JPH0521984B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus, and particularly to a vacuum processing apparatus that processes a workpiece internally using plasma.

[Background of the invention]

Vacuum processing equipment, such as plasma etching equipment and plasma CVD equipment, which processes objects to be processed using plasma in a vacuum processing chamber, uses gas flow rate control in the gas supply pipe that connects the gas supply equipment and the vacuum processing chamber. A controller having an orifice with means, that is, a gas supply system in which a mass flow controller (hereinafter abbreviated as MFC) and a stop valve are arranged, and a control device for controlling the operation of the MFC and the stop valve are generally provided. ing.

In such a vacuum processing apparatus, after the processing of the workpiece in the vacuum processing chamber is completed, the stop valves installed on the upstream and downstream sides of the MFC are simultaneously closed, and the vacuum processing chamber is evacuated to a predetermined pressure. Ru. After discharging the processed materials from the vacuum processing chamber, transporting new materials to the vacuum processing chamber, and completing the installation,
All stop valves are opened and gas is again supplied to the vacuum processing chamber.

In such vacuum processing equipment, gas that has remained between the MFC orifice and the stop valve on the upstream side of the MFC due to leak gas at the MFC orifice or a delay in the control of the MFC orifice is removed from the MFC.
There is a leak between the stop valve and the stop valve on the downstream side of the MFC, and the pressure between them reaches several times the pressure during processing. Therefore, when resupplying gas to the vacuum processing chamber,
When the stop valve on the downstream side of the MFC is opened, gas will protrude into the vacuum processing chamber, causing foreign matter in the stop valve and gas supply pipe to scatter and adhere to the object to be processed. There were some shortcomings.

[Purpose of the invention]

The purpose of the present invention is to provide vacuum processing that can prevent deterioration in the processing quality of the processed object by preventing the scattering of foreign objects caused by the gas in the gas supply pipe of the gas supply system and suppressing the adhesion of foreign objects to the processed object. The goal is to provide equipment.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention provides a vacuum processing chamber in which a workpiece is processed, a vacuum evacuation means, a gas supply pipe connected to the vacuum processing chamber, and a vacuum processing chamber disposed in the middle of the gas supply pipe in order from the upstream side. a first stop valve, a second stop valve, a third stop valve,
a gas flow control means disposed in the gas supply pipe between the first stop valve and the second stop valve; a gas flow control means disposed in the gas supply pipe between the gas flow control means and the second stop valve; an exhaust pipe connecting the evacuation means, a fourth stop valve disposed on the exhaust pipe, opening/closing of the first stop valve, second stop valve, third stop valve, and fourth stop valve, and the gas flow rate. The present invention is characterized in that the vacuum processing apparatus is comprised of a control device for instructing the closing and opening degrees of the control means;

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The gas supply system 10 includes a gas supply pipe 11 that connects the gas supply device 20 and the vacuum processing chamber 30, an MFC 12 disposed in the gas supply pipe 11, and stop valves 13 to 15. 15 is controlled by a control device 40. A stop valve 13 is provided on the upstream side of the MFC 12, a stop valve 14 is provided on the downstream side, and a stop valve 15 is provided on the downstream side of the stop valve 14.

Further, one end of an exhaust pipe 50 provided with a stop valve 16 is connected to the gas supply pipe 11 between the stop valves 14 and 15. The other end of the exhaust pipe 50 is connected to, for example, an exhaust device (not shown) that evacuates the vacuum processing chamber 30.

In this configuration, after the processing of the workpiece (not shown) in the vacuum processing chamber 30 is completed, the stop valves 13 and 15 are closed, the stop valve 16 is opened, and the control device 40 issues a command to completely close the orifice of the MFC 12. . The control device 40
After receiving a signal from the MFC 12 that the valves are completely closed, the stop valves 14 and 16 are closed. During this time, the space between the MFC 12 and the stop valve 15 is evacuated by an exhaust device through the exhaust pipe 50, and the residual gas is exhausted and the objects to be processed are exchanged in the vacuum processing chamber 30.

To resupply gas to the vacuum processing chamber 30, the stop valves 14 and 15 are opened, and then the stop valve 13 is opened. The control device 40 again issues a signal to the MFC 12 to command the orifice opening so that the gas flows up to the required flow rate, and the gas is slowly supplied to the vacuum processing chamber 30.

In the method of supplying gas to the vacuum processing chamber 30 as in this embodiment, when gas is supplied to the vacuum processing chamber 30, the gas is prevented from protruding and the stop valve 1 of the gas supply system is closed.
4, 15 and the gas in the gas supply pipe 11, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the object to be processed and to prevent deterioration in the processing quality of the object to be processed.

Further, since the gas supply pipe 11 on the downstream side of the MFC 12 can be evacuated without passing through the vacuum processing chamber, the throughput of the vacuum processing apparatus can be improved.

In the above embodiment, if there is a large amount of leakage at the orifice of the MFC 12 and gas flows into the outlet side of the MFC 12, the stop valve on the upstream side of the MFC 12 should be 13, the stop valve 14 on the downstream side of the MFC 12, and the stop valve 15 on the downstream side are closed, and the stop valve 16 in the exhaust pipe is opened, and at the same time, the control device issues a command to fully open the orifice of the MFC. .

Furthermore, when the MFC 12 is used to control a small amount of flow rate, it takes time to exhaust the exhaust pipe, so a bypass pipe that bypasses the MFC 12 is connected to the gas supply pipe 11, and a stop valve is provided in the pipe to shorten the exhaust time. Shorten the time required to change the workpiece.
The downstream side of the stop valve on the upstream side of the MFC may be evacuated.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, after the gas supply to the vacuum processing chamber is stopped and before the gas supply is started,
Since the gas supply pipe on the downstream side of the MFC is evacuated,
When gas is supplied to the vacuum processing chamber, it prevents the gas from protruding and prevents foreign matter from scattering due to the gas in the gas supply pipe of the gas supply system.It also prevents foreign matter from adhering to the workpiece and improves the processing quality of the workpiece. It is. Furthermore, the gas supply pipe can be evacuated without going through the vacuum processing apparatus, and the throughput of the vacuum processing apparatus is improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10...Gas supply system, 11...Gas supply pipe, 1
2...MFC, 13, 14, 15, 16...stop valve, 20...gas supply device, 30...vacuum processing device, 40...control device, 50...exhaust pipe.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 a vacuum processing chamber in which the object to be processed is processed;
evacuation means, a gas supply pipe connected to the vacuum processing chamber, a first stop valve, a second stop valve, and a third stop valve disposed in the middle of the gas supply pipe in order from the upstream side; 1st
a gas flow rate control means disposed in the gas supply pipe between the stop valve and the second stop valve; and a gas supply pipe and evacuation means between the gas flow rate control means and the second stop valve. an exhaust pipe connecting the exhaust pipe, a fourth stop valve disposed in the exhaust pipe, opening and closing of the first stop valve, second stop valve, third stop valve, and fourth stop valve, and of the gas flow rate control means. A vacuum processing device consisting of a control device that commands closing and opening degrees.