SUBSTRATE ROTATION DEVICE, PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND PROCESSING METHOD

Abstract

The substrate rotating device includes a main rotation mechanism, a sub-rotation mechanism, and a guide structure. The main rotation mechanism rotates around a first rotation axis. The main rotation mechanism includes the sub-rotation mechanism. The sub-rotation mechanism revolves around the first rotation axis and rotates around the second rotation axis in accordance with the rotation of the main rotation mechanism. The second rotation axis is displaced in a circumferential direction relative to a third rotation axis provided between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis in the main rotation mechanism. The guide structure has a contact surface extending in a circumferential direction relative to the first rotation axis. The guide structure controls the displacement of the second rotation axis in the circumferential direction relative to the third rotation axis, and when the contact surface comes into contact with the sub-rotation mechanism, causes the sub-rotation mechanism to revolve in an orbit along the contact surface.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate rotating device, a processing system, and a processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] A thin film deposition apparatus equipped with a lens holder that rotatably holds each of a number of lenses in order to form a thin film of uniform thickness on the lenses is already known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this thin film deposition apparatus, when the lens holder rotates, the lens rotates on the lens holder by a planetary gear mechanism. As a result, the lens revolves in accordance with the rotation of the lens holder while rotating on its own axis. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-192835 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a film forming apparatus used in the optical and semiconductor fields, it is generally preferable to be able to form a uniform thin film on a substrate. If a thin film with a uniform thickness can be formed on a large substrate, the cost of film formation can be reduced and the productivity of the product can be improved.

[0005] However, the spatial distribution of the film material emitted as scattered particles from a film material source such as a deposition source on the substrate is non-uniform, and the non-uniformity becomes worse the larger the area of ​​the substrate on which a thin film is formed.

[0006] For this reason, a conventional method is to use a film thickness correction plate to level out the non-uniform thickness of a thin film formed on a substrate. However, in the method of using a film thickness correction plate to uniformize the film thickness, the film thickness correction plate must be attached to the substrate with high precision, and further, the film thickness correction plate must be remade to match the spatial distribution of the scattered particles.

[0007] As in the cited document 1, a technique of revolving and rotating a substrate, such as a lens, on which a film is to be formed during film formation can also be used to suppress the effects of non-uniform spatial distribution of scattered particles, and form a roughly uniform thin film on the substrate. However, even with this technique, there is still room for improvement in the uniformity of the thin film. In addition, if a complex mechanical structure is adopted to improve the uniformity of the thin film, the weight of the device increases and there is a possibility that its durability will deteriorate.

[0008] Therefore, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, it is preferable to provide a novel technique for a substrate rotating device suitable for uniform processing of a substrate, such as forming a film of a uniform thickness on the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to some embodiments, a substrate rotation apparatus is provided, the substrate rotation apparatus comprising a primary rotation mechanism, a secondary rotation mechanism, and a guide structure, the primary rotation mechanism rotating about a first rotation axis.

[0010] The main rotation mechanism includes a sub-rotation mechanism. The sub-rotation mechanism revolves around a first rotation axis and rotates about a second rotation axis in accordance with the rotation of the main rotation mechanism. The sub-rotation mechanism has a support structure that supports a substrate to be processed. The support structure rotates about the second rotation axis. The second rotation axis is displaced around a third rotation axis provided between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis in the main rotation mechanism in a circumferential direction relative to the third rotation axis.

[0011] The guide structure is provided around the first rotating shaft and controls the revolution of the auxiliary rotating mechanism. The guide structure has a contact surface extending in a circumferential direction relative to the first rotating shaft. The guide structure controls the displacement of the second rotating shaft in the circumferential direction relative to the third rotating shaft, and when the contact surface contacts the auxiliary rotating mechanism, causes the auxiliary rotating mechanism to revolve in a trajectory along the contact surface.

[0012] In the conventional method of using a planetary gear mechanism to revolve and rotate a support structure for a substrate to be processed, the revolution orbit is a perfect circular orbit, and the present inventor has realized that this circular orbit is an obstacle to applying uniform processing to the substrate with high precision.

[0013] According to the substrate rotating device of the above-mentioned embodiments, since the revolution orbit of the support structure can be controlled by the guide structure, the revolution orbit of the support structure is not limited to a perfect circle corresponding to the shape of the gear as in the planetary gear mechanism. That is, according to the substrate rotating device of the above-mentioned embodiments, the revolution orbit other than a perfect circle can be realized by making the guide structure have a shape other than a perfect circle.

[0014] In this way, according to some embodiments, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in designing the support structure and the rotational motion of the substrate. This degree of freedom in designing makes it possible to displace the positions of each point in the substrate to be processed with respect to the spatial distribution so as to cancel the non-uniformity of the spatial distribution of the processing. Therefore, according to some embodiments, it is possible to provide a substrate rotation device capable of realizing uniform processing of the substrate.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the design freedom allows the position of each point in the substrate on which the film is to be formed to be displaced relative to the spatial distribution of the film material so as to counteract the non-uniformity of the spatial distribution of the film material, thus providing a substrate rotation device capable of forming a uniform thin film on the substrate with high accuracy.

[0016] In some embodiments of the substrate rotation device, since the third rotation axis is located between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis, the rotation diameter between the second rotation axis and the third rotation axis is smaller than the rotation diameter between the second rotation axis and the first rotation axis.

[0017] In this case, when the second rotating shaft is displaced in the circumferential direction relative to the third rotating shaft, the radial length between the auxiliary rotating mechanism and the first rotating shaft changes, i.e., the auxiliary rotating mechanism can revolve around the contact surface in an orbit other than a perfect circle.

[0018] The radial displacement of the secondary rotation mechanism with respect to the first rotation axis by the circumferential displacement with respect to the third rotation axis can be realized by a relatively simple rotation structure. Therefore, according to some embodiments, a substrate rotation device that is good for uniform processing of a substrate can be realized with a simple configuration and a lightweight configuration. The simple configuration can contribute to the durability of the substrate rotation device. The lightweight configuration can enable high-speed rotation with low energy of the primary rotation mechanism.

[0019] According to some embodiments, the contact surface may be an inner circumferential surface of the guide structure facing the first rotation axis. The inner circumferential surface may restrict radial outward displacement of the auxiliary rotation mechanism with respect to the first rotation axis.

[0020] A centrifugal force acts on the auxiliary rotation mechanism in the radially outward direction in the rotation system of the main rotation mechanism. That is, the auxiliary rotation mechanism tries to displace radially outward. If the displacement caused by the centrifugal force is restricted by contact between the auxiliary rotation mechanism and the inner peripheral surface of the guide structure, the auxiliary rotation mechanism can be stably revolved on an orbit along the inner peripheral surface of the guide structure, and the orbital motion of the support structure can be controlled with high precision.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the primary rotation mechanism may have a rotating plate that rotates about a first rotation axis, the rotating plate may have a slit along a circumferential direction relative to the third rotation axis, and the secondary rotation mechanism may have a second rotation axis passing through the slit.

[0022] The auxiliary rotating mechanism may have a rotating platform having a support structure at a first end of the second rotating shaft. The auxiliary rotating mechanism may have a wheel that runs on the contact surface of the guide structure at a second end of the second rotating shaft opposite to the first end. While the wheel runs on the contact surface in accordance with the revolution motion, the wheel and the rotating platform connected through the second rotating shaft may rotate on their own axes.

[0023] According to such a substrate rotating device, the revolution and rotation along the guide structure of the auxiliary rotating mechanism can be realized with a relatively simple mechanical structure.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the secondary rotation mechanism may be coupled to the primary rotation mechanism via a spring that biases the secondary rotation mechanism in a direction to maintain contact with the contact surface, such bias allowing the secondary rotation mechanism to revolve stably and accurately along the contact surface of the guide structure.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the substrate rotation device may be configured such that the secondary rotation mechanism revolves around the first rotation axis in an elliptical orbit, and the contact surfaces of the guide structures may be elliptical in a circumferential direction relative to the first rotation axis.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the contact surfaces of the guide structure may be arranged in a ring shape that is not point-symmetric in the circumferential direction with respect to the first rotation axis. The secondary rotation mechanism may revolve around the first rotation axis in a non-point-symmetric orbit. Such a revolving orbit is advantageous for uniform substrate processing. In particular, such a revolving orbit is advantageous for uniform film thickness formation, because the spatial distribution of film material often shows a point-symmetric distribution.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the guide structure may include a sliding mechanism for moving at least a part of the contact surface in a radial direction relative to the first rotation axis. With the substrate rotating device including the sliding mechanism, a user can adjust the revolution orbit through the sliding mechanism, thereby realizing uniform processing of the substrate with higher accuracy.

[0028] According to some embodiments, a processing system may be provided that includes a processing apparatus configured to process a surface of a substrate that rotates and revolves together with the secondary rotation mechanism by operation of the substrate rotation apparatus.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the processing apparatus may be configured to process a surface of a substrate by forming a film on the surface of the substrate.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the processing apparatus may be configured to process a surface of the substrate by scraping the surface of the substrate.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the processing apparatus may be configured to process a surface of a substrate by deposition, milling, or etching.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the processing apparatus may be configured to process a surface of the substrate by splashing a substance onto the surface of the substrate. According to some embodiments, the substance may be a film-forming substance.

[0033] According to some embodiments, a processing method may be provided that includes operating the above-mentioned substrate rotation device and processing a surface of a substrate that rotates and revolves together with the secondary rotation mechanism by the operation of the substrate rotation device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a dielectric film deposition apparatus including a substrate rotation device in some embodiments. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic plan view of a substrate rotating apparatus in some embodiments. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic plan view of a guide device according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a rotation axis direction of a substrate rotating device in some embodiments. [Diagram 5]1 is a schematic rear view of a primary rotating device with a secondary rotating device attached in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating circumferential displacement of the rotating table along slits provided in the main rotating plate in some embodiments. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating the orbital and rotational motions in some embodiments. [Figure 8] 13 is a graph showing experimental results regarding film thickness. [Figure 9] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the circumferential profile of a guide rail in some embodiments. [Figure 10] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing the configuration of a guide rail equipped with a slide mechanism in some embodiments. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are diagrams conceptually illustrating the configuration of a processing system according to some embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1...dielectric film deposition apparatus, 10...deposition source, 15...container, 100...substrate rotation device, 110...motor, 130...guide device, 131...base plate, 133...ball bearing, 135...shaft, 137...guide member, 137A...guide rail, 137B...inner circumferential surface, 137C...bottom plate, 137D...hole, 139A...guide rail, 141...first slide mechanism, 142...second slide mechanism, 150...main rotation device, 151...main rotation plate, 155...shaft, 159... Slit, 170...secondary rotation device, 171...rotation table, 171A...recess, 171B...hollow portion, 175...shaft, 179...wheel, 179A...wheel body, 179B...O-ring, 180...rotation mechanism, 181...link, 183...joint, 185...spring, 190...substrate rotation device, 200...substrate, 300, 400...processing system, 301, 401...processing device, R1...first rotation axis, R2...second rotation axis, R3...third rotation axis, RS...light receiving sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] Several embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0037] The substrate rotating device 100 of some embodiments is a substrate rotating device 100 for film formation used for dielectric film deposition or crystal growth. The substrate rotating device 100 receives power from a motor 110 and revolves and rotates a substrate 200, which is a target for film formation as a processing target, in order to support uniform thin film formation on the substrate 200.

[0038] Examples of the substrate 200 include optical substrates as well as substrates used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. Thin films are formed on the optical substrate in order to impart predetermined optical properties to the optical substrate. Examples of the optical substrate include flat substrates as well as substrates having convex or concave surfaces.

[0039] 1, the substrate rotating device 100 is disposed in a container 15 of a dielectric film deposition device 1 having a plurality of deposition sources 10. In the substrate rotating device 100, a surface of a substrate 200 on which a film is to be formed faces the deposition source 10.

[0040] The substrate rotating device 100 receives power from a motor 110 and revolves and rotates the substrate 200 in a container 15. The container 15 is held in a vacuum state. In this state, the film material is vaporized from the deposition source 10, and the vaporized film material is scattered as scattered particles into the container 15. The dashed lines in Fig. 1 conceptually show the spread of the scattered particles, and the arrows conceptually show the scattering direction.

[0041] The scattered particles adhere to the substrate 200, thereby forming a thin film on the substrate 200. The deposition sources 10 operate in sequence when depositing different types of thin films on the substrate 200. When operating, each deposition source 10 vaporizes and scatters a corresponding film material so that a corresponding type of thin film is formed on the substrate 200.

[0042] The spatial distribution of the film material scattered from each deposition source 10 onto the substrate 200 exhibits a geometric shape that is roughly point symmetric. The amount of scattered film material increases toward the center, and decreases toward the farther away from the center.

[0043] Therefore, the thickness λ of the thin film formed on the substrate 200 is usually expressed by the function λ=T(r)=T0+k1·r+k2·r 2 +k3·r 3 +..., that is, a distribution according to a one-variable polynomial having the distance r from the center as a variable. When a thin film is formed while the substrate 200 is stationary and not rotating, the coefficients k1, k2, k3,... follow the scattering distribution of the film material.

[0044] In some embodiments, the substrate rotating device 100 revolves and rotates the substrate 200, thereby displacing each point on the substrate 200 with respect to the scattering distribution of the film material. As a result, the coefficients k1, k2, k3, ... approach zero, and a uniform thin film is formed over a wide area of ​​the substrate 200, which shows a uniform distribution T(r) of film thickness λ that is independent of the distance r and has only the constant term T0.

[0045] The substrate rotating device 100 realizes a non-point-symmetric revolution orbit that is not a perfect circle, such as an ellipse, thereby realizing more uniform thin film formation than in the past. For this revolution orbit, the substrate rotating device 100 is configured as shown in FIG.

[0046] The substrate rotating device 100 shown in FIG. 2 includes a guide device 130 , a main rotating device 150 mounted on the guide device 130 , and a plurality of sub-rotating devices 170 mounted on the main rotating device 150 .

[0047] The dashed lines in Fig. 2 show, in a transparent manner, a part of a portion located on the back side of the front surface of the substrate rotating device 100. The arrows in Fig. 2 indicate that the main rotating device 150 rotates around a first rotation axis R1, that the rotating table 171 of the auxiliary rotating device 170 rotates around a second rotation axis R2, and that the rotating table 171 is capable of being displaced in the circumferential direction around a third rotation axis R3.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide device 130 includes a base plate 131, a shaft 135 rotatably supported on the base plate 131 via a ball bearing 133, and a guide member 137.

[0049] The guide member 137 includes a guide rail 137A and a bottom plate 137C having a peripheral edge with the same shape as the outline of the guide rail 137A. As shown in Fig. 4, the guide rail 137A protrudes from the peripheral edge of the bottom plate 137C.

[0050] The bottom plate 137C has a hole 137D for passing the shaft 135. The guide member 137 is fixed to the base plate 131 by, for example, screwing, with the shaft 135 passing through the hole 137D.

[0051] The guide rail 137A is arranged in a non-point-symmetric ring shape around the shaft 135 with the guide member 137 fixed to the base plate 131. According to the example shown in Fig. 3, the guide rail 137A has an elliptical outline in the circumferential direction.

[0052] The main rotating device 150 is rotatably held relative to the guide device 130. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, the main rotating device 150 includes a main rotating plate 151 and a shaft 155. The shaft 155 extends from the center of the main rotating plate 151 toward the guide device 130 in a normal direction of the main rotating plate 151. The shaft 155 is connected to the main rotating plate 151, and is further connected to a first end of the shaft 135 of the guide device 130.

[0053] A second end of the shaft 135 protrudes from the rear surface of the guide device 130. The motor 110 is connected to the second end of the shaft 135. As a result, the main rotating device 150 is disposed on the guide device 130 such that the main rotating plate 151 receives power from the motor 110 and rotates about the shaft 155. The shaft 155 corresponds to the first rotation axis R1.

[0054] 2, the main rotating plate 151 has slits 159 extending in the circumferential direction about the third rotation axis R3 at 90 degree intervals. The number of the secondary rotating devices 170 is the same as the number of the slits 159. Each of the secondary rotating devices 170 passes through a corresponding slit 159.

[0055] 2, 4, and 5, each of the auxiliary rotation devices 170 includes a rotating table 171, a shaft 175, wheels 179, and a rotation mechanism 180. The rotation mechanism 180 is disposed at a position corresponding to the dashed line in Fig. 4. That is, the rotation mechanism 180 is provided on the rear surface of the main rotating plate 151. Details of the rotation mechanism 180 are omitted in Fig. 4.

[0056] The shaft 175 is provided to pass through the slit 159 and the rotation mechanism 180. The rotation mechanism 180 supports the shaft 175 so that the shaft 175 is rotatable about its axis. The shaft 175 corresponds to the second rotation axis R2.

[0057] In other words, the rotation mechanism 180 supports the shaft 175 so that the shaft 175 is rotatable along the slit 159, in particular so that the shaft 175 is displaceable in the circumferential direction about the third rotation axis R3.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation mechanism 180 includes a link 181 for rotatably supporting the shaft 175, a joint 183 for supporting the link 181 so that the link 181 is displaceable in the circumferential direction about the third rotation axis R3, and a spring 185.

[0059] The joint 183 is provided on the main rotating plate 151 so as to penetrate the main rotating plate 151 in the normal direction, and is thereby erected in the normal direction on the back surface of the main rotating plate 151. The link 181 has a hole (not shown) at a first end through which the joint 183 penetrates. The link 181 is supported by the joint 183 through this hole so as to be displaceable in the circumferential direction relative to the joint 183. As a result, the link 181 is attached to the main rotating plate 151 so as to be displaceable around the third rotation axis R3 in the circumferential direction relative to the third rotation axis R3.

[0060] According to one example, a bearing may be provided between the joint 183 and the link 181. Thereby, the link 181 may be held in the joint 183 so as to be smoothly displaceable in the circumferential direction around the joint 183.

[0061] The link 181 further has a hole (not shown) through which the shaft 175 passes, at a second end farther from the first rotation axis R1 than the first end. The link 181 supports the shaft 175 so that the shaft 175 is rotatable about its axis. Thus, the shaft 175 is attached to the rotating mechanism 180 so that the shaft 175 is rotatable about a second rotation axis R2 that is displaced in the circumferential direction relative to the third rotation axis R3. According to an example, a bearing may be provided between the shaft 175 and the link 181. Thus, the shaft 175 may be supported by the link 181 so that the shaft 175 is smoothly rotatable.

[0062] The slit 159 provided in the main rotating plate 151 is an arc-shaped slit curved along the circumferential direction about the third rotation axis R3. The shaft 175 is held by the link 181 such that the distance from the third rotation axis R3, i.e., the rotational diameter about the third rotation axis R3, corresponds to the distance from the center of the slit 159 to the third rotation axis R3. As a result, the shaft 175 is disposed so as to be displaceable in the circumferential direction about the third rotation axis R3 along the slit 159, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B.

[0063] A spring 185 is disposed between the link 181 and the main rotating plate 151 such that a first end of the spring 185 is fixed to the link 181 and a second end of the spring 185 is fixed to the main rotating plate 151 .

[0064] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the third rotation axis R3 is located between the first rotation axis R1 and the second rotation axis R2 in the radial direction relative to the first rotation axis R1, and the rotational diameter between the second rotation axis R2 and the third rotation axis R3 is smaller than the rotational diameter between the second rotation axis R2 and the first rotation axis R1.

[0065] Therefore, when the shaft 175 is displaced in the circumferential direction along the slit 159, the radial length between the shaft 175 and the first rotation axis R1 changes.

[0066] The spring 185 is provided between the link 181 and the main rotating plate 151 so as not to apply a biasing force to the link 181 when the shaft 175 is at the circumferential center position of the slit 159, i.e., at the position where the radial distance from the first rotation axis R1 is the longest. In other words, the spring 185 is connected to the link 181 so as to apply a biasing force to the link 181 in a direction returning the shaft 175 to the center position when the shaft 175 deviates from the central position.

[0067] 4, a first end of the shaft 175 protrudes from the surface of the main rotating plate 151. The first end of the shaft 175 is coupled to the center of the rotating table 171 on the back side of the rotating table 171. As a result, the rotating table 171 is disposed on the front side of the main rotating plate 151 in a state in which it can rotate around the shaft 175 and can be displaced in the circumferential direction about the third rotation axis R3 as the shaft 175 moves, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

[0068] As described above, the rotational diameter between the shaft 175 and the third rotation axis R3 is smaller than the rotational diameter between the shaft 175 and the first rotation axis R1. Therefore, the rotating table 171 is disposed on the main rotating plate 151 so as to be displaceable in the radial direction of the first rotation axis R1 as the shaft 175 moves in the circumferential direction about the third rotation axis R3.

[0069] 2, the rotating table 171 has a circular outline, and has a support structure on the front side for supporting the rectangular substrate 200. Specifically, the rotating table 171 has a rectangular recess 171A (see FIG. 4) on the front side, and supports the substrate 200 fitted in the recess 171A.

[0070] 4, the rotating table 171 has a hollow internal structure and supports the edge of the substrate 200 from the back side of the substrate 200. The shaft 175 connected to the rotating table 171 is a hollow tubular member. The cavity 171B of the rotating table 171 communicates with a second end of the shaft 175 opposite to the first end.

[0071] A second end of the shaft 175 is located on the back side of the main rotating plate 151. A light receiving sensor RS is provided at the second end of the shaft 175 so as to cover the opening of the shaft 175. The light receiving sensor RS receives measurement light that is irradiated from above the substrate 200 and propagates through the substrate 200 and the cavity 171B, and outputs a signal corresponding to the intensity of the received measurement light. The signal output by the light receiving sensor RS is used to measure the thickness of a thin film formed on the substrate 200.

[0072] A second end of the shaft 175 is connected to the center of the wheel 179. In this manner, the rotating base 171 is connected to the first end of the shaft 175, and the wheel 179 is connected to the second end of the shaft 175, so that the rotating base 171 rotates (i.e., spins) around the shaft 175 in accordance with the rotation of the wheel 179.

[0073] With respect to the wheel 179, an O-ring 179B is attached to the side wall of a wheel body 179A having a circular outline. The wheel 179 is disposed at a height where the O-ring 179B comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface 137B of the guide rail 137A so as to run on the inner peripheral surface 137B of the guide rail 137A.

[0074] That is, when the main rotating plate 151 rotates, the wheels 179 run on the inner circumferential surface 137B of the guide rail 137A in accordance with the revolution of the rotating base 171 caused by the rotation of the main rotating plate 151.

[0075] The above-mentioned spring 185 is provided to ensure that, when the wheel 179 is moving, the wheel 179 moves stably on the inner circumferential surface 137B of the guide rail 137A without coming off the inner circumferential surface 137B of the guide rail 137A and without slipping.

[0076] Due to the arrangement of spring 185 described above, wheel 179 receives tension having a component directed radially outward from main rotating plate 151 from spring 185 through shaft 175, and is pressed against inner surface 137B of guide rail 137A so as to maintain contact with inner surface 137B of guide rail 137A.

[0077] That is, wheel 179 is pressed against inner circumferential surface 137B of guide rail 137A by receiving a radially outward biasing force from spring 185. As a result, wheel 179 revolves on a track along guide rail 137A while rotating, with almost no slipping on inner circumferential surface 137B of guide rail 137A or separation from guide rail 137A.

[0078] When the guide rail 137A is elliptical as shown in Fig. 3, the wheel 179 of the secondary rotating device 170 and the rotating base 171 linked thereto rotate while revolving in an elliptical orbit as shown in Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B. When the main rotating plate 151 rotates by an angle α in the direction of the arrow from the state in which the wheel 179 is disposed as shown in Fig. 7A, the wheel 179 moves to the position shown in Fig. 7B while tracing an elliptical orbit. The main rotating plate 151 is indicated by a dashed line in Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B.

[0079] When the main rotating plate 151 rotates, the positions of the rotating base 171 and the wheels 179 in the radial direction of the main rotating plate 151 are controlled to positions along the guide rail 137A by a dynamic action involving centrifugal force, the biasing force of the spring 185, and a resisting force from the guide rail 137A to the wheels 179. In other words, the guide rail 137A controls the positions of the wheels 179 and the shaft 175 in the radial direction by contacting with the wheels 179 of the sub rotating device 170, thereby controlling the revolution motion of the rotating base 171.

[0080] In some embodiments, the substrate rotating device 100 rotates the rotation table 171 supporting the substrate 200 while revolving the rotation table 171 along a point-asymmetric elliptical orbit by controlling the revolution orbit using the guide rail 137A. This revolution and rotation causes each point on the substrate 200 to be displaced in a complex manner so as to cross the non-uniform spatial distribution of the film material from the deposition source 10, so that a thin film of uniform thickness is formed on the surface of the substrate 200.

[0081] The graph shown in Figure 8 shows the results of measuring the film thickness λ of the substrate 200 held on the rotation table 171 and the film thickness λ of the substrate 200 held on the substrate holding table when, for the purpose of a comparative experiment, a substrate holding table was provided between two adjacent sub-rotation devices 170 on the main rotating plate 151 and fixed so as not to move relative to the main rotating plate 151, and the substrate rotating device 100 was rotated while thin film formation was performed.

[0082] The horizontal axis in the graph indicates the position on the surface of the substrate 200. The vertical axis in the graph indicates the film thickness λ of the thin film formed on the surface of the substrate 200. The line graph plotted with circular symbols indicates the spatial distribution of film thickness λ on the substrate 200 placed on the substrate holding table, and the line graph plotted with rectangular symbols indicates the spatial distribution of film thickness λ on the substrate 200 placed on the rotation table 171 in some embodiments. Thus, it can be seen that the substrate rotation device 100 in some embodiments can form a thin film of uniform thickness (λ) on the substrate 200 with extremely high precision.

[0083] As described above, in the substrate rotating device 100 of some embodiments, the main rotating device 150 corresponding to the main rotating mechanism rotates about the first rotation axis R1 (shafts 135, 155).

[0084] A rotating table 171, a shaft 175, and wheels 179 of the auxiliary rotation device 170 corresponding to the auxiliary rotation mechanism revolve around a first rotation axis R1 (shafts 135, 155) and rotate about a second rotation axis R2 (shaft 175) in accordance with the rotation of the main rotating plate 151. The rotating table 171, the shaft 175, and the wheels 179 are provided on the main rotating plate 151.

[0085] In the auxiliary rotating device 170, the rotating table 171 having a support structure (recess 171A) for the substrate 200 rotates about a second rotation axis R2 (shaft 175), and further, the second rotation axis R2 (shaft 175) is displaced in the circumferential direction relative to the third rotation axis R3. The third rotation axis R3 (joint 183) is provided between the first rotation axis R1 (shafts 135, 155) and the second rotation axis R2 (shaft 175) in the main rotating plate 151. Therefore, in accordance with the displacement in the circumferential direction, the second rotation axis R2 (shaft 175) is displaced in the radial direction relative to the first rotation axis R1.

[0086] Guide rail 137A constituting the guide structure has an inner peripheral surface 137B used to control the revolution motion of turntable 171. Inner peripheral surface 137B extends in the circumferential direction about first rotation axis R1 (shafts 135, 155), has a point-asymmetric ring-shaped contour, and faces first rotation axis R1.

[0087] The guide rail 137A brings the inner circumferential surface 137B into contact with the wheels 179 of the auxiliary rotating device 170, and regulates the displacement of the wheels 179 radially outward from the main rotating plate 151. Through this regulation, the guide rail 137A controls the circumferential displacement along the second rotating axis R2 (shaft 175) and the slits 159 of the rotating table 171, and the associated radial displacement relative to the first rotating axis R1, so that the rotating table 171 revolves on a track corresponding to the inner circumferential surface 137B (a track along the inner circumferential surface 137B).

[0088] In this manner, the substrate rotating device 100 of some embodiments realizes a point-asymmetric revolution motion accompanied by rotation of the rotating table 171 without using a film thickness correction plate or a planetary gear mechanism, and displaces each point on the substrate 200 with respect to the spatial distribution of the film material scattered from the deposition source 10. Therefore, as can be understood from the experimental results, a uniform thin film can be formed on the surface of the substrate 200 with high precision.

[0089] In film formation using a planetary gear mechanism, the revolution orbit is a perfect circle, so the even function term of the function T(r), that is, the order n is an even number r nIt is difficult to eliminate the influence of the even function term by making its coefficient close to zero. In contrast, in some embodiments, the rotation stage 171 can be rotated in an asymmetric elliptical orbit, so that the influence of the even function term can be eliminated and a uniform film thickness λ can be achieved.

[0090] In addition, in film formation using a planetary gear mechanism, when multiple deposition sources 10 with different spatial distributions of scattered particles are used, it is difficult to form thin films uniformly from each of the deposition sources 10 because the orbit is a perfect circle. The substrate rotating device 100 of some embodiments can suppress such non-uniformity. That is, the substrate rotating device 100 can form thin films using each of the multiple deposition sources 10 more uniformly than in the past.

[0091] Furthermore, although a planetary gear mechanism is prone to vibration during rotation, the substrate rotating device 100 of some embodiments can suppress vibration during rotation. This suppression of vibration contributes to highly accurate film thickness formation.

[0092] In some embodiments, since the revolution orbit is controlled using the guide rail 137A instead of the gears, it is easy to manufacture a relatively large-scale substrate rotating device 100, and it is possible to construct a system capable of forming a uniform film thickness on the large substrate 200. Therefore, according to some embodiments, it is possible to reduce the cost of film formation and improve the productivity of the product.

[0093] In some embodiments, the biasing force of the spring 185 and centrifugal force are used to press the wheels 179 of the auxiliary rotation device 170 against the inner circumferential surface 137B of the guide rail 137A so that they do not separate from each other and further so that they do not slip. Then, the rotation of the wheels 179 is used to rotate the rotation table 171 about the second rotation axis R2 (shaft 175). This enables highly accurate control of the rotational motion of the substrate 200, and enables highly accurate thin film formation.

[0094] In some embodiments, the rotation mechanism 180 holds the second rotation axis R2 by a link mechanism so as to be movable in the circumferential direction about the third rotation axis R3, thereby displacing the second rotation axis R2 in the radial direction about the first rotation axis R1. Therefore, the turntable 171 can be held so as to be displaceable in the radial direction about the first rotation axis R1 with a simple configuration. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a lightweight and highly durable substrate rotating device 100. Being lightweight is also advantageous in that the main rotating plate 151 can be rotated at high speed with less energy.

[0095] According to some embodiments, by changing the circumferential shape of the guide rail 137A, various revolution orbits other than the elliptical orbit shown in Fig. 3 can be easily realized. The ellipticity is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 3. For example, the revolution orbit can be any ellipse with an ellipticity a / b of 0.99 or less, where a is the shortest distance of the ellipse and b is the longest distance of the ellipse.

[0096] Guide rail 137A may be changed to guide rail 139A having a non-point-symmetric ring-shaped contour other than an ellipse, as shown in Fig. 9. Guide rail 139A may be disposed on base plate 131 so as to meander in the circumferential direction.

[0097] By preparing a plurality of guide members 137 with different guide rail shapes and by interchangeably attaching these guide members 137 to the base plate 131, the substrate rotating device 100 can realize a wide variety of revolution movements.

[0098] The substrate rotating device 100 may be provided with a mechanism for moving the guide rails 137A and 139A. As shown in FIG. 10, the substrate rotating device 190 includes a first slide mechanism 141 and a second slide mechanism 142. The first slide mechanism 141 slides a first portion 1391 of the guide rail 139A in a radial direction relative to the first rotation axis. The second slide mechanism 142 slides a second portion 1392 of the guide rail 139A in a radial direction relative to the first rotation axis. The first slide mechanism 141 and the second slide mechanism 142 are disposed on the base plate 131 of the guide device 130. The first portion 1391 and the second portion 1392 of the guide rail 139A are separated from the bottom plate and other portions of the guide rail 139A.

[0099] Substrate rotating device 190 may be configured similarly to substrate rotating device 100 of the above-described embodiment, except that a portion of guide rail 139A is configured to be movable, and substrate rotating device 190 is provided with first and second slide mechanisms 141, 142. Substrate rotating device 190 can adjust the revolution orbit of turntable 171 to achieve uniform film thickness, thereby achieving more accurate thin film formation.

[0100] According to some embodiments, the substrate rotating device 100 is disposed in a container 15 of a dielectric film deposition apparatus 1 having a plurality of deposition sources 10. The dielectric film deposition apparatus 1 corresponds to a processing system for film formation, and the plurality of deposition sources 10 correspond to a processing device.

[0101] According to some embodiments, the substrate rotating device 100 may be mounted on a processing system 300 for milling, as shown in Fig. 11A. As a result, the substrate rotating device 100 may be used to rotate a substrate 200 to be milled. The processing system 300 shown in Fig. 11A includes the substrate rotating device 100 together with a processing device 301 for milling. The processing system 300 is configured to process the surface of the substrate 200, which rotates and revolves together with the rotation table 171 by the operation of the substrate rotating device 100, by irradiating an ion beam from the processing device 301, so as to scrape the surface.

[0102] According to some embodiments, the substrate rotating apparatus 100 may be mounted on a processing system 400 for etching, as shown in FIG. 11B. Thus, the substrate rotating apparatus 100 may be used to rotate the substrate 200 to be etched. The processing system 400 shown in FIG. 11B includes the substrate rotating apparatus 100 together with a processing apparatus 401 for etching. The processing system 400 is configured to process the surface of the substrate 200, which rotates and revolves together with the turntable 171 by the operation of the substrate rotating apparatus 100, by scattering an etching agent from the processing apparatus 401, so as to scrape the surface.

[0103] Although the substrate rotating device in several embodiments has been described as an example above, it goes without saying that the substrate rotating device is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can adopt various aspects.

[0104] For example, substrate rotating device 100 does not necessarily need to be provided with spring 185. There may be cases where wheels 179 are sufficiently pressed onto guide rail 137A by centrifugal force without spring 185. Additionally, substrate rotating device 100 shown in the drawings is conceptual, and the dimensions and shapes of each part of substrate rotating device 100 are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0105] The function of one component in the above embodiment may be distributed among multiple components. The functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. Some of the configurations of the above embodiment may be omitted. All aspects included in the technical idea specified by the wording of the claims are embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A substrate rotating device, comprising: A main rotating mechanism that rotates about a first rotation axis; A sub-rotating mechanism that revolves around the first rotation axis as the main rotating mechanism rotates and rotates about a second rotation axis; A guide structure provided around the first rotation axis for controlling the revolving motion of the sub-rotating mechanism; And comprising: The main rotating mechanism includes the sub-rotating mechanism; The second rotation axis is displaced circumferentially with respect to a third rotation axis provided between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis in the main rotating mechanism; The sub-rotating mechanism includes a support structure for supporting a substrate to be processed; The support structure rotates about the second rotation axis; The guide structure has a contact surface extending circumferentially with respect to the first rotation axis; The guide structure controls the displacement of the second rotation axis in the circumferential direction with respect to the third rotation axis, and when the contact surface contacts the sub-rotating mechanism, the sub-rotating mechanism is revolved along an orbit along the contact surface. A substrate rotating device.

2. The contact surface is an inner circumferential surface facing the first rotation axis provided in the guide structure; The substrate rotating device according to claim 1, wherein the inner circumferential surface restricts the displacement of the sub-rotating mechanism radially outward with respect to the first rotation axis.

3. The main rotating mechanism has a rotating plate that rotates about the first rotation axis; The rotating plate has a slit along the circumferential direction with respect to the third rotation axis; The sub-rotating mechanism includes: The second rotation axis passing through the slit; A turntable disposed at a first end of the second rotation axis and having the support structure; And a wheel disposed at a second end opposite to the first end and traveling on the contact surface. The substrate rotating device according to claim 1, wherein while the wheel travels on the contact surface along with the revolving motion, the turntable connected to the second rotation axis through the wheel rotates.

4. The substrate rotating device according to claim 1, wherein the sub-rotating mechanism is connected to the main rotating mechanism via a spring that biases the sub-rotating mechanism in a direction in which contact with the contact surface is maintained.

5. The substrate rotating device according to claim 1, wherein the sub-rotating mechanism revolves around the first rotation axis in an elliptical orbit.

6. The substrate rotating device according to claim 5, wherein the contact surface is arranged elliptically in the circumferential direction with respect to the first rotation axis.

7. The contact surface is arranged in an annular shape that is not point-symmetrical in the circumferential direction with respect to the first rotation axis. The sub-rotation mechanism orbits around the first rotation axis in a non-point-symmetrical orbit. The substrate rotation device according to claim 1.

8. The guide structure includes a slide mechanism for moving at least a part of the contact surface in the radial direction with respect to the first rotation axis. The substrate rotation device according to claim 1.

9. The substrate rotation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A processing device configured to process the surface of the substrate that rotates and revolves together with the sub-rotation mechanism by the operation of the substrate rotation device, A processing system comprising.

10. The processing device is configured to process the surface of the substrate by forming a film on the surface of the substrate or by shaving the surface of the substrate. The processing system according to claim 9.

11. The processing device is configured to process the surface of the substrate by film formation, milling, or etching. The processing system according to claim 9.

12. The processing device is configured to process the surface of the substrate by scattering a substance toward the surface of the substrate. The processing system according to claim 9.

13. Operating the substrate rotation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, Processing the surface of the substrate that rotates and revolves together with the sub-rotation mechanism by the operation of the substrate rotation device, A processing method including.

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