JP5398368B2 - Deposited film forming apparatus and method for producing electrophotographic photosensitive member - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a deposited film forming apparatus for forming a deposited film on a substrate to be processed and a method for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member by forming the deposited film . The present invention particularly relates to a deposited film forming apparatus for forming a deposited film by a plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method.

  A semiconductor deposited film made of a non-single crystal material has been proposed. For example, amorphous silicon (hereinafter abbreviated as “a-Si”) compensated for at least one of hydrogen and halogen (for example, fluorine and chlorine) is used as the light receiving member. Such a light receiving member can be used as an element member in, for example, a semiconductor device, an electrophotographic photoreceptor device, an image input line sensor, an imaging device, a photovoltaic device, various other electronic elements, and optical elements.

  In forming this kind of deposited film, it is often required to make the deposited film uniform in film thickness and film characteristics. Therefore, it is effective to devise a method for supplying and exhausting the source gas, to rotate the substrate to be processed on which the deposited film is formed, and to adopt a method for making the plasma uniform when using the plasma CVD method. It is shown that there is.

  There has also been proposed an electrophotographic photoreceptor manufacturing apparatus in which the electrode is configured to blow out source gas, the direction of the source gas outlet and the outlet is appropriately defined, and the film thickness distribution is made uniform (patent) Reference 1).

  In addition, an apparatus has been proposed in which the positioning of the upper and lower sides of the substrate and the conduction method when rotating the substrate are appropriately defined to make the deposited film uniform (see Patent Document 2).

  A production system for continuously producing this kind of deposited film has also been proposed. For example, Patent Document 3 discloses a series of methods using a transporter for the purpose of preventing dust from adhering to a substrate before forming a deposited film by separating the transporting means before forming the deposited film and after forming the deposited film. A deposited film forming apparatus has been proposed.

Special registration No. 2776087 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-010934 Special Registration No. 2907404

  As a technique related to the present invention, a uniform deposited film and a reduction in image defects have been achieved by the measures described above. However, in recent years, with the enhancement of functions of apparatuses using such deposited films, for example, digitization and colorization of electrophotographic apparatuses, there is a further demand for uniformity of deposited films and reduction of image defects. That is, for example, in recent high-quality color devices using an electrophotographic process, the gradation is improved. For this reason, even with non-uniformity and partial defects of the deposited film, which had no practical problems in the past, there is a possibility of causing visible unevenness and image defects in the formed image.

  In these respects, in the technology related to the present invention as described above, there is a need to improve both the uniformity of the deposited film and the reduction of image defects. That is, the uniformity of the deposited film, particularly the uniformity of the plasma treatment in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the reduction of image defects, and the reduction of adhesion of foreign matter to the substrate during the plasma treatment that causes image defects are required. . In addition to these, there is a need for a deposited film forming apparatus and a production system with good productivity. Specifically, for the uniformity of the plasma treatment in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, it is necessary to apply the discharge energy evenly. In order to reduce the adhesion of foreign matter to the substrate during plasma processing, it is necessary to reduce dust generation from the inside of the deposited film forming apparatus. For a deposited film forming apparatus and a production system with good productivity, it is necessary to be compatible with an automatic substrate transfer system.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides a deposited film forming apparatus capable of forming a deposited film with excellent film thickness and film property uniformity and with few image defects with high productivity. With the goal.

In order to achieve the above-described object, a deposited film forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a reaction vessel that can be depressurized, and the reaction vessel that is disposed inside the reaction vessel and electrically connected to the reaction vessel. longitudinal a deposited film forming apparatus which have a a substrate holder holding means for holding one end, deposited film introduced into the inner part of the reaction vessel internal group member Hol da that will be placed on the the raw material gas for forming generate excited species by exciting, in the deposited film forming apparatus for forming a deposited film on the substrate holder holding means mounted on the retained substrate holder was on a substrate,
The reaction vessel, equipped with a conductive rod-shaped body, wherein the conductive rod-shaped body is, the move or stretch in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder held by the substrate holder holding means, one longitudinal end of the substrate holder wherein the electrical connection Siu Rukoto to the reaction container positioned in the longitudinal direction of the other end of the substrate holder to be opposite to the.

Moreover, the conductive rod-shaped body is, the move or stretch in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder held by the substrate holder holding means, it may connect electrically to the other longitudinal end side of the front Stories substrate holder . Alternatively, the conductive rod-shaped body is, in the longitudinal direction state where the other end is electrically connected to the said substrate holder held by said substrate holder holding means may move or stretch in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve both the uniformity of plasma processing in the deposited film forming apparatus in the longitudinal direction of the substrate and the suppression of dust generation. Furthermore, it can be applied to an automatic substrate transfer system. Accordingly, it is possible to form a deposited film having excellent uniformity in film thickness and film characteristics within the deposited film formation surface of the substrate and with few image defects with high productivity.

It is sectional drawing which shows typically an example of the deposited film formation apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the upper part of the base | substrate holder which concerns on this invention, and an electroconductive rod-shaped body. It is a schematic diagram which shows the base | substrate conveyance mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the deposited film forming apparatus of a comparative example. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a layer structure of an amorphous silicon electrophotographic photoreceptor. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a copying machine used for evaluating electrophotographic photosensitive member characteristics. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the upper part of the base | substrate holder which concerns on this invention, and an electroconductive rod-shaped body.

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

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a deposited film forming apparatus 100 for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor by an RF (Radio Frequency) -CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. The deposited film forming apparatus 100 is an apparatus that forms a deposited film on the cylindrical substrate 102 by plasma processing. The cylindrical cathode electrode 103, the insulator 110, the upper wall 109, the gate valve 122, and the bottom wall 126 form a reaction vessel 101 that can be depressurized.

  The cylindrical base 102 only needs to have a material corresponding to the purpose of use. As the material of the cylindrical substrate 102, for example, copper, aluminum, gold, silver, platinum, lead, nickel, cobalt, iron, chromium, molybdenum, titanium, and stainless steel are preferable because of their good electrical conductivity. . Among these, aluminum is optimal in consideration of workability and manufacturing cost. In this case, as the aluminum forming the cylindrical substrate 102, for example, either an Al—Mg alloy or an Al—Mn alloy is preferably used.

  A heater 111 for heating is provided inside the reaction vessel 101. Any heater 111 may be used as long as it can be used in vacuum. Specifically, heat-exchanging heaters such as sheathed heaters, plate heaters, ceramic heaters, and carbon heaters, heat radiation lamps such as halogen lamps and infrared lamps, and heat exchange using liquid or gas as a heat medium Means are listed as targets.

  In the reaction vessel 101, a source gas introduction pipe (source gas introduction means) 104 for introducing a source gas into the reaction vessel 101 is provided. The source gas introduction pipe 104 extends in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical base 102 to be held. The source gas introduction pipe 104 is connected via a connection pipe 127 to a gas supply system including a mixing device 116 having a mass flow controller (not shown) for adjusting the flow rate of the source gas, and a source gas inflow valve 117. ing.

  In the exhaust system provided in the deposited film forming apparatus 100, a vacuum pump unit (not shown) as exhaust means is connected to the exhaust port 118 of the bottom wall 126 through an exhaust pipe 121. An exhaust main valve 119 is provided in the exhaust pipe 121. Further, the reaction vessel 101 is attached with a vacuum gauge 120 for measuring the pressure inside the reaction vessel 101. By using these, the inside of the reaction vessel 101 can be maintained at a predetermined pressure suitable for each step. As the vacuum pump unit, for example, a rotary pump or a mechanical booster pump can be used.

  A high-frequency power source (applying means) 106 is electrically connected to the cylindrical cathode electrode 103 via a matching box 105 having a matching circuit. The upper and lower sides of the cylindrical cathode electrode 103 are insulated from the upper wall 109 and the bottom wall 126 by an insulator 110 made of ceramics. The upper wall 109 is provided with a gate valve 122 which is an opening / closing part for communicating the inside and outside of the reaction vessel 101. A substrate holder 107 for holding the cylindrical substrate 102 is shown in FIG. It is carried in / out / installed by the substrate transport mechanism 301 shown.

  Under the reaction vessel 101, a rotation holding mechanism 115 (substrate holder holding means) is provided that rotatably holds one end side in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder 107 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are attached. The rotation holding mechanism 115 includes a turntable 112 on which the base holder 107 is placed, a support shaft 113 that supports the turntable 112, and a motor 114 that rotates the turntable 112. Therefore, the cylindrical base body 102 can be rotated around the support shaft 113 together with the turntable 112 while being mounted on the base body holder 107. Since the rotation holding mechanism 115 is entirely composed of a conductive member, the base holder 107 and the bottom wall 126 are electrically connected.

  In addition, a conductive rod-like body 123 is provided inside the reaction vessel 101 so as to pass through the support shaft 113 of the rotation holding mechanism 115 and the inside of the heater 111 for heating. That is, the conductive rod-like body 123 penetrates the inside of the base holder 107 from the side where the rotation holding mechanism 115 is disposed. The conductive rod 123 penetrates the bottom wall 126 and is connected to the moving device 124 installed at the lower part of the bottom wall 126. With this moving device 124, the conductive rod 123 can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the base holder 107. The moving device 124 is composed of a bellows for keeping the reaction vessel 101 airtight and an air cylinder (both not shown) for allowing the conductive rod-like body 123 to move. The moving device 124 is not particularly limited, and may be a driving method using a cylinder mechanism using air pressure, hydraulic pressure, or water pressure, or a driving method using a ball screw mechanism using an electric motor.

  Next, the substrate holder 107 and the conductive rod-like body 123 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are attached will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the upper portions of the base holder 107 and the conductive rod-like body 123. 2A shows the time when the substrate holder 107 is carried into and out of the reaction vessel 101, and FIG. 2B shows the time when it is installed. At the time of loading / unloading the substrate holder 107 into / from the reaction vessel 101, the holding portion 204 of the substrate holder 107 is held by the substrate transfer mechanism 301 shown in FIG. To the standby position shown in

  Next, the substrate holder 107 is installed in the reaction vessel 101, that is, placed on the turntable 112 of the rotation holding mechanism 115. Thereafter, the conductive rod-like body 123 passes through a hole 205 formed in the center of the upper surface 206 of the other end opposite to the one end where the substrate holder holding means of the substrate holder 107 is arranged, and passes through FIG. ) To the position shown in FIG. The conductive rod-shaped body 123 has a conductive connection body 125, and the connection body 125 is configured to contact the upper surface 206 on the other end side of the base holder 107. Further, a contact 203 is provided at the upper end of the conductive rod-like body 123, and this contact 203 comes into contact with the valve body 208 of the gate valve 122 located on the other end side of the base holder 107. That is, the conductive rod-shaped body 123 is configured to contact the reaction vessel 101 located on the other end side of the substrate holder 107. The conductive rod-like body 123 may be retractable so that it is contracted to the standby position when the substrate holder 107 is loaded into or unloaded from the reaction vessel 101 and expands when installed.

  The connection body 125 of the conductive rod-shaped body 123 has a connection portion 202 including a conductive sliding body 201 and a conductive contact 207 that contacts the upper surface 206 of the base holder. When the substrate holder 107 is rotated, the conductive rod-like body 123 is stationary and the connecting portion 202 is rotated with the substrate holder 107. The sliding body 201 only needs to slide and be electrically connected to the conductive rod-like body 123, and is made of a metal such as a leaf spring, a wire brush, a spiral spring, or a bearing, or a solid lubricant such as boron nitride, graphite, or tungsten disulfide. Can be used. Of these, bearings and solid lubricants are preferred from the viewpoint of dust generation, adhesion at high temperatures, and durability during repeated use.

  Further, the contact 207 of the connecting portion 202 and the contact 203 of the conductive rod upper end 123 are not particularly limited as long as they are conductive materials. As the contactor 207 and the contactor 203, for example, copper, aluminum, gold, silver, platinum, lead, nickel, cobalt, iron, chromium, molybdenum, titanium, and stainless steel are preferable because they have good electrical conductivity. is there. Of these, stainless steel is most suitable from the viewpoint of dust generation and durability during repeated use. Further, the contact 207 of the connecting portion 202 and the contact 203 at the upper end of the conductive rod 123 are not particularly limited as long as they are in contact with the upper surface 206 of the base holder 107 and the valve body 208, respectively. However, in order to prevent the base holder 107 and the valve body 207 from being pushed up stably at high temperatures and even when the base holder 107 rotates, it is desirable to have elasticity, and a leaf spring is preferable. Note that the connection body 125 suppresses the deterioration of slidability due to the deposition film adhering to the sliding body 201, and generates dust due to the deposition film adhering to and peeling from the connection body 125, and dust generation of the sliding body 201 itself. It is expected to adhere to the surface of the cylindrical substrate 102. Therefore, it is desirable to place the connecting body 125 inside the base holder 107 in order to suppress them.

  Next, the substrate transport mechanism 301 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the substrate transport mechanism. The substrate transport mechanism 301 includes a transport container 302 that can be vacuum-tight and has a vertical mechanism for docking with the deposited film forming apparatus 100. Further, the transfer container 302 has a vertically movable arm 303 having a gate valve 305 at the lower part and a holding part 304 for holding the base holder 107 inside.

  Further, the transfer container 302 can move in the horizontal direction on the rail 306. By this substrate transport mechanism 301, the substrate holder 107 on which the cylindrical substrate 102 is mounted can be carried in, installed, and unloaded while the reaction vessel 101 is in a vacuum state. This not only improves productivity, but also prevents contamination inside the reaction vessel 101, and is effective in reducing image defects.

  A method for carrying in, installing, and carrying out the substrate holder 107 on which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are mounted using the substrate transport mechanism 301 will be specifically described.

  First, how to carry in and install will be described. The transfer container 302 that previously holds and stores the substrate holder 107 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are attached and is evacuated to the inside moves to the deposited film forming apparatus 100. Next, the transfer container 302 is lowered, and the gate valve 305 of the transfer container 302 is docked with the gate valve 122 of the reaction container 101. After docking, the space between the gate valve 305 of the transfer container 302 and the gate valve 122 of the reaction container 101 is evacuated by an exhaust device (not shown). The gate valve 305 and the gate valve 122 are opened when the pressure in the transfer container 302, between the gate valve 305 and the gate valve 122, and in the reaction container 101 becomes substantially the same pressure. Next, the arm 303 holding the substrate holder 107 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are attached descends from the inside of the transport container 302. Then, the substrate holder 107 mounted on the rotation holding mechanism 115 is placed in a non-holding state with the holding portion 304 and the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are mounted. After installation, the arm 303 is raised, the gate valve 305 and the gate valve 122 are closed, and the space between the gate valve 305 and the gate valve 122 is returned to atmospheric pressure. Thereafter, the transport container 302 is raised and separated from the reaction container 101, and the carrying-in and installation are completed.

  Next, the carrying-out method will be described. The transfer container 302 whose interior is evacuated in advance moves onto the deposited film forming apparatus 100. Next, the transfer container 302 is lowered, and the gate valve 305 of the transfer container 302 is docked with the gate valve 122 of the reaction container 101. After docking, the space between the gate valve 305 of the transfer container 302 and the gate valve 122 of the reaction container 101 is evacuated by an exhaust device (not shown). The gate valve 305 and the gate valve 122 are opened when the pressure in the transfer container 302, between the gate valve 305 and the gate valve 122, and in the reaction container 101 becomes substantially the same pressure. Next, the arm 303 is lowered from the inside of the transport container 302, and the holding unit 304 holds the substrate holder 107 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are attached. After holding, the arm 303 is raised, the gate valve 305 and the gate valve 122 are closed, and the space between the gate valve 305 and the gate valve 122 is returned to atmospheric pressure. Thereafter, the transport container 302 is raised and separated from the reaction container 101, and the unloading is completed.

  An example of a procedure for forming a deposited film using the deposited film forming apparatus 100 configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

  First, the substrate holder 107 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are attached is loaded into the reaction vessel 101 by the substrate transport mechanism 301 and placed on the rotation holding mechanism 115, and the valve body 208 of the gate valve 122 is closed. Subsequently, the conductive rod-shaped body 123 rises, the contact 207 of the connection body 125 of the conductive rod-shaped body 123 comes into contact with the upper surface 206 of the base holder, and the contact 203 of the conductive rod-shaped body 123 contacts the valve body 208. . Then, both longitudinal ends of the substrate holder 107 are electrically connected to the reaction vessel 101 and become conductive. At this time, since the upper end portion of the cap 108 is in contact with the substrate holder 107, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical substrate 102 are electrically connected to the reaction vessel 101 through the substrate holder 107 and the cap 108 and become conductive. ing.

After that, it is necessary for heating the cylindrical substrate 102 through the mixing device 116, the raw material gas inflow valve 117, the connection pipe 127 and the raw material gas introduction pipe 104 into the reaction vessel 101 evacuated by a vacuum pump unit (not shown). For example, Ar or He gas is introduced. Then, a vacuum pump unit (not shown) is adjusted while checking the vacuum gauge 120 so that the inside of the reaction vessel 101 has a predetermined pressure. This adjustment can be performed, for example, by adjusting the rotation frequency of a mechanical booster pump of a vacuum pump unit (not shown).
Next, after reaching a predetermined pressure, the temperature of the cylindrical substrate 102 is set to a desired temperature of 200 [° C.] to 450 [° C.], more preferably 250 [° C.] to 350 [° C.] by the heater 111 for heating. Control.

  After the preparation for forming the deposited film is completed by the above procedure, the deposited film is formed on the cylindrical substrate 102. For this purpose, first, the main source gas, the dilution gas, and the characteristic improving gas are mixed and introduced as the source gas for forming the deposited film through the mixing device 116, and adjusted so that the introduced gas has a desired flow rate. To do. At that time, a vacuum pump unit (not shown) is adjusted while checking the vacuum gauge 120 so that the reaction vessel 101 has a desired pressure of 13.3 [mPa] to 1330 [Pa]. This adjustment can be performed, for example, by adjusting the rotation frequency of a mechanical booster pump of a vacuum pump unit (not shown).

  The main source gas used when forming the deposited film is a source gas for forming amorphous silicon such as silane (SiH 4), disilane (Si 2 H 6), silicon tetrafluoride (SiF 4), disilicon hexafluoride (Si 2 F 6), or those A mixed gas can be used. As the dilution gas, hydrogen (H 2), argon (Ar), or helium (He) can be used. Further, as the characteristic improving gas, those containing nitrogen atoms, those containing oxygen atoms, those containing carbon atoms, those containing fluorine atoms, or a mixed gas thereof may be used in combination. Nitrogen (N2) and ammonia (NH3) are mentioned as a thing containing the nitrogen atom used in this case. Examples of those containing oxygen atoms include oxygen (O2), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), dinitrogen oxide (N2O), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Examples of those containing carbon atoms include methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), ethylene (C2H4), acetylene (C2H2), and propane (C3H8). Examples of those containing fluorine atoms include germanium tetrafluoride (GeF4) and nitrogen fluoride (NF3). Further, a characteristic improving gas such as diborane (B2H6), boron fluoride (BF3), or phosphine (PH3) may be simultaneously introduced into the discharge space.

  Next, after the pressure in the reaction vessel 101 is stabilized, the high-frequency power source 106 is set to a desired power, and the high-frequency power is supplied to the cylindrical cathode electrode 103 via the high-frequency matching box 105, thereby high-frequency glow discharge. Wake up. The supplied power can be, for example, an RF band of 10 [MHz] to 45 [MHz], particularly a frequency of 13.56 [MHz]. By this discharge energy, the deposited film forming gas introduced into the reaction vessel 101 is excited to generate excited species, that is, decomposed, and deposited film containing a desired silicon atom as a main component on the cylindrical substrate 102. Is formed.

  In order to form a uniform deposited film, the cylindrical substrate 102 is rotated at the same time as the deposited film is formed or from the stage of heating the cylindrical substrate 102. This rotation is set to a rotation speed of 1 [rpm] to 20 [rpm], for example, 10 [rpm]. By doing so, a uniform deposited film is formed in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical substrate 102.

  As described above, a deposited film is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical substrate 102.

  After the deposited film is formed, the supply of the deposition gas forming source gas and the high-frequency power is stopped, and the reaction vessel 101 is exhausted. Thereafter, the inside of the reaction vessel 101 and the source gas introduction pipe 104 is purged using a purge gas, for example, at least one of an inert gas such as Ar and He and N2. After the purge process is completed, the substrate holder 107 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 is attached is unloaded from the reaction vessel 101 using the substrate transport mechanism 301. At the time of carrying out, the electroconductive rod-shaped body 123 descend | falls to a standby position.

  Thereafter, as necessary, the deposited film and powdery by-products deposited in the reaction vessel 101 are cleaned. As a procedure, first, instead of the cylindrical substrate 102, a substrate holder (not shown) equipped with a cleaning dummy substrate having substantially the same shape is carried into the reaction vessel 101 using the substrate transport mechanism 301 and installed. Then, the reaction vessel 101 is evacuated by a vacuum pump unit (not shown). Subsequently, a cleaning gas necessary for the cleaning process is introduced into the reaction vessel 101 via the mixing device 116 and the source gas introduction pipe 104. Then, a vacuum pump unit (not shown) is adjusted while checking the vacuum gauge 120 so that the inside of the reaction vessel 101 has a predetermined pressure. This adjustment can be performed, for example, by adjusting the rotation frequency of a mechanical booster pump of a vacuum pump unit (not shown).

  Examples of the cleaning gas used in the cleaning process include CF4, CF4 / O2, SF6, NF3, and ClF3 (chlorine trifluoride). In this embodiment, ClF3 is effective from the viewpoint of shortening the cleaning time. Is used. In the present embodiment, it is effective to use an inert gas for dilution in order to adjust the concentration of the cleaning gas. Examples of the inert gas include He, Ne, and Ar. Among them, it is preferable to use Ar.

  After the pressure in the reaction vessel 101 is stabilized, the high-frequency power source 106 is set to a desired power, and the high-frequency power is supplied to the cylindrical cathode electrode 103 via the high-frequency matching box 105, thereby generating a high-frequency glow discharge. . The supplied power can be, for example, an RF band of 10 [MHz] to 45 [MHz], particularly a frequency of 13.56 [MHz]. With this discharge energy, the cleaning gas introduced into the reaction vessel 101 is decomposed, and the inside of the reaction vessel 101 is cleaned.

  Next, the supply of high-frequency power is stopped after the cleaning process, and the reaction vessel 101 is evacuated. Thereafter, the inside of the reaction vessel 101 and the source gas introduction pipe 104 is purged using a purge gas, for example, at least one of an inert gas such as Ar and He and N2. After the purge process is completed, a substrate holder (not shown) on which a cleaning dummy substrate is mounted is unloaded from the reaction vessel 101 using the substrate transport mechanism 301.

  In the deposited film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder 107 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are attached are formed in the reaction vessel 101 by the conductive rod-shaped body 123. The reaction vessel 101 is electrically connected. Thereby, the electrical state in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical substrate 102 becomes equal in the reaction vessel 101. As a result, the discharge energy is evenly applied to the cylindrical substrate 102, and the uniformity of the plasma processing can be improved. Further, since the discharge energy is applied uniformly, the stress of the deposited film and the powdery by-product deposited inside the reaction vessel 101 and the uneven amount of the deposited amount are reduced, and the by-product is less likely to fall off. Therefore, the adhesion of the by-product that falls off to the cylindrical substrate 102 during the formation of the deposited film is reduced. Furthermore, since the substrate holder 107 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 are attached can be automatically conveyed (carrying in / installing / carrying out) by the substrate conveying mechanism 301, the productivity is excellent.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 described above, the connecting body 125 is attached to the conductive rod-like body 123. The connecting body 125 is lowered when the substrate holder 107 is carried into and out of the reaction vessel 101, and when installed. Although it is a form which raises, the form shown in FIG. 7 may be sufficient. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the upper portion of the substrate holder 107 and the conductive rod-like body 701. FIG. 7A shows the state in which the substrate holder 107 is carried into and out of the reaction vessel 101 as shown in FIG. ) Indicates the time of installation. The connecting body 709 includes a connecting portion 703 that fits into the hole 205 of the base holder 107, a sliding body 704, a sliding body 705, a spacer 706, an elastic body 707, and a base 708, all of which are conductive. The connection body 709 is attached to the upper part of a cylindrical connection body support body 702 fixed to the bottom wall 126 of the reaction vessel 101. That is, the connecting body 125 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is raised and lowered together with the conductive rod-like body 123, whereas the connecting body 709 shown in FIG. It is the composition which goes up and down.

  The carrying-in / installation / unloading of the substrate holder 107 into the reaction vessel 101 in the form shown in FIG. 7 will be described. First, the substrate holder 107 is installed in the reaction vessel 101, that is, placed on the turntable 112 of the rotation holding mechanism 115. At that time, as shown in FIG. 7A, the connection portion 703 of the connection body 709 is fitted into the hole 205 formed in the center of the upper surface 206 of the base holder 107. Thereafter, the conductive rod-shaped body 701 rises to the position shown in FIG. 7B, and the contact 203 of the conductive rod-shaped body 701 contacts the valve body 208 of the gate valve 122. When the substrate holder 107 rotates, only the connection portion 703 of the connection body 709 is rotated with the substrate holder 107, and the portion other than the connection portion 703 of the connection body 709 and the conductive rod-like body 701 are stationary. When the base holder 107 is unloaded, the conductive rod-like body 701 is lowered to the position shown in FIG.

  The conductive rod-like body 123 is configured to be long in the longitudinal direction of the base holder 107. Therefore, since the form shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is connected to the moving device 124 at the lower part of the reaction vessel 101 and is not supported at the upper part, it tends to be inclined. When it is greatly inclined, there is a possibility that the conductive state between the contact 207 of the connection body 125 and the upper surface 206 of the substrate holder 107 is deteriorated or dust is generated. In the worst case, it is conceivable that the conductive rod-shaped body 123 does not enter the hole 205 on the upper surface 206 of the base holder 107. On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, since the connecting body 709 is fixed by the connecting body support 702, the inclination of the conductive rod-like body 701 is suppressed, so that the conduction state is always good and dust is generated. There are advantages such as difficulty.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention further in detail, this invention is not limited at all by these. In the following description, the same portions as those shown in the above-described embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals.

Example 1
A deposited film forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is used to deposit amorphous silicon having a layer structure shown in FIG. 5 on a cylindrical substrate 102 made of aluminum having a diameter of 80 mm, a length of 358 mm, and a thickness of 3 mm under the conditions shown in Table 1. A film (hereinafter abbreviated as an electrophotographic photoreceptor) was formed. A substrate transport mechanism 301 was used to transport the substrate holder 107 to which the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 were attached.

  In this embodiment, a stainless steel wire brush is used as the sliding body 201 of the connecting body 125 shown in FIG. Further, a stainless plate spring was used for the contact 203 at the upper end of the conductive rod-like body 123 and the contact 208 of the connecting body 125.

Further, reference numeral 501 in FIG. 5 denotes a constituent member of the cylindrical substrate 102, reference numeral 502 denotes a lower blocking layer (first layer), reference numeral 503 denotes a photoconductive layer (second layer), and reference numeral 504 denotes a surface layer (first layer). 3 layers).

  With respect to the produced electrophotographic photosensitive member, evaluation of “thickness bus bar unevenness”, “Vd bus bar unevenness”, “Vh bus bar unevenness”, and “white spot” was performed as follows.

Evaluation of “Thickness Bus Bar Unevenness” Using a film thickness meter (Fischer Instruments FISCHER SCOPE MMS), the film thickness was measured at 9 points at intervals of 40 mm in the bus bar direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The difference between the maximum value and the minimum value was evaluated as film thickness bus unevenness. At this time, the value of the film thickness at each point in the busbar direction was an average value of the measured values at four points at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. Evaluation was carried out by relative evaluation when the result obtained in the comparative example described later was taken as 100. In other words, the smaller the number, the better the evaluation result.

Evaluation of “Vd bus line unevenness” and “Vh bus line unevenness” A copy machine (iR5000 modified machine manufactured by Canon Inc.) was used for evaluating these electrophotographic photosensitive member characteristics. FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the copying machine. In FIG. 6, an electrophotographic photosensitive member 601 is supported so as to be rotatable in the clockwise direction in the figure. Around the electrophotographic photosensitive member 601, a pre-exposure device 608, a main charger 602, a potential sensor 603, and a latent image forming laser 609 are sequentially arranged in the clockwise direction. Next, a developing device 604 for performing development by attaching toner onto the electrostatic latent image, a transfer charging device 605 (a) for transferring the toner image to a recording medium, and a separation charging device 605 (b). Has been placed. Thereafter, a cleaner 600 having a cleaning roller 606 and a cleaning blade 607 for removing residual toner is disposed.

  When measuring the electrophotographic photosensitive member characteristics, the developing device 604 and the cleaner 600 are removed. Then, instead of the developing device 604, a potential probe (Model 344 manufactured by TREK, not shown) capable of measuring the electrophotographic characteristics at a predetermined position in the direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member bus line is attached, and the electrophotographic characteristics of the electrophotographic photosensitive member 601 are measured. To do. The electrophotographic characteristics thus measured were evaluated according to the following criteria.

"Vd bus line unevenness"
The process speed is 265 mm / sec, the amount of pre-exposure (LED with a wavelength of 660 nm) is 4 lx · s, and the surface potential at the central position in the bus bar direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 450 V (dark potential) as measured by the potential probe. The current value of the main charger 602 is adjusted. Thereafter, the potential probe is moved in the direction of the bus from the end of the electrophotographic photosensitive member 601, and measurement is performed at 9 points at intervals of 40 mm in the direction of the bus, and the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value at the 9 points is measured. The Vd bus bar unevenness was evaluated. Evaluation was carried out by relative evaluation with the result obtained in the comparative example as 100. In other words, the smaller the number, the better the evaluation result.

"Vh bus unevenness"
The current value of the main charger 602 was adjusted so that the surface potential at the central position in the bus-line direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member was 450 V (dark potential) by the same procedure as the Vd bus-line unevenness. Thereafter, the latent image forming laser 609 (wavelength 655 nm) is irradiated to adjust the light amount of the latent image forming laser 609 so that the surface potential at the center position measured by the potential probe becomes 200 V (bright potential). did. Thereafter, the potential probe is moved in the direction of the bus from the end of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and measurement is performed at 9 points at intervals of 40 mm in the direction of the bus. The difference between the maximum value and the minimum value at the 9 points is calculated as Vh. It was evaluated as busbar unevenness. Evaluation was carried out by relative evaluation with the result obtained in the comparative example as 100. In other words, the smaller the number, the better the evaluation result.

Evaluation of “White Pochi” Using a Canon iR5000 copying machine, an image obtained by copying an A3 size black-colored original was observed, and a diameter of 0.10 mm per electrophotographic photosensitive member was observed. The number of the above white spots (image defect portions) was counted. Evaluation was carried out by relative evaluation with the result obtained in the comparative example as 100. In other words, the smaller the number, the better the evaluation result.

Ranking of each evaluation result The evaluation results were ranked according to the following criteria.
A ... less than 50 B ... 50 or more and less than 75 C ... 75 or more and less than 100 D ... 100 (no change)
E: More than 100 Comprehensive evaluation Comprehensive evaluation was performed based on the following criteria with respect to the evaluation results of the above five items ("film thickness bus unevenness", "Vd bus bar unevenness", "Vh bus bar unevenness", "white potty").
A: B level or higher for each item and 3 or more A levels B ... B level or higher for each item C ... C level or higher for each item D ... D level or higher for each item E・ Each item has E level.

  The results of each evaluation and comprehensive evaluation are shown in Table 2.

(Example 2)
In contrast to Example 1, the sliding member 201 of the connecting body 125 shown in FIG. 2 was changed to a stainless steel bearing to produce an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and the same evaluation as in Example 1 was performed. The results are shown in Table 2.

(Example 3)
In contrast to Example 1, the sliding member 201 of the connecting body 125 shown in FIG. 2 is changed to a solid lubricant (FWD-430L manufactured by Fuji Dice Co., Ltd.) to produce an electrophotographic photosensitive member. Was evaluated. The results are shown in Table 2.

Example 4
The configuration shown in FIG. 7 is changed from the first embodiment. A stainless steel wire brush was used for the sliding body 704 and the sliding body 705, and a spiral spring was used for the elastic body 707. Then, an electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

(Example 5)
In contrast to Example 4, the sliding body 704 and the sliding body 705 shown in FIG. 7 are changed to solid lubricants (FWD-430L manufactured by Fuji Dice Co., Ltd.) to produce an electrophotographic photosensitive member. Was evaluated. The results are shown in Table 2.

(Comparative example)
Using the deposited film forming apparatus 400 shown in FIG. 4, an electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced on a cylindrical substrate 102 made of aluminum having a diameter of 80 mm, a length of 358 mm, and a thickness of 3 mm, and the same evaluation as in the example was performed. It was. The substrate holder 401 mounted with the cylindrical substrate 102 and the cap 108 was transported using the substrate transport mechanism 301. The results are shown in Table 2.

The deposited film forming apparatus 400 used in this comparative example does not have the conductive rod-like body 123 and is electrically only in the lower part of the base holder 401 compared to the deposited film forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment corresponding to the present invention shown in FIG. The connection is different. Note that the base holder 401 has a holding part 402 by the base transport mechanism 301 in the upper part, and therefore can support automatic transport.

  From Table 2, each example improved compared to the comparative example with respect to each bus bar unevenness. That is, it can be seen that the uniformity of the deposited film deposited on the cylindrical substrate is improved by electrically connecting the longitudinal ends of the substrate holder. Furthermore, Examples 2, 3, and 5 improved compared to Examples 1 and 4. It is estimated that this is because the electrical connection state of Examples 2, 3, and 5 is more stable than that of Examples 1 and 4.

  Regarding the white pot, each example improved compared to the comparative example. That is, it can be seen that the deposits on the cylindrical base body 102 are reduced by electrically connecting the longitudinal ends of the base body holder.

101 reaction vessel 102 cylindrical substrate 107, 401 substrate holder 115 rotation holding mechanism (substrate holder holding means)
123, 701 Conductive rod-shaped body

Claims (10)

A reaction vessel capable of pressure reduction, the are internally arranged in which the reaction vessel and electrically connected to the reaction vessel, one end side of the long side direction of the base holder on the inner portion Ru placed in the reaction vessel a deposited film forming apparatus which have a a substrate holder holding means for holding, and generate excited species by exciting a raw material gas for forming the deposited film, introduced into the inner part of the reaction vessel, said substrate In a deposited film forming apparatus for forming a deposited film on a substrate mounted on a substrate holder held by a holder holding means ,
The reaction vessel comprises a conductive rod-like body;
The conductive rod-shaped body is, the move or stretch in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder held by the substrate holder holding means, the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder to be opposite to the one longitudinal end of the substrate holder deposited film forming apparatus according to claim electrically connected Siu Rukoto to the reaction container positioned at the other end of. The conductive rod-shaped body is moved or expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder held by said substrate holder holding means, billed before Symbol capable connected electrically to the other longitudinal end side of the substrate holder Item 2. The deposited film forming apparatus according to Item 1. The conductive rod-shaped body is, the longitudinally while being electrically connected to the other end of the substrate holder held by the substrate holder holding means, billed that can move or stretch in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder Item 2. The deposited film forming apparatus according to Item 1. The deposited film forming apparatus, prior SL any one of 請 Motomeko 1-3 that further having a means for moving or stretching the conductive rod-like member in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder held by the substrate holder holding means The deposited film forming apparatus according to Item. The conductive rod-shaped body, wherein the side where the substrate holder holding means is arranged, in any one of the substrate holder holding means according to claim 1 which is held may penetrate the interior of the substrate holder 4 Deposited film forming apparatus. Said reaction vessel, in the longitudinal direction of the other end of the substrate holder, according to any one of 請 Motomeko 1 to 5 that have a closing portion for communicating the inside and the outside of the reaction vessel Deposited film forming device. The substrate holder the substrate mounted on the substrate holder held by the holding means, the deposited film forming apparatus according to any one of the cylindrical substrate der Ru請 Motomeko 1 to 6. The deposited film forming apparatus further includes a rotating means for rotating the substrate holder, and the conductive rod-shaped body and the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the substrate holder are in contact with each other through a conductive sliding body. a deposited film forming apparatus according to any one of to the Hare Ru claims 1 to 7. The deposited film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sliding body is made of a bearing or a solid lubricant. In a method for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member by forming a deposited film on a substrate,
A method for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the deposited film is formed on the substrate using the deposited film forming apparatus according to claim 1.

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