JP3028129B2 - Coaxial vacuum heating device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coaxial vacuum for conveying a substrate or a wafer while maintaining a heating temperature of the substrate or wafer without twisting an electric wiring and a water cooling pipe provided in a conveying system of a thin film forming apparatus. It relates to a heating device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional substrate heating apparatus for moving a heated substrate or wafer rotating in a vacuum apparatus, power supply to the substrate heating apparatus, signal transmission of a temperature monitor, and a supply line for cooling water or the like are performed under vacuum. It was supplied by wiring or piping directly from the field through to the outside to the substrate heating device.

[0003]

However, when the substrate heating apparatus is moved in the vacuum chamber, the length of the electric wiring and the water-cooled pipe is limited or twisted, so that the substrate holder and the heater are separated and conveyed. Therefore, the temperature of the substrate has dropped during the transfer. Therefore, if the electric wiring and the water cooling pipe are flexibly deformed, they can be integrally transported. However, it is necessary to always return to the home position to eliminate the twist of the electric wiring and the water cooling pipe, which is inefficient.

In view of the above problems, the present invention is directed to a coaxial cable capable of carrying a substrate or wafer while maintaining the heating temperature of the substrate or wafer by keeping the electric wiring and the water-cooled piping provided in the carrying system from being twisted. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum heating device.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coaxial vacuum heating apparatus comprising: a common chamber capable of controlling a pressure; A cylindrical revolving moving shaft that moves and is connected to electric wiring and water pipes outside the common room, a transport plate fixed on the same axis as the rotating shaft of the revolving moving shaft, and a position centered on the rotating axis of the transport plate. One or more substrate heating units provided, and one or more pressure-controllable process processing chambers provided through a common chamber and an opening of a partition wall corresponding to the substrate heating unit, wherein the substrate heating unit is water-cooled. And a substrate holder holding a substrate to be heated by the heating means. Further, in addition to the above configuration, the invention according to claim 2 further comprises a slip ring in which the orbital moving shaft is vacuum-sealed at the upper end and connected to the electric wiring, a water-cooled seal unit connected to a water pipe, and a water-tightly connected water-cooled seal unit. And a coaxial water cooling pipe that slides. Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, while the substrate heating unit maintains the substrate temperature, the transport plate rotates and descends toward the opening of the partition wall, and the substrate heating unit comes into contact with the opening to perform vacuum sealing. A vacuum chamber capable of independently controlling the pressure in the substrate heating section and the process processing chamber is formed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described structure, the coaxial water cooling pipe forms a one-water road with an inner water cooling pipe and an outer water cooling pipe provided coaxially with the revolving movement shaft. Further, the invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the substrate heating section includes a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate holder. The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the substrate heating section has a substrate rotating mechanism, and the rotation of the substrate rotating mechanism and the rotation of the transport plate rotate based on the same driving force.

The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the substrate heating section has a substrate rotating mechanism, and the substrate rotating mechanism rotates the substrate holder in the vacuum chamber. The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the process processing chamber is an annealing chamber for annealing the substrate held in the substrate holder, a preheating heating chamber for heating the substrate held in the substrate holder at a high vacuum and a predetermined temperature, A growth chamber for forming a thin film on the substrate held by the substrate holder and an etching chamber for performing an etching process after growing the thin film on the substrate held by the substrate holder.

[0008] In the coaxial vacuum heating apparatus according to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, a continuous process can be performed in parallel by continuously rotating around a rotation axis. Further, even if the transfer plate is continuously rotated while maintaining the vacuum, the water cooling pipe and the power supply for supplying the cooling water to the heating means of the substrate heating unit and the electric wiring such as a thermocouple for temperature monitoring are twisted. Nothing.

Further, in the invention according to claims 5 to 7, since the substrate holder can be rotated, the temperature uniformity is improved, and, for example, when the processing chamber is a combinatorial laser molecular beam epitaxy apparatus, a plurality of substrates can be used. By bringing the substrate to the growth position, laser molecular beam epitaxy can be performed. In the invention according to claim 8, a plurality of processes can be executed in parallel and continuously.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view of a coaxial vacuum heating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The coaxial vacuum heating device 20 of the present embodiment has a cylindrical common chamber 22.
Inside, a growth chamber 24, an annealing chamber 26 and a preheating heating chamber 28
When the substrate heating unit 36 is transported and locked by the transport plate 38 provided on the revolving movement shaft 43, these chambers are vacuum shielded and are vacuum chambers that are independently evacuated to a high vacuum. The growth chamber 24 is an area for growing a thin film on the substrate, the annealing chamber 26 is an area for annealing the growth substrate, and the preheating heating chamber 28 is an area for cleaning the substrate under a high vacuum atmosphere and preheating the substrate. is there.

Although this embodiment shows an example in which three processes are performed, an etching chamber for etching a predetermined region of a substrate on which a thin film is grown or a doping chamber for doping may be provided. It will have a chamber. Although TMP in FIG. 1 is an abbreviation of a turbo molecular pump, it is evacuated by an ultra-high vacuum pump via a gate valve (not shown).
A rotary pump is used as an auxiliary pump.

In each vacuum chamber, the pressure can be adjusted by adjusting the opening / closing degree of a valve (not shown). Further, a valve and a mass flow meter (not shown) are provided at predetermined positions, and oxygen and dry nitrogen can be introduced at a controlled flow rate. It has become.

The common chamber 22 includes a growth chamber 24 and an annealing chamber 2
6 and opening 4 provided in preheating heating chamber 28 and partition 39
The O-ring 41 is embedded in a groove around the opening 42. Further, the growth chamber 24, the annealing chamber 26, and the preheating heating chamber 28
Are vacuum-shielded and fixedly held.

In the common chamber 22, a substrate heating unit 36 in which a substrate holder 48, a chucker 45 of the substrate holder 48, and the lamp heater 8 (see FIG. 2) are housed in a cylindrical housing 35 has a concentric circumference of a transfer plate 38. In FIG. 1, three are provided above. These substrate heating units 36 are provided on the revolving movement shaft 4 passing through the center of the coaxial vacuum heating device 20.
The vacuum plate 3 is vacuum-shielded and held by the flange portion 31 of the housing 35 on the transport plate 38 which is rotated and transported in the vertical direction.

The water cooling pipe of the lamp heater 8 is connected to inner and outer water cooling pipes provided coaxially with the revolving shaft 43. Further, wiring of a thermocouple for temperature control, power supply wiring, and the like are wired through the inside of the revolving movement shaft 43. In this way, the electric wiring and the water-cooled pipe move according to the rotation and the vertical movement of the revolving shaft 43. The revolving movement shaft 43 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 60 while the common chamber 22 is vacuum-shielded, and
To move up and down.

The flange portion 33 at the other end of the housing 35
The O-ring 4 embedded in the groove around the opening 42 of the partition 39 when the transport plate 38 moves to the lower end point.
1 and is vacuum-shielded separately from the common chamber 22. At this time, the vacuum chambers formed by the substrate heating units 36, 36, and 36, the growth chamber 24, the annealing chamber 26, and the preheating heating chamber 28 are independently evacuated and pressure-controlled, and set to a predetermined temperature. It is designed to be heated.

Next, the substrate heating section will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the substrate heating unit, showing a state in which the transport plate has moved to a lower end point and the substrate heating unit is in contact with the partition. Referring to FIG. 2, substrate heating section 36 includes a cylindrical housing 35 having flanges 31 and 33 at both ends, a lamp holder 82 provided on the center line of housing 35, and a lamp holder 82.
And a substrate heating mechanism for rotating the substrate holder 48.

The lamp heater 8 is water-cooled for safety and stability of temperature control. The bulkhead union 2 provided with a vacuum shield on the transfer plate 38 is provided.
The water cooling pipe 201 of the lamp heater 8 from the inside of the substrate heating unit and the coaxial water cooling pipe 200 provided coaxially with the revolving movement shaft 43 are connected to each other via water cooling pipes 202 for in and out via the substrate heating unit 03. . The electrode plug 101 for the lamp heater is provided on the transfer plate 38 in a vacuum shielded manner. The power supply wiring of the lamp heater 8 and the signal line of the thermocouple for temperature control (not shown) are crawled inside the cylindrical revolving shaft 43 and vacuum-shielded, pulled out to the outside, and connected to the power supply. I have. Details will be described later.

The substrate rotating mechanism includes a substrate holder rotating portion 84 provided outside the lamp holder 82, a chucker 45 provided on the rotating portion 84 and positioning the substrate holder 48 at a focal position of the lamp heater 8. It has. A rotating gear 83 is provided above the substrate holder rotating section 84.
Is provided, and meshes with the gear 85 of the rotation shaft 86, and the rotation gear 88 provided at the other end of the rotation shaft 86 meshes with the revolution gear 65. Further, a bearing 87 is provided below the rotating portion of the substrate holder.

Next, a description will be given of a rotating mechanism for rotating and transporting the transport plate and a moving mechanism for vertically moving the transport plate. Referring to FIG. 1, a rotation mechanism 60 for rotating the transport plate 38
Is a motor 6 provided on a disk-shaped moving plate 72.
1, a shaft 62 for transmitting the rotational driving force of the motor 61, and a drive gear 64 provided at an end of the shaft 62. The drive gear 64 is provided with a revolving gear 65 provided on a revolving shaft. And transmit the power of the rotating machine. The rotating shaft 62
Passes through the inside of a flexible tube 82 provided for vacuum shielding between the moving plate 72 and the growth chamber 22.

Referring to FIG. 2, a transport plate 38 is attached to a plurality of fixing shafts 91 at the end of the revolving movement shaft 43.
A support gear 92 is fixedly provided via a bearing 93, and a revolving gear 65 is provided so as to rotate at a predetermined torque with respect to the support 92 via a bearing 93.

Referring to FIG. 1, moving mechanism 70 includes a bracket 73 fixed to upper cover 71 of common chamber 22, a rotating shaft 75 driven to rotate by a motor 73 provided on the bracket, and a rotating shaft 75. A revolving moving shaft 43 passes through the inside of a flexible tube 83 provided for vacuum shielding between the moving plate 72 and the growth chamber 22, and moves on the moving plate 72. It is magnetically shielded by a fixed magnetic shield unit 77 and is rotatably held. The magnetic shield unit 77 is driven by a magnetic fluid to revolve around the revolving shaft 43.
Is vacuum shielded.

First, the operation of the moving mechanism will be described. When the moving plate 72 is at the upper starting point, the rotating shaft 75 is rotated by the motor 74, and the moving plate 72 is lowered. At this time, the moving plate 72 and the upper lid 71 of the growth chamber 22
The flexible tubes 82 and 83 between them shrink. As the moving plate 72 descends, the revolving moving shaft 4
As the revolving shaft 43 descends, the flange 33 of the substrate heating unit 36 provided on the transport plate 38 comes into contact with the O-ring 41, compresses the O-ring 41 and stops. Therefore, each vacuum chamber is vacuum-shielded by the substrate heating unit 36, and can be independently evacuated and pressure-controlled, and can be heated to a predetermined temperature.

Next, the operation of the transport plate and the substrate rotating mechanism will be described. When the moving plate 72 is at the upper starting point, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the shaft 62 by the motor 61, and the driving gear 64 rotates. The drive gear 64 rotates the revolving movement shaft 43 together with the revolving gear 65, and the transport plate rotates with this rotation, so that the substrate heating unit 36 revolves. At this time, since the rotation gear 88 also rotates, the rotation driving force is transmitted to the rotation gear 83 by the rotation shaft 86, and the substrate holder rotating unit 85 rotates, and the substrate holder 48 rotates. In addition, the revolving moving shaft 4
3. The rotating shaft 62 and the rotating shaft 86 rotate while being vacuum shielded in each vacuum chamber. Therefore, the substrate heating unit provided on the transport plate can be transported to each vacuum chamber, and the substrate holder 48 can be rotated.

When the transfer plate 38 moves to the lower end point and the substrate heating section is vacuum shielded separately from the common chamber, the rotational driving force of the rotary shaft 62 is transmitted to the revolving gear 65.
However, since the substrate heating section abuts on the O-ring and is in a locked state, only the revolving gear 65 is mounted on the bearing 93.
, The rotation gear 88 rotates with this rotation, the substrate holder rotating unit 85 rotates, and the substrate holder 48 rotates. Therefore, the substrate holder can be rotated in each vacuum chamber.

Next, the orbital moving shaft will be described. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a coaxial vacuum heating device and a revolving moving shaft. Referring to FIG. 3, revolving movement shaft 43 passes through the center of coaxial vacuum heating device 20 and is disposed over a common chamber, which is a vacuum chamber, and the outside under atmospheric pressure. The upper end of the orbital movement shaft 43 is hermetically sealed by a slip ring 301 for vacuum shielding, and electric wires crawling inside the orbital movement shaft are connected to a connection portion of the slip ring 301 fixed to the orbital movement shaft. It is connected. The connection portion of the slip ring 301 rotates together with the revolving shaft, and the connection portion of the slip ring slides and is electrically connected to the upper take-out portion to which the slip ring is fixed.

Since the slip ring is used as described above, the electric wiring routed inside the revolving movement shaft rotates and moves together with the revolving movement shaft. Slide and electrically connect with the slip ring. Therefore, even if the electric wire or the like moves rotationally like a revolving shaft, the electric wiring or the like does not twist.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a water cooling pipe of the revolving moving shaft. Referring to FIG. 4, an inner water cooling pipe 401 and an outer water cooling pipe 403 are coaxially provided on the revolving movement shaft 43. The cooling water is introduced from the cooling water inlet 402 of the water cooling seal unit 405 to the inner water cooling pipe 401, passes through the water outlet 404 at the end of the revolving shaft 43, and passes through the water cooling pipes 201 and 202 (FIG. 2) of the lamp heater.
Further, the cooling water is discharged from the cooling water discharge port 408 of the water cooling seal unit 407 from the water inlet 406 through the outer water cooling pipe 403. The water-cooled seal unit 4
05 and 407 are connected and fixed to a bracket (FIG. 3). The water-cooled seal units 405 and 407 are water-tightly sealed by an O-ring 409. Therefore, together with the water cooling pipe of the lamp heater 8, the revolving moving shaft 4
Even if 3 rotates and moves, the water cooling pipe will not be twisted.

Next, the operation in the process of the present embodiment will be described. The growth chamber is a case where laser molecular beam epitaxy is applied, and more specific conditions are examples. At room temperature under a predetermined pressure, the transport plate 38
When the first substrate holder 48 is at the home position of the upper starting point, the transfer plate 38 is lowered after the first substrate holder 48 is loaded on the chucker 45 of the substrate heating unit corresponding to the preheating heating chamber, and each substrate heating unit 36 is placed on the O-ring 41 of the partition wall. Stop by compressing in contact. The preheating chamber 28 is maintained at a high vacuum of, for example, 10 ^-6 Torr to perform cleaning and to raise the temperature at a rate of 10 ° C.
The temperature is increased to 950 ° C./min.

After a lapse of a predetermined time, each vacuum chamber and the common chamber are returned to a predetermined pressure while maintaining the temperature of each substrate heating unit, and the transfer plate 38 moves to the upper starting point. The transfer plate 38 is rotated, and the substrate heating section loaded with the first substrate holder corresponding to the preheating heating chamber 28 is moved to the growth chamber 24.
Transport to At this time, a second process for performing the next process is performed at room temperature, that is, in the substrate heating unit where the lamp heater 8 is turned off.
The substrate holder 48 corresponding to the preheating chamber is used for the substrate holder 48.
6 is loaded in the chucker 45.

The transport plate 38 is lowered to isolate each vacuum chamber, and the growth chamber 24 is kept at a high vacuum of, for example, 10 ^-4 To.
While maintaining the temperature at rr and heating at 950 ° C., laser molecular beam epitaxy growth is performed for a predetermined time. At this time, the temperature in the preheating heating chamber 28 is maintained at 10 ⁻⁶ Torr, and the temperature is being raised to 950 ° C. at a rate of 10 ° C./min.

In the growth chamber 24, a superlattice structure or the like is formed on each substrate by rotating the substrate holder by molecular layer epitaxial growth for each monolayer, and then, while maintaining the set temperature of 950.degree. After returning to the predetermined pressure, the transport plate 38 moves to the upper starting point. The transfer plate 38 rotates to transfer the substrate heating unit loaded with the first substrate holder corresponding to the growth chamber 24 to the annealing chamber 26. At this time, the third substrate holder 48 is loaded in the chucker 45 of the substrate heating unit 36 corresponding to the preheating chamber 28.

The transfer plate 38 is lowered to isolate the vacuum chambers, and annealing is performed at a rate of 10 ° C./min from 950 ° C. for a predetermined time while the annealing chamber 28 is maintained at 1 Torr, for example. In this annealing chamber 28,
The oxygen partial pressure is controlled optimally. Turn on the lamp heater 8
When the annealing chamber 28 is cooled to room temperature, the vacuum chamber and the common chamber are returned to a predetermined pressure while the other substrate heating units are maintained at 950 ° C., and the transfer plate 38 is moved to the upper starting point. The plate 38 rotates and returns to the home position. Then, the substrate holder after the epitaxial growth is taken out, a new fourth substrate holder is loaded in the chucker 45 of the substrate heating unit 36, and the substrate is sequentially processed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the growth chamber 2 for forming, for example, a monolayer epitaxial growth layer on the substrate.
4. Annealing chamber 28 for annealing the substrate on which the thin film has been grown
And a residual heat heating chamber 28 for heating the substrate while cleaning it
Pressure control and temperature control are independently performed together with the corresponding substrate heating units 36, 36, 36, so that the substrate can be transported without lowering the substrate temperature, and the process at different substrate temperatures and pressures can be continuously performed. Can be.

[0035]

As will be understood from the above description, the coaxial vacuum heating apparatus according to the present invention can continuously rotate and convey the substrate around the rotation axis while maintaining the substrate temperature, and perform the continuous process in parallel. This has the effect that it can be processed in a targeted manner. Further, even if the transfer plate is continuously rotated while maintaining the vacuum, the water cooling pipe and the power supply for supplying the cooling water to the heating means of the substrate heating unit and the electric wiring such as a thermocouple for temperature monitoring are twisted. There is an effect that there is no such thing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a coaxial vacuum heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the substrate heating unit according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the transport plate has moved to a lower end point and the substrate heating unit is in contact with a partition.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the coaxial vacuum heating device and the orbital movement shaft of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a water cooling pipe of the revolving movement shaft according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 22 Common Room 24 Growth Room 26 Annealing Room 28 Preheat Heating Room 34 Substrate Holder Load Lock Room 35 Housing 36 Substrate Heating Unit 38 Transport Plate 39 Partition 41 O-ring 42 Opening 43 Revolving Movement Shaft 45 Chucker 48 Substrate Holder 52 Clip 60 Rotating Mechanism 62 Shaft 64 Drive gear 65 Revolution gear 70 Moving mechanism 71 Upper lid 72 Moving plate 73 Bracket 74 Motor 75 Rotation shaft 77 Magnetic seal unit 82 Flexible tube 83 Rotation gear 84 Substrate holder rotating part 85 Gear 86 Rotation shaft 87 Bearing 88 Rotation Gear 91 Fixing shaft 92 Support part 93 Bearing 101 Electrode plug 200 Coaxial water cooling pipe 201 Water cooling pipe 202 Water cooling pipe 301 Slip ring 401 Inside Cold pipe 402 cooling water inlet 403 outside the water cooling pipe 404 of water outlet 405, 407 water-cooled seal unit 406 Water inlet 408 cooling water discharge port 409 O-ring

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B01J 3/00-3/08 C23C 14/00-14/58 C23C 16/00-16/56 H01L 21 / 203-21/205 H01L 21/302 H01L 21/68

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A common chamber capable of pressure control, a cylindrical revolving shaft that rotates and moves up and down while maintaining vacuum in the common chamber, and is connected to electric wiring and water pipes outside the common chamber. A transfer plate fixed on the same axis as the rotation axis of the revolving movement shaft, one or more substrate heating units disposed at a position centered on the rotation axis of the transfer plate, and the common substrate corresponding to these substrate heating units. A heating means having a water cooling pipe disposed for water cooling, comprising: a chamber and one or more pressure controllable process treatment chambers provided through openings of the partition walls. A coaxial vacuum heating device, comprising: a substrate holder holding a substrate to be heated. 2. The revolving moving shaft is provided with a slip ring for vacuum-sealing an upper end thereof and connecting to the electric wiring, a water-cooled seal unit connected to the water pipe, and a water-tightly connected water-cooled seal unit. The coaxial vacuum heating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sliding coaxial water cooling pipe. 3. The substrate heating unit is rotated by the transfer plate toward the opening of the partition wall and lowered while maintaining the substrate temperature, and the substrate heating unit comes into contact with the opening and vacuum seals. 2. The coaxial vacuum heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a vacuum chamber capable of independently controlling the pressure is formed by said substrate heating section and said process chamber. 4. The coaxial vacuum heating according to claim 2, wherein the coaxial water cooling pipe is formed by an inner water cooling pipe and an outer water cooling pipe provided coaxially with the revolving movement shaft. apparatus. 5. The coaxial vacuum heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate heating unit includes a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate holder. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate heating unit has a substrate rotating mechanism, and the rotation of the substrate rotating mechanism and the rotation of the transfer plate rotate based on the same driving force. 6. The coaxial vacuum heating device according to 1, 3, or 5. 7. The substrate heating unit has a substrate rotating mechanism, and the substrate rotating mechanism rotates the substrate holder in the vacuum chamber. The coaxial vacuum heating device according to item 1. 8. An annealing chamber for annealing a substrate held by the substrate holder, a preheating heating chamber for heating the substrate held by the substrate holder at a high vacuum and a predetermined temperature, and 4. The coaxial type as claimed in claim 1, wherein a growth chamber for forming a thin film on the substrate held by the holder and an etching chamber for performing an etching process after growing the thin film on the substrate held by the substrate holder. Vacuum heating device.