JP2007009313A - Vacuum vapor deposition apparatus, and method for manufacturing electro-optical device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus which is preferably used, for instance, for oblique-depositing an inorganic oriented film for an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device, and improves productivity. <P>SOLUTION: The vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 10 comprises a target chamber 100, a process chamber 200 and a flight chamber 300. When one target selected from a plurality of targets 110 arranged in a space 101 in the target chamber 100 is irradiated with an electron beam projected from an electron-beam irradiation unit 120, the target is vaporized, passes through a space 301 in the flight chamber 300, arrives at a space 201 in the process chamber 200, and deposits on a substrate 210. At this time, the electron-beam irradiation unit 120 is moved to a position corresponding to the selected one target by an electron-beam-moving unit 130. Accordingly, a plurality of the targets own the electron beam irradiation unit 120 in common. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technical field of a vacuum deposition apparatus and a method of manufacturing an electro-optical apparatus using the same, which are preferably used for oblique deposition of an inorganic alignment film related to an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device.

  In this type of technical field, one using a collimator has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to the film forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter, referred to as “conventional technology”), a target to a substrate is disposed between a target and a substrate to be formed in a vacuum chamber or a vacuum chamber. By disposing a collimator that regulates particles directed toward the substrate so as to be inclined with respect to the film formation surface of the substrate, the apparatus can be reduced in size and the maintainability is improved.

  In addition, in this type of technical field, a technique for forming a metal oxide film from an oblique side of the substrate surface by an electron beam evaporation method has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2004-332101 A JP 2003-202573 A

  When depositing a deposition material uniformly on a substrate, the optimum distance between the deposition source and the substrate, or the distance required between them, depends on the physical conditions of the deposition source and the physical conditions of the substrate. It depends. From the viewpoint of improving productivity, it is desirable that the vapor deposition source and the substrate be large to some extent, and accordingly, the distance between the two that can cancel the uneven distribution of the vapor deposition material becomes large. Therefore, even if it is possible to reduce the size of the apparatus by regulating the vapor deposition material so as to be inclined with respect to the substrate by a collimator or the like as in the prior art, it is difficult to change the macroscopic size of the vapor deposition apparatus. The maintainability that affects the productivity of the device is hardly improved sufficiently. That is, the conventional technique has a technical problem that it is difficult to sufficiently improve the productivity of the vapor deposition apparatus.

  In particular, when an inorganic alignment film having a predetermined pretilt angle is formed by oblique deposition on a substrate such as an element substrate or a counter substrate constituting an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device, a conventional technique is used. According to this film formation, it is extremely difficult in practice to form a uniform inorganic alignment film over the entire surface of the substrate while reducing the size of the entire vacuum chamber.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum deposition apparatus capable of improving productivity and a method of manufacturing an electro-optical device using the same.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the present invention defines a first space for installing a plurality of vapor deposition sources and can maintain the first space in a vacuum. And an electron beam irradiation means installed in the first space and evaporating a part of the vapor deposition source as an evaporating substance by irradiating the vapor deposition source with an electron beam, and the electron beam irradiation means in the first space. And an electron beam moving means for moving at least a part of the electron beam to a position where one of the plurality of vapor deposition sources evaporates by the irradiated electron beam, and can communicate with the first space. And defining a second space which is a space for installing a substrate for depositing the evaporation material corresponding to the selected one deposition source, and at least the second space, the first space, At least one second vacuum chamber capable of maintaining the second space in a vacuum state in a state of communication with each other, and the first and second vacuum chambers between the first and second vacuum chambers, respectively. In a state of being detachably installed and connected to the first and second vacuum chambers, (i) can communicate with the first and second spaces, and (ii) the selected one deposition source. A third space is defined as a space for the corresponding evaporated substance to fly toward the second space, and at least the third space is maintained in a vacuum state in communication with the first and second spaces. And at least one third vacuum chamber that can be used.

  The “first vacuum chamber” in the present invention defines a first space for installing a plurality of vapor deposition sources (targets) and is configured to be able to maintain the first space in a vacuum. As long as such a concept is secured, its shape and material are not limited at all. However, as the constituent material, metal materials, steel materials, glass materials, ceramics or ceramic materials are preferably used in view of mechanical, physical and chemical stability.

  Here, “vacuum” is a concept encompassing the state of a space filled with a gas having a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, and preferably the atmospheric quality is applied to the film quality when the evaporated substance is deposited on the substrate. This refers to a state where the pressure is reduced from atmospheric pressure to such an extent that impurities such as oxygen and nitrogen contained therein do not affect the film quality. Further, the configuration of the exhaust mechanism, the exhaust device, or the exhaust system for creating the vacuum is not limited as long as the vacuum can be created. For example, the vacuum state may be created by a rotary pump, a mechanical booster pump, an oil diffusion pump, a turbo molecular pump, or the like. Alternatively, a vacuum state may be created by using them in combination as a preliminary exhaust system and a main exhaust system. Note that “maintaining a vacuum” can be regarded as constant or constant as a result of an offset between the amount of gas exhausted by such an exhaust system and the amount of gas leakage in the first vacuum chamber. It is a concept that includes a state in which the degree of vacuum is stable to an extent.

The “deposition source” in the present invention is a concept encompassing substances that can be evaporated by heating with an electron beam, and as long as such a concept is secured, its material, shape, and other physical characteristics are It is not limited at all. For example, the vapor deposition source may be an inorganic material such as SiO or SiO ₂ . Further, it may be an inorganic material that can be used as an inorganic alignment film material in an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device.

  In the first space, an electron beam irradiation means is installed in addition to the vapor deposition source. Here, the electron beam irradiation means according to the present invention is installed in the first space among a mechanism, an apparatus, or a system that evaporates a part of the vapor deposition source as an evaporation material by irradiating the vapor deposition source with an electron beam. This is a concept encompassing at least a part, for example, a part of an electron gun device. For example, the electron gun apparatus generally includes a filament, a control system, a power supply system, a cooling water system, and the like, and the electron gun apparatus as the electron beam irradiation means according to the present invention is installed in the first vacuum chamber. Refers to things. Therefore, all of the control system, the power supply system, and the cooling water system are not necessarily installed in the first space. For example, the control device, the power source, the cooling water source, or the like may be installed outside the first space. A part of the evaporation source evaporated by the electron beam irradiation means reaches the second space defined in the second vacuum chamber as an evaporated substance.

  Here, the “second vacuum chamber” according to the present invention defines the second space that can communicate with the first space, and at least maintains the second space in a state of communicating with the first space in a vacuum. This is a concept encompassing a box such as a chamber, and the material and shape thereof are not limited at all as in the first vacuum chamber. The vacuum in the second space may be realized by various exhaust systems in the first vacuum chamber. Further, the degree of vacuum as a physical numerical value in the first space and the second space may not necessarily match. Alternatively, the second vacuum chamber may be connected to various exhaust systems having the same or different form as the first vacuum chamber, and the second space may be positively maintained in a vacuum. In any case, in a state where the first space and the second space communicate with each other, the second vacuum chamber can maintain the second space in a vacuum.

  In the second space, a substrate for depositing an evaporating substance from a deposition source is installed. Here, the number of substrates installed in the second space is arbitrary as long as the vapor deposition operation according to the present invention is not hindered. Accordingly, the vacuum deposition apparatus according to the present invention may be a so-called batch type vacuum deposition apparatus in which one substrate is installed in the second space, or a single wafer type vacuum deposition apparatus in which a plurality of substrates are installed. It may be.

  In view of the fact that the second space is positioned as a vapor deposition chamber (film formation chamber), the second vacuum chamber has a load lock chamber (load lock chamber) for supplying a substrate to the second space or Further, a transfer chamber (transfer chamber) for discharging a substrate that has been vapor-deposited (film formation) from the second space may be appropriately connected. When a load lock chamber, a transfer chamber, or the like that correlates with these pre-processes or post-processes is connected, pre-processing or post-processing such as pre-baking or post-baking may be further performed in each of these chambers.

  Here, in particular, the distance from the deposition source to the substrate is determined by various factors such as the size and shape of the deposition source, the size of the substrate and the size of the deposition area, or the film quality required for the deposited film, but is generally large. Therefore, the configuration of the vacuum deposition apparatus is inevitably enlarged, and the maintainability tends to deteriorate. There is a problem that a decrease in maintainability ultimately leads to a decrease in productivity.

  Therefore, the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the present invention solves this problem by including the third vacuum chamber. The third vacuum chamber according to the present invention is detachably installed between the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber, respectively.

  The third vacuum chamber defines a third space. In the state where the third vacuum chamber is connected to the first and second vacuum chambers (i.e., the state corresponding to the removable “wearing”), the third space (i) is mutually connected to the first and second spaces. And (ii) a space for the evaporating substance corresponding to the selected one evaporation source to fly toward the second space. The third vacuum chamber is capable of maintaining the third space in a vacuum state in communication with the first and second spaces. The third vacuum chamber according to the present invention is a concept including a cylindrical object that defines such a third space, and the material and shape thereof are not limited as long as the concept is secured. The third space may be maintained in a vacuum by the action of various exhaust systems provided in the first vacuum tank or in addition to the second vacuum tank, and the third vacuum tank has an exhaust system separately from these. It may be maintained in a vacuum by being installed.

  The third vacuum chamber and the first and second vacuum chambers may be directly connected or indirectly connected. Here, “indirectly connected” means being connected via a sealing member such as a flange, a gasket, or a coupler, for example. Or it represents connecting through valve mechanisms, such as a gate valve. However, in the case of passing through flanges and the like, considering that the evaporated substance can fly from the first space to the second space even through these flanges and gate valves, these flanges and gates are used. A valve or the like may be regarded as a kind of third vacuum chamber. That is, the third vacuum chamber does not necessarily have to be an integrally configured cylindrical object.

  The third vacuum chamber can be removed from the first and second vacuum chambers (that is, a state corresponding to “detaching”). In view of removing the third vacuum chamber from the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber in a state where the first space and the second space are maintained in vacuum, the third space and the first and second spaces It is preferable that some vacuum maintaining member is interposed between them. However, as long as the third vacuum chamber is detachable from the first and second vacuum chambers, such a vacuum maintaining member may not necessarily be interposed.

  As described above, the third vacuum chamber can be removed from the first and second vacuum chambers, and thus can be individually maintained. Therefore, maintainability of the vacuum deposition apparatus is improved, and productivity of the vacuum deposition apparatus is improved. In other words, the vacuum deposition apparatus according to the present invention is different from the concept of improving the maintainability by downsizing the apparatus, and can improve the maintainability without downsizing the apparatus. In that respect, it is clearly advantageous over the prior art.

  In view of the fact that the third vacuum chamber is configured to be detachable from the first and second vacuum chambers, the vacuum deposition apparatus main body is made common by using a plurality of third vacuum chambers having different lengths. In this state, it is possible to easily optimize the distance between the vapor deposition source and the substrate, and from the viewpoint of optimizing the film quality, it can contribute to the improvement of productivity.

  On the other hand, from the viewpoint of improving productivity, it may not be desirable to individually provide electron beam irradiation means for each of the plurality of vapor deposition sources. Therefore, the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the present invention further includes an electron beam moving means to further improve the productivity of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus.

  The electron beam moving means moves at least a part of the electron beam irradiation means in the first space to a position where one of the plurality of vapor deposition sources is evaporated by the irradiated electron beam. Therefore, the electron beam irradiation means can selectively evaporate one of the plurality of evaporation sources, and can share the electron beam irradiation means for the plurality of evaporation sources. . That is, the cost can be reduced and the productivity of the vacuum deposition apparatus is improved. The target of movement by the electron beam moving means may not be all of the electron beam irradiation means. For example, when a part of the power supply system or the cooling water system is included as part of the electron beam irradiation means in the first space, the part of the power supply system or the cooling water system may not move. The mode of the electron beam moving means is not limited as long as at least a part of the electron beam irradiation means can be moved in this way.

  In one aspect of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the present invention, the first space and the third space are interposed between the first vacuum chamber and the third vacuum chamber, and at least the first space and the third space can be communicated and isolated. Second communication control means that is interposed between the first communication control means, the second vacuum chamber and the third vacuum chamber, and is capable of at least communicating and isolating the second space and the third space. Means, and the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber are capable of maintaining the first space and the second space in vacuum in a state of being isolated from the third space, respectively. The third vacuum chamber is detachable from the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber, respectively, in a state where the third space is isolated from the first and second spaces.

  The first communication control means is means capable of at least communicating and isolating the first space and the third space. Here, “at least” means that the communication state may be controlled in more stages as long as the first space and the third space are communicated and isolated. Further, the second communication means is means capable of at least communicating and isolating the second space and the third space. Here, “at least” means that the communication state may be controlled in more stages as long as the second space and the third space are communicated and isolated.

  The first and second vacuum chambers can maintain the first and second spaces in a vacuum, respectively, in a state where they are isolated from the third space by the first and second communication control means. The third vacuum chamber is detachable from the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber, respectively, in a state where the third space is isolated from the first and second spaces. Therefore, for example, even when the third vacuum chamber is removed from the first and second vacuum chambers in order to perform apparatus maintenance, the vacuum in the first space and the second space is not broken. In a vacuum evaporation system, the larger the internal volume, the longer the time required for exhausting. Therefore, when it is possible to maintain a local vacuum in this way, the time required for equipment maintenance is reliably shortened. Is done. Therefore, productivity is reliably improved.

  In addition, the aspect of the first and second communication control means capable of switching the communication state between communication and isolation as described above is not limited as long as the above-described operation can be realized, but preferably, It includes a plate-like on-off valve called a gate valve. In this case, a mechanism for opening and closing the gate valve may be further included. Such a mechanism may be accommodated in a flange or the like installed so as to be interposed between the first vacuum chamber and the third vacuum chamber or between the second vacuum chamber and the third vacuum chamber. .

  In another aspect of the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention, at least a part of the selected one evaporation source and at least a part of a substrate for depositing an evaporation material corresponding to the selected one evaporation source. Are arranged facing each other.

  According to this aspect, at least a part of the selected one deposition source and at least a part of the substrate for depositing the evaporation material corresponding to the selected one deposition source are arranged to face each other. Therefore, it is possible to perform the vapor deposition efficiently, and the productivity of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus is improved.

  Note that “at least a part of the substrate” means that a part of the substrate may be shielded from the evaporation source by interposing a shielding object between the first space and the second space. It is the purpose. In addition, “facing” does not only indicate that they are facing each other, but the substrate may be installed with a certain inclination with respect to the deposition source or the flight direction of the evaporated substance (deposition direction). It is.

  In an aspect in which at least a part of the evaporative substance and at least a part of the substrate are arranged to face each other, at least a part of the substrate flies through the third space in the second vacuum chamber. May be held so as to face each other obliquely.

  With this configuration, for example, an inorganic alignment film having a predetermined pretilt angle is formed by oblique deposition on a substrate such as an element substrate or a counter substrate that constitutes an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device. Is possible. That is, oblique vapor deposition can be suitably performed. In particular, it is possible to form a uniform inorganic alignment film over the entire surface of the substrate while reducing the size of the entire vacuum chamber.

  In an aspect in which at least a part of the evaporating substance and at least a part of the substrate are arranged to face each other, the substrate is in a flight direction of the evaporating substance flying through the third space in the second vacuum chamber. You may hold | maintain so that rotation is possible along the direction which crosses.

  If comprised in this way, it will become possible to form films | membranes, such as a more uniform inorganic alignment film, in the whole region of a substrate surface, aiming at size reduction of the whole vacuum chamber.

  In another aspect of the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention, the electron beam moving means includes a pedestal portion to which at least a part of the electron beam irradiation means is fixed, and at least a part fixed to the pedestal portion is the selection. And a pedestal rotating means for rotating the pedestal so as to move to a position corresponding to the one deposition source.

  According to this aspect, by rotating the pedestal portion by the pedestal rotating means, the electron beam irradiation means at least partially fixed to the pedestal portion can be moved to a position corresponding to the selected one deposition source. Therefore, the electron beam irradiation means is efficiently shared.

  The material and shape of the pedestal are not limited as long as the electron beam irradiation means fixed to the pedestal can evaporate the vapor deposition source.

  In another aspect of the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention, the electron beam moving means includes a rail portion that connects each of the plurality of evaporation sources via a predetermined position in the first space, and the rail portion, A moving unit that moves at least a part of the electron beam irradiation means to a position corresponding to the selected one deposition source, and at least a part that moves on the rail unit are used as the selected one deposition source. A rotation means for rotating in association with each other.

  According to this aspect, each of the plurality of vapor deposition sources is connected by the rail portion via the predetermined position in the first space. Here, the predetermined position in the first space may be, for example, a part of a surface portion where each of the plurality of vapor deposition sources is installed in the first space. Further, in this case, it may be the center of the surface portion.

  On the other hand, according to the principle of electron beam irradiation in the electron beam irradiation means, when the electron beam irradiation means is moved on the rail by the action of the moving means in this way, depending on the orientation of the filament or the magnetic field, The electron beam irradiation means may move in a direction in which the electron beam cannot be irradiated to the vapor deposition source.

  Therefore, in preparation for such a case, in this aspect, the rotation means rotates at least a part of the electron beam irradiation means moving on the rail portion in association with the selected one evaporation source. At this time, the amount of rotation may be set in advance to an amount capable of effectively evaporating the evaporation source experimentally, empirically, or by simulation. According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress variations in evaporation characteristics in each of the plurality of vapor deposition sources by the action of the rotation means, and the electron beam irradiation means can be efficiently shared.

  In another aspect of the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention, each of the first and second vacuum chambers is one, and a plurality of the third vacuum chambers are installed in association with each of the plurality of evaporation sources. .

  According to this aspect, a plurality of third vacuum chambers are installed in association with each of the plurality of vapor deposition sources. Therefore, at the time of maintenance of one third vacuum chamber, the other third vacuum chamber can be used, and the productivity is improved.

  In another aspect of the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention, there is one first vacuum chamber, a plurality of the third vacuum chambers are installed in association with each of the plurality of evaporation sources, and the second vacuum chamber is provided. A plurality of tanks are installed in association with each of the plurality of third vacuum tanks.

  According to this aspect, a plurality of vapor deposition systems including the second and third vacuum chambers are associated with each of the plurality of vapor deposition sources, and one of the vapor deposition systems is always in operation. The deposition system can be maintained relatively freely and is efficient.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, other vacuum vapor deposition apparatuses according to the present invention each define a first space for installing a single vapor deposition source and can maintain the first space in a vacuum. A plurality of first vacuum chambers, an electron beam irradiation means installed in the first space and evaporating a part of the vapor deposition source as an evaporating substance by irradiating the vapor deposition source with an electron beam, and the first space A second space which is a space for installing a substrate for depositing the evaporation material corresponding to the selected one deposition source, and at least the second space and the A single second vacuum chamber capable of maintaining the second space in a vacuum in a state where the first space communicates with each other, and between each of the plurality of first vacuum chambers and the second vacuum chamber And each of the above and the second vacuum chamber. In a state where each is detachably installed and connected to the first and second vacuum chambers, (i) the first and second spaces can communicate with each other, and (ii) the selected one deposition. Each of the third spaces is defined as a space for the evaporating substance corresponding to the source to fly toward the second space, and at least the first space and the second space in the respective states are in communication with each other. And a plurality of third vacuum tanks each capable of maintaining the third space in a vacuum.

  According to another vacuum deposition apparatus according to the present invention, an electron beam irradiation unit is provided in each of the plurality of first vacuum chambers, and a third vacuum chamber is provided for each of the plurality of deposition sources. Therefore, there are a plurality of vapor deposition systems including a vapor deposition source, an electron beam irradiation means, and a third vacuum chamber, and the tact time of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus is dramatically improved and the throughput is increased. That is, productivity is improved.

  In view of the fact that the electron beam irradiation means installed in the first space does not necessarily have to be all of the mechanisms, devices, or systems necessary for irradiating the evaporation source with the electron beam, the first vacuum is used. Even if a plurality of tanks are installed and each has electron beam irradiation means, it is possible to provide a mechanism, apparatus or system that can be shared by each electron beam irradiation means, and simplifying the apparatus configuration It becomes possible. That is, it can be said that the other vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the present invention also has the effect of improving productivity by simplifying the apparatus configuration.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an electro-optical device manufacturing method according to the present invention uses an inorganic material as the vapor deposition source to apply electricity onto the substrate by the vacuum vapor deposition device according to claim 1. An inorganic alignment film forming step for forming an inorganic alignment film for an optical device is provided.

  According to the method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to the present invention, a projection display device, a television, a mobile phone, an electronic notebook, a word processor, a viewfinder type, or a monitor direct view type video capable of performing high-quality image display. In the manufacturing process of an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal display device that can be used in various electronic devices such as a tape recorder, a workstation, a videophone, a POS terminal, and a touch panel, the inorganic alignment film can be deposited with high productivity.

  Such an operation and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below.

<Embodiment>
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

<First Embodiment>
<Configuration of Embodiment>
First, the configuration of the vacuum evaporation apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 10.

  In FIG. 1, the vacuum deposition apparatus 10 includes a target chamber 100, a process chamber 200, and a flight chamber 300.

  The target chamber 100 is a vacuum chamber that is at least partially made of, for example, a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel or a steel material, and is an example of the “first vacuum chamber” according to the present invention.

  The inner wall portion of the target chamber 100 defines a space 101 as an example of the “first space” according to the present invention in the target chamber 100, and the space 101 is irradiated with a plurality of targets 110 and a single electron beam. A system 120 is installed. Note that a part of the bottom surface portion of the target chamber 100 is connected to an exhaust system (not shown) so that the gas in the space 101 can be discharged out of the target chamber 100. The exhaust system is, for example, a general vacuum exhaust system including a rotary pump that is a sub exhaust device (for roughing) and a turbo molecular pump that is a main exhaust device (for main exhaust).

  The target 110 is, for example, a bulk of an inorganic material that forms an inorganic alignment film in a liquid crystal display device, and is placed on a crucible (not shown).

  The electron beam irradiation system 120 includes a filament (not shown), a power supply system, a cooling water system, a control system, a part of various wiring members, and the like, and is configured to generate an electron beam from the filament. This is an example of “electron beam irradiation means”.

  The electron beam irradiation system 120 is driven by an electron beam moving system 130. Here, the details of the electron beam moving system 130 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the electron beam moving system 130. In the figure, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same portions as those in FIG. 1, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 2, the electron beam moving system 130 is an example of “electron beam moving means” according to the present invention, which includes a rotary table 131, a drive unit 132, and a drive control unit 133.

  The turntable 131 is a disk-shaped member that is an example of the “pedestal” according to the present invention, and the electron beam irradiation system 120 is installed on the surface portion. The center of the rotary table 131 is connected to a rotary shaft 131a that can rotate in the direction B shown in the figure.

  The drive unit 132 is an example of the “pedestal rotating means” according to the present invention, which includes a power source 132a, a stepping motor 132b, and a gear system 132c. In the drive unit 132, the stepping motor 132b rotates in accordance with the electric power supplied from the power source 132a, and the rotary motion of the stepping motor 132b is converted into the rotary motion of the rotary shaft 131a via the gear system 132c. Can be rotated in the direction B in the figure.

  The rotation driving of the rotary table 131 by the driving unit 132 is controlled by the drive control unit 133. The drive control unit 133 is an electronic control system including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like, and can execute control of power supplied by the power source 132a, step amount control of the stepping motor 132b, and the like. Configured to be possible. The step amount of the stepping motor 132b is stored in advance in the ROM as a value corresponding to the installation position of each target 110.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the flight chamber 300 is a cylindrical vacuum chamber at least partially formed of a metal material or a steel material, similar to the target chamber 100, and is an example of the “third vacuum chamber” according to the present invention. is there. A plurality of flight chambers 300 are installed in the form of being installed immediately above each of the plurality of targets 110 installed in the target chamber 100. In addition, the inner wall portion of each flight chamber 300 defines a space 301 as an example of the “third space” according to the present invention inside the flight chamber 300. A part of the side surface portion of the flight chamber 300 is connected to an exhaust system (not shown), and is configured so that the gas in the space 301 can be discharged out of the flight chamber 300. The exhaust system is, for example, a general vacuum exhaust system including a rotary pump that is a sub exhaust device (for roughing) and a turbo molecular pump that is a main exhaust device (for main exhaust).

  The communication state between the space 301 in each flight chamber 300 and the space 101 in the target chamber 100 is controlled by a gate valve 400 interposed between each flight chamber 300 and the target chamber 100. The gate valve 400 will be described later.

  Like the target chamber 100 and the flight chamber 300, the process chamber 200 is a vacuum chamber that is at least partially made of a metal material or a steel material, and is an example of the “second vacuum chamber” according to the present invention. The inner wall portion of the process chamber 200 defines a space 201 as an example of the “second space” according to the present invention inside the process chamber 200, and a plurality of substrates 210 are installed in the space 201.

  The substrate 210 is a low-temperature polysilicon substrate, and is arranged side by side in the space 201 so as to have a certain inclination with respect to the inner surface of the process chamber 200. The substrate 210 is supplied in a state where a vacuum is maintained from a load lock chamber (not shown) connected to the process chamber 200 in an airtight manner, and connected to the process chamber 200 in an airtight state after the film formation is completed. It is configured to be discharged to a transfer chamber (not shown).

  A part of the side surface portion of the process chamber 200 is connected to an exhaust system (not shown) so that the gas in the space 201 can be discharged out of the process chamber 200. The exhaust system is, for example, a general vacuum exhaust system including a rotary pump that is a sub exhaust device (for roughing) and a turbo molecular pump that is a main exhaust device (for main exhaust).

  The communication state between the space 201 and the space 301 in each flight chamber 300 is controlled by a gate valve 500 interposed between the process chamber 200 and each flight chamber 300. The gate valve 500 will be described later.

  On the other hand, in the space 201, each substrate 210 is fixed to a jig (not shown). The jig is fixed to the rotating shaft 220 and is configured to be able to rotate in the same direction in the illustrated A as the rotating shaft 220 rotates in the illustrated A direction. The operation of the rotary shaft 220 is electrically and mechanically controlled by a drive control system (not shown), and each substrate 210 moves through the space 301 in the flight chamber 300 in the process of rotating in the direction A shown in the drawing together with the jig. And face the target 110 installed in the space 101 in the target chamber 100.

  Next, the details of the gate valve 400 and the gate valve 500 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 10. In the figure, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same parts as those in FIG. 1, and the description thereof is omitted. In FIG. 3, only one flight chamber 300 is shown. Further, the relative positional relationship among the target chamber 100, the process chamber 200, and the flight chamber 300 does not necessarily match the actual one for the sake of simplicity of explanation.

  In FIG. 3, a gate valve 400 is installed between the target chamber 100 and the flight chamber 300. The gate valve 400 is an example of the “first communication control unit” according to the present invention, which includes the valve portion 410, the flange portion 420, and the valve drive portion 430.

  The valve portion 410 is a metal disk-shaped member. The flange 420 defines the shape of the gate valve 400 and functions as a flange. A retreat space 421 for the valve portion 410 is formed inside the flange portion 420. The valve driving unit 430 is a system that controls the valve unit 410 electrically and mechanically, and a part of the valve driving unit 430 is exposed to the outer space of the flange unit 420 in a state of being kept airtight. By the electrical and mechanical control by the valve driving unit 430, the valve unit 410 can move from the retreat space 421 to a space corresponding to a position directly above the communication port 102 formed in the target chamber 100. In the space corresponding to just above, it is configured to be able to move up and down from the illustrated position C to the illustrated position D. Further, in a state where the position is controlled to the illustrated position D, the valve 410 is configured to be able to isolate the space 101 of the target chamber 100 and the space 301 of the flight chamber 300 from each other while maintaining airtightness.

  On the other hand, a gate valve 500 is installed between the process chamber 200 and the flight chamber 300. The gate valve 500 is an example of the “second communication control unit” according to the present invention, which includes the valve portion 510, the flange portion 520, and the valve driving portion 530.

  The valve part 510 is a metal disk-shaped member. The flange portion 520 is configured to define the shape of the gate valve 500 and to function as a flange. A retreat space 521 for the valve portion 510 is formed inside the flange portion 520. The valve drive unit 530 is a system that controls the valve unit 510 electrically and mechanically, and a part of the valve drive unit 530 is exposed to the outer space of the flange unit 520 in a state of being airtight. Through the electrical and mechanical control by the valve drive unit 530, the valve unit 510 can move from the retreat space 521 to a space corresponding to a position directly below the communication port 202 formed in the process chamber 200. In a space corresponding to such a position, it is possible to move up and down from the illustrated position E to the illustrated position F. Further, in a state where the position is controlled to the illustrated position F, the valve 510 is configured to be able to isolate the space 201 of the process chamber 200 and the space 301 of the flight chamber 300 from each other while maintaining airtightness.

<Operation of Embodiment>
Next, the operation of the electron beam irradiation system 120 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 again.

  In FIG. 2, the electron beam irradiation system 120 moves to a position corresponding to one target 110 selected from the plurality of targets 110 by acting on the electron beam moving system 130. The positional relationship between the electron beam irradiation system 120 and each selected target 110 is important from the principle of electron beam generation of the electron beam irradiation system 120. More specifically, since the relative positional relationship between the filament position and the magnetic field direction in the electron beam irradiation system 120 is difficult to change, the electron beam irradiation system 120 ensures that the electron beam is reliably transmitted to all targets 120. It is necessary to move so as to be irradiated. In the present embodiment, the electron beam irradiation system 120 is placed on the rotary table 131, thereby suitably solving the problem. That is, when the rotary table 131 rotates (that is, the electron beam irradiation system 120 revolves), the direction of the electron beam irradiated from the electron beam irradiation system 120 is always the direction of the target 110. Therefore, in the electron beam moving system 130 according to the present embodiment, the load for keeping the electron beam irradiation condition by the electron beam irradiation system 120 constant between the targets can be remarkably reduced. Is selected, the irradiation condition of the electron beam is kept constant with relatively high accuracy.

  Selection of the target 110 is determined by a control unit (not shown) of a vacuum deposition apparatus that further controls the drive control unit 133 of the electron beam moving system 130. This control unit uniformly controls each part of the vacuum deposition apparatus 10 such as the drive control system of the process chamber 200 and the gate valves 400 and 500 described above, and selects the target and irradiates the electron beam by the electron beam irradiation system. Each part is cooperatively controlled in conjunction with the operation.

  For example, when the electron beam irradiation system 120 moves to a position corresponding to the selected target among the targets 120, the upper and lower ends of the flight chamber 300 corresponding to the selected one target (that is, directly above) Only the gate valves 400 and 500 are controlled so that the respective valve portions move to the respective retreat spaces, and for the remaining gate valves 400 and 500 in the flight chamber 300, the space 101, the space 201, and the space 301 are mutually connected. The position of each valve part is controlled so that it is isolated.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3 again, the vapor deposition operation in the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 10 will be described.

  In FIG. 3, the target 110 irradiated with the electron beam from the electron beam irradiation system 120 is heated, and a part thereof is evaporated. The evaporating substance 110a composed of the evaporated target enters the space 301 from the space 101 through the communication port 102, further flies in the space 301, and reaches the space 201 through the communication port 202. Here, immediately above the communication port 202, there is a substrate 210 disposed facing the target 110, and the evaporation material 110 a is deposited on the substrate 210. As described above, each substrate 210 rotates together with the jig, and appropriately passes over the communication port 202 in the process of rotation so that the evaporation substance 110a is deposited. Note that the rotation speed of the jig and the process time (the time for completing the deposition for all the substrates installed in the space 201) are optimum values obtained in advance experimentally, empirically, or by simulation. Is set to a value.

  Here, in this embodiment, the target 110 is an inorganic material, and an inorganic alignment film is formed on the substrate 210. At this time, since the substrate 210 is disposed to be inclined with respect to the inner wall surface of the process chamber 200, an inorganic alignment film composed of a large number of columnar structures arranged to be inclined in the vapor deposition direction is formed on the substrate surface. It is well formed from 110a. That is, the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 10 is configured to be capable of oblique vapor deposition of an inorganic material as the target 110. Such an inorganic alignment film can be suitably used as an alignment film in a liquid crystal display device. In this case, a desired alignment film (desired alignment direction) is controlled by controlling the inclination direction and the inclination angle of the columnar structure. Or pretilt angle), and thereby the alignment state of the liquid crystal molecules can be regulated. In addition, according to this inorganic alignment film, the rubbing treatment required for the organic alignment film is not required, and therefore the number of steps and the like can be reduced. In addition, there is an advantage that the force for maintaining the liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined alignment state is stronger than that of the organic alignment film.

  On the other hand, in the flight chamber 300 corresponding to the unselected target 110, the valve part 410 and the valve part 510 in the corresponding gate valves 400 and 500 are separated from the space 101 and the space 201 (see FIG. 3) (position corresponding to position D and position F in FIG. 3). Therefore, these flight chambers 300 are unrelated to the process of the vacuum deposition apparatus 10. The flight chamber 300 unrelated to these processes can be removed from the vacuum deposition apparatus 10 at any time by stopping the exhaust system and opening the space 301 to the atmosphere. For this reason, during the period in which one flight chamber 300 is used, it becomes possible to easily maintain another flight chamber 300, and high maintainability is ensured. Furthermore, when the maintenance is completed and the vacuum deposition apparatus 10 is attached again, only the space 301 has to be exhausted by the exhaust system, and the time required for maintenance is remarkably shortened. Therefore, productivity is improved. Note that when the maintenance of the target chamber 100 and the process chamber 200 is performed, the film forming process related to the vacuum deposition apparatus 10 must be stopped, but even in this case, the space 101, the space 201, and the space 301 are respectively present. Since the vacuum can be maintained independently, efficient maintenance is realized.

  As described above, according to the vacuum deposition apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the electron beam irradiation system 120 is shared among the plurality of targets 110, so that the cost is reduced and high productivity is realized. Further, the vacuum deposition apparatus 10 includes a target chamber 100, a process chamber 200, and a flight chamber 300, and each chamber has a configuration capable of maintaining a vacuum independently of each other, and thus has high maintainability. From this point, productivity can be improved.

Second Embodiment
The relationship between the target chamber, the process chamber, and the flight chamber is not limited to that of the first embodiment. For example, a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus can be configured as follows. Here, with reference to FIG. 4, the vacuum evaporation system 20 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. Here, FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 20. In the figure, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same portions as those in FIG. 1, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 4, the vacuum deposition apparatus 20 is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment with respect to the target chamber 100 and the flight chamber 300, and the process chamber 200 is provided in one-to-one correspondence with the flight chamber 300. In this respect, the configuration is different from the vacuum deposition apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 4, only process chambers 200 corresponding to some flight chambers 300 are illustrated for the purpose of preventing the drawing from becoming complicated.

  In such a configuration, during the vapor deposition operation of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 20, the process chamber 200 and the flight chamber 300 corresponding to the target other than the selected target can be relatively freely maintained, which is efficient. It is.

<Third Embodiment>
The relationship between the target chamber, the process chamber, and the flight chamber is not limited to that of the first and second embodiments. For example, a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus can be configured as follows. Here, with reference to FIG. 5, the vacuum evaporation apparatus 30 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the vacuum evaporation apparatus 30. In the figure, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same portions as those in FIG. 1, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 5, the vacuum deposition apparatus 30 is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment with respect to the process chamber 200 and the flight chamber 300, and is provided in one-to-one correspondence with the flight chamber 300 instead of the target chamber 100. In addition, the configuration is different from the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment in that the target chamber 600 is provided.

  In FIG. 5, in a space 601 defined by the inner wall of the target chamber 600, one target 610 and an electron beam irradiation system 620 fixed corresponding thereto are installed. That is, in this embodiment, the electron beam irradiation system 620 is configured not to move.

  According to this embodiment, since each target chamber 600 can be operated simultaneously, the tact time required for vapor deposition of one substrate in the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 30 is obviously shorter than each of the above-described embodiments. It becomes. Therefore, productivity is improved.

  In view of the fact that the electron beam irradiation system 620 is installed for each target 610, as in the first and second embodiments, the electron beam irradiation system is shared by moving the electron beam irradiation system by the electron beam moving system. The benefits of conversion will almost disappear. However, a part of the power supply system, the cooling water system, and the control system that are not included in the electron beam irradiation system 620 can be shared between the electron beam irradiation systems 620, and in this respect, the effect of cost reduction is ensured. .

<First Modification>
In the present invention, the mode of moving the electron beam irradiation system 120 is not limited to the electron beam moving system 130 according to the first and second embodiments described above. This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an electron beam moving system 700 according to the first modification of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same parts as those in FIG. 2 described above, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 6, the electron beam moving system 700 includes a rail unit 710, a drive unit 720, and a drive control unit 730.

  The rail portion 710 is a rail member that connects each of the plurality of targets 110 to each other via the illustrated reference position in the space 101 (an example of the “predetermined position in the first space” according to the present invention). It is an example of such a “rail part”. The electron beam irradiation system 120 is fixed to the rail portion 710 via an attachment 711.

  The drive unit 720 is a mechanism for sliding the attachment 711 described above on the rail unit 710. Each of the “moving unit” and “spinning unit” according to the present invention includes a motor, a power source, and an attachment rotating mechanism. It is.

  The drive unit 720 slides the attachment 711 on the rail unit 710, moves the electron beam irradiation system 120 to a position corresponding to the target 110, and rotates the attachment 711 about the illustrated rotation axis 721, whereby the electron beam The irradiation system 120 can be rotated in the direction G shown in the figure.

  The operation of the drive unit 720 is controlled by the drive control unit 730. The drive control unit 730 is an electronic control system including a CPU, a ROM, and the like, and controls a control amount such as a motor in the drive unit 720 so that the electron beam irradiation system 120 moves to a position corresponding to one selected target. Has been decided. In this aspect, unlike the electron beam moving system 130 according to the first and second embodiments, the electron beam irradiation position by the electron beam irradiation system 120 is the same as the installation position of the target 110 only by sliding on the rail portion 710. Since they do not match, the drive control unit 730 gives a rotation command for the attachment 711 to the drive unit 720 when the electron beam irradiation system 120 moves to the target position, and the electron beam is reliably irradiated to the target 110 by the attachment 711. Rotate to position. That is, the electron beam irradiation system 120 is rotated by the attachment 711. Note that the detailed rotation amount (rotation amount) at this time is stored in advance as a fixed value in the ROM.

  By the sliding control and the rotation control by the driving unit 720 and the driving control unit 730, the electron beam irradiation system 120 can irradiate the selected target 110 with an electron beam, and an electron is emitted between a plurality of targets. The beam irradiation system 120 is shared.

<Second Modification>
In the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the first and second embodiments, a single electron beam irradiation system 120 is disposed in the target chamber 100. The arrangement of the electron beam irradiation system 120 in the target chamber 100 is the same. It is not limited. For example, it is possible to adopt a mode as shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a target chamber 800 according to the second modification of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same portions as those in FIG. 2, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 7, the target chamber 800 is different from the target chamber 100 described above in that it includes a plurality of electron beam irradiation systems 120.

  The electron beam irradiation system 120 is located on the rotary table 131 at a position obtained by rotating a line segment connecting one electron beam irradiation system 120 and the center of the rotary table 131 by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the rotary table 131. A total of four are arranged.

  When a plurality of electron beam irradiation systems 120 are arranged on the rotary table 131 in this way, multitasking can be performed with a single vacuum deposition apparatus in both cases of the first and second embodiments. The throughput of the apparatus is improved. Therefore, productivity can be improved.

  The number of electron beam irradiation systems 120 arranged on the rotary table 131 may not be four as shown in the figure. Of course, it may be smaller than the number of targets 110. Even if a plurality of electron beam irradiation systems 120 are arranged, it is possible to move the desired electron beam irradiation system 120 to the selected target 110 position by the action of the electron beam moving system 130. The effect of the invention is not inhibited at all.

<Method of manufacturing electro-optical device>
With reference to FIG. 8, a method of manufacturing an electro-optical device using the above-described vacuum deposition apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, as an example of an electro-optical device, a case where a liquid crystal device in which a liquid crystal as an example of an electro-optical material is sandwiched between an element substrate which is a pair of substrates and a counter substrate will be described. FIG. 8 is a process diagram showing the manufacturing flow.

  First, in FIG. 8, on the other hand, various wirings, various electronic elements, various electrodes, various built-in circuits, etc. are appropriately formed on the element substrate according to the model to be manufactured by the existing thin film forming technology or patterning technology. Create (step S1). Thereafter, using the vacuum deposition apparatus according to any one of the first to third embodiments described above, the surface of the element substrate that faces the counter substrate has a predetermined pretilt angle by oblique deposition. An inorganic alignment film is formed (step S2).

  On the other hand, various electrodes, various light-shielding films, various color filters, various microlenses, and the like are appropriately formed on the counter substrate according to the model to be manufactured by using an existing thin film forming technique or patterning technique (step). S3). Thereafter, using the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to any of the first to third embodiments described above, the surface of the counter substrate that faces the element substrate has a predetermined pretilt angle by oblique vapor deposition. An inorganic alignment film is formed (step S4).

  Thereafter, the pair of element substrates and the counter substrate on which the inorganic alignment film is formed are bonded using a sealing material made of, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin so that both inorganic alignment films face each other (Step S5). . Thereafter, liquid crystal is injected between these bonded substrates using, for example, vacuum suction, and sealing with a sealing material such as an adhesive, and further cleaning and inspection are performed (step S6).

  As described above, the manufacture of the liquid crystal device including the inorganic alignment film formed by using oblique deposition by the vacuum deposition apparatus according to any of the first to third embodiments described above is completed. As described above, since the inorganic alignment film is formed by using the vacuum deposition apparatus according to any of the first to third embodiments described above, according to the present manufacturing method, the production efficiency including the time required for maintenance is included. Is significantly higher.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification. The manufacturing method of the electro-optical device is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It is a typical perspective view of the vacuum evaporation system concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of the electron beam moving system in the vacuum evaporation system of FIG. It is a schematic cross section of the vacuum evaporation system of FIG. It is a typical perspective view of the vacuum evaporation system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a typical perspective view of the vacuum evaporation system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the electron beam moving system which concerns on the 1st modification of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the target chamber which concerns on the 2nd modification of this invention. FIG. 6 is a process diagram illustrating a flow of manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to an embodiment of a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device of the invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vacuum deposition apparatus, 100 ... Target chamber, 100a ... Evaporation substance, 101 ... Space, 110 ... Target, 120 ... Electron beam irradiation system, 130 ... Electron beam movement system, 131 ... Rotary table, 132 ... Drive part, 133 ... Drive control unit, 200 ... process chamber, 201 ... space, 210 ... substrate, 300 ... flight chamber, 301 ... space, 400 ... gate valve, 500 ... gate valve.

Claims (11)

A first vacuum chamber capable of defining a first space for installing a plurality of vapor deposition sources and maintaining the first space in a vacuum;
An electron beam irradiation means installed in the first space and evaporating a part of the vapor deposition source as an evaporation material by irradiating the vapor deposition source with an electron beam;
Electron beam moving means for moving at least a part of the electron beam irradiation means in the first space to a position where one of the plurality of vapor deposition sources is evaporated by the irradiated electron beam; ,
The second space is defined as a space that can communicate with the first space and is a space for installing a substrate for depositing the evaporation material corresponding to the selected one deposition source, and at least the first space. At least one second vacuum chamber capable of maintaining the second space in a vacuum in a state where the two spaces and the first space communicate with each other;
The first and second vacuum chambers are detachably installed between the first and second vacuum chambers, and are connected to the first and second vacuum chambers. (I) The first and second vacuum chambers And (ii) defining a third space that is a space for the evaporating material corresponding to the selected one deposition source to fly toward the second space, and at least A vacuum deposition apparatus, comprising: at least one third vacuum chamber capable of maintaining the third space in a vacuum in a state where the first and second spaces communicate with each other. A first communication control unit interposed between the first vacuum chamber and the third vacuum chamber and capable of at least communicating and isolating the first space and the third space;
A second communication control means interposed between the second vacuum chamber and the third vacuum chamber and capable of at least communicating and isolating the second space and the third space;
The first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber can maintain the first space and the second space in vacuum in a state of being isolated from the third space, respectively.
The third vacuum chamber is detachable from the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber, respectively, in a state where the third space is isolated from the first and second spaces. 2. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to 1. At least a part of the selected one deposition source and at least a part of the substrate for depositing an evaporation material corresponding to the selected one deposition source are disposed to face each other. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above. The at least part of the substrate is held in the second vacuum chamber so as to face diagonally to the evaporating substance flying through the third space. Vacuum deposition equipment. The said board | substrate is hold | maintained so that rotation is possible in the said 2nd vacuum chamber along the direction which intersects the flight direction of the said evaporating substance which flies through the said 3rd space. The vacuum evaporation apparatus as described in. The electron beam moving means includes
A pedestal portion to which at least a part of the electron beam irradiation means is fixed;
6. A pedestal rotating means for rotating the pedestal so that at least a part fixed to the pedestal moves to a position corresponding to the selected one deposition source. The vacuum evaporation apparatus as described in any one of these. The electron beam moving means includes
A rail portion connecting each of the plurality of vapor deposition sources via a predetermined position in the first space;
A moving unit that moves at least a part of the electron beam irradiation means to a position corresponding to the selected one deposition source on the rail unit;
The vacuum according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a rotation unit configured to rotate at least a part moving on the rail portion in association with the selected one deposition source. Vapor deposition equipment. The first and second vacuum chambers are each one;
The vacuum deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a plurality of the third vacuum chambers are installed in association with each of the plurality of deposition sources. The first vacuum chamber is one,
A plurality of the third vacuum chambers are installed in association with each of the plurality of vapor deposition sources,
The vacuum deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a plurality of the second vacuum chambers are installed in association with each of the plurality of third vacuum chambers. A plurality of first vacuum chambers each defining a first space for installing a single vapor deposition source and capable of maintaining the first space in a vacuum;
An electron beam irradiation means installed in the first space and evaporating a part of the vapor deposition source as an evaporation material by irradiating the vapor deposition source with an electron beam;
The second space is defined as a space that can communicate with the first space and is a space for installing a substrate for depositing the evaporation material corresponding to the selected one deposition source, and at least the first space. A single second vacuum chamber capable of maintaining the second space in a vacuum in a state where the two spaces and the first space communicate with each other;
In a state where each of the plurality of first vacuum chambers and the second vacuum chamber are detachably installed, respectively, and connected to the first and second vacuum chambers ( i) can communicate with the first space and the second space, respectively, and (ii) a space for evaporating material corresponding to the selected one deposition source to fly toward the second space. A plurality of third vacuum chambers each defining three spaces and capable of maintaining the third space in a vacuum in a state where the three spaces communicate with at least the first space and the second space in each of the three spaces. A vacuum deposition apparatus characterized by:   An inorganic alignment film forming step of forming an inorganic alignment film for an electro-optical device on the substrate by the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 using an inorganic material as the evaporation source. A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device.

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