JP2013140721A - Organic el display manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simple and inexpensive organic EL display manufacturing device that supports organic EL displays manufactured by a printing method, an ink jet method, and a nozzle printing method, and can simultaneously maintain high cleanliness, low oxygen, and low dew point in an environment equal to the ambient pressure.SOLUTION: An organic EL manufacturing device having an organic EL manufacturing line installed inside a sealed chamber comprises: means for supplying a nitrogen gas inside the sealed chamber; means for introducing the nitrogen gas to the inside of the sealed chamber through a high-performance filter inside the sealed chamber; means for returning the introduced nitrogen gas to the high-performance filter to circulate the nitrogen gas; and means for adjusting the pressure in the sealed chamber to be positive relative to the ambient pressure.

Description

  The present invention relates to an organic EL display manufacturing apparatus having means for controlling a manufacturing environment such as foreign matter, humidity, oxygen concentration and the like that affects product characteristics of an organic EL display.

  Organic EL displays are subject to deterioration of product characteristics (efficiency, lifespan, etc.) due to the influence of the manufacturing environment in the middle of manufacturing, and it is necessary to manufacture in a low oxygen and low dew point environment to prevent the deterioration. Even if a minute foreign matter is mixed in, it causes a defect, so a high cleanliness environment is required.

  As the manufacturing method of the organic EL display, the vacuum deposition method, which is currently the mainstream, can maintain a high cleanliness, low oxygen and low dew point environment, but the vacuum device is a dedicated component with vacuum resistance. And the need for a vacuum pump increases the equipment cost.

  In addition, since only a small-sized display can be manufactured in the vacuum deposition method due to the thermal expansion and contraction of the deposition mask, an organic EL display manufacturing method under atmospheric pressure is required as a technique to replace the deposition method.

  There are many known technologies for maintaining a low oxygen, low dew point environment at atmospheric pressure and a technology for maintaining a high cleanliness environment at atmospheric pressure, and products corresponding to the method are generally promoted. As a method for maintaining a high clean environment under atmospheric pressure, there is a proposal of a downflow type clean room. However, in order to clean the entire work environment, it is not possible to simultaneously maintain a low oxygen low dew point environment (Patent Document 1). ).

  In order to create a low-oxygen atmosphere, there is a proposal for a continuous low-oxygen atmosphere treatment chamber that introduces an inert gas, but it can be kept in a low-oxygen, low-dew point environment due to its closed structure, but it has a high degree of cleanliness. It cannot be done (Patent Document 2).

  In addition, the proposal related to the glove box can be kept in a low oxygen and low dew point environment because of the sealed structure, and since there is a glove, maintenance is good, but high cleanliness cannot be achieved (Patent Document 3).

  Since the technology that simultaneously satisfies low oxygen, low dew point, and high cleanliness has not been established, organic EL displays manufactured by various manufacturing methods (printing method, inkjet method, nozzle printing method, etc.) at atmospheric pressure There are many defective products due to product characteristic deterioration and foreign matter, which causes a decrease in yield.

  The organic EL display is in the middle of production, and the hole transport layer, interlayer layer, light emitting layer, electron transport layer, and cathode, which are constituent elements, change their states due to light, oxygen, and ozone, and emit light. It is known that it is a product that is difficult to handle due to poor efficiency and a tendency of characteristic deterioration such as a shortened light emission life.

  In addition, in the organic EL display, foreign matters such as dust of several tens to several tens of μm adhere to the constituent elements, the hole transport layer, the interlayer layer, the light emitting layer, the electron transport layer, and the cathode film. Alternatively, if it is included, the upper and lower electrodes are electrically shorted due to current leakage, resulting in a pixel non-lighting failure.

  In order to manufacture an organic EL display in an environment equivalent to atmospheric pressure, a fine filter unit (FFU) in which a HEPA filter is used to install a device in a highly sealed container and create a highly clean environment. Even if installed, there are the following problems.

  For one thing, to maintain high cleanliness, it is conceivable to create a downflow flow with FFU. However, even if the FFU is operated in a sealed container such as a glove box, the flow of fluid in the chamber is reduced. Since there is no escape place, it is not possible to make a down flow and a high clean environment is not achieved.

  In order to create a high clean environment, a high-clean environment can be maintained by creating a return duct that flows from the bottom to the top as a refuge for the fluid in the chamber and making it flow down, but if you turn the FFU in a sealed space Because the surrounding pressure changes, when the inside of the chamber becomes negative pressure, the outside air is sucked in and the low oxygen and low dew point environment cannot be maintained.

  In addition, in order to achieve a high clean environment, a high clean environment can be maintained if local exhaust is provided at locations where each drive unit in the chamber is likely to generate dust.However, if local exhaust is provided in a sealed space, the inside of the chamber becomes negative pressure. As a result, outside air is sucked in, and a low oxygen low dew point environment cannot be maintained. In addition, since the state is returned to the positive pressure, a new supply of high purity nitrogen is required, resulting in an increase in running cost.

JP-A-8-68554 JP 2010-87171 A JP 2010-131713 PR

  The present invention corresponds to an organic EL display manufactured by a printing method, an ink jet method, a nozzle printing method, or the like, and can easily maintain a high cleanliness and a low oxygen low dew point in an environment equivalent to atmospheric pressure. An object is to provide an inexpensive organic EL display manufacturing apparatus.

As means for solving the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is an organic EL manufacturing apparatus in which an organic EL manufacturing line is installed inside a sealed chamber,
Means for supplying nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber;
Means for introducing nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber through a high performance filter inside the sealed chamber;
Means for circulating the introduced nitrogen gas back to the high performance filter;
An organic EL manufacturing apparatus comprising: a means for making the inside of the sealed chamber positive with respect to atmospheric pressure.

In the invention according to claim 2, the inside of the sealed chamber is divided into an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber, and a lower chamber, and an organic EL production line is installed in the intermediate portion.
The means for introducing nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber through the high performance filter,
A high performance filter between the upper chamber and the intermediate chamber, and a fan introduced into the intermediate chamber through the high performance filter,
2. The organic EL manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a return duct provided with an exhaust port between the intermediate chamber and the lower chamber and returning the exhausted nitrogen gas to the upper chamber.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3, the means for making the inside of the sealed chamber positive with respect to atmospheric pressure,
The differential pressure between the internal pressure of the sealed chamber and the external pressure of the sealed chamber is measured, the introduction amount of the nitrogen gas is controlled, and the internal pressure of the sealed chamber is set to a positive pressure. An organic EL manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2.

  According to the present invention, components of an organic display manufactured at the same atmospheric pressure are not hydrolyzed / oxidized by moisture or oxygen, and the state of the components is not changed. By preventing this, it is possible to provide a simple and inexpensive organic EL display manufacturing apparatus that prevents deterioration of product characteristics such as light emission efficiency and light emission lifetime and improves yield.

It is the side conceptual diagram which showed the organic EL display manufacturing apparatus of this invention. It shows the configuration of a bottom emission type organic EL display, and is a cross-sectional conceptual diagram after performing up to cathode formation which is in the middle of manufacturing. It is the conceptual diagram which showed the flow of the nitrogen gas in the organic electroluminescent display manufacturing apparatus of this invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an organic EL display manufacturing apparatus that is equivalent to the atmospheric pressure of the present invention and that can maintain a high cleanliness and low oxygen and low dew point environment. Clean side) 19, intermediate chamber, and lower chamber 26 are divided into three chambers, and an FFU in which a HEPA filter and a blower fan are integrated is installed between the intermediate chamber where the organic EL display production line 24 is installed. An exhaust port is provided between the chamber and the lower chamber 26, and a return duct 23 for returning the nitrogen gas exhausted from the lower chamber 26 to the upper chamber is provided.

  The drive part of the organic EL display production line 24 installed in the intermediate chamber is provided with a local exhaust pipe 22 connected to the return duct 23, and a blower built-in nitrogen purifier 29 that maintains the entire chamber at a low oxygen and low dew point. It is embodiment of the organic electroluminescent display manufacturing apparatus which has a means to connect and control the inside of a chamber to a fixed pressure.

  FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a bottom emission type organic EL display manufactured by the organic EL display manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, and shows a state where the cathode formation is completed. The TFT 11, the anode (transparent electrode) 12, the partition wall 13, the hole transport layer 14, the interlayer layer 15, the light emitting layer 16, the electron transport layer 17, and the cathode 18 are formed on the TFT substrate 10 such as glass. Yes.

  FIG. 3 shows the flow of nitrogen gas in the organic EL display manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, and the organic EL display manufacturing line 24 installed in the intermediate chamber is enclosed and sealed by the chamber. The chamber is divided into an upper chamber 19, an intermediate chamber, and a lower chamber 26. Nitrogen is supplied from the blower built-in type nitrogen purification device 29 to the upper chamber 19, and the nitrogen gas purified through the FFU 20 is supplied in a downflow state to the intermediate chamber in which the organic EL production line 24 is installed. 26 partly returns to the upper chamber 19 through the return duct 23, partly returns to the nitrogen purifier built-in blower 29 through the solenoid valve B36 for nitrogen purifier, and the intermediate chamber in which the organic EL display production line 24 is installed. Maintains a clean environment with low oxygen and low dew point.

  A drive unit local exhaust pipe 22 from the organic EL display production line 24 is connected in the middle of the return duct 23, and the upper chamber 19 is also connected via the return duct 23 by the force of the blower fan of the fine filter unit. Return to. The nitrogen gas that has returned to high quality 9 passes through the FFU 20 again to become a clean atmosphere, and is supplied to the intermediate chamber in a downflow state. At this time, if the intermediate chamber and the lower chamber 26 are clearly separated, it is easy to make a downflow, but even if it is not present, it is cleaned by circulation of nitrogen gas.

  By repeating this circulation, the clean atmosphere becomes an atmosphere with higher cleanliness, and a high cleanliness environment can be realized. A blower built-in nitrogen purifier 29 is connected to the chamber. The blower built-in type nitrogen purification device 29 is equipped with three solenoid valves. When purifying nitrogen in the chamber, the nitrogen refiner solenoid valve A35 and the nitrogen refiner solenoid valve B36 are opened. The nitrogen purifier solenoid valve C37 is closed. When the nitrogen in the chamber is not purified, the nitrogen purifier solenoid valve A35 and the nitrogen purifier solenoid valve B36 are closed, and the nitrogen purifier solenoid valve C37 is opened.

  When purifying the nitrogen gas in the chamber, the atmosphere of the lower chamber 26 is sucked, and oxygen and moisture are removed through the blower built-in nitrogen purifier 29 and returned to the upper chamber 19. By repeating these circulations, the low oxygen and low dew point environment becomes a low oxygen and low dew point environment, and it becomes possible to realize a high clean environment with the low oxygen and low dew point necessary for organic EL production.

  When the substrate is carried in, the shutter 32 is opened, and the substrate 33 is transferred onto the substrate shifter pin 32 via a transfer unit such as a transfer conveyor 33 or a transfer robot. When the substrate delivery is completed, the shutter 32 is closed, the substrate shifter pin 32 is lowered, the substrate 33 is delivered to the substrate stage 27, and necessary processing is performed on the substrate in the organic EL production line 24. When the processing is completed, the substrate shifter pin 32 is raised, the shutter 32 is opened, and the substrate 33 is discharged by the transport unit. By this continuous process, the process of each process in organic EL manufacture is implemented.

  In these manufacturing processes, there is a factor that changes the internal pressure. For example, a change in internal pressure when the shutter 32 is opened or closed, or a change in pressure due to the operation of a pneumatic device when the substrate is delivered. In order to detect these changes in internal pressure, a differential pressure gauge 30 is installed. Then, the threshold value for which the internal pressure is to be managed is determined, and if the threshold value falls to the low internal pressure side, the solenoid valve of the supply pipe 21 is opened to supply nitrogen, and when the internal pressure returns to the threshold value, the solenoid valve is closed. .

  If the threshold value deviates to the higher internal pressure side, the chamber exhaust amount adjustment valve and the electromagnetic valve 28 are opened to exhaust, and when the internal pressure returns to the threshold value, the electromagnetic valve is closed. At this time, the nitrogen supply pipe is connected to a device capable of supplying high-pressure and high-purity nitrogen such as a nitrogen cylinder or a cold evaporator. For exhaust, it is connected to a device such as a blower that can exhaust the atmosphere in the chamber. The nitrogen supply amount is adjusted by a nitrogen supply amount adjustment valve 41, and the exhaust amount is adjusted by an exhaust amount adjustment valve 42.

  The threshold value of the chamber internal pressure is usually set to a slightly positive pressure (about +50 Pa to +500 Pa) than the surroundings. If the negative pressure is higher than the surroundings, the ambient atmosphere is sucked in through a slight gap in the chamber, so that a high degree of cleanliness cannot be maintained or a low oxygen and low dew point environment cannot be maintained. .

  When opening the chamber and carrying out apparatus maintenance, with the shutter closed, the nitrogen purifier solenoid valve C37 is opened, the nitrogen purifier solenoid valve A35 and the nitrogen purifier solenoid valve B36 are closed, After leaving the interior unpurified, the nitrogen supply piping valve is closed.

Thereafter, the electromagnetic valve 38 of the atmospheric supply pipe and the electromagnetic valve of the exhaust pipe in the chamber are opened and closed, and the inside of the chamber is returned to the atmospheric state while maintaining a constant internal pressure. The internal pressure control determines the threshold value to be managed in advance, measures the internal pressure with a differential pressure gauge, and if the threshold value is off to the side where the internal pressure is low, opens the electromagnetic valve of the air supply pipe and supplies the air, When the internal pressure returns to within the threshold value, the solenoid valve is closed.

  If the threshold value deviates to a higher internal pressure side, the exhaust valve solenoid valve 28 is opened for exhaustion, and when the internal pressure returns to the threshold value, the solenoid valve is closed. At this time, the air supply pipe is connected to a device capable of supplying high-pressure and high-cleanness air such as clean dry air. The air supply amount is adjusted by the air supply amount adjustment valve 43.

  Check the measured values of the oxygen concentration meter and dew point meter 34, and when the chamber can be opened (oxygen concentration of about 21%), close the valve of the air supply piping and the solenoid valve of the chamber exhaust piping, Open the chamber and perform maintenance.

  When using the device again after maintenance is completed, return the chamber to its original sealed state, then open and close the nitrogen supply piping valve and the chamber exhaust piping electromagnetic valve to keep the internal pressure constant. Return to the nitrogen state. As with the internal pressure control during normal operation, the internal pressure control determines the threshold value to be managed in advance, measures the internal pressure with the differential pressure gauge 30, and if the threshold value is out of the low internal pressure side, the nitrogen supply pipe Open the solenoid valve and supply nitrogen. When the internal pressure returns to the threshold value, close the solenoid valve. If the threshold value deviates to a higher internal pressure side, the exhaust valve solenoid valve 28 is opened for exhaustion, and when the internal pressure returns to the threshold value, the solenoid valve is closed.

  After confirming the measured values of the oxygen concentration meter and dew point meter 34 and when it is possible to use the nitrogen purification device 29 with a built-in blower (determined according to the specifications of the nitrogen purification device 29 with a built-in blower) The electromagnetic valve A35 and the nitrogen refining machine electromagnetic valve B36 are opened, and the nitrogen refining machine electromagnetic valve C37 is closed.

  By performing such maintenance, the maintenance can be performed without stopping the blower built-in nitrogen purification device 29. Further, by returning to the atmospheric state while keeping the chamber internal pressure constant, it becomes possible to prevent the chamber internal member from being damaged by the abnormal pressure.

  In addition, in the case of an apparatus that frequently requires insertion / removal of members into / from the chamber, an in-chamber operation glove 39 and a part exchange pass box 40 are attached so that the inside of the chamber can be operated from the outside of the chamber. The pass box 40 is a small room, and an opening / closing door is installed inside the chamber and an opening / closing door is installed outside the chamber. Further, similarly to the chamber, the air supply pipe, the nitrogen supply pipe, and the exhaust pipe not shown in the drawing are attached to the pass box 40.

  When inserting a member inside the chamber, open the door outside the chamber with the door inside the chamber closed, insert the member, close the door outside the chamber, and then supply the nitrogen supply and exhaust pipes in the nitrogen supply pipe After the inside of the pass box 40 is made into a low oxygen and low dew point environment, the door inside the chamber is opened through the in-chamber operation glove 39 and parts are delivered.

  When removing the member from the inside of the chamber, with the door on the outside of the chamber closed, open the door on the inside of the chamber through the in-chamber operation glove 39, insert the member, close the door on the inside of the chamber, and then supply the air After supplying nitrogen in the piping and exhausting in the exhaust piping to make the inside of the pass box 40 an atmospheric environment, the door outside the chamber is opened and parts are delivered. By adopting such a design, it is possible to receive and receive members while maintaining a high cleanliness, low oxygen, low dew point environment.

As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was introduced, this invention is not limited to this form, For example, FIG. 2 is an organic EL display of a top emission structure, for example, FIG. 1 is an organic EL display related apparatus. The present invention can be implemented even with a certain inspection device, measurement device, or correction device, or when the low oxygen and low dew point maintenance of Example 2 is performed with another inert gas (such as argon).

  The present invention can maintain a high cleanliness, low oxygen and low dew point environment in any method and any manufacturing stage in various methods for manufacturing an organic EL display at the same atmospheric pressure. It is possible to improve the yield by preventing the defect, and it is possible to contribute to the popularization of the organic EL display, which has been less popular because of the poor yield.

11 ... TFT
12 ... anode 13 ... partition 14 ... hole transport layer 15 ... interlayer 16 ... light emitting layer 17 ... electron transport layer 18 ... cathode 19 ... upper chamber ( Non-clean side)
20 ... FFU (Fine Filter Unit)
21 ... Nitrogen supply amount adjustment piping and solenoid valve 22 ... Drive unit local exhaust piping 23 ... Return duct 24 ... Organic EL production line 25 ... Device mount 26 ... Lower chamber (clean side) )
27 ... Substrate stage 28 ... Chamber exhaust volume adjustment valve and solenoid valve 29 ... Blower built-in nitrogen purifier 30 ... Differential pressure gauge 31 ... Shutter 32 ... Substrate lifter pin 33 ... Substrate 34 ... Oxygen concentration meter and dew point meter 35 ... Solenoid valve A for nitrogen purifier
36 ... Solenoid valve B for nitrogen purifier
37 ... Solenoid valve C for nitrogen purifier
38 ... Air supply adjustment pipe and solenoid valve 39 ... Glove 40 for operation in the chamber ... Pass box 41 ... Nitrogen supply adjustment valve 42 ... Exhaust air adjustment valve 43 ... Air supply Volume control valve

Claims (3)

An organic EL manufacturing apparatus in which an organic EL manufacturing line is installed inside a sealed chamber,
Means for supplying nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber;
Means for introducing nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber through a high performance filter within the sealed chamber;
Means for circulating the introduced nitrogen gas back to the high performance filter;
An organic EL manufacturing apparatus comprising: a means for making the inside of the sealed chamber positive with respect to atmospheric pressure. The sealed chamber is divided into an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber, and a lower chamber, and an organic EL production line is installed in the intermediate portion.
The means for introducing nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber through the high performance filter,
A high-performance filter between the upper chamber and the intermediate chamber, and a fan introduced into the intermediate chamber through the high-performance filter,
2. The organic EL manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a return duct provided with an exhaust port between the intermediate chamber and the lower chamber, and returning exhausted nitrogen gas to the upper chamber. Means for making the inside of the sealed chamber positive with respect to atmospheric pressure,
The differential pressure between the internal pressure of the sealed chamber and the external pressure of the sealed chamber is measured, the introduction amount of the nitrogen gas is controlled, and the internal pressure of the sealed chamber is set to a positive pressure. The organic EL manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2.