gas by the plasma clean the surface of the electrode formation region R. The pretreatment unit 34 is provided on the ceiling side of the chamber 31, is sealed by a raised seal 323, and has a treatment chamber in which surface treatment is performed on the electronic component C inserted in the mask 110.

[0044] (Film Formation Processing Unit) The film formation processing unit 35 corresponds to film formation positions P4 to P7, and performs film formation processing by sputtering on the electrode formation region R of the electronic component C. Sputtering is a process in which a film formation material is knocked out from a target 352 by ions generated in a sputtering gas by plasma, and deposited on the surface of the electrode formation region R. The film formation processing unit 35 has a film formation chamber 351 that is provided on the ceiling side of the chamber 31 and sealed by a raised seal 323, and in which film formation processing is performed on the electrode formation region R exposed from the mask 110.

[0045] The film formation chamber 351 is configured in a container 351a attached to the upper part of the chamber 31. The container 351a is provided with a target 352 containing a film formation material. The target 352 is a member formed from the film formation material that is deposited on the electronic component C by sputtering to form a film. The target 352 is held by a backing plate (not shown) and connected to a power source via an electrode. In the film formation processing unit 35 of this embodiment, a pair of targets 352 are arranged in opposing positions. The planes of the two targets 352 (sputtering surfaces eroded by sputtering) are inclined relative to the horizontal direction so as to face the horizontal mask 110, and the central axes of the targets 352 are inclined relative to the vertical direction. In other words, the target 352 is arranged such that a normal N to the sputtering surface (a line perpendicular to the sputtering surface and parallel to the axis of the target 352) faces the upper surface of the mask 110 at an incline (see FIGS. 1C, 10A, and 10B). The angle of the sputtering surface of the target 352 is based on the angle of the flat surface before being eroded by sputtering. The mask 110 is arranged in the film formation chamber 351 so that one corner of the mask hole 112 faces the normal N of the target 352.

[0046] The film formation chamber 351 is also provided with a shutter 353. The shutter 353 is a conical member that shields the target 352 and has a window that exposes the target 352. The shutter 353 is provided so as to be rotatable about its axis by a motor (not shown). By rotating the shutter 353 and moving the position of the window, it is possible to switch which target 352 is used for sputtering. Note that the target 352 on the side shielded by the shutter 353 can be pre-sputtered to clean the surface of the target 352.

[0047] In this embodiment, four film formation processing units 35 having targets 352 of different film formation materials are provided corresponding to the four film formation positions P4 to P7. For example, the film formation processing unit 35 has a target 352 containing nickel chromium (NiCr) at film formation position P4, copper (Cu) at film formation position P5, titanium (Ti) at film formation position P6, and aluminum (Al) at film formation position P7.

[0048] 2 and 8 , the film forming unit 3 is also provided with an angle changing mechanism 354. The angle changing mechanism 354 is a mechanism for tilting the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 with the electronic component C inserted in the mask hole 112. This tilting is achieved by tilting the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 to a predetermined angle toward the target 352. By changing the angle of the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 with respect to the horizontal plane using the angle changing mechanism 354, one corner of the electronic component C is brought into contact with one corner of the mask hole 112 facing the normal N of the target 352, and the upper end face T of the electronic component C is oriented toward the target 352.

[0049] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9C and 9D , the angle of the mask 110 is changed so that the side surface S of the electronic component C contacts a portion of the inner surface of the mask hole 112. Because one corner of the mask hole 112 faces the normal N of the target 352, one corner of the electronic component C contacts one corner of the mask hole 112 (see FIGS. 3B and 4A ). As a result, as shown in FIG. 10A , two adjacent side surfaces S on one side of the portion of the electronic component C exposed from the mask hole 112 face the target 352, and as shown in FIG. 10B , two adjacent side surfaces S on the other side are in a shadow position relative to the target 352. The shadow position refers to a position where the film formation material is not deposited because it is blocked by one side surface S of the electronic component C.

[0050] 10B and 10C , the angle change mechanism 354 tilts the mask 110 so that one corner k1 of the side surface S of the electronic component C contacts one corner s1 of the mask hole 112, and the corner s2 diagonally opposite the corner s1 of the mask hole 112 where the electronic component C contacts is set as the position of the shadow where the electronic component C shields the target 352 from the target 352. A gap is created between the corner k2 diagonally opposite the corner k1 and the corner s2. When the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 are tilted to a predetermined angle, the above-mentioned shadow position can be created by adjusting the angle α between a plane parallel to the opening 112a of the mask hole 112 and a plane of the target 352 facing the mask 110 to be greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. In this manner, the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 are tilted toward the target 352, and this tilted state is maintained until the film formation process is completed. After the film formation process is completed, the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 are returned to their original angles.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2 , the angle change mechanism 354 includes a holder 354 a and a drive unit 354 b. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the holder 354 a holds the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 placed on the stage 142. A pair of holders 354 a are provided to sandwich the mask 110 and the pedestal 130. The pair of holders 354 a move toward and away from the edge of the pedestal 130 by means of a cylinder and a compression spring (not shown). This allows the holders 354 a to move between a holding position where they hold the pedestal 130 and a release position where they release the pedestal 130. When the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 rise toward the deposition chamber 351, the holder 354 a is in the release position so as not to interfere with the mask 110. The state in which the holder 354 a is in the release position is shown by a dotted line in FIG. 9A .

[0052] The driver 354b changes the angle by rotating the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 that have been detached from the stage 142. The driver 354b has a motor supported by the container 351a, and transmits the rotation of the motor's shaft to a shaft connected to the holder 354a. The driver 354b is installed so as to be supported on the side of the container 351a (see FIG. 2). The driver 354b rotates the holder 354a via the shaft. The holder 354a, which is rotated by the driver 354b, holds the mask 110 and the pedestal 130. The axis of rotation of the driver 354b is perpendicular to the axis passing through the center of the mask 110. In other words, the shaft held by the holder 354a rotates around an axis perpendicular to the central axis of the mask 110.

[0053] The angle changing mechanism 354 may be a two-axis mechanism that can tilt the mask 110 and the cradle 130 not only in the X-axis direction but also in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction. This allows, for example, when four targets 352 are arranged at 90-degree intervals, to tilt the mask 110 and the cradle 130 toward each of the targets 352.

[0054] Furthermore, the angle changing mechanism 354 can vibrate the holding part 354a by the drive part 354b rotating the shaft back and forth at a small angle. In other words, the drive part 354b functions as a vibrating part that vibrates the mask 110 and the receiving table 130. This vibration makes it easier for the electronic component C to move in a direction in which one corner of the electronic component C comes into contact with one corner of the mask hole 112.

[0055] The movement of the mask 110 and the receiving pedestal 130 between the turntable 321 and the film formation chamber 351 is achieved by raising and lowering the holder 140 using the pusher 324. In other words, the pusher 324 in the film formation processing unit 35 is an opening and closing mechanism that moves the holder 140 between a sealed position where the sealer 323 seals the film formation chamber 351 and houses the holder 140 holding the mask 110 and the receiving pedestal 130 in the film formation chamber 351, and an open position where the sealer 323 opens the film formation chamber 351 and ejects the holder 140 from the film formation chamber 351, while maintaining the vacuum in the chamber 31. The drive shaft 324b of the pusher 324 raises and lowers the sealing plate 324c and also raises and lowers the holder 140 by separating it from the sealing plate 324c.

[0056] Furthermore, the drive source 324a of the pusher 324 in the film formation processing unit 35 includes a motor, and by rotating the drive shaft 324b, the stage 142 can be rotated independently of the sealing plate 324c. As a result, the pusher 324 functions as a switching mechanism that switches one corner of the electronic component C facing the target 352 of the electronic component C to another corner by horizontally rotating the mask 110 and the receiving table 130 while keeping the film formation chamber 351 sealed. The pusher 324 only needs to rotate according to the positions of the multiple targets 352 so that one corner of the electronic component C faces one of the targets 352, and the amount of rotation (angle) is not limited to a specific value. For example, the pusher 324 may be able to rotate the mask 110 and the receiving table 130 in 180-degree increments or 90-degree increments.

[0057] (Cooling Unit) The cooling unit 36 ​​cools the electronic components C before they are discharged into the atmosphere to a temperature that prevents the deposited film from being oxidized in the atmosphere. The cooling unit 36 ​​has a cooling chamber that is sealed by a sealant 323 at the cooling position P8. The cooling chamber is provided with a cooler that introduces and circulates a cooling gas (not shown).

[0058] (Load Lock Unit) The load lock unit 37 is sealed by a sealant 323 at the supply position P1, and has a load lock chamber 370 that allows the holder 140 to be loaded and unloaded while maintaining a vacuum inside the chamber 31. A load lock unit 360 loads and unloads the holder 140, on which the mask 110 and the receiving table 130 are mounted, into and out of the chamber 31 via the load lock unit 37.

[0059] The loading / unloading unit 360 has an arm 361 and a holder 362. The arm 361 is a long member provided between the supply unit 2 and the chamber 31 in a direction parallel to the plane of the turntable 321. The arm 361 is provided so as to be rotatable intermittently in 180° increments around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the turntable 321 and to be movable along this axis by a drive mechanism (not shown).

[0060] The holders 362 are provided on both ends of the arm 361 and are members that hold the holder 140. The holders 362 hold the holder 140 by a holding mechanism such as a vacuum chuck, an electrostatic chuck, or a mechanical chuck. In this embodiment, the holder 362 has a mechanical chuck that chucks and holds the extension portion 143 of the holder 140. The holder 362 also functions as a lid that opens and closes the load lock chamber 370. In other words, the holder 362 is provided with a sealant such as an O-ring for sealing the load lock chamber 370.

[0061] The load lock chamber 370 allows the holder 140 to be loaded and unloaded while maintaining a vacuum inside the chamber 31. The load lock chamber 370 is a space that can be sealed by being surrounded by the through-hole of the chamber 31, the holder 362 of the loading / unloading unit 360, the sealing body 323 of the chamber 31, and the sealing plate 324c biased by the pusher 324.

[0062] An exhaust line 370c is connected to the load lock chamber 370. The exhaust line 370c is connected to an exhaust device 370a and a valve 370b and serves as a path for reducing the pressure in the sealed load lock chamber 370. Furthermore, the exhaust line 370c has a valve 370d and is provided with a vent line 370e for breaking the vacuum in the load lock chamber 370.

[0063] [Control Device] The control device 4 is a device that controls each part of the film forming apparatus 1 (see FIG. 2). This control device 4 can be configured, for example, by a computer that operates according to a predetermined program. The control device 4 has a processor that executes the program, a memory that stores various information such as the program and operating conditions, and an information input / output device. It also has a drive circuit that drives each part.

[0064] For example, using the above-described program, the control device 4 controls the transport of the holder 140 by the transport unit 210, the loading / unloading unit 360 and the load lock chamber 370 to load / unload the receiving table 130 into / from the chamber 31, the transport of the receiving table 130 by the transport unit 32, heating by the heating unit 33, plasma processing by the pre-processing unit 34, film formation processing by the film formation processing unit 35, cooling by the cooling unit 36, and angle change of the mask 110 by the angle change mechanism 354. For example, the control device 4 controls the angle change mechanism 354 to tilt the mask 110 so that one corner of the electronic component C on the side where the film is to be formed comes into contact with one corner of the mask hole 112, and controls the angle of the surface of the target 352 of the face of the mask 110 on the opposite side from the receiving table 130 and parallel to the opening 112 a of the mask hole 112 so that the corner of the mask hole 112 diagonally opposite to the corner with which the electronic component C comes into contact is shielded from the target 352 by the electronic component C.

[0065] [Operation] The process of forming a film on an electronic component C using the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment as described above will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 13 in addition to Figures 1 to 10. Note that, as a prerequisite for the description, as shown in Figure 3A, electronic components C are previously accommodated in the mask holes 112 of the mask 110 which is placed on the receiving table 130. By inserting the restricting portions 132 of the receiving table 130 into the restricting holes 113 of the mask 110, the mask 110 and the receiving table 130 are aligned and misalignment is prevented.

[0066] The receiving table 130 on which the mask 110 accommodating the electronic components C is stacked, i.e., the holding member H, is placed on the stage 142 of the holder 140. The operator places the holder 140 from the loading / unloading position PA into each holding hole 212a of the turntable 212 of the supply unit 2, and the holder 140 is transported by rotating the turntable 212. The mask 110 is horizontally shifted by 45° around its center as an axis. The holder 140 is transported so that this state is maintained on the turntable 212 of the supply unit 2 and the turntable 321 of the film-forming unit 3.

[0067] The holder 140 held in the holding hole 212a is positioned at the delivery position PB. The loading / unloading unit 360 loads the holder 140 into the chamber 31 via the load lock chamber 370. The loaded holder 140 is held on the rotary table 321 while being mounted on the sealing body 323.

[0068] Specifically, when a holder 140 on which a holding member H holding an electronic component C is placed is carried in, as shown in FIG. 8 , in the chamber 31 of the film forming unit 3, the lower end of the load lock chamber 370 is sealed by a seal 323 biased by a pusher 324. At this time, the turntable 321 is stopped with the holding holes 321a positioned at positions corresponding to the respective parts of the film forming unit 3. The pusher 324 arranged corresponding to the load lock chamber 370 passes through the holding holes 321a and rises, and the sealing plate 324c comes into contact with and pushes up the seal 323 directly above, raising the seal 323 to the ceiling of the chamber 31, thereby sealing the lower end of the load lock chamber 370. The chamber 31 is evacuated by the exhaust unit 311.

[0069] The loading / unloading unit 360 has holders 362 provided on both ends of an arm 361, which are positioned above the load lock chamber 370 and at a transfer position PB. At the transfer position PB, the holder 362 of the loading / unloading unit 360 descends and then ascends while holding the holder 140. The arm 361 of the loading / unloading unit 360 rotates, so that the held holder 140 is positioned facing the opening at the top of the load lock chamber 370. The arm 361 then descends, and the holder 362 seals the top end of the load lock chamber 370. As a result, the load lock chamber 370 is hermetically sealed by the seal 323 and the holder 362.

[0070] In this state, the exhaust device 370a exhausts air from the exhaust line 370c, thereby reducing the pressure inside the load lock chamber 370 to the same level as inside the chamber 31. The holder 362 releases its hold on the holder 140, so that the holder 140 is placed on the sealing body 323 that seals the load lock chamber 370. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11 , the pusher 324 descends, unsealing the load lock chamber 370 and placing the sealing body 323 on the rotary table 321. In this manner, the holder 140 is carried into the chamber 31 of the film forming unit 3. The pusher 324 descends through the holding hole 321a, and the sealing plate 324c separates from the sealing body 323 and moves to a standby position below the lower surface of the rotary table 321. This enables the rotary table 321 to rotate.

[0071] The turntable 321 transports the holder 140 to the heating unit 33, and a pusher 324 disposed corresponding to the heating unit 33 raises the sealing body 323, thereby sealing the holder 140 while accommodating it in the heating chamber. In the heating chamber, the electronic component C is heated. When the heating process is completed or when the electronic component C is about to be transported to the next step, the sealing body 323 is lowered to release the sealing, and the holder 140 is placed on the turntable 321 in preparation for the next transport.

[0072] Next, the rotary table 321 transports the holder 140 to the pre-treatment section 34, and the seal 323 is raised by a pusher 324 disposed corresponding to the pre-treatment section 34, thereby sealing the holder 140 while accommodating it in a treatment chamber. In the treatment chamber, the electronic component C held by the holder 140 is subjected to surface treatment. When the surface treatment is completed or when the electronic component C is about to be transported to the next stage, the seal 323 is lowered to release the seal, and the holder 140 is placed on the rotary table 321 in preparation for the next transport.

[0073] Furthermore, the turntable 321 transports the holder 140 to one of the film formation processing units 35, and a pusher 324 disposed corresponding to the film formation processing unit 35 lifts the sealant 323 to seal the film, and a film is formed in the electrode formation region R in the film formation chamber 351. The pusher 324 corresponding to this film formation processing unit 35 passes through the holding hole 321a of the stopped turntable 321 and rises, and the sealing plate 324c comes into contact with and pushes up the sealant 323 directly above, lifting the sealant 323 to the ceiling of the chamber 31 and sealing the lower end of the film formation chamber 351. Thereafter, the drive shaft 324b continues to rise and stops the holder 140 at a height at which a film is to be formed in the film formation chamber 351 (film formation height).

[0074] When the mask 100 is transported to the film forming processing unit 35 by the rotary table 321, it is in a state where it is misaligned by 45 degrees as described above, and is raised by the pusher 324 in this state. In other words, one corner of the mask 110 and one corner of the electronic component C are facing the target 352. As described above, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to adjust the horizontal rotation of the mask 110. However, if the orientation of the mask 110 is known, the angle of the mask 110 can be adjusted by rotating the sealing plate 324c.

[0075] The holder 354a of the angle change mechanism 354 is in the holding position, holding the pedestal 130, and the pusher 324 descends to remove the pedestal 130 from the stage 142. Then, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9C, the driver 354b causes the holder 354a to change the angle of the pedestal 130 so that the mask 110 is tilted toward the target 352 to be processed, with one corner formed by the two side surfaces S of the electronic component C on which a film is to be formed facing downward. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the weight of the electronic component C causes one corner of the electronic component C to contact one corner of the mask hole 112. That is, as shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, the mask 110 is tilted so that one corner of the side surface S of the electronic component C contacts one corner of the mask hole 112, and the corner s2 diagonally opposite the corner s1 of the mask hole 112 where the electronic component C is in contact becomes the shadow position shielded from the target 352 by the electronic component C. Therefore, the film forming material is deposited on two adjacent side surfaces S and an end surface T of one of the electronic components C, but is not deposited on two adjacent side surfaces S of the other electronic component C.

[0076] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10(B), when the surface corresponding to the opening 112a of the mask 110 is in a shadow position including the corner s2, if the angle α (FIG. 10(A)) is greater than the angle β between the axis Axc and the normal line N, the shadow area expands and the film formation does not reach the gap on the back side. In other words, the angle α is determined so that it is equal to or greater than the angle β. Here, the normal line N shown in FIG. 10(B) coincides with the line connecting the corner k2 of the upper end face T of the electronic component C and the corner s2 of the opening 112a of the mask 110. This is the limit angle, and it is acceptable as long as the angle formed by the line connecting the angle k2 and the corner s2 and the normal line N is equal to or greater than this.

[0077] As described above, if the operation of moving the electronic component C to the corner and the operation of creating a shadow are performed in a single operation at an angle that satisfies both, the takt time can be shortened. However, both operations do not necessarily have to be performed in a single operation. In other words, a certain degree of inclination may be used to reliably move the electronic component C to the corner, and then tilt the component C to an angle that creates a shadow. If the operation of moving the electronic component C to the corner and the operation of creating a shadow are performed separately, the electronic component C can be reliably moved to the corner and the optimal angle can be set to create the optimal shadow, making it possible to more reliably clarify the boundaries of the electrodes E.

[0078] When changing the angle of the mask 110 in this way, the drive unit 354b rotates the shaft back and forth by a small angle, thereby vibrating the holding unit 354a, which makes it easier for the electronic component C to move by its own weight.

[0079] Next, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 9D , the angle of the pedestal 130 is changed by using the angle changing mechanism 354 to rotate the pedestal 130 in the opposite direction to the above, i.e., so that the corner diagonally opposite to the corner of the electronic component C on the side where the film was previously formed faces downward. Then, the weight of the electronic component C causes one corner of the electronic component C, located diagonally opposite to the above, to come into contact with one corner of the mask hole 112. As a result, the corner of the mask hole 112 diagonally opposite to the corner where the electronic component C is in contact becomes a shadow position shielded from the target 352 by the electronic component C. By forming a film using the target 352 opposite to the above in this state, the film forming material is deposited on the other two adjacent side faces S and end face T of the electronic component C, but not on one of the two adjacent side faces S.

[0080] As described above, the turntable 321 transports the holder 140 to one of the film-forming processing units 35 at film-forming positions P4 to P7, where film formation is performed in the electrode formation region R. When film formation is completed or when the holder is about to be transported to the next stage, the sealing body 323 is lowered to release the seal and prepare for the next transport.

[0081] The holding portion 354a of the angle change mechanism 354 may be provided with a mechanism for horizontally rotating the mask 110 and the pedestal 130, such as a roller mechanism. A roller may be disposed at the portion of the holding portion 354a that contacts the pedestal 130, and the holding portion 354a may rotatably hold the pedestal 130 via this roller. The roller, which contacts and rotates with the pedestal 130, is then driven to rotate, thereby rotating the pedestal 130. In this manner, the direction of the mask 110 toward the target 352 can be changed or switched while the mask 110 is held by the angle change mechanism 354. This allows film formation with all corners of the side surface S of the electronic component C facing the target 352. This allows for more uniform formation of the electrodes E of the electronic component C. Furthermore, it eliminates the need to release the pedestal 130, change its orientation, and then re-hold it, thereby improving productivity.

[0082] Furthermore, the turntable 321 transports the holder 140 on which the electronic component C has been formed to the cooling unit 36, and the pusher 324 raises the sealing body 323, thereby sealing the holder 140 while accommodating it in a cooling chamber. In the cooling chamber, the electronic component C is cooled. When the cooling is completed or when the electronic component C is about to be transported to the next stage, the sealing body 323 is lowered to release the sealing and prepare for the next transport.

[0083] Thereafter, the turntable 321 transports the holder 140, which is equipped with the holding member H holding the electronic component C on which the film has been formed, to a load / unload position corresponding to the load lock chamber 370, and by performing the reverse operation of the above-described loading, the load / unload unit 360 unloads the holder 140 from the chamber 31 via the load lock chamber 370. The unloaded holder 140 is held in the holding hole 212a of the turntable 212 positioned at the delivery position PB of the supply unit 2 and is then delivered. Furthermore, the holder 140 is transported by the turntable 212 to the load / unload position PA and is taken out by an operator.

[0084] In this manner, the electrode E is formed on one end of the electronic component C. Next, the formation of the electrode E on the other end of the electronic component C will be described. At this time, the receptacle 130 after the electrode E has been formed on one end of the electronic component C and held in the holding hole 212a will be referred to as receptacle 130A in the following description. Next, the electrode E is formed on the other end of the electronic component C using receptacle 130B, which has been prepared in advance.

[0085] Fig. 7(A) shows a state in which an electronic component C having an electrode E formed on one end is held by a holding member H consisting of a pedestal 130A and a mask 110 mounted on the pedestal 130A before the pedestal 130B is placed on top of it. Fig. 7(B) is a diagram showing a state in which an operator has placed the pedestal 130B on top of the electronic component C in the state of Fig. 7(A). As shown in Fig. 7(B), the pair of pedestals 130A and 130B sandwich the mask 110 with the electronic component C having an electrode E formed on one end interposed therebetween. The restricting portion 132 of the newly placed pedestal 130B enters the restricting hole 113 of the mask 110, aligning it and preventing it from shifting.

[0086] Then, as shown in Fig. 7(C), the worker inverts (turns over) the two stacked pedestals 130A and 130B together. As a result, the pedestal 130B, which was stacked on top in Fig. 7(B), becomes the bottommost, with one end of the electronic component C on which the electrode E is formed facing downward, and the end face abuts and is held by the pedestal 130B. At the same time, the mask 110 is positioned on top of the pedestal 130B. Therefore, the inverted pedestal 130B and the inverted mask 110 mounted on the pedestal 130B form a new holding member H. The restricting portion 132 of the pedestal 130B enters the restricting hole 123 of the mask 110, thereby aligning the mask 110 and maintaining a state in which misalignment is prevented.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 7D, the upper receiving table 130A is removed from the new holding member H. When inverted in this manner, the electrode formation region R, on which the film formation material is not formed at the other end of the electronic component C, one end of which is in contact with the receiving table 130B, protrudes from the mask 110 so as to have the same amount of exposure as before inversion. Then, the receiving table 130B with the mask 110 superimposed thereon, i.e., the new holding member H, is placed on the holder 140 at the loading / unloading position PA. Thereafter, the holder 140 is transported from the supply unit 2 to the film formation unit 3, as described above, and film formation is performed. As a result, a film can be formed on the electrode formation region R opposite the electrode formation region R on which a film has already been formed, as described above.

[0088] [Effects] (1) This embodiment is a film forming apparatus 1 for forming electrodes E (external electrodes) on the ends of rectangular parallelepiped electronic components C, and includes a mask 110 having a mask hole 112 that covers a part of the electronic component C, an opening 112a of the mask hole 112 that is large and has the same shape as a cross section of the electronic component C parallel to the opening 112a, a receiving table 130 that holds one surface of the mask 110 and that comes into contact with one end of the electronic component C that has passed through the mask hole 112, a chamber 31 that can be evacuated, and a target 351 provided in the chamber 31 that is disposed at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane and that contains and forms a film formation material that is deposited on the electronic component C by sputtering to form a film. The mask 110 includes a support 130 for holding the mask 110, an angle change mechanism 354 for supporting the support 130 for holding the mask 110, and for tilting a plane parallel to the opening 112a of the mask hole 112 with respect to the surface of the target 352, wherein the angle change mechanism 354 tilts the mask 110 so that one corner of the side surface S of the electronic component C comes into contact with one corner of the mask hole 112, and a control device 4 for controlling the angle of the plane parallel to the opening 112a of the mask hole 112 with respect to the surface of the target 352 on the opposite side of the mask 110 from the support 130 so that the corner of the mask hole 112 diagonally opposite to the corner with which the electronic component C is in contact is shielded from the target 352 by the electronic component C.

[0089] This allows the side surface S of the electronic component C, on which a film is formed toward the target 352, to be in close contact with the opening 112a of the mask hole 112, preventing the formation of gaps through which the film material can penetrate. This makes it possible to uniformly and clearly define the boundary between the electrode E, which is the region where the electrode material is formed, and the region where the electrode material is not formed, thereby reducing variations in appearance and quality. In particular, by utilizing the corners of the rectangular parallelepiped electronic component C and the corners of the mask hole 112, the electronic component C can be aligned in a uniform position during film formation, thereby more reliably uniformly and clearly defining the boundary between the region where the film is formed and the region where the film is not formed.

[0090] For example, as shown in FIG. 14A , if a film is formed with a gap between the electronic component C and the mask hole 112, the film-forming material will seep in through the gap during film formation. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14B , the film will be formed in an area extending beyond the electrode formation region R, and the boundary between the film-forming region and the non-film-forming region will be unclear. In this embodiment, as described above, the corners of the electronic component C facing the target 352 are brought into contact with the corners of the mask hole 112, thereby closing the gaps between the mask hole 112 and the two adjacent side surfaces S of the electronic component C. This prevents the film-forming material from seeping in between the two side surfaces S and the mask hole 112, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B , and clearly defines the boundary between the film-forming region and the non-film-forming region.

[0091] (2) The angle change mechanism 354 includes a holder 354a that holds the mask 110 and the pedestal 130, and a drive unit 354b that rotates the holder 354a to change the angle of the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 relative to the surface of the target 352. Therefore, the angle can be adjusted to an optimal angle that prevents the film formation material from wrapping around the side surface S that is in the shadow of the target 352, depending on the size, number, etc. of the electronic components C. More specifically, when the surface corresponding to the opening 112a of the mask 110 is in the shadow position including the corner s2, if the angle α ( FIG. 10A ) is greater than the angle β between the axis Axc and the normal N, the shadow area expands and the film formation does not reach the gap on the back side. In other words, by determining the angle α to be greater than the angle β, the boundary of the electrode E can be clearly defined.

[0092] (3) The film forming apparatus 1 includes a vibration unit (drive unit 354b) that vibrates the holding unit 354a, which makes it easier to move the electronic component C in a direction in which one corner of the electronic component C contacts one corner of the mask hole 112.

[0093] (4) The film forming apparatus 1 has a switching mechanism (pusher 324) that switches one corner of the electronic component C facing the target 352 to another corner by rotating the holder 140 that holds the mask 110 and the receiving table 130 parallel to the upper surface of the mask 110. For example, the switching mechanism switches one corner of the electronic component C facing the target 352 by rotating it 90 degrees at a time. This allows film formation to be performed on all corners of the side surface S of the electronic component C facing the target 352 directly, and allows film formation to be uniform without unevenness in the film formation material.

[0094] Furthermore, by providing a pair of targets 352 as in this embodiment, after one target 352 is consumed, the other target 352 can be immediately used, allowing for continuous operation. One of the targets 352 may contain a different film formation material. The number of targets 352 may be one or three or more. In either case, the switching mechanism may rotate the holder 140 so that the corner of the electronic component C faces the target 352 to be used for film formation. When a pair of targets 352 are used sequentially or alternately, the angle change mechanism 354 switches the tilt angle of the mask 110 so that the mask faces the target 352 to be used each time.

[0095] When there are multiple targets 352, the multiple targets 352 can be used one by one in sequence, thereby extending the maintenance interval and shortening downtime, thereby increasing productivity. Also, when the targets 352 are alternately switched for each film formation, the usage period of each target 352 can be extended, extending the maintenance interval and shortening downtime, thereby increasing productivity.

[0096] (5) In this embodiment, after film formation on two adjacent side surfaces of one of the electronic components C is completed, the mask 110 is tilted by the angle change mechanism 354 as shown in FIGS. 13 , 9C, and 9D so that one corner of the electronic component C, opposite to the above, contacts one corner of the mask hole 112. Furthermore, by tilting the pair of targets 352, the other two adjacent side surfaces of the four side surfaces of the electronic component C are positioned facing the target 352 opposite to the one of the two side surfaces, and one side surface is in a shadow position relative to the target 352. By forming a film using the target 352 in this state, the film material is deposited on the other two adjacent side surfaces of the electronic component C (side surfaces adjacent to a corner diagonally opposite one corner of the electronic component C on which a film has been formed) and on the top surface, but is not deposited on the two side surfaces on which a film has already been formed. This allows film formation with clear boundaries, as described above, and also improves productivity because film formation on all side surfaces S can be achieved simply by rotating the angle change mechanism 354 horizontally. The same can be done if there are three or more targets 352.

[0097] (6) A plurality of film formation chambers 351 are provided, and a transport unit 210 is provided to support a plurality of sets of masks 110 and receiving tables 130 and position each set of masks 110 and receiving tables 130 in a position facing the film formation chamber 351. The transport unit 210 has a seal 323 that seals the film formation chamber 351, and while maintaining a vacuum in the chamber 31, the seal 323 seals the film formation chamber 351 and accommodates the mask 110 and receiving table 130 in the film formation chamber 351. The transport unit 210 also has an opening / closing mechanism (pusher 324) that moves the film formation chamber 351 between a sealed position where the seal 323 seals the film formation chamber 351 and accommodates the mask 110 and receiving table 130 in the film formation chamber 351, and an open position where the seal 323 opens the film formation chamber 351 and ejects the mask 110 and receiving table 130 from the film formation chamber 351. Therefore, films can be sequentially formed in the plurality of film formation chambers 351, making it possible to form films without contamination using a plurality of types of film formation materials and to form films of desired thicknesses.

[0098] (7) The angle changing mechanism 354 changes the angle between a plane parallel to the opening 112a of the mask hole 112 and a plane of the target 352 facing the mask 110 so that it is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. This makes it possible to create a shadow region where the film formation material does not wrap around on the side opposite the side surface S of the electronic component C facing the target 352. In other words, even if a gap occurs between the opening 112a and the electronic component C on the side opposite the side surface S of the electronic component C facing the target 352, if the gap is included in the shadow region where the film formation material does not wrap around, the film formation material will not reach the gap, and a film with a clear boundary can be formed on the electrode E. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10B , when the surface corresponding to the opening 112a of the mask 110 is in a shadow position including the corner s2, if the angle α ( FIG. 10A ) is greater than the angle β between the axis Axc and the normal N, the shadow region will expand and the film formation will not reach the gap on the back side.

[0099] 10A , the normal N of the target 352 can be regarded as the direction in which sputtered particles fly from the target 352. The normal N of the target 352 is inclined so that the angle α is closer to 90° with respect to the horizontal than the line connecting the corner k2 of the end face T of the electronic component C and the corner s2 of the opening 112a of the mask 110. Therefore, deposition is also suppressed in the gap between the guide hole 122 on the opposite side of the target 352 and the electronic component C.

[0100] In this embodiment, the difference between the thickness of the mask 110 and the longitudinal length of the electronic component C determines the extent to which the electronic component C protrudes and exposes its side surface, and therefore the thickness of the mask 110 is determined by the size of the electronic component C and the size of the desired film formation area. Since the angle of the target 352 cannot be easily changed, in order to avoid this change, the thickness of the mask 110 is determined to be an angle that casts a shadow as described above.

[0101] Furthermore, when depositing films on the two opposing side surfaces of the electronic component C, the upper end surface T is deposited twice. Therefore, the film formed on this end surface T is thicker. The closer the angle of the end surface T toward the target 352 is to 90 degrees, the thicker the deposited film. In other words, when the normal N faces the end surface T of the electronic component C at an angle less than 45 degrees (a tilted angle) (a direction in which α approaches 90 degrees), the deposited film can be thinner on the end surface T than on the side surfaces. Simulations, experiments, etc. may be performed to balance the film thickness on the side surfaces (one film deposition on each side surface) and the film thickness on the end surface T by depositing films twice.

[0102] [Modifications] The present embodiment may also be modified as follows.

[0103] (1) In the above embodiment, one of the two targets 352 arranged opposite to each other forms a film on two adjacent side surfaces S that sandwich one corner of the electronic component C, and then the other target 352 forms a film on two adjacent side surfaces S that sandwich a corner diagonally opposite the corner of the electronic component C that has been filmed. In this case, film formation is not performed directly on the corners of the electronic component C that are not facing the target 352, which raises concerns that the film thickness at these corners and their vicinity may become thin.

[0104] Therefore, in the film formation chamber 351, the switching mechanism can rotate the mask 110 horizontally in 90-degree increments to form a film. When rotating the mask 110 horizontally in this manner, the holding portion 354a of the angle changing mechanism 354 temporarily releases the mask 110 and the pedestal 130, places them on the holder 140, rotates the holder 140 to rotate the mask 110 and the pedestal 130, and then the holding portion 354a holds the mask 110 and the pedestal 130 again. In this way, film formation can be performed on all corners of the side surface S of the electronic component C so that they directly face the target 352. Therefore, the electrodes E of the electronic component C can be formed more uniformly.

[0105] Furthermore, the mask 110 and the receiving table 130 may be rotated by 90 degrees at each of the deposition positions P4 to P7, and a film may be formed on the side surface S of the electronic component C at each of the 90 degrees. By undergoing the processing at all of the deposition positions P4 to P7, it is possible to reliably form a film on the four side surfaces S of the electronic component C. Of course, this may also be applied to only the deposition positions where it is necessary.

[0106] (2) The receiving table 130 and the mask 110 may be fixed or integrally formed. The restricting portion 132 may be a member such as the pin described above, or may be a wall surrounding the mask 110. When the receiving table 130 and the mask 110 are fixed or integrally formed, the holding member H consisting of the receiving table 130 and the mask 110 is structurally integrated. Therefore, when inverting, if the holding member H corresponding to the receiving table 130A is designated as HA, a holding member H to cover it is prepared as HB. This holding member HB can be placed over the holding member HA, and the inversion mechanism 500 can invert the mask.

[0107] (3) The supply unit 2 may have an inversion mechanism that inverts the holding member H consisting of the mask 110 and the receiving table 130 to switch the portion of the electronic component C exposed through the mask hole 112 from a portion including one end face T to a portion including the other end face T. For example, as shown in FIG. 15 , an inversion mechanism 500 that inverts the mask 110 while it is sandwiched between the receiving tables 130 (see FIGS. 7B and 7C ) is provided at an inversion position PD set in the transport unit 210. A transfer device 420 is provided at a placement position PC set before the inversion position PD. The transfer device 420 removes the receiving table 130 from the placement portion 213 of the receiving table 130 provided in the center of the transport unit 210 and places the receiving table 130 on the end face T of the electronic component C exposed through the mask hole 112 of the mask 110 so as to cover the mask 110. At the removal position PE, which is set after the inversion position PD, there is provided a transfer device 410 that removes the receiving table 130 from the inverted mask 110 and places it on the mounting section 213. This allows the replacement of the receiving table 130 and the inversion of the holding member H to be performed automatically. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 15, the rotary table 212 rotates intermittently clockwise as viewed in the drawing.

[0108] (4) The supply unit 2 may have an insertion device 600 that inserts electronic components C into the mask holes 112. For example, as shown in Fig. 15, an insertion mechanism 620 is provided that takes out a plurality of electronic components C collectively from a stocker 610 that stores the electronic components C and drops them above the mask holes 112, thereby inserting the electronic components C into each mask hole 112. This allows the electronic components C to be inserted automatically into the mask holes 112.

[0109] The film formation procedure in this mode is described below. [1] Holding of holding member First, an empty holding member H (receiving table 130, mask 110) without an electronic component C inserted therein is held in eight holding holes 212a evenly spaced on the rotary table 212.

[0110] [2] Insertion of Electronic Components The insertion mechanism 620 inserts electronic components C into the overlapping mask holes 112 and guide holes 122 of an empty holding member H positioned at the loading / unloading position PA. The holding member H with the electronic components C inserted therein moves to the next position by the intermittent rotation of the turntable 212 clockwise in the drawing.

[0111] [3] Transfer of the holding member to the film-forming unit The holding member H is transported to the delivery position PB by the intermittent rotation of the turntable 212, passing through the placement position PC, the inversion position PD, and the removal position PE. The carrying-in / carry-out unit 360 transfers the holding member H to the film-forming unit 3.

[0112] [4] Film Formation on One End of Electronic Component As described above, by the intermittent rotation of the turntable 321, the holding member H is transported to the heating unit 33, where the electronic component C is heated. The electronic component C is then transported to the pre-treatment unit 34, where it is subjected to surface treatment. The electronic component C is then transported to the film-forming treatment units 35 (P4 to P7), where a film is formed on one end of the electronic component C. In the film-forming treatment, the angle change mechanism 354 tilts the holding member H to bring one corner of the electronic component C into contact with one corner of the guide hole 122. Films are formed on two adjacent side surfaces and the top surface of one of the electronic components C. The angle change mechanism 354 then tilts the holding member H to bring a corner of the electronic component C diagonally opposite the one corner into contact with a corner of the guide hole 122 opposite the corner, where a film is formed on two adjacent side surfaces and the top surface of the electronic component C. After the film-forming treatment, the holding member H is transported to the cooling unit 36, where the electronic component C is cooled.

[0113] [5] Returning the holding member to the loading / unloading section The holding member H is transported to the supply position P1 and returned to the supply section 2 by the loading / unloading section 360. The returned holding member H passes through the loading / unloading position PA and is transported to the placement position PC.

[0114] [6] Reversing Holding Member The transfer device 420 places the receiving table 130 over the holding member H. The holding member H is transported to the reversal position PD, where the reversal mechanism 500 reverses (turns over) the holding member H. The reversed holding member H is transported to the removal position PE. At the removal position PE, the transfer device 410 removes the receiving table 130 located on the top surface. The removed receiving table 130 is returned to the placement section 213.

[0115] [7] Returning the Holding Member to the Film Forming Unit The inverted holding member H is transported to the delivery position PB and returned to the film forming unit 3 by the carry-in / carry-out unit 360.

[0116] [8] Film formation on the other end of the electronic component The holding member H returned to the film formation unit 3 is transported to the heating unit 33, where the electronic component C is heated, then to the pre-treatment unit 34, where the electronic component C is surface-treated, and then to each film-forming treatment unit 35 (P4 to P7), where the film is formed on the other end of the electronic component C. The film is formed on the other end in the same manner as the film is formed on one end. Thereafter, the holding member H is transported to the cooling unit 36, where the electronic component C is cooled.

[0117] [9] Returning the holding member to the loading / unloading section The holding member H having the electrodes E formed on both ends is transported to the supply position P1 and returned to the supply section 2 by the loading / unloading section 360. The returned holding member H is transported to the loading / unloading position PA.

[0118]

[10] Unloading of Electronic Components The electronic components C with electrodes formed on both ends are unloaded by the insertion device 600. By repeating the above operation, electronic components C with films formed on both ends are manufactured.

[0119] When the holding member H is loaded into the film-forming unit 3, it is preferable that the diagonal of the mask holes 112 in the mask 110 be parallel to the line passing through the center of rotation of the transport unit 32. Therefore, it is preferable to rotate the mask 110 horizontally to the above angle from the loading / unloading position PA to any position before the heating position P2. This rotation may be performed at any position between the loading / unloading position PA and the transfer position PB, or at the supply position P1. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , the pusher 324 may receive the sealed body 323, rotate the drive shaft 324b to the above angle, and then place the sealed body 323 on the turntable 321. Alternatively, the holding body 362 of the loading / unloading unit 360 may be rotatably mounted, and the holder 140 may be rotated to the above angle before being handed over to the sealed body 323.

[0120] [Other Embodiments] While the embodiments of the present invention and modifications of each part have been described above, 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 embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims.

[0121] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Film forming apparatus 2 Supply unit 2a Housing 3 Film forming unit 4 Control device 31 Chamber 32 Transport unit 33 Heating unit 34 Pre-processing unit 35 Film forming processing unit 36 ​​Cooling unit 37 Load lock unit 110 Mask 111 Plate 112 Mask hole 112a Opening 112b Compartment 113 Restricting hole 130, 130A, 130B Receiving table 131 Plate 132 Restricting unit 140 Holder 141 Base 142 Stage 142a Pedestal 143 Extension unit 210 Transport unit 211 Motor 212 Rotary table 212a Holding hole 213 Placement unit 311 Exhaust unit 321 Rotary table 321a Holding hole 322 Drive source 323 Sealing body 324 Pusher 324a Drive shaft 324b Sealing plate 351 Film formation chamber 351a Container 352 Target 353 Shutter 354 Angle change mechanism 354a Holder 354b Drive unit 360 Load / unload unit 361 Arm 362 Holder 370 Load lock chamber 370a Exhaust device 370b Valve 370c Exhaust line 370d Valve 370e Vent line 410 Transfer device 420 Transfer device 500 Reversing mechanism 600 Insertion device 610 Stocker 620 Insertion mechanism Axc Axis Axm Axis C Electronic component E Electrode En Internal electrode H Holding member R Electrode formation area S Side surface T End surface W Workpiece α angle

Claims

1. A film formation device for forming an electrode on an end portion of a rectangular parallelepiped electronic component, comprising: a mask having a mask hole that covers a portion of the electronic component, the opening of the mask hole being large and of the same shape as a cross section of the electronic component parallel to the opening; a support table that holds one side of the mask and is in contact with one end portion of the electronic component that passes through the mask hole; a chamber that can be evacuated; a target that is disposed in a film formation chamber provided in the chamber and is formed by depositing a film on the electronic component by sputtering, the target being disposed at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane; and an angle changing mechanism that supports the support table that holds the mask and tilts a plane parallel to the opening of the mask hole with respect to a surface of the target, a control device for controlling an angle of a surface of the mask, on the opposite side from the receiving table and parallel to the opening of the mask hole, relative to a surface of the target, so that the corner of the mask hole diagonally opposite the corner where the electronic component is in contact is shielded from the target by the electronic component, wherein the angle changing mechanism tilts the mask so that one corner of a side of the electronic component contacts one corner of the mask hole, and controls an angle of the surface of the mask parallel to the opening of the mask hole relative to a surface of the target.

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle changing mechanism comprises: a holding part that holds the mask and the receiving table; and a drive part that changes the angle of the mask and the receiving table relative to the surface of the target by rotating the holding part.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a vibration part for vibrating said holding part.

4. A film forming apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that it has a holder for holding the mask and the receiving table, and a switching mechanism for switching one corner of the electronic component facing the target to another corner by rotating the holder parallel to the upper surface of the mask.

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said switching mechanism switches one corner of said electronic component facing said target by rotating said electronic component by 90 degrees at a time.

6. A film forming apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a supply unit which supplies the mask with the electronic component inserted into the mask hole and the receiving platform to the chamber, the supply unit having an inversion mechanism which inverts the mask to switch the portion of the electronic component exposed through the mask hole from one end to the other end.

7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the inversion mechanism is configured to sandwich and invert the mask between the pair of receiving tables by placing another receiving table over the mask that is stacked on the receiving table and has electronic components inserted into the mask holes.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a transfer device for removing the upper receiving table after inversion.

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