JP4576326B2 - Vacuum deposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum evaporation apparatus for forming a thin film by evaporating an evaporation material on an evaporation target such as a substrate.

  A vacuum evaporation system arranges an evaporation material and an object to be evaporated in a vacuum vessel, and heats and melts the evaporation material in a crucible with the pressure in the vacuum vessel reduced, and vaporizes it by evaporation or sublimation. The evaporated material is deposited on the surface of the vapor deposition object to form a thin film.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-35656 JP-A-10-152777

  In recent years, there has been a tendency for vapor deposition objects to become larger, such as FPD (Flat Panel Display) and surface-treated steel sheets for automobiles, etc. With this trend, it is necessary to control the vapor flow rate of the evaporation material in a wide range. It came out. In the conventional vacuum vapor deposition apparatus, the vapor flow rate of the vaporized material vaporized from the crucible is controlled by a shutter or the like provided between the vaporized material and the vapor deposition target. For example, a sliding door shutter ( The vapor flow rate is controlled by using a rotary shutter (see Patent Document 1) and a rotary shutter (see Patent Document 2), and the vapor flow is supplied to the deposition object side to perform deposition on the deposition object.

  However, in the conventional vacuum deposition apparatus, when the vapor flow rate of the evaporation material is controlled by the sliding door shutter, if the deposition object becomes large, the evaporation material to the deposition object with respect to the opening area of the sliding door shutter. In order to control the steam flow rate with high accuracy, it was necessary to finely move the sliding door shutter. In the case of the sliding door type shutter, if the deposition object is enlarged, the sliding door type shutter itself needs to be enlarged. In that case, it is difficult to open the opening of the sliding door type shutter in parallel, and the vapor flow rate is small. Not only is the adjustment difficult, but the accuracy of the steam flow rate distribution in the longitudinal direction of the sliding door shutter is also poor.

  Further, in the conventional vacuum evaporation apparatus, when the vapor flow rate of the evaporation material is controlled by a rotary shutter, the rotary shutter itself has a structure in which a cylindrical shutter portion is disposed inside a hollow cylinder. If an attempt is made to increase the length of the entire rotary shutter in accordance with the increase in the size of the vapor deposition object, it is difficult to produce it, it becomes difficult to obtain a predetermined processing accuracy, and the desired vapor flow rate may not be controlled. there were. Further, as described above, the rotary shutter requires a clearance for rotation because of its structure, and even when the rotary shutter is closed, the vapor of the evaporation material leaks from the clearance portion of the clearance portion. was there. Furthermore, at the time of start-up, it is necessary to evacuate the inside of the vacuum deposition apparatus and perform sufficient degassing. However, since the shutter portion of the rotary shutter has a cylindrical shape, the degree of freedom of processing is not large, and degassing is required. It was not easy to provide the flow path.

  As described above, conventional vacuum deposition apparatuses using a sliding door shutter, a rotary shutter, and the like have their respective problems, and a vacuum deposition apparatus that overcomes these problems has been desired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can perform sufficient degassing, can completely stop the supply of vapor of the evaporation material, and can control the evaporation material to a desired vapor flow rate with high accuracy. The purpose is to provide.

A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the first invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.
An evaporation chamber that is provided in a vacuum vessel and vaporizes or sublimates the evaporation material to generate vapor of the evaporation material;
Vapor flow control means for controlling the vapor flow rate of the evaporating material from the evaporation chamber,
In a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus for vapor-depositing the vaporized material on a vapor deposition object,
The steam flow control means includes
A flat plate-like first plate having a plurality of first through holes arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction;
A plurality of second through holes arranged at the same interval as the predetermined interval and having an opening area equivalent to the first through hole, and an opening area smaller than the second through hole arranged at the same interval as the predetermined interval. A plurality of third through holes, and a plate-like second plate in which the second through holes and the third through holes are arranged at intervals larger than the length of the first through holes in the longitudinal direction;
An area of an opening formed by the first through hole and the second through hole by sliding at least one of the first plate and the second plate along the surface of the other plate, or And moving means for adjusting the amount of steam passing through the opening by changing the area of the opening formed by the first through hole and the third through hole.

A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to a second invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.
A plurality of evaporation chambers provided in a vacuum vessel, each of which vaporizes or sublimates different evaporating materials to generate vapors of the different evaporating materials;
A plurality of vapor flow rate control means for controlling the vapor flow rates of the different evaporating materials,
In a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus for vapor deposition by mixing vapors of the different evaporation materials on a vapor deposition object,
The steam flow control means includes
A flat plate-like first plate having a plurality of first through holes arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction;
A plurality of second through holes arranged at the same interval as the predetermined interval and having an opening area equivalent to the first through hole, and an opening area smaller than the second through hole arranged at the same interval as the predetermined interval. A plurality of third through holes, and a plate-like second plate in which the second through holes and the third through holes are arranged at intervals larger than the length of the first through holes in the longitudinal direction;
An area of an opening formed by the first through hole and the second through hole by sliding at least one of the first plate and the second plate along the surface of the other plate, or And moving means for adjusting the amount of steam passing through the opening by changing the area of the opening formed by the first through hole and the third through hole.

A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to a third invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.
In the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the first or second invention,
While the vapor deposition object is vaporized of the evaporation material while being conveyed,
The vapor flow rate control means is long in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the vapor deposition object.
The vapor flow rate control means has, for example, a length equivalent to the length of the vapor deposition region of the vapor deposition object.

A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to a fourth invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.
In the vacuum deposition apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects,
A pressing means for slidably pressing the one plate to the other plate is provided.

A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to a fifth invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.
In the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the fourth invention,
The pressing means is
A roller in contact with an end of the one plate;
A support shaft that rotatably supports the roller in the sliding direction of the one plate;
A holding member fixed to the apparatus side and holding the support shaft by pressing in the other plate direction with an urging force;
A plurality of the pressing means are provided in the sliding direction of the one plate.
The support shaft is pressed in the direction of the fixed plate using, for example, a biasing force of a spring.

A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to a sixth invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.
In the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth inventions,
The second through hole has an opening area that is at least twice as large as an opening area of the third through hole.

A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to a seventh invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.
In the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth inventions,
At least one of the first through hole, the second through hole, or the third through hole has a different opening width in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the one plate.

A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to an eighth invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.
In the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the seventh invention,
At least one of the first through hole, the second through hole, or the third through hole is circular, elliptical, or polygonal.

A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to a ninth invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.
In the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the seventh invention,
While opening the third through hole in a convex shape,
The width of the portion with a narrow opening width in the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the one plate is a, the length of the narrow portion in the sliding direction is b, and the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the one plate When the width of the wide opening portion is c and the length of the wide portion in the sliding direction is d,
The third through hole is opened so that the relationship of a <c and b> d is established.

  According to the first or second invention, for example, one plate to be slid is used as the second plate and this is called the movable plate, and the other plate is used as the first plate and this is called the fixed plate. The steam flow rate control means is composed of a fixed plate and a movable plate that slides on the surface of the fixed plate, and the first through hole and the second through hole having an opening area larger than the third through hole are provided. In the case of degassing, sufficient evacuation can be efficiently performed by using the first through hole and the second through hole. When the vapor flow rate of the evaporation material is controlled, the evaporation material can be controlled to a desired vapor flow rate with high accuracy by using the first through hole and the third through hole smaller than the second through hole. it can.

  According to the third invention, the vapor flow rate control means is composed of a flat fixed plate and a movable plate, and is long in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the vapor deposition object. The through-hole formed in the plate can be easily processed and the shape and position accuracy can be improved. As a result, the evaporation material can be controlled to a desired vapor flow rate with high accuracy.

  According to the fourth and fifth inventions, when the supply of the vapor of the evaporation material is completely stopped, the movable plate is pressed against the fixed plate side by the pressing means, and the length of the first through hole in the longitudinal direction is increased. By using a portion between the second through hole and the third through hole that is larger than the above, the opening portion of the first through hole can be completely closed, and the supply of vapor of the evaporation material can be completely stopped. Further, since the movable plate is pressed against the fixed plate side by a biasing force through a plurality of rollers, the movable plate can be pressed with an appropriate slidable force, and the gap between the movable plate and the fixed plate can be eliminated. . As a result, when the supply of the vapor of the evaporation material is completely stopped, there is no leakage from the gap, and the supply of the vapor of the evaporation material can be stopped completely.

  According to the sixth aspect, since the second through hole has an opening area that is twice or more the opening area of the third through hole, sufficient evacuation can be efficiently performed when degassing.

  According to the seventh to ninth inventions, in the first through hole, the second through hole, and the third through hole, the opening width in the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the movable plate is provided with a narrow portion and a wide portion. Therefore, when the vapor flow rate of the evaporating material is controlled with high accuracy, the change in the opening area due to the sliding of the movable plate, that is, the change in conductance is achieved by using the narrow opening width portion of the third through hole. As a result, the evaporation material can be controlled to a desired vapor flow rate with high accuracy.

  A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of an embodiment of a vacuum deposition apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a side view thereof, and FIG. 1 (b) is an AA view of FIG. 1 (a). FIG.

In this embodiment, a co-evaporation vacuum deposition apparatus that performs deposition using two evaporation materials will be described and the details thereof will be described. However, the present invention is a vacuum deposition that performs deposition using one evaporation material. The present invention is also applicable to an apparatus and a vacuum evaporation apparatus that performs evaporation using three or more evaporation materials.
Further, in this embodiment, the evaporation chamber of the vacuum evaporation apparatus is arranged on the lower side, the evaporation chamber for depositing the vapor deposition object is arranged on the upper side, and the posture when using the vacuum evaporation apparatus is in a vertical state. However, the posture at the time of use is not limited to the vertical direction, and may be an inclined state, a horizontal state (tilt by 90 degrees), or an inverted state (tilt by 180 degrees). However, the shape of the evaporation chamber is devised so that the evaporation material does not flow out of the evaporation chamber (in the case of a liquid) or roll out (in the case of a solid) in an inverted state or a posture close to an inverted state. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus of the present embodiment is such that the wall surfaces from the two evaporation chambers 1 a and 1 b to the vapor deposition chamber 2 are heated by a plurality of heaters 3. This is a so-called hot wall chamber, and is configured such that the vaporized evaporation materials 5a and 5b are not deposited on the wall surface in the process of being deposited on the substrate 6 (deposition target), A plurality of temperature sensors (not shown) are used to control the evaporation materials 5a and 5b so as not to deposit on the wall surface. When such a hot wall chamber is used, in the evaporation chambers 1a and 1b, the evaporation materials 5a and 5b adhering to the wall surface and the like are circulated to the so-called crucible portion of the evaporation chambers 1a and 1b. In the vapor deposition chamber 2, the evaporating materials 5a and 5b are unlikely to adhere to the wall surface or the like, so that the use efficiency of the vapor of the evaporating material is improved and the film forming speed is also improved.

  The degree of vacuum is appropriately controlled inside the vacuum chamber 4 (vacuum container) by a vacuum pump (not shown). And, inside the vacuum chamber 4, there is an evaporation material 5a from the lower side to the upper side, an evaporation chamber 1a (crucible) for evaporating the evaporation material 5a by evaporating or sublimating the evaporation material 5a, and The evaporation material 5b is evaporated, and the evaporation material 5b is vaporized or sublimated to control the vapor flow rate of the evaporation material 1a (crucible) for evaporating the evaporation material 5b and the evaporation materials 5a and 5b from the evaporation chambers 1a and 1b. Two spool shutters 7 (steam flow rate control means), two spool shutters 7 facing, a mixing chamber 8 in which the vapors of the evaporation materials 5a and 5b are mixed, and the vapors of the mixed evaporation materials 5a and 5b as substrates The vapor deposition chamber 2 leading to 6 is arranged in order. In the vapor deposition chamber 2, a rectifying plate having a plurality of through holes may be provided in order to rectify the vapor of the mixed evaporation materials 5 a and 5 b.

  In the vacuum deposition apparatus, the vapors of the evaporation materials 5a and 5b from the evaporation chambers 1a and 1b pass through the two spool shutters 7 and are mixed in the mixing chamber 8 with an appropriate mixing ratio. 6 is deposited, and a thin film having a desired composition ratio is formed on the substrate 6.

  The opening of the vapor deposition chamber 2 is long in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction 10 of the substrate 6 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as a plate width direction L), and at least the opening of the substrate 6 in the plate width direction L. It has the length of the deposition area. The constituent members of the spool shutter 7 are also elongated in the plate width direction L, and have a length equivalent to the length of the vapor deposition area of the substrate 6 in the plate width direction L, as in the vapor deposition chamber 2.

  The substrate 6 is disposed above the opening of the vapor deposition chamber 2 and is continuously transported in the transport direction 10 by a transport mechanism (not shown). When vapor deposition is performed, the substrate 6 is transported at a constant predetermined speed so that the thickness of the thin film to be deposited is uniform along the transport direction 10 of the substrate 6.

  Details will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, but the spool shutter 7 includes a fixed plate 13 (first plate; the other plate) having a fixed position and a flat plate disposed on the surface of the fixed plate 13. Shaped movable plate 14 (second plate; one plate), a pressing mechanism 21 (pressing means) that slidably presses the movable plate 14 against the fixed plate 13, and the movable plate 14 along the surface of the fixed plate 13. It has a moving mechanism 9 (moving means) to be slid, and is disposed on a support plate 12 provided in the opening portions of the evaporation chambers 1a and 1b.

Next, the spool shutter 7 shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 2, one evaporating chamber 1 b side is illustrated and described, but the other evaporating chamber 1 a also has a spool shutter 7 having the same configuration.

  The spool shutter 7 is disposed above the evaporation chamber 1b so as to seal the evaporation chamber 1b, is supported on the apparatus side, and is fixed to the support plate 12 having a large opening at the center, It has the fixed plate 13 arrange | positioned so that the said opening part may be covered, and the movable plate 14 arrange | positioned on the fixed plate 13 so that sliding in the plate width direction L is possible. The fixed plate 13 is formed with a guide portion 13b that matches the shape of the movable plate 14, and the guide portion 13b restricts the movement of the movable plate 14 only in the sliding direction (direction in the plate width direction L). The steam flow distribution is controlled. Note that the steam flow distribution may be controlled by changing the formation direction of the guide portion 13b of the fixed plate 13 and setting the direction in which the movable plate 14 moves to a direction perpendicular to the plate width direction L. Moreover, not only when the position of the fixed plate 13 is fixed and the movable plate 14 is moved, both of them may be moved.

  The fixed plate 13 is formed with a plurality of first through holes 13a arranged at a predetermined interval W1 in the longitudinal direction (plate width direction L). The movable plate 14 is disposed at the same interval W1 as the first through hole 13a, and has a second through hole 14a having an opening area equivalent to the first through hole 13a and a third opening area smaller than the second through hole 14a. A plurality of through holes 14b are formed, and an interval W2 between the second through hole 14a and the third through hole 14b is arranged at an interval larger than the longitudinal length W3 of the first through hole 13a (FIG. 3). See).

  The fixed plate 13 and the movable plate 14 have a length equal to the length of the vapor deposition area of the substrate 6 in the plate width direction L, and are long (for example, a length of 2 m or more). Since these process the flat thing and form the through-hole, even if it is long, a highly accurate through-hole can be produced easily. In particular, the position and shape of the through-holes are important for controlling the vapor flow rate distribution in the width direction of the vacuum deposition apparatus, but since the processing is easy, it is necessary to increase their processing accuracy. it can. For example, the vapor flow rate distribution in the plate width direction L of the vacuum evaporation apparatus can be made uniform by processing so that the through holes are uniformly arranged. In addition, since the degree of freedom of the processed shape of the through hole is large, the movable plate 14 can be provided with a plurality of through holes having different shapes according to the purpose.

  The spool shutter 7 is provided with a plurality of pressing mechanisms 21 in the plate width direction L. One pressing mechanism 21 presses both end portions along the plate width direction L of the movable plate 14, and two rollers 22 that enable the movable plate 14 to move in the sliding direction, and the roller 22 can rotate. A support shaft 23 to be supported and a holding member 24 fixed to the support plate 12 side and holding the support shaft 23 against the fixed plate 13 side are provided. The holding member 24 is formed with a U-shaped concave portion that supports the support shaft 23, and the fitting member 25 having a convex portion that fits into the concave portion penetrates the pressing member 25 and the holding member 24. A biasing force is applied by a bolt 26 attached to the screw hole and a spring 27 disposed between the pressing member 25 and the head of the bolt 26. Therefore, the support shaft 23 is pressed against the concave portion of the holding member 24 by the biasing force of the spring 27, and as a result, the roller 22 is pressed to the movable plate 13 side to the extent that it can slide. It becomes. In order to improve the adhesion between the fixed plate 13 and the movable plate 14 and eliminate the gap, it is preferable that the number of the pressing mechanisms 21 is large. However, if the number is too large, the vapor passing through the through-holes is preferable. Since the support shaft 23 may hinder the flow, it is desirable that the thickness of the support shaft 23 be as thin as possible and that the number of pressing mechanisms 21 be within a range where appropriate adhesion can be obtained. In addition, the two rollers 22 are not supported by one support shaft 23 so that the support shaft 23 does not cross the movable plate 13, but one end of the movable plate 13 is supported by one short roller. A pressing mechanism that is supported by a shaft may be provided.

  None of the conventional vacuum vapor deposition apparatuses have the pressing mechanism as described above, and in that case, the gap between the fixed plate and the movable plate could not be eliminated. The amount could not be controlled. On the other hand, in the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus of the present embodiment, since the spool shutter 7 has the above-described configuration, the movable plate 14 is used by using the moving mechanism 9 that can slide the movable plate 14 from the outside of the vacuum chamber 4. Even when the movement is performed, the movable plate 14 is pressed toward the fixed plate 13 by the pressing mechanism 21 with a predetermined pressing force, and the gap between the fixed plate 13 and the movable plate 14 can be eliminated. Therefore, when the through hole is fully closed (see, for example, P4 in FIG. 4A), it is possible to eliminate the vapor leaking from the gap between the fixed plate 13 and the movable plate 14. For example, even when there is a differential pressure of 1 to 2 digits in Pa units between the evaporation chambers 1a and 1b and the mixing chamber 8, in the vacuum evaporation apparatus of the present embodiment, the fixed plate 13 and the movable plate 14 The gap between them is suppressed to about several μm to 20 or 30 μm at the worst, so that the amount of leakage between them can be 1% or less of the control steam amount. Further, since there is no excess steam leaking from the gap even when the through hole is opened, the steam flow rate can be controlled with high accuracy.

  In this way, a plurality of flat plates each having a plurality of through holes are relatively horizontally moved, and the area of the opening formed by the through holes is changed to control the amount of steam passing through the opening. For example, any pressing mechanism 21 having the above structure can be applied, and by pressing the sliding flat plates using the pressing mechanism 21 having the above structure, a gap between the flat plates can be eliminated. This makes it possible to control the amount of steam with high accuracy.

  In the above embodiment, two plates are used, the position of one plate is fixed, and only the other plate is pressed and slid to one side, but it flows out from the gap between the plates. When it is desired to further reduce the steam to be used, three plates are used, the positions of the upper and lower plates are fixed, and only the central plate is pressed by the upper and lower plates and slid.

  In the above embodiment, the fixed plate 13 is provided with one type of through hole 13a, and the movable plate 14 is provided with two types of through holes 14a and 14b having different shapes. Two types of through-holes having different shapes are provided, one type of through-hole is provided in the movable plate 14, and the movable plate 14 is slid in the longitudinal direction so that each of the two types of through-holes having different shapes of the fixed plate 13 On the other hand, the amount of steam may be controlled by controlling the relative position of one type of through-hole in the movable plate and changing the area of the opening (see FIGS. 7A and 7B). .

  Specifically, in the case of FIG. 7A, a circular through hole 41 having a large opening area for deaeration (evacuation) and a circular small diameter through hole having a small opening area for flow rate adjustment. Two types of 42 are provided on the fixed plate 13, and one type of a circular through hole 43 having a large opening area for deaeration and flow rate adjustment is provided on the movable plate 14. In the case of FIG. 7B, the fixed plate 13 includes two types, a circular through hole 41 having a large opening area for deaeration and a convex through hole 51 having a small opening area for flow rate adjustment. The movable plate 14 is provided with one type of a circular through hole 43 having a large opening area for deaeration and flow rate adjustment. 7A and 7B, the interval between the through holes 41 and the interval between the through holes 43 are arranged at the same interval, and the through holes 42 and 51 are arranged at substantially the center of the interval. ing.

Further, two types of through holes are provided in each of the fixed plate 13 and the movable plate 14, and the movable plate 14 is slid in the longitudinal direction thereof, so that the movable plate 14 The relative position of each of the two types of through holes 14 may be controlled, and the area of the opening may be changed to control the amount of steam (see FIGS. 8A and 8B).
Specifically, in the case of FIG. 8A, two types of an elliptical through hole 44 having a large opening area for deaeration and a circular through hole 42 having a small opening area for flow rate adjustment are provided. The movable plate 14 is provided with two types of an elliptical through hole 45 having a large opening area for degassing and a circular through hole 46 having a small opening area for flow rate adjustment. In the case of FIG. 8B, the fixing plate 13 includes two types, an elliptical through hole 44 having a large opening area for deaeration and a convex through hole 52 having a small opening area for flow rate adjustment. The movable plate 14 is provided with two types, an elliptical through hole 45 having a large opening area for deaeration and a circular through hole 46 having a small opening area for flow rate adjustment. 8A and 8B, the interval between the through holes 44 and the interval between the through holes 45 are arranged at the same interval, and the through hole is provided at one of the positions that divides the interval into approximately three equal parts. 42 and 52 are arranged, and the through hole 46 is arranged on the other side. The combination of the through holes is particularly suitable for controlling the vapor amount of the dopant material mixed in the host material in a minute amount (about several percent).

In addition, each of the fixed plate 13 and the movable plate 14 is provided with one type of through-hole, and the movable plate 14 is slid in the longitudinal direction so that one of the movable plate 14 is 1 It is also possible to control the amount of steam by controlling the relative positions of the types of through-holes and changing the area of the opening (see FIGS. 9A and 9B).
Specifically, in the case of FIG. 9A, one type of circular through-hole 41 having a large opening area for deaeration and flow rate adjustment is provided in the fixed plate 13 for deaeration and flow rate adjustment. One kind of circular through-hole 43 having a large opening area is also provided in the movable plate 14. In the case of FIG. 9B, one type of convex through-hole 53 having a large opening area for deaeration and flow rate adjustment is provided in the fixed plate 13, and has a large opening area for deaeration and flow rate adjustment. One kind of the circular through hole 43 is also provided in the movable plate 14. 9A and 9B, the interval between the through holes 41 and the interval between the through holes 43, and the interval between the through holes 53 and the interval between the through holes 43 are arranged at the same interval.

  7 to 9, the type of the through hole provided in the fixed plate and the type of the through hole provided in the movable plate may be reversed. Further, as described above, the shape of the through hole may be a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a convex shape, or a polygonal shape such as a triangle or a quadrangle. Further, the direction in which the movable plate is slid is not limited to the longitudinal direction, but may be the width direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction).

Next, steam flow control in the spool shutter 7 will be described.
As the substrate 6 becomes larger, the uniformity of vapor deposition in the plate width direction L of the substrate 6 is required, and the control of the vapor flow rate in the plate width direction L becomes important. In the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention, in order to improve the controllability of the vapor flow rate in the plate width direction L, the vapor flow rate of the evaporation materials 5a and 5b from the evaporation chambers 1a and 1b is controlled and the vapor flow rate is changed to the substrate 6. A spool shutter 7 that uniformly supplies the sheet in the plate width direction L is used. The specific control will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the fixed plate 13 is provided with a plurality of circular through holes 13a, and the movable plate 14 is also provided with a circular through hole at a position corresponding to the through hole 13a. 14a is provided. That is, since the through hole 13a and the through hole 14a have the same shape, the same size, and the same interval W1, when the movable plate 14 is arranged at a predetermined position, the through hole 13a and the through hole 14a completely overlap, and the maximum opening The area is set so that it can be easily degassed (see P1 in FIG. 4A). That is, since the through-hole 14a for evacuation is provided in the movable plate 14 in addition to the through-hole 14b for controlling the steam flow rate, when it is desired to degas the inside of the evaporation chamber, these through-holes 13a and 14a are used. Thus, degassing can be sufficiently performed. When a large flow rate of steam is required, the movable plate 13 is moved along the surface of the fixed plate 14 so that the area of the opening formed by the first through hole 13a and the second through hole 14a is reduced. It may be varied and used for vapor flow control during deposition.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the movable plate 14 is provided with a thumbtack-shaped or tear-shaped through-hole 14b different from the through-hole 13a at a position corresponding to the through-hole 13a. That is, the through hole 13a and the through hole 14b are arranged at the same interval W1, but are different in shape and size, and the opening width of the opening portion is different in the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the movable plate 13. Is formed. When controlling the steam flow rate, the movable plate 14 is moved along the surface of the fixed plate 13 to control the relative position of the through hole 14b with respect to the through hole 13a, so that the through hole 13a and the through hole 14a overlap each other. By changing the area of the opening through which the steam passes, a desired evaporation amount can be supplied from the evaporation chambers 1a, 1b side (see P5 to P9 in FIG. 4B).

  The through-hole 13a of the fixed plate 13 is also used for degassing and steam flow control. However, when it is desired to stop the supply of steam, the portion of the movable plate 14 where the through-holes 14a and 14b are not present is used as the through-hole 13a. By disposing at the position, the opening area through which the steam passes can be eliminated and the supply of the steam can be stopped. Note that the size of the through hole 14a with respect to the through hole 14b desirably has an opening area that is twice or more in consideration of efficiency during degassing.

  The fixed plate 13 and the movable plate 14 are preferably made of a ceramic material such as graphite in consideration of reactivity with the evaporation material, slidability between the plates, plastic deformation due to heat, and the like. In order to reduce the gap between the plates, it is desirable to improve the adhesion between the plates by forming the movable plate thin and following the deformation. In addition, as long as it is a material which satisfy | fills the said conditions, you may comprise with materials other than ceramics, for example, you may use a metal-type material.

  FIGS. 4A and 4B show changes in the conductance ratio accompanying the movement of the movable plate 14. FIG. 4A shows the case of the through holes 13a and 14a. Indicates the case of the through holes 13a, 14b. The conductance ratio is described with the maximum conductance in the through holes 13a and 14b being 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, at the time of degassing, the arrangement position P1 in the combination of the through holes 13a and 14a is selected, and degassing is performed with a conductance ratio (opening area) as large as possible. The conductance ratio in the combination of the through holes 13a and 14a is abruptly decreased as the through hole 14a is moved, such as the arrangement position P1 → P2 → P3 → P4. Select P4. When a large amount of steam is required, for example, the vicinity of the arrangement position P2 may be selected and used.

  On the other hand, at the time of normal vapor deposition, as shown in FIG. 4B, a combination of the through holes 13a and 14b is used to select a desired vapor flow rate. The conductance ratio in the combination of the through holes 13a and 14b increases rapidly with the movement of the through hole 14b from the placement position P5 → P6 → P74, and gradually decreases from the placement position P7 → P8, and the placement position P8 → P9. And decreases rapidly. In the case where a slight change in the vapor flow rate has a large effect on the deposited thin film, if the vapor flow rate is controlled at the arrangement position P7 → P8 where the change in the conductance ratio is gradual, the change in the vapor flow rate is changed. Since it becomes gradual, it is possible to control a minute steam flow rate with high accuracy.

When the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention is used for forming a light emitting layer of an organic EL (electroluminescence) element, for example, the ratio of the dopant material mixed with the host material is controlled with high accuracy by the spool shutter 7. By doing so, it becomes possible to form a light emitting layer having desired properties. In particular, since the vapor flow rate of the dopant material is smaller than that of the host material, mixing is performed by controlling the vapor flow rate uniformly and highly accurately in the plate width direction L by using the spool shutter 7. In the chamber 8, it is possible to easily form a thin film having an ideal composition ratio by mixing at a desired mixing ratio.
Further, when the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention is used for forming a zinc-magnesium alloy or the like on a surface-treated steel sheet for automobiles, the ratio of magnesium mixed with zinc is controlled with high accuracy by the spool shutter 7. It becomes possible.

  As described above, the control of the vapor flow rate in the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the present invention can be performed with the shape of the through hole provided in the spool shutter 7. That is, it is possible to control a desired change characteristic and a steam flow rate in a desired control range depending on the shape of the through hole. Therefore, as another embodiment, steam flow control when using through holes having different shapes will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5 shows another example of the embodiment of the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention. Specifically, the vapor flow rate when the spool shutter 7 uses a shape different from the above-described through hole 14b. It is a figure explaining control.

  In this embodiment, the through hole 31 shown in FIG. 5 is used instead of the through hole 14b in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the through hole 31 is formed as a convex-shaped opening by combining two rectangular openings having different sizes. Specifically, the width of a portion having a narrow opening width in the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the movable plate 14 (the arrow direction in the figure) is a, the length of the sliding direction of this portion is b, and the opening width If the width of the wide portion is c and the length of this portion in the sliding direction is d, the opening is formed in a convex shape so that the relationship of a <c and b> d is established.

  In this embodiment, when the convex through-hole 31 is moved with respect to the circular through-hole 13 a of the fixed plate 13, the portion with the opening width a is linear with the movement of the movable plate 14. The conductance ratio is small, and the conductance ratio can be changed in a portion where the opening width is c, linearly large as the movable plate 14 moves. That is, with respect to the movement amount of the movable plate 14, the width of the through hole 31 is increased at a portion where the change amount of the conductance ratio is desired to be increased, and the width of the through hole is decreased at a portion where the change amount is desired to be reduced. It can have a change characteristic of conductance ratio. As the conductance ratio changes, the flow rate of the passing steam also changes. Therefore, particularly when high-accuracy steam flow rate control is required, the control at the opening width a is effective. Therefore, when the length b in the sliding direction of the portion having the opening width a is larger than the length d in the sliding direction of the portion having the opening width c, the control range with high accuracy is widened. The shape is ideal.

  FIG. 6 shows still another example of the embodiment of the vacuum evaporation apparatus according to the present invention, and the steam flow rate control when the spool shutter 7 uses a shape different from the through holes 14a and 14b described above. It is a figure explaining about.

  In the present embodiment, the through holes 32 shown in FIG. 6 are used instead of the through holes 14a and 14b in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. The through holes 14a and 14b are integrated. In the present embodiment, the portion with the length e in the sliding direction corresponds to the through hole 14a in the first embodiment, and the portions with the lengths g and i in the sliding direction correspond to the through hole 14b in the first embodiment. To do. The lengths g and i in the sliding direction are compared with the second embodiment, and the length g in the sliding direction corresponds to the portion b of the through hole 31 in the second embodiment. The opening width f perpendicular to the direction is small, the portion of the length i in the sliding direction corresponds to the portion d of the through hole 31 of Example 2, and the opening width h perpendicular to the sliding direction is the opening width f. Greater than.

  Therefore, the change in the conductance ratio of the through-hole 32 is a change as shown in the graph of FIG. 6 with the movement of the movable plate 14, in other words, a combination of the graph of FIG. 4A and the graph of FIG. It becomes such a change. Specifically, when the through-hole 32 is moved with respect to the circular through-hole 13a of the fixed plate 13, the conductance ratio is large and the change is large in the portion of the length e in the sliding direction. In addition, the change in conductance ratio is moderate in the portion of the length g in the sliding direction, and the change in conductance ratio is large in the portion of the length i in the sliding direction.

  In this way, the change in the desired opening area can be obtained by increasing the width of the through hole in the part where the change amount is to be increased and reducing the width of the through hole in the part where the change amount is to be reduced. As the opening area changes, the flow rate of the vapor passing therethrough also changes. Further, unlike the first embodiment, in this embodiment, since the through hole for degassing and the through hole for control are not provided independently, the control of the opening area from the minimum to the maximum is continuously performed. be able to.

  The vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the present invention is suitable for a large (long) thing as a vapor deposition object, and is used, for example, when vapor deposition is performed on a large substrate for FPD, a surface-treated steel plate for automobiles, and the like.

It is the schematic which shows an example of embodiment of the vacuum evaporation system which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the spool shutter shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a fixed plate and a movable plate of the spool shutter shown in FIG. 2. It is a figure explaining control of the spool shutter shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another example of embodiment of the vacuum evaporation system which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows another example of embodiment of the vacuum evaporation system which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of the stationary plate of the spool shutter shown in FIG. 2, and a movable plate. It is a figure which shows the further another structural example of the stationary plate of the spool shutter shown in FIG. 2, and a movable plate. It is a figure which shows the further another structural example of the stationary plate of the spool shutter shown in FIG. 2, and a movable plate.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1a, 1b Evaporation chamber 2 Deposition chamber 3 Heater 4 Vacuum tank 5a, 5b Evaporation material 6 Deposition object (board | substrate)
7 Spool shutter 8 Mixing chamber 9 Moving mechanism 10 Transport direction 12 Support plate 13 Fixed plate 14 Movable plate 21 Pressing mechanism

Claims (9)

An evaporation chamber that is provided in a vacuum vessel and vaporizes or sublimates the evaporation material to generate vapor of the evaporation material;
Vapor flow control means for controlling the vapor flow rate of the evaporating material from the evaporation chamber,
In a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus for vapor-depositing the vaporized material on a vapor deposition object,
The steam flow control means includes
A first plate having a plurality of first through holes arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction;
A plurality of second through holes arranged at the same interval as the predetermined interval and having an opening area equivalent to the first through hole, and an opening area smaller than the second through hole arranged at the same interval as the predetermined interval. A second plate having a plurality of third through-holes, wherein the second through-holes and the third through-holes are arranged at an interval greater than the length of the first through-hole in the longitudinal direction;
An area of an opening formed by the first through hole and the second through hole by sliding at least one of the first plate and the second plate along the surface of the other plate, or A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a moving means for changing an area of an opening formed by the first through hole and the third through hole. A plurality of evaporation chambers provided in a vacuum vessel, each of which vaporizes or sublimates different evaporating materials to generate vapors of the different evaporating materials;
A plurality of vapor flow rate control means for controlling the vapor flow rates of the different evaporating materials,
In a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus for vapor deposition by mixing vapors of the different evaporation materials on a vapor deposition object,
The steam flow control means includes
A first plate having a plurality of first through holes arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction;
A plurality of second through holes arranged at the same interval as the predetermined interval and having an opening area equivalent to the first through hole, and an opening area smaller than the second through hole arranged at the same interval as the predetermined interval. A second plate having a plurality of third through-holes, wherein the second through-holes and the third through-holes are arranged at an interval greater than the length of the first through-hole in the longitudinal direction;
An area of an opening formed by the first through hole and the second through hole by sliding at least one of the first plate and the second plate along the surface of the other plate, or A vacuum vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a moving means for changing an area of an opening formed by the first through hole and the third through hole. In the vacuum evaporation system of Claim 1 or Claim 2,
While the vapor deposition object is vaporized of the evaporation material while being conveyed,
The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vapor flow rate control means is long in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the deposition object. In the vacuum evaporation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A vacuum deposition apparatus comprising pressing means for slidably pressing the one plate against the other plate. In the vacuum evaporation system according to claim 4,
The pressing means is
A roller in contact with an end of the one plate;
A support shaft that rotatably supports the roller in the sliding direction of the one plate;
A holding member fixed to the apparatus side and holding the support shaft by pressing in the other plate direction with an urging force;
A vacuum deposition apparatus, wherein a plurality of the pressing means are provided in the sliding direction of the one plate. In the vacuum evaporation apparatus in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 5,
The vacuum deposition apparatus, wherein the second through hole has an opening area that is at least twice as large as an opening area of the third through hole. In the vacuum evaporation system in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 6,
At least one of the first through hole, the second through hole, or the third through hole has a different opening width in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the one plate. apparatus. In the vacuum evaporation system of Claim 7,
At least one of the first through hole, the second through hole, or the third through hole is circular, elliptical, or polygonal. In the vacuum evaporation system of Claim 7,
While opening the third through hole in a convex shape,
The width of the portion with a narrow opening width in the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the one plate is a, the length of the narrow portion in the sliding direction is b, and the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the one plate When the width of the wide opening portion is c and the length of the wide portion in the sliding direction is d,
The vacuum deposition apparatus, wherein the third through hole is opened so that a relationship of a <c and b> d is established.

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