JP2012153959A - Vacuum deposition apparatus, method for producing organic electroluminescence element, and the organic electroluminescence element - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform film deposition with high precision even in the case when an extremely small amount of a guest material is vapor deposited, in a vapor deposition apparatus for simultaneously vapor depositing a host material and the guest material to substrates to be conveyed.SOLUTION: The vapor deposition apparatus 200 for forming a thin film on a substrate 100 to be conveyed includes: a first vapor deposition source 203 which is extended in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction A opposite to the substrate 100 and releases a first vapor deposition material; a second vapor deposition source 204 which is extended in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction A and arranged so as to deviate from the first vapor deposition source 203 in the conveyance direction A, and releases a second vapor deposition material so that the second vapor deposition material overlaps the first vapor deposition material; and a shielding member 230 which is extended in the same direction as the direction where the second vapor deposition source 204 is extended and provided at a position that overlaps the released second vapor deposition material and does not overlap the released first vapor deposition material. The shielding member 230 has opening parts 231 through which a portion of the released second vapor deposition material passes.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum deposition apparatus, a method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence element, and an organic electroluminescence element.

  As a light-emitting electronic display device, there is an electroluminescence display (hereinafter abbreviated as ELD). Examples of the constituent elements of ELD include inorganic electroluminescence elements (hereinafter referred to as inorganic EL elements) and organic electroluminescence elements (hereinafter referred to as organic EL elements).

  An organic EL device has a structure in which a light-emitting layer containing a light-emitting compound is sandwiched between a cathode and an anode, and excitons (excitons) are generated by injecting electrons and holes into the light-emitting layer and recombining them. The device emits light by utilizing light emission (fluorescence / phosphorescence) when the exciton is deactivated. The organic EL element can emit light at a voltage of about several volts to several tens of volts, and further has a wide viewing angle because it is a self-luminous type, has high visibility, and is saved because it is a thin-film type completely solid element. It attracts attention from the viewpoint of space and portability.

  Another major feature of the organic EL element is that it is a surface light source unlike main light sources conventionally used in practice, such as light-emitting diodes and cold-cathode tubes. Applications that can effectively utilize this characteristic include illumination light sources and various display backlights. In particular, it is also suitable to be used as a backlight of a liquid crystal full color display whose demand has been increasing in recent years.

  Improvement of luminous efficiency is mentioned as a problem for putting an organic EL element into practical use as such a light source for illumination or a backlight of a display. In order to improve luminous efficiency, it is becoming common to incorporate a so-called host / guest structure in which a plurality of materials having different functions are mixed in a part of the organic functional layer constituting the organic EL element. . For example, a combination of host material / light emitting dopant (red dopant, green dopant, blue dopant) in the light emitting layer, a combination of electron transport material / alkali metal material in the electron transport layer, and the like can be given.

When a red dopant, a green dopant, and a blue dopant coexist in the light emitting layer, light is emitted in the order of a red dopant, a green dopant, and a blue dopant. That is, only the red dopant and the green dopant emit light first, and even if the blue dopant coexists, the blue dopant does not emit light simultaneously with the red dopant and the green dopant. Therefore, it is known that the red dopant and the green dopant are made lower in concentration than the blue dopant, and the red dopant and the green dopant are caused to emit light simultaneously with the blue dopant.
However, when the red dopant and the green dopant are low in concentration, there is a problem that even a small concentration variation leads to chromaticity variation (color unevenness). Therefore, in order to reduce color unevenness, the concentration uniformity of the low concentration dopant is important. On the other hand, since the blue dopant has a concentration of several tens of percent compared to the red dopant and the green dopant, it is less susceptible to the concentration variation.

By the way, in a vapor deposition apparatus for simultaneously vapor-depositing a host material and a guest material on a substrate, it is common to control the doping amount of the guest material by controlling the rate at which the vapor-deposited material is vapor-deposited on the substrate. It is. Specifically, the amount of evaporation material is controlled by controlling the temperature of the evaporation source, thereby controlling the evaporation rate.
However, when the guest material to be doped is a trace amount, there are measurement limits in the measurement means for measuring the vapor deposition material, and it is difficult to keep the amount of the vapor deposition material released by the temperature control, etc. It is difficult to reduce the amount of vapor deposition material emitted from the vapor deposition source to a very small amount. On the other hand, when film formation is performed on a substrate to be transported, the deposition amount of the guest material can be reduced by increasing the transport speed of the substrate. The speed cannot be increased and the required amount of host material cannot be deposited on the substrate being transported.

  On the other hand, as a method for reducing the dope amount of the guest material, a crucible containing the guest material is used as a vapor deposition source, and a rotary shielding plate attached between the vapor deposition source and the substrate is rotated to start from the vapor deposition source. It is known that the deposition amount of the guest material on the substrate is reduced by blocking the path until the released guest material reaches the substrate at a predetermined timing (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). ).

JP 2003-193217 A JP 2009-127074 A

  However, in the above conventional technique, if film formation is performed on the substrate to be transported, the deposition amount of the guest material in the width direction perpendicular to the substrate transport direction cannot be controlled. The substrate quality varies in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum evaporation apparatus capable of forming a film with high accuracy even when a small amount of guest material is evaporated on a substrate to be conveyed.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention,
A vacuum deposition apparatus for forming a thin film by depositing a deposition material on a substrate to be transported in a vacuum processing chamber,
A first vapor deposition source that faces the substrate and extends in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate and emits a first vapor deposition material toward the substrate;
The first vapor deposition material that is opposed to the substrate and extends in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, is displaced in the conveyance direction with respect to the first vapor deposition source, and is discharged from the first vapor deposition source A second vapor deposition source that emits a second vapor deposition material toward the substrate so as to overlap
The first vapor deposition material that extends in the same direction as the second vapor deposition source extends, overlaps the second vapor deposition material emitted from the second vapor deposition source, and is emitted from the first vapor deposition source. A shielding member provided at a position that does not overlap with
The shielding member has an opening that passes through a part of the second vapor deposition material emitted from the second vapor deposition source.

According to another aspect of the invention,
Using the above vacuum deposition apparatus,
An organic electroluminescent element manufacturing method is provided, wherein an organic electroluminescent element is manufactured by forming a thin film on the substrate.

According to yet another aspect of the invention,
An organic electroluminescence device manufactured by the method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence device is provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to form a film by depositing a small amount of guest material with high accuracy on a substrate to be transported. Therefore, the amount of the guest material deposited on the substrate can be made uniform in the substrate transport direction, and variations in quality can be suppressed.

It is a schematic block diagram of the vacuum evaporation system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view of the shielding member of the vacuum evaporation system shown in FIG. It is arrow sectional drawing of the surface along the III-III line | wire shown by FIG. 1, Comprising: It is the figure which showed typically the desorption apparatus provided in the vacuum evaporation system. It is the schematic perspective view which showed a part of desorption apparatus. It is a schematic perspective view of the shielding member concerning the modification 1 of this embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view of the shielding member concerning the modification 2 of this embodiment. It is the figure which showed typically the desorption apparatus provided in the vacuum evaporation system which concerns on the modification 2. FIG. It is a schematic perspective view of the desorption apparatus provided in the vacuum evaporation system concerning the modification 2. It is a schematic perspective view of the shielding member concerning the modification 3 of this embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view of the shielding member which concerns on the modification 4 of this embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram of the vacuum evaporation system which concerns on the modification 5 of this embodiment.

  EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated using drawing. However, although various technically preferable limitations for implementing the present invention are given to the embodiments described below, the scope of the invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

  The vacuum deposition apparatus 200 according to the present invention is an apparatus used when forming each layer of an organic EL element, and is particularly suitably used when forming a light emitting layer of an organic EL element. The vacuum deposition apparatus 200 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vacuum deposition apparatus 200 according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
The vacuum deposition apparatus 200 can form a thin film (for example, a light emitting layer of an organic EL element) by simultaneously depositing two or more deposition materials (for example, a host compound and a guest compound) on the substrate 100 to be transported. It is a vacuum evaporation system.
The vacuum deposition apparatus 200 includes a vacuum container 202 in which a vacuum processing chamber 201 is formed, a first deposition source 203 that releases a host compound (first deposition material) to the substrate 100, and a guest for the substrate 100. A second vapor deposition source 204 that emits a compound (second vapor deposition material), and a partition plate (restriction) that restricts a region where the vapor deposition material released into the vacuum processing chamber 201 diffuses and adjusts a region where these vapor deposition materials overlap. Part) 205, a film thickness meter 206 for measuring the deposition amount (film thickness) of the vapor deposition material deposited on the substrate 100 and its vapor deposition rate, and the guest compound emitted from the second vapor deposition source 204 to the substrate 100 A shielding member 230 that adjusts the deposition amount, a desorption device 280 that removes and removes the shielding member 230, and a substrate conveyance means (not shown) that conveys the substrate 100 in the horizontal direction are provided.

The substrate 100 is a substrate to be processed by the vacuum deposition apparatus 200 while being transported in a transport direction A (see FIG. 1) by a transport means (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate 100 is a single-wafer substrate, and is intermittently carried into the vacuum processing chamber 201 by the substrate transfer means.
The substrate 100 may be a substrate that is continuously unwound from the long roll in the transport direction A, and may be continuously carried into the vacuum processing chamber 201 by the substrate transport unit.

  The vacuum vessel 202 holds the vacuum processing chamber 201 formed therein in a predetermined vacuum state. The vacuum processing chamber 201 is provided with various members such as a first vapor deposition source 203, a second vapor deposition source 204, a film thickness meter 206, a partition plate 205, and a shielding member 230. In addition, the side wall 210 of the vacuum vessel 202 is provided with a loading portion 224 for loading the substrate 100. The side wall 211 of the vacuum vessel 202 evacuates the inside of the unloading portion 225 for unloading the substrate 100 and the vacuum processing chamber 201. An exhaust port 226 is provided. The exhaust port 226 is connected to predetermined vacuum exhaust means such as a vacuum pump (not shown) provided outside the vacuum container 202.

  The first vapor deposition source 203 is a linear vapor deposition source (line source) that faces the lower surface of the substrate 100 being conveyed and extends in the width direction (depth direction in FIG. 1) orthogonal to the conveyance direction A. A plurality of discharge ports 203 a arranged in the extending direction of the first vapor deposition source 203 are provided on the surface of the first vapor deposition source 203 facing the substrate 100. The first vapor deposition source 203 includes a heating boat in which a host compound is accommodated, and discharges vapor (first vapor deposition material) of the host compound from the discharge port 203a toward the substrate 100. The vapor of the host compound discharged from the discharge port 203a diffuses into the vacuum processing chamber 201 with a predetermined spread.

  The second vapor deposition source 204 is a linear vapor deposition source (line source) that faces the lower surface of the substrate 100 being conveyed and extends in the width direction (depth direction in FIG. 1) orthogonal to the conveyance direction A. The first vapor deposition source 203 is disposed so as to be shifted to the front side in the transport direction A. A plurality of discharge ports 204 a arranged in the extending direction of the second vapor deposition source 204 are provided on the surface of the second vapor deposition source 204 facing the substrate 100. The discharge port 204a of the second vapor deposition source 204 is arranged in a direction that intersects near the surface of the substrate 100 with respect to the direction in which the discharge port 203a of the first vapor deposition source 203 is directed. The second vapor deposition source 204 includes a heating boat in which a guest compound is accommodated, and discharges the vapor (second vapor deposition material) of the guest compound from the discharge port 204a. The vapor of the guest compound discharged from the discharge port 204a diffuses into the vacuum processing chamber 201 with a predetermined spread. The guest compound vapor overlaps with the host compound vapor emitted from the first evaporation source 203 in the vicinity of the surface of the substrate 100.

The first vapor deposition source 203 and the second vapor deposition source 204 are a single linear vapor deposition source that faces the substrate 100 and extends in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction A. It may be composed of a deposited source. The plurality of discharge ports 203 a of the first vapor deposition source 203 and the plurality of discharge ports 204 a of the second vapor deposition source 204 are a plurality of discharge ports arranged in the extending direction of the first vapor deposition source 203 or the second vapor deposition source 204. However, it may be a single discharge port extending in a straight line along the direction.
Moreover, as a host compound accommodated in the 1st vapor deposition source 203 and a guest compound accommodated in the 2nd vapor deposition source 204, the well-known host compound and guest compound (light emission dopant) used as a material of the light emitting layer of an organic EL element are used. Can be used.

  In addition, the first vapor deposition source 203 and the second vapor deposition source 204 have been described as including a heating boat in which a vapor deposition material is accommodated. However, the first vapor deposition source 203 and the second vapor deposition source 204 are only examples and are not limited thereto. The configuration may be such that the means and the vapor release chamber for releasing the vapor of the vapor deposition material are provided separately. Specifically, the heating means and the vapor release chamber are connected via an introduction pipe, and vapor of the vapor deposition material generated by heating by the heating means flows into the vapor release chamber via the introduction pipe, and the vapor release chamber It is comprised so that the vapor | steam of vapor deposition material may be discharge | released from. In this case, the first vapor deposition source 203 and the second vapor deposition source 204 of the present embodiment correspond to a vapor discharge chamber, and the heating means is provided as a separate body.

The partition plate 205 is a flat partition member provided to restrict the vapor of the host compound or guest compound released from the first vapor deposition source 203 or the second vapor deposition source 204 with a predetermined spread to a predetermined region.
The partition plate 205a is provided so as to extend vertically from the side wall 210 of the vacuum vessel 202 to the vacuum processing chamber 201 side, and its tip portion restricts the spread of the vapor of the host compound released from the first vapor deposition source 203. . In addition, the partition plate 205 b is provided so as to extend vertically upward from the lower surface 212 of the vacuum vessel 202, and its tip portion restricts the spread of the vapor of the host compound released from the first vapor deposition source 203. By these partition plates 205a and 205b, the spread of the vapor of the host compound released from the first vapor deposition source 203 is limited to the diffusion region L1 (see FIG. 1).
The partition plate 205c is provided so as to extend vertically from the side wall 211 of the vacuum vessel 202 to the vacuum processing chamber 201 side, and its tip portion restricts the spread of the vapor of the guest compound released from the second vapor deposition source 204. . In addition, the partition plate 205 d is provided so as to extend vertically upward from the lower surface 212 of the vacuum vessel 202, and its tip portion restricts the spread of the vapor of the guest compound released from the second vapor deposition source 204. Therefore, the spread of the vapor of the guest compound released from the second vapor deposition source 204 is limited to the diffusion region L2 (see FIG. 1) by the partition plates 205c and 205d. The diffusion region L1 and the diffusion region L2 overlap in the vicinity of the substrate 100.

Note that the partition plates 205a to 205d may be configured to be movable, and in this case, the diffusion regions L1 and L2 can be adjusted.
Moreover, although the partition plates 205a to 205d have been described as plate-like members, the present invention is not limited to this, and any shape may be used as long as the shape can limit the diffusion region of the vapor deposition material.

  The film thickness meter 206 is provided in the vicinity of each of the first vapor deposition source 203 and the second vapor deposition source 204, and independently measures the film thickness and vapor deposition rate of the thin film formed by each vapor deposition source. The first film thickness meter 206a is provided in the vicinity of the first vapor deposition source 203 and at a position that does not overlap the diffusion region L1 limited by the partition plates 205a and 205b. The second film thickness meter 206b is provided in the vicinity of the second vapor deposition source 204 and at a position that does not overlap the diffusion region L2 limited by the partition plates 205c and 205d. As these film thickness gauges 206a and 206b, for example, crystal oscillator type film thickness gauges are preferably used.

  Here, the shielding member 230 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the shielding member 230.

  The shielding member 230 is a member that adjusts the deposition amount of the guest compound on the substrate 100 and is configured to be detachable. The shielding member 230 extends in the same direction as the direction in which the second vapor deposition source 204 extends, and overlaps with the diffusion region L2 of the vapor of the guest compound emitted from the second vapor deposition source 204. It is provided at a position where it does not overlap the diffusion region L1 of the vapor of the host compound emitted from one vapor deposition source 203. The shielding member 230 is an arc plate-like member that is curved so as to be concave toward the second vapor deposition source 204 side, and is arranged with the inner surface of the arc facing the discharge port 204a of the second vapor deposition source 204. ing. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, a second film thickness meter 206 b is disposed in a region inside the shielding member 230.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shielding member 230 has an opening 231 that penetrates in the thickness direction. The openings 231 are formed in a slit shape extending in the direction in which the shielding member 230 extends, and a plurality of openings 231 are arranged in the width direction orthogonal to the direction in which the shielding member 230 extends.
Note that the number, size, and the like of the openings 231 are not limited to the illustrated example, and can be appropriately changed according to the deposition amount of the guest compound, the configuration of the vacuum deposition apparatus, and the like. The shielding member 230 may be formed in a comb-like shape extending in the direction in which the second vapor deposition source 204 extends.

  Since the shielding member 230 is provided at a position overlapping the vapor diffusion region L2 of the guest compound and not overlapping the vapor diffusion region L1 of the host compound, the guest compound released from the second vapor deposition source 204 is provided. Shields only the progress of steam. Further, since the shielding member 230 is provided with a plurality of openings 231, a part of the vapor of the guest compound passes through the shielding member 230 through the opening 231. As described above, the shielding member 230 shields a part of the vapor of the guest compound released from the second vapor deposition source 204 and allows a part of the vapor to pass, thereby reducing the amount of the vapor reaching the substrate 100. be able to. That is, the amount of guest compound deposited can be made very small.

Here, the desorption device 280 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1, and is a diagram schematically showing the desorption device 280 provided in the vacuum vapor deposition device 200. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of the desorption device 280 and the shielding member 230. In FIG. 3, the device configuration other than the desorption device 280 and the shielding member 230 is omitted.
The detaching device 280 is a device that detaches the shielding member 230, and periodically replaces the shielding member 230 attached in the vacuum processing chamber 201 with an unused shielding member 230.

As shown in FIG. 3, the detaching device 280 includes a cylinder 281, a stocker 282, an arm 283, and the like.
The cylinder 281 is provided on the outer wall of the vacuum container 202 so as to extend in a direction F (see FIGS. 3 and 4) perpendicular to the transport direction A of the substrate 100. The tip of the cylinder 281 penetrates the outer wall of the vacuum vessel 202 and is provided in the vacuum processing chamber 201, and an arm 283 is provided at the tip of the cylinder 281. The arm 283 is formed in the shape of two rods extending in the direction F, and supports the shielding member 230 in the vacuum processing chamber 201. Since the shielding member 230 is disposed with its inner surface facing the second vapor deposition source 204, the shielding member 230 is supported by the arm 283 in an inclined state in FIGS. The arm 283 is configured to be movable in the direction F while the shielding member 230 is supported by the operation of the cylinder 281. With this arm 283, the shielding member 230 can be transported between the vacuum processing chamber 201 and the stocker 282.

  The stocker 282 communicates with the vacuum processing chamber 201 and is provided on the front side in the direction F of the arm 283. The stocker 282 accommodates a plurality of shielding members 230 in multiple stages in the vertical direction. The stocker 282 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction.

When replacing the shielding member 230 using such a detaching device 280, first, the arm 283 supporting the shielding member 230 is moved forward in the direction F by the cylinder 281. A stocker 282 is provided on the front side of the arm 283, and the shielding member 230 is conveyed into the stocker 282. When the shielding member 230 is accommodated in the stocker 282, the arm 283 is moved to the rear side in the direction F by the cylinder 281. Then, the stocker 282 is moved upward or downward, and the unused shielding member 230 is disposed on the front side in the direction F of the arm 283. When the stocker 282 is moved, the arm 283 is moved again forward in the direction F to enter the stocker 282. The unused shielding member 230 in the stocker 282 is supported by the arm 283, and the arm 283 is moved rearward in the direction F. The arm 283 is moved to a position where the shielding member 230 faces the emission port 204a of the second vapor deposition source 204, and the arm 283 is fixed. Thereby, the replacement | exchange operation | work of the shielding member 230 is complete | finished.
Note that the configuration of the above-described desorption device 280 is an example and is not limited thereto, and any configuration may be used as long as the shielding member 230 is configured to be replaceable.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the shielding member 230 having the predetermined opening 231 extends in the same direction as the direction in which the second vapor deposition source 204 extends, and is emitted from the second vapor deposition source 204. Since it is provided at a position that overlaps the two vapor deposition materials and does not overlap the first vapor deposition material emitted from the first vapor deposition source 203, the second vapor deposition material emitted in the width direction of the substrate with respect to the substrate to be transported The amount of deposition can be reduced uniformly. Therefore, a very small amount of guest material can be uniformly deposited on the substrate to be transported, and a highly accurate film forming process can be performed.
In addition, by using the linear vapor deposition sources 203 and 204, the film formation process can be easily performed even if the substrate to be processed is large.
Further, for example, when forming the entire substrate with a vapor deposition source that discharges the vapor deposition material from one point, such as a crucible, it is necessary to increase the distance from the vapor deposition source to the substrate in order to perform uniform film formation on the substrate. However, in the present invention, since the linear vapor deposition sources 203 and 204 are used, uniform film formation can be performed even if the distance from the vapor deposition source to the substrate is shortened, and the loss of the vapor deposition material is suppressed. Can do.

  Further, since the shielding member 230 is configured to be detachable and is automatically replaced by a predetermined detaching device, the clogging of the opening 231 of the shielding member 230 can be prevented and a uniform thin film can be continuously formed. .

  Below, the modification of the shielding member 230 and the modification of the vacuum evaporation system 200 are demonstrated with reference to FIGS. In addition, in the shielding member 230 and the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 200 according to the modified example, the configuration other than the configuration described below is substantially the same as the shielding member 230 and the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 200 of the above embodiment, and detailed description thereof is provided. Is omitted.

<Modification 1>
FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the shielding member 240 according to the first modification. The shielding member 240 according to the modified example 1 is formed substantially the same as the shielding member 230 described above, and only the shape of the opening 241 is different.
That is, the shielding member 240 extends in the same direction as the direction in which the second vapor deposition source 204 extends and overlaps with the diffusion region L2 of the guest compound vapor emitted from the second vapor deposition source 204, It is provided at a position that does not overlap the diffusion region L1 of the vapor of the host compound emitted from the first vapor deposition source 203. The shielding member 240 is an arc plate-like member that is curved so as to be concave toward the second vapor deposition source 204, and is disposed with the inner surface of the arc facing the discharge port 204 a of the second vapor deposition source 204. ing.

As shown in FIG. 5, the shielding member 240 is formed with an opening 241 penetrating in the thickness direction. The openings 241 are formed in a slit shape extending in a direction inclined with respect to the direction in which the shielding member 240 extends, and a plurality of openings 241 are arranged in the direction in which the shielding member 240 extends.
The number, size, orientation, and the like of the opening 241 are not limited to the illustrated example, and can be changed as appropriate according to the deposition amount of the guest compound, the configuration of the vacuum deposition apparatus, and the like.

As described above, according to the shielding member 240 of the first modified example, the amount of the guest compound deposited from the second deposition source 204 can be made very small, like the shielding member 230 described above.
Further, since the opening 241 is provided to be inclined with respect to the direction in which the second vapor deposition source 204 extends, the position where the vapor passes through the shielding member 240 in the extending direction of the second vapor deposition source 204 is different. Can be made. Thereby, the guest compound can be deposited more uniformly on the substrate 100.

<Modification 2>
FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the shielding member 250 according to the second modification.
The shielding member 250 is a cylindrical member that extends with the same direction as the direction in which the second vapor deposition source 204 extends as the central axis direction. The shielding member 250 is a position that overlaps with the diffusion region L2 of the guest compound vapor emitted from the second vapor deposition source 204 and does not overlap with the diffusion region L1 of the host compound vapor emitted from the first vapor deposition source 203. The second vapor deposition source 204 is disposed inside the shielding member 250.

The shielding member 250 has an opening 251 that penetrates in the thickness direction. The openings 251 are formed in a slit shape extending in the direction in which the shielding member 250 extends, and a plurality of openings 251 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the shielding member 250.
Note that the number, size, and the like of the openings 251 are not limited to the illustrated example, and can be appropriately changed according to the deposition amount of the guest compound, the configuration of the vacuum deposition apparatus, and the like.

  Further, a rotation mechanism 252 is provided on one end side of the shielding member 250 in the central axis direction. The rotation mechanism 252 includes a driven gear 253 that is fixed to one end of the shielding member 250 in the central axis direction, a drive gear 254 that meshes with the driven gear 253, a drive motor 255 that rotationally drives the drive gear 254, and the like. When the drive motor 255 is driven, the shielding member 250 rotates in the rotation direction B (see FIG. 6). The rotational speed of the shielding member 250 by the drive motor 255 can be set as appropriate.

  Here, a detaching device 290 for detaching the shielding member 250 according to Modification 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 in the above-described embodiment and schematically showing the desorption device 290. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a desorption device 290 provided in the vacuum vapor deposition device 200 according to the second modification. 7 and 8, the apparatus configuration other than the detaching apparatus 290 and the shielding member 250 is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the detaching device 290 includes a cylinder 291, a stocker 292, an arm 293, and the like.
On the outer wall of the vacuum container 202, a stocker 292 formed in a cylindrical shape having a central axis direction in a direction G (see FIGS. 7 and 8) perpendicular to the transport direction A of the substrate 100 is provided. The stocker 292 communicates with the vacuum processing chamber 201 and is configured to be rotatable in the rotation direction H (see FIG. 8) around the central axis. Further, a plurality of shielding members 250 are accommodated in the stocker 292.

  The cylinder 291 is provided to extend in the direction G on the side wall of the stocker 292. Further, an arm 293 extending in the direction G is provided at the end of the cylinder 291 on the stocker 292 side. The arm 293 passes through the side wall of the stocker 292 and is provided in the stocker 292. The arm 293 is configured to be movable in the direction G by the operation of the cylinder 291, so that the arm 293 can move between the inside of the stocker 292 and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber 201.

When replacing the shielding member 250 using such a desorption device 290, first, the arm 293 is moved forward in the direction G by the cylinder 291 and the arm 293 is moved into the vacuum processing chamber 201. Let it enter. Then, one end of the shielding member 250 provided in the vacuum processing chamber 201 is chucked on the arm 293. Subsequently, the arm 293 is moved rearward in the direction G by the cylinder 291, and the shielding member 250 is conveyed into the stocker 292. When the shielding member 250 is accommodated in the stocker 292, the arm 293 is removed from the shielding member 250. Then, the stocker 292 is rotated in the rotation direction H, and the unused shielding member 250 is disposed on the front side in the direction G of the arm 293. The arm 293 is moved forward by the cylinder 291, and the arm 293 is chucked with one end of the unused shielding member 250 arranged in front of the arm 293. The arm 293 is again moved forward in the direction G by the cylinder 291, and the unused shielding member 250 is transferred into the vacuum processing chamber 201. When the unused shielding member 250 is fixed at a predetermined position in the vacuum processing chamber 201, the arm 293 is moved rearward in the direction G by the cylinder 291 and disposed in the stocker 292. Thereby, the replacement | exchange operation | work of the shielding member 250 is complete | finished.
Note that the configuration of the above-described desorption device 290 is an example and is not limited thereto, and any configuration may be used as long as the shielding member 250 is configured to be replaceable.

As described above, according to the shielding member 250 of the second modification, the amount of the guest compound deposited from the second deposition source 204 can be reduced to a very small amount, as with the shielding member 230 described above.
Further, by rotating the shielding member 250 by the rotation mechanism 252, the position of the opening 251 with respect to the discharge port 204 a of the second vapor deposition source 204 can be changed over time, and the vapor of the guest compound passing through the shielding member 250. Can be dispersed. Therefore, the guest compound can be uniformly deposited on the substrate 100 in the transport direction A.

<Modification 3>
FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a shielding member 260 according to the third modification. The shielding member 260 according to Modification 3 is configured substantially the same as the shielding member 250 according to Modification 2 described above, and only the shape of the opening 261 is different.
That is, the shielding member 260 is a cylindrical member that extends with the same direction as the direction in which the second vapor deposition source 204 extends as the central axis direction. The shielding member 260 overlaps with the diffusion region L2 of the vapor of the guest compound emitted from the second vapor deposition source 204 and does not overlap with the diffusion region L1 of the vapor of the host compound emitted from the first vapor deposition source 203. The second vapor deposition source 204 is disposed inside the shielding member 260.

The shielding member 260 is formed with an opening 261 penetrating in the thickness direction. A plurality of the openings 261 are formed in a slit shape extending spirally around the central axis of the shielding member 260.
Note that the number, size, orientation, and the like of the openings 261 are not limited to the illustrated example, and can be appropriately changed according to the deposition amount of the guest compound, the configuration of the vacuum deposition apparatus, and the like.

  In addition, a rotation mechanism 262 is provided on one end side in the central axis direction of the shielding member 260. The rotation mechanism 262 is configured in the same manner as the rotation mechanism 252 in Modification 2 described above, and includes a driven gear 263, a drive gear 264, a drive motor 265, and the like. When the drive motor 265 is driven, the shielding member 260 rotates in the rotation direction C (see FIG. 9). The rotational speed of the shielding member 260 by the drive motor 265 can be set as appropriate. Moreover, about the removal | desorption apparatus which removes | desorbs the shielding member 260 which concerns on the modification 3, it may be comprised similarly to the above-mentioned removal | desorption apparatus 290 which concerns on the modification 2, and may be another structure. good.

  As described above, according to the shielding member 260 of the third modification, the amount of the guest compound deposited from the second deposition source 204 can be made very small, like the shielding member 250 according to the second modification. At the same time, the guest compound can be deposited more uniformly on the substrate 100 being conveyed.

<Modification 4>
FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the shielding member 270 according to the fourth modification.
The shielding member 270 extends in the same direction as the direction in which the second vapor deposition source 204 extends and overlaps the diffusion region L2 of the vapor of the guest compound emitted from the second vapor deposition source 204, It is provided at a position that does not overlap the diffusion region L1 of the vapor of the host compound emitted from the vapor deposition source 203. The shielding member 270 is an arc plate-like member that is curved so as to be concave toward the second vapor deposition source 204, and is disposed with the inner surface of the arc facing the discharge port 204 a of the second vapor deposition source 204. ing.

The shielding member 270 has an opening 271 that penetrates in the thickness direction. The openings 271 are circular holes, and a plurality of openings 271 are provided on the shielding member 270.
Note that the number, size, and the like of the openings 271 are not limited to the illustrated example, and can be appropriately changed according to the deposition amount of the guest compound, the configuration of the vacuum deposition apparatus, and the like.

In the vicinity of the shielding member 270, a swing mechanism 272 that swings the shielding member 270 in a direction in which the shielding member 270 extends (swing direction D; see FIG. 10) is provided. The swing mechanism 272 is configured as follows.
A shaft 273 extending in this direction is provided at one end portion of the shielding member 270 in the swing direction D, and a shaft 274 extending in this direction is provided at the other end portion of the shielding member 270 in the swing direction D. The shaft 273 is supported by the support 275 so as to be slidable in the swing direction D. A long hole 274a extending in the swing direction D is formed in the shaft 274, and a fixture 276 is inserted through the long hole 274a. Therefore, the shaft 274 is configured to be able to swing in the swing direction D by the length of the long hole 274a. In addition, a drive motor 277 is provided on the shaft 273 side of the shielding member 270, and the drive motor 277 includes a drive crank wheel 278. The drive crank wheel 278 and the shaft 273 are connected by a connector 279, and the shaft 273 swings in the swing direction D by the drive rotation of the drive crank wheel 278. Therefore, when the drive motor 277 is driven, the shielding member 270 swings in the swing direction D. The speed at which the shielding member 270 swings by the drive motor 277 can be set as appropriate.

As described above, according to the shielding member 270 of the modification example 4, similarly to the shielding member 230 described above, it is possible to reduce the vapor deposition amount of the guest compound released from the second vapor deposition source 204.
Further, by swinging the shielding member 270 by the swinging mechanism 272, the position of the opening 271 with respect to the discharge port 204a of the second vapor deposition source 204 can be changed over time, and the guest compound passing through the shielding member 270. Of steam can be dispersed. Therefore, the guest compound can be uniformly deposited on the substrate 100 in the transport direction A.

  Note that the swinging mechanism 272 in the modification 4 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be any configuration as long as the shielding member 270 can swing.

<Modification 5>
FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 300 according to Modification 5.
The vacuum deposition apparatus 300 includes a first vapor deposition source 303 that emits a vapor of a host compound and a second vapor deposition source 304 that emits a vapor of a guest compound, and a vapor of a guest compound that is different from the second vapor deposition source 304. A third vapor deposition source 320 is further provided. The third vapor deposition source 320 is a linear vapor deposition source (line source) configured in the same manner as the first vapor deposition source 303 and the second vapor deposition source 304. Similar to the first and second vapor deposition sources 303 and 304, the third vapor deposition source 320 is provided so as to face the substrate 100 and extend in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A of the substrate 100 (the depth direction in FIG. 11). ing.
The respective vapor deposition sources 303, 304, and 320 are arranged in the order of the first vapor deposition source 303, the second vapor deposition source 304, and the third vapor deposition source 320 along the transport direction A.

  In the transport direction A, a partition plate 305 b is provided between the first vapor deposition source 303 and the second vapor deposition source 304. Further, a partition plate 305 c is provided between the second vapor deposition source 304 and the third vapor deposition source 320 in the transport direction A. The spread of the vapor of the host compound released from the first vapor deposition source 303 by the partition plates 305a and 305b is limited to the diffusion region L1, and the spread of the vapor of the guest compound discharged from the second vapor deposition source 304 by the divider plates 305b and 305c. Is restricted to the diffusion region L2, and the spread of the vapor of the guest compound released from the third vapor deposition source 320 by the partition plates 305c and 305d is restricted to the diffusion region L3. The first vapor deposition source 303, the second vapor deposition source 304, and the third vapor deposition source 320 are arranged so that the emission ports 303 a, 304 a, 320 a are oriented so that the diffusion regions L 1, L 2, L 3 overlap in the vicinity of the substrate 100. ing.

  The shielding member 330 is configured in the same manner as the shielding member 250 according to Modification 2 described above. That is, the shielding member 330 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending with the same direction as the direction in which the third vapor deposition source 320 extends, and an opening 331 penetrating in the thickness direction is formed. . The openings 331 are formed in a slit shape extending in the direction in which the shielding member 330 extends, and a plurality of openings 331 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the shielding member 330. The shielding member 330 is configured to be rotatable in the rotation direction E by the same rotation mechanism (not shown) as in the second modification.

  The shielding member 330 overlaps with the diffusion region L3 of the vapor of the guest compound emitted from the third vapor deposition source 320, and the diffusion region L1 of the host compound emitted from the first vapor deposition source 303 and the second vapor deposition source. The third vapor deposition source 320 is disposed inside the shielding member 330 so as not to overlap the diffusion region L2 of the guest compound released from the 304. A third film thickness meter 306c is provided at a position inside the shielding member 330 and not overlapping the diffusion region L3.

  The shielding member 330 overlaps the diffusion region L3 of the guest compound vapor emitted from the third vapor deposition source 320 and emits from the diffusion region L1 of the host compound vapor emitted from the first vapor deposition source 303 and the second vapor deposition source 304. Since it is provided at a position that does not overlap with the diffusion region L2 of the guest compound vapor, only the guest compound vapor released from the third vapor deposition source 320 is shielded. Therefore, only the deposition amount of the guest compound released from the third deposition source 320 can be made very small.

  As described above, according to the modified example 5, even when three kinds of vapor deposition materials are simultaneously vapor deposited on the substrate 100 to be conveyed, the vapor deposition amount of the guest compound released from the third vapor deposition source 320 is reduced. It can be made very small.

  In Modification 5, the shielding member 330 is provided only for the third vapor deposition source 320, but the shielding member 330 may be provided for both the second vapor deposition source 204 and the third vapor deposition source 320. In that case, the vapor deposition amount of one guest compound can be reduced by changing suitably the structure (the magnitude | size and number of the opening part 331) of any one shielding member 330. FIG.

  In the above-described embodiment, the film forming process is performed on the single wafer substrate. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the film forming process is performed on the belt-like continuous flexible substrate by a so-called roll-to-roll method. It may be a thing.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where a host compound and a guest compound were vapor-deposited simultaneously and formed the light emitting layer of an organic EL element, it is not restricted to this, Two or more vapor deposition materials are vapor-deposited simultaneously. The present invention can be applied to any mode as long as a thin film is formed.

  In the above embodiment, the shielding member has been described as an arc plate shape or a cylindrical shape, but is not limited to these shapes, and extends in the same direction as the direction in which the second vapor deposition source extends, As long as it is provided at a position that overlaps with the second vapor deposition material emitted from the second vapor deposition source and does not overlap with the first vapor deposition material emitted from the first vapor deposition source, it may have any shape. For example, a flat plate shape, a rectangular tube shape, a rectangular parallelepiped shape and the like can be mentioned.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following examples, a method for manufacturing an organic EL element using the vacuum deposition apparatus 300 (see FIG. 11) according to the present invention will be described. In addition, although the display of "%" is used in an Example, unless otherwise indicated, "mass%" is represented.
In addition, as an example of the organic EL element, a transparent electrode (anode) / hole injection layer / hole transport layer / light emitting layer / electron transport layer / electron injection layer / reflection electrode (cathode) is provided on a glass substrate. The production of a white light-emitting organic EL element formed by stacking will be described.

First, a step of forming a transparent electrode (anode) on a predetermined substrate is performed. An ITO film is patterned by a photolithography method on a substrate in which an ITO (Indium tin oxide) film having a thickness of 100 nm is formed on a 300 mm × 400 mm × 0.7 mm (thickness) glass substrate. That is, after masking a portion other than the non-conductive region with a resist, it is immersed in a 25% hydrochloric acid aqueous solution to remove the ITO film in the non-conductive region portion (exposed portion). Thereafter, the resist is removed by immersion in a 1.5% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, followed by washing with water and drying to produce a transparent electrode (anode) pattern substrate.
The substrate is cleaned by an integrated cleaning line that performs ultrasonic cleaning with iso-propyl alcohol, drying with dry nitrogen gas, and UV ozone cleaning consistently, and then the surface is covered with a mask and fixed to the substrate holder.

Next, the following functional layers are sequentially formed on the substrate.
Hole injection layer (CuPc: 10 nm) / hole transport layer (α-NPD: 30 nm) / light emitting layer (HA, DA, DB: 40 nm) / electron transport layer (EA: 45 nm) / Electron injection layer (CeF: 4 nm) / Reflective electrode (cathode) (Al: 100 nm).

  Each layer is formed using a predetermined vacuum film forming apparatus (not shown). This vacuum film forming apparatus is configured by connecting six tanks of vacuum vessels in series, and forms various functional layers on a substrate transported in each vacuum vessel. The third vacuum container among the six tanks constituting the vacuum film forming apparatus is the above-described vacuum deposition apparatus 300 according to the present invention. The substrate transfer speed is 0.12 m / min.

The inside of each vacuum container of the vacuum film forming apparatus is depressurized to 4 × 10 ⁻⁴ Pa or less, and the substrate after cleaning described above is transported into the vacuum film forming apparatus whose pressure is reduced. First, this substrate is carried into the first vacuum vessel, and CuPc is vapor-deposited on the substrate to form a 10 nm-thick hole injection layer. Next, this substrate is carried into a second vacuum container, and α-NPD is vapor-deposited on the substrate to form a 30 nm-thick hole transport layer.

The substrate on which the hole transport layer is formed is carried into the vacuum deposition apparatus 300 as a third vacuum container. In the vacuum deposition apparatus 300, the first deposition source 303 contains HA as a host compound, the second deposition source 304 contains DA as a guest compound, and the third deposition source 320 has a guest. DB is accommodated as a compound.
Further, the opening 331 formed in the shielding member 330 of the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 300 is set to a size such that the amount of the guest compound DB deposited on the substrate is 20% when the shielding member 330 is not provided. Has been.

  The vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 300 simultaneously discharges the vapor deposition materials from the first vapor deposition source 303, the second vapor deposition source 304, and the third vapor deposition source 320 to the loaded substrate, and vaporizes the vapor deposition materials at the same time. A light emitting layer is formed. In this embodiment, the temperature of each vapor deposition source is adjusted so that the vapor deposition rate ratio of each vapor deposition material is HA: DA: DB = 100: 10: 0.2. Specifically, the vapor deposition rate of the host compound HA is 0.30 nm / second, the vapor deposition rate of the guest compound DA is 0.030 nm / second, and the vapor deposition rate of the guest compound DB is 0.0006 nm / second. Set as follows. As a result, a light emitting layer having a thickness of 40 nm is formed.

The substrate on which the light emitting layer is formed is carried into a fourth vacuum container, and EA is vapor-deposited on the substrate to form an electron transport layer having a film thickness of 45 nm. And this board | substrate is carried in in the 5th vacuum vessel, CeF is vapor-deposited on the said board | substrate, and an electron injection layer with a film thickness of 4 nm is formed. After the formation of the electron injection layer, the mask attached to the substrate is removed and replaced with a cathode mask. This substrate is carried into a sixth vacuum container, and Al is evaporated on the substrate to form a reflective electrode (cathode) having a thickness of 100 nm.
Furthermore, an organic EL element is completed through a mask removal process, a sealing process, a glass cutting process, and an electrode extraction process.

<Comparative example>
As a comparative example, an organic EL element was manufactured using a predetermined vacuum film forming apparatus (not shown). The vacuum film forming apparatus used in the comparative example has substantially the same configuration as the vacuum film forming apparatus used in the above-described example, except that the shielding member 330 is not provided in the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 300. Moreover, in the comparative example, the manufacturing method of each organic EL element and each film forming material are the same as those in the above example.

<Evaluation of organic EL element>
In the organic EL element, since the variation in chromaticity represents the variation in the concentration of the dopant (guest compound), the organic EL element was evaluated by determining the variation range of the chromaticity.

First, with respect to the organic EL elements manufactured in Examples and Comparative Examples, chromaticity measurement was performed at 7 points every 5 cm along the transport direction in the central portion in the width direction of the substrate. Then, the CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates in front luminance ^{300cd / m 2 ~1500cd / m 2} , x value of chromaticity obtained by colorimetry, the y value to determine the variation maximum distance ΔE from the following equation (1) .
ΔE = (Δx ² + Δy ² ) ^1/2 (1)
The variation maximum distance ΔE of the organic EL element produced in the example was less than 0.01, which was a good result, but the variation maximum distance ΔE of the organic EL element produced in the comparative example was 0.01 or more, It was confirmed that the chromaticity variation was large.

  From the results of the evaluation of the organic EL element, it can be seen that the variation in the concentration of the dopant (guest compound) is smaller in the organic EL element produced in this example than in the organic EL element produced in the comparative example. Therefore, according to the present invention, it can be said that a small amount of guest compound can be uniformly deposited.

101 Substrate 200 Vacuum deposition apparatus 201 Vacuum processing chamber 203 First deposition source 204 Second deposition source 205 Partition plate (limitation part)
230 Shielding member 231 Opening 280 Desorption device

Claims (13)

A vacuum deposition apparatus for forming a thin film by depositing a deposition material on a substrate to be transported in a vacuum processing chamber,
A first vapor deposition source that faces the substrate and extends in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate and emits a first vapor deposition material toward the substrate;
The first vapor deposition material that is opposed to the substrate and extends in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, is displaced in the conveyance direction with respect to the first vapor deposition source, and is discharged from the first vapor deposition source A second vapor deposition source that emits a second vapor deposition material toward the substrate so as to overlap
The second vapor deposition source extends in the same direction as the direction in which the second vapor deposition source extends and overlaps the second vapor deposition material emitted from the second vapor deposition source, and is emitted from the first vapor deposition source. A shielding member provided at a position not overlapping the first vapor deposition material,
The vacuum vapor deposition apparatus, wherein the shielding member has an opening that passes through a part of the second vapor deposition material emitted from the second vapor deposition source.   The opening is formed in a slit shape extending in a direction in which the shielding member extends, and a plurality of the openings are arranged in a width direction orthogonal to the direction in which the shielding member extends. Vacuum deposition equipment.   The opening is formed in a slit shape extending in a direction inclined with respect to a direction in which the shielding member extends, and a plurality of the openings are arranged in a direction in which the shielding member extends. The vacuum evaporation apparatus as described. The shielding member is formed in a cylindrical shape extending with the same direction as the direction in which the second vapor deposition source extends as a central axis direction, and is configured to be rotatable around the central axis,
The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second evaporation source is disposed inside the shielding member.   The vacuum deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening is a plurality of through holes.   The vacuum deposition apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the shielding member is configured to be swingable in a direction in which the shielding member extends.   The vacuum processing chamber further includes a limiting unit that limits a region where the first vapor deposition material emitted from the first vapor deposition source and the second vapor deposition material emitted from the second vapor deposition source overlap each other. The vacuum evaporation system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   The vacuum deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the shielding member is configured to be detachable.   The vacuum deposition apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the shielding member is automatically replaced by a predetermined desorption device.   The first vapor deposition material that is opposed to the substrate and extends in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, is displaced in the conveyance direction with respect to the first vapor deposition source, and is discharged from the first vapor deposition source The vacuum deposition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third deposition source that discharges a third deposition material toward the substrate so as to overlap with the substrate.   The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an organic electroluminescence element is manufactured by forming a thin film on the substrate. Using the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
An organic electroluminescence device is produced by forming a thin film on the substrate.   An organic electroluminescent element manufactured by the method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescent element according to claim 12.

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