阅读说明：本技术 成膜装置及成膜方法 (Film forming apparatus and film forming method ) 是由 矢岛贵浩 中村文生 加藤裕子 植喜信 小仓祥吾 于 2019-09-10 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的一个方式涉及的成膜装置具有腔室、工作台、光源单元、气体供给部以及清洗单元。所述腔室具有：腔室主体,其具有成膜室；顶板,其安装在所述腔室主体,具有窗部。所述工作台配置在所述成膜室,具有支承基板的支承面。所述光源单元设置在所述顶板,具有经由所述窗部向所述支承面照射能量束的照射源。所述气体供给部将原料气体供给至所述成膜室,所述原料气体包含受所述能量束的照射而固化的能量束固化树脂。所述清洗单元连接至所述腔室,向所述成膜室导入清洗气体,所述清洗气体去除附着在所述顶板、腔室的所述能量束固化树脂。(A film forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber, a stage, a light source unit, a gas supply unit, and a cleaning unit. The chamber has: a chamber body having a film forming chamber; a top plate mounted to the chamber body and having a window portion. The stage is disposed in the film forming chamber and has a support surface for supporting a substrate. The light source unit is provided on the top plate and has an irradiation source that irradiates the bearing surface with an energy beam through the window portion. The gas supply unit supplies a raw material gas containing an energy beam-curable resin that is cured by irradiation with the energy beam to the film forming chamber. The cleaning unit is connected to the chamber, and introduces a cleaning gas into the film forming chamber, and the cleaning gas removes the energy beam curing resin attached to the top plate and the chamber.)

1. A film forming apparatus includes:

a chamber having a chamber body having a film forming chamber and a ceiling plate installed at the chamber body and having a window portion;

a stage disposed in the film forming chamber and having a support surface for supporting a substrate;

a light source unit provided on the top plate and having an irradiation source that irradiates the support surface with an energy beam through the window portion;

a gas supply unit configured to supply a raw material gas containing an energy beam-curable resin that is cured by irradiation with the energy beam to the film forming chamber; and the number of the first and second groups,

a cleaning unit connected to the chamber, and introducing a cleaning gas to the film forming chamber, the cleaning gas removing the energy beam curing resin attached to the top plate.

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the gas supply unit includes:

a shower plate disposed to face the top plate and made of a material that transmits the energy beam; and the number of the first and second groups,

a space portion formed between the top plate and the shower plate, into which the raw material gas is introduced,

the cleaning unit introduces the cleaning gas into the space portion.

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

the cleaning unit includes a plasma generator that generates oxygen plasma as the cleaning gas.

4. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the plasma generator is disposed at a plurality of locations around the chamber.

5. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the table has a cooling source capable of cooling the support surface.

6. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the top plate further includes a frame portion supporting the window portion, and a heat source heating the frame portion.

7. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

the illumination source is an ultraviolet lamp.

8. A film forming method using the film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

depositing an energy beam-curable resin on the substrate by supplying a source gas from the gas supply unit onto the substrate supported by the support surface,

forming a cured layer of the energy beam-cured resin by irradiating an energy beam from the irradiation source through the window portion,

the energy beam curing resin attached to the top plate is removed by a cleaning gas.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus and a film forming method for forming a resin layer from an energy beam-curable resin.

Background

When an energy beam-curable resin such as an ultraviolet-curable resin is cured to form a resin layer on a substrate, the following two steps are typically performed. That is, the substrate is supported by the cooling stage, and a raw material gas containing the resin is supplied onto the substrate supported by the cooling stage, and a cured resin layer is formed on the substrate by irradiating the substrate with light such as ultraviolet rays.

In particular, recently, a film deposition apparatus has been provided in which a step of supplying a source gas onto a substrate and a step of forming a cured resin layer on the substrate by ultraviolet rays are performed in one vacuum chamber, instead of performing such a plurality of steps in different vacuum chambers.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2013-064187.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In such a film forming apparatus, a window portion through which ultraviolet rays pass is provided in a ceiling plate of the chamber, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated through the window portion to the film forming chamber, thereby forming a cured product layer of an ultraviolet-curable resin deposited on the substrate on the stage. On the other hand, as the film forming process is repeated, the amount of resin adhering to the top plate increases, so that the light flux of the ultraviolet rays transmitted through the window portion becomes low, and a sufficient amount of ultraviolet rays cannot be irradiated onto the substrate on the stage. Therefore, it is frequent to clean the ceiling plate by opening the chamber to the atmosphere or to perform a ceiling plate replacement operation, and it is difficult to improve productivity.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a film deposition apparatus and a film deposition method capable of improving productivity.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, a film forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber, a stage, a light source unit, a gas supply unit, and a cleaning unit.

The chamber has: a chamber body having a film forming chamber; a top plate mounted to the chamber body and having a window portion.

The stage is disposed in the film forming chamber and has a support surface for supporting a substrate.

The light source unit is provided on the top plate and has an irradiation source that irradiates the bearing surface with an energy beam through the window portion.

The gas supply unit supplies a raw material gas containing an energy beam-curable resin that is cured by irradiation with the energy beam to the film forming chamber.

The cleaning unit is connected to the chamber, and introduces a cleaning gas for removing the energy beam curing resin attached to the top plate into the film forming chamber.

Since the film forming apparatus includes the cleaning unit that removes the energy beam-curable resin adhering to the top plate, the top plate can be cleaned without opening the chamber to the atmosphere, and thus productivity can be improved.

The cleaning unit may include a plasma generator that generates oxygen plasma as the cleaning gas.

The gas supply unit may include: a shower plate disposed to face the top plate and made of a material that transmits the energy beam; and a space portion formed between the top plate and the shower plate, into which the source gas is introduced. In this case, the cleaning unit introduces the cleaning gas into the space portion. This enables cleaning of not only the top plate but also the shower plate.

The cleaning unit may include a plasma generator that generates oxygen plasma as the cleaning gas.

The plasma generator may be disposed at a plurality of places around the gas supply portion.

The table may have a cooling source capable of cooling the support surface.

The top plate may further include a frame supporting the window and a heat source heating the frame.

The illumination source may be an ultraviolet lamp.

A film forming method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: the energy beam curable resin is deposited on the substrate by supplying a source gas from the gas supply unit onto the substrate supported by the support surface.

Forming a cured layer of the energy beam-cured resin by irradiating an energy beam from the irradiation source through the window portion.

The energy beam curing resin attached to the top plate is removed by a cleaning gas.

Effects of the invention

As described above, according to the present invention, productivity can be improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a gas supply unit showing an example of arrangement of the plasma generator of the film formation apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a film deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a film deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction indicate horizontal directions orthogonal to each other, and the Z-axis direction indicates a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

The film formation apparatus 100 is configured as a film formation apparatus for forming a layer made of an ultraviolet curable resin as an energy beam curable resin on a substrate. The film formation apparatus 100 is an apparatus for forming an ultraviolet-cured resin layer by supplying a raw material gas containing an ultraviolet-cured resin onto a substrate W and then irradiating the substrate W with ultraviolet rays.

[ film Forming apparatus ]

The film forming apparatus 100 has a chamber 10. The chamber 10 includes a chamber body 11 and a ceiling plate 12 that hermetically closes an opening 11a of the chamber body 11.

The film forming apparatus 100 further includes a stage 15, a light source unit 20, a gas supply unit 30, and a cleaning unit 40.

(Chamber)

The chamber body 11 is a metal rectangular parallelepiped vacuum vessel having an open upper portion, and has a film forming chamber 13 therein. The film forming chamber 13 is configured to be able to be evacuated to or maintained at a predetermined reduced pressure atmosphere via a vacuum evacuation system 19 connected to the bottom of the chamber body 11.

The top plate 12 has a window 121 that transmits ultraviolet light UV and a frame 122 that supports the window 121. The window 121 is made of an ultraviolet-transmitting material such as quartz glass, and the frame 122 is made of a metal material such as aluminum alloy. The number of the windows 121 is not particularly limited, and may be two or more, or may be one.

(working bench)

The table 15 is disposed in the film forming chamber 13. The table 15 includes a table main body 151, and the table main body 151 includes a support surface 151a for supporting the substrate W.

The table 15 includes a cooling source 153 capable of cooling the support surface 151a to a predetermined temperature or lower. The cooling source 153 is constituted by, for example, a cooling jacket in which a cooling medium such as cooling water is circulated and which is built in the table main body 151. The cooling temperature of the support surface 151a cooled by the cooling source 153 is set to a suitable temperature sufficient to condense the ultraviolet curable resin in the source gas described later. The substrate W cooled to the predetermined temperature or lower may be transferred to the film forming chamber 13.

The substrate W may be a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate. The shape and size of the substrate are not particularly limited, and may be rectangular or circular. The elements may be formed on the film formation surface of the substrate W in advance. In this case, the resin layer formed on the substrate W functions as a protective film for the above-described elements.

(light source unit)

The light source unit 20 has a housing 21 and a radiation source 22. The housing 21 is disposed above the top plate 12 and has a light source chamber 23 for accommodating the radiation source 22. The light source chamber 23 is, for example, an atmospheric environment. The radiation source 22 is a light source for radiating ultraviolet light UV as an energy beam through the window 121 of the top plate 12 toward the support surface 151a of the table 15, and is typically constituted by an ultraviolet lamp. Not limited to this, the radiation source 22 may also be a Light source module in which a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting diodes) Emitting ultraviolet Light UV are arranged in a matrix.

(gas supply section)

The gas supply unit 30 supplies a raw material gas containing a resin (ultraviolet-curable resin) that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light UV to the film forming chamber 13. The gas supply unit 30 can be configured arbitrarily, and in the present embodiment, includes a shower plate 31 and a space portion 32.

The shower plate 31 has a rectangular plate shape and has a plurality of gas supply holes 311 in its surface. The plurality of gas supply holes 311 penetrate the shower plate 31 in the thickness direction, and communicate the space portion 32 and the film forming chamber 13 with each other. The shower plate 31 is made of an ultraviolet-transmitting material such as quartz glass. The shower plate 31 is fixed to an inner wall surface of the chamber body 11 via an appropriate fixing member.

The space portion 32 is formed between the top plate 12 and the shower plate 31. The raw material gas is introduced into the space 32 through the raw material gas generator 101.

As the ultraviolet curable resin material, for example, an acrylic resin can be used. Further, a polymerization initiator or the like may be added to the resin. The raw material gas containing such a resin is generated by a raw material gas generating unit 101 provided outside the chamber 10. The raw material gas generation unit 101 introduces a raw material gas containing the resin into the space 32 of the gas supply unit 30 via the pipe 130.

The raw material gas generation unit 101 includes a resin material supply line 110, a vaporizer 120, and a pipe 130.

The resin material supply line 110 includes a storage tank 111 filled with a liquid resin material and a pipe 112 for conveying the resin material from the storage tank 111 to the vaporizer 120. When the resin material is transferred from the storage tank 111 to the vaporizer 120, a carrier gas made of an inert gas such as nitrogen gas can be used. Further, a valve V1, a liquid flow controller not shown, or the like may be attached to the pipe 112.

The raw material gas generated in the vaporizer 120 is supplied to the space 32 of the gas supply unit 30 via the pipe 130. A valve V2 is attached to the pipe 130, and the inflow of gas into the space 32 can be adjusted. Further, a flow rate controller, not shown, is attached to control the flow rate of the gas flowing into the space portion 32.

The gas supply unit 30 further includes a first heat source 341 that heats the frame portion 122 of the top plate 12 and a second heat source 342 that heats the shower plate 31.

The first heat source 341 is constituted by a warm water passage built in the frame portion 122 of the top plate 12. The second heating source 342 is constituted by a heater fixed on the surface of the shower plate 31. The second heat source 342 may be attached to the surface of the shower plate 31 facing the film forming chamber 13 as shown in the figure, or may be attached to the surface facing the space portion 32.

The first heat source 341 and the second heat source 342 are configured to prevent the resin material contained in the raw material gas introduced into the space portion 32 from adhering to the inner wall of the space portion 32, and to heat the gas supply portion 30 to an appropriate temperature equal to or higher than the vaporization temperature of the resin material. Further, for example, a pipe heater or a hot water passage may be provided as the third heat source 343 at an upper portion (opening 11a) of the chamber 10 near the gas supply unit 30.

The gas supply unit 30 as described above is maintained at the vaporization temperature of the resin material in the raw material gas or higher by the first heat source 341, the second heat source 342, and the third heat source 343. However, for example, a region with relatively low heat transfer efficiency such as the window portion 121 of the top plate 12 is not heated to a sufficient temperature, and the resin component may be condensed or adhered. Further, as the film formation time (the number of processing blocks of the substrate) increases, the area where the resin adheres to the inner surface of space portion 32 or the thickness thereof increases, and the light flux of the ultraviolet rays passing through gas supply unit 30 decreases, and thus a sufficient amount of the ultraviolet rays may not be irradiated onto substrate W on table 15.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cleaning unit 40 is provided for removing the resin component in the raw material gas adhering to the top plate 12, the shower plate 31, the opening 11a of the chamber body 11, and the like.

(cleaning unit)

The cleaning unit 40 is connected to the chamber 10, and introduces a cleaning gas into the space portion 32. In the present embodiment, the cleaning unit 40 includes a plasma generator 41 that generates oxygen plasma as a cleaning gas.

The plasma generator 41 is not particularly limited as long as it is a device capable of generating oxygen plasma, such as an ICP plasma device, an ECR plasma device, and a helicon wave plasma generating device. The oxygen plasma is generated using, for example, oxygen gas or a mixed gas of oxygen gas and argon gas. The generated oxygen plasma (oxygen radicals) is introduced into the space 32 of the gas supply unit 30 through the pipe 42, and decomposes (incinerates) and removes the resin adhering to the top plate 12, the shower plate 31, the opening 11a of the chamber body 11, and the like. By installing the valve V3 in the pipe 42, the valve V3 is closed during film formation, thereby preventing the raw material gas from entering the plasma generator 41.

The plasma generator 41 may be provided in plurality, or may be provided in a single unit. In the present embodiment, the plasma generators 41 are provided at a plurality of positions around the gas supply unit 30. The number and the position of the plasma generators 41 are not particularly limited, and may be arbitrarily set according to the size and the shape of the space portion 32.

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the gas supply unit 30 showing an arrangement example of the plasma generator 41. As shown in the drawing, the plasma generator 41 includes a pair of first plasma generators 411 arranged along one side of the gas supply portion 30 and second plasma generators 412 arranged on the other two sides adjacent to the one side. The first plasma generators 411 are arranged adjacent to each other, and irradiate oxygen plasma to almost all areas of the space portion 32. On the other hand, the second plasma generators 412 are disposed offset from each other, and irradiate the oxygen plasma to the regions inside the space portion 32 located on the upstream side and the downstream side of the oxygen plasma from the first plasma generator 41. Accordingly, even when the linearity of the oxygen plasma irradiated from each plasma generator 41 is high, a sufficient amount of oxygen plasma can be introduced into all regions of space portion 32.

By disposing the plasma generator 41 outside the gas supply unit 30, the apparatus configuration can be simplified, as compared with the case where oxygen plasma is directly generated inside the space portion 32. Further, by providing a plurality of plasma generators 41, a sufficient amount of oxygen plasma can be supplied to the space portion 32.

The film forming apparatus 100 further includes a control unit 50. The control unit 50 is typically constituted by a computer and controls each part of the film formation apparatus 100.

[ film Forming method ]

Next, a film formation method using the film formation apparatus 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

(film Forming Process)

The film forming step includes a step of supplying a raw material gas containing an ultraviolet curable resin and a step of curing the ultraviolet resin layer.

In the film forming step, the film forming chamber 13 is adjusted to a predetermined vacuum degree by the vacuum exhaust system 19, and the substrate W is placed on the support surface 151a cooled to a predetermined temperature or lower. The gas supply unit 30 is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the vaporization temperature of the ultraviolet curable resin by the first to third heat sources 341 to 343.

In the raw material gas supply step, the raw material gas containing the ultraviolet curable resin generated by the raw material gas generation unit 101 is introduced into the gas supply unit 30 through the pipe 130. The raw material gas introduced into the gas supply unit 30 is diffused in the space portion 32, and is supplied to the entire surface of the substrate W on the stage 15 through the plurality of gas supply holes 311 of the shower plate 31. The ultraviolet curable resin in the source gas supplied to the surface of the substrate W condenses and deposits on the surface of the substrate W cooled to a temperature lower than the condensation temperature thereof.

In the step of curing the ultraviolet curable resin, the supply of the raw material gas is stopped, and the ultraviolet UV is irradiated from the irradiation source 22 of the light source unit 20 to the support surface 151a of the table 15. Since the gas supply unit 30 is made of a material that transmits ultraviolet rays, a sufficient amount of ultraviolet rays UV are irradiated onto the substrate W on the support surface 151a via the gas supply unit 30. Thereby, a cured product layer of the ultraviolet curable resin is formed on the substrate W.

After the curing process is completed, the substrate W is sent out from the film forming chamber 13, and a new substrate W on which no film is formed is sent into the film forming chamber. Then, the above-described respective steps are similarly performed. In this way, an ultraviolet-curable resin layer having a predetermined thickness can be formed on the substrate W by one film forming apparatus.

By repeating the above film formation process, the resin component in the raw material gas may gradually accumulate in the space 32 of the gas supply unit 30, and the ultraviolet transmittance of the window 121 of the top plate 12 or the shower plate 31 may be lowered. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cleaning process using the space portion 32 of the cleaning unit 40 is performed.

(cleaning Process)

The cleaning step is performed in a state where the supply of the raw material gas is stopped. The oxygen plasma (oxygen radicals) generated in each plasma generator 41(411, 412) is introduced into the space 32 of the gas supply unit 30 through the pipe 42. Carbon of the ultraviolet curable resin adhering to the inner surface of the space portion 32 (the top plate 12, the shower plate 31, and the opening 11a of the chamber main body 11) is bonded to oxygen radicals as CO₂And (4) vaporizing and decomposing. Decomposed ultraviolet-curable resinIs exhausted from the film forming chamber 13 through a vacuum exhaust system 19.

By periodically performing such a cleaning process, the ultraviolet curable resin deposited in the space portion 32 is removed, or the amount of the ultraviolet curable resin deposited in the space portion 32 is reduced. In particular, since the deposition of resin is effectively suppressed at a portion where the window 121 of the top plate 12 or the like cannot be directly heated by the heat source, a stable ultraviolet ray transmission amount is maintained for a long time. Thus, the number of processing blocks of the substrate to be deposited is increased, and a deposition apparatus having excellent productivity can be provided.

According to the present embodiment as described above, since the cleaning unit capable of removing the ultraviolet curable resin adhering to the top plate 12, the shower plate 31, and the opening 11a of the chamber body 11 is provided, it is possible to ensure a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light flux passing through the gas supply unit 30 for a long period of time, and thus it is possible to improve productivity.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the cleaning process of the top plate 12 and the like can be performed while maintaining the vacuum state of the film forming chamber 13, the above-described cleaning process can be performed in the time interval of the film forming process without opening the film forming chamber 13 to the atmosphere. Further, since the resin or the like is easily damaged by the ashing treatment using the plasma of the cleaning gas, the resin can be removed without damaging the adhesion surface of the resin.

[ other embodiments ]

In the above embodiment, the gas supply unit 30 is constituted by the shower plate 31, but is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in fig. 3, a plurality of gas supply pipes 33 arranged between the top plate 12 and the table 15 may be used as the gas supply unit 30'.

The gas supply pipes 33 extend in the Y-axis direction and are arranged at equal intervals in the X-axis direction. A plurality of gas supply holes for discharging the source gas onto the substrate W on the table 15 are provided in the circumferential surface portion of the gas supply pipe 33. With this configuration, the source gas can be uniformly supplied to the entire surface area of the substrate W, and the ultraviolet rays UV can be irradiated.

In this case, the plasma generator 41 introduces oxygen plasma as a cleaning gas between the top plate 12 and the gas supply pipe 33. This enables removal of the resin adhering to the top plate 12 and the gas supply pipe 33.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made.

For example, in the above embodiment, a plasma generator capable of introducing oxygen plasma into space portion 32 of gas supply unit 30 is used as the cleaning unit, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plasma source capable of directly generating oxygen plasma inside space portion 32 may be provided as the cleaning unit.

Further, oxygen plasma is used as the cleaning gas, but the kind of the cleaning gas can be appropriately set according to the kind of the energy beam.

Further, in the above embodiments, the energy beam shows an example of the ultraviolet ray, but is not limited thereto. For example, electromagnetic waves generated by high-frequency power supplies of about 13MHz and 27MHz can be used. In this case, the illumination source can be an oscillator or the like. In addition, the electron beam may be used as the energy beam and the electron beam source may be used as the irradiation source.

Further, the film formation apparatus according to the above embodiment may be used as a part of a continuous or cluster type film formation apparatus having a plurality of chambers, for example. By using such a device, an element having a plurality of layers such as a light-emitting element can be manufactured more easily. In addition, such an apparatus can achieve cost reduction, space saving, and further improvement in productivity.

Description of the reference numerals

10: chamber

11: chamber body

12: top board

13: film forming chamber

15: working table

20: light source unit

22: radiation source

30, 30': gas supply unit

31: spray plate

32: space part

40: cleaning unit

41, 411, 412: plasma generator

100: film forming apparatus

151 a: bearing surface

121: window part

122: frame part

311: gas supply hole

341: first heating source