JP2022020691A - Device manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable formation of a material substance for an electronic device by being atomized onto a substrate such as a film with high accuracy.

SOLUTION: A device manufacturing apparatus comprises: a rotational drum having an outer peripheral surface tightly winding one part of a longitudinal direction of a substrate within a predetermined angle range, and conveying the substrate in a longitudinal direction at a predetermined speed by being rotated around a shaft; a chamber forming a space along a front surface of the substrate over the predetermined range in a peripheral direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rotational drum to which the substrate is tightly adhered, and having a separation wall for being filled with a carrier gas containing mist injected into the space; a collection port that collects the carrier gas from the chamber so that the carrier gas supplied into the chamber flows along the peripheral direction of the outer periphery surface of the rotational drum in the space; and a dry unit that is provided to a conveying path of the substrate after it passes through the chamber, and drying a solvent by the mist adhered to the front surface of the substrate.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a device manufacturing apparatus.

In a large screen display element (display panel) such as a liquid crystal display element, a transparent electrode layer such as ITO, a semiconductor material layer such as Si, an insulating film layer, a metal film layer for wiring, etc. are placed on a flat glass substrate. A photoresist is applied on the deposited material to transfer a circuit pattern, and after the transfer, the photoresist is developed and then etched to form a circuit pattern or the like. However, since the glass substrate becomes larger as the screen of the display element becomes larger, there is a problem that the transfer device and the processing device of the substrate also become larger and the production line (factory) becomes huge. Therefore, a roll-to-roll method (hereinafter, simply "roll method") in which a display element is directly formed on a flexible substrate (for example, a film member such as polyimide, PET, metal leaf, an ultrathin glass sheet material, etc.) A technique called (referred to as ")" has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

When processing flexible film members by the roll method, the amount of various materials used and various forces (electric power, pneumatic pressure, refrigerant, etc.) used in manufacturing are reduced compared to the conventional production method. Therefore, an additive manufacturing method with less environmental load is desired. The manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 1 also does not use a conventional lithography method using a photoresist, and adheres the necessary material only to the necessary part for fine patterning such as TFT (thin film transistor) and wiring. The main product is a manufacturing method such as an inkjet method.

Further, Patent Document 2 describes a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) when a conductive ink material is selectively applied onto a film material to form an electrode layer or a wiring layer by such an inkjet method. After forming the layer) uniformly, the surface of the SAM layer is modified by irradiating it with patterned ultraviolet rays corresponding to the shapes of the electrodes and wiring, and then the ink material is applied. The method of coating is disclosed.

Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a method in which a mist of a material solution to be formed is applied and patterned on a substrate via a shadow mask as a method in which high productivity can be expected. Similar to the inkjet method, Patent Document 3 also discloses that a shadow mask is superposed on the substrate to form a pattern after giving contrasts due to liquid friendship and liquid repellency to the surface of the substrate in advance. In the experimental example, it is assumed that a 0.5 mm × 12 mm opening pattern on the shadow mask is formed on the substrate with the same dimensions.

International Publication WO2008 / 129819 Pamphlet International Publication No. WO2010 / 00137 Pamphlet Japanese Patent No. 4387775

However, in the inkjet method, functional materials such as nano-inked conductive materials are selectively applied to the specified area on the substrate as small droplets from the ink ejection head, so that the pattern size (line width and line width) When the dot size) is as small as 20 μm or less, for example, due to the poor landing accuracy of the ink droplets from the head, the substrate is preliminarily provided with a contrast due to the liquid-retaining property and the liquid-repellent property, and the water-repellent part is provided. There is a problem that it is difficult to perform beautiful patterning even if the ink is concentrated on the surface. Of course, it is conceivable to devise an ink ejection head and an ink material to further reduce the number of ink droplets ejected at one time from the nozzle of the head, but there is a problem that productivity is significantly reduced.

On the other hand, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 3, since the shadow masks are arranged at intervals with respect to the substrate, the pattern size formed on the substrate is generally larger than the opening pattern on the shadow mask. There is a problem. In Patent Document 3, since a large pattern of 500 μm × 1200 μm is transferred, even if the pattern edge is thickened by about 5 μm or 10 μm, the influence is small. However, in the case of a fine pattern of 20 μm or less, it is a big problem that the pattern edge is thickened by about 5 μm or 10 μm, and when a plurality of such fine patterns are adjacent to each other, the adjacent patterns are connected. There is also the problem of getting rid of it.

Furthermore, a contrast between liquid-repellent and liquid-repellent properties is imparted to the surface of the substrate, and even when a shadow mask is used in combination, a relative misalignment between the shadow mask and the liquid-repellent treated substrate occurs, so that it is fine. The pattern is limited by the accuracy of the shadow mask. It is also necessary to prepare in advance to uniformly form a liquid-repellent layer made of a liquid-repellent material on the surface of the liquid-repellent substrate, and selectively remove the liquid-repellent layer and pattern it using photolithography technology. there were. In addition to that, there is a problem that it is difficult to manufacture a linear pattern or a contact hole (via hole) pattern having a fine line width of 20 μm or less as a shadow mask in the first place.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and provides a device manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a material substance for an electronic device on a substrate such as a film with high precision. With the goal.

In the first aspect of the present invention, the mist contained in the carrier gas is attached to the surface of a long flexible substrate, and particles of the material substance contained in the mist are deposited on the surface of the substrate. A mist film forming apparatus for forming a thin film made of a material, which has an outer peripheral surface around which a part of the substrate in a long direction is closely wound in a predetermined angle range, and is rotated around an axis to form the above-mentioned. A space along the surface of the substrate is formed over a predetermined range in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum to which the substrate is in close contact with the rotary drum that conveys the substrate in a long direction at a predetermined speed. A chamber having a partition wall for filling the carrier gas containing the mist ejected therein, and the carrier gas supplied into the chamber flow in the space along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum. A recovery port for collecting the carrier gas from the chamber so as to flow, and a drying unit provided in the transport path of the substrate after passing through the chamber to dry the solution of the mist adhering to the surface of the substrate. A device manufacturing apparatus equipped with, is provided.

In the present invention, it is possible to form a fine pattern on a substrate with higher accuracy than a printing method or an inkjet method, and a thin film layer made of a substance that should be selectively patterned with a thickness having good uniformity is simplified. Can be formed into.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a chemical structure of a photosensitive silane coupling agent adhered to a substrate. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a pixel circuit of an active matrix type display. 4A is a plan view showing the transistor structure of the pixel circuit of FIG. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4B-4B in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a part of units of the substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing various patterns formed on a sheet as a substrate to be processed. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a part of units of the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4B. FIG. 1 shows a schematic overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus, and in the present embodiment, the flexible substrate P supplied from the supply roll FR1 is typically sequentially fed to four processing units U1, U2, U3, and U4. After that, it is configured to be wound up by the recovery roll FR2, and while the substrate P is sent from the supply roll RF1 to the recovery roll RF2, a fine pattern made of a functional material is precisely formed on the substrate P.

The processing unit (functional layer forming portion) U1 is provided with, for example, a transfer drum GPa for printing, and is a photosensitive parent-liquid-repellent coupling agent, for example, a silane coupling having a fluorine group having a liquid-repellent property on nitrobenzyl. The agent is uniformly applied to at least the entire pattern forming region on the surface of the substrate P. Since a pattern is not normally formed on the back surface of the substrate P, a water-repellent film is coated on the back surface of the substrate P with a transfer drum Gpb so that unnecessary deposition does not occur in the mist deposition in the subsequent process. You may leave it.

As an example, the photosensitive silane coupling agent (photosensitive SAM) used in the present embodiment is composed of a chemical formula as shown in FIG. 2, and the details thereof are, for example, on June 19, 2009, an incorporated administrative agency. Paper 1: "Cell patterning technology using near-ultraviolet light using a surface modifier" presented at the "New Technology Briefing Session" held by the Japan Science and Technology Agency, or JP-A-2003-321479, JP-A-2008-050321. It is disclosed in the Gazette.

In FIG. 2, the silane coupling agent having a fluorine group applied to the surface of the substrate P has a liquid-repellent region HPB having a fluorine group on the surface when the solvent is dried after the application. When the surface is irradiated with ultraviolet UV for patterning at a predetermined illuminance for a predetermined time, the bonds of the fluorine groups are broken, and the portion thereof has a relatively low liquid repellency and becomes a pro-liquid region HPR. In the experimental example shown in JP-A-2008-05321, the contact angle of the surface of the substrate in the unirradiated region of ultraviolet rays is 110 ° (water repellency), and the substrate is made of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) after irradiation with ultraviolet rays. It is disclosed that the contact angle of the region irradiated with ultraviolet rays was reduced to about 20 ° (changed to positivity) by washing with an aqueous solution.

The substrate P coated with the coupling agent is sufficiently dried (heat-treated at 200 ° C. or lower) in the next processing unit U2, and then sent to the processing unit U3 (patterning unit), where the pattern is displayed. A predetermined amount of the converted ultraviolet light energy is applied to the layer (functional layer) of the surface of the substrate P by the coupling agent. The processing unit U3 includes a drum mask DM on which a mask for fine patterns is formed, a light source in the ultraviolet region (wavelength 400 nm or less), and an illumination system IU and a drum mask DM that irradiate the drum mask DM with ultraviolet illumination light. A projection optical system PL or the like that forms an image of ultraviolet rays patterned by the above on the substrate P is provided. The processing unit U3 is a stepper type or scan type exposure device, but may be a beam scanning type drawing machine, a maskless exposure machine using a DMD or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, immediately after the photosensitive silane coupling agent is applied to the surface of the substrate P and dried, a liquid-repellent fluorine group is bonded to nitrobenzyl, and that portion is a liquid-repellent region. Although it is HPB, when ultraviolet UV is irradiated with a predetermined amount of energy, the nitrobenzyl group of the irradiated part reacts and the bond of the fluorine group is broken, the liquid repellency of that part is lowered, and the parent liquid is used. It becomes the region of sex HPR. That is, the optical pattern generated by the drum mask DM is transferred on the substrate P as a pattern that forms a contrast due to the difference in liquid repellency.

In order to remove the unbonded fluorine group from the surface of the substrate P, the substrate P exposed by the processing unit U3 is washed with TMAH as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-050321 and then dried. It is desirable to let it. For that purpose, a cleaning tank using TMAH, a cleaning tank using pure water, a drying unit, and the like are provided between the processing unit U3 and the processing unit U4.

The substrate P that has undergone the exposure treatment (or the cleaning / drying treatment) is then sent to the treatment unit (mist depositing portion) U4. In the processing unit U4, a so-called mist deposition method is applied, and the principle apparatus configuration for that is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-307238, and the mist deposition method thereof is disclosed. An example of an experiment in which a thin film of zinc oxide (ZnO) was deposited was described in Paper 2: Kyoto University Publishing, "Study on Mist CVD Method and Its Application to Zinc Oxide Thin Film Growth" (published March 24, 2008) [ URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2433/57270], pages 35, 43-65.

In the processing unit U4, an atomizer that uses an ultrasonic transducer to mist a liquid (functional solution) containing molecules and particles of the raw material material to be deposited on the affinity region HPR of the substrate P. The GS1 and the gas supply unit GS2 that supplies a carrier gas such as nitrogen (N ₂ ), argon (Ar), and air (O ₂ ) at a predetermined flow rate are mixed with the carrier gas at a predetermined concentration. A mixer ULW, a reaction chamber TC that brings the mixed gas into contact with the surface of the substrate P at a predetermined flow velocity, and a recovery port portion De that recovers the gas in the chamber TC are provided.

As the raw material, a solution containing molecules and carbon nanotubes to be an oxide semiconductor or an organic semiconductor, a solution for electrodes or wiring containing metal nanoparticles, or a solution having a molecular structure to be an insulating film is selected. When zinc oxide (ZnO) was selected as the raw material, as disclosed in the previous paper 2, the atomizer GS1 was supplied with a ZnAc ₂ , 98% _H2O solution, and the internal 2. The ZnAc ₂ solution is mistized by the 4 MHz ultrasonic oscillator. The mist is sent into the reaction chamber TC together with the carrier gas, and the raw material substance (mist) is selectively captured in the arsenic region HPR on the surface of the substrate P traveling in the chamber TC at a constant speed.

The substrate P that has been mist-deposited in the processing unit U4 is sent to a drying (heating) unit or the like (not shown), and solvent components and the like are removed from the raw material substances deposited in the liquid-friendly region HPR on the surface of the substrate P. Then, it is continuously sent to a downstream processing step, and after an appropriate processing step, it is taken up by a recovery roll FR2. In this way, on the substrate P that has passed through the processing unit U4, a thin film layer made of the raw material is deposited as a pattern having a shape that imitates the lyophilic region HPR.

By the way, in general, in an active matrix type display panel (AMOLED) using an organic EL as a light emitting body, a pixel circuit by a thin film transistor (TFT) as shown in FIG. 3 is provided for each pixel (subpixel). .. In FIG. 3, the light emitting diode OLED as an organic EL element is driven by two transistors TR1 for pixel switching and a transistor TR2 for current drive. A brightness signal Yc corresponding to the pixel is applied to the drain electrode D1 of the transistor TR1, and the transistor TR1 is turned on / off in response to a synchronous clock pulse Hcc applied to the gate electrode G1 of the transistor TR1.

When the transistor TR1 is turned on, the voltage level of the luminance signal Yc is held in the capacitor Cg and is applied to the gate electrode G2 of the transistor TR2. The transistor TR2 performs voltage / current conversion such that a drive current corresponding to the voltage applied to the gate electrode G2 flows from the drain electrode D2 to the source electrode S2. As a result, the current corresponding to the luminance signal Yc is supplied to the light emitting diode OLED from the power supply bus line Vdd, and the light emitting diode OLED emits light with the luminance corresponding to the magnitude of the current.

Such a pixel circuit is configured as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, for example. FIG. 4A shows a planar arrangement of only the transistors TR1 and TR2 in one pixel circuit, and FIG. 4B is a cross section taken along the line 4B-4B in FIG. 4A. Further, the transistors shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B are bottom gate type, and first, a printing method using conductive ink or an electroless plating method is performed in a recess formed on the upper surface of the substrate P by an imprint method or the like. The gate electrodes G1 and G2 are formed by the above. As shown in FIG. 4B, the gate insulating film Is is laminated on the gate insulating film Is, but here, not the entire surface of the substrate P but the source electrode S1 of the transistor TR1 and the gate electrode G2 of the transistor TR2 are electrically connected. The opening HA for connection is formed by a selective deposition method such as a printing method or an inkjet method so that the opening HA for connection is formed between the transistors TR1 and TR2. The layer of the gate electrode may be formed by the mist deposition method.

On the insulating film Is, a semiconductor layer MS made of an organic-based, oxide-based, carbon nanotube, or the like provided as a solution is selectively formed by a printing method, an inkjet method, or the like corresponding to the formation region of each transistor. Accumulated. After low-temperature annealing (200 ° C or less) for crystallization (orientation) of the semiconductor layer MS is completed, a pattern corresponding to the drain electrodes D1 and D2 and the source electrodes S1 and S2 is coated using conductive ink or the like. To. At this time, the gate electrode G2 of the transistor TR2 is exposed in the opening HA of the insulating film Is, and when the pattern corresponding to the source electrode S1 of the transistor TR1 is coated with the conductive ink or the like, the opening HA is used. Inside, the source electrode S1 and the gate electrode G2 are connected.

In the pixel circuit configured as described above, the process according to the present embodiment is, for example, a step of forming the gate electrodes G1 and G2, a step of forming the semiconductor layer MS, or the drain electrodes D1 and D2 and the source electrodes S1 and S2. Can be applied in the process of forming. However, in the thin film formation by the mist deposition method, the mist size when the solution containing the raw material is mist, the concentration of the raw material contained in the mist, and the concentration of the mist in the carrier gas (hereinafter collectively referred to as the mist concentration). It is desirable to optimize the flow velocity of the carrier gas, the temperature in the reaction chamber TC, etc. in the size of the pattern to be formed.

In the present embodiment, in order to efficiently form a fine pattern similar to that of the conventional photolithography method by the mist deposition method, a material (silane coupling) in which the parent liquid and the liquid repellent change depending on the photosensitivity on the substrate P. The agent) is applied, and the substrate P is irradiated with finely patterned light to form a high-definition pattern having a water-repellent contrast. Therefore, on the surface of the substrate P, the region HPR having high liquid repellent property has a higher surface energy than the region HPB having high liquid repellent property, so that mist easily adheres to the surface, and the raw material is selective. Accumulation is possible.

Here, the surface energy of the region HPB having high liquid repellency is Epb, the surface energy of the region HPR having high liquid repellency is Epr, the surface energy of the solvent of mist is Em, the mist diameter is φm, and the dimensions of the pattern to be formed ( If the minimum line width, etc.) is ΔDp, the relationship is set so as to satisfy one or both of the following relationships I and II.
Relationship I: Surface energy Epb <Eem <Epr
Relationship II: Mist size (diameter) 0.2 · ΔDp <φm <ΔDp

When the mist diameter φm is larger than the minimum line width ΔDp to be patterned, the mist sticks out and adheres to the region HPR (line width ΔDp) having high liquidity, but the mist is self-made. It grows into a large mist with surface energy, and may flow out of the region HPR with high positivity. Therefore, a mist diameter that is larger than the pattern size (ΔDp) to be formed is not preferable. On the other hand, if it is too small, the deposition time for pattern formation will be too long, and the productivity will be reduced.

As an example, in the pixel circuits shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the pattern line width of the drain electrode and the source electrode constituting the transistors TR1 and TR2 is about 20 μm, the pattern line width of the gate electrode is about 6 μm, and the size of the semiconductor layer MS. When is about 40 × 30 μm, the mist size φm when the gate electrode is formed by the mist deposition method is 1.2 μm <φm <6 μm, and when the semiconductor layer MS is formed by the mist deposition method. The mist size φm is 6 μm <φm <30 μm. Since the optimum thickness of the electrode (wiring) layer, semiconductor layer, insulating film, etc. for forming the TFT differs in terms of electrical performance, the thickness of the pattern to be deposited is different in the reaction chamber TC. Adjustments such as changing the mist concentration, changing the transfer speed of the substrate P and the flow velocity of the mist gas, and changing the temperature in the reaction chamber TC are required.

The process shown in FIG. 1 is for forming one layer by the mist deposition method, and for forming several layers of a device having a large number of layer structures by the mist deposition method. , The set of the processing units U1 to U4 in FIG. 1 may be serially connected by the number of layers, and the substrate P may be sequentially conveyed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a device manufacturing system embodying the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a partial configuration of a device manufacturing system (flexible display manufacturing line). The flexible substrate P (sheet, film, etc.) drawn out from the supply roll FR1 is sequentially wound up on the recovery roll FR2 via n processing devices U1, U2, U3, U4, U5, ..., Un. The examples up to are shown. The upper control device 5 controls the processing devices U1 to Un constituting the production line in an integrated manner.

In FIG. 5, the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ is set so that the front surface (or back surface) of the substrate P is perpendicular to the XZ plane, and the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction (long direction) of the substrate P is set in the Y direction. It shall be done. The substrate P is subjected to a predetermined pretreatment in advance to be surface-modified to strengthen the adhesion of the photosensitive silane coupling agent, or the surface is finely patterned for precision patterning. A partition wall structure (concave and convex structure) may be formed.

The substrate P wound around the supply roll FR1 is drawn out by the nipped drive roller DR1 and conveyed to the processing apparatus U1, but the center of the substrate P in the Y direction (width direction) is targeted by the edge position controller EPC1. Servo control is performed so that the position is within the range of ± tens of μm to several tens of μm.

The processing device U1 is a coating device that continuously or selectively applies a photosensitive functional liquid (photosensitive silane coupling agent) to the surface of the substrate P by a printing method in the transport direction (long direction) of the substrate P. .. Inside the processing device U1, an impression roller DR2 around which the substrate P is wound, a coating roller for uniformly applying the photosensitive functional liquid on the surface of the substrate P on the impression roller DR2, or a photosensitive function. A coating mechanism Gp1 including a printing plate body roller for patterning and coating the liquid, and a drying mechanism Gp2 for rapidly removing the solvent or moisture contained in the photosensitive functional liquid coated on the substrate P are provided. Has been done.

The processing device U2 is a heating device for heating the substrate P conveyed from the processing device U1 to a predetermined temperature (for example, about several tens to 120 ° C.) to stabilize the photosensitive functional layer coated on the surface. Is. In the processing apparatus U2, a plurality of rollers and an air turn bar for folding back and transporting the substrate P, a heating chamber portion HA1 for heating the carried-in substrate P, and the temperature of the heated substrate P are set in a post-process (. A cooling chamber portion HA2 for lowering the temperature so as to be uniform with the environmental temperature of the processing apparatus U3), a nipped drive roller DR3, and the like are provided.

The processing device U3 that performs patterning is an exposure device that irradiates the photosensitive functional layer of the substrate P conveyed from the processing device U2 with ultraviolet patterning light corresponding to a circuit pattern for display and a wiring pattern. The edge position controller EPC that controls the center of the substrate P in the Y direction (width direction) to a fixed position, the nipped drive roller DR4, and the substrate P are partially wound in the processing device U3 with a predetermined tension, and the substrate P is partially wound. A rotating drum DR5 (impressor body) that supports the portion exposed to the pattern on P in a uniform cylindrical surface, and two sets of drive rollers DR6 and DR7 for giving a predetermined slack (play) DL to the substrate P. Etc. are provided.

Further, in the processing device U3, a transmissive cylindrical mask DM (mask unit) and a lighting mechanism IU (mask unit) provided in the cylindrical mask DM and illuminating the mask pattern formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical mask DM with ultraviolet rays ( In order to relatively align the image of a part of the mask pattern of the cylindrical mask DM and the substrate P with the part of the substrate P supported by the illumination unit 10) and the rotary drum DR5 in a cylindrical surface shape. Alignment microscopes AM1 and AM2 for detecting an alignment mark or the like formed in advance on the substrate P are provided.

The processing device U4 is a processing device that performs mist deposition on the photosensitive functional layer of the substrate P conveyed from the processing device U3, and supplies the atomizer GS1 and the carrier gas shown in FIG. 1 above. In addition to the GS2, mixer ULW, reaction chamber TC, and recovery port De, the differential exhaust chambers DE1 and DE2 provided in the front and rear stages of the reaction chamber TC, and the mist-ized raw materials that pass through the reaction chamber TC. A temperature control mechanism HP that adjusts the temperature of the gas of the substance and the temperature of the substrate P to be transported, and a dust collection mechanism RT that captures molecules and particles of the raw material substance contained in the gas recovered via the recovery port portion De. , A unit control unit CUC that comprehensively controls the operation of the processing device U4 is provided.

Mist deposition can atomize solutions of various raw material substances, but among those substances, carbon nanotubes (hereinafter referred to as CNTs) are harmful to the human body when scattered in the atmosphere. There is also. Therefore, the reaction chamber TC has a highly airtight structure, and the difference is that the mist-ized gas containing the raw material is sealed so that it does not leak to the outside of the device while enabling the transfer of the substrate P to the front and rear stages. The dynamic and exhaust chambers DE1 and DE2 are provided. As for the configuration of the atomizer GS1 and the carrier gas supply unit GS2, those disclosed in the previous paper 2 can be used, and an ultrasonic oscillator is provided in the atomizer GS1. The oscillation frequency and oscillation intensity are adjusted according to the required mist size.

The processing apparatus U5 warms the substrate P conveyed from the processing apparatus U4, dries the raw material material deposited on the liquid-friendly region HPR of the substrate P by the mist deposition method, and determines the water content. It is a heating and drying device that adjusts to the value, but details are omitted. After that, the substrate P that has passed through the final processing apparatus Un of the series of processes through several processing devices is wound up on the recovery roll FR2 via the nipped drive roller DR1. Even during the winding, the edge position controller EPC2 is used to prevent the center of the substrate P in the Y direction (width direction) or the edge of the substrate in the Y direction from being scattered in the Y direction, so that the drive roller DR1 and the recovery roll FR2 are Y. The relative position in the direction is sequentially corrected and controlled.

The host control device 5 comprehensively controls each of the processing devices U1 to Un in FIG. 5, but various measurement sensors for measuring the state of the pattern formed on the substrate P and the transport state of the substrate P are controlled. In response to signals from various sensors to be monitored, feed-back control and feed-forward control on the process are also performed at key points. In the above device manufacturing system, as the processing device U3, an exposure device capable of precisely patterning a fine pattern is used, so that the boundary of the water-repellent portion formed on the substrate P becomes extremely clear and the boundary of the liquid-repellent portion is extremely clear on the substrate P. Since the method is to deposit the mist-ized raw material on the HPR, which is a liquor-friendly region, it is possible to form a fine pattern with high accuracy.

According to the manufacturing method using the manufacturing system as described above, since the patterning applies the same exposure method as the photolithography method to the photosensitive functional material, the printing method, the inkjet method or the metal mask (shadow mask) Compared with the method, high-precision and fine patterning is possible. Furthermore, since the expensive equipment used in the conventional photolithography process such as a vacuum film forming apparatus and an etching apparatus is not used, and the raw material can be deposited only on the part to be deposited, unnecessary parts are removed by etching. There is no need to do this, and the advantage of having a low environmental load can be obtained.

(Third Embodiment)
In the processing apparatus U4 for mist deposition shown in FIG. 5, the above relationship I or relationship II is satisfied, and the mist concentration, gas flow velocity, temperature, transfer speed of the substrate P, etc. in the reaction chamber TC are determined. It is preferable to set it as an adjustment parameter. This is to control the film thickness and the density of the raw material deposited in the region HPR having high liquidity on the substrate P. Furthermore, a function is provided to measure the film thickness of the raw material deposited in the region HPR with high affinity, and the mist deposition processing time and conditions (adjustment parameters) can be dynamically changed according to the measured value. Is also useful.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the processing device U4 for mist deposition shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a function of measuring the thickness of the deposited pattern, and the configuration of the same function as the member in FIG. 5 is shown. It has the same code. In FIG. 6, the substrate P maintains a predetermined tension in the reaction chamber TC by the drive roller DR8 provided in the differential exhaust chamber DE1 and the drive roller DR9 provided in the differential exhaust chamber DE2. Sent in the direction.

In the present embodiment, a first nozzle NZ1 for ejecting a mistized gas of a solution containing a raw material substance is connected from the mixer ULW1 to the surface of the substrate P at a position close to the differential exhaust chamber DE1 in the reaction chamber TC. A second nozzle NZ2 for ejecting a mist-ized gas of a solution containing a raw material is connected to the downstream thereof from the mixer ULW2. The two mixers ULW1 and ULW2 are appropriately controlled by the unit control unit CUC so that the mist concentrations contained in the gas ejected from the nozzles NZ1 and NZ2 are the same or different. The mist concentration changes the mixing ratio of the carrier gas supplied from the supply unit GS2 (see FIG. 5) to each of the mixers ULW1 and ULW2 and the mist gas supplied from the atomizer GS1 (see FIG. 5). Can be realized with.

A nozzle VT for sucking and recovering the gas ejected from the nozzles NZ1 and NZ2 is provided at a position close to the differential exhaust chamber DE2 downstream in the reaction chamber TC, and the gas in the chamber TC is an exhaust unit. It is sent to the collection port unit De at a flow rate controlled by Exo. By adjusting the total flow rate of the gas ejected from the nozzles NZ1 and NZ2 and the gas flow rate sucked by the nozzle VT, a gas flow is created in the chamber TC along the transport direction (X direction) of the substrate P. be able to. The flow can be slower, faster, or the same with respect to the transport speed of the substrate P.

In the configuration of FIG. 6, the mist deposition is performed between the nozzle NZ1 or the nozzle NZ2 in the chamber TC and the flow path from the nozzle VT to the nozzle VT. Since it can be adjusted according to the transport speed of P, it is possible to form (deposit) a pattern so as to obtain a desired film thickness.

By the way, in the present embodiment, the layer thickness of the solution containing the raw material material deposited as mist on the substrate P is set at the most downstream position on the downstream side of the gas recovery nozzle VT in the reaction chamber TC. A measurement sensor TMS for measurement is provided, and the measured value is sent to the unit control unit CUC. The unit control unit CUC determines whether or not to adjust the processing conditions (mist concentration, gas flow velocity, temperature, etc.) in the chamber TC based on the measured values. When the transfer speed of the substrate P is changed as the adjustment of the processing conditions, the unit control unit CUC outputs the signal Ds1 to the drive motor for the drive roller DR9 (or DR8), and the rotation speed is adjusted.

As the measurement sensor TMS, an optical interferometry film thickness measuring instrument, a spectroscopic ellipsometer, etc. are used, but even at the most downstream position of the reaction chamber TC, the mist deposited on the substrate P contains a solvent (moisture). It may not be possible to accurately determine the thickness of a pattern that is densely formed from the raw material. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, after the processing device U5 that heats and dries the substrate P after the processing device U4 for mist deposition (after the differential exhaust chamber DE2), a pair of nip drive rollers NR1 and NR2 It is preferable to provide a pool portion of the substrate P composed of the dancer roller DSR, and immediately after that, provide a film thickness measurement sensor TMS.

By doing so, immediately after the pooled portion of the substrate P, the pattern to be measured on the substrate P can be positioned directly under the measurement sensor TMS, and the substrate P can be stationary for a certain period of time (for example, several seconds). The measurement time of TMS can be secured. The time during which the substrate P can be stationary is determined by the velocity Vo of the substrate P carried out from the processing device U5 and the swing stroke Ld in the Z direction of the dancer roller DSR. For example, assuming that the velocity Vo of the substrate P is 5 cm / s and the stroke Ld is 50 cm, the substrate P can be stationary for up to 20 seconds at the position of the measurement sensor TMS immediately after the pool portion.

In the measurement sensor TMS after the processing apparatus U5, since the liquid component is removed from the pattern layer of the raw material material deposited by the mist deposition, the thickness thereof can be accurately measured. It is desirable that both the measurement sensor TMS in the reaction chamber TC and the measurement sensor TMS after the processing device U5 can measure the film thickness of a fine pattern (for example, a line width of 20 μm or less). For example, the product names ST2000-DLXn and ST4000-DLX of the optical interferometry film thickness meter sold by K-MAC of South Korea are microscope type, so they are easy to incorporate, and the diameter of the optical spot for measurement is several μm. It is small and the measurement time is within a few seconds. In addition, the product name Lambda Ace VM-1020 / 1030 of the optical interferometry film thickness measuring device of Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd., the product name RE-8000 equipped with a spectroscopic ellipsometer, etc. are used as the measurement sensor TMS after the processing device U5. You can also use it.

When measuring the thickness of the pattern due to the raw material deposited on the substrate P by the measurement sensor TMS as described above, a specific layer of the TFT portion or wiring portion of the device (display panel) formed on the substrate P is formed. Although direct measurement may be performed, a test pattern (mark) forming region for thickness measurement is provided outside the device forming region on the substrate P, and the thickness of the raw material deposited therein is measured. Is also good. An example of providing such a test pattern will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an arrangement of a plurality of device (display panel) regions 100 formed on the substrate P and a plurality of marker regions MK1 to MK5 on which a test pattern is formed. Here, it is assumed that a television display panel having an aspect ratio of 16: 9 and a screen size of 32 inches is manufactured, and the longitudinal direction of the display panel area 100 is arranged in the long direction (X direction) of the substrate P. Each panel region 100 is arranged with a predetermined margin in the long direction of the substrate P, and a constant width margin is set on both sides of the substrate P in the width direction (Y direction). Three marker regions MK1, MK2, and MK3 are provided in the margin portion between the panel regions 100 separated in the Y direction, and two marker regions MK4, are also provided on both sides of each panel region 100 in the Y direction. MK5 is provided.

Here, three measurement sensors TMS shown in FIG. 6 are provided apart from each other in the width direction of the substrate P corresponding to the arrangement of the marker regions MK1 to MK5. The marker regions MK1 to MK5 can be observed by any of the measurement fields St1, St2, and St3 of each measurement sensor TMS. Of the marker regions MK1 to MK5, the same test pattern is formed in each of the three marker regions MK1 to MK3 arranged in the Y direction.

An example of the test pattern, represented by the marker region MK1, is shown in the lower dashed circle in FIG. A large number of test patterns can be formed in the marker region MK1, but line-and-space-shaped test patterns with different line widths, such as MPa, MPd, MPe, MPg, MPh, circular test patterns MPb, and rectangular large tests. A pattern MPc, a two-dimensional dot-shaped test pattern MPf, or the like can be arranged. The line & space-shaped test pattern is a set of one in the pitch direction in the X direction and one in the Y direction. Further, the test pattern MPe is formed by arranging a plurality of L-shaped lines in an oblique 45 ° direction, and the test pattern MPh is formed as a 45 ° diagonal grid pattern.

The line width of the line & space can be determined according to the size of the pattern formed by the mist deposition. For example, when an electrode pattern or wiring pattern having a line width of 20 μm is generated in the panel region 100 of the substrate P by mist deposition, the line width of the test pattern is changed to, for example, 40 μm, 30 μm, 20 μm, or 15 μm. In the exposure process of the processing apparatus U3, the four sets are exposed together with the mask pattern for the panel area 100. As for the other test patterns MPb, MPc, and MPf, those necessary for measurement are exposed together in the exposure process of the processing apparatus U3.

The marker areas MK4 and MK5 arranged on both sides of the panel area 100 in the Y direction have a single line-shaped test pattern having a width of about several mm in the Y direction and a length of several tens of mm in the X direction. You may try to form only. In this way, when the test pattern is elongated in the long direction of the substrate P, for example, the measurement sensor TMS in the reaction chamber TC shown in FIG. 6 forms the substrate P in the marker regions MK4 and MK5 without stopping the transfer of the substrate P. It becomes easy to measure the film thickness of the test pattern to be performed.

By the way, the marker area MK1 and the marker area MK4 can be observed by the measurement sensor TMS having the measurement field of view St1, and the marker area MK2 can be observed by the measurement sensor TMS having the measurement field of view St2, and the marker area MK3 and the marker area can be observed. The MK5 can be observed by the measurement sensor TMS having the measurement field of view St3, but the film thickness of the test patterns of the marker areas MK1 to MK3 is measured by the measurement sensor TMS after the processing device U5 in FIG. The film thickness of the test patterns of MK4 and MK5 may be shared so as to be performed by the measurement sensor TMS in the reaction chamber TC. Further, since a test pattern is formed in each marker region MK1 to MK5 by one mist deposition, when patterning the mist deposition over a plurality of layers, a marker is used for each layer. It is good to shift the positions of the regions MK1 to MK5.

Since there is no other base pattern layer in the marker regions MK1 to MK5 as described above, it is necessary to accurately measure the thickness of various test patterns formed by the processing apparatus U4 (mist deposition). Can be done. In addition, the size of the test pattern (line width, etc.) used for measurement can be selected (changed) according to the size of the device pattern (pattern in the display panel area 100), so it is possible to precisely control the film thickness conditions. Become. Further, by comparing the film thicknesses of the same type of test patterns in each of the three marker regions MK1 to MK3 between the panel regions 100, the difference in film forming conditions (unevenness of mist concentration, etc.) in the width direction of the substrate P can be determined. You can also check and correct. Further, the measurement sensor TMS may be provided with a sensor that measures not only the thickness of the formed pattern but also the line width and the like.

(Fourth Embodiment)
In FIG. 8, the mist deposition processing device U4 shown in FIG. 5 and the heat-drying processing device U5 are integrated, and the substrate P is wound around a rotating drum and conveyed while being mist-deposited. An example of the device for performing the above is shown.

In FIG. 8, the flexible substrate P to be carried in is wound around a rotary drum RD rotating around the shaft AX1 for more than half a circumference via a nip drive roller NDR and a tension roller DR10, and processed. It is folded back by the air turnstile ATB in the heating and drying unit 20 as the apparatus U5, and is carried out via the roller DR11, the roller DR12 for tension, and the nip drive roller NDR. Cylindrical partition walls constituting the reaction chamber TC are provided in the circumferential range around the rotary drum RD in the circumferential direction, and mist gas in the chamber TC is provided at both ends of the partition wall in the circumferential direction. An air seal bearing Pd is provided so as not to leak to the environment. Of course, an air seal bearing for closing the gap with the rotating drum RD is also provided at the end of the cylindrical partition wall constituting the chamber TC in the axis AX1 direction (Y direction).

As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, the mist from the atomizer GS1 and the gas from the carrier gas supply unit GS2 are mixed by the mixer ULW to become a mist-containing gas, and become a cylinder. It is supplied to one end side of the reaction chamber TC (the portion where the substrate P comes into contact with the rotary drum RD). The mist-containing gas travels along the surface of the substrate P wound around the rotary drum RD along a narrow cylindrical space, and is on the other end side of the cylindrical reaction chamber TC (the portion where the substrate P separates from the rotary drum RD). Then, it is exhausted from the collection port portion De.

In the present embodiment, since the back surface of the substrate P is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum RD and conveyed, unnecessary mist does not wrap around the back surface of the substrate P, so that the back surface can be kept clean. Further, if a temperature control mechanism is provided along the outer periphery of the rotating drum RD, the temperature of the substrate P can be controlled with high responsiveness.

Along with the rotation of the rotating drum RD, the substrate P on which mist is deposited on the parent solution HPR on the surface is linearly sent to the first space AT1 of the heating / drying unit 20, and is used for an electric heater, a hot air heater, or the like. The temperature control mechanism HP dries the pattern of the solution deposited in the mist deposition. The substrate P that has passed through the dry space AT1 is folded back at approximately 180 ° by the air turn bar ATB arranged in the second space AT2, travels linearly in the third space AT3, and reaches the roller DR11. A partition wall is partitioned between the spaces AT1, AT2, and AT3, and the partition wall is provided with a slit-shaped opening for passing the substrate P. Then, a recovery port portion De is connected to each of the spaces AT2 and AT3, and the remaining mist-containing gas is recovered. When the raw material material deposited by mist deposition is a semiconductor material, the space AT1 functions as an annealing furnace for crystallizing and orienting the semiconductor material.

The air turnstile ATB has an outer peripheral surface for about half the circumference of a cylinder, and the outer peripheral surface is provided with innumerable fine gas ejection holes and suction holes. As a result, the surface of the substrate P (the surface on which the raw material is deposited) is folded back without contacting the surface of the air turnstile ATB. The gas ejected from the air turn bar ATB also has an effect of further drying the pattern of the raw material material deposited on the surface of the substrate P.

The substrate P folded back by the air turn bar ATB is controlled to a predetermined temperature by the temperature control gas ejected from the nozzle ANZ in the space AT3, reaches the roller DR11, and reaches the roller DR11, and the roller DR12 in the space partitioned by the partition wall, It is sent to the next processing device or the measurement sensor unit of the film thickness and the line width through the nip drive roller NDR and the air seal bearing Pd arranged so as to sandwich the substrate P.

As described above, when the substrate P is conveyed using the rotary drum RD as shown in FIG. 8, assuming that the diameter of the rotary drum RD is about 50 cm and the range in which the substrate P is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum RD is about 240 °. The actual length of the reaction chamber TC is about 100 cm (50 × π × 240/360), and the footprint of the device can be made smaller than the straight reaction chamber TC as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Further, since the substrate P is sent in close contact with the outer periphery of the rotary drum RD, the substrate P does not vibrate up and down during transportation, and stable mist deposition can be realized.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above examples. The various shapes and combinations of the constituent members shown in the above-mentioned example are examples, and can be variously changed based on design requirements and the like within a range not deviating from the gist of the present invention. For example, the substrate P is not limited to a thin film or sheet having flexibility, but may be a glass substrate, a silicon wafer, or the like, as well as a plastic substrate or a resin substrate. Further, as the substrate P, it is not necessary to process a long one wound on a roll by a roll-to-roll method, and a method of cutting a substrate P to a predetermined size (A4, B5, etc.) into a single-wafer treatment may be used.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the mist deposition method is used as a method for selectively forming a semiconductor layer, an electrode layer, or a wiring layer in a desired region on the substrate P, but the present invention is not limited to this. A film forming method such as a method or a dip coating method can be used instead. Similar to the mist deposition method, the spray method applies a spray-like material solution sprayed from a nozzle onto the substrate P, and the dip coat method allows the substrate P to be placed in a tank of the material solution for a certain period of time. It is soaked and pulled up.

In either case, for example, as described in the third embodiment (FIG. 7) above, optical patterning is performed so that the marker regions MK1 to MK5 are formed at appropriate positions on the substrate P, and a spray method is performed. After the material solution is deposited by the dip coat method, the deposition state (adhesion state) in various test patterns in the marker regions MK1 to MK5 is confirmed by the measurement sensor TMS as shown in FIG. And various conditions of the dip coat method can be fed back corrected. The various conditions of the spray method are the fine pore diameter of the spraying nozzle, the spray pressure, the distance between the substrate P and the nozzle, the relative moving speed between the nozzle and the substrate P, etc., and the various conditions of the dip coat method are the material solution. The temperature of the substrate P, the immersion time of the substrate P, the pulling speed, and the like.

Further, when the conventional photolithography process in which the photoresist layer is subjected to optical patterning (exposure processing) and then developed to etch the resist layer according to the pattern is used, the surface of the substrate P (when there is an underlayer). The surface of the substrate P) is brought into a state of high liquidity, and then a photoresist material having high liquid repellency is applied to the surface of the substrate P in a uniform thickness. After that, by performing a developing process, the portion from which the resist layer has been removed (the surface of the substrate P or the surface of the base layer) is exposed as a surface having high liquidity, so that the mist deposition method (or spray method) is used. , Dip coat method), a precise pattern is formed by the material solution.

FR1 ... Supply roll, FR2 ... Recovery roll, P ... Substrate, U1, U2, U3, U4, U5, Un ... Processing unit (processing device), Gpa ... Rotating drum for coating photosensitive silane coupling agent, Gp1 ... Coating Mechanism, IU ... UV lighting system, DM ... Drum mask,
PL ... projection optical system, DE1, DE2 ... differential exhaust chamber, TC ... reaction chamber, GS1 ... material atomizer, GS2 ... carrier gas supply unit, ULW ... mixer, HPB ... liquid repellent part, HPR ... parent Liquid part, RD ... rotary drum, MK1 to MK5 ... marker area, 20 ... heating and drying unit, 100 ... display panel area

Claims (11)

A functional layer forming portion for applying the first material to the substrate,
The material on the substrate is irradiated with light, and the irradiated area where the first material on the substrate is irradiated with the light and the first material on the substrate are not irradiated with the light. The optical patterning part that forms the region and
A transport section for transporting the substrate at a predetermined speed by aligning the substrate processed by the optical patterning section along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum.
A chamber portion that forms a space covering the substrate over a predetermined range in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface, and a chamber portion.
An introduction portion for introducing a carrier gas containing a mist containing a second material into the chamber and adhering the mist to the irradiated region or the non-irradiated region.
A recovery unit that recovers the carrier gas supplied into the chamber from the chamber, and a recovery unit.
Device manufacturing equipment. A functional layer forming portion for applying the first material to the substrate,
The material on the substrate is irradiated with light, and the irradiated area where the first material on the substrate is irradiated with the light and the first material on the substrate are not irradiated with the light. An optical patterning section that forms a pattern with regions,
A transport section for transporting the substrate processed by the optical patterning section along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum at a predetermined speed, and a transport section.
A chamber portion that forms a space covering the substrate over a predetermined range in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface, and a chamber portion.
An introduction section for introducing a carrier gas containing a mist containing a second material into the chamber and adhering the mist to a pattern formed by the optical patterning section.
A recovery unit that recovers the carrier gas supplied into the chamber from the chamber, and a recovery unit.
Device manufacturing equipment. The device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
The transport unit has a temperature control unit that controls the temperature control of the substrate.
Device manufacturing equipment. The device manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The chamber portion has an air seal bearing that prevents the carrier gas containing the mist from leaking out of the space.
Device manufacturing equipment. The device manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
A drying portion for drying the substrate to which the mist has adhered, and a drying portion.
Further having a measurement sensor unit for measuring the thickness of the second material deposited on the substrate.
Device manufacturing equipment. The device manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The carrier gas is one of nitrogen (N ₂ ), argon (Ar), and air (O ₂ ).
Device manufacturing equipment. The device manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The second material is carbon nanotubes or metal particles.
Device manufacturing equipment. The device manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
Further having a temperature control section for adjusting the temperature of the mist.
Device manufacturing equipment. The device manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
Any of the concentration of the second material contained in the mist, the concentration of the mist contained in the carrier gas, the flow rate of the carrier gas in the chamber, and the temperature in the chamber are adjusted.
Device manufacturing equipment. The device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9.
The flow velocity of the carrier gas containing the mist flowing in the chamber is set to be the same as or faster than the transfer speed of the substrate due to the rotation of the rotating drum.
Device manufacturing equipment. The device manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
One of the irradiated area and the non-irradiated area is more hydrophilic than the other.
Device manufacturing equipment.

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