阅读说明：本技术 成膜装置以及电子器件的制造方法 (Film forming apparatus and method for manufacturing electronic device ) 是由 菅原洋纪 内田敏治 于 2019-07-02 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供能够生产率良好且简便地进行预溅射的成膜装置以及电子器件的制造方法。成膜装置(1)具备：将成膜对象物(6)及圆筒形的靶(2)配置于内部的腔室(10)；设置于靶(2)的内部,生成从靶(2)的外周面泄漏的磁场的磁场产生部件(3)；以及驱动靶(2)旋转的靶驱动部件(11)。成膜装置(1)具有能够移动地设置在磁场产生部件(3)与靶(2)的内周面之间的磁屏蔽构件(5)和驱动磁屏蔽构件(5)的屏蔽构件驱动部件(12)。(The invention provides a film forming apparatus and a method for manufacturing an electronic device, which can perform pre-sputtering with good productivity and convenience. A film forming apparatus (1) is provided with: a chamber (10) in which an object (6) to be film-formed and a cylindrical target (2) are disposed; a magnetic field generating member (3) which is provided inside the target (2) and generates a magnetic field leaking from the outer peripheral surface of the target (2); and a target driving member (11) for driving the target (2) to rotate. The film forming apparatus (1) has a magnetic shield member (5) movably provided between a magnetic field generating member (3) and an inner peripheral surface of a target (2), and a shield member driving member (12) for driving the magnetic shield member (5).)

1. A film forming apparatus includes:

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

a magnetic field generating member provided inside the target and generating a magnetic field leaking from an outer peripheral surface of the target; and

a target driving member for driving the target to rotate,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the film forming apparatus includes:

a magnetic shield member movably provided between the magnetic field generating member and an inner peripheral surface of the target; and

a shield member driving part which drives the magnetic shield member.

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the shield member driving means is a means for rotating and moving the magnetic shield member coaxially with the target.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the magnetic shield member is an arch-shaped plate-like member.

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the magnetic shield member is a plate-like member having an arc-shaped cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the target.

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3,

the magnetic shield member is a semi-cylindrical plate-like member.

6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the magnetic shield member is made of a ferromagnetic material.

7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the film forming apparatus includes a control unit that switches between a main sputtering mode for forming a film on the film formation object and a pre-sputtering mode for cleaning the surface of the target by moving the magnetic shield member by the shield member driving unit.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the magnetic field generating means generates a magnetic field in both a direction toward the object to be film-formed and a direction away from the object to be film-formed.

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8,

the magnetic field generating member includes a first magnet unit that generates a magnetic field in a direction toward the object to be film-formed, and a second magnet unit that generates a magnetic field in a direction away from the object to be film-formed.

10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the film forming apparatus further includes a partition member for partitioning an interior of the chamber into a first region for forming a film on the object to be film-formed and a second region different from the first region.

11. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the magnetic field generating member is housed in a hermetically sealed case inside the target, and the magnetic shielding member is attached to the case.

12. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the chamber has a plurality of cathode units each having the magnetic field generating means and the magnetic shielding member, and the cathode units are arranged such that the magnetic field generating means and the magnetic shielding member are arranged inside the target.

13. A film forming apparatus includes:

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

a magnetic field generating member provided inside the target and generating a magnetic field leaking from an outer peripheral surface of the target; and

a target driving member for driving the target to rotate,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the film forming apparatus includes:

a magnetic shield member provided between the magnetic field generating unit and an inner peripheral surface of the target so as to be rotatable coaxially with the target; and

and a shield member driving part which drives the magnetic shield member to rotate.

14. A film forming apparatus includes:

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

a magnetic field generating member provided inside the target and generating a magnetic field leaking from an outer peripheral surface of the target; and

a target driving member for driving the target to rotate,

the film forming apparatus forms a film on the object to be film formed in a film forming region disposed in the chamber,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the film forming apparatus has a magnetic shield member movably provided between the magnetic field generating means and an inner peripheral surface of the target,

the film deposition apparatus includes a first operation mode in which electric discharge is performed in a state where the magnetic field generating means is disposed between the magnetic shield member and the film deposition region, and a second operation mode in which electric discharge is performed in a state where the magnetic shield member is disposed between the magnetic field generating means and the film deposition region, which are switchable.

15. The film forming apparatus according to claim 14,

the film forming apparatus has a shield member driving means for driving the magnetic shield member,

the first operation mode and the second operation mode are switched by moving the magnetic shielding member by the shielding member driving means.

16. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising a sputtering film formation step of disposing a film formation object in a chamber and depositing sputtering particles ejected from a cylindrical target disposed so as to face the film formation object to form a film, wherein the sputtering film formation step comprises the steps of,

generating a magnetic field in two directions, a first direction from the magnetic field generating means toward the object to be film-formed and a second direction from the object to be film-formed, by a magnetic field generating means disposed inside the target,

the method for manufacturing the electronic device comprises the following steps:

a pre-sputtering step of rotating the target while discharging the target in a state where the magnetic field generated in the first direction is shielded; and

and a main sputtering step of rotating the target while discharging the target in a state where the magnetic field generated in the second direction is shielded.

17. The method of manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 16,

the pre-sputtering step is a step of cleaning the outer surface of the target.

18. The method of manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 17,

the main sputtering step is a step of sputtering the target having a clean surface to deposit the sputtered particles on the film formation object.

Technical Field

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

Background

Sputtering is widely known as a method for forming a thin film made of a material such as a metal or a metal oxide on a film formation object such as a substrate or a laminate formed on a substrate. A sputtering apparatus for forming a film by a sputtering method has a structure in which a target made of a film forming material is disposed in a vacuum chamber so as to face a film forming object. When a negative voltage is applied to the target, plasma is generated in the vicinity of the target, the surface of the target is sputtered with ionized inert gas elements, and the emitted sputtered particles are deposited on the object to be film-formed to form a film. In addition, there is also known a magnetron sputtering method in which a magnet is disposed on the rear surface of a target (inside the target in the case of a cylindrical target) and sputtering is performed by increasing the electron density in the vicinity of a cathode by a generated magnetic field.

In such a conventional film deposition apparatus, for example, after the target is replaced, after the chamber is opened to the atmosphere, or when the film deposition process is not performed continuously and the target is not exposed to plasma for a long period of time, the surface of the target may be oxidized or deteriorated. In this way, when the surface of the target is oxidized or deteriorated, or when foreign matter adheres to the surface of the target, or the like, sputtering is performed on the object other than the object to be film-formed before sputtering the object to be film-formed, and pre-sputtering is performed to clean the surface of the target (patent document 1).

As a method for pre-sputtering in a rotating cathode (RC; also referred to as a rotating cathode or a rolling cathode) that performs sputtering while rotating a target, for example, there is a method described in patent document 2.

In the sputtering apparatus described in patent document 2, the following three states can be obtained by rotating a magnet (magnet assembly) provided inside the RC.

(1) The plasma is directed to the opposite side of the substrate (object to be film-formed).

(2) The plasma is directed in the lateral direction (direction horizontal to the film formation surface of the substrate).

(3) A state in which the plasma is directed toward the substrate.

That is, by generating plasma in the state of (1) and maintaining the state of (1) or (2), it is possible to perform pre-sputtering without sputtering the substrate. After the completion of the pre-sputtering, if the magnet is rotated to be in the state of (3), the substrate and the RC can be transferred from the pre-sputtering to the main sputtering without moving.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a film forming device and a manufacturing method of an electronic device, wherein the film forming device can perform pre-sputtering with good productivity and simplicity.

Means for solving the problems

A film forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a chamber in which an object to be film-formed and a cylindrical target are disposed; a magnetic field generating member provided inside the target and generating a magnetic field leaking from an outer peripheral surface of the target; and a target driving member for driving the target to rotate, the film forming apparatus comprising: a magnetic shield member movably provided between the magnetic field generating member and an inner peripheral surface of the target; and a shield member driving part driving the magnetic shield member.

In addition, a film forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes: a chamber in which an object to be film-formed and a cylindrical target are disposed; a magnetic field generating member provided inside the target and generating a magnetic field leaking from an outer peripheral surface of the target; and a target driving member for driving the target to rotate, the film forming apparatus comprising: a magnetic shield member provided between the magnetic field generating unit and an inner peripheral surface of the target so as to be rotatable coaxially with the target; and a shield member driving part driving the magnetic shield member to rotate.

In addition, a film forming apparatus according to still another aspect of the present invention includes: a chamber in which an object to be film-formed and a cylindrical target are disposed; a magnetic field generating member provided inside the target and generating a magnetic field leaking from an outer peripheral surface of the target; and a target driving unit that drives the target to rotate, wherein the film deposition apparatus forms a film on the object to be film-deposited disposed in a film deposition area in the chamber, and the film deposition apparatus includes a magnetic shielding member movably disposed between the magnetic field generating unit and an inner peripheral surface of the target, and has a first operation mode and a second operation mode that are switchable, and in the first operation mode, the magnetic field generating unit discharges in a state where the magnetic field generating unit is disposed between the magnetic shielding member and the film deposition area, and in the second operation mode, the magnetic shielding member discharges in a state where the magnetic shielding member is disposed between the magnetic field generating unit and the film deposition area.

In addition, a method for manufacturing an electronic device according to another aspect of the present invention includes a sputtering film forming step of disposing a film formation object in a chamber and depositing sputtering particles ejected from a cylindrical target disposed to face the film formation object to form a film, the method including generating a magnetic field in two directions, a first direction from the magnetic field generating member toward the film formation object and a second direction away from the film formation object, by a magnetic field generating member disposed inside the target, the method including: a pre-sputtering step of rotating the target while discharging the target in a state where the magnetic field generated in the first direction is shielded; and a main sputtering step of rotating the target while discharging the target in a state where the magnetic field generated in the second direction is shielded.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, the pre-sputtering can be performed with good productivity and in a simple manner.

Drawings

Fig. 1(a) is a schematic view showing a structure of a film formation device according to embodiment 1, and (B) is a perspective view of a magnetic shield panel according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2(a) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 1 in the main sputtering mode, and (B) is a side view of the film deposition apparatus according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the first magnet unit according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view showing an example of the driving mechanism, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the driving mechanism.

Fig. 5(a) is a perspective view showing another example of the drive mechanism, and (B) is a sectional view showing another example of the drive mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a film deposition apparatus according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 7(a) is a schematic view showing the structure of the film formation apparatus according to embodiment 3, and (B) is a perspective view of the partition plate according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a general layer structure of an organic EL element.

Description of the reference numerals

1. A film forming apparatus; 2. a target; 3. a magnet unit (magnetic field generating member); 5. a magnetic shield panel; 6. an object to be film-formed; 10. a chamber; 11. a target driving device (target driving means); 12. a shield plate driving device (shield plate driving member).

Detailed Description

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

[ embodiment 1]

First, a basic configuration of a film deposition apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1(a) and 2 (a). Fig. 1(a) shows the configuration of the film forming apparatus 1 in the pre-sputtering mode, and fig. 2(a) shows the configuration of the film forming apparatus 1 in the main sputtering mode.

The film formation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is used for depositing and forming a thin film on a substrate (including a structure in which a laminate is formed on a substrate) in the manufacture of various electronic devices such as a semiconductor device, a magnetic device, and an electronic component, and optical components. More specifically, the film formation apparatus 1 is preferably used for manufacturing electronic devices such as a light-emitting element, a photoelectric conversion element, and a touch panel. Among them, the film formation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is particularly preferably used in the production of organic light emitting elements such as organic el (electro luminescence) elements and organic photoelectric conversion elements such as organic thin film solar cells. The electronic device of 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. 8 schematically shows a general layer structure of an organic EL element. As shown in fig. 8, an organic EL element generally has a structure in which an anode, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an organic light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, and a cathode are formed in this order on a substrate. The film formation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is suitably used when a laminated film of a metal, a metal oxide, or the like for an electron injection layer and an electrode (cathode) is formed on an organic film by sputtering. Further, the film formation is not limited to the film formation on the organic film, and a film can be formed by stacking on a plurality of surfaces as long as the film can be formed by sputtering of a combination of materials such as a metal material and an oxide material.

The film formation apparatus 1 includes a chamber 10 capable of maintaining the inside of the chamber at a vacuum, and the chamber 10 includes a gas introduction port 7 and an exhaust port not shown. An inert gas such as argon or a reactive gas is supplied into the chamber 10 through the gas inlet 7 by a gas introducing means not shown, and vacuum-exhausted from the inside of the chamber 10 through an exhaust port not shown by an exhaust means not shown.

In the chamber 10, a film formation object 6 to be subjected to a film formation process by the film formation apparatus 1 and a cylindrical target 2 disposed to face the film formation object 6 are disposed. In a state where the target 2 is disposed in the chamber 10, the object 6 to be film-formed may be conveyed to the film formation region a0, which is a region in the chamber 10 facing the target 2, by a conveying means not shown, and a film formation process may be performed. The object 6 to be film-formed may be subjected to the film forming process while being moved in a direction parallel to the film forming surface of the object 6 by an object driving means, not shown, in the film forming region a 0. A magnet unit 3 as a magnetic field generating member is provided inside the target 2. The target 2 is rotationally driven by a target driving device 11 as a driving means about a cylindrical central axis of the target 2 as a rotation axis. The magnet unit 3 is mounted in a sealed housing 4, and constitutes a rotary cathode 8 together with the target 2.

The target 2 functions as a supply source of a film forming material to be formed on the object 6 to be film formed. The material of the target 2 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include metal targets such as Cu, Al, Ti, Mo, Cr, Ag, Au, and Ni, and alloy materials thereof. The target 2 may be formed with a layer made of another material such as a liner inside the layer formed with the film-forming material. The target 2 is a cylindrical target, but the term "cylindrical" herein does not mean a mathematically strict cylindrical shape, and includes a shape in which a generatrix is not a straight line but a curved line, and 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 cylindrical target that can rotate about the central axis.

The magnet unit 3 is configured to generate a magnetic field for concentrating the plasma P in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the target 2 in a first region a1, which is a region between the target 2 and the object 6 to be film-formed, which is disposed in the film-forming region a0, and a second region a2, which is a direction away from the object to be film-formed. Further, a magnetic shield plate 5 for shielding a magnetic field is movably disposed between the inner periphery of the target 2 and the magnet unit 3 in the target 2. The term "shield" as used herein means not only blocking 100% of the magnetic field passing through the magnetic shield panel 5 but also reducing the magnetic field passing through the magnetic shield panel 5.

The magnetic shield panel 5 is movable between a first shielding position (I) (refer to fig. 1(a)) that shields generation of a magnetic field in the first region a1 and allows generation of a magnetic field in the second region a2, and a second shielding position (II) (refer to fig. 2(a)) that shields generation of a magnetic field in the second region a2 and allows generation of a magnetic field in the first region a1, driven by the shield panel driving device 12.

A power supply 13 for applying a bias voltage is connected to the target 2. In addition, the chamber 10 is grounded. The film deposition apparatus 1 performs pre-sputtering in which the surface of the target 2 is cleaned before main sputtering in which a film is deposited on the object 6 to be film-deposited by controlling the shield plate driving device 12, the target driving device 11, and the power supply 13 by the control device 14. The pre-sputtering is a mode in which the magnetic shield plate 5 is moved to the first shield position (I) (see fig. 1 a), sputtering of the target 2 is performed in the second region a2, and oxides, modified portions, attached foreign substances, and the like on the surface of the target 2 are removed. Then, control is performed so that the magnetic shield plate 5 is moved to the second shield position (II), and main sputtering for sputtering the target 2 cleaned in the pre-sputtering mode is performed.

In the illustrated example, the object 6 to be film-formed is disposed on the ceiling side of the chamber 10 in parallel with the rotation axis of the rotary cathode 8, i.e., horizontally, and both side edges are held by a substrate holder, not shown. The object 6 to be film-formed is carried in from, for example, an inlet door, not shown, provided in a side wall of the chamber 10, moved to a film-forming position in the film-forming region a0 to be film-formed, and after the film is formed, discharged from an outlet door, not shown. As described above, the film deposition apparatus 1 may be configured to perform the film deposition in a state where the film deposition surface of the object 6 to be film-deposited faces downward in the direction of gravity, that is, so-called upward deposition. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a so-called downward deposition may be employed in which the film formation is performed in a state in which the object 6 to be film-formed is disposed on the bottom surface side of the chamber 10, the rotating cathode 8 is disposed above the object, and the film formation surface of the object 6 to be film-formed faces upward in the direction of gravity. Alternatively, the film formation may be performed in a state where the object 6 to be film-formed stands upright, that is, in a state where the film formation surface of the object 6 to be film-formed is parallel to the direction of gravity.

As shown in fig. 2(B), the rotating cathode 8 is disposed substantially at the center in the vertical direction of the chamber 10, and both ends are rotatably supported by the support block 300 and the end block 200.

(arrangement structure of magnet unit 30)

The magnet unit 30 includes a first magnet unit 3A that forms a magnetic field in a direction (first direction) toward the object 6 and a second magnet unit 3B that forms a magnetic field in a direction away from the object 2, that is, in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The first magnet unit 3A and the second magnet unit 3B are overlapped with their back surfaces facing each other, and the magnetic force is set to have the same strength. Further, a space may be provided between the first magnet unit 3A and the second magnet unit 3B. The first magnet unit 3A and the second magnet unit 3B have basically the same configuration, and the configuration will be described by taking the first magnet unit 3A as an example.

As shown in fig. 3, the first magnet unit 3A includes a center magnet 31 extending in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating cathode 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 peripheral magnet 32 includes a pair of linear portions 32a and 32b extending parallel to the central magnet 31, and turning portions 32c and 32c connecting both ends of the linear portions 32a and 32 b. The second magnet unit 3B also has the same configuration.

The magnetic field formed by the magnet unit 30 has magnetic lines of force that return annularly from the magnetic pole of the center magnet 31 toward the linear portions 32a, 32a of the peripheral magnet 32. Thereby, a circular magnetic field passage extending in the longitudinal direction of the target 2 is formed near the surface of the target 2. By this magnetic field, electrons are trapped, and plasma is concentrated near the surface of the target 2, thereby improving the sputtering efficiency.

(Structure of case)

The housing 4 is a cylindrical sealed box, and the magnet unit 30 is disposed in the housing 4. The central axis of the housing 4 and the central axis of the target are assembled coaxially with the central axis N of the rotating cathode 8. The yoke plate 33 of the magnet unit 3 is positioned on a horizontal plane passing through the central axis N, and is disposed such that a vertical plane passing through the centers of the central magnets 31, 31 of the first magnet unit 3A and the second magnet unit 3B passes through the central axis.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 1(a) and (B), the magnetic shield plate 5 is an arcuate plate-like member that extends along the inner periphery of the cylindrical case 4, and is fixed to the inner periphery of the case 4. In the illustrated example, the magnetic shield panel 5 covers a half-circumference portion of the case 4, and has a semi-cylindrical shape. The magnetic shield panel 5 may be fixed by being stuck to the inner periphery of the housing 4 or by a fastening member such as a screw, and in some cases, the material of the housing 4 itself may be a magnetic member.

The material of the magnetic shield panel 5 is not particularly limited as long as it absorbs magnetic flux and easily concentrates inside, that is, a material having high relative permeability. The relative permeability of the material constituting the magnetic shield panel 5 is preferably 500 or more, preferably 1000 or more, and more preferably 3000 or more. The upper limit of the relative permeability of the material constituting the magnetic shield panel 5 is not particularly limited, and may be 10000000 or less, or 1000000 or less, for example. More specifically, the material constituting the magnetic shield panel 5 is preferably a ferromagnetic material, and for example, Fe, Co, Ni, or an alloy thereof, permalloy (japanese patent: ミューメタル), or the like can be used.

(Driving mechanism of target and Driving mechanism of Shielding plate)

Fig. 4(a) is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the target drive mechanism 11 and the shield plate drive mechanism 12, and fig. 4(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the rotation axis of the rotor cathode 8.

As described above, both longitudinal end portions of the rotating cathode 8 are rotatably supported by the end block 200 and the support block 300. In this example, a magnetic shield plate 5 is fixed to the inner periphery of a cylindrical case 4, and the rotation of the case 4 causes the periphery of the central magnet unit 3 to rotate. The magnet unit 3 is fixed in the rotational direction by a fixed shaft 35.

The end block 200 is fixed to a wall of the chamber 10, and has a hollow box shape communicating with an external space. A power transmission shaft 21 that transmits power to the target 2 and a power transmission shaft 41 that transmits power to the housing 4 protrude into the hollow interior of the endblock 200. The power transmission shafts 21 and 41 are connected to a motor 130 as a drive source via belt transmission mechanisms 110 and 120 as drive transmission mechanisms, respectively, and transmit a rotational drive force. In the illustrated example, the belt transmission mechanisms 110 and 120 use toothed belts and pulleys, but are not limited thereto.

In this example, the same motor 130 is used for the target driving device 11 and the shield plate driving device 12. That is, the drive-side pulley 111 of the belt transmission mechanism 110 is fixed to the middle of the output shaft 131 directly connected to the motor 130, and the end of the output shaft 131 is connected to the drive-side pulley 121 of the magnetic plate drive device 12 via the electromagnetic clutch 125. Further, an electromagnetic brake 126 is provided on the driven-side pulley 122 of the magnetic plate driving device 12 and is held at a stop position.

The power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 is a cylindrical hollow shaft, and the power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4 protrudes from the power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 through a hollow hole. The power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4 is also a hollow shaft, and the fixed shaft 35 for fixing the magnet unit 3 protrudes toward the end block 200 through the hollow hole. The power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 is provided so as to protrude from the center of an end plate 22 fixed to an end of the target 2, and the power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4 is provided so as to protrude from the center of an end plate 42 of the housing 4.

On the other hand, the support block 300 is disposed in the chamber 10, and the driven-side rotary shafts 24 and 44 provided at the ends of the target 2 and the housing 4 are rotatably supported by the support block 300. Unlike the end block side, since the driven-side rotating shaft 44 of the housing 4 is supported to be rotatable with respect to the driven-side rotating shaft 24 of the target 2, the fixed shaft 35 does not need to penetrate the driven-side rotating shaft 44 of the housing 4.

Here, the support block 300 is disposed inside the chamber 10, and the end block 200 is disposed outside the chamber 10, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the end block 200 may be disposed inside the chamber 10. In this case, the motor 130 and the like may be disposed inside the end block 200. The end block 200 and the support block 300 may be disposed inside the chamber 10 and may be configured to be movable together with the rotating cathode 8 in parallel with the film formation surface of the object 6 to be film-formed. According to this configuration, the rotating cathode 8 can be driven in parallel with the film formation surface of the object 6 to be film-formed while rotating the rotating cathode 8.

Fig. 4(B) shows a more specific structure of fig. 4 (a).

Since the end block 200 is outside the chamber 10, the atmosphere inside the chamber 10 and the external air need to be sealed in a vacuum, and the description will be made centering on the bearings and seals of the rotating part.

(end block side structure)

A pair of bearings B are provided between the fixed shaft 35 and the power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4, the power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4 is rotatable with respect to the fixed shaft 35, and a sealing device 270 suitable for vacuum sealing is attached to an annular gap between the fixed shaft 35 and the power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4. The sealing device 270 has a function of sealing the annular gap by enabling relative rotation between the fixed shaft 35 and the power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4. The magnet unit 3 is coupled to the fixed shaft 35, and the magnet unit 3 does not rotate even if the housing 4 rotates.

A pair of bearings B are also provided between the power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4 and the power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2, the power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 is rotatable with respect to the power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4, and an annular gap between the power transmission shaft 41 of the housing 4 and the power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 is sealed by a sealing device 270.

Next, a bearing B is also provided between the power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 and the circular opening 201 provided in the endblock 200, the power transmission shaft of the target 2 is rotatable with respect to the endblock 200, and an annular gap between the power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 and the opening 201 is sealed by a sealing device 270.

In the illustrated example, the driving force transmission shaft 21 is provided on an end plate 22 that closes the opening end of the target 2, the end portion on the outer peripheral side of the target 2 is fastened by a fastening member 290 such as a jig, and the fitting portion between the inner periphery of the target 2 and the end plate 22 is sealed by a gasket G. This maintains the low-pressure state in the casing 4.

(Structure of support Block 300 side)

The driven-side rotating shaft 24 of the target 2 is not hollow, but is provided coaxially with the power transmission shaft 21, and is rotatably supported via a bearing B in a shaft hole 301 provided in the support block 300. No special sealing device is required for the bearing. The driven-side rotating shaft 24 is provided in an end plate 25 that closes the opening end of the target 2, a bearing hole 26 that does not pass through is provided in an inner end surface of the end plate 25, and the driven-side rotating shaft 44 of the housing 4 is rotatably supported in the bearing hole 26 via a bearing B. The driven-side rotating shaft 44 of the housing 4 is also provided with a bearing hole 46 that does not pass through, and the fixed shaft 36 is fitted coaxially with the driving-side fixed shaft 35 so as to be relatively rotatable.

The end portion on the outer peripheral side is also fastened to the end portion on the support block 300 side of the target 2 by a fastening member 290 such as a jig, and the fitting portion between the inner periphery of the target 2 and the end plate is sealed by a gasket G, so that the inner space of the target 2 is maintained in a low pressure state.

According to the rotary cathode 10 configured as described above, the rotational driving force of the motor 130 is transmitted to the target 2 via the belt transmission mechanism 110 and the power transmission shaft 21, and is rotationally driven.

The rotational driving force of the motor 130 is transmitted to the case 4 via the electromagnetic clutch 125 and the belt transmission mechanism 110 on the case 4 side and the power transmission shaft 41, and the case 4 is driven to rotate. That is, when the electromagnetic clutch 125 is in the on state, the magnetic shield plate 5 rotates together with the case 4, and when it is off, the case 4 stops. In addition, at the stop position, the electromagnetic brake 126 is held at the stop position. This allows the main sputtering step and the preliminary sputtering step to be switched according to the timing of turning on and off the electromagnetic clutch 125.

Next, the operation of the film formation apparatus 1 will be described.

The film deposition apparatus 1 can change the position of the magnetic shield panel 5 by rotating the magnetic shield panel 5 by controlling the motor 130 of the drive source, the target drive mechanism 11, the electromagnetic clutch 125 of the shield member drive mechanism 12, and the electromagnetic brake 126 by the controller 14. Thus, the film deposition apparatus 1 controls switching between a main sputtering mode for depositing a film on the object 6 to be deposited and a pre-sputtering mode for cleaning the surface of the target 2. In other words, the film deposition apparatus 1 has a first operation mode corresponding to the pre-sputtering mode and a second operation mode corresponding to the main sputtering mode, which can be switched. Here, the first operation mode is an operation mode in which the magnetic shield panel 5 is disposed on the opposite side of the film formation area a0, that is, the magnet unit 3 is disposed between the magnetic shield panel 5 and the film formation area a0 (or the object 6 to be film-formed). The second operation mode is an operation mode in which the discharge is performed in a state in which the magnetic shield 5 is disposed on the film formation area a0 side, that is, in a state in which the magnetic shield 5 is disposed between the magnet unit 3 and the film formation area a0 (or the object 6 to be film-formed).

The pre-sputtering mode is a process of shielding the generation of the magnetic field of the first region a1 and generating the magnetic field in the second region a2 to clean the surface of the target 2. The main sputtering mode is a step of shielding generation of the magnetic field in the second region a2, generating the magnetic field in the first region a1, and sputtering the target 2 to deposit target particles on the object 6 to be film-formed.

(Pre-sputtering Process)

In the preliminary sputtering step, the belt transmission mechanism 120 of the casing drive mechanism 12 is driven by turning the motor 130 and turning on the electromagnetic clutch 125, and the magnetic shielding plate 5 is rotated together with the casing 4 and moved to the first shielding position (I) covering the first magnet unit 3A for main sputtering. During this time, the belt transfer mechanism 110 of the target drive mechanism 11 is also driven by the motor 130, and the target continues to rotate. When the magnetic shield plate 5 reaches the first shield position (I), the electromagnetic clutch 125 is turned off, the electromagnetic brake 126 is turned on to maintain the stop position, and a bias voltage is applied from the power source. When the bias voltage is applied, the magnetic field of the first region a1 is shielded by the magnetic shield 5, and the magnetic field of the second region a2 is generated by the second magnet unit 3B, so that the plasma P is generated intensively near the target surface on the second magnet unit 3B side, and the gas ions in the plasma collide with the target 2, whereby the oxide or the like on the target surface is scattered, and the surface of the target 2 is cleaned. The pre-sputtering is performed for a predetermined time, and after the surface of the target 2 is cleaned, the main sputtering is performed.

(Main sputtering Process)

In the main sputtering step, the motor 130 is rotated, the electromagnetic brake 125 is released, the electromagnetic clutch 126 is turned on, the belt transmission mechanism 120 of the casing driving mechanism 12 is driven, the magnetic shielding plate 5 is rotated together with the casing 4, and the belt transmission mechanism is moved to the second shielding position (II) covering the second magnet unit 3B for preliminary sputtering. During this time, the belt drive mechanism 110 of the target drive mechanism 11 is also driven by the motor 130, and the target 2 is continuously rotated. When the magnetic shield plate 5 reaches the second shield position (II), the electromagnetic clutch 125 is turned off, the stop position is held by the electromagnetic brake 126, and the bias voltage is applied from the power supply 13.

When the bias potential is applied, the magnetic field of the second region a2 is shielded by the magnetic shield plate 5, and the magnetic field of the first region a1 is generated by the first magnet unit 3A, so that the plasma P is generated in a concentrated manner in the vicinity of the target surface on the first magnet unit side, the gas ions in the plasma state sputter the target 2, and the scattered sputtered particles deposit on the object 6 to be film-formed, thereby forming a film.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the pre-sputtering can be performed by moving only the magnetic shielding plate 5 which is relatively light and easy to drive without rotating the magnet unit 3 or retracting the rotary cathode 8, the pre-sputtering can be performed with good productivity and simply.

(other examples of the target drive mechanism and the shield plate drive mechanism)

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing another configuration example of the target drive mechanism 11 and the shield plate drive mechanism 12. Since the configuration is basically the same as that shown in fig. 4, only the main points of difference will be described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the above configuration, the magnetic shield panel 5 is fixed to the case 4 and the magnetic shield panel 5 rotates together with the case 4, but in this example, the magnetic shield panel 5 is disposed in the case 4 and the magnetic shield panel 5 rotates independently of the target 2 and the case 4.

That is, the power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 is a cylindrical hollow shaft, and the fixed shaft 401 of the housing 4 protrudes from the power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 toward the end block 200 through a hollow hole. The fixed shaft 401 of the housing 4 is also a hollow shaft, and the power transmission shaft 501 of the magnetic shield 5 protrudes toward the end block 200 through the hollow hole. The power transmission shaft 21 of the target 2 is provided so as to protrude from the center of the end plate 21 fixed to the end of the target 2, and the fixed shaft 401 of the housing 4 is provided so as to protrude from the center of the end plate 42 of the housing 4. The power transmission shaft 501 of the magnetic shield panel 5 is coupled to the center of the circular end plate 502 of the magnetic shield panel 5.

On the other hand, in the support block 300 side, unlike the above-described embodiment, the driven-side rotating shafts 24 and 504 provided at the end portions of the target 2 and the magnetic shield plate 5 are rotatably supported by the support block 300. The driven-side rotating shaft 504 of the magnetic shield plate 5 may not penetrate the driven-side rotating shaft 24 of the target 2, and the driven-side rotating shaft 504 of the magnetic shield plate 5 may not penetrate the fixed shaft 401 of the housing 4.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, only the points of difference from embodiment 1 will be described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[ embodiment 2]

Fig. 6 shows a film deposition apparatus 101 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the film deposition apparatus 101 according to embodiment 2, the magnetic force of the magnet units 3 in the rotary cathode 8 is set so that the magnetic force of the first magnet unit 3A on the front side facing the object 6 to be film-deposited is stronger than the magnetic force of the second magnet unit 3B on the opposite side to the object 6 to be film-deposited.

This makes it possible to reduce the density of plasma formed near the surface of the target 2 in the pre-sputtering mode to be lower than the density of plasma formed near the surface of the target 2 in the main sputtering mode. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the effect of embodiment 1, excessive material consumption during the pre-sputtering can be suppressed.

[ embodiment 3]

Fig. 7 shows a film deposition apparatus 102 according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. The film formation apparatus 102 according to embodiment 3 is provided with a partition member 400, and the partition member 400 partitions the interior of the chamber 10 into a first region a1 for forming a film on the object 6 to be film-formed and a second region a2 different from the first region a 1.

The first region a1 is a region where plasma is generated at the time of main sputtering, and the second region a2 is a region where plasma is generated at the time of pre-sputtering. The film formation apparatus 102 includes a first gas inlet 71 for introducing a gas into the first area a1 and a second gas inlet 72 for introducing a gas into the second area a2, and the gas inlets 71 and 72 may be connected to other gas supply sources. Different kinds of gases may be supplied from the gas inlets 71 and 72.

The partition member is formed of a plate material bent in an L shape, which includes a pair of horizontal plate portions 401 provided on the left and right sides of the rotary cathode along a horizontal plane passing through the central axis of the rotary cathode, and a support plate portion 402 extending in the vertical direction and supporting the horizontal plate portions 401. The support plate portion 402 is fixed to the inner wall surface of the chamber 10, and the end portion of the horizontal plate portion 401 on the rotating cathode 8 side faces the side surface of the target with a slight gap therebetween. The horizontal plate 401 may be directly fixed to the wall of the chamber 10.

By thus separating the first region a1 and the second region a2, it is possible to suppress the influence of, for example, the adhesion of scattered particles such as oxides to the object side during the pre-sputtering.

[ other embodiments ]

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various configurations can be adopted without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, although the case where the magnetic shield plate is disposed in the housing together with the magnet unit has been described, the magnetic shield plate may be disposed in a gap between the outer periphery of the housing and the inner periphery of the target.

In the above embodiment, the size of the magnetic shield plate is a substantially semicircular shape in cross section and has a size covering a range of 180 ° of the cylindrical target, but the size is not limited to 180 °. The size of the cylindrical target is preferably in a range of 90 ° to 270 °, more preferably 150 ° to 210 °.

In the above embodiment, the magnetic shield plate is formed of one magnetic plate, but may be formed by stacking 2 magnetic plates, and is not limited to 1 magnetic plate.

Further, the magnet unit 3 is arranged with only one second magnet unit 3B for pre-sputtering on the opposite side of 180 ° with respect to the first magnet unit 3A facing the object 6 to be film-formed, but a plurality of second magnet units 3B for pre-sputtering may be provided. In this case, the second magnet units 3B provided in plural may be arranged so as to face different directions.

In the above embodiment, the case where one rotary cathode 8 is used is exemplified, but the present invention can also be applied to a film deposition apparatus in which a plurality of rotary cathodes 8 are arranged inside the chamber 10.