JP2004099946A - Thin-film-forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thin-film-forming apparatus which has a low effective height and an improved installability. <P>SOLUTION: The thin-film-forming apparatus A comprises several vacuum chambers (a feeding chamber C1, a film-forming chamber C2 and an unloading chamber C3), a door valve mechanism 300 for airtightly partitioning the vacuum chambers, and a dome-transporting mechanism 100 for transporting a substrate holder 40. The door valve mechanism 300 comprises a valve plate 310 for closing a passing port 14, a shaft 330 for opening and closing the valve plate 310 by rotating and an air cylinder 340 for rotating the shaft 330. The dome-transporting mechanism 100 comprises a transporting arm 110 which extends itself and transports the substrate holder 40 when the valve plate 310 is opened, and the like. The valve plate 310 of the door-valve mechanism 300, the shaft 330 and the dome-transporting mechanism 100 are installed in the feeding chamber C1 and the unloading chamber C3; and the valve plate 310 and the shaft 330 are arranged in such a position as not to interfere each other when the valve plate 310 is opened. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

【０１７０】
図２０は本例の装置Ａによる薄膜形成処理のタイムチャートであり、図２１は従来のデリバリ搬送式装置による薄膜形成処理のタイムチャートである。なお、成膜室Ｃ２における成膜処理は、従来のものと同様である。
【０１７１】
先ず、基板ホルダ４０が供給室Ｃ１の搬送アーム１１４に取付けられた状態で所定条件が揃うと、約８秒で弁板３１０が開く。なお、従来のスライド式のゲートバルブの場合は、ゲートが開くのに約１３秒必要であった。
【０１７２】
弁板３１０が完全に開くと、ドーム搬送機構１００により供給室Ｃ１から成膜室Ｃ２へ基板ホルダ４０が約１０秒で搬送される。なお、従来のデリバリ搬送方式では、約２３秒必要であった。
【０１７３】
基板ホルダ４０が成膜室Ｃ２へ搬送されると、ドーム上下搬送機構４００によって、フレーム４６０が待機位置から受取位置へ約５秒で上昇し、基板ホルダ４０はフレーム４６０へ受渡される。
【０１７４】
基板ホルダ４０がフレーム４６０へ受渡されると、搬送アーム１１４等は成膜室Ｃ２から供給室Ｃ１へ約１０秒で戻る。その後、弁板３１０が閉じると共に、基板ホルダ４０はフレーム４６０に載置された状態で受取位置からチャック位置まで約１５秒で上昇する。
【０１７５】
基板ホルダ４０がチャック位置まで達すると、リフト機構５２０によって基板ホルダ４０が約５秒掛かってチャックされる。その後、リフト機構５２０によって、基板ホルダ４０はチャック位置から回転位置（成膜位置）まで約５秒で持ち上げられる。基板ホルダ４０が回転位置まで持ち上げられると、その後、約１６分間で成膜処理が行われる。
【０１７６】
このように、基板ホルダ４０が成膜室Ｃ２へ搬送されてから成膜処理が開始されるまでの所要時間は、本例の場合、約３３秒となっている。一方、従来の場合、約７２秒必要であった。
【０１７７】
成膜処理後、基板ホルダ４０はリフト機構５２０によって、回転位置からチャック位置まで約５秒で下ろされる。チャック位置では、約５秒掛かってリング機構５６０によって基板ホルダ４０へのチャックが開放される。
【０１７８】
チャックが開放されると、基板ホルダ４０はフレーム４６０に載置された状態で、約１５秒掛かってチャック位置から受取位置まで下ろされる。これと同時に、取出室Ｃ３の弁板３１０が開く。
【０１７９】
基板ホルダ４０が受取位置に達すると、搬送アーム１１４が取出室Ｃ３から成膜室Ｃ２へ約１０秒で延伸し、搬送アーム１１４は基板ホルダ４０を受取る。搬送アーム１１４が基板ホルダ４０を受取ると、フレーム４６０は受取位置から待機位置まで約５秒で下降して停止する。
【０１８０】
フレーム４６０が待機位置に達すると、基板ホルダ４０はドーム搬送機構１００によって成膜室Ｃ２から取出室Ｃ３へ約１０秒で搬送される。このとき、次の基板ホルダ４０を供給室Ｃ１から成膜室Ｃ２へ搬送するために、供給室Ｃ１の弁板３１０が開く。
【０１８１】
基板ホルダ４０が取出室Ｃ３へ搬送されると、取出室Ｃ３の弁板３１０が約１０秒で閉じ、取出室Ｃ３内のリーク処理が開始される。リーク終了後、基板ホルダ４０は作業者によって取り出される。
【０１８２】
このように、成膜処理が終了してから、次の基板ホルダ４０を供給室Ｃ１から成膜室Ｃ２へ搬送するために弁板３１０を開く処理が開始されるまでの所要時間は、本例の場合、約４８秒となっている。一方、従来の場合、約１０８秒必要であった。
【０１８３】
すなわち、本例の装置Ａの場合、タクトタイムは約１７分４０秒であり、従来装置の場合、タクトタイムは約１９分４０秒であった。このように、本例の装置Ａでは、従来と比してタクトタイムが約２分短縮され、より生産性の向上が図られている。
【０１８４】
タクトタイムが短縮された理由としては、ドアバルブ機構３００によってチャンバ間を気密的に仕切る弁板３１０の開閉時間が短縮されたこと、ドーム搬送機構１００によって基板ホルダ４０のチャンバ間搬送時間が短縮されたこと、ドーム上下搬送機構４００によって成膜室Ｃ２内での基板ホルダ４０の上下搬送時間が短縮されたこと、及び弁板３１０の開閉処理と基板ホルダ４０の上下搬送処理を同時期に行うように処理シーケンスが変更されたこと等が挙げられる。なお、各機構の制御は、不図示の制御盤が有する制御部によって行われる。
【０１８５】
本例の装置Ａは、３チャンバ構成で左側のチャンバから順に供給室、成膜室、取出室とされているが、これ以外にもチャンバの構成を変えることが可能である。
【０１８６】
例えば、左チャンバと右チャンバを供給室、取出室の共用室とすれば、左チャンバに供給された基板は、中チャンバで成膜処理を行われ、その後、左チャンバに搬送されて取出され、同様に右チャンバに供給された基板は、中チャンバで成膜処理を行われ、その後、右チャンバに搬送され取出されるように構成することができる。
【０１８７】
装置Ａがこのように構成されることにより、左チャンバに基板が供給されるときと、右チャンバに基板が供給されるときとで、成膜条件（成膜膜厚）を変えることが容易となり、装置Ａは多品種成膜に対応することが可能となる。
【０１８８】
また、装置Ａに後処理室（例えば、撥水膜成膜処理室）を別途に設けて、４チャンバ構成としても良い。
【０１８９】
また、本例では、供給室と取出室を別々に設けているが、これに限らずこれらを供給及び取出しの双方を行うことが可能な共用室としてもよい。そして、装置Ａを共用室、前（後）処理室、成膜室の３チャンバ構成とすることができる。この場合、前（後）処理室に、成膜処理後の基板ホルダと成膜処理前の基板ホルダを上下位置で入れ替える機構を設けるとよい。
【０１９０】
また、本例の装置Ａでは、各機構がユニット化されており、さらに他の機構（ユニット）を追加，変更することが可能となっている。例えば、ガス導入機構を追加したり、電子ビーム蒸発源を２つの電子銃構成としたものに変更したりすることが可能である。これにより、追加変更を含めた装置Ａの製造工数の把握が容易となると共に、使用者のニーズを満足する装置Ａを短納期で提供することが可能となる。
【０１９１】
また、本例の装置Ａでは、チャンバ間の基板ホルダ４０の搬送として、アーム搬送方式が採用されているが、デリバリ搬送方式又はキャリア搬送方式とすることが可能である。
【０１９２】
【発明の効果】
以上のように、本発明の薄膜形成装置によれば、成膜室と供給室間及び成膜室と取出室間を気密的に仕切る機構は、従来の様にスライド方式のゲートバルブ機構ではなく、補助室側に設けられた回動ドア方式のドアバルブ機構とされた。これにより、従来に比して薄膜形成装置の高さを低くすることができると共に、薄膜形成装置の上部にドアバルブ機構のためのメンテナンススペースが要求されない。
【０１９３】
このように、本発明の薄膜形成装置は有効高さが、従来に比して低く構成されたことにより、薄膜形成装置の設置性が向上される。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】実施例の薄膜形成装置の正面説明図である。
【図２】実施例の薄膜形成装置の上面説明図である。
【図３】実施例の成膜室の側面説明図である。
【図４】実施例の覗窓の断面図である。
【図５】実施例のドーム搬送機構の説明図である。
【図６】実施例の搬送アームの正面図である。
【図７】実施例の搬送アーム支持機構の説明図である。
【図８】実施例の補助室のドーム回転機構の説明図である。
【図９】実施例のドアバルブ機構の説明図である。
【図１０】実施例のドアバルブ機構の説明図である。
【図１１】実施例のドアバルブ機構の説明図である。
【図１２】実施例の成膜室上部の機構の説明図である。
【図１３】実施例のドーム上下搬送機構の説明図である。
【図１４】実施例のフレームの正面図である。
【図１５】実施例の成膜室のドーム回転機構の説明図である。
【図１６】実施例の成膜室のドーム回転機構の説明図である。
【図１７】実施例のモニタホルダ受部の説明図である。
【図１８】実施例のモニタ回転機構の説明図である。
【図１９】実施例の分光特性図である。
【図２０】実施例の薄膜形成処理のタイミングチャートである。
【図２１】従来例の薄膜形成処理のタイミングチャートである。
【符号の説明】
２　搬送用治具、１１　架台、１２　ジャッキアップ部材、１３　搬送用治具取付部、１４　通過口、１６，１７　リブ、１８　吊上げ用穴、１９　ベースプレート、２０　補助室開閉扉、２１，２２　枠部、２４，２５　排気口、２６　排気口バッフル、２７　作業用扉、２７ａ　フタ部、２７ｂ　枠部、２８　覗窓、２８ａ　フランジ、２８ｂ　アクリル板、２８ｃ　保護ガラス、２８ｄ　蒸着防止筒、２８ｅ　Ｏリング、２８ｆ　ボルト、２８ｇ　スプリング、３０　ベースシールド、３１　電子ビーム蒸発源、３２　電子ビームシャッタ機構、３３，３４　ガイド、３５　取付板、４０　基板ホルダ、４１　ドームヘッド、４２　ドーム部、１００　ドーム搬送機構、１０１　駆動モータ、１０２　出力軸、１０４　プーリ、１１０ｃ，１１２ｃ　カバー、１１０，１１２，１１４　搬送アーム、１１１　駆動チェーン、１１２ａ，１１４ａ　回転軸、１１２ｂ，１１４ｂ歯車、１１５　ハンド部、１１５ａ　ツメ部、１２０　回転軸、１２１ａ　歯車、１２１　真空シール、１２２　プーリ、２３　駆動ベルト、１２４　電磁ブレーキ、１３０　チョッパ、１３１　位置センサ、１４０　搬送アーム支持機構、１４１　支持ロッド、１４２　支持片、１４３　ローラ、２００　ドーム回転機構、２１０　駆動モータ、２１１　出力軸、２１２　平歯車、２２０　エアシリンダ、２２１　ピストン、２２２　連結部、２２３　平歯車、２２４　ロッド、２２５　カップ、２２６　カバー、２２７　ガイド、２２８　ローラ、２３０真空シール、３００　ドアバルブ機構、３１０　弁板、３１２　アーム取付部、３１３　防着板、３１４　溝、３１４ａ　パッキン、３２０　アーム、３２２シャフト取付部、３３０　シャフト、３３２　真空シール、３３４　ピニオン、３４０　エアシリンダ、３４２　ラック、４００　ドーム上下搬送機構、４１０　駆動モータ、４１１　出力軸、４２０　ギヤボックス、４２１　回転軸、４２２　平歯車、４２３，４２５　プーリ、４２６　回転軸、４２７ａ，４２７ｂタイミングベルト、４３０，４４０　シャフト、４３１，４４１　ジョイント、４３２　真空シール、４４２　軸受、４４４　プーリ、４４５　スチールベルト、４５０　平歯車、４５１　回転軸、４５２　チョッパ、４５３　位置センサ、４６０　フレーム、４６１　枠部、４６２　ベルト取付部、４６３　補正板アーム、４６４　ガイド片、４６５　位置決めピン、４６６　モニタホルダ受部、４６７　補正板アーム連結部、４６７ａ　マスク孔、４６７ｂ　凸部、４６８　ベアリング保持部、４６８ａ　マスク孔、４６８ｂ　凹部、４６８ｃ　ネジ部、４６９　ベアリング、５００　ドーム回転機構、５２０　リフト機構、５２１　エアシリンダ、５２２　ピストン、５２３　シャフト、５２４　停止用シャフト、５２５　ガイド板、５２６　シャフト、５２６　真空シール、５３０　外輪部、５３１　ベアリング、５４０　内輪部、５４１　歯車部、５４２　歯、５４４アーム部、５４５　ローラ、５４６　リング、５４６　係合アーム、５４６ａ係合ツメ、５６０　リング機構、５６１　エアシリンダ、５６２　ピストン、５６３　真空シール、５６４　シャフト、５６５　ローラ部、５６６　リング、５６７　ガイド部、５６７ａ　ガイド板、５８０　回転機構、５８１　駆動モータ、５８２　出力軸、５８３　真空シール、５８４　歯車、６００　モニタ回転機構、６０１　駆動モータ、６０２　出力軸、６０３，６１１　カサ歯車、６１０　シャフト、６１２　真空シール、６１３　シャフト、６１４，６１５　平歯車、２０　平歯車、６２１　溝、６２１ａ　パッキン、６２２　段部、６３０　ロッド、６３２　リング、６３２ａ　肩部、６４０　平歯車、６４１　回転軸、６４２　チョッパ、６４３　位置センサ、６５０　モニタホルダ、６５１　係合部、６５２　リング部、６５３　係止部、６５６　モニタガラス、７００　光学式膜厚計、７１０　投光器、７２０　受光器、７３０　ミラーボックス、７４０フィルタチェンジャー、７５０　光束案内筒、Ａ　薄膜形成装置、Ｃ１　供給室、Ｃ２　成膜室、Ｃ３　取出室[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a thin film forming apparatus, and more particularly to a continuous film forming apparatus capable of sequentially performing a film forming process on a plastic substrate or the like while keeping a film forming chamber at a vacuum.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, thin films are formed on the surfaces of various substrates (eg, eyeglass lenses, light guide plates, and the like) by a thin film forming process such as vacuum evaporation using a thin film forming apparatus. As a method of forming such a thin film, a batch processing method in which a series of processes such as substrate supply, exhaust / substrate heating, film formation, substrate cooling, opening to the atmosphere, and substrate removal are performed in one vacuum chamber (chamber); There has been known a continuous processing method in which the above-described processing is continuously performed while a substrate is transferred between a plurality of chambers that handle a specific processing.
[0003]
In the batch processing method, it is necessary to perform a process of evacuating a chamber for performing a film forming process and releasing the process to the atmosphere for each substrate. On the other hand, in the continuous processing method, the chamber (film formation chamber) for performing the film formation processing is maintained in a vacuum state, so that a stable film formation processing can be performed under the same conditions, and the evacuation, Since there is no need to perform an open-to-atmosphere process, there is an advantage that productivity can be high because a substrate can be formed one after another.
[0004]
As a continuous thin film forming apparatus that performs such a continuous processing method, for example, a continuous thin film forming apparatus in which three chambers are connected in series is known (see JP-A-2002-222846). A plurality of substrates are arranged in a substrate holder (for example, a dome-shaped holder), and are sequentially transported to each chamber and processed.
[0005]
The thin film forming apparatus has a configuration in which a supply chamber, a film formation chamber, and an extraction chamber are connected as three chambers. In the supply chamber, substrate supply, exhaust, preheating, pretreatment, and the like are performed. In the removal chamber, substrate cooling, post-processing, opening to the atmosphere, substrate removal, and the like are performed in the removal chamber.
[0006]
The supply chamber and the take-out chamber are opened to the atmosphere when the substrate holder is taken in and out, and are evacuated to a predetermined vacuum state before the transfer of the substrate holder to / from the film formation chamber. On the other hand, since it is necessary to always maintain a vacuum state in the film formation chamber, the supply chamber and the film formation chamber, and the film formation chamber and the extraction chamber are air-tightly separated by a slide-type gate valve.
[0007]
When a film formation process is performed by vacuum evaporation, an evaporation source is arranged near a base shield below the film formation chamber, and during the film formation process, the substrate holder is arranged at a film formation position above the film formation chamber. For this reason, the passage opening opened for transferring the substrate holder from the supply chamber to the film formation chamber or for transferring the substrate holder from the film formation chamber to the extraction chamber is located at the upper part of the film formation chamber. I have.
[0008]
For this reason, a gate valve for hermetically closing the passage port is provided above the film forming chamber. When the gate valve is lifted by a predetermined stroke, the passage port is opened, and the thin film forming apparatus has a configuration in which a gate box that covers the gate valve projects above the film forming chamber.
[0009]
In addition, a carry-in mechanism and a carry-out mechanism are provided on the atmosphere side below the supply chamber and the take-out chamber, respectively. The loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism are configured such that base plates of the supply chamber and the unloading chamber move up and down, respectively. The substrate holder is transported from a lower position (mounting height) of the supply chamber to a position near the passage opening height by a loading mechanism, and is transported from a position near the passage port height to a lower position (unloading height) of the removal chamber by a discharge mechanism. Is done.
[0010]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-222846 A (page 5-9, FIG. 1)
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, in the conventional thin film forming apparatus, the passage is provided above the film forming chamber, and the gate box is formed to protrude above the passage, so that the height of the entire thin film forming apparatus is increased. Was higher. Further, a maintenance space required for maintaining the gate valve is required above the thin film forming apparatus. For this reason, a predetermined ceiling height is required in a clean room in order to install a thin film forming apparatus.
[0012]
However, the standard ceiling height of a clean room is 2500 mm, and when a ceiling height of 2500 mm or more is required for installation of a thin film forming apparatus, there is a problem that work on the clean room must be performed separately. there were. In addition, even if the ceiling height required for installation is 2500 mm or less, if the ceiling height of the clean room is less than the predetermined required height, the work must also be performed.
[0013]
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a thin film forming apparatus in which the ceiling height for installing the thin film forming apparatus is small.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the thin film forming apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of vacuum chambers, a valve mechanism that hermetically separates the vacuum chambers, and a substrate holder on which a substrate on which a film is to be formed is mounted. A transfer mechanism for performing transfer between vacuum chambers, wherein the valve mechanism includes a valve plate that hermetically closes a passage opening opened between the vacuum chambers, A shaft for opening and closing the valve plate by being connected and rotated, and a drive unit for rotating the shaft, wherein the transport mechanism extends when the valve plate is opened to extend the substrate holder. A transfer arm for transferring between vacuum chambers, wherein the valve plate, the shaft and the transfer mechanism of the valve mechanism are provided in one vacuum chamber between adjacent vacuum chambers, and the valve plate and the shaft are provided. Are dry when the valve plates open. It is solved by arranged at a position not.
[0015]
As described above, according to the present invention, the valve mechanism that airtightly separates the vacuum chambers is not a slide type gate valve mechanism as in the related art, but has a configuration in which a valve plate disposed in the vacuum chamber closes the passage opening. Therefore, no component member of the valve mechanism is disposed above the atmosphere side of the vacuum chamber. This is preferable because the height of the thin film forming apparatus can be kept low.
[0016]
Further, it is preferable that the shaft is rotationally driven by the driving units disposed at both ends of the shaft. With this configuration, the entire valve plate can be substantially uniformly pressed against the passage port.
[0017]
Further, as described in claim 3, the driving unit is an air cylinder having a piston connected to a rack, a pinion meshed with the rack is attached to the shaft, the shaft, It is preferable that the piston is rotated via the rack and the pinion by expansion and contraction of the piston.
[0018]
The use of an air cylinder instead of a hydraulic unit as the drive source in this manner is preferable because oil does not adhere to the thin film forming apparatus. In addition, since the driving force is transmitted to the shaft by the rack and pinion method, the structure of the valve mechanism is simplified, so that assembling is easy and troubles are less likely to occur, which is preferable.
[0019]
As described in claim 4, the vacuum chamber is a supply chamber in which the substrate is supplied, a film formation chamber in which a film is formed on the substrate, and the substrate after the film formation. It is preferable that the valve mechanism is disposed in the supply chamber and the extraction chamber.
[0020]
If the valve mechanism is provided in the supply chamber and the take-out chamber in this way, it becomes easy to design the rotation mechanism of the substrate and the vertical transport mechanism of the substrate provided in the film formation chamber, as well as to perform maintenance. It is preferable that the maintenance of the mechanism in the film forming chamber can be easily performed even at the time. Further, with such an arrangement, maintenance of the valve mechanism can be performed not from the film forming chamber side but from the supply chamber and the extracting chamber side.
[0021]
Preferably, the passage is formed in a side wall of a vacuum chamber in which the valve mechanism is provided. With this configuration, the valve mechanism can be attached to the auxiliary chamber in a state where the film forming chamber is not connected to the auxiliary chamber.
[0022]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the valve plate can be opened and closed with the shaft provided above or below the passage opening as a rotation center. For example, when the valve plate is mounted so as to be opened and closed by a shaft arranged below the passage opening, the operation of replacing the packing arranged on the mating surface of the valve plate with the passage opening frame, etc. Since the operator can perform maintenance and the like downward, the workability is improved. Further, even when the shaft cannot be arranged on the lower side, by arranging the shaft on the upper side, the airtightness can be similarly maintained by the valve plate.
[0023]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a thin film forming apparatus according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a top view of the thin film forming apparatus according to the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a side view of a film forming chamber of the embodiment, and FIG. FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a dome transport mechanism of the embodiment, FIG. 6 is a front view of the transport arm of the embodiment, FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a transport arm support mechanism of the embodiment, and FIG. FIGS. 9 to 11 are explanatory views of a mechanism of the door valve mechanism of the embodiment. 12 is an explanatory view of a mechanism above the film forming chamber of the embodiment, FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of a dome vertical transport mechanism of the embodiment, FIG. 14 is a front view of a frame of the embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 16 is an explanatory view of a dome rotating mechanism of a film forming chamber of the embodiment, FIG. 17 is an explanatory view of a monitor holder receiving portion of the embodiment, and FIG. 18 is a description of a monitor rotating mechanism of the embodiment. FIG. 19 is a spectral characteristic diagram of the embodiment, FIG. 20 is a timing chart of the thin film forming process of the embodiment, and FIG. 21 is a timing chart of the thin film forming process of the conventional example. Note that the arrangement, shape, and the like described below do not limit the present invention, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made in accordance with the gist of the present invention.
[0024]
FIG. 1 is a sectional explanatory view of a thin film forming apparatus A (hereinafter, referred to as “apparatus A”) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus A of this example is a mass production apparatus mainly for forming a multilayer antireflection film on the surface of a plastic substrate.
[0025]
The apparatus A includes three chambers, a supply chamber C1, a film formation chamber C2, and an extraction chamber C3, from the left side in the figure. A pump (not shown) is attached to the rear surface of each chamber. In each chamber, a stainless steel plate material (SUS304 No. 1, thickness 12 mm) is commonly used, which is bent and formed into a box shape by welding. The film forming chamber C2 has a working pressure of 2.6 × 10 ^-3 (Pa), and the auxiliary chamber (the supply chamber C1 and the extraction chamber C3) is evacuated to a vacuum state of about 7 (Pa), and is configured based on a safety factor of 3 (static load).
[0026]
The film forming chamber C2 is formed by bending a stainless steel plate material, and has an integrated configuration in which a connection portion between the left and right side plates and the upper plate is formed in an R shape. The structure is such that the strength is provided by the
[0027]
Further, ribs 16 (angle members) having an L-shaped cross section are welded in the horizontal direction to the atmospheric side surfaces of the left and right side plates of the film forming chamber C2, and the structure is reinforced against stress concentrated on the periphery of the opening. I have. Further, a U-shaped plate-shaped rib 17 is welded to the upper portion of the film forming chamber C2 at two positions on the near side and the far side in FIG. The rib 17 is also welded to the upper rib 16. The base plate 19 of the film forming chamber C2 is made of a stainless steel plate (SUS304 No. 1) having a thickness of 30 mm, and is integrated with the side plate by welding. As described above, the apparatus A is formed on the basis of a thin plate material (thickness: 12 mm), and the overall weight is reduced. The device A is reinforced by adopting ribs 16, 17 or the like or an R shape.
[0028]
The connection between the auxiliary chamber and the film forming chamber C2 is made by connecting bolts from the vacuum sides of the left and right side plates of the film forming chamber C2. Thus, it is not necessary to form a mounting flange in the chamber as in the related art, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, the passage port 14 that connects the auxiliary chamber and the film forming chamber C2 is formed on the auxiliary chamber side, and a 30 mm-thick stainless steel plate (SUS304No. 1) is used.
[0029]
Further, a door valve mechanism 300, a dome transport mechanism 100, a dome rotation mechanism 500, a monitor rotation mechanism 600, and the like, which will be described later, are unitized, and can be separately assembled to the main body. Thus, the number of assembling steps can be reduced and the working efficiency can be improved, and maintenance and replacement of parts (entire unit or unit constituent parts) can be facilitated.
[0030]
Each chamber is supported by a gantry 11. The gantry 11 with four H steel columns is provided in the film forming chamber C2, and the gantry 11 with one H steel column is provided in each of the supply chamber C1 and the unloading chamber C3. Thus, the manufacturing cost is reduced by using the gantry 11 as the H steel column.
[0031]
Further, a jack-up member 12 for attaching a jack when the apparatus A is transported is welded to each support of the gantry 11.
[0032]
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a transfer jig mounting portion 13 is welded to each of the columns, and the transfer jig 2 is mounted on the transfer jig mounting portion 13 at the time of transfer, so that the three chamber mounts 11 are mounted. Can be connected to each other and fixed.
[0033]
The transport jig 2 of this example is formed in a T shape by a channel material so that three right and left columns can be connected, and the transport jig of each column is provided at an end of the transport jig 2. A mounting hole for fixing the mounting portion 13 with a bolt or a mounting pin or the like is formed.
[0034]
In this example, the transport jig 2 is T-shaped because the support chamber is provided one by one in the auxiliary chamber. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number and arrangement of the support pillars formed in each chamber are not limited thereto. It can be made into an appropriate shape according to. Further, the left and right columns of the film forming chamber C2 may be fixed to each other.
[0035]
The rib 17 is provided with a lifting hole 18 used for lifting the device A by a crane. As described above, the lifting hole 18 of the present example has a simple structure, and it is not necessary to provide an eyebolt seat on the upper surface of the device A unlike the related art, so that the number of parts and the number of mounting operations can be reduced as compared with the related art. Can be.
[0036]
As shown in FIG. 2, the outer surface of the auxiliary chamber (the surface opposite to the side surface connected to the film forming chamber C2) is a curved surface. This is formed on a curved surface according to the shape of the substrate holder (950 mm diameter). The outer ends of the upper and lower side plates of the auxiliary chamber (on the side opposite to the film forming chamber C2) have a substantially semicircular shape in accordance with the curved surface. By doing so, it is possible to provide a structure that supports the pressure difference with a curved surface at the end of the auxiliary chamber. This also saves space.
[0037]
Further, in the apparatus A of this example, a manual auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 is provided in the auxiliary chamber, and the worker opens the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 to supply and remove the substrate holder 40. Have been. In this example, the operator can hold the substrate holder 40 at a height of about 1000 mm from the floor and attach or detach it to or from the transfer arm 114 of the dome transfer mechanism 100 in the auxiliary room. Thereby, the worker can perform the attaching and detaching work in a comfortable posture, and the burden on the worker is reduced.
[0038]
As described above, the dome transport mechanism 100 is provided in the auxiliary chamber, and the substrate holder 40 is arranged in the dome transport mechanism 100. Therefore, the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism are provided in the lower portion of the auxiliary chamber as in the related art. It is not necessary to perform vertical transport processing to supply or remove the substrate holder to or from the auxiliary chamber disposed on the upper side of the thin film forming apparatus by using the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism. This is preferable because the processing steps can be simplified.
[0039]
Further, the control panel of the device A can be stored in the lower part of the auxiliary chamber, so that the wiring between the device A and the control panel can be shortened, and the installation area of the device A can be reduced. Further, since the moving distance of the worker can be shortened, the working efficiency is improved.
[0040]
In the apparatus A of the present example, the substrate holder 40 transported to the film forming chamber C2 through the passage 14 is formed by the dome vertical transport mechanism 400 provided in the film forming chamber C2. It is configured to be conveyed to near the position.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary chamber has a configuration in which a part of the auxiliary chamber that is obliquely cut off when viewed from above is an auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20. Frames 21 and 22 formed of flat plates are welded to respective contact portions of the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 and the auxiliary chamber, and packing (not shown) is attached to the frame 22. It has become. The packing may be attached to the frame 21 side. The auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 is attached to a hinge provided on the rear panel of the auxiliary chamber. .
[0042]
Further, the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 can be closed by a door fastener (not shown), which is provided in each of the supply chamber C1 and the extraction chamber C3. In addition, in this example, the burden on the operator is reduced by disposing the door fastener at one place. When the interior of the auxiliary chamber is exhausted, a force is applied in the direction in which the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 comes into close contact, so that the airtightness of the interior of the auxiliary chamber is maintained by the close contact between the frame portions 21 and 22 and the packing.
[0043]
As described above, since the mating surface between the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 and the auxiliary chamber is oblique, the opening of the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 has a rectangular shape and is largely opened in the horizontal direction. Thereby, the work of attaching the substrate holder 40 to the dome transport mechanism 100 by the operator becomes easy.
[0044]
In this example, the operator can perform the work of attaching and detaching the substrate holder 40 by opening the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 by about 55 degrees. Further, since the shape of the auxiliary chamber is formed in accordance with the outer shape of the substrate holder 40, a part of the substrate holder 40 is exposed when the substrate holder 40 is mounted on the dome transport mechanism 100. State. Then, when the auxiliary room opening / closing door 20 is closed, a part that has been outside is stored in the auxiliary room opening / closing door 20.
[0045]
In addition, since the opening is formed large, access to a mechanism (for example, a halogen heater for heating a substrate, a door valve mechanism 300, and the like) provided in the auxiliary chamber is facilitated, and maintenance and inspection are facilitated. .
[0046]
Further, in a configuration in which the substrate holder 40 is supplied to the auxiliary chamber or removed from the auxiliary chamber by the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism as in the related art, operations such as maintenance of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism are required. Since the configuration is such that the operator only attaches and detaches the substrate holder 40 to and from the transfer arm 114, it is preferable because work such as maintenance for the mechanism does not occur.
[0047]
Also, the mating surface between the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 and the auxiliary chamber is not oblique as in this example, but is substantially perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate holder 40 (the direction from the supply chamber C1 to the film formation chamber C2). Compared to the case where the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 is formed, in the present example, the moving distance of the worker can be short, so that the work efficiency is expected to be improved.
[0048]
In this example, the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20 is of a manual type, but is not limited to this, and may be configured to be automatically opened / closed by a drive source such as an electric motor.
[0049]
An exhaust port 24 is formed in the rear side plate of the supply chamber C1 and the extraction chamber C3, and a common roughing pump is connected to each of the exhaust ports 24 via a valve. It is also possible to connect a high vacuum pump. For example, when performing a water-repellent treatment in the extraction chamber C3, a high vacuum pump is provided.
[0050]
A dome transport mechanism 100, a door valve mechanism 300, and a dome rotation mechanism 200 are provided in the supply chamber C1 and the take-out chamber C3. In the supply chamber C1, a substrate heating mechanism (not shown) is provided.
[0051]
The dome transfer mechanism 100 provided in the supply chamber C1 is a mechanism that transfers the substrate holder 40 from the supply chamber C1 to the dome vertical transfer mechanism 400 in the film formation chamber C2 by the transfer arms 110, 112, and 114. The dome transport mechanism 100 in the unloading chamber C3 is a mechanism that receives the substrate holder 40 on which the film forming process has been performed from the dome vertical transport mechanism 400 in the film forming chamber C2, and transfers the substrate holder 40 to the unloading chamber C3.
[0052]
As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate holder 40 includes a dome portion 42 to which a plurality of substrates can be attached, and a cylindrical dome head 41 attached to the top of the dome portion 42. The dome head 41 has an engaging portion extending obliquely outward and upward at the upper portion, and the substrate holder 40 is attached to the engaging portion so as to hook the claw portion 115a of the transfer arm 114.
[0053]
Further, the monitor holder 650 can be inserted into the dome head 41 from above. The height of the monitor holder 650 is larger than the height of the dome head 41. When the monitor holder 650 is inserted into the dome head 41, the upper and lower portions of the monitor holder 650 are located above and below the dome head 41. The part is held in a protruding state.
[0054]
The door valve mechanism 300 as a valve mechanism for airtightly separating the chambers normally closes the passage port 14 airtightly while holding the valve plate 310 in a closed position. In this case, the valve plate 310 is operated to the open position to open the passage port 14.
[0055]
The dome rotating mechanism 200 provided in the auxiliary chamber is a mechanism that receives the substrate holder 40 from the dome transport mechanism 100 in the auxiliary chamber and rotates it at a predetermined rotational speed during a predetermined period during which the auxiliary chamber is exhausted or leaked.
[0056]
An exhaust port 25 is formed in the rear side plate of the film forming chamber C2, and two high vacuum pumps and one roughing pump are connected via a valve. As shown in FIG. 3, the exhaust port baffle 26 is disposed at a predetermined interval from the rear side wall. Conventionally, an exhaust port baffle is provided so as to cover the exhaust port. However, by arranging the exhaust port baffle as in this example, the flow of fluid becomes smooth, and the exhaust efficiency of the film forming chamber C2 is improved. .
[0057]
In the film forming chamber C2, an electron beam evaporation source 31 and an electron beam shutter mechanism 32 are disposed at the center of the base shield 30. The electron beam evaporation source 31 of this embodiment includes one electron gun and a hearth (800 mm diameter endless hearth). Note that, since the deposition material holding portion of the hearth is large, no automatic sample supply mechanism is provided. However, two electron guns or an automatic sample supply mechanism may be provided, or a resistance heating evaporation source may be provided.
[0058]
Further, the inner wall of the film forming chamber C2 is flattened, thereby facilitating attachment of the deposition prevention shield, and improving cleanability of the inside.
[0059]
In the film forming chamber C2, a dome vertical transport mechanism 400, a dome rotating mechanism 500, a monitor rotating mechanism 600 (not shown), an optical film thickness meter 700, and a substrate heating mechanism (not shown) are provided.
[0060]
The dome vertical transport mechanism 400 receives the substrate holder 40 at the receiving position from the dome transport mechanism 100, transports the substrate holder 40 to the vicinity of the upper deposition position (chuck position) in the deposition chamber C2, and again performs the deposition processing. It is configured to be transported from the chuck position to the receiving position and delivered to the dome transport mechanism 100.
[0061]
The dome rotating mechanism 500 of the film forming chamber C2 receives the substrate holder 40 at the chuck position from the dome vertical transport mechanism 400, rotates the substrate holder 40 at a predetermined rotation speed during the film forming process, and moves the dome up and down again after the film forming process. This is a mechanism for transferring the substrate holder 40 to the transport mechanism 400.
[0062]
The monitor rotation mechanism 600 is a mechanism for rotating a cylindrical monitor holder 650 placed at the center of the substrate holder 40 by a predetermined angle (45 degrees in this example) for each deposition material. A monitor glass 656 is provided at the bottom of the monitor holder 650. During the film forming process, the film thickness of the thin film formed at a predetermined position on the monitor glass 656 is configured to be measured by the optical film thickness meter 700.
[0063]
In addition, a work door 27 is provided on the front surface of the film forming chamber C2. The work door 27 includes a convex lid portion 27a protruding outward, and a frame-like frame portion 27b welded to the outer periphery of the lid portion 27a. The lid portion 27a is formed using a plate material having a thickness of 12 mm, and the front surface has a curved surface with a large radius (in this example, a diameter of 3000 mm).
[0064]
The frame 27b is formed using a flat bar (30 mm × 75 mm) as it is, and has a width of 75 mm. Thereby, cost reduction is achieved. However, the contact surface with the main body is cut, a groove is formed, and packing is mounted.
[0065]
Further, the work door 27 is not formed so as to cover the entire front surface of the film forming chamber C2 but is formed to have a low height, so that only the work space is opened. With the above configuration, the work door 27 is reduced in weight and the burden on the operator when opening and closing is reduced.
[0066]
At the center of the front surface of the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20, a viewing window 28 for monitoring a substrate is attached. A viewing window 28 for monitoring the substrate is attached above the side plate of the film forming chamber C2, and a viewing window 28 (two locations on the left and right) for checking the evaporation source and a viewing window 28 for checking the transfer arm are provided on the work door 27. (One center).
[0067]
As shown in FIG. 4, the viewing window 28 has an acrylic plate 28b attached to a ring-shaped flange 28a formed on a side plate or the like with a bolt 28f across an O-ring 28e. Further, inside the acrylic plate 28b, a deposition prevention cylinder 28d and a protective glass 28c are elastically locked by a spring 28g.
[0068]
As described above, the outer window of the viewing window 28 is not configured to be sandwiched between the flange 28a and the ring-shaped holding flange disposed outside the flange 28a, but serves as the outer window disposed outside the protective glass 28c. The acrylic plate 28b and the flange 28a are screwed with bolts 28f. This eliminates the need for the holding flange and reduces the number of parts.
[0069]
Next, the dome transport mechanism 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The dome transfer mechanism 100 is a transfer device of a hanging arm type (3 links) driven by a chain, and the substrate holder 40 is attached to the transfer arm 114 and horizontally moves between chambers. The transfer time between adjacent chambers is about 10 seconds.
[0070]
The dome transport mechanism 100 includes a drive motor 101 as a drive unit, three-link transport arms 110, 112, 114, a position sensor 131 for speed control, and the like.
[0071]
The drive motor 101 (in this case, an induction motor) is disposed above the auxiliary chamber on the atmosphere side. The rotation output of the drive motor 101 is transmitted to a pulley 104 inserted into the output shaft 102. On the other hand, a vacuum seal 121 is attached to the upper plate of the auxiliary chamber, and a rotary shaft 120 is connected to the atmosphere side of the vacuum seal 121.
[0072]
A pulley 122 and a chopper 130 are inserted into the rotating shaft 120, and an electromagnetic brake 124 is inserted between the pulley 122 and the vacuum seal 121. An endless belt-shaped drive belt 123 is rotatably stretched between the pulley 104 and the pulley 122. The outer diameter of the pulley 122 is about six times the outer diameter of the pulley 104, and the rotation output of the drive motor 101 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 120 after being decelerated by the pulley 104 and the pulley 122.
[0073]
A rotating shaft (not shown) is attached to the left end of the transfer arm 110 in the drawing, and the rotating shaft is connected to the vacuum side of the vacuum seal 121. Therefore, the rotation of the rotation shaft 120 causes the transfer arm 110 to rotate via the vacuum seal 121.
[0074]
A rotation shaft 112a attached to the left end of the transfer arm 112 is inserted through the right end of the transfer arm 110, and the transfer arms 110 and 112 are connected to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 112a. Similarly, for the transfer arms 112 and 114, the rotary shaft 114a attached to the left end of the transfer arm 114 is inserted through the right end of the transfer arm 112, and the transfer arms 112 and 114 rotate around the rotary shaft 114a. It is movably connected.
[0075]
Further, a drive chain 111 is provided on the upper side of the transfer arm 110, and the drive chain 111 is stretched over a gear 112b attached to the rotating shaft 112a and a gear 121a attached to the lower end of the vacuum seal 121. I have. Similarly, a drive chain (not shown) is provided on the upper side of the transfer arm 112. The drive chain includes a gear 114b attached to the rotating shaft 114a and a gear (not shown) attached to the rotating shaft 112a. Has been passed over.
[0076]
The drive chains 111 and the like are arranged above the transfer arms 110 and 112 because the drive chains 111 and the like are stretched when the transfer arms 110, 112 and 114 are extended, and therefore positional accuracy is easily obtained.
[0077]
Since the transfer arms 110, 112, and 114 are attached in this manner, when the rotating shaft 120 rotates and the transfer arm 110 rotates, the drive chain 111 rotates the rotation shaft 112a and the transfer arm 110 via the gear 112b. 112 is rotated. Further, the rotation of the rotation shaft 112a causes a drive chain (not shown) to rotate the rotation shaft 114a and the transfer arm 114 via the gear 114b.
[0078]
Normally, the transfer arms 110, 112, and 114 are on standby in a folded state. That is, the supply chamber C1 in FIG. 2 is in a state shown by a broken line. That is, the transfer arm 114 is stopped so that the U-shaped tip of the transfer arm 114 faces the opening direction of the auxiliary chamber opening / closing door 20. Then, when the drive motor 101 rotates in a predetermined direction, the transfer arms 110, 112, and 114 rotate while extending the arms so as to be straight as a whole, and rotate, and the transfer arms 110, 112, and 114 in the supply chamber C1 in FIG. A state 114 (solid line) is reached and the operation is stopped.
[0079]
At this time, a stop stopper is provided on the upper part of the transfer arm 112 so as to stop at an appropriate stop position. The transfer arms 110 and 112 are covered with covers 110c and 112c to prevent dust generation. The transfer arms 110 and 114 are formed of a stainless steel material, but the transfer arm 112 is formed of an aluminum alloy for weight reduction.
[0080]
Above the pulley 122, a position sensor 131 is provided. The position sensor 131 detects the rotation angle of the chopper 130 that rotates together with the rotation shaft 120, and transmits a detection signal to a control unit (not shown). Upon receiving this detection signal, the control unit controls the rotation speed (transport speed) by voltage control.
[0081]
FIG. 6 shows the transfer arm 114. A U-shaped hand portion 115, which is an engagement portion with the substrate holder 40, is attached to the right end of the transfer arm 114 in the drawing. The hand part 115 has a claw part 115a inside, and the substrate holder 40 is attached to the transfer arm 114 with the neck of the dome head 41 placed on the claw part 115a. The hand portion 115 can adjust the mounting angle with respect to the transfer arm 114 by tightening a bolt.
[0082]
As described above, the components of the dome transport mechanism 100 are arranged above the auxiliary chamber. Thereby, compared to the case where the mechanism for transporting the substrate holder 40 is a delivery transport mechanism or a carrier transport mechanism, in this example, a space for mounting another mechanism (for example, a pre-processing mechanism) is secured in the chamber base. It has become easier.
[0083]
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a transfer arm support mechanism 140 is provided in the supply chamber C1. The transfer arm support mechanism 140 includes a support rod 141 attached substantially vertically to the vacuum side of the upper plate in the chamber, and two support pieces 142 attached to the lower end of the support rod 141 so as to sandwich the support rod 141. And a roller 143 attached between the two support pieces 142.
[0084]
When the transfer arm 114 or the like of the dome transfer mechanism 100 returns to the folded state, the transfer arm 114 moves to slide on the roller 143 from a substantially horizontal direction, and the lower surface of the transfer arm 114 comes into contact with the roller 143. It stops in a state.
[0085]
Thus, when the dome transport mechanism 100 is in the folded state, the transport arm 114 is supported by the transport arm support mechanism 140 from below. Therefore, even when a worker accidentally applies a large downward force to the transfer arm 114 when attaching the substrate holder 40 to the transfer arm 114, the transfer arm support mechanism 140 supports the downward force. 100 can be prevented from being damaged.
[0086]
Next, the dome rotation mechanism 200 of the auxiliary chamber will be described with reference to FIG. The dome rotation mechanism 200 includes an air cylinder 220, a cup 225 that moves up and down by the air cylinder 220 to receive the substrate holder 40 from the dome transport mechanism 100 and lifts the substrate holder 40 to a predetermined height, and rotates the cup 225 at a predetermined speed. And a drive motor 210 to be driven.
[0087]
The air cylinder 220 is fixed to the atmosphere side below the chamber, and expands and contracts the piston 221 by a predetermined stroke by compressed air. A connection part 222 is attached to the upper part of the piston 221, and the drive motor 210 is integrally fixed to the connection part 222. Therefore, when the piston 221 expands and contracts, the drive motor 210 also moves up and down. Further, a rod 224 is rotatably attached to an upper portion of the connecting portion 222, and the rod 224 is inserted into the chamber via a vacuum seal 230.
[0088]
A bottomed cylindrical cup 225 is attached to the tip of the rod 224. A spur gear 223 is attached to a lower portion of the rod 224 and meshes with a spur gear 212 attached to an output shaft 211 of the drive motor 210. Accordingly, when the drive motor 210 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted from the spur gear 212 to the spur gear 223, and the rotation of the spur gear 223 causes the rod 224 and the cup 225 to rotate.
[0089]
A dirt prevention cover 226 is attached to a lower portion of the cup 225. When the cup 225 is near the base plate (lower position), the cup 225 is in a folded state, and the cup 225 is in the rotation position (upper position). ), It is deployed to cover the rod 224.
[0090]
A roller 228 is attached to the connecting portion 222. The roller 228 moves up and down while rotating on the guide 227 when the piston 221 expands and contracts, thereby preventing the piston 221 from moving.
[0091]
Normally, the piston 221 is on standby in a contracted state. When predetermined conditions are met after the substrate holder 40 is mounted on the transfer arm 114, compressed air is introduced into the extension side of the air cylinder 220 by a control signal from a control unit (not shown), and the piston 221 extends a predetermined stroke.
[0092]
As the piston 221 extends, the upper edge of the cup 225 engages with the lower edge of the dome head 41 of the substrate holder 40. When the piston 221 extends by a predetermined stroke and reaches the rotation position, the substrate holder 40 The state is raised by about 10 mm from the transfer arm 114. At this time, since the cup 225 covers the monitor holder 650, the pre-treatment does not affect the monitor glass 656 disposed below the monitor holder 650, which is preferable.
[0093]
The control unit drives the drive motor 210 after receiving a signal from the upper limit switch of the air cylinder 220. By the rotation of the drive motor 210, the cup 225 rotates at a predetermined speed (up to 4 RPM in this example), and the substrate holder 40 placed on the cup 225 also rotates. At this time, the substrate heating mechanism operates, and the substrate is heated to a predetermined temperature.
[0094]
When the rotation process of the substrate holder 40 is completed, the rotation of the drive motor 210 is stopped by the control unit, and the compressed air is guided to the contraction side of the air cylinder 220, so that the piston 221 contracts. Due to the contraction of the piston 221, the substrate holder 40 descends and is transferred to the transfer arm 114. The control unit stops the supply of the compressed air according to a signal from the lower limit switch.
[0095]
Next, the door valve mechanism 300 will be described with reference to FIGS. The door valve mechanism 300 is provided in each of the auxiliary chambers, and opens and closes the valve plate 310 about 90 degrees around a shaft 330 that rotates by a rack and pinion method, thereby opening the passage port 14 provided in the auxiliary chamber. It opens and closes airtightly.
[0096]
The door valve mechanism 300 includes a rectangular plate-shaped valve plate 310, a shaft 330 connected to the valve plate 310, an air cylinder 340 that is a driving unit for rotating the shaft 330, and the like.
[0097]
On one surface of the valve plate 310, a packing mounting groove 314 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and a packing 314a is mounted. When the valve plate 310 is closed, the packing 314a comes into contact with the frame of the passage port 14, and the auxiliary chamber and the film forming chamber C2 are air-tightly partitioned. The packing 314a may be attached to the frame.
[0098]
Further, in the device A of the present example, the position of the passage port 14 is closer to the evaporation source than in the related art, so that the surface of the valve plate 310 where the groove 314 is formed has Is attached so as to close the opening of the passage opening 14.
[0099]
Further, on the other surface of the valve plate 310, arm mounting portions 312 are mounted at two positions on the left and right. The arm 320 is attached to the arm attachment portion 312. In order to equalize the pressing force of the valve plate 310, the arm 320 can be mounted by adjusting the mounting angle with the valve plate 310 by the height adjusting screw 322.
[0100]
A shaft attachment portion 322 is formed at an end of the arm 320, and the shaft attachment portion 322 is inserted into the shaft 330 and attached to the shaft 330 by a bolt. The number of the arms 320 is not limited to two, and may be six, for example, in order to improve the adhesion.
[0101]
A vacuum seal 332 is connected to both ends of the shaft 330. A fan-shaped pinion 334 is connected to the atmosphere side of the vacuum seal 332. Air cylinders 340 are provided on both outer sides (atmosphere side) of the shaft 330, respectively.
[0102]
A rack 342 is connected to a piston (not shown) of the air cylinder 340. When the piston of the air cylinder 340 extends, the rack 342 moves downward.
[0103]
When the air cylinder 340 is operated by a signal from the control unit and the piston is extended by a predetermined stroke, the pinion 334 engaged with the rack 342 is configured to rotate by about 90 degrees. When the pinion 334 rotates, the shaft 330 rotates via the vacuum seal 332, and the valve plate 310 is opened and closed.
[0104]
As described above, the configuration in which the auxiliary chamber and the film forming chamber C2 are airtightly separated by the rotation of the valve plate 310 makes it unnecessary to use a gate box as compared with the conventional gate valve system. Since the gate box does not protrude above the device A, the height of the entire device can be reduced.
[0105]
The apparatus A of this example has a width of about 3710 mm, a height of about 2300 mm, and a depth of about 1600 mm, and is smaller than a conventional equivalent-performance product. For this reason, the apparatus A can be stored in the transport container and transported, and particularly when transported overseas, the apparatus A can be transported with the entire apparatus A assembled. Therefore, it is possible to greatly reduce the work time for final assembly and adjustment at the installation location, and to significantly reduce the transportation cost.
[0106]
Further, since the air cylinder 340 using compressed air is used as the drive source instead of the hydraulic unit, the adhesion of dirt to the apparatus A can be reduced.
[0107]
Further, in the gate valve system, the gate valve is configured to move up and down to close the passage opening 14, but in the door valve mechanism 300 of this example, the valve plate 310 is rotated and pressed against the frame. This is preferable because the valve plate 310 is more closely attached to the frame portion and airtightness is maintained.
[0108]
In the present example, the valve plate 310 is configured to rotate upward, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured to rotate downward. This facilitates the work of replacing the packing 314a during maintenance. In addition, it is preferable that foreign matter attached to the valve plate 310 does not fall onto the substrate holder 40.
[0109]
In addition, the valve plate 310 of this example is configured to rotate about 90 degrees about the shaft 330 as a rotation center to close the passage opening 14, but is not limited thereto. For example, the shaft 330 and the valve plate 310 may be connected by a plurality of links. When the shaft 330 rotates, the valve plate 310 is configured to open and close the passage port 14 while substantially maintaining the vertical position (the position when the valve plate 310 closes the passage port 14). May be.
[0110]
Next, each mechanism provided above the film forming chamber C2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 12, a dome vertical transport mechanism 400, a dome rotating mechanism 500, a monitor rotating mechanism 600 (not shown), an optical film thickness meter 700, and the like are disposed above the film forming chamber C2. A disk-shaped mounting plate 35 is mounted on the upper plate of the film forming chamber C2, and a dome rotating mechanism 500, a monitor rotating mechanism 600, and an optical film thickness meter 700 are provided on the mounting plate 35.
[0111]
The optical film thickness meter 700 includes a light projector 710, a light receiver 720, a mirror box 730, a filter changer 740, and a light flux guiding cylinder 750. The light guide tube 750 is made of a square pipe, so that the manufacturing cost is reduced.
[0112]
The dome vertical transport mechanism 400 vertically moves the frame 460 by the steel belt 445, and vertically transports the substrate holder 40 in a state of being placed on the frame 460.
[0113]
As shown in FIG. 13, the dome vertical transport mechanism 400 includes a drive motor 410, a gear box 420, a position sensor 453, and the like as a drive unit disposed on the atmosphere side, and a shaft 440, a steel belt 445, a frame 460, and the like on the vacuum side. Is arranged.
[0114]
The drive motor 410 is disposed near the center of the upper rear surface side of the film forming chamber C2, and its rotation output is transmitted to the gear box 420 via the output shaft 411, and is reduced by the gear box 420 and transmitted to the rotation shaft 421. Is done. The gear box 420 employs a worm speed reduction mechanism to prevent the frame 460 and the like from falling sharply. A pulley 423 and a spur gear 422 are inserted into the rotation shaft 421.
[0115]
Vacuum seals 432 are inserted into upper left and right portions of the rear side plate of the film forming chamber C2, and a rotary shaft 426 and a pulley 425 are connected to the atmosphere side of each vacuum seal 432.
[0116]
Two endless timing belts 427a and 427b are stretched over the pulley 423 and the two pulleys 425 in order to prevent a trouble due to the breakage of the belt. Therefore, when the drive motor 410 rotates, the pulley 423 rotates, and the rotational force is transmitted to the two pulleys 425 by the two timing belts 427a and 427b.
[0117]
The spur gear 422 meshes with a spur gear 450 having the rotation shaft 451 as the center of rotation. A chopper 452 is attached to the spur gear 450, and the rotational position of the spur gear 450 is detected by a position sensor 453.
[0118]
A shaft 430 is connected to the vacuum side of the vacuum seal 432, and a joint 431 is attached to the other end of the shaft 430. A joint 441 is attached to one end of the shaft 440, and the rotational force of the shaft 430 is transmitted to the shaft 440 via the joint 431 and the joint 441.
[0119]
A bearing 442 is mounted on the vacuum side of the upper plate of the film forming chamber C2, and the shaft 440 is supported by two bearings 442. Further, two pulleys 444 are inserted into the shaft 440, and one end of a steel belt 445 is connected to the pulley 444. The other end of the steel belt 445 is attached to a belt attaching portion 462 of the frame 460. Therefore, when the shaft 440 rotates in a predetermined direction, the steel belt 445 is wound around the pulley 444, and the frame 460 is conveyed upward accordingly.
[0120]
As shown in FIG. 14, the frame 460 includes a rectangular frame portion 461 formed of an angle material, a monitor holder receiving portion 466, and a correction plate arm 463 as main components. The correction plate arm 463 is a thin plate piece that connects the center part of each side of the frame part 461 and the monitor holder receiving part 466 located at the center upper part of the frame part 461. A film thickness correction plate is attached to the correction plate arm 463 to make the film thickness distribution uniform.
[0121]
Positioning pins 465 are attached to the frame 461 at two locations on the left and right sides, respectively. The tip of the positioning pin 465 has a tapered shape. Further, a belt attachment portion 462 is attached to each of two places on the upper and lower sides of the frame portion 461.
[0122]
A thin plate-shaped anti-sway guide 33 is attached near the lower side of the passage 14 on the outside of the right side plate of the supply chamber C1 (on the side of the film forming chamber C2). A guide piece 464 is attached to the frame portion 461. When the frame 460 moves up and down, the guide piece 464 slides on the anti-sway guide 33 to prevent the frame 460 from shaking. In this example, the guide 33 is attached so as to prevent swinging near the lower side of the passage opening 14. It may be extended to the vicinity of the guide 34.
[0123]
Next, the operation of the dome vertical transport mechanism 400 will be described. The frame 460 is normally stopped at a standby position below the inside of the film forming chamber C2. When the substrate holder 40 is transferred to the film forming chamber C2 by the dome transfer mechanism 100 and stopped at a predetermined position, the drive motor 410 rotates forward and starts winding the steel belt 445.
[0124]
When the frame 460 is raised, first, the monitor holder receiving portion 466 comes into contact with the bottom of the monitor holder 650 placed in the dome head 41 of the substrate holder 40, and only the monitor holder 650 is inserted into the monitor holder receiving portion 466. In this state, the substrate holder 40 and the monitor holder 650 are separated.
[0125]
Further, when the frame 460 moves up and reaches the receiving position, the dome portion 42 of the substrate holder 40 comes into contact with the frame portion 461, and the substrate holder 40 is lifted by the frame 460. In this state, the drive motor 410 temporarily stops rotating. During the stop, the transfer arm 114 and the like return to the supply chamber C1, and the valve plate 310 is closed.
[0126]
In the present example, the substrate holder 40 is transferred from the dome transport mechanism 100 to the frame 460 at the height of the receiving position. However, the present invention is not limited to this. After transporting the substrate holder 40 to the position, the substrate holder 40 may be lowered to place the substrate holder 40 on the frame 460 at the standby position. In this case, in order to move the transfer arm 114 and the like up and down, an air cylinder having a stroke in the up and down direction, for example, may be provided in the drive unit of the dome transfer mechanism 460.
[0127]
Thereafter, the drive motor 410 resumes rotation, and transports the frame 460 and the substrate holder 40 to the chuck position. Four positioning guides 34 each having a guide hole at a height corresponding to the chuck position are attached to the left and right side plates in the film forming chamber C2. At the chuck position, the positioning pin 465 enters the guide hole of the positioning guide 34, and the horizontal position of the frame 460 is positioned.
[0128]
After the film forming process, the drive motor 410 rotates in the reverse direction, and the frame 460 and the substrate holder 40 descend to the receiving position. Here, the drive motor 410 temporarily stops. During the stop, the valve plate 310 of the unloading chamber C3 opens, and the transfer arm 114 and the like rotate to stop at a predetermined position.
[0129]
When the transfer arm 114 or the like stops at the predetermined position, the drive motor 410 resumes rotation, and the frame 460 descends to the standby position and stops. When the frame 460 is lowered, the substrate holder 40 is placed on the transfer arm 114 and transferred to the dome transfer mechanism 100.
[0130]
Next, the dome rotation mechanism 500 will be described with reference to FIGS. The dome rotation mechanism 500 receives the substrate holder 40 from the dome vertical transport mechanism 400 and lifts the substrate holder 40 to a rotation position (film formation position), and presses the engagement arm 546 of the lift mechanism 520 to bias the spring. It comprises a ring mechanism 560 for rotating outwardly and a rotating mechanism 580 for rotating the substrate holder 40.
[0131]
The lift mechanism 520 includes an engagement arm 546 having an engagement claw 546a, an inner ring portion 540 to which the engagement arm 546 and the gear portion 541 are attached, and an outer ring portion attached to the outside of the inner ring portion 540 via a bearing 531. 530 and an air cylinder 521 and the like attached to the outer ring portion 530 via a shaft 526 and the like.
[0132]
The air cylinder 521 includes a piston 522 that expands and contracts by a predetermined stroke, and a shaft 523 is connected to a lower end of the piston 522. The shaft 523 is inserted through the vacuum seal 526 to the vacuum side.
[0133]
A stopping shaft 524 having bearings attached to both ends is attached to the shaft 523. When the air cylinder 521 operates, the piston 522 expands and contracts while being guided by the bearing and the guide plate 525. In the extension position of the piston 522, the stop shaft 524 is in contact with the vacuum seal 526, thereby preventing the piston 522 from extending beyond a predetermined amount.
[0134]
An outer ring 530 is attached to the lower end of the shaft 523. The inner ring portion 540 is attached to the inside of the outer ring portion 530 via a bearing 531, a ring-shaped gear portion 541 is formed above the inner ring portion 540, and arm portions 544 are formed at two lower positions. .
[0135]
On the outer end of the gear portion 541, teeth 542 that mesh with the gear 584 of the rotation mechanism 580 are formed. An engagement arm 546 is rotatably connected to the lower end of the arm 544. The engagement arm 546 is normally urged to a chuck position (vertical position) by a spring.
[0136]
Further, a roller 545 is connected to the engagement arm 546 in a horizontal outward direction. An engaging claw 546a that engages with the neck of the dome head 41 of the substrate holder 40 is attached to the distal end of the engaging arm 546 so as to face inward in the horizontal direction.
[0137]
The ring mechanism 560 includes a ring 566, a shaft 564 connected to the ring 566, a piston 562 connected to the shaft 564, an air cylinder 561, and the like.
[0138]
The shaft 564 is inserted through the vacuum seal 563. A roller portion 565 is attached to the lower end of the shaft 564. When the shaft 564 moves up and down by a predetermined stroke, the roller portion 565 moves up and down while contacting a guide plate 567a attached to the guide portion 567. I do. Normally, the ring 566 is stopped at the lower position, but when the air cylinder 561 operates, the piston 562 contracts by a predetermined stroke, and the ring 566 moves to the upper position.
[0139]
The rotation mechanism 580 includes a drive motor (PS motor) 581, an output shaft 582 of the drive motor 581, a vacuum seal 583 connected to a lower end of the output shaft 582, and a gear 584 connected to the vacuum side of the vacuum seal 583. And so on.
[0140]
The gear 584 has at least a height corresponding to a vertical movement stroke of the lift mechanism 520. Thus, even if the gear 541 of the lift mechanism 520 moves up and down by the stroke, the teeth 542 of the gear 541 and the gear 584 remain meshed.
[0141]
Next, the operation of the dome rotation mechanism 500 will be described. When the substrate holder 40 is placed on the frame 460 and is transported to the chuck position by the dome vertical transport mechanism 400, the air cylinder 561 of the ring mechanism 560 is previously operated to the contraction side by a control signal from the control unit. Then, the ring 566 is raised to stand by at the upper position.
[0142]
When the ring 566 moves up to the upper position, the ring 566 comes into contact with the roller 545 of the lift mechanism 520, and the ring 566 further rotates the roller 545 to the upper portion against the bias of the spring. At this time, the engagement arm 546 to which the roller 545 is attached also rotates, and the engagement claw 546a is opened outward. Note that the inner ring portion 540 including the roller 545 can rotate, and the roller 545 can be rotated by the ring 546 regardless of the position of the roller 545 after rotation. .
[0143]
When the substrate holder 40 stops at the chuck position, the air cylinder 561 of the ring mechanism 560 operates to the extension side, and the ring 566 moves down to the lower position. Thus, the engagement arm 546 returns to the chuck position by the urging force of the spring.
[0144]
When the air cylinder 521 of the lift mechanism 520 operates to the contraction side, the engagement arm 546 and the like are raised, and the engagement claw 546a is engaged with the neck of the dome head 41. When the air cylinder 521 operates for a predetermined stroke, the substrate holder 40 is lifted to a rotation position (film formation position). Thus, the substrate holder 40 is held at a position slightly above the frame 460.
[0145]
When the substrate holder 40 is lifted to the rotation position, the drive motor 581 of the rotation mechanism 580 starts rotating. The rotational force of the drive motor 581 is transmitted to the gear portion 541 via the gear 584, and the inner ring portion 540 and the substrate holder 40 chucked by the engagement claw 546a rotate integrally.
[0146]
After the rotation speed of the substrate holder 40 reaches a predetermined rotation speed, a film forming process is performed. In the case of this example, the rotation speed of the substrate holder 40 is about 20 RPM at the maximum. As described above, by increasing the rotation speed, the state of the distribution of the film formed on the substrate is improved.
[0147]
When the film formation process is completed and the rotation of the substrate holder 40 by the rotation mechanism 580 is stopped, the air cylinder 521 of the lift mechanism 520 operates to the extension side, and the substrate holder 40 is placed on the frame 460. Then, the ring 566 of the ring mechanism 560 moves to the upper position, and the engagement arm 546 is held in the open state. In this state, the dome vertical transport mechanism 400 operates to transport the frame 460 and the substrate holder 40 to the receiving position. Then, the air cylinder 561 of the ring mechanism 560 operates again to the extension side, and the ring 566 moves to the lower position and stops.
[0148]
Next, the monitor rotation mechanism 600 will be described with reference to FIGS. The monitor holder 650 of this example has a cylindrical shape, and has a locking portion 653 formed at the lower end, so that the monitor glass 656 (65 mm diameter) can be disposed inside. An engagement portion 651 is formed on the outer periphery of the lower portion of the monitor holder 650. Further, a ring portion 652 having an outer diameter larger than that of the engagement portion 651 is formed on the upper outer periphery of the monitor holder 650.
[0149]
The monitor holder 650 is inserted into the dome head 41 before the film formation processing. At this time, the ring portion 652 of the monitor holder 650 comes into contact with the shoulder of the dome head 41.
[0150]
FIG. 17 shows a state where the monitor holder 650 is placed on the monitor holder receiving portion 466 of the frame 460. The monitor holder receiving portion 466 includes a correction plate arm connecting portion 467 and a bearing holding portion 468.
[0151]
The correction plate arm connecting portion 467 has a shallow bottomed cylindrical shape, and the correction plate arm 463 is connected to the outer curved surface. A conical convex portion 467b is formed at the center of the correction plate arm connecting portion 467. Further, a mask hole 467a is formed on the bottom surface of the correction plate arm connecting portion 467 at a position offset from the center.
[0152]
The bearing holding portion 468 has a shallow cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a bearing 469 is attached to an upper edge portion. When the monitor holder 650 is placed on the bearing holding part 468, the engaging part 651 of the monitor holder 650 engages with the bearing 469.
[0153]
A concave portion 468b is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the bearing holding portion 468, and when the bearing holding portion 468 is placed in the correction plate arm connecting portion 467, the convex portion 467b enters the concave portion 468b. I have.
[0154]
Further, a mask hole 468a is formed on the bottom surface of the bearing holding portion 468 at a position offset by the same amount as the correction plate arm connecting portion 467, so that the centers of the mask hole 468a and the mask hole 467a substantially coincide with each other. I have.
[0155]
Screw portions 468c for height adjustment are formed at three places on the back side of the bottom surface of the bearing holding portion 468. The clearance between the monitor glass 656 and the bottom surface of the bearing holding portion 468 can be made uniform by adjusting the height of the screw portion 468c. In the case of the present example, the clearance is adjusted so as to be 0.5 mm.
[0156]
As described above, the monitor holder receiving portion 466 of this embodiment is constituted by the correction plate arm connection portion 467 and the bearing holding portion 468, the correction plate arm 463 is connected to the correction plate arm connection portion 467, and the monitor holder 650 is used to hold the bearing. It is mounted on the section 468.
[0157]
Therefore, even if the correction plate arm 463 is heated and deformed due to thermal expansion and rises, the deformation does not affect the bearing holding portion 468, so that the clearance between the mask hole 468 a and the monitor glass 656 is not affected. Is maintained at a predetermined amount.
[0158]
The monitor rotation mechanism 600 includes a spur gear 620 mounted on the monitor holder 650, a spur gear 614 for transmitting a rotational force to the spur gear 620, a drive motor 601 for driving the spur gear 614 to rotate, and controlling the speed. It comprises a chopper 642 and a position sensor 643 for performing the operation.
[0159]
A bevel gear 603 is connected to an output shaft 602 of the drive motor 601. A vacuum seal 612 is attached to the mounting plate 35, and a shaft 610 is connected to the atmosphere side of the vacuum seal 612, and a shaft 613 is connected to the vacuum side. A counter gear 611 is inserted into the shaft 610, and the counter gear 611 meshes with the counter gear 603. A spur gear 614 having a predetermined height is connected to the distal end of the shaft 613, and the spur gear 614 meshes with the spur gear 620.
[0160]
The spur gear 620 has a ring shape having a predetermined thickness, and has teeth formed on the outer periphery. A ring-shaped step 622 is formed on the lower surface of the spur gear 620 on the center side, and a packing groove 621 is formed outside the step 622. The packing 621a is attached to the groove 621.
[0161]
A rod 630 is attached to the lower surface of the attachment plate 35 so as to be substantially parallel to the shaft 613. A ring 632 is attached to the lower end of the rod 630 substantially horizontally. A shoulder 632 a is formed at the center of the ring 632. When the ring 632 is centered on the spur gear 620, the outer edge of the spur gear 620 is supported by the shoulder 632a.
[0162]
Since the spur gear 614 is arranged at a predetermined interval above the ring 632, when the spur gear 620 is placed on the ring 632, the spur gear 620 is located below the teeth of the spur gear 614. It is designed to mesh with.
[0163]
A spur gear 615 is attached to the upper end of the shaft 610. The spur gear 615 meshes with the spur gear 640 inserted on the rotating shaft 641. Further, a chopper 642 is attached to the spur gear 640, and the position is detected by a position sensor 643.
[0164]
Next, the operation of the monitor rotation mechanism 600 will be described. When the substrate holder 40 is placed on the frame 460 and transported to the chuck position by the dome vertical transport mechanism 400, the upper end of the monitor holder 650 placed on the substrate holder 40 has been placed on the ring 632. In contact with gear 620, spur gear 620 is slightly lifted from ring 632 by monitor holder 650. At this time, even when the spur gear 620 is lifted upward, the spur gear 620 is maintained in a state of being engaged with the spur gear 614.
[0165]
When the deposition material is exchanged during the film forming process, the drive motor 601 rotates at a predetermined timing by a predetermined angle. The rotation angle is controlled by the chopper 642, the position sensor 643, and the like. The rotational force of the drive motor 601 is transmitted to the spur gear 620 mounted on the monitor holder 650 via the bevel gears 603, 611, the shaft 613, the spur gear 614, and the like.
[0166]
At this time, when the spur gear 620 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the monitor holder 650 by its own weight and the frictional force with the packing 621a, and the monitor holder 650 rotates by a predetermined angle. In the case of this example, the number of monitor points is eight, and the amount of rotation of the drive motor 601 is controlled such that the monitor holder 650 rotates by 45 degrees after the evaporation material is replaced.
[0167]
In this example, the rotational force of the spur gear 620 is transmitted via the packing 621a, but the present invention is not limited to this. Force may be transmitted.
[0168]
Next, the operation of the apparatus A in the case of performing the film forming process of the film configuration shown in Table 1 by the apparatus A of the present example will be described in comparison with the case of the conventional apparatus. FIG. 19 shows the spectral characteristics when the five-layer film shown in Table 1 is formed.
[0169]
[Table 1]

[0170]
FIG. 20 is a time chart of the thin film forming process by the apparatus A of the present example, and FIG. 21 is a time chart of the thin film forming process by the conventional delivery conveyance type device. The film forming process in the film forming chamber C2 is the same as the conventional one.
[0171]
First, when predetermined conditions are met in a state where the substrate holder 40 is attached to the transfer arm 114 of the supply chamber C1, the valve plate 310 opens in about 8 seconds. In the case of a conventional slide type gate valve, it took about 13 seconds for the gate to open.
[0172]
When the valve plate 310 is completely opened, the substrate holder 40 is transferred by the dome transfer mechanism 100 from the supply chamber C1 to the film formation chamber C2 in about 10 seconds. In the conventional delivery conveyance method, it took about 23 seconds.
[0173]
When the substrate holder 40 is transported to the film forming chamber C2, the frame 460 is raised from the standby position to the receiving position in about 5 seconds by the dome vertical transport mechanism 400, and the substrate holder 40 is transferred to the frame 460.
[0174]
When the substrate holder 40 is transferred to the frame 460, the transfer arm 114 and the like return from the film forming chamber C2 to the supply chamber C1 in about 10 seconds. Thereafter, the valve plate 310 is closed, and the substrate holder 40 is raised from the receiving position to the chuck position in about 15 seconds while being mounted on the frame 460.
[0175]
When the substrate holder 40 reaches the chuck position, the substrate holder 40 is chucked by the lift mechanism 520 in about 5 seconds. Thereafter, the substrate holder 40 is lifted by the lift mechanism 520 from the chuck position to the rotation position (film formation position) in about 5 seconds. When the substrate holder 40 is lifted to the rotation position, a film forming process is performed for about 16 minutes thereafter.
[0176]
As described above, the required time from the transfer of the substrate holder 40 to the film forming chamber C2 to the start of the film forming process is about 33 seconds in the case of this example. On the other hand, in the conventional case, it took about 72 seconds.
[0177]
After the film forming process, the substrate holder 40 is lowered by the lift mechanism 520 from the rotation position to the chuck position in about 5 seconds. At the chuck position, the chuck to the substrate holder 40 is opened by the ring mechanism 560 in about 5 seconds.
[0178]
When the chuck is opened, the substrate holder 40 is lowered from the chuck position to the receiving position in about 15 seconds while being mounted on the frame 460. At the same time, the valve plate 310 of the extraction chamber C3 opens.
[0179]
When the substrate holder 40 reaches the receiving position, the transfer arm 114 extends from the unloading chamber C3 to the film forming chamber C2 in about 10 seconds, and the transfer arm 114 receives the substrate holder 40. When the transfer arm 114 receives the substrate holder 40, the frame 460 descends from the receiving position to the standby position in about 5 seconds and stops.
[0180]
When the frame 460 reaches the standby position, the substrate holder 40 is transferred by the dome transfer mechanism 100 from the film forming chamber C2 to the unloading chamber C3 in about 10 seconds. At this time, the valve plate 310 of the supply chamber C1 is opened to transfer the next substrate holder 40 from the supply chamber C1 to the film formation chamber C2.
[0181]
When the substrate holder 40 is transported to the extraction chamber C3, the valve plate 310 of the extraction chamber C3 closes in about 10 seconds, and the leak processing in the extraction chamber C3 starts. After the end of the leak, the substrate holder 40 is taken out by the operator.
[0182]
As described above, the required time from the end of the film forming process to the start of the process of opening the valve plate 310 to transfer the next substrate holder 40 from the supply chamber C1 to the film forming chamber C2 is determined in the present example. In this case, the time is about 48 seconds. On the other hand, in the conventional case, it took about 108 seconds.
[0183]
That is, in the case of the apparatus A of the present example, the tact time was about 17 minutes and 40 seconds, and in the case of the conventional apparatus, the tact time was about 19 minutes and 40 seconds. As described above, in the device A of the present example, the tact time is reduced by about 2 minutes as compared with the related art, and the productivity is further improved.
[0184]
The reason why the tact time has been shortened is that the opening and closing time of the valve plate 310 for hermetically separating the chambers is shortened by the door valve mechanism 300, and the inter-chamber transfer time of the substrate holder 40 by the dome transfer mechanism 100 is shortened. That is, the dome vertical transfer mechanism 400 shortens the vertical transfer time of the substrate holder 40 in the film forming chamber C2, and performs the opening / closing processing of the valve plate 310 and the vertical transfer processing of the substrate holder 40 at the same time. For example, the processing sequence is changed. The control of each mechanism is performed by a control unit of a control panel (not shown).
[0185]
The apparatus A of this example has a three-chamber configuration in which a supply chamber, a film formation chamber, and an extraction chamber are arranged in order from the left chamber. However, the configuration of the chamber can be changed in addition to the above.
[0186]
For example, if the left chamber and the right chamber are a supply chamber and a common chamber for the unloading chamber, the substrate supplied to the left chamber is subjected to a film forming process in the middle chamber, and then transported to the left chamber to be unloaded. Similarly, the substrate supplied to the right chamber may be configured to be subjected to a film forming process in the middle chamber, and then transported to and removed from the right chamber.
[0187]
With this configuration of the apparatus A, it is easy to change the film formation conditions (film thickness) between when the substrate is supplied to the left chamber and when the substrate is supplied to the right chamber. In addition, the apparatus A can support multi-type film formation.
[0188]
Further, a post-processing chamber (for example, a water-repellent film deposition processing chamber) may be separately provided in the apparatus A to form a four-chamber configuration.
[0189]
Further, in this example, the supply chamber and the take-out chamber are separately provided, but the invention is not limited thereto, and they may be a shared room capable of performing both supply and take-out. The apparatus A can have a three-chamber configuration of a common room, a front (post) processing room, and a film forming room. In this case, a mechanism for switching the substrate holder after the film formation processing and the substrate holder before the film formation processing at the vertical position may be provided in the front (post) processing chamber.
[0190]
Further, in the apparatus A of this example, each mechanism is unitized, and it is possible to add or change another mechanism (unit). For example, it is possible to add a gas introduction mechanism or change the electron beam evaporation source to one having two electron guns. This makes it easy to ascertain the manufacturing man-hours of the device A including the additional changes, and makes it possible to provide the device A that satisfies the needs of the user in a short delivery time.
[0191]
Further, in the apparatus A of this example, an arm transfer method is adopted for transferring the substrate holder 40 between the chambers, but a delivery transfer method or a carrier transfer method can be used.
[0192]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the thin film forming apparatus of the present invention, the mechanism for airtightly partitioning between the film forming chamber and the supply chamber and between the film forming chamber and the unloading chamber is not a sliding gate valve mechanism as in the related art. The door valve mechanism is of a rotating door type provided on the auxiliary chamber side. This makes it possible to reduce the height of the thin film forming apparatus as compared with the related art, and does not require a maintenance space for the door valve mechanism above the thin film forming apparatus.
[0193]
As described above, the thin film forming apparatus of the present invention is configured such that the effective height is lower than that of the related art, so that the installability of the thin film forming apparatus is improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory front view of a thin film forming apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory top view of the thin film forming apparatus of the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory side view of a film forming chamber of the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the viewing window of the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a dome transport mechanism according to the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a front view of a transfer arm according to the embodiment.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a transfer arm support mechanism of the embodiment.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a dome rotating mechanism of the auxiliary chamber according to the embodiment.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a door valve mechanism of the embodiment.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a door valve mechanism of the embodiment.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of a door valve mechanism of the embodiment.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a mechanism in an upper part of a film forming chamber of the embodiment.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a dome vertical transport mechanism of the embodiment.
FIG. 14 is a front view of the frame of the embodiment.
FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of a dome rotating mechanism of a film forming chamber of the embodiment.
FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a dome rotating mechanism of a film forming chamber according to the embodiment.
FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a monitor holder receiving portion of the embodiment.
FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a monitor rotation mechanism of the embodiment.
FIG. 19 is a spectral characteristic diagram of the example.
FIG. 20 is a timing chart of a thin film forming process of an example.
FIG. 21 is a timing chart of a conventional thin film forming process.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Transport jig, 11 gantry, 12 jack-up member, 13 Transport jig mounting part, 14 Passage port, 16, 17 rib, 18 Lifting hole, 19 Base plate, 20 Auxiliary chamber opening / closing door, 21, 22 Frame part , 24, 25 exhaust port, 26 exhaust port baffle, 27 work door, 27a lid, 27b frame, 28 viewing window, 28a flange, 28b acrylic plate, 28c protective glass, 28d evaporation prevention cylinder, 28e O-ring, 28f Bolt, 28 g spring, 30 base shield, 31 electron beam evaporation source, 32 electron beam shutter mechanism, 33, 34 guide, 35 mounting plate, 40 substrate holder, 41 dome head, 42 dome part, 100 dome transport mechanism, 101 drive motor , 102 output shaft, 104 pulley, 110c, 112c cover, 110, 112, 114 transport Arm, 111 drive chain, 112a, 114a rotating shaft, 112b, 114b gear, 115 hand, 115a claws, 120 rotating shaft, 121a gear, 121 vacuum seal, 122 pulley, 23 drive belt, 124 electromagnetic brake, 130 chopper, 131 position sensor, 140 transfer arm support mechanism, 141 support rod, 142 support piece, 143 roller, 200 dome rotation mechanism, 210 drive motor, 211 output shaft, 212 spur gear, 220 air cylinder, 221 piston, 222 connection section, 223 Spur gears, 224 rods, 225 cups, 226 covers, 227 guides, 228 rollers, 230 vacuum seals, 300 door valve mechanisms, 310 valve plates, 312 arm mounting parts, 313 attachment plates, 314 grooves, 314a packing, 320 arms, 22 shaft mounting part, 330 shaft, 332 vacuum seal, 334 pinion, 340 air cylinder, 342 rack, 400 dome vertical transport mechanism, 410 drive motor, 411 output shaft, 420 gear box, 421 rotation shaft, 422 spur gear, 423, 425 pulley, 426 rotation shaft, 427a, 427b timing belt, 430, 440 shaft, 431, 441 joint, 432 vacuum seal, 442 bearing, 444 pulley, 445 steel belt, 450 spur gear, 451 rotation shaft, 452 chopper, 453 position Sensor, 460 frame, 461 frame portion, 462 belt mounting portion, 463 correction plate arm, 464 guide piece, 465 positioning pin, 466 monitor holder receiving portion, 467 correction plate arm connecting portion, 467a mask hole, 467b convex , 468 a mask hole, 468 b recess, 468 c screw part, 469 bearing, 500 dome rotation mechanism, 520 lift mechanism, 521 air cylinder, 522 piston, 523 shaft, 524 stop shaft, 525 guide plate, 526 shaft , 526 vacuum seal, 530 outer ring part, 530 bearing, 540 inner ring part, 541 gear part, 542 teeth, 544 arm part, 545 roller, 546 ring, 546 engaging arm, 546a engaging claw, 560 ring mechanism, 561 air cylinder , 562 piston, 563 vacuum seal, 564 shaft, 565 roller part, 566 ring, 567 guide part, 567a guide plate, 580 rotation mechanism, 581 drive motor, 582 output shaft, 583 vacuum seal, 584 gear, 600 Monitor rotation mechanism, 601 drive motor, 602 output shaft, 603,611 bevel gear, 610 shaft, 612 vacuum seal, 613 shaft, 614, 615 spur gear, 20 spur gear, 621 groove, 621a packing, 622 step, 630 rod , 632 ring, 632a shoulder, 640 spur gear, 641 rotating shaft, 642 chopper, 643 position sensor, 650 monitor holder, 651 engaging part, 652 ring part, 653 locking part, 656 monitor glass, 700 optical film thickness Total, 710 light emitter, 720 light receiver, 730 mirror box, 740 filter changer, 750 light guide tube, A thin film forming device, C1 supply room, C2 film formation room, C3 extraction room

Claims (6)

A thin film forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of vacuum chambers; a valve mechanism for airtightly separating the vacuum chambers; and a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate holder on which a substrate to be subjected to a film formation process is mounted between the vacuum chambers. A device,
A valve plate that hermetically closes a passage opening opened between the vacuum chambers, a shaft that is connected to the valve plate and opens and closes the valve plate by rotating, and a shaft that rotates the shaft. And a drive unit for causing
The transfer mechanism includes a transfer arm that extends when the valve plate is opened and transfers the substrate holder between the vacuum chambers,
The valve plate, the shaft, and the transfer mechanism of the valve mechanism are provided in one of the vacuum chambers between adjacent vacuum chambers, and the valve plate and the shaft are mutually moved when the valve plate is opened. A thin film forming apparatus, which is disposed at a position where no interference occurs. 2. The thin film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is driven to rotate by the driving units disposed on both ends of the shaft. 3. The drive unit is an air cylinder having a piston connected to a rack,
A pinion meshed with the rack is attached to the shaft,
The thin film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shaft rotates via the rack and the pinion due to expansion and contraction of the piston. The vacuum chamber includes a supply chamber in which the supply of the substrate is performed, a film formation chamber in which a film is formed on the substrate, and an extraction chamber in which the substrate after the film formation is unloaded.
The thin film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve mechanism is provided in the supply chamber and the extraction chamber. The thin film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the passage port is formed in a side wall of a vacuum chamber in which the valve mechanism is provided. 2. The thin film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve plate is opened and closed with the shaft provided above or below the passage opening as a rotation center. 3.

Images