JPH0737670B2 - Line type plasma CVD equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a line processing type plasma CVD apparatus capable of simultaneously processing a plurality of processing substrates such as wafers and glass substrates.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a CVD apparatus for forming a thin film on the surface of a processing substrate such as a wafer or a glass substrate, a low pressure CVD is conventionally used.
Equipment and plasma CVD equipment are used. In this case, it is necessary to maintain a depressurized state of several Torr in the processing chamber. However, since it is difficult to continuously convey the processed substrate in the depressurized state, batch processing has been conventionally performed. However, in the batch processing system, after the processed substrate is loaded into the processing chamber, depressurization, processing gas injection, processing gas removal, and pressure increase must be performed in that order, which requires a long processing cycle and low production efficiency. There was a problem.

Therefore, conventionally, there has been provided a plasma CVD apparatus in which plasma electrodes formed of a flat plate are vertically arranged and a processed substrate is continuously conveyed while being held in a vertical posture.

[0004]

However, in this case,
A convection effect is generated in the processing gas in the plasma space formed between the flat plate electrode and the processing substrate, uneven heating occurs between the lower and upper portions of the processing substrate held vertically, and the formed thin film is thick. There is a problem that unevenness occurs. For this reason, in the conventional continuous processing type plasma CVD apparatus, there has been a problem that it is necessary to control the heating amount and the gas supply amount in the vertical direction, which is a troublesome control. The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to provide a plasma CVD apparatus capable of continuously processing a plurality of processed substrates by a line processing system.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention arranges a processing substrate transfer section, a preheating chamber, a processing chamber, and a transfer chamber in a closed loop, and places a flat plate at the bottom of the processing chamber. A heater is placed on the upper part of the processing chamber so as to face the plate electrode via a quartz window, and a moving path of the processing substrate mounting table is formed between the plate electrode and the heater, and this movement is performed. A plurality of stepped holes are provided through a processing substrate mounting table that intermittently moves in a horizontal position to form a processing substrate holding unit, and a shield device is arranged corresponding to the stop position of the processing substrate mounting table in the processing chamber. The shield device is arranged on the upper wall of the processing chamber so as to surround the quartz window.

[0005]

According to the present invention, the processing substrate transfer section, the preheating chamber, the processing chamber, and the transfer chamber are arranged in a closed loop, the plate electrode is arranged in the lower portion of the processing chamber, and the plate electrode is opposed to the plate electrode. A heating heater is arranged on the upper part through a quartz window, a moving path of the processing substrate mounting table is formed between the flat plate electrode and the heating heater, and a plurality of processing substrate mounting tables which intermittently move the moving path in a horizontal posture are provided. Since the processing substrate holding portion is formed by transparently forming the stepped holes, the plurality of processing substrates are transported while being mounted on the processing substrate mounting table.
It is possible to maintain the transfer posture of each processing substrate in parallel during the transfer. Thus, a thin film having a uniform thickness can be formed on each processing substrate without performing heating control by a special heater or control of the supply amount of the processing gas.

Further, since the shield device is arranged corresponding to the stop position of the processing substrate mounting table in the processing chamber, and the shielding device is arranged on the upper wall of the processing chamber so as to surround the quartz window, the quartz device is used. It is possible to prevent the processing gas from flowing into the window side and contaminating the back surface side of the processing substrate or the quartz window.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a processing chamber, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration view showing a layout of a plasma CVD apparatus, and FIG. .

This plasma CVD apparatus, as shown in FIG. 2, includes a processing substrate transfer section (1), a preheating chamber (2),
The processing chamber (3) and the transfer chamber (4) are arranged in a closed loop in a plane, and the processing substrate placing table (6) on which the processing substrate (5) is placed by the processing substrate transfer section (1) is used as a transfer mechanism. A line processing system is adopted in which the processing substrate (5) is continuously processed in each chamber by intermittently moving. And the processing substrate transfer unit
(1) is opened in the clean room, and the preheating room
Each of the chamber (2), the processing chamber (3), and the transfer chamber (4) is formed as an airtight chamber and is maintained in a depressurized state.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the processing chamber (3), a flat plate electrode (7) is arranged in the lower part, and a heater (8) composed of a halogen lamp is arranged in the upper part through a quartz window (9). The space between the quartz window (9) and the plate electrode (7) is formed in the movement path (10) of the processing substrate mounting table (6). A large number of gas ejection holes for ejecting a processing gas (process gas) such as silane gas are formed on the upper surface of the parallel electrode (7). A shield plate (11) is integrally projected from the bottom wall portion of the processing chamber (3) so as to cover the outer peripheral portion of the plate electrode (7).

As shown in FIG. 4, the processing substrate mounting table (6) has a large number of processing substrate holding holes (13) formed through an aluminum base (12) and a lower surface of the base (12). Conveyor roller insertion grooves (14) are formed at both end portions so as to be recessed. And the processing substrate holding hole (13) is a large diameter part formed by a tapered hole.
(15) is on the upper side, the small diameter part (16) formed by the cylindrical hole is arranged on the lower side, and the stepped part (17) is formed at the connection part of the large diameter part (15) and the small diameter part (16). It is formed with holes, and the processed substrate is formed on this step (17).
By placing (5) with its lower surface facing the flat plate electrode (7), the lower surface of the processing substrate (5) is held as a processing surface (deposition surface).

The transfer mechanism of the processing substrate mounting table (6) in the processing chamber (3) is configured so that the processing chamber along the moving direction of the processing substrate mounting table (6).
Rotation shaft (19) is magnetically coupled to each side wall (18) of (3)
It is supported in a cantilever manner via (20), and at the end of each rotary shaft (19) located in the processing chamber (3), the transfer roller insertion groove (14) of the processing substrate mounting table (6) is formed. Fitting stainless steel rollers (2
1) are fixed respectively, and both rotary shafts (19) are driving motors (22)
Are connected to each other via timing belts (23), and each drive motor (22) is synchronously rotated by the control device (24) so that the processing substrate mounting table (6) can be moved while maintaining a horizontal posture. Is configured.

Further, a processing substrate mounting table in the processing chamber (3)
A shield device (25) is arranged corresponding to the stop position (6). The shield device (25) has a double bellows (26) arranged on the upper wall of the processing chamber (3) so as to surround the quartz window (9), and a plate frame (26) fixed to the lower end of the double bellows (26). 27) and a plate frame lifting / lowering drive (28) arranged inside the double bellows (26). In addition, this shield device (25) is in a shield posture in which the plate frame (27) is lowered,
A slight gap is left between the lower surface of the plate frame (27) and the upper surface of the processing substrate mounting table (6). Then, by supplying a purge gas such as hydrogen gas to the space surrounded by the shield device (25), this space is formed to have a slight positive pressure,
The purge gas is made to flow out from the gap.
Reference numeral (29) is an exhaust passage for reducing the pressure inside the chamber.

[0013]

According to the present invention, the processing substrate transfer section, the preheating chamber, the processing chamber, and the transfer chamber are arranged in a closed loop, the plate electrode is arranged in the lower part of the processing chamber, and the plate electrode is opposed to the plate electrode. A heating heater is arranged in the upper part of the chamber through a quartz window, a moving path of the processing substrate mounting table is formed between the flat plate electrode and the heating heater, and this processing path is used as a processing substrate mounting table for intermittently moving in a horizontal posture. Since the plurality of stepped holes are provided to form the processing substrate holder, the plurality of processing substrates are transported while being mounted on the processing substrate mounting table, and each processing substrate is transported during transportation. The transport posture can be maintained in parallel. Thus, a thin film having a uniform thickness can be formed on each processing substrate without performing heating control by a special heater or control of the supply amount of the processing gas.

Further, since the shield device is arranged corresponding to the stop position of the processing substrate mounting table in the processing chamber, and the shielding device is arranged on the upper wall of the processing chamber so as to surround the quartz window, the quartz device is used. The processing gas enters the window side and contaminates the back side of the processing substrate,
It is possible to eliminate contamination of the quartz window.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a processing chamber.

FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of a plasma CVD apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part taken out.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a transfer system of a processing substrate mounting table.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Processing substrate transfer part, 2 ... Pre-heating chamber, 3 ... Processing chamber, 4 ... Transfer chamber, 6 ... Processing substrate mounting base, 7 ... Plate electrode, 8 ... Heating heater, 9 ... Quartz window,
10 ... Processing substrate moving path, 13 ... Processing substrate holding part, 25 ... Shield device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A processing substrate transfer section (1), a preheating chamber
(2), the processing chamber (3) and the transfer chamber (4) are arranged in a closed loop,
A flat plate electrode (7) is arranged in the lower part of the processing chamber (3), and a heater (8) is placed on the upper part of the processing chamber (3) facing the flat plate electrode (7) through a quartz window (9). Place and
Between the plate electrode (7) and the heater (8), the processing substrate mounting table
A processing substrate holding section (13) is formed by forming a plurality of stepped holes in a processing substrate placing table (6) which forms a moving passage (10) of (6) and intermittently moves the moving passage (10) in a horizontal posture. ) Is configured, and the shield device (25) is arranged corresponding to the stop position of the processing substrate placement table (6) in the processing chamber (3), and the shield device (25) is placed above the processing chamber (3). A line-type plasma CVD apparatus arranged so as to surround the quartz window (9) on the wall.