JP7664974B2 - Film forming equipment - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a film forming apparatus.

Wireless communication devices, such as mobile phones, are equipped with many electronic components, including semiconductor devices. To prevent the effects of electromagnetic waves on communication characteristics, semiconductor devices are required to suppress the effects of electromagnetic waves both inside and outside the device, such as the leakage of electromagnetic waves to the outside. For this reason, semiconductor devices with a shielding function against electromagnetic waves are used.

Generally, a semiconductor device is formed by mounting a semiconductor chip on an interposer substrate, which acts as a relay substrate for a mounting substrate, and then sealing the semiconductor chip with resin. A semiconductor device that has been given a shielding function by providing a conductive electromagnetic shielding film on the top and side surfaces of the sealing resin has been developed (see Patent Document 1).

Such an electromagnetic shielding film can be a laminated film of multiple metal materials. For example, an electromagnetic shielding film having a laminated structure in which a SUS film is formed, a Cu film is formed on the SUS film, and a SUS film is further formed on the Cu film is known.

In order to obtain a sufficient shielding effect in an electromagnetic shielding film, it is necessary to reduce the electrical resistivity. For this reason, the electromagnetic shielding film is required to have a certain degree of thickness. In semiconductor devices, it is generally believed that a film thickness of about 1 μm to 10 μm will provide good shielding characteristics. It is known that an electromagnetic shielding film with the above-mentioned SUS, Cu, and SUS laminated structure will provide a good shielding effect if it has a film thickness of about 1 μm to 5 μm.

International Publication No. WO 2013/035819

Plating is a known method for forming an electromagnetic shielding film. However, plating requires wet processes such as a pretreatment process, a plating process, and a post-treatment process such as rinsing with water, which inevitably increases the manufacturing costs of electronic components.

As a result, attention has been focused on the sputtering method, which is a dry process. As a film formation device using the sputtering method, a plasma processing device has been proposed that uses plasma to form a film. In a plasma processing device, an inert gas is introduced into a vacuum chamber in which a target is placed, and a voltage is applied. Ions of the inert gas that has been converted into plasma are collided with a target of the film formation material, and the material that is knocked out of the target is deposited on the workpiece to form a film.

General plasma processing equipment is used to form films with thicknesses of 10 to several hundreds of nm, which can be formed in processing times of tens of seconds to several minutes. However, as mentioned above, it is necessary to form a film with a thickness on the micron level to form an electromagnetic wave shielding film. Since the sputtering method is a technology that forms a film by depositing particles of a film-forming material on an object to be formed, the thicker the film to be formed, the longer it takes to form the film.

Therefore, to form an electromagnetic shielding film, a processing time of several tens of minutes to an hour is required, which is longer than that required by general sputtering methods. For example, an electromagnetic shielding film with a laminated structure of SUS, Cu, and SUS may require a processing time of just over an hour to achieve a film thickness of 5 μm.

In sputtering methods that use plasma, the electronic components continue to be exposed to the heat of the plasma during this processing time. As a result, the electronic components may be heated to around 200°C before a film with a thickness of 5 μm is obtained.

On the other hand, the heat resistance temperature of electronic components is about 200°C if they are heated temporarily for a few to tens of seconds, but if they are heated for more than a few minutes, it is generally about 150°C. For this reason, it has been difficult to form an electromagnetic wave shielding film at the micron level using a typical plasma sputtering method.

To address this issue, it is conceivable to use a configuration in which heat from the electronic components is transferred to the component on which the electronic components are mounted, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the electronic components. However, in such a case, the component on which the electronic components are mounted itself needs to be cooled, and the internal components that make up the film deposition device are also heated by plasma. For this reason, it is difficult to efficiently cool the component once it has become hot by mounting electronic components on it.

The present invention aims to provide a film forming apparatus that can efficiently cool a member on which electronic components are mounted.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the film forming apparatus of the present invention has a chamber into which a sputtering gas is introduced, and a sputtering source provided within the chamber for depositing a film forming material by sputtering to form a film, and within the chamber, a film forming section for forming a film on an electronic component mounted on a transport plate via a holding sheet using the sputtering source, and a cooling section for cooling the transport plate from which the holding sheet has been detached , and the cooling section has a storage section for accommodating the transport plate from which the holding sheet has been detached , a spray section for spraying liquid into the storage section, and a decompression section for decompressing the inside of the storage section while the storage section is sealed so that the transport plate from which the holding sheet has been detached is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the liquid sprayed by the spray section.

The present invention provides a film forming apparatus that can efficiently cool a member on which electronic components are mounted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an electronic component according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an electronic component, a holding sheet, a frame, and a transport plate according to the embodiment. 1 is a simplified plan view showing a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment; 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a film forming process according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a support surface of a transport plate. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the mounting of a transport plate on a tray. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting of a transport plate on a tray. FIG. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 9. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device according to the embodiment. 1 is a graph showing the results of a comparison test. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another aspect of the support portion. FIG. 13 is a perspective plan view showing another embodiment of the film forming section. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another aspect of the cooling section. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another aspect of the cooling section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as the present embodiment) will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
[Electronic Components]
As shown in Fig. 1A, the electronic component 100 to be the target of film formation in this embodiment is a surface mount component in which elements such as semiconductor chips, diodes, transistors, capacitors, or SAW filters are sealed in an insulating package made of synthetic resin or the like. The semiconductor chip is an integrated circuit such as an IC or LSI in which multiple electronic elements are integrated. This electronic component has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, with one surface serving as an electrode exposed surface 111a. The electrode exposed surface 111a is the surface on which the electrodes 112 are exposed, and which faces the mounting board and is connected to the mounting board.

The electromagnetic wave shielding film 113 is formed from a material that blocks electromagnetic waves. In FIG. 1(A), only the electromagnetic wave shielding film 113 is shown in cross section. The electromagnetic wave shielding film 113 is formed on the top surface 111b and side surface 111c of the electronic component 100, i.e., the outer surfaces other than the electrode exposed surface 111a. The top surface 111b is the surface opposite the electrode exposed surface 111a. The side surface 111c is an outer peripheral surface that connects the top surface 111b and the electrode exposed surface 111a and extends at a different angle from the top surface 111b and the electrode exposed surface 111a.

To obtain the electromagnetic wave shielding effect, it is sufficient that the electromagnetic wave shielding film 113 is formed at least on the top surface 111b. A ground pin (not shown) is present on the side surface 111c. The formation of the electromagnetic wave shielding film 113 on the side surface 111c is also for the purpose of grounding the electromagnetic wave shielding film 113.

In addition, when the electromagnetic shielding film 113 is formed, the electronic component 100 may be referred to as the electronic component 100 including the electromagnetic shielding film 113. Furthermore, the top surface 111b and the side surface 111c are also simply referred to as the top surface 111b and the side surface 111c, whether or not the electromagnetic shielding film 113 is formed. In other words, the surface of the electromagnetic shielding film 113 formed on the top surface 111b of the electronic component 100 is also referred to as the top surface 111b, and the surface of the electromagnetic shielding film 113 formed on the side surface 111c is also referred to as the side surface 111c.
[Retention sheet]
Fig. 1B is a side view showing the state of the electronic component 100 after the film formation process. Fig. 1B shows a cross section of the electronic component 100 and the rest of the electronic component 100. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a member for mounting the electronic component 100 in order to perform the film formation process. As shown in Figs. 1B and 2A, the electronic component 100 is held by a holding sheet 120 having an adhesive surface with adhesiveness on one side. More specifically, an electrode exposed surface 111a of the electronic component 100 is in contact with the holding sheet 120 in advance, and the electrode 112 is embedded in the holding sheet 120.

The holding sheet 120 is a heat-resistant synthetic resin such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), or PI (polyimide). The component mounting surface 121 to which the electrode exposed surface 111a of the holding sheet 120 is in close contact, and the support surface 122 on the opposite side are adhesive surfaces. The adhesive surface is formed by applying an adhesive to the surface of the holding sheet 120, or by creating an adhesive surface on the surface. The adhesive or adhesive surface may be made of various adhesive materials, such as silicone-based or acrylic-based resins, as well as urethane resins and epoxy resins.

The holding sheet 120 in this embodiment is rectangular. As shown in Fig. 2A, the component mounting surface 121 of the holding sheet 120 is divided into an outer frame region 121a extending a predetermined distance inward from the edge of the holding sheet 120, and an inner frame region 121b inside the outer frame region 121a. The electronic component 100 is attached to the inner frame region 121b. The region of the inner frame region 121b to which the electronic component 100 is attached is an attachment region 121c. In this embodiment, the region surrounded by a dashed line in the figure is the attachment region 121c.
[Frame]
The frame 130 is in close contact with the holding sheet 120. That is, as shown in Figs. 2A and 2B, the rectangular frame 130 is attached to the outer frame region 121a of the holding sheet 120. The frame 130 is made of metal such as aluminum or SUS, ceramics, resin, or other material with high thermal conductivity. The frame 130 in this embodiment is plate-shaped, and has a rectangular through hole 131 formed in the center. The outer shape of the frame 130 matches the outer shape of the holding sheet 120. The inner edge of the through hole 131 matches the outer edge of the middle frame region 121b. The middle frame region 121b is exposed from the through hole 131 of the frame 130.
[Film forming equipment]
The film forming apparatus S of this embodiment is an apparatus that forms a film on the electronic component 100. As shown in the plan view of Fig. 3, the film forming apparatus S includes a plate mounting section 200, a film forming section 300, a plate detachment section 400, a cooling section 500, and a transport section 600. As shown in Figs. 2(B), (C), 3[1], and 4[1], a transport plate 140 is brought into close contact with the support surface 122 of the holding sheet 120 to which the electronic component 100 and the frame 130 are in close contact. The transport plate 140 is brought into close contact with the plate mounting section 200 shown in Fig. 3. This is referred to as a plate mounting process.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3[2] and 4[2], the transport plate 140 to which the holding sheet 120 is adhered is placed on the tray 34. This is called the plate placement process. As shown in Figures 3[3] and 4[3], this tray 34 is carried into the film-forming section 300, where the electronic component 100 is formed. This is called the film-forming process. During this film-forming process, the electronic component 100 is heated. The transport plate 140 functions as a heat dissipation path that releases heat from the electronic component 100 and suppresses excessive heat accumulation.

After the film is formed, the tray 34 is removed from the film forming section 300, and the transport plate 140 is removed from the tray 34 as shown in FIG. 3[4] and FIG. 4[4]. This is the plate removal process. Then, as shown in FIG. 3[5] and FIG. 4[5], the holding sheet 120 is detached in the plate detachment section 400. This is the plate detachment process. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3[6] and FIG. 4[6], the transport plate 140 is cooled in the cooling section 500. This is the plate cooling process. After that, as shown in FIG. 3[1] and FIG. 4[1], the holding sheet 120 is again brought into close contact with the plate mounting section 200. In this way, the holding sheet 120 is brought into close contact with the transport plate 140.

In this manner, the transport plate 140 is repeatedly used through the plate mounting step, the plate placing step, the film forming step, the plate removal step, the plate detachment step, and the plate cooling step.
(Transport plate)
The transport plate 140 is a plate-like body formed of a metal having thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity, such as aluminum or SUS. As shown in FIG. 2B, the surface of the transport plate 140 on which the holding sheet 120 is mounted is the mounting surface 141, and the opposite surface is the support surface 142 that is the support target in the film forming unit 300 (see FIG. 5). The support surface 122 of the holding sheet 120 has adhesiveness as described above and adheres to the mounting surface 141 of the transport plate 140. As a result, the electronic component 100 is mounted on the transport plate 140, and a heat transfer area from the electronic component 100 to the transport plate 140 is secured. Note that "the electronic component 100 is mounted on the transport plate 140" means that the electronic component 100 is in direct or indirect contact with the transport plate 140 so that heat can be transferred to the transport plate 140. This is not limited to cases where the electronic component 100 is placed on the transport plate 140 by utilizing gravity, and the electronic component 100 may be in direct or indirect contact with the transport plate 140 regardless of the direction of the transport plate 140. In order to dissipate heat from the electronic component 100, it is preferable that the transport plate 140 is in close contact with the support surface 122 of the holding sheet 120 over at least the entire area corresponding to the attachment area 121c.

The surfaces of the transport plate 140 other than the mounting surface 141, i.e., the support surface 142 and the side surfaces, are uneven or porous. The unevenness can be formed, for example, by roughening the surface. When the transport plate 140 is made of aluminum, the porosity can be formed, for example, by anodizing. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the support surface 142 of the transport plate 140 has restricting portions 143 in areas corresponding to the vicinity of the four corners. In this embodiment, the restricting portions 143 are four circular recesses of the same depth.

The heat capacity of the transport plate 140 can be made larger than the heat capacity of the electronic component 100, and more preferably the heat capacity of the holding sheet 120, for example, 2500 to 5000 (J/K). This allows the heat emitted from the electronic component 100 or the heat received by the holding sheet 120 to be transferred to the transport plate 140, which has a large heat capacity, and released. As mentioned above, the holding sheet 120 is formed of a heat-resistant resin material, but the heat-resistant temperature of the PET sheet, which is generally used from the viewpoint of cost, is about 100°C to 150°C. When such a sheet is used as the holding sheet 120, if the heat emitted from the electronic component 100 or the heat received by the holding sheet 120 accumulates in the holding sheet 120 and exceeds the heat-resistant temperature, the holding sheet 120 may be thermally deformed and the electronic component 100 may peel off. Therefore, if the transport plate 140 has a larger heat capacity than the holding sheet 120, the heat received by the holding sheet 120 can be efficiently released to the transport plate 140. This prevents thermal deformation of the holding sheet 120 and prevents the electronic components 100 from peeling off from the holding sheet 120.

In addition, the area of the transport plate 140 (area of the mounting surface 141) when viewed in a plan view is formed to be equal to or smaller than the area of the holding sheet 120 (area of the component mounting surface 121). For example, the area of the transport plate 140 is set to be the same as the area of the holding sheet 120, or the outer edge of the transport plate 140 is smaller than the outer edge of the holding sheet 120 by about 1 mm inward. When performing reverse sputtering, which will be described later, the transport plate 140 also acts as a part of the electrode and is therefore subjected to ion collisions. However, by preventing the transport plate 140 carrying the holding sheet 120 from being exposed, it is possible to prevent the transport plate 140 from being damaged by sputtering.
(Tray)
As shown in FIG. 4, the tray 34 is a member that carries the transport plate 140 and is carried into and out of the film forming unit 300. As shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 7A, the tray 34 has an opposing surface 34a, a peripheral portion 34b, and a support portion 35. The opposing surface 34a is one flat surface of a rectangular flat plate and faces the transport plate 140. The peripheral portion 34b is formed on the periphery of the opposing surface 34a. The peripheral portion 34b is a rectangular frame that surrounds the opposing surface 34a. The tray 34 is made of a material having electrical conductivity, for example, a metal. In this embodiment, the material of the tray 34 is a metal having thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity, such as aluminum or SUS.

As shown in Figures 6(A), (B), 7(A), and (B), the support portion 35 is provided on the tray 34 and supports the transport plate 140 so that a gap is created between the tray 34 and the support portion 35. The distance d between the support surface 142 of the transport plate 140 and the opposing surface 34a of the tray 34 is preferably a distance that prevents the film-forming material from getting around during the film-forming process and provides a heat-insulating effect, for example, about 2 to 5 mm, but is not limited to this value.

The support portion 35 has a protruding member 35a protruding from the opposing surface 34a. In this embodiment, the protruding member 35a is four cone-shaped pins. The four pins correspond to the regulating portion 143 of the transport plate 140, and are provided at a position where their tips are inserted into the regulating portion 143. The protruding member 35a fits into this regulating portion 143, thereby regulating the movement of the transport plate 140 supported by the support portion 35. In order to suppress heat conduction, it is preferable that the contact area between the support portion 35 and the transport plate 140 (the sum of the areas indicated by the black circles in FIG. 5) is, for example, 5% or less of the area of the support surface 142 of the transport plate 140. However, the preferable ratio may vary depending on various factors such as the material, shape, temperature conditions, and number of contact points of the transport plate 140 and the support portion 35. For this reason, the present invention is not limited to the description of these ratios. The support portion 35 is formed of the same material as the tray 34. The support portion 35 and the tray 34 may be integrally formed, or may be constructed by combining separately formed members. However, the support portion 35 and the tray 34 are conductive and electrically connected to each other.

The support position of the support portion 35, that is, the support position of the transport plate 140 by the protruding member 35a, should be such that "the distance between the outer periphery of the transport plate 140 and the regulating portion 143 > the distance between the outer periphery of the transport plate 140 and the inner periphery of the peripheral portion 34b of the tray 34 when the protruding member 35a is fitted into the regulating portion 143." In this way, even if the protruding member 35a shifts from the regulating portion 143 of the transport plate 140, the transport plate 140 can be regulated and held by the inner periphery of the peripheral portion 34b.

Note that "the transport plate 140 is supported by the support portion 35" means that the transport plate 140 and the support portion 35 are in direct or indirect contact with each other so that heat transfer between the transport plate 140 and the support portion 35 is suppressed. This is not limited to the case where the transport plate 140 is placed on the support portion 35 using gravity, and it is sufficient that the transport plate 140 is in direct or indirect contact with the support portion 35 regardless of the direction of the support portion 35. Note that in this embodiment, the transport plate 140 is conductive, and an electrical connection between the transport plate 140 and the tray 34 is ensured via the support portion 35.

In addition, the transport plate 140 accumulates heat from the electronic components 100 and heat from the plasma, causing thermal expansion. As a result, the position of the regulating portion 143 provided on the support surface 142 of the transport plate 140 moves. On the other hand, the tray 34 having the support portion 35 is insulated from the transport plate 140, and even if thermal expansion occurs, a change different from that of the transport plate 140 occurs. Therefore, the position of the support portion 35 and the position of the regulating portion 143 move relatively during processing, and the support portion 35 may shift and come off from the regulating portion 143, causing the holding of the transport plate 140 to become unstable. Therefore, by making the shapes of the multiple regulating portions 143 different from each other, it is possible to allow the positional shift of the transport plate 140 from the support portion 35 due to the thermal expansion, and to maintain stable holding. 5B, by making one of the four regulating portions 143 a reference hole 143s and making the other three holes larger than the reference hole 143s, it is possible to allow misalignment with the protruding member 35a of the support portion 35 even if the transport plate 140 expands thermally. Furthermore, by making the two holes on the same side as the reference hole 143s long holes along the side and making the hole diagonally opposite the reference hole 143s a round hole with a diameter at least larger than the reference hole 143s, one corner is fixed by the reference hole 143s, and the moving direction of the transport plate 140 can be regulated even if thermal expansion occurs.
[Plate mounting part]
Although not shown, the plate mounting section 200 has a pressing device that presses the holding sheet 120 against the transport plate 140 to bring the holding sheet 120 into close contact with the transport plate 140. The holding sheet 120 to which the electronic components 100 have been previously pressed and to which the frame 130 has been attached, and the transport plate 140 are input into the plate mounting section 200. This also includes the case where the transport plate 140 that has been cooled in the cooling section 500 is input and reused.
[Film forming section]
The film forming unit 300 forms an electromagnetic wave shielding film 113 by sputtering on the outer surface of each electronic component 100. As shown in Fig. 9, when the turntable 31 rotates, the electronic component 100 on the tray 34 held by the holder 33 moves in a circular trajectory and passes a position facing the sputtering source 4, and the film forming unit 300 deposits particles sputtered from the target 41 onto the electronic component 100 to form a film.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the film forming section 300 includes a chamber 20, a transfer device 30, film forming processing sections 40A and 40B, a surface processing section 50, a load lock section 60, and a control device 700.
(Chamber)
The chamber 20 is a container into which the reactive gas G is introduced. The reactive gas G includes a sputtering gas G1 for sputtering and a process gas G2 for various processes (see FIG. 10). In the following description, when the sputtering gas G1 and the process gas G2 are not distinguished from each other, they may be called the reactive gas G. The sputtering gas G1 is a gas for forming a film by sputtering on the surface of the electronic component 100 by colliding ions generated by a plasma generated by application of electric power with a target 41 (41A, 41B). For example, an inert gas such as argon gas can be used as the sputtering gas G1.

The process gas G2 is a gas for performing surface treatment by etching or ashing. Hereinafter, such surface treatment may be referred to as reverse sputtering. The process gas G2 can be changed as appropriate depending on the purpose of the treatment. For example, when etching is performed, an inert gas such as argon gas can be used as the etching gas. In this embodiment, the surface of the electronic component 100 is cleaned and roughened using argon gas. For example, by cleaning the surface and roughening it at the nano-order, the adhesion of the film can be increased.

The space inside the chamber 20 forms a vacuum chamber 21. This vacuum chamber 21 is an airtight space that can be turned into a vacuum by reducing the pressure. For example, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, the vacuum chamber 21 is a cylindrical sealed space formed by the ceiling 20a, the inner bottom surface 20b, and the inner circumferential surface 20c inside the chamber 20.

As shown in FIG. 10, the chamber 20 has an exhaust port 22 and an inlet 24. The exhaust port 22 is an opening for ensuring the flow of gas between the vacuum chamber 21 and the outside and for exhausting E. The exhaust port 22 is formed, for example, at the bottom of the chamber 20. An exhaust unit 23 is connected to the exhaust port 22. The exhaust unit 23 has piping and a pump, valve, etc. (not shown). The exhaust process by the exhaust unit 23 reduces the pressure inside the vacuum chamber 21.

The inlet 24 is an opening for introducing the sputtering gas G1 near the target 41 in the vacuum chamber 21. A gas supply unit 25 is connected to the inlet 24. One gas supply unit 25 is provided for each sputtering source 4. The gas supply unit 25 has a gas supply source of the reaction gas G, a pump, a valve, etc. (not shown) in addition to piping. The sputtering gas G1 is introduced into the vacuum chamber 21 from the inlet 24 by the gas supply unit 25. An opening 21a into which a processing unit 5 is inserted is provided at the top of the chamber 20, as described later.
(Transportation section)
The conveying device 30 is provided in the chamber 20, and is a device that circulates and conveys the electronic components 100 along a circular path. The circulatory conveyance means that the trays 34 carrying the electronic components 100 are moved around along a circular path. The path along which the trays 34 are moved by the conveying device 30 is called the conveying path L. The conveying device 30 has a rotating table 31, a motor 32, and a holding unit 33. The holding unit 33 holds the trays 34 carrying a conveying plate 140 via a support unit 35.

The rotating table 31 is a circular plate. The motor 32 is a driving source that applies a driving force to the rotating table 31 to rotate it around the center of the circle as an axis. The holding unit 33 is a component that holds the tray 34 that is transported by the transport device 30. On the top surface of the rotating table 31, a plurality of holding units 33 are arranged at equal circumferential positions. For example, the area in which each holding unit 33 holds the tray 34 is formed in a direction parallel to the tangent of the circle in the circumferential direction of the rotating table 31, and is provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. More specifically, the holding units 33 are grooves, holes, protrusions, jigs, holders, etc. that hold the tray 34. They can be configured with a mechanical chuck or an adhesive chuck.

In this manner, the electronic components 100 are positioned on the turntable 31 by the trays 34 held by the holders 33. In this embodiment, six holders 33 are provided, and therefore six trays 34 are held at intervals of 60° on the turntable 31. However, the number of holders 33 may be one or more.
(Film forming section)
The film formation processing units 40A, 40B are processing units that perform film formation on the electronic components 100 transported by the transport device 30. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the multiple film formation processing units 40A, 40B, they will be described as film formation processing units 40. As shown in FIG. 10 , the film formation processing unit 40 has a sputtering source 4, a partition unit 44, and a power supply unit 6.
<Sputtering source>
The sputtering source 4 is a supply source of a film-forming material that deposits the film-forming material on the electronic component 100 by sputtering to form a film. The sputtering source 4 has a target 41, a backing plate 42, and an electrode 43. The target 41 is formed of a film-forming material that is deposited on the electronic component 100 to form a film, and is provided at a position facing the transport path L at a distance. As shown in FIG. 9, the target 41 in this embodiment is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, that is, in the radial direction of the rotation of the turntable 31, with two targets 41A and 41B. Hereinafter, when the targets 41A and 41B are not distinguished from each other, they are referred to as the target 41. The bottom side of the target 41 faces the electronic component 100 moved by the transport device 30 at a distance. Note that the processing area, which is an execution area where the film-forming material can be attached by the two targets 41A and 41B, is larger than the size of the tray 34 in the radial direction of the turntable 31.

As described below, the film-forming material used is, for example, Cu, Ni, Fe, SUS, etc. However, various materials can be used as long as they can be used to form a film by sputtering. The target 41 is, for example, cylindrical. However, it may be other shapes, such as an oval cylinder or a rectangular column.

The backing plate 42 is a member that holds the target 41. The electrode 43 is a conductive member for applying electric power to the target 41 from outside the chamber 20. The sputtering source 4 is appropriately equipped with a magnet, a cooling mechanism, and the like, as necessary.
<Divider section>
The partition 44 is a member that separates the deposition positions M1 and M2 where the electronic components 100 are deposited by the sputtering source 4, and the processing position M3 where the surface treatment is performed. Hereinafter, when the deposition positions M1 and M2 are not distinguished from each other, they will be described as the deposition position M. As shown in FIG. 9, the partition 44 has square wall plates 44a and 44b that are radially arranged from the center of the circumference of the transport path L, that is, the rotation center of the turntable 31 of the transport device 30. The wall plates 44a and 44b are provided, for example, on the ceiling of the vacuum chamber 21 at positions that sandwich the target 41. The lower end of the partition 44 faces the turntable with a gap through which the electronic components 100 pass. The partition 44 can suppress the diffusion of the reaction gas G and the deposition material into the vacuum chamber 21.

The deposition positions M1, M2, and the processing position M3 are spaces partitioned by the partition 44. The deposition positions M1 and M2 include the target 41 of the sputtering source 4. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the deposition positions M1, M2, and the processing position M3 are spaces surrounded by the wall plates 44a and 44b of the partition 44 and the inner peripheral surface 20c of the chamber 20 in a sector shape when viewed from the planar direction. The horizontal range of the deposition positions M1, M2, and the processing position M3 is an area partitioned by the pair of wall plates 44a and 44b. The deposition material is deposited as a film on the electronic component 100 passing through a position facing the target 41 at the deposition position M. This deposition position M is the area where most of the film is deposited, but even in areas outside the deposition position M, there is leakage of the deposition material from the deposition position M, so that does not mean that there is no deposition of the film at all. In other words, the processing area where the film is deposited is a slightly larger area than the deposition position M.
<Power supply section>
The power supply unit 6 is a component that applies power to the target 41. By applying power to the target 41 by the power supply unit 6, the sputtering gas G1 can be turned into plasma, and the film forming material can be deposited on the electronic component 100. In this embodiment, the power supply unit 6 is, for example, a DC power supply that applies a high voltage. In the case of an apparatus that performs high-frequency sputtering, it can also be an RF power supply. The rotating table 31 has the same potential as the grounded chamber 20, and a potential difference is generated by applying a high voltage to the target 41 side. This avoids the difficulty of connecting the movable rotating table 31 to the power supply unit 6 in order to make the table 31 have a negative potential.

The multiple film forming processing units 40 selectively deposit the film forming materials to form a film consisting of multiple layers of the film forming materials. In particular, in this embodiment, the sputtering sources 4 corresponding to different types of film forming materials are included, and the film forming materials are selectively deposited to form a film consisting of multiple layers of the film forming materials. Including the sputtering sources 4 corresponding to different types of film forming materials includes cases in which the film forming materials of all the film forming processing units 40 are different, and cases in which the film forming materials of the multiple film forming processing units 40 are common but different from the others. Selectively depositing the film forming materials one by one means that while the film forming processing unit 40 of one type of film forming material is forming a film, the film forming processing unit 40 of the other film forming material is not forming a film. In addition, the film forming processing unit 40 or film forming position M during film formation refers to the film forming processing unit 40 or film forming position M in which power is applied to the target 41 of the film forming processing unit 40 and film formation can be performed on the electronic component 100.

In this embodiment, two film forming processing units 40A and 40B are disposed in the transport direction of the transport path L, sandwiching the surface processing unit 50. The two film forming processing units 40A and 40B correspond to the film forming positions M1 and M2. Of these film forming processing units 40A and 40B, the film forming material of the film forming processing unit 40A is SUS. That is, the sputtering source 4 of the film forming processing unit 40A is provided with targets 41A and 41B made of SUS. The film forming material of the other film forming processing unit 40B is Cu. That is, the sputtering source 4 of the film forming processing unit 40B is provided with targets 41A and 41B made of Cu. In this embodiment, while any one of the film forming processing units 40 is performing a film forming process, the other film forming processing unit 40 does not perform a film forming process.
(Surface treatment section)
The surface treatment section 50 is a treatment section that performs surface treatment on the electronic components 100 transported by the transport device 30, that is, reverse sputtering, which is a plasma treatment that does not have a sputtering source 4. The surface treatment section 50 is provided in a treatment position M3 that is partitioned by a partition section 44. The surface treatment section 50 has a treatment unit 5. An example of the configuration of the treatment unit 5 will be described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10.

The processing unit 5 is equipped with a cylindrical electrode 51 that is provided from the top to the inside of the chamber 20. The cylindrical electrode 51 is in the shape of a square tube, has an opening 51a at one end, and is closed at the other end. The cylindrical electrode 51 is attached to an opening 21a provided in the top surface of the chamber 20 via an insulating member 52 so that the end having the opening 51a faces the rotating table 31. The sidewall of the cylindrical electrode 51 extends into the interior of the chamber 20.

The cylindrical electrode 51 has an outwardly projecting flange 51b at the end opposite the opening 51a. An insulating member 52 is fixed between the flange 51b and the periphery of the opening 21a of the chamber 20, thereby keeping the interior of the chamber 20 airtight. The insulating member 52 need only be insulating and is not limited to a specific material, but can be made of, for example, a material such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene).

The opening 51a of the cylindrical electrode 51 is positioned opposite the transport path L of the rotating table 31. The rotating table 31, which serves as the transport device 30, transports the tray 34 carrying the electronic components 100 and passes through a position opposite the opening 51a. Note that the opening 51a of the cylindrical electrode 51 is larger than the size of the tray 34 in the radial direction of the rotating table 31.

9, the cylindrical electrode 51 is in a sector shape expanding from the center side to the outside in the radial direction of the turntable 31 when viewed from the planar direction. The sector shape here means the shape of the fan surface of a folding fan. The opening 51a of the cylindrical electrode 51 is also sector-shaped. The speed at which the tray 34 on the turntable 31 passes the position facing the opening 51a becomes slower toward the center side in the radial direction of the turntable 31 and becomes faster toward the outside. Therefore, if the opening 51a is simply rectangular or square, there will be a difference in the time it takes for the electronic component 100 to pass the position facing the opening 51a between the center side and the outside in the radial direction. By expanding the diameter of the opening 51a from the center side to the outside in the radial direction, the time it takes to pass the opening 51a can be made constant, and the plasma processing described below can be made uniform. However, as long as the difference in the passing time is not a problem for the product, the opening 51a may be rectangular or square.

As described above, the cylindrical electrode 51 passes through the opening 21a of the chamber 20, and a portion of it is exposed to the outside of the chamber 20. The portion of the cylindrical electrode 51 exposed to the outside of the chamber 20 is covered by a housing 53, as shown in FIG. 8. The housing 53 keeps the space inside the chamber 20 airtight. The portion of the cylindrical electrode 51 located inside the chamber 20, i.e., the periphery of the side wall, is covered by a shield 54.

The shield 54 is a sector-shaped rectangular cylinder coaxial with the cylindrical electrode 51 and is larger than the cylindrical electrode 51. The shield 54 is connected to the chamber 20. Specifically, the shield 54 stands upright from the edge of the opening 21a of the chamber 20, and the end extending toward the inside of the chamber 20 is located at the same height as the opening 51a of the cylindrical electrode 51. The shield 54 acts as a cathode like the chamber 20, so it is preferable to make it out of a conductive metal material with low electrical resistance. The shield 54 may be molded integrally with the chamber 20, or it may be attached to the chamber 20 using a fixing bracket or the like.

The shield 54 is provided to stably generate plasma in the cylindrical electrode 51. Each side wall of the shield 54 is provided to extend approximately parallel to each side wall of the cylindrical electrode 51 with a predetermined gap therebetween. If the gap is too large, the capacitance will be small and the plasma generated in the cylindrical electrode 51 will enter the gap, so it is desirable that the gap be as small as possible. However, if the gap is too small, the capacitance between the cylindrical electrode 51 and the shield 54 will be large, which is not preferable. The size of the gap should be set appropriately according to the capacitance required to generate plasma. Note that FIG. 10 only shows the two side wall surfaces extending in the radial direction of the shield 54 and the cylindrical electrode 51, but a gap of the same size as the radial side wall surfaces is provided between the two side wall surfaces extending in the circumferential direction of the shield 54 and the cylindrical electrode 51.

A process gas inlet 55 is connected to the cylindrical electrode 51. In addition to piping, the process gas inlet 55 has a gas supply source for process gas G2, a pump, a valve, etc. (not shown). The process gas inlet 55 introduces the process gas G2 into the cylindrical electrode 51. As described above, the process gas G2 can be changed as appropriate depending on the purpose of the process.

An RF power supply 56 for applying a high frequency voltage is connected to the cylindrical electrode 51. A matching box 57, which is a matching circuit, is connected in series to the output side of the RF power supply 56. The RF power supply 56 is also connected to the chamber 20. When a voltage is applied from the RF power supply 56, the cylindrical electrode 51 acts as an anode, and the chamber 20, the shield 54, the rotating table 31, the tray 34, and the transport plate 140 act as cathodes. In other words, they function as electrodes for reverse sputtering. For this reason, as described above, the rotating table 31, the tray 34, and the transport plate 140 are conductive and are in contact so as to be electrically connected.

The matching box 57 stabilizes the plasma discharge by matching the impedance of the input side and the output side. The chamber 20 and the rotating table 31 are grounded. The shield 54 connected to the chamber 20 is also grounded. The RF power supply 56 and the process gas inlet 55 are both connected to the cylindrical electrode 51 via a through hole provided in the housing 53.

Argon gas, which is the process gas G2, is introduced into the cylindrical electrode 51 from the process gas inlet 55, and when a high-frequency voltage is applied to the cylindrical electrode 51 from the RF power source 56, the argon gas is converted into plasma, generating electrons, ions, radicals, etc.
(Load lock section)
The load lock unit 60 is a device that, while maintaining the vacuum in the vacuum chamber 21, carries the tray 34 carrying the unprocessed electronic components 100 into the vacuum chamber 21 via a transport plate 140 by a transport means (not shown), and carries the tray 34 carrying the processed electronic components 100 out of the vacuum chamber 21 via the transport plate 140. This load lock unit 60 can have a well-known structure, so a description thereof will be omitted.
[Plate removal section]
After a film is formed on the electronic component 100, the transport plate 140 removed from the tray 34 is inserted into the plate detachment section 400. Although not shown, the plate detachment section 400 inserts a pusher through a hole or groove provided in the transport plate 140 to bias the holding sheet 120, thereby peeling off a part of the holding sheet 120 from the transport plate 140 and lifting the holding sheet 120 with a gripping member to detach the holding sheet 120 from the transport plate 140.
[Cooling section]
The cooling unit 500 cools the transport plate 140 which has been heated by the film formation on the electronic components 100 by the film forming unit 300. As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 11, the cooling unit 500 has a storage unit 510, a spray unit 520, a pressure reducing unit 530, and a vent unit 540. The storage unit 510 is a container that stores the transport plate 140. The storage unit 510 is airtight and can be made into a vacuum inside.

The storage section 510 has an opening 511, a shutter 512, a support stand 513, an exhaust port 514, and a spray port 515. The opening 511 is large enough to allow the transport plate 140 to be inserted and removed. The shutter 512 is provided at the opening 511 and opens and closes the opening 511. When the opening 511 is closed by the shutter 512, the inside of the storage section 510 is sealed from the outside air, and when the opening 511 is opened by the shutter 512, the inside of the storage section 510 is open to the atmosphere.

The support table 513 is a table that supports the transport plate 140 housed in the storage section 510. The support table 513 supports a portion of the support surface 142 of the transport plate 140. In other words, the mounting surface 141, a portion of the support surface 142, and the side surface of the transport plate 140 supported by the support table 513 are exposed inside the storage section 510. The exhaust port 514 is an opening for reducing the pressure inside the storage section 510 by exhausting air. The spray port 515 is an opening for spraying liquid. The spray port 515 is also an opening for breaking the vacuum inside the storage section 510 by introducing air.

The spray unit 520 sprays liquid into the storage unit 510. Water is used as the liquid. The spray unit 520 has a pipe 521 that is connected to a water supply source (not shown). The spray unit 520 also has a spray nozzle (not shown) that extends from the pipe 521 to the spray port 515. The pressure reduction unit 530 reduces the pressure inside the storage unit 510 so that the conveying plate 140 is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the liquid sprayed by the spray unit 520. The pressure reduction unit 530 includes a pipe 531 that is connected to the exhaust port 514, and is connected to an air pressure circuit (not shown) that is connected to the pipe 531. The exhaust by the pressure reduction unit 530 reduces the pressure inside the storage unit 510 to a vacuum.

The vent section 540 opens the storage section 510 to the atmosphere. The vent section 540 includes a pipe 541 connected to the spray nozzle 515 and the pipe 521, and has a valve (not shown) connected to the pipe 541. The vent section 540 breaks the vacuum by opening the valve when a vacuum is created inside the storage section 510.
[Transport section]
3, the transport unit 600 transports necessary members between the plate mounting unit 200, the film forming unit 300, the plate removal unit 400, and the cooling unit 500. The transport unit 600 of this embodiment has rotating arms 610, 620, and a robot arm 630. The rotating arm 610 moves the tray 34 carrying the transport plate 140 in and out of the chamber 20 via the load lock unit 60. The rotating arm 620 moves the transport plate 140 carrying the holding sheet 120 in and out of the tray 34. The robot arm 630 transports the transport plate 140 between the plate mounting unit 200, the rotating arm 620, the plate removal unit 400, and the cooling unit 500.
[Control device]
The control device 700 is a device that controls each part of the film forming apparatus S. The control device 700 can be configured, for example, by a dedicated electronic circuit or a computer that operates with a predetermined program. That is, the control device 70 is programmed with control contents regarding the control of the plate mounting part 200, the film forming part 300, the plate removing part 400, the cooling part 500, and the transport part 600, and the control contents are executed by a processing device such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

Specific operations that are controlled include the transport of the transport plate 140 by the rotating arm 620, the transport of the tray 34 to and from the film-forming section 300 by the rotating arm 610, the attachment of the holding sheet 120 to the transport plate 140 by the plate attachment section 200, the detachment of the holding sheet 120 from the transport plate 140 by the plate detachment section 400, the transport of the transport plate 140 to and from the cooling section 500 by the robot arm 630, the opening and closing of the shutter 512, the spraying of liquid by the spray section 520, the exhaust by the pressure reduction section 530, and the vacuum breaking by the vent section 540, and the timing of these operations.

The control device 700 also controls the initial exhaust pressure of the film forming apparatus S, the selection of the sputtering source 4, the power applied to the target 41 and the cylindrical electrode 51, the flow rates, types, introduction times and exhaust times of the sputtering gas G1 and the process gas G2, the film forming time, the rotation speed of the motor 32, etc.

The configuration of the control device 700 for executing the operations of each unit as described above will be described with reference to the virtual functional block diagram of FIG. 12. That is, the control device 700 has a mechanism control unit 71, a storage unit 72, a setting unit 73, and an input/output control unit 74.

The mechanism control unit 71 is a processing unit that controls the mechanisms of each unit constituting the plate mounting unit 200, the film forming unit 300, the plate removal unit 400, the cooling unit 500, and the transport unit 600. The mechanism control unit 71 also controls the drive sources of the exhaust unit 23, the gas supply unit 25, the process gas introduction unit 55, the motor 32 of the transport device 30, the load lock unit 60, etc., valves, switches, power supplies, the power supply unit 6, the RF power supply 56, etc.

The memory unit 72 is a component that stores information necessary for control in this embodiment. For example, the information stored in the memory unit 72 includes the amount and timing of liquid sprayed by the spray unit 520, the amount and timing of exhaust by the pressure reduction unit 530, and the timing of vacuum break by the vent unit 540. The setting unit 73 is a processing unit that sets information input from the outside in the memory unit 72. The input/output control unit 74 is an interface that controls signal conversion and input/output between each unit to be controlled.

Furthermore, an input device 75 and an output device 76 are connected to the control device 700. The input device 75 is an input means such as a switch, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, etc., by which an operator operates the film forming apparatus S via the control device 700. For example, the selection of the sputtering source 4 to perform film formation can be input by the input means. The output device 76 is an output means such as a display, a lamp, a meter, etc., which makes information for checking the state of the apparatus visible to the operator.
[Action]
The operation of the present embodiment as described above will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 12. First, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, electronic components 100 are attached in advance to attachment area 121c of holding sheet 120 in a matrix arrangement with gaps therebetween, and frame 130 is in close contact with outer frame area 121a of holding sheet 120.
(Plate mounting process: Fig. 3 [1], Fig. 4 [1])
The holding sheet 120 and the transport plate 140 are inserted into the plate mounting section 200. Then, in the plate mounting section 200, the mounting surface 141 of the transport plate 140 is brought into close contact with the support surface 122 of the holding sheet 120.
(Plate mounting process: Fig. 3 [2], Fig. 4 [2])
6A, 6B, 7A and 7B, the transport plate 140 to which the holding sheet 120 is in close contact is mounted on the opposing surface 34a of the tray 34 by the rotating arm 620. At this time, the tip of the protruding member 35a fits into the regulating portion 143, and the transport plate 140 is supported by the support portion 35.
(Film formation process: Fig. 3 [3], Fig. 4 [3])
The plurality of trays 34 are sequentially carried into the chamber 20 from the load lock unit 60 by the rotating arm 610. The rotating table 31 sequentially moves the empty holding units 33 to the carrying-in location from the load lock unit 60. The holding units 33 individually hold each of the trays 34 carried in by the transport means. In this manner, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the trays 34 carrying the electronic components 100 to be film-formed via the holding sheet 120 and the transport plate 140 are all placed on the rotating table 31. Note that the electronic components 100, holding sheet 120, and transport plate 140 carried on the trays 34 are not shown in Figs. 8 to 9.

The film formation process for the electronic component 100 introduced into the film formation apparatus S as described above will now be described. The following operation is an example in which the surface of the electronic component 100 is cleaned and roughened by the surface treatment unit 50, and then the electromagnetic wave shielding film 113 is formed on the surface of the electronic component 100 by the film formation treatment units 40A and 40B. The electromagnetic wave shielding film 113 is formed by alternately laminating SUS layers and Cu layers. The SUS layer formed directly on the electronic component 100 serves as a base that enhances the adhesion between the molding resin and the Cu. The middle Cu layer is a layer that has the function of shielding electromagnetic waves. The topmost SUS layer is a protective layer that prevents the Cu from rusting, etc.

First, the vacuum chamber 21 is constantly evacuated and decompressed by the exhaust unit 23. When the vacuum chamber 21 reaches a predetermined pressure, the rotating table 31 rotates and reaches a predetermined rotation speed. In the processing unit 5, the electronic component 100 passes through a position facing the opening 51a of the cylindrical electrode 51. In the processing unit 5, argon gas, which is the process gas G2, is introduced from the process gas introduction unit 55 to the cylindrical electrode 51, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the cylindrical electrode 51 from the RF power source 56. The application of the high-frequency voltage turns the argon gas into plasma, generating active species including ions and the like. The plasma flows from the opening 51a of the cylindrical electrode 51, which is the anode, to the conveying plate 140, which is the cathode, the tray 34, and the rotating table 31. Ions and the like in the plasma collide with the surface of the electronic component 100 passing under the opening 51a, thereby cleaning and roughening the surface. Then, when the surface treatment time by the surface treatment unit 50 has elapsed, the surface treatment unit 50 is stopped. In other words, the supply of process gas G2 from the process gas inlet 55 and the application of voltage by the RF power supply 56 are stopped.

Next, the gas supply unit 25 of the film formation processing unit 40A supplies sputtering gas G1 to the periphery of the target 41. In this state, the electronic component 100 held by the holding unit 33 moves along the transport path L in a circular trajectory and passes a position facing the sputtering source 4.

Next, the power supply unit 6 applies power to the target 41 only in the film forming processing unit 40A. This causes the sputtering gas G1 to become plasma. In the sputtering source 4, ions generated by the plasma collide with the target 41 and scatter particles of the film forming material. As a result, particles of the film forming material are deposited on the surface of the electronic component 100 that passes through the film forming position M1 of the film forming processing unit 40A, creating a film. Here, a layer of SUS is formed. At this time, the heat of the electronic component 100 heated by the plasma is released to the transport plate 140 via the holding sheet 120.

The electronic component 100 also passes through the film-forming position M2 of the film-forming processing unit 40B, but because no power is applied to the target 41 in the film-forming processing unit 40B, no film-forming process is performed and the electronic component 100 is not heated. The electronic component 100 is also not heated in areas other than the film-forming positions M1 and M2. In this way, the electronic component 100 and the transport plate 140 emit heat in the unheated areas.

After the film formation time by the film formation processing unit 40A has elapsed, the film formation processing unit 40A is stopped. In other words, the power supply unit 6 stops applying power to the target 41. Then, the power supply unit 6 of the film formation processing unit 40B applies power to the target 41. This causes the sputtering gas G1 to become plasma. In the sputtering source 4, ions generated by the plasma collide with the target 41 and scatter particles of the film formation material. Therefore, particles of the film formation material are deposited on the surface of the electronic component 100 passing through the film formation position M2 of the film formation processing unit 40B each time it passes, and a film is generated. Here, a layer of Cu is formed. This layer becomes part of the layer of the electromagnetic wave shielding film 113. At this time, the heat of the electronic component 100 heated by the plasma is released to the transport plate 140 via the holding sheet 120.

The electronic component 100 also passes through the film-forming position M1 of the film-forming processing unit 40A, but because no power is applied to the target 41 in the film-forming processing unit 40A, no film-forming process is performed and the electronic component 100 is not heated. The electronic component 100 is also not heated in areas other than the film-forming positions M1 and M2. In this way, the electronic component 100 and the transport plate 140 emit heat in the unheated areas.

When the film formation time by the film formation processing unit 40B has elapsed, the film formation processing unit 40B is stopped. In other words, the power supply unit 6 stops applying power to the target 41. Then, the power supply unit 6 of the film formation processing unit 40A applies power to the target 41. This causes the sputtering gas G1 to become plasma. In the sputtering source 4, ions generated by the plasma collide with the target 41 and scatter particles of the film formation material. Therefore, particles of the film formation material are deposited on the surface of the electronic component 100 that passes through the film formation position M1 of the film formation processing unit 40A each time it passes, and a film is generated. Here, a layer of SUS is formed. At this time, the heat of the electronic component 100 heated by the plasma is released to the transport plate 140 via the holding sheet 120.

The electronic component 100 also passes through the film-forming position M2 of the film-forming processing unit 40B, but because no power is applied to the target 41 in the film-forming processing unit 40B, no film-forming process is performed and the electronic component 100 is not heated. The electronic component 100 is also not heated in areas other than the film-forming positions M1 and M2. In this way, the electronic component 100 and the transport plate 140 emit heat in the unheated areas.

When the film formation time by the film formation processing unit 40A has elapsed, the film formation processing unit 40A is stopped. In other words, the power supply unit 6 stops applying power to the target 41. In this way, by repeating film formation by the film formation processing units 40A and 40B, a film is formed in which a SUS film, a Cu film, and a SUS film are stacked. Furthermore, by repeating similar film formation, a film with more than three layers can be formed. As a result, as shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), an electromagnetic wave shielding film 113 is formed on the top surface 111b and side surface 111c of the electronic component 100.

During the above-described film formation process, the turntable 31 continues to rotate and continues to circulate and transport the trays 34 carrying the electronic components 100. Then, after the film formation process is completed, the trays 34 carrying the electronic components 100 are sequentially positioned in the load lock unit 60 by the rotation of the turntable 31, and are carried out to the outside by the rotating arm 610.
(Plate removal process: Fig. 3 [4], Fig. 4 [4])
The transport plate 140 is removed by the rotating arm 620 from the tray 34 that has been carried out of the film forming section 300. Then, the transport plate 140 is inserted into the plate removal section 400 by the robot arm 630.
(Plate removal process: Figure 3 [5], Figure 4 [5])
In the plate detachment section 400, the holding sheet 120 is detached from the transport plate 140. Furthermore, in a component detachment device (not shown), for example, the electronic component 100 is detached from the holding sheet 120 by peeling off the holding sheet 120 while adsorbing the electronic component 100 with negative pressure.
(Plate cooling process: Fig. 3 [6], Fig. 4 [6])
The transport plate 140 is carried into the cooling section 500 by the robot arm 630. That is, as shown in Fig. 11A, the transport plate 140 is inserted into the storage section 510 through an opening 511 opened by opening the shutter 512, and placed on a support stand 513. As shown in Fig. 11B, with the shutter 512 closed to seal the inside of the storage section 510, the spray section 520 sprays liquid from a spray nozzle 515.

As shown in FIG. 11(C), the pressure inside the storage unit 510 is reduced to a vacuum state by exhausting air from the exhaust port using the pressure reducing unit 530. At this time, the sprayed liquid evaporates, and the heat of vaporization cools the transport plate 140. The transport plate 140 is heated to about 60°C to 70°C during the film formation process, and can be cooled to, for example, room temperature (25°C), but is not limited to this. Then, as shown in FIG. 11(D), the valve of the vent unit 540 is opened to break the vacuum. After that, the shutter 512 is opened, and the transport plate 140 is removed from the storage unit 510 by the robot arm 630 and inserted into the plate mounting unit 200.

11A to 11E, the periphery of the transport plate 140 is held on the support base 513, but this is not limiting, and the entire support surface 142 of the transport plate 140 may be held in surface contact with the plate-shaped support base 513. The surface contact between the cooling plate 516 and the transport plate 140 increases the contact area, and the heat of the transport plate 140 is efficiently dissipated to the cooling plate 516, improving the cooling effect. The cooling effect is further improved if the plate-shaped support base 513 is made of metal such as aluminum or SUS, ceramics, resin, or other material with high thermal conductivity.
[Comparative Test]
The results of a comparative test between the working example and the comparative example corresponding to the above embodiment are shown in Fig. 13. Fig. 13(a) to (d) show the results of measuring the temperature of the transport plate over time in a vacuum chamber outside the film forming unit, with an initial temperature of 90°C. In this measurement, a plate-like member made of aluminum alloy and measuring 100 mm x 200 mm x 20 mm was used as the transport plate. A platinum thermocouple thermometer was used as the temperature detection unit, and the measurement point was the center of the upper surface of the transport plate.

Figures 13(a) and (b) show the results of measuring the cooling time when the transport plate was left in the vacuum chamber. Figure 13(a) shows the case where it was left in a state where it was held only by point contact with other components in the vacuum chamber and was almost completely insulated. Figure 13(b) shows the case where it was left directly placed on the surface of an aluminum block installed in the vacuum chamber, that is, held in surface contact.

Figures 13(c) and (d) show the results of measuring the cooling time when evaporative cooling was performed by spraying liquid onto a transport plate in a vacuum chamber and evaporating it. Figure 13(c) shows the case where evaporative cooling was performed while the plate was held in only point contact with other components in the vacuum chamber and was almost completely insulated. This corresponds to the embodiment shown in Figure 11. Figure 13(d) shows the case where evaporative cooling was performed while the plate was held in surface contact with an aluminum block installed in the vacuum chamber. The liquid sprayed was pure water, the amount sprayed per time was 3.7 g, and the spray interval was 2 times/min.

As shown in Fig. 13, when the cooling target temperature was set to room temperature (25°C), the target temperature was reached in about 9 minutes in (d) and 16 minutes in (c). On the other hand, in (a) and (b), even after 30 minutes, the target temperature was still 70°C in (a) and 30°C in (b), and the target temperature was not reached. In addition, the target temperature was not reached even after 60 minutes in (a) and (b), and the temperature only dropped to 46.6°C in (a) and 26.7°C in (b).
[Action and Effect]
(1) The film forming apparatus S of this embodiment includes a chamber 20 into which a sputtering gas G1 is introduced, a sputtering source 4 that is provided in the chamber 20 and deposits a film-forming material by sputtering to form a film, a film forming processing section 40 that forms a film on an electronic component 100 mounted on a transport plate 140 by the sputtering source 4 in the chamber 20, and a cooling section 500 that cools the transport plate 140 outside the chamber 20. The cooling section 500 includes a housing section 510 that houses the transport plate 140, a spray section 520 that sprays a liquid into the housing section 510, and a decompression section 530 that decompresses the inside of the housing section 510 so that the transport plate 140 is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the liquid sprayed by the spray section 520.

In this way, by cooling the transport plate 140 in the cooling section 500 and then using it again for film formation, multiple electronic components can be processed without being affected by the heat from the previous process remaining in the film formation section 300 and without fluctuations in temperature conditions. Because the heat of vaporization of the liquid is used for cooling, cooling can be performed quickly and efficiently compared to simply leaving it outside the film formation section 300, and film formation can be performed efficiently with a small number of transport plates 140.

(2) The conveying plate 140 has an uneven or porous surface. This allows the surface to contain more liquid, which increases the amount of liquid that evaporates and improves cooling efficiency.

(3) The film forming apparatus S of this embodiment includes a chamber 20 into which a sputtering gas G1 is introduced, a film forming processing section 40 in which a film is formed on an electronic component 100 in the chamber 20 by a sputtering source 4, a transport plate 140 on which the electronic component 100 on which a film is to be formed in the chamber 20 is mounted, a transport device 30 that transports the transport plate 140 via a tray 34, a tray 34 transported by the transport device 30, and a support section 35 provided on the tray 34 that supports the transport plate 140 so as to create a gap between the tray 34 and the transport plate 140.

In this embodiment, the electronic component 100 to be film-formed is mounted on the transport plate 140. This allows the heat of the electronic component 100 during film formation to be released to the transport plate 140, suppressing the temperature rise of the electronic component. However, the internal members such as the turntable 31 in the chamber 20 of the film-forming unit 300 are also heated by the plasma. Then, when the heat from such internal members is transferred to the transport plate 140 via the tray 34, the temperature of the electronic component 100 rises. In particular, when films are continuously formed in the film-forming unit 300, the heat from the plasma in the previous film formation may remain in the internal members. Then, the heat remaining from the internal members is transferred to the electronic component 100 to be subjected to the next film formation, which may cause the temperature conditions of the film formation of the electronic component 100 to fluctuate, resulting in a change in the film quality. In this embodiment, the transport plate 140 and the tray 34 installed in the film-forming unit 300 are supported by the support portion 35 so as to create a gap between them. As a result, insulation between the transport plate 140 and the tray 34 can be achieved, and heat from internal components such as the rotating table 31 of the transport section 600 is less likely to be transmitted to the electronic component 100 via the tray 34 and the transport plate 140, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the electronic component 100.
(4) The contact area of the support portion 35 is 5% or less of the area of the support surface 142 of the transport plate 140 supported by the support portion 35. This narrows the path of heat transfer from the tray 34 to the transport plate 140, making it difficult for heat to be transferred to the electronic components 100.
(5) The support portion 35 has a protruding member that protrudes from the tray 34 toward the transport plate 140 and has a tip that contacts the transport plate 140. This makes it possible to support the transport plate 140 with a gap between it and the tray 34 with a simple configuration.
(6) A plurality of support portions 35 are provided. Therefore, a plurality of support positions can be provided, and the transport plate 140 can be stably supported while maintaining a gap between the transport plate 140 and the tray 34.
(7) The transport plate 140 has the restricting portions 143 that restrict movement of the transport plate 140 relative to the support portions 35. Therefore, the restricting portions 143 can prevent the transport plate 140 from shifting during transport.
(8) In the chamber 20, there is a surface treatment section 50 that performs surface treatment on the electronic component 100 or a film formed on the electronic component 100 by using the transport plate 140 as an electrode, and the transport plate 140 and the support section 35 are conductive. Therefore, the transport plate 140 and the support section 35 can function as electrodes for the surface treatment section 50.
(9) The electronic component 100 is held by the holding sheet 120 having an adhesive surface with adhesiveness on one side, and the transport plate 140 is in close contact with the other side of the holding sheet 120 over at least the entire area corresponding to the attachment area 121c of the electronic component 100. Therefore, heat from the electronic component 100 is efficiently transferred to the transport plate 140.
[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and also includes the following aspects.
(1) The shape of the protruding member 35a of the support portion 35 is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. It may be cylindrical, pyramidal, or prismatic. The number of the support portion 35 may be one, but it is preferable that there are more than one for stable support. For example, there may be three, five, or more. In addition, as shown in FIG. 14A, by making the support portion 35 elastic, even if the support surface 142 of the transport plate 140 is distorted, the support portion 35 may be reliably in contact with the transport plate 140, thereby ensuring stable support and conductivity. For example, the protruding member 35a may be supported by an elastic member 35b such as a spring and configured to move toward and away from the transport plate 140.

Also, as shown in FIG. 14(B), the protruding member 35a of the support portion 35 may be in the shape of a wall or bank extending along the opposing surface. This increases the contact area between the protruding member 35a and the conveying plate 140, thereby reducing electrical resistance and ensuring support stability.

Furthermore, by using a flexible material for the support portion 35, even if the support surface 142 of the transport plate 140 is distorted, the support portion 35 may be reliably in contact with the support surface 142, so that stable support and conductivity can be ensured. For example, as shown in FIG. 14C, the support portion 35 may be a brush made of metal such as copper. A metal mesh member may also be used. The support portion 35 may be a combination of a support member for mechanical support and a support member for electrical conduction. For example, the above-mentioned modes of the support member may be combined. For electrical connection, the transport plate 140 and the support portion 35 only need to be in contact at least one place. Furthermore, the support position of the transport plate 140 by the support portion 35 is not limited to the support surface 142 on the opposite side to the surface on which the electronic component 100 is placed. For example, a part of the side surface of the transport plate 140 or both the side surface and the support surface 142 may be supported.
(2) The number of targets in the film forming processing unit 40 is not limited to two. The number of targets may be one or three or more. The number of film forming positions may be two or less or four or more. As shown in FIG. 15, the film forming unit 300 may have the film forming processing units 40A to 40C, but may not have the surface processing unit 50 that uses the transport plate 140 and the tray 34 as part of the electrodes. In this case, it is not necessary to make the support unit 35 conductive in order to ensure the conductivity between the transport plate 140 and the tray 34. In other words, the materials of the transport plate 140, the tray 34, and the support unit 35 may not be conductive. For example, at least one of the transport plate 140, the tray 34, and the support unit 35 may be made of ceramics or synthetic resin with good thermal conductivity, or a composite material thereof.
(3) In the above embodiment, the cooling unit 500 may perform liquid spraying and exhausting multiple times to reduce the temperature of the transport plate 140. In this case, the number of times to reach a desired temperature may be set in advance in the memory unit 72 of the control device 700 by experiments, etc., and the liquid spraying and exhausting may be performed the set number of times. Also, a temperature detection unit for measuring the temperature of the transport plate 140 may be provided, and the control device 700 may perform liquid spraying and exhausting until the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit reaches a preset temperature. As a result, the amount of liquid sprayed each time and the amount of liquid attached to the transport plate 140 can be adjusted so as not to be excessive, and the temperature can be reduced to the target temperature by repetition, so that the remaining liquid can be prevented from affecting the film formation. Also, as shown in FIG. 16, the accommodation unit 510 of the cooling unit 500 may be configured to be able to accommodate multiple transport plates 140. For example, the accommodation unit 510 may be provided with multiple support stages. As a result, multiple transport plates can be cooled together, improving work efficiency. 16, the temperature detection unit 513a is provided on the surface of the support base 513 that supports the transport plate 140. This allows the temperature to be detected by contacting the temperature detection unit 513a when the transport plate 140 is placed on the support base 513. As the temperature detection unit, any known temperature sensor such as a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector, a thermistor, or a radiation thermometer can be used, and the position thereof is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.
(4) Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17, a cooling plate 516 having a contact surface 516a that contacts the transport plate 140 may be provided, and a liquid may be sprayed by a spray unit 520 on the side of the cooling plate 516 opposite to the contact surface 516a, and a pressure reduction unit 530 may be used to reduce pressure. In this case, the cooling plate 516 airtightly divides the inside of the accommodation unit 510 into a contact surface 516a side that contacts the transport plate 140 and a cooling chamber 517 on the opposite side, and the cooling chamber 517 is a space that can be reduced in pressure. The cooling plate 516 is formed of metals such as aluminum and SUS, ceramics, resin, or other materials with high thermal conductivity. The surface of the cooling plate 516 opposite to the contact surface 516a, that is, the surface on the cooling chamber 517 side, has irregularities or is porous. The irregularities can be formed, for example, by performing a roughening process. Also, the irregularities may be relatively large to serve as heat dissipation fins. For example, when the transport plate 140 is made of aluminum, the porous structure can be formed by subjecting the transport plate 140 to an anodizing process.

The exhaust port 514 and the spray port 515 are provided to communicate with the cooling chamber 517, and the exhaust port 514 is connected to a pressure reduction section 530, and the spray port 515 is connected to a spray section 520 and a vent section 540, respectively.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17(A), the transport plate 140 is inserted into the storage section 510 through the opening 511 opened by opening the shutter 512, and placed on the contact surface 516a of the cooling plate 516. As shown in FIG. 17(B), the shutter 512 is closed, and the spray section 520 sprays liquid from the spray nozzle 515 into the cooling chamber 517.

As shown in FIG. 17(C), the pressure inside the cooling chamber 517 is reduced by exhausting air from the exhaust port using the pressure reducing section 530. At this time, the sprayed liquid evaporates, so the cooling plate 516 is cooled. This cools the transport plate 140 in contact with the cooling plate 516. Then, as shown in FIG. 17(D), the valve of the vent section 540 is opened to break the vacuum. After that, the shutter 512 is opened, and the transport plate 140 is removed from the storage section 510 by the robot arm 630 and inserted into the plate mounting section 200.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, since the liquid does not directly adhere to the transport plate 140, it is possible to prevent the liquid remaining on the transport plate 140 from affecting the film formation. In addition, the contact area is increased by the surface contact between the cooling plate 516 and the transport plate 140. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13(d) described above, the heat of the transport plate 140 is efficiently released to the cooling plate 516, and the cooling effect is improved. Even in such an embodiment, the cooling unit 500 may reduce the temperature of the transport plate by spraying the liquid and exhausting the air multiple times. In this case, the number of times that the desired temperature is reached may be set in advance in the memory unit 72 of the control device 700 through experiments or the like, and the liquid spraying and exhausting may be performed the set number of times. In addition, a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the transport plate 140 may be provided, and the control device 700 may repeatedly perform the liquid spraying and exhausting until the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit reaches the preset temperature.
(5) The shapes of the transport plate 140 and the tray 34 are not limited to a rectangle. They may be various shapes such as a circle and an ellipse. An adhesive sheet may be interposed between the holding sheet 120 and the transport plate 140. The manner in which the electronic components 100 are mounted on the transport plate 140 is not limited to the above manner. The frame 130 may be omitted and the electronic components 100 may be mounted on the transport plate 140 only by the holding sheet 120. Furthermore, the electronic components 100 may be directly held on the transport plate 140. The number of transport plates 140 mounted on the tray 34 and the number of electronic components 100 mounted on the transport plate 140 may be one or more. The tray 34 may have no support portion 35. That is, the transport plate 140 may be directly or indirectly mounted on the opposing surface of the tray 34. Indirect mounting means, for example, mounting with another member, such as an adhesive sheet, between the transport plate 140 and the tray 34.
(6) As for the film-forming material, various materials that can be formed by sputtering can be used. For example, Al, Ag, Ti, Nb, Pd, Pt, Zr, etc. can be used as the electromagnetic shielding film. Furthermore, Ni, Fe, Cr, Co, etc. can be used as the magnetic material. Furthermore, SUS, Ni, Ti, V, Ta, etc. can be used as the adhesive layer of the base, and SUS, Au, etc. can be used as the outermost protective layer.
(7) The package form of electronic component 100 may be any form available now or in the future, such as BGA, LGA, SSOP, QFP, WLP, etc. Possible terminals for electrical connection of electronic component 100 to the outside include, for example, hemispherical ones such as BGA provided on the bottom surface, flat ones such as LGA, and thin plate-like ones such as SSO and QFP provided on the side surface, but any terminal available now or in the future may be applied, and the position of the terminal is not important. Also, the element sealed inside electronic component 100 may be a single one or multiple ones.
(8) The number of trays and electronic components simultaneously transported by the transport unit, and the number of holders that hold them, are not limited to the numbers exemplified in the above embodiment, as long as they are at least 1. In other words, a configuration in which one electronic component is circulated to repeat film formation, or a configuration in which two or more electronic components are circulated to repeat film formation, may be used.
(9) Cleaning or surface treatment by etching or ashing may be performed in a chamber other than the chamber having the film formation position. When performing oxidation or post-oxidation, oxygen may be used as the process gas G2. When performing nitridation, nitrogen may be used as the process gas G2.
(10) In the above embodiment, the rotating table 31 rotates in a horizontal plane. However, the orientation of the rotation surface of the transport unit is not limited to a specific direction. For example, the rotation surface may rotate in a vertical plane. Furthermore, the transport means of the transport unit is not limited to a rotating table. For example, a cylindrical member having a holding portion for holding the work may be a rotating body that rotates around an axis. Furthermore, the trajectory of the circulatory transport is not limited to a circumference. It broadly includes modes in which the work is circulated by an endless transport path. For example, it may be rectangular or elliptical, or may include a crank or a meandering path. The transport path may be configured by, for example, a conveyor or the like.

Furthermore, the present invention may be a film formation apparatus S having a chamber 20 into which the sputtering gas G1 is introduced, a film formation processing section 40 provided in the chamber 20 and performing film formation on the electronic component 100 by the sputtering source 4, and a transport plate 140 supported by a tray 34 and for mounting the electronic component 100. Therefore, the film formation apparatus S may perform film formation in a stationary state without circulating and transporting the electronic component 100. In other words, the apparatus may be an apparatus in which the tray 34 carrying the electronic component 100 is carried in via the transport plate 140, set in the processing area, and sputtering is performed without changing the relative position with respect to the target 41.
(11) In the above embodiment, the film is formed by selectively depositing the film materials one by one. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if a film consisting of layers of multiple film materials can be formed by selectively depositing the film materials. Therefore, two or more film materials may be deposited simultaneously. For example, an electromagnetic wave shielding film may be formed from an alloy of Co, Zr, and Nb. In such a case, among the multiple film forming processing units, a film forming processing unit using Co as a film forming material, a film forming processing unit using Zr as a film forming material, and a film forming processing unit using Nb as a film forming material may be selected at the same time to form a film.

In this case, it is advisable to select the film forming processing unit to be used for film formation, or to set the arrangement of the partitions that separate the film forming processing units, so that the trajectory of the circumference that passes through the parts other than the film forming positions during film formation is longer than the trajectory that passes through the film forming positions during film formation.

In other words, whether one or more types of film formation processing units are selected to form a film, or a single film formation processing unit is selected to form a film, it is preferable to select the film formation processing units to be used for film formation, or to set the arrangement of the partitions that separate the film formation processing units, so that the circumferential trajectory that passes through parts other than the film formation position during film formation is longer than the trajectory that passes through the film formation position during film formation.
(12) Although the embodiment of the present invention and the modified examples of each part have been described above, these embodiments and the modified examples of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims.

4 sputtering source 5 processing unit 6 power supply section 20 chamber 20a ceiling 20b inner bottom surface 20c inner circumferential surface 21 vacuum chamber 21a opening 22 exhaust port 23 exhaust section 24 inlet port 25 gas supply section 30 transport device 31 rotating table 32 motor 33 holding section 34 tray 34a facing surface 34b peripheral section 35 support section 35a protruding member 35b elastic member 40, 40A, 40B, 40C film formation processing section 41, 41A, 41B target 42 backing plate 43 electrode 44 partition section 44a, 44b wall plate 50 surface processing section 51 cylindrical electrode 51a opening 51b flange 52 insulating member 53 housing 54 shield 55 process gas inlet section 56 RF power supply 57 matching box 60 load lock section 610, 620 rotating arm 630 Robot arm 70 Control device 71 Mechanism control unit 72 Memory unit 73 Setting unit 74 Input/output control unit 75 Input device 76 Output device 100 Electronic component 111a Electrode exposed surface 111b Top surface 111c Side surface 112 Electrode 113 Electromagnetic wave shielding film 120 Holding sheet 121 Component mounting surface 121a Outer frame region 121b Inner frame region 121c Adhesive region 122 Support surface 130 Frame 131 Through hole 140 Transport plate 141 Mounting surface 142 Support surface 143 Regulating portion 143s Reference hole 200 Plate mounting portion 300 Film forming portion 400 Plate removal portion 500 Cooling portion 510 Storage portion 511 Opening 512 Shutter 513 Support base 513a Temperature detection portion 514 Exhaust port 515 Spray nozzle 516 Cooling plate 516a Contact surface 517 Cooling chamber 520 Spray section 521 Pipe 530 Pressure reduction section 531 Pipe 540 Vent section 541 Pipe 600 Transport section 700 Control device

Claims (7)

a chamber into which a sputtering gas is introduced, and a film forming section provided in the chamber, the film forming section including a sputtering source for depositing a film forming material by sputtering, the film forming section forming a film by the sputtering source on an electronic component mounted on a conveying plate via a holding sheet in the chamber;
a cooling unit that cools the conveying plate from which the holding sheet has been detached ;
having
The cooling unit includes:
a storage section that stores the transport plate from which the holding sheet has been detached ;
A spray unit that sprays liquid into the container;
a pressure reducing unit that reduces the pressure inside the accommodation unit so that the conveying plate from which the holding sheet has been detached is cooled by heat of vaporization of the liquid sprayed by the spray unit while the accommodation unit is sealed ;
A film forming apparatus comprising: 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport plate has an uneven or porous surface. a cooling plate having a contact surface that contacts the transport plate;
3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spray unit sprays liquid onto a surface of the cooling plate opposite the contact surface, and the pressure reduction unit reduces pressure therein. 4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container is capable of accommodating a plurality of the transport plates from which the holding sheet has been detached . The cooling unit detects a temperature of the transport plate from which the holding sheet has been separated. 5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a film forming unit. A holding sheet carrying the electronic components attached to the conveying plate is conveyed to the conveying plate. 6. The conveying plate according to claim 1, further comprising a conveying plate detachment portion for detaching the conveying plate from the conveying plate. The film forming apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims. The electronic device has a tray for supporting the conveying plate on which a holding sheet for mounting the electronic components is attached. death,
The tray is supported by a support portion provided on the tray. The conveying plate is arranged so that a gap is formed between the conveying plate and the tray. 7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support. .

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