JP2016062839A - Element manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an element manufacturing method by which, when covering a base material by using a lid material, the lid material is prevented from being in contact with a semiconductor layer on a first electrode.SOLUTION: First of all, an intermediate product is prepared, the intermediate product including the base material, a protrusion provided on the base material, a first electrode provided on the base material within a region which is held at least partially by protrusions, and the semiconductor layer provided on the first electrode. Next, the intermediate product is covered from a side of the protrusion by using a first surface of the lid material. Thereafter a pressure in a space in contact with a second surface of the lid material at an opposite side of the first surface is increased, thereby closely contacting the first surface of the lid material to the intermediate product. In such a case, a distance H between the first surface of the lid material being supported by the protrusion and a surface of the semiconductor layer on the first electrode in a direction along a normal direction of the base material is greater than a maximum value of the amount of bending that may occur in the lid material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to an element manufacturing method for manufacturing an element such as an organic semiconductor element.

  In an element including a semiconductor layer provided on a base material such as an organic semiconductor element or an inorganic semiconductor element, generally, a protrusion including an insulating material is formed on the base material. For example, Patent Document 1 shows an example in which a protrusion is formed so as to surround the first electrode in order to ensure electrical insulation between the first electrode and the auxiliary electrode provided on the substrate. ing. Note that the auxiliary electrode is an electrode connected to the common electrode at a plurality of locations on the base material in order to suppress a voltage drop from occurring in the common electrode provided on the semiconductor layer.

  In the element manufacturing method, generally, the first electrode, the auxiliary electrode, and the protrusion are first provided, then the semiconductor layer is provided over the entire area of the base material, and then the common electrode is provided on the semiconductor layer. Therefore, in order to connect the common electrode to the auxiliary electrode, it is necessary to remove the semiconductor layer on the auxiliary electrode. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes that after forming a semiconductor layer on a base material, a cover material is superimposed on the base material, and the semiconductor layer on the auxiliary electrode is irradiated with laser light to scatter the semiconductor layer. ing. In this case, the protruding portion plays a role of supporting the lid member and a role of preventing the semiconductor layer on the first electrode from being contaminated by the scattered semiconductor layer material. In the method described in Patent Document 1, the atmosphere in the space between the base material and the lid material is a vacuum atmosphere, and the atmosphere on the surface of the lid material on the side opposite to the base material is an atmospheric pressure. The lid material is brought into close contact with the base material using differential pressure.

JP 2008-288074 A

  Generally as a lid | cover material piled up on a base material, what has a softness | flexibility is used. Therefore, when the cover member receives pressure so that the cover member is in close contact with the base material, it is conceivable that the cover member bends toward the base material between the protrusions that support the cover material. On the other hand, when the lid material is bent and the lid material comes into contact with the semiconductor layer on the first electrode, the characteristics of the element are deteriorated. However, heretofore, no proposal has been made regarding how to deal with such bending of the lid.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and manufactures an element that suppresses the cover material from coming into contact with the semiconductor layer on the first electrode when the base material is covered with the cover material. It aims to provide a method.

素子製造方法である。 The present invention is an element manufacturing method for forming an element on a base material, wherein the base material, a protrusion provided on the base material, and a region at least partially sandwiched by the protrusion A step of preparing an intermediate product including a first electrode provided on the substrate and a semiconductor layer provided on the first electrode; and the intermediate product from the side of the protrusion. The first surface of the lid material is made into the intermediate product by increasing the pressure of the space in contact with the second surface of the lid material on the opposite side of the first surface, The semiconductor layer provided on the first electrode when viewed along the normal direction of the substrate, the semiconductor layer has a rectangular shape including a short side and a long side. The shape of the material, and the length of the short side of the semiconductor layer is a, And the pressure of the space in contact with the second surface of the lid material and the pressure of the space between the lid material and the intermediate product in the contact process And the difference between the first surface of the lid member supported by the protrusion and the surface of the semiconductor layer on the first electrode in a direction along the normal direction of the base material When the distance between is H and the deflection coefficient of the lid material supported by the protrusion is α, the following equation is satisfied:

It is an element manufacturing method.

  In the element manufacturing method according to the present invention, the lid member and the protrusion may be configured so that the above formula is satisfied. Alternatively, in the contact step, the pressure in the space in contact with the second surface of the lid member may be controlled so that the formula is satisfied.

  In the element manufacturing method according to the present invention, the semiconductor layer may be an organic semiconductor layer.

  The element manufacturing method according to the present invention may further include a light irradiation step of irradiating light toward the intermediate product while the first surface of the lid member is in close contact with the intermediate product in the contact step. .

  In the element manufacturing method according to the present invention, the lid member may be supplied in a roll-to-roll manner.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when covering a base material using a cover material, it can suppress that a cover material contacts the semiconductor layer on a 1st electrode.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an organic semiconductor element according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a plan view showing an example of a layout of auxiliary electrodes, protrusions, and organic semiconductor layers of the organic semiconductor element shown in FIG. FIG. 2B is a plan view showing another example of the layout of the auxiliary electrode, the protrusion, and the organic semiconductor layer of the organic semiconductor element shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2C is a plan view showing an example of a portion to be removed from the organic semiconductor layer on the auxiliary electrode. FIG. 2D is a plan view showing an example of a portion to be removed from the organic semiconductor layer on the auxiliary electrode. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an element manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4A to 4G are diagrams showing a device manufacturing method in the embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 5A to 5D are views showing a method for removing the organic semiconductor layer on the auxiliary electrode in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lid material in close contact with the intermediate product is bent by the differential pressure, and FIG. 6B is a diagram of the organic semiconductor layer on the first electrode covered with the lid material. The top view which shows a shape. FIGS. 7A to 7G are views showing a method for removing an organic semiconductor layer on an auxiliary electrode in a modification of the embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating an example in which the intermediate product processing apparatus is configured as a sublimation transfer apparatus. FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating an example in which light is irradiated from the substrate side toward the organic semiconductor layer. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a deflection coefficient.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6A and 6B. First, the layer structure of the organic semiconductor element 40 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, a top emission type organic EL element will be described as an example of the organic semiconductor element 40.

As shown in FIG. 1, the organic semiconductor element 40 includes a base material 41, a plurality of first electrodes 42 provided on the base material 41, auxiliary electrodes 43 and protrusions provided between the first electrodes 42. A portion 44, an organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the first electrode 42, and a second electrode 46 provided on the organic semiconductor layer 45 and the auxiliary electrode 43.

  The organic semiconductor layer 45 includes at least a light emitting layer that emits light by recombination of electrons and holes in an organic compound. The organic semiconductor layer 45 may further include various layers generally provided in the organic EL element, such as a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electron transport layer, or an electron injection layer. As the constituent elements of the organic semiconductor layer, known ones can be used, for example, those described in JP 2011-9498 A can be used.

  The first electrode 42 is provided corresponding to each of the organic semiconductor layers 45. The first electrode 42 also functions as a reflective electrode that reflects light generated in the organic semiconductor layer 45. Examples of the material constituting the first electrode 42 include simple elements of metal elements such as aluminum, chromium, titanium, iron, cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, copper, tantalum, tungsten, platinum, gold, and silver, or alloys thereof. it can. In the first electrode 42, an inorganic oxide layer such as indium tin oxide, so-called ITO, or indium zinc oxide, so-called IZO, may be formed on the above-described metal.

  The second electrode 46 functions as a common electrode for the plurality of organic semiconductor layers 45. The second electrode 46 is configured to transmit light generated in the organic semiconductor layer 45. As a material constituting the second electrode 46, a metal film thinned to such an extent that light can be transmitted, or an oxide conductive material such as ITO can be used.

  The auxiliary electrode 43 prevents a variation in voltage drop due to a difference in distance from a power source (not shown) to each organic semiconductor layer, thereby reducing the luminance of a display device using an organic EL element. This is to suppress variation. As shown in FIG. 1, each auxiliary electrode 43 is connected to the second electrode 46. Examples of the material constituting the auxiliary electrode 43 include a single element or alloy of the same metal element as that of the first electrode 42. The auxiliary electrode 43 may be made of the same material as the first electrode 42, or may be made of a material different from the first electrode 42.

  The protrusion 44 is made of an insulating material. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion 44 is provided between the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43. By providing such a protrusion 44, it is possible to ensure insulation between the first electrode 42, the auxiliary electrode 43, and the second electrode 46. In addition, the shape of the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided between the protrusions 44 can be appropriately determined. As a material constituting the protruding portion 44, an organic material such as polyimide or an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide can be used. Further, the protruding portion 44 is configured to extend along the normal direction of the base material 41. Therefore, when the lid material described later is brought into close contact with the base material 41, a space is provided between the lid material and the base material 41. It can also function as a spacer for ensuring the above.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the organic semiconductor layer 45 and the second electrode 46 may be continuously provided not only on the first electrode 42 but also on the protrusion 44. The organic semiconductor layer 45 emits light when current flows between the first electrode 42 and the second electrode 46. In the organic semiconductor layer 45 located on the protrusion 44, the organic semiconductor layer 45 is positioned between the first electrode 42 and the second electrode 46. No light emission occurs. 2A and 2B to be described later, the portion of the organic semiconductor layer 45 that emits light, that is, the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the first electrode 42 is shown.

  Next, the structure of the organic semiconductor element 40 when viewed from the normal direction of the substrate 41 will be described. In particular, the layout of the auxiliary electrode 43, the protrusion 44, and the organic semiconductor layer 45 of the organic semiconductor element 40 will be described. FIG. 2A is a plan view illustrating an example of the layout of the auxiliary electrode 43, the protrusion 44, and the organic semiconductor layer 45. As shown in FIG. 2A, the organic semiconductor layer 45 may include a red organic semiconductor layer 45R, a green organic semiconductor layer 45G, and a blue organic semiconductor layer 45B that are arranged in order in a matrix and each have a rectangular shape. In this case, each of the red organic semiconductor layer 45R, the green organic semiconductor layer 45G, and the blue organic semiconductor layer 45B constitutes a sub-pixel. A combination of adjacent organic semiconductor layers 45R, 45G, and 45B constitutes one pixel.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the auxiliary electrodes 43 are arranged in a lattice shape so as to extend between the organic semiconductor layers 45 arranged in a matrix shape. By arranging the auxiliary electrode 43 in this way, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a difference depending on the location in the voltage drop in the second electrode 46 connected to each organic semiconductor layer 45. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2A, the protrusion 44 is provided between the organic semiconductor layer 45 and the auxiliary electrode 43 so as to surround the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the first electrode 42 from the side. That is, the protrusions 44 are continuously provided along the four sides of the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the first electrode 42. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the scattered organic semiconductor material from reaching the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42 in the step of removing the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43.

  In addition, as long as a voltage drop can be reduced appropriately, the auxiliary electrode 43 does not need to be connected to the 2nd electrode 46 over the whole region. That is, it is not necessary to remove all of the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 in the removing step described later. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2B, the protrusions 44 may be provided discontinuously along any of the four sides of the organic semiconductor layer 45. Also in the example shown in FIG. 2B, in the step of removing the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 at the position sandwiched by the protrusions 44, the scattered organic semiconductor material is sandwiched at least partially by the protrusions 44. It is possible to prevent reaching the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42 located in the region. Further, by connecting the auxiliary electrode 43 located between the protrusions 44 to the second electrode 46, the voltage drop can be appropriately suppressed.

  In addition, the arrangement of the auxiliary electrode 43 is not particularly limited as long as the voltage drop of the second electrode 46 can be appropriately suppressed. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D, the auxiliary electrode 43 may be provided along each pixel configured by organic semiconductor layers 45R, 45G, 45B, and 45W corresponding to a plurality of subpixels. That is, the auxiliary electrode 43 is not formed between the organic semiconductor layers 45R, 45G, 45B, and 45W, which are sub-pixels, and one pixel constituted by the organic semiconductor layers 45R, 45G, 45B, and 45W and the other similar ones. An auxiliary electrode 43 may be formed between these pixels. 2C and 2D show an example in which each pixel further includes a white organic semiconductor layer 45W in addition to the red organic semiconductor layer 45R, the green organic semiconductor layer 45G, and the blue organic semiconductor layer 45B as sub-pixels. ing.

  Moreover, as long as the voltage drop of the 2nd electrode 46 can be suppressed appropriately, arrangement | positioning of the location where the auxiliary electrode 43 and the 2nd electrode 46 are connected is not specifically limited. In FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D, the location where the auxiliary electrode 43 and the second electrode 46 are connected is indicated by a dotted line denoted by reference numeral 43x. As shown in FIG. 2C, the auxiliary electrode 43 and the second electrode 46 may be discretely connected at a plurality of locations. That is, the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 may be discretely removed at a plurality of locations. As shown in FIG. 2D, the auxiliary electrode 43 and the second electrode 46 may be connected in a line along the direction in which the auxiliary electrode 43 extends. That is, the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 may be linearly removed along the direction in which the auxiliary electrode 43 extends. FIG. 2D shows an example in which the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 is linearly removed along a direction D1 in which a lid 21c described later is conveyed.

  2A to 2D show examples in which a plurality of types of organic semiconductor layers 45R, 45G, and 45B and organic semiconductor layers 45R, 45G, 45B, and 45W are used as the organic semiconductor layer 45. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. It will never be done. For example, all of the organic semiconductor layers 45 constituting the sub-pixels may be configured to generate common white light. In this case, for example, a color filter or the like can be used as means for color-coding each sub-pixel.

Next, an element manufacturing apparatus 10 and an element manufacturing method for forming the organic semiconductor element 40 according to the present embodiment on the substrate 41 will be described. As long as it is possible to sufficiently prevent impurities from being mixed into the organic semiconductor element 40, the environment in which the element manufacturing method is implemented is not particularly limited. For example, the element manufacturing method is partially under a vacuum environment. To be implemented. Note that the specific pressure in the vacuum environment is not particularly limited as long as the pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure. For example, the internal pressure of the element manufacturing apparatus 10 is 1.0 × 10 ⁴ Pa or less. It has become.

Element Manufacturing Apparatus FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the element manufacturing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the element manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a first electrode forming apparatus 11 that forms a plurality of first electrodes 42 on a base material 41, and an auxiliary electrode formation that forms an auxiliary electrode 43 between the first electrodes 42. The device 12, the protrusion forming device 13 that forms the protrusion 44 between the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43, and the organic semiconductor layer 45 is formed on the first electrode 42, the auxiliary electrode 43, and the protrusion 44. And an organic semiconductor layer forming apparatus 14. In the following description, what is obtained by a process using each device 11, 12, 13, 14 may be referred to as an intermediate product 50. The intermediate product 50 after passing through the first electrode forming device 11 includes a base material 41 and a plurality of first electrodes 42 formed on the base material 41. The intermediate product 50 after passing through the auxiliary electrode forming apparatus 12 further includes an auxiliary electrode 43 formed between the first electrodes 42. The intermediate product 50 after passing through the protrusion forming device 13 further includes a protrusion 44 formed between the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43. The intermediate product 50 after passing through the organic semiconductor layer forming apparatus 14 further includes an organic semiconductor layer 45 formed on the auxiliary electrode 43 and the protrusion 44. Further, in the intermediate product 50 after passing through the intermediate product processing apparatus 15 described later, the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the auxiliary electrode 43 is removed.

  The element manufacturing apparatus 10 further includes an intermediate product processing apparatus 15 that performs a predetermined process while a lid 21c described later is in close contact with the base material 41. In the present embodiment, an example in which the intermediate product processing apparatus 15 is configured as a removing apparatus that removes the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the auxiliary electrode 43 will be described. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the intermediate product processing apparatus 15 includes a sealing mechanism 20 that closely attaches a lid 21c described later to the intermediate product 50 including the base material 41 and the protrusion 44 from the protrusion 44 side. And a removing mechanism 30 that removes the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the auxiliary electrode 43. The element manufacturing apparatus 10 further includes a second electrode type device 16 that forms the second electrode 46 on the auxiliary electrode 43 and the organic semiconductor layer 45 after the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 is removed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the element manufacturing apparatus 10 may further include a transport device 17 connected to each of the devices 11 to 16 for transporting the base material 41 and the intermediate product 50 between the devices 11 to 16. Good.

  3 categorizes each device from a functional viewpoint, and the physical form is not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, a plurality of devices among the devices 11 to 16 illustrated in FIG. 3 may be physically configured by one device. Alternatively, any of the devices 11 to 16 illustrated in FIG. 3 may be physically configured by a plurality of devices. For example, as will be described later, the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43 may be formed simultaneously in one process. In this case, the first electrode forming device 11 and the auxiliary electrode forming device 12 may be configured as one device.

Element Manufacturing Method Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4G, a method for manufacturing the organic semiconductor element 40 using the element manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described. First, a metal material layer constituting the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43 is formed on the substrate 41 by, for example, a sputtering method, and then the metal material layer is formed by etching. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4A, the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43 described above can be simultaneously formed on the base material 41. Note that the step of forming the first electrode 42 and the step of forming the auxiliary electrode 43 may be performed separately.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the normal line of the base material 41 is interposed between the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43 and above the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43 by, for example, photolithography. A plurality of protrusions 44 extending in the direction are formed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4C, by a general film forming method such as a vapor deposition method, a CVD method, a printing method, an ink jet method or a transfer method, the first electrode 42, the auxiliary electrode 43, and the protrusion 44 are formed. An organic semiconductor layer 45 is formed thereon. In this way, the base 41, the plurality of first electrodes 42 provided on the base 41, the auxiliary electrode 43 and the protrusion 44 provided between the first electrodes 42, and the auxiliary on the first electrode 42 An intermediate product 50 including the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the electrode 43 and the protrusion 44 can be obtained. In the present embodiment, as described above, the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43 are formed on the base material 41 before the protrusion 44. For this reason, the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43 are partially covered by the protrusion 44.

  Next, the lid member 21c is prepared, and thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4D, an adhesion process is performed in which the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c is adhered to the intermediate product 50 using the sealing mechanism 20. Next, while the lid member 21c is in close contact with the intermediate product 50, a laser beam is applied to the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the auxiliary electrode 43 using the removal mechanism 30 as shown in FIG. Irradiate light L1. Thereby, the energy of the light L1 is absorbed by the organic semiconductor layer 45, and as a result, the organic semiconductor material constituting the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 is scattered. In this manner, a removal process for removing the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 can be performed. The organic semiconductor material scattered from the auxiliary electrode 43 adheres to the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c, for example, as shown in FIG. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4 (f), the lid member 21 c is peeled from the intermediate product 50. Next, as shown in FIG. 4G, the second electrode 46 is formed on the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42 and on the auxiliary electrode 43. Thus, the organic semiconductor element 40 including the auxiliary electrode 43 connected to the second electrode 46 can be obtained.

  Hereinafter, the method for bringing the lid 21c into close contact with the intermediate product 50 and removing the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 as described with reference to FIGS. 4D and 4E will be described with reference to FIG. It demonstrates in detail with reference to (d).

(Sealing mechanism)
First, the sealing mechanism 20 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5A, the sealing mechanism 20 includes a lid material supply unit 21 that supplies the lid material 21 c, and a lid so that the first surface 21 d of the lid material 21 c is in close contact with the protruding portion 44 of the intermediate product 50. And a pressurizing unit 23 that applies pressure to the material 21c. Here, the pressurizing unit 23 increases the pressure in the space in contact with the second surface 21e of the lid member 21c on the opposite side of the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c, so that the lid member 21c is directed toward the intermediate product 50. An example configured to press evenly will be described. The lid 21c is for covering the intermediate product 50 from the protrusion 44 side. By using such a lid member 21c, for example, in the above-described removal step, it is possible to prevent the organic semiconductor material scattered from the auxiliary electrode 43 from contaminating the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42 and the surrounding environment. it can. As a material constituting the lid member 21c, a light-transmitting material such as glass or plastic is used. As shown in FIG. 4D, when any layer such as the organic semiconductor layer 45 is provided on the top of the protrusion 44, the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c is directly on the top of the protrusion 44. Rather than contact the top surface of the protrusion 44, it contacts the outermost surface of the layer provided on the top. In the present embodiment, even when the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c is in contact with the layer provided on the protruding portion 44 in this way, “the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c is in contact with the protruding portion 44. It may be expressed as “close contact”.

  The lid material supply unit 21 may be configured to supply the lid material 21c in a roll-to-roll manner. For example, the lid material supply unit 21 may include an unwinding unit 21a that unwinds the lid material 21c and a winding unit 21b that winds the lid material 21c. In this case, the material and thickness of the lid member 21c are set so as to have a degree of flexibility that can be wound into a roll.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the pressurizing unit 23 includes a substrate 24 including a light transmission region 24a and a gas passage region 24b, and a packing 25 provided on the substrate 24 so as to surround at least the gas passage region 24b. ,have. The packing 25 is provided on the side of the substrate 24 that faces the lid member 21c. The pressurizing unit 23 further includes a gas injection unit 26 that is connected to the gas passage region 24b and supplies a gas such as an inert gas to the space between the substrate 24 and the lid member 21c. The board | substrate 24 is comprised from the material which has translucency, for example, is comprised from glass, such as quartz. The packing 25 is made of a material that is in close contact with the second surface 21e of the lid member 21c and can improve the airtightness of the space between the substrate 24 and the lid member 21c, and is made of, for example, rubber.

(Removal mechanism)
Next, the removal mechanism 30 will be described. The removal mechanism 30 removes the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 by irradiating the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 with light L1 such as laser light through the substrate 24 and the lid member 21c. As shown in FIG. 5A, the removal mechanism 30 includes, for example, a light irradiation unit 31 that generates laser light. As the material constituting the lid member 21c, a translucent material such as PET, COP, PP, PE, PC, glass film or the like is used so that the light L1 such as laser light can be transmitted.
In addition, the gas from the lid member 21c flows into the lid member 21c, and the confidentiality of the space between the intermediate product 50 and the lid member 21c is reduced, and the components of the intermediate product 50 are deteriorated due to oxidation or the like. In order to prevent this, it is preferable to have a predetermined gas barrier property. For example, the oxygen permeability of the lid 21c is preferably 100 cc / m ² · day or less, more preferably 30 cc / m ² · day or less, and even more preferably 15 cc / m ² · day or less. It has become.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the intermediate product processing apparatus 15 will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5A, the intermediate product 50 is carried into a chamber 15a provided with a sealing mechanism 20 and a removal mechanism 30 and maintained in a vacuum atmosphere. The pressure in the chamber 15a maintained in a vacuum atmosphere is also referred to as a first pressure P1 in the following description. Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the lid 21c is unwound from the unwinding portion 21a toward the winding portion 21b, and the intermediate product 50 is placed on the first surface of the lid 21c from the protruding portion 44 side. Cover with 21d. Thereafter, the intermediate product 50 is brought relatively close to the lid member 21c, and the intermediate product 50 and the lid member 21c are brought into contact with each other. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5C, in the space in contact with the second surface 21e of the lid 21c on the opposite side of the first surface 21d, specifically, by the lid 21c, the substrate 24 and the packing 25. A sealed space 28 sealed from the surroundings can be formed in the enclosed space. The method for bringing the intermediate product 50 relatively close to the lid member 21c is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the intermediate product 50 is supported by the support portion 22 including a plurality of extendable cylinders 22a, the intermediate product 50 is brought into contact with the lid member 21c by extending the cylinder 22a. be able to.

  Thereafter, gas is injected into the sealed space 28 using the gas injection unit 26 to increase the pressure in the sealed space 28. As a result, the pressure in the sealed space 28 becomes the second pressure P2 higher than the first pressure P1 in the space between the lid member 21c and the intermediate product 50. For this reason, in the adhesion step, the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c can be firmly adhered to the intermediate product 50 based on the differential pressure ΔP between the second pressure P2 and the first pressure P1. In addition, as shown in FIG.5 (c), the gas injection part 26 may be provided with the shutter 26b for controlling injection | pouring of the gas from the inlet 26a of the gas injection part 26 to the sealed space 28. FIG.

  Next, while the lid member is in close contact with the intermediate product, the removal mechanism 30 is placed on the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the auxiliary electrode 43 as shown in FIGS. 5D and 4E. The light L <b> 1 is irradiated using the light irradiation unit 31. Thereby, the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 can be removed in a vacuum environment.

  By the way, when the lid 21c is configured to have flexibility, when the lid 21c is brought into close contact with the protrusion 44 of the intermediate product 50 by increasing the pressure of the sealed space 28 to the second pressure P2, the lid 21c. May be bent. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lid member 21 c supported by the protrusion 44 is bent toward the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42 between the protrusions 44. In FIG. 6A, the symbol h represents the thickness of the lid member 21c. Reference numeral H denotes the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c supported by the protrusion 44 and the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42 in the direction along the normal direction of the base material 41 of the intermediate product 50. It represents the distance to the surface. The unit of thickness h and distance H is m. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6B, the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the first electrode 42 in the region sandwiched by the protrusions 44 is aligned along the normal direction of the base material 41. The organic semiconductor layer 45 is assumed to have a rectangular shape including a short side and a long side. In FIG. 6B, the length of the short side is represented by the symbol a, and the length of the long side is represented by the symbol b. The unit of lengths a and b is m. Further, a relationship of a ≦ b is established between the length a and the length b.

  When the bending of the lid member 21c increases, the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c comes into contact with the surface of the organic semiconductor layer 45, and as a result, the characteristics of the organic semiconductor element 40 may be deteriorated. Therefore, it is preferable that the height of the protrusion 44 is sufficiently large so as to prevent contact between the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c and the surface of the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42. On the other hand, when the height of the protrusion 44 is excessively increased, the thickness of the organic semiconductor element 40 is increased and the manufacturing cost of the organic semiconductor element 40 is increased. Therefore, the height of the protrusion 44 is a minimum necessary height that can prevent contact between the first surface 21 d of the lid 21 c and the surface of the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42. It is preferable. On the other hand, in order to accurately calculate the preferred height of the protrusion 44, it is necessary to accurately estimate the amount of bending that can occur in the lid member 21c. However, in the prior art, a method for accurately calculating the deflection amount of the lid member 21c that is in close contact with the intermediate product 50 based on the differential pressure ΔP has not been proposed at least as far as the present inventors know.

上記の式は、４辺支持されている長方形板に等分布荷重を加えた場合に、長方形板の中心点に生じる最大たわみを算出する式であり、材料力学の分野において知られている式である。本件発明者は、鋭意研究を重ねた結果、材料力学の分野において知られている上記の式が、素子の製造工程において中間製品５０を覆うために用いられる蓋材２１ｃに生じるたわみの量の算出にも応用され得ることを見出した。 Here, as a result of intensive studies, the present inventor has found that the maximum value w (max) of the amount of bending that can occur in the lid member 21c can be calculated based on the following equation.

The above formula is a formula that calculates the maximum deflection that occurs at the center point of the rectangular plate when an equally distributed load is applied to the rectangular plate that is supported on four sides, and is a formula that is known in the field of material mechanics. is there. As a result of earnest research, the present inventor has calculated the amount of deflection generated in the lid member 21c used to cover the intermediate product 50 in the element manufacturing process by the above-mentioned formula known in the field of material mechanics. It was found that it can also be applied to.

In the above formula, E is the Young's modulus of the material constituting the lid member 21c, and its unit is N / m ² . ΔP is the pressure in the space in contact with the second surface 21e of the lid material 21c, that is, the above-described second pressure P2 and the lid material 21c in the adhesion process in which the lid material 21c is brought into close contact with the top of the protrusion 44 of the intermediate product 50 And the pressure in the space between the intermediate product 50, that is, the above-described first pressure P1. That is, ΔP = P2−P1, and its unit is N / m ² . α is a deflection coefficient of the lid member 21 c supported by the protrusion 44. The deflection coefficient α is a dimensionless number determined based on the ratio between the short side length a and the long side length b described above. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the ratio of the lengths a and b and the deflection coefficient α, extracted from page A4-61 of the fourth edition of material mechanics in the third edition of the Mechanical Engineering Handbook and the bending of the fifth chapter flat plate. Show. Α ₁ in FIG. 10 corresponds to the deflection coefficient α in the present embodiment. Note that α ₁ in FIG. 10 is a deflection coefficient when an equally distributed load is applied to a rectangular plate supported on four sides.

The deflection coefficient α can also be calculated by using the following equation.

例えば、蓋材２１ｃの厚みｈや、突起部４４の高さ、第１電極４２を挟む突起部４４間の距離などを、ｗ（ｍａｘ）を考慮して適切に設定することになる。この際、蓋材２１ｃに生じ得る撓みの量の最大値ｗ（ｍａｘ）が予め分かっているので、突起部４４の高さを過剰に大きくすることなく、蓋材２１ｃと有機半導体層４５との接触を抑制するまたは防ぐことができる。 According to the present embodiment, the maximum value w (max) of the amount of bending that can occur in the lid member 21c can be calculated by using the equation shown in [Equation 2]. Therefore, by configuring the lid member 21c and the protrusion 44 so that the following expression is satisfied, the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c and the surface of the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42 are in contact with each other. Can be suppressed or prevented.

For example, the thickness h of the lid member 21c, the height of the protrusion 44, the distance between the protrusions 44 sandwiching the first electrode 42, and the like are appropriately set in consideration of w (max). At this time, since the maximum value w (max) of the amount of bending that can occur in the lid member 21c is known in advance, the lid member 21c and the organic semiconductor layer 45 can be formed without excessively increasing the height of the protrusion 44. Contact can be suppressed or prevented.

  In general, in this embodiment, the amount of deflection generated in the lid member 21c due to gravity is sufficiently smaller than the amount of deflection generated in the lid member 21c due to the differential pressure ΔP. Therefore, in the above formula, the amount of deflection generated in the lid member 21c due to gravity is ignored. If the amount of deflection generated in the lid 21c due to gravity is not negligible compared to the amount of deflection generated in the lid 21c due to the differential pressure ΔP, the above equation is corrected to take gravity into account. May be.

(Modification)
Note that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment. Hereinafter, modified examples will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description and the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals as those used for the corresponding parts in the above embodiment are used for the parts that can be configured in the same manner as in the above embodiment. A duplicate description is omitted. In addition, when it is clear that the operational effects obtained in the above-described embodiment can be obtained in the modified example, the description thereof may be omitted.

(Modification of layer structure of organic semiconductor element)
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the auxiliary electrode 43 is formed on the base material 41 before the protruding portion 44 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the protrusion 44 may be formed on the base material 41 before the auxiliary electrode 43. Even in such a case, the adhesion process and the removal process according to this embodiment described above can be used. Hereinafter, such an example will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the first electrode 42 is formed on the base material 41, and the protrusion 44 is formed between the first electrodes 42. Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the auxiliary electrode 43 is formed on the protrusion 44. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7C, an organic semiconductor layer 45 is formed on the first electrode 42, the auxiliary electrode 43, and the protrusion 44. Thus, the base material 41, the plurality of first electrodes 42 provided on the base material 41, the auxiliary electrode 43 and the protrusion 44 provided between the first electrodes 42, the first electrode 42 and the auxiliary An intermediate product 50 including the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the electrode 43 can be obtained. The protrusion 44 does not need to be covered with the auxiliary electrode 43 over the entire upper surface. That is, the upper surface of the protrusion 44 only needs to be at least partially covered by the auxiliary electrode 43. In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the protrusions 44 are provided in two rows between the first electrodes 42 and the auxiliary electrode 43 is provided between the protrusions 44 has been described. Since the electrodes 43 are provided on the protrusions 44, the protrusions 44 provided between the first electrodes 42 may be in only one row as shown in FIG.

  Next, an adhesion process is performed in which the first surface 21 d of the lid member 21 c is adhered to the intermediate product 50. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7D, the first surface 21 d of the lid member 21 c is in contact with the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 on the protrusion 44. At this time, as in the case of the above-described embodiment, the lid member 21c is firmly adhered to the intermediate product 50 by utilizing the differential pressure. In this case, by appropriately setting the surface energy of the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c, as shown in FIG. 7E, the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 on the protrusion 44 is placed on the lid member 21c. The first surface 21d can be transferred. In other words, in the present modification, a removal step of removing the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 on the protrusion 44 can be performed using the transition. FIG. 7F is a diagram showing a state where the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 on the protrusion 44 is removed. Also in this modification, in order to promote the transition, the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 on the protrusion 44 may be irradiated with light as in the case of the above-described embodiment.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7G, the second electrode 46 is formed on the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42 and on the auxiliary electrode 43 on the protrusion 44. Thus, the organic semiconductor element 40 including the auxiliary electrode 43 connected to the second electrode 46 can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment and this modification, the example in which the organic semiconductor layer 45 to be removed is in contact with the auxiliary electrode 43 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the organic semiconductor layer to be removed is removed. Other layers (not shown) such as a conductive layer may be interposed between the auxiliary electrode 43 and the auxiliary electrode 43. That is, in this application, “removing the organic semiconductor layer provided on the auxiliary electrode” means removing the organic semiconductor layer overlapping the auxiliary electrode when viewed along the normal direction of the substrate. doing.

(Example in which the intermediate product processing device is configured as a sublimation transfer device)
Further, in the above-described embodiment and the modification, an example in which the intermediate product processing apparatus 15 having the sealing mechanism 20 is configured as a removing apparatus that removes the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 is shown. However, the application example of the above-described sealing mechanism 20 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the organic semiconductor layer 45 may be provided on the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c. In this case, the organic semiconductor layer 45 is irradiated with light L1 through the lid 21c to heat the organic semiconductor layer 45, thereby evaporating the organic semiconductor material constituting the organic semiconductor layer 45. As a result, the evaporated organic semiconductor material adheres to the first electrode 42, thereby forming the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the first electrode 42. Thus, sublimation transfer of the organic semiconductor layer 45 may be performed using the intermediate product processing apparatus 15 having the sealing mechanism 20. The method for heating the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the first surface 21d of the lid 21c is not limited to the above. For example, a metal thin film that absorbs infrared light is formed between the first surface 21d of the lid 21c and the organic semiconductor layer 45, and the organic semiconductor material of the organic semiconductor layer 45 is deposited by heating the metal thin film. You may let them. In other words, in the present modification, the process of “irradiating the organic semiconductor layer 45 with the light L1” is not limited to the process of directly irradiating the organic semiconductor layer 45 with light, but also on the member adjacent to the organic semiconductor layer 45. It also includes a step of irradiating light toward the organic semiconductor layer 45 so that the light reaches. In the case where the metal thin film is made of a magnetic material, a magnetic field is generated around the lid member 21c in order to increase the degree of close contact of the lid member 21c with the intermediate product 50, or the lid member 21c of the intermediate product 50 is formed. Alternatively, a magnetic material may be disposed on the opposite side of the lid 21c so that the lid 21c is drawn toward the intermediate product 50 by a magnetic force.

(Modification of light irradiation direction)
Further, in the present embodiment described above, an example in which the light L1 is irradiated from the lid member 21c side toward the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the auxiliary electrode 43 has been described. However, the irradiation direction of the light L1 is not particularly limited as long as the organic semiconductor layer 45 can be appropriately heated. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the light L <b> 1 may be irradiated from the base material 41 side toward the organic semiconductor layer 45 provided on the auxiliary electrode 43. In general, the auxiliary electrode 43 is made of a single element or alloy of a metal element. In this case, by using light having a wavelength that can be absorbed by the auxiliary electrode 43 as the light L1, the auxiliary electrode 43 can be heated, and thereby the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 can be heated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9B, the organic semiconductor layer 45 on the auxiliary electrode 43 can be evaporated and adhered onto the first surface 21d of the lid member 21c. When the light L1 is determined in advance, a material that can absorb the light L1 may be used as the material constituting the auxiliary electrode 43.

(Other variations)
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the lid member 21c and the protruding portion 44 are configured so as to satisfy the relationship of distance H> maximum deflection amount w (max) is shown. However, the specific means for satisfying the relationship of distance H> maximum amount of deflection w (max) is not limited to appropriately configuring the lid member 21c and the protruding portion 44. For example, in the adhesion process, by controlling the pressure of the space in contact with the second surface 21e of the lid member 21c, that is, the second pressure P2, so that the relationship of distance H> maximum amount w (max) of deflection is satisfied. It is also possible to suppress or prevent contact between the lid member 21c and the organic semiconductor layer 45.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment and each modification, an example is shown in which a single sheet-like member is used as the lid member 21c. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lid member 21c may be a laminate of a plurality of sheet-like members.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment and each modification, an example in which the base material 41 is supplied as a single sheet is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the base material 41 may be supplied in a roll-to-roll manner. In this case, by using a movable stage or the like that brings the base material 41 supplied by roll-to-roll closer to the lid 21c, the base is the same as in the case of the above-described embodiment and each modification. The material 41 can be partially covered with the lid material 21c.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment and each modification example, the organic semiconductor element 40 is an organic EL including an organic semiconductor layer. However, the type of the organic semiconductor element manufactured by the above-described element manufacturing apparatus 10 and the element manufacturing method is not particularly limited. For example, it is possible to manufacture various organic semiconductor elements such as organic transistor devices and organic solar cell devices using the element manufacturing apparatus 10 and the element manufacturing method described above. In the organic transistor device, known materials can be used as the organic semiconductor layer and other components, and for example, those described in JP-A-2009-87996 can be used. Similarly, in an organic solar cell device, a known layer can be used as a photoelectric conversion layer composed of an organic semiconductor layer and other components, for example, those described in JP 2011-151195 A Can do. The element manufacturing apparatus 10 and the element manufacturing method described above may be applied not only to the manufacture of organic semiconductor elements, but also to the manufacture of inorganic semiconductor elements including an inorganic semiconductor layer.

  In addition, although some modified examples with respect to the above-described embodiment have been described, naturally, a plurality of modified examples can be applied in combination as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Sealing mechanism 21c Cover material 28 Sealed space 30 Removal mechanism 31 Light irradiation part 40 Organic-semiconductor element 41 Base material 42 1st electrode 43 Auxiliary electrode 44 Projection part 45 Organic-semiconductor layer 50 Intermediate product

Claims (6)

An element manufacturing method for forming an element on a substrate,
A first electrode provided on the substrate in a region sandwiched at least partially between the protrusion, a protrusion provided on the substrate, and the first electrode; A step of preparing an intermediate product including a provided semiconductor layer;
Covering the intermediate product from the side of the protrusion using the first surface of the lid,
An adhesion step of bringing the first surface of the lid material into close contact with the intermediate product by increasing the pressure of the space in contact with the second surface of the lid material on the opposite side of the first surface;
When the semiconductor layer provided on the first electrode is viewed along the normal direction of the base material, the semiconductor layer has a rectangular shape including a short side and a long side;
The length of the short side of the semiconductor layer is a, the Young's modulus of the material constituting the lid member is E, the thickness of the lid member is h, and the second surface of the lid member during the adhesion step The difference between the pressure of the space in contact with the space and the pressure of the space between the lid and the intermediate product is ΔP, and is supported by the protrusions in the direction along the normal direction of the substrate. When the distance between the first surface of the lid member and the surface of the semiconductor layer on the first electrode is H and the deflection coefficient of the lid member supported by the protrusion is α, the following formula Is satisfied,

Element manufacturing method.   The element manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the lid member and the protrusion are configured so that the formula is satisfied.   2. The element manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein in the adhesion step, a pressure in a space in contact with the second surface of the lid member is controlled so that the expression is satisfied.   The element manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer is an organic semiconductor layer.   5. The element manufacturing method further includes a light irradiation step of irradiating light toward the intermediate product while the first surface of the lid member is in close contact with the intermediate product in the contact step. The element manufacturing method as described in any one of these.   The element manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the lid member is supplied in a roll-to-roll manner.

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