JP2021075750A - Vapor deposition apparatus, display and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vapor deposition apparatus capable of reducing a period of time for controlling a gap between a substrate and a vapor deposition mask, and a method for manufacturing a display and to provide a vapor deposition apparatus capable of reducing defects in a vapor deposition process, and a method for manufacturing a display.SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing a display obtained by vapor-depositing an organic material on a substrate using a vapor deposition mask comprises: arranging the vapor deposition mask facing the substrate; detecting a first gap (l1) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask in a first position; detecting a second gap (l2) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask in a second position; and controlling the first gap (l1) and the second gap (l2) so as to satisfy the formula 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a vapor deposition apparatus. The present invention also relates to a display device manufactured by using a vapor deposition apparatus and a method for producing the display device.

As a display device, an organic EL display device (Organic Electroluminescence Display) using an organic electroluminescence material (organic EL material) as a light emitting element (organic EL element) in a display region is known. The organic EL display device is a so-called self-luminous display device that realizes display by emitting light from an organic EL material.

The organic EL element includes an organic EL material between the anode (anode) and the cathode (cathode). As the organic EL material, a low molecular weight material or a high molecular weight material is known, but a low molecular weight material capable of forming a thin film by a vapor deposition method is often used.

As one of the vapor deposition apparatus used in the vapor deposition method, a vertical vapor deposition apparatus in which a substrate is placed upright in the vapor deposition apparatus is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). Since the vertical vapor deposition apparatus can process a large substrate upright, it has an advantage that the occupied area can be reduced.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-84544 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-702939

In the vertical vapor deposition apparatus, unlike the horizontal vapor deposition apparatus, the substrate and the vapor deposition mask are arranged upright in the vertical direction (vertical direction, gravity direction). Therefore, the vertical vapor deposition apparatus has a problem different from that of the horizontal vapor deposition apparatus. For example, in the alignment between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask, the magnetic force is used to attract the vapor deposition mask to the substrate, but in the case of the horizontal vapor deposition apparatus, the direction of the magnetic force and the direction of gravity are the same, so that the alignment is performed. The effect of gravity is small. On the other hand, in the case of a vertical thin-film deposition apparatus, since the direction of magnetic force and the direction of gravity are different, misalignment occurs due to the influence of gravity. As the size of the substrate increases, the amount of misalignment in alignment becomes even more remarkable.

As a result of diligent research, the present inventors have found that in the vertical vapor deposition apparatus, the gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask before the alignment between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask is related to the misalignment. Further, the present inventors have found that by controlling the gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask, it is possible to reduce defects due to misalignment in the vertical vapor deposition apparatus.

In the horizontal vapor deposition apparatus, the misalignment could be sufficiently adjusted even if the gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask was manually adjusted. However, when manually adjusting the gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask in the vertical vapor deposition apparatus, it is difficult to adjust the gap for each substrate because fine adjustment is required many times and it takes too much time.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition apparatus and a display apparatus in which the adjustment time of the gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask is shortened. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition apparatus and a display device in which defects in the vapor deposition process are reduced.

The method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a display device for depositing an organic material on a substrate using a thin-film deposition mask, wherein the vapor deposition mask is placed facing the substrate and the first position is formed. _{The first gap (l 1} ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask in the above _{is detected, the second gap (l 2} ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the second position is detected, and the equation 3 is satisfied. , The first gap (l ₁ ) and the second gap (l ₂ ) are adjusted.

Further, the thin-film deposition apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has a means for arranging the vapor deposition mask facing the substrate and a first gap (l ₁ ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the first position. The first detection unit, the second detection unit that detects the second gap (l ₂ ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the second position, the first adjustment unit that adjusts the first gap (l _{1), and the first} The first adjusting section and the second adjusting section include a second adjusting section for adjusting the two gaps (l ₂ ), and the first adjusting section and the second adjusting section include the first gap (l ₁ ) and the second gap (l _{2) so as to satisfy the equation 9.} ) Is adjusted.

_{Here, L 12} in the formulas 3 and 9 is the distance between the first position and the second position.

Further, the method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a display device for depositing an organic material on a substrate using a vapor deposition mask, in which the substrate is vertically arranged and placed on the substrate. The vapor deposition masks are placed facing each other, the first gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the first position is detected, the second gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the second position is detected, and the first gap is detected. The first position and the second position are adjusted at the same time so that the difference between the first position and the second gap becomes smaller.

Further, the thin-film deposition apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention detects a means for arranging the vapor deposition mask facing the vertically arranged substrate and a first gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the first position. The first detection unit, the second detection unit that detects the second gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the second position, the first adjustment unit that adjusts the first gap, and the second adjustment unit that adjusts the second gap. The first adjusting unit and the second adjusting unit simultaneously adjust the first position and the second position so that the difference between the first gap and the second gap becomes small, including the two adjusting units.

It is a front view of the vapor deposition mask used in the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the vapor deposition mask used in the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a partially enlarged view of the vapor deposition mask used in the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state before the position of the vapor deposition mask with respect to the substrate is fixed, which is performed by the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state after the position of the vapor deposition mask with respect to the substrate is fixed, which is performed by the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. In the first embodiment, it is a graph which shows the correlation of the Δ gap and the yield in a vapor deposition process with respect to the number of times of vapor deposition. It is sectional drawing of the thin-film deposition apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a plane schematic diagram of the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the vapor deposition process in the manufacturing method of the display device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the display device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a circuit diagram of the pixel of the display device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the pixel of the display device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be carried out in various aspects without departing from the gist thereof, and is not construed as being limited to the contents of the embodiments illustrated below. The drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part as compared with the actual embodiment in order to clarify the explanation, but this is merely an example and the interpretation of the present invention is limited. It's not something to do. In this specification and each drawing, elements having the same functions as those described with respect to the existing drawings may be designated by the same reference numerals and duplicate description may be omitted.

In the present specification and claims, "upper" and "lower" are relative positional relationships with respect to the surface of the substrate on which the light emitting element is formed (hereinafter, simply referred to as "surface"). Point to. For example, in the present specification, the direction from the surface of the substrate toward the light emitting element is referred to as "up", and the opposite direction is referred to as "down". In addition, in the present specification and the scope of claims, when expressing the mode of arranging another structure on a certain structure, when it is simply described as "above", a certain structure is not specified unless otherwise specified. It includes both the case where another structure is placed directly above the body and the case where another structure is placed above one structure via yet another structure.

<First Embodiment>
The vapor deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

First, the vapor deposition mask 200 used in the vapor deposition apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[Evaporation mask]
FIG. 1A is a front view of the vapor deposition mask 200. Further, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the vapor deposition mask 200 cut along the line AA'shown in FIG. 1A. Further, FIG. 1C is a partially enlarged view of the region B shown in FIG. 1A.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vapor deposition mask 200 includes a mask frame 210 and a metal mask 220. The mask frame 210 has a rectangular opening at the center, and a metal mask 220 is provided so as to cover the opening. That is, the outer peripheral portion of the metal mask 220 is fixed to the mask frame 210.

The metal mask 220 may be welded and fixed to the mask frame 210, or may be fixed with an adhesive. When the metal mask 220 is fixed to the mask frame 210 with an adhesive, it is preferable to use an epoxy-based heat-resistant adhesive.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1C, the metal mask 220 is provided with a plurality of openings 230. The thin-film deposition material that has passed through the opening 230 is deposited on the substrate 300 (see FIG. 2A), and a pattern of the opening 230 is formed on the substrate 300. The pattern of the opening 230 may correspond to the arrangement pattern of the pixels of the substrate 300, or may be an arrangement pattern of a part of the pixels of the substrate 300. As the pattern of the opening 230, for example, it can be provided in a matrix shape or a staggered shape.

Since the mask frame 210 supports the metal mask 220, it is preferable that the mask frame 210 is made of a rigid material so that the vapor deposition mask 200 is not distorted. Rigid materials include, for example, stainless steel (SUS), iron-nickel alloys, or aluminum alloys.

The thickness of the mask frame 210 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 5 mm or more and 100 mm or less. The mask frame 210 may be composed of a plurality of structures. When the thickness of the mask frame 210 is small, the rigidity of the mask frame 210 is reduced, so that distortion is likely to occur. On the other hand, when the thickness of the mask frame 210 is large, the weight of the vapor deposition mask 200 becomes large, which makes it difficult for the vapor deposition apparatus 100 to handle the vapor deposition mask 200. Therefore, the thickness of the mask frame 210 is preferably in the above range.

The metal mask 220 is preferably made of a material having good workability so that a plurality of openings 230 can be provided. As the material of the metal mask 220, for example, stainless steel, a nickel material system, an iron-nickel alloy, an aluminum alloy, or the like can be used. Further, when a fine opening 230 is required as in the pixel pattern of the light emitting layer of the organic EL element, the metal mask 220 is attracted to the substrate 300 by using a magnetic force to fix the position of the metal mask 220. Therefore, the material of the metal mask 220 preferably contains a magnetic material. The magnetic material is, for example, pure iron, carbon steel, W steel, Cr steel, Co steel, KS steel, MK steel, NKS steel, CuNiCo steel, Al—Fe alloy, or the like. Further, a magnetic material can be applied to the surface of the metal mask 220.

The thickness of the metal mask 220 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 100 μm or less, preferably 2 μm or more and 10 μm or less. When the thickness of the metal mask 220 is small, the rigidity is weakened, so that the metal mask 220 is easily broken. In addition, the metal mask 220 is likely to be deformed by radiant heat during vapor deposition. On the other hand, when the thickness of the metal mask 220 is large, the side wall of the opening 230 becomes thick, so that a phenomenon (shadow effect) in which the vapor-deposited material does not easily enter the opening 230 occurs. Therefore, the thickness of the metal mask 220 is preferably in the above range.

In the vertical vapor deposition apparatus, the vapor deposition mask 200 is arranged upright in the vertical direction (vertical direction, gravity direction). When the shape of the vapor deposition mask 200 is a rectangle having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides, the vapor deposition mask 200 may be arranged with the long sides upright or the short sides upright. Further, the vertical direction (vertical direction, gravity direction) is not limited to the direction perpendicular to the ground plane of the vertical vapor deposition apparatus, and also includes a direction substantially perpendicular to the ground plane. Further, the vapor deposition mask 200 of the vertical vapor deposition apparatus can be arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. When the vapor deposition mask 200 is tilted, the tilt angle with respect to the vertical direction is, for example, 0 ° or more and 30 ° or less.

Next, in the vertical vapor deposition apparatus, fixing the position of the vapor deposition mask 200 with respect to the substrate 300 performed before vapor deposition will be described.

[Fixing the position of the vapor deposition mask with respect to the substrate]
FIG. 2A is a schematic view showing a state before the position of the vapor deposition mask 200 with respect to the substrate 300 is fixed. Further, FIG. 2B is a schematic view showing a state after the position of the vapor deposition mask 200 with respect to the substrate 300 is fixed.

2 (A) and 2 (B) show the mask frame 210 and the metal mask 220 of the vapor deposition mask 200, the substrate 300, and the support portion 120 and the magnet portion 170 that are part of the vapor deposition apparatus. .. The substrate 300 is supported by the support portion 120 and is arranged upright in the vertical direction. Further, the thin-film deposition mask 200 is also arranged upright in the vertical direction like the substrate 300. The vapor deposition mask 200 and the substrate 300 are arranged apart from each other so as to have a certain interval, and the interval is defined as a gap l.

The magnet portion 170 is provided so as to face the vapor deposition mask 200 and the substrate 300 with the support portion 120 interposed therebetween. In other words, the magnet portion 170 is located on the side opposite to the side on which the vapor deposition mask 200 and the substrate 300 are arranged with respect to the support portion 120.

As shown in FIG. 2A, when the magnet portion 170 is separated from the support portion 120, the gap l between the vapor deposition mask 200 and the substrate 300 is maintained. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the magnet portion 170 approaches the support portion 120, the metal mask 220 is attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet portion 170, and the distance between the vapor deposition mask 200 and the substrate 300 (gap l). Finally, the metal mask 220 of the vapor deposition mask 200 comes into contact with a part of the substrate 300, and the position of the vapor deposition mask 200 with respect to the substrate 300 is fixed. After that, the vapor deposition material is vapor-deposited, and a film having a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the thin-film deposition mask 200 is formed on the substrate 300. The vapor deposition step includes fixing the position of the vapor deposition mask 200 with respect to the substrate 300 and vapor deposition, as well as aligning the pattern of the vapor deposition mask 200.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the correlation between the Δ gap and the yield in the vapor deposition process with respect to the number of vapor depositions. Here, the Δ gap refers to the difference between the _{maximum gap l max} and the minimum gap l _min among the gaps l between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 at each of the plurality of positions in the substrate 300. The yield in the vapor deposition process refers to the ratio of products manufactured in the vapor deposition process (for example, a display device) excluding defective products caused by the vapor deposition process. Defects caused by the vapor deposition process include so-called misalignment, in which a pattern is not formed at a predetermined position on the substrate 300 or the pattern is misaligned.

As shown in FIG. 3, as the number of times of vapor deposition increases, the Δ gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 increases. This is because the position shift due to the magnetic force is partially generated. That is, in the vertical vapor deposition apparatus, since the direction of gravity and the direction of magnetic force are different, the in-plane distance between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 tends to vary, and the surface of the vapor deposition mask 200 tends to tilt with respect to the surface of the substrate 300. Then, the Δ gap tends to increase with the passage of time. Therefore, as the number of times of vapor deposition increases, in-plane variation occurs in the vapor deposition process, and the yield decreases. That is, the present inventors have found that when the Δ gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 increases, there is a correlation that the yield in the vapor deposition process decreases. By adjusting the gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 for each vapor deposition, the yield in the vapor deposition process is improved, but in the conventional vertical vapor deposition apparatus, it takes time to adjust the gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200. Therefore, it is not realistic to adjust the gap for each vapor deposition, and it is performed only every fixed number of vapor depositions or every replacement of the vapor deposition mask 200.

On the other hand, since the vapor deposition apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment takes a short time for adjusting the gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200, it is possible to adjust the gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 for each vapor deposition. Of course, the thin-film deposition apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment can be performed every fixed number of times of vapor deposition or every time the vapor-film deposition mask 200 is replaced, depending on the amount of allowable misalignment. The time for adjusting the gap with the vapor deposition mask 200 can be shortened.

Subsequently, the vapor deposition apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vapor deposition apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the thin-film deposition apparatus 100 includes a thin-film deposition source 110, a support portion 120, a first substrate clamp 130-1, a second substrate clamp 130-2, and a first optical sensor 140-1. , The second optical sensor 140-2, the first thin-film mask clamp 150-1, the second thin-film mask clamp 150-2, the first adjustment unit 160-1, and the second adjustment unit 160-2. It includes a magnet unit 170, an alignment camera 180, a first substrate side adjusting unit 190-1, and a second substrate side adjusting unit 190-2.

In this specification, when the first substrate clamp 130-1 and the second substrate clamp 130-2 are not particularly distinguished, they will be described as the substrate clamp 130. Similarly, the first optical sensor 140-1 and the second optical sensor 140-2, the first vapor deposition mask clamp 150-1 and the second vapor deposition mask clamp 150-2, the first adjustment unit 160-1 and the second adjustment Even when the first substrate side adjusting portion 190-1 and the second substrate side adjusting portion 190-2 are not particularly distinguished, the optical sensor 140, the vapor deposition mask clamp 150, the adjusting portion 160, and the substrate, respectively, The description will be described as the side adjusting unit 190.

The vapor deposition source 110 includes a crucible having an opening on the substrate side and a heater for heating the crucible. When the vaporized material is put into the crucible and the crucible is heated by the heater, the vaporized vaporized material pops out from the opening of the crucible. The ejected vapor deposition material passes through the opening 230 of the vapor deposition mask 200 and is deposited on the substrate 300. A plurality of thin-film deposition sources 110 may be provided so that they can move in the vertical direction.

The support portion 120 preferably has a flat surface on the substrate 300 side in order to be able to support the substrate 300 and prevent the substrate 300 from bending.

The substrate clamp 130 holds the substrate 300 and can fix the substrate 300 on the support portion 120. As shown in FIG. 4, when the substrate 300 is arranged upright in the vertical direction, the first substrate clamp 130-1 fixes the upper portion of the substrate 300, and the second substrate clamp 130-2 is the lower portion of the substrate 300. To fix. A plurality of substrate clamps 130 may be provided on each of the upper portion and the lower portion of the substrate 300. In particular, when the substrate 300 is rectangular so that the substrate 300 can be stably held, the substrate clamps 130 are preferably provided at the four corners of the substrate 300.

The optical sensor 140 can detect a gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200. Further, it is preferable that the optical sensor 140 is provided with a plurality of optical sensors 140 so that the gap can be detected at a plurality of positions. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the substrate 300 is placed upright in the vertical direction, the first optical sensor 140-1 detects a first gap l ₁ of the first position above the substrate 300, the second It is preferable that the _{optical sensor 140-2 detects the second gap l 2} at the second position below the substrate 300.

As the optical sensor 140, for example, a confocal sensor can be used. The confocal sensor disperses white light (such as an LED) through a multi-lens to focus on the surface of the substrate 300 and the surface of the vapor deposition mask 200. The monochromatic light focused on the surface of the substrate 300 and the surface of the vapor deposition mask 200 is detected by a spectrometer, and the distance (gap l) between the surface of the substrate 300 and the surface of the vapor deposition mask 200 is calculated. The optical sensor 140 is not limited to the confocal sensor. The optical sensor 140 may be composed of a plurality of length measuring sensors as long as it can measure the distance (gap l) between the surface of the substrate 300 and the surface of the vapor deposition mask 200. For example, the optical sensor 140 includes a first length measuring sensor that measures the distance on the surface of the substrate 300 and a second length measuring sensor that measures the distance on the surface of the vapor deposition mask 200, and is measured by the first length measuring sensor. The distance (gap l) between the surface of the substrate 300 and the surface of the vapor deposition mask 200 can also be calculated from the first distance and the second distance measured by the second length measuring sensor.

The thin-film mask clamp 150 can hold and fix the thin-film mask 200. Further, the vapor deposition mask clamp 150 is connected to the adjusting unit 160 so that the position of the vapor deposition mask 200 can be adjusted by the adjusting unit 160. As shown in FIG. 4, when the vapor deposition mask 200 is arranged upright in the vertical direction, the first vapor deposition mask clamp 150-1 fixes the upper portion of the vapor deposition mask 200, and the second vapor deposition mask clamp 150-2 The lower part of the vapor deposition mask 200 is fixed. A plurality of vapor deposition mask clamps 150 may be provided on each of the upper portion and the lower portion of the vapor deposition mask 200. In particular, in order to stably hold the vapor deposition mask 200, the vapor deposition mask clamp 150 is preferably provided at the four corners of the vapor deposition mask 200 when the vapor deposition mask 200 is rectangular. ..

Based on the gap detected by the optical sensor 140, the adjusting unit 160 automatically moves the vapor deposition mask clamp 150 so that the distance between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 is equal to or less than a predetermined Δ gap, and the substrate 300 The position of the vapor deposition mask 200 with respect to the above can be adjusted. That is, the adjusting unit 160 can receive the signal from the optical sensor 140 and automatically adjust the vapor deposition mask clamp 150 based on the signal. Therefore, the adjusting unit 160 may be electrically connected so as to be able to communicate with the optical sensor 140. Further, it is preferable that a plurality of adjusting units 160 are provided as in the case of the optical sensor 140. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the vapor deposition mask 200 is arranged upright in the vertical direction, the first adjustment unit 160-1 is based on the gap detected by the first optical sensor 140-1. The vapor deposition mask clamp 150-1 can be adjusted, and the second adjustment unit 160-2 adjusts the second vapor deposition mask clamp 150-2 based on the gap detected by the second optical sensor 140-2. can do.

The adjusting unit 160 can adjust the gap l between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 by moving the vapor deposition mask clamp 150 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 300 (horizontal direction in the drawing). Further, each of the first adjusting unit 160-1 and the second adjusting unit 160-2 is a motor connected to the vapor deposition mask clamp 150 so as to be driven independently, and a control unit for controlling the driving of the motor. And include. The control unit controls the drive of the motor based on the gap detected by the optical sensor 140. That is, the control unit of the adjustment unit 160 adjusts the motor connected to the vapor deposition mask clamp 150 so that the gap l detected by the optical sensor 140 is within a predetermined range. The adjusting unit 160 is not limited to the motor, and may be any actuator capable of moving the vapor deposition mask clamp 150. Further, the motor may be able to adjust not only in the vertical direction with respect to the substrate 300 but also in the horizontal direction with respect to the substrate 300.

Although two adjusting portions 160 are shown in FIG. 4, when the vapor deposition mask clamps 150 are provided at the four corners of the vapor deposition mask 200, the adjustment portions 160 are provided for each of the vapor deposition mask clamps 150. .. That is, four adjusting portions are provided. Further, although the four adjusting units 160 can be driven independently, it is preferable that the control units of the four adjusting units 160 are synchronized with each other. As a result, it becomes possible to drive four points at the same time, and the Δ gap can be adjusted in a short time.

When a plurality of adjusting units 160 are provided, the control units of the plurality of adjusting units 160 may be connected to each other. For example, by leaving connecting the control unit of the first adjusting portion 160-1 and a control unit of the second adjustment unit 160-2, adjustment and second first gap _{l 1} of the first adjustment unit 160-1 The adjustment of a plurality of gaps l can be performed synchronously as in the case of the second gap l _{2 by the adjusting unit 160-2.} Further, although not shown, it is also possible to provide a central control unit to which the control units of the plurality of adjustment units 160 are connected, synchronize the plurality of adjustment units 160 by the control of the central control unit, and adjust the gap l.

The magnet portion 170 can approach the support portion 120 and bring the vapor deposition mask 200 into contact with a part of the substrate 300 by the magnetic force of the magnet portion 170 to fix the position of the vapor deposition mask 200 with respect to the substrate 300. Therefore, the magnet unit 170 includes a magnet for attracting the vapor deposition mask 200 and a drive mechanism for driving the magnet. As the magnet included in the magnet portion 170, for example, a neodymium magnet or a ferrite magnet can be used.

The alignment camera 180 can image the alignment mark provided at a predetermined position on the substrate 300 and the alignment mark at a predetermined position on the vapor deposition mask 200. The alignment camera 180 may be connected to the adjusting unit 160. The adjusting unit 160 adjusts the positions of the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 based on the image taken by the alignment camera 180. The adjusting unit 160 can adjust the positions of the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 so that the two alignment marks are superimposed or the two alignment marks are aligned, for example. In addition, 180 or more alignment cameras may be provided.

The substrate-side adjusting unit 190 can move the support portion 120 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 300 (horizontal direction in the drawing) to bring the substrate 300 closer to the vapor deposition mask 200. In other words, the substrate side adjusting unit 190 can roughly adjust the gap l between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200. The substrate-side adjusting unit 190 may have the same configuration as the adjusting unit 160. Further, the support portion 120 may be moved by connecting the substrate side adjusting portion 190 and the support portion 120 and sliding the substrate side adjusting portion 190. Further, the support portion 120 may be pushed out and moved by projecting a pin from the substrate side adjusting portion 190.

By providing the substrate-side adjusting unit 190, the substrate-side adjusting unit 190 can roughly adjust the gap l, and the adjusting unit 160 can make fine adjustment of the gap l. The functions of the fine adjustment of the adjustment unit 160 and the rough adjustment of the substrate side adjustment unit 190 may be reversed. That is, the adjustment unit 160 for adjusting the position on the mask side may roughly adjust the gap l, and the adjustment unit 190 on the substrate side for adjusting the position on the substrate side may adjust the Δ gap.

The vapor deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be further described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the vapor deposition apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the vapor deposition apparatus 100 showing a configuration related to the adjustment of the gap l between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200. Note that FIG. 5 shows only the substrate 300, and the vapor deposition mask 200 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the thin-film deposition apparatus 100 can adjust the first optical sensor 140-1 and the first gap l _{1 for detecting the first gap l 1 at the first position of the substrate 300.} The first adjusting unit 160-1 capable of adjusting the clamp 150-1 for the first vapor deposition mask and the clamp 150-1 for the first vapor deposition mask, and the second optical sensor 140- for detecting _{the gap l 2 at the second position of the substrate 300.} 2. The second thin-film mask clamp 150-2 capable of adjusting the second gap l ₂ and the second adjustment portion 160-2 capable of adjusting the second thin-film mask clamp 150-2, and the substrate 300. Adjust the third optical sensor 140-3 that detects _{the gap l 3} at the third position, the third vapor deposition mask clamp 150-3 that can adjust the _{gap l 3, and the third vapor deposition mask clamp 150-3.} a third adjustment part 160-3 that may be, the fourth optical sensor 140-4 for detecting the fourth gap _{l 4} of the fourth position of the substrate 300, a fourth deposition can be adjusted fourth gap _{l 4} a fourth adjustment unit 160-4 can adjust the mask clamp 150-4, and a fourth deposition mask clamp 150-4, a fifth optical detecting a fifth gap _{l 5} of the fifth position of the substrate 300 sensor 140-5, the fifth adjustment unit 160-5 capable of adjusting the fifth fifth deposition mask clamp 150-5 can adjust the gap _{l 5,} and the fifth vapor deposition mask clamp 150-5 , A sixth optical sensor 140-6 that detects _{the sixth gap l 6} at the sixth position of the substrate 300, a sixth vapor deposition mask clamp 150-6 that can adjust _{the sixth gap l 6, and a sixth vapor deposition mask.} Includes a sixth adjusting section 160-6 capable of adjusting the clamp 150-6.

Here, the first position, the second position, the third position, and the fourth position are positions near the four corners of the substrate 300. The first position and the fourth position are located in the upper part of the substrate 300 in this figure, and the second position and the third position are located in the lower part of the substrate 300. Further, the first position and the third position are located on the diagonal of the substrate 300, and the second position and the fourth position are also located on the diagonal of the substrate 300. Each of the 5th position and the 6th position is located between the 1st position and the 2nd position, and the 6th position is located between the 3rd position and the 4th position.

The first adjusting unit 160-1, the second adjusting unit 160-2, the third adjusting unit 160-3, and the fourth adjusting unit 160-4 are the first gap l ₁ , the second gap l ₂ , and the third, respectively. Adjust so that the gap l ₃ and the fourth gap l ₄ are 1.0 mm or less. Preferably, it may be adjusted to be 0.3 mm.

Further, in order to suppress in-plane variation in the substrate 300 and improve the yield in the vapor deposition process, among the first gap l ₁ , the second gap l ₂ , the third gap l ₃ , and the fourth gap l ₄ . The maximum gap l _max and the minimum gap l _min are selected, and the Δ gap is adjusted so that the difference between them is within a predetermined range. For example, the Δ gap is adjusted to satisfy Equation 1.

Preferably, the Δ gap is adjusted to satisfy Equation 2.

As described above, the adjusting unit 160 can not only adjust the gap l at each position, but also adjust the Δ gap with which each gap l is associated. That is, by adjusting the gap in two steps, it is possible to suppress in-plane variation in the substrate 300 and improve the yield in the vapor deposition process.

Further, the adjustment of the Δ gap can be adjusted by using the distance between the detection positions of the gap l as a parameter.

For example, when one of the gap l _{1 at} the first position and the gap l ₂ at the second position has the maximum gap l _max and the other has the minimum gap l _min , the first adjustment unit 160-1 and the second adjustment unit 160 -2 is adjusted so as to satisfy Equation 3. Here, L ₁₂ is the distance between the first position and the second position.

In addition, in order to further improve the yield in the vapor deposition process, it is preferable that the first adjusting unit 160-1 and the second adjusting unit 160-2 are adjusted so as to satisfy the formula 4.

Further, for example, when one of the gap l _{1 at} the first position and the gap l ₃ at the third position has the maximum gap l _max and the other has the minimum gap l _min , the first adjustment unit 160-1 and the third adjustment unit 160-1 and the third adjustment Section 160-3 is adjusted so as to satisfy Equation 5. Here, L ₁₃ is the distance between the first position and the third position.

In addition, in order to further suppress in-plane variation in the substrate 300, it is preferable that the first adjusting unit 160-1 and the third adjusting unit 160-3 are adjusted so as to satisfy the formula 6.

Similarly, the fourth adjusting unit 160-4 and the second adjusting unit 160-2 and the fourth adjusting unit 160-4 and the third adjusting unit 160-3 can be adjusted, but the description thereof will be omitted here.

The Δgap may be adjusted not only at one point but also at a plurality of points. That is, the substrate 300 may have n detection positions that are the first position, the second position, ..., The nth position (n is a natural number of 3 or more).

Further, when the size of the substrate 300 is a certain size or more (for example, 1500 mm × 1850 mm or more), not only the four corners of the substrate 300 but also the gap l at the intermediate position of the substrate affects the yield of the vapor deposition process. It may have a number of detection positions. In this case, the fifth adjusting unit 160-5 and the sixth adjusting unit 160-6 adjust the fifth gap l ₅ and the sixth gap l ₆ , respectively. From the first position to the sixth position, two positions having a maximum gap l _max and a minimum gap l _min may be selected, and the above equations 1 to 6 may be satisfied at the two selected positions.

As described above, the thin-film deposition apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment can automatically adjust the gap l between the substrate 300 and the thin-film deposition mask 200. When the gap is adjusted automatically, the time required for adjusting the gap l is significantly shortened as compared with the case where the gap l is adjusted manually. Therefore, the gap l can be adjusted for each vapor deposition, and the yield in the vapor deposition process can be improved. Further, by adjusting the gaps so as to satisfy a predetermined formula in which the gaps l at a plurality of positions in the substrate 300 are associated with each other, the yield in the vapor deposition process can be further improved.

<Second Embodiment>
A thin-film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the vapor deposition process in the method for manufacturing the display device according to the present embodiment. The thin-film deposition step shown in FIG. 6 is one of the steps in the manufacturing method of the display device, and is a step of forming an organic layer of the organic EL element by the thin-film deposition method.

As shown in FIG. 6, the vapor deposition step includes a step of carrying in the substrate 300 (board carrying step: S110), a step of roughly adjusting the gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask (gap rough adjustment step: S120), and a substrate. A step of finely adjusting the gap between the 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 (gap fine adjustment step: S125), a step of aligning the positions of the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 (alignment step: S130), and a vapor deposition mask 200 for the substrate 300. A step of fixing the position of the vapor deposition mask (position fixing step: S140), a step of depositing a vapor deposition material (deposited film step: S150), a step of releasing the position of the vapor deposition mask 200 (position fixing release step: S160), and a step of releasing the position of the vapor deposition mask 200. It includes a step of carrying out the substrate 300 (a step of carrying out the substrate: S170).

In the substrate loading step (S110), the substrate 300 is loaded into the vapor deposition apparatus 100, and the substrate 300 is held and fixed by the substrate clamp 130. The vapor deposition mask 200 may be fixed to the vapor deposition apparatus 100 in advance before the substrate 300 is carried in, or may be carried into the vapor deposition apparatus 100 and fixed after the substrate 300 is carried in.

In the gap rough adjustment step (S120), the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 are brought close to each other by using the optical sensor 140, the support portion 120, and the substrate side adjustment portion 190. Specifically, the gap is detected by the optical sensor 140, and the substrate-side adjusting unit 190 moves the support unit 120 to adjust the gap so that it is equal to or less than a predetermined gap. Since the adjustment here is a rough adjustment, the predetermined gap is, for example, 1 cm or less.

In the gap fine adjustment step (S125), the gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 is finely adjusted by using the optical sensor 140, the vapor deposition mask clamp 150, and the adjusting unit 160. Specifically, the optical sensor 140 detects the gap, and the adjusting unit 160 moves the vapor deposition mask clamp 150 to adjust the gap so that it is equal to or less than a predetermined gap. The adjustment of the vapor deposition mask clamp 150 is automatically performed by the motor included in the adjustment unit 160. The gap fine adjustment step (S125) may be performed every time the substrate is carried in, or may be performed every time the board is carried in a plurality of times.

The adjustment of the gap between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 is performed at a plurality of positions in the substrate 300. In particular, at the first position, the second position, the third position, and the fourth position near the four corners of the substrate 300, the first gap l ₁ , the second gap l ₂ , the third gap l ₃ , and the fourth gap, respectively. it is preferable that the adjustment of l ₄ is performed. Here, the first position and the fourth position are the positions of the upper part of the board 300 in the state where the board 300 is arranged, and the second position and the third position are the positions of the lower part of the board 300. Further, the first position and the third position are diagonal positions of the substrate 300, and the second position and the fourth position are also diagonal positions of the substrate 300.

The fine adjustment of the gap l is performed in two steps. First, the first gap l ₁ , the second gap l ₂ , the third gap l ₃ , and the fourth gap l ₄ are adjusted to be 1.0 mm or less. Preferably, it may be adjusted to be 0.3 mm. As the gap l becomes larger, the effect of fine adjustment of the gap l becomes smaller. Therefore, the gap is preferably in the above range.

Subsequently, the Δ gap is adjusted. That is, the maximum gap l _max and the minimum gap l _{min are selected from the first gap l 1} , the second gap l ₂ , the third gap l ₃ , and the fourth gap l ₄ , and the difference between them is within a predetermined range. The Δ gap is adjusted so that Specifically, the adjusting unit 160 corresponding to the selected gap is selected, and these are moved independently and simultaneously to adjust so that the Δ gap becomes smaller. For example, the Δ gap is adjusted to satisfy Equation 7.

Preferably, the delta gap is adjusted to satisfy Equation 8.

As described above, not only the gap at each position is adjusted independently, but also the Δ gap associated with each gap is adjusted to suppress in-plane variation in the substrate 300 and in the vapor deposition process. The yield can be improved.

Further, the adjustment of the Δ gap can be performed by using the distance between the detection positions of the gap as a parameter.

For example, if one of the gap l _{1 at} the first position and the gap l ₂ at the second position is the maximum gap and the other is the minimum gap, the gap l _{1 at} the first position and the gap l _{2 at} the second position are It is adjusted to satisfy Equation 9. Here, L ₁₂ is the distance between the first position and the second position.

Further, the gap l _{1 at} the first position and the gap l _{2 at} the second position are preferably adjusted so as to satisfy the equation 10.

Further, when one of the gap l _{1 at} the first position and the gap l ₂ at the third position is the maximum gap and the other is the minimum gap, the gap l _{1 at} the first position and the gap l _{3 at} the third position are It is adjusted to satisfy Equation 11. Here, L ₁₃ is the distance between the first position and the third position.

Further, the gap l _{1 at} the first position and the gap l _{2 at} the third position are preferably adjusted so as to satisfy the equation 12.

In addition, when one of the gap l _{1 at} the first position and the gap l ₂ at the fourth position is the maximum gap l _max and the other is the minimum gap l _min , the gap l _{2 at} the second position and the third position When one of the gaps l ₃ of the above is the maximum gap l _max and the other is the minimum gap l _min , or one of the gap l _{3 at} the third position and the gap l ₄ at the fourth position is the maximum gap l _max . The other may have a minimum gap of l _min , but since both are the same as the above equations, the description thereof will be omitted here.

The Δgap may be adjusted not only at one point but also at a plurality of points. That is, the substrate may have n detection positions that are the first position, the second position, ..., The nth position (n is a natural number of 3 or more). In this case, each Δ gap at the first to nth positions is detected. Then, the adjusting unit 160 adjusts so that the difference between the maximum gap l _max and the minimum gap l _{min among them becomes small.} As a result, in-plane variation in the substrate 300 can be suppressed during vapor deposition.

Not only the gaps at a plurality of positions in the substrate 300 are adjusted independently, but also the in-plane variation in the substrate 300 is suppressed by adjusting the gaps so as to satisfy a predetermined formula in which the gaps at the plurality of positions are associated with each other. Therefore, the yield in the vapor deposition process can be further improved.

In the alignment step (S130), the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 are aligned so that the pattern of the vapor deposition mask 200 corresponds to the pattern of the substrate 300. Specifically, the alignment mark of the substrate 300 and the alignment mark of the vapor deposition mask 200 are imaged by using the alignment camera 180, and the adjusting unit 160 together with the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200 based on the imaged alignment mark. Adjust the position of. The alignment step (S130) may be performed after the gap fine adjustment step (S125) or before the gap fine adjustment step (S125).

In the position fixing step (S140) of the vapor deposition mask 200, the magnet portion 170 is brought closer to the support portion 120. When the magnet portion 170 approaches the support portion 120, the vapor deposition mask 200 comes into contact with a part of the substrate 300 by a magnetic force, and the position of the vapor deposition mask 200 with respect to the substrate 300 is fixed.

In the thin-film deposition step (S150), the vapor deposition material is vapor-deposited using the thin-film deposition source 110. The vapor deposition material that has passed through the opening 230 provided in the vapor deposition mask 200 is deposited on the substrate 300, and an organic layer having a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the vapor deposition mask 200 is formed.

In the position fixing release step (S160) of the vapor deposition mask 200, the magnet portion 170 is separated from the support portion 120. When the magnet portion 170 is separated from the support portion 120, the vapor deposition mask 200 is also separated from the substrate 300.

In the unloading step (S170) of the substrate 300, the substrate 300 is released from being fixed by the substrate clamp 130, and the substrate 300 is unloaded from the vapor deposition apparatus 100.

As described above, according to the method for manufacturing a display device according to the present embodiment, the vapor deposition step includes a gap fine adjustment step (S125) between the substrate 300 and the vapor deposition mask 200. That is, the gap can be adjusted for each vapor deposition, and the yield in the vapor deposition process can be improved. Further, from the graph of FIG. 3, the number of times of vapor deposition within the allowable yield range is derived, and based on this, the gap may be adjusted for each number of times of vapor deposition. Further, not only the gaps at a plurality of positions in the substrate 300 are adjusted independently, but also the gaps are adjusted so as to satisfy a predetermined equation in which the gaps at the plurality of positions are associated with each other (in other words, two-step fineness). By making adjustments), the yield in the vapor deposition process can be further improved.

<Third Embodiment>
An example of the structure of the display device 700 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. The display device 700 is flexible and is made using the thin film deposition device 100.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the display device 700 according to the present embodiment. The display device 700 is provided with a first region 703 and a second region 710 on the substrate 701. The second region 710 is located outside the first region 703.

The first area 703 is a so-called display area. A plurality of pixels 709 are arranged in a matrix in the first region 703. The arrangement of the pixels 709 is not limited to the matrix shape. The arrangement of the pixels 709 can be, for example, staggered.

The second region 710 is a so-called peripheral region. The second region 710 includes two scanning line drive circuits 704 provided along the long side direction of the first region 703 and a plurality of scanning line drive circuits 704 provided at the end of the substrate 701 along the short side direction of the first region 703. Includes terminal 707. The two scanning line drive circuits 704 are provided so as to sandwich the first region 703. Further, the plurality of terminals 707 are connected to the flexible printed circuit board 708. The driver IC 706 is provided on the flexible printed circuit board 708.

A video signal and various control signals are supplied from an external controller (not shown) of the display device 700 via the flexible printed circuit board 708. The video signal is processed by the driver IC 706 and input to the plurality of pixels 709. Various circuit signals are input to the scanning line drive circuit 704 via the driver IC 706.

In addition to the video signal and various circuit signals, electric power for driving the scanning line drive circuit 704, the driver IC 706, and the plurality of pixels 709 is supplied to the display device 700. Each of the plurality of pixels 709 has an organic EL element 840 described later. A part of the electric power supplied to the display device 700 is supplied to the organic EL element 840 possessed by each of the plurality of pixels 709 to cause the organic EL element 840 to emit light.

The display device 700 may be provided with a polarizing plate 702 on the first region 703.

[Pixel circuit]
FIG. 8 is a pixel circuit included in each of the plurality of pixels 709 arranged in the display device 700 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The pixel circuit includes at least a transistor 810, a transistor 820, a capacitive element 830, and an organic EL element 840.

The transistor 810 can function as a selection transistor. That is, in the transistor 810, the conduction state of the gate of the transistor 810 is controlled by the scanning line 711. In transistor 810, the gate, source, and drain are electrically connected to the gates of scan line 711, signal line 712, and transistor 820, respectively.

The transistor 820 can function as a drive transistor. That is, the transistor 820 controls the emission brightness of the organic EL element 840. In transistor 820, the gate, source, and drain are electrically connected to the source of transistor 810, the drive power line 714, and the anode of the organic EL element 840, respectively.

In the capacitive element 830, one of the capacitive electrodes is connected to the gate of the transistor 820 and electrically connected to the drain of the transistor 810. Further, the other of the capacitive electrodes is connected to the anode of the organic EL element 840 and the drain of the transistor 820.

In the organic EL element 840, the anode is connected to the drain of the transistor 820, and the cathode is connected to the reference power supply line 716.

[Structure of the first area]
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of pixels 709 of the display device 700 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the display device 700 shown in FIG. 7 cut along the CC'line.

The substrate 701 is composed of one layer or a plurality of layers. When it is composed of a plurality of layers, it has a laminated structure including, for example, a first resin layer 701a, an inorganic layer 701b, and a second resin layer 701c. In order to improve the adhesion between the first resin layer 701a and the second resin layer 701c, it is preferable to provide the inorganic layer 701b between the first resin layer 701a and the second resin layer 701c. As the material of the first resin layer 701a and the second resin layer 701c, for example, acrylic, polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate and the like can be used. Further, as the material of the inorganic layer 701b, for example, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or amorphous silicon can be used.

An undercoat layer 802 is provided on the substrate 701. The undercoat layer 802 is provided, for example, by providing a single layer or a laminated silicon oxide layer or a silicon nitride layer. In the present embodiment, the undercoat layer 802 has a laminated structure including three layers of a silicon oxide layer 802a, a silicon nitride layer 802b, and a silicon oxide layer 802c. The silicon oxide layer 802a can improve the adhesion to the substrate 701. The silicon nitride layer 802b can function as a blocking film for moisture and impurities from the outside. The silicon oxide layer 802c can function as a blocking film that prevents hydrogen contained in the silicon nitride layer 802b from diffusing toward the semiconductor layer side described later.

Further, the undercoat layer 802 may be provided with the inorganic layer 803 in accordance with the location where the transistor 820 is provided. By providing the inorganic layer 803, changes in transistor characteristics due to light intrusion from the back surface of the channel of the transistor 820 can be suppressed, or by forming the inorganic layer 803 with a conductive layer and giving a predetermined potential, the transistor 820 can be provided. Can give a back gate effect to.

A transistor 820 is provided on the undercoat layer 802. The transistor 820 includes a semiconductor layer 804, a gate insulating layer 805, and a gate electrode 806a. Although an example in which an nch transistor is used as the transistor 820 is shown, a pc transistor may be used. In the present embodiment, the nch TFT has a structure in which low-concentration impurity regions 804b and 804c are provided between the channel region 804a and the source region 804d or the drain region 804e (high-concentration impurity region). As the material of the semiconductor layer 804, an oxide semiconductor such as amorphous silicon, polysilicon, or IGZO can be used. As the material of the gate insulating layer 805, for example, silicon oxide or silicon nitride can be used. Further, the gate insulating layer 805 can be a single layer or a laminated layer. As the gate electrode 806a, for example, MoW can be used. Although the structure of the transistor 820 is shown in FIG. 9, the structure of the transistor 810 is the same as that of the transistor 820. Further, in the following description, the connection relationship between the transistor 820 and the upper layer will be described, but this is not limited to the transistor 820, and may be a connection with a transistor other than the transistor 820.

An interlayer insulating layer 807 is provided so as to cover the gate electrode 806a. As the material of the interlayer insulating layer 807, for example, silicon oxide or silicon nitride can be used. Further, the interlayer insulating layer 807 can be a single layer or a laminated layer. A source electrode 808a or a drain electrode 808b is provided on the interlayer insulating layer 807. The source electrode 808a or the drain electrode 808b is connected to the source region 804d and the drain region 804e of the semiconductor layer 804, respectively, through the openings of the interlayer insulating layer 807 and the gate insulating layer 805.

Here, the conductive layer 806b is provided on the gate insulating layer 805. The conductive layer 806b is formed in the same process as the gate electrode 806a. The conductive layer 806b has a capacity formed by the source region 804d or the drain region 804e of the semiconductor layer 804 with the gate insulating layer 805 sandwiched between them. Further, the conductive layer 806b has a capacitance formed by the source electrode 808a or the drain electrode 808b with the interlayer insulating layer 807 sandwiched between them.

An insulating layer 809 is provided on the source electrode 808a or the drain electrode 808b.

A flattening film 811 is provided on the insulating layer 809. As the material of the flattening film 811, an organic material such as photosensitive acrylic or polyimide can be used. By providing the flattening film 811, the step by the transistor 820 can be flattened.

Transparent conductive films 812a and 812b are provided on the flattening film 811. The transparent conductive film 812a is connected to the source electrode 808a or the drain electrode 808b via the opening of the flattening film 811 and the insulating layer 809.

An insulating layer 813 is provided on the transparent conductive films 812a and 812b. The insulating layer 813 is provided with an opening in a region overlapping the transparent conductive film 812a and the source electrode 808a or the drain electrode 808b, and a region between the transparent conductive film 812a and the transparent conductive film 812b of the adjacent pixel.

A pixel electrode 822 is provided on the insulating layer 813. The pixel electrode 822 is connected to the transparent conductive film 812a via the opening of the insulating layer 813. In this embodiment, the pixel electrode 822 is formed as a reflective electrode. The reflective electrode may have a laminated structure of, for example, a transparent conductive material such as IZO (zinc oxide) or ITO (indium tin oxide) and a material having a high reflectance such as Ag.

An insulating layer 825 serving as a partition wall is provided at the boundary between the pixel electrode 822 and the pixel electrode 822 of the adjacent pixel. The insulating layer 825 is also called a bank or rib. As the material of the insulating layer 825, the same organic material as the material of the flattening film 811 can be used. The insulating layer 825 is opened so as to expose a part of the pixel electrode 822.

Here, the flattening film 811 and the insulating layer 825 are in contact with each other at the opening provided in the insulating layer 813. By having such a configuration, the moisture and gas desorbed from the flattening film 811 during the heat treatment at the time of forming the insulating layer 825 are removed from the insulating layer 825 through the opening of the insulating layer 813. Can be done. As a result, peeling at the interface between the flattening film 811 and the insulating layer 825 can be suppressed.

After forming the insulating layer 825, the organic layer 823 forming the organic EL element 840 is formed. In the organic layer 823, at least a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, and an electron transport layer are laminated in this order from the pixel electrode 822 side. Further, in FIG. 9, the organic layer 823 is selectively provided for each pixel 709, but the light emitting layer of the organic layer 823 is selectively provided for each pixel 709, and the hole transport layer and the electrons are provided. The transport layer may be provided so as to cover all the pixels. These layers are formed using the thin film deposition apparatus 100. Further, not only the hole transport layer and the electron transport layer but also the light emitting layer may be provided so as to cover all the pixels. When the light emitting layer is provided so as to cover all the pixels, it is possible to obtain white light in all the pixels and extract a desired color wavelength portion by a color filter (not shown).

After the formation of the organic layer 823, the counter electrode 824 is formed. In the present embodiment, since the organic EL element 840 has a top emission structure, the counter electrode 824 needs to have light transmission. The top emission structure refers to a structure in which light is emitted from a counter electrode 824 arranged on a pixel electrode 822 with an organic layer 823 sandwiched between them. In the present embodiment, an MgAg thin film that allows light emitted from the organic EL layer to pass through is formed as the counter electrode 824. According to the formation order of the organic layer 823 described above, the pixel electrode 822 serves as an anode and the counter electrode 824 serves as a cathode.

A sealing film 850 is provided on the counter electrode 824 of the organic EL element 840. One of the functions of the sealing film 850 is to prevent moisture from the outside from entering the organic layer 823, and the sealing film 850 is required to have a high gas barrier property. Therefore, the sealing film 850 preferably contains an inorganic insulating film. As the structure of the sealing film 850, for example, a laminated structure of the first inorganic insulating film 831, the first organic insulating film 832, and the second inorganic insulating film 833 can be used.

As the material of the first inorganic insulating film 831 and the second inorganic insulating film 833, for example, silicon nitride or aluminum nitride can be used. The first inorganic insulating film 831 and the second inorganic insulating film 833 may be made of the same material.

As the material of the first organic insulating film 832, for example, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, polyimide resin, silicone resin, fluororesin, siloxane resin and the like can be used.

Subsequently, the structure above the sealing film 850 will be described.

A second organic insulating film 834 is provided on the sealing film 850 so as to cover the first region 703. The second organic insulating film 834 can function as a mask for etching the first inorganic insulating film 831 and the second inorganic insulating film 833. As the material of the second organic insulating film 834, for example, an adhesive material such as an acrylic resin, a rubber resin, a silicone resin, or a urethane resin can be used.

A polarizing plate 702 is provided on the second organic insulating film 834. The polarizing plate 702 has a laminated structure including a quarter wave plate and a linear polarizing plate. With this configuration, the light from the light emitting region can be emitted to the outside from the surface of the polarizing plate 702 on the display side.

The display device 700 may be provided with a cover glass on the polarizing plate 702, if necessary. A touch sensor or the like may be formed on the cover glass or the sealing film. In this case, in order to fill the gap between the polarizing plate 702 and the cover glass, a filler using a resin or the like can be sealed.

As described above, according to the display device 700 according to the present embodiment, since the organic layer 823 of the organic EL element 840 is formed by using the vapor deposition device 100, the displacement of the organic layer 823 in the pixel 709 is suppressed, and the insulating layer 825 is suppressed. An organic layer 823 is uniformly formed on the top. Further, even when the light emitting layer is provided so as to cover all the pixels, the positional deviation at the end of the first region 703 is suppressed.

Each embodiment can be implemented by appropriately combining configurations as long as they do not contradict each other. Further, the present invention also includes one in which a person skilled in the art appropriately adds, deletes, or changes the design of the components based on the configuration of each embodiment, or adds, omits, or changes the conditions of the process. As long as it has the gist of the above, it is included in the scope of the present invention.

Further, even if other effects different from the effects brought about by the above-described embodiments of the above-described embodiments, those that are clear from the description of the present specification or those that can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art are referred to. Naturally, it is understood that it is brought about by the present invention.

100: thin-film deposition equipment, 110: thin-film deposition source, 120: support, 130: substrate clamp, 130-1: first substrate clamp, 130-2: second substrate clamp, 140: optical sensor, 140-1: 1st optical sensor, 140-2: 2nd optical sensor, 140-3: 3rd optical sensor, 140-4: 4th optical sensor, 140-5: 5th optical sensor, 140-6: 6th optical sensor, 150: Clamp for vapor deposition mask, 150-1: Clamp for first vapor deposition mask, 150-2: Clamp for second vapor deposition mask, 150-3: Clamp for third vapor deposition mask, 150-4: Clamp for fourth vapor deposition mask , 150-5: Clamp for 5th vapor deposition mask, 150-6: Clamp for 6th vapor deposition mask, 160: Adjustment part, 160-1: 1st adjustment part, 160-2: 2nd adjustment part, 160-3: 3rd adjustment part, 160-4: 4th adjustment part, 160-5: 5th adjustment part, 160-6: 6th adjustment part, 170: magnet part, 180: alignment camera, 190: board side adjustment part , 190-1: 1st substrate side adjustment part, 190-2: 2nd substrate side adjustment part, 200: vapor deposition mask, 210: mask frame, 220: metal mask, 230: opening, 300: substrate, 700: display Equipment, 701: Substrate, 701a: First resin layer, 701b: Inorganic layer, 701c: Second resin layer, 702: Plate plate, 703: First region, 704: Scan line drive circuit, 706: Driver IC, 707: Terminal, 708: Flexible printed circuit board, 709: Pixels, 710: Second area, 711: Scanning line, 712: Signal line, 714: Drive power line, 716: Reference power line, 730: Folded area, 740: Light emission Element, 802: Undercoat layer, 802a: Silicon oxide layer, 802b: Silicon nitride layer, 802c: Silicon oxide layer, 803: Inorganic layer, 804: Semiconductor layer, 804a: Channel region, 804b: Low concentration impurity region, 804d: Source region, 804e: drain region, 805: gate insulating layer, 806a: gate electrode, 806b: conductive layer, 807: interlayer insulating layer, 808a: source electrode, 808b: drain electrode, 809: insulating layer, 810: transistor, 811 : Flattening film, 812a: Transparent conductive film, 812b: Transparent conductive film, 813: Insulation layer, 820: Transistor, 8 22: Pixel electrode, 823: Organic layer, 824: Counter electrode, 825: Insulation layer, 830: Capacitive element, 831: First inorganic insulating film, 832: First organic insulating film, 833: Second inorganic insulating film, 834 : Second organic insulating film, 840: Organic EL element, 850: Sealing film

Claims (25)

A method for manufacturing a display device that vapor-deposits an organic material on a substrate using a thin-film deposition mask.
The vapor deposition mask is placed so as to face the substrate.
_{The first gap (l 1} ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the first position was detected.
_{The second gap (l 2} ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the second position was detected.
A method for manufacturing a display device that adjusts _{the first gap (l 1} ) and the second gap (l ₂ ) so as to satisfy the formula 3.

(L ₁₂ : Distance between the first position and the second position) The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 1, which satisfies the formula 4.

_{Further, a third gap (l 3} ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the third position is detected.
The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first gap (l ₁ ) and the third gap (l _{3) are adjusted so as to satisfy the formula 5.}

(L ₁₃ : Distance between the first position and the third position) The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 3, which satisfies the formula 6.

The method for manufacturing a display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first position is located above the second position in the vertical direction. The method for manufacturing a display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the first position and the second position is any one near the four corners of the substrate. The method for manufacturing a display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the first gap (l ₁ ) and the second gap (l _{2) is adjusted in synchronization.} A method for manufacturing a display device that vapor-deposits an organic material on a substrate using a thin-film deposition mask.
The substrate is placed upright in the vertical direction,
The vapor deposition mask is placed so as to face the substrate.
The first gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the first position was detected.
A second gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the second position was detected.
A method for manufacturing a display device that simultaneously adjusts the first position and the second position so that the difference between the first gap and the second gap becomes small. It has n detection positions (n is a natural number of 3 or more) including the first position and the second position, and detects each gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the first to nth positions. ,
The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 8, wherein the nth position is simultaneously adjusted from the first position so that the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of each of the gaps becomes small. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 9, wherein the first position to the nth position are provided in the vicinity of the end portion of the substrate. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 10, wherein the substrate is rectangular, and all or a part of the first position to the nth position is provided at four corners of the substrate. Means for arranging the vapor deposition mask facing the substrate,
A first detection unit that detects a _{first gap (l 1} ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the first position, and
A second detection unit that detects a _{second gap (l 2} ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the second position,
The first adjusting unit for adjusting the first gap (l _{1) and}
A second adjusting unit for adjusting the second gap (l _{2) is included.}
The first adjusting unit and the second adjusting unit are a thin-film deposition apparatus that adjusts _{the first gap (l 1} ) and the second gap (l _{2) so as to satisfy the equation 9.}

(L ₁₂ : Distance between the first position and the second position) The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 12, which satisfies the formula 10.

further,
A third detection unit that detects a _{third gap (l 3} ) between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the third position,
A third adjusting unit for adjusting the third gap (l _{3) is included.}
The 12th or 13th claim, wherein the first adjusting section and the third adjusting section adjust the first gap (l ₁ ) and the third gap (l _{3) so as to satisfy the formula 11.} Deposition equipment.

(L ₁₃ : Distance between the first position and the third position) The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 14, which satisfies the formula 12.

The vapor deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the first adjusting unit is located above the second adjusting unit in the vertical direction. The vapor deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein each of the first position and the second position is any one near the four corners of the substrate. The vapor deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the first adjusting unit and the second adjusting unit are synchronized. A means of arranging the vapor deposition mask facing the vertically arranged substrate, and
A first detection unit that detects a first gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the first position,
A second detection unit that detects a second gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask at the second position,
The first adjustment unit that adjusts the first gap and
Including a second adjusting unit for adjusting the second gap,
The first adjusting unit and the second adjusting unit are a thin-film deposition apparatus that simultaneously adjusts the first position and the second position so that the difference between the first gap and the second gap becomes small. It has n detection positions (n is a natural number of 3 or more) including the first position and the second position.
From the first detection unit to the nth detection unit that detects each gap between the substrate and the vapor deposition mask in the nth gap from the first gap to the nth position at the first position,
Including the first adjustment unit and the second adjustment unit, the first adjustment unit to the nth adjustment unit for adjusting each of the gaps are included.
The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the nth position is simultaneously adjusted from the first position so that the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of each of the gaps becomes small. The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the first position to the nth position are provided in the vicinity of the end portion of the substrate. The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the substrate is rectangular, and all or a part of the first position to the nth position is provided at four corners of the substrate. The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first adjusting portion and the second adjusting portion are provided on the vapor deposition mask side. The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising a substrate side adjusting portion for adjusting the position of the substrate on the side of the substrate opposite to the vapor deposition mask. A display device manufactured by the method for manufacturing a display device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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