Film forming apparatus and method of forming a crystalline silicon film

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.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A film forming apparatus comprising: 
 a silicon film forming vacuum chamber for forming a crystalline silicon film on a substrate;    a film forming device provided for said vacuum chamber for forming a pre-film of the crystalline silicon film on a target surface of said substrate; and    an energy beam irradiating device provided for said vacuum chamber for irradiating said pre-film with an energy beam for crystallizing said pre-film.    
     
     
         2 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein 
 said film forming device can form said pre-film over a length, in a first direction, of the target surface of said substrate, said energy beam irradiation device can irradiate the target surface of said substrate over the length in the first direction with the energy beam, and a substrate transporting device is arranged in said silicon film forming vacuum chamber for moving said substrate in a second direction crossing said first direction of the target surface.    
     
     
         3 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein 
 said film forming device includes an ion source for emitting an ion beam to the substrate.    
     
     
         4 . 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 about 10 keV.    
     
     
         5 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 2   , wherein 
 said film forming device includes an ion source for emitting an ion beam to the substrate.    
     
     
         6 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 5   , wherein 
 said ion source can emit the ion beam with an emission energy of about 100 eV to about 10 keV.    
     
     
         7 . 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 external.    
     
     
         8 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 3   , 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 external.    
     
     
         9 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 5   , 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 external.    
     
     
         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.    
     
     
         12 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 10   , 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.    
     
     
         13 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 7   , 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; and    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.    
     
     
         14 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 8   , 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; and    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.    
     
     
         15 . The film forming apparatus according to    claim 9   , 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; and    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.    
     
     
         16 . A crystalline silicon film forming method comprising the steps of: 
 preparing a film forming apparatus having a silicon film forming vacuum chamber for forming a crystalline silicon film on a substrate, and provided with a film forming device for forming a pre-film of the crystalline silicon film on a target surface of said substrate, and an energy beam irradiating device for irradiating said pre-film with an energy beam for crystallizing said pre-film;    locating the substrate in said silicon film forming vacuum chamber, and forming the pre-film of the crystalline silicon film on the target surface of said substrate by said film forming device; and    producing the intended crystalline silicon film from said pre-film by irradiating said pre-film in said vacuum chamber with said energy beam for crystallization of said pre-film emitted from said energy beam irradiating device subsequently to the formation of said pre-film.    
     
     
         17 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 16   , wherein 
 said film forming device employs such a structure that can form said pre-film over a length, in a first direction, of the target surface of said substrate, said energy beam irradiation device employs such a structure that can irradiate the target surface of said substrate over the length in the first direction with the energy beam, and the intended crystalline silicon film can be successively formed by operating said film forming device to form said pre-film in said first direction on the target surface of said substrate, and concurrently operating said energy beam irradiation device to irradiate the formed pre-film with the energy beam while moving said substrate in a second direction crossing said first direction.    
     
     
         18 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 16   , wherein 
 said silicon film forming vacuum chamber is further provided with an ion source, and said pre-film of the crystalline silicon film is formed on said target surface while emitting an ion beam to the target surface of said substrate in said step of forming said pre-film by said film forming device.    
     
     
         19 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 17   , wherein 
 said silicon film forming vacuum chamber is further provided with an ion source, and said pre-film of the crystalline silicon film is formed on said target surface while emitting an ion beam to the target surface of said substrate in said step of forming said pre-film by said film forming device.    
     
     
         20 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 16   , wherein 
 said silicon film forming vacuum chamber is further provided with an ion source, an ion beam is emitted to the target surface of said substrate from said ion source prior to said step of forming said pre-film by said film forming device, and said pre-film is formed on said target surface irradiated with the ion beam.    
     
     
         21 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 17   , wherein 
 said silicon film forming vacuum chamber is further provided with an ion source, an ion beam is emitted to the target surface of said substrate from said ion source prior to said step of forming said pre-film by said film forming device, and said pre-film is formed on said target surface irradiated with the ion beam.    
     
     
         22 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 16   , wherein 
 said silicon film forming vacuum chamber is further provided with an ion source, and an ion beam is emitted to the target surface of said substrate from said ion source in an initial stage of said step of forming said pre-film by said film forming device.    
     
     
         23 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 17   , wherein 
 said silicon film forming vacuum chamber is further provided with an ion source, and an ion beam is emitted to the target surface of said substrate from said ion source in an initial stage of said step of forming said pre-film by said film forming device.    
     
     
         24 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 16   , wherein 
 said silicon film forming vacuum chamber is further provided with an ion source, and an ion beam is emitted to the target surface of said substrate from said ion source during a period from a stage before said pre-film forming step of forming said pre-film by said film forming device to an initial stage of said pre-film forming step.    
     
     
         25 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 17   , wherein 
 said silicon film forming vacuum chamber is further provided with an ion source, and an ion beam is emitted to the target surface of said substrate from said ion source during a period from a stage before said pre-film forming step of forming said pre-film by said film forming device to an initial stage of said pre-film forming step.    
     
     
         26 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 18   , wherein 
 an emission energy of said ion beam is in a range from 100 eV to 1 keV.    
     
     
         27 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 20   , wherein 
 an emission energy of said ion beam is in a range from 500 eV to 10 keV.    
     
     
         28 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 22   , wherein 
 an emission energy of said ion beam is in a range from 500 eV to 10 keV.    
     
     
         29 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 22   , wherein 
 an emission energy of said ion beam is in a range from 2 keV to 10 keV.    
     
     
         30 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 25   , wherein 
 an emission energy of said ion beam is in a range from 500 keV to 10 keV.    
     
     
         31 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 18   , wherein 
 said film forming device employs a structure performing the film formation by plasma CVD.    
     
     
         32 . The crystalline silicon film forming method according to    claim 31   , wherein 
 the formation of the pre-film by said plasma CVD uses a mixture gas of a silicon-contained gas and a hydrogen gas as a gas for film formation.