JP4952908B2 - Vacuum deposition apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum deposition apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a process related to the melting of a deposition material before the start of film formation.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration of a general vacuum deposition apparatus. In FIG. 8, a vacuum deposition apparatus 1 includes a vacuum chamber 2 composed of a sealed container, an exhaust port 3 for exhausting a gas in the vacuum chamber 2 connected to an exhaust device such as a vacuum pump (not shown), and argon inside the vacuum chamber 2. (Ar), oxygen (O ₂ ) discharge gas, process gas, etc., a gas inlet 4 for introducing an arbitrary gas, a substrate dome 6 for holding a substrate 5 to be deposited, and a crucible for filling a vapor deposition material 8 9. An electron gun 10 that collides an electron beam against the vapor deposition material 8 in the crucible 9 and heats it to an evaporation temperature, and a shutter 11 that is configured to be openable and closable before the vapor deposition starts and when vapor deposition is completed, and shields the vapor deposition material 8. . Moreover, the adhesion prevention board 14 is provided as needed. For convenience of explanation, the exhaust port 3 and the gas inlet 4 and the valves and pumps connected to them are collectively referred to as gas intake / exhaust means.

  Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the operation of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus shown in FIG. The processing operation can be broadly divided into two stages, a pre-deposition stage before the start of the deposition operation and a deposition stage after the start of the deposition operation. The pre-deposition stage includes a preparation process, an atmosphere adjustment process, a melting process, and the like.

  In the preparation step S900, the substrate 5 is set on the substrate dome 6 and filled with the vapor deposition material 8 corresponding to the film formed on the crucible 9. In the vacuum chamber 2, it is necessary to secure the vapor deposition material 8 necessary for one batch of film formation, and a vapor deposition material supply mechanism that sequentially supplies the vapor deposition material 8 to the vapor deposition source position is provided. is there. Although not shown, the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 1 includes a plurality of crucibles 9 filled with a vapor deposition material 8 and a vapor deposition material supply mechanism, and sequentially supplies the crucible 9 to a vapor deposition source position. In addition, when laminating | stacking a multilayer film, what is necessary is just to prepare several types of vapor deposition materials, and the crucible 9 is filled with the various vapor deposition materials 8 according to a process.

  In the atmosphere adjustment step S901, the inside of the vacuum chamber 2 is exhausted from the exhaust port 3 to a high vacuum region. In FIG. 9, the solid line portion in step S901 means evacuation, and the broken line portion means introduction of gas from the gas inlet 4 and active adjustment of the atmosphere by evacuation and maintenance thereof. In addition, also in atmosphere adjustment process S201, S401, S701, and S707 mentioned later, a continuous line part and a broken line part shall mean the same content.

  In the melting step S903, the electron beam 10 is irradiated onto the vapor deposition material 8 in the crucible 9 with the shutter 11 closed, and the vapor deposition material 8 is melted. The melting step S903 is a step of heating and melting the granular vapor deposition material 8 as a preparatory step before film formation. By pre-dissolving, it is possible to obtain an effect of previously discharging moisture and gas adsorbed by the vapor deposition material and mixed impurities before film formation, an effect of suppressing bumping at the time of film formation, and the like. In the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 1, the crucible 9 is supplied and recovered from the vapor deposition source position by operating a vapor deposition material supply mechanism (not shown), and melted when the vapor deposition material 8 filled in the plurality of crucibles 9 is completely dissolved. It is assumed that step S903 is completed.

  And the film-forming step is started after the melting step S903. First, in an atmosphere adjustment step S901, a gas such as Ar or O2 is introduced from the gas inlet 4 into the vacuum chamber 2 and the inside of the vacuum chamber is maintained in a predetermined film formation atmosphere. In parallel with this, the deposition material 8 is heated and melted in the film forming preparation step S910. Step S910 is a step of heating the vapor-deposited material 8 that has been melted and solidified until a vapor deposition rate necessary for film formation is obtained. An electron beam is transmitted from the electron gun 10 in the crucible 9 with the shutter 11 closed. The vapor deposition material 8 is irradiated. After reaching the heating state in which the inside of the vacuum chamber 2 is maintained in a predetermined film formation atmosphere and a predetermined vapor deposition rate is obtained, the shutter 11 is opened in the film formation step S911, and the vapor deposition material 8 is scattered in the vacuum chamber 2. Then, a thin film is formed by depositing on the film formation substrate 5 (hereinafter, the respective processes after the start of the film formation stage are collectively referred to as “film formation process”).

And in patent document 1, in order to prevent the impurity of vapor deposition material from scattering during a film-forming stage, the structure which discharge | releases an impurity as much as possible is disclosed in the melting process. Specifically, the irradiation power of the ion beam is increased in the melting step, and more impurities and the like are evaporated and deposited on the shutter during this step.
In Patent Document 2, in order to prevent moisture generated from the vapor deposition material in the melting process from adhering to the substrate and reducing the adhesion strength between the substrate and the vapor deposition material Ge in the film formation stage, It is disclosed that the film is melted in advance outside the vacuum chamber before film formation, and the deposited material is set in the vacuum chamber to start film formation.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-228033 JP-A-6-25831

  However, in the pre-deposition stage as in the conventional example (FIGS. 8 and 9 and Patent Document 1), the vapor deposition material adheres to the surface of the shutter 11, the deposition prevention plate 14, and the like in the melting step. This deposit accumulates to form a fragile and low packing density film, which causes a problem that the film peels off during the subsequent film formation stage and contaminates the inside of the vacuum chamber. In addition, if gas or moisture is adsorbed in the gap between the deposits in the pre-deposition stage, it is released during the deposition stage, which affects the reproducibility of the deposition.

  In addition, according to the method as disclosed in Patent Document 2, the disadvantages related to the melting process are certainly eliminated, but in addition to the crucible and the electron gun for the film forming process provided in the vacuum chamber, It is necessary to separately provide a heating device (such as a crucible or an electron gun) for the melting step, which is not preferable because it increases costs and space.

  A first aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a vacuum chamber having a gas intake / exhaust unit, a substrate holding unit disposed inside the vacuum chamber, a vapor deposition source provided with a heating unit disposed opposite to the substrate holding unit, A method for controlling a vacuum deposition apparatus comprising a shutter for opening and closing a deposition source, a plasma generation unit, a gas intake / exhaust unit, a heating unit, a plasma generation unit, and a control unit for controlling the shutter. And (B) a step of setting and maintaining the inside of the vacuum chamber in a predetermined gas atmosphere by the gas intake / exhaust means, and (C) a plasma atmosphere in the vacuum chamber by the plasma generating means. (D) a melting step of melting the vapor deposition material using a heating means in a plasma atmosphere, and (E) a step of starting film formation by opening the shutter. It is a control method.

In the first aspect, provided with a measuring means for measuring the amount of the released gas in the vacuum chamber, the step (C) is such that the amount of the released gas measured by the (X) measuring means is a predetermined value or less. A cleaning step for feeding back the amount of plasma generated power is included.
Here, the measuring means comprises a pressure controller that keeps the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber constant, and a flow rate monitor means that detects the flow rate of the introduced gas in the gas intake / exhaust means, and the introduction detected by the flow rate monitor means in step (X). The plasma generation electric energy may be fed back so that the gas flow rate becomes a predetermined value or more.
Further, the measuring means comprises a flow rate controller for keeping the introduced gas flow rate in the gas intake / exhaust means constant, and a pressure monitor means for detecting the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber. In step (X), the pressure detected by the pressure monitor means You may make it feed back plasma generation electric energy so that it may become below a predetermined value.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vacuum chamber having gas intake / exhaust means, a substrate holding means disposed inside the vacuum chamber, a vapor deposition source having a heating means disposed opposite to the substrate holding means, a shutter for opening and closing the vapor deposition source, plasma A method for controlling a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus comprising a generating means, and a gas intake / exhaust means, a heating means, a plasma generating means and a control means for controlling a shutter, wherein (A) a step of filling a vapor deposition source with a vapor deposition material, (B) A step of setting and maintaining the inside of the vacuum chamber in a predetermined gas atmosphere by the gas intake / exhaust means, (C) a step of generating a plasma atmosphere in the vacuum chamber by the plasma generating means, and (D) vapor deposition using a heating means in the plasma atmosphere. A control method comprising a melting step of melting the material, (F) a step of installing the substrate on the substrate holding means, and (H) a step of opening the shutter and starting film formation. .
Further, before the step (F), (E) the step of opening the vacuum chamber to the atmosphere, and after the step (F), (G) setting and maintaining the inside of the vacuum chamber to a predetermined gas atmosphere by the gas intake / exhaust means. It was set as the structure including the process to do.

In the first and second aspects, the plasma generating means comprises a substrate holding means comprising a substrate dome and a high frequency power source for applying a high frequency voltage to the substrate dome, and the plasma generation amount is controlled by the high frequency power source and / or the introduced gas flow rate. You may be made to do.
The plasma generating means may be composed of a coil provided inside the vacuum chamber and a high-frequency power source that applies a high-frequency voltage to the coil, and the plasma generation amount may be controlled by the high-frequency power source and / or the introduced gas flow rate. .
Further, the heating means may be an electron gun that irradiates the deposition material with an electron beam, and the step (D) may be a melting step in which the deposition material is melted by irradiating the electron gun in a plasma atmosphere.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vacuum chamber having a gas intake / exhaust unit, a substrate holding unit disposed inside the vacuum chamber, a vapor deposition source disposed opposite to the substrate holding unit and set with a vapor deposition material, and melting of the vapor deposition material And a control means for controlling the operation of the plasma generating means and the melting means, and further comprising at least the melting means. During the operation state, the melting means and the plasma generation means are controlled by the control means so that the plasma generation means is also in the operation state.

In the third aspect, there is provided measuring means for measuring the amount of released gas in the vacuum chamber, and means for feeding back the amount of plasma generated electric power so that the amount of emitted gas measured by the measuring means becomes a predetermined value or less. The configuration.
Here, the measuring means comprises a pressure controller for keeping the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber constant, and a gas flow rate monitor means for detecting the flow rate of the introduced gas in the gas intake / exhaust means, and the introduced gas detected by the gas flow rate monitor by the feedback means. The configuration is such that the amount of plasma generated electric power is fed back so that the flow rate becomes a predetermined value or more.
The measuring means comprises a flow rate controller for keeping the introduced gas flow rate in the gas intake / exhaust means constant, and a pressure monitor means for detecting the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber, and the pressure detected by the pressure monitor by the feedback means is below a predetermined value. It was set as the structure by which the plasma generation electric energy is fed back so that it may become.

Further, in the third aspect, the plasma generating means comprises a substrate holding means comprising a substrate dome and a high frequency power source for applying a high frequency voltage to the substrate dome, and the plasma generation amount is controlled by the high frequency power source and / or the introduced gas flow rate. The configuration is as follows.
In addition, the plasma generating means includes a coil provided with a vacuum chamber and a high frequency power source for applying a high frequency voltage to the coil and / or a flow rate of introduced gas, and the plasma generation amount is controlled by the high frequency power source.

  Since the plasma is generated in the melting process in the pre-deposition stage and the pre-deposition process in the deposition stage, the deposits attached to the shutter and the deposition plate become a dense and high adhesion strength film, and the film is peeled off. It becomes hard to fall off. Thereby, contamination in the vacuum chamber is prevented, film formation performance (reproducibility, etc.) can be prevented from being deteriorated during the vapor deposition operation, and the cleaning cycle can be lengthened.

  Further, since the deposit attached to the shutter and the deposition preventing plate becomes a dense film having high adhesion strength, moisture is hardly adsorbed in the gaps in the film, and moisture release from the deposit during film formation is significantly reduced. Thereby, the influence on the film formation due to moisture release is reduced, and the reproducibility is improved. Similarly, with respect to gas, a dense film inhibits adsorption, reduces gas release during film formation, and reduces the influence on film formation. In addition, since the amount of emitted gas is reduced, it contributes to shortening the exhaust time.

  Further, since a cleaning effect by plasma generation is obtained during the melting step, it is possible to release moisture and gas by colliding ions with deposits and deposits on the shutter and the deposition preventing plate during this step. Thereby, it can transfer to the film-forming process in an environment with fewer impurities.

Embodiment 1. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vacuum deposition apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A vacuum chamber 2 composed of a grounded sealed container, an exhaust port 3 connected to an exhaust device such as a vacuum pump and exhausting the gas in the vacuum chamber 2, argon (Ar), oxygen (O2), etc. in the vacuum chamber 2 A gas introduction port 4 for introducing an arbitrary gas such as a discharge gas, a process gas, and the like, a valve 4a thereof, a substrate dome 6 for holding a substrate 5 to be deposited, a crucible 9 for filling a vapor deposition material 8, and a crucible 9 An electron gun 10 that irradiates the vapor deposition material 8 with an electron beam and heats it to an evaporation temperature, and a shutter 11 that is configured to be openable and closable and that is closed before vapor deposition starts and when vapor deposition is completed, and shields the vapor deposition material 8.

  In this embodiment, the high frequency power supply 13 and the control means 15 are further provided. A high-frequency voltage is applied between the vacuum chamber 2 made of a conductor and the substrate dome 6 functioning as a high-frequency electrode by a high-frequency power source 13 connected between the power supply unit 7 of the substrate dome 6 and the vacuum chamber 2. . And the neutralizer 12 which discharge | releases an electron in order to prevent the ignition of the discharge at the time of the plasma generation mentioned later and the charge up of a board | substrate is provided. The control means 15 controls the operation timing of the gas intake / exhaust means, the electron gun 10, the shutter 11, the neutralizer 12, and the high-frequency power source 13.

  In the present embodiment, the glass substrate 5 is placed on the substrate dome 6 as a film formation target. Since this embodiment is effective for a substrate having a high heat resistant temperature, a glass substrate is used, but the substrate is not limited to this. The substrate 5 may be held near the substrate dome 6.

FIG. 2A shows the operation of the present invention. Up to the preparation step S200 and the atmosphere adjustment step S201 are the same as S900 and S901 in FIG. 9 of the conventional example.
Here, step S202 is a plasma generation step. In step S202, the high-frequency power source 13 is activated to apply a high-frequency voltage to the substrate dome 6 via the power feeding unit 7 and emit electrons from the neutralizer 12 to ignite plasma. The high frequency voltage applied between the substrate dome 6 and the vacuum chamber 2 ionizes the gas introduced from the gas inlet 4 and generates plasma in the vacuum chamber 2.

  Step S203 is a melting step. A melting step S203 is started simultaneously with the start of the plasma generation step S202, and an electron beam is irradiated from the electron gun 10 onto the vapor deposition material 8 in the crucible 8, and the vapor deposition material 8 is melted in a plasma atmosphere. The amount of plasma generated is controlled using both or one of the high-frequency power supply 13 and the flow rate of gas introduced from the gas inlet 4. In the example, like the conventional example, a plurality of crucibles 9 for filling the vapor deposition material 8 in the vacuum chamber 2 were prepared, and all the vapor deposition materials 8 prepared in the vacuum chamber 2 were melted in step S203.

In the present embodiment, the start-up and the melting of the high-frequency power source 13 are started at the same time. However, as shown in FIG. 2B, the high-frequency power source 13 may be started before the start of the melting.
That is, it suffices if plasma is generated in the vacuum chamber 2 when the vapor deposition material 8 is melted, and the vapor deposited material scattered during the melt is assisted by ions to be applied to the shutter 11 and the deposition plate 14. What is necessary is just to adhere and deposit as a precise | minute film | membrane. As a result, the degree to which the film adhered and deposited on the shutter 11 and the deposition prevention plate 14 peels off and contaminates the inside of the tank is lowered, and the degree to which the film absorbs and releases moisture is small. In addition, ions in the plasma collide with the already deposited film, and the inside of the tank is cleaned before the film forming process.

  When the melting is completed, the process proceeds to the film forming stage, and after the film forming preparation process S210, the film forming process S211 is started. The film formation preparation step S210 is the same as S910 in FIG. 9 of the conventional example, but the plasma generation step S202 is started simultaneously with the start of the film formation preparation step S210, and the deposition material 8 is heated and melted in a plasma atmosphere. Thereby, the deposit | attachment adhering to a shutter and a deposition prevention board can be made into a film | membrane with high density | concentration and high adhesive strength similarly to the melting process in a plasma atmosphere. In step S211, when the shutter 11 is opened, the vapor deposition material 8 scatters into the vacuum chamber 2, is assisted by ions, and deposits on the deposition substrate 5 to form a dense thin film. In FIG. 2, plasma is generated in the film formation step S <b> 211, but the gas atmosphere adjustment and plasma generation may be performed appropriately according to film formation specifications. Of course, it is also conceivable to form a normal film without generating plasma.

  In the present embodiment, the vapor deposition material 8 is heated and melted in a plasma atmosphere in the vapor deposition material melting step S203 and the film forming preparation step S210, thereby reducing the amount of released gas in the vacuum chamber and shortening the exhaust speed. To contribute. In addition, since the atmosphere adjustment step S201 and the plasma generation step S202 in the pre-deposition stage are performed in parallel, that is, plasma is generated in the vacuum chamber during vacuum evacuation, so that the plasma has an effect of improving the exhaust performance. Play. By shortening the exhaust time according to the present embodiment, it is possible to shorten the time required to reach the target vacuum degree and shift to the film forming stage in a short time, which contributes to improvement in productivity.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In this embodiment, a process of cleaning the inside of the vacuum chamber by plasma generation (hereinafter referred to as “RF cleaning”) is added to the first embodiment. The vacuum deposition apparatus according to this embodiment is shown in FIG. 3, and its operation is shown in FIG.
In the apparatus of FIG. 3, measuring means 16 for measuring the amount of gas emitted from the vapor deposition material 8 and feedback means 18 for feeding back the amount of plasma generated with respect to the amount of emitted gas measured by the measuring means are added. ing. The released gas is mainly a gas caused by a film attached to the inner wall of the vacuum chamber, the shutter 11, the deposition preventing plate 14, etc., and the gas adsorbed on this film (mainly water molecules) is thereafter It means gas (including water molecules) floating out of the adsorbed state.

  Specifically, the measurement means 16 includes an APC (automatic pressure controller) 16a that keeps the pressure in the vacuum chamber 2 constant, and an introduction gas flow rate monitoring means 16b that detects the introduction gas flow rate introduced from the gas introduction port 4. In addition, the introduced gas flow rate monitoring means 16 b is connected to the feedback means 18. The APC is a controller that includes pressure detection means in the vacuum chamber 2 and controls the flow rate of the introduced gas so that the detected pressure becomes constant. The feedback means 18 is included in the control means 15 for convenience of explanation, but may be provided as an independent block outside the control means 15. In FIG. 3, the control line of the high-frequency power source is connected only to the feedback means 18, but it is assumed that it is actually connected to other components as necessary.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the step of setting the substrate 5 and the vapor deposition material 8 (S400), the step of adjusting the atmosphere in the vacuum chamber 2 and setting and maintaining it in a predetermined gas atmosphere (S401), and starting the high frequency power source 13 The step of generating plasma in the vacuum chamber 2 (S402) and the step of dissolving the vapor deposition material 8 (S403) are the same as the steps S200 to S203 of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, this state is maintained as an RF cleaning process in step S404 indicated by a thick arrow in the drawing, and deposits attached in the vacuum chamber 2 are irradiated with ions in the plasma, and ion bombardment and Gas and moisture are released from the surface of the adhesion-preventing plate and deposits by temperature rise due to impact.

  In the RF cleaning step (S404), the feedback means 18 feedback-controls the amount of power of the high frequency power supply 13 with respect to the introduced gas flow rate detected by the introduced gas flow rate monitor means 16b. For example, under the condition that the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber is constant, the feedback means 18 determines that the amount of released gas is large when the flow rate of introduced gas detected is small, and increases the amount of power of the high-frequency power source 13 to increase the amount of power. Generate plasma. That is, the cleaning effect is enhanced by controlling the amount of released gas to be equal to or less than a predetermined value.

  Further, in the apparatus of FIG. 3, instead of the measuring means 16 comprising the APC 16a and the gas flow rate monitoring means 16b, the MFC (mass flow controller) 17a and the vacuum chamber 2 in which the gas flow rate introduced from the gas inlet 4 is kept constant. The pressure monitoring unit 17b may be connected to the feedback unit 18 instead of the measuring unit 17 including the pressure monitoring unit 17b for detecting the pressure.

  In this case, in the RF cleaning step (S404), the feedback means 18 feedback-controls the amount of power of the high-frequency power source 13 with respect to the pressure detected by the pressure monitor means 17b. For example, under the condition that the flow rate of the introduced gas is constant, the feedback means 18 determines that the amount of released gas is large when the detected pressure is high, and increases the amount of power of the high-frequency power source 13 to generate more plasma. Let That is, the cleaning effect is enhanced by controlling the amount of released gas to be equal to or less than a predetermined value.

  Note that the method of increasing the amount of power of the high frequency power supply 13 may be to increase the cleaning time and / or increase the high frequency power. The feedback means 18 may be constituted by an electric circuit using an error amplifier, or may be constituted by computer software.

  Further, the RF power source 13 activated simultaneously with the melting is subjected to RF cleaning in the activated state even after the completion of the melting as shown in FIG. 5A, and the RF cleaning as shown in FIG. 5B. After the start, melting may be started in parallel with this, and as shown in FIG. 5 (c), melting may be performed just before the end of the RF cleaning. Further, the feedback means 18 in the RF cleaning step S404 may be appropriately selected, for example, by performing feedback control only in the latter half of the cleaning step S404. Step S404 includes cleaning without feedback control. However, the effect of the feedback control in step S404 is very large, and only RF cleaning may be performed regardless of the melting as shown in FIG. By performing RF cleaning while detecting the discharge gas flow rate, it is possible to select an optimum amount of electric power, so that the tact time is not prolonged by cleaning more than necessary. Further, there is no possibility that the cleaning is terminated and the film formation is not adversely affected although the cleaning is not sufficiently performed. Since the film forming steps S410 and S411 are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, since the atmosphere adjustment step S401, the melting step S403, and the RF cleaning step S404 in the pre-deposition stage are performed simultaneously in parallel, the exhaust time can be further reduced as compared with the first embodiment. When RF cleaning is normally performed before film formation, since melting and RF cleaning are performed as separate processes, RF cleaning is performed after the completion of melting and the vacuum chamber 2 reaches the target vacuum level. The process proceeds to the membrane stage, but this embodiment combines the effects of plasma generation in the exhaust and the effects of parallel processing of each process, further reducing the exhaust time and improving productivity. Contribute to improvement.

Embodiment 3. FIG.
In the first embodiment, a configuration in which plasma is generated by applying a high-frequency voltage to the substrate dome 6 is shown as a configuration that serves as both a plasma generating unit for the melting step and a plasma generating unit for the film forming step. In the present embodiment, assuming that plasma generation is not required during film formation, a plasma generation unit specialized for the melting process is provided.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third embodiment. Since the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. The difference from the first embodiment is that a high-frequency coil 19 is disposed between the shutter 11 and the substrate dome 6 as plasma generating means and connected to the high-frequency power source 13. Further, a feedback system (measuring means 16 or 17 and feedback means 18) may be added as in FIG.

  This embodiment is advantageous when a substrate having a low heat-resistant temperature is used as the substrate 5 because no high-frequency voltage is applied to the substrate dome 2. Of course, the present invention can also be applied when using a substrate having a high heat-resistant temperature.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since it is not necessary to consider the generation of plasma for the film forming process, the plasma generating means may be configured to be optimal for assisting the vapor deposition material scattered in the melting process with ions. it can. That is, the original purpose of the substrate dome 2 is to hold the substrate, and the distance between the plurality of substrates disposed on the dome and the vapor deposition source must be kept unchanged. Therefore, it is necessary to design the material, shape, size, and the like so that the substrate dome is not greatly deformed by gravity, heat, and centrifugal force applied to the substrate dome. However, the resulting substrate dome is not always optimally designed for plasma generation. On the other hand, in the configuration using the high-frequency coil 19, the optimum design for plasma generation, such as the material, position, and shape, can be performed. Thereby, power saving of high frequency power can be achieved, and when feedback control is performed as in the second embodiment, responsiveness (response speed, etc.) of feedback control can be improved.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the fourth embodiment, when a substrate having a lower heat resistant temperature than that of the substrate used in the third embodiment is used, that is, a substrate that is affected even by discharge by an RF coil provided in a vapor deposition source. Effective when using.

The apparatus used in this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. 6, but is characterized in that the substrate 5 is not set at the time of melting in the operation. FIG. 7 is a timing chart for explaining the operation.
In the preparation step S <b> 700, the substrate 5 is kept outside the vacuum chamber 2 and is filled with a vapor deposition material 8 corresponding to the film formed on the crucible 9. Then, in the atmosphere adjustment step S701, the inside of the vacuum chamber 2 is set and maintained in a predetermined gas atmosphere, and in the plasma generation step S702, the high frequency power source 13 is activated and a high frequency voltage is applied to the high frequency coil 19 to generate plasma. . The melting step S703 is started simultaneously with the start of the plasma generation step S702. In the melting step S703, an electron beam is irradiated from the electron gun 10 onto the vapor deposition material 8 in the crucible 9, and the vapor deposition material 8 is melted in a plasma atmosphere.

  Thereafter, the inside of the vacuum chamber 2 is opened to the atmosphere in step S705, the substrate 5 is set on the substrate dome 6 in step S706, and the inside of the vacuum chamber 2 is again set and maintained at a predetermined gas atmosphere in the atmosphere adjustment step S707. The process proceeds to a film forming step S710 and a film forming step S711. Of course, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to generate plasma in the film forming process.

  Alternatively, the temperature in the tank is once lowered in step S705, and then in step S706, the substrate is set using a preparation chamber connected to the vacuum tank and provided with an exhaust means, a substrate transfer robot, or the like (not shown). Is also effective. In this case, since it is not necessary to open to the atmosphere, it is possible to contribute to shortening of processing time, saving of introduced gas, and the like. The method for lowering the temperature in the tank may be introduction gas flow, simple standby (waiting for the temperature to naturally decrease), or cooling by a separate cooling device.

The operation and effect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a change in the introduced gas flow rate during the film forming process when the pressure in the vacuum chamber is kept constant using APC (automatic pressure controller). The horizontal axis represents time, and the origin is the time when the film forming process starts, that is, the moment when the shutter 11 is opened. Line N in the figure is a case where plasma is not generated in the melting step, and line RF is a case where plasma is generated in the melting step as in the present invention. As shown in the figure, the line N indicates that a release gas is generated after the start of the film forming process, and the inflow amount of the introduced gas gradually decreases in order to suppress the pressure increase in the tank due to the release gas. . This is because the fragile brittle film deposited on the wall of the vacuum chamber absorbs moisture and is gradually released by the radiation heat of the vapor deposition source and the heat of the evaporated substance during the film formation. This released gas is mixed in the film and induces deterioration of reproducibility of the film quality. On the other hand, the line RF shows that the amount of introduced gas flowing in is stable because almost no emission gas is generated after the start of the film forming process. By performing the melting process in the plasma atmosphere, an environment in which moisture is difficult to adsorb is created, and the adsorbed moisture is released efficiently, so there is almost no fluctuation and an atmosphere with stable oxygen partial pressure can be created. I understand that. This also shortens the exhaust time and contributes to shortening the work time.

  11A and 11B compare the spectral characteristics of the element created in the first batch and the spectral characteristics of the element created in the 15th batch for the element (substrate) after film formation. . FIG. 11A shows the spectral characteristics when plasma is not generated in the melting step, and FIG. 11B shows the case where plasma is generated in the melting step as in the present invention. In both cases, the horizontal axis represents wavelength, and the vertical axis represents transmittance. If the inside of the tank becomes dirty due to the number of batches, the spectral characteristics shift to the long wavelength side. In FIG. 11 (a), the spectral characteristics are greatly degraded after 15 batches. However, in FIG. 11 (b), a state in which almost no released gas is present in the film forming process can always be obtained by the effect of the present invention. It can be seen that the dispersion of the spectral characteristics of the deposited elements is small and the reproducibility is good.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the substrate dome rotation mechanism, the substrate heating mechanism, and the like are omitted, but these mechanisms may be added as necessary. Further, any film forming method may be applied as long as each process in the film forming stage is appropriate. Further, although the electron gun is used to evaporate the vapor deposition material, evaporation by resistance heating may be used. Further, during the melting process, the vacuum chamber may be once opened to the atmosphere to replenish the vapor deposition material, and the melting process may be resumed after evacuating again.
In Embodiments 3 to 4 described above, plasma generation in the film forming preparation step is saved, but it may be selected as appropriate in consideration of the effect of the present invention and the influence of plasma on the temperature rise of the substrate. In addition, even for a vapor deposition material that cannot be melted, such as a material having a low thermal conductivity, the effect of the present invention can be obtained by generating plasma at the time of heating the material immediately before film formation, that is, in the film preparation step in the present invention. Can be obtained.
In the above embodiment, RF discharge is used as the plasma generating means, but an ion gun or the like may be used. In this case, the ion beam may be directly irradiated to the wall surface of the vacuum chamber, the shutter, the deposition preventing plate, etc. simultaneously with the melting. Further, the cleaning step S404 is not limited to the RF discharge, and an ion gun or the like may be used.

It is a figure which shows the vacuum evaporation system of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the vacuum evaporation system of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the vacuum evaporation system of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the vacuum evaporation apparatus of a prior art. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of a prior art. It is a figure which shows the introduction gas flow rate in the film-forming process. It is a figure explaining the reproducibility of the film-forming process.

Explanation of symbols

1. 1. Vacuum deposition apparatus 2. Vacuum chamber 3. Exhaust port 4. Gas inlet Substrate 6. 6. Substrate dome Power supply unit 8. 8. Vapor deposition material Crucible 10. Electron gun 11. Shutter 12. Neutralizer13. High frequency power supply 14. Anti-adhesion plate 15. Control means 16a. APC (automatic pressure controller)
16b. Gas flow rate monitoring means 17a. MFC (mass flow controller)
17b. Pressure monitoring means 18. Feedback means 19. High frequency coil

Claims (14)

A vacuum chamber having a gas intake / exhaust unit, a substrate holding unit disposed inside the vacuum chamber, a vapor deposition source provided with a heating unit disposed opposite to the substrate holding unit, a shutter for opening and closing the vapor deposition source, a plasma generating unit, and the A method for controlling a vacuum deposition apparatus comprising a gas intake / exhaust means, a heating means, a plasma generating means, and a control means for controlling the shutter,
(A) A step of filling the vapor deposition source with a vapor deposition material and installing a substrate on the substrate holding means;
(B) a step of setting and maintaining the inside of the vacuum chamber in a predetermined gas atmosphere by the gas intake / exhaust means;
(C) a step of generating a plasma atmosphere in the vacuum chamber by the plasma generating means, and (D) a melting step of previously melting the vapor deposition material using the heating means in the plasma atmosphere.
The steps (C) and (D) are performed simultaneously for at least a predetermined period of time,
further,
(E1) A step of heating the vapor deposition material solidified after being melted in the step (D), and (E 2 ) a step of starting the film formation by opening the shutter.
A control method comprising:
2. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the vacuum evaporation apparatus further includes a pressure controller that keeps the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber constant, and a flow rate monitoring unit that detects a flow rate of introduced gas in the gas intake / exhaust unit,
A control method in which, in the step ( C ), the plasma generation electric energy is fed back so that the flow rate of the introduced gas detected by the flow rate monitoring means becomes a predetermined value or more.
2. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the vacuum evaporation apparatus further includes a flow rate controller that keeps a flow rate of the introduced gas in the gas intake / exhaust unit constant, and a pressure monitor unit that detects an internal pressure of the vacuum chamber,
A control method in which, in the step ( C ), the plasma generated electric energy is fed back so that the pressure detected by the pressure monitoring means becomes a predetermined value or less.
A vacuum chamber having a gas intake / exhaust unit, a substrate holding unit disposed inside the vacuum chamber, a vapor deposition source provided with a heating unit disposed opposite to the substrate holding unit, a shutter for opening and closing the vapor deposition source, a plasma generating unit, and the A method for controlling a vacuum deposition apparatus comprising a gas intake / exhaust means, a heating means, a plasma generating means, and a control means for controlling the shutter,
(A) filling the vapor deposition source with a vapor deposition material;
(B) a step of setting and maintaining the inside of the vacuum chamber in a predetermined gas atmosphere by the gas intake / exhaust means;
(C) a step of generating a plasma atmosphere in the vacuum chamber by the plasma generating means, and (D) a melting step of previously melting the vapor deposition material using the heating means in the plasma atmosphere.
The steps (C) and (D) are performed simultaneously for at least a predetermined period of time,
further,
(F) installing the substrate on the substrate holding means;
(H1) a step of heating the vapor deposition material solidified after being melted in the step (D), and (H 2 ) a step of starting the film formation by opening the shutter.
A control method comprising:
The control method according to claim 4 , wherein
Before the step (F), (E) the step of opening the vacuum chamber to the atmosphere, and after the step (F), (G) setting the inside of the vacuum chamber to a predetermined gas atmosphere by the gas intake / exhaust means And a control method including the step of maintaining.
The control method as claimed in any one claims 1 to 5, wherein the plasma generating means is comprised of a high frequency power source for applying a high frequency voltage to the substrate holding means and the substrate dome consisting substrate dome, plasma generation amount Is controlled by the high-frequency power source and / or the introduced gas flow rate.
The control method according to any one claims 1 to 5, wherein the plasma generating means comprises a high-frequency power source for applying a high frequency voltage to the coil and the coil provided inside the vacuum chamber, a plasma generation A control method in which the amount is controlled by the high-frequency power source and / or the introduced gas flow rate.
The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the heating unit includes an electron gun that irradiates the deposition material with an electron beam, and the step (D) includes:
(D) A control method that is a melting step in which the electron gun is irradiated in the plasma atmosphere to melt the vapor deposition material.
The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the granular deposition material is melted in the step (D).
A vacuum chamber having a gas intake / exhaust unit, a substrate holding unit disposed inside the vacuum chamber, a vapor deposition source disposed opposite to the substrate holding unit and set with a vapor deposition material, and a heating unit for melting and heating the vapor deposition material A vacuum evaporation apparatus, and
Plasma generating means for generating plasma in the vacuum chamber, and control means for controlling the operating state of the plasma generating means and the heating means,
The control means controls the heating means and the plasma generating means, and the heating means previously melts and solidifies the vapor deposition material in the first operation state, and the first operation state in the second operational state after it, heating the solidified the vapor deposition material, at least the heating means while in the operating state of said first, said plasma generating means is configured to be in an operating state A vacuum deposition apparatus characterized by the above.
The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
A pressure controller for keeping the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber constant; and a gas flow rate monitoring means for detecting a flow rate of introduced gas in the gas intake / exhaust means
Further comprising
A vacuum deposition apparatus in which the amount of plasma generated electric power is fed back by a feedback means so that an introduced gas flow rate detected by the gas flow rate monitor becomes a predetermined value or more.
The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
A flow rate controller for keeping a flow rate of introduced gas constant in the gas intake / exhaust means, and a pressure monitor means for detecting an internal pressure of the vacuum chamber
Further comprising
A vacuum deposition apparatus in which the amount of plasma generated electric power is fed back by feedback means so that the pressure detected by the pressure monitor becomes a predetermined value or less.
In the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus as claimed in any one claims 12 to claim 10, wherein the plasma generating means comprises a high-frequency power source for applying a high frequency voltage to the substrate holding means and the substrate dome consisting substrate dome, plasma generation A vacuum deposition apparatus in which the amount is controlled by the high-frequency power source and / or the introduced gas flow rate.
The vacuum deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12 , wherein the plasma generating means includes a coil in which the vacuum chamber is provided and a high-frequency power source that applies a high-frequency voltage to the coil. A vacuum deposition apparatus in which the generation amount is controlled by the high-frequency power source and / or the introduced gas flow rate.

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