JP2005072408A - Thin film manufacturing apparatus and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably form a thin film having an excellent film thickness distribution on a flexible substrate. <P>SOLUTION: A thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 is adapted such that one end of the flexible substrate 20 in the widthwise direction of the same is held with a first holding mechanism 30 on the opposite sides of the flexible substrate 20 in a carrying direction of the same in a plasma CVD chamber 2, the other end of the flexible substrate 20 in the widthwise direction of the same is held with a second holding mechanism 40, and the other end held with the second holding mechanism part 40 is pulled by a tension mechanism 50 in the widthwise direction of the flexible substrate 20. Consequently, the corrugation of the flexible substrate 20 is elongated to improve its flatness and hence to stably form the thin film having an excellent film thickness distribution. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a thin film manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to a thin film manufacturing apparatus and a thin film manufacturing method for manufacturing a thin film element having a plurality of thin film layers on a flexible substrate such as a thin film photoelectric conversion element.

  In the manufacture of thin film photoelectric conversion elements, for example, it is possible to form a photoelectric conversion layer mainly made of amorphous silicon (a-Si) on a flexible substrate made of a long polymer material or a metal such as stainless steel. Excellent in terms of productivity. A plurality of layers are formed in the thin film photoelectric conversion element including such a photoelectric conversion layer. Thin film manufacturing apparatuses for forming a plurality of layers on a long flexible substrate mainly include a roll-to-roll system and a stepping roll system. The roll-to-roll method is a method in which a film is continuously formed on a flexible substrate that moves continuously in the film formation chamber, and the stepping roll method is a method in which a flexible substrate is temporarily placed in the film formation chamber. After the film formation is stopped, the flexible substrate portion after film formation is sent from the film formation chamber to the next film formation chamber.

  Plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) is widely used for film formation, and in the case of a stepping roll method using plasma CVD, the film formation chamber is opened-the substrate is moved by one frame-the film formation chamber is sealed-source gas A series of operations of introduction, pressure control, discharge start, discharge end, source gas stop, gas drawing, and film formation chamber open are repeated. The stepping roll type film formation is superior to the roll-to-roll type film formation in that there is no gas mutual diffusion between adjacent film forming chambers and the apparatus is compact.

10 is a cross-sectional view of the stepping roll type film formation chamber when opened, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the stepping roll type film formation chamber sealed.
As shown in FIG. 10, the film forming chamber 100 includes a box-shaped upper film forming chamber wall 101 and a lower film forming chamber wall 102 on the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the flexible substrate 200 that are intermittently transferred. Are arranged opposite to each other. A high voltage electrode 104 connected to a power source 103 is provided in the lower film forming chamber, and a ground electrode 106 having a heater 105 is provided in the upper film forming chamber. At the time of film formation, as shown in FIG. 11, the upper film formation chamber wall body 101 is lowered toward the lower film formation chamber wall body 102, and the flexible substrate 200 is pressed by the ground electrode 106, thereby lower film formation chamber wall body. It contacts the sealing material 102a attached to the end face of the opening side of 102. As a result, an airtightly sealed film forming space 108 communicating with the exhaust pipe 107 is formed by the lower film forming chamber wall 102 and the flexible substrate 200. When a high frequency voltage is applied to the high voltage electrode 104, plasma is generated in the film formation space 108, the source gas introduced from an introduction pipe (not shown) is decomposed, and an a-Si film or the like is formed on the flexible substrate 200. Is done.

  In the field of thin film solar cells, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2755281, a transparent electrode layer of a thin film photoelectric conversion element formed on one surface of a substrate and a metal electrode layer formed on the other surface of the substrate. Has been developed through a conductor passing through a through hole formed in the substrate. Thereby, the distance through which the current flows through the transparent electrode layer having a high sheet resistance is shortened. When such a thin film photoelectric conversion element is formed in the film formation chamber 100, it is surrounded by the upper film formation chamber wall 101 and the flexible substrate 200 through a through hole formed in the flexible substrate 200. The non-film formation space 109 thus communicated with the film formation space 108. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the film formation space 108 and the non-film formation space 109 vacuum-tight. In such a case, the non-deposition space 109 can be kept in a vacuum by providing a seal structure as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the seal structure of the film forming chamber. However, in FIG. 12, the same elements as those shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Two band-shaped end plates 101b and 101c are screwed to the end face of the upper film forming chamber wall 101, and two band-shaped end plates 102b and 102c are screwed to the end face of the lower film forming chamber wall body 102, respectively. The sealing materials 101a and 102a are held in the dovetail groove so as not to drop off. At the time of film formation, the flexible substrate 200 has the surface of the strip-shaped end plates 101b, 101c on the upper film-forming chamber side and the sealing material 101a therebetween, and the flexible substrate 200 has the surface of the strip-shaped end plates 102b, 102c on the lower film-forming chamber side And the sealing material 102a between them. Thereby, the film formation space 108 and the non-film formation space 109 in the upper film formation chamber and the lower film formation chamber shown in FIG. 11 are kept in vacuum.

  By the way, for example, a heat-resistant 1 m wide polyimide film is used for the flexible substrate 200, a tension of about 200 N is applied in the transport direction orthogonal to the width direction, and the heater 105 is heated to a temperature of 250 ° C. Is brought into contact with the flexible substrate 200, the tension and heat cause an elongation of about 4 mm per meter in the conveying direction of the flexible substrate 200, and a contraction of about 2 mm in the width direction. Due to the shrinkage in the width direction, wavy wrinkles (wave height of about 2 mm to 3 mm) are generated in the conveyance direction of the flexible substrate 200. When the flexible substrate 200 in which wrinkles are generated is sandwiched between the upper film formation chamber and the lower film formation chamber and held in a vacuum, the film is connected to the high voltage electrode 104 depending on the position of the flexible substrate 200. Since the distances are different, the film thickness distribution of a thin film such as an a-Si film to be formed becomes non-uniform. As a result, there arises a problem that the thin film characteristics are remarkably deteriorated, or color unevenness occurs and the commercial value of the appearance is deteriorated.

Conventionally, in order to solve such a problem, for example, when the tip of an elastic lip is pressed against the edge of the flexible substrate and the flexible substrate is pushed into the film formation chamber with the ground electrode, By sliding the tip of the rod-shaped body toward the outside of the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate is radially extended outward by the frictional force of the lip-shaped body, and the wrinkles formed on the flexible substrate are stretched Has proposed a method of forming a thin film (see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-8-250431 (paragraph numbers [0009] to [0010], FIG. 1, FIG. 4 to FIG. 9)

  However, in the case of the method of forming a thin film after extending the wrinkles generated on the flexible substrate with the lip-like body, the lip-like body is worn depending on the material used because the tip of the lip-like body is slid by the frictional force. Dust generated at this time may accumulate on the flexible substrate, leading to deterioration of thin film characteristics and instability. Furthermore, in mass production, the lips may be deteriorated by wear or heating due to repeated operations, and the effect of stretching the heel may be reduced or eliminated during the process. Replacing such lips is troublesome and poor in maintenance. In addition, since the flexible substrate needs an extra dimension that protrudes outward from the sealing material in the width direction, there is a problem that the utilization efficiency of the flexible substrate is lowered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and can form a thin film in a state in which generation of wrinkles on a flexible substrate is suppressed, and can form a thin film stably over a long period with good uniformity. An object of the present invention is to provide a thin film manufacturing apparatus and a thin film manufacturing method.

  In the present invention, in order to solve the above problem, in a thin film manufacturing apparatus for forming a thin film on a flexible substrate transported to a film forming chamber, the film forming chamber is fixedly disposed on both sides of the flexible substrate transport direction. A first holding mechanism that sandwiches one end of the flexible substrate in the flexible substrate width direction perpendicular to the flexible substrate transport direction, and the first holding mechanism that is disposed opposite the first holding mechanism. The second holding mechanism portion that holds the other end portion of the flexible substrate in the flexible substrate width direction, and the second holding mechanism portion is moved in a direction to increase the distance between the first holding mechanism portion and the other. There is provided a thin film manufacturing apparatus comprising: a pulling mechanism portion that pulls an end portion in the width direction of the flexible substrate.

  According to such a thin film manufacturing apparatus, the first holding mechanism portion sandwiches one end portion in the width direction of the flexible substrate on both sides of the film forming chamber in the flexible substrate transport direction, and the second holding mechanism portion is possible. The other end of the flexible substrate is clamped by the second holding mechanism by holding the other end of the flexible substrate in the width direction and moving the second holding mechanism in a direction away from the first holding mechanism. Is pulled in the width direction of the flexible substrate. Thereby, the wrinkles generated in the flexible substrate are extended.

  In the present invention, in the thin film manufacturing apparatus for forming a thin film on the flexible substrate transported to the film forming chamber, the flexible substrate width direction orthogonal to the flexible substrate transport direction of the film forming chamber. A first holding mechanism portion that is fixedly disposed outside the flexible substrate and sandwiches the one end portion of the flexible substrate in the width direction of the flexible substrate and having the same width as the film forming chamber or the long width. The other end portion of the flexible substrate in the flexible substrate width direction, which is opposite to the first holding mechanism portion across the film formation chamber, and has the same width as the film formation chamber or a long width. And moving the second holding mechanism portion in a direction to increase the distance between the second holding mechanism portion and the first holding mechanism portion, and the other end portion is moved in the flexible substrate width direction. There is provided a thin film manufacturing apparatus characterized by having a pulling mechanism part that pulls to the side.

  According to such a thin film manufacturing apparatus, the first holding mechanism portion sandwiches one end portion having the same width or a long width as the film forming chamber, and the second holding mechanism portion is formed on the flexible substrate to be transported. By holding the other end of the same width or long width as the membrane chamber, the pulling mechanism moves the second holding mechanism in the direction of increasing the distance from the first holding mechanism, thereby the second holding mechanism The other end thus sandwiched is pulled in the width direction of the flexible substrate. Thereby, the wrinkles generated in the flexible substrate are extended.

  According to the present invention, in the thin film manufacturing method for forming a thin film on a flexible substrate transported to the film forming chamber, the flexibility in the flexible substrate width direction orthogonal to the flexible substrate transport direction. There is provided a thin film manufacturing method characterized in that one end and the other end of a substrate are sandwiched and the other end is pulled in the width direction of the flexible substrate to form the thin film on the flexible substrate. .

  According to such a thin film manufacturing method, a thin film is formed on a flexible substrate in a state where wrinkles generated on the flexible substrate are stretched.

  In the thin film manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the thin film is formed in a state where the flexible substrate is pulled in the width direction and the ridges are stretched, so that the film thickness distribution of the thin film formed on the flexible substrate is uniform. Thus, a thin film with good characteristics can be formed, and color unevenness in appearance can be eliminated. In addition, the thin film manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can form a thin film with good uniformity and stability over a long period of time without any performance degradation due to repetitive operations during mass production. . Thereby, a thin film photoelectric conversion element having high characteristics and high quality can be formed.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the thin film manufacturing apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film manufacturing apparatus.
The thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 has a plurality of plasma CVD chambers 2 in a vacuum container 1a as a film forming chamber for forming a thin film such as a-Si on a flexible substrate 20. Furthermore, the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a feed roll 3 and a take-up roll 4 for the flexible substrate 20, and the flexible substrate 20 is fed from the feed roll 3 and passes through each plasma CVD chamber 2. A predetermined film forming process is performed, and the film is wound around the winding roll 4. A lower film forming chamber wall 5 and an upper film forming chamber wall 6 are provided to face each other on the lower surface side and the upper surface side of the flexible substrate 20 to be conveyed. In the lower film formation chamber formed inside the lower film formation chamber wall 5, a high voltage electrode 8 connected to the power source 7 is arranged, and the upper film formation formed inside the upper film formation chamber wall 6. A ground electrode 10 with a built-in heater 9 is disposed in the chamber. At the time of film formation, the upper film formation chamber wall 6 is lowered toward the lower film formation chamber wall 5, the ground electrode 10 presses the flexible substrate 20 from the upper surface side, and the flexible substrate 20 is in the lower film formation chamber. It contacts the sealing material 5a attached to the end surface of the wall 5 on the opening side. Thus, an airtightly sealed film forming space communicating with the exhaust pipe 11 is formed by the lower film forming chamber wall 5 and the flexible substrate 20. By applying a high frequency voltage to the high voltage electrode 8, plasma is generated in the film forming space, the source gas introduced from the introduction tube (not shown) is decomposed, and a thin film such as a-Si is formed on the flexible substrate 20. It has come to be.

  At the time of film formation, a non-film formation space surrounded by the upper film formation chamber wall 6 and the flexible substrate 20 is formed in each plasma CVD chamber 2. In the thin film photoelectric conversion element, a transparent electrode layer formed on one surface of the flexible substrate 20 and a metal electrode layer formed on the other surface are connected through a through hole formed in the flexible substrate 20. There is a structure in which the distance through which the current flows through the transparent electrode layer having a high sheet resistance is shortened. When the thin film photoelectric conversion element having such a structure is formed with the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1, the film formation space and the non-film formation space communicate with each other through the through-hole formed in the flexible substrate 20. It will be. Therefore, in such a case, the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 is formed between two strip-shaped end plates that are screwed to the end surfaces of the lower film formation chamber wall body 5 and the upper film formation chamber wall body 6 as in the prior art. The flexible substrate 20 is configured to be sandwiched by a sealing material held so as not to drop off in the groove. Thereby, the film formation space and the non-film formation space are kept airtight.

  Further, the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a first holding mechanism unit that sandwiches one end portion in the width direction of the flexible substrate 20 orthogonal to the conveyance direction on both sides of the plasma CVD chamber 2 in the conveyance direction of the flexible substrate 20. 30 and a second holding mechanism portion 40 that sandwiches the other end portion of the flexible substrate 20 in the width direction on the other end side of the flexible substrate 20 facing the first holding mechanism portion 30. Yes. Furthermore, the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a tension mechanism unit 50 that pulls an end portion sandwiched by the second holding mechanism unit 40 of the flexible substrate 20 in the width direction of the flexible substrate 20.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state before the flexible substrate is sandwiched, and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the flexible substrate is sandwiched.
The first holding mechanism 30 has a body 32 fixed to a base 31, and a spool 33 is built in the body 32. The spool 33 is configured to slide in the body 32 while being kept airtight by a first seal 34a and a second seal 34b which are O-rings made of, for example, fluorine rubber. Here, a compressor is used as a driving source of the spool 33, and air whose pressure is controlled by a pressure regulating valve is introduced into the body 32 from the first tube 35a and the second tube 35b, and is kept airtight by the first seal 34a. The spool 33 moves according to the air pressure. The second seal 34b keeps the airtightness between the inside of the body 32 and the outside of the body 32 (inside the vacuum vessel 1a shown in FIGS. 1 and 2).

  A flat first pad 36 a made of elastic fluororubber is baked and fixed to the pad receiver 36 b at the tip of the spool 33 of the first holding mechanism 30. The pad receiver 36 b is fixed to the tip of the spool 33. It is fixed to the screw. On the base 31 facing the first pad 36a, a flat second pad 36c made of fluororubber having the same dimensions as the first pad 36a is baked and fixed.

  The first holding mechanism unit 30 has a base 31 fixed to the vacuum vessel 1a shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the whole thereof is fixed thereby. When the flexible substrate 20 is conveyed to the first holding mechanism unit 30, the first holding mechanism unit 30 moves the spool 33 from the initial position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. One end of the flexible substrate 20 is sandwiched between the first pad 36a and the second pad 36c. Here, the first pad 36a and the second pad 36c are made of fluororubber, which is a heat-resistant rubber, and the first pad 36a and the second pad 36c sandwich the flexible substrate 20 with a high grip force. . Therefore, the flexible substrate 20 is prevented from slipping between the first pad 36a and the second pad 36c, and has heat resistance. Therefore, the first pad 36a and the second pad 36c are connected by the heater 9. Even if it contacts the heated flexible substrate 20, it has the structure which is hard to deteriorate.

  The second holding mechanism 40 has a body 42 fixed to the connecting block 41, and a spool 43 is built in the body 42. The spool 43 slides in the body 42 while maintaining airtightness by a first seal 44a and a second seal 44b, which are O-rings made of, for example, fluorine rubber. The spool 43 is configured such that pressure-controlled air is introduced into the body 42 from the first tube 45a and the second tube 45b, is kept airtight by the first seal 44a, and moves according to the air pressure. The second seal 44b is adapted to keep the inside and outside of the body 42 airtight.

  At the tip of the spool 43 of the second holding mechanism 40, a flat first pad 46a made of elastic fluoro rubber is baked and fixed to a pad receiver 46b screwed to the tip of the spool 43. . A flat second pad 46c made of fluororubber having the same dimensions as the first pad 46a is baked and fixed to the connecting block 41 facing the first pad 46a.

  When the flexible substrate 20 is conveyed, the second holding mechanism unit 40 moves the spool 43 from the initial position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. The end opposite to the side sandwiched by the holding mechanism 30 is sandwiched between the first pad 46a and the second pad 46c. Here, as with the first holding mechanism section 30, the first pad 46a and the second pad 46c are formed of fluororubber so as to sandwich the flexible substrate 20 with a high gripping force. The flexible substrate 20 is prevented from slipping between the first pad 46c and the second pad 46c, and the first pad 46a and the second pad 46c have heat resistance so that they are not easily deteriorated by heat.

  The tension mechanism unit 50 has a body 52 fixed to a plate 51, and a spool 53 is built in the body 52. The spool 53 slides in the body 52 while maintaining airtightness by a first seal 54a and a second seal 54b, which are O-rings made of, for example, fluorine rubber. The spool 53 is configured such that pressure-controlled air is introduced into the body 52 from the first tube 55a and the second tube 55b, is kept airtight by the first seal 54a, and moves according to the air pressure. The second seal 54b is adapted to maintain airtightness inside and outside the body 52.

  The tip of the spool 53 of the tension mechanism unit 50 is connected to the connection block 41 of the second holding mechanism unit 40. Further, the plate 51 of the tension mechanism section 50 is fixed to the vacuum vessel 1a shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the plate 51 is provided with a linear guide 51a. The connection block 41 of the second holding mechanism unit 40 is guided by the linear guide 51 a as the spool 53 of the pulling mechanism unit 50 moves, so that the second holding mechanism unit 40 moves relative to the first holding mechanism unit 30. It can move in the direction of approaching or leaving.

  The flexible substrate 20 is transported and stopped at a predetermined film formation position (plasma CVD chamber 2), heated by the radiant heat of the heater 9 heated to a temperature of 200 ° C. to 250 ° C., and further contacted with the ground electrode 10. Heated to a temperature equivalent to that of the heater 9. When a heat-resistant 1 m wide polyimide film is used for the flexible substrate 20 and a tension of about 200 N is applied in the transport direction, the flexible substrate 20 is stretched by about 4 mm per meter in the transport direction, and the width direction is 2 mm. Shrink to some extent. Due to the contraction in the width direction, wavy wrinkles (wave height of about 2 mm to 3 mm) are generated on the flexible substrate 20.

  In the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 configured as described above, first, air whose pressure is controlled from the first tube 35a by the first holding mechanism unit 30 is introduced into the body 32, and accordingly, a part of the remaining air in the body 32 is first. 2 Pull out from the tube 35b, and the spool 33 moves from the initial position shown in FIG. 3 to the flexible substrate 20 side. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, the flexible substrate 20 is sandwiched between the first pad 36a and the second pad 36c.

  On the other hand, in the second holding mechanism 40, air is introduced into the body 42 from the first tube 45a, and part of the remaining air in the body 42 is withdrawn from the second tube 45b, and the spool 43 is shown in FIG. It moves from the initial position shown to the flexible substrate 20 side. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the flexible substrate 20 holds the other end opposite to the one held by the first holding mechanism 30 between the first pad 46a and the second pad 46c. Is done.

  Thereafter, air is introduced from the first tube 55a into the body 52 by the tension mechanism 50, and a part of the remaining air in the body 52 is removed from the second tube 55b, and the spool 53 is moved from the initial position shown in FIG. 2 Move to the holding mechanism 40 side. As a result, the connecting block 41 of the second holding mechanism unit 40 is pushed while being guided by the linear guide 51 a of the plate 51 of the tension mechanism unit 50, and the distance between the first holding mechanism unit 30 and the second holding mechanism unit 40. Will spread. The flexible substrate 20 is clamped by the first holding mechanism 30 and the other end is clamped by the second holding mechanism 40 while the flexible substrate 20 is further clamped by the tension mechanism 50. The wrinkles stretched in the width direction 20 and generated on the flexible substrate 20 as shown in FIG. 3 are stretched as shown in FIG.

  When the flexible substrate 20 is transported after film formation, the first holding mechanism 30, the second holding mechanism 40, and the pulling mechanism 50 are respectively connected to the bodies 32, 42 from the second tubes 35b, 45b, 55b. , 52 is introduced into air, and a part of the remaining air in the bodies 32, 42, 52 is extracted from the first tubes 35a, 45a, 55a. As a result, the spool 53 of the tension mechanism unit 50 returns to the initial position in FIG. 3 so that the distance between the first and second holding mechanism units 30 and 40 returns to the initial state, and the first and second holding mechanism units 30. , 40 are moved away from the flexible substrate 20 to release the holding of the flexible substrate 20, and the flexible substrate 20 can be transported.

  Here, the air pressure is controlled so that the holding of the flexible substrate 20 by the first pad 36a and the second pad 36c in the first holding mechanism 30 is performed with a force of about 50N to 100N, and the second holding mechanism The air pressure is controlled so that the flexible substrate 20 is sandwiched between the first pad 46a and the second pad 46c in the portion 40 with a force of about 50N to 100N. When the force for sandwiching the flexible substrate 20 is less than 50 N, the flexible substrate 20 is securely sandwiched even if fluorine rubber or the like is used for the first pads 36a, 46a and the second pads 36c, 46c. Otherwise, the effect of stretching the heels may be reduced. Moreover, in order to clamp the flexible substrate 20, it is considered that a clamping force of about 100 N is sufficient.

  The air pressure is controlled so that the pulling force of the flexible substrate 20 by the pulling mechanism unit 50 becomes, for example, a force of about 200 N, which is equivalent to the transport tension. Thus, the pulling force of the flexible substrate 20 is set according to the transport tension. If the pulling force is too small with respect to the transport tension, the effect of extending the wrinkles of the flexible substrate 20 becomes small. On the other hand, if the pulling force is too large with respect to the transport tension, the flexible substrate is pulled in the width direction. This is because a new wrinkle is generated at 20.

  In addition, the first holding mechanism unit 30, the second holding mechanism unit 40, and the tension mechanism unit 50 are preferably configured to be driven and controlled by the fluid pressure using a gas or liquid such as the air described above. . Thereby, even if the temperature of the heater 9 is changed as a film forming condition and the contraction amount of the flexible substrate 20 is changed, the flexible substrate 20 can be pulled in the width direction with a controlled constant tension. become.

  FIG. 5 is a film thickness distribution diagram of the a-Si film. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents the position (mm) in the width direction of the flexible substrate, and the vertical axis represents the formed a-Si film thickness (μm). In FIG. 5, the solid line indicates the result when the a-Si film is formed using the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1, and the dotted line indicates the first holding mechanism part 30, the second holding mechanism part 40, and the tension mechanism part. The result when forming an a-Si film using the thin film manufacturing apparatus which does not have 50 is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 is used, the uniformity of the film thickness distribution of the a-Si film is good, and the film thickness is almost constant in the width direction of the flexible substrate 20. An a-Si film is formed. The first holding mechanism 30, the second holding mechanism 40, and the pulling mechanism 50 of the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 stretch the wrinkles that are generated on the flexible substrate 20, thereby flattening the flexible substrate 20. It can be said that the distance between the substrate 20 and the high voltage electrode 8 is made uniform regardless of the position on the flexible substrate 20. On the other hand, when a thin film manufacturing apparatus that does not include the first holding mechanism portion 30, the second holding mechanism portion 40, and the pulling mechanism portion 50 is used, since the wrinkles remain on the flexible substrate 20, the flexibility It can be seen that the distance between the substrate 20 and the high voltage electrode 8 becomes non-uniform, and the film thickness of the a-Si film changes depending on the position on the flexible substrate 20.

  In addition, the first pads 36a, 46a and the second pads 36c, 46c in the first holding mechanism 30 and the second holding mechanism 40 are elastic and have high grip force, such as fluoro rubber, It can also be formed using a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum or a ceramic material such as alumina. In that case, in order to increase the contact area between the first pads 36 a and 46 a and the second pads 36 c and 46 c and the flexible substrate 20 and to increase the holding force of the flexible substrate 20, the flexible substrate 20 is provided. For example, the first pads 36a and 46a and the second pads 36c and 46c to be sandwiched can be formed into a shape having an uneven surface as shown in FIGS. Here, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a case where the first pad and the second pad are formed with a rectangular cross section, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a case where the first pad and the second pad are formed with a triangular cross section. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a case where the first pad and the second pad are formed in a circular arc shape in cross section. 6 to 8 show a state in which the flexible substrate 20 is sandwiched, respectively.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a first pad 36a (46a) having an uneven surface with a rectangular cross section is fixed to a pad receiver 36b (46b) fixed to the tip of a spool 33 (43) and faces this. On the base 31 (connection block 41), the second pad 36c (46c) having an uneven surface with a rectangular cross section that meshes with the uneven surface of the first pad 36a (46a) is fixed. The flexible substrate 20 is pulled in the width direction while being sandwiched between the first pad 36a (46a) and the second pad 36c (46c) having a rectangular cross section so that the heel is extended.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a first pad 36a (46a) having a concavo-convex surface having a triangular cross section is fixed to a pad receiver 36b (46b) fixed to the tip of the spool 33 (43), and is opposed to this. The same effect can be obtained by fixing the second pad 36c (46c) having a concavo-convex surface having a triangular cross section that meshes with the concavo-convex surface of the first pad 36a (46a) on the base 31 (connecting block 41).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a first pad 36a (46a) having an uneven surface with an arcuate cross section is fixed to a pad receiver 36b (46b) fixed to the tip of the spool 33 (43), and is opposed to this. The second pad 36c (46c) having a concavo-convex surface having an arcuate cross section that meshes with the concavo-convex surface of the first pad 36a (46a) may be fixed on the base 31 (connection block 41). In particular, when the concave and convex surfaces of the first pads 36a and 46a and the second pads 36c and 46c have such a cross-sectional arc shape, since there is no edge portion in the pad surface, the sandwiched flexible substrate 20 has There is little potential for damage.

  As described above, the first holding mechanism unit 30, the second holding mechanism unit 40, and the pulling mechanism unit 50 are provided on both sides of the plasma CVD chamber 2 of the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 in the conveyance direction of the flexible substrate 20, and are flexible. A thin film such as an a-Si film was formed with the ridges of the substrate 20 stretched. As a result, a thin film having a good film thickness distribution can be formed on the flexible substrate 20, the thin film characteristics can be improved, and the color unevenness in appearance can be eliminated, so that the commercial value can be improved. become. By using the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 for manufacturing a thin film photoelectric conversion element, the power generation efficiency is improved and the commercial value of the appearance is also improved. Therefore, the thin film photoelectric conversion with high characteristics and high quality is achieved. An element can be realized.

  In the above description, one end and the other end of the flexible substrate 20 are sandwiched by the first holding mechanism 30 and the second holding mechanism 40 on both sides of the plasma CVD chamber 2 in the direction of transporting the flexible substrate 20. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a wide region of the edge portion of the flexible substrate 20 is sandwiched to extend the ridge.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a thin film manufacturing apparatus having another configuration. However, in FIG. 9, the same elements as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
In the thin film manufacturing apparatus 60 shown in FIG. 9, outside the plasma CVD chamber 2 outside the plasma CVD chamber 2 in the width direction of the flexible substrate 20 wound and transported from the feed roll 3 to the take-up roll 4. A first holding mechanism portion 30a and a second holding mechanism portion 40a that sandwich the end portion of the protruding flexible substrate 20 facing each other are disposed. The first and second holding mechanism sections 30a and 40a in the thin film manufacturing apparatus 60 are configured to sandwich the flexible substrate 20 with pads that are driven and controlled by fluid pressure or the like, as in the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1. Has been. As shown in FIG. 9, the first and second holding mechanism portions 30 a and 40 a are configured to be able to sandwich the end portion of a region having the same width or a long width as each plasma CVD chamber 2.

  Further, the thin film manufacturing apparatus 60 moves the second holding mechanism portion 40a holding one end portion of the flexible substrate 20 in a direction away from the first holding mechanism portion 30a holding the other end portion, and moves one edge portion. The flexible substrate 20 has a pulling mechanism 50a that pulls in the width direction. The pulling mechanism 50a can be driven and controlled in the same manner as in the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1 with the same configuration. Further, the tension mechanism unit 50a may have other configurations as long as the second holding mechanism unit 40a can be separated from the first holding mechanism unit 30a.

  Even if the thin film manufacturing apparatus 60 having such a configuration is used, it is possible to stretch the wrinkles of the flexible substrate 20 when forming the thin film, so that a thin film having a good film thickness distribution is formed on the flexible substrate 20. can do. The thin film manufacturing apparatus 60 is particularly effective when a flexible substrate 20 having a width larger than the width of the plasma CVD chamber 2 can be used.

  In the thin film manufacturing apparatus 60, as in the thin film manufacturing apparatus 1, a heat-resistant rubber such as fluororubber or a metal is attached to a pad portion that sandwiches the flexible substrate 20 of the first and second holding mechanism portions 30a and 40a. A material such as ceramic can be used. Further, an uneven surface that meshes with each other may be formed in the pad portion, and the flexible substrate 20 may be sandwiched between the uneven surfaces.

  The thin film manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can be suitably used for forming a thin film photoelectric conversion element, and can be widely used for manufacturing a thin film element in which a plurality of layers are generally formed on a flexible substrate.

It is a top view of a thin film manufacturing apparatus. It is sectional drawing of a thin film manufacturing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the state before clamping a flexible substrate. It is a figure which shows the state which clamped the flexible substrate. It is a film thickness distribution map of an a-Si film. It is a figure which shows the case where the 1st pad and the 2nd pad are formed in cross-sectional rectangular shape. It is a figure which shows the case where the 1st pad and the 2nd pad are formed in the cross-sectional triangle shape. It is a figure which shows the case where the 1st pad and the 2nd pad are formed in cross-sectional arc shape. It is a top view of the thin film manufacturing apparatus of another structure. It is sectional drawing at the time of the film-forming chamber of a stepping roll system. It is sectional drawing at the time of film-forming chamber sealing of a stepping roll system. It is principal part sectional drawing of the seal structure of a film-forming chamber.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,60 Thin film manufacturing apparatus 1a Vacuum container 2 Plasma CVD chamber 3 Feeding roll 4 Winding roll 5 Lower film-forming chamber wall 5a Sealing material 6 Upper film-forming chamber wall 7 Power source 8 High voltage electrode 9 Heater 10 Ground electrode 11 Exhaust Tube 20 Flexible substrate 30, 30a First holding mechanism 31 Base 32, 42, 52 Body 33, 43, 53 Spool 34a, 44a, 54a First seal 34b, 44b, 54b Second seal 35a, 45a, 55a First 1 tube 35b, 45b, 55b 2nd tube 36a, 46a 1st pad 36b, 46b pad receiving 36c, 46c 2nd pad 40, 40a 2nd holding mechanism part 41 connection block 50, 50a tension mechanism part 51 plate 51a linear guide

Claims (7)

In a thin film manufacturing apparatus for forming a thin film on a flexible substrate conveyed to a film forming chamber,
A first holding which is fixedly disposed on both sides of the film forming chamber in the flexible substrate transport direction and sandwiches one end of the flexible substrate in the flexible substrate width direction perpendicular to the flexible substrate transport direction. A mechanism part;
A second holding mechanism portion disposed opposite to the first holding mechanism portion and sandwiching the other end portion of the flexible substrate in the flexible substrate width direction;
A pulling mechanism that moves the second holding mechanism in a direction that increases the distance from the first holding mechanism and pulls the other end in the width direction of the flexible substrate;
A thin film manufacturing apparatus comprising:   The first holding mechanism portion, the second holding mechanism portion, and the tension mechanism portion are driven and controlled by fluid pressure when the flexible substrate is sandwiched or when the other end portion is pulled. The thin film manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1.   2. The thin film manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first holding mechanism section and the second holding mechanism section are formed using a heat-resistant rubber at a portion that sandwiches the flexible substrate.   2. The thin film manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first holding mechanism section and the second holding mechanism section are formed by using a metal or ceramic at a portion for holding the flexible substrate.   The first holding mechanism part and the second holding mechanism part are characterized in that an uneven surface that meshes with each other is formed in a portion that holds the flexible substrate, and the flexible substrate is held between the uneven surfaces. The thin film manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1. In a thin film manufacturing apparatus for forming a thin film on a flexible substrate conveyed to a film forming chamber,
The film forming chamber is fixedly disposed outside the flexible substrate width direction orthogonal to the flexible substrate transport direction, and is one end of the flexible substrate in the flexible substrate width direction, A first holding mechanism portion for sandwiching the one end portion having the same width or a long width as the membrane chamber;
The other end of the flexible substrate in the width direction of the flexible substrate, which is opposite to the first holding mechanism portion across the film formation chamber and has the same width or a long width as the film formation chamber A second holding mechanism for sandwiching the other end;
A pulling mechanism that moves the second holding mechanism in a direction that increases the distance from the first holding mechanism and pulls the other end in the width direction of the flexible substrate;
A thin film manufacturing apparatus comprising: In a thin film manufacturing method for forming a thin film on a flexible substrate conveyed to a film forming chamber,
Sandwiching one end and the other end of the flexible substrate in the flexible substrate width direction perpendicular to the flexible substrate transport direction;
The thin film is formed by pulling the other end in the width direction of the flexible substrate to form the thin film on the flexible substrate.

Images