JP3481953B2 - Equipment for coating substrates - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for coating a substrate in a vacuum chamber, which is a substrate holder arranged in the vacuum chamber, an apparatus for generating a plasma cloud, and a plasma cloud for the substrate. A magnet for directing to the surface, the apparatus for generating a plasma cloud comprises an electron emitter and a tubular tubular trailer, the tubular anode having a process gas inlet for igniting the plasma,
It further relates to the type in which the tubular anode is provided with a magnet for directing and guiding the plasma through the tubular anode into the process chamber.

[0002]

A plasma generator having an ion beam generator, arranged in a separate chamber connected to a vacuum chamber,
The type in which the cylindrical chamber of the chamber forms the anode and is provided with an inlet connection for the process gas is already known ("Journal of Nuclear").
Malerial "121 (1984), 277-2.
D.82. M. Goebel, G .; Campbe
11 and R.I. W. Conn's papers North Hall
and Physics Publishing Di
vision, Amsterdam). The cylindrical chamber consists of a ring-shaped magnet coil with a tube for cooling the chamber wall. The electron emitter itself is provided on the wall opposite the original vacuum chamber, which closes one end of the cylindrical chamber.

Furthermore, in a cathode sputtering device, the vacuum chamber is connected to a device for producing a plasma beam, which has a target, which cooperates with a magnet for directing the plasma beam to the surface of the target, Equipping the target surface with a device for accelerating ionization in a plasma beam that releases particles, holding the substrate for coating with the released particles,
It is known to provide a device for directing at least one split beam or partial beam of a plasma beam from a target onto a substrate, for example of the type having a substrate holder arranged inside a vacuum chamber (eg magnet type). DE-OS3
No. 830478).

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an improved apparatus for coating metal or dielectric materials with a separately generated plasma to provide particularly high coating homogeneity, simple structure, and plasma generated coating. It is done independently of the generation of the material, so that the individual parameters can be adjusted independently of each other. Furthermore, the size of the substrate that can be coated should be chosen as freely as possible and the coating thickness should be as uniform as possible.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the above object is to provide an apparatus, within a process chamber, for generating atoms, molecules, or clusters of material for producing a layer on a substrate.
An electron-beam evaporator, a thermal evaporator or a sputter cathode is preferably arranged directly next to the plasma source, facing the substrate holder, so that the vaporized or splattered material is discharged directly from the device. It was solved by being brought on the substrate.

Embodiments, details and other features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

[0007]

EXAMPLES The present invention can be implemented in various embodiments. One of these embodiments is shown in the drawing, which schematically shows the structure of the device according to the invention.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for adjusting the layer properties of thin layers, which can be insulating layers or metallic layers.

Application of such a thin layer onto the substrates 31, 31 '... Held by the substrate holder 30 is performed by vapor deposition or sputtering in the vacuum chamber 2. The method itself comprises a plasma protected process in which the layer properties of the growing thin layer are moderated by ion implantation from the plasma edge layer 32.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a plasma source (APS source), generally designated by the reference numeral 29, said plasma source 2
The required plasma cloud 28 is generated at 9 and the plasma source 2 using suitable magnetic and electrical fields.
It is extracted from 9.

After being extracted from the plasma source 29, the plasma cloud 28 is guided from the plasma source 29 to the substrate holder 30 using a suitable magnetic field, diffused, and distributed as uniformly as possible within the range of the substrate holder. To be distributed. The ions in the plasma cloud 28 are transferred to the conduits 20, 21.
Formed by the ions of the gas introduced into the plasma source 29 via or traverses the plasma cloud 28 and consists of ionized evaporation material 33 or sputter material which is then ionized.

The substrate holder 30 is insulated from the vacuum chamber 2 or DC- (35, 42) via a switch 57.
Or (and) connected to the HF-network device 34. The substrate holder 30 has a vapor deposition protection shield 25, which prevents a part of the surface of the substrate holder 30 from being covered with the insulating material when the vapor deposition protection shield 25 is applied with an insulating material. It allows the charged charges to flow out through the substrate holder 30.

Further, the vacuum device comprises a device for producing atoms or molecules or clusters of material to form a thin layer. This device is an electron beam evaporator 37 in the example described. However, the device may also be a thermal evaporator, HF or DC sputter cathode or ion beam sputter cathode.

The vacuum device has a gas inlet 19 through which reactant gases such as O ₂ and N ₂ are introduced, which guides the plasma 28 from the plasma source 29 to the substrate holder and provides an appropriate density distribution of the plasma to the substrate holder 30. It has a system of electromagnetic coils 4, 7 or 26, 27 that can be generated locally.

Furthermore, the vacuum device has a vapor deposition protection shield 25 which allows the flow of charged bodies when applying an insulating material.

A plasma source (APS-source), indicated generally by the numeral 29, is provided in the apparatus for producing a plasma cloud 28 and for adjusting the layer properties of the thin layer.

In this plasma source 29, a hot glow discharge is generated to generate plasma. For this purpose, the plasma source 29 has a cathode 11 which is insulated from the device. The cathode 11 comprises a heater 12 made of graphite, for example, which is heated by alternating current. The heater 12 indirectly heats the cathode 11 by radiation. The cathode is made of a material that allows the emission of electrons in the hot state, for example lanthanum hexaborate (LaB ₆ ). The cathode itself is composed of a cylindrical portion and a triangular portion, and the emitted electrons fly both radially and axially with respect to the axis of the plasma source, that is, vertically in the case shown.

The plasma source 29 further comprises an anode tube 38 insulated from the device and the cathode 11.
The anode tube 38 is provided with a cooling spiral tube 8 through which water flows, for example. Current is likewise supplied to the device via an insulated cooling medium tube 22.

The process gas itself is a natural gas such as Ar.
Or it can be a reaction gas, such as O ₂ or a mixture of both. Both gas supply conduits 20, 21 are themselves electrically isolated from the device.

Further, the plasma source 29 is provided with two water-cooled high-current conducting parts 39, 40 and a long solenoid magnet 7 fitted over the anode tube 38. In this case, the solenoid magnet 7 produces an axial magnetic field parallel to the vertical axis of the plasma source 29.

Due to the solenoid magnet 7, the mobility of electrons is strongly reduced in the radial direction and strongly enhanced in the vertical direction. A short solenoid magnet 4 is arranged at the end of the long solenoid magnet 7. The solenoid magnet 4 strengthens the magnetic field at the end of a long solenoid magnet 7. The magnetic field becomes more uniform in this manner. This is because the axial magnetic field of one solenoid magnet decreases in half from the center to the end. The extraction of the plasma cloud 28 from the plasma source 29 into the vacuum device is thus improved with the device described.

In the plasma source 29, a cylindrical shield tube 5 made of a soft magnetic material is fitted on the long solenoid magnet 7. This shield tube 5 is provided with a plasma source 29.
It serves to shield the stray magnetic fields present in the device (eg the stray magnetic fields caused by the electron beam evaporator) so that the plasma cloud 28 therein is not compromised. Further, the plasma source 29 includes the dark shield 3. The dark shield 3
Prevents the generation of inconvenient auxiliary plasma outside the plasma source 29.

The plasma source 29 and the substrate holder 30 can be connected to the electric network devices 34, 35 and 42, respectively, so that the working mode of the plasma source 29 and the characteristics of the plasma cloud 28 can be determined. In addition, a special heating grid device 41 is provided for the heater 12 of the cathode 11.

Further, the plasma source 29 has a power supply device 25 for discharging current. The discharge current causes the cathode 1
The potential difference between 1 and the anode 38 or 30 or 2 is determined.

Finally, the plasma source 29 is a voltage supply device 42.
Is equipped with. The voltage supply device 42 makes it possible to provide a "Bias" -potential difference, for example between the plasma source 29 and the device 2 or the substrate holder 30. This can affect the plasma potential and the ions hitting the substrates 31, 31 '...

The substrate holder 30 is a high frequency voltage supply device 34.
The high frequency voltage supply device 34 is provided with an insulating substrate 3
, 31 '... are given an additional DC-Bias voltage relatively to the plasma cloud 28, which makes it possible to increase the energy and current intensity of the ions hitting the substrates 31, 31'.

In the circuit shown, the plasma source acts as a "Relexarc" -source. Anode tube 38
Is directly connected to the plasma electrode of the discharge supply device 35, so that discharge current can flow out only through the anode tube 38. The plasma source 29 is arranged insulated from the rest of the device. Electrons emitted from the cathode 11 are blocked by the axial magnetic field of the solenoid magnet 7 and directly reach the anode tube 38. Rather, the electrons follow the magnetic field lines of force and exit the plasma source 29, creating a plasma cloud 28 outside the plasma source. The entire plasma source 29 is thus provided with a positive potential with respect to the rest of the device. The result of this is the formation of an electrical field that reflects the electrons out of the plasma source and back towards the anode tube 38 along the magnetic field lines.

In this mode of operation, the substrate holder 30 has a negative Bi, for example in the case of an ion plating process.
It is not charged to the as-potential. The substrate holder 30 is usually charged from + 2V to + 5V. In this case, the ions maintain their energy over the potential difference between the anode tube 38 and the substrate holder 30.

Typical values for this Par = 2 × 10 ^-4 mbar (crossing the plasma source) Po ₂ = 4 × 10 ^-4 mbar (crossing the device) U cathode-anode = 60V U anode-device = + 75V 1 discharge = 45 A As can be seen from the drawing, both the anode tube 38 and the hollow cylindrical magnetic field shield 5 are made of an insulating plate 6 made of ceramic.
Listed above. The insulating plate 6 itself rests on a contact plate 16 made of copper.

The heater 12 is fixedly connected to the hat-shaped electron emitter 11 with the help of a clamp ring 13. In this case, two contact pins 14, 15 are provided, with which the heater 12 is supported on the one hand by the contact plate 16 and on the other hand by the contact pin 47.

The contact plate 16 is connected to the high current conducting portion 39 via the pin 17. The high-current conducting part 39 has a cooling medium tube 23 which is held on the wall of the vacuum chamber 2 with the help of an insulator 53 and through which water flows further. The contact plate 16 is electrically insulated from the high current conducting portion 40 by using a ceramic ring 18. The high-current conducting section 40 likewise comprises a cooling medium tube 24 and is in conductive contact with the contact pin 14 via a pin 47. The high-current conducting portion 48 is held at the bottom of the vacuum chamber by an insulator 55 and surrounds the cooling medium pipe 22 through which water flows. The cooling medium pipe 22 is connected to the DC-network device 35. The conduits 20 and 21 are connected to the inflow connection 9 or 10 and both are electrically insulated hose intermediate pieces 50 or 5.
Have one.

An evaporator 37 arranged at the bottom of the vacuum chamber 2 adjacent to the plasma source 29 includes an evaporator frame 46,
A crucible having the coating material to be vaporized, held in the upper part by the vaporizer frame 46, an electron beam canon 44 for melting and vaporizing the material, and a diaphragm 56 for directing the electron beam.
And consists of.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the device of the present invention.

[Simple explanation of symbols]

2 vacuum chamber 3 Dark shield 4 solenoid magnet 5 Magnetic field shield 6 Insulation plate 7 Solenoid magnet 8 Cooling pipe 9 Inflow connection 10 Inflow connection 11 electron emitter 12 Graphite heater 13 Clamp ring 14,15 contact pin 16 contact plate 17 contact pins 18 Ceramic ring 19 oxygen and / or nitrogen 20 oxygen and / or nitrogen 21 Argon inlet 22, 23, 24 Coolant tubes 25 Umbrella-shaped thin section 26,27 ring magnet 28 Plasma Cloud 29 Plasma source 30 substrate holder 31, 31 'substrate 32 Plasma edge layer 33 Evaporative material 34 HF-network equipment 36 Evaporation protection shield 37 electron beam evaporator 38 Anode tube 39,40 High current energizer 41 power supply 42 Voltage supply unit 43 Process chamber 44 electron beam cannon 45 crucibles 46 evaporator frame 47 contact pins 49 axes 50,51 Insulation hose 52,52 'hole 53,54,55 Isolator 56 aperture 57 switch

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───Continued from the front page (72) Inventor Robert W. Concon United States California Los Angeles Parnell Avenue 1818 Number 1 (72) Inventor Karl Myrtle Germany Klein Ostheim Hellburel Link 27 (72) Inventor Peter Zomerkamp Federal Republic of Germany Hanau Schwalben Strasse 3 (72) Inventor Alphonse Seeler Federal Republic of Germany Bad Soden-Salmunster Ketterer Strasse 24 (56) Reference JP 63-274762 (JP, A) JP 63-62872 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) C23C 14/00-14/58 H01J 37/32 H05H 1/46

Claims (12)

(57) [Claims] 1. A substrate (31, 31 ') in a vacuum chamber (2).
...) for coating a plasma, which comprises a substrate holder (30) arranged in a vacuum chamber (2), an electron emitter (11) and a tubular anode (38). Equipped with magnets (4, 7) for guiding,
Device for generating plasma cloud (28) (2
9) and a device for generating atoms, molecules or clusters of the material coding on the substrate (31, 31 '...), From the device for generating the atoms, molecules or clusters, the device (37) Materials generated by (33)
Of the type in which is directly supplied onto the substrate (31, 31 '...), the device (29) for generating the plasma cloud (28) is provided inside the vacuum chamber (2). It is placed facing the substrate holder (30) .
Device for generating a plasma cloud (28)
(29) of the device for coding the substrate
It is electrically isolated from other parts and
The mitter (11) can be connected to one pole of the power supply (35)
And the anode (38) is the other pole of the power supply (35)
An apparatus for coding a substrate, characterized in that it is connectable to the. 2. Electrons emitted from said electron emitter (11) and reflected outside said device (29) generating a plasma cloud (28) are said along said field lines of said magnets (4, 7). that it may be returned to the anode (38), according to claim 1 Symbol mounting device. 3. The device for generating atoms, molecules or clusters comprises an electron beam evaporator (37), a thermal evaporator, H
Device according to claim 1 or 2 , which is an F or DC-sputter cathode or an ion sputter cathode. 4. The high-frequency generator (34) or the DC grid device (35), wherein the substrate holder (30) arranged electrically insulated from the chamber wall of the vacuum chamber (2) is selectively used. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , which is connectable to the. Wherein said substrate holder (30) is formed in an umbrella shape, device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The device for generating atoms, molecules or clusters and the device for generating a plasma cloud (2
9) and are arranged on the same side of the vacuum chamber (2),
Device according to any one of claims 1-5 . 7. The substrate holder 30 is mainly composed of a thin plate section having an umbrella shape and provided with a large number of holes (52, 52 '...), and a space is provided on the thin plate section (25). A second thin plate section (36), which is also formed in the shape of an umbrella, is covered, and both thin plate sections (25, 36) are connected to a shaft (49) driven by a motor so that they cannot rotate relative to each other. 7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein 8. The anode (38) of the device (29) for generating a plasma cloud is surrounded in a ring by at least one magnet (4, 7), at least one of the magnets (4, 7). One is surrounded by a cylindrical magnetic shielding thin plate (5), and the magnetic shielding thin plate (5)
Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , characterized in that it is covered by a tubular or box-shaped dark shield (3). 9. A magnet (26, 26) of the substrate holder, as opposed to the device (29) for generating a plasma cloud.
Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein 27) is arranged. 10. The magnets (26, 2) arranged on the opposite side of the device (29) for generating a plasma cloud.
9. Device according to claim 8 , wherein 7) is configured as a ring magnet. 11. is covered by the vacuum chamber (2) inner wall at intervals perforated sheet (25), from claim 1 1
The apparatus according to any one of 0 to 0 . 12. The device (2) for generating a plasma cloud has a voltage supply (42), and the device (2) for generating a plasma cloud by the voltage supply (42).
9. Allowing a potential difference to be applied between 9) and the vacuum chamber (2) or the substrate holder (30).
11. The device according to any one of 11 to 11 .