Vacuum Film Formation Layout for Stable Sputtering After Pre-Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing film formation apparatuses face issues with gas contamination and pressure changes due to gaps between plasma processing and film formation rooms, leading to unstable film formation, especially when using argon gas, and pre-processing gas diffusion affects the vacuum chamber.
Innovation Solution
A film formation apparatus with a chamber, transporter, load-lock room, and pre-processing unit is designed to maintain vacuum integrity by separating plasma processing and film formation units, using a load-lock room for workpiece transfer and pre-processing adjacent to the transporter, and employing a biasing unit to position workpieces orthogonally for efficient plasma processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a gap is provided between the plasma processing room and rotation table for workpiece passage, then workpiece transport is enabled, but gas leakage occurs from the gap causing pressure change in the film formation room
Solution Approach 1:
A load-lock room is introduced as an intermediary chamber between the plasma processing room and film formation room. The load-lock room includes a first opening communicating with the plasma processing room and a second opening communicating with the film formation room, allowing workpieces to be transferred while maintaining vacuum separation. This mediator structure prevents direct gas leakage between the two main chambers while enabling continuous workpiece transport.
2Manufacturing precision
If the chamber is depressurized for film formation, then stable and dense film is formed, but gas contamination from pre-processing affects the vacuum level
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum chamber is segmented into distinct functional regions: a plasma processing room for pre-processing, a load-lock room for transfer, and a film formation room for film deposition. Each region can be independently controlled and depressurized to the appropriate level for its specific process, preventing gas contamination from spreading between stages while maintaining the vacuum conditions necessary for high-quality film formation.
3Productivity
If multiple film formation units are added to improve productivity, then film formation efficiency increases, but gas contamination risk from pre-processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The load-lock room serves as a buffer zone that isolates multiple film formation units from the plasma processing room. Workpieces are pre-processed in the plasma processing room, transferred through the load-lock room, and then moved to film formation units. This intermediary structure allows multiple film formation units to operate simultaneously without being directly exposed to pre-processing gases, maintaining vacuum integrity while improving productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Stable film formation is achieved by minimizing gas contamination and pressure fluctuations, allowing for increased film formation units and improved efficiency through single-wafer processing and reduced transportation time.
Implementation Method 1
Ions of plasma inert gas is bombarded to the target made of film formation material, and the materials beaten out from the target is deposited on a workpiece, to form film
Implementation Method 2
plasma production in the plasma processing room is stopped. Next, plasma is produced in the film formation room
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a film formation apparatus that suppresses effects of pre-processing and enables stable film formation is provided. A film formation apparatus of the present disclosure includes a chamber that can be made vacuum, a transporter that is provided inside the chamber and that circulates and transports a workpiece in a trajectory of a circle, a film formation unit that forms film by sputtering on the workpiece circulated and transported by the transporter, a load-lock room that loads the workpiece into and out of the chamber relative to air space while keeping an interior of the chamber vacuum, and a pre-processing unit that is provided in the chamber at a position adjacent to the load-lock room and that performs pre-processing to the workpiece loaded in from the load-lock room in a state distant from the transporter.