JPH04282827A - Microwave plasma film deposition equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve productivity and to provide a device having excellent uniform film formation in a large area. CONSTITUTION:A gas diffuser is mounted at a part or in the vicinity of an adherence preventive unit in a vacuum chamber of a microwave plasma film forming device, and a board, etc., can be replaced while holding the diffuser in vacuum in the chamber.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a microwave plasma film forming apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate using electron cyclotron resonance, and in particular to a microwave plasma film forming apparatus suitable for reducing foreign matter on a substrate during film forming. The present invention relates to a plasma film forming apparatus.

0002

[Prior Art] A conventional film forming apparatus in which part or all of the discharge electrode, anti-adhesive plate, and substrate heating device in the vacuum chamber can be replaced while maintaining the vacuum state in the vacuum chamber is One disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 1-169919 is known. This device prevents the film formed on surfaces other than the substrate inside the vacuum chamber from peeling off in flakes, adhering to the substrate, becoming foreign matter, and causing defects on the substrate on which the film has been formed. Jigs such as a discharge electrode device, a substrate heating device, and an anti-adhesion plate can be replaced while maintaining the vacuum state in the vacuum chamber.

[0003] As a result, substrates can be transported while maintaining a vacuum state, and foreign matter can be reduced at the same time, which is effective in improving the productivity of the equipment.

0004

In a microwave plasma film forming apparatus, gas is normally supplied using a ring-shaped gas blowing section or a planar gas blowing section. In particular, when uniformly forming a film over a large area, a planar gas blowing section is effective. Since microwaves need to pass through this planar gas outlet, it needs to be made of a material such as quartz.

By the way, since the microwave plasma is also in contact with the above-mentioned planar gas blowing section, a film-forming substance is formed.
It becomes a foreign object. In particular, when the plasma directionality is good, such as in a magnetic field microwave plasma deposition system, a thin film is formed to the same extent on the sample substrate, the sample holding means, and the gas blowing section on the surface facing them. Therefore, in order to reduce foreign matter, it is essential to replace the gas blowing part as well as the sample holding means.

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, in the case of a chemical vapor deposition apparatus or the like that performs film formation using gas, there is insufficient consideration given to the gas blowing part for uniformly introducing gas, especially when forming a film over a large area. That was enough.

An object of the present invention is to improve productivity by replacing jigs such as adhesion prevention plates while maintaining the vacuum state in the film forming chamber in order to transport substrates and prevent defects due to foreign substances. Another object of the present invention is to provide a microwave plasma processing apparatus having a gas introduction section particularly suitable for uniform film formation over a large area.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problem] The above object is to install a gas blowing part in a part of or near the adhesion prevention part in the vacuum chamber of a microwave plasma film forming apparatus, and to replace the part while maintaining the vacuum state in the vacuum chamber. This can be achieved by doing. That is, the apparatus has a configuration in which the gas blowing section can also be replaced while maintaining the vacuum state within the vacuum chamber.

[0009] Although the gas blowing part may be replaced by providing its own replacement equipment, it is preferable to replace the gas blowing part at the same time as replacing the adhesion prevention part. For this purpose, it is effective to have a structure in which the adhesion prevention part and the gas blowing part are integrally formed. That is,
This device configuration allows the part that comes into contact with the microwave plasma to be formed integrally within a vacuum chamber and to be replaced.

Furthermore, since part or all of the sample holding means is replaced at the same time as the sample substrate, if the gas blowing section and the adhesion prevention section are also replaced at the same time as the substrate, the replacement equipment will be Only one is required, which simplifies the device configuration.

Specifically, it is effective to have an apparatus configuration in which the sample holding means, the adhesion prevention part, and the gas blowing part are integrally formed. In this case, since the adhesion prevention part and the gas blowing part are replaced at the same time as the sample substrate, there is no need for equipment, time, etc. for only replacing the adhesion prevention part and the gas blowing part.

0012

[Operation] The replacement of the substrate and quartz block in the film forming chamber will be explained.

[0013] This quartz block integrates a sample holding means, an adhesion prevention means, and a gas introduction means.

After the film forming process on the substrate is completed, the first airtight means such as a gate valve between the film forming chamber and the preparatory chamber is opened, and the quartz block and the substrate are moved to the preparatory chamber. At this time, the other second airtight means remains closed.

Next, the first hermetic means is closed to seal the inside of the film forming chamber, and the second hermetic means is opened to take out the quartz block and the substrate.

The quartz block and substrate are processed in the reverse order to the above.

[0017]

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a microwave plasma film forming apparatus which is a first embodiment of the present invention.

The present apparatus consists of a quartz block that integrates a film forming chamber 1, a preliminary chamber 7, a substrate stand as a sample holding means, an adhesion prevention plate as an adhesion prevention means, and a gas blowing upper plate as a gas introduction means. 3, a coil 6 as a magnetic field forming means, a discharge tube 8 as a microwave introducing means, a waveguide 9, a microwave power source 10, a gas supply system 11, and a quartz block 3.
Gate valves 12 and 13 for exchange and airtightness, a moving device 14 as a transport means, and a high vacuum exhaust system for the film forming chamber 1,
and two sets for the spare room 7.

Furthermore, the maximum opening cross-sectional area of the gate valves 12 and 13 is large enough to allow replacement of quartz blocks and the like.

[0021] The film forming chamber 1 and the preparatory chamber 7 can be independently evacuated to a high vacuum using dedicated high vacuum evacuation systems. This high vacuum exhaust system, as shown in Figure 1,
Turbo molecular pumps 15, 15b and rotary pump 1
6, 16b, high vacuum valves 17, 17b, auxiliary valves 18, 18b, and roughing valves 19, 19b. Here, the number with b added is a high vacuum evacuation system for the preliminary chamber 7.

As shown in FIG. 1, the quartz block 3 is loaded with a substrate 2 as a sample before being introduced into the film forming chamber 1 and the preliminary chamber 7. Further, a heater block 20 for heating the substrate 2 during film formation is installed on the non-film formation side of the substrate 2. This heater block 20 is energized by a heater power source 21 to heat the substrate 2.

[0023] Note that the heater block 2 as in this embodiment
In addition to heating the substrate using 0, the substrate may be heated using a lamp heater or the like.

The gas supply means includes a plurality of holes 3 having a predetermined size in a portion of the quartz block 3 facing the substrate 2.
0 and a seal 5 is used to seal between this and the quartz plate 4.

A hole 31 for supplying gas is formed in a part of the quartz plate 4, and is connected to the gas supply system 11 by a vacuum piping.

That is, the film-forming gas and the discharge gas pass from the gas supply system 11 through the vacuum piping, the gap between the quartz plate 4 and the quartz block 3, and enter the film-forming chamber 1 through the hole 30 made in the quartz block 3. Supplied.

The coil 6 is connected to the quartz block 3 in the film forming chamber 1.
An electron cyclotron resonance point can be formed at any location between the gas blowing surface of the substrate 2 and the substrate 2.

The discharge tube 8 is made of a dielectric material such as quartz that transmits microwaves. The microwaves that have propagated through the waveguide 9 through the discharge tube 8, the quartz plate 4, and the quartz block 3 are introduced into the film forming chamber 1.

The quartz plate 4 and the quartz block 3 may be made of any material that can transmit microwaves, and do not need to be made of quartz.

[0030] The substrate 2 has a size of 100 mm x 100 mm.
A case will be described in which a silicon nitride film is formed on the glass substrate by chemical vapor deposition.

First, the inside of the film forming chamber 1 was evacuated to a high vacuum (10-8 Torr) with the gate valve 12 closed.

Next, the gate valve 13 was opened and the quartz block 3 with the glass substrate 2 mounted thereon was placed in the preliminary chamber 7, and then the moving device 14 was connected thereto.

Next, the gate valve 13 was closed and the interior of the preliminary chamber 7 was evacuated to a high vacuum (10-8 Torr).

Next, the gate valve 12 was opened, and the quartz block 3 was moved to a predetermined position within the film forming chamber 1 using the moving device 14. At this time, the gas blowing part is completely formed, but if the sealing is insufficient due to the weight of the quartz block 3 alone, a fixing device may be used in combination as necessary.

Next, nitrogen gas was added as a discharge gas for 25sc.
cm (25 cm3 per minute in terms of standard conditions), and 5 sccm of monosilane gas as a reaction gas is mixed and introduced through the hole 30 of the quartz block 3, and the inside of the film forming chamber 1 is heated at 1×10 cm.
It was maintained at 8 Torr.

Next, power was applied to the heater block 20 from the power supply 21 to heat the glass substrate to 150°C.

Next, when the temperature has stabilized, the coil 6
A current of about 10A was applied to the As a result, 2.45GHz
A magnetic field of 0.0875 T that causes electron cyclotron resonance with respect to microwaves is formed approximately 50 mm below the substrate 2.

Next, from the microwave power source 10, the waveguide 9,
A 2.45 GHz, 100 W microwave was introduced into the film forming chamber 1 through the discharge tube 8, the quartz plate 4, and the quartz block 3, and discharge was started.

As a result, in 8 minutes, a silicon nitride film with a thickness of about 500 nm was formed on the 100 mm x 100 mm area.
was formed on a glass substrate. Also, on the quartz block 3 facing the substrate, about 800
A silicon nitride film of nanometer thickness was formed.

Next, a procedure for replacing the quartz block 3 and the substrate 2 on which the thin film has been formed without breaking the vacuum after film formation will be described.

First, the film forming chamber 1 and the preliminary chamber 7 were evacuated to a high vacuum (10.degree. 8 Torr).

Next, the quartz block 3 was moved into the preliminary chamber 7 using the moving device 14.

Next, close the gate valve 12 to open the preliminary chamber 7.
and the film forming chamber 1 was shut off.

Next, air was introduced into the preliminary chamber 7 through the leak valve 22 to bring the interior of the preliminary chamber 7 to atmospheric pressure.

Next, the gate valve 13 was opened and the quartz block 3 and substrate 2 were replaced. Hereinafter, the film formation can be repeated from item 2 of the film formation method described above.

(Second Embodiment) The second embodiment is a case in which the gas blowing part and the adhesion prevention plate are integrally formed and are separated from the substrate stand.

[0047] In this configuration, since the substrate stand, the adhesion prevention plate, and the gas blowing part can be replaced independently, it is possible to replace only the substrate 2 when there is not a large amount of film adhesion.

(Third Embodiment) The third embodiment is a case in which the gas blowing section, the adhesion prevention plate, and the substrate stand are completely separated.

[0049] According to this configuration, the adhesion prevention plate with relatively little film adhesion and the gas blowing part with relatively large amount of film adhesion can be replaced independently.

(Fourth Embodiment) Another set of airtight means such as the preliminary chamber 7 and gate valves 12 and 13 described in the first embodiment may be connected to the film forming chamber 1.

As described above, by providing two preliminary chambers and a gate valve for maintaining them in vacuum, substrates, etc. can be taken in and out efficiently, and productivity is improved.

As described above, according to the present invention, the generation of foreign matter can be reduced and film formation with good productivity can be achieved.

[0053]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, it is possible to replace the substrate and jigs while maintaining the vacuum state of the film forming chamber, thereby realizing a microwave film forming apparatus with high productivity. effective.

Furthermore, the method of supplying the gas necessary for film formation is also taken into account, and is particularly effective in realizing a microwave film forming apparatus that is suitable for uniform film formation over a large area.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a microwave plasma film forming apparatus showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1... Film forming chamber, 2... Substrate, 3... Quartz block, 4... Quartz plate, 5... Seal, 6... Coil, 7... Preliminary chamber, 8... Discharge tube,
9... waveguide, 10... microwave power supply, 11... gas supply system, 12, 13... gate valve, 14... moving device, 15,
15b...turbo molecular pump, 16,16b...rotary pump, 17,17b...high vacuum valve, 18,18b...
Auxiliary valve, 19, 19b...Roughing valve, 20...Heater block, 21...Heater power supply, 22...Leak valve.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A film forming chamber that can be evacuated, a preliminary chamber that can be evacuated and connected to the film forming chamber, and a first airtight means that can be opened and closed between the film forming chamber and the preliminary chamber. and a second airtight means that can be opened and closed and is provided between the preliminary chamber and the atmosphere. 2. A film forming chamber that can be evacuated, a first preparatory chamber that can be evacuated and connected to the film forming chamber, and an openable and closable film forming chamber that is provided between the film forming chamber and the first preparatory chamber. a first air-tight means, a second air-tight means provided between the first preliminary chamber and the atmosphere, which can be opened and closed, and a second preliminary chamber connected to the film-forming chamber and which can be evacuated; a third airtight means that can be opened and closed between the film forming chamber and the second preliminary chamber; a fourth airtight means that can be opened and closed between the second preliminary chamber and the atmosphere; A microwave plasma device comprising: 3. The microorganism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening cross-sectional area of the first, second, third, and fourth airtight means is approximately the same as the opening cross-sectional area of the film forming chamber. Wave plasma device. 4. A method comprising a substrate holding means for holding a substrate, a gas introduction means for introducing gas into a film forming chamber, and an adhesion prevention means for preventing contamination in the film forming chamber, the substrate holding means and the gas introducing means A microwave plasma device characterized in that the and adhesion prevention means are integrally formed. 5. A substrate holding means for holding a substrate, a gas introduction means for introducing a gas into a deposition chamber, and an adhesion prevention means for preventing contamination in the deposition chamber, the gas introduction means and the adhesion prevention means is a microwave plasma device characterized by being formed in one piece.