Ion bombardment apparatus and method for cleaning of surface of base material using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9911576-B2
Application number	US-201213666038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2012
Priority date	Nov 25, 2011
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

In an ion bombardment apparatus of the present invention, a heating type thermal electron emission electrode formed by a filament is placed on one inner surface of a vacuum chamber, an anode for receiving a thermal electron from the thermal electron emission electrode is placed on another inner surface of the vacuum chamber, and a base material is placed between the thermal electron emission electrode and the anode. Further, the ion bombardment apparatus has a discharge power supply for generating a glow discharge upon application of a potential difference between the thermal electron emission electrode and the anode, a heating power supply for heating the thermal electron emission electrode so as to emit the thermal electron, and a bias power supply for applying negative pulse-shaped bias potential with respect to the vacuum chamber to the base material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ion bombardment apparatus for cleaning a surface of a base material placed in a vacuum chamber by irradiating gas ions generated in the vacuum chamber, comprising:
a work table for supporting the base material;
a heating type thermal electron emission electrode placed on one inner surface of the vacuum chamber and formed by a filament;
an anode placed on another inner surface of the vacuum chamber, the anode for receiving a thermal electron from said thermal electron emission electrode;
a discharge power supply for generating a glow discharge upon application of a potential difference between said thermal electron emission electrode and said anode, the discharge power supply being insulated from the vacuum chamber;
a heating power supply for heating said thermal electron emission electrode so as to emit the thermal electron;
a bias power supply for applying negative potential with respect to the vacuum chamber to the base material, the bias power supply serving as a pulse power supply, wherein the gas ions generated in the vicinity of the base material by said discharge power supply, said heating power supply, and said bias power supply are capable of being irradiated to the surface of the base material; and
a switch connected to selectively switch the discharge power supply between the anode and the base material, wherein
the work table is negatively biased by the bias power supply and placed at a position in which the work table supports the base material and allows the supported base material to be placed between said thermal electron emission electrode and said anode.

2. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , therein
the negative potential applied to the base material by said pulse power supply has a frequency of 20 kHz or more.

3. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 2 , therein
the negative potential applied to the base material by said pulse power supply has a frequency of 200 kHz or more.

4. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
said thermal electron emission electrode includes a plurality of filaments.

5. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a positive side output of said discharge power supply is selectively connectable to said anode and the base material.

6. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a length of said thermal electron emission electrode is the same as or more than a space provided in the vacuum chamber where the base material is treated.

7. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the work table is positioned at a position in which the work table allows the base material to block a straight line connecting between said thermal electron emission electrode and said anode.

8. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, the heating power supply is separate from the discharge power supply and outputs an AC current, and
the ion bombardment apparatus further comprises an insulating transformer for transmitting power from the heating power supply to the thermal emission electrode, the insulating transformer connecting between the heating power supply and the thermal emission electrode in electrically insulating state.

9. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the filament comprises a central tap.

10. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the discharge power supply is connected to the central tap of the filament.

11. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the transformer is an insulating transformer, and the filament is connected across a secondary coil of the insulating transformer.

12. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge power supply, the heating power supply, and the bias power supply are electrically independent from each other.

13. The ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the switch connects the discharge power supply to the anode, the anode functions as an arc evaporation source.

14. A method for cleaning of a surface of a base material before film formation using the ion bombardment apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
maintaining a heating current flowing through said thermal electron emission electrode and gas pressure of a gas atmosphere in the vacuum chamber until a glow discharge is started between said thermal electron emission electrode and said anode, the heating current and the gas pressure being required for start of the glow discharge;
lowering the gas pressure and the heating current to values with which the discharge is sustainable after the discharge is started; and
activating said bias power supply so as to apply pulse-shaped bias voltage to the base material after the discharge is started.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Hirota Satoshi
• Goto Naoyuki
• Nomura Homare
• Cremer Rainer

Classifications

• C23C14/564

  Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases · CPC title

• C23C14/325

  Electric arc evaporation · CPC title

• H01J37/32403

  Treating multiple sides of workpieces, e.g. 3D workpieces · CPC title

• H01J37/32862

  In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts · CPC title

• H01J37/32018 Primary

  Glow discharge · CPC title