CN111383901A

CN111383901A - Film forming apparatus, film forming method, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Info

Publication number: CN111383901A
Application number: CN201911124068.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 菅原洋纪; 松本行生
Original assignee: Canon Tokki Corp
Current assignee: Canon Tokki Corp
Priority date: 2018-12-27
Filing date: 2019-11-18
Publication date: 2020-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 2039-11-18
Also published as: JP7242293B2; KR20200081188A; JP2020105568A; CN111383901B

Abstract

The invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a film forming method and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. When sputtering is performed while moving a sputtering region in a chamber, the quality of sputtering is prevented from being degraded due to non-uniformity of gas pressure. The film forming apparatus includes: the film deposition apparatus includes a chamber in which a film deposition object and a target are arranged, a moving mechanism that moves a sputtering region in which sputtering particles are generated from the target in the chamber, a plurality of exhaust ports provided in the chamber, and an exhaust amount adjustment mechanism that adjusts an exhaust amount from each of the plurality of exhaust ports.

Description

Film forming apparatus, film forming method, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Technical Field

The invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a film forming method and a method for manufacturing an electronic device.

Background

Sputtering is widely known as a method for forming a thin film made of a material such as a metal or a metal oxide on a film formation object such as a substrate or a laminate formed on a substrate. A film deposition apparatus for performing film deposition by a sputtering method has a structure in which a target made of a film deposition material and an object to be film deposited are arranged to face each other in a vacuum chamber. When a voltage is applied to the target, plasma is generated in the vicinity of the target, the ionized inert gas element collides with the target surface to emit sputtering particles from the target surface, and the emitted sputtering particles are deposited on the object to be film-formed to form a film. Further, a magnetron sputtering method is also known in which a magnet is disposed on the rear surface of a target (inside the target in the case of a cylindrical target), and the density of electrons near a cathode is increased by a generated magnetic field, thereby efficiently performing sputtering.

As a conventional film deposition apparatus of this type, for example, a film deposition apparatus described in patent document 1 is known. The film forming apparatus of patent document 1 forms a film by moving a target in parallel with a film forming surface of an object to be film formed.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2015-172240

Problems to be solved by the invention

Here, the gas pressure may be different depending on the position in the chamber of the film formation apparatus. That is, the pressure distribution in the chamber may become uneven as the pressure is high near the gas inlet through which the sputtering gas is introduced and low near the exhaust port connected to the vacuum pump. Here, when sputtering is performed while moving the cathode in the chamber as in patent document 1, the sputtering region where the sputtering particles are discharged from the surface of the target also moves relative to the chamber. Therefore, under the condition that the pressure distribution is not uniform, the pressure of the periphery of the sputtering region varies during the sputtering process. Since the mean free path of sputtered particles is inversely proportional to the pressure, and is long in a region where the molecular density is low and the pressure is low, and is short in a region where the molecular density is high and the pressure is high, the film formation rate changes depending on the pressure. As a result, the quality of the film formation (for example, variation in film thickness or film quality) may be reduced. However, patent document 1 does not describe film formation control according to a difference in pressure of the sputtering gas in the chamber.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for suppressing a reduction in quality of sputtering caused by non-uniformity of gas pressure when sputtering is performed while moving a sputtering region in a chamber.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention adopts the following configuration. That is to say that the first and second electrodes,

a film forming apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a chamber in which an object to be film-formed and a target are disposed;

a moving mechanism that moves a sputtering region that generates sputtering particles from the target within the chamber;

a plurality of exhaust ports disposed in the chamber; and

an exhaust gas amount adjusting mechanism that adjusts an amount of exhaust gas from each of the plurality of exhaust ports,

the film forming apparatus moves the sputtering region by the moving mechanism and deposits the sputtering particles on the object to be film formed,

the exhaust amount adjustment mechanism adjusts an exhaust amount from each of the plurality of exhaust ports according to a position of the sputtering region in the chamber.

The present invention also adopts the following configuration. That is to say that the first and second electrodes,

a film forming apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a chamber in which an object to be film-formed and a target are disposed;

a plurality of exhaust ports disposed in the chamber; and

the film deposition apparatus deposits the sputtering particles on the object to be film deposited while moving the sputtering region by the moving mechanism.

a film forming method using a chamber in which a target and an object to be film formed are arranged and which is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports, the method comprising:

a step of moving a sputtering region in which sputtering particles are generated from the target in the chamber, and depositing the sputtering particles on the object to be film-formed to form a film; and

a step of adjusting the amount of exhaust gas from each of the plurality of exhaust ports,

in the step of adjusting, an amount of exhaust gas from each of the plurality of exhaust ports is adjusted according to a position of the sputtering region in the chamber.

a method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:

disposing a target to be film-formed and a target facing the target to be film-formed in a chamber provided with a plurality of exhaust ports;

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for suppressing a reduction in quality of sputtering caused by non-uniformity of gas pressure when sputtering is performed while moving a sputtering region in a chamber.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2(a) is a view of the film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 1 viewed from another angle, and (B) is a perspective view showing the structure of the magnet unit.

Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the control of the opening degree of the valve according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film formation apparatus according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing control in embodiment 2.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing the structure of a film formation apparatus according to embodiment 6.

Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing the structure of a film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 7.

Fig. 10(a) to (C) are schematic diagrams showing the structure of the magnet unit according to embodiment 7.

Fig. 11 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 8.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a general layer structure of an organic EL element.

Description of the reference numerals

1: film forming apparatus, 2: target, 6: object to be film-formed, 10: chamber, 12: mobile station drive device, a 1: sputtering zone

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the following embodiments merely exemplify preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these configurations. In the following description, the hardware configuration and software configuration of the apparatus, the process flow, the manufacturing conditions, the dimensions, the materials, the shapes, and the like are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these embodiments unless otherwise specified.

The present invention is suitable for forming a thin film, particularly an inorganic film, on an object to be film-formed such as a substrate. The present invention can also be grasped as a film forming apparatus, a method for controlling the same, and a film forming method. The present invention can also be grasped as an apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. The present invention can also be grasped as a program for causing a computer to execute the control method and a storage medium storing the program. The storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium that can be read by a computer.

[ embodiment 1]

The basic configuration of the film deposition apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. The film forming apparatus 1 is used for depositing and forming a thin film on a substrate (including a member in which a laminate is formed on a substrate) in the manufacture of various electronic devices such as a semiconductor device, a magnetic device, and an electronic component, an optical component, and the like. More specifically, the film formation apparatus 1 is preferably used for manufacturing electronic devices such as light-emitting elements, photoelectric conversion elements, and touch panels. Among them, the film formation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is particularly preferably used for manufacturing organic light emitting elements such as organic EL (electroluminescence) elements and organic photoelectric conversion elements such as organic thin film solar cells. The electronic device in the present invention also includes a display device (for example, an organic EL display device) including a light-emitting element, an illumination device (for example, an organic EL illumination device), and a sensor (for example, an organic CMOS image sensor) including a photoelectric conversion element.

Fig. 12 schematically shows a general layer structure of an organic EL element. A general organic EL device shown in fig. 12 has a structure in which an anode 601, a hole injection layer 602, a hole transport layer 603, an organic light-emitting layer 604, an electron transport layer 605, an electron injection layer 606, and a cathode 607 are sequentially formed on a substrate (object 6 to be film-formed). The film formation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is suitably used for forming a laminated film of a metal, a metal oxide, or the like used for an electron injection layer and an electrode (cathode) on an organic film by sputtering. Further, the organic film is not limited to the film formation on the organic film, and a film can be formed by stacking on a plurality of surfaces as long as the film can be formed by sputtering a metal material, an oxide material, or the like. The present invention is not limited to film formation using a metal material or an oxide material, and can be applied to film formation using an organic material. By using a mask having a desired mask pattern at the time of film formation, each layer to be formed can be arbitrarily configured.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a film deposition apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The film deposition apparatus 1 can house an object 6 to be film deposited such as a substrate therein. The film deposition apparatus 1 includes a chamber 10 in which a target 2 is disposed, and a magnet unit 3 disposed in the chamber 10 at a position facing an object 6 to be film deposited with the target 2 interposed therebetween. In the present embodiment, the target 2 has a cylindrical shape, and constitutes a rotary cathode unit 8 functioning as a film formation source together with the magnet unit 3 disposed inside. The term "cylindrical" as used herein does not mean a mathematically strict cylindrical shape, but includes a cylindrical shape in which a generatrix is not a straight line but a curved line, and a cylindrical shape in which a cross section perpendicular to a central axis is not a mathematically strict "circle". That is, the target 2 in the present invention may have a substantially cylindrical shape that can rotate about the central axis.

Before the film formation, the object 6 to be film-formed is aligned with the mask 6b and held by the holder 6 a. The holder 6a may be provided with an electrostatic chuck for holding the object 6 to be film-formed by electrostatic force, or may be provided with a clamping mechanism for clamping the object 6 to be film-formed. The holder 6a may include a magnet plate for attracting the mask 6b from the back surface of the object 6 to be film-formed. In the film forming step, the target 2 of the rotary cathode unit 8 moves in a direction perpendicular to the rotation center axis while rotating about the rotation center axis. On the other hand, unlike the target 2, the magnet unit 3 does not rotate, and a leakage magnetic field is always generated on the surface side of the target 2 facing the object 6 to be film-formed, thereby increasing the electron density near the target 2 to perform sputtering. The region where the leakage magnetic field is generated is a sputtering region a1 where sputtered particles are generated. The sputtering region a1 of the target 2 moves relative to the chamber 10 together with the movement of the rotating cathode unit 8, and film formation is sequentially performed on the entire object 6 to be film-formed. Here, the magnet unit 3 does not rotate, but is not limited thereto, and the magnet unit 3 may rotate or swing.

The object 6 to be film-formed held by the holder 6a is horizontally disposed on the top wall 10d side of the chamber 10. The object 6 to be film-formed is, for example, fed from one gate valve 17 provided in a side wall of the chamber 10 to form a film, and after the film is formed, fed from a gate valve 18 provided in the other side wall of the chamber 10. In the figure, an upward deposition structure in which film formation is performed in a state in which the film formation surface of the object to be film-formed 6 is directed downward in the direction of gravity is shown. However, the object 6 may be disposed on the bottom surface side of the chamber 10, the rotary cathode unit 8 may be disposed above the object, and the deposition may be performed downward in a state where the film formation surface of the object 6 is oriented upward in the direction of gravity. Alternatively, the film formation may be performed in a state where the object 6 to be film-formed is standing vertically (that is, in a state where the film formation surface of the object 6 to be film-formed is parallel to the direction of gravity). The object 6 to be film-formed may be fed into the chamber 10 from either of the

gate valves

17 and 18 to form a film, and may be fed out from the gate valve through which the object is fed after the film is formed.

In the present embodiment, the

inlet ports

41 and 42 connected to the gas introduction mechanism 16 (described later) are disposed at both ends of the chamber 10 in the X-axis direction, and the exhaust port 5 connected to the exhaust mechanism 15 (described later) is disposed at the center. A guide rail 250 extending in the X-axis direction is disposed at a lower position in the chamber. The rotating cathode unit 8 moves along the guide rail 250 between one end portion (the side closer to the introduction port 41) and the other end portion (the side closer to the introduction port 42) in the X-axis direction.

Fig. 2(a) is a side view of the film formation apparatus 1 viewed from another direction. Both ends of the rotating cathode unit 8 are supported by a support block 210 and an end block 220 fixed to a moving stage 230. The cylindrical target 2 of the rotating cathode unit 8 is rotatable, and the magnet unit 3 inside thereof is supported in a fixed state.

The moving table 230 is supported movably along a pair of guide rails 250 via a conveying guide 240 such as a linear bearing. The rotation axis N of the rotary cathode unit 8 extends in the Y-axis direction. In the film forming step, the rotary cathode unit 8 moves along the guide rail 250 in a movement region facing the object 6 to be film-formed while rotating about the rotation axis N (hollow arrow in fig. 1). The moving region in the present embodiment has a substantially planar shape having one side substantially equal to the width of the rotary cathode unit 8 and the other side intersecting the one side substantially equal to the length of the guide rail 250.

The target 2 is rotated by a target driving device 11 as a rotating mechanism. As the target driving device 11, a general driving mechanism having a driving source such as a motor and transmitting power to the target 2 via a power transmission mechanism can be used. The target driving device 11 may be mounted on the support block 210 or the end block 220.

The moving stage 230 is driven along the guide rail 250 by the moving stage driving device 12. As the moving stage driving device 12, various known motion mechanisms such as a screw feeding mechanism using a ball screw or the like that converts the rotational motion of a rotary motor into a driving force, a linear motor, and the like can be used. The moving stage driving device 12 illustrated in the figure moves the target in the width direction (X-axis direction) intersecting the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the target. As shown in the drawing, the

adhesion preventing plates

261 and 262 may be provided before and after the moving stage 230 in the target moving direction. The moving stage driving device 12 may be considered as a moving mechanism, and the moving stage driving device 12, the guide rail 250, and the moving stage 230 may be considered as included in the moving mechanism. The control unit 14 may detect information on the position, the moving direction, and the moving speed of the rotary cathode unit 8 in the chamber by using an encoder or the like.

The target 2 functions as a supply source of a film forming material for forming a film on the object 6 to be film formed. Examples of the material of the target 2 include a metal simple substance such as Cu, Al, Ti, Mo, Cr, Ag, Au, and Ni, and an alloy or a compound containing these metal elements. Alternatively, the transparent conductive oxide may be ITO, IZO, IWO, AZO, GZO, IGZO, or the like. A layer of the liner 2a made of another material is formed inside the layer on which the film forming material is formed. A power supply 13 is connected to the liner 2a via a target holder (not shown). At this time, the target holder (not shown) and the backing tube 2a function as a cathode to which a bias voltage (for example, a negative voltage) applied from the power supply 13 is applied to the target 2. However, the bias voltage may be applied to the target itself without providing the backing tube. Note that the chamber 10 is grounded.

The magnet unit 3 forms a magnetic field in a direction toward the object 6 to be film-formed. As shown in fig. 2(B), the magnet unit 3 includes: a center magnet 31 extending in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rotary cathode unit 8, a peripheral magnet 32 surrounding the center magnet 31 and having a different polarity from the center magnet 31, and a yoke plate 33. The center magnet 31 may extend in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the cathode unit 8. The peripheral magnet 32 includes a pair of

straight portions

32a and 32b extending parallel to the central magnet 31, and turning

portions

32c and 32d connecting both ends of the

straight portions

32a and 32 b. The magnetic field formed by the magnet unit 3 has magnetic lines of force that return in a loop from the magnetic pole of the center magnet 31 toward the

linear portions

32a, 32b of the peripheral magnet 32. Thereby, a tunnel of the ring-shaped magnetic field extending in the longitudinal direction of the target 2 is formed near the surface of the target 2. The electrons are trapped by the magnetic field, and plasma is concentrated near the surface of the target 2, thereby improving the sputtering efficiency. The region of the surface of the target 2 where the magnetic field of the magnet unit leaks is a sputtering region a1 where sputtered particles are generated. The gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region a1 affects the distance of the particles to be sputtered. The range near the sputtering region a1 is not necessarily limited to a distance, and is appropriately determined depending on the influence on the required film deposition accuracy.

The gas introduction mechanism 16 and the gas exhaust mechanism 15 are connected to the chamber 10. The gas introduction mechanism 16 and the gas exhaust mechanism 15 maintain the pressure inside the chamber by introducing and exhausting the sputtering gas. Examples of the sputtering gas include inert gases such as argon and other rare gases, and reactive gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and water (water vapor). The gas introduction mechanism 16 of the present embodiment introduces the sputtering gas through the

introduction ports

41 and 42 provided at both side portions of the chamber 10. Further, an exhaust mechanism 15 such as a vacuum pump exhausts gas from the inside to the outside of the chamber 10 through the exhaust port 5 (four exhaust ports 5a to 5d in the present figure).

The gas introducing mechanism 16 is constituted by a supply source such as a gas cylinder, a piping system connecting the supply source to the introducing

ports

41 and 42, various vacuum valves, mass flow controllers, and the like provided in the piping system. The gas introducing mechanism 16 can adjust the gas introducing amount by using a flow rate control valve of a mass flow controller. The flow rate control valve is electrically controllable, such as an electromagnetic valve. The positions of the

introduction ports

41 and 42 are not limited to both side walls of the chamber, and may be one side wall, or a bottom wall or a top wall. The pipe may extend into the chamber so that the inlet port opens into the chamber 10. Further, a plurality of

introduction ports

41 and 42 of the side walls may be arranged in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the target 2.

The exhaust mechanism 15 of the present embodiment is a vacuum pump. The exhaust mechanism 15 may include a piping system for connecting the vacuum pump to the exhaust ports 5a to 5 d. The exhaust mechanism 15 is connected to the exhaust ports 5a to 5d via valves 55a to 55d and a piping system. The valves 55a to 55d are flow rate control means for controlling the amount of exhaust gas, and can adjust the amount of exhaust gas according to the opening degree. As the flow rate control means, a valve as shown in the illustrated example is preferable, and particularly, an electric conductance valve capable of adjusting the exhaust speed by changing the opening degree according to the electric control of the control unit 14 is preferable. The exhaust ports 5a to 5d are provided at the bottom wall 10c of the chamber at substantially equal intervals. The place where the exhaust port is provided is not limited to the bottom wall, and may be a side wall or a ceiling wall. Further, the pipe may extend into the chamber so that the exhaust port opens in the chamber 10.

The control unit 14 stores the positional information of each of the plurality of exhaust ports 5a to 5d and information on the valves 55a to 55d corresponding to each exhaust port in a memory or the like. Also, different exhaust control may be performed according to the position inside the chamber. Specifically, for example, the exhaust capacity of each of the plurality of exhaust ports can be controlled by adjusting the opening degree of a valve corresponding to the exhaust port. The control unit 14 may be a control circuit or an information processing device that includes computing resources such as a CPU and a memory and operates according to a program or a user instruction. The control unit 14 may be an exhaust amount adjusting means for adjusting the amount of exhaust from each exhaust port in the present invention.

The operation of the film deposition apparatus 1 will be described. In the film forming step (sputtering step), the control unit 14 rotates the target 2 by driving the target driving device 11, and applies a bias voltage from the power supply 13. When a bias potential is applied, plasma is generated by the magnet unit 3 in a concentrated manner in the vicinity of the surface of the target 2 facing the object 6, gas ions in a cationic state in the plasma sputter the target 2, and scattered sputter particles are deposited on the object 6.

The control unit 14 drives the moving stage driving device 12 to move the rotating cathode unit 8 from the start end to the end of the moving area at a predetermined speed. As the rotary cathode unit 8 moves within the movement region, sputtered particles are sequentially deposited on the film formation object from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the movement direction.

Fig. 3 is a timing chart showing the control of the exhaust mechanism 15 when the film is formed while moving the target in the present embodiment. In the illustrated example, the rotating cathode unit 8 moves from left to right on the paper. The target position x indicated by reference numeral (5) indicates the position of the target 2 provided in the rotary cathode unit 8 in the x-axis direction inside the chamber. In the figure, the coordinates at the start of movement of the left end (at the start of film formation) are x1, and the coordinates at the end of movement of the right end (at the end of film formation) are x 9. Reference numerals (1) to (4) are diagrams of changes in the opening degrees of the valves 55a to 55d, respectively, and show the relationship between the target position x and the valve opening degree. That is, the graph shows the valve opening determined according to the positional relationship (particularly, the distance) between the target and the exhaust port.

For simplicity of explanation, the movement of the rotary cathode unit 8 is assumed to be a constant-speed linear motion. Therefore, the target position x in the present time chart corresponds to the elapsed time t after the start of film formation. However, even when the movement of the rotary cathode unit 8 is not a constant-speed linear motion, the exhaust control according to the target position as in the present embodiment can be executed.

The control unit 14 obtains information on the current position, the moving direction, and the moving speed of the rotary cathode unit 8 on which the target 2 is disposed, by using an encoder or the like. Then, the valve corresponding to the exhaust port near the target and the valve corresponding to the exhaust port located at the position where the target 2 advances after that are controlled to have the opening degrees of b 1%. For example, when the target 2 at the position x1 moves forward in the right direction and reaches the position x2, the controller 14 starts increasing the opening degree of the valve 55b corresponding to the exhaust port 5b located at the head in the moving direction. As a result, when the target 2 enters a region (region between the position x3 and the position x 5) strongly affected by the exhaust port 5b, the exhaust gas amount in the region is large.

The valve opening 0% means a state in which the valve is closed and the exhaust from the exhaust port corresponding to the valve is not performed. The valve opening degree of 100% means a state in which the opening of the valve is expanded to the maximum structurally allowable limit, and the amount of exhaust gas from the corresponding exhaust port is maximized. The set opening b 1% is an opening at which the gas pressure in the vicinity of the target is suitable for sputtering. The opening b 1% is, for example, an opening at which the exhaust capacity is 40 to 50% of the maximum exhaust capacity. However, the opening degree is not limited to this range, and may be appropriately set according to the type of gas (inert gas, reactive gas, or the like) and the required specification of the film formation.

In the example shown in the figure, the control unit 14 performs control as follows: as the target 2 approaches a certain exhaust port, the opening degree of the valve corresponding to the exhaust port is gradually increased, and the appropriate amount of exhaust gas is obtained at the time when the target 2 enters a region strongly affected by the exhaust port. Further, as the target 2 is moved away from a certain exhaust port, the opening degree of the valve corresponding to the exhaust port is gradually decreased, so that the exhaust amount of the exhaust port becomes small (or zero) when the target 2 moves to a region not much affected by the exhaust port. By controlling the opening degree in this manner, a gas flow from the

introduction ports

41 and 42 to the exhaust port near the target can be formed.

However, the method of opening degree control is not limited to this. For example, a quick opening/closing valve may be used instead of the gradual opening/closing valve. Further, the exhaust port may be provided in the exhaust port which is distant from the target and has a small influence on the sputtering region. The valve opening degree at this time may be b 1%, or may be another value (for example, a value between 0% and b 1%).

In the present embodiment, the relationship of the valve opening degrees of the respective valves 55a to 55d corresponding to the target position x is stored as a control profile (control profile) in advance. The control distribution as described above is determined in advance based on the capability of the exhaust mechanism 15, the flow rate control value, the capability of the gas introduction mechanism 16, the flow rate control value, the positional relationship between the exhaust port and the introduction port, the required sputtering performance, and the like, and is stored in a memory in the form of a table, a mathematical expression, or the like.

The control unit 14 acquires the target position x using target position acquisition means such as an encoder, specifies the opening degree of each of the valves 55a to 55d with reference to the control distribution, and then transmits a control signal of the opening degree to each of the valves. In this way, the controller 14 adjusts the amount of exhaust from each of the plurality of exhaust ports 5a to 5d in accordance with the position of the sputtering region a1 in the chamber. For example, in the illustrated example, when the target 2 approaches any one of the exhaust ports, the controller 14 increases the opening degree of the valve 55 connected to the exhaust port. When the target 2 is distant from the exhaust port, the opening degree of the valve 55 connected to the exhaust port is decreased. As a result, the opening degree increases as the valve 55 is closer to the target, and the exhaust capacity of the corresponding exhaust port 5 increases.

According to the control illustrated in the figure, since the valve opening degree corresponding to the exhaust port near the target is b 1%, the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port also has a value corresponding to the opening degree. As a result, the gas evacuation is performed with the same degree of gas evacuation capability near the target regardless of the position of the target 2 in the chamber, and therefore the gas pressure near the sputtering region a1 becomes uniform throughout the film formation process. Therefore, variation in film thickness and film quality of the film formed on the object 6 to be film-formed can be reduced, and deterioration in sputtering quality can be suppressed.

As described above, the valve opening degree of the exhaust port in which the target 2 is located near is made larger than the valve opening degree of the exhaust port in which the target 2 is located far, whereby a flow of the gas from the

introduction ports

41 and 42 toward the exhaust port near the target is formed inside the chamber. As a result, a large amount of gas is sent to the vicinity of the sputtering region a1, and therefore, a further effect of improving the film formation rate can be obtained.

[ embodiment 2]

Next, embodiment 2 of the present invention will be explained. Hereinafter, differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film deposition apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The difference from fig. 1 is that

pressure sensors

71 and 72 are disposed as pressure acquisition means in the rotary cathode unit 8. The

pressure sensors

71 and 72 are devices that acquire pressure values near the rotary cathode unit 8 and transmit the pressure values to the control unit 14. As the pressure sensor 7, various vacuum gauges such as a diaphragm vacuum gauge such as a capacitance manometer, a heat conduction type vacuum gauge such as a pirani vacuum gauge and a thermocouple vacuum gauge, and a quartz friction vacuum gauge can be used.

In the illustrated example, pressure sensors are provided on the

adhesion preventing plates

261 and 262 in order to measure the pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region. With this configuration, the pressure sensor located on the side of the moving direction among the plurality of pressure sensors can be selected to measure the pressure in the area forward in the moving direction toward the target thereafter. However, the number and installation location of the pressure sensors are not limited to these. For example, the pressure sensor may be provided at another position of the rotary cathode unit or the moving stage 230.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the valve opening degree control according to the present embodiment. After the film formation process is started, in step S101, the control unit 14 acquires the target position x using the encoder. In step S102, the control unit 14 selects a valve to be controlled in opening degree from among the valves 55a to 55 d. The control unit 14 selects a valve corresponding to the exhaust port located forward in the moving direction of the target 2 based on the moving direction and the moving speed of the target 2. For example, when the target 2 moves from left to right in the figure and reaches the position shown in fig. 4, the control unit 14 selects the valve 55d corresponding to the exhaust port 5d located forward in the moving direction.

The position of the valve to be selected is not limited to the above position. For example, instead of the valve corresponding to the exhaust port located forward in the moving direction of the target 2, a valve corresponding to the exhaust port located near the current position of the target 2 may be selected, or a valve corresponding to the exhaust port located forward in the moving direction of the target 2 and a valve corresponding to the exhaust port located near the current position of the target 2 may be selected together. Alternatively, the opening degree of all the valves may be determined to be in the range of 0% to 100% from the positional relationship (particularly, the distance) with the target without performing the process of the present step.

In step S103, the

pressure sensors

71 and 72 acquire pressure values, and in step S104, the control unit 14 determines a valve control value. For example, in the case where the pressure value of the region into which the target 2 enters thereafter is higher than the value suitable for sputtering, the opening degree of the selected valve is increased and the pressure of the region is decreased. In addition, if the current pressure value is within a range suitable for sputtering, the current opening degree is maintained. Next, in step S105, it is determined whether or not the film formation on the object 6 to be film-formed is completed, and if not, the process proceeds to step S106, and the movement on the guide rail 250 and the film formation are continued. By the processing of this flow, the amount of exhaust gas from the plurality of exhaust ports is appropriately controlled according to the position of the sputtering region in the chamber.

In the present embodiment, the pressure value near the target is measured by the pressure sensor 7 moving together with the rotary cathode unit, and the amount of exhaust gas from each of the exhaust ports 5a to 5d is controlled. Therefore, the amount of sputtered particles discharged from the target 2 and deposited on the object 6 to be film-formed can be made substantially uniform, and thus, variation in film thickness and film quality during film formation can be reduced, and deterioration in sputtering quality can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, as in the above-described embodiments, the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port close to the target can be improved, and the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port far from the target can be reduced or made zero. As a result, a gas flow from the inlet to the vicinity of the target can be formed, and a favorable film formation can be performed.

[ embodiment 3]

Next, embodiment 3 of the present invention will be explained. Differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film deposition apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a plurality of pressure sensors 73 to 77 are disposed as pressure acquisition means in the chamber along the moving direction (direction parallel to the X axis) of the sputtering region A1. The plurality of pressure sensors 73 to 77 are arranged at substantially the same height as the sputtering area A1 and are linearly arranged in a row at a constant interval in the moving direction. The number and the arrangement place of the pressure sensors are not limited to these. For example, the side wall (front wall) 10e may be arranged on the near side. Further, pressure sensors may be disposed on both the front wall and the rear wall. In this case, the average value of the measurement values of the sensors on the front wall side and the rear wall side may be used for valve opening degree control.

In the illustrated example, the pressure sensors are arranged at substantially the same height as the sputtering region a 1. However, the pressure sensor may be disposed at a height closer to the object to be film-formed than the sputtering region a1, or may be disposed at a height opposite to the object to be film-formed with the sputtering region a1 interposed therebetween. Further, the pressure sensors may be arranged at a plurality of heights. Further, the interval between the pressure sensors does not need to be limited to be constant, and the interval may be changed according to the pressure distribution in the chamber estimated from the positions of the exhaust port and the introduction port. For example, the interval between the pressure sensors in the region where the pressure change is large can be narrowed, and the interval between the pressure sensors in the region where the pressure change is small can be widened.

The controller 14 detects information on the position, the moving direction, and the moving speed of the rotary cathode unit 8 in the chamber by an encoder. The control unit 14 stores position information of the pressure sensors 73 to 77 and position information of the exhaust ports 5a to 5d in a memory or the like. The control unit 14 selects a pressure sensor located forward in the moving direction of the target 2 and a valve corresponding to an exhaust port located forward in the moving direction based on the moving direction and the moving speed of the target 2. For example, when the target 2 moves from left to right in the figure and reaches the position shown in fig. 6, the control unit 14 selects the pressure sensor 77 located forward in the moving direction and the valve 55d corresponding to the exhaust port 5d located forward in the moving direction.

When the measurement value of the pressure sensor 77 deviates from the range in which the appropriate sputtering is performed, the opening degree of the valve 55d is adjusted to change the amount of the exhaust gas from the exhaust port 5 d. With the above configuration, the pressure in the region ahead in the moving direction can be adjusted in advance to a value close to the target value suitable for sputtering.

The position of the valve to be selected is not limited to the above position. For example, instead of the pressure sensor and the valve located forward in the moving direction of the target 2, a pressure sensor and a valve located near the current position of the target 2 may be selected, or the pressure sensor and the valve located forward in the moving direction of the target 2 may be selected together with the pressure sensor and the valve located near the current position of the target 2. Alternatively, the control unit 14 may constantly acquire the measurement values of all the pressure sensors, acquire the pressure values by correcting the relationship with the target position, and constantly determine the opening degrees of all the valves based on the distance from the target to 0% to 100%.

In the present embodiment, the pressure value near the target is measured by using a plurality of pressure sensors disposed in the chamber, and the amount of exhaust gas from each of the exhaust ports 55a to 55d is controlled. Therefore, the amount of sputtered particles discharged from the target 2 and deposited on the object 6 to be film-formed can be made substantially uniform, and thus, variation in film thickness and film quality during film formation can be reduced, and deterioration in sputtering quality can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, as in the above-described embodiments, the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port close to the target can be improved, and the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port far from the target can be reduced or made zero. In this case, a further effect of making the forming gas flow from the introduction port to the vicinity of the target and performing a good film formation can be obtained.

[ embodiment 4]

Next, embodiment 4 of the present invention will be explained. Differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film deposition apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. To avoid complication of the drawing, the target driving device 11, the moving stage driving device 12, and the power supply 13 are omitted. The film deposition apparatus 1 includes a plurality of pumps (exhaust mechanisms 15a to 15d), and the exhaust mechanisms 15a to 15d respectively exhaust the film from the exhaust ports 5a to 5 d. The controller 14 controls the opening degrees of the valves 55a to 55d to adjust the exhaust capacities of the corresponding exhaust ports 5a to 5 d.

In fig. 7, one pump is connected to each exhaust port, but a plurality of exhaust ports may be grouped and one pump may be connected to each group. For example, the exhaust mechanism 15a may be connected to the

exhaust ports

5a and 5b, and the exhaust mechanism 15c may be connected to the

exhaust ports

5c and 5 d. In this case, valves may be provided between the exhaust port 5a and the exhaust mechanism 15a, and between the exhaust port 5b and the exhaust mechanism 15a, respectively, or valves commonly connected to both the exhaust ports may be provided between the

exhaust ports

5a and 5b and the exhaust mechanism.

With the film deposition apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, as in the above-described embodiments, the amount of the gas discharged from the gas discharge ports 5a to 5d can be adjusted according to a predetermined opening degree control distribution or based on the measurement value of the pressure sensor disposed on the inner wall of the rotary cathode unit 8 or the chamber 10, so that the gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region a1 can be maintained in an appropriate predetermined range and appropriate sputtering can be performed.

[ embodiment 5]

Next, embodiment 5 of the present invention will be explained. The control unit 14 in the present embodiment can adjust the exhaust capacity of the pump of the exhaust mechanism 15. For example, when the exhaust mechanism 15 is a cryopump, the temperature of the low temperature surface is decreased to increase the amount of exhaust gas, thereby decreasing the gas pressure. In the case where the exhaust mechanism 15 is a turbo molecular pump, the rotation speed of the turbine blades is increased to increase the exhaust gas amount, thereby reducing the gas pressure. The control unit performs appropriate control according to the type of the vacuum pump, and can control the amount of exhaust gas per exhaust port.

To explain the case where the control of the present embodiment is applied to the film forming apparatus 1 of fig. 4, the control unit 14 compares the measurement value of the sensor positioned forward in the target movement direction among the

pressure sensors

71 and 72 with the range of the pressure for performing appropriate sputtering, and adjusts the output of the exhaust mechanism 15 so that the gas pressure becomes an appropriate value when the measurement value deviates from the appropriate range. According to the control method of the present embodiment, although the amount of exhaust gas from each exhaust port cannot be individually controlled, the gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region can be maintained within an appropriate range even when the target is moved.

It should be noted that the pump output control as in the present embodiment and the valve opening degree control for each exhaust port as in the above embodiments may be combined. Thereby, the gas pressure can be more finely controlled.

[ embodiment 6]

Next, embodiment 6 of the present invention will be explained. Differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film deposition apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. To avoid complication of the drawing, the target driving device 11, the moving stage driving device 12, and the power supply 13 are omitted. The film deposition apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of pumps (exhaust mechanisms 15a to 15d) corresponding to the exhaust ports 5a to 5d, respectively, as in embodiment 4. In the present embodiment, the amount of exhaust gas from each exhaust port is adjusted not by the opening degree of the valve but by the output adjustment of the exhaust mechanisms 15a to 15 d.

In the film deposition apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, similarly to the above-described embodiments, the gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region a1 can be maintained in an appropriate range to perform appropriate sputtering by adjusting the amount of gas discharged from each gas discharge port in accordance with a predetermined opening degree control distribution or based on the measurement value of the pressure sensor disposed on the inner wall of the rotary cathode unit 8 or the chamber 10.

[ embodiment 7]

Next, embodiment 7 of the present invention will be explained. Differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film deposition apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a planar cathode unit 308 using a flat plate-shaped target 302 is used instead of a rotary cathode unit using a cylindrical target. The planar cathode unit 308 has a target 302 arranged in parallel with an object to be film-formed. A backing plate 302a to which power is applied from the power source 13 is provided on the surface of the target 302 opposite to the object 6 to be film-formed. Further, a magnet unit 3 as a magnetic field generating means is disposed on the side opposite to the object 6 to be film-formed with the target 302 and the backing plate 302a interposed therebetween. By applying power to the backing plate 302a, sputtered particles are generated in the sputtering region a 1. The planar cathode unit 308 is disposed on the upper surface of the moving stage 230.

In the film forming step, the planar cathode unit 308 moves along the guide rail 250 in a direction (X-axis direction in the figure) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the target 302 in a moving region facing the film forming surface of the object 6 to be film formed. The vicinity of the surface of the target 302 facing the object 6 is a sputtering region a1 where the electron density is increased by the magnetic field generated by the magnet unit 3. In the film forming step, the sputtering area a1 moves along the film forming surface of the object 6 as the planar cathode unit 308 moves, and films are sequentially formed on the object 6.

As shown in fig. 10(a) to 10(C), the magnet unit 3 may be movable relative to the target 302 in the planar cathode unit 308. With the above configuration, the sputtering region a1 can be shifted relative to the target 302, and the target 302 utilization efficiency can be improved.

Even when the planar cathode unit 308 is used as in the present embodiment, the amount of the gas discharged from the gas discharge ports 5a to 5d is adjusted in accordance with a predetermined opening degree control distribution or based on the measurement value of the pressure sensor disposed in the planar cathode unit 308 or the inner wall of the chamber 10, so that the gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region a1 can be maintained in an appropriate range and appropriate sputtering can be performed.

In this embodiment, the exhaust capability of the exhaust port close to the target can be improved, and the exhaust capability of the exhaust port far from the target can be reduced or made zero. As a result, a gas flow from the inlet to the vicinity of the target can be formed, and a favorable film formation can be performed.

[ embodiment 8]

Next, embodiment 8 of the present invention will be explained. Differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

Fig. 11 shows a film deposition apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

In fig. 10(a) to 10(C), the magnet unit 3 in the planar cathode unit is movable relative to the target 302. In this embodiment, a flat plate-shaped target 402 is fixedly provided in the chamber 10. The target 402 has a size corresponding to the entire surface of the object 6 to be film-formed in both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In addition, the magnet unit 3 as a magnetic field generating mechanism moves relative to the target 402 fixed to the chamber 10 (i.e., relative to the chamber 10). Accordingly, the sputtering region a1 of the target 402, which emits target particles, also moves relative to the object 6 to be film-formed.

The target 402 is disposed at a boundary portion between the vacuum region and the atmospheric region, and the magnet unit 3 is disposed in the atmosphere outside the chamber 10. That is, the target 402 is disposed so as to hermetically close the opening 10c1 provided in the bottom wall 10c of the chamber 10. The target 402 faces the internal space of the chamber 10 and faces the object 6 to be film-formed. A backing plate 402a to which power is applied from the power source 13 is provided on the surface of the target 402 on the side opposite to the object 6 to be film-formed, and the backing plate 402a faces the external space. Here, the target 402 is disposed at the boundary portion between the vacuum region and the atmospheric region, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and another member may be disposed between the target 402 and the atmospheric region, or the target 402 may be disposed on the bottom wall 10c of the chamber 10.

The magnet unit 3 is disposed outside the chamber 10, and the pressure sensor 7 is disposed inside the chamber 10. The magnet unit 3 is supported by a magnet unit moving device 430 and is movable in the X-axis direction along the target 402. The magnet unit 3 is driven by driving the magnet unit moving device 430 by the magnet driving device 121. The magnet unit moving device 430 is a device for linearly guiding the magnet unit 3 in the X axis direction, and is configured by a moving table for supporting the magnet unit 3, a guide such as a guide rail for guiding the moving table, and the like, although not particularly shown. By the movement of the magnet unit 3, the sputtering region a1 moves in the X-axis direction.

The pressure sensor 7 is supported by a sensor moving device disposed in the chamber 10 and is movable in the X-axis direction along the target 402. The sensor moving device 450 is also configured by a moving table for supporting the pressure sensor 7, a guide such as a guide rail for guiding the moving table, and the like, as in the magnet unit moving device 430. The magnet unit 3 and the pressure sensor 7 are controlled by the control unit 14 to move, and the control unit 14 acquires a measurement value of the pressure sensor 7 at any time.

In addition to the method of controlling the valve opening degree by obtaining the pressure value while moving the pressure sensor 7 as in the illustrated example, the valve opening degree may be controlled by a method of controlling the valve opening degree based on the measurement values of a plurality of pressure sensors arranged at a plurality of positions in the chamber or a method of controlling the valve opening degree according to a predetermined control distribution.

In the present embodiment, since the target 402 is disposed on the bottom wall 10c of the chamber 10, the exhaust ports 5a to 5d are provided in a row at substantially the same height on the rear wall 10f of the chamber 10. The exhaust ports are connected to the exhaust mechanism 15 via valves 55a to 55d, respectively. The location of the exhaust port is not limited to this. For example, the rear wall 10f and the front wall 10e may be provided. The positions and the number of the

inlets

41 and 42 are not limited to the illustrated examples. The controller 14 detects the position of the magnet unit 3 by an encoder, and acquires the position of the sputtering region a 1. Further, as in the above embodiments, the pressure is adjusted by controlling the amount of exhaust from the exhaust port in the front in the moving direction of the sputtering region a 1.

As in the present embodiment, even in the film deposition apparatus of such a type that the magnet unit 3 moves, the amount of exhaust gas from the exhaust port near the target can be appropriately controlled. Therefore, the amount of sputtered particles discharged from the target 2 and deposited on the object 6 to be film-formed can be made substantially uniform, and thus, variation in film thickness and film quality during film formation can be reduced, and deterioration in sputtering quality can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the exhaust performance of the exhaust ports close to the sputtering region a1 may be improved, and the exhaust performance of the exhaust ports far from the sputtering region a1 may be reduced or reduced to zero. As a result, a gas flow from the inlet to the vicinity of the sputtering region a1 can be formed, and a favorable film formation can be performed.

[ other embodiments ]

In each of the above embodiments, the rotary cathode unit 8, the planar cathode unit 308, and the magnet unit 3 are shown as one unit, but a plurality of these units may be disposed inside the chamber. For example, in the case of a plurality of rotary cathode units 8, the amount of exhaust from the exhaust port near the target or in front of the target in the moving direction may be adjusted for each rotary cathode unit.

In the above embodiments, the cathode is configured by a rotary cathode unit, a planar cathode unit, and a cathode using a magnet unit moving device. Further, as a method of controlling the amount of exhaust gas from the exhaust port, a method of adjusting the opening degree of a valve and a method of adjusting the output of a pump are shown. Further, an exhaust gas amount control method based on a pressure value measured at any time using a pressure sensor and an exhaust gas amount control method based on a predetermined control profile are shown. The combination of these components may be arbitrarily combined with each other as long as it does not contradict each other.

Claims

1. A film forming apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a chamber in which an object to be film-formed and a target are disposed;

a plurality of exhaust ports disposed in the chamber; and

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the exhaust amount adjusting mechanism adjusts the amount of exhaust from each of the plurality of exhaust ports such that the amount of exhaust increases as the distance from the sputtering region decreases.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the exhaust amount adjusting means adjusts the amount of exhaust from each of the plurality of exhaust ports at any position of the sputtering zone moved by the moving means during the film deposition so that the pressure of the sputtering gas in the vicinity of the sputtering zone is maintained within a predetermined range.

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the plurality of exhaust ports are arranged along a moving direction of the sputtering region moved by the moving mechanism.

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the film forming apparatus further includes a pressure obtaining mechanism for obtaining a pressure value of the gas in the chamber,

the exhaust amount adjusting means adjusts the amount of exhaust from each of the plurality of exhaust ports based on the pressure value in the vicinity of the sputtering region acquired by the pressure acquiring means.

6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 5,

the pressure obtaining mechanism moves together with the sputtering region.

7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 5,

the plurality of pressure acquisition mechanisms are disposed in the chamber along a moving direction of the sputtering region moved by the moving mechanism.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7,

the displacement adjusting means uses the pressure value obtained by the pressure obtaining means disposed forward in the movement direction of the sputtering region by the moving means.

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7,

the pressure acquisition means uses the pressure value acquired by the pressure acquisition means near the current position of the sputtering region.

10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the exhaust amount adjustment mechanism adjusts the amount of exhaust based on a control distribution that holds the amount of exhaust from each of the plurality of exhaust ports corresponding to the position of the sputtering region.

11. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the exhaust amount adjusting mechanism selects the exhaust port located forward in a moving direction in which the sputtering region is moved by the moving mechanism from the plurality of exhaust ports, and exhausts the gas into the chamber through the selected exhaust port.

12. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the exhaust amount adjustment mechanism selects the exhaust port that is close to the current position of the sputtering area from the plurality of exhaust ports, and exhausts the inside of the chamber using the selected exhaust port.

13. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the film forming apparatus further includes a plurality of valves respectively corresponding to the plurality of exhaust ports,

the exhaust gas amount adjusting means adjusts the amount of exhaust gas by controlling the opening degree of the valve.

14. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the film forming apparatus further includes a plurality of exhaust mechanisms respectively corresponding to the plurality of exhaust ports,

the exhaust amount adjusting means adjusts the amount of exhaust by controlling the exhaust capacity of the exhaust means.

15. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14,

the moving mechanism moves the sputtering region by moving the target.

16. The film forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein,

the target is in the shape of a cylinder,

the film forming apparatus further includes a rotating mechanism for rotating the target.

17. The film forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein,

the target is in the shape of a flat plate.

18. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14,

the target is fixed to the chamber so as to face the object to be film-formed, and the moving mechanism moves the sputtering region by moving a magnet disposed so as to face the object to be film-formed with the target interposed therebetween.

19. A film forming apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a chamber in which an object to be film-formed and a target are disposed;

a plurality of exhaust ports disposed in the chamber; and

20. A film forming method using a chamber in which a target and an object to be film formed are arranged and which is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports, the method comprising:

21. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising: