JPS6254907A - sputtering device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a sputtering apparatus, and particularly to applying a parallel magnetic field to the surface of a substrate for forming a magnetic film having magnetic anisotropy.

[Bluescape of invention]

When forming a magnetic film on the surface of the core material of a thin film magnetic head using a sputtering device, in order to give the magnetic film uniaxial anisotropy, the surface of the base material such as the core material to be deposited during film formation. A parallel magnetic field is applied to the There are two methods for generating this parallel magnetic field, one using an electromagnet and the other using a permanent magnet, but the permanent magnet method is advantageous for making the sputtering apparatus more compact.

On the other hand, it is desired to obtain a magnetic film with better uniaxial anisotropy by using a high magnetic flux density material, but with conventional sputtering equipment, the homogeneity of the parallel magnetic field generating magnet Non-uniformity (distortion) occurs in the parallel magnetic field due to the influence of the magnetic field for plasma convergence, etc. Therefore, the higher the magnetic flux density material is used, the more pronounced the effect of the non-uniformity of the parallel magnetic field becomes, resulting in homogeneous uniaxial anisotropy. It was found that it was not possible to obtain a magnetic film with .

Note that this type of sputtering equipment is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-2547.
This method is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-147560 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 147560/1983.

[Purpose of the invention]

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sputtering apparatus that can reduce the adverse effects of distortion caused by a parallel magnetic field on the surface of a substrate to be deposited, and can form a more excellent magnetic film.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention reduces the influence of distortion of the parallel magnetic field acting on the surface of the substrate by reversing the polarity of the parallel magnetic field applied to the surface of the substrate to be deposited during film formation. This improves the homogeneity of uniaxial anisotropy.

Therefore, the sputtering apparatus of the present invention is equipped with parallel magnetic field polarity reversal means. When the parallel magnetic field generation means is an electromagnet, this parallel magnetic field polarity reversal means is realized by a changeover switch that reverses the direction of the excitation current, but when a permanent magnet is used, it is realized by a changeover switch that reverses the direction of the excitation current. This is achieved by a rotating mechanism that rotates the material.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the sputtering apparatus according to the present invention, in which a target section 2 and a base material section 3 are arranged in a vacuum vessel 1.

The inside of the vacuum container 1 is evacuated to an ultra-vacuum level of about 10-'Torr through an exhaust port 4 by an exhaust device (not shown), and then argon gas or the like is pumped through an air supply port 5 by a gas supply system (not shown). is supplied and maintained at a constant atmospheric gas pressure. The sputtering apparatus of this embodiment is of the magnetron type, and the target section 2 includes a container 7 insulated from the vacuum container 1 by an insulator 6, and a permanent annular member housed within the container 7 that generates a magnetron magnetic field. Magnets 8a, 8b
, an iron core 9 that provides a return path for the magnetic flux emitted from the permanent magnets 3a and 8b, and an earth shield 10 that has the same potential as the vacuum vessel l.
A target 11 made of a film-forming material includes a container 7 and a permanent magnet Ha.

It is held on top of the vacuum container 8b in an insulated state from the vacuum container 1.

The base material part 3 includes a base material holder 13 that is airtightly held in the vacuum container 1 and holds the base material 2 to be formed into a film in opposition to the target 11, and a base material holder 13 arranged on both sides of the base material holder 13 in the horizontal direction. a pair of permanent magnets 14a that apply a parallel magnetic field to the surface of the base material 12.

14b, magnet holders 15a, 15b which are held airtight with respect to the vacuum vessel 1 to hold the permanent magnets 14a, 14b in the above state and are movable up and down and rotatable; It includes rotating magnet drive mechanisms 162 and 16b. The permanent magnets 14a and 14b are made of rectangular magnetic material whose long axis is perpendicular to the plane of the paper, and are magnetized in the short axis direction, with the magnetized surfaces facing the base material 12. The magnet holders 15a, 15
b supports the permanent magnets 14a and 14b with the centers in the long axis and short axis directions as axes, and the magnet drive mechanism 1
63.16b is a mechanism for vertically moving or expanding/contracting the shaft combination in order to vertically move the permanent magnets 14a and 14b, and a permanent magnet 14.
A and 14b are provided with an axial rotation mechanism that provides horizontal rotation.

In this sputtering apparatus, the vacuum vessel 1 is set to a ground potential, and the target 11 is connected to a power source 17 that provides a voltage for maintaining glow discharge. In this embodiment, the base material portion 3 is set at the same ground potential as the vacuum vessel 1, but a negative potential or high frequency potential of several tens of volts may be applied for purposes such as bias sputtering.

In the above configuration, when a voltage is applied to the target 11 from the power source 17, glow discharge occurs between the target 11, the base material 12, and the vacuum vessel 1, and plasma is generated.

A magnetron magnetic field is generated in front of the target 11 by permanent magnets 8a and 3b, and therefore a high-density plasma is generated locally, and the sputtered magnetic particles of the target 11 are transferred to the base material 12. It adheres to the surface and forms a thin film of magnetic material. At this time, since a parallel magnetic field is applied to the surface of the base material 12 by the permanent magnets 14a and 14b, the magnetic particles adhering to the surface of the base material 12 are aligned along this parallel magnetic field, and the magnetic material film is Magnetic anisotropy is given.

The magnetic anisotropy of this magnetic film is influenced by the material of the magnetic material used for the target 11 and the homogeneity of the parallel magnetic field. It may be uniform or distorted due to the influence of the magnetron magnetic field.

In this embodiment, in order to reduce the influence of distortion of this parallel magnetic field, the magnet drive mechanism 162.16b is activated during film formation.
As shown in FIG. 1, the magnet holders 15a and 15b are lowered to a state where they do not face the base material holder 13 and the base material 12 to avoid collision, and the permanent magnet 14a is placed against the base material 12.
14b, rotate the magnet holders 15a and 15b horizontally by 180 degrees in the corresponding position to reverse the polarity of the parallel magnetic field, and then raise the magnet holders 15a and 15b to their original positions. return.

When the permanent magnets 14a, 14b are rotated in this way and the polarity of the parallel magnetic field is reversed, for example, the permanent magnets 14a, 14b
If there is any distortion in the magnetic field itself generated by the magnetron, that distortion will be canceled or reversed and canceled out, and the influence of the magnetron magnetic field will also be relatively reversed and cancel out the previous influence. Local disturbances in the magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic film due to distortion of the parallel magnetic field are eliminated, and a highly homogeneous magnetic film can be formed on the surface of the base material 12.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is a magnet holder 15a.

This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that it is configured to rotate after the 15b rises above the base material 12.

In this way, the permanent magnet 14a.

14b and magnet holder 153.15b are base material holder 1
3, the degree of influence of the magnetic field from the rotating permanent magnets 14a and 14b on the base material 12 is further reduced, and the influence on the plasma is also reduced.

In any of the examples, the time required for reversing the polarity of the parallel magnetic field is extremely short compared to the time required for film formation, so the disturbance of the magnetic field during the reversal of the polarity of the parallel magnetic field has no effect on the magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic film. The effect is so small that it can be ignored in practical terms.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the base material 1 in the embodiment described above.
2 and the permanent magnets 14a and 14b, as seen in plan, FIG. 4 shows the state before the polarity of the parallel magnetic field is reversed, and FIG. 5 shows the state after the polarity of the parallel magnetic field is reversed. A more homogeneous magnetic film can be obtained by reversing the polarity of the parallel magnetic field not only once but multiple times during film formation on one base material 12.

In the embodiment described above, the number of substrates 12 held by the substrate holder 13 and deposited is one, but as shown in FIG. It is also possible to hold two (plural) base materials 12a and 12b side by side and form a film at the same time. In this case, it is natural that the permanent magnets 14a, 14b must be made larger in the long axis direction. In such a case, if the two permanent magnets 14a and 14b are rotated at the same horizontal level, there is a risk that they will come into contact with each other during rotation and become unable to rotate. Therefore, in the case of such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 7, the lowering amounts of the magnet holders 15a and 15b are made different, and the permanent magnets 14a and 14b and the magnet holders 153 and 15b interfere with each other during rotation. It is best to avoid doing so.

FIG. 8 shows permanent magnets 14a and 14b in a magnet holder 15a.
, t5b in an open manner and holds the substrate holder 13 in an open manner, and is provided with a substrate drive mechanism 18 that rotates the substrate holder 13. The substrate drive mechanism 18 in this embodiment includes the substrate holder 1
It has the function of rotating 3 at high speed 180 degrees, but does not have the function of moving it up and down. That is, in this embodiment, the time required to rotate the substrate holder 13 for reversing the polarity of the parallel magnetic field is extremely short compared to the time required for film formation, and the magnetic field acting on the substrate 12 during this period is This method takes advantage of the fact that the disturbance in the magnetic anisotropy of the film is negligible.

This embodiment has the advantage that a simple configuration in which the substrate drive mechanism 18 only rotates the substrate holder 13 is sufficient.

FIG. 9 is an improved version of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, in which the magnetic field of permanent magnets 14a and 14b does not act on the base material 12 when the base material holder 13 is rotated,
This provides superior magnetic anisotropy to the magnetic film. The magnet holder 158.15b in this embodiment extends horizontally from the side wall of the vacuum vessel 1 to hold the permanent magnets 14a, 14.
b are held on both sides of the base material 12. The magnet drive mechanism 162.16b has only the function of retracting and advancing the magnet holders 15a and 15b, and when rotating the substrate holder 13, it retracts the magnet holders 152 and 15b permanently as shown in FIG. This prevents the magnetic field from the magnets 14a and 14b from acting on the base material 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the permanent magnets 14a, 14b are rotated by rotating shafts 19a, 19b extending in the longitudinal direction.

This is an example in which it rotates 180 degrees around the axis together with 19b. Although the rotary shaft drive mechanism for rotating the rotary shafts 19a and 19b is not shown, the rotary shafts 19a and 19b penetrate the side wall of the vacuum container 1 and are led out of the container, where they have the function of rotating them by 180 degrees. It is connected to a rotary shaft drive mechanism with a rotary shaft drive mechanism.

FIG. 12 shows the permanent magnet 14 in the embodiment shown in FIG.
This is an improved example of the reversing mechanism of a and 14b, with one permanent magnet 14
Fig. 3 illustrates the reversing mechanism of Fig. a. Permanent magnet 14a is held with respect to rotating shaft 19a via crank rod 20a. The crank loft 20a is integrally connected to the rotating shaft 19a, and the permanent magnet 14a is attached so as to maintain a horizontal state with respect to the rotation of the crank rod 20a. And the permanent magnet 14a is the crank rod 20a.
When the rotating bin 21a rotates (revolutions) to the vertical position,
It is configured to rotate (rotate) 180 degrees by the reaction force when it comes into contact with the object. This embodiment also has the effect that the permanent magnets 14a, 14b can be rotated at a position far away from the base material 12, thereby eliminating any adverse effects during rotation.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the sputtering apparatus of the present invention, the polarity of the parallel magnetic field applied to the surface of the base material to be deposited is reversed during film formation, so that the effect of distortion of the parallel magnetic field acting on the base material surface is reduced. It is possible to form a magnetic film with high homogeneity and magnetic anisotropy by reducing the amount of heat generated.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show embodiments of the present invention, and include FIGS. 1 and 2.
The figure is a longitudinal side view of a sputtering apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal side view showing another embodiment, and FIGS.
The figures are bottom views showing the relationship between the base material and permanent magnets, and Figures 7 to 1.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing four other embodiments;
The figure is a side view of a permanent magnet reversal mechanism in yet another embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vacuum container, 2... Target part, 3... Base material part, 3a, 3b... Permanent magnet for magnetron magnetic field, 11... ...Target, 12...Base material, 13...Base material holder, 14a, 14b...Permanent magnet for parallel magnetic field, 15a, 15b... ...Magnet holder, 16a
, 16b... Magnet drive mechanism. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 31!1 Figure 4 Figure 5- 6Z 711 Figure 8 Figure 9 to II Figure 11 Figure 12 Country

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vacuum container, means for holding a target made of a film-forming material in the vacuum container, a base material holding table for holding a base material to be film-formed, and a means for holding a target made of a film-forming material in the vacuum container, a base material holding table that holds a base material to be film-formed, and a means for holding a target made of a film-forming material in the vacuum container, A sputtering apparatus equipped with a magnet device that applies a magnetic field to impart magnetic anisotropy to a magnetic film formed on the surface of the base material, comprising a parallel magnetic field polarity reversing means for reversing the polarity of the parallel magnetic field applied to the surface of the base material. A sputtering device characterized in that: 2. In claim 1, the magnet device comprises:
The parallel magnetic field polarity reversing means includes permanent magnets disposed on both sides of the substrate holder and a permanent magnet holder that holds the permanent magnets, and the parallel magnetic field polarity reversing means rotates the substrate holder or the permanent magnet. A sputtering apparatus characterized by having a rotation mechanism that reverses the opposing polarities of a base material and a permanent magnet. 3. In claim 2, the parallel magnetic field polarity reversing means further includes non-opposing moving means for moving the substrate holder and the permanent magnet to a non-opposing state, and the substrate holder or the permanent magnet A sputtering apparatus characterized in that after moving to a non-opposed state, the sputtering apparatus is reversed and then returned to a facing state. 4. In claim 3, the rotation mechanism is coupled to one of the substrate holder and the permanent magnet holder, and the non-opposed moving means is coupled to the other of the substrate holder and the permanent magnet holder. A sputtering apparatus characterized in that: 5. In claim 2, the permanent magnet is composed of rectangular magnetic materials magnetized in the short axis direction and facing each other,
The sputtering apparatus is characterized in that the rotation mechanism rotates the permanent magnet around a central axis in the longitudinal direction.