WO2011145529A1 - Vacuum processing apparatus, method for processing object to be processed, and film forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are: a vacuum processing apparatus which comprises a sealing structure wherein a sealing member, which is formed from a resin, is prevented from being irradiated with light; a method for processing an object to be processed, wherein the vacuum processing apparatus is used; and a film forming apparatus which comprises the vacuum processing apparatus. Specifically disclosed is a vacuum processing apparatus which comprises: a vacuum processing chamber (41); a stage (43); a light-transmitting partition wall (44) that is affixed to the upper surface of the side wall that forms an upper opening portion of the vacuum processing chamber; a light irradiation device (45) that is arranged outside the vacuum processing chamber; a sealing member (46) that is formed from a resin and provided between the lower peripheral portion of the light-transmitting partition wall and the upper surface of the side wall of the vacuum processing chamber, to said upper surface the light-transmitting partition wall being affixed; and a light energy blocking member (47) that is provided between the sealing member and the light-transmitting partition wall or on the surface of the sealing member.

Description

Vacuum processing apparatus, processing object processing method, and film forming apparatus

The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus, a processing object processing method, and a film forming apparatus, and in particular, a vacuum processing apparatus having a sealing structure that prevents a sealing member for sealing a light transmissive partition wall from being irradiated with ultraviolet rays. The present invention also relates to a processing method of a processing object using the vacuum processing apparatus, and a film forming apparatus including the vacuum processing apparatus.

It is necessary to suppress signal transmission delay and increase in power consumption as semiconductor elements are miniaturized and highly integrated. For this reason, in order to reduce the capacitance between wirings, a technique has been developed that uses an interlayer insulating film made of a low dielectric constant material as a wiring film.

As a technique for producing a low dielectric constant film, a low dielectric constant film (for example, a low-k material) for producing an interlayer insulating film is applied onto a processing target by a spin coater to form a low dielectric constant film, It is known that a processing object is heated and a low dielectric constant film is irradiated with ultraviolet rays and cured to produce a low dielectric constant film having sufficient mechanical strength (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, a low dielectric constant film having sufficient mechanical strength is obtained by depositing a low dielectric constant film on a processing target by a CVD apparatus, heating the processing target, and irradiating and curing the deposited low dielectric constant film with ultraviolet rays. It is known to produce a rate film on a processing object (for example, refer to patent documents 2).

When producing a low dielectric constant film as described above, the step of irradiating and curing ultraviolet rays includes a mechanism for heating the object to be processed and a mechanism for irradiating the object to be processed in the vacuum processing chamber (ultraviolet irradiation apparatus). It is implemented using the vacuum processing apparatus provided with. Some of these ultraviolet irradiation apparatuses are installed outside the vacuum processing apparatus. In this case, an ultraviolet transmission window (for example, a quartz window) is fixedly installed in the upper opening of the vacuum processing chamber. Is irradiated onto a processing object placed in the processing chamber through the transmission window. In the case of vacuum sealing with this ultraviolet light transmitting window fixed, there are many cases where a resin sealing member is used, but there is no technology that takes into account the deterioration of the sealing member.

As described above, in a vacuum processing apparatus used for treating the surface of an object to be treated by light irradiation such as ultraviolet irradiation, a light transmissive partition made of quartz is used, and light is irradiated through the partition. Since this quartz is a hard and highly plastic material, it is generally not made of a hard material such as a metal gasket as a sealing member when providing a light-transmitting partition wall in a vacuum processing apparatus. A material made of a soft and elastic resin material such as a Teflon (registered trademark) ring is used. Such a seal member is often installed on the vacuum side at the upper part of the casing 11 constituting the vacuum processing apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 and below the edge of the light transmissive partition wall 12. In addition, by using the atmospheric pressure mainly applied to the light transmissive partition wall 12, the light transmissive partition wall 12 is pressed against the resin sealing member 13 and crushed to be sealed. In FIG. 1, 14 is a wafer support stage, and 15 is a wafer to be processed.

However, using an ultraviolet irradiation device installed outside the vacuum processing apparatus, it is placed in the apparatus through a quartz window, which is a light-transmitting partition wall vacuum-sealed with the resin material provided above the apparatus. In the case of a vacuum processing apparatus that performs ultraviolet irradiation processing on the processed object, there are the following problems.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a casing 21, a quartz window 22 installed in the upper opening thereof, and a seal member 23 installed on the vacuum side between the quartz window 22 and the upper part of the casing 21. (For example, an O-ring or the like), which is sealed in the same manner as in FIG. 1, from an ultraviolet irradiation device 24 such as an ultraviolet lamp installed above the outside of the device. When ultraviolet rays are irradiated on the wafer 26 to be processed placed on the stage 25 through the quartz window 22, not only the wafer 26 but also the resin seal member 23 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. As a result, there is a problem that bonds such as carbon-carbon bonds in the resin are broken by ultraviolet rays, and the resin is decomposed and deteriorated. Furthermore, since organic impurities generated by the decomposition of the resin are generated in the vacuum processing apparatus, there is a problem that the inside of the apparatus and the object to be processed are contaminated.

In the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2, if the ultraviolet irradiation apparatus is installed inside the apparatus, it is not necessary to use a quartz window. Therefore, the above problem does not occur. From the standpoint of the surface and the poor maintainability of the apparatus, the ultraviolet irradiation device is preferably installed outside the vacuum processing apparatus.

Further, as a countermeasure against the above problem, in a vacuum processing apparatus similar to FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 3, ultraviolet rays are partially blocked on the atmosphere side of the quartz window 32 installed in the upper opening of the housing 31. It is conceivable to provide a blocking member 37 that does not irradiate the resin sealing member (for example, O-ring) 33 with ultraviolet rays. In FIG. 3, 34 is an ultraviolet irradiation device, 35 is a stage, and 36 is a wafer.

In this case, in order to prevent the sealing member 33 from being irradiated with ultraviolet rays, it is necessary to block a corresponding area of the quartz window 32 which is a light-transmitting partition. However, since the quartz window 32 needs to be thick enough to withstand atmospheric pressure, the ultraviolet transmission area decreases as the blocking area increases, and ultraviolet light that reaches the wafer 36 that is the object to be processed. There exists a problem that intensity | strength falls and irradiation light intensity distribution will deteriorate.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to provide the blocking member 37 and prevent the sealing member 33 from being irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet rays passing through the quartz window 32 fall within the range of lines A and B. The light intensity of the ultraviolet rays that reach the wafer 36 is reduced. In addition, if the housing 31 and the quartz window 32 are scaled up in order to increase the ultraviolet transmission area, the cost is increased and the thickness of the quartz window 32 needs to be increased in order to maintain sufficient strength against atmospheric pressure. There is a problem that the area to be blocked is further increased, and the light intensity of ultraviolet rays reaching the wafer 36 is further decreased.

JP 2008-4628 A JP 2006-165573 A

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and a vacuum processing apparatus having a sealing structure that prevents a resin seal member from receiving light irradiation such as ultraviolet irradiation, and the vacuum processing apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a processing method of a processing object to be used and a film forming apparatus provided with the vacuum processing apparatus.

The vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a vacuum processing chamber, a stage for placing a processing object, and a light-transmitting partition wall fixed to the upper surface of a side wall forming an upper opening of the vacuum processing chamber. A vacuum irradiation apparatus having a light irradiation device outside the vacuum processing chamber, wherein a lower edge of the light transmissive partition and an upper surface of a side wall of the vacuum processing chamber where the light transmissive partition is installed A resin sealing member provided therebetween, and a light energy blocking member provided between the sealing member and the light transmissive partition wall or on the surface of the sealing member are provided.

In the above vacuum processing apparatus, the light irradiation device is an ultraviolet irradiation device.

In the vacuum processing apparatus, the light energy blocking member includes Be, B, C, Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, As, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Ba, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ac, Th, Pa, U, Np, At least one metal selected from Pu, Am, Cm, Bk, Cf, Es, Fm, Md, No, Lr, and the like, and at least one selected from an alloy of at least two of these metals, and Oxides, nitrides, and fluorides of these metals Characterized in that it is composed of at least one of the selected compounds from.

The processing target object processing method of the present invention is a method for forming a top surface of a vacuum processing chamber from a light irradiation device on a processing target placed in a vacuum processing chamber and having a film formed on the surface. Irradiating light through a light-transmitting partition fixed to the upper surface and processing the object to be processed, the vacuum processing in which the lower edge of the light-transmitting partition and the light-transmitting partition are installed A sealing member made of resin provided between the upper surface of the side wall of the chamber, and a light energy blocking member provided between the sealing member and the light transmissive partition wall or on the surface of the sealing member. The film on the object to be processed is processed by irradiating light through the light-transmitting partition of the light-transmitting partition member configured as described above.

In the above processing object processing method, the light irradiation device is an ultraviolet irradiation device.

In the processing method for an object to be processed, the light energy blocking member is made of the above-described material.

In the method for processing an object to be processed, the film is a low dielectric constant film.

The film forming apparatus of the present invention includes a coating apparatus for use in forming a film on a processing target, the vacuum processing apparatus, and a processing target having a film formed by coating using the coating apparatus. A load / unload chamber for loading and unloading objects into and from the vacuum processing chamber is provided.

In the film forming apparatus, the film formed on the object to be processed is a low dielectric constant film.

According to the present invention, the resin seal member is prevented from being irradiated with light such as ultraviolet rays. As a result, bonds such as carbon-carbon bonds in the resin are broken by light energy, and the resin is decomposed. Therefore, the problem of resin degradation is solved, and organic impurities generated by decomposition of the resin are not generated in the vacuum processing apparatus, so that the inside of the apparatus and the object to be processed are contaminated. Can also be solved.

According to the present invention, since a specific seal structure is adopted, the transmission area of light such as ultraviolet rays is not reduced, the intensity of light reaching the object to be processed is lowered, and the irradiation light intensity distribution is deteriorated. It is possible to achieve an effect that the device cost is not reduced, and an effect that the apparatus cost is not different from the conventional one.

The conceptual diagram which shows typically an example of a structure of the conventional vacuum processing apparatus. The conceptual diagram which shows typically another example of a structure of the conventional vacuum processing apparatus. The conceptual diagram which shows typically another example of a structure of the conventional vacuum processing apparatus. The conceptual diagram which shows typically one Embodiment of the structure of the vacuum processing apparatus of this invention. The conceptual diagram which shows typically one Embodiment of the structure of the film-forming apparatus of this invention. The conceptual diagram which shows typically one Embodiment of the structure of the vacuum processing apparatus of the related invention of this invention. The conceptual diagram which shows typically another embodiment of the structure of the vacuum processing apparatus of the related invention of this invention. The conceptual diagram which shows typically another embodiment of the structure of the vacuum processing apparatus of the related invention of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. For convenience of explanation, an ultraviolet irradiation device is used as a light irradiation device, a quartz window is used as a light transmissive partition, an ultraviolet blocking member is used as a light energy blocking member, and a wafer is used as an object to be processed. To do.

According to FIG. 4 showing the embodiment of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention, this vacuum processing apparatus includes a vacuum processing chamber 41 as a housing, a stage 43 for placing a wafer 42, and a stage 43. A heating means (not shown) such as a lamp means for heating the wafer 42 placed below to a predetermined temperature and a fixed upper face of the side wall forming the upper opening of the vacuum processing chamber 41 are installed. Light-transmitting partition walls (quartz windows) 44 (there is no limitation on the shape, but examples thereof include a square shape and a disk shape), that is, at least a part of the upper surface of the side wall of the vacuum processing chamber 41 (for example, A vacuum processing apparatus having a quartz window 44 fixedly installed on the edge of the vacuum side) and an ultraviolet irradiation device (light irradiation device) 45 such as an ultraviolet lamp outside the vacuum processing chamber 41, Quartz window 44 lower surface edge and quartz The sealing member 46 made of resin provided between the upper surface of the side wall of the vacuum processing chamber 41 in which the 44 is installed, and the upper portion of the sealing member 46 (that is, the sealing member 46 and quartz) so that the sealing member is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays. And a light energy blocking member (ultraviolet blocking member) 47 provided on the surface of the seal member 44. The lower surface edge of the quartz window 44 may be installed on the vacuum side of a part of the upper surface of the side wall of the vacuum processing chamber 41 or may be installed on the entire upper surface of the side wall. In addition, the upper surface of the side wall of the vacuum processing chamber 41 facing the side surface of the quartz window 44 and the upper surface portion of the quartz window 44 may be installed to be flush with each other.

As described above, the lower surface edge portion of the quartz window 44 is fixed to at least a part of the upper surface portion of the side wall of the vacuum processing chamber 41 through the seal member 46 and the ultraviolet blocking member 47, and has such a seal structure. As a result, the vacuum processing chamber 41 can be vacuum-sealed.

The ultraviolet blocking member 47 includes Be, B, C, Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, As. , Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Ba, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg , Tl, Pb, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ac, Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm , Bk, Cf, Es, Fm, Md, No, and Lr, etc., at least one selected from metals (including metal mixtures), and at least one selected from alloys of at least two of these metals, And oxides, nitrides and fluorides of these metals It is composed of at least one selected compounds.

If the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is used, the surface of the wafer 42 placed on the stage 43 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus 45 such as an ultraviolet lamp installed above the outside of the apparatus through the quartz window 44. The wafer 42 having various films formed on the surface can be processed. In this case, only the wafer 42 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Since the resin sealing member 46 is blocked by the ultraviolet blocking member 47, the ultraviolet ray is not irradiated. As a result, as described above, bonds such as carbon-carbon bonds in the resin are not broken by ultraviolet rays, and the resin is not decomposed and deteriorated. Therefore, organic impurities generated by the decomposition of the resin are not generated in the vacuum processing apparatus, and the inside of the apparatus and the object to be processed are not contaminated.

The sealing member may be made of a fluororesin (for example, Teflon (registered trademark)), fluororubber, nitrile rubber, silicon rubber, chloroprene rubber, or the like. (Registered trademark) seal member and the like.

The ultraviolet blocking member can be produced under known conditions for forming an ultraviolet blocking film, including vapor deposition, sputtering, thermal spraying, immersion, and the like. For example, specifically, it can be produced by introducing a quartz window masking a portion where ultraviolet rays are to be transmitted into a vacuum atmosphere and depositing Al with a thickness of 100 nm by an evaporation method. The lower limit and the upper limit of the film thickness are not particularly limited, and the lower limit may be any film thickness that can block ultraviolet rays, and the upper limit may be a range that does not impair the sealing effect.

According to the embodiment of the processing method of the processing object according to the present invention, this processing method can be performed using the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. That is, ultraviolet light is irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 45 through the quartz window 44 provided in the vacuum processing chamber 41 to the wafer 42 that is placed in the vacuum processing chamber 41 and on which a thin film such as a low dielectric constant film is formed. A seal member 46 provided between the lower surface edge of the quartz window 44 and the upper surface of the side wall of the vacuum processing chamber 41 in which the quartz window 44 is installed when irradiating and processing the thin film on the surface of the wafer 42; A seal provided with an ultraviolet blocking member 47 provided on the upper portion of the seal member 46 (that is, between the seal member 46 and the lower surface edge of the quartz window 44) or on the surface thereof so that the seal member is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays. This is a method of processing a thin film on a wafer by irradiating the surface of the wafer 42 with ultraviolet rays through a quartz window of a quartz window member configured so that the vacuum processing chamber 41 can be vacuum-sealed depending on the structure.

In the processing method for an object to be processed, the ultraviolet blocking member 47 is made of the above-described material.

By using the quartz window member configured as described above, when the wafer 42 is processed, the ultraviolet ray is irradiated only to the wafer 42, and the ultraviolet blocking member 47 is provided in contact with the resin seal member 46. This sealing member is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays. As a result, as described above, during the treatment process, bonds such as carbon-carbon bonds in the resin are not broken by ultraviolet rays, so that the resin is not decomposed and deteriorated. Therefore, organic impurities generated by the decomposition of the resin are not generated in the vacuum processing apparatus, and the inside of the apparatus and the wafer are not contaminated.

The processing method of the processing object according to the present invention will be described in more detail as follows when a low dielectric constant film is used as the processing target film and this film is cured.

In this treatment method, for example, first, a coating solution of a known low dielectric constant material (for example, coating solution manufactured by ULVAC, Inc .: ULKS (registered trademark)) is coated on a wafer at a predetermined rotation speed by a spin coater. To do. This coating method is not limited, and any method that is usually used may be used as long as it can be applied uniformly. After the wafer on which the coating solution has been uniformly applied is baked at a low temperature (for example, about 70 to 150 ° C.), the wafer having the low dielectric constant film formed thereon is transported into a vacuum processing apparatus and used as a lamp heating means. In a state where the wafer is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 350 ° C.) by an appropriate heating means, the low dielectric constant film is cured by irradiating the wafer with ultraviolet rays from an ultraviolet irradiation device, and having a predetermined mechanical strength. Can be formed.

After obtaining the low dielectric constant film as described above, the process proceeds to a process of further laminating another film on the low dielectric constant film or processing the low dielectric constant film as desired.

According to FIG. 5 showing an embodiment of a film forming apparatus according to the present invention, this film forming apparatus includes a coating apparatus 51 for use in forming a thin film such as a low dielectric constant film on a wafer, and the like. 4 and a load / unload chamber (L / UL chamber) 53 for loading and unloading a wafer having a thin film formed on the surface by coating with the coating device 51 into and out of the vacuum processing chamber. The wafer stored in the load / unload chamber 53 is transferred to the vacuum processing apparatus 52 through the transfer chamber 54 where the transfer robot is installed, and after the thin film is processed there, the load is loaded. / Unloaded chamber (L / UL chamber) 53

After processing a thin film as described above, if another thin film is further formed on this film or other processing is performed as desired, such a thin film forming process or other processing process is performed. One or a plurality of apparatuses 55 to be performed can be arranged around the transfer chamber 54, and can be configured to be carried in / out by a transfer robot in the transfer chamber 54 to perform each processing.

For convenience of explanation, the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. 4 has been described by taking an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus as a light energy source, a quartz window as an ultraviolet transmission window as a light transmissive partition, and an ultraviolet blocking member as a light energy blocking member. In addition, light energy sources such as microwave generators, infrared irradiation devices, X-ray generators, laser generators, visible light generators, glass materials other than quartz windows, light such as sapphire, CaF ₂ , MgF _2, etc. A vacuum processing apparatus that can perform the same processing can be configured even when a light energy blocking member made of the above-described metal, alloy, oxide, nitride, fluoride, or the like other than the transparent barrier and the ultraviolet blocking member is applied. Further, this vacuum processing apparatus has been specifically described as an example of an apparatus for processing a processing object on which a low dielectric constant film is formed by applying a low dielectric constant material to the surface by a spin coater. The present invention can also be applied to processing of a processing object on which a low dielectric constant film or other film is formed by a film forming apparatus such as an apparatus. In addition, the present invention can be applied to the processing of the substrate surface itself on which no film is formed.

As a processing method that can be carried out using the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, in addition to the above, the following application is possible as processing by ultraviolet irradiation in vacuum. For example, (1) when the above-described low dielectric constant material is used, holes can be introduced to produce a film having a low dielectric constant and a low refractive index. (2) Nano-sized quartz or the like is resisted. It can be hardened by ultraviolet irradiation (+ heat) in a state of being pressed against the surface, peeled off, and transferred to a pattern to create a pattern in which bubbles do not enter or difficult to enter. (3) Organic matter on the substrate surface by ultraviolet irradiation The surface of the substrate can be modified by removing the substrate and improving the adhesion of the surface of the substrate. (4) For those that do not want to be exposed to the atmosphere, the substrate should be exposed to ultraviolet rays in a consistent vacuum. The film can be formed with good adhesion after cleaning.

Hereinafter, the related invention of the present invention described above and the synergistic effect with the effect of the above-described seal structure according to the related invention will be described. For convenience of explanation, the thin film to be processed will be described by taking a low dielectric constant film as an example. However, like the present invention, the thin film is not limited to this film.

In addition to the above-described seal structure of the present invention, the vacuum processing apparatus according to the related invention is further provided inside the vacuum processing chamber, and heats the inside of the vacuum processing chamber and the processing object to obtain a predetermined temperature distribution. And a light transmissive partition wall (for example, an ultraviolet light such as a quartz window) that is a window member that transmits light (for example, a light energy source such as ultraviolet light) from a light irradiation device (for example, an ultraviolet irradiation device). And a blocking member A provided inside the vacuum processing chamber to block heat from the heat source. Except for the blocking member, the configuration of the vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention is the same.

Thereby, in addition to the effects of the above-described seal structure, the following effects can be achieved. The same applies to another vacuum processing apparatus described below.

That is, when a processing object such as a wafer is not present, that is, when heating is performed by a heat source as preheating before processing of the processing object, a light transmitting partition or an optical energy source such as ultraviolet rays through the partition is used. Can be blocked by the blocking member A, and when the object to be processed is heated and the energy from the optical energy source is applied, the influence of the heat on the partition walls and the optical energy source in the vacuum processing chamber is eliminated. Only necessary preheating can be performed. Further, since the blocking member A is provided so as to face the partition wall, at least heat from the heat source for the partition wall can be blocked. Further, by blocking the heat to the light transmissive partition wall by the blocking member A, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cracks due to deformation due to the difference in thermal expansion between the fixed portion of the partition wall and the vacuum processing chamber.

Further, in the vacuum processing apparatus, the vacuum processing chamber is cylindrical, and the partition is fixed and arranged as a ceiling member in the upper opening of the vacuum processing chamber, and a light irradiation device is provided on the atmosphere side of the partition, A stage for supporting the object to be processed may be provided inside the vacuum processing chamber, the heat source may be provided below the stage, and the blocking member A may be formed in a disk shape and provided at the top of the stage.

By comprising in this way, the influence of the heat | fever from the heat source to the light irradiation apparatus through the said partition and a partition can be interrupted | blocked by the shielding member A, and when a process target is heated and irradiated with light, a partition It is possible to eliminate the influence of heat on the light irradiation device and to perform only the necessary preheating. As this partition, a square shape and a disk shape can be mentioned, for example.

The heat source may be a lamp heating means, and is provided at the lower part of the stage. Thus, since the substrate is heated by raising the temperature inside the vacuum processing chamber using the lamp heating means, the substrate can be heated without bringing the heating means into contact with the substrate.

Further, the blocking member A may be configured such that a circular opening is formed in the center portion, and heat to the peripheral edge portion of the partition wall is mainly blocked. Thus, by using the blocking member A having a circular opening at the center, the influence of heat on the fixed portion at the periphery of the partition wall in the metal vacuum processing chamber can be reduced, and the thermal expansion coefficient It is possible to prevent cracks from being generated at the periphery of the partition wall due to the deformation due to the difference between them, and to eliminate the influence of heat on the partition wall and the light irradiation means in the vacuum processing chamber.

Furthermore, a plurality of small holes may be formed in the blocking member A so that the temperature inside the processing chamber is maintained and heat is blocked. As described above, by using the blocking member A in which a plurality of small holes are formed, the temperature in the vacuum processing chamber can be controlled, and the influence of heat on the partition wall and the light irradiation device above the vacuum processing chamber can be eliminated. .

Furthermore, for example, when a low dielectric constant film is formed by applying a composition for a low dielectric constant film to the object to be treated, the film is irradiated with light from a light irradiation device, and the heat source is used. The low dielectric constant film can be cured by heating. During this curing process, it is possible to eliminate the influence of heat on the partition walls and the light energy source in the vacuum processing chamber, and to perform only the necessary preheating.

According to the processing method of the processing object performed using the vacuum processing apparatus provided with the blocking member A described above, the processing object coated with the low dielectric constant film composition is heated and the low dielectric constant film is used. In the processing method of forming a modified thin film on the surface of the processing object by irradiating the thin film obtained from the composition with ultraviolet light or the like from the outside of the vacuum processing chamber, the processing object is processed. Except when performing, the heat at the time of heating the inside of the vacuum processing chamber is cut off from the irradiation source of the light irradiation apparatus and the light transmission portion of the vacuum processing chamber. In this case, for example, when forming a modified thin film by curing a low dielectric constant film, it is possible to eliminate the influence of heat on the light transmission site and the light irradiation treatment, and to perform only necessary preheating.

A film forming apparatus according to a related invention of the present invention is a coating apparatus that applies a composition for a low dielectric constant film to a processing object, and a coating apparatus that uses the coating apparatus to form a low dielectric constant film. The above-described vacuum processing apparatus (that is, the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 which will be described in detail below) that can be carried in and cured, for example, and a processing target having a thin film formed by coating with a coating apparatus And a load / unload chamber for loading and unloading objects into and from the vacuum processing chamber. This vacuum processing apparatus eliminates the influence of heat on the vacuum processing chamber and the light energy source in the processing step, and can perform only necessary preheating.

The above-described vacuum processing apparatus eliminates the influence of heat on the light-transmitting partition walls and the energy source in the vacuum processing chamber during the process of heating the object to be processed and applying energy from the light energy source, and performs only necessary preheating. It becomes possible to do. In addition, according to the above processing method, when the low dielectric constant film is cured, it is possible to eliminate the influence of heat on the light transmission region and the light irradiation device and perform only the necessary preheating. Furthermore, when the low dielectric constant film is cured, the film forming apparatus eliminates the influence of heat on the vacuum processing chamber and the light energy source, and can perform only necessary preheating.

Next, embodiments of the related invention described above will be described with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 6, a vacuum processing apparatus for producing a modified low dielectric constant film on a processing target will be specifically described. In FIG. 6, about the example of the vacuum processing apparatus which has the above-mentioned interruption | blocking member A, the typical cross-sectional state from the side surface of the whole is shown. Although FIG. 6 and FIG. 4 are different in drawing, they are basically different only in terms of the presence or absence of a blocking member, and the other components are substantially the same.

As shown in FIG. 6, the vacuum processing apparatus includes a cylindrical metal vacuum processing chamber 61 having an open top, as in FIG. 4, and an opening 62 is formed above the vacuum processing chamber 61. Is formed. A disk-shaped quartz window 63 is disposed in the upper opening 62 of the vacuum processing chamber 61, and the lower surface edge of the quartz window 63 is disposed in the vacuum processing chamber 61 via a resin seal member (for example, O-ring) 64. It is fixed on at least a part of the upper surface of the side wall (the edge 62a of the upper surface of the side wall in FIG. 6). Although not shown, an ultraviolet blocking member is provided on the upper portion of the seal member 64 (that is, between the quartz window 63 and the seal member 64) or on the surface of the seal member 64, as in the case of FIG. Yes. The inside of the vacuum processing chamber 61 is exhausted to a predetermined vacuum state by a vacuum exhaust system (not shown).

A transfer port 65 is provided in the side wall of the vacuum processing chamber 61, and the processing object 66 is carried in and out through the transfer port 65. The vacuum processing chamber 61 includes a stage 67 on which a processing target is placed and supported, and the stage 67 is configured to be movable up and down. A holding member 68 is provided on the stage 67, and the processing object 66 is regulated and held at a predetermined position by the holding member.

A lamp heater 69 is provided below the stage 67 as a lamp heating means serving as a heat source, and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber 61 and the processing object 66 are heated by this lamp heater and kept at a predetermined temperature distribution.

A reflector 70 may be provided inside the vacuum processing chamber 61. In this case, the stage 67 and the lamp heater 69 are arranged laterally while avoiding the route for carrying in / out the processing object 66 from the carrying port 65. And it is covered with the reflector 70 from below.

Further, an ultraviolet irradiation device 71 is provided above the quartz window 63, and the processing object 66 having a low dielectric constant film on the surface is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet irradiation device 71 through the quartz window 63 and processed.

Support members 72 are fixedly provided at a plurality of positions on the inner wall of the vacuum processing chamber 61 above the stage 67, and a disc-shaped block disc 73 as a block member A is placed on the support member 72. Yes. When the vacuum processing chamber 61 is preheated, the blocking board 73 is carried into the vacuum processing chamber 61 through the transfer port 65. When the temperature of the vacuum processing chamber 61 is increased by the lamp heater 69, the heat transfer to the quartz window 63 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 71 is blocked by this blocker.

The breaker 73 is made of an inexpensive material having a high heat resistance, low thermal expansion, low specific gravity, and low cost. For example, the breaker 73 is made of ceramics such as alumina, SiC, SiN, or a metal such as Ti.

In the vacuum processing apparatus, the processing object 66 having a low dielectric constant film on the surface is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 350 ° C.) by the lamp heater 69, and ultraviolet light is processed from the ultraviolet irradiation device 71 through the quartz window 63. 66 is irradiated. By irradiating ultraviolet rays, the low dielectric constant film is cured, and a low dielectric constant film having sufficient mechanical strength is produced on the object to be processed.

Prior to irradiating the object to be processed with ultraviolet rays, the temperature of the vacuum processing chamber 61 is raised by the lamp heater 69 to preheat the jig and the processing chamber installed in the processing chamber to a predetermined temperature. At this time, the blocking board 73 placed on the support member 72 blocks the heat transfer to the quartz window 63 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 71. As a result, the quartz window 63 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 71 are not affected by the heat for heating the vacuum processing chamber 61, and the temperature of the atmosphere below the blocking plate 73 can be kept uniform in a required state. it can.

When the preheating is performed, the quartz window 63 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 71 are not affected by heat, so there is no possibility of overheating, and the edge of the quartz window 63 in the metal vacuum processing chamber 61 is not affected. The influence of heat on the fixing portion (that is, the fixing portion on the edge portion 62a of the upper surface of the side wall in the opening 62) can be reduced, and cracks are generated at the periphery of the quartz window 63 due to deformation based on the difference in thermal expansion coefficient. It is prevented. Further, the ultraviolet irradiation device 71 is not exposed to heat, and thermal damage does not occur.

For this reason, it becomes possible to sufficiently perform the preliminary heating of the vacuum processing chamber 61, and the curing treatment of the low dielectric constant film can be performed efficiently. Moreover, since the ultraviolet irradiation device 71 is not exposed to heat, it is possible to simplify the heat countermeasures on the ultraviolet irradiation device 71 side. When the lamp heater 69 is used as the heat source, the heat source does not come into contact with the object to be processed 66, and there is no risk of contamination.

Therefore, when the low dielectric constant film is formed by curing, it becomes possible to perform necessary preheating without the influence of heat on the quartz window 63 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 71.

Next, another example of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the related invention of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional state from the side of the entire vacuum processing apparatus. Since this vacuum processing apparatus is different from the above-described vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. 6 only in the shape of the barrier, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

Support members 72 are fixedly provided at a plurality of positions on the inner wall of the vacuum processing chamber 61 above the stage 67, and a blocking plate 74 serving as a blocking member A is placed on the support member 72. The shut-off disc 74 has a disc shape, and a circular opening 75 is formed at the center. When the vacuum processing chamber 61 is preheated, the shut-off plate 74 is carried into the vacuum processing chamber 61 through the transfer port 65. When the temperature of the vacuum processing chamber 61 is raised by the lamp heater 69 by this blocker, the quartz window 63, in particular, the fixing portion of the upper opening of the vacuum processing chamber 61, which is the peripheral portion of the quartz window 63, and the ultraviolet irradiation device 71. To block heat transfer to.

By providing such a blocking board 74, the peripheral portion of the quartz window 63 is not affected by heat when preheating is performed, so there is no possibility of overheating, and a metal vacuum processing chamber is provided. The influence of heat on the fixed portion at the periphery of the quartz window 63 installed in the upper opening of 61 can be greatly reduced, and cracks are generated at the periphery of the quartz window 63 due to deformation based on the difference in thermal expansion coefficient. Is reliably prevented. Moreover, since the opening 75 is formed in the shut-off disc 74, the entire atmosphere of the vacuum processing chamber 61 can be raised in temperature uniformly.

For this reason, it is possible to prevent the generation of cracks at the periphery of the quartz window 63 and at the same time uniformly heat the entire interior of the vacuum processing chamber 61. When an ultraviolet ray irradiation device 71 with a countermeasure against heat is used, a lightweight barrier board 74 can be provided to prevent the occurrence of cracks in the quartz window 63, and cracks in the periphery of the quartz window 63 can be provided. Preheating can be performed in a state in which generation is reliably prevented.

In the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 described above, an example in which the blocking plate 73 and the blocking plate 74 are mounted on the support member 72 has been described. However, these blocking plates are processed without using the support member. It is also possible to hold the object 66 on the holding member 68. Further, it can be placed on the upper edge portion of the reflector 70.

In addition, the breaker may be a breaker whose shape is a disk and the outer peripheral part is thicker than the thickness of the central part, and the outer peripheral part is thicker. Thus, it is possible to reliably reduce the influence of heat on the fixed portion at the periphery of the quartz window 63 in the metal vacuum processing chamber 61, and to perform preliminary heating by uniformly raising the temperature of the lower side of the barrier plate. it can.

Further, the blocker may be a blocker having a disk shape and formed with a plurality of small holes, and by providing the blocker with the small holes formed in this way, the entire atmosphere of the vacuum processing chamber 61 is provided. Can be controlled more easily.

Next, still another example of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the related invention of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional state from the side of the entire vacuum processing apparatus. Since this vacuum processing apparatus is different from the above-described vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 only in the configuration of the stage, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, a stage 67 is provided inside the vacuum processing chamber 61, and the stage 67 is configured to be movable up and down. A hot plate 76 as a heat source is provided on the upper surface of the stage 67. A processing object 66 is directly placed on the hot plate 76, and the back surface of the processing object is heated to a predetermined temperature. The lamp heater 69 in FIGS. 6 and 7 is not provided.

Even in the vacuum processing apparatus provided with the hot plate 76 as shown in FIG. 8, the quartz window 63 and the ultraviolet irradiation apparatus 71 are not affected by heat, as in the case of FIGS.

The vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 is described by taking an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus as a light energy source, a quartz window as an ultraviolet transmission window as a light transmissive partition, and an ultraviolet blocking member as an optical energy blocking member for convenience of explanation. However, in addition to this, light energy sources such as microwave generators, infrared irradiation apparatuses, X-ray generators, laser generators, visible light generators, glass materials other than quartz windows, sapphire, CaF ₂ , MgF _2, etc. A vacuum processing apparatus capable of the same processing can be configured even by applying a light energy blocking member made of the above-described metals, alloys, oxides, nitrides, fluorides or the like other than the light transmitting partition walls and the ultraviolet blocking member.

In addition, the vacuum processing apparatus of these related inventions has been described as an apparatus for processing a processing object in which a low dielectric constant material is formed on a surface by applying a low dielectric constant material by a spin coater. The present invention can also be applied to processing of a processing object on which a low dielectric constant film or other film is formed by a film forming apparatus such as the above. In addition, the present invention can be applied to the processing of the substrate surface itself on which no film is formed.

As a processing method that can be carried out using the vacuum processing apparatus according to the related invention, various processings by ultraviolet irradiation in the vacuum according to the present invention described above can be applied.

According to the present invention, by adopting a specific sealing structure, the resin sealing member is prevented from being irradiated with light such as ultraviolet rays, so that there is no problem of resin deterioration, and organic matter generated by decomposition of the resin. Impurities are not generated in the vacuum processing apparatus and contaminate the inside of the apparatus and the object to be processed. Therefore, it can be used in various industrial fields using a vacuum processing apparatus that performs processing by light irradiation in a vacuum processing chamber. For example, it can be used in an industrial field for producing a low dielectric constant film.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Case 12 Light transmissive partition 13 Seal member 14 Stage 15 Wafer 21 Case 22 Quartz window 23 Seal member 24 Ultraviolet irradiation device 25 Stage 26 Wafer 31 Housing 32 Quartz window 33 Seal member 34 Ultraviolet irradiation device 35 Stage 36 Wafer 37 Blocking member 41 Vacuum processing chamber 42 Wafer 43 Stage 44 Light transmissive partition (quartz window)
45 Light irradiation device (ultraviolet irradiation device) 46 Seal member 47 Ultraviolet light blocking member (light energy blocking member)
51 Coating Device 52 Vacuum Processing Device 53 Load / Unload Chamber 54 Transfer Chamber 55 Device 61 Vacuum Processing Chamber 62 Opening 62a Edge 63 Quartz Window 64 Seal Member 65 Transfer Port 66 Process Object 67 Stage 68 Holding Member 69 Lamp Heater 70 Reflector 71 UV irradiation device 72 Support material 73 Blocking plate 74 Blocking plate 75 Opening 76 Hot plate A Blocking member

Claims (9)

A vacuum processing chamber, a stage for placing an object to be processed, a light-transmitting partition fixedly installed on the upper surface of the side wall forming the upper opening of the vacuum processing chamber, and the outside of the vacuum processing chamber A vacuum processing apparatus having a light irradiation device, and made of a resin provided between a lower surface edge of the light transmissive partition and an upper surface of a side wall of the vacuum processing chamber in which the light transmissive partition is installed A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a sealing member; and a light energy blocking member provided between the sealing member and the light transmissive partition wall or on a surface of the sealing member. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light irradiation apparatus is an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus. The light energy blocking member is Be, B, C, Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, As. , Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Ba, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg , Tl, Pb, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ac, Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm , Bk, Cf, Es, Fm, Md, No, and Lr, and at least one selected from an alloy of at least two of these metals, and oxides of these metals, Few compounds selected from nitrides and fluorides Both vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is composed of one kind. Light transmittance placed on the upper surface of the side wall that forms the upper opening of the vacuum processing chamber from the light irradiation device for the processing target placed in the vacuum processing chamber and having a film formed on the surface. When irradiating light through the partition and processing the object to be processed, it is provided between the lower surface edge of the light transmissive partition and the upper surface of the side wall of the vacuum processing chamber where the light transmissive partition is installed. A light permeable partition member configured to include a resin seal member and a light energy blocking member provided between the seal member and the light transmissive partition wall or on the surface of the seal member. A method for processing a processing object, comprising: irradiating light through a light-transmitting partition to process a film on the processing object. The processing method of a processing object according to claim 4, wherein the light irradiation device is an ultraviolet irradiation device. The light energy blocking member is Be, B, C, Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, As. , Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Ba, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg , Tl, Pb, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ac, Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm , Bk, Cf, Es, Fm, Md, No, and Lr, and at least one selected from an alloy of at least two of these metals, and oxides of these metals, Few compounds selected from nitrides and fluorides Both processing method according to claim 4 or 5 processed object, wherein by being composed of one. The method for processing an object to be processed according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the film is a low dielectric constant film. A coating apparatus for use in forming a film on a processing object, a vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and a film formed by coating using the coating apparatus A film forming apparatus comprising: a load / unload chamber for loading and unloading a processing object having the above into and from a vacuum processing chamber. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the film is a low dielectric constant film.

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