Film forming apparatus

Abstract

Provided is a film forming apparatus in which film thickness distribution is adjusted.　This film forming apparatus comprises: a processing chamber that forms a processing space; a substrate support part that has a placement portion for supporting a substrate to be processed in the processing chamber and rotates the placement portion; a sputter particle emission part that emits sputter particles into the processing space; and a sputter particle shield part that is provided facing the sputter particle emission part and adjusts the distribution of the sputter particles, wherein the sputter particle shield part has a shield plate including a tip portion in which the shielding width for shielding the sputtered particles narrows toward the inside in the radial direction.

Description

Film forming equipment

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a sputtering apparatus equipped with, within a vacuum chamber, a substrate holding means for holding a substrate, a target holding means for holding a target, a sputtering gas supply means for supplying a sputtering gas for sputtering the target into a reaction chamber, and a power supply means for supplying power for generating a discharge between the target and the substrate, wherein a partition plate having a plurality of openings is provided between the target and the substrate, the partition plate is made of a conductive material, and the partition plate is grounded to the vacuum chamber.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-80963

[0004] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a film forming apparatus that adjusts film thickness distribution.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect, a film formation apparatus can be provided, comprising: a processing chamber that forms a processing space; a substrate support unit that has a mounting unit that supports a substrate to be processed within the processing chamber and rotates the mounting unit; a sputter particle emission unit that emits sputter particles into the processing space; and a sputter particle shielding unit that is provided opposite the sputter particle emission unit and adjusts the distribution of the sputter particles, wherein the sputter particle shielding unit has a shielding plate that includes a tip portion whose shielding width for shielding the sputter particles narrows radially inward.

[0006] According to one aspect, it is possible to provide a film forming apparatus that adjusts film thickness distribution.

[0007] 1. An example of a schematic cross-sectional view of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 2. An example of a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the arrangement inside a processing chamber. 3. An example of a cross-sectional perspective view showing the arrangement inside a processing chamber. 4. Another example of a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the arrangement inside a processing chamber. 5. Another example of a cross-sectional perspective view showing the arrangement inside a processing chamber. 6. An example of a graph showing simulation results of film thickness distribution. 7. An example of a flowchart showing a film forming process. 8. An example of a perspective view of a sputtered particle shielding unit. 9. An example of a perspective view of a sputtered particle shielding unit. 10. An example of a perspective view of a sputtered particle shielding unit. 11. An example of a graph showing simulation results of film mass density.

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0009] [Film Forming Apparatus] An example of a film forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an example of a schematic cross-sectional view of the film forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment.

[0010] The film formation apparatus 1 includes a processing chamber 10, gas supply units 20 a, 20 b, sputter particle emission units 30 a, 30 b, a substrate support unit 40, a sputter particle shielding unit 50, an exhaust unit 60, and a control unit 70. The film formation apparatus 1 is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus that deposits sputter particles (film-forming atoms) and a processing gas emitted from the sputter particle emission units 30 a, 30 b in the processing chamber 10 on a surface of a substrate (substrate to be processed) W such as a semiconductor wafer placed on the substrate support unit 40 to form a film. In the following description, the film formation apparatus 1 will be described taking as an example a case where a WSi film or a WSiN film is formed on the substrate W. Although the film formation apparatus 1 will be described taking as an example a case where it has two sputter particle emission units 30 a, 30 b, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of sputter particle emission units may be two or more.

[0011] The processing chamber 10 includes a chamber body 10a having an open top and a lid 10b provided to close the top opening of the chamber body 10a. The lid 10b has an inclined side surface. The interior of the processing chamber 10 forms a processing space S where a film formation process is performed.

[0012] An exhaust port 11 is formed at the bottom of the processing chamber 10. An exhaust device 60 is connected to the exhaust port 11. The exhaust device 60 includes a pressure control valve and a vacuum pump. The processing space S is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum level by the exhaust device 60.

[0013] Gas inlet ports 12a and 12b are inserted into the processing chamber 10 to introduce gas into the processing space S. A gas supply unit 20a is connected to the gas inlet port 12a. A gas supply unit 20b is connected to the gas inlet port 12b. The gas supply unit 20a supplies a sputtering gas into the processing space S from the gas inlet port 12a. Here, the sputtering gas is, for example, an inert gas. In the following description, a case where the sputtering gas is Ar gas will be described as an example. The gas supply unit 20b may also supply a processing gas containing a material containing constituent elements of the film to be formed into the processing space S from the gas inlet port 12b. For example, when the film to be formed on the substrate W is a WSiN film, the gas supply unit 20b supplies a gas containing nitrogen (N) (for example, N ２ When the film to be formed on the substrate W is a WSi film, it is not necessary to supply the processing gas into the processing space S through the gas introduction port 12b.

[0014] A loading / unloading port 13 for loading and unloading a substrate W is formed in a sidewall of the processing chamber 10. The loading / unloading port 13 is opened and closed by a gate valve 14. The processing chamber 10 is provided adjacent to a transfer chamber (not shown), and when the gate valve 14 is opened, the processing chamber 10 and the transfer chamber (not shown) are connected to each other. The transfer chamber (not shown) is maintained at a predetermined vacuum level, and a transfer device (not shown) for loading and unloading a substrate W into and from the processing chamber 10 is provided therein.

[0015] The sputter particle emission unit 30a includes a target (first target) 31a, a target holder 32a, an insulating member 33a, a power supply 34a, a magnet 35a, and a magnet scanning mechanism 36a. The sputter particle emission unit 30b includes a target (second target) 31b, a target holder 32b, an insulating member 33b, a power supply 34b, a magnet 35b, and a magnet scanning mechanism 36b.

[0016] The targets 31a and 31b are made of materials containing the constituent elements of the film to be formed. The target 31a is made of a first material. The target 31b is made of a second material. Here, the first material of the target 31a and the second material of the target 31b may be the same material. Furthermore, the first material of the target 31a and the second material of the target 31b may be materials containing metal. For example, when the film to be formed on the substrate W is a WSiN film or a WSiN film, the first material and the second material may be targets containing tungsten (W) and silicon (Si), and the concentration ratio of tungsten (W) to silicon (Si) in the first material may be the same as the concentration ratio of tungsten (W) to silicon (Si) in the second material.

[0017] The combination of the first material and the second material is not limited to this. The first material of the target 31a and the second material of the target 31b may be different materials. For example, the first material may be a target containing tungsten (W), and the second material may be a target containing silicon (Si). Alternatively, the first material may be a target containing tungsten (W) and silicon (Si), and the second material may be a target containing silicon (Si). Alternatively, the first material may be a target containing tungsten (W), and the second material may be a target containing tungsten (W) and silicon (Si). Alternatively, the first material and the second material may be targets containing tungsten (W) and silicon (Si), but the ratio of the tungsten (W) to silicon (Si) concentrations in the first material may be different from the ratio of the tungsten (W) to silicon (Si) concentrations in the second material.

[0018] The target holders 32 a, 32 b are made of a conductive material and are attached via insulating members 33 a, 33 b at different positions on the inclined surface of the lid 10 b of the processing chamber 10. The target holders 32 a, 32 b hold the targets 31 a, 31 b so that the targets 31 a, 31 b are positioned obliquely above the substrate W supported by the substrate support 40.

[0019] The power supplies 34a and 34b are electrically connected to the target holders 32a and 32b, respectively. The power supplies 34a and 34b may be DC power supplies if the targets 31a and 31b are made of a conductive material, or may be high-frequency power supplies if the targets 31a and 31b are made of a dielectric material. When the power supplies 34a and 34b are high-frequency power supplies, they are connected to the target holders 32a and 32b via matching circuits. When a voltage is applied to the target holders 32a and 32b, the sputtering gas dissociates around the targets 31a and 31b. Ions in the dissociated sputtering gas then collide with the targets 31a and 31b, causing sputtering particles, which are particles of the constituent material of the targets 31a and 31b, to be released and scattered from the targets 31a and 31b.

[0020] The magnets 35a, 35b are disposed on the rear side of the target holders 32a, 32b and configured to be reciprocated (oscillated) by magnet scanning mechanisms 36a, 36b. The magnet scanning mechanisms 36a, 36b include, for example, guides 37a, 37b and drivers 38a, 38b. The magnets 35a, 35b are guided by the guides 37a, 37b so that they can reciprocate. The drivers 38a, 38b reciprocate the magnets 35a, 35b along the guides 37a, 37b.

[0021] Ions in the dissociated sputtering gas are attracted by the magnetic fields of the magnets 35a and 35b and collide with the targets 31a and 31b. The magnet scanning mechanisms 36a and 36b reciprocate the magnets 35a and 35b, thereby changing the positions at which the ions collide with the targets 31a and 31b, in other words, the positions at which sputter particles are emitted.

[0022] Furthermore, a mounting portion 41 of a substrate support 40 for horizontally mounting a substrate W is provided at a position facing the targets 31 a, 31 b in the processing chamber 10. The mounting portion 41 is connected via a shaft member 42 to a drive mechanism 43 disposed below the processing chamber 10. The drive mechanism 43 has a function of rotating the mounting portion 41.

[0023] The shaft member 42 penetrates the bottom of the chamber body 10a and is connected to a drive mechanism 43. A seal portion 44 that keeps the inside of the processing chamber 10 airtight is provided at the position where the shaft member 42 penetrates the bottom of the chamber body 10a.

[0024] A heating mechanism (not shown) is provided within the mounting section 41 so as to heat the substrate W during sputtering.

[0025] The sputter particle shielding unit 50 is provided in the processing chamber 10. The sputter particle shielding unit 50 includes a shielding plate and a support shaft that supports the shielding plate. The shielding plate is, for example, a plate-shaped member. The support shaft is an axial member that extends from the sidewall of the processing chamber 10 toward the center of the substrate support unit 40 (mounting unit 41) and supports the shielding plate. The sputter particle shielding unit 50 is provided facing the sputter particle emission surfaces (surfaces) of the targets 31a and 31b. As shown in FIG. 1 , the sputter particle emission surfaces of the targets 31a and 31b may be inclined, and the shielding surface (upper surface) of the sputter particle shielding unit 50 that shields sputter particles may be horizontal. In other words, the sputter particle emission surfaces of the targets 31a and 31b and the shielding plate of the sputter particle shielding unit 50 do not necessarily have to be parallel. In other words, the shielding plate of the sputter particle shielding unit 50 is disposed between the sputter particle emission surface (surface) of the targets 31 a and 31 b and the film formation surface (surface) of the substrate W placed on the mounting unit 41 .

[0026] A portion of the sputtered particles emitted from the sputtered particle emitting surfaces of the targets 31 a, 31 b and heading toward the substrate W is shielded by the sputtered particle shielding portion 50. This adjusts the film thickness distribution of the film formed on the substrate W. The configuration of the sputtered particle shielding portion 50 will be described later with reference to Figures 2 to 5, etc.

[0027] The control unit 70 is made up of a computer and controls each component of the film forming apparatus 1, such as the power supplies 34a and 34b, the drive units 38a and 38b, the drive mechanism 43, and the exhaust unit 60. The control unit 70 has a main control unit made up of a CPU that actually controls these components, as well as an input device, an output device, a display device, and a storage device. The storage device stores parameters for various processes performed in the film forming apparatus 1, and is also configured to hold a storage medium that stores programs for controlling the processes performed in the film forming apparatus 1, i.e., process recipes. The main control unit of the control unit 70 calls up a predetermined process recipe stored in the storage medium and causes the film forming apparatus 1 to perform a predetermined process based on the process recipe.

[0028] Next, a description will be given of an example of a film formation process in the film formation apparatus 1. Here, the case of forming a WSi film or a WSiN film on a substrate W will be described as an example.

[0029] First, the substrate W is loaded into the processing chamber 10. Specifically, the control unit 70 opens the gate valve 14. A transfer device (not shown) provided in a transfer chamber (not shown) transfers the substrate W into the processing chamber 10 and places the substrate W on the mounting part 41. When the transfer device retreats from the loading / unloading port 13, the control unit 70 closes the gate valve 14.

[0030] Next, a film formation process is performed on the substrate W. The control unit 70 controls the film formation apparatus 1 to form a film (for example, a WSi film or a WSiN film) on the substrate W.

[0031] Here, the formation of a WSi film on the substrate W will be described. The control unit 70 controls the drive mechanism 43 to rotate the mounting unit 41. The control unit 70 also controls the gas supply unit 20a to supply Ar gas as a sputtering gas from the gas inlet port 12a. The control unit 70 also controls the power supplies 34a and 34b to apply voltage to the target holders 32a and 32b, dissociating the sputtering gas around the targets 31a and 31b. Ions in the dissociated sputtering gas then collide with the targets 31a and 31b, causing sputter particles, which are particles of the constituent material of the targets 31a and 31b, to be released and scattered from the targets 31a and 31b. The control unit 70 also controls the magnet scanning mechanisms 36a and 36b to oscillate the magnets 35a and 35b, thereby oscillating the positions at which the ions collide with the targets 31a and 31b. This allows an amorphous WSi film to be formed on the substrate W.

[0032] Next, a description will be given of a case where a WSiN film is formed on a substrate W. The control unit 70 controls the drive mechanism 43 to rotate the mounting unit 41. The control unit 70 also controls the gas supply unit 20a to supply Ar gas as a sputtering gas from the gas inlet port 12a. The control unit 70 also controls the power supplies 34a and 34b to apply voltage to the target holders 32a and 32b, dissociating the sputtering gas around the targets 31a and 31b. Ions in the dissociated sputtering gas then collide with the targets 31a and 31b, causing sputter particles, which are particles of the constituent material of the targets 31a and 31b, to be released and scattered. The control unit 70 also controls the magnet scanning mechanisms 36a and 36b to oscillate the magnets 35a and 35b, thereby oscillating the positions at which the ions collide with the targets 31a and 31b. The control unit 70 also controls the gas supply unit 20b to supply N as a nitrogen-containing gas from the gas introduction port 12b. ２ The gas is supplied to form an amorphous WSiN film on the substrate W.

[0033] Here, a sputter particle shielding unit 50 is disposed between the targets 31 a, 31 b and the substrate W placed on the mounting unit 41. The sputter particle shielding unit 50 shields some of the sputter particles emitted from the targets 31 a, 31 b. This allows the film thickness distribution of the film formed on the substrate W to be adjusted.

[0034] Finally, the substrate W is unloaded from the processing chamber 10. Specifically, the control unit 70 opens the gate valve 14. A transfer device (not shown) provided in a transfer chamber (not shown) unloads the substrate W from the mounting part 41 in the processing chamber 10. When the transfer device retreats from the loading / unloading port 13, the control unit 70 closes the gate valve 14.

[0035] As described above, the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film on the substrate W by PVD. Furthermore, by performing a film forming process on the substrate W while rotating the mounting unit 41 on which the substrate W is mounted, the circumferential film thickness distribution of the film formed on the substrate W can be made uniform. Furthermore, the sputter particle shielding unit 50 shields some of the sputter particles emitted from the targets 31 a, 31 b, thereby adjusting the radial film thickness distribution of the film formed on the substrate W. Therefore, a film (e.g., a WSi film or a WSiN film) with an adjusted in-plane film thickness distribution can be formed on the substrate W.

[0036] [Sputtered particle shielding section] Next, an example of the sputtered particle shielding section 50 will be further described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is an example of a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the arrangement inside the processing chamber 10. Figure 3 is an example of a cross-sectional perspective view showing the arrangement inside the processing chamber 10. In Figure 2, the positions where the targets 31a and 31b are arranged are shown by dashed lines.

[0037] 2, the targets 31a and 31b are provided at equal intervals in the rotation direction of the mounting part 41. That is, the targets 31a and 31b are each provided at a position rotated 180° with respect to the center of the substrate support part 40 (mounting part 41).

[0038] 2, the example in which there are two targets has been described, but this is not limiting and multiple targets may be provided. In this case, the multiple targets are provided at equal intervals in the rotation direction of the mounting unit 41. For example, when four targets are provided, the targets are provided at equal intervals at positions rotated 90° in the rotation direction of the mounting unit 41.

[0039] The sputtered particle shielding portion 50 has sputtered particle shielding portions 50a1 and 50a2. The sputtered particle shielding portion 50a1 and the sputtered particle shielding portion 50a2 have the same shape and configuration. The sputtered particle shielding portions 50a1 and 50a2 are provided at equal intervals in the rotation direction of the mounting portion 41. In other words, the sputtered particle shielding portions 50a1 and 50a2 are each provided at positions rotated 180° with respect to the center of the substrate support portion 40 (mounting portion 41).

[0040] Further, as viewed in the rotation direction of the mounting part 41, a sputtered particle shielding part 50a1 is provided between one of the targets 31a and 31b, and a sputtered particle shielding part 50a2 is provided between the other of the targets 31a and 31b. In other words, the targets 31a and 31b and the sputtered particle shielding parts 50a1 and 50a2 are arranged alternately and at equal intervals as viewed in the rotation direction of the mounting part 41. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the targets 31a, the sputtered particle shielding part 50a1, the target 31b, and the sputtered particle shielding part 50a2 are arranged in this order.

[0041] 2, the example shown in FIG. 2 has been described using an example in which there are two targets and two sputter particle shielding portions, but this is not limiting, and if multiple targets are provided, multiple sputter particle shielding portions may also be provided. For example, the same number of sputter particle shielding portions as the number of targets may be provided, and the targets and sputter particle shielding portions may be arranged alternately and at equal intervals in the rotation direction of the mounting portion 41. For example, if there are four targets and four sputter particle shielding portions, the sputter particle shielding portions are arranged at equal intervals at positions rotated 90° in the rotation direction of the mounting portion 41.

[0042] The sputter particle shielding unit 50a1 (50a2) has a shielding plate 510 and a support shaft 520 that supports the shielding plate 510. The shielding plate 510 is, for example, a plate-shaped member. The support shaft 520 is an axial member that is fixed at one end to the side wall of the processing chamber 10 and supports the shielding plate 510 at the other end. The support shaft 520 is disposed so that its axial direction extends from the side wall of the processing chamber 10 toward the center of the substrate support unit 40 (mounting unit 41). In other words, the support shaft 520 is disposed so that its axial direction extends in the radial direction of the substrate support unit 40 (mounting unit 41).

[0043] The shielding plate 510 has a shape that is symmetrical in plan view with the radial direction of the substrate support portion 40 (mounting portion 41) (the axial direction of the support shaft 520) as the axis of symmetry.

[0044] The shielding plate 510 is formed so that the width of the shielding plate 510 (in a direction perpendicular to the axis of symmetry, or in the circumferential or tangential direction of the substrate support portion 40) changes with respect to the axis of symmetry (in the radial direction of the substrate support portion 40 (mounting portion 41)).

[0045] Here, the shielding plate 510 has a front end portion 511 and a rear end portion 512. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the width of the shielding plate 510 narrows radially inward at the front end portion 511, and the rear end portion 512 has an arrowhead shape (in other words, a V-shape) with a notch (recess) formed therein.

[0046] The tip portion 511 is formed so that the shielding width for shielding sputtered particles narrows toward the inside in the radial direction. Also, the tip portion 511 is formed so that the shielding width for shielding sputtered particles increases toward the outside in the radial direction. The tip portion 511 is disposed toward the center of the substrate support portion 40 (mounting portion 41). In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the tip portion 511 is formed so that the width of the tip portion 511 increases toward the outside in the radial direction by forming the left and right outer surfaces 511 a, 511 b so that they are spaced apart toward the outside in the radial direction.

[0047] The rear end 512 is formed so that the shielding width for shielding sputtered particles narrows toward the radially outward direction. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the rear end 512 has a notch formed from the rear end side. The rear end 512 is formed so that left and right outer surfaces 512a, 512b are formed parallel to the axis of symmetry, and inner surfaces 512c, 512d of the notches are formed so as to move away from each other toward the radially outward direction, thereby forming the width of the rear end 512 to decrease toward the radially outward direction.

[0048] The shape of the shielding plate 510 is not limited to this. The left and right outer surfaces of the front end portion 511 may have a generally triangular shape formed so as to move apart radially outward, the left and right outer surfaces of the rear end portion 512 may have a generally triangular shape formed so as to move closer radially outward, and the shape of the shielding plate 510 may be a generally quadrangular shape (rhombus shape) formed by combining the bases of the two generally triangles.

[0049] Next, another example of the sputter particle shielding unit 50 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is another example of a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the arrangement inside the processing chamber 10. FIG. 5 is another example of a cross-sectional perspective view showing the arrangement inside the processing chamber 10. In FIG. 4, the positions where the targets 31a, 31b are disposed are indicated by dashed lines. The film formation apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 differs from the film formation apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in the configuration of the sputter particle shielding unit 50. The other configurations are similar, and therefore, redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0050] The sputtered particle shielding portion 50 has sputtered particle shielding portions 50b1 and 50b2. The sputtered particle shielding portion 50b1 and the sputtered particle shielding portion 50b2 have the same shape and configuration. The sputtered particle shielding portions 50b1 and 50b2 are provided at equal intervals in the rotation direction of the mounting portion 41. In other words, the sputtered particle shielding portions 50b1 and 50b2 are each provided at positions rotated 180° with respect to the center of the substrate support portion 40 (mounting portion 41).

[0051] Further, as viewed in the rotation direction of the mounting part 41, a sputtered particle shielding portion 50b1 is provided between one of the targets 31a and 31b, and a sputtered particle shielding portion 50b2 is provided between the other of the targets 31a and 31b. In other words, the targets 31a and 31b and the sputtered particle shielding portions 50b1 and 50b2 are arranged alternately and at equal intervals as viewed in the rotation direction of the mounting part 41. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the targets 31a, sputtered particle shielding portion 50b1, target 31b, and sputtered particle shielding portion 50b2 are arranged in this order.

[0052] The sputter particle shielding unit 50b1 (50b2) includes a shielding plate 530 and a support shaft 540 that supports the shielding plate 530. The shielding plate 530 is, for example, a plate-shaped member. The support shaft 540 is a shaft-shaped member that is fixed at one end to the sidewall of the processing chamber 10 and supports the shielding plate 530 at the other end. Here, the support shaft 540 shown in FIG. 5 is positioned higher than the support shaft 520 shown in FIG. 3. The axial direction of the support shaft 540 is arranged to extend from the sidewall of the processing chamber 10 toward the center of the substrate support unit 40 (mounting unit 41). In other words, the axial direction of the support shaft 540 is arranged to extend in the radial direction of the substrate support unit 40 (mounting unit 41).

[0053] The shielding plate 530 has a shape that is symmetrical in plan view with the radial direction of the substrate support portion 40 (mounting portion 41) (the axial direction of the support shaft 540) as the axis of symmetry.

[0054] The shielding plate 530 is formed so that the width of the shielding plate 530 (in a direction perpendicular to the axis of symmetry, or in the circumferential or tangential direction of the substrate support portion 40) changes with respect to the axis of symmetry (in the radial direction of the substrate support portion 40 (mounting portion 41)).

[0055] Here, the shielding plate 530 has a front end portion 531 and a rear end portion 532. In the example shown in Fig. 4 , the width of the shielding plate 530 narrows radially inward at the front end portion 531, and at the rear end portion 532, the shielding plate 530 has an arrowhead shape (wing shape) (in other words, a V-shape) with a notch (recess) formed therein. Note that the shielding plate 530 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is positioned higher than the shielding plate 510 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 . Furthermore, the shielding plate 530 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is formed wider in the width direction than the shielding plate 510 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 .

[0056] The tip portion 531 is formed so that the shielding width for shielding sputtered particles narrows toward the inside in the radial direction. Also, the tip portion 531 is formed so that the shielding width for shielding sputtered particles increases toward the outside in the radial direction. The tip portion 531 is disposed toward the center of the substrate support portion 40 (mounting portion 41). In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the tip portion 531 is formed so that the width of the tip portion 531 increases toward the outside in the radial direction by forming the left and right outer surfaces 531 a, 531 b so that they move apart toward the outside in the radial direction.

[0057] The rear end 532 is formed so that the shielding width for shielding sputtered particles narrows toward the radially outward direction. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the rear end 532 has a notch formed from the rear end side. The rear end 532 is formed so that left and right outer surfaces 532a, 532b are formed parallel to the axis of symmetry, and inner surfaces 532c, 532d of the notches are formed so as to move away from each other toward the radially outward direction, thereby causing the width of the rear end 532 to decrease toward the radially outward direction.

[0058] The shape of the shielding plate 530 is not limited to this. The left and right outer surfaces of the front end portion 531 may have a generally triangular shape formed so as to move apart radially outward, the left and right outer surfaces of the rear end portion 532 may have a generally triangular shape formed so as to move closer radially outward, and the shape of the shielding plate 530 may be a generally quadrangular shape (rhombus shape) formed by combining the bases of the two generally triangles.

[0059] 6 is an example of a graph showing the results of a simulation of film thickness distribution. Here, the horizontal axis of the graph represents the radial position of the substrate W, with the center of the substrate W at 0 mm. The substrate W has a radius of 150 mm. The vertical axis of the graph represents the film thickness normalized by setting the film formation amount at the center 0 mm of the substrate W to 1.

[0060] The solid line is an example of a simulation result of a film thickness distribution formed by a film formation apparatus without a sputter particle shielding unit 50 (w / o block). The dashed line is an example of a simulation result of a film thickness distribution formed by a film formation apparatus 1 having a sputter particle shielding unit 50 (shielding plate 510, support shaft 520) arranged at a low position as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The dotted line is an example of a simulation result of a film thickness distribution formed by a film formation apparatus 1 having a sputter particle shielding unit 50 (shielding plate 530, support shaft 540) arranged at a high position as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The radial ranges in which the shielding plates 510 and 530 are arranged are indicated by symbols 510 and 530.

[0061] Sputtered particles scattered from a target containing a metal (for example, WSi) have a higher scattering rate on the outer side than on the center of the substrate W. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 6, in the film formation distribution in the case where there is no sputtered particle shielding portion 50 (w / o block) indicated by the solid line, a large peak appears in the film thickness at a radial position of approximately 90 mm to 100 mm.

[0062] In contrast, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the leading end 511 of the shielding plate 510 and the leading end 531 of the shielding plate 530 are wider radially outward than toward the center of the substrate W, i.e., have a wider shielding width. The widths (shielding widths) of the shielding plates 510 and 530 are maximum at a radial position approximately 90 mm to 100 mm, where the peak of the film formation distribution appears. The rear end 512 of the shielding plate 510 and the rear end 532 of the shielding plate 530 are narrower radially outward than toward the center of the substrate W, i.e., have a narrower shielding width. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6 , the film formation distribution in the case where the sputter particle shielding portion 50 indicated by the dashed and dotted lines is included can improve the uniformity of the film thickness. Note that support shafts 520 and 540 are disposed radially outward of the shielding plates 510 and 530, and these support shafts 520 and 540 also shield a portion of the sputter particles.

[0063] It is preferable that the tips of the shielding plates 510, 530 be arranged radially outward from the center of the substrate W. In other words, it is preferable that the shielding plates 510, 530 are arranged in positions that do not cover the center of the substrate W when viewed from above. This makes it possible to suppress variations in film thickness near the center of the substrate W due to positional misalignment of the shielding plates 510, 530.

[0064] The sputter particle shielding unit 50 may have an inclination adjustment mechanism (not shown) that adjusts the inclination angle of the shielding plate 510 (530). The inclination adjustment mechanism may be configured to adjust the overall inclination angle of the shielding plate 510 (530). Alternatively, the inclination adjustment mechanism may be configured to divide the shielding plate 510 (530) into left and right halves with respect to an axis of symmetry, and to adjust the inclination angles of the shielding plate 510 (530) on one side of the axis of symmetry and the shielding plate 510 (530) on the other side of the axis of symmetry, respectively. By adjusting the inclination adjustment mechanism, it is possible to adjust the uniformity of the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W.

[0065] The sputter particle shielding unit 50 may also have an area adjustment mechanism (not shown) that adjusts the area of ​​the shielding plate 510 (530). By adjusting the area adjustment mechanism, it is possible to adjust the uniformity of the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W.

[0066] The sputter particle shielding unit 50 may also have an angle adjustment mechanism (not shown) for adjusting the angle of the shielding plate 510 (530) (the angle between the outer surfaces 511 a and 511 b and the angle between the outer surfaces 531 a and 531 b). By adjusting the angle adjustment mechanism, it is possible to adjust the uniformity of the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W.

[0067] The sputter particle shielding unit 50 may also have a height adjustment mechanism (not shown) for adjusting the height of the shielding plate 510 (530). By adjusting the height with the height adjustment mechanism, it is possible to adjust the uniformity of the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W.

[0068] 2 to 5 has been described as being stationary within the processing chamber 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. The film forming apparatus 1 may be provided with a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the sputter particle shielding unit 50.

[0069] FIG. 7 is an example of a flowchart showing a film forming process.

[0070] First, the substrate W is loaded into the processing chamber 10. Specifically, the control unit 70 opens the gate valve 14. A transfer device (not shown) provided in a transfer chamber (not shown) transfers the substrate W into the processing chamber 10 and places the substrate W on the mounting part 41. When the transfer device retreats from the loading / unloading port 13, the control unit 70 closes the gate valve 14.

[0071] In step S101, a process of PVD film formation is performed by placing a shielding plate above the substrate W. Here, the control unit 70 controls the movement mechanism to place the shielding plate above the substrate W. Then, the control unit 70 controls the drive mechanism 43, the gas supply units 20 a, 20 b, the power supplies 34 a, 34 b, the magnet scanning mechanisms 36 a, 36 b, etc. to perform PVD film formation on the substrate W.

[0072] In step S102, a process of removing the shielding plate from above the substrate W and performing PVD film formation is performed. Here, the control unit 70 controls the movement mechanism to remove the shielding plate from above the substrate W. Then, the control unit 70 controls the drive mechanism 43, the gas supply units 20 a, 20 b, the power supplies 34 a, 34 b, the magnet scanning mechanisms 36 a, 36 b, etc. to perform PVD film formation on the substrate W.

[0073] Thereafter, the substrate W is unloaded from the processing chamber 10. Specifically, the control unit 70 opens the gate valve 14. A transfer device (not shown) provided in a transfer chamber (not shown) unloads the substrate W from the mounting part 41 in the processing chamber 10. When the transfer device retreats from the loading / unloading port 13, the control unit 70 closes the gate valve 14.

[0074] An example of the sputter particle shielding portion 50 that is moved by a moving device (not shown) will be described with reference to Figures 8A to 8D. Figures 8A to 8D are perspective views of examples of the sputter particle shielding portions 50c to 50f.

[0075] 8A is an example of a perspective view of the sputter particle shielding unit 50c. The sputter particle shielding unit 50c includes a shielding plate 540c, a support shaft 550c that supports the shielding plate 540c, and an attachment portion 560c. The shielding plate 540c is an annular member that covers the vicinity of the radial position where the peak of the film formation distribution appears (here, the vicinity of a radius of 100 mm). That is, in step S101, the annular shielding plate 540c is disposed concentrically with the substrate W. The support shaft 550c is an axial member that is fixed at one end to the attachment portion 560c and supports the shielding plate 540c at the other end. The attachment portion 560c is attached to a moving device (not shown). This allows the moving device to move the shielding plate 540c.

[0076] FIG. 8B is an example of a perspective view of the sputter particle shielding unit 50d. The sputter particle shielding unit 50d includes a shielding plate 540d, a support shaft 550d that supports the shielding plate 540d, and an attachment portion 560d. The shielding plate 540d is an annular member that covers the vicinity of the radial position where the peak of the film formation distribution appears (here, the vicinity of a radius of 100 mm). That is, in step S101, the annular shielding plate 540d is disposed concentrically with the substrate W. The shielding plate 540d has a wider radial width than the shielding plate 540c. The support shaft 550d is an axial member that is fixed at one end to the attachment portion 560d and supports the shielding plate 540d at the other end. The attachment portion 560d is attached to a moving device (not shown). This allows the moving device to move the shielding plate 540d.

[0077] FIG. 8C is an example of a perspective view of the sputter particle shielding unit 50e. The sputter particle shielding unit 50e includes a shielding plate 540e, a support shaft 550e that supports the shielding plate 540e, and an attachment portion 560e. The shielding plate 540e is a generally diamond-shaped member that covers the vicinity of the radial position where the peak of the film formation distribution appears (here, the vicinity of a radius of 100 mm). The support shaft 550e is a shaft-shaped member that is fixed at one end to the attachment portion 560e and supports the shielding plate 540e at the other end. The attachment portion 560e is attached to a moving device (not shown). This allows the moving device to move the shielding plate 540e.

[0078] FIG. 8D is an example of a perspective view of the sputter particle shielding unit 50f. The sputter particle shielding unit 50f includes a shielding plate 540f, a support shaft 550f that supports the shielding plate 540f, and an attachment portion 560f. The shielding plate 540f is a generally diamond-shaped member that covers the vicinity of the radial position where the peak of the film formation distribution appears (here, the vicinity of a radius of 100 mm). The support shaft 550f is a shaft-shaped member that is fixed at one end to the attachment portion 560f and supports the shielding plate 540f at the other end. The attachment portion 560f is attached to a moving device (not shown). This allows the moving device to move the shielding plate 540f.

[0079] 9 is an example of a graph showing the simulation results of the film mass density. Here, the horizontal axis of the graph represents the radial position of the substrate W, with the center of the substrate W at 0 [mm]. The vertical axis of the graph represents the film mass density normalized with the film mass density at the center 0 [mm] of the substrate W being 1.

[0080] The solid line is an example of a simulation result of the mass density of a film formed by a film formation apparatus without a sputter particle shielding portion 50 (without a block). The dashed line is an example of a simulation result of the mass density of a film formed by a film formation apparatus 1 having the sputter particle shielding portions 50c to 50f shown in Figures 8A to 8D.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 9 , the use of sputter particle shielding units 50c, 50d having annular shielding plates 540c, 540d can significantly reduce the mass density of the film. Therefore, in the process of step S101, by disposing the sputter particle shielding units 50c, 50d above the substrate W, the amount of film deposition near the radial position where the peak of the film deposition distribution appears (here, near a radius of 100 mm) can be suppressed. Then, in the process of step S102, the sputter particle shielding units 50c, 50d are removed from above the substrate W. This increases the amount of film deposition near the radial position where the peak of the film deposition distribution appears (here, near a radius of 100 mm) relative to the surrounding area. This allows the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness formed on the substrate W to be adjusted throughout the processes of steps S101 and S102.

[0082] The above describes a film forming apparatus 1 equipped with a sputter particle shielding section 50, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, etc., and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure described in the claims.

[0083] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-124659, filed on July 31, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0084] W: substrate (substrate to be processed) 10: processing chamber (processing chamber) 20a, 20b: gas supply section 30a, 30b: sputter particle emission section 40: substrate support section 41: placement section 43: driving mechanism 50: sputter particle shielding section 510, 530: shielding plate 511, 531: front end section 512, 532: rear end section 520, 540: support shaft

Claims

1. A film formation apparatus comprising: a processing chamber that forms a processing space; a substrate support unit that has a mounting unit that supports a substrate to be processed within the processing chamber and rotates the mounting unit; a sputtered particle emission unit that emits sputtered particles into the processing space; and a sputtered particle shielding unit that is provided opposite the sputtered particle emission unit and adjusts the distribution of the sputtered particles, wherein the sputtered particle shielding unit has a shielding plate that includes a tip portion whose shielding width for shielding the sputtered particles narrows radially inward.

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shielding plate is installed such that the tip thereof faces the center of the mounting portion.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the shielding plate further includes a rear end portion in which the shielding width for shielding the sputtered particles narrows toward the radially outward direction.

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the shielding plate has an arrowhead shape with a recess at the rear end.

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shielding plate has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to a radial direction of the mounting portion as an axis of symmetry.

6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sputter particle shielding portion has a support shaft that supports the shielding plate.

7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two or more sputter particle shielding sections are installed.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of said sputter particle emitting sections and a plurality of said sputter particle shielding sections, wherein said sputter particle emitting sections and said sputter particle shielding sections are arranged alternately in the rotation direction of said wafer mounting section.

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