CN111118446A

CN111118446A - Apparatus and method for determining mask replacement timing, film forming apparatus and method, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Info

Publication number: CN111118446A
Application number: CN201911014414.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 柏仓一史; 石井博
Original assignee: Canon Tokki Corp
Current assignee: Canon Tokki Corp
Priority date: 2018-10-30
Filing date: 2019-10-24
Publication date: 2020-05-08
Also published as: KR20200048841A; KR102634162B1

Abstract

The present invention provides a device and a method for determining a mask replacement timing, a film forming device and a method for film forming, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device, wherein the device for determining a mask replacement timing is a device for determining a mask replacement timing, and is characterized by comprising: a mask supporting unit for supporting the mask; a measurement unit for measuring a deflection amount of the mask in a state of being supported by the mask support unit; and a determination control unit configured to determine whether or not the mask is replaced based on the measured deflection amount of the mask.

Description

Apparatus and method for determining mask replacement timing, film forming apparatus and method, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Technical Field

The invention relates to a device and a method for determining a mask replacement timing, a film forming device and a method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device.

Background

In the manufacture of an organic EL display device (organic EL display), when forming an organic light-emitting element (organic EL element; OLED) constituting the organic EL display device, a vapor deposition material evaporated from a vapor deposition source of a film formation device is vapor-deposited on a substrate through a mask on which a pixel pattern is formed, thereby forming an organic layer and a metal layer.

In a film forming apparatus of an upward vapor deposition method (upward deposition), a vapor deposition source is provided at a lower portion of a vacuum chamber of the film forming apparatus, and a substrate is disposed at an upper portion of the vacuum chamber and vapor-deposited on a lower surface of the substrate. In the vacuum chamber of such a deposition apparatus of the upward vapor deposition method, only the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate is held by the substrate holder, and therefore the substrate is deflected by its own weight, which is one of the factors that decrease the deposition accuracy. In a film forming apparatus of a system other than the vapor deposition system, there is a possibility that the substrate is deflected by its own weight.

As a method for reducing the deflection due to the self weight of the substrate, a technique using an electrostatic chuck is being studied. That is, by attracting the entire upper surface of the substrate with the electrostatic chuck, the deflection of the substrate can be reduced.

Patent document 1 (korean patent laid-open publication No. 2007 and 0010723) proposes a technique of attracting a substrate and a mask by an electrostatic chuck.

Patent document 1: korean patent laid-open publication No. 2007 and 0010723

However, the replacement of the used mask is not disclosed in patent document 1.

Disclosure of Invention

The purpose of the present invention is to more accurately determine the mask replacement timing.

Means for solving the problems

A device for determining a mask replacement timing according to claim 1 of the present invention is a device for determining a mask replacement timing, the device for determining a mask replacement timing comprising: a mask supporting unit for supporting the mask; a measurement unit for measuring a deflection amount of the mask in a state of being supported by the mask support unit; and a determination control unit configured to determine whether or not the mask is replaced based on the measured deflection amount of the mask.

A film deposition apparatus according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized by comprising the mask replacement timing determination device according to claim 1 of the present invention.

A method for determining a mask replacement timing according to claim 3 of the present invention is a method for determining a mask replacement timing, the method including: a support step of supporting the mask by the mask support unit; a measurement stage of measuring a deflection amount of the mask supported by the mask supporting unit; and a determination step of determining whether or not the mask is replaced based on the amount of deflection of the mask measured in the measurement step.

A film forming method according to claim 4 of the present invention is characterized by including the method of determining the mask replacement timing according to claim 3 of the present invention.

The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 5 of the present invention is characterized in that the film formation method according to claim 4 of the present invention is used to manufacture an electronic device.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, the mask replacement timing can be determined more accurately.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a part of an apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3a to 3c are conceptual views of a mask replacement timing determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic device.

Description of the reference numerals

11: film forming apparatus

21: vacuum container

22: substrate support unit

23: mask supporting unit

24: electrostatic chuck

40: control unit

49: transparent window

50. 51, 52, 53: measuring unit

54: determination control unit

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments and examples are merely illustrative of preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these configurations. In the following description, the hardware configuration and software configuration of the apparatus, the process flow, the manufacturing conditions, the dimensions, the materials, the shapes, and the like are not particularly limited, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these.

The present invention can be applied to an apparatus for depositing various materials on the surface of a substrate to form a film, and can be preferably applied to an apparatus for forming a thin film (material layer) having a desired pattern by vacuum deposition. As a material of the substrate, any material such as glass, a film of a polymer material, or a metal can be selected, and the substrate may be, for example, a substrate in which a film such as polyimide is laminated on a glass substrate. As the vapor deposition material, any material such as an organic material or a metallic material (metal, metal oxide, or the like) may be selected. The present invention is applicable to film forming apparatuses including sputtering apparatuses and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatuses, in addition to the vacuum Vapor Deposition apparatuses described in the following description. The technique of the present invention is particularly applicable to manufacturing apparatuses of organic electronic devices (e.g., organic light-emitting elements, thin-film solar cells), optical members, and the like. Among these, an apparatus for manufacturing an organic light-emitting element, which forms an organic light-emitting element by evaporating a vapor deposition material and depositing the vapor deposition material on a substrate through a mask, is one of preferable application examples of the present invention.

[ manufacturing apparatus for electronic device ]

Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a part of the structure of an apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device.

The manufacturing apparatus of fig. 1 is used for manufacturing a display panel of an organic EL display device for a smart phone, for example. In the case of a display panel for a smartphone, for example, a film for forming an organic EL element is formed on a 4.5 th generation substrate (about 700mm × about 900mm), a 6 th generation substrate having a full size (about 1500mm × about 1850mm), or a half-cut size (about 1500mm × about 925mm), and then the substrate is cut out to produce a plurality of small-sized panels.

The manufacturing apparatus of electronic devices generally includes a plurality of cluster apparatuses 1 and relay apparatuses connected between the cluster apparatuses.

The cluster apparatus 1 includes a plurality of film deposition devices 11 for performing processes (e.g., film deposition) on the substrate S, a plurality of mask storage devices 12 for storing masks M before and after use, and a transfer chamber 13 disposed at the center thereof. As shown in fig. 1, the transfer chamber 13 is connected to the plurality of film deposition apparatuses 11 and the mask stocker 12, respectively.

A transfer robot 14 for transferring the substrate and the mask is disposed in the transfer chamber 13. The transfer robot 14 transfers the substrate S from the path chamber 15 of the relay device disposed on the upstream side to the film deposition apparatus 11. Further, the transfer robot 14 transfers the mask M between the film formation device 11 and the mask stocker 12. The transfer robot 14 is, for example, a robot having a structure in which a robot hand holding the substrate S or the mask M is attached to an articulated arm.

In the film forming apparatus 11 (also referred to as a vapor deposition apparatus), a vapor deposition material stored in a vapor deposition source is heated by a heater to be evaporated, and is deposited on a substrate through a mask. The film forming apparatus 11 performs a series of film forming processes such as delivery and delivery of the substrate S to and from the transfer robot 14, adjustment (alignment) of the relative position between the substrate S and the mask M, fixation of the substrate S to the mask M, and film formation (vapor deposition). As described later, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the film formation apparatus 11, the amount of deflection of the mask is measured, and whether or not the mask needs to be replaced is determined based on the amount of deflection of the mask.

The mask stocker 12 stores a new mask used in the film forming process in the film forming apparatus 11 and a used mask separately in two cassettes. The transfer robot 14 transfers the used mask from the film deposition apparatus 11 to the cassette of the mask stocker 12, and transfers a new mask stored in another cassette of the mask stocker 12 to the film deposition apparatus 11. In the film forming apparatus 11, the vapor deposition process is repeatedly performed on a plurality of substrates using one mask, but a mask whose lifetime has expired after being used a predetermined number of times is carried out of the film forming apparatus 11 by the transfer robot 14 and replaced with a new mask.

The cluster apparatus 1 is connected to a passage chamber 15 and a buffer chamber 16, the passage chamber 15 transferring the substrate S from the upstream side to the cluster apparatus 1 in the flow direction of the substrate S, and the buffer chamber 16 transferring the substrate S on which the film formation process has been completed in the cluster apparatus 1 to another cluster apparatus on the downstream side. The transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13 receives the substrate S from the upstream path chamber 15 and transfers the substrate S to one of the film forming apparatuses 11 (for example, the film forming apparatus 11a) in the cluster apparatus 1. The transfer robot 14 receives the substrate S on which the film formation process has been completed in the cluster apparatus 1 from one of the plurality of film formation apparatuses 11 (e.g., the film formation apparatus 11b), and transfers the substrate S to the buffer chamber 16 connected downstream.

A turning chamber 17 for changing the orientation of the substrate is provided between the buffer chamber 16 and the path chamber 15. A transfer robot 18 is provided in the turning chamber 17, and the transfer robot 18 receives the substrate S from the buffer chamber 16 and transfers the substrate S to the path chamber 15 by rotating the substrate S by 180 °. This makes it possible to easily process the substrates S in the same direction in the upstream cluster device and the downstream cluster device.

The path chamber 15, the buffer chamber 16, and the turning chamber 17 are so-called relay devices that connect the cluster devices, and the relay devices provided on the upstream side and/or the downstream side of the cluster devices include at least one of the path chamber, the buffer chamber, and the turning chamber.

The film forming apparatus 11, the mask stocker 12, the transfer chamber 13, the buffer chamber 16, the turning chamber 17, and the like are maintained in a high vacuum state during the process of manufacturing the organic light emitting element. The path chamber 15 is normally maintained in a low vacuum state, but may be maintained in a high vacuum state as needed.

In this embodiment, the structure of the apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device is described with reference to fig. 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of apparatuses and chambers may be provided, and the arrangement between these apparatuses and chambers may be changed. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a tandem type manufacturing apparatus in which the substrate S and the mask M are bonded not to the film formation apparatus 11 but to another apparatus or chamber, and then the substrate S and the mask M are placed on a carrier and transported by a plurality of film formation apparatuses arranged in a line to perform a film formation process.

The following describes a specific configuration of the film formation apparatus 11.

[ film Forming apparatus ]

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the film formation apparatus 11. In the following description, an XYZ rectangular coordinate system in which the vertical direction is the Z direction is used. When the substrate S is fixed so as to be parallel to a horizontal plane (XY plane) during film formation, the width direction (direction parallel to the short side) of the substrate S is defined as the X direction, and the length direction (direction parallel to the long side) is defined as the Y direction. In addition, the rotation angle around the Z axis is represented by θ.

The film forming apparatus 11 includes a vacuum chamber 21 maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen, and a substrate support unit 22, a mask support unit 23, an electrostatic chuck 24, and a vapor deposition source 25 provided inside the vacuum chamber 21.

The substrate support unit 22 is a member that receives and holds the substrate S conveyed by the conveyance robot 14 provided in the conveyance chamber 13, and is also referred to as a substrate holder.

A mask supporting unit 23 is provided below the substrate supporting unit 22. The mask support unit 23 is a member that receives and holds the mask M transferred by the transfer robot 14 provided in the transfer chamber 13, and is also called a mask holder.

The mask M has an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern formed on the substrate S, and is placed on the mask support unit 23. In particular, a Mask used for manufacturing an organic EL element for a smart phone is a Metal Mask having a Fine opening pattern formed therein, and is also referred to as FMM (Fine Metal Mask).

An electrostatic chuck 24 for attracting and fixing the substrate by an electrostatic attraction is provided above the substrate support unit 22. The electrostatic chuck 24 has a structure in which a circuit such as a metal electrode is embedded in a dielectric (e.g., ceramic material) base body. Electrostatic chuck 24 may be a coulombic force type electrostatic chuck, a johnson rabickel force type electrostatic chuck, or a gradient force type electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic chuck 24 is preferably a gradient force type electrostatic chuck. Since the electrostatic chuck 24 is a gradient force type electrostatic chuck, even when the substrate S is an insulating substrate, the electrostatic chuck 24 can satisfactorily perform suction. For example, in the case where the electrostatic chuck 24 is a coulomb force type electrostatic chuck, when potentials of plus (+) and minus (-) are applied to the metal electrode, a polarized charge of the opposite polarity to that of the metal electrode is induced to an adherend such as the substrate S through the dielectric base, and the substrate S is attracted and fixed to the electrostatic chuck 24 by the electrostatic attraction therebetween.

The electrostatic chuck 24 may be formed of one plate or may be formed to have a plurality of sub-plates. In the case where the electrostatic attraction force is controlled by a single board, a plurality of circuits may be included in the board, and the electrostatic attraction force may be controlled to be different depending on the position in the board.

In the present embodiment, as described later, not only the substrate S (1 st adherend) but also the mask M (2 nd adherend) is sucked and held by the electrostatic chuck 24 before film formation. After that, the film formation is performed in a state where the substrate S (1 st adherend) and the mask M (2 nd adherend) are held by the electrostatic chuck 24, and after the film formation is completed, the holding of the substrate S (1 st adherend) and the mask M (2 nd adherend) by the electrostatic chuck 24 is released.

That is, in the present embodiment, the substrate S (1 st adherend) placed on the lower side of the electrostatic chuck 24 in the vertical direction is attracted and held by the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate S (1 st adherend), and then the mask M (2 nd adherend) placed on the opposite side of the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate S (1 st adherend) is attracted and held by the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate S (1 st adherend). After the film formation is performed in a state where the substrate S (1 st adherend) and the mask M (2 nd adherend) are held by the electrostatic chuck 24, the substrate S (1 st adherend) and the mask M (2 nd adherend) are peeled off from the electrostatic chuck 24. In this case, the mask M (2 nd adherend) adsorbed through the substrate S (1 st adherend) may be peeled off first, and then the substrate S (1 st adherend) may be peeled off. Alternatively, the mask M (2 nd adherend) and the substrate S (1 st adherend) may be peeled off from the electrostatic chuck 24 at the same time. This will be described later with reference to fig. 3.

Although not shown in fig. 2, a cooling mechanism (e.g., a cooling plate) for suppressing the temperature rise of the substrate S may be provided on the opposite side of the suction surface of the electrostatic chuck 24 to suppress the deterioration or degradation of the organic material deposited on the substrate S.

The vapor deposition source 25 includes a crucible (not shown) for storing a vapor deposition material to be deposited on a substrate, a heater (not shown) for heating the crucible, a shutter (not shown) for preventing the vapor deposition material from being scattered toward the substrate until the evaporation rate from the vapor deposition source becomes constant, and the like. The vapor deposition source 25 can have various configurations depending on the use such as a point (point) vapor deposition source or a line (linear) vapor deposition source.

Although not shown in fig. 2, the film forming apparatus 11 includes a film thickness monitor (not shown) and a film thickness calculating unit (not shown) for measuring the thickness of a film deposited on a substrate.

A substrate Z actuator 26, a mask Z actuator 27, an electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28, a position adjusting mechanism 29, and the like are provided on the upper outer side (atmosphere side) of the vacuum chamber 21. These actuators and position adjustment mechanisms are constituted by, for example, a motor and a ball screw, or a motor and a linear guide. The substrate Z actuator 26 is a driving means for moving up and down (moving in the Z direction) the substrate support unit 22. The mask Z actuator 27 is a driving member for raising and lowering (moving in the Z direction) the mask supporting unit 23. The electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28 is a driving member for moving up and down (Z-direction movement) the electrostatic chuck 24.

The position adjustment mechanism 29 is a driving member for alignment of the electrostatic chuck 24. The position adjustment mechanism 29 moves the entire electrostatic chuck 24 in the X direction, the Y direction, and θ rotation with respect to the substrate support unit 22 and the mask support unit 23. In the present embodiment, the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M is adjusted by adjusting the position of the electrostatic chuck 24 in the direction X, Y and θ in a state where the substrate S is attracted.

In addition to the above-described drive mechanism, an alignment camera 20 may be provided on the outer upper surface of the vacuum chamber 21, and the alignment camera 20 may be configured to photograph alignment marks formed on the substrate S and the mask M through a transparent window (not shown) provided on the upper surface of the vacuum chamber 21. In the present embodiment, the alignment camera 20 may be provided at a position corresponding to a diagonal line of the rectangular substrate S, the mask M, and the electrostatic chuck 24 or at a position corresponding to 4 corners of the rectangle.

The alignment camera 20 provided in the film formation apparatus 11 of the present embodiment is a fine alignment camera used to accurately adjust the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M, and is a camera having a narrow angle of view and a high resolution. The film deposition apparatus 11 may have a coarse alignment camera with a relatively wide angle of view and low resolution, in addition to the fine alignment camera 20.

The position adjustment mechanism 29 performs alignment for adjusting the position of the substrate S (the 1 st adherend) and the mask M (the 2 nd adherend) by relatively moving the substrate S (the 1 st adherend) and the mask M (the 2 nd adherend) based on the position information of the substrate S (the 1 st adherend) and the mask M (the 2 nd adherend) acquired by the alignment camera 20.

The vacuum chamber 21 may be provided with 1 or more transparent windows 49 through which the mask M can be observed. The transparent window 49 is provided at a position where the amount of deflection of the mask M can be measured by observing the mask M. For example, as shown in fig. 3a to 3c, the transparent window 49 may be provided on the lower surface and/or the side surface of the vacuum chamber 11. In the former case, it is preferable to provide the transparent window 49 at a position where the field of view toward the mask M is not limited by the vapor deposition source 25.

The film formation apparatus 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a measurement unit 50, and the measurement unit 50 may be configured to measure a deflection amount of the mask M in a state of being supported by the mask support unit 23. The measurement unit 50 may be disposed outside the vacuum vessel 21 corresponding to the transparent window 49. The measurement unit 50 measures the amount of deflection of the mask M based on an image of the mask M acquired through the transparent window 49 or the distance to the mask M measured through the transparent window 49. The specific configuration and operation of the measuring unit 50 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 3a to 3 c.

The film deposition apparatus 11 includes a control unit 40. The control section 40 has functions of carrying and aligning the substrate S, controlling the vapor deposition source 25, controlling the film formation, and the like. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 40 determines whether or not the mask M is replaced based on the amount of deflection of the mask M measured by the measurement unit 50. That is, the functions of the determination control unit 54 described later with reference to fig. 3a to 3c may be incorporated in the control unit 40 of the film formation apparatus 11.

The control unit 40 may be constituted by a computer having a processor, a memory, a storage device, an I/O, and the like, for example. In this case, the function of the control section 40 is realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory or the storage device. As the computer, a general-purpose personal computer may be used, or an embedded computer or a PLC (programmable logic controller) may be used. Alternatively, a part or all of the functions of the control unit may be constituted by a circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The control unit 40 may be provided for each of the film forming apparatuses, or one control unit may control a plurality of film forming apparatuses.

In fig. 2, the case where the substrate S and the mask M are attracted and held by the electrostatic chuck 24 in the film formation apparatus 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the substrate S and the mask M may be held by a clamping member such as a jig provided in the substrate support unit 22 and brought into close contact with each other by using a magnet.

[ judging device and judging method of mask replacement timing ]

Fig. 3a to 3c are conceptual views of a determination device (hereinafter, referred to as "determination device") for determining a mask replacement timing according to an embodiment of the present invention. The determination device 500 shown in fig. 3a to 3c is implemented as a part of the film formation device 11 shown in fig. 2, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the determination device 500 may be implemented as a device different from the film formation device 11.

As the film formation process for a plurality of substrates S is performed using one mask M, an undesired vapor deposition material may be deposited on the mask M, and the mask M may be deformed. Further, for example, in a process of attaching or fixing the mask M to or from the substrate S using an electrostatic attraction by the electrostatic chuck 24 or a magnetic force by a magnet and separating them, the mask M may be deformed. With such deformation of the mask M, the amount of deflection of the mask M supported by the mask supporting unit 23 increases without an external force acting from the outside (e.g., the electrostatic chuck 24 or the magnet).

The determination device 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention measures the amount of deflection of the mask M caused by the weight and/or plastic deformation of the deposited vapor deposition material in a state where the mask M is supported by the mask support unit 23 (for example, in a state where an external force is not applied by the electrostatic chuck 24 or the magnet), and determines whether or not the mask M has exhausted its life based on the measured amount of deflection of the mask M.

Referring to fig. 3a to 3c, the determination device 500 includes a mask support unit 23 (not shown in fig. 3 b),

measurement units

51, 52, and 53, and a determination control unit 54.

The mask supporting unit 23 is a member that receives and holds the mask M. The mask M can be carried by a carrying robot 14 provided in the carrying chamber 13, but is not limited thereto.

The

measurement units

51, 52, 53 measure the amount of flexure of the mask M in a state supported by the mask support unit 23. The

measurement units

51, 52, and 53 may be provided outside (on the atmosphere side) the vacuum chamber 21 corresponding to the transparent window 49, but are not limited thereto.

The "amount of deflection of the mask M" is an index indicating how much the mask deflects from the mask in a flat state. For example, the amount of deflection of the mask M may also be defined by a distance (e.g., step d) between a position (e.g., height) of a portion (e.g., center portion) of the mask M in a flat state and a position (e.g., height) of the portion (e.g., center portion) in a deflected state. Alternatively, the amount of deflection of the mask M may be defined by the curvature of the portion that is deflected to protrude, or may be defined by the angle formed between a plane extending from the peripheral portion to the central portion of the mask M and the horizontal plane.

According to one embodiment, the mask M to be measured for the deflection of the measuring

units

51, 52, 53 may be supported by the mask supporting unit 23 at a predetermined position in the vacuum chamber 21. At this time, the mask M may be spaced apart from the suction member of the mask M such as the electrostatic chuck 24 by a predetermined distance.

In particular, in order to more accurately determine whether or not the timing of replacement of the mask M is reached, it is preferable that the mask M supported by the mask supporting unit 23 is measured in a state where an external force other than gravity does not act. In this case, the

measurement units

51, 52, and 53 measure the amount of deflection of the mask M in a state in which the peripheral edge portion is supported by the mask support unit 23 but no external force other than gravity acts on the other portions. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the

measurement units

51, 52, and 53c may measure the amount of deflection of the mask M in a state of being adsorbed by a predetermined adsorption member.

The measuring

unit

51, 52 of one embodiment of the present invention comprises an

optical component

51a, 52a and an

image processing component

51b, 52 b.

The

optical members

51a and 52a are members for acquiring an image of the mask M. The

optical members

51a and 52a may be, for example, an imaging device such as a camera, but are not limited thereto.

According to one embodiment, the optical member 51a may be provided so as to acquire an image of one main surface of the mask M supported by the mask supporting unit 23. For example, the optical member 51a may be provided to capture an image of at least a partial region of the upper surface or the lower surface of the mask M and acquire an image of the upper surface or the lower surface of the mask M. For example, the optical member 51a may acquire an image of the entire or a partial region of one main surface of the mask M through the transparent window 49 provided in the vacuum chamber 21. For example, when the transparent window 49 is provided on the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber 21, the optical member 51a is provided outside the lower side of the vacuum chamber 21, and an image of the lower surface of the mask M can be obtained.

In this case, the image processing unit 51b calculates the amount of deflection of the mask M using the image of the one main surface of the mask M acquired by the optical unit 51 a. In the present embodiment, a specific method of calculating the amount of flexure of the mask M from the image of the one main surface of the mask M is not limited. For example, the image processing unit 51b can specify a portion protruding from one main surface of the mask M by image processing of an image of the main surface (for example, a local brightness change due to a difference in degree of protrusion downward), and calculate the amount of flexure of the mask M using the size and degree of the portion.

According to another embodiment, the optical member 52a may be configured to acquire a side image of the mask M supported by the mask supporting unit 23. For example, the optical member 52a may be provided so as to take a side image from the short side or the long side of the mask M. In this case, the optical member 52a may obtain a side image of the mask M through a transparent window 49 provided on a side wall of the vacuum chamber 21. Accordingly, the transparent window 49 may be provided at one or more positions on the sidewall of the vacuum chamber 21 corresponding to the height of the mask support unit 23. However, the transparent window 49 is preferably provided at a position where the image acquisition on the side surface of the mask M is not hindered by the mask support unit 23 and the like.

In this case, the image processing unit 52b calculates the amount of deflection of the mask M using the side surface image of the mask M acquired by the optical unit 52 a. In the present embodiment, a specific method of calculating the amount of flexure of the mask M from the side surface image of the mask M is not limited. For example, the image processing unit 52b may calculate the amount of deflection of the mask M based on the step d of the mask M from the side surface image of the mask M. When a part of the mask M is blocked by the mask supporting unit 23, the amount of deflection of the mask M may be calculated from a side surface image of a portion protruding to the lower side of the mask supporting unit 23.

The measuring unit 53 of the other embodiment of the present invention includes a distance measuring part 53a and a calculating part 53 b.

The distance measuring part 53a measures the distance R to the mask M supported by the mask supporting unit 23. The distance R to the mask M may be a distance from a position of the bottom surface (predetermined reference surface) of the vacuum chamber 21 (or a position of the distance measuring unit 53 a) to a predetermined portion of the mask M. Here, the predetermined portion of the mask M may be a portion of the mask M farthest from the mask support unit 23, or may be a central portion. The distance measuring unit 53a can measure the distance R from the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber 21 to the mask M based on the reciprocating time of the laser beam by, for example, irradiating the predetermined portion of the mask M with the laser beam and detecting the laser beam reflected therefrom. In this case, the larger the amount of deflection of the mask, the shorter the reciprocation time of the laser beam reflected from the predetermined portion.

The calculation unit 53b calculates the amount of deflection of the mask M using the distance to the mask M acquired by the distance measurement unit 53 a. For example, the calculation unit 53b can calculate the difference R0-R between the measured distance to the mask M and the reference distance R0, and calculate the amount of deflection of the mask M based on the difference R0-R. Here, the reference distance R0 may be a distance from the mask M when the mask M is flatly supported by the mask supporting unit 23 located at a predetermined position (height), and may be a distance from the bottom surface (predetermined reference surface) of the vacuum chamber 21 to the supporting surface of the mask supporting unit 23. Thus, the amount of deflection of the mask M is proportional to the difference R0-R between the actual distance R from the mask M and the reference distance R0.

Referring to fig. 3a to 3c, the determination control unit 54 determines whether or not the mask M needs to be replaced based on the amount of deflection of the mask M measured by the

measurement units

51, 52, 53. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3a to 3c, the determination control unit 54 is implemented differently from the control unit 40 of the film formation apparatus 11, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be incorporated in the control unit 40 of the film formation apparatus 11.

When the determination control unit 54 determines the replacement timing of the mask M, the number of processed substrates S is conventionally determined. That is, after the predetermined number of times of use, the mask is replaced with a new mask M in the film formation step of the substrate S, and the new mask M is used in the subsequent film formation step. However, in this case, although the mask M still has a lifetime, the mask M is replaced at a time earlier than the lifetime, and the process time (Tact) may be unnecessarily increased. Further, when the mask M is replaced later than the time when the mask M should be replaced, the amount of deflection of the mask M increases, and the film forming accuracy may decrease.

On the other hand, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the determination control section 54 determines whether or not to replace the mask M based on the amount of deflection of the mask M measured by the

measurement units

51, 52, 53. For example, the determination control unit 54 may compare the deflection amount of the mask M measured by the

measurement units

51, 52, and 53 with a predetermined reference value, and determine that the mask replacement timing is the mask replacement timing when the deflection amount of the mask M is equal to or greater than the reference value. This makes it possible to grasp the accurate replacement timing of the mask M and replace the mask M based on the amount of deflection of the mask M that directly affects the film formation accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the problem of an increase in process time (Tact) due to unnecessary early replacement, the problem of a decrease in yield due to excessive delay in replacement, and the problem of a decrease in film formation accuracy.

According to one embodiment, the predetermined reference value used by the determination control section 54 to determine the mask replacement timing may be a value stored in advance. Therefore, the determination control unit 54 may include a memory (not shown) for storing a predetermined reference value in advance.

Such a predetermined reference value may also be set based on statistics of the amount of deflection of the mask M to be replaced. Alternatively, the predetermined reference value may be determined based on the amount of deflection in a state of being supported by the mask support unit 23 before the mask M is used first. In the latter case, as the mask M is actually used in the film forming process, the amount of deflection of the mask M caused by the mask M is compared with the amount of deflection before the start of use, and therefore the timing of replacement of the mask M can be grasped more accurately.

The determination control unit 54 also controls the operations of the

measurement units

51, 52, and 53. For example, the determination control unit 54 may set in advance a timing for measuring the amount of deflection of the mask M, and control the

measurement units

51, 52, and 53 to operate at the set timing. Here, the preset time is, of course, associated with a period in which the deflection is measured (i.e., the deflection is measured each time it is used several times) and also associated with a start time in which the deflection is measured (i.e., the deflection is started after it is used several times).

For example, if the cycle of the flexure amount measurement is short and/or the start time of the flexure amount measurement is early, the mask M having the end of its life can be checked and replaced in time, but there is a disadvantage that the process time (Tact) increases. Conversely, if the period of the flexure measurement is long and/or the start timing of the flexure measurement is delayed, the process time (Tact) can be shortened, but the mask M with a short lifetime may undergo a film formation process, resulting in a decrease in yield or a decrease in film formation accuracy. Therefore, in consideration of such strengths and disadvantages, the determination control section 54 can perform control so that the

measurement units

51, 52, 53 measure the amount of flexure of the mask M at the previously set timings, i.e., the measurement period and the start timing.

According to one embodiment, the determination control section 54 can perform control such that the

measurement units

51, 52, 53 measure the amount of deflection of the mask M each time the mask is used N times (here, N is an integer of 1 or more) (for example, processing of N substrates S).

For example, the determination control unit 54 may control the operations of the

measurement units

51, 52, and 53 to measure the amount of deflection of the mask M for each 1 substrate S to be processed. This makes it possible to check and replace the lifetime exhausted mask at a proper timing, and thus to improve the yield. In contrast, the determination control unit 54 can further extend the period for measuring the amount of deflection of the mask M for two, three, or four sheets, and the like, thereby further shortening the process time (Tact). However, in order to prevent a decrease in yield and a decrease in film formation accuracy, the period for measuring the amount of deflection of the mask M is preferably not excessively long.

In such an embodiment, the determination control section 54 can perform control to measure the amount of deflection of the mask M in the above-described measurement cycle after the process of the first substrate S is completed, that is, after the mask M is initially used. Alternatively, the amount of deflection of the mask M may be controlled so as to be measured in the above-described measurement cycle after a predetermined number of times (for example, 10 times, 20 times, or the like) of use. In this case, the timing of starting the deflection amount measurement can be arbitrarily determined, but it is preferably determined based on a statistical value relating to the number of times one mask M is used until the lifetime of the mask replacement in the film formation apparatus 11 is exhausted.

In order to shorten the process time (Tact), and prevent a decrease in yield and a decrease in film formation accuracy, it is more preferable to delay the start timing of the deflection measurement as much as possible based on the obtained statistical value, and shorten the measurement cycle. In this case, N of the measurement period is preferably 1, but is not limited thereto.

According to the determination device 500 of one embodiment of the present invention, the replacement of the mask whose lifetime has been exhausted can be accurately determined, waste of the mask and increase of the process time (Tact) due to replacement at a time earlier than the lifetime can be prevented, and the phenomenon in which the mask is greatly bent by the deposition material adhering to the mask and the film forming accuracy is lowered due to replacement delayed from the lifetime can be prevented.

[ film Forming Process ]

A film forming method in the film forming apparatus 11 of the present embodiment will be described below. Here, as an example, an embodiment will be described in which the measurement unit 50 measures the amount of deflection of the mask M from the first processing of the substrate S and thereafter, and N of the measurement period is also 1.

First, a new mask M is carried into the vacuum chamber 21 of the film deposition apparatus 11 from the mask stocker 12 by the transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13. Then, the hand of the transfer robot 14 that has entered the vacuum chamber 21 is lowered, and the mask M is placed on the support portion of the mask support unit 23.

Then, the substrate S is carried into the vacuum chamber 21 of the film deposition apparatus 11 by the transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13 in a state where the mask M is supported by the mask support unit 23 in the vacuum chamber 21.

The hand of the transfer robot 14 that has entered the vacuum chamber 21 descends, and the substrate S is placed on the support portion of the substrate support unit 22.

Next, the electrostatic chuck 24 is lowered toward the substrate S, and after being sufficiently close to or in contact with the substrate S, a predetermined voltage is applied to the electrostatic chuck 24, thereby attracting the substrate S.

In a state where the substrate S is attracted to the electrostatic chuck 24, the substrate S is lowered toward the mask M in order to measure a relative positional deviation of the substrate S with respect to the mask M. When the substrate S is lowered to the measurement position, the alignment marks formed on the substrate S and the mask M are imaged by the alignment camera 20, and the relative positional deviation between the substrate and the mask is measured.

As a result of the measurement, if it is found that the relative positional deviation of the substrate with respect to the mask exceeds the threshold value, the substrate S in the state of being adsorbed to the electrostatic chuck 24 is moved in the horizontal direction (XY θ direction), and the position of the substrate with respect to the mask is adjusted (aligned).

After the alignment step, a predetermined voltage is applied to the electrostatic chuck 24, and the mask M is attracted to the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate S.

Next, the shutter of the vapor deposition source 25 is opened, and the vapor deposition material is deposited on the substrate S through the mask.

After vapor deposition to a desired thickness, the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced to separate the mask M, and the electrostatic chuck 24 is raised by the electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28 in a state where only the substrate is attracted to the electrostatic chuck 24.

Next, the hand of the transfer robot 14 enters the vacuum chamber 21 of the film deposition apparatus 11, and a voltage of zero (0) or opposite polarity is applied to the electrostatic chuck 24, thereby separating the substrate S from the electrostatic chuck 24. Thereafter, the substrate S on which the vapor deposition has been completed is carried out of the vacuum chamber 21 by the transfer robot 14.

Then, after the film formation process is completed, the amount of deflection of the mask M supported by the mask support unit 23 is measured. The measurement of the deflection amount of the mask M may be performed after the substrate S having completed the film forming process is carried out from the vacuum chamber 21, or may be performed before the substrate S is carried out. The measured deflection amount of the mask M is compared with a predetermined reference value to determine whether or not the mask M needs to be replaced.

When it is determined that replacement is necessary, the carrier robot 14 carries out the mask M whose life has been exhausted from the vacuum chamber 21 and carries a new mask M into the vacuum chamber 21. On the other hand, when it is determined that replacement is not necessary, the mask M is continuously used.

Next, in a state where the mask M is supported by the mask support unit 23 in the vacuum chamber 21, a new substrate S is carried into the vacuum chamber 21 of the film formation apparatus 11 by the transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13 and placed on the support portion of the substrate support unit 22. Thereafter, the above-described processes of adsorption to the electrostatic chuck, alignment, film formation, carrying out of the substrate S, and measurement of the amount of deflection of the mask M are repeated.

In the above description, the film deposition apparatus 11 is configured to perform film deposition with the film deposition surface of the substrate S facing downward in the vertical direction, i.e., a so-called vapor deposition-upward method (upward deposition), but is not limited to this, and may be configured to perform film deposition with the film deposition surface of the substrate S being parallel to the direction of gravity with the substrate S being disposed so as to stand vertically above the side surface of the vacuum chamber 21.

In the present embodiment, the description has been given of determining the replacement timing of the mask M by measuring the amount of deflection of the mask M after the completion of the film formation process on one substrate S and before the start of the film formation process on the next substrate S, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to determine whether the replacement timing is the amount of deflection of the mask M by measuring it as needed, as long as the electrostatic attraction or magnetic force is not applied to the mask M from the electrostatic chuck 24 or the magnet.

[ method for manufacturing electronic device ]

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device using the film formation apparatus of the present embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, a structure and a manufacturing method of an organic EL display device are exemplified as an example of an electronic device.

First, an organic EL display device to be manufactured is explained. Fig. 4(a) shows an overall view of the organic EL display device 60, and fig. 4(b) shows a cross-sectional structure of 1 pixel.

As shown in fig. 4(a), a plurality of pixels 62 each including a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in a matrix in a display region 61 of an organic EL display device 60. As will be described in detail later, each of the light-emitting elements has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. The pixel herein refers to the smallest unit that can display a desired color in the display region 61. In the case of the organic EL display device of the present embodiment, the pixel 62 is configured by a combination of the 1 st light-emitting element 62R, the 2 nd light-emitting element 62G, and the 3 rd light-emitting element 62B which display different light emissions from each other. The pixel 62 is often configured by a combination of a red light emitting element, a green light emitting element, and a blue light emitting element, but may be configured by a combination of a yellow light emitting element, a cyan light emitting element, and a white light emitting element, and is not particularly limited as long as at least 1 color or more is provided.

Fig. 4(B) is a partial cross-sectional view at the line a-B of fig. 4 (a). The pixel 62 has an organic EL element including an anode 64, a hole transport layer 65, one of light-emitting

layers

66R, 66G, and 66B, an electron transport layer 67, and a cathode 68 on a substrate 63. Among them, the hole transport layer 65, the

light emitting layers

66R, 66G, and 66B, and the electron transport layer 67 correspond to organic layers. In this embodiment, the light-emitting layer 66R is an organic EL layer that emits red light, the light-emitting layer 66G is an organic EL layer that emits green light, and the light-emitting layer 66B is an organic EL layer that emits blue light. The light-emitting

layers

66R, 66G, and 66B are formed in patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (also referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red light, green light, and blue light, respectively. Further, the anode 64 is formed separately for each light emitting element. The hole transporting layer 65, the electron transporting layer 67, and the cathode 68 may be formed in common with the plurality of

light emitting elements

62R, 62G, and 62B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. In addition, an insulating layer 69 is provided between the anodes 64 in order to prevent the anodes 64 and the cathodes 68 from being short-circuited by foreign matter. Further, since the organic EL layer is deteriorated by moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 70 for protecting the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen is provided.

In fig. 4(b), the hole transporting layer 65 and the electron transporting layer 67 are illustrated as one layer, but a plurality of layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer may be formed depending on the structure of the organic EL display element. Further, a hole injection layer having a band structure in which holes can be smoothly injected from the anode 64 into the hole transport layer 65 can be formed between the anode 64 and the hole transport layer 65. Similarly, an electron injection layer can be formed between the cathode 68 and the electron transport layer 67.

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the organic EL display device will be specifically described.

First, a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a substrate 63 on which an anode 64 is formed are prepared.

An acrylic resin is formed by spin coating on the substrate 63 on which the anode 64 is formed, and the insulating layer 69 is formed by patterning the acrylic resin so as to form an opening in the portion where the anode 64 is formed by photolithography. The opening corresponds to a light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light.

The substrate 63 on which the insulating layer 69 is patterned is carried into the 1 st organic material film forming apparatus, and the substrate is held by an electrostatic chuck, and the hole transport layer 65 is formed as a common layer on the anode 64 in the display region. The hole transport layer 65 is formed by vacuum evaporation. In practice, since the hole transporting layer 65 is formed to have a size larger than the display region 61, a high-definition mask is not required.

Next, the substrate 63 on which the hole transport layer 65 has been formed is carried into the 2 nd organic material film forming apparatus and held by the electrostatic chuck. The substrate and the mask are aligned, the mask is held by an electrostatic chuck through the substrate, and a light-emitting layer 66R emitting red light is formed on a portion of the substrate 63 where an element emitting red light is disposed.

Similarly to the formation of the light-emitting layer 66R, the light-emitting layer 66G emitting green light is formed by the 3 rd organic material film-forming device, and the light-emitting layer 66B emitting blue light is formed by the 4 th organic material film-forming device. After the completion of the formation of the light-emitting

layers

66R, 66G, and 66B, the electron transport layer 67 is formed in the entire display region 61 by the 5 th film forming apparatus. The electron transport layer 67 is formed as a common layer for the

light emitting layers

66R, 66G, and 66B of 3 colors.

The substrate on which the electron transport layer 67 has been formed is moved to a metallic vapor deposition material film formation apparatus, and the cathode 68 is formed.

According to the present invention, the timing of replacing the mask M is not determined by the number of times the mask M is used (for example, the number of substrates S processed by the mask M), but the amount of deflection of the mask M is measured and the determination is made based on the amount of deflection.

Thereafter, the substrate is moved to a plasma CVD apparatus to form a protective film 70, thereby completing the organic EL display apparatus 60.

When the substrate 63 on which the insulating layer 69 is patterned is carried into a film forming apparatus and is exposed to an atmosphere containing moisture and oxygen until the film formation of the protective layer 70 is completed, the light-emitting layer made of an organic EL material may be deteriorated by moisture and oxygen. Therefore, in this example, the substrate is carried in and out between the film deposition apparatuses in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere.

The above embodiment shows an example of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and may be appropriately modified within the scope of the technical idea thereof.

Claims

1. A device for determining a mask replacement timing is a device for determining a mask replacement timing,

the device for determining the mask replacement timing includes:

a mask supporting unit for supporting the mask;

a measurement unit for measuring a deflection amount of the mask in a state of being supported by the mask support unit; and

and a determination control unit configured to determine whether or not the mask is replaced based on the measured deflection amount of the mask.

2. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 1,

the determination control unit compares the deflection amount of the mask measured by the measurement unit with a predetermined reference value, and determines whether or not the mask is replaced at a predetermined time.

3. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 2,

the determination control unit includes a storage unit that stores the predetermined reference value.

4. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 2,

the predetermined reference value is determined based on a deflection amount of the mask in a state of being supported by the mask supporting unit before the mask is initially used.

5. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 1,

the determination control unit controls the measurement unit to measure the amount of deflection of the mask every time the mask is used N (N is an integer of 1 or more) times.

6. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 5,

the determination control unit performs control such that the measurement unit measures the amount of deflection of the mask every time the mask is used N (N is an integer of 1 or more) times after the mask is used a predetermined number of times.

7. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 6,

and N is 1.

8. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 1,

the measurement unit includes:

an optical component for taking an image of the mask; and

and an image processing unit configured to acquire a deflection amount of the mask based on the acquired image.

9. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 8,

the optical member is provided at a position where an image of one main surface of the mask can be acquired.

10. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 8,

the optical member is disposed at a position where a side image of the mask can be acquired.

11. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 1,

the measurement unit includes:

a distance measuring unit for measuring a distance between a predetermined portion of the mask farthest from the mask supporting unit and a predetermined reference plane; and

and a calculation unit that calculates a deflection amount of the mask based on a difference between the distance measured by the distance measurement unit and a distance between the support surface of the mask support unit and the reference surface.

12. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 1,

the apparatus for determining the replacement timing of the mask further comprises a container in which the mask supporting unit is disposed,

the measurement unit is provided outside the container, and measures a deflection amount of the mask through a window provided in the container.

13. The apparatus for determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 1,

the measurement unit measures a deflection amount of the mask in a state where an external force other than gravity does not act on the mask.

14. A film forming apparatus is characterized in that,

the film forming apparatus includes the apparatus for determining a mask replacement timing according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A method for determining a mask replacement timing, which is a method for determining a mask replacement timing,

the method for determining the mask replacement timing includes:

a support step of supporting the mask by the mask support unit;

a measurement stage of measuring a deflection amount of the mask supported by the mask supporting unit; and

and a determination step of determining whether or not the mask is replaced based on the amount of deflection of the mask measured in the measurement step.

16. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 15,

in the determination step, whether or not the mask is replaced is determined by comparing the amount of deflection of the mask measured in the measurement step with a predetermined reference value.

17. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 16,

the method for determining the replacement time of the mask further comprises a preliminary measurement step of measuring the amount of deflection of the mask in a state of being supported by the mask support unit before the mask is initially used,

the predetermined reference value is determined based on the amount of deflection of the mask measured in the prior measurement stage.

18. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 15,

is performed every time the mask is used N (N is an integer of 1 or more) times.

19. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 18,

after the mask is used a predetermined number of times, it is executed every time it is used N times (N is an integer of 1 or more).

20. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 19,

and N is 1.

21. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 15,

the measurement phase comprises:

an image acquisition step of acquiring an image of the mask; and

an image processing step of acquiring a deflection amount of the mask based on the image acquired in the image acquisition step.

22. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 21,

in the image acquisition stage, an image of one main surface of the mask is acquired.

23. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 21,

in the image acquisition stage, a side image of the mask is acquired.

24. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 15,

the measurement phase comprises:

a distance measuring step of measuring a distance between a predetermined portion of the mask farthest from the mask supporting unit and a predetermined reference plane; and

a calculation step of calculating a deflection amount of the mask based on a difference between the distance measured in the distance measurement step and a distance between the support surface of the mask support unit and the reference surface.

25. The method of determining a replacement timing of a mask according to claim 15,

in the measurement stage, the amount of deflection of the mask is measured in a state where an external force other than gravity does not act on the mask.

26. A film-forming method characterized in that,

the film forming method includes the method for determining the mask replacement timing according to any one of claims 15 to 25.

27. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that,

an electronic device manufactured by using the film formation method according to claim 26.