KR101065312B1 - Apparatus for depositing an atomic layer - Google Patents

Abstract

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and an object thereof is to provide an atomic layer deposition apparatus capable of continuously forming an inorganic layer of a thin film on a substrate for a flexible flat panel display.

To this end, the present invention, at least two different reaction gases are injected into the chamber, at least two reaction chambers which are separated from each other, and are located next to each of the reaction chambers and adjacent to each of the reaction chambers. Inert gas is injected into the chamber, and the at least two purge chambers separated from the reaction chambers and the flexible rolled substrate are sequentially passed through the reaction chambers and the purge chambers in the order of their arrangement. An atomic layer deposition apparatus including a substrate supply unit is provided.

Description

Apparatus for depositing an atomic layer

1 is a block diagram sequentially showing the process steps of the ALD method performed by the atomic layer deposition apparatus of the present invention,

2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ALD device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a side cross-sectional view of the first reaction chamber 21 of the chambers of FIG.

<Brief description of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: flexible substrate 20: holding chamber

21: first reaction chamber 22: first purge chamber

23: second reaction chamber 24: second purge chamber

30: substrate supply part 32: donor roller

33: winding roller 41: first injector

42: second injector 43: third injector

50: gas pump

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an atomic layer deposition apparatus, and more particularly, to an inline atomic layer deposition apparatus capable of speeding up a process.

Atomic layer deposition (hereinafter referred to as ALD method) is a method of forming a thin film through surface reaction while injecting reaction gases in time division, and is a deposition method showing excellent applicability and uniformity.

US Patent Publication No. 20040026374 and US Patent No. 672163 disclose an apparatus for performing an ALD process using a plurality of chambers.

However, such a conventional ALD device was developed with the process of depositing a thin film on a wafer in mind, and the plurality of reaction chambers are arranged in a circle so as to perform the process continuously in a reaction chamber arranged in a circle, or a separate sheet. The substrate is provided to pass through a plurality of reaction chambers.

Therefore, such a conventional ALD device has a limitation in that it is difficult to mass-produce by applying a general substrate as in the case of manufacturing a flexible display. That is, in the case of the board | substrate for general flexible displays, although the plastic rolling film can be used, there exists a limit which cannot apply such a rolling film.

In addition, when the moisture permeability and oxygen permeability of the substrate itself are required as in the organic light emitting display device, the above-described conventional ALD device is provided to discharge the gas in the supply direction of the reaction gas so as to form a single sided film. It is provided and has a limit inferior to the said moisture permeability and oxygen permeability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and an object thereof is to provide an atomic layer deposition apparatus capable of continuously forming an inorganic layer of a thin film on a substrate for a flexible flat panel display.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, at least two different reaction gases are injected into the chamber, at least two reaction chambers which are separated from each other, and are located after each of the reaction chambers, and each reaction chamber The at least two purge chambers adjacent to the field, and the inert gas is injected into the chamber and separated from the reaction chambers, and the flexible rolled substrate is sequentially arranged in the order in which the reaction chambers and the purge chambers are arranged. Provided is an atomic layer deposition apparatus comprising a substrate supply for passing therethrough.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 sequentially shows the process steps of an ALD method performed by an atomic layer deposition apparatus of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as an "ALD apparatus").

As shown in FIG. 1, first, a flexible substrate is inserted into a reaction chamber (S1), and a first material source is fed into the chamber to form a first material layer by chemical vapor deposition (S2). Thereafter, after the first purge step S3 of removing the first reactant in the chamber, the second reactant is fed into the chamber to cause the first layer of material and the second reactant to react. The material layer is changed to form an atomic layer thin film of a desired component (S4). In addition, a second purge step S5 for removing the remaining second reactant or the by-products generated by the reaction may not be performed. For example, when forming an atomic layer thin film made of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3), a trimethyl aluminum (TMA: Al (CH 3) 3) film is first deposited, followed by heat treatment by feeding water vapor or ozone or the like to convert the trimethyl aluminum film to an aluminum oxide film. To form an atomic layer thin film.

The thickness of the atomic layer thin film may be adjusted by repeatedly performing the cycle of the first feeding step, the first purge step, the second feeding step, and the second purge step once or several times.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ALD device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the first reaction chamber 21 of the chambers of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, the ALD apparatus of the present invention is positioned after the first reaction chamber 21 and the first reaction chamber 21 for injecting the first reaction gas, and the first purge chamber 22 for injecting inert gas. ), A second purge chamber 23 subsequent to the first purge chamber 22 and a second purge chamber 23 injecting the second reaction gas, and a second purge subsequent to the second reaction chamber 23 and injecting an inert gas. The chamber 24 is arranged continuously. In the first reaction chamber 21, the first feeding step S2 as shown in FIG. 1 is performed, in the second purge chamber 22, the first purging step S3 is performed, and the second reaction chamber 23 is performed. In step 2), a second feeding step S4 is performed, and in the second purge chamber 24, a second purging step S5 is performed.

In the present invention, these first reaction chamber 21, first purge chamber 22, second reaction chamber 23, and second purge chamber 24 are in-line as shown in FIG. Is connected in phase. The first reaction chamber 21, the first purge chamber 22, the second reaction chamber 23, and the second purge chamber 24 are sequentially connected to form a first chamber group I, Adjacent to the first chamber group I, the first reaction chamber 21, the first purge chamber 22, the second reaction chamber 23, and the second purge chamber 24 are sequentially connected to each other. The chamber group II and the third chamber group III of the same structure may be sequentially connected. Such chamber groups may be arranged in various numbers according to substrates and film formation conditions.

In each chamber, an opening 25 is formed to allow the flexible substrate 10 to pass therethrough, and rollers 31 supporting the rolled substrate 10 may be provided between the openings 25. .

These chambers penetrate the flexible rolled substrate 10. As this substrate 10, not only a plastic film but all kinds of flexible substrates, such as a metal foil, are applicable.

The substrate 10 on the roll passes through the chambers sequentially by the substrate supply unit 30. The substrate supply unit 30 is a winding roller 33 provided at the end positions of the chambers and a main roller provided at the start position of the chambers. It may be provided with a roller (32). In the loading step S1, which is the deposition start step, the winding roller 33 pulls the substrate 10 while passing the chambers while winding the feeder 11 positioned at the tip of the substrate 10, and the roller 32 gives After mounting the roll-shaped board | substrate 10, it loosens continuously.

The substrate supply unit 30 and the chambers are mounted in the holding chamber 20, and the holding chamber 20 may be adjusted to take a positive pressure, a negative pressure, or an atmospheric pressure according to deposition conditions. Although not shown in the drawings, each of the chambers 21, 22, 23, and 24 may be provided with a separate heating device to adjust deposition conditions. The main roller 32 and the winding roller 33 may be provided on the outside of the holding chamber 20, and the holding chamber 20 may be provided with an opening / closing door to allow the substrate 10 to pass. In addition, another processing chamber may be further disposed between the holding chamber 20, the main roller 32, and the winding roller 33 so that a plurality of processes may be continuously performed.

Meanwhile, gas injectors 41, 42, 43 for injecting each gas are connected to the upper ends of the chambers 21, 22, 23, and 24, and the gas for discharging each gas at the lower end thereof. The pump 50 is connected.

That is, the first gas injector 41 is connected to the first nozzle 51 installed in the first reaction chamber 21, and the second gas injector 42 is the first purge chamber 22 and the second purge chamber ( It is connected to the second nozzle 52 and the fourth nozzle 54 installed in the 24, respectively, the third gas injector 43 is connected to the third nozzle 53 installed in the second reaction chamber (23).

The first gas injector 41 injects the first reaction gas into the first reaction chamber 21 through the first nozzle 51. The third gas injector 43 injects the second reaction gas into the second reaction chamber 23 through the third nozzle 53. In addition, the second gas injector 42 may be configured to supply an inert gas such as N2, H2, Ar between the first reaction chamber 21 and the second reaction chamber 23 and at the rear end of the second reaction chamber 23. The first purge chamber 22 and the second purge chamber 24 are sprayed.

The gas pump 50 is connected to the opposite side on which the nozzles 51, 52, 53, 54 are installed to discharge the gas in each of the chambers 21, 22, 23, 24 by vacuum formation. In FIG. 2, each chamber 21, 22, 23, 24 is illustrated as being connected to and discharged from one gas pump 50. 23 and 24 may be connected to separate gas pumps, respectively.

In the present invention, the gas injectors 41, 42, 43 are connected to the upper ends of the chambers 21, 22, 23, and 24, and the gas pump discharges each gas at the lower end thereof. As the 50 is connected, the gas flow in each of the chambers 21, 22, 23, 24 can flow in one direction, as can be seen in FIG. 2.

The above description shows an ALD apparatus for performing atomic layer deposition using two different kinds of reaction gases, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the same can be applied to the case where three or more kinds of reaction gases are used. For example, when performing atomic layer deposition using three different reaction gases, a third reaction chamber and a third purge chamber are further disposed between the second purge chamber 24 and the first reaction chamber 21. Just do it.

Next, the operation of the ALD device having the above configuration will be described.

First, in the loading step (S1), the flexible substrate 10 in a roll is mounted on the roller 32 to give the feeder 11 at the tip of the substrate 10 to the winding roller 33, and then the substrate supply part ( 30).

Next, the first reaction chamber 21, the second reaction gas through the first injector 41, the second injector 42, and the third injector 43, respectively, The first and second purge chambers 22 and 24 are sprayed into the second reaction chamber 23. Then, the gas pump 50 is operated so that the gas flows from top to bottom as shown in FIG.

In this state, the substrate 100 forms the first material layer on the surface of the substrate by chemical vapor deposition while passing through the first reaction chamber 21 (S2), and then passes through the first purge chamber 22. The first purge step (S3) of removing the first reaction gas or by-products is performed. Next, the first material layer and the second reaction gas already formed on the surface of the substrate pass through the second reaction chamber 23 to cause a reaction, and the first material layer is changed to form an atomic layer thin film of a desired component ( S4), and then passes through the second purge chamber 24, a second purge step (S5) for removing the unreacted second reaction gas or by-products.

This step is repeatedly performed while passing through the second chamber group II and the third chamber group III located after the second purge chamber 24, thereby forming an atomic layer thin film having a desired thickness. .

3 illustrates a state of the substrate 10 passing through the first reaction chamber 21. The reaction gas surrounds the substrate 10 in each chamber. As such, since the reaction gas flows around the substrate 10, the atomic layer thin film is formed to surround the surface of the substrate 10.

The ALD device according to the present invention can be used as a substrate of a flexible display device. As described above, by forming in-line, the ALD device can significantly shorten the process time and increase productivity.

According to the present invention as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

First, it is easy to form an atomic layer thin film on the flexible substrate on a roll by arrange | positioning each chamber inline shape.

Second, by allowing the reaction gas to flow in one direction in each chamber, it is possible to form a film so as to surround the substrate, thereby further improving the barrier characteristics of the substrate.

Third, by supplying the flexible substrate on the roll, the process time can be significantly shortened and the productivity can be increased.

Although the above has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art will be able to variously modify and change the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. It will be appreciated.

Claims (4)

At least two reaction chambers in which at least two different reaction gases are injected into the chamber and are separated from each other; At least two purge chambers positioned subsequent to the reaction chambers, adjacent to the reaction chambers, inert gas is injected into the chamber, and separated from the reaction chambers; And And a substrate supply unit configured to sequentially pass through the reaction chambers and the purge chambers in a flexible rolled substrate. The method of claim 1, And the different kinds of reaction chambers and purge chambers disposed subsequent to each of the reaction chambers form one chamber group, and the plurality of chamber groups are arranged in-line. The method of claim 1, The substrate supply unit, A juge roller positioned at one outer side of the reaction chambers and the purge chambers to supply the substrate on the roll to the reaction chambers and the purge chambers; And And a winding roller positioned on the outer side of the reaction chambers and the purge chambers to wind a substrate on a roll passing through the reaction chambers and the purge chambers. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A gas injector for injecting each gas is connected to the upper end of the chambers, and a gas pump for discharging each gas is connected to the lower end.

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