Film forming apparatus for forming a crystalline silicon film

• US 6,258,173 B1
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissin Electric Company Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nissin Electric Company Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kirimura, Hiroya, Ogata, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALEJANDRO MULERO, LUZ L
• Application Number:
  US09/236,347
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 118/718, 118/719, 118/723.R, 118/723.VE, 118/723.CB, 118/723.EB, 118/723.MP, 118/723.FE, 118/723.FI, 118/723.MW, 118/723.ME, 118/723.MA, 118/723.MR, 118/723.E, 118/723.ER, 118/723.I, 118/723.IR, 118/723.AV, 156/345, 204/298.04, 204/298.05, 204/298.06, 204/298.24
• US Class Current: 118/719
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/24 Deposition of silicon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/402 Silicon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/105 by irradiation or electric discharge
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/06 Silicon

Abstract

A film forming apparatus includes a silicon film forming vacuum chamber for forming a crystalline silicon film on a substrate; a film forming device provided for the vacuum chamber for forming a pre-film of the crystalline silicon film on a target surface of the substrate; and an energy beam irradiating device provided for the vacuum chamber for irradiating the pre-film with an energy beam for crystallizing the pre-film. This film forming apparatus produce a crystalline silicon film having a good quality as a semiconductor film for a TFT or the like with good productivity.

Claims

1. A film forming apparatus comprising:

a silicon film forming vacuum chamber for forming a crystalline silicon film on a substrate surface;

an ion beam emission device provided in said vacuum chamber, for emitting an ion beam to said substrate surface;

a film forming device provided in said vacuum chamber, for forming a pre-film on said substrate surface at an ion beam emission region;

an energy beam irradiation device provided in said vacuum chamber for irradiating said pre-film with an energy beam, at an energy beam irradiation region, for crystallizing said pre-film; and

a substrate transporting device arranged in said vacuum chamber for moving said substrate from the ion beam emission region to the energy beam irradiation region in such a way that the surface of such substrate having said pre-film formed on it, at the ion beam emission region, is able to pass through the energy beam irradiation region while pre-film is being formed on the surface of said substrate moving through the ion beam emission region.

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said film forming device includes a plasma CVD device for forming said pre-film on said substrate.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said energy beam irradiating device is a laser light irradiating device and arranged adjacent to said film forming device.

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said energy beam irradiation device includes:

a laser light source arranged outside a plasma producing chamber of said plasma CVD device,

an optical system for determining a range irradiated with a laser light emitted from said laser light source,

a window formed on a wall of said plasma producing chamber for transmission of the laser light from said optical system into said chamber,

a pass for the laser light for irradiating said substrate with the laser light from said window, including a reflecting mirror and being covered with a protection plate for intercepting the plasma and ion beams.

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said ion source can emit the ion beam with an emission energy of about 100 eV to 1 keV.

6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said ion source can emit the ion beam with an emission energy of 500 eV to 10 keV.

7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said ion source can emit the ion beam with an emission energy of 100 eV to 1 keV.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said ion source can emit the ion beam with an emission energy of 500 eV to 10 keV.

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

an electrical insulating film forming vacuum chamber for forming an electrical insulating film on the target surface of said substrate is connected to said silicon film forming vacuum chamber via a connection hermetically sealed against an exterior.

10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a preheating vacuum chamber for preheating the substrate before the film formation is connected to said silicon film forming vacuum chamber via a connection hermetically sealed against an exterior.

11. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a preliminary vacuum chamber allowing external transportation of the substrate is connected to said silicon film forming vacuum chamber via a connection hermetically sealed against an exterior.