CN111383901B

CN111383901B - Film forming apparatus, film forming method, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Info

Publication number: CN111383901B
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: 2024-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2039-11-18
Also published as: CN111383901A; KR20200081188A; JP7242293B2; JP2020105568A

Abstract

The present 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 suppressed from being lowered due to non-uniformity in gas pressure. The film forming apparatus includes: the sputtering apparatus includes a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are disposed, a movement mechanism for moving 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 gas amount adjustment mechanism for adjusting an exhaust gas amount from each of the plurality of exhaust ports, wherein the film formation object is formed by moving the sputtering region by the movement mechanism and depositing the sputtering particles on the film formation object, and the exhaust gas amount adjustment mechanism adjusts the exhaust gas amount from each of the plurality of exhaust ports according to a position of the sputtering region in the chamber.

Description

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

Technical Field

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

Background

Sputtering is known as a method for forming a thin film made of a material such as a metal or a metal oxide on a film-forming object such as a substrate or a laminate formed on a substrate. The film forming apparatus for forming a film by sputtering has a structure in which a target made of a film forming material and a film forming object are disposed in opposition to each other in a vacuum chamber. When a voltage is applied to the target, plasma is generated in the vicinity of the target, and the ionized inert gas element collides with the target surface to release sputtered particles from the target surface, and the released sputtered particles are deposited on the film formation object to form a film. In addition, a magnetron sputtering method is also known in which a magnet is disposed on the back surface of a target (in the case of a cylindrical target, the inside of the target), and the electron density in the vicinity of a cathode is increased by a generated magnetic field, thereby performing sputtering efficiently.

As such a film forming apparatus in the related art, for example, a film forming apparatus described in patent document 1 is known. The film deposition apparatus of patent document 1 moves a target parallel to a deposition surface of a deposition target to deposit a film.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open 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 forming apparatus. That is, the pressure distribution in the chamber may become uneven as the pressure in the vicinity of the gas inlet through which the sputtering gas is introduced is high and the pressure in the vicinity of the exhaust port connected to the vacuum pump is low. Here, when sputtering is performed while moving the cathode in the chamber as in patent document 1, a sputtering region in which sputtered particles are emitted from the surface of the target also moves relative to the chamber. Therefore, under the condition that the pressure distribution is uneven, the pressure in the periphery of the sputtering region varies during the sputtering process. Since the average free path of sputtered particles is inversely proportional to the pressure, and is long in a region having a low molecular density and a low pressure and short in a region having a high molecular density and a high pressure, the film formation rate varies depending on the pressure. As a result, there is a possibility that the quality of the film (for example, the film thickness, the film quality, etc.) may be reduced. However, patent document 1 does not describe film formation control according to a difference in pressure of sputtering gas in the chamber.

Disclosure of Invention

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

Means for solving the problems

The present invention adopts the following structure. That is to say,

a film forming apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a chamber in which a film formation object 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 provided to 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 forms a film by moving the sputtering region by the moving mechanism and depositing the sputtering particles on the film forming object,

the exhaust gas amount adjusting mechanism adjusts an exhaust gas amount from each of the plurality of exhaust ports according to a position of the sputtering region within the chamber.

The present invention also adopts the following structure. That is to say,

A film forming apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are disposed;

a plurality of exhaust ports provided to the chamber; and

the film forming apparatus forms a film by moving the sputtering region by the moving mechanism and depositing the sputtering particles on the film forming object.

The present invention also adopts the following structure. That is to say,

a film forming method using a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are disposed and in which a plurality of exhaust ports are provided, the film forming method comprising:

a step of depositing a film by moving a sputtering region, in which sputtering particles are generated from the target, in the chamber and depositing the sputtering particles on the film formation object; and

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

in the 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.

The present invention also adopts the following structure. That is to say,

a method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:

a step of disposing a film formation object and a target facing the film formation object 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 degradation of sputtering quality caused by non-uniformity of gas pressure in the case of performing sputtering while moving a sputtering region in a chamber.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a film forming apparatus according to embodiment 1.

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

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

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

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing control according to embodiment 2.

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

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

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

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

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

Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a film forming apparatus according to embodiment 8.

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

Description of the reference numerals

1: film forming apparatus, 2: target, 6: film formation object, 10: chamber, 12: mobile station driving device, A1: sputtering region

Detailed Description

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

The present invention is suitable for forming a thin film, particularly an inorganic film, on a film-forming object such as a substrate. The present invention can also be grasped as a film forming apparatus, a control method thereof, 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 a 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 forming apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. The film forming apparatus 1 is used for depositing a thin film on a substrate (including a member having a laminate formed on the substrate) in the production of various electronic devices, optical components, and the like such as a semiconductor device, a magnetic device, and an electronic component. More specifically, the film forming apparatus 1 is preferably used for manufacturing electronic devices such as light emitting elements, photoelectric conversion elements, touch panels, and the like. Among them, the film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is particularly preferably used for manufacturing organic light emitting devices such as organic EL (Erectro Luminescence: electroluminescence) devices and organic photoelectric conversion devices such as organic thin film solar cells. The electronic device according to the present invention 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 the organic EL element. A general organic EL element 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 (a film formation object 6). The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is suitable for use in forming a laminated film of a metal, a metal oxide, or the like used for an electrode (cathode) or an electron injection layer on an organic film by sputtering. The film formation onto the organic film is not limited to this, and may be performed on a plurality of surfaces by a combination of materials capable of forming a film 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 may 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 constituted.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The film forming apparatus 1 can house a film forming object 6 such as a substrate therein. The film forming apparatus 1 includes a chamber 10 in which the target 2 is disposed, and a magnet unit 3 disposed in the chamber 10 at a position facing the film formation object 6 through the target 2. In the present embodiment, the target 2 has a cylindrical shape, and forms a rotary cathode unit 8 functioning as a film forming source together with the magnet unit 3 disposed therein. The term "cylindrical" as used herein does not mean a mathematically strict cylinder, but includes a cylinder in which a generatrix is not a straight line but a curved line, and a cylinder 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 be a substantially cylindrical shape rotatable about a central axis.

Before film formation, the film formation object 6 is aligned with the mask 6b and held by the holder 6 a. The holder 6a may be provided with an electrostatic chuck for sucking and holding the film formation object 6 by electrostatic force, or may be provided with a clamping mechanism for clamping the film formation object 6. The holder 6a may include a magnet plate for attracting the mask 6b from the rear surface of the object 6 to be formed. In the film forming step, the target 2 of the rotating cathode unit 8 moves in a direction perpendicular to the rotation center axis while rotating around the rotation center axis. On the other hand, unlike the target 2, the magnet unit 3 generates a leakage magnetic field on the surface side of the target 2 facing the film formation object 6, and sputtering is performed by increasing the electron density in the vicinity of the target 2 without rotating the magnet unit 3. The region in which the leakage magnetic field is generated is a sputtering region A1 in which 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 film formation object 6. Here, the magnet unit 3 does not rotate, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the magnet unit 3 may rotate or oscillate.

The film formation object 6 held by the holder 6a is horizontally arranged on the top wall 10d side of the chamber 10. The film formation object 6 is fed into the chamber 10 from, for example, one gate valve 17 provided on the side wall thereof, and is fed out from the gate valve 18 provided on the other side wall of the chamber 10 after film formation. In the figure, a structure in which upward deposition of film formation is performed in a state where the film formation surface of the film formation object 6 is directed downward in the gravitational direction is shown. However, the deposition target 6 may be disposed on the bottom surface side of the chamber 10, and the rotating cathode unit 8 may be disposed above the deposition target 6, so that the deposition is performed in a state where the deposition surface of the deposition target 6 faces upward in the gravity direction. Alternatively, the film formation may be performed in a state where the film formation object 6 stands vertically (that is, in a state where the film formation surface of the film formation object 6 is parallel to the gravitational direction). The film formation object 6 may be fed into the chamber 10 from either one of the gate valves 17 and 18 to form a film, and after the film formation, may be fed out from the gate valve that is passed through at the time of feeding.

In the present embodiment, the gas introduction 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 gas discharge port 5 connected to the gas discharge mechanism 15 (described later) is disposed at the center. A rail 250 extending in the X-axis direction is disposed at a lower position in the chamber. The rotary cathode unit 8 moves along the guide rail 250 between one end portion (the side close to the introduction port 41) and the other end portion (the side close to the introduction port 42) in the X-axis direction.

Fig. 2 (a) is a side view of the film forming apparatus 1 viewed from other directions. 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 rotary cathode unit 8 is rotatable, and the magnet unit 3 inside the target is supported in a fixed state.

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

The target 2 is driven to rotate by a target driving device 11 as a rotation 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 mobile station 230 is driven along the guide rail 250 by the mobile station driving apparatus 12. As the mobile station driving device 12, a known various movement mechanisms such as a screw feed mechanism using a ball screw or the like that converts rotational movement of a rotary motor into driving force, a linear motor, and the like can be used. The moving stage driving device 12 of the example of 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 figure, the anti-adhesion plates 261, 262 may be provided before and after the target movement direction of the moving stage 230. The mobile station driving apparatus 12 may be considered as a moving mechanism, and the mobile station driving apparatus 12, the guide rail 250, and the mobile station 230 may be considered as being included in the moving mechanism. The control unit 14 may detect information on the position, moving direction, and moving speed of the rotating 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 film forming object 6. Examples of the material of the target 2 include a metal monomer such as Cu, al, ti, mo, cr, ag, au, ni, and an alloy or a compound containing these metal elements. Alternatively, a transparent conductive oxide such as ITO, IZO, IWO, AZO, GZO, IGZO may be used. A layer of a liner 2a made of another material is formed inside the layer formed with these film forming materials. A power supply 13 is connected to the backing tube 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. The chamber 10 is grounded.

The magnet unit 3 forms a magnetic field in a direction toward the film formation object 6. 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 is composed of a pair of linear portions 32a and 32b extending parallel to the central magnet 31, and turning portions 32c and 32d connecting both ends of the linear portions 32a and 32 b. The magnetic field formed by the magnet unit 3 has magnetic lines of force returning in a loop from the magnetic pole of the center magnet 31 toward the straight portions 32a, 32b of the peripheral magnet 32. Thereby, a tunnel of the toroidal magnetic field extending in the longitudinal direction of the target 2 is formed near the surface of the target 2. Electrons are trapped by the magnetic field, and plasma is concentrated near the surface of the target 2, thereby improving the sputtering efficiency. The area of the surface of the target 2 where the magnetic field of the magnet unit leaks is a sputtering area A1 where sputtered particles are generated. The gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region A1 affects the splashing distance of the particles. The range around the sputtering region A1 is not necessarily limited to a distance, and is appropriately defined according to the influence on the required film formation accuracy.

The gas introduction mechanism 16 and the exhaust mechanism 15 are connected to the chamber 10. The gas introduction mechanism 16 and the exhaust mechanism 15 maintain the pressure inside the chamber by introducing and exhausting the sputtering gas. The sputtering gas is, for example, an inert gas such as argon or another rare gas, or a reactive gas such as oxygen, nitrogen, or water (water vapor). The gas introduction mechanism 16 of the present embodiment introduces sputtering gas through introduction ports 41 and 42 provided at both side portions of the chamber 10. The exhaust mechanism 15 such as a vacuum pump exhausts air from the inside of the chamber 10 to the outside through the exhaust port 5 (four exhaust ports 5a to 5d in the drawing).

The gas introduction mechanism 16 is constituted by a supply source such as a gas cylinder, a piping system connecting the supply source to the introduction ports 41 and 42, various vacuum valves provided in the piping system, a mass flow controller, and the like. The gas introduction mechanism 16 may adjust the amount of gas introduction using a flow control valve of a mass flow controller. The flow control valve has a structure such as a solenoid valve that can be electrically controlled. The positions where the introduction ports 41 and 42 are disposed are not limited to the two side walls of the chamber, and may be one side wall, or may be a bottom wall or a top wall. The pipe may extend into the chamber so that the inlet port opens into the chamber 10. The plurality of introduction ports 41, 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 evacuation mechanism 15 may include a piping system for connecting the vacuum pump to the evacuation ports 5a to 5 d. The exhaust mechanism 15 is connected to the exhaust ports 5a to 5d via valves 55a to 55d and piping. The valves 55a to 55d are flow rate control means for controlling the amount of exhaust gas, and the amount of exhaust gas can be adjusted according to the opening degree. As the flow rate control means, a valve as in the illustrated example is preferable, and a conductance valve capable of adjusting the exhaust speed by changing the opening degree according to the electrical control of the control unit 14 is particularly preferable. The plurality of exhaust ports 5a to 5d are provided at substantially equal intervals in the bottom wall 10c of the chamber. The place where the exhaust port is provided is not limited to the bottom wall, and may be a side wall or a top wall. In addition, the pipe may extend into the chamber so that the exhaust port opens into the chamber 10.

The control unit 14 stores positional information of each of the plurality of exhaust ports 5a to 5d and information related to the valves 55a to 55d corresponding to the respective exhaust ports in a memory or the like. Moreover, different exhaust control may be performed depending on the position inside the chamber. Specifically, for example, the exhaust capacity of each of the plurality of exhaust ports may be controlled by adjusting the opening degree of a valve corresponding to the exhaust port. As the control unit 14, a control circuit or an information processing device having an operation resource such as a CPU or a memory and operating in accordance with a program or a user instruction can be used. The control unit 14 may be regarded as an exhaust gas amount adjusting mechanism for adjusting the amount of exhaust gas from each exhaust port in the present invention.

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

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

Fig. 3 is a timing chart showing a control of the exhaust mechanism 15 when the film is formed while moving the target in the present embodiment. In the illustrated example, the rotary cathode unit 8 moves from left to right on the paper surface. The target position x indicated by reference numeral (5) indicates the position in the x-axis direction of the target 2 provided in the rotating cathode unit 8 inside the chamber. In the figure, the coordinate at the start of movement of the left end (at the start of film formation) is denoted by x1, and the coordinate at the end of movement of the right end (at the end of film formation) is denoted by x9. Reference numerals (1) to (4) are graphs showing transition of the opening degrees of the valves 55a to 55d, respectively, and indicate the relationship between the target position x and the valve opening degree. That is, the graph shows the valve opening degree determined according to the positional relationship (in particular, the distance) between the target and the exhaust port.

For simplicity of explanation, the movement of the rotary cathode unit 8 is set to a constant-velocity 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 uniform linear movement, the exhaust control according to the target position as in the present embodiment can be performed.

The control unit 14 obtains information on the current position, movement direction, and movement speed of the rotating cathode unit 8 on which the target 2 is disposed, using an encoder or the like. Then, the opening degrees of 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 thereafter are controlled to be b1%. For example, when the target 2 located at the position x1 advances rightward and reaches the position x2, the control unit 14 starts increasing the opening of the valve 55b corresponding to the exhaust port 5b located at the front in the moving direction. As a result, when the target 2 enters a region (region between the positions x3 to x 5) that is strongly influenced by the exhaust port 5b, the exhaust amount of the region becomes large.

The valve opening degree of 0% means a state in which the valve is closed and 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 enlarged to the maximum extent allowed in terms of the structure, and the amount of exhaust gas from the corresponding exhaust port is maximized. The set opening b1% is an opening at which the vicinity of the target becomes a gas pressure suitable for sputtering. The opening b1% is, for example, an opening at which the exhaust capacity becomes 40 to 50% of the maximum exhaust capacity. However, the present invention is not limited to this range, and an appropriate opening degree may be appropriately set according to the type of gas (inert gas, reactive gas, or the like) and the required film formation specification.

In the illustrated example, the control section 14 performs control as follows: as the target 2 approaches a certain exhaust port, the opening of the valve corresponding to the exhaust port is gradually increased, and the target 2 reaches an appropriate exhaust amount when it enters a region strongly affected by the exhaust port. Further, as the target 2 moves away from one of the exhaust ports, the opening degree of the valve corresponding to that exhaust port is gradually reduced, so that the exhaust amount of that exhaust port becomes smaller (or zero) when the target 2 moves to a region less affected by that exhaust port. By controlling the opening degree as described above, the flow of the gas from the inlets 41 and 42 to the exhaust port near the target can be formed.

However, the method of opening control is not limited thereto. For example, instead of gradually opening and closing the valve, it may be rapidly opening and closing the valve. In addition, the exhaust may be performed in an exhaust port which is distant from the target and has little influence on the sputtering region. The valve opening degree at this time may be b1%, or may be another value (for example, a value between 0% and b 1%).

In the present embodiment, the relationship between the valve opening amounts of the respective valves 55a to 55d corresponding to the target position x is stored in advance as a control profile (control profile). The control profile described above is determined in advance based on the capacity of the exhaust mechanism 15, the flow control value, the capacity of the gas introduction mechanism 16, the flow 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 obtains the target position x using a target position obtaining means such as an encoder, determines the opening degrees of the valves 55a to 55d with reference to the control distribution, and then transmits a control signal of the opening degrees to the valves. In this way, the control unit 14 adjusts the amount of exhaust from each of the plurality of exhaust ports 5a to 5d according to 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 control unit 14 increases the opening degree of the valve 55 connected to the exhaust port. When the target 2 is separated from the exhaust port, the opening of the valve 55 connected to the exhaust port is reduced. As a result, the closer to the target valve 55, the opening degree increases, and the exhaust capacity of the corresponding exhaust port 5 increases.

According to the control illustrated in the drawing, since the valve opening corresponding to the exhaust port in the vicinity of the target is b1%, the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port also becomes a value corresponding to the opening. As a result, the gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region A1 becomes uniform throughout the film forming process because the gas discharge is performed with the same degree of discharge capability in the vicinity of the target even when the target 2 is at any position in the chamber. Therefore, the film thickness and the film quality of the film formed on the object to be formed 6 can be reduced to suppress the quality degradation of sputtering.

As described above, the valve opening of the exhaust port in the vicinity of the target 2 is set to be larger than the valve opening of the exhaust port in the distant position of the target 2, so that the flow of the gas from the inlet ports 41 and 42 to the exhaust port close to the target is formed in 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 described. Hereinafter, the differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described, and the same reference numerals will be given to the same components, thereby simplifying the description.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The difference from fig. 1 is that pressure sensors 71, 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 in the vicinity of the rotating 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 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 movement direction among the plurality of pressure sensors can be selected to measure the pressure of the front region of the movement direction toward which the target is directed thereafter. However, the number and installation locations of the pressure sensors are not limited thereto. For example, the pressure sensor may be provided at another position of the rotary cathode unit or the mobile station 230.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating valve opening degree control according to the present embodiment. After the film formation process is started, in step S101, the control unit 14 obtains the target position x using an encoder. In step S102, the control unit 14 selects a valve to be controlled in the opening degree from the valves 55a to 55d. The control unit 14 selects a valve corresponding to the exhaust port located at the front side 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 travels from left to right in the drawing and reaches the position shown in fig. 4, the control unit 14 selects the valve 55d corresponding to the exhaust port 5d located at the front in the moving direction.

The position of the valve to be selected is not limited to the above-described position. For example, instead of the valve corresponding to the exhaust port located at the front side 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 at the front side in the moving direction of the target 2 may be selected together with a valve corresponding to the exhaust port located near the current position of the target 2. Alternatively, the process of this step may not be performed, and the opening degrees of all the valves may be always determined from 0% to 100% based on the positional relationship (in particular, the distance) between the valves and the targets.

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 thereafter enters is higher than a value suitable for sputtering, the opening degree of the selected valve is increased to decrease the pressure of the region. 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 of the film formation object 6 is completed, and if not completed, the routine proceeds to step S106, where the movement on the guide rail 250 and the film formation are continued. By the processing of this flow, the amounts of exhaust gas from the plurality of exhaust ports are appropriately controlled according to the positions of the sputtering regions in the chamber.

In the present embodiment, the pressure value in the vicinity of the target is measured by the pressure sensor 7 that moves together with the rotating 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 deposited after reaching the object to be formed 6 from the target 2 can be made substantially uniform, and thus, the variation in film thickness and film quality during film formation can be reduced, and the degradation in sputtering quality can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, as in the above-described embodiment, 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 flow of the gas from the inlet to the vicinity of the target can be formed, and a good film formation can be performed.

Embodiment 3

Next, embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. The description will be mainly made on the differences from the above embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components and the description is simplified.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a plurality of pressure sensors 73 to 77 are arranged as pressure acquisition means inside 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 region A1, and are arranged in a line at a constant interval in the moving direction. The number and arrangement of the pressure sensors are not limited to this. For example, the side wall (front wall) 10e may be disposed on the near side. In addition, 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 the valve opening control.

In the illustrated example, the pressure sensors are disposed at substantially the same height as the sputtering region A1. However, the pressure sensor may be disposed at a height closer to the film formation object than the sputtering region A1, or may be disposed at a height opposite to the film formation object across the sputtering region A1. The pressure sensor may be disposed at a plurality of heights. The interval between the pressure sensors is not necessarily limited to be constant, and 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, and the like can be appropriately set.

The control unit 14 detects information on the position, moving direction, and moving speed of the rotating cathode unit 8 in the chamber by an encoder. The control unit 14 stores positional information of each of the plurality of pressure sensors 73 to 77 and positional information of each of the plurality of 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 travels from left to right in the drawing and reaches the position shown in fig. 6, the control unit 14 selects the pressure sensor 77 located at the front in the moving direction and the valve 55d corresponding to the exhaust port 5d also located at the front in the moving direction.

When the measured value of the pressure sensor 77 is deviated from the range where the appropriate sputtering is performed, the opening degree of the valve 55d is adjusted to change the amount of exhaust gas from the exhaust port 5d. With the above configuration, the pressure in the region ahead of the movement 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-described position. For example, instead of the pressure sensor and the valve located in front of the moving direction of the target 2, the pressure sensor and the valve located near the current position of the target 2 may be selected, or the pressure sensor and the valve located in front of 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 always acquire the measured values of all the pressure sensors, correct the pressure values based on the relationship with the target position, and determine the opening degrees of all the valves from the distance from the target to 0% to 100%.

In the present embodiment, the pressure value in the vicinity of 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 deposited after reaching the object to be formed 6 from the target 2 can be made substantially uniform, and thus, the variation in film thickness and film quality during film formation can be reduced, and the degradation in sputtering quality can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, as in the above-described embodiment, 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 flowing the forming gas from the inlet to the vicinity of the target to perform good film formation can be obtained.

Embodiment 4

Next, embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described. The description will be mainly made on the differences from the above embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components and the description is simplified.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. In order to avoid complicating the drawing, the target driving device 11, the mobile station driving device 12, and the power supply 13 are omitted. The film forming apparatus 1 includes a plurality of pumps (exhaust mechanisms 15a to 15 d), and the exhaust mechanisms 15a to 15d exhaust the gases from the exhaust ports 5a to 5d, respectively. The control unit 14 adjusts the exhaust capacities of the respective exhaust ports 5a to 5d by controlling the opening degrees of the valves 55a to 55 d.

In fig. 7, one pump is connected to each of the exhaust ports, but a plurality of exhaust ports may be grouped and one pump may be connected to each of the exhaust ports. 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 may be provided between the exhaust ports 5a and 5b and the exhaust mechanism so as to be connected to both the exhaust ports in common.

With the film forming apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region A1 can be maintained in an appropriate predetermined range and sputtering can be performed appropriately by controlling the distribution according to the predetermined opening degree or adjusting the amount of the exhaust gas from each of the exhaust ports 5a to 5d based on the measured value of the pressure sensor disposed on the inner wall of the rotating cathode unit 8 or the chamber 10, as in the above-described embodiments.

Embodiment 5

Next, embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described. The control unit 14 in the present embodiment can adjust the exhaust capacity of the pump of the exhaust mechanism 15. For example, in the case where the exhaust mechanism 15 is a cryopump, the temperature of the low temperature surface is reduced to increase the amount of exhaust gas, thereby reducing the gas pressure. In the case where the exhaust mechanism 15 is a turbo molecular pump, the rotational speed of the turbine blade is increased to increase the amount of exhaust gas, thereby reducing the gas pressure. The control unit appropriately controls the vacuum pump, so that the exhaust gas amount of each exhaust port can be controlled.

In 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 measured value of the sensor located in front of the movement direction of the target among the pressure sensors 71 and 72 with the range of the pressure at which the appropriate sputtering is performed, and adjusts the output of the exhaust mechanism 15 so that the gas pressure becomes the appropriate value when the measured value deviates from the appropriate range. According to the control method of the present embodiment, although the exhaust gas amount of each exhaust port cannot be individually controlled, the gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region can be maintained in an appropriate range even if the target moves.

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

Embodiment 6

Next, embodiment 6 of the present invention will be described. The description will be mainly made on the differences from the above embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components and the description is simplified.

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

In the film forming apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the amount of exhaust gas from each exhaust port is adjusted based on a predetermined opening degree control distribution or a measured value of a pressure sensor disposed on the inner wall of the rotating 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 range and sputtering can be performed appropriately, similarly to the above-described embodiments.

Embodiment 7

Next, embodiment 7 of the present invention will be described. The description will be mainly made on the differences from the above embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components and the description is simplified.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, instead of using a rotary cathode unit using a cylindrical target, a planar cathode unit 308 using a flat plate-shaped target 302 is used. The planar cathode unit 308 has a target 302 disposed parallel to the object to be film-formed. A backing plate 302a to which electric power is applied from the power source 13 is provided on the surface opposite to the object 6 across the target 302. Further, a magnet unit 3 as a magnetic field generating means is disposed on the opposite side of the target 302 and the backing plate 302a from the film formation object 6. By applying electric power to the backing plate 302a, sputtered particles are generated in the sputtering region A1. The planar cathode unit 308 is disposed on the upper surface of the mobile station 230.

In the film forming step, the planar cathode unit 308 moves along the guide 250 in a direction (X-axis direction in the drawing) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the target 302 on a movement region facing the film forming surface of the film forming object 6. The vicinity of the surface of the target 302 facing the film formation object 6 is a sputtering region A1 in which the electron density is increased by the magnetic field generated by the magnet unit 3. In the film forming step, the sputtering region A1 moves along the film formation surface of the film formation object 6 with the movement of the planar cathode unit 308, and films are sequentially formed on the film formation 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 utilization efficiency of the target 302 can be improved.

Even when the planar cathode unit 308 is used as in the present embodiment, the gas pressure in the vicinity of the sputtering region A1 can be maintained in an appropriate range and appropriate sputtering can be performed by adjusting the amount of the exhaust gas from each of the exhaust ports 5a to 5d 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 planar cathode unit 308 or the chamber 10.

In the present embodiment, the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port close to the target may be improved, and the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port far from the target may be reduced or zero. As a result, a flow of the gas from the inlet to the vicinity of the target can be formed, and a good film formation can be performed.

Embodiment 8

Next, embodiment 8 of the present invention will be described. The description will be mainly made on the differences from the above embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components and the description is simplified.

Fig. 11 shows a film forming 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 the present embodiment, a target 402 having a flat plate shape is fixedly provided in the chamber 10. The target 402 has a size corresponding to the entire surface of the object 6 in both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In addition, the magnet unit 3 as the magnetic field generating mechanism moves with respect to the target 402 fixed to the chamber 10 (i.e., with respect to the chamber 10). With this, the sputtering region A1 of the target 402, which emits the target particles, also moves with respect to the film formation object 6.

The target 402 is disposed at a boundary portion between the vacuum region and the atmospheric pressure region, and the magnet unit 3 is placed in the atmosphere outside the chamber 10. That is, the target 402 is disposed so as to hermetically block 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 electric power is applied from the power source 13 is provided on a surface of the target 402 opposite to the film formation object 6, and the backing plate 402a faces the external space. The target 402 is disposed at the boundary portion between the vacuum region and the atmospheric pressure region, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other members may be disposed between the target 402 and the atmospheric pressure region, and the target 402 may be disposed at 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 along the target 402 in the X-axis direction. 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 that guides the magnet unit 3 in a straight line in the X-axis direction, and is configured by a guide such as a moving table that supports the magnet unit 3 and a guide rail that guides the moving table, 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 along the target 402 in the X-axis direction. The sensor moving device 450 is also composed of a moving table for supporting the pressure sensor 7, a guide such as a rail for guiding the moving table, and the like, similarly to 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 obtains the measured value of the pressure sensor 7 at any time.

In addition to the method of acquiring the pressure value and controlling the valve opening while moving the pressure sensor 7 as in the illustrated example, the method of controlling the valve opening based on the measurement values of a plurality of pressure sensors disposed at a plurality of positions inside the chamber and the method of controlling the valve opening in accordance with a predetermined control profile may be used.

In the present embodiment, the targets 402 are disposed on the bottom wall 10c of the chamber 10, and therefore 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 place where the exhaust port is provided is not limited to this. For example, the heat exchanger may be provided to both the rear wall 10f and the front wall 10 e. The positions and the number of the introduction ports 41 and 42 are not limited to the example. The control unit 14 detects the position of the magnet unit 3 by an encoder, and obtains the position of the sputtering region A1. In addition, as in the above embodiments, the pressure is adjusted by controlling the amount of exhaust gas from the exhaust port in front of the sputtering region A1 in the moving direction.

As in the present embodiment, even in the film forming apparatus in which the magnet unit 3 moves, the amount of exhaust gas from the exhaust port in the vicinity of the target can be appropriately controlled. Therefore, the amount of sputtered particles deposited after reaching the object to be formed 6 from the target 2 can be made substantially uniform, and thus, the variation in film thickness and film quality during film formation can be reduced, and the degradation in sputtering quality can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port close to the sputtering region A1 may be increased, and the exhaust capacity of the exhaust port far from the sputtering region A1 may be reduced or zero. As a result, a flow of the gas from the inlet port to the vicinity of the sputtering region A1 can be formed, and good film formation can be performed.

Other embodiments

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

In the above embodiments, the rotating cathode unit, the planar cathode unit, and the cathode using the magnet unit moving device are shown as the structure of the cathode. As a method of controlling the amount of exhaust gas from the exhaust port, a method of adjusting the opening degree of the valve and a method of adjusting the output of the pump are shown. Further, an exhaust gas amount control 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 no contradiction occurs.

Claims

1. A film forming apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are disposed;

A plurality of exhaust ports provided to the chamber; and

the exhaust gas amount adjusting means adjusts the amount of exhaust gas from each of the plurality of exhaust ports so that the pressure of the sputtering gas in the vicinity of the sputtering region is maintained within a predetermined range, in accordance with the position of the sputtering region in the chamber, at any position where the sputtering region is moved by the moving means during the film formation.

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the exhaust gas amount adjusting mechanism adjusts the amount of exhaust gas from each of the plurality of exhaust ports so that the exhaust gas amount of the exhaust port is larger as the distance from the sputtering region is closer.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

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

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the film forming apparatus further includes a pressure acquisition means for acquiring a pressure value of the gas in the chamber,

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

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein,

the pressure acquisition mechanism moves together with the sputtering region.

6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein,

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

7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein,

the exhaust gas amount adjusting means uses the pressure value acquired by the pressure acquiring means disposed in front of a moving direction in which the sputtering region is moved by the moving means.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

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

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the exhaust amount adjusting mechanism selects the exhaust port located in front of a movement direction in which the sputtering region is moved by the movement mechanism from the plurality of exhaust ports, and exhausts the chamber by the selected exhaust port.

10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

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

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

11. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

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

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

12. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein,

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

13. The film forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein,

the target is in the shape of a cylinder,

The film forming apparatus further includes a rotation mechanism that rotates the target.

14. The film forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein,

the target is in the shape of a flat plate.

15. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein,

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

16. A film forming method using a chamber in which a film formation object and a target are disposed and in which a plurality of exhaust ports are provided, the film forming method comprising:

in the step of adjusting, the amount of exhaust gas from each of the plurality of exhaust ports is adjusted so that the pressure of the sputtering gas in the vicinity of the sputtering region is maintained within a predetermined range, in accordance with the position of the sputtering region in the chamber, at any position where the sputtering region moves during the film formation.

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