JPH11256323A - Sputtering method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reproduce a target without opening a vacuum chamber to the atmosphere and to reduce the variation of film thickness and the distribution of the thickness by forming the film of the material having almost the same quality as the target material as a target for spattering in the vacuum chamber and reproducing the target before or after completing the service life. SOLUTION: The pressure in the vacuum vessel 1 in which argon gas is introduced is adjusted and the voltage is impressed to a spattering electrode 8, and then, at the time of repeating the formation of the alumina film on a substrate 12, annular eroded parts 70 are formed on the surface of the target 7. When the integrated watt to the spattering electrode 8 becomes a prescribed value, the spattering electrode 8 is turned at 180 deg. with a motor 82 and the surface of target 7 is opposed to a reproducing unit 21. In this state, the pressure in the vacuum vessel 1 introducing the argon gas is adjusted, and the power and alumina power are supplied and then, the alumina terminal-spraying is executed by opening a shutter 28 for reproducing unit and shifting the reproducing unit along the shape of the eroded parts 70 on the target 7, to reproduce the eroded parts 70 with the alumina layer having the same quality as the target 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sputtering method and an apparatus for forming a thin film, and more particularly to a method for regenerating a target in a magnetron sputtering apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Sputtering generally generates plasma by causing gas discharge in a low vacuum atmosphere.
This is a method in which cations of plasma collide with a target provided on a negative electrode called a cathode, and particles sputtered by the collision adhere to a substrate to form a thin film. This sputtering method is widely used in the film formation process because the control of the composition and the operation of the apparatus are relatively simple.

[0003] However, the conventional sputtering method has a drawback that a thin film formation rate is lower than that of a vacuum evaporation method or the like. For this reason, a magnetron sputtering method has been devised in which a permanent magnet or an electromagnet is used as a magnetic circuit to form a magnetic field near a target, thereby improving the thin film formation speed.
In the manufacturing process of semiconductor parts and electronic parts, mass production of thin film formation by a sputtering method is enabled.

FIG. 15 shows the configuration of a conventional magnetron sputtering apparatus. In FIG. 15, 1 is a vacuum chamber, 2
Is a vacuum exhaust port of the vacuum chamber 1 evacuated by a vacuum pump, 3 is a movable valve for controlling the pressure of the vacuum chamber 1,
Reference numeral 4 denotes a gas introduction pipe to the vacuum tank 1, and reference numeral 5 denotes a gas flow controller attached to the gas introduction pipe 4. Reference numeral 6 denotes a discharge gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 4 into the vacuum chamber 1, which is usually argon gas. 7 is a target, 8 is a sputtering electrode,
Reference numeral 9 denotes a discharge power supply, 10 denotes a magnet arranged on the back surface of the target 6, and 11 denotes a substrate holder. Reference numeral 12 denotes a substrate on which a thin film is formed.

Next, the operation of the sputtering apparatus configured as described above will be described. First, the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated from the vacuum exhaust port 2 to about 10 ^-7 Torr by a vacuum pump. Next, a discharge gas 6 is introduced into the vacuum chamber 1 through a gas introduction pipe 4 connected to one end of the vacuum chamber 1, and the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is adjusted to 10 ⁻³ to 10 ⁻² using the movable valve 3. Keep at about Torr. When a negative voltage or a high frequency voltage is applied to the sputtering electrode 8 to which the target 7 is attached by a DC or high frequency sputtering power supply 9, the electric field generated by the power supply 9 and the magnetic field generated by the magnet 10 disposed on the back surface of the target 7 act on the target. Plasma is generated by discharge in the vicinity of the surface 7, and a sputtering phenomenon occurs.
A thin film is formed on the substrate 12 placed on the substrate 1.

In the sputtering apparatus, the erosion of the target 7 progresses with the application time of power to the sputtering electrode 8 by the power supply 9 for sputtering. Then, when the deepest part of the erosion of the target 7 reaches a predetermined thickness, the target 7 reaches the end of its life and needs to be replaced with a new target 7.

Generally, in the case of a magnetron sputtering apparatus, the target utilization efficiency (1−
(Target weight during life) / (Target weight before use)) is extremely poor at 20 to 30%. Therefore, many attempts have been made to increase the target utilization efficiency by, for example, moving the magnet 10 disposed on the back surface of the target during film formation as described in JP-A-2-259907.

[0008]

However, in the above conventional configuration, even if the life of the target is prolonged, the target must be replaced without fail, and the replacement of the target lowers the operating rate of the sputtering apparatus. In addition to this, it is necessary to open the vacuum chamber to the atmosphere, which causes impurities such as moisture to adhere to all members in the vacuum chamber and impairs the yield of products due to contamination of the film with impurity gases. was there.

On the other hand, the progress of the erosion of the target changes the surface shape of the target, so that the distribution of the emission angle of the sputtered particles emitted from the target changes with the erosion of the target. Since the thickness and the distribution of the thin film formed on the substrate change, there has been a problem that it is difficult to control the thickness within a certain range.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides a sputtering method and apparatus capable of performing target regeneration without exposing a vacuum chamber to the atmosphere and reducing changes in film thickness and distribution thereof. It is an object.

[0011]

According to the sputtering method of the present invention, a plasma is generated in a vacuum chamber and its cations collide with a target, and particles sputtered by the collision adhere to a substrate to form a thin film. In the sputtering method, a material having substantially the same quality as the target material is formed as a film in a vacuum chamber to regenerate the target before or after the life, and the target is regenerated without opening the vacuum chamber to the atmosphere. And changes in the film thickness and its distribution can be reduced.

Preferably, a film can be formed by a thermal spraying method. Further, the regeneration can be performed while the pressure in the vacuum chamber during the regeneration is set to the atmospheric pressure or less and the pressure in the vacuum chamber is controlled to a constant pressure. Also, target reproduction can be performed each time the integrated applied power reaches a certain value.

[0013] The sputtering apparatus of the present invention is a sputtering apparatus for performing sputtering using a target, wherein a film forming means is disposed in a vacuum chamber so that a material of substantially the same quality as the target can be formed on the target. In addition, the target can be regenerated without exposing the vacuum chamber to the atmosphere, and a change in the film thickness and its distribution can be reduced.

Preferably, the film forming means is constituted by a film forming means by a thermal spraying method, the pressure in the vacuum chamber is controlled to a constant pressure, and an integrated applied power detecting means is provided. The target is regenerated every time the integrated applied power reaches a certain value.

A sputtering electrode is rotatably arranged at the center of the vacuum chamber, and one or more substrates and target regeneration means are arranged along the inner peripheral wall of the vacuum chamber so that the sputtering electrode can be used to regenerate the substrate or target. A shutter for preventing film adhesion to the target regenerating means during film formation on the substrate, and a shutter for preventing film adhesion to the substrate during target regeneration. It is preferable to provide an anti-adhesion plate for preventing mutual film adhesion during film formation and reproduction.

Further, when the inside of the vacuum chamber is partitioned into a film formation chamber in which the substrate is provided and a regeneration chamber in which the target regeneration means is provided,
Film formation and regeneration can each be performed in dedicated rooms.

If the sputtering electrode is configured to be movable between the film formation chamber and the regeneration chamber, film formation and regeneration can be performed alternatively. In this case, the sputtering electrode is provided between the film formation chamber and the regeneration chamber. If a means for sealing the chamber is provided in any state, the sealing of the chamber to be used is ensured only by moving the sputtering electrode.

It is also possible to configure so that film formation by sputtering and regeneration of the target can be performed simultaneously. Specifically, a stage that can be rotated and moved in the axial direction is provided, and a film forming chamber and a regeneration chamber are provided around the axis, and a plurality of sputtering chambers corresponding to the film forming chamber and the regeneration chamber are provided on the stage, respectively. Electrodes are provided, and the chambers are switched between a sealed state and a rotatable state by moving the axis of the stage, and an arbitrary sputtering electrode can be opposed to the film forming chamber or the regeneration chamber by rotating the stage.

Further, in the target manufacturing method of the present invention, a target material is sprayed by a plasma spraying method in a frame corresponding to a target shape.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A target regeneration method in a sputtering apparatus according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a sputtering apparatus for carrying out a target regeneration method, FIG. 2 is a front view of the same, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state during target regeneration.

1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum tank, 2 denotes a vacuum exhaust port provided in the vacuum tank 1 and connected to a vacuum pump;
Reference numeral 3 denotes a movable valve for controlling the pressure in the vacuum chamber to a constant pressure, 4 denotes a gas introduction pipe provided in the vacuum chamber 1, and 5 denotes a gas flow controller attached to the gas introduction pipe 4. Reference numeral 6 denotes a discharge gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 4 into the vacuum chamber 1, which is usually argon gas. Reference numeral 7 denotes a target made of alumina placed in the vacuum chamber 1, and reference numeral 8 denotes a sputtering electrode for supporting the target 7, which is attached to the vacuum chamber 1 by a shaft 81 through which an insulator 80 can introduce cooling water. Further, the shaft 81 is connected to a motor 82. Reference numeral 9 denotes a high-frequency power source for discharge for applying a high-frequency voltage to the sputtering electrode 8, 10 a magnet disposed on the back surface of the target 7, and 11 a substrate holder disposed at a position facing the target 7 in the vacuum chamber 1. . 12
Is a substrate held by the substrate holder 11, on which a thin film is formed. Reference numeral 21 denotes a target regeneration unit, as shown in FIG. 4, a cathode 22 made of tungsten, an anode 23 made of copper, a powder supply pipe 24, and a gas supply pipe 2.
5, the power supply wiring 26. Reference numeral 27 denotes a substrate shutter, which is a playback unit 21 during target playback.
This prevents film from adhering to the substrate 12 and the substrate holder 11. Reference numeral 28 denotes a shutter for a reproducing unit, which prevents sputter particles from the target 7 from adhering to the reproducing unit 21 during film formation by sputtering.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below. Argon gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber 1, and the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is adjusted to 10 mTorr by the movable valve 3 and the gas flow controller 5.
After adjusting the pressure to r, a voltage is applied to the sputtering electrode 8 by the high-frequency power source 9, the substrate shutter 27 is opened, and an alumina film is formed on the substrate 12. By repeating this sputtering operation, a ring-shaped eroded portion 70 is formed on the surface of the target 7. At this time, the state of the apparatus is such that the surface of the target 7 and the substrate 12 face each other as shown in FIG. Further, the film adhesion to the target reproduction unit 21 is prevented by the reproduction unit shutter 28.

Next, when the integrated power applied to the sputtering electrode 8 becomes 100 kWh, the sputtering electrode 8 is rotated by 180 ° by the motor 82 so that the surface of the target 7 and the reproducing unit 21 face each other as shown in FIG. I do. In this state, argon gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 25, and the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is set to 100 Torr.
r, power is supplied from the power supply wiring 26, and alumina powder is supplied from the powder supply pipe 24. The reproduction unit shutter 28 is opened, and the reproduction unit 21 is moved along the shape of the eroded portion 70 of the target 7. Alumina spraying is performed while moving, and an alumina layer, which is the same material as the target 7, is formed on the eroded portion 70 of the target 7.
At this time, the power applied by the power supply wiring 26 is 3
0 kW. At this time, film adhesion to the substrate holder 11 is prevented by the substrate shutter 27.

FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the integrated applied power to the sputtering electrode and the change in the rate of formation of the alumina film on the substrate, comparing this embodiment with the case where conventional target regeneration is not performed. As can be seen from FIG. 5, when target regeneration is not performed, the film formation speed decreases with the integrated applied power. On the other hand, when the target regeneration according to the present embodiment was performed, the variation in the forming speed with respect to the integrated applied power could be suppressed to within ± 3%.

Although the present embodiment has been described using an example in which alumina is used as the target 7 and the thermal spraying material, it goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained with other insulating films and conductor films. Further, the gas for thermal spraying may be another gas, but an inert gas such as argon gas is more preferable for forming a thermal sprayed film having substantially the same quality as the target.

The same effect can be obtained even if the target regeneration unit 21 is a transfer type spray torch using the target 7 as an anode, but a non-transfer type spray torch is more preferable for simplification of the apparatus.

Further, in the present embodiment, a method for forming a film on the target 7 by the thermal spraying method has been described. However, any other method may be used as long as the film is formed at a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 6 is a front view showing the structure of a sputtering apparatus for performing the target regeneration method according to the present embodiment. The general configuration is
The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment, except that the deposition electrode 31 is provided on the sputtering electrode 8 on which the target 7 is installed.

The adhesion-preventing plate 31 can prevent the films from adhering to each other without providing a shutter mechanism for the substrate 12 and the reproducing unit 21, and the film formation by sputtering and the reproduction of the target can be repeated.

As described above, in this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the target can be reproduced without providing a shutter mechanism.

(Third Embodiment) FIGS. 7 and 8 are a plan view and a side view showing a state during film formation in a sputtering apparatus for carrying out a target regenerating method according to the present embodiment, and FIG. It is a front view showing the state during reproduction.

7, 8 and 9, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum chamber which is partitioned by a partition 51 into a film forming chamber 52 and a regeneration chamber 53. 2a and 2b are vacuum exhaust ports provided in the film formation chamber 52 and the regeneration chamber 53, respectively, and connected to a vacuum pump.
Reference numerals 3a and 3b denote movable valves for controlling the pressures of the film forming chamber 52 and the regeneration chamber 53 at a constant pressure, respectively, 4 denotes a gas introduction pipe provided in the film formation chamber 52, and 5 denotes a gas introduction pipe. Gas flow controller. Reference numeral 6 denotes a discharge gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 4 into the film forming chamber 52, which is usually argon gas. 7a, 7b and 7c are targets made of alumina placed in the film forming chamber 52, and 8 is a sputtering electrode for supporting the targets 7a, 7b and 7c and a vacuum chamber with a shaft 81 capable of introducing cooling water through an insulator 80. 1, vacuum seals 83a and 83
3b is provided. Further, the shaft 81 is connected to a cylinder 84. Reference numeral 9 denotes a high-frequency power source for discharging which applies a high-frequency voltage to the sputtering electrode 8. Magnets (not shown) are arranged on the back surfaces of the targets 7a, 7b, 7c, respectively. Reference numerals 11a, 11b, and 11c denote substrate holders disposed in the film forming chamber 52 at positions facing the targets 7a, 7b, and 7c. 12a, 12b,
12c is a substrate held by the substrate holders 11a, 11b, 11c, on which a thin film is formed. Reference numeral 21 denotes a target reproduction unit disposed in the reproduction chamber 53, which has the same configuration as the first and second embodiments.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the vacuum seal 83b and the partition 51
Argon gas is introduced into the film formation chamber 52 in a state where the film formation chamber 52 and the regeneration chamber 53 are separated from each other in a vacuum, and the pressure in the film formation chamber 52 is adjusted to 10 mTorr by the movable valve 3 a and the gas flow controller 5. After the pressure is adjusted, a voltage is applied to the sputtering electrode 8 by the high frequency power supply 9 to
An alumina film is formed on a, 12b, and 12c. By repeating this sputtering operation, the targets 7a, 7
Ring-shaped eroded portions 70a, 70b, and 70c are formed on the surfaces of b and 7c as in the first and second embodiments. Therefore, the integrated power applied to the sputter link electrode 8 is 5
At 0 kWh, the sputtering electrode 8 is moved by the cylinder 84, and the film forming chamber 52 and the regenerating chamber 53 are vacuum-separated by the vacuum seal 83a and the partition 51 as shown in FIG. In this state, the argon gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 25 of the target regeneration unit 21, the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is adjusted to 100 Torr, the power is supplied from the power supply wiring 26, and the alumina powder is supplied from the powder supply pipe 24. To move the target reproducing unit 21 along the shape of the eroded portions 70a, 70b, 70c of the targets 7a, 7b, 7c,
An alumina layer, which is the same material as the target 7, was formed on the eroded portions 70a, 70b, 70c of 7c. At this time, the power applied to the target reproduction unit 21 was 30 kW.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first and second
Since the same effects as those of the embodiment can be obtained, and it is not necessary to open the film forming chamber 52 to the atmosphere at the time of maintenance of the target reproducing unit 21, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the operation rate and the yield of the apparatus.

(Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which film formation and target regeneration are performed simultaneously in a sputtering apparatus for carrying out the target regeneration method according to the present embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of a state in which a target being formed and a target being reproduced are exchanged. FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the substrate transport section, the sputtering electrode 8 and the stage 61.

In FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum chamber having a film forming chamber 52 and a regeneration chamber 53 partitioned by partitions 51a and 51b, respectively. 2a,
Reference numeral 2b denotes a vacuum exhaust port provided in the film forming chamber 52 and the regeneration chamber 53, respectively, and a movable valve for controlling the pressure of the film formation chamber 52 and the regeneration chamber 53 to a constant pressure, respectively. Reference numeral 4 denotes a gas introduction pipe provided in the film forming chamber 52, and reference numeral 5 denotes a gas flow controller attached to the gas introduction pipe 4. Reference numeral 6 denotes a discharge gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 4 into the film forming chamber 52, which is usually argon gas. 7
Reference numerals a and 7b denote targets made of alumina, 8a and 8b denote sputtering electrodes for supporting the targets 7a and 7b, and are provided on the stage 61. The stage 61 is attached to the vacuum chamber 1 by a shaft 81 into which cooling water can be introduced via an insulator 80. The shaft 81 is connected to an actuator 85 for raising and lowering and rotating.
Reference numeral 9 denotes a high-frequency power source for discharge for applying a high-frequency voltage to the sputtering electrodes 8a and 8b, 10a and 10b denote magnets disposed on the back surfaces of the targets 7a and 7b, and 11 denotes a film forming chamber 52.
Is a substrate holder arranged at a position facing the target 7a or 7b. Reference numeral 12 denotes a substrate held by the substrate holder 11, on which a thin film is formed. 62 is a substrate transfer arm, 63 is a substrate push-up pin, and 64 is a substrate-attached cylinder, which is connected to the push-up pin 63. Reference numeral 21 denotes a target reproduction unit, which has the same configuration as the first and second embodiments.

Hereinafter, the operation of this embodiment will be described. With the stage 61 raised, the substrate 12 is transferred from the pre-vacuum chamber (not shown) into the vacuum chamber 1 by the substrate transfer arm 62, transferred to the push-up pins 63 raised by the cylinder 64, and then transferred to the push-up pins 63. Is lowered to hold the substrate 12 on the substrate holder 11. Thereafter, the stage 61 is moved by the actuator 85.
Is lowered, and the stage 61 is lowered so that the target 7a is in close contact with the partition 51a provided in the film forming chamber 52. Further, at this time, the target 7b is brought into close contact with the partition 51b provided in the reproduction chamber 53. At this time, the stage 61 is provided with a vacuum seal (not shown), and the film formation chamber 52 and the regeneration chamber 53 are partitioned in a vacuum. Thereafter, similarly to the first, second, and third embodiments, the pressure of the film forming chamber 52 is adjusted, and then the power is applied to the sputter electrode 8a by the high-frequency power supply 9 to perform the film forming by sputtering. As in the first, second, and third embodiments, an alumina film was formed on the eroded portion 70 of the target 7b by the target regeneration unit 21. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the state of the apparatus is changed from FIG. 13 (a) to FIG.
The state changes to the state shown in FIG. 13C, and then the state shown in FIG.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first and second
In addition, the same effects as those of the third embodiment can be obtained, and film formation by sputtering and regeneration of the target can be performed at the same time, so that the operation rate of the apparatus can be further improved. Also, during continuous production, it is not necessary to open the vacuum chamber to the atmosphere, so that the product yield can be further improved.

(Fifth Embodiment) In the above embodiment, an example of regenerating a target has been described. However, a target can be manufactured by using a plasma spraying apparatus similar to the target regenerating unit 21. FIG.
It is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 14, reference numeral 41 denotes a frame made of a copper plate for masking substantially corresponding to the target shape to be manufactured, 42 denotes a plasma spray torch, and the plasma spray torch 42 has the plasma spray 43 in the frame 41. X, Y parallel to the plane where the frame body 41 is arranged so as to spray evenly
It is configured to be movable in two directions. The plasma spraying torch 42 includes an anode 44 constituting a cylindrical torch main body.
A cathode 45 disposed on the shaft core; a power supply 46 for supplying power between the anode 44 and the cathode 45; gas supply means 47 for supplying gas into the anode 44; And raw material powder supply means 48 for supplying a powder of a target raw material such as alumina to the substrate. 49 is a plasma jet. Preferably,
These are installed in a decompression chamber (not shown) capable of holding the pressure at 1 Torr or less, and are configured to manufacture the target under a reduced pressure.

In the above configuration, the plasma spray 43 is injected from the plasma spray torch 42 by supplying argon gas from the gas supply means 47, supplying power from the power supply 46, and supplying alumina powder from the raw material powder supply means 48. Then, alumina is sprayed into the frame 41 to form an alumina layer, and the plasma spray torch 42
Is moved along the entire surface in the frame 41 to manufacture the target 7.

[0043]

According to the sputtering method and apparatus of the present invention, without opening the vacuum chamber to the atmosphere as described above,
Since the target erosion portion can be regenerated, the operation rate of the sputtering apparatus can be significantly improved, and the deposition rate due to local erosion of the target,
It is possible to provide a sputtering apparatus in which a change with time such as a film thickness and a film quality is small.

According to the target manufacturing method of the present invention, a target can be efficiently and inexpensively manufactured by spraying a target material in a frame corresponding to a target shape by a plasma spraying method.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state during film formation of a sputtering apparatus for performing a target regeneration method according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state during regeneration of a target of the sputtering apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a target regeneration unit of the sputtering apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a relationship between integrated input power and a thin film formation speed in the same embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a sputtering apparatus for performing a target regeneration method according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state during film formation of a sputtering apparatus for performing a target regeneration method according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a front view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view showing a state during regeneration of the target of the sputtering apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing one state of a sputtering apparatus for performing a target regeneration method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing another state of the sputtering apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a substrate transport unit and a sputtering electrode unit of the sputtering apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a state change of the sputtering apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a target manufacturing method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front view of a conventional magnetron sputtering apparatus having a magnet on the back surface of a target.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum tank 3 Movable valve 7 Target 8 Sputtering electrode 10 Magnet arrange | positioned at the back surface of a target 12 Substrate 21 Target regeneration unit 31 Protective plate 41 Frame 42 Plasma spray torch 52 Film formation chamber 53 Regeneration chamber

Claims (18)

[Claims] In a sputtering method, a plasma is generated in a vacuum chamber to cause cations of the plasma to collide with a target, and particles sputtered by the collision are attached to a substrate to form a thin film. A sputtering method characterized by forming a film of substantially the same material as the material and regenerating the target before or after the life. 2. The sputtering method according to claim 1, wherein a film is formed by a thermal spraying method. 3. The sputtering method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in the vacuum chamber is lower than the atmospheric pressure. 4. The sputtering method according to claim 1, wherein the regeneration is performed while controlling the pressure in the vacuum chamber to a constant pressure. 5. The sputtering method according to claim 1, wherein the target is regenerated every time the integrated applied power reaches a constant value. 6. A sputtering apparatus in which sputtering is performed using a target, wherein a film forming means is arranged in a vacuum chamber so that a material of substantially the same quality as the target can be formed on the target. 7. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the film forming means is a film forming means using a thermal spraying method. 8. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pressure in the vacuum chamber is controlled to a constant pressure. 9. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an integrated applied power detecting means is provided, and the target is regenerated every time the integrated applied power reaches a constant value. . 10. A sputtering electrode is rotatably disposed at the center of a vacuum chamber, and one or a plurality of substrates and target regeneration means are disposed along the inner peripheral wall of the vacuum chamber so that the sputtering electrode can regenerate the substrate or target. The sputtering apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the sputtering apparatus is configured to selectively face the means. 11. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: a shutter for preventing film adhesion to the target reproducing means during film formation on the substrate; and a shutter for preventing film adhesion to the substrate during target reproduction. 12. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sputtering electrode is provided with an anti-adhesion plate for preventing mutual film adhesion during film formation and regeneration. 13. The vacuum chamber according to claim 6, wherein the inside of the vacuum chamber is partitioned into a film forming chamber in which the substrate is disposed and a reproducing chamber in which the target reproducing means is disposed. Sputtering equipment. 14. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the sputtering electrode is configured to be movable between a film forming chamber and a regeneration chamber. 15. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the sputtering electrode is provided with a means for sealing the chamber in a state where the chamber is located in one of the film formation chamber and the regeneration chamber. 16. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 13, wherein film formation by sputtering and regeneration of the target can be performed at the same time. 17. A stage which is rotatable and movable in the axial direction is provided, and a film forming chamber and a reproducing chamber are disposed around the axis, and a plurality of sputterings corresponding to the film forming chamber and the reproducing chamber respectively are provided on the stage. Electrodes are provided, each chamber is switched between a sealed state and a rotatable state by moving the axis of the stage, and an arbitrary sputtering electrode is configured to face a film forming chamber or a regeneration chamber by rotating the stage. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 16, wherein 18. A method for manufacturing a target, comprising spraying a target material in a frame corresponding to a target shape by a plasma spraying method.