JP7802603B2 - Etching equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an etching apparatus.

Flat panel display devices such as organic electroluminescence (EL) displays and liquid crystal display devices are used. For example, an organic EL display device includes a multilayer organic EL element in which a functional layer having a light-emitting layer, an organic material layer that emits light, is formed between two opposing electrodes. The functional layer and electrode layer of an organic EL element are formed by depositing film-forming material onto a glass substrate through a mask using techniques such as sputtering or vapor deposition in the chamber of a film-forming device. It is also known that a film formed by sputtering or other methods can be subjected to ion beam etching, in which an ion beam is irradiated to remove part of the film.

For ion beam etching, a method has been proposed in which the object to be irradiated is irradiated with an ion beam while rotating or moving it.

Patent Document 1 (JP 2013-503414 A) discloses a configuration in which a circular substrate is moved while being rotated in an inline processing system in which a parallel ion beam is irradiated.

Special Publication No. 2013-503414

In conventional technology, substrates are placed on special carriers so that they can be transported while being rotated. This poses the problem of the equipment becoming larger when handling large substrates.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology for performing etching using simpler equipment.

The present invention employs the following configuration:
an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation region a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
the irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate in the first pass and the irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate in the second pass
the irradiation directions of the ion beams with respect to the substrate during the respective passes are different from each other;
an installation direction of the ion source such that a longitudinal direction of an opening for irradiating the ion beam is oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by the transport device;
the irradiation device includes two ion sources, and the installation directions of the two ion sources with respect to the transport direction are different from each other;
The ion source is installed in a direction such that the longitudinal direction is at an angle of 45°±5° with respect to the transport direction.
The etching apparatus is characterized by the above .

The present invention also employs the following configuration:
an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other;
an installation direction of the ion source such that a longitudinal direction of an opening for irradiating the ion beam is oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by the transport device;
the irradiation device includes four of the ion sources;
The four ion sources are installed in different directions relative to the transport direction.
The etching apparatus is characterized by the above .
The present invention also employs the following configuration:
an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other;
an installation direction of the ion source such that a longitudinal direction of an opening for irradiating the ion beam is oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by the transport device;
the transport device is capable of reciprocating the substrate in the transport direction,
the irradiation device includes two of the ion sources;
the two ion sources are installed in different directions relative to the transport direction;
When a cross section of the substrate including the normal line is divided into a first side and a second side with the normal line as a boundary, the two ion sources each emit the ion beam onto the first side.
and a second state in which the irradiation direction is inclined from the normal line so that the ion beam is irradiated onto the second side.
The etching apparatus is characterized by the above.
The present invention also employs the following configuration:
an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other;
an installation direction of the ion source such that a longitudinal direction of an opening for irradiating the ion beam is oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by the transport device;
the transport device is capable of reciprocating the substrate in the transport direction,
the irradiation device includes two of the ion sources;
the two ion sources are installed in different directions relative to the transport direction;
The installation directions of the two ion sources are different by approximately 180°.
The angle of the longitudinal direction of each of the two ion sources relative to the transport direction can be changed by approximately 90°.
The etching apparatus is characterized by the above.
The present invention also employs the following configuration:
an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other;
an installation direction of the ion source such that a longitudinal direction of an opening for irradiating the ion beam is oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by the transport device;
the transport device is capable of reciprocating the substrate in the transport direction,
when a cross section of the substrate including the normal line is divided into a first side and a second side with the normal line as a boundary, the ion source is switchable between a first state in which the irradiation direction is inclined from the normal line so that the ion beam is irradiated onto the first side, and a second state in which the irradiation direction is inclined from the normal line so that the ion beam is irradiated onto the second side,
The ion source is capable of changing the angle of the longitudinal direction with respect to the transport direction.
The etching apparatus is characterized by the above.
The present invention also employs the following configuration:
an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other;
a rotation device that rotates the substrate in a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate outside the irradiation region of the ion beam;
the transport device is capable of reciprocating the substrate in a transport direction by the transport device,
The rotation device rotates the substrate after the substrate is irradiated with the ion beam while moving along the outward path in the transport direction, so that the substrate is irradiated with the ion beam from an angle different from that of the outward path in the transport direction on the return path in the transport direction.
The etching apparatus is characterized by the above.
The present invention also employs the following configuration:
an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
a rotation device that rotates the substrate in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate outside an irradiation region of the ion beam between the first pass and the second pass;
When the substrate is reciprocated in the transport direction by the transport device, the rotation device rotates the substrate after the substrate is irradiated with the ion beam while moving on the outward path in the transport direction, so that the substrate is irradiated with the ion beam from an angle different from that on the outward path in the transport direction on the return path in the transport direction.
The etching apparatus is characterized by the above.

The present invention provides a technology for performing etching using simpler equipment.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal configuration of a film forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the film forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. 5A to 5C are explanatory views of an etching operation in the film forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal configuration of a film forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an ion source according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an etching area according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an ion beam irradiation direction according to the first embodiment. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of a film formed by ion beam irradiation according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an etching area according to Example 2. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a mechanism for varying the irradiation direction of an ion beam according to a second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an etching area according to Example 3. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an etching area according to Example 4. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an etching area according to Example 5. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an etching area according to Example 6. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an etching area according to Example 7. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of an etching area according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an etching area according to Example 8. 13 is a continuation of the explanatory diagram of the etching area according to Example 8. FIG. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of an etching area according to the eighth embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a film formed on a textured substrate.

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. However, the following embodiments merely exemplify preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these configurations. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the hardware and software configurations, processing flow, manufacturing conditions, dimensions, materials, shapes, etc. of the device in the following description are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these alone.

The present invention is suitable for a film formation apparatus that forms a thin film of a film formation material on the surface of a film formation target such as a substrate by sputtering or vapor deposition. The present invention can be understood as a film formation apparatus, a film formation method, an etching apparatus, an etching method, and a method for controlling a film formation apparatus or an etching apparatus. The present invention can also be understood as an electronic device manufacturing apparatus, a control method thereof, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. The present invention can also be understood as a program that causes a computer to execute the film formation method, etching method, or control method, or a storage medium storing the program. The storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium readable by a computer.

The present invention is preferably applicable to film formation apparatuses that form thin films of desired patterns on the surface of substrates to be processed. Any substrate material can be used, including glass, resin, metal, and silicon. Any film formation material can be used, including organic and inorganic materials (metals and metal oxides). Substrates may include substrates on whose surfaces one or more films have already been formed. The technology of the present invention is typically applied to manufacturing equipment for electronic devices and optical components. It is particularly suitable for organic electronic devices, such as organic EL displays equipped with organic EL elements and organic EL display devices using such displays. The present invention can also be used in thin-film solar cells and organic CMOS image sensors.

Example 1
A film formation method and a film formation apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic internal configuration of the film formation apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the overall internal configuration of the film formation apparatus as viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the film formation apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the etching operation in the film formation apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic internal configuration diagram of the film formation apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the schematic configuration of the vicinity of the etching beam irradiation device as viewed in the substrate transport direction. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an ion source as the etching beam irradiation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5(a) is a front view showing the beam irradiation surface of the ion source, FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5(a), and FIG. 5(c) is a graph showing the etching intensity in the longitudinal direction of the ion beam. FIG. 6 is a side view of the configuration of the etching area 300c according to this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the ion beam irradiation direction and the unevenness of the substrate. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the effect of ion beam irradiation according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

<Overall configuration of film formation apparatus>
The overall configuration of a film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with particular reference to Figure 1. The film forming apparatus 1 includes a stocker chamber 100 that accommodates substrates 10 to be subjected to film forming processing, an air pressure switching chamber 200 that switches the interior of the chamber between atmospheric and vacuum conditions, and a processing chamber 300 that performs various processes on the processing surface of the substrate 10.

The stocker chamber 100 houses multiple substrate transfer devices 15 capable of holding and transporting substrates 10. The stocker chamber 100 is equipped with a mounting table 111 on which the multiple substrate transfer devices 15 are placed, and a drive mechanism for reciprocating the mounting table 111. This drive mechanism is composed of a drive source 121, such as a motor that rotates a ball screw, and guide rails 122 that regulate the direction of movement of the mounting table 111. However, the drive mechanism for reciprocating the mounting table 111 is not limited to this configuration, and various known technologies can be employed. The mounting table 111 is also equipped with multiple guide rails 112 that regulate the direction of movement of the substrate transfer devices 15. The film formation apparatus 1 is an inline transport type apparatus in which substrates 10 undergo various processes while being transported by the substrate transfer devices.

The atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 switches the chamber from atmospheric pressure to vacuum pressure before the substrate transfer device 15 is transferred from the stocker chamber 100, which is in atmospheric pressure, to the processing chamber 300, which is in vacuum pressure. The atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 in this embodiment is also provided with heaters 221 and 222 for heating the substrate 10. Specifically, depending on the material of the substrate 10, if the substrate 10 is transferred to the processing chamber 300 at room temperature, various gases may be generated from the substrate 10, adversely affecting film formation. Therefore, for such substrates 10, the heaters 221 and 222 heat the substrate 10 to forcibly generate gas early, thereby suppressing gas generation within the processing chamber 300. The atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 is also provided with guide rails 210 for regulating the movement direction of the substrate transfer device 15.

The processing chamber 300 includes a chamber 301 with a vacuum atmosphere inside, and guide rails 302 that regulate the direction of movement of the substrate transfer device 15. Depending on the embodiment, the substrate transfer device 15 may be moved back and forth within the processing chamber 300. Various known technologies, such as a ball screw drive mechanism or a rack and pinion mechanism, can be applied to the mechanism for this reciprocating movement.

The processing chamber 300 is provided with a pre-processing area 300a, a film-forming area 300b, and an etching area 300c. The pre-processing area 300a is provided with a substrate processing device 310 for performing pre-processing such as cleaning the processing surface of the substrate 10 prior to the film-forming process. The film-forming area 300b is provided with a sputtering device 320 as a film-forming material irradiation device for performing a film-forming process on the processing surface of the substrate 10. The etching area 300c is provided with an etching beam irradiation device 330 for etching the film formed on the substrate 10 by the sputtering device 320. Note that the etching area 300c in Figure 1 is simplified, and a more detailed configuration will be described for each embodiment.

The space provided in front of the substrate processing apparatus 310 in the pre-processing area 300a is a space where the substrate transport device 15 waits before being subjected to pre-processing by the substrate processing apparatus 310. The film formation apparatus 1 in this embodiment has a so-called in-line configuration, in which a series of processes are performed on the substrate 10 while holding and transporting it.

The configuration shown in Figure 1 is merely an example, and the film formation apparatus of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the substrate 10 may be held by a substrate carrier with the surface to be film-formed facing upward (or downward), and moved between multiple chambers as the substrate carrier moves.

<Overall Operation of Film Forming Apparatus>
The control device C included in the film forming apparatus 1 controls the drive mechanism for reciprocating the mounting table 111, the air pressure in the air pressure switching chamber 200, the heaters 221 and 222, the air pressure in the processing chamber 300, the substrate processing apparatus 310, the sputtering apparatus 320, and the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330, as well as the transport of the substrate 10 by the substrate transport device 15. The control device C controls various operations of the processing flow (film forming process, etching process, etc.). The control device C can be configured, for example, by a computer having a processor, memory, storage, I/O, etc. In this case, the functions of the control device C are realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory or storage. The computer may be a general-purpose personal computer, an embedded computer, or a PLC (programmable logic controller). Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the control device C may be configured by circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. In addition, the control device C may be configured to transmit control commands via wiring connected to various devices to be controlled, or may be configured to transmit control commands to various devices wirelessly.

(Processing flow)
The overall operation of the film forming apparatus 1 will be described below, particularly with reference to FIG.

＜＜Preparation process＞＞
The stocker chamber 100 accommodates a plurality of substrate transfer devices 15, each of which holds a substrate 10. One of the substrate transfer devices 15, which holds a substrate 10 to be processed, is transferred from the stocker chamber 100 to the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200 (step S101). In the atmospheric pressure switching chamber 200, a depressurization operation is performed, and the interior of the chamber is switched from atmospheric pressure to vacuum.
Depending on the material, a heat treatment is simultaneously performed on the substrate 10 (step S102). For example, the substrate 10 is heated to about 100°C to 180°C by about ten minutes of heat treatment. The substrate 10 is then transferred from the pressure switching chamber 200 to the pre-treatment area 300a of the processing chamber 300 (step S103). In the pre-treatment area 300a, the substrate processing apparatus 310 performs surface treatment on the processing surface of the substrate 10 by irradiating it with an ion beam (step S104).

<<Film formation process>>
Next, the substrate 10 is transported to the film formation area 300b (step S105), where the processing surface of the substrate 10 is subjected to sputtering by the sputtering device 320 (step S106). The sputtering device 320 is a well-known technique and will not be described in detail here. However, the sputtering device 320 includes a target that emits film formation material when a high voltage is applied. The target may be a flat plate or a rotatable cylindrical target.

<<Etching process>>
The substrate 10 that has been subjected to the film forming process is transported to the etching area 300c (step S107), and is subjected to etching by the etching beam irradiation device 330 (step S108).

1, in which the stocker chamber 100 and air pressure switching chamber 200 located at one end of the processing chamber 300 perform the loading and unloading of the substrate transfer device 15. For example, the stocker chamber 100 and air pressure switching chamber 200 located at one end of the processing chamber 300 may be configured to perform only the loading operation of the substrate transfer device 15, while the other end of the processing chamber 300 may be configured to have an air pressure switching chamber for unloading the substrate transfer device 15 and a stocker chamber for storing processed substrates 10. The configuration for loading and unloading substrates may be designed appropriately depending on the transport path of the substrate 10 during etching processing.

The film deposition apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can be used for forming various electrodes, including pre-processing. Specific examples include plating seed films for FC-BGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) mounting substrates and metal laminate films for SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) devices. Other applications include the deposition of conductive hard films for LED bonding sections and terminal films for MLCC (Multi-Layered Ceramic Capacitors). The apparatus can also be used for the deposition of electromagnetic shielding films for electronic component packages and terminal films for chip resistors. While the size of the substrate 10 is not particularly limited, this embodiment uses a substrate 10 measuring approximately 200 mm x 200 mm. The substrate 10 can be made of any material, including polyimide, glass, silicon, metal, and ceramic.

In one variation, steps S107 and S108 may be repeated. In this case, after the etching process in S108, the control device C determines whether the number of sputtering cycles X has reached a predetermined number N. If N has not been reached, the substrate 10 is returned to the film formation area 300b, where the film formation and etching processes are performed again. After the film formation and etching processes have been repeated N times, the processed substrate 10 is sent to the air pressure switching chamber 200, where the vacuum state is switched to atmospheric pressure, and the processed substrate 10 is then transported to the stocker chamber 100.

According to this modification, uneven film thicknesses formed by a single sputtering operation are eliminated by the etching process immediately after the sputtering. Repeating the sputtering and etching processes gradually increases the film thickness, thereby achieving a uniform film thickness. Furthermore, if sputtering is continued from the state shown in FIG. 20(b), the film 20 deposited on the top surface 11a may overhang. As a result, gaps (voids) may form between the bottom portion of the convex shape of the film 20 deposited on the bottom surface 12a and the overhanging portion of the film 20 deposited on the top surface 11a. However, according to this modification, sputtering and etching processes are alternately repeated, thereby preventing the formation of gaps in the film 20. This method of repeatedly processing the etching area 300c and the film formation area 300b, as in this modification, can also be applied to the respective embodiments described below.

<Substrate Processing Apparatus and Etching Beam Irradiation Apparatus>
In particular, the substrate processing apparatus 310 and the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The substrate processing apparatus 310 and the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 have the same basic configuration. That is, the substrate processing apparatus 310 and the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 are apparatuses for performing cleaning or etching processes on the surface (processing surface) of a substrate by irradiating it with an ion beam. Therefore, only the etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 will be described here. The etching beam irradiation apparatus 330 includes an ion source 331 and a high-voltage power supply 336 that applies a voltage to the ion source 331. Figure 4 also shows an ion beam 341 irradiated from the ion source 331.

The chamber 301 in the processing chamber 300 is an airtight container, and its interior is maintained at a vacuum (or reduced pressure) by an exhaust pump 303. By opening the gas supply valve 304 and supplying gas into the chamber 301, the gas atmosphere (or pressure zone) can be appropriately changed to an appropriate one for the processing. The entire chamber 301 is electrically grounded. The substrate transfer device 15 is configured to be movable on guide rails 302 installed on the bottom surface of the chamber 301 while holding the substrate 10 in a vertical position so that the processing surface of the substrate 10 is aligned vertically. The guide rails 302 extend in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate 10, and the substrate transfer device 15 moves in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate 10 by a drive mechanism (not shown).

The substrate transport device 15 comprises a holding member (substrate holder) 15a that holds the substrate 10, a support member (transport carrier) 15b that supports the holding member 15a, a connection member 15c that mechanically connects the holding member 15a and the support member 15b while electrically insulating them, and a rolling element 15d provided at the lower end of the support member 15b. The rolling element 15d rolls on the guide rail 302, causing the substrate transport device 15 to move along the guide rail 302. Here, the surface where the substrate 10 is held by the holding member 15a is referred to as the holding surface F.

Figure 3 shows the etching beam irradiation device 330 and the substrate transport device 15 during the etching process, in which the etching process is performed while the substrate transport device 15 moves in the Y direction. The distance between the ion source 331 and the substrate 10 is set to approximately 100 to 200 mm. The high-voltage power supply 336 is configured to apply an anode voltage (up to several kV) to the ion source 331.

<Ion source>
The ion source 331 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 . The ion source 331 includes a cathode 332, a beam irradiation surface 333, an anode 334, and a permanent magnet 335. In this embodiment, the cathode 332 also serves as the housing of the ion source 331. The cathode 332 and the anode 334 are each made of SUS and are electrically insulated from each other. The cathode 332 is fixed to the chamber 301 and is thus electrically grounded. Meanwhile, the anode 334 is connected to a high-voltage power supply 336. In this configuration, when a high voltage is applied from the high-voltage power supply 336 to the anode 334, an ion beam is emitted from an exit opening provided on the beam irradiation surface 333 of the housing (cathode 332). The ion source 331 operates in two ways: one that generates ions inside the housing by introducing gas from the rear side of the housing, and another that ionizes ambient gas outside the housing. Either method may be used. 4 shows the latter case, in which gas is supplied into the chamber 301 by opening the gas supply valve 304. The gas may be argon gas, oxygen gas, nitrogen gas, or the like.

The ion source 331 in this embodiment has a beam irradiation surface 333 that is elongated (line-shaped or track-shaped) and measures approximately 300 to 400 mm x approximately 70 mm, so that the opening of the exit aperture has both a longitudinal and a lateral direction. This configures the ion source 331 as a linear ion source. The ion source 331 is positioned so that the longitudinal direction of the exit aperture intersects with the transport direction of the substrate 10. Using such a vertically elongated ion source 331 enables the ion beam to be irradiated across the entire longitudinal direction (direction perpendicular to the transport direction) of the substrate 10. In other words, an ion beam irradiation area can be set that spans the area between a point located on the upper edge of the substrate 10 and a point located on the lower edge in the Z direction perpendicular to the transport direction. By transporting the substrate 10 through this ion beam irradiation area, the entire surface of the substrate 10 can be irradiated with the beam in a single beam scan along the transport direction. As a result, surface treatment can be performed at a higher speed (improved productivity).

Figure 5(c) shows the longitudinal etching intensity of the ion beam emitted from the ion source 331. As shown in the figure, the longitudinal intensity of the ion beam is not uniform, and depending on the magnetic field design of the ion source 331, the intensity is either higher in the central portion as shown by the dashed line L2, or lower in the central portion as shown by the solid line L1. A bias in the etching intensity distribution, as shown in Figure 5(c), is undesirable because it results in uneven etching amounts. Therefore, by using a beam irradiation surface 333 that is approximately 1.5 to 2 times the size of the substrate 10, the etching intensity distribution can be made uniform.

<Surface treatment flow using substrate treatment equipment>
In the substrate processing apparatus 310 configured as described above, when the substrate 10 is transferred to the pre-processing area 300a of the processing chamber 300, the control device C controls the high-voltage power supply to initiate beam irradiation from the ion source. In this state, the control device C moves the substrate transfer device 15 at a constant speed, causing the substrate 10 to pass through the ion beam. In this manner, the surface of the substrate 10 is irradiated with the ion beam, and the front side of the substrate 10 is subjected to surface treatment (cleaning treatment). By adopting such a beam scanning configuration, the entire substrate can be processed with an ion beam having an irradiation range smaller than the area of the substrate 10, thereby enabling a miniaturization of the ion source and, ultimately, the overall apparatus. Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which the substrate 10 is supported with the processing surface of the substrate 10 aligned vertically and the ion beam is irradiated horizontally relative to the processing surface, particles removed by etching fall due to gravity and do not remain on the processing surface of the substrate 10, thereby advantageously preventing uneven processing due to residual particles.

<Etching process>
The etching process will be described. First, referring to FIG. 20, film formation on a substrate with irregularities will be described. FIG. 20(a) shows sputtering performed by a sputtering device 320 on a substrate 10 having protrusions 11 and recesses 12, with arrows indicating the film formation material emitted from the target of the sputtering device 320. FIG. 20(b) shows a film 20 formed on the surface of the substrate 10 as a result of sputtering. As described above, the present inventors have discovered a problem in film formation on an irregular substrate: a film is less likely to form on the sidewalls 13 than on the top surfaces 11a of the protrusions 11 or the bottom surfaces 12a of the recesses 12, i.e., sidewall coverage is low. Therefore, they investigated the possibility of performing an ion beam etching process on a film formed on an irregular substrate to achieve a uniform film thickness.

The etching process will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 . The film formation method and film formation apparatus according to this embodiment are preferably used when forming a thin film on the surface of a substrate 10 on which protrusions 11 and recesses 12 are formed. The etching process according to this embodiment is preferably used regardless of the direction of the unevenness of the substrate 10. For example, the unevenness may be formed by parallel grooves on the substrate 10, or by unevenness formed in the vertical and horizontal directions, or by unevenness formed by curved grooves rather than linear grooves. Furthermore, a complex shape may be formed by combining multiple linear or curved unevennesses. Furthermore, the substrate 10 may have holes. In the etching process according to this embodiment, even when there are various unevennesses as described above, etching is performed by obliquely irradiating ion beams from multiple directions, thereby achieving a uniform film thickness during film formation.

Figure 6 is a side view showing the configuration of the etching area 300c in this embodiment. The substrate 10 moves through the etching area 300c while being irradiated with an ion beam. The substrate 10 is provided with an orientation flat 10a as a marker. The holding member 15a of the substrate transport device 15 is omitted from the figure, but for convenience, the trajectory of the outer periphery of the holding member 15a is indicated by a dashed line 15a'. In the following description, for convenience, the normal to the holding surface F of the holding member 15a that holds the transported substrate 10 will be referred to as the "normal line N."

As shown, four ion sources 331a to 331d are provided in the etching area 300c. First, the installation angle of each ion source will be described. When viewed in the YZ plane from the positive X direction (i.e., when viewed directly on the paper surface of Figure 6), the angle between the longitudinal direction of ion source 331a and ion source 331b and the Y direction, which is the transport direction, is different from the angle between the longitudinal direction of ion source 331c and ion source 331d and the Y direction. In this embodiment, the longitudinal directions of ion sources 331a and 331b are tilted at -45° relative to the Y direction on the paper surface. Furthermore, the longitudinal directions of ion sources 331c and 331d are tilted at 45° relative to the Y direction on the paper surface. The longitudinal length of each ion source, when installed with such an inclination angle, is designed to include the upper and lower ends of the substrate 10 in the Z direction. As a result, the entire surface of the substrate 10 is irradiated with the ion beam as the substrate 10 moves and passes through the irradiation areas of each ion source. The passage of ion source 331a through the irradiation area is referred to as the first pass, and the passages of ion sources 331b through 331d through the irradiation area are referred to as the second through fourth passes.

Here, the angle between the substrate transport direction and the longitudinal direction of the ion source is set to 45°, but this is not limiting. For example, it may deviate from 45°, or the angle may be different for each ion source. As long as the ion beam can be irradiated onto the substrate 10 from multiple directions, the angle between the transport direction and the longitudinal direction of the ion source is not important. However, since the size of the ion source needs to be increased as the transport direction and the longitudinal direction of the ion source become more parallel, a range of 45°±15° is typically recommended. A range of 45°±5° is more preferable.

Next, the ion beam irradiation direction from each ion source will be described. The irradiation direction (first irradiation direction) of ion beam 341a from ion source 331a is different from the irradiation direction (second irradiation direction) of ion beam 341b from ion source 331b. Here, the cross section taken along line B-B in Figure 6, i.e., the plane perpendicular to holding surface F and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of ion source 331a and ion source 331b, is defined as the first plane. In the first plane, the first irradiation direction and the second irradiation direction are inclined with respect to normal line N so as to be symmetrical with respect to normal line N. In other words, the irradiation directions of the ion beam in the first pass and the second pass are different from each other.

Similarly, the irradiation direction (third irradiation direction) of the ion beam 341c from the ion source 331c is different from the irradiation direction (fourth irradiation direction) of the ion beam 341d from the ion source 331d. The cross section taken along line CC in FIG. 6, i.e., the plane perpendicular to the holding surface F and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ion source 331c and the ion source 331d, is defined as the second plane. In the second plane, the third irradiation direction and the fourth irradiation direction are inclined with respect to the normal N so as to be symmetrical with respect to the normal N. That is, the irradiation directions of the ion beam in the third pass and the fourth pass are different from each other. In this embodiment, the irradiation directions of the first pass to the fourth pass are different from each other. However, there may be cases where the ion beam is irradiated from the same irradiation direction during multiple passes. It is sufficient that there is at least one combination of irradiation from different irradiation directions during multiple passes.

By setting the installation angles of the four ion sources 331a-331d and the irradiation directions of the ion beams 341a-341d as described above, it becomes possible to irradiate the entire surface of the substrate 10 with ion beams obliquely from four directions. Figure 7 shows the change in the ion beam irradiation direction as the uneven substrate 10 moves through the etching area 300c. This shows a cross section of the substrate 10 taken along line D-D in Figure 6.

When the substrate 10 is carried into the etching area 300c, it first passes through the irradiation area of the ion beam 341a from the ion source 331a. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the ion beam 341a is irradiated onto the substrate 10 at an angle α from the normal N. Next, the substrate 10 passes through the irradiation area of the ion beam 341b from the ion source 331b. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the ion beam 341b is irradiated onto the substrate 10 at an angle β from the normal N. In this embodiment, the angles α and β are the same, and the irradiation angles of the ion beam 341a and the ion beam 341b are designed to be symmetrical with respect to the normal N.

Next, the substrate 10 passes through the irradiation area of the ion beam 341c from the ion source 331c. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the ion beam 341c is irradiated at an angle from the back side to the front side on the paper. Next, the substrate 10 passes through the irradiation area of the ion beam 341d from the ion source 331d. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7(d), the ion beam 341c is irradiated at an angle from the front side to the back side on the paper. In this embodiment, the irradiation angles of the ion beam 341c and the ion beam 341d are designed to be symmetrical with respect to the normal line N.

The angle α between the ion beam 341a and the normal N, and the angle β between the ion beam 341b and the normal N are preferably approximately 30°±10°. If the angles α and β are too small, the effect will be similar to that achieved when performing a normal etching process from the normal direction. On the other hand, if the angles α and β are too large, the ion beam will not reach the bottom of the recess 12. However, the angles are not limited to this and can be determined appropriately depending on the shape and pitch of the irregularities, the width of the bottom of the recess, and the height of the sidewall. The same applies to the angles that the ion beams 341c and 341d make with the normal N. Furthermore, from the perspective of improving the uniformity of the film thickness after the etching process, if the cross-sectional shapes of the protrusions 11 and the recesses 12 are symmetrical, it is preferable to set α=β. However, the angles α and β do not necessarily have to be the same.

Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of a film formed by ion beam irradiation in Example 1. Figure 8(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of the uneven shape on the surface of the substrate 10, showing the state after the film 20 has been removed. The substrate 10 in the illustrated example has grid-shaped recesses 12 formed in the vertical and horizontal directions. Ion beams 341a to 341d are irradiated onto this substrate 10 from four directions, changing their direction by 90 degrees each.

8(b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line E-E in FIG. 8(a). FIG. 8(b) shows how, when sputtering is performed on an uneven substrate 10, it is more difficult to form a film 20 on the sidewalls 13 than on the tops of the convex portions 11 or the bottom surfaces of the concave portions 12. However, by performing an etching process on the transported substrate 10 using the configuration of this embodiment, it is possible to irradiate the entire surface of the substrate 10 with ion beams 341a to 341d obliquely (at an angle relative to the normal N) from four directions.

When the ion beam is irradiated onto the film 20, the film 20 is gradually removed perpendicular to the direction of the ion beam irradiation. Therefore, when the ion beam 341a is irradiated onto the substrate 10, the film 20 formed on the top surface of the convex portion 11 is removed mainly near the right side of the figure (reference symbol 20a1) in FIG. 8(b). Similarly, the film 20 formed on the bottom surface of the concave portion 12 is removed mainly near the left side of the figure (reference symbol 20b1). Note that some of the material removed by etching adheres to the film and becomes part of the film. Since this tends to adhere particularly to areas not irradiated with the etching beam, the thinner portions tend to become thicker due to the adhered material. Subsequently, when the ion beam 341b is irradiated onto the substrate 10, the film 20 formed on the top surface of the convex portion 11 is removed mainly near the left side of the figure (reference symbol 20a2). Similarly, the film 20 formed on the bottom surface of the concave portion 12 is removed mainly near the right side of the figure (reference symbol 20b2). In this case, too, some of the scraped film material adheres to the film and becomes part of it.

Then, ion beams 341c and 341d similarly scrape away the film formed on the top surfaces of the convex portions 11 and the film formed on the bottom surfaces of the concave portions 12, with some of the film adhering to the sidewalls and becoming part of the film. Figure 8(c) is a cross-sectional view of the substrate 10 when the etching process is completed after ion beam irradiation from four directions has ended, and the film thickness of film 20 is now uniform compared to before the etching process. In other words, the relative film thickness deficiency on the sidewalls has been resolved, resulting in improved sidewall coverage.

<Effects>
According to the film forming method and film forming apparatus of this embodiment, after a film is formed by sputtering, etching is performed from multiple directions relative to the substrate transport direction. As a result, thicker film portions are removed and thinner film portions are thickened. This flattens the film surface and makes the film thickness uniform.

In this example, etching was performed from four directions, but this is not limited to this. For example, depending on the shape and size (width and height) of the irregularities on the substrate, other directions are also possible, such as ion beam irradiation from three directions at 120 degrees each, or ion beam irradiation from six directions at 60 degrees each. Also, in this example, ion beam irradiation was performed four times at angles changed by 90 degrees, but it does not have to be exactly 90 degrees each; for example, a deviation of approximately ±15 degrees from 90 degrees is acceptable. More preferably, the angles of the four ion beam irradiations should be approximately 90 degrees apart. "Approximately 90 degrees" refers to an angle range close to 90 degrees that does not significantly affect the effect of etching from multiple directions, and is typically 90° ±5°.

In addition, while sputtering and etching were performed once each in this example, the combination of sputtering and etching may be repeated multiple times. This allows the overall film thickness to be gradually increased. Furthermore, by repeating sputtering and etching a certain number of times or more, it is possible to form a film 20 with a flat upper surface. Of course, the device of this example can be used not only for substrates after film formation by sputtering or substrates with irregularities, but also for general procedures in which etching is performed by irradiating ion beams from multiple directions.

Example 2
9 and 10 , a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the substrate 10 was irradiated with ion beams from four directions while passing through the etching area 300c once. In this embodiment, the substrate 10 is irradiated with etching beams from four directions while traveling back and forth within the etching area 300c. Since the basic configuration and operation are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), two ion sources 331e and 331f are provided in the etching area 300c of this embodiment. First, the installation angle of each ion source will be described. When viewed directly on the paper in the figure, the angle between the longitudinal direction of ion source 331e and the transport direction is different from the angle between the longitudinal direction of ion source 331f and the transport direction. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of ion source 331e is inclined at -45° with respect to the transport direction, and the longitudinal direction of ion source 331f is inclined at 45° with respect to the transport direction. As a result, as the substrate 10 moves and passes through the irradiation areas of each ion source, the entire surface of the substrate 10 is irradiated with the ion beam. In other respects, the relationship between the substrate transport direction and the angle between the longitudinal directions of the ion sources is the same as in Example 1 above.

Next, the direction of ion beam irradiation from each ion source will be described. In Figure 9(a), the irradiation direction of ion beam 341e from ion source 331e is downward and left on the page, and is irradiated obliquely with respect to normal line N. Furthermore, the irradiation direction of ion beam 341f from ion source 331f is upward and left on the page, and is irradiated obliquely with respect to normal line N.

In FIG. 9(a), after the substrate 10 has passed through the etching area 300c from bottom to top, the substrate transport device 15 transports the substrate 10 in the opposite direction (from top to bottom) as shown in FIG. 9(b). The ion beam irradiation direction at this time will be described. The etching beam irradiation device 330 of this embodiment is equipped with a variable mechanism that changes the orientation of the ion source 331 to vary the irradiation direction of the ion beam 341. The variable mechanism can switch the irradiation direction of the ion beam 341 from an oblique direction (downward and rightward in the drawing) relative to the substrate 10 as shown in FIG. 10(a) to the opposite direction (downward and leftward in the drawing) as shown in FIG. 10(b). The variable mechanism can be configured, for example, to include a motor that rotates the rotation shaft of the ion source 331 and a bearing for the rotation shaft. However, the variable mechanism is not limited to this, and various known technologies can be employed. Note that the substrate processing apparatus 310 does not require such a variable mechanism. Of course, for some technical reason, the substrate processing apparatus 310 may also be provided with a variable mechanism that changes the direction of ion beam irradiation.

In Figure 10(b), which shows the state after the ion beam irradiation direction has been switched, the irradiation direction of ion beam 341f from ion source 331f has switched to the lower right on the page (indicated by reference symbol 341f'), and the irradiation direction of ion beam 341e from ion source 331e has switched to the upper right on the page (indicated by reference symbol 341e').

Considering the ion beam irradiation direction in a cross section including the normal N of the substrate 10, and dividing the cross section into a first side and a second side with the normal N as the boundary, it can be said that the variable mechanism is capable of switching between a first state in which the irradiation direction is tilted from the normal N so that the ion beam 341e of the ion source 331e is irradiated onto the first side, and a second state in which the irradiation direction is tilted from the normal N so that the ion beam 341e is irradiated onto the second side. The same is true for the ion source 331f.

As described above, in this embodiment, the ion beam irradiation directions from the two ion sources 331e and 331f are different from each other relative to the transport direction, and the ion beam irradiation direction can be switched using a variable mechanism. Furthermore, the substrate transport device 15 transports the substrate 10 back and forth through the etching area 300c. In this embodiment, by combining the back-and-forth transport of the substrate 10 with the change in the ion beam irradiation direction, etching can be performed by irradiating the substrate 10 with ion beams from four directions. As a result, even for substrates 10 with uneven shapes, it is possible to achieve a uniform film thickness on the top surface, bottom surface, and sidewalls. Compared to Example 1, this embodiment requires a variable mechanism in the etching beam irradiation device 330. Furthermore, since the substrate 10 needs to be moved back and forth, the configuration of the substrate transport device 15 and the transport path of the substrate 10 may become complicated. Furthermore, the takt time may become longer. On the other hand, the number of irradiation devices can be reduced, resulting in savings in terms of cost and installation space.

Example 3
Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 11. The basic configuration and operation are the same as those of the second embodiment, so the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. The ion source 331 of this embodiment differs from that of the second embodiment in the mechanism for varying the ion beam irradiation direction.

As shown in Figure 11(a), two ion sources 331g and 331h are provided in the etching area 300c of this embodiment. First, the installation angle of each ion source will be explained. When viewed directly on the paper, in the state shown in Figure 11(a), the longitudinal directions of ion sources 331g and 331h are tilted at -45° with respect to the transport direction. The etching beam irradiation device 330 of this embodiment is equipped with an ion source rotation mechanism 370 (rotation device) that rotates ion sources 331g and 331h by 90° in the YZ plane (rotation is indicated by arrow R). Figure 11(b) shows the state after rotation by the ion source rotation mechanism 370, where the longitudinal directions of ion sources 331g and 331h are tilted at 45° with respect to the transport direction. The ion source rotation mechanism 370 can be configured, for example, to include a base that supports the etching beam irradiation device 330 including the ion sources 331g and 331h, and a rotation axis and drive mechanism that rotates the base in the YZ plane. However, the rotation mechanism is not limited to this, and various known technologies can be used. Note that the substrate processing apparatus 310 does not need to be provided with such a rotation mechanism. Of course, for some technical reason, the substrate processing apparatus 310 may also be provided with a rotation mechanism.

With this configuration, the irradiation direction of ion beam 341g from ion source 331g in FIG. 11(a) is toward the bottom left of the page, and the irradiation direction of ion beam 341h from ion source 331h is toward the top right of the page. Also, the irradiation direction of ion beam 341g' from ion source 331g in FIG. 9(b) is toward the bottom right of the page, and the irradiation direction of ion beam 341h' from ion source 331h is toward the top left of the page.

Furthermore, as in Example 2, the substrate transport device 15 can move the substrate 10 back and forth. In this example, by combining the back and forth transport of the substrate 10 with a mechanism that rotates the ion source to change the irradiation direction of the ion beam, the substrate 10 can be irradiated with an ion beam from four directions. Therefore, even for substrates 10 with uneven shapes, it is possible to achieve a uniform film thickness on the top surface, bottom surface, and sidewalls. Compared to Example 1, this example requires an ion source rotation mechanism. Furthermore, since the substrate 10 needs to be moved back and forth, the configuration of the substrate transport device 15 and the transport path of the substrate 10 may become more complex. Furthermore, the takt time may become longer. On the other hand, the number of irradiation devices themselves can be reduced, which has the effect of reducing costs and the installation space required for the devices.

Example 4
Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 12. The basic configuration and operation are the same as those of Embodiments 2 and 3, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. The etching beam irradiation device 330 of this embodiment is a combination of Embodiments 2 and 3 in terms of the mechanism for varying the ion beam irradiation direction.

As shown in Figure 12(a), an ion source 331i is provided in the etching area 300c of this embodiment. First, the installation angle of the ion source will be explained. When viewed facing the page, in the state shown in Figure 12(a), the longitudinal direction of the ion source 331i is tilted at -45° with respect to the transport direction. When the substrate 10 is transported upward in this state, an ion beam 341i1 is irradiated from the upper right direction of the page.

The etching beam irradiation device 330 of this embodiment, like that of Example 2, is equipped with a variable mechanism that changes the irradiation direction of the ion beam 341. When the transportation of the substrate 10 is completed in Figure 12(a), the variable mechanism operates as shown by arrow S1, changing the irradiation direction of the ion beam 341. When the substrate 10 is transported downward in the state of Figure 12(b), the ion beam 341i2 is irradiated from the lower left of the page.

The etching beam irradiation device 330 of this embodiment further includes a rotation mechanism that rotates the ion source 331 by 90° in the YZ plane, as in Example 3 (indicated by arrow R). Figure 12(c) shows the state after rotation by the rotation mechanism, with the longitudinal direction of the ion source 331i tilted at 45° with respect to the transport direction. When the substrate 10 is transported upward in this state, the ion beam 341i3 is irradiated from the lower right of the page.

Then, the variable mechanism again changes the irradiation direction of the ion beam 341, as indicated by arrow S1, to the state shown in Figure 12(d). In this state, when the substrate 10 is transported downward on the paper, the ion beam 341i4 is irradiated from the upper left of the paper.

Furthermore, as in Examples 2 and 3, the substrate transport device 15 moves the substrate 10 back and forth. In the configuration of this example, the substrate 10 can be irradiated with an ion beam from four directions. Therefore, even if the substrate 10 has an uneven shape, it is possible to achieve a uniform film thickness on the top surface, bottom surface, and sidewalls. In this example, the etching beam irradiation device 330 requires a mechanism for varying the irradiation angle and a mechanism for rotating the ion source in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, since the substrate 10 needs to be moved back and forth, the configuration of the substrate transport device 15 and the transport path of the substrate 10 may become complicated. Furthermore, the takt time may become longer. On the other hand, since the number of irradiation devices is reduced to one, there are savings in terms of costs and installation space for the device.

Example 5
A fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 13 . In the description of this embodiment, the same components as those of the first to fourth embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the substrate surface to be deposited faces upward in the Z direction, and the etching ion beam is irradiated from above in the Z direction. In other words, the substrate 10 moves within the XY plane. This configuration can be realized by a planar movement mechanism in which a substrate carrier holding the substrate 10 moves while being supported by rails. Such an in-line movement mechanism comprising a substrate carrier and its drive mechanism is known, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the etching area 300c includes a first etching area 300c1 where the substrate 10 is transported in the Y direction, a second etching area 300c2 where the substrate 10 is transported in the X direction, and an unloading area 300d where the substrate 10 is unloaded in the Y direction. The substrate transport device 15 in this embodiment changes the movement direction of the substrate 10 without changing its orientation in the XY plane. In other words, the substrate transport device 15 also serves as a substrate direction changing mechanism, changing the transport direction of the substrate 10 from the Y direction to the X direction and from the X direction to the Y direction while maintaining the front-to-back direction of the substrate 10 (keeping the orientation of the orientation flat 10a in the XY plane constant).

Ion sources 331j and 331k are provided in the first etching area 300c1. The longitudinal directions of the ion sources 331j and 331k are perpendicular to the transport direction (Y direction) of the substrate 10. The longitudinal lengths of the ion sources 331j and 331k are designed so that the irradiation areas of the ion beams 341j and 341k include both ends of the substrate 10 in the X direction. The irradiation directions of the ion beams 341j and 341k are fixed obliquely with respect to the substrate 10. As a result, the ion beam 341j irradiates the substrate 10 from the front side, and the ion beam 341k irradiates the substrate 10 from the rear side. As the substrate 10 passes through this first etching area 300c1, the entire surface of the substrate 10 is irradiated with the ion beams from the front and rear.

Similarly, ion sources 331l and 331m are provided in the second etching area 300c2. The longitudinal direction of ion sources 331l and 331m is perpendicular to the transport direction (X direction) of the substrate 10. The longitudinal lengths of ion sources 331l and 331m are designed so that the irradiation areas of ion beams 341l and 341m include both ends of the substrate 10 in the Y direction. The irradiation directions of ion beams 341l and 341m are fixed obliquely with respect to the substrate 10. As a result, ion beam 341l is irradiated onto the substrate 10 from the right side, and ion beam 341m is irradiated onto the substrate 10 from the left side. As the substrate 10 passes through this first etching area 300c2, the entire surface of the substrate 10 is irradiated with ion beams from both the left and right.

In the configuration of this embodiment, the substrate 10 can also be irradiated with an ion beam from four directions. Therefore, even if the substrate 10 has an uneven shape, it is possible to achieve a uniform film thickness on the top, bottom, and sidewalls. Note that in this embodiment, the substrate 10 moves within the XY plane, but it may also be configured to move within the YZ plane as in the above embodiments. It is sufficient that the direction of movement of the substrate 10 can be changed without changing its front-to-back orientation within the device, and that the ion beam can be irradiated from multiple directions onto the moving substrate. Furthermore, although the longitudinal direction of the ion source is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the substrate 10, it does not necessarily have to be perpendicular, as long as the entire surface of the substrate 10 can be irradiated with the ion beam.

Example 6
Sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 14. In the description of this embodiment, the same components as those in the fifth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the substrate 10 is transported in the Y direction in the etching area 300c. The etching area 300c includes a first etching area 300c1 and a second etching area 300c2. Between the first etching area 300c1 and the second etching area 300c2, a rotation area 300c3 is provided, in which an in-plane rotation mechanism 380 that rotates the substrate 10 by 90 degrees is disposed. Any existing technology, such as a robot arm, can be used to transfer the substrate 10 between the substrate transport device 15 and the in-plane rotation mechanism 380. Alternatively, a rail that is continuous with the guide rail for the substrate carrier of the substrate transport device 15 may be disposed on the in-plane rotation mechanism 380.

Ion sources 331n and 331o are provided in the first etching area 300c1. The longitudinal direction of ion sources 331n and 331o is perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate 10. The longitudinal lengths of ion sources 331j and 331k are designed so that the irradiation areas of ion beams 341n and 341o include both ends of the substrate 10 in the X direction. The irradiation directions of ion beams 341n and 341o are fixed obliquely relative to the substrate 10. As a result, ion beam 341n irradiates substrate 10 from the front side, and ion beam 341o irradiates substrate 10 from the rear side. As substrate 10 passes through this first etching area 300c1, the entire surface of the substrate 10 is irradiated with the ion beams from both the front and rear. Next, the in-plane rotation mechanism 380 rotates the substrate 10 90 degrees (arrow T).

Similarly, ion sources 331p and 331q are provided in the second etching area 300c2. The installation direction of ion sources 331p and 331q and the irradiation direction of ion beams 341p and 341q are designed to be the same as those in the first etching area 300c1. When the substrate 10, rotated 90° by the in-plane rotation mechanism 380, passes through this second etching area 300c2, the entire surface of the substrate 10 is irradiated with the ion beam from a direction 90° different from that of the first etching area 300c1.

In the configuration of this embodiment, the substrate 10 can also be irradiated with an ion beam from four directions. Therefore, even if the substrate 10 has an uneven shape, it is possible to make the film thickness uniform on the top surface, bottom surface, and sidewalls. Note that in this embodiment, as in Example 5, the substrate 10 moves within the XY plane, but it may also be configured to move within the YZ plane as in the above examples. Also, although the longitudinal direction of the ion source is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the substrate 10, it does not necessarily have to be perpendicular, as long as the entire surface of the substrate 10 can be irradiated with an ion beam.

Example 7
Seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 15. In the description of this embodiment, the same components as those in the sixth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the substrate 10 is transported back and forth in the Y direction in the etching area 300c. The etching area 300c includes a first etching area 300c1 and a rotation area 300c3 in which an in-plane rotation mechanism 380 that rotates the substrate 10 by 90° is located.

Ion sources 331r and 331s are provided in the first etching area 300c1. The longitudinal direction of ion sources 331r and 331s is perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate 10. The longitudinal lengths of ion sources 331r and 331s are designed so that the irradiation area of ion beams 341r and 341s includes both ends of the substrate 10 regardless of the direction in which the substrate 10 is rotated. The irradiation direction of ion beams 341r and 341s is fixed obliquely relative to the substrate 10. As a result, on the outward journey, ion beam 341r irradiates substrate 10 from the front side, and ion beam 341s irradiates substrate 10 from the rear side. Next, the substrate 10 is rotated 90° by the in-plane rotation mechanism 380 (arrow T).

On the return trip, the substrate 10 is rotated 90° by the in-plane rotation mechanism 380 and passes through the first etching area 300c1, causing the entire surface of the substrate 10 to be irradiated with the ion beam from a direction 90° different from that on the outward trip.

In the configuration of this embodiment, the substrate 10 can also be irradiated with an ion beam from four directions. Therefore, even if the substrate 10 has an uneven shape, it is possible to make the film thickness uniform on the top surface, bottom surface, and sidewalls. Note that although the longitudinal direction of the ion source is perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate 10, this does not necessarily have to be perpendicular, as long as the entire surface of the substrate 10 can be irradiated with an ion beam. For example, as shown in Figure 16, the longitudinal direction of the ion source may be tilted at 45 degrees with respect to the transport direction. Furthermore, this tilt angle is not limited to 45 degrees.

(Example 8)
An eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 17 and 18. In the description of this embodiment, the same components as those in the seventh embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the etching area 300c of this embodiment, the substrate 10 is transported back and forth in the Y direction.
The etching area 300c includes a first etching area 300c1. Rotation areas 300c3 and 300c4 are provided at both ends of the first etching area 300c1, and each rotation area 300c3 and 300c4 includes an in-plane rotation mechanism 380 that rotates the substrate 10 by 90°. The two rotation areas 300c3 and 300c4 can have the same configuration.

A single ion source 331t is provided in the first etching area 300c1. The longitudinal direction of the ion source 331t is perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate 10. The longitudinal length of the ion source 331t is designed so that the irradiation area of the ion beam 341t includes both ends of the substrate 10 regardless of the direction in which the substrate 10 is rotated. The irradiation direction of the ion beam 341t is fixed at an angle relative to the substrate 10.

When etching begins, as shown in FIG. 17(a), the substrate 10 is irradiated with the ion beam 341t while being transported through the first etching area 300c1 with the orientation flat 10a facing upward and to the right. After irradiation, the in-plane rotation mechanism 380 in the rotation area 300c4 rotates the substrate 10 by 90 degrees (arrow T1). Next, as shown in FIG. 17(b), the substrate 10 is irradiated with the ion beam 341t while being transported through the first etching area 300c1 with the orientation flat 10a facing downward and to the right. After irradiation, the in-plane rotation mechanism 380 in the rotation area 300c3 rotates the substrate 10 by 90 degrees (arrow T2). Similarly, the 90-degree rotation of the substrate 10 and the irradiation of the ion beam are repeated in the order shown in FIG. 18(a) and FIG. 18(b).

In the configuration of this embodiment, the substrate 10 can also be irradiated with an ion beam from four directions. Therefore, even if the substrate 10 has an uneven shape, it is possible to make the film thickness uniform on the top surface, bottom surface, and sidewalls. Note that in this embodiment, as in Example 5, the substrate 10 moves within the XY plane, but it may also be configured to move within the YZ plane as in the above embodiments. Also, while the longitudinal direction of the ion source is perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate 10, this does not necessarily have to be perpendicular, as long as the entire surface of the substrate 10 can be irradiated with an ion beam. For example, as shown in Figure 19, the longitudinal direction of the ion source may be tilted 45° with respect to the transport direction. Furthermore, this tilt angle is not limited to 45°.

(others)
In the above embodiment, the etching beam is described as an ion beam. However, the etching beam is not limited to an ion beam, and a laser beam can also be used. For example, when the material of the film to be etched is an inorganic film (e.g., SiN), an oxide film (e.g., SiO ₂ , ITO), or a metal film (e.g., Al, Cu), it is preferable to use an ion beam (an ion beam generated by a rare gas such as Ar or Xe). On the other hand, when the material of the film to be etched is an organic film (e.g., an organic compound), it is preferable to use a laser beam. In the former case, the beam diameter is relatively large, while in the latter case, the beam diameter is relatively small. Furthermore, in the latter case, it is even more effective if a photothermal conversion material is contained in the film or in the underlying layer.

10...substrate, 11...protrusion, 12...recess, 15...substrate transport device, 20...film, 300...processing chamber, 300c...etching area, 330...etching beam irradiation device, 331...ion source, 341...ion beam

Claims (14)

an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other ;
an installation direction of the ion source is a direction in which a longitudinal direction of an opening for irradiating the ion beam is oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by the transport device;
the irradiation device includes two ion sources, and the installation directions of the two ion sources with respect to the transport direction are different from each other;
The ion source is installed in a direction such that the longitudinal direction is at an angle of 45°±5° with respect to the transport direction.
An etching apparatus characterized by: an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation region a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other;
an installation direction of the ion source such that a longitudinal direction of an opening for irradiating the ion beam is oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by the transport device;
the irradiation device includes four of the ion sources;
The etching apparatus is characterized in that the four ion sources are installed in mutually different directions with respect to the transport direction. 3. The etching apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the four ion sources are arranged in directions that differ from each other by approximately 90 degrees. an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other;
an installation direction of the ion source such that a longitudinal direction of an opening for irradiating the ion beam is oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by the transport device;
the transport device is capable of reciprocating the substrate in the transport direction,
the irradiation device includes two of the ion sources;
the two ion sources are installed in different directions relative to the transport direction;
When a cross section of the substrate including the normal line is divided into a first side and a second side with the normal line as a boundary, each of the two ion sources is switchable between a first state in which the irradiation direction is inclined from the normal line so that the ion beam is irradiated onto the first side, and a second state in which the irradiation direction is inclined from the normal line so that the ion beam is irradiated onto the second side.
An etching apparatus characterized by: 5. The etching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the two ion sources irradiate the ion beam in the first state while the substrate is moving in the outward direction in the transport direction, and irradiate the ion beam in the second state while the substrate is moving in the return direction in the transport direction . 6. The etching apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the two ion sources are installed in directions that differ by approximately 90 degrees. an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other;
The ion source is installed in such a way that the longitudinal direction of the opening for irradiating the ion beam is
a direction oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by a transport device,
the transport device is capable of reciprocating the substrate in the transport direction,
the irradiation device includes two of the ion sources;
the two ion sources are installed in different directions relative to the transport direction;
The installation directions of the two ion sources are different by approximately 180°.
An etching apparatus, wherein the angle of the longitudinal direction of each of the two ion sources relative to the transport direction can be changed by approximately 90°. 8. The etching apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the two ion sources have different angles of their longitudinal directions with respect to the transport direction while the substrate is moving on the outward path in the transport direction and while the substrate is moving on the return path in the transport direction . an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the first pass and an irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate during the second pass are different from each other;
an installation direction of the ion source such that a longitudinal direction of an opening for irradiating the ion beam is oblique to a transport direction of the substrate by the transport device;
the transport device is capable of reciprocating the substrate in the transport direction,
when a cross section of the substrate including the normal line is divided into a first side and a second side with the normal line as a boundary, the ion source is switchable between a first state in which the irradiation direction is inclined from the normal line so that the ion beam is irradiated onto the first side, and a second state in which the irradiation direction is inclined from the normal line so that the ion beam is irradiated onto the second side,
10. An etching apparatus, wherein the ion source is capable of changing an angle of the longitudinal direction with respect to the transport direction. 10. The etching apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the ion source is capable of irradiating the substrate with the ion beam from four directions by combining switching between the first state and the second state and changing the angle of the longitudinal direction with respect to the transport direction . an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
the irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate in the first pass and the irradiation direction of the ion beam with respect to the substrate in the second pass
the irradiation directions of the ion beams with respect to the substrate during the respective passes are different from each other;
a rotation device that rotates the substrate in a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate outside the irradiation region of the ion beam ;
the transport device is capable of reciprocating the substrate in a transport direction by the transport device,
The rotation device rotates the substrate after the substrate is irradiated with the ion beam while moving along the outward path in the transport direction, so that the substrate is irradiated with the ion beam from an angle different from that of the outward path in the transport direction on the return path in the transport direction.
An etching apparatus characterized by: The ion source is a linear ion source in which the opening for irradiating the ion beam has the longitudinal direction.
12. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the etching apparatus is a gas-permeable gas. an irradiation device including an ion source that irradiates a substrate with an ion beam for etching;
a transport device that transports the substrate and causes the substrate to pass through the ion beam irradiation area a plurality of times;
Equipped with
an irradiation direction of the ion beam is inclined with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate in the irradiation region;
the plurality of passes of the substrate through the irradiation region includes at least a first pass and a second pass;
a rotation device that rotates the substrate in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate outside an irradiation region of the ion beam between the first pass and the second pass ;
When the substrate is reciprocated in the transport direction by the transport device, the rotation device rotates the substrate after the substrate is irradiated with the ion beam while moving on the outward path in the transport direction, so that the substrate is irradiated with the ion beam from an angle different from that on the outward path in the transport direction on the return path in the transport direction.
An etching apparatus characterized by: 14. The etching apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the ion source is a linear ion source having an opening for irradiating the ion beam in a longitudinal direction.