JP2013073822A - Transfer deposition apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transfer deposition apparatus which does not cause entrapment of air bubbles, allows easy attachment and removal, and is able to handle large substrates.SOLUTION: Transfer heads 15to 15each attached with a transfer ribbon 34 are arranged on a mounting table 12. The transfer ribbon 34 is pressed by a transparent member 33 so that an ink layer 42 on the front face of the transfer ribbon 34 is brought into contact with a transfer object 16. The rear face of the transfer ribbon 34 is irradiated with a laser beam so that a portion of the rear face of the ink layer 42 that is irradiated with the laser beam is transferred onto the front face of the transfer object 16. The portion of the transfer ribbon 34 that has been used for transfer is moved so that a new portion is brought into contact with the transfer object 16 by the transparent member 33 to carry out next transfer. The use of the oblong transfer ribbon 34 prevents entrapment of air bubbles and facilitates transfer onto large substrates.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technical field for forming a thin film, and more particularly to a technology for forming a thin film by transferring an ink layer formed on a transfer ribbon to a transfer object.

Conventionally, there is a technology to irradiate the transfer sheet with laser and transfer the ink layer formed on the transfer sheet to the substrate. A transfer sheet of the same size as the substrate is pasted on the substrate, and the laser irradiation position is changed. The ink layer is transferred to a desired position on the substrate.
When the transfer sheet is large, there is a possibility that air bubbles may be involved in the sticking, and it is difficult to perform the process of peeling the transfer sheet from the substrate after the transfer.

Further, if the degassing process is not performed before the transfer sheet is attached, impurities such as moisture are mixed into the transferred thin film and the film quality is deteriorated. However, the degassing process for a large transfer sheet is expensive.
On the other hand, if a thin film is to be formed at a desired position on the surface of the substrate by a vacuum deposition method rather than a transfer method, a mask with a fine pattern is required, and the position of the thin film to be formed due to deformation due to heat from the evaporation source, etc. Will shift.
Due to the deformation due to heat, it is difficult to increase the size of the mask, and there is a problem that it is impossible to cope with the increase in size of the substrate.

Japanese Patent No. 3290375

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a transfer film forming apparatus that can cope with a large-sized substrate, which is free from entrainment of bubbles, can be easily attached and peeled off, and solves the disadvantages of the prior art.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an arrangement table on which a transfer object is arranged, a transfer head arranged on the arrangement table, the transfer object arranged on the arrangement table, and the transfer head. A transfer ribbon that includes a transparent member that is provided on the housing and is disposed at a position facing the placement table, and an ink layer on a surface thereof. However, the back surface of the transfer ribbon is partly transmitted through the transparent member, the tape traveling device disposed through the position between the transparent member and the arrangement table, the back surface thereof being directed to the transparent member. The transfer film forming apparatus is provided with a laser beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates the laser beam.
Moreover, this invention is a transfer film-forming apparatus comprised so that the said tape running apparatus might run the said transfer ribbon between the said transparent member and the said arrangement | positioning stand.
The present invention is also a transfer film forming apparatus provided with a laser light irradiation position moving device for moving the laser light irradiation device and changing the irradiation position of the laser light on the back surface of the transfer ribbon.
Further, the present invention relates to an imaging apparatus capable of capturing an image on the surface of the transfer object irradiated with the laser light, and an imaging result of the imaging apparatus and a prestored pattern to collate the laser light irradiation apparatus. A transfer film forming apparatus that operates the laser beam irradiation position moving device so as to reduce the error.
The present invention further includes a head moving device that moves the transfer head relative to the placement table and moves the transfer ribbon of the transfer head in contact with the transfer object placed on the placement table. This is a transfer film forming apparatus.
In addition, the present invention is a transfer film forming apparatus in which a plurality of the transfer heads are arranged to face the same arrangement table.

  The elongated transfer ribbon can transfer the ink layer in a desired shape and area to a desired position on the surface of the transfer object, so that a patterned organic thin film can be formed on the surface of a large substrate.

(A): Internal plan view of the transfer film forming apparatus of the first example of the present invention (b): Internal plan view of the transfer film forming apparatus of the first example of the present invention in which the transfer object is arranged. Internal structure diagram of transfer head Cross section of transfer ribbon Diagram for explaining the transfer object The internal top view of the transfer film-forming apparatus of the 2nd example of this invention

FIG. 1A shows a transfer film forming apparatus 2 of the present invention.
The transfer film forming apparatus 2 has a transfer chamber 11, and an arrangement table 12 on which a transfer object is arranged is arranged inside the transfer chamber 11.
The transfer chamber 11 is provided with a bridge moving device 13, and a bridge 14 disposed on the placement table 12 is attached to the bridge moving device 13.

The arrangement table 12 has a quadrangular shape, and the bridge 14 is parallel to two parallel sides of the four sides of the arrangement table 12 so that the bridge moving device 13 can reciprocate between the two sides. Has been.
One or a plurality of transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ are arranged on the bridge 14, and each of the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ is configured to face a transfer object arranged on the arrangement table 12. When the bridge 14 is moved by the bridge moving device 13, the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ are moved at the same speed in the same direction.

The transfer head 15 _{1-15 3} having the same structure to the bridge 14 are three provided, when describing the structure of the transfer head 15 _{1-15 3,} with reference to FIG. 2, reference numeral 15 in the figure the same structure One of the three transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ is shown.
The transfer head 15 has a housing 31, and a plate-like transparent member 33 is attached to the lower end position of the housing 31 by a frame body 32.

A feed roller 36 to which a ribbon roll 35 formed by winding an elongated transfer ribbon 34 is mounted is provided at a position separated from the transparent member 33.
A ribbon roll 35 is attached to the feed roller 36, the end of the transfer ribbon 34 is peeled off from the ribbon roll 35 from the ribbon roll 35, and is inserted between the transparent member 33 and the arrangement table 12 from one side of the transparent member 33. The transfer ribbon 34 is unwound from the ribbon roll 35 attached to 36, and the end of the transfer ribbon 34 is pulled out between the transparent member 33 and the arrangement table 12 to the opposite side.

In the vicinity of the position where the end of the transfer ribbon 34 is pulled out, a take-up roll 37 to which the end of the transfer ribbon 34 pulled out from the ribbon roll 35 is fixed is provided.
The take-up roll 37 is connected to a rotation motor 44 and is configured to rotate a desired amount when desired. When the end of the transfer ribbon 34 is fixed and the rotation motor 44 is operated, the feed roller 36 is The transfer ribbon 34 is pulled by the transfer ribbon 34 and rotated according to the rotation of the take-up roll 37, and the transfer ribbon 34 is unwound from the ribbon roll 35. The unwound transfer ribbon 34 travels within the casing 31, passes between the transparent member 33 and the arrangement table 12, and is wound on the winding roll 37.

  An auxiliary roll 46 is provided at a position where the transfer ribbon 34 enters between the transparent member 33 and the arrangement table 12 and at a position where the transfer ribbon 34 is discharged from between the transparent member 33 and the arrangement table 12. The back surface of the transfer ribbon 34 is in contact with the auxiliary roll 46 and is parallel to the surface of the transparent member 33. The transfer ribbon 34 travels while rotating the auxiliary roll 46, and the back surface of the transfer ribbon 34 and the auxiliary roll 46 are rotated. It doesn't rub between.

  A laser irradiation device 38 is disposed on the surface of the transparent member 33 opposite to the surface on which the transfer ribbon 34 travels. The exit 39 of the laser irradiation device 38 is directed to the transparent member 33, and when laser light is emitted from the laser irradiation device 38, the laser light passes through the hollow interior of the frame 32 and enters the transparent member 33. Irradiated. Here, the frame 32 has a bottomless cylindrical shape.

The transparent member 33 has a characteristic of transmitting laser light, and the laser light irradiated on the transparent member 33 passes through the transparent member 33, and the transfer ribbon 34 positioned between the transparent member 33 and the arrangement table 12 is transmitted. The back side is irradiated.
The transfer ribbon 34 has a base tape 41, and an ink layer 42 is provided on the base tape 41.

Reference numeral 16 in FIG. 1B denotes a transfer object arranged on the arrangement table 12. When the ink layer 42 is transferred to the surface of the transfer object 16, the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ are transferred objects. The transfer ribbon 34 is moved to a desired position on the surface of the object 16 so that the ink layer 42 faces the transfer object 16 on the arrangement table 12, and the base tape 41 faces the transparent member 33.

In each of the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ , the transparent member 33 is attached to the pressing device 45 via the frame body 32, the transparent member 33 is moved by the pressing device 45, and the transparent member 33 is moved from the housing 31. The amount of protrusion can be changed. When the transparent member 33 is moved in the direction of the arrangement table 12 by the pressing device 45 in a state where the transfer object 16 is arranged on the arrangement table 12, the transfer ribbon 34 also moves together with the transparent member 33, and the surface of the ink layer 42 is moved. It contacts the surface of the transfer object 16. The transfer ribbon 34 is pressed against the surface of the transfer object 16 by the transparent member 33.

The configuration of the transfer ribbon 34 is shown in FIG.
The base tape 41 includes a resin tape 51 made of resin, a heat conversion layer 53 formed on the surface of the resin tape 51, and a release layer 52 formed on the surface of the heat conversion layer 53, and an ink. The layer 42 is formed on the surface of the release layer 52.

  When the transfer ribbon 34 is irradiated with laser light on the surface opposite to the ink layer 42, the heat conversion layer 53 in the portion irradiated with the laser light is heated. The heat is transferred to the release layer 52 to weaken the adhesive force between the release layer 52 and the ink layer 42, the ink layer 42 adheres to the transfer object 16, and when the transfer ribbon 34 and the transfer object 16 are separated, the transfer object The portion adhered to 16 is transferred from the transfer ribbon 34 to the transfer object 16.

The laser irradiation device 38 is attached to an irradiation position moving device 43. The laser irradiation device 38 is configured such that the direction of the emission port 39 is changed by the irradiation position moving device 43 and the direction in which the laser light is emitted can be changed. .
The laser beam can be irradiated through the transparent member 33 through a desired position on the back surface of the transfer ribbon 34 facing the transparent member 33.

  Further, the irradiation position moving device 43 allows the irradiation position of the laser beam to be moved while being emitted. By moving the irradiation position while irradiating the laser beam, the ink layer 42 having a desired shape and area. Can be transferred to the transfer object 16, and a thin film of that size can be formed on the transfer object 16.

  When the transparent member 33 is raised together with the transfer ribbon 34 and the surface of the transfer ribbon 34 is separated from the transfer object 16, the transferred ink layer 42 remains as a thin film on the transfer object 16 and is separated from the transfer object 16. In addition, the ink layer 42 of the transfer ribbon 34 is in a state in which a portion where the ink layer 42 is missing is scattered.

Each of the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ is attached to a head moving device 17 provided on the bridge 14, and parallel to the surface of the transfer object 16 arranged on the arrangement table 12 along the longitudinal direction of the bridge 14. Each of the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ can transfer the ink layer 42 to the same transfer object 16.

  Note that when the transfer ribbon 34 is pressed by the transparent member 33 and brought into contact with the transfer object 16, the ink layer 42 does not contact the bottom surface of the groove or hole formed on the surface of the transfer object 16. When it is desired to transfer to the bottom surface of the groove or hole, the back surface of the transfer ribbon 34 positioned on the location to be transferred is irradiated with laser light, and the ink layer 42 is evaporated by the heat generation of the heat conversion layer 53, so that the ink layer 42 When the vapor is generated, the vapor reaches the bottom surface of the groove or hole facing the ink layer 42 in the evaporated portion and adheres to form a thin film. Therefore, the ink layer 42 is also transferred to the bottom surface of the groove or hole. can do.

  In the transfer ribbon 34, a protective layer 54 is formed on the surface of the resin tape 51 opposite to the ink layer 42. Even if the transfer ribbon 34 contacts the transparent member 33, the transfer ribbon 34 is damaged. It is supposed not to.

A process of forming a thin film on the surface of the transfer object 16 by the transfer film forming apparatus 2 will be described.
Referring to FIG. 1, a vacuum evacuation device 21 and a gas introduction device 22 are connected to the transfer chamber 11. The vacuum evacuation device 21 is operated to evacuate the inside of the transfer chamber 11, and then the gas introduction device 22. N ₂ gas, Ar gas, Ne gas, CO ₂ gas, and the like are introduced into the transfer chamber 11 with a purge gas that is chemically inert to the transfer object 16, and the inside of the transfer chamber 11 is brought into a purge gas atmosphere. To do. The transfer ribbon 34 is smaller than the transfer object 16 and is easily degassed.

The transfer ribbons 34 of the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ are degassed in advance.
The bridge 14 is moved by the bridge moving device 13, and the bridge 14 and each of the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ are retracted to a place other than the area where the transfer target 16 is arranged on the arrangement table 12, and the inside of the transfer chamber 11. The transfer object 16 is carried in while maintaining the purge gas atmosphere, placed on the arrangement table 12, and the transfer object 16 is adsorbed by the electrostatic adsorption device.
The transfer object 16 has a hole injection layer and a hole transport layer laminated on a glass substrate, and the positions where thin films are formed are arranged in a matrix as shown in FIG.

The transfer film forming apparatus 2 is provided with a control device 19, and operations such as movement of the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ and the bridge 14 are controlled by the control device 19.
The control device 19 first raises the transparent member 33 of each of the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ , positions the transparent member 33 at a height away from the surface of the transfer target 16 on the arrangement table 12, and moves the head moving device. The transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ and the transfer target object 16 are moved relative to each other by the 17 and the bridge moving device 13 to move the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ onto a desired position of the transfer target object 16.

  The housing 31 includes an imaging device 30 that captures a range including the irradiation position of the laser beam. The imaging device 30 captures the surface pattern of the transfer object 16 placed on the placement table 12. The photographing result is output to the control device 19.

The controller 19 stores the surface pattern of the transfer object 16 in advance, and the controller 19 moves the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ to move the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ to the transfer object 16. Then, the imaging device 30 captures all or a part of the region where the transfer is to be started, and outputs the imaging result to the control device 19.

  The control device 19 stores the reference pattern of the transfer object 16 in advance. When the pattern indicated by the imaging result input from the imaging device 30 is compared with the stored reference pattern, the transfer object 16 and the laser irradiation are compared. The positional relationship with the apparatus 38 can be understood, and an error in the position of the portion imaged by the laser irradiation apparatus 38 is calculated from the comparison between the input pattern of the imaging result and the stored reference pattern, and the irradiation position The moving device 43 is operated to move the emission port 39 in the direction in which the error is reduced, so that the laser beam can be irradiated to an accurate position.

Here each transfer head 15 _{1-15 3} different color transfer ribbon 34 respectively is mounted, the respective transfer head 15 _{1-15 3,} located directly above the area corresponding to the color of the transfer ribbon 34 After that, each of the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ lowers the transparent member 33 and presses the transfer ribbon 34 by the transparent member 33, so that the transfer ribbon 34 positioned between the transparent member 33 and the transfer object 16 is moved. The ink layer 42 is brought into contact with the surface of the transfer object 16.

  FIG. 4 shows a part of the surface of the transfer object 16, in which the reference numeral 61 denotes a transfer point where the thin film is transferred on the transfer object 16, and the reference numeral 62 denotes A transfer point during transfer of the thin film from the ink layer 42 of the transfer ribbon 34 is shown. Among the surface of the transfer ribbon 34, a plurality of transfer points 61 are included in a range located between the transfer object 16 and the transparent member 33.

In this transfer film forming apparatus 2, transfer ribbons of three colors R, G, and B are used, and the transfer ribbon 34 of one color is placed on the transfer point 61 of 1/3, and the ink layer 42 of the transfer ribbon 34. The thin film is transferred.
A portion of the transfer ribbon 34 positioned immediately above the transfer point 61 that can be transferred is irradiated with laser light, and the ink layer 42 is partially transferred to form a thin film on the surface of the transfer object 16. When changing the position where the laser beam is irradiated, the irradiation position moving device 43 changes the direction of the laser irradiation device 38 to change the position where the laser beam is irradiated.

Reference numeral 62 denotes a transfer point where the thin film of the ink layer 42 is transferred from the transfer ribbon 34 that is being irradiated with the laser beam.
The transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ also perform transfer by laser light irradiation. The transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ face the transparent member 33 and transfer a thin film to a transfer point 61 where transfer is possible. Then, the transparent member 33 is moved upward, and the transfer ribbon 34 is separated from the surface of the transfer object 16.

  In the portion of the ink layer 42 where the ink layer 42 is transferred to the transfer object 16, the lower layer of the ink layer 42 (here, the peeling layer 52) is exposed, and the back surface of the portion is irradiated with laser light. In addition, the ink layer 42 is not transferred to the transfer object 16.

  Accordingly, after the transfer ribbon 34 is separated from the transfer object 16, the take-up roll 37 is rotated, and the region of the transfer ribbon 34 including the portion where the ink layer 42 has been transferred is separated from the transparent member 33 and the transfer object. The portion where the ink layer 42 is located is disposed between the transparent member 33 and the transfer target 16.

Separately from the movement of the transfer ribbon 34, the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ and the transfer object 16 are relatively moved, and the transparent member 33 is positioned on the range including the undeposited transfer point 61. The transparent member 33 is lowered, the transfer ribbon 34 is sandwiched between the transparent member 33 and the transfer target 16, and the back surface of the transfer ribbon 34 at the transfer position is irradiated with the laser beam to perform transfer onto the transfer point 61.

As described above, the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ repeatedly move and transfer, and when the thin film is transferred onto the transfer points 61, the bridge 14 and the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ transfer the transfer object 16. The transfer object 16 withdrawn to the outside of the area to be arranged and the thin film transferred thereon is replaced with an unfilmed transfer object 16, and the transfer operation is continued.
Note that a temperature control device (not shown) is provided inside the arrangement table 12, and the transfer target 16 can be heated and cooled to perform transfer while keeping the temperature constant.

In the above example, the arrangement table 12 is stationary with respect to the transfer chamber 11, and the bridge 14 is moved with respect to the arrangement table 12 and the transfer chamber 11, so that the transfer object 16 and the bridge 14 on the arrangement table 12 are provided. The transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ moved relatively, but a substrate moving device for moving the transfer object 16 with respect to the transfer chamber 11 is provided, and the bridge 14 is made stationary with respect to the transfer chamber 11. The transfer object 16 and the transfer head may be moved relative to each other.

In FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), reference numeral 18 denotes an exchange device arranged at a position where the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ are located when ink is exchanged.
In the transfer film forming apparatus 2, the transfer ribbon 34 can be exchanged in the transfer chamber 11 without removing the transfer heads 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ by the exchange device 18 for exchanging the transfer ribbon 34.
In the above example, the transfer object 16 is a substrate in which an organic thin film such as a hole transfer layer is formed on a glass substrate. However, the ink layer 42 can be transferred to a film-like transfer object. .

In the transfer device 3 of FIG. 5, a long film-like transfer object 76 can run in the transfer chamber 71, and a plurality (three in this case) of the transfer object 76 face each other. Bridges 74 ₁ to 74 ₃ are arranged in parallel to each other. Omitted the description of the device relating to movement, each bridge _{72d 3,} the transfer head 75 _{1-75 3} respectively mounted, the transfer head 75 _{1-75 3} along the bridge _{72d 3,} They can be moved parallel to each other.

The transfer object 76 is linearly moved in the direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the transfer object 76 at the portion facing each of the transfer heads 75 ₁ to 75 _{3. The} bridges 74 ₁ to 74 ₃ Transfer heads 75 ₁ to 75 ₃ provided on the bridges 74 ₁ to 74 ₃ are arranged so as to move in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the transfer object 76.

Here, the bridges 74 ₁ to 74 ₃ move in parallel with the moving direction of the transfer object 76, and the transfer object 76, the bridges 74 ₁ to 74 _3, and the transfer heads 75 ₁ to 75 ₃ By moving, each of the transfer heads 75 ₁ to 75 ₃ can face the desired position of the transfer object 76. Therefore, the ink layer 42 of the transfer ribbon 34 of each of the transfer heads 75 ₁ to 75 ₃ can be transferred to a desired position on the transfer object 76 by the control device 79.
The ink layer 42 on the transfer ribbon 34 can be formed on the base tape 41 by a thin film forming method such as a coating method or a vapor deposition method.

2... Transfer film forming device 12... Arrangement table 13. Bridge moving device 15 ₁ to 15 ₃ , 75 ₁ to 75 ₃ ... Transfer head 16 and 76... Transfer object 17. Imaging device 31 …… Case 33 …… Transparent member 34 …… Transfer ribbon 42 …… Ink layer 43 …… Irradiation position moving device

Claims (6)

An arrangement table for arranging the transfer object;
A transfer head arranged on the arrangement table;
A relative movement device that relatively moves the transfer object and the transfer head arranged on the arrangement table;
Have
The housing of the transfer head includes
A transparent member provided in the housing and disposed at a position facing the arrangement table;
A tape running device in which a transfer ribbon having an ink layer on the front surface is disposed through a position between the transparent member and the arrangement table, the back surface of which is directed to the transparent member,
A transfer film forming apparatus provided with a laser beam irradiation device that transmits the transparent member and irradiates a part of the back surface of the transfer ribbon with a laser beam.   The transfer film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tape running device is configured to run the transfer ribbon between the transparent member and the placement table.   The laser beam irradiation position moving device is provided, which moves the laser beam irradiation device and changes the irradiation position of the laser beam on the back surface of the transfer ribbon. Transfer film forming equipment. An imaging device capable of photographing the surface of the transfer object irradiated with the laser beam;
A control device that detects an error in the position of the laser beam irradiation device by collating an imaging result of the imaging device with a previously stored pattern;
4. The transfer film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control device operates the laser beam irradiation position moving device so as to reduce the error.   2. The head moving device according to claim 1, further comprising: a head moving device configured to move the transfer head relative to the placement table, and move the transfer ribbon of the transfer head in contact with the transfer object placed on the placement table. 5. The transfer film forming apparatus according to any one of 4 above.   The transfer film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of transfer heads are arranged to face the same arrangement table.

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