aton pvd 整体介绍01-P-4772-Rev-00- ATON-1600-General_introduction_图文

1、 Technical DescriptionGeneral IntroductionATON 1600 SiNPVD ToolWafer Sputtering PlantTechnical HandbookEdition 05/2008 (P004772Rev-00 Applied Materials CONFIDENTIALApplied Materials CONFIDENTIALPrinted 11.06 2008PUBLICATION HISTORYRevision: Date: Part #:00 July 2008For additional copies of this docu

2、ment contact:Applied Materials GmbH & Co. KGSiemensstraße 100 63755 Alzenau GermanyREVISIONSThe specifications and information in this document are subject to change without notice. All statements, information, and recommendations in this manual are believed to be accurate at the time of pu

3、blication but are presented without warranty of any kind, express or implied. In no event shall Applied Materials or its suppliers be liable for any indirect, special, consequential, orincidental damages, including, without limitation, lost profits or loss or damage arising out of the use or inabili

4、ty to use this manual, even if Applied Materials or is suppliers have been advised of the possibility of such damages.Applied Materials, in its sole discretion may revise this publication or release document changes as the product design evolves or to include additional information.When a new docume

5、nt version is released, Applied Materials recommends that old versions be destroyed to ensure use of the most current document.U.S. and Foreign Patents PendingAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form without written permission fromApplied Materials GmbH & Co. KGC-3A

6、pplied Materials CONFIDENTIAL Printed 11.06.2008 Contents1.1 SputteringPlant (51.1.1 GeneralIntroduction (51.1.2 PlantDesign (61.1.3 Plant Installation and Arrangement (71.1.4 Overview of Plant Systems (81.1.5 ProcessSystems ( SputteringProcessCathodes and Targets (91.1.6 Coating Process Pri

7、nciple (101.1.7 ProcessSupport Systems ( ChamberSystem ( VacuumSystem ( PressureMeasurement ( Tempering/Cooling (Heat Exchanger System ( Process Transport system ( UtilitySystems and Equipment ( Control Systems and Operator's Control

8、 PCs (201.1.8 SafetySystems (22C-4 Applied Materials CONFIDENTIALPrinted 11.06 2008List of ReviewsVersionDateUpdatePagesInATON 1600 Technical-Description1-5 Applied Materials CONFIDENTIALPrinted 11.06.20081.1 Sputtering Plant1.1.1 General IntroductionWith increasing demands for photovoltaic solar ce

9、ll producers to offer a low cost, highly efficientsolar generators, the Applied Materials ATON coating plant is becoming ideal tool for the mass production techniques for this market. Its robust and modular design enables manufacturers toproduce a hybrid layer system of Silicon Nitride at very high

10、production rates. Layer system materials are sputtered using solid Silicon Si - targets in an atmosphere of Argon, Nitrogen and Ammonia.Figure 1. Typical view of Vacuum Chambers of the ATON Coating PlantThe coating plant provides the high vacuum environment where the sputtering process can efficient

11、ly take place to coat Si wafer substrates. The plants control system secures coordinated operation of the sputtering process gas, energy and speed parameters as well as keeping check on plant operating conditions such as vacuum pressures, throughput and water cooling. Control systems provide automat

12、ic in-process control and monitoring using PC screens.ProcessSputter ChamberPre-Treatment ChamberEntrance Chamber 1.1.2 Plant DesignThe plant comprises several separated chambers as shown below. The sputter compartment comprisesseparate compartments, each of which contains a cathode and/or heater. P

13、lants are designeddepending on production speed and layer requirements. In most cases, physical sizes are fixed but production times and layer functions can be varied by the installation of other cathode units in the sputter compartments. Substrates are fed through the plant from the entrance chambe

14、r and pass through each chamber, as shown in fig. below. V acuum PumpsV acuum PumpsPC ControllerControl panelLoading Station Entrance Chamber Buffer Sputter Transfer Buffer Chamber Exit ChamberUnloading StationPlasma and Plasm a and Sputter TransferFigure 2. Principle Arrangement of Coating PlantThe

15、 time taken for a specific plant function (e.g. chamber evacuation to take place and movement of substrate batch out of/into sputter chamber is referred to as the cycle time. The minimum cycle time can be based on the time taken to obtain a working vacuum, i.e. pump down the entrance chamber to the

16、required pressure level. Actual throughput times of a substrate carried for a complete layer to be deposited basically depend on the cathode and the characteristic of the system and the sputter parameters. Electrical EquipmentView of entrance chamberAreaFigure 3. Arrangement of the Coating Plant on

17、floor Front view 1.1.3 Plant Installation and ArrangementThe plant basic layout is shown in the following figures. Figure 4. Example of Utilities and Coating Plant layoutThe plant is positioned as shown below allowing the utility equipment to be installed directly below the chambers on a separate fl

18、oor. Rough Vacuum Rough Vacuum Rough vacuumFigure 5. Typical equipment layout on the plant floor 1.1.4 Overview of Plant SystemsThe plant comprises a central mechanical structure making up the chamber system, and varioussystems, which directly and indirectly control and sustain the process. The syst

19、ems and theirrelationship are shown in the following block diagram. Each plant system is treated separately, but system interaction is commonplace and cross-reference is thus necessary for a completeunderstanding of the operation and function. System groups comprise process, support, utility, and co

20、ntrol. Intro3Operators PC'sService Switches and ControlsFigure 6. Overview of Plant Systems Systems1.1.5 Process Sputtering Process Cathodes and TargetsDepositing thin layers of metals, nitrides or oxides on the substrate is achieved by a sputtering process using a cathode which contains

21、a target made from the required material to be deposited. The targetconsists of the coating base material Silicon, which combines with N2 gas atoms to produce theSilicon nitride layer. Targets are consumed during the process and have to be periodically replaced.The cathode assembly is designed to be

22、 easily removed and replaced in the process chamber for thepurpose of target replacement.The design of the cathode and the sputtering environment is fixed using a twin cathode type, Twin C-Mag Mag cathodes comprise two separate cathodes with rotating targets, each operating alternately at the freque

23、ncy of the power supply. The sputter process requires an enclosed chamber injected withgas, the target, and a power supply. Figure 7. C-Mag Cathodes in chamberSputter chambers are designed for other types of cathodes to be retrofitted. Such as rotatablecathodes. 1.1.6 Coating Process PrincipleThe sp

24、utter process principally covers the substrate with a very thin layer of the cathode targetmaterial combined with the gas. The sputtering principle is the same for both DC, and AC/MFcathodes. Twin cathodes are supplied with AC power at around 40zH. These cathodes contain twoseparate cathodes and tar

25、gets; each target changes over from a cathode (negative to an anode(positive at the power supply frequency. Figure 8. Sputter environmentThe sputtering process takes place in a high vacuum environment and requires electrical energy andgas to form a plasma.High energy ions are formed in the plasma wh

26、ich are used to "hit" the cathode target. This results intarget atoms being knocked off the target.The target atoms, which can be metallic or combined with reactive gas form nitrates, subsequentlycondense on the substrate forming the thin film coating.Factors controlling the coating includ

27、e target materials, gas mixtures and quantity as well as electrical energy.The speed at which the substrate is passed through the process also influences the thickness of thecoating.Fixed factors include a stable vacuum and chamber cooling. The cleanness of the chamber also adds a great influence as

28、 waste material in the chamber can cause severe degrading of the coating quality.Process systems are directly responsible for sustaining and controlling the process. These include: Process Energy System - comprising an electronic controlled high energy power supply. This provides the energy for the

29、sputtering process and pre-treatment. Power can range up to 100 kW MF for sputter cathodes. Pre-treatment cathode requires 10 kW supply.Process Gas System - gas is injected into the sputter chamber via a gas control valve system which regulates gas quantity (flow. Piping for gas supplies are install

30、ed for three gas types - Argon, Nitrogen and Ammonia to be supplied to chambers. Gas distribution in the chamber comprises a main gas duct with all gasses mixed and a tuning gas duct comprising several separate segments. Each compartment can be supplied with a selected tuning gas through a multi seg

31、ment distribution pipe.Heater System - for heating substrates before coating heater elements are installed in separate chambers. These are thermostatically controlled to maintain constant temperatures.Heater Calibration - The calibration of all heater power levels is performed with the help of a tes

32、t carrier, which is equipped with a multi-channel temperature-measuring device. It is powered with rechargeable Nickel-MH batteries.Sputtering/Pre-treatment Cathodes - These two cathodes are installed in the chamber. The sputter cathode contains the target, which in principle supplies the basic coat

33、ing material. The chamber must be engineered to suit the specific type of cathode. The pretreatment cathode is used for substrate preparation/etching prior to coating. Figure 9. System groups required for sputter chamber-process Figure 10. Front View of Cathode Power Supply and an Example of a gas s

34、upply Figure 11. Carrier at chamber filled with substrate 1.1.7 Process Support SystemsThese systems provide and support the environment for the process to efficiently take place. These include: Chamber SystemThe chamber system comprises the central mechanical structure providing the process

35、environmentand various mechanical handling components. To enable the sputter chamber to maintain the constant high vacuum extra chambers are used, which allow a change of vacuum levels from e.g. atmosphere to the process pressure. Chambers can be easily accessed for internal maintenance by removal o

36、f top covers on cathodes. The chamber system comprises: Entrance and exit chambers , which provide the 1st stage vacuum levels and parks the substrate during vacuum pumping. Substrate waits until pressure equalization. Pre-treatment chamber a low pressure chamber containing a cathode designed for th

37、e pre-treatment process. Sputter compartment unit is where the actual process takes place; it contains the cathodes, anodes and gas inlets. Angular Lock or gate valves are located between each main chamber and at the entrance and exit of the plant. These open to let the substrate pass in and out of

38、chambers. During evacuation of each chamber, these are closed to secure a vacuum-tight enclosure.Main Coating V a l v e 1a l v e 6 Figure 12. Arrangement of Chamber Figure 13. Gate valve and substrate carrier at exit chamberFigure 14. Rough pump set for Process chambers equipped with special rotary

39、vane pump.Gate valve Vacuum SystemThree pump sets produce the required vacuum levels in each chamber. Each chamber uses a vacuum pump set comprising roots and rotary vane pump. The sputter compartment uses an extra stage ofturbo pumps to produce the required higher vacuum. The sputter proces

40、s chamber is always kept atthe required process pressure during normal plant operation. Entrance and exit chambers change their vacuum levels during the transporting of the substrates to and from atmosphere. Figure 15. Rough pump set and Turbo pump mounted directly on the side of the chamber

41、Pressure MeasurementVacuum gauges are distributed on the chambers. These send actual pressure values to the controlsystem. Various types of data transmitters are used depending on ranges of pressure measured to send digital pressure values to the control system. Applied Materials CONFIDENTIALPrinted

42、 11.06 200Tempering/Cooling (Heat Exchanger SystemThe plant requires two cooling systems: Tempering - Constant temperature water (“coolant“ is supplied to the cathode, its surrounding and power supplies Cooling for chambers, transport and pumpsThis helps to maintain stable process operating

43、conditions. Figure 16. View of Cooling/Tempering Unit Applied Materials CONFIDENTIALPrinted 11.06.200Process Transport systemThe transport system provides a controlled speed for moving the substrate through the process chamber. It also provides the drive systems for the transport of substrat

44、es through the entrance exit and buffer chambers. Figure 17. Substrate carrier with and without substrates Applied Materials CONFIDENTIALPrinted 11.06 2008During the transport of substrates through the plant, light beam units monitor substrate carriers and measurement software system counts them and

45、 determines their position in the chamber. This enables various combinations of carriers to be securely transported through the plant. The system makes sure a carrier has completely left the conveyor and is available for the next batch.Substrates are loaded into a carrier placed onto a conveyor comp

46、rising drive wheels. The transport systems then maintain a continuous flow of substrates through the plant. The mechanical components of the transport system comprise mainly of drive wheels. Cover screens are mounted over the rollers. Screens are removable for inspection and cleaning. Figure 18. Ext

47、ernal carrier drive belts and cooling pipes to various components Applied Materials CONFIDENTIALPrinted 11.06.200Utility Systems and EquipmentThe utility and equipment systems provide the services to the plant systems. These include: Electrical power supply panel to distribute electrical ene

48、rgy to the systems and equipment. Compressed air for the operation of valves and for blowing out water from cooling systems. External cooling water supply for pumps via the cooling/tempering unit and tempering unit heat exchanger. Figure 19. Example of a Main Power Distribution Cabinet Power supply

49、out Applied Materials CONFIDENTIALPrinted 11.06 200Control Systems and Operator's Control PCsThese provide overall control and monitoring of process and plant systems. Manual and automatic control systems are employed. The operator control and monitoring is performed from central PC's. The control functions of the plant and process systems are automatically controlled by a PLC with visual display on the PC.Operators Control PC enables the control of the process parameters. Gas, energy and speed as well as plant control such as vacuum pumping and gate valve control. T