CN117802470A

CN117802470A - Chuck mechanism and film forming apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN117802470A
Application number: CN202311257054.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 池户満; 竹内八弥
Original assignee: Shibaura Mechatronics Corp
Current assignee: Shibaura Mechatronics Corp
Priority date: 2022-09-30
Filing date: 2023-09-27
Publication date: 2024-04-02

Abstract

The invention provides a chuck mechanism and a film forming apparatus capable of holding or releasing a plurality of workpieces at the same time. The chuck mechanism of the embodiment comprises: a first rotating portion having a plurality of first arms extending radially from the shaft portion, and having a first holding portion provided at a front end of the first arms and contacting/separating with an outer edge of the workpiece; a second rotating portion provided coaxially with the first rotating portion and having a plurality of second arms radially extending from the shaft portion, the first and second arms being a pair, the second rotating portion having a second holding portion provided at a front end of the second arm and contacting/separating from an outer edge of the workpiece; and a driving section for simultaneously rotating the first rotating section and the second rotating section, and simultaneously moving each of the pair of first holding sections and the second holding section between a holding position for holding the workpiece and a releasing position for releasing the workpiece, thereby holding or releasing the plurality of workpieces at once.

Description

Chuck mechanism and film forming apparatus

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a chuck mechanism and a film forming apparatus.

Background

As a device for forming a film on a surface of a workpiece, which is a film formation object such as a substrate, a film forming device by sputtering is widely used. Sputtering is a technique that utilizes the following operations: ions are generated by plasmatizing a gas introduced into the evacuated chamber, and the generated ions collide with the surface of a target material as a film-forming material, whereby the film-forming material flies out and adheres to the substrate.

In such sputtering, since a predetermined time is required for forming films on the respective substrates, when the films are formed on the plurality of substrates one by one, the time required becomes long. To cope with the situation, the following operations are performed: a plurality of substrates are arranged to face each other with respect to a target, and are collectively formed into a film (see reference 1).

[ Prior Art literature ]

[ patent literature ]

[ patent document 1] Japanese patent laid-open No. Hei 01-212756

Disclosure of Invention

[ problem to be solved by the invention ]

However, even when a plurality of substrates are collectively subjected to a film forming process, if the substrates are taken out of the stocker one by one and carried into/out of the chamber, the time required for the film forming process becomes long, which hinders improvement of productivity. In addition, in the case of forming films on both surfaces of a substrate, even when the substrates after film formation are inverted one by one, the time required becomes long, and productivity is also lowered. Even if a plurality of mechanisms for carrying in and out the substrate with respect to the chamber or reversing the substrate are provided, the mechanism increases, and the number of necessary members increases, thereby complicating the structure.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a chuck mechanism and a film forming apparatus capable of holding or releasing a plurality of workpieces at once.

[ means of solving the problems ]

In order to achieve the above object, a chuck mechanism according to an embodiment includes: a first rotating portion provided rotatably about a shaft portion, having a plurality of first arms extending radially from the shaft portion, and having first holding portions provided at respective distal ends of the first arms and contacting/separating from an outer edge of a workpiece; a second rotating portion provided rotatably coaxially with the first rotating portion, having a plurality of second arms radially extending from the shaft portion, and having second holding portions provided at respective distal ends of the second arms and contacting/separating from an outer edge of the workpiece; and a driving unit configured to simultaneously rotate the first rotating unit and the second rotating unit in a pair with each of the plurality of first arms, and to simultaneously move the pair of first holding units and the pair of second holding units between a holding position for holding the workpiece and a releasing position for releasing the workpiece, thereby holding or releasing the plurality of workpieces at once.

The film forming apparatus according to the embodiment includes: a chamber that can be set to a vacuum; a film forming section provided in the chamber, the film forming section forming a film of a plurality of workpieces by sputtering in a film forming chamber having a target; a transport body provided in the chamber and transporting the plurality of workpieces to positions opposed to the film forming chamber; a carry-in/carry-out section for carrying in/out the workpiece with respect to the chamber; and a supply unit having the chuck mechanism and configured to collectively transfer the plurality of workpieces to the carry-in/out unit.

The film forming apparatus according to the embodiment includes: a chamber that can be set to a vacuum; a film forming section provided in the chamber, the film forming section forming a film of a plurality of workpieces by sputtering in a film forming chamber having a target; and a reversing section for holding the plurality of workpieces formed by the film forming section by the chuck mechanism and reversing the plurality of workpieces at once.

[ Effect of the invention ]

The embodiment of the present invention can provide a chuck mechanism and a film forming apparatus capable of holding or releasing a plurality of workpieces at once.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a simplified plan view showing a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2A is an exploded perspective view showing a workpiece and a substrate, fig. 2B is a perspective view, and fig. 2C is a sectional view of the arrow B-B of fig. 2B.

Fig. 3A is a plan view showing the holder and the work, fig. 3B is a sectional view of the C-C arrow of fig. 3A, and fig. 3C is a plan view showing the turntable and the holder.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the chuck mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the chuck mechanism.

Fig. 6A and 6B are partial horizontal sectional views of the chuck mechanism, fig. 6A is a view showing a holding position, and fig. 6B is a view showing a release position.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 showing the internal structure of the film forming section.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the arrow D-D in fig. 1 showing the internal structure of the reversing section, and is a diagram showing a standby state of the chuck mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a view showing a state of delivery of a workpiece by the chuck mechanism of fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a state in the middle of the reverse rotation of the workpiece by the chuck mechanism of fig. 8.

Fig. 11A is a plan view showing a standby state of the memory, and fig. 11B is a side view.

Fig. 12A is a plan view showing a work out state of the stocker, and fig. 12B is a side view.

[ description of symbols ]

1: film forming apparatus

2: chamber chamber

2a: an opening

3: rotary table

10. 10A, 10B: target material

22: cover plate

23: chamber exhaust part

25: load lock chamber

32: an opening

50: control device

100: film forming part

110: film forming chamber

111: an opening

112: spacing piece

113: cover body

120: sputtering source

121: backboard

122: electrode

130: power supply unit

140: sputtering gas introduction part

150: exhaust part

160: pusher

161: mounting part

162: upper top

200: reversing part

210: reversing chamber

211: an opening

212: container

220: reverse driving part

230: sealed chamber

240: pusher

241: mounting part

242: upper top

243: sealing body

300: carry-in/carry-out section

310: conveying part

311: arm

312: closure part

400: supply part

410: supply table

420: chuck moving mechanism

421: guide mechanism

422: rotating mechanism

430: storage device

431: carrier body

431a: supporting plate

431b: side guide

431c: protruding part

432: delivery mechanism

432a: push rod

432b: drive unit

432c: lifting plate

432d: sliding block

432e: driving source

500: chuck structure

510: shaft portion

520: a first rotating part

521: matrix body

521a: shaft hole

522: first arm

523: first holding part

523a: groove(s)

530: a second rotating part

531: matrix body

531a: shaft hole

532: second arm

533: a second holding part

533a: groove(s)

540: drive unit

541: main body part

542: driving shaft

543: driving source

544: conversion mechanism

544a, 544b: toggle arm

544c: common shaft portion

544d, 544e: connecting rod shaft portion

545: shaft support

545a, 545b: supporting plate

G: sputtering gas

H: retainer

Ha: hole(s)

Hb: support edge

J: clamp

Ju: upper clamp

Jd: lower clamp

Js: spacing piece

Jp: pin

Jm: magnet

S: substrate board

T: mounting table

W: workpiece

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as the present embodiment) will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the drawings are schematic, and the sizes, ratios, and the like of the respective parts include exaggerated for easy understanding.

Summary

As shown in fig. 1, the present embodiment is a film forming apparatus 1 for forming a film on a film formation target surface of a workpiece W, which is a film formation target, by plasma. The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a turntable 3, and the turntable 3 holds a holder H (see fig. 3A) on which a plurality of workpieces W are mounted in a vacuum-capable chamber 2 and intermittently rotates by 90 °. The film forming apparatus 1 performs various processes on the workpiece W at three of four stop positions at which the turntable 3 stops. The film forming section 100, the reversing section 200, and the carry-in/out section 300 are allocated to the three stop positions. The film forming apparatus 1 further includes a supply unit 400 for supplying the workpiece W to the carry-in/out unit 300. The remaining one stop position is a preliminary position at which various uses can be made. The preliminary position may be used, for example, as a position for waiting for cooling, cooling by a cooling mechanism, addition of a film forming portion, a film processing portion, or the like.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of workpieces W are stored in the supply unit 400, and three workpieces W are mounted on one holder H in the supply unit 400. The holder H on which the work W is mounted is supplied to the turntable 3 in the chamber 2 by the carry-in/out unit 300. The turntable 3 intermittently rotates, and the holder H is conveyed to the film forming section 100 to perform a film forming process on one surface of the workpiece W. After the film formation process, the workpiece W is conveyed to the reversing section 200 and reversed. The holder H on which the reversed workpiece W is mounted is further conveyed to the film forming section 100 again to perform film forming processing on the other surface of the workpiece W. The holder H on which the workpiece W having the film formed on both of the one surface and the other surface is mounted is conveyed to the carry-in/out section 300 without being reversed by the reversing section 200, and is carried out of the chamber 2. As described above, the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can collectively form films on a plurality of workpieces W.

The film forming section 100 simultaneously forms films on a plurality of workpieces W by sputtering in a film forming chamber 110 having a target 10. That is, ions generated by plasmatizing the sputtering gas G are caused to collide with the target 10, and particles of the film forming material constituting the target 10 are caused to adhere to the film forming target surfaces of the plurality of workpieces W. The film forming section 100 of the present embodiment includes two targets 10A and 10B. Note that, when the target 10A and the target 10B are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as the target 10 (see fig. 7).

The reversing section 200 reverses the workpiece W. The reversing mechanism for this has a chuck mechanism 500. Specifically, in order to form a film on both surfaces of the workpiece W, which is formed on one surface thereof by the film forming section 100, is held and reversed by the chuck mechanism 500 in the reversing chamber 210, and the film can be formed on the other surface of the film forming section 100 (see fig. 10). The chuck mechanism 500 holds a plurality of works W together.

The carry-in/out section 300 carries in an unprocessed workpiece W from the outside into the chamber 2 and carries out the processed workpiece W to the outside of the chamber 2 while maintaining the vacuum in the chamber 2 through the load lock chamber 25. The supply unit 400 collectively transfers a plurality of workpieces W to the carry-in/out unit 300. The supply section 400 also has a chuck mechanism 500.

[ film Forming object ]

In the present embodiment, a circular workpiece W is used as an example of a film formation object. The workpiece W is a member in which a substrate S and a jig J, which will be described later, are integrated, and a plurality of workpieces W are mounted on a holder H and are carried by a turntable 3. The substrate S is a circular plate body. The substrate S is, for example, a quartz substrate used for a quartz device such as a quartz resonator or a quartz oscillator, and Au layers as electrodes are formed on both surfaces of the quartz substrate. A Cr layer as an adhesion layer for improving adhesion of the Au layer to the surface of the quartz substrate is formed between the surface of the quartz substrate and the Au layer. Therefore, two layers, a Cr layer as an adhesion layer and an Au layer as an electrode, are formed on both sides of the quartz substrate. The present invention is not limited to this, and may be a silicon (Si) wafer, a silicon carbide (SiC) wafer, a sapphire substrate, or a glass substrate.

The jig J is a member to which the substrate S is assembled. As shown in the exploded perspective view of fig. 2A, the perspective view of fig. 2B, and the cross-sectional view of fig. 2C (the arrow-B cross-sectional view of fig. 2B), the jig J of the present embodiment has an upper jig Ju, a lower jig Jd, spacers Js, and pins Jp. The upper and lower jigs Ju, jd are annular plate bodies having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate S and an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the substrate S. The spacer Js is an annular plate body having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the substrate S and an outer diameter equal to the upper and lower jigs Ju and Jd. The spacers Js are made of resin. The upper jig Ju, the lower jig Jd, and the spacers Js may be made of metal.

The substrate S is mounted on the jig J by sandwiching the spacer Js between the upper jig Ju and the lower jig Jd and sandwiching the substrate S on the inner edge side of the spacer Js. Therefore, as shown in fig. 2C, the spacers Js are arranged outside the substrate S. As shown in fig. 2C, a magnet Jm is embedded in the outer edge of the lower jig Jd, and the upper jig Ju is attracted by a magnetic force, so that the spacer Js and the substrate S are sandwiched between the upper jig Ju and the lower jig Jd. Thereby, the substrate S can be prevented from being detached from the jig J. Further, the upper jig Ju, the lower jig Jd, and the spacers Js are formed with a plurality of through holes at positions corresponding to the respective jig Ju, the pins Jp are inserted into the through holes, and positional displacement can be prevented. In the following description, the jig J equipped with the substrate S is simply referred to as a workpiece W.

[ retainer ]

As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the holder H of the present embodiment is a member on which the workpiece W is mounted. The holder H is a circular plate body having a diameter capable of mounting a plurality of workpieces W, and three workpieces W are mounted at equal intervals around the center. A circular hole Ha is formed in the workpiece W at the position where the workpiece W is placed, and a thin support edge Hb for supporting the outer edge of the lower surface of the workpiece W is formed at the inner edge of the hole Ha.

[ chuck mechanism ]

The chuck mechanism 500 is described with reference to the perspective view of fig. 4, the exploded perspective view of fig. 5, and the plan views of fig. 6A and 6B, and the chuck mechanism 500 is provided in the reversing section 200 and the supply section 400 and holds a plurality of works W at once. The chuck mechanism 500 includes a shaft portion 510, a first rotating portion 520, a second rotating portion 530, and a driving portion 540.

(shaft portion)

The shaft portion 510 is a member that serves as a rotation center of the first rotation portion 520 and the second rotation portion 530. The shaft portion 510 of the present embodiment is a cylindrical bolt having a screw groove formed at the tip thereof for tightening a nut.

(first rotating portion)

The first rotating portion 520 includes a base 521, a first arm 522, and a first holding portion 523. The base 521 is a plate provided with a shaft hole 521a into which the shaft portion 510 is inserted. The first arm 522 is a plurality of members extending radially from the shaft portion 510. The first arms 522 are elongated rectangular parallelepiped members, and are provided around the base 521 at equal intervals. In the present embodiment, three first arms 522 are provided to the base 521. The distal ends of the first arms 522 are curved in a direction along a tangential line of the outer circumference of the workpiece W.

The first holding portions 523 are provided at the respective front ends of the first arms 522, and contact/separate with the outer edges of the workpiece W. The contact/separation is performed with the rotation of the first arm 522. The first holding portion 523 is a rectangular parallelepiped member extending in a tangential direction of the outer circumference of the workpiece W, and a groove 523a into which the edge portion of the workpiece W is fitted is formed in a surface that contacts/separates from the workpiece W.

(second rotating portion)

The second rotating portion 530 includes a base 531, a second arm 532, and a second holding portion 533. The base 531 is a plate provided with a shaft hole 531a into which the shaft portion 510 is inserted. The second arm 532 is the following: a plurality of members provided coaxially with the first arm 522, that is, rotatably about the shaft portion 510, and radially extending from the shaft portion 510. The second arms 532 are elongated rectangular parallelepiped members, and are disposed around the base 531 at equal intervals. In the present embodiment, three second arms 532 are provided to the base 531. The distal ends of the second arms 532 are bent in the same direction along the tangent line of the outer circumference of the workpiece W. Each of the plurality of first arms 522 is paired with each of the plurality of second arms 532.

The second holding portions 533 are provided at the distal ends of the second arms 532, respectively, and contact/separate the outer edges of the plurality of workpieces W. The contact/separation is performed with the rotation of the second arm 532. The second holding portion 533 is a rectangular parallelepiped member extending in a tangential direction of the outer circumference of the workpiece W, and has a groove 533a in which an edge portion of the workpiece W is fitted, on a surface contacting/separating with the workpiece W.

(drive section)

The driving part 540 rotates the first rotating part 520 and the second rotating part 530 in synchronization. The rotation direction is opposite to the first rotation part 520 and the second rotation part 530. For example, when the first rotating part 520 rotates left, the second rotating part 530 rotates right. The first rotating portion 520 and the second rotating portion 530 simultaneously move the pair of the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 between the holding position (see fig. 6A) for holding the workpiece W and the releasing position (see fig. 6B) for releasing the workpiece W by rotation of the driving portion 540, and hold or release the plurality of workpieces W at once. That is, a plurality of works W can be held together and released together. More specifically, the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 of the pair of first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 are simultaneously positioned at the holding position for holding the workpiece W by the driving portion 540, and the plurality of workpieces W are collectively held, and the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 of the pair of first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 are simultaneously positioned at the releasing position for releasing the workpiece W, and the plurality of held workpieces W are collectively released, or the workpiece W is positioned between the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 for holding.

In the present embodiment, since the pair of first holding portions 523 and the pair of second holding portions 533 are three in number, three works W can be held or released at once. The holding positions of the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 are set so as to be capable of holding the workpiece W in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft portion 510. That is, the outer shape end portion of the workpiece W is held in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft portion 510 serving as the rotation center of the first rotation portion 520 and the second rotation portion 530, that is, in a horizontal direction in the same direction as the surface of the workpiece W, on the surface of the workpiece W (the surface of the substrate S to be film-formed). The positions of the surfaces of the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 that contact the workpiece W and the positions of the grooves 523a and 533a into which the edge portions of the workpiece W are fitted are set so that the difference in the height direction due to the overlapping arrangement of the first rotating portion 520 and the second rotating portion 530 does not affect the holding position of the workpiece W based on the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533. Thus, when the shaft portion 510 is in the vertical direction, the workpiece W is in the horizontal direction.

The driving unit 540 includes a main body 541, a drive shaft 542, a drive source 543, a switching mechanism 544, and a shaft support 545. The main body 541 is a cylindrical body constituting the main body of the driving section 540. The drive shaft 542 is an elongated rod provided slidably in the main body 541. The front end of the drive shaft 542 protrudes from an end surface of the main body 541. The rear end of the drive shaft 542 protrudes from the other end face of the main body 541. The driving source 543 moves the driving shaft 542 in a linear direction. That is, the drive shaft 542 moves linearly toward the shaft portion 510. The driving source 543 is a cylinder connected to the rear end of the driving shaft 542 and moves the driving shaft 542 back and forth. Thereby, the drive shaft 542 moves in the radial direction in which the first rotating portion 520 and the second rotating portion 530 rotate.

The conversion mechanism 544 converts the linear movement of the drive shaft 542 from the drive source 543 into rotation of the first rotation portion 520 and the second rotation portion 530. The switching mechanism 544 is a link mechanism connected to the drive shaft 542, one first arm 522 of the first rotating portion 520, and one second arm 532 of the second rotating portion 530. The switching mechanism 544 has a pair of link members, i.e., toggle arms 544a, 544b. One end of each of the toggle arms 544a and 544b is rotatably coupled. More specifically, one ends of the toggle arms 544a and 544b are rotatably coupled to an end of the drive shaft 542 on the side closer to the shaft portion 510 (the tip end of the drive shaft 542). The connection is performed via the common shaft portion 544 c. The other end of one toggle arm 544a is rotatably coupled to one of the first arms 522 of the first rotating portion 520 closest to the drive shaft 542. The connection is performed via the link shaft portion 544 d. The other end of the other toggle arm 544b is rotatably coupled to one of the second arms 532 of the second rotating portion 530 that is closest to the drive shaft 542. The connection is performed via the link shaft portion 544 e. In the present embodiment, the common shaft portion 544c, the link shaft portion 544d, and the link shaft portion 544e are cylindrical bolts each having a screw groove formed at the tip thereof for tightening a nut.

The shaft support portion 545 is a member that rotatably supports the first rotating portion 520 and the second rotating portion 530 via the shaft portion 510 to the driving portion 540. The shaft support portion 545 is an elongated pair of plate bodies, and has a support plate 545a and a support plate 545b arranged to sandwich the first rotating portion 520 and the second rotating portion 530 up and down. One end of the support plate 545a is overlapped on the base 521 of the first rotating portion 520, and the shaft portion 510 is inserted from a hole corresponding to the shaft hole 521 a. One end of the support plate 545b is overlapped with the base 531 of the second rotating portion 530, the shaft portion 510 is inserted into a hole corresponding to the shaft hole 531a, and a nut is fastened to the tip of the shaft portion 510 protruding downward. Thus, the first rotating portion 520 and the second rotating portion 530 are supported rotatably about the common shaft portion 510. The other ends of the support plates 545a and 545b are fixed to sandwich the body 541.

[ Chamber ]

The chamber 2 is a container in which the inside can be evacuated. As shown in fig. 1, the chamber 2 of the present embodiment has a box shape with a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a cover plate 22 on the upper surface and a bottom plate, not shown, on the installation surface side. The chamber 2 is provided with a chamber exhaust portion 23. The chamber exhaust portion 23 of the present embodiment has a pipe connected to an opening formed in the bottom plate. The chamber exhaust unit 23 includes a pneumatic circuit, not shown, and can perform the depressurization of the chamber 2 by the exhaust treatment.

[ rotating stage ]

As shown in fig. 1 and 3C, the turntable 3 is a carrier for carrying the workpiece W mounted on the holder H in the chamber 2. The turntable 3 is a circular plate body and intermittently rotates about its center as an axis by a driving source, not shown. Openings 32 as through holes are formed in the turntable 3 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The openings 32 are provided at intervals of 90 ° corresponding to stop positions of intermittent rotation. Three of the positions are opposite to the film forming section 100, the reversing section 200, and the carry-in/out section 300. The holder H is placed on the edge of the opening 32 and positioned at each position, and is lifted and lowered by a pusher 160 and a pusher 240 described later through the opening 32.

[ film Forming section ]

As shown in fig. 1 and 7, the film forming section 100 includes a film forming chamber 110, a sputtering source 120, a power supply section 130, a sputtering gas introduction section 140, an exhaust section 150, and a pusher 160.

(film Forming Chamber)

The film forming chamber 110 is a space in which film formation is performed by sputtering. As shown in fig. 7, the film forming chamber 110 includes an opening 111, a spacer 112, and a lid 113. The opening 111 is a through hole provided in the cover plate 22 of the chamber 2. The spacer 112 is a square tube shaped member provided on the outer side of the cover plate 22 of the chamber 2 so as to surround the opening 111. The spacers 112 constitute the sidewalls of the film formation chamber 110. The cover 113 is a box-like body sealing the upper portion of the spacer 112. The cover plate 22, the spacer 112, and the cover 113 are sealed with a sealing material such as an O-ring.

(sputtering Source)

The sputtering source 120 is a supply source of a film forming material for depositing the film forming material on the workpiece W by sputtering and forming a film. The sputtering source 120 has a target 10, a back-plate 121, and an electrode 122.

In the present embodiment, there are two targets 10. The two targets 10, i.e., the target 10A and the target 10B are members formed of a film-forming material deposited on the workpiece W to form a film. The sputtering surfaces of the targets 10A and 10B, which are gradually cut by sputtering, are disposed at positions obliquely facing the workpiece W.

As the film forming material, cr, au, and the like are used, for example. However, as long as the film can be formed by sputtering, various materials can be applied. The target 10A and the target 10B may be made of a common material or may be made of different kinds of materials.

The back-plate 121 is a holding member that individually holds each target 10A, 10B. The electrode 122 is a conductive member for individually applying electric power from the outside of the chamber 2 to the targets 10A and 10B. Although not shown, the sputtering source 120 includes a magnet, a cooling mechanism, and the like. That is, the film forming section 100 of the present embodiment is configured as a magnetron sputtering apparatus.

(Power supply unit)

The power supply 130 is a component for applying power to the targets 10A and 10B. By applying electric power to the target 10 through the power supply unit 130, a sputtering gas G, which will be described later, can be plasmatized, and a film-forming material can be deposited on the workpiece W. The power applied to each target 10A, 10B may be varied individually. In the present embodiment, the power supply unit 130 is, for example, a Radio Frequency (RF) power supply to which a high-frequency voltage is applied. In addition, a Direct Current (DC) power supply may be used.

(sputtering gas introduction portion)

In the plasma treatment of the present embodiment, a sputtering gas G can be used. The sputtering gas G is a gas for causing generated ions to collide with the targets 10A and 10B by the plasma generated by the application of electric power, and causing the materials of the targets 10A and 10B to be deposited on the surface of the substrate S. For example, an inert gas such as argon gas may be used as the sputtering gas G.

The sputtering gas introduction unit 140 includes a pipe for introducing the sputtering gas G. The sputtering gas introduction unit 140 includes a gas supply circuit, not shown, and can introduce the sputtering gas G from the supply source into the film formation chamber 110.

(exhaust part)

The exhaust portion 150 has a pipe connected to an opening formed in the spacer 112. The exhaust unit 150 includes an exhaust circuit, not shown, and can perform the pressure reduction in the film forming chamber 110 by the exhaust treatment.

(pusher)

The pusher 160 is provided at a position corresponding to the film forming section 100 in the chamber 2, and lifts and lowers the holder H. The pusher 160 is provided to be capable of being lifted and lowered by an unillustrated cylinder, and is provided to be rotatable. The pusher 160 has a mounting portion 161, and the mounting portion 161 is lifted to mount and detach the holder H from the turntable 3. The placement portion 161 is provided with an upper top 162, and the upper top 162 pushes up the workpiece W to be separated from the holder H.

[ inversion section ]

As shown in fig. 8 to 10, the reversing section 200 holds and reverses the plurality of workpieces W formed in the film forming section 100 at once by the chuck mechanism 500. The reversing section 200 of the present embodiment lifts up three works W placed on the holder H at once to disengage them from the holder H, rotates by 180 °, and then descends to place them on the holder H. The center of rotation to be based on the inversion of the chuck mechanism 500 is common to the three works W, and the axis of rotation is a direction parallel to the works W, that is, a horizontal direction. The reversing section 200 includes a reversing chamber 210, a reversing drive section 220, a sealing chamber 230, and a pusher 240, in addition to the chuck mechanism 500.

(reversing Chamber)

The reversing chamber 210 is a space for reversing the workpiece W. The plurality of workpieces W held by the chuck mechanism 500, including the chuck mechanism 500, can be accommodated and rotated in a lump, and have a larger size than the outermost diameter (diameter of rotation of the workpiece W) depicted when the rotation for rotation is performed in the reverse direction. That is, the width, depth, and height of the reversal chamber 210 are all larger than the diameter of the rotation of the workpiece W. Fig. 10 shows a case where a plurality of workpieces W are rotated, and in the drawing, the diameter of a circle formed by the inverted broken line arrows is the diameter of the rotation of the plurality of workpieces W. The inversion chamber 210 includes an opening 211 and a container 212. The opening 211 is a through hole provided in the cover plate 22 of the chamber 2. The container 212 is a bottomed cylindrical member, is mounted so that the opening at the lower end thereof closes the opening 211 of the lid plate 22, and is sealed with a sealing material such as an O-ring.

(chuck mechanism)

In the chuck mechanism 500 of the reversing section 200, the drive shaft 542 penetrates the side wall of the reversing chamber 210, and the first rotating section 520 and the second rotating section 530 are disposed in the reversing chamber 210. More specifically, the main body 541 penetrates the side surface of the container 212 in an airtight manner, the first rotating unit 520 and the second rotating unit 530 are disposed inside the container 212 so as to be horizontal in a standby state, and the driving unit 540 is disposed outside the container 212 (see fig. 4).

(reverse drive section)

The reversing drive unit 220 reverses the plurality of workpieces W held by the first holding unit 523 and the second holding unit 533 at once by rotating the first rotating unit 520 and the second rotating unit 530 about the drive shaft 542. The drive shaft 542 is a rotation shaft for commonly reversing the plurality of workpieces W, and is arranged in the horizontal direction. As shown in fig. 1, the reverse driving unit 220 of the present embodiment is a hollow rotary actuator that is fixed to the outer surface of the container 212 to accommodate the driving source 543, and rotates the main body 541 together with the driving source 543.

(sealing chamber)

The sealing chamber 230 is a container sealing the inversion chamber 210. The seal chamber 230 is cylindrical, is attached so that the opening at the upper end thereof closes the opening 211 of the cover plate 22, and is sealed with a sealing material such as an O-ring. The opening at the lower end of the seal chamber 230 is sealed by a seal body 243 (see fig. 9) described later.

(pusher)

The pusher 240 is provided at a position corresponding to the reversing portion 200 in the chamber 2, and lifts and lowers the holder H. The pusher 240 is provided to be capable of being lifted and lowered by an unillustrated cylinder. The pusher 240 has a mounting portion 241, and the mounting portion 241 is lifted to mount and detach the holder H from the turntable 3. The mounting portion 241 is provided with an upper top 242, and the upper top 242 pushes up the workpiece W to be separated from the holder H. The pusher 240 is provided with a sealing body 243, and the sealing body 243 is lifted to seal the opening at the lower end of the sealing chamber 230.

Although not shown, a circulation path of cooling water is provided in the reversing chamber 210, and a cooling plate is configured to be brought into close contact with the workpiece W to be cooled. Further, a gas blowout part that performs cooling by blowing cooling gas may be provided.

[ carry-in/carry-out section ]

The carry-in/carry-out section 300 is a device for carrying in/out the holder H with respect to the chamber 2. As shown in fig. 1, the carry-in/out section 300 includes a carrying section 310. The carrier unit 310 picks up the holder H on which the workpiece W is mounted on the mounting table T of the supply unit 400 described later, and carries the holder H into the load lock chamber 25 configured as the chamber 2. The conveying unit 310 conveys the holder H on which the processed workpiece W is mounted from the loadlock chamber 25 to the supply unit 400. When the chuck moving mechanism 420 of the supply unit 400 described later positions the first holding unit 523 and the second holding unit 533 in the chuck mechanism 500 on the mounting table T, the holder H is positioned on the mounting table T so that the positions of the plurality of holes Ha of the holder H are aligned with the plurality of groups of the first holding unit 523 and the second holding unit 533, respectively.

The conveying section 310 includes an arm 311 and a closing section 312. The arm 311 is an elongated member provided between the mounting table T and the chamber 2 in parallel with the plane of the turntable 3. The arm 311 is provided so as to be intermittently rotatable about an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the turntable 3 by 180 ° by a driving mechanism not shown, and is movable along the axis. The closing portions 312 are members provided at both ends of the arm 311 and seal the opening 2a provided in the chamber 2. The opening 2a is an opening of the cover plate 22 provided on the upper surface of the chamber 2 to connect the inside of the chamber 2 to the outside, and is an end portion on the outside side of the load lock chamber 25. Further, the load lock chamber 25 is formed by closing the opening 2a with a closing portion 312.

Further, although not shown, a holding portion such as a mechanical chuck for holding the holder H is provided in the closing portion 312. In the load lock chamber 25, an end portion on the inner side of the chamber 2 is sealed by a support portion provided in a support holder H of a pusher not shown. The load lock chamber 25 is connected to an exhaust line for evacuating through a pneumatic circuit and an air supply line for performing vacuum destruction through a valve or the like in a state where the opening 2a is sealed by the sealing portion 312 and the end portion on the inner side is sealed by the supporting portion to form a closed space.

The support portion for supporting the holder H is disposed in the load lock chamber 25 in which the opening 2a is sealed by the sealing portion 312 and evacuated, receives the holder H from the holding portion of the sealing portion 312, moves by the pusher, and discharges the holder H from the load lock chamber 25 and places it in the opening 32 of the turntable 3. The support portion pushes up the processed holder H by a pusher to seal the load lock chamber 25, and transfers the holder H to the holding portion of the closing portion 312. After the load lock chamber 25 is opened to the atmosphere, the closing portion 312 that has received the processed holder H is lifted up and carried out of the processed holder H.

[ supply section ]

The supply unit 400 includes a chuck mechanism 500, a supply table 410, a chuck moving mechanism 420 for moving the chuck mechanism 500, and a reservoir 430 for storing (housing) the workpiece W, in addition to the chuck mechanism 500.

(supply table)

As shown in fig. 1, the supply table 410 is a horizontal table adjacent to the carry-in/out section 300 of the chamber 2. A horizontal mounting table T is provided immediately below the closing portion 312 of the conveying portion 310 of the supply table 410. The holder H carried in/out of the chamber 2 is temporarily placed on the placement table T. The chuck moving mechanism 420 and the reservoir 430, which will be described later, are disposed on the supply table 410.

(chuck moving mechanism)

The chuck moving mechanism 420 in the supply unit 400 is a mechanism for moving the chuck mechanism 500 between the mounting table T and the reservoir 430. The chuck moving mechanism 420 has a guide mechanism 421 and a rotating mechanism 422. The guide mechanism 421 is a linear guide that reciprocates on a straight line extending along the radius of rotation of the turntable 3, that is, passing through the center of the mounting table T in a plan view, using an air cylinder as a driving source. The rotation mechanism 422 is a mechanism that rotates the chuck mechanism 500 in the horizontal direction using a motor as a driving source.

(storage)

As shown in fig. 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B, the stocker 430 accommodates a plurality of workpieces W held by the chuck mechanism 500 in a stacked manner. The reservoir 430 has a carrier 431 and a delivery mechanism 432. The carrier 431 has a support plate 431a and a side guide 431b. The support plate 431a is a plate body on which the work W is mounted and stacked. The support plate 431a is provided with a plurality of protruding portions 431c protruding outward. The side guide 431b is a rod-shaped member that is erected on a protruding portion 431c of the support plate 431a so as to surround the periphery of the workpiece W. The position of the workpiece W in the horizontal direction is restricted by the side guide 431b. In addition, in order to secure a region where an upper push rod 432a described later pushes up the work W, the support plate 431a is smaller than the outer diameter of the work W.

As shown in fig. 11A and 12A, the protruding portion 431c is provided with a protruding portion having a short protruding length and a protruding portion having a long protruding length. The protruding portion 431c having a short protruding length protrudes by a length of a predetermined length from the outer shape of the workpiece W, and restricts the position of the workpiece W. Therefore, three are provided at 60 ° intervals along the outer circumference of the circular workpiece W. The protruding portion 431c having a long protruding length is provided in a length where the side guide 431b is located at a position where the first holding portion 523 or the second holding portion 533 of the chuck mechanism 500 can enter.

The plurality of carriers 431 are arranged in a group so that the chuck mechanism 500 can hold a plurality of workpieces W at one time. The carrier 431 of the present embodiment is configured by combining three groups of the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 of the chuck mechanism 500, and the carrier having three points is a group. Three-point work pieces W are arranged in the horizontal direction at positions of the three carriers 431 of each group that can be held by the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533, and the work pieces W are housed in overlapping relation by the same amount. That is, a plurality of works W held together are stacked and stored at positions held by the chuck mechanism 500.

As shown in fig. 1, the accumulator 430 is provided in plural at positions where the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 can hold plural works W at once in accordance with the horizontal rotation of the chuck mechanism 500. That is, a plurality of the carrier 431 groups are arranged along the track of the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 formed by the rotation of the chuck mechanism 500. The plurality of work pieces W stacked in each of the reservoirs 430 are arranged in a direction along the rotational locus of the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533. When the chuck mechanism 500 rotates, the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 move along an arc-shaped trajectory, and therefore, along the trajectory, the respective carrier 431 groups are arranged at an angle capable of holding the work W together by the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533. In the present embodiment, five reservoirs 430, that is, five sets of carriers 431 are arranged.

As shown in fig. 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B, the feeding mechanism 432 is a mechanism that feeds the work W to a position where the work W can be held by the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 by applying a force to the carrier 431. The feeding mechanism 432 of the present embodiment includes an upper push rod 432a and a driving unit 432b disposed at a lower portion of the supply table 410. The push-up lever 432a is a rod-shaped member in the vertical direction. The plurality of push-up rods 432a are provided at positions where the work W can be pushed up by penetrating the supply table 410 at the upper end. The push-up bars 432a of the present embodiment are provided in three positions around each support plate 431a, that is, at positions that can be brought into contact with and separated from the bottom surface of the workpiece W.

The driving unit 432b is a mechanism for raising and lowering the push-up lever 432 a. The driving unit 432b includes: a lifting plate 432c supporting and fixing the lower end of the upper push rod 432 a; a slider 432d supporting the elevating plate 432c; and a drive source 432e for slidably moving the slider 432d and elevating the elevating plate 432 c. The driving source 432e is provided corresponding to each group of carriers 431. That is, the three works W supported by the carrier 431 are lifted and lowered at the same height by the driving part 432b.

[ control device ]

As shown in fig. 1, the control device 50 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 1. The control device 50 may include, for example, a dedicated circuit or a computer running a predetermined program. That is, the control of the exhaust of the chamber 2, the control of the introduction and exhaust of the sputtering gas G to the film forming chamber 110, the control of the power supply 130, the control of the rotation of the turntable 3, the inversion control of the inversion unit 200, the supply control of the supply unit 400, the control of the carry-in/carry-out unit 300, the drive control of the pusher 160 and the pusher 240, the drive control of the chuck mechanism 500, the inversion control, and the like are programmed, and are executed by a processing device such as a programmable logic controller (programmable logic controller, PLC) or a central processing unit (central processing unit, CPU), and can be adapted to various types of film forming processes.

As an object of specific control, there can be mentioned: the timing of intermittent operation of the drive source of the turntable 3, the initial exhaust pressure of the film forming apparatus 1, the power applied to the target 10, the flow rate, type, introduction time and exhaust time of the sputtering gas G, the time of the surface treatment and the film forming treatment, and the like.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the control device 50 controls the film formation rate (film formation speed) by controlling the power applied to the targets 10A and 10B and the supply amount of the sputtering gas G by the sputtering gas introduction unit 140. The control device 50 controls the drive source 432e of the feed mechanism 432, the drive source 543 of the chuck mechanism 500, the guide mechanism 421 of the chuck moving mechanism 420, and the drive source of the rotating mechanism 422 in the supply unit 400, thereby simultaneously transferring the plurality of workpieces W to the carry-in/out unit 300. Further, the control device 50 controls the drive source 543 of the chuck mechanism 500 and the reversing drive unit 220 in the reversing unit 200 to collectively reverse the plurality of workpieces W.

An input device and an output device, not shown, are connected to the control device 50. The input device is an input means such as a switch, a touch panel, a keyboard, and a mouse for allowing an operator to operate the film forming apparatus 1 via the control device 50. The output device is an output means such as a display, a lamp, or a meter that uses information for confirming the state of the device and is visually recognizable to an operator.

[ film Forming treatment ]

A process of forming a film on a workpiece W by the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment as described above will be described.

First, the holder H is placed on the placement table T in advance, and as shown in fig. 11A and 11B, the work W is stacked and accommodated in each of the reservoirs 430. As shown in fig. 12A and 12B, the three first holding portions 523 and the second holding portions 533 in the released positions are positioned on the upper portions of the three works W of any one of the carriers 431 by the chuck moving mechanism 420. The carrier 431 is lifted up by the feeding mechanism 432 to position the three uppermost works W at the level of the three sets of the first holding portions 523 and the second holding portions 533.

By positioning the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 in the holding position, the outer edges of the three works W are fitted into the grooves 523a and 533a, and are held together. Then, the chuck mechanism 500 is rotated and horizontally moved by the chuck moving mechanism 420, thereby positioning the three workpieces W at the upper portions of the three holes Ha of the holder H of the table T. The three works W are collectively placed in the hole Ha of the holder H by placing the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 in the release position.

The holder H on which the three workpieces W are placed is carried into the chamber 2 by the carry-in/out section 300, and is placed in the opening 32 of the turntable 3. Then, the turntable 3 is intermittently rotated to position the holder H directly below the opening 111 of the film formation chamber 110.

Next, as shown in fig. 7, the pusher 160 lifts the placement unit 161, thereby accommodating the holder H in the film forming chamber 110, and the upper top 162 pushes up the workpiece W to separate it from the holder H. In this state, the sputtering gas G is introduced into the film forming chamber 110 by the sputtering gas introduction unit 140. Then, the pusher 160 rotates the placement unit 161, thereby simultaneously rotating the three works W.

The power supply 130 applies electric power to the targets 10A and 10B. Then, ions generated by plasmatizing the sputtering gas G collide with the targets 10A and 10B. The film forming materials constituting the targets 10A and 10B are ion-driven and deposited on the film forming target surface of the workpiece W rotated by the mounting portion 161.

After the film formation process for a predetermined time, the sputtering gas G is exhausted from the film formation chamber 110 by the exhaust from the exhaust unit 150, and the pressure of the film formation chamber 110 is equalized with that of the chamber 2. When the pusher 160 is lowered, the holder H is returned to the opening 32 of the turntable 3, and the placement portion 161 is separated from the holder H, whereby the upper top 161 is lowered away from the workpiece W, and the workpiece W is returned to the holder H.

Next, as shown in fig. 8, the rotary table 3 is intermittently rotated to move the holder H to a position facing the reversing chamber 210 of the reversing section 200. Then, as shown in fig. 9, the loading portion 241 is lifted by the pusher 240, whereby the holder H is accommodated in the reversing chamber 210, and the upper top 242 pushes up the workpiece W upward to be separated from the holder H. Thereby, each work W is positioned at the height position of the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 at the release position. The sealing body 243 seals the lower end of the sealing chamber 230. At this time, the film-formed workpiece W is cooled by approaching the cooling plate and blowing a cooling gas.

Further, by positioning the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 in the holding position, the outer edges of the three works W are fitted into the grooves 523a and 533a, and are held together. Then, as shown in fig. 10, the pusher 240 is lowered to retract the placement portion 241 from the reversing chamber 210, and the first rotating portion 520 and the second rotating portion 530 are rotated about the drive shaft 542, whereby the three works W are reversed at once.

The pusher 240 again lifts the placement portion 241, thereby accommodating the holder H in the reversing chamber 210, and the upper top 162 supports the reversed workpiece W. When the pusher 240 is lowered with the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 in the release position, the holder H is returned to the opening 32 of the turntable 3, and the placement portion 161 is separated from the holder H, whereby the upper top 162 is lowered away from the workpiece W and the workpiece W is returned to the holder H.

Further, the holder H is moved to the film forming section 100 again by intermittently rotating the turntable 3, so that the film is formed on the other film formation target surface of the workpiece W. Then, the processed holder H is moved directly under the opening 2a by intermittent rotation of the turntable 3, and is carried out of the chamber 2 by the carry-in/out section 300.

[ Effect ]

(1) The chuck mechanism 500 of the present embodiment as described above includes: the first rotating portion 520, which is provided rotatably about the shaft portion 510, has a plurality of first arms 522 extending radially from the shaft portion 510, and has first holding portions 523 provided at the distal ends of the first arms 522 and contacting/separating from the outer edge of the workpiece W; a second rotating portion 530 provided rotatably coaxially with the first rotating portion 520, having a plurality of second arms 532 radially extending from the shaft portion 510, and having second holding portions 533 provided at the distal ends of the second arms 532 and contacting/separating from the outer edge of the workpiece W; and a driving unit 540 for simultaneously rotating the first rotating unit 520 and the second rotating unit 530, and simultaneously moving each of the first holding unit 523 and the second holding unit 533 between a holding position for holding the workpiece W and a releasing position for releasing the workpiece W, thereby holding or releasing the plurality of workpieces W at once.

The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes: a chamber 2, which can be set to a vacuum; a film forming section 100 provided in the chamber 2, for forming a film on a plurality of workpieces W by sputtering in a film forming chamber 110 having a target 10; a carrier (turntable 3) provided in the chamber 2 and configured to carry the plurality of workpieces W to positions opposed to the film formation chamber 110; a carry-in/carry-out section 300 for carrying in/out the workpiece W into the chamber 2; and a supply unit 400 having a chuck mechanism 500 for simultaneously transferring a plurality of workpieces W to the carry-in/out unit 300.

The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment further includes a reversing unit 200, and the reversing unit 200 is configured to hold and reverse the plurality of workpieces W formed by the film forming unit 100 at once by the chuck mechanism 500.

Therefore, since a plurality of workpieces W carried into the chamber 2 can be supplied at once, the time required for carrying in and out can be shortened and productivity can be improved as compared with the case where the workpieces are taken out from the stocker one by one. If a plurality of mechanisms for carrying in and out the workpiece W from the chamber 2 are provided, the structure becomes complicated and the cost of the apparatus increases. In addition, when film formation is performed on both surfaces of the workpiece W, the workpiece W after film formation can be reversed in the chamber (container 212), so that the time required can be shortened and productivity can be improved. Further, compared with the case where a plurality of mechanisms for reversing the work W are provided, the mechanism can be simplified, and the sealing portion can be reduced. Here, the driving source for reversing is preferably disposed outside the chamber, and therefore, a driving shaft penetrating the chamber needs to be provided. In that case, the through portion needs to be sealed. If the sealing area increases, it is difficult to maintain a desired vacuum state in the chamber. Therefore, the fewer the seal portions, the better.

(2) The holding positions of the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 are set so as to be capable of holding the workpiece W in the direction orthogonal to the shaft portion 510. Therefore, the plurality of workpieces W can be held and transferred in the horizontal direction, and inverted or the like.

(3) The driving unit 540 includes: a drive source 543 for linearly moving the drive shaft 542; and a conversion mechanism 544 for converting the linear movement of the drive shaft 542 from the drive source 543 into rotation of the first rotation unit 520 and the second rotation unit 530. Therefore, the number of driving sources 543 of the driving section 540 can be suppressed. Since the chuck mechanism for holding or releasing a plurality of works W together can be driven by one driving unit 540, the structure becomes very simple.

(4) The switching mechanism 544 includes: a drive shaft 542 that moves linearly toward the shaft portion 510; and toggle arms 544a, 544b, which are a pair of linking members having one end rotatably linked to an end of the drive shaft 542 near the shaft portion 510, wherein the other end of one toggle arm 544a is rotatably linked to one first arm 522 of the first rotating portion 520 nearest to the drive shaft 542, and the other end of the other toggle arm 544b is rotatably linked to one second arm 532 of the second rotating portion 530 nearest to the drive shaft 542.

Therefore, the first rotating portion 520 and the second rotating portion 530 can be driven by one drive shaft 542, and thus, extremely high synchronism can be obtained as compared with the case of coupling and transmitting using gears or belts. Thereby, a plurality of works W can be held/released reliably at the same time. In addition, since a very simple structure can be formed, the failure rate is reduced and the cost is reduced. Further, when the workpiece W is reversed by rotating the chuck mechanism as a whole, the drive shaft 542 can be directly used as the rotation shaft, and thus a simpler structure can be formed.

(5) The driving part 540 rotates the first rotating part 520 and the second rotating part 530 in mutually opposite directions in synchronization. Accordingly, the holding or releasing operation can be performed by one driving unit 540.

(6) The supply unit 400 includes a storage 430, and the storage 430 accommodates a plurality of workpieces W held together by the chuck mechanism 500 in a stacked manner. Therefore, the chuck mechanism 500 can hold a plurality of workpieces W stacked and stored in the storage 430. That is, the chuck mechanism 500 includes a plurality of first holding portions 523 and second holding portions 533 that hold the workpiece W. In the storage 430 for stacking and accommodating the works W, a plurality of works W are stacked so as to correspond to the respective sets of the first holding portions 523 and the second holding portions 533. Thus, the first holding portions 523 and the second holding portions 533 can simultaneously hold the workpiece W together, and productivity is improved.

(7) The chuck mechanism 500 is provided so as to be horizontally rotatable, and the accumulator 430 is provided in plural at positions where the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533 can hold a plurality of works W at once in accordance with the horizontal rotation of the chuck mechanism 500. Therefore, a plurality of workpieces W can be prepared in advance, and continuous processing is possible, so that productivity is improved. In the present embodiment, a plurality of workpieces W held together are stacked and stored in accordance with the positions held by the chuck mechanism 500. The plurality of work pieces W stacked in each of the reservoirs 430 are arranged in a direction along the rotation locus of the first holding portion 523 and the second holding portion 533. Thus, one chuck mechanism 500 may be utilized to access multiple reservoirs 430. Further, since a plurality of workpieces W can be held together by one chuck mechanism 500, the efficiency can be greatly improved.

Modification example

The present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes modifications as described below.

(1) In this configuration, three first arms 522 and three second arms 532 are provided so as to be capable of holding or releasing three works W at the same time. The number of the first arms 522 and the second arms 532 may be two or four or more. Thus, two or more than four workpieces W can be simultaneously held or released, and a plurality of workpieces W can be held at once, thereby improving productivity.

(2) The film formation object may not be mounted on the jig J. That is, the jig J may not be used. In this case, the workpiece W is only the substrate S as a film formation target.

(3) The number of targets 10 in the film forming section 100 is not limited to the number exemplified in the embodiment. The target 10 may be provided in the singular or three or more. By increasing the number of targets 10, the film forming rate (film forming speed) can be increased, and productivity can be improved.

The plurality of targets 10 may be a common film-forming material or may be different kinds of film-forming materials. By using a common film-forming material, the film-forming rate can be increased. By using different kinds of film-forming materials to form films simultaneously or sequentially, films including layers of a plurality of film-forming materials can also be formed.

(4) The number of the film forming sections 100 may be plural. That is, the film forming section 100 may be provided at a plurality of stop positions of the carrier. The film formation rate can be increased by increasing the number of film formation portions 100 using a common film formation material. By forming films simultaneously or sequentially using different types of film forming materials in the plurality of film forming portions 100, a film including a layer of the plurality of film forming materials can be formed. The structure for generating plasma in the film forming section 100 is not limited to a specific type. For example, when the film forming section 100 is added to the preliminary position, the film forming section 200 is required to form a film on the other surface of the workpiece W, which is inverted by the film forming section, and thus productivity is improved.

(5) In addition to the film forming section 100, a processing section that performs plasma etching, ashing, other surface modification, cleaning, formation of a compound film, and the like may be provided at any stop position. The structure for generating plasma in the processing section is not limited to a specific type. Such a processing section may be provided at the preliminary position.

(6) The conveyance device is not limited to the turntable 3. The support portion or the holder H may be a rotating body that rotates while holding the support portion or the holder H on arms extending radially from a rotation center. The number of holders H transported and simultaneously handled by the transport device and the number of support portions for supporting them are singular in the above-described form, but may be plural.

(7) The film forming section 100 and the processing section may be located on the installation surface side of the chamber 2, or may be located on the opposite side or may be located on the side surface side. The direction in which the holder H is moved into and out of the film forming chamber 110 and the processing chamber may be from the side of the surface where the film forming chamber 110 and the processing chamber are provided, or from the opposite side or from the side.

(8) In the above embodiment, the direction corresponding to the gravity is set to the lower side, and the direction against the gravity is set to the upper side. The lifting at this time is an up-down motion. However, the arrangement direction of the film forming apparatus 1 is not limited to this, and for example, the vertical relationship between the turntable 3 and the film forming chamber 110 may be reversed. The turntable 3 is not limited to the horizontal one, and may be arranged vertically or obliquely. The deposition apparatus 1 may be provided with a floor surface, a ceiling surface, or a side wall surface.

(9) When the cooling mechanism is provided at the preliminary position to cool the workpiece W, the workpiece W whose temperature has risen due to film formation can be cooled, and therefore, the occurrence of deformation or thermal damage can be suppressed. In addition, when the film can be cooled to a desired temperature during the film forming time, the preliminary position is set as the cooling standby position, and the occurrence of deformation or thermal damage can be suppressed without providing a cooling mechanism. In the above-described embodiment, the reversing section 200 is provided with the cooling mechanism using the cooling plate, but the reversing section may be used in combination with the cooling mechanism at the preliminary position, or the cooling mechanism may be provided only at any position.

(10) The film forming apparatus 1 may be provided with three stop positions instead of the preliminary position. In this case, the intermittent rotary conveyance is 120 ° at a time. Furthermore, a plurality of preliminary positions may be provided. For example, by providing a plurality of film forming portions 100 at a plurality of stop positions, film formation can be performed using different types of materials. In this case, a device for performing film treatment (surface treatment such as annealing, oxidation, nitriding, planarization, and cleaning) of the formed film may be allocated at the preliminary position.

Other embodiments

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and structural elements may be modified and embodied in an implementation stage within a range not departing from the gist thereof. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriate combinations of the plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some of the constituent elements may be deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment modes. Further, the constituent elements in the different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

Claims

1. A chuck mechanism, comprising:

a first rotating portion provided rotatably about a shaft portion, having a plurality of first arms extending radially from the shaft portion, and having first holding portions provided at respective distal ends of the first arms and contacting/separating from an outer edge of a workpiece;

a second rotating portion provided rotatably coaxially with the first rotating portion, having a plurality of second arms radially extending from the shaft portion, and having second holding portions provided at respective distal ends of the second arms and contacting/separating from an outer edge of the workpiece; and

and a driving unit configured to simultaneously rotate the first rotating unit and the second rotating unit, and to simultaneously move the pair of the first holding unit and the second holding unit between a holding position for holding the workpiece and a releasing position for releasing the workpiece, thereby holding or releasing the plurality of the workpieces together.

2. The chuck mechanism according to claim 1, wherein,

the driving section rotates the first rotating section and the second rotating section in mutually opposite directions in synchronization.

3. The chuck mechanism according to claim 1, wherein,

the holding positions of the first holding portion and the second holding portion are set so as to be capable of holding the workpiece in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft portion.

4. The chuck mechanism according to claim 1, wherein,

the driving unit includes:

a drive source for linearly moving the drive shaft; and

and a conversion mechanism that converts a linear movement of the drive shaft by the drive source into a rotation of the first rotation portion and the second rotation portion.

5. The chuck mechanism according to claim 4, wherein,

the switching mechanism has:

the drive shaft moves linearly toward the shaft portion; and

a pair of connecting members, one end of which is rotatably connected with the end of the driving shaft near the shaft part,

the other end of one of the connecting members is rotatably connected to one of the first arms of the first rotating portion closest to the drive shaft,

the other end of the connecting member is rotatably connected to one of the second arms of the second rotating portion closest to the drive shaft.

6. The chuck mechanism according to claim 1, wherein,

the number of the first arms is more than three,

the number of the second arms is more than three, and

is arranged to be able to hold or release three or more of said workpieces simultaneously.

7. A film forming apparatus includes:

a chamber that can be set to a vacuum;

a film forming section provided in the chamber, the film forming section forming a film of a plurality of workpieces by sputtering in a film forming chamber having a target;

a transport body provided in the chamber and transporting the plurality of workpieces to positions opposed to the film forming chamber;

a carry-in/carry-out section for carrying in/out the workpiece with respect to the chamber; and

a supply unit having the chuck mechanism according to claim 1, and collectively delivering the plurality of workpieces to the carry-in/out unit.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein,

the supply portion is provided with a reservoir which,

the storage is configured to house a plurality of the workpieces collectively held by the chuck mechanism in a stacked manner.

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein,

the chuck mechanism is arranged to be rotatable in a direction parallel to the workpiece,

The plurality of the holders are provided at positions where the first holding portion and the second holding portion can hold the plurality of the workpieces together in accordance with rotation of the chuck mechanism.

10. A film forming apparatus includes:

a chamber that can be set to a vacuum;

a film forming section provided in the chamber, the film forming section forming a film of a plurality of workpieces by sputtering in a film forming chamber having a target; and

an inversion unit for holding the plurality of workpieces formed by the film forming unit by the chuck mechanism according to claim 1 and for collectively inverting the plurality of workpieces.

11. A film forming apparatus includes:

a chamber that can be set to a vacuum;

a carry-in/carry-out section for carrying in/out the workpiece with respect to the chamber;

a supply unit having the chuck mechanism according to claim 1, for collectively transferring the plurality of workpieces to the carry-in/out unit; and

12. A film forming apparatus includes:

a chamber that can be set to a vacuum;

the chuck mechanism of claim 1;

a storage unit configured to house a plurality of the workpieces collectively held by the chuck mechanism in a stacked manner;

a supply unit that collectively delivers a plurality of workpieces to the carry-in/out unit; and

an inversion unit configured to hold the plurality of workpieces formed by the film forming unit by the chuck mechanism according to claim 1 and to invert the plurality of workpieces at once.