JPH07166353A - Continuous sputter treatment method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] To provide a continuous sputtering treatment method capable of preventing the generation of cross contamination by preventing the gas generated at the time of baking treatment of a sample from entering the processing chamber where the sputtering treatment is carried out. A plurality of processing chambers 30 to 60 are provided so as to be able to communicate with the inside of the buffer chamber 10 and perform sputtering processing on each sample, exhaust means for decompressing the processing chambers, a load chamber 160 and an unload chamber 162. In a continuous sputtering treatment method using a sputtering treatment apparatus, the sample is loaded into the pretreatment chamber 20 provided so as to be able to communicate with the load chamber via the load chamber and provided in the pretreatment chamber. In the heating station 22, the sputtered surfaces of the samples are heat-treated one by one, and the pretreatment chamber is evacuated to a reduced pressure independently of the buffer chamber, and the gas generated during the processing of the samples in the heating station is performed. Is exhausted outside the pretreatment chamber without going through the buffer chamber.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a continuous sputter processing method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional continuous sputtering apparatus, for example, as described in JP-A-60-52574, a buffer chamber having a pentagonal outer shape and being decompressed and evacuated, and a pentagonal four side communicating with the buffer chamber Corresponding to the four processing chambers that are evacuated and evacuated through the buffer chamber, a loading chamber that is connected to the buffer chamber and that is evacuated and evacuated and that is provided corresponding to the remaining one side of the pentagon It is known that the sample holding means is provided at positions corresponding to the loading chamber and the loading chamber, and is provided with a moving means for sequentially rotating and moving the sample holding means in the buffer chamber such as the loading chamber → the respective processing chambers → the loading chamber. There is.

In such a continuous sputtering apparatus, the sample carried into the loading chamber is transferred to the sample holding means one by one, and is made to correspond to each processing chamber by the rotational movement by the moving means. During this period, the sample held by the sample holding means is subjected to a base process for removing contaminant gas adsorbed on the sample surface, a sputter etching process for removing an oxide layer on the sample surface before sputtering, or a sputter process for forming a thin film. Are arbitrarily combined and processed. The sample that has undergone such processing is removed from the sample holding means, returned to the loading chamber one by one, and then carried out from the loading chamber.

[0004]

In the above continuous sputtering apparatus, the gas generated during the sample baking process and the sputter etching process is exhausted through the buffer chamber.
Depending on the exhaust capacity of the buffer chamber and the means for exhausting each processing chamber under reduced pressure, the gas may not be exhausted sufficiently from the buffer chamber, and the gas may enter the processing chamber in which the sputtering process is performed and cause cross contamination. There is. Such cross contamination is
Although it was negligible in the formation of the SI pattern wiring film and the gate film, it cannot be ignored in the formation of the sub-micron order LSI pattern wiring film and the gate film.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous sputtering treatment method capable of preventing the generation of cross contamination by preventing the gas generated during the baking treatment of a sample from flowing into the processing chamber for carrying out the sputtering treatment. It is in.

[0006]

The above object is to provide a plurality of processing chambers which are provided so as to be able to communicate with the buffer chamber and in which at least two of the chambers are subjected to a sputtering process for each sample, and an evacuation means for exhausting the processing chamber under reduced pressure. And, in a continuous sputtering method by a sputtering processing apparatus, which comprises a load chamber and an unload chamber, in a pretreatment chamber provided to be communicable with the load chamber, the sample is carried in through the load chamber, Each of the sputtered surfaces of the sample is heat-treated one by one in a heating station provided in the pretreatment chamber, the pretreatment chamber is evacuated under reduced pressure independently of the buffer chamber, and the sample in the heating station is evacuated. The gas generated at the time of the processing is exhausted to the outside of the pretreatment chamber without passing through the buffer chamber, and a plurality of sample holding means for holding each of the samples are treated in the buffer chamber. In addition, the sample is moved to a position corresponding to the pretreatment chamber, the sample is loaded into the treatment chamber, and the samples are sputtered one by one in at least two chambers of the treatment chamber. The sputtering process in the pretreatment chamber is performed by moving the treatment chamber from the treatment chamber to the pretreatment chamber through the buffer chamber by the sample holding means, and through the unload chamber provided so as to communicate with the pretreatment chamber. This is achieved by discharging the already-existing sample.

[0007]

The sample carried into the pretreatment chamber by the sample transport means is pretreated, that is, baked, in the pretreatment chamber. The gas generated during such pretreatment is exhausted directly from the pretreatment chamber without passing through the buffer chamber. The sample for which the pretreatment is completed is transferred from the pretreatment chamber to the sample holding means and sequentially moved in the buffer chamber by the sample conveying means in correspondence with each treatment chamber, and the sputtering treatment is performed during this period. The processed sample is carried into the pretreatment chamber and then carried out of the pretreatment chamber. As described above, the gas generated during the baking process of the sample is exhausted without passing through the buffer chamber to prevent the gas from flowing into the processing chamber in which the sputtering process is performed, so that cross contamination can be prevented.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 show a continuous sputtering apparatus to which the continuous sputtering treatment method of the present invention is applied. The buffer chamber 10 has a pentagonal outer shape and a substantially U-shaped space in a vertical cross section. An opening 11 is formed in each pentagonal side wall of the buffer chamber 10.
Is provided with a pressing seat 12. Buffer room 10
Outside the respective sides of the pentagon, the openings 11 communicate with the inside of the buffer chamber 10 and the pretreatment chamber 20 and the four treatment chambers 30 to
60 are provided. In this case, the processing chamber 30 is a heating chamber, and the heating means 31 such as an infrared radiation heater is provided in the opening 1.
It is provided corresponding to 1. The processing chambers 40 and 50 are sputtering chambers and are provided with sputtering means 41 and 51, respectively. The processing chamber 60 is a preliminary chamber. Buffer room 10
A rotary drum 70 is rotatably provided therein by a rotary support means 71 such as a bearing. Rotating drum 7
In this case, 0 is rotated by operating the motor 75 via the power transmission means 72 and the gears 73 and 74.
The power transmission means 72, the gears 73 and 74, and the motor 75 are provided outside the buffer chamber 10. A sample holding means 80 is provided on the rotary drum 70 at a position corresponding to each opening 11.
In this case, five pieces are arranged.

The sample holding means 80 is provided on the outer periphery of the rotary drum 70 via an expansion / contraction means 90 such as a bellows. The expansion / contraction means 90 has a function of keeping the inside of the buffer chamber 10 airtight. The sample holding means 80 holds the sample in a posture perpendicular to the surface to be processed, and the holding is performed by the elastic force of a claw (not shown), for example. Five pushers 110 are provided radially in such a manner that the shape of the buffer chamber 10 is substantially centered on the center of the cylindrical inner cylinder 13. Pusher 110
Can be reciprocated in the radial direction by the vacuum sealing support means 111, and the outer end can be brought into contact with the back surface of the sample holding means 80 by the reciprocation. A spring 112 such as a coil spring is wound around the pusher 110 between the inner end of the pusher 110 and the vacuum chamber sealing support means 111. The conical cam 113 is provided with the center of the inner cylinder 13 as a substantially axial center. A roller 114 is provided at the inner end of the pusher 110, and the roller 114 is always brought into contact with the conical surface of the conical cam 113 by the spring force of the spring 112. Conical cam 1
13 is provided with a lifting drive means 115 such as an air cylinder.

An exhaust port 14 is formed on each side wall of the buffer chamber 10 corresponding to the processing chambers 30 to 60 to connect the buffer chamber 10 to the processing chambers 30 to 60. Processing room 30
A valve 120 that opens and closes each exhaust port 14 is provided in each of ~ 60. The valve 120 is a driving means 1 such as an air cylinder.
An on-off valve is driven by 21. A high vacuum pump 131 is connected to the bottom of the buffer chamber 10 via an L-shaped exhaust pipe 130. In this case, the inside of the buffer chamber 10 is evacuated to a high vacuum by driving the main valve 132 by an opening / closing means (not shown). In the processing chambers 30-60,
The rough exhaust pipe 133 is connected, and the gas pipe 140 is provided with a sluice valve 141 and a throttle valve 1 so that the processing gas can be introduced.
It is connected via 42.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, in the pretreatment chamber 20, a sample conveying means 21 such as a belt conveying device for carrying the sample into the pretreatment chamber 20, a heating station 22, an etching station 23, and the sample A sample transfer unit 24 such as a rotating arm transfer device that transfers between the pusher 211 of the transfer unit 21 and the pusher 221 of the heating station 22, and the sample is transferred between the pusher 221 of the heating station and the pusher 231 of the etching station. A sample transfer means 25 such as a rotary arm transfer device, a sample transfer means 26 such as a belt transfer device which carries out a sample, and an etching station 23.
Pusher 231 and the pusher 261 of the sample transfer means 26
And a sample transfer means 27 such as a rotating arm transfer device for transferring the sample between the sample and the sample, and a sample transfer means 26 for converting the sample surface orientation between the horizontal upward attitude and the vertical attitude.
The sample transport means 28 such as a transport device using a link mechanism for transporting between the pusher 261 and the sample holding means 80 is provided.

An L-shaped exhaust pipe 1 is provided on the side wall of the pretreatment chamber 20.
A high vacuum pump 135 is connected via 34. The inside of the pretreatment chamber 20 is evacuated to a high vacuum by the high vacuum pump 135. The heating station 22 is provided with heating means 222 such as an infrared radiation heater. The etching station 23 has a sample electrode 232 and a counter electrode (not shown).
And a driving means (not shown) for vertically moving the counter electrode, a driving means (not shown) for vertically moving the pusher 231 and a shielding means 233 (a squeeze member) for forming a space including the sample electrode 232 and the counter electrode during the sputter etching process. And a sputter etching means). Further, in this case, the processing gas passes through the counter electrode through the sample electrode 232.
It is designed to be released toward. The space is differentially exhausted.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the processing chamber 20 is provided with a load chamber 160 at a position corresponding to the sample transfer means 21 via a vacuum shutoff means 150 such as a gate valve.
Inside the load chamber 160, there is provided a sample transfer means 161 such as a belt transfer device which transfers the sample in the load chamber 160 and transfers the sample to the sample transfer means 21 via the vacuum interrupting means 150. In the load chamber 160, the sample transfer means 161
At atmospheric air vacuum shutoff means 170 such as a gate valve is provided at a position corresponding to. The sample transfer means 1 such as a belt transfer device which receives the sample from the cassette loader 180 and conveys the sample to the sample conveyance means 161 via the atmospheric vacuum interruption means 170 on the atmospheric side of the atmospheric vacuum interruption means 170.
90 is provided.

On the other hand, in the processing chamber 20, the sample transfer means 26
Vacuum shutoff means 15 such as a gate valve at a position corresponding to
An unloading chamber 162 is provided via 1. In the unload chamber 162, the sample transfer means 16 such as a belt transfer device which transfers the sample in the unload chamber 62 and receives the sample from the sample transfer means 26 via the vacuum interrupting means 151.
3 is provided. The unload chamber 162 is provided with an atmospheric vacuum interrupting device 171 such as a gate valve at a position corresponding to the sample carrying device 163. On the atmosphere side of the atmospheric vacuum breaker 171 is provided a sample transfer means 191 such as a belt transfer device for passing the sample to the cassette unloader 181 and receiving the sample from the sample transfer means 163 via the atmospheric vacuum breaker 171. ing. Although not shown, the load chamber 160 and the unload chamber 162 are provided with a vacuum exhaust unit and a leak unit from vacuum to atmospheric pressure, respectively.

In FIG. 3, the buffer chamber 10 in which the processing chambers 30 to 60 are provided, the pretreatment chamber 20, the load chamber 160, and the unload chamber 162 are installed on the pedestal 200. The housing 210 including the cassette loader 180 and the cassette unloader 181 is detachably provided on the gantry 200. As a result, the gantry 200 side can be placed in the maintenance area of the sputtering apparatus and the housing 210 side can be placed in the clean area, that is, in the clean room, with the partition wall 300 of the clean room in which the sputtering apparatus is installed as a boundary. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the sample. Further, even when connecting with other equipment to form an automatic transfer line, it is not necessary to change the entire apparatus, and it is possible to easily cope with it by simply removing the housing 210 from the gantry 200 and newly attaching another transfer line.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the elevating drive means 115 is operated from this state to lower the conical cam 113,
The pusher 110 is moved toward the back surface of the sample holding means 80 against the spring force of the spring 112. During this movement, the outer end of the pusher 110 contacts the back surface of the sample holding means 80. By continuing this movement further, the sample holding means 80 is moved toward the pressing seat 12 and finally abutted against the pressing seat 12 and pressed. In such a state, the communication between the buffer chamber 10 and the pretreatment chamber 20 is cut off. Then, by opening the main valve 132 and operating the high vacuum pump 131, the inside of the buffer chamber 10 is evacuated to high vacuum. Further, the valve 120 is opened to open the exhaust port 1
By opening 4, the inside of the processing chambers 30 to 60 is the buffer chamber 1
It is evacuated to a high vacuum through the inside of 0. On the other hand, the inter-vacuum interrupting means 150 and 151 are closed to interrupt the communication between the inside of the pretreatment chamber 20 and the inside of the load chamber 160 and the inside of the unload chamber 162, and the high vacuum pump 135 is operated to operate the inside of the pretreatment chamber 20. Is evacuated to high vacuum.

In the load chamber 160, the unload chamber 1
The inside of 62 is brought to the atmospheric pressure by the leak means, and the atmospheric vacuum interrupting means 170 and 171 are opened. After that, the cassette (not shown) accommodating the unprocessed sample is set on the cassette loader 180, and the empty cassette (not shown) is set on the cassette unloader 181 to start the operation. By operating the sample transfer means 190, the unprocessed sample is taken out of the cassette and interrupted between atmospheric vacuum means 1
It is conveyed toward 70. After that, the sample carried by the sample carrying means 190 is operated by operating the sample carrying means 161, so that the opened atmosphere vacuum interrupting means 17 is opened.
0 to the sample transfer means 161 and the load chamber 16
It is brought into 0. After that, opening / closing means 170 between atmospheric vacuum
Is closed and the inside of the load chamber 160 is evacuated. After that, the vacuum interrupting means 150 is opened, and the load chamber 160 is opened.
The inside is communicated with the inside of the pretreatment chamber 20. In this state, the sample transfer means 161 is operated, and the sample transfer means 21 is operated to open the sample.
Sample transport means 161 to sample transport means 21 via 50
And is carried into the pretreatment chamber 20.

Thereafter, the vacuum interrupting means 150 is closed, and a new sample is loaded into the load chamber 160 by the above operation. On the other hand, when it reaches the position corresponding to the pusher 211, the stopper 212
The transportation is stopped due to such reasons. After that, the sample is transferred from the sample transport means 21 to the pusher 211 by raising the pusher 211. After that, the sample holding unit of the sample transporting unit 24 is made to correspond to the pusher 211, and the pusher 211 is lowered, so that the sample is transferred from the pusher 211 to the sample holding unit of the sample transporting unit 24. After that, the sample holding part of the sample carrying means 24 is moved toward the pusher 221 of the heating station 22, and the movement is stopped when the sample holding part of the sample carrying means 24 reaches a position corresponding to the pusher 221. It After that, by raising the pusher 221, the sample is transferred to the pusher 221 from the sample holding section of the sample transport means 24. After that, the sample transport means 24 makes it possible to repeatedly perform the above-mentioned operation so that the sample transport means 24 shown in FIG.
It is evacuated to the place shown in.

On the other hand, the pusher 221 is lowered, and the sample is heated by the heating means 222 and baked.
The gas generated by this baking process is the high vacuum pump 135.
Thus, the gas is exhausted to the outside of the pretreatment chamber 20. After the bake process is completed, the pusher 221 is raised while holding the sample. After that, the sample is transferred from the pusher 221 to the sample holding part of the sample carrying means 25 by lowering the pusher 221 by making the sample holding part of the sample carrying means 25 correspond to the pusher 221. After that, the sample holding part of the sample carrying means 25 is moved toward the pusher 231 of the etching station 23, and the movement is stopped at the present time when the sample holding part of the sample carrying means 25 reaches the position corresponding to the pusher 231. It After that, by raising the pusher 231, the sample is transferred from the sample holding portion of the sample carrying means 25 to the pusher 231. After that, the sample transport means 25 is retracted to the place shown in FIG. 1 so that the above-mentioned operation can be repeated. On the other hand, the pusher 231 is lowered and placed on the sample electrode of the etching station 23.

Thereafter, the counter electrode is lowered and the processing gas is introduced into the space of the etching station 23. The interval between the counter electrode and the sample electrode is adjusted and maintained at an appropriate interval, and high frequency power is applied between the electrodes, for example. The application of high-frequency power causes a discharge between the electrodes, and the processing gas is turned into a plasma by the discharge. The sample is sputter-etched by the plasma. The gas generated by the sputter etch process and the process gas are differentially exhausted from the space into the pretreatment chamber 20 and then out of the pretreatment chamber 20. After completion of the sputter etch process, the counter electrode is raised. afterwards,
By raising the pusher 231, the sample is passed from the sample electrode to the pusher 231. After that, the sample holding unit of the sample transporting unit 27 is caused to correspond to the pusher 231 and the pusher 231 is lowered, so that the sample is transferred from the pusher 231 to the sample holding unit of the sample transporting unit 27. afterwards,
The sample holding part of the sample carrying means 27 is moved toward the pusher 261 and the movement is stopped when the sample holding part of the sample carrying means 27 reaches the position corresponding to the pusher 261. After that, by raising the pusher 261, the sample is passed from the sample holding section of the sample transport means 27 to the pusher 261. After that, the sample transport means 27
It is evacuated to the place shown in FIG. 1 so that the above operation can be repeated.

On the other hand, the sample passed to the pusher 261 is
The sample is transferred to a sample holder (for example, mechanically held by a claw) of the sample transport means 28. The sample passed to the sample holding section of the sample transport means 28 is converted from the horizontal upward posture to the vertical posture, and then the communication between the buffer chamber 10 and the pretreatment chamber 20 is cut off. It is transferred to the sample holding means 80. After that, the sample transport means 28 is returned to the state shown in FIG. 2 so that the above operation can be repeated. After that, by operating the up-and-down drive means 115 and raising the conical cam 113, the pusher 110 is moved toward the center of the cylinder 13 by the spring force of the spring 112. By this movement, the pressing of the sample holding means 80 against the pressing seat 12 and the contact of the pusher 110 with the back surface of the sample holding means 80 are released (FIGS. 1 and 2). In this state, the motor 75 is operated to move the rotary drum 70 1 / counterclockwise in FIG.
Sample holding means 8 holding a sample by rotating 5 times
0 corresponds to the opening 11 of the processing chamber 30, and the sample holding means 80 that does not hold the sample is the preprocessing chamber 20.
Corresponding to the opening 11.

Then, the sample holding means 80 is operated by the above operation.
Is pressed against the pressing seat 12, whereby the communication between the inside of the buffer chamber 10 and the inside of the pretreatment chamber 20 is cut off. The sample is heated in the processing chamber 30, while a new sample is carried from the cassette through the loading chamber 160 into the pre-processing chamber 20 by the above operation, and the sample is baked and sputter-etched, and then the sample is transported. The posture is changed by the means 28. In this way, the sample is sequentially carried into the pretreatment chamber 20, and is sequentially baked and sputtered, and then the posture is sequentially changed and the sample holding means 80 is sequentially passed.

The sample transferred to the sample transfer means 80 is sequentially made to correspond to the processing chambers 30 to 60 by rotating the rotary drum 70 counterclockwise in FIG.
As a result, the sample is heated and sputtered.
It should be noted that the sample for which all the processing is completed is the sample holding means 80.
From the vertical position to the horizontal upward position, and then the pusher 26
1 to the sample transfer means 26. After that, the vacuum interrupting means 151 is opened and the sample transfer means 26, 163 are operated, so that the processed sample is carried into the unloading chamber 162 from the pretreatment chamber 20. Then, the vacuum interrupting means 151 is closed, and the inside of the unload chamber 162 is returned to atmospheric pressure. After that, the atmospheric vacuum shutoff means 171 is opened and the sample transfer means 163, 191 are operated, whereby the processed sample is carried out of the unload chamber 162 and collected in an empty cassette. By repeating such operations, the processed samples are taken out from the buffer chamber 10, passed through the pretreatment chamber 20 and the unload chamber 162, and are collected in empty cassettes one by one.

In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Since the gas generated during the baking process or sputter etching process of the sample can be exhausted without going through the buffer chamber and can be prevented from flowing into the process chamber in which the sputter process is performed, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cross contamination. (2) Since baking and sputter etching are performed in the pretreatment chamber, the number of treatment chambers that can be sputtered increases, and a multi-layer film of different metal films required for a submicron-order wiring film, for example, three-layer film formation Can be obtained by continuous processing.

In this embodiment, the baking treatment and the sputter etching treatment are carried out as the pretreatment of the sample. However, besides this, only the baking treatment or only the sputter etching treatment may be carried out. Further, the exhaust of the processing chamber may be performed independently without passing through the buffer chamber.

[0026]

According to the present invention, the gas generated during the baking process of the sample can be exhausted without passing through the buffer chamber, and it is possible to prevent the gas from flowing into the processing chamber for carrying out the sputtering process.
There is an effect that it is possible to prevent cross contamination.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a continuous sputtering apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

3 is an external plan view of FIG. 1. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... buffer chamber, 11 ... opening, 20 ... pretreatment chamber, 2
1, 24 to 28 ... Sample conveying means, 22 ... Heating station, 23 ... Etching station, 30 to 60 ...
Processing chamber, 70 ... Rotating drum, 71 ... Rotating support means, 72
... Power transmission means 73, 74 ... Gears, 75 ... Motor, 8
0 ... Sample holding means, 90 ... Expansion / contraction means, 110 ... Pushers, 111 ... Vacuum sealing support means, 112 ... Spring, 113
... conical cam, 114 ... roller, 115 ... elevating drive means,
131, 135 ... High vacuum pump.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of processing chambers which are provided so as to be able to communicate with the buffer chamber and in which at least two chambers perform a sputtering process for each sample, an exhaust means for exhausting the processing chamber under reduced pressure, a load chamber and an unload chamber. In a continuous sputtering treatment method using a sputtering treatment apparatus, the sample is loaded into the pretreatment chamber provided so as to be able to communicate with the load chamber via the load chamber, and the sample is provided in the pretreatment chamber. The sputtering treatment surface of the sample is heat-treated one by one in the heating station, the pretreatment chamber is evacuated under reduced pressure independently of the buffer chamber, and the gas generated during the treatment of the sample in the heating station is treated as described above. A plurality of sample holding means for exhausting the sample to the outside of the pretreatment chamber without going through the buffer chamber and holding the samples one by one corresponds to the treatment chamber and the pretreatment chamber in the buffer chamber. To the position where the sample is carried into the processing chamber, the samples are sputtered one by one in at least two chambers of the processing chamber, and the sputtered sample is buffered by the sample holding means. Moving from the processing chamber to the pretreatment chamber via a chamber, and unloading the sputtered sample in the pretreatment chamber via the unload chamber provided to be communicable with the pretreatment chamber, A continuous sputtering treatment method characterized by the above.