JP2002220663A - Magnetron sputtering equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] The present invention enables film formation at a low temperature while maintaining uniformity of a thin film and high productivity, and furthermore, excellent film thickness uniformity from the start of use of a target to its life. It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetron sputtering apparatus capable of maintaining the performance. SOLUTION: In a magnetron sputtering apparatus for forming a thin film while revolving a substrate holder on its own axis, a center axis of the target coincides with a revolving axis of the substrate holder, and an intermediate having an opening centered on the central axis surrounds the target. And the opening diameter D is made smaller than the smaller of the orbit diameter of the outermost peripheral point of the substrate and the target diameter,
In addition, the distance between the intersection of the straight line connecting the target center and the outermost point of the substrate with the intermediate and the center axis of the target is at least twice, or 0.18S + 67.7 <D <-0.3.
6S + 167 (S is the diameter of the substrate).
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the intermediate is arranged so as to be movable in the vertical direction of the target.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetron sputtering apparatus having a substrate rotation mechanism, and more particularly to a magnetron sputtering apparatus capable of forming a film at a low temperature and having a high uniformity of film thickness throughout the life of a target. The present invention relates to a magnetron sputtering apparatus capable of continuously obtaining the following.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Thin film formation by magnetron sputtering has been put to practical use in various fields since a high quality film can be obtained and high-speed film formation is possible. The manufacture of semiconductor devices and electronic components is no exception,
It is positioned as an important technology that affects the characteristics of these devices and the like. In recent years, high performance and high integration (miniaturization) of semiconductor devices and electronic components have rapidly progressed, and stricter requirements have been made on the quality of thin films and their forming conditions. There is a demand for lowering the substrate temperature during film formation and further improving the uniformity of the thin film. In addition, in order to reduce the cost of devices and the like, there is a demand for a high-throughput production apparatus capable of simultaneously forming a plurality of substrates while satisfying the above requirements.

[0003] This situation is considered as the key of the transmitting / receiving circuit of the portable terminal.
Surface acoustic wave (SAW)
This will be described using a filter as an example. The SAW filter is
LTO substrate (lithium tantalum oxide; LiTaO)
_Three) Comb-shaped input and output on a ferroelectric substrate
An electrode is formed. Apply high frequency voltage to input electrode
When applied, it is strongly induced at the contact surface between the input electrode and the ferroelectric.
Distortion occurs on the surface of the electric body, and surface acoustic waves are generated. This table
The surface acoustic wave propagates on the ferroelectric surface and
It is output as a voltage. This propagated surface acoustic wave is
The frequency depends on the shape of the comb electrodes on the input and output sides.
Can be used as a filter
Wear. The frequency of the surface acoustic wave depends on the thickness of the comb-shaped electrode and its pattern.
Because it is determined by the turn shape, the electrode thickness uniformity,
Film quality (resistivity) is extremely important for filter characteristics.
You. For example, with regard to film thickness distribution, production with high yield
Therefore, uniformity of ± 0.5% or less is desired.
From the viewpoint of productivity improvement.
Production equipment capable of simultaneously forming films on many substrates is required
You.

As an electrode material, an AlCu (for example, 1% Cu) material having high resistance to electron migration and stress migration is suitably used. Therefore, it is necessary to form a film at a temperature as low as possible. Furthermore, since the LTO substrate has pyroelectricity, spontaneous polarization may change due to a rise in temperature during film formation, and the LTO substrate may stick to the substrate holder. This hinders prompt substrate transfer and significantly reduces productivity, and therefore, a thin film forming method that suppresses a rise in substrate temperature is required. As described above, SA
In order to produce a W filter at a high yield, low-temperature deposition of a highly uniform thin film is indispensable, and various studies are being vigorously made for the technical development.

[0005]

Therefore, the present inventors first studied the sputtering method and the apparatus configuration from the viewpoints of thin film uniformity and high throughput production.
As shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of substrates 16 are rotated so as to face the target 3, and a self-revolving film forming method of revolving around the target is adopted, so that the positional relationship between the target and the substrate and the revolving orbit are appropriately adjusted. By selecting, 5
It has become possible to simultaneously form an AlCu thin film having a film thickness uniformity of ± 0.5% or less on a single 100 mm diameter substrate (Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-115,197).
000-65428).

However, when the film formation is repeated, the target is eroded and its erosion shape changes, so that the film thickness distribution also changes gradually. The magnetron cathode shown in FIG. 8 is provided with a rotation mechanism for rotating the magnet 19 around the rotation axis 20 in order to make the target erosion uniform. Even in this case, the erosion in the initial state and the erosion at the end are provided. Since the shape changes as shown in FIG. 9 and the erosion varies the emission angle of sputtered particles depending on the depth, it is difficult to obtain a high film thickness uniformity of ± 0.5% or less. Therefore, in order to maintain the uniformity of the film thickness distribution, the distance between the target and the substrate and the magnet
It is necessary to adjust the distance between targets and the like to correct the film thickness distribution. However, there are cases where the variable range is limited due to the structure of the apparatus, and the uniformity cannot be corrected in some cases. Further, these adjustment operations involve a trial and error element, and have a problem that they require a long time.

Further, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 8, the temperature of the substrate increases during the film formation, and the above-mentioned problems such as sticking of the substrate are likely to occur. In order to prevent the substrate temperature from rising, it is common to attach a cooling mechanism to the substrate holder. However, the mechanism of the self-revolving type substrate holder is complicated and it is not easy to attach the cooling mechanism to this. However, it becomes more complicated and bulky, resulting in a significant increase in cost. Although there are measures to increase the target-substrate distance and the orbital diameter, there are many problems such as an increase in the size of the apparatus, a decrease in the deposition rate, and an increase in the probability of impurities being mixed into the film. Not.

[0008] Factors of the substrate temperature rise include impact and inflow of charged particles to the substrate and radiant heat of the target. In particular, in the case of the magnetron sputtering method, the particles flow into the substrate due to the leakage magnetic field from the magnetron cathode. There is a fact that the contribution of the electrons to become large. Thus, the present inventors have conducted various investigations and studies on measures to suppress the temperature rise of the substrate. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-274
No. 63 discloses a method in which an electromagnet coil is arranged around the outer periphery of a vacuum chamber to cancel a leakage magnetic field from a magnetron cathode to prevent electrons from flowing into a substrate, and to apply a positive voltage to a substrate holder to prevent ions from flowing. Is disclosed. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 1-309966 proposes a method in which a magnet is arranged on the back surface of a substrate and a leakage magnetic field from a magnetron cathode is similarly canceled. However, in these methods, it is difficult to adjust the magnetic field strength because the plasma state changes depending on the magnetic field strength for canceling the leakage magnetic field, and it is necessary to perform this adjustment periodically according to the erosion of the target. There are disadvantages.

In addition, an auxiliary electrode is inserted from the back side at the center of the target so as to protrude from the target surface, a positive voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrode, and an anode is disposed around the target to prevent electrons from flowing into the substrate. A magnetron sputtering apparatus has also been disclosed (Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-27).
No. 464), when such an auxiliary electrode is disposed, it is not easy to maintain a stable discharge, and a film adheres to the auxiliary electrode and the anode, peels off, mixes into the thin film, and causes a pinhole. And the auxiliary electrode is sputtered and mixed into the thin film.

In addition, JP-A-3-215664 discloses a sputtering apparatus in which an insulator shield for trapping electrons is arranged around a target. This method is for lowering the target temperature by trapping electrons and keeping the sheath voltage of the plasma low.Although the rise in the substrate temperature due to the radiant heat of the target can be suppressed to some extent, the method is applied to the leakage magnetic field. The effect of blocking electrons flowing into the substrate is small. Further, for this purpose, it is necessary to cover about 1/5 of the target with the insulator shield, so that the use efficiency of the target is reduced, and the film attached to the insulator shield is peeled off to become a particle generation source. There is a problem.

As described above, the conventional measures for preventing a rise in the substrate temperature have advantages and disadvantages, and cannot be said to be a method and an apparatus suitable for forming a pinhole-free high-quality thin film at a low temperature. At present, it has not been able to respond to such demands. In the above, the electrode formation of the SAW filter has been described. However, for example, the situation is completely the same in a semiconductor manufacturing process in which transition to a low-temperature process is being considered.

In such a situation, the present invention takes advantage of the excellent features of the substrate revolving system to effectively block the inflow of charged particles and the like and radiant heat while maintaining uniformity of the thin film and high productivity. It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetron sputtering apparatus that enables low-temperature film formation. In addition, with simple operation, from the start of use of the target to the end of its life,
An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetron sputtering apparatus capable of continuing formation of a thin film having excellent film thickness uniformity.

[0013]

A first magnetron sputtering apparatus according to the present invention has a magnetron cathode having a target attached thereto, and a plurality of substrate holders which are arranged so as to be able to revolve around the target so as to rotate around the target. In a magnetron sputtering apparatus that forms a thin film while revolving a substrate placed on a substrate holder, the target central axis and the revolving axis of the substrate holder coincide with each other,
An intermediate having an opening centered on the central axis is arranged so as to surround the target, and the opening diameter D of the intermediate is determined by the smaller of the track diameter of the outermost peripheral point of the substrate and the diameter of the target. And the distance between the intersection of the straight line connecting the center of the target and the outermost point of the substrate with the intermediate and the central axis of the target is at least twice as large. As described above, since the revolving axis of the substrate holder is arranged coaxially with the center axis of the target and the substrate is revolved on its own axis, it is possible to simultaneously form a thin film with extremely excellent film thickness uniformity on a plurality of substrates. In addition, an intermediate body is provided between the target and the substrate so as to surround the plasma, and the opening shape is formed so as to cover at least a part of the substrate and reduce particles and the like which are perpendicularly incident on the substrate. Is restricted, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the substrate temperature. Further, by setting the opening diameter of the intermediate body to be at least twice the distance between an intersection point where a straight line connecting the center of the target and the outermost peripheral point of the substrate intersects the intermediate body and the target central axis, In addition to suppressing the temperature rise, the film thickness uniformity can be further improved.

Further, a second magnetron sputtering apparatus of the present invention has a magnetron cathode having a target attached thereto and a plurality of substrate holders which are arranged so as to be able to revolve and face the target, and are provided on the substrate holder. In a magnetron sputtering apparatus for forming a thin film while revolving a mounted substrate on its own axis, the target center axis and the revolving axis of the substrate holder coincide with each other, and an intermediate having an opening centered on the center axis is formed on the target. And the opening diameter D of the intermediate is defined as 0.18S + 67.7 <D <−0.36S + 167, where S is the diameter of the substrate. Also in this case, since at least a part of the substrate is covered with the intermediate, the incidence of high-energy charged particles and radiant heat on the substrate is limited,
It is possible to suppress a rise in the substrate temperature and to form a thin film having a high film thickness uniformity from the start of use of the target to the end of its life.

In the above sputtering apparatus, the opening diameter of the intermediate body is preferably smaller than the orbital diameter at the center of the substrate (that is, the orbital diameter of the revolution), and more preferably not more than the orbital diameter of the innermost peripheral point of the substrate. Is more preferred. When the diameter is equal to or less than the orbit of the orbit, there is no substrate portion constantly exposed to the vertically incident particles, and the effect of preventing temperature rise is further improved. By covering the entire substrate, this effect is greatly improved.

A third magnetron sputtering apparatus according to the present invention includes a magnetron cathode having a target attached thereto, and a plurality of substrate holders arranged so as to be capable of revolving and facing the target. In a magnetron sputtering apparatus that forms a thin film while revolving a substrate to be mounted thereon, a center axis of the target coincides with a revolving axis of the substrate holder, and the center axis is set between the target and the substrate holder. An intermediate body having an opening is formed so as to be movable in the vertical direction of the target. As described above, if the target is used continuously, the erosion shape changes and the uniformity of the film thickness decreases. However, the thickness distribution can be changed by moving the intermediate having an opening in the vertical direction of the target. Therefore, by optimizing the distance between the intermediate and the target according to the use time of the target, it is possible to obtain a film thickness distribution equivalent to that in the initial use of the target. Here, by forming the shape of the intermediate and the shape of the opening similar to those of the first magnetron sputtering apparatus, it is possible to perform low-temperature film formation while maintaining the film thickness uniformity until the target life. Become.

In the magnetron sputtering apparatus according to the present invention, the surface of the intermediate on the target side is preferably a curved surface having no corners and a rough surface.
It is preferable that at least the target side surface is made of Al or an Al alloy. With such a configuration, peeling of the attached film can be suppressed, and a particle-free thin film can be formed for a long period of time.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a magnetron sputtering apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a cathode 2 on which a target 3 is mounted and a plurality of substrate holders 7 which hold a substrate 16 and revolve on its own are arranged in the film forming chamber 1. The cathode 2 is fixed to the film forming chamber 1 via an insulator 18 and is connected to a power source (not shown). Inside the cathode 2, a magnet 19 for generating an annular horizontal magnetic field on the surface of the target 3 is provided, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the magnet 19 around its rotation axis 20 is provided in order to equalize the erosion of the target. I have. Further, a shield 17 of a ground potential is provided around the cathode 2 and the target 3.

An intermediate 5 having an opening is attached to the wall of the film forming chamber 1 via an insulator 12 so as to surround the target 3. The opening diameter is set to a size that covers at least a part of the substrate from the viewpoint of preventing a temperature rise of the substrate. It should be at least twice the distance between the intersection point and the target center axis. With this arrangement, it is possible to form a thin film having extremely uniform film thickness.

The surface of the intermediate 5 on the target side is
It is preferably a curved shape having no corners, and more preferably a mortar shape. Further, it is preferable that the surface is subjected to blast treatment or Al thermal spraying to form a predetermined surface roughness on the surface. These make it difficult for the thin film of sputtered particles deposited on the surface to peel off, and can suppress generation of particles for a long period of time. On the other hand, the surface of the intermediate on the substrate holder side is preferably mirror-finished by electrolytic polishing or the like, so that the incidence of radiant heat from the intermediate to the substrate can be reduced and the temperature rise of the substrate can be suppressed. In the example of FIG. 1, since the coolant passage 22 is formed on the wall of the film forming chamber, the intermediate body is kept at a low temperature, and the radiant heat is further reduced, so that the film can be formed at a lower temperature. In order to further increase the cooling efficiency, a configuration may be adopted in which the refrigerant is directly passed through the intermediate.

On the other hand, each substrate holder 7 is held on a pallet 6 via a bearing 15, and the pallet 6 is connected to a revolution shaft 10 supported on a base plate of the film forming chamber 1 by a magnetic fluid seal 11. A fixed gear 8 is attached to the revolving shaft 10, and a planetary gear 9 is attached to each substrate holder rotating shaft 14 so as to mesh therewith. Therefore, when the revolving shaft 10 is rotated by a motor (not shown), the pallet 6 rotates and the substrate holder 7 revolves, and
The rotational motion is transmitted via the fixed gear 8 and the planetary gear 9,
The substrate holder 7 will rotate. As a result, the substrate 1
6, a thin film having excellent film thickness uniformity can be simultaneously formed.

With the above apparatus configuration, when an inert gas such as Ar is introduced into the film forming chamber and power is supplied to the cathode to generate plasma, sputtering of the target occurs and a thin film is deposited on the substrate. However, it is possible to perform low-temperature film formation while suppressing an increase in the substrate temperature by the action of the intermediate. The details of this reason are not clear at present, but are considered as follows. During sputtering, charged particles such as electrons and ions are generated and emitted. Most of these charged particles are confined in an annular tunnel space near the target, but some are directed toward the substrate. this house,
Since the charged particles traveling in the vertical direction of the target have a size such that the opening of the intermediate body covers at least a part of the substrate, the charged particles reaching the substrate are reduced by being trapped by the intermediate body. In addition, most of the electrons traveling toward the substrate due to the leakage magnetic field have the intermediate disposed in the traveling direction, so that the electrons traveling toward the substrate are blocked by the intermediate. on the other hand,
Although the charged particles emitted in the oblique direction reach the substrate, they repeatedly collide with gas molecules and the like, and lose their energy until they reach the substrate. Therefore, it is considered that the rise in the substrate temperature is suppressed. .

When the intermediate is in a floating state, even if it is negatively charged by electrons, ions are incident, so that it is possible to continuously block electrons heading to the substrate. In addition, the intermediate may be set to the ground potential or a positive potential may be applied so as to positively absorb electrons. However, in this case, a large amount of electrons flow, and the temperature of the intermediate increases due to Joule heat. It is preferable to provide a cooling mechanism for preventing the above. As a material of the intermediate, a metal such as Al or an Al alloy is used. When the intermediate is floating, an insulator such as quartz can be used.

Next, in order to show the effect of the present invention, a description will be given of an experimental result obtained by repeatedly forming a thin film using the sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. First, a robot hand is inserted through a gate valve 4 from a substrate storage chamber (not shown) to
A 00 mm diameter silicon wafer was sequentially mounted on five substrate holders 7. A thermo label was attached to one of the five wafers, and the temperature rise during film formation was measured.

When Ar gas is introduced and the pressure becomes 0.15 Pa, 1 kW of power is supplied to the 164 mm diameter Cr target to start discharging, and the motor is rotated to rotate the substrate holder 7 around its own axis. At the same time, the shutter 13 was opened, and a film was formed for 6 minutes to form a Cr film on the substrate. Here, an intermediate made of Al having an opening diameter of 120 mm was used. The distance between the target and the opening of the intermediate body is 74 m.
m, target-substrate distance 190 mm, orbit diameter 2
It was 10 mm. Therefore, the orbit diameter of the innermost peripheral point of the substrate is 11
0 mm, so that the substrate is almost entirely covered with the intermediate. The intermediate and the substrate holder were both in a floating state. After the film formation was completed, the wafer was taken out by a robot, a new substrate was placed on the holder, and the same film formation was repeated. FIG. 3 shows the substrate temperature change at this time. For comparison, FIG. 3 also shows the change in substrate temperature when film formation was repeated in the same manner except that the intermediate was removed.

As is apparent from FIG. 3, in the configuration in which the intermediate is not arranged, the wafer is heated from room temperature to 70 ° C. in one film formation.
Up to 45% in the configuration with intermediates.
° C. When the film formation is repeated, the substrate temperature rises due to the heat storage of the substrate holder, but becomes constant at 60 ° C. Thus, it can be seen that by arranging the intermediate, the rise in the substrate temperature is suppressed, and low-temperature film formation is possible. The thickness distribution of the wafer is (maximum thickness−minimum thickness) / (maximum thickness + minimum thickness) = ± 0.5%, and the configuration shown in FIG. Was confirmed.

An experiment conducted to show that the generation of particles due to film peeling can be suppressed by roughening the surface of the intermediate body will also be described. Using a stationary facing type sputtering apparatus, Cr films were formed on substrates having various surface states, and the peeling state of the films was examined. Here, sputtering was performed using a 100 mm diameter Cr target and a 20 mm square Al substrate at a target-substrate distance of 40 mm and an Ar pressure of 1.3 Pa. As a result, while the untreated Al substrate peeled off at a film thickness of 20 μm or less, the alumina-blasted substrate of # 60 did not peel off until 1000 μm, and the Al sprayed after the alumina blasting of # 60. No peeling was observed even at 1200 µm after the treatment.
Thus, it can be seen that by roughening the surface by blasting or alumina spraying, generation of particles due to film peeling can be greatly suppressed. Note that the film is deposited also on the shield and the like around the target, and the peeled film falls, often causing particles. However, in the present invention, since the intermediate can receive the peeled film, In addition, it is possible to prevent the release film from being mixed into the substrate.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
An embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When the target is eroded by repeating film formation using the sputtering apparatus of FIG. 1, the film thickness distribution changes. For this reason, the inventor
Investigation was also conducted to suppress the change in the film thickness distribution. In this study, it was found that the film thickness distribution was changed by moving the position of the intermediate 5 in the direction of the target central axis.

Therefore, as part of a study to improve the film thickness distribution depending on the position of the intermediate, a simulation experiment was conducted on how the film thickness distribution changes depending on the position of the intermediate and the diameter of the opening. Of these, target applied voltage 1
In the case of kW and Ar pressure of 0.15 Pa, the relationship between the obtained film thickness distribution and the intermediate opening diameter D and the target-intermediate distance L is shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 show contour lines of the film thickness distribution when the substrate diameter is 75 mm, 100 mm, and 125 mm, respectively, and the interval between the lines is ± 0.5%. Also,
In the figure, (a) shows the film thickness distribution at the start of use of the target, and (b) shows the film thickness distribution at the time of replacement of the target (during life), and corresponds to the erosion shape of the target shown in FIG. Note that the distance between the target and the substrate and the diameter of the orbit of revolution were the same as those in the first embodiment.

Further, from the data of FIGS. 4 to 6, as an example, when the intermediate opening diameter D is 120 mm, the target-intermediate distance L at which a film thickness distribution of ± 0.5% is obtained for each substrate size is obtained. Extracted and summarized in Table 1.

[Table 1] From Table 1, it can be seen that for a 100 mm diameter substrate, for example, if the target-intermediate distance L is set between 48 and 66 mm, the film thickness distribution ± 0.5% can be maintained during the target usage period. However, the film thickness distribution obtained in an actual system deviates from the above simulation due to film forming conditions such as the magnet and its mounting accuracy, gas pressure, and the like. That is, since the shape of the contour line changes or shifts, it is necessary to adjust the approximate value by simulation in accordance with the actual value. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, if the apparatus is configured such that the target-intermediate distance L can be varied, the film thickness distribution can be easily corrected, and even in an actual system, a desired film thickness can be maintained until the target life. It is possible to obtain a distribution.

The sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. 2 has been completed by the above study, and the other structure except for the intermediate and its peripheral mechanism is the same as that of the sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. The intermediate body 5 is disposed between the target 3 and the pallet 6 and can be moved up and down by a support rod 23. The support bar 23 is fixed to the adjustment plate 26 via the bellows 25, and the adjustment plate is moved up and down to be fixed at a desired target-intermediate distance by fixing means (not shown). In addition,
24 is a guide for smoothly moving the intermediate.

According to a desired substrate size, a target
By setting the intermediate distance L so as to have a desired film thickness distribution, sputter particles emitted at an angle that reduces the film thickness distribution are blocked by the intermediate. As a result, a thin film having extremely good uniformity can be formed. This can be easily performed according to the erosion shape of the target, so that a favorable and arbitrary film thickness distribution can be obtained from the start of use of the target to the end of its life.

On the other hand, from the data shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the intermediate opening diameter D at which a film thickness distribution of ± 0.5% was obtained for each substrate size was extracted. The relationship between the opening diameter D and the substrate diameter S is plotted in FIG.

[Table 2] The two straight lines in FIG. 7 indicate the intermediate opening diameter at which the film thickness uniformity of ± 0.5% can be obtained at the start of use of the target and at the end of its life. Therefore, by selecting an opening diameter from a region (hatched portion) surrounded by two straight lines, that is, a region of 0.18S + 67.7 <D <−0.36S + 167, from the start of use of the target to the life of the target, The film thickness distribution is ± 0.
It can be 5% or less.

In the present embodiment, it is needless to say that it is preferable that the surface of the intermediate on the target side be formed in a mortar shape having no corners and the surface be made rough as in the case of FIG. . Further, the intermediate body may be in a floating state, or may be configured to apply a positive potential.
Further, by forming the intermediate body into a structure surrounding the target similarly to FIG. 1, or by setting the opening diameter to be equal to or less than the orbital diameter of the innermost peripheral point of the substrate, the film can be formed at a lower temperature.

Although a magnetron cathode having a rotating mechanism has been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a magnetron cathode having no rotating mechanism. A thin film having a high thickness can be formed. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to a DC sputtering apparatus but also to a high-frequency sputtering apparatus.

[0036]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a thin film having good film thickness uniformity can be simultaneously formed on a plurality of substrates while suppressing a rise in the substrate temperature. It is possible to provide a highly productive sputtering apparatus suitable for manufacturing. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to correct the film thickness distribution according to the target erosion with a simple operation, and to provide a sputtering apparatus capable of maintaining high film thickness uniformity over the target life.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing one example of a sputtering apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing another example of the sputtering apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing a substrate temperature change during film formation.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing a relationship between a film thickness distribution, an opening diameter, and a target-intermediate distance (substrate diameter: 75 mm).

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a relationship between a film thickness distribution, an opening diameter, and a target-intermediate distance (substrate diameter: 100 mm).

FIG. 6 is a graph showing a relationship between a film thickness distribution, an opening diameter, and a target-intermediate distance (a substrate diameter of 125 mm).

FIG. 7 is a graph showing a relationship between an opening diameter and a substrate diameter.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sputter device of a self-revolution type.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing a change in target erosion shape with use.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 film forming chamber, 2 cathode, 3 target, 4 gate valve, 5 intermediate, 6 pallet, 7 substrate holder, 8 fixed gear, 9 planetary gear, 10 orbital axis, 11 magnetic fluid seal, 12 insulator, 13 shutter, 14 substrate holder rotating shaft, 15 bearing, 16 substrate, 17 shield, 18 insulator, 19 magnet, 20 magnet rotating shaft, 21 rotating seal, 22 refrigerant passage, 23 support rod, 24 guide, 25 bellows, 26 adjusting plate.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Kazuo Hirata 5-8-1, Yotsuya, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo F-term in Anelva Co., Ltd. 4K029 DA10 DC39 JA03 5F103 AA08 BB16 BB22 BB38 DD30 HH10 LL20 NN01 RR04 RR06

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A thin film comprising: a magnetron cathode having a target mounted thereon; and a plurality of substrate holders arranged so as to be able to revolve and face the target. In the magnetron sputtering apparatus, the center axis of the target is coincident with the revolving axis of the substrate holder, and an intermediate having an opening centered on the central axis is arranged so as to surround the target, and the opening of the intermediate is performed. The diameter D is smaller than the smaller of the orbit diameter of the outermost point of the substrate and the diameter of the target, and a straight line connecting the center of the target and the outermost point of the substrate intersects the intermediate. A magnetron sputtering apparatus wherein the distance between the intersection and the center axis of the target is twice or more. 2. A thin film comprising: a magnetron cathode having a target mounted thereon; and a plurality of substrate holders arranged so as to be able to revolve around the target so that the substrate mounted on the substrate holder can revolve. In the magnetron sputtering apparatus, the center axis of the target coincides with the revolving axis of the substrate holder, and an intermediate having an opening centered on the central axis is arranged so as to surround the target, and the opening of the intermediate is performed. A magnetron sputtering apparatus, wherein 0.18S + 67.7 <D <-0.36S + 167 is satisfied when the diameter D is the diameter of the substrate. 3. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the opening is equal to or less than the orbit diameter of the innermost peripheral point of the substrate. 4. A thin film comprising: a magnetron cathode having a target attached thereto; and a plurality of substrate holders arranged to be capable of revolving and facing the target, wherein the substrate mounted on the substrate holder is revolved by itself. In the magnetron sputtering apparatus, the center axis of the target coincides with the revolving axis of the substrate holder, and an intermediate having an opening centered on the central axis is provided between the target and the substrate holder. A magnetron sputtering apparatus, which is disposed so as to be movable in a vertical direction. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 0.18S + 67.7 <D <−0.36S + 167 is satisfied when the opening diameter D of the intermediate body is S and the diameter of the substrate is S. 5. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to 4. 6. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the intermediate on the target side has a curved surface with no corners and a rough surface. 7. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate is in an electrically floating state. 8. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling mechanism for the intermediate. 9. The magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a target side surface of the intermediate is made of Al or an Al alloy.