Film formation method, vacuum processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor light emitting element, semiconductor light emitting element, method of manufacturing semiconductor electronic element, semiconductor electronic element, and illuminating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11035034-B2
Application number	US-201715416720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

The present invention provides a film formation method and a film formation apparatus which can fabricate an epitaxial film with +c polarity by a sputtering method. In one embodiment of the present invention, the film formation method of epitaxially growing a semiconductor thin film with a wurtzite structure by the sputtering method on an epitaxial growth substrate heated to a predetermined temperature by a heater includes the following steps. First, the substrate is disposed on a substrate holding portion including the heater to be located at a predetermined distance away from the heater. Then, the epitaxial film of the semiconductor film with the wurtzite structure is formed on the substrate with the impedance of the substrate holding portion being adjusted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sputtering method of forming an epitaxial film of a+c polarity with a wurtzite structure on a substrate using a vacuum processing apparatus which includes:
a vacuum chamber capable of being vacuumed;
a heater which has therein a heater electrode capable of heating the substrate to a given temperature;
a target electrode which is provided in the vacuum chamber and to which a target is attachable;
a first radio-frequency power supply which inputs first radio-frequency power into the target via the target electrode;
a substrate holding device which is disposed around the substrate, which forms part of a return route through which the radio-frequency power input from the first radio-frequency power supply returns to a ground, and which is capable of supporting the substrate;
a holder supporting unit provided in the vacuum chamber, for supporting the substrate holding device to separate, by a predetermined distance, a back surface of the substrate holding device from a substrate facing surface of the heater;
an impedance adjuster, which is disposed between the holder supporting unit and the ground, which adjusts impedance of the substrate holding device, and which forms part of the return route;
a second radio-frequency power supply, placed between the ground and the impedance adjuster, for inputting second radio-frequency power into the substrate holding device via the holder supporting unit; and
a sensor, which forms part of the return route, having one end connected to the target electrode and the other end connected to the holder supporting unit for measuring a voltage between the target electrode and the substrate holding device,
the sputtering method comprising:
a substrate transporting step of holding, on the substrate holding device, the substrate so as to be held at a predetermined distance away from the substrate facing surface of the heater;
a film forming step of forming, by sputtering from the target electrode, an aluminum nitride epitaxial film of +c polarity with the wurtzite structure on the substrate held on the substrate holding device; and
an impedance adjustment step of adjusting the impedance adjuster such that the impedance of the substrate holding device is set to a predetermined value in the film forming step,
wherein the impedance adjustment step measures, using the sensor, a first voltage (VTGT) of a first radio-frequency voltage induced in the target electrode and having a first peak-to-peak amplitude and a second voltage (VHOD) of a second radio-frequency voltage induced in the substrate holding device and having a second peak-to-peak amplitude smaller than the first peak-to-peak amplitude, and adjusts capacitances of variable capacitors included in the impedance adjuster so that the first and second voltages (VTGT, VHOD) have an opposite phase relationship and restore the first and second peak-to-peak amplitudes.

2. The sputtering method according to claim 1 , further comprising a substrate heating step of heating the substrate to the given temperature by using the heater,
wherein the film forming step is a step of forming the epitaxial film of +c polarity with the wurtzite structure on the substrate heated during the substrate heating step.

3. The sputtering method according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate holding device holds the substrate while being in contact with a lower surface of the substrate in a direction of gravity.

4. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting element comprising the sputtering method according to claim 1 .

5. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor electronic element comprising the sputtering method according to claim 1 .

6. The sputtering method according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the holder supporting unit is formed from an electrically-conductive material, and the sensor is disposed between the target electrode and the electrically-conductive material.

Assignees

• Canon Anelva Corp

Inventors

• Daigo Yoshiaki
• Seino Takuya
• Ohtsuka Yoshitaka
• Makita Hiroyuki
• Ishibashi Sotaro
• Yamanaka Kazuto

Classifications

• H10P14/3451

  Structure · CPC title

• H10P14/3426

  Oxides · CPC title

• H10P14/2921

  being crystalline insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P14/2905

  Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium · CPC title

• H10P14/2904

  Silicon carbide · CPC title