JP2019502017A - Apparatus for holding a substrate in a vacuum deposition process, system for depositing a layer on a substrate, and method for holding a substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus (100) for holding a substrate (10) in a vacuum deposition process. The apparatus (100) includes an electrode arrangement (120) having a plurality of electrodes (122) configured to apply an attractive force acting on at least one of the support surface (112), the substrate (10) and the mask (20). ), As well as a first voltage polarity setting and a second voltage polarity setting different from the first voltage polarity setting, the controller (130) configured to apply to the electrode arrangement (120), A controller (130) configured to switch between one voltage polarity setting and a second voltage polarity setting. [Selection] Figure 1A

Description

  Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for holding a substrate in a vacuum deposition process, a system for depositing a layer on a substrate, and a method for holding a substrate. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate specifically to an electrostatic chuck (E-chuck) for holding a substrate in a substantially vertical orientation.

  Techniques for depositing layers on the substrate include, for example, thermal evaporation, physical vapor deposition (PVD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The coated substrate can be used in various applications and technical fields. For example, coated substrates can be used in the microelectronics field, for example, for organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices, substrates with TFTs, color filters, and the like.

  To hold the substrate and optional mask with the substrate support during the vacuum deposition process, the substrate can be supported by the substrate support using, for example, a holding device such as a mechanical clamp. The substrate and / or mask must be aligned with respect to each other. In the past, the substrate size has continuously increased. Increasing substrate size makes it increasingly difficult to handle, support, and align substrates and masks without sacrificing throughput due to, for example, substrate breakage.

  Furthermore, the space available for holding the substrate inside the vacuum chamber can be limited. Therefore, there is also a need to reduce the space used by the support system to hold the substrate inside the vacuum chamber.

  In view of the foregoing, a new apparatus for holding a substrate in a vacuum deposition process, a system for depositing a layer on a substrate, and a substrate for holding at least some of the problems of the art The method is beneficial. The present disclosure is particularly directed to providing an apparatus, system, and method for securely holding a substrate and an optional mask in a precisely aligned orientation, for example, during a vacuum deposition process. .

  In view of the above, an apparatus for holding a substrate in a vacuum deposition process, a system for depositing a layer on a substrate, and a method for holding a substrate are provided. Further aspects, advantages, and features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the claims, specification, and accompanying drawings.

  According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for holding a substrate in a vacuum deposition process is provided. The apparatus includes an electrode arrangement having a plurality of electrodes configured to apply an attractive force acting on at least one of a support surface, a substrate, and a mask, and a first voltage polarity setting and a first voltage polarity setting. A controller configured to apply a second voltage polarity setting different from the electrode arrangement to the electrode arrangement, wherein the controller is configured to switch between the first voltage polarity setting and the second voltage polarity setting. including.

  According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a system for depositing a layer on a substrate is provided. The system includes a vacuum chamber, one or more sources of deposition material in the vacuum chamber, and an apparatus for holding a substrate in a vacuum deposition process according to embodiments described herein. The apparatus is configured to hold a substrate during a vacuum deposition process.

  According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a method for holding a substrate is provided. The method applies a first voltage polarity setting to the electrode arrangement to apply a first attractive force acting on at least one of the substrate and the mask, and a second different from the first voltage polarity setting. And applying a second attractive force different from the first attractive force to the electrode arrangement.

  Embodiments are also directed to apparatus for performing the disclosed methods and include apparatus portions for performing aspects of each described method. These method aspects may be performed using hardware components, using a computer programmed with appropriate software, any combination of these two, or any other aspect. Furthermore, embodiments according to the present disclosure are also directed to methods of operating the described apparatus. The method of operating the described apparatus includes method aspects for performing any function of the apparatus.

In order that the above features of the present disclosure may be understood in detail, a more specific description of the present disclosure, briefly outlined above, may be obtained by reference to embodiments. The accompanying drawings relate to embodiments of the present disclosure and are described in the following description.
FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus for holding a substrate in a vacuum deposition process having a first voltage polarity setting, according to embodiments described herein. 1B shows a schematic diagram of the apparatus of FIG. 1A, having a second voltage polarity setting, according to embodiments described herein. FIG. FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an electrode arrangement according to embodiments described herein. FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an electrode arrangement according to a further embodiment described herein. FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an electrode arrangement according to yet another embodiment described herein. FIG. 6 illustrates voltage polarity settings according to embodiments described herein. FIG. FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a system for depositing a layer on a substrate, according to embodiments described herein. FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a method for holding a substrate, according to embodiments described herein.

  Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated. Within the following description of the drawings, the same reference numbers refer to the same components. Generally, only the differences with respect to the individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the disclosure, but is not intended to limit the disclosure. Moreover, features illustrated and described as part of one embodiment may be used in other embodiments or in conjunction with other embodiments to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present description include such modifications and variations.

  In the OLED coating system, the substrate can be held by a bipolar E-chuck during transport and deposition. A metal mask can be provided during coating. The mask can be aligned with the substrate before coating. As an example, a mask can be provided at a distance of about 0.2 mm or less from the substrate during the alignment process. At such distances, the attractive force between the metal mask and the E-chuck is insignificant and the mask may make undesirable contact with the substrate 10. In conventional systems, a magnet plate can be provided to attract the mask during coating to ensure full contact between the mask and the substrate.

  The present disclosure uses an electrode arrangement such as a grid that is switchable between at least two different voltage polarity settings that apply various attractive forces acting on the substrate and / or mask. As an example, the first voltage polarity setting can apply a strong force on the substrate to hold the substrate, and a small force can be applied on the mask to align the mask with the substrate. (Or you may not apply any force to the mask). Specifically, for example, undesired attraction of the mask can be avoided during the mask alignment process. By switching from the first voltage polarity setting to the second voltage polarity setting, more force can be applied to the mask, so that both the substrate and the mask can be held fixedly by the substrate support. it can. Thus, for example, during a vacuum deposition process, the substrate and optional mask can be reliably held in a precisely aligned orientation.

  Further, for example, during the deposition process after alignment, full contact between the mask and the substrate is beneficial. This contact can be achieved using a magnet plate on the back of the carrier / chuck. In the present disclosure, there may be no magnet plate. Specifically, since the E-chuck incorporates the function of a magnet plate, there is no need to provide a magnet plate.

  FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus 10 for holding a substrate 10 in a vacuum deposition process having a first voltage polarity setting, according to embodiments described herein. FIG. 1B shows a schematic diagram of the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1A with a second voltage polarity setting. The voltage polarity setting shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B can be provided, for example, by the electrode arrangement shown in FIGS. The apparatus 100 can be a substrate support such as a carrier. Specifically, the apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure may be an electrostatic chuck (E-chuck) that supplies an electrostatic force.

  The apparatus 100 includes a support surface 112, an electrode arrangement 120 having a plurality of electrodes 122 configured to apply an attractive force to hold at least one of the substrate 10 and the mask 20 on the support surface 112, and a controller 130. Including. The controller 130 is configured to apply a first voltage polarity setting (eg, FIG. 1A) and a second voltage polarity setting (eg, FIG. 1B) different from the first voltage polarity setting to the electrode arrangement 120. Has been. The controller 130 is configured to switch between at least a first voltage polarity setting and a second voltage polarity setting. Although switching between two different voltage polarity settings is illustrated, the present disclosure is not so limited, and apparatus 100 may have more than two voltage polarity settings, eg, three, four, or even five different voltages. It should be understood that it can be configured to switch between polarity settings.

  According to the present disclosure, the device 100 can switch between at least two different modes. The two different modes can be different electrode wiring modes. In the first mode, for example, during the alignment, a strong attractive force is applied on the substrate and a very weak force is applied on the mask. As an example, the electrodes may have a fine alternating structure, as shown on the left side of FIG. 5A. In the second mode, a strong attractive force is applied on the substrate and a strong force is applied on the mask. As an example, the electrodes can have a wide alternating structure, as shown on the right side of FIG. 5A, or can be wired in a monopolar fashion. Since the device 100 can provide the function of a magnet plate, there is no need to provide a magnet plate.

  Device 100 may include a body 110 provided with a support surface 112. The support surface 112 can be, for example, a substantially flat surface configured to contact the back surface of the substrate 10. Specifically, the substrate 10 may have a front surface (also referred to as a “processing surface”) that is opposite the back surface and on which layers are deposited during a vacuum deposition process.

  The plurality of electrodes 122 of the electrode arrangement 120 may be incorporated into the body or provided (eg, disposed) on the body 110. According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the body 110 is a dielectric, such as a dielectric plate. The dielectric may be made from a dielectric material, preferably a high thermal conductivity dielectric material such as pyrolytic boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, alumina or equivalent material, but may also be made from a material such as polyimide. In some embodiments, a plurality of electrodes 122, such as a grid of fine metal pieces, can be placed on a dielectric plate and covered with a thin dielectric layer.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 100 is configured to apply one or more voltages to a plurality of electrodes 122. Or a plurality of voltage sources. In some implementations, the one or more voltage sources are configured to ground at least some of the plurality of electrodes 122. By way of example, the one or more voltage sources are configured to apply a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, and / or grounding to the plurality of electrodes 122. Can be done. In some embodiments, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes, all second electrodes, all third electrodes, or all fourth electrodes may be connected to another voltage source.

  The controller 130 may be configured to control one or more voltage sources for applying one or more voltages and / or grounds to the electrode arrangement 120. In some implementations, the controller 130 may be incorporated into one or more voltage sources, and vice versa. In further implementations, the controller 130 may be provided as another entity connected to one or more voltage sources, eg, via a cable connection and / or a wireless connection.

  The term “polarity” refers to electrical polarity, ie, negative electrode (−) and positive electrode (+). As an example, the first polarity may be negative and the second polarity may be positive, or the first polarity may be positive and the second polarity may be negative. . As used throughout this disclosure, “voltage polarity setting” refers to the polarity of a voltage applied to the electrode arrangement 120, in particular the plurality of electrodes 122. In other words, the voltage polarity setting means that positive polarity and / or negative polarity is applied to at least one of the plurality of electrodes 122. Further, one or more of the plurality of electrodes 122 may be grounded. As long as at least one of the plurality of electrodes 122 is given a positive polarity or a negative polarity in order to apply an attractive force, the electrode arrangement 120 has a first voltage polarity setting, a second voltage polarity setting, etc. Has a defined voltage polarity setting. When all of the plurality of electrodes are grounded, there is no positive polarity and / or negative polarity, so there is no voltage polarity setting, and no attractive force is exerted on the substrate 10 and / or the mask 20. .

  Further, the plurality of electrodes 122 have a spatial arrangement in the device 100 (eg, the body 110). Thus, the spatial arrangement of polarities can correspond to the spatial arrangement of electrodes to which a voltage is applied. In other words, the term “voltage polarity setting” can also be understood to mean, for example, that the polarity is spatially distributed across the support surface 112.

  The electrode arrangement 120, and particularly the plurality of electrodes 122, are configured to apply an attractive force, such as a chucking force. The attractive force may be a force acting on the substrate 10 and / or the mask 20 at a specific relative distance between the plurality of electrodes 122 (or the support surface 112) and the substrate 10 and / or the mask 20. The attractive force may be an electrostatic force provided by a voltage applied to the plurality of electrodes 122, in particular, by the first voltage polarity setting and the second voltage polarity setting. The magnitude of the attractive force can be determined by the corresponding voltage polarity setting and voltage level. The attractive force can be changed by changing the voltage polarity setting and optionally changing the voltage level. Specifically, the attractive force acting on the substrate 10 and / or the mask 20 is switched between a first voltage polarity setting and a second polarity setting, and optionally by adjusting the voltage level. Can be changed.

  In some implementations, switching between the first voltage polarity setting and the second voltage polarity setting includes keeping the voltage level of the voltage applied to the electrode arrangement 120 substantially constant. In other implementations, switching between the first voltage polarity setting and the second voltage polarity setting may include one or more voltage levels of one or more voltages applied to the electrode arrangement 120, for example, Simultaneously increasing and / or decreasing. As an example, applied to one or more of the plurality of electrodes 122 such that the attractive force acting on the substrate 10 remains substantially constant while the attractive force acting on the mask 20 is increased or decreased. The voltage level can be increased and / or decreased. The substrate 10 can be held securely on the support surface 112, but the mask can be first aligned and then attracted and fixed.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first voltage polarity setting and the second voltage polarity setting are selected from the group consisting of monopolar and bipolar. obtain. Specifically, a unipolar configuration includes only one type of polarity, ie, either a first polarity or a second polarity, and optionally includes one or more grounded electrodes. A bipolar configuration includes both types of polarities, i.e., a first polarity and a second polarity, and optionally includes one or more grounded electrodes. In some implementations, the apparatus 100 can be a monopolar E-chuck, a bipolar E-chuck, or a combined E-chuck that can be switched between a monopolar configuration and a bipolar configuration.

  Referring to FIG. 1A, the electrode arrangement 120 is shown having a first voltage polarity setting. FIG. 1B shows an electrode arrangement 120 having a second voltage polarity setting. A square with an oblique line indicates, for example, an electrode having a first polarity, and an empty square indicates, for example, an electrode having a second polarity. Although not shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and B, it should be understood that at least one of the plurality of electrodes 122 can be grounded.

  The voltage polarity setting applies a corresponding attractive force to the substrate 10 and the mask 20. Note that the attractive forces for the substrate 10 and mask 20 applied by each voltage polarity setting may be different. Specifically, the attractive force can be defined in relation to the entity on which the attractive force acts. As an example, the attractive force acting on the substrate 10 may be referred to as “substrate attractive force”. Similarly, the attractive force acting on the mask 20 may be referred to as “mask attractive force”. However, the term “attraction” will encompass both substrate attraction and mask attraction.

  The attractive force may be a first attractive force for setting the first voltage polarity, a second attractive force for setting the second voltage polarity, and the second attractive force is different from the first attractive force. As an example, the first attractive force may include a first substrate attractive force 140 and a first mask attractive force 142. The second attractive force may include a second substrate attractive force 140 'and a second mask attractive force 142'. The second substrate attractive force 140 ′ may be different from the first substrate attractive force 140. Similarly, the second mask attractive force 142 ′ may be different from the first mask attractive force 142. In other examples, the first substrate attractive force 140 and the second substrate attractive force 140 ′ can be substantially the same, and the second mask attractive force 142 ′ can be different from the first mask attractive force 142.

Substrate 10 is attracted toward support surface 112 by an attractive force applied by apparatus 100, which may be an E-chuck (eg, in direction 2, which may be a horizontal direction perpendicular to vertical direction 1). . The attractive force can be strong enough to hold the substrate 10 in a vertical position by, for example, a frictional force. In particular, an attractive force such as the first substrate attractive force 140 and / or the second substrate attractive force 140 ′ may be configured to substantially immobilize the substrate 10 on the support surface 112. For example, to hold a 0.5 mm glass substrate in a vertical position using frictional forces, an attractive pressure of about 50 to 100 N / m ² (Pa) can be used, depending on the coefficient of friction.

  Referring to FIG. 1A, the plurality of electrodes 122 have alternating polarities in the first voltage polarity setting. In other words, adjacent electrodes have opposite polarities (eg, +-++-+-). As shown in FIG. 1B, the plurality of electrodes are provided as a pair in the second voltage polarity setting. Each pair of electrodes has the same polarity, and adjacent pairs have different (alternate) polarities. In other words, adjacent pairs have opposite polarities (eg, ++-++).

  The first voltage polarity setting illustrated in FIG. 1A may be referred to as a “fine grid structure”. Such a first voltage polarity setting can provide a strong force acting on the substrate 10 (first substrate attractive force 140) and a small force acting on the mask 20 (first mask attractive force 142). The second voltage polarity setting illustrated in FIG. 1B may be referred to as a “wide grid structure”. In this example, a wide grid may behave like a fine grid with double width or space. The second voltage polarity setting includes substantially the same or reduced force acting on the substrate 10 (second substrate attractive force 140 ′) and increased force acting on the mask 20 (second mask attractive force 142 ′, eg, A quarter of the attractive force acts on the mask 20).

  As an example, by reducing the line width (individual electrode width) and gap width (interval between adjacent electrodes) from (1 mm / 1 mm) to (0.5 mm / 0.5 mm), The attractive force applied to the substrate 10 can be increased about 4 times, and the attractive force applied to the mask can be reduced about 3.5 times. The operating voltage can be reduced by about 42% for the same attractive force on the substrate 10. The attractive force on the mask 20, which can be a metal mask, can be reduced by more than 10 times.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the attractive force on the substrate 10 (eg, the first substrate attractive force 140) applied by the first voltage polarity setting. And 1 applied to the plurality of electrodes such that the attractive force on the substrate 10 (second substrate attractive force 140 ′) applied by the second voltage polarity setting is substantially the same within an acceptable range, for example. One or more voltages can be selected. In other words, the attractive force acting on the substrate 10 can be substantially constant, but the attractive force acting on the mask 20 when switching from the first voltage polarity setting to the second voltage polarity setting, or vice versa. Changes. The attractive force can be adjusted by adjusting the voltage level of at least a portion of the voltage applied to the electrode arrangement 120 when switching between voltage polarity settings.

  In some implementations, the mask 20 can be aligned with respect to the substrate 10 and / or the apparatus 100 while applying the first voltage polarity setting. As an example, during the alignment process, the mask 20 can be positioned in front of the substrate 10 at a distance of less than 1 mm (such as between 100 nm and 1000 nm), specifically between 200 nm and 500 nm. The substrate 10 can be secured to the support surface 112 by a first substrate attractive force 140 during the alignment process.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, after alignment of the mask 20, the controller 130 can switch to a second voltage polarity setting, and a second mask attractive force 142 ′ acting on the mask 20 supports the mask 20. Pull towards surface 112 and substrate 10. A second voltage polarity setting can be applied so that the mask 20 is held securely in the apparatus 100.

  Although not shown, it should be understood that the mask 20 may be omitted. As an example, the attractive force in the first voltage polarity setting can be selected so that the substrate 10 is movable while contacting the support surface 112. The substrate 10 can be aligned with the support surface 112. After alignment, the first voltage polarity setting can be changed to the second voltage polarity setting to increase the attractive force acting on the substrate 10 and fix the substrate 10 to the support surface 112 substantially immobile.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 100 is in a substantially vertical orientation (relative to the vertical direction 1), particularly a vacuum deposition process. In the meantime, the substrate 10 is configured to be supported. The expression “substantially perpendicular” as used throughout this disclosure, particularly when referring to the orientation of the substrate, allows for deviations of ± 20 ° or less (eg, ± 10 ° or less) from the vertical direction or orientation. It is understood that there is. For example, such a deviation can be provided because a substrate support having some deviation from the vertical orientation can provide a more stable substrate position. Further, when the substrate is tilted forward, fewer particles reach the substrate surface. However, for example, the substrate orientation during the vacuum deposition process is considered to be substantially vertical, which is considered different from the horizontal substrate orientation. The horizontal substrate orientation can be considered to be horizontal ± 20 ° or less.

  It is understood that the term “vertical direction” or “vertical orientation” is distinguished from “horizontal direction” or “horizontal orientation”. That is, “vertical direction” or “vertical orientation” refers to, for example, a substantially vertical orientation of the carrier and substrate, eg, several degrees from the exact vertical direction or vertical orientation (eg, up to 10 °, or Deviations of up to 15 ° are still considered “substantially vertical direction” or “substantially vertical orientation”. The vertical direction can be substantially parallel to gravity.

The embodiments described herein can be utilized for evaporation on large area substrates for display manufacturing, for example. In particular, the substrate to which the structures and methods according to the embodiments described herein are provided is a large area substrate. For example, large area substrates or carriers, GEN4.5 corresponds to the surface area of about 0.67m ² (0.73m × 0.92m), about 1.4 m ² surface area (1.1 m × 1.3 m) GEN5, corresponding to a surface area of about 4.29 m ² (1.95 m × 2.2 m), GEN 7.5, corresponding to a surface area of about 5.7 m ² (2.2 m × 2.5 m) .5, or even GEN10 corresponding to a surface area of about 8.7 m ² (2.85 m × 3.05 m). Further generations such as GEN11 and GEN12 and corresponding substrate regions may be mounted in the same manner. Half the size of the GEN generation can also be provided in OLED display manufacturing.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the thickness of the substrate can be 0.1 to 1.8 mm. The thickness of the substrate can be about 0.9 mm or less, for example 0.5 mm. The term “substrate” as used herein may specifically include a substantially non-flexible substrate such as, for example, a wafer, a slice of a transparent crystal such as sapphire, or a glass plate. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the term “substrate” may also include flexible substrates such as webs or foils, for example. The term “substantially inflexible” is understood separately from “flexible”. Specifically, the substantially non-flexible substrate can have a certain degree of flexibility even if it is a glass plate having a thickness of 0.9 mm or less (0.5 mm or less, etc.), but is substantially non-flexible. The flexibility of the substrate is lower than that of the flexible substrate.

  According to the embodiments described herein, the substrate may be made from any material suitable for depositing the material. For example, the substrate is a group consisting of glass (eg, soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, etc.), metal, polymer, ceramic, composite material, carbon fiber material, and any other material and combination of materials that can be coated by a deposition process. It may be made from a material selected from:

  The expression “masking” may include reducing and / or preventing material deposition on one or more regions of the substrate 10. Masking can be useful, for example, to define coating areas. In some applications, only a portion of the substrate 10 is coated and the portion that is not to be coated is covered by the mask 20.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an electrode arrangement 220 according to embodiments described herein.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the plurality of electrodes 222 are arranged as a grid. As an example, the plurality of electrodes 222 can be wires, lines, or strips of conductive material. The conductive material can be selected from the group consisting of metal, copper, aluminum, and any combination thereof. The plurality of electrodes 222 may extend substantially parallel to each other in the first direction. The first direction may correspond to stretching the length of the wire, line, or strip. The plurality of electrodes 222 may be spaced apart from each other in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The distance between adjacent electrodes of the plurality of electrodes 222 in the second direction is between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, specifically between 0.1 mm and 2 mm, more specifically 0.5 mm. To 1 mm.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the controller can selectively and / or individually have a first voltage having a first polarity, a second Are applied to at least one of the second voltage having the following polarity and the ground to the plurality of electrodes 222. As an example, the apparatus selectively and / or individually selects at least one of a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, and grounding to the plurality of electrodes 222. May include a voltage source assembly 224 that includes one or more voltage sources configured to apply. In some embodiments, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes 222 may be connected to a corresponding voltage source. In further embodiments, two or more of the plurality of electrodes 222 may be connected to the same voltage source. As an example, every fourth electrode of the plurality of electrodes 222 may be connected to the same voltage source. The voltage source assembly 224 may be configured to provide, for example, a first voltage polarity setting and a second voltage polarity setting, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the plurality of electrodes have a width in the second direction. As an example, this width may be between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, specifically between 0.1 mm and 2 mm, more specifically between 0.5 mm and 1 mm.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an electrode arrangement 320 according to further embodiments described herein. The electrode arrangement 320 may be referred to as a “single grid”.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the plurality of electrodes is one or more first electrodes 322 and one or more second electrodes. 324. The one or more first electrodes 322 may form a first grid and / or a first electrode pattern. Similarly, the one or more second electrodes 324 can form a second grid and / or a second electrode pattern.

  A plurality of electrodes, such as one or more first electrodes 322 and / or one or more second electrodes 324, can extend substantially parallel to each other in a first direction. The first direction may correspond to an extension of the length of the electrode, such as a wire, line, or strip. The one or more first electrodes 322 may be separated from each other by a first distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Similarly, the one or more second electrodes 324 may be separated from each other by a second distance in the second direction. The first distance and the second distance can be substantially the same. As an example, the first distance and / or the second distance is between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, specifically between 0.1 mm and 2 mm, more specifically between 0.5 mm and 1 mm. It can be.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the one or more first electrodes 322 and the one or more second electrodes 324 are alternately Be placed. As an example, the one or more first electrodes 322 and the one or more second electrodes 324 may be provided in an alternating arrangement, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the electrode of one or more first electrodes 322 may be provided between two adjacent electrodes of one or more second electrodes 324. Similarly, the electrode of one or more second electrodes 324 may be provided between two adjacent electrodes of one or more first electrodes 322. The distance between the electrode of the one or more first electrodes 322 and the adjacent electrode of the one or more second electrodes 324 may be half the first distance and / or the second distance. . In other words, the electrode of one or more first electrodes 322 may be provided in the middle between two adjacent electrodes of one or more second electrodes 324. Similarly, the electrode of one or more second electrodes 324 may be provided in the middle between two adjacent electrodes of one or more first electrodes 322. Accordingly, the electrode spacing (also referred to as “line spacing”) of the electrode arrangement 320 may be half of the electrode spacing of the one or more first electrodes 322 and / or the one or more second electrodes 324.

  The controller is configured to ground a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, and one or more first electrodes 322 and one or more second electrodes 324. May be configured to apply. In some implementations, the one or more first electrodes 322 may include a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, or one or more first electrodes. To apply ground to electrode 322, it can be connected to a first voltage source. The one or more second electrodes 324 apply a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, or a ground to one or more second electrodes 324. To be connected to a second voltage source. The one or more first electrodes 322 and the one or more second electrodes 324 may be electrically isolated from each other.

  FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of an electrode arrangement 420 according to yet another embodiment described herein. The electrode arrangement 320 may be referred to as a “double grid”.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the plurality of electrodes can be one or more first electrodes 422, one or more second electrodes. 424, one or more second electrodes 426, and one or more second electrodes 428. The one or more first electrodes 422 may form a first grid and / or a first electrode pattern. The one or more second electrodes 424 can form a second grid and / or a second electrode pattern. The one or more third electrodes 426 can form a third grid and / or a third electrode pattern. The one or more fourth electrodes 428 can form a fourth grid and / or a fourth electrode pattern. The one or more first electrodes 422, the one or more second electrodes 424, the one or more third electrodes 426, and the one or more fourth electrodes 428 are electrically connected to each other. Can be insulated.

  One or more first electrodes 422, one or more second electrodes 424, one or more third electrodes 426, and one or more fourth electrodes 428 are in a first direction Can extend substantially parallel to each other. The first direction may correspond to an extension of the length of the electrode, such as a wire, line, or strip. The one or more first electrodes 422 may be spaced apart from each other by a first distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The one or more second electrodes 424 may be separated from each other by a second distance in the second direction. The one or more third electrodes 426 may be separated from each other by a third distance in the second direction. The one or more fourth electrodes 428 may then be separated from each other by a fourth distance in the second direction. The first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and the fourth distance may be substantially the same. As an example, the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and the fourth distance are each between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, specifically between 0.1 mm and 2 mm, and more specifically. Specifically, it can be between 0.5 mm and 1 mm.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, one or more first electrodes 422, one or more second electrodes 424, one or The plurality of second electrodes 426 and the one or more second electrodes 428 are interleaved. As an example, the electrodes may be provided in an alternating arrangement, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the electrode arrangement can be configured such that one electrode of each other grid is placed between adjacent electrodes of one grid. As an example, between adjacent electrodes of a first grid provided by one or more first electrodes 422, one electrode of a second grid, one electrode of a third grid, and a fourth One electrode of the grid is arranged.

  The distance between adjacent electrodes in the interleaving is a quarter of the spacing between the electrodes of the individual grids (eg, the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and / or the fourth distance). Quarter)). The distance between adjacent electrodes in an alternating arrangement may be substantially constant in the electrode arrangement 420.

  The controller includes a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, and one or more first electrodes 422, one or more first electrodes 424, one Or it may be configured to apply a ground to a plurality of third electrodes 426 as well as one or more third electrodes 428. In some implementations, the one or more first electrodes 422 may include a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, or one or more first electrodes. To apply ground to electrode 422, it can be connected to a first voltage source. The one or more second electrodes 424 apply a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, or a ground to one or more second electrodes 424. To be connected to a second voltage source. The one or more third electrodes 426 apply a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, or a ground to one or more third electrodes 426. In order to be connected to a third voltage source. One or more fourth electrodes 428 apply a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, or a ground to one or more fourth electrodes 428. To be connected to a fourth voltage source. In the alternating arrangement, every fourth electrode is connected to the same voltage source.

  The double grid shown in FIG. 4 can be provided with multiple voltage polarity settings, such as numerous bipolar and monopolar configurations. The attractive force for the substrate and / or mask can be adjusted with a high degree of flexibility.

  5A-5C illustrate voltage polarity settings according to embodiments described herein. The voltage polarity setting can be implemented using, for example, the electrode arrangement shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 5A shows switching between two bipolar voltage polarity settings. Specifically, switching between a fine grid 501 (left side of FIG. 5A) and a wide grid 502 (right side of FIG. 5A) is shown. The illustrated switching can be accomplished, for example, using the electrode arrangements of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2 and 4.

  As an example, the electrode arrangement may include one or more first electrodes, one or more second electrodes, one or more third electrodes, and one or more fourth electrodes. . The electrodes can be interleaved. As shown on the left side of FIG. 5A, the controller applies a first voltage (eg, having a positive polarity) to one or more first electrodes and one or more third electrodes. Can be configured as follows. The controller further applies a second voltage (eg, having a negative polarity) to the one or more second electrodes and the one or more fourth electrodes to provide a first voltage polarity setting. Can be configured. Therefore, a fine grid 501 having alternating polarity is provided.

  As shown on the right side of FIG. 5A, the controller applies a first voltage (eg, having a positive polarity) to one or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes. Can be configured as follows. The controller is configured to apply a second voltage (eg, having a negative polarity) to the one or more third electrodes and the one or more fourth electrodes to provide a second voltage polarity setting Can be done. Accordingly, a wide grid 502 is provided, and pairs of electrodes adjacent to each other have alternating polarities.

  A fine grid applies a reduced force to the mask. While the first voltage polarity setting can be used to align the mask, it can be avoided that an attractive force acts on the mask to cause unwanted contact with the substrate. By switching to the second voltage polarity setting, an increased force is applied to the mask, thereby securing the mask to the substrate 10 in an aligned and stable manner. Furthermore, the attractive force on the substrate increases with the fineness of the grid. This makes it possible to operate a finer structure with a lower voltage.

  Although not shown, the bipolar voltage polarity setting shown on the left side of FIG. 5A can be switched to the unipolar voltage polarity setting. As an example, the controller may be configured to apply only the first voltage or the second voltage to the electrode arrangement to provide a second voltage polarity setting (eg, the left side of FIG. 5B).

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the voltage level of at least a portion of the voltage applied to the electrode arrangement when switching between voltage polarity settings. Can be adjusted simultaneously, for example. While changing the attractive force on the mask, the attractive force acting on the substrate and / or mask can be adjusted to keep the attractive force on the substrate substantially the same for both voltage polarity settings.

  FIG. 5B shows switching between two bipolar voltage polarity settings. Specifically, switching between a fine grid 501 '(left side of FIG. 5B) and a wide grid 502' (right side of FIG. 5B) is shown. The illustrated switching can be accomplished, for example, using the electrode arrangements of FIGS.

  As an example, the electrode arrangement may include one or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes. The electrodes can be interleaved. As shown on the left side of FIG. 5B, the controller may apply a first voltage (eg, having a positive or negative polarity) to one or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes. And can be configured to provide one of the polarity settings. Accordingly, a bipolar fine grid is provided.

  For other voltage polarity settings, the controller applies the first voltage to one or more first electrodes (or one or more second electrodes) as shown on the right side of FIG. 5B. Applying and grounding may be configured to apply to one or more second electrodes (or one or more first electrodes). Therefore, a wide bipolar grid is provided.

  FIG. 5C illustrates switching between bipolar voltage polarity setting 501 ″ (left side of FIG. 5C) and unipolar voltage polarity setting 502 ″ (right side of FIG. 5C). The illustrated switching can be accomplished, for example, using the electrode arrangements of FIGS.

  As an example, the electrode arrangement may include one or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes. The electrodes can be interleaved. As shown on the left side of FIG. 5C, the controller applies a first voltage (eg, having a positive polarity) to one or more first electrodes, and a first (eg, having a negative polarity) A voltage of 2 is applied to the one or more second electrodes to provide a first voltage polarity setting. Therefore, a bipolar grid having alternating polarity is provided.

  As shown on the right side of FIG. 5C, the controller applies a first voltage (or second voltage) to one or more first electrodes or one or more second electrodes. , May be configured to provide a second voltage polarity setting. The other electrode of the one or more first electrodes and the one or more second electrodes may be grounded. Therefore, a monopolar wide grid is provided.

  FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a system 600 for depositing a layer on a substrate 10 according to embodiments described herein.

  The system 600 includes a vacuum chamber 602, one or more sources of deposition material in the vacuum chamber 602, and an apparatus 100 for holding the substrate 10 in a vacuum deposition process according to embodiments described herein. The apparatus 100 is configured to hold the substrate 10 during a vacuum deposition process. System 600 can be configured for evaporation of organic materials, for example, for the manufacture of OLED devices. In another example, the system can be configured for CVD or PVD, such as sputter deposition.

  In some implementations, the one or more material deposition sources 680 can be evaporation sources, particularly for depositing one or more organic materials on a substrate to form a layer of an OLED device. It can be an evaporation source. For example, the apparatus 100, which can be a substrate support or carrier for supporting the substrate 10 during a layer deposition process, is transported into the vacuum chamber 602 along a transport path, such as a linear transport path, It can be transported to pass, in particular to pass through the deposition area.

  Additional chambers may be provided next to the vacuum chamber 602, as shown in FIG. The vacuum chamber 602 can be separated from adjacent chambers by a valve having a valve housing 604 and a valve unit 606. As indicated by the arrows, the valve unit 606 can be closed after the apparatus 100 with the substrate 10 is inserted into the vacuum chamber 602. The atmosphere in the vacuum chamber 602 can be individually controlled, for example, by generating a technical vacuum with a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum chamber 602.

  According to some embodiments, the apparatus 100 and the substrate 10 are static or dynamic during the deposition of the deposition material. According to some embodiments described herein, a dynamic deposition process may be provided, for example, for the manufacture of OLED devices.

  In some implementations, the system 600 may include one or more transport paths that extend through the vacuum chamber 602. The apparatus 100 may be configured for transport along one or more transport paths, for example, passing through one or more material deposition sources 680. In FIG. 6, one conveyance path is illustrated by an arrow, but it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this, and two or more conveyance paths may be provided. As an example, at least two transport paths can be arranged substantially parallel to each other for transport of each carrier. One or more material deposition sources 680 can be positioned between the two transport paths.

  FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 700 for holding a substrate, according to embodiments described herein. The method may utilize an apparatus and system according to the present disclosure.

  The method includes applying a first voltage polarity setting to the electrode arrangement at block 710 to apply a first attractive force acting on at least one of the substrate and the mask, and at block 720, the first voltage polarity setting is applied to the electrode arrangement. Applying a second voltage polarity setting different from the first voltage polarity setting to the electrode arrangement to apply a second attractive force different from the first attractive force.

  According to some embodiments, the method 700 aligns the mask with respect to the substrate and / or applies the second voltage polarity setting while applying the first voltage polarity setting. The method further includes holding the substrate and the mask during processing. In some implementations, the method 700 includes holding the substrate in a substantially vertical orientation.

  According to embodiments described herein, a method for holding a substrate is communicable with a computer program, software, a computer software product, and a corresponding component of an apparatus to process a large area substrate. It may be implemented using an interrelated controller that may have a CPU, memory, user interface, and input / output devices.

  The present disclosure uses an electrode arrangement such as a grid that is switchable between at least two different voltage polarity settings that apply various attractive forces acting on the substrate and / or mask. As an example, the first voltage polarity setting can apply a strong force on the substrate and apply a small force on the mask (or the mask so that the mask can be aligned with the substrate). In some cases). By switching from the first voltage polarity setting to the second voltage polarity setting, more force can be applied to the mask, so that both the substrate and the mask can be held fixedly by the substrate support. it can. Thus, for example, during a vacuum deposition process, the substrate and optional mask can be reliably held in a precisely aligned orientation. Furthermore, since the E-chuck incorporates the function of a magnet plate, there is no need to provide a magnet plate.

  While the above description is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised and without departing from the basic scope of the disclosure. Is determined by the following claims.

Claims (15)

An apparatus for holding a substrate in a vacuum deposition process,
Support surface,
An electrode arrangement having a plurality of electrodes configured to apply an attractive force acting on at least one of the substrate and the mask, and a second voltage setting that is different from the first voltage polarity setting and the first voltage polarity setting. A controller configured to apply to the electrode arrangement a controller configured to switch between the first voltage polarity setting and the second voltage polarity setting. Equipment provided.   The controller is configured to selectively apply at least one of a first voltage having a first polarity, a second voltage having a second polarity, and ground to the plurality of electrodes. The apparatus of claim 1.   The plurality of electrodes include one or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes, and the controller has a first voltage having a first polarity and a second polarity having a second polarity. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to apply two voltages and a ground to the one or more first electrodes and the one or more second electrodes.   The plurality of electrodes further include one or more third electrodes and one or more fourth electrodes, and the controller has a first voltage having a first polarity and a second polarity. The apparatus of claim 3, configured to apply a second voltage and ground to the one or more third electrodes and the one or more fourth electrodes.   The controller applies the first voltage to the one or more first electrodes, applies the second voltage or ground to the one or more second electrodes, and the first voltage is applied to the one or more second electrodes. An apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a voltage polarity setting of:   The controller applies the first voltage to at least one of the one or more first electrodes and the one or more second electrodes to set the second voltage polarity setting. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide.   The controller is configured to apply the first voltage to the one or more first electrodes and the one or more third electrodes, the controller applying the second voltage to the one or more third electrodes. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to apply to one or more second electrodes and the one or more fourth electrodes to provide the first voltage polarity setting.   The controller is configured to apply the first voltage to the one or more first electrodes and the one or more second electrodes, and the controller applies the second voltage to the one or more second electrodes. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to apply to one or more third electrodes and the one or more fourth electrodes to provide the second voltage polarity setting.   8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to apply only the first voltage or the second voltage to the electrode arrangement to provide the second voltage polarity setting.   The one or more first electrodes and the one or more second electrodes are alternately arranged, or the one or more first electrodes, the one or more second electrodes 4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electrodes, the one or more third electrodes, and the one or more fourth electrodes are arranged alternately.   The attractive force includes a first substrate attractive force and a first mask attractive force for setting the first voltage polarity, and a second substrate attractive force and a second mask attractive force for setting the second voltage polarity. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second mask attractive force is different from the first mask attractive force. A system for depositing a layer on a substrate, comprising:
Vacuum chamber,
12. The source of one or more deposition materials in the vacuum chamber and the apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 11 in the vacuum chamber to hold the substrate during a vacuum deposition process. A system that includes a device configured for. A method for holding a substrate, comprising:
Applying a first voltage polarity setting to the electrode arrangement to apply a first attractive force acting on at least one of the substrate and the mask;
Applying a second voltage polarity setting different from the first voltage polarity setting to the electrode arrangement to apply a second attractive force different from the first attractive force. Aligning the mask with respect to the substrate while applying the first voltage polarity setting;
The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of holding the substrate and the mask while applying the second voltage polarity setting.   15. The method of claim 13 or 14, further comprising holding the substrate in a substantially vertical orientation.

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