JPH0826461B2 - Glow discharge decomposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a glow discharge decomposition apparatus for producing an amorphous semiconductor layer, and more specifically, an amorphous semiconductor layer producing gas produced as an amorphous semiconductor layer is produced. The present invention relates to a glow discharge decomposition apparatus capable of preventing the characteristics of an amorphous semiconductor layer from being deteriorated due to the decomposition products and undecomposition products once attached in a film form inside a reaction chamber. .

[Prior art and its problems]

Recently, amorphous silicon (hereinafter abbreviated as a-Si)
Amorphous semiconductor photoelectric conversion members such as are used for electrophotographic photoreceptors and solar cells, and have advantages such as excellent photoelectric conversion characteristics and efficient generation of amorphous semiconductor layers, and have received great attention. ing. For example, in the field of electrophotographic photoconductors, a-Si is used as a photocarrier generation layer, and a glow discharge decomposition apparatus is used for forming the film to obtain a high-quality photoconductor. Development of manufacturing equipment for Si photoconductors is in progress.

FIG. 2 shows a glow discharge decomposition apparatus for manufacturing an a-Si photosensitive drum.

That is, a cylindrical glow discharge electrode plate 2 is installed in a cylindrical reaction chamber 1, and inside the electrode plate 2 is a-Si.
A cylindrical substrate 3 on which layers are formed is placed on a substrate support 4. The gas for a-Si layer formation enters the inside of the reaction chamber 1 through the gas introduction port 5, and the gas is ejected to the substrate 3 from the gas ejection port 6 formed in the electrode plate 2. Further, high-frequency electric power for discharge is applied to the terminals 7 and 8, and the terminal 7 is connected to the leads 9 from the peripheral wall 1a and the upper surface 1b of the reaction chamber 1.
The electrode 8 is electrically connected to the electrode plate 2 via the substrate 8, while the terminal 8 is electrically connected to the substrate 3 from the bottom surface 1c of the reaction chamber 1 via the substrate support 4 so that the glow between the substrate 3 and the electrode plate 2 is increased. A discharge area 10 is created. When the a-Si layer-forming gas layer introduced into the glow discharge region 10 is decomposed by glow discharge, an a-Si layer is formed on the surface of the substrate 3, and the exhaust gas generated by this generation is exhausted through an exhaust port. Exhausted through 11. Incidentally, 12 is an insulating ring for electrically insulating the peripheral wall 1b and the bottom surface 1c.

However, according to the above glow discharge decomposition apparatus,
There is a problem that the inside of the reaction chamber is contaminated with the formation of the a-Si layer.

That is, when an a-Si layer-forming gas such as silane gas is exposed to glow discharge, powders of the decomposition products and undecomposition products adhere to the electrode plate 2 and various parts inside the reaction chamber, especially in the reaction chamber 1. In the lower part, the active species generated in the glow discharge region 10 are rapidly cooled, so that powder growth (gas phase nucleation) occurs in the gas phase, and the powder easily accumulates. Even when the active species have a long life and reach the wall surface in the lower part of the reaction chamber as radicals, the wall surface itself is relatively low in temperature and is rapidly cooled to be powdered.

Therefore, when the a-Si photoconductor drum is taken out after the film formation is completed, the powder rises up, and when the next a-Si photoconductor drum is continuously manufactured using the same apparatus, the powder is generated during the film formation. When it is taken in and causes a film formation defect, the electrophotographic characteristics are deteriorated at the defect portion, and when an image is formed using this photoreceptor, white spots and the like occur.

Further, since the powder itself is flammable and has an explosive property depending on conditions, it is known as a by-product which is extremely dangerous in handling.

[Object of the Invention]

The present invention has been completed in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to reduce powder contamination generated due to the formation of an amorphous semiconductor layer to improve the manufacturing yield and enhance the handling safety, It is an object of the present invention to provide a glow discharge decomposition apparatus with reduced cost.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the present invention, the tubular substrate is installed inside the reaction chamber into which the amorphous semiconductor layer forming gas is introduced, and the glow discharge electrode plate faces the substrate peripheral surface to face the film formation discharge region. In a glow discharge decomposition apparatus that forms and forms an amorphous semiconductor layer on the peripheral surface of the substrate by glow discharge,
The amorphous semiconductor layer-forming gas is introduced into the film-forming discharge region from a gas jet port formed in the glow discharge electrode plate and is discharged from a gas discharge port provided in a lower portion of the reaction chamber. Outside the film-forming discharge region on the side of the discharge port, a first conductor electrically connected to the substrate and a second conductor electrically connected to the electrode plate are arranged so as to face each other. There is provided a glow discharge decomposition apparatus characterized in that a discharge region formed between a body and a second conductor is integrated with the film formation discharge region.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the glow discharge decomposition apparatus for manufacturing the a-Si photosensitive drum of the present invention will be described in detail as an example.

FIG. 1 shows a glow discharge decomposition apparatus of the present invention, in which a cylindrical glow discharge electrode plate 14 is installed inside a cylindrical reaction chamber 13, and inside this electrode plate 14 is a concentric cylindrical shape. The substrate 15 is mounted on the substrate support 16. The a-Si layer forming gas enters the reaction chamber 13 through the gas introduction port 17 and is ejected toward the substrate 15 from the gas ejection port 18 formed in the electrode plate 14. The power for glow discharge is supplied from a high frequency power source (not shown) to a matching box (not shown).
Through terminals 19 and 20 provided outside the reaction chamber 13. The terminal 19 is electrically connected to the electrode plate 14 from the peripheral wall 13a and the upper surface 13b of the reaction chamber 13 via the lead 21, while the terminal 20 is electrically connected to the substrate 15 from the bottom surface 13c of the reaction chamber 13 via the substrate support 16. Therefore, glow discharge occurs between the substrate 15 and the electrode plate 14. Then, the exhaust gas generated by the glow discharge is exhausted through the exhaust port 22. In addition, 23 is a peripheral wall 13a
And an insulating ring for electrically insulating the bottom surface 13c.

The present invention is characterized in that the first conductor and the second conductor are provided outside the a-Si film forming discharge region to generate a discharge between the two conductors.

That is, according to FIG. 1, the first conductor 24 electrically conducting to the substrate 15 and the second conductor electrically conducting to the electrode plate 14.
25 is formed, the first conductor 24 corresponds to the bottom surface 13c, and the second conductor 25 is arranged to face the bottom surface 13c to form the lower discharge region 26. As a result, the main discharge area 27 formed by the substrate 15 and the electrode plate 14 facing each other is continuously connected to the lower discharge area 26, and the discharge areas are substantially integrated. Further, the gap G ₂ between the first conductor 24 with respect to the spacing G ₁ of the substrate 15 and the electrode plate 14 and the second conductor 25, described above with set to be _{G 1/2 ≦ G 2 ≦} 2G 1 Such an integrated discharge can be instantly made. It should be noted that it is preferable that various driving parts and the like installed inside the reaction chamber 13 do not enter the lower discharge region 26.

Then, when the gas for forming an a-Si layer is introduced into the main discharge region 27, a decomposition product and an undecomposition product are generated, and an a-Si layer is formed on the substrate. Further, a part of this product is discharged from the discharge port 22 through the lower discharge region 26, but the rest mainly adheres to the glow discharge electrode plate 14, the first conductor 24 and the second conductor 25.

The decomposed products and the undecomposed products are activated by discharge, and are further activated by obtaining discharge energy in the lower discharge region, whereby the products are ionized or radicalized. Then, the first conductor 24 and the second conductor 25 are impacted by the active species accelerated by the high frequency electric field, so that the temperatures of the first conductor 24 and the second conductor 25 rise, and as a result, the first conductor 24 and the second conductor 25 increase in temperature. The activation product attached to the body 24 and the second conductor 25 grows in a film shape.

Next, after manufacturing the a-Si photosensitive drum, the electrode plate 14 and the first
In order to remove the thin films grown on the surfaces of the conductor 24 and the second conductor 25, an etching gas such as CF ₄ , NF ₃ , SiF ₆ or the like is introduced from the gas inlet 17 to generate glow discharge. Thus, the main discharge region 27 and the lower discharge region 26 are formed, and gas etching cleaning is performed. As a result, this thin film is gasified and discharged from the discharge port 22.

Thus, according to the glow discharge decomposition apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to prevent it in the lower part of the reaction chamber where powder is most likely to be powdered, so that the powder generated with the formation of the a-Si layer is drastically reduced, Depending on the manufacturing conditions, powder generation could be virtually eliminated.

3 and 4 show a glow discharge decomposition apparatus capable of simultaneously manufacturing four a-Si photosensitive drums as another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a top view thereof, and FIG. It is sectional drawing by the cutting plane line AA in the figure.

For simplification of description, members having the same functions as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals.

In this glow discharge decomposition apparatus, the four main discharge regions 27 are substantially integrated with a common lower discharge region 26 provided in the lower portion of the reaction chamber 13 to thereby form a-Si.
The electrode plate 14, the first conductor 24, and the second conductor in accordance with the film formation of
Decomposition products and non-decomposition products of the a-Si layer forming gas are formed on each surface of 25.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the glow discharge decomposition device of the present invention,
Since the temperature of the amorphous semiconductor film is increased by the discharge even in the area other than the glow discharge area, the decomposed product and the undecomposed product are formed in this area.
Even if the next amorphous semiconductor layer is continuously formed, it is not affected by the product, and the film-formed product can be almost removed by one etching gas discharge. The yield can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, since this product does not become a powder, there is an advantage that there is no danger of explosion in handling and safe work can be performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment,
Various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a glow discharge decomposition apparatus shown in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a conventional glow discharge decomposition apparatus, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are other embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a top view of the glow discharge decomposition apparatus shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, 13 ... Reaction chamber 2, 14 ... Glow discharge electrode plate 3, 15 ... Substrate 24 ... First conductor 25 ... Second conductor 26 ... Lower discharge area 27 ... Main discharge area

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tubular substrate is installed inside a reaction chamber into which a gas for forming an amorphous semiconductor layer is introduced, and a glow discharge electrode plate faces the substrate peripheral surface to form a film-forming discharge region. In the glow discharge decomposition apparatus that generates an amorphous semiconductor layer on the peripheral surface of the substrate by glow discharge, the amorphous conductor layer forming gas is discharged from the gas discharge port formed in the glow discharge electrode plate to the film forming discharge region. A first conductor that is introduced into the chamber and is discharged from a gas discharge port provided in the lower part of the reaction chamber, and is electrically connected to the substrate outside the film-forming discharge region on the gas discharge port side, and an electrode plate. And a second conductor electrically connected to the first conductor and the second conductor, the discharge region formed between the first conductor and the second conductor is integrated with the film-forming discharge region. Glow discharge decomposition device.