JP4926246B2 - Organic EL device manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device such as an organic EL display.

  Since organic EL materials tend to be chemically degraded by water and oxygen, the organic EL material application process using an ink jet printer, the sealing material application process using a discharge device, and the substrate bonding process are performed. In addition, a method of performing in a work chamber that is shielded from the external atmosphere has been proposed.

  Before performing each process, exhaust the interior of the work chamber and / or introduce a dry gas into the work chamber and replace the interior space of the work chamber with the dry gas, and impurity gases such as water and oxygen Remove.

However, even if the inside of the working chamber or the introduction of the dry gas is performed, the impurity gas remains attached to the inner wall surface of the working chamber and cannot be completely removed.
The impurity gas remaining without being removed evaporates during operation and is released into the internal space, and is mixed into the organic material layer.
Therefore, it has been difficult to manufacture an organic EL device without mixing an impurity gas with a conventional manufacturing apparatus.
JP 2004-174659 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing apparatus capable of manufacturing an organic EL device without mixing an impurity gas.

In order to prolong the lifetime of the organic EL device, it is necessary to work in an atmosphere having a dew point of −76 ° C. (water concentration 1 ppm) or less.
At room temperature, the water remaining in the working chamber was exhausted by simultaneously exhausting the working chamber and supplying dry nitrogen gas (maintaining the working chamber at atmospheric pressure) for 60 hours. Later, the dew point reached -75 ° C, but the dew point did not decrease thereafter. Even after 300 hours had passed, the dew point remained at -75 ° C and did not reach -76 ° C.

The inventors wound a heater around the outer wall of the work room, heated the wall with the heater, and then exhausted the interior of the work room and supplied dry nitrogen gas. In addition, the dew point reached −76.6 ° C. after 48 hours and the dew point −77.5 ° C. after 72 hours.
As described above, when the work chamber is heated, the dew point can be lowered in a short time as compared with the case where the work chamber is not heated.

The present invention based on such knowledge has a working chamber and an inkjet printer that discharges liquid onto the surface of a substrate disposed inside the working chamber, and the internal space of the working chamber is an external atmosphere. And an organic EL device manufacturing apparatus configured to be capable of being shut off, and having a heating device that heats the work chamber before carrying the substrate into the work chamber after completion of maintenance for connecting the work chamber to an external atmosphere. It is a manufacturing apparatus of an organic EL device.
The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, wherein the heating device is one of a working chamber heating means attached to a wall of the working chamber and a heating gas supply device for supplying a heating gas into the working chamber. Or it is a manufacturing apparatus of the organic EL device which has both.
The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, wherein the heating gas supply device has a gas supply system connected to the supply chamber, and supplies the dry gas as the heating gas. is there.
The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, which includes a transfer chamber and a transfer robot disposed in the transfer chamber, and the transfer chamber is airtightly connected to the work chamber. Device.
The present invention includes a work chamber and an organic material supply device configured to dispose a seal material on a substrate disposed in the work chamber, and configured to be able to block the internal space of the work chamber from an external atmosphere. An apparatus for manufacturing an EL device, which is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device having a heating device for heating the work chamber before carrying the substrate into the work chamber after completion of maintenance for connecting the work chamber to an external atmosphere. .
The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, wherein the heating device is one of a working chamber heating means attached to a wall of the working chamber and a heating gas supply device for supplying a heating gas into the working chamber. Or it is a manufacturing apparatus of the organic EL device which has both.
The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, wherein the heating gas supply device has a gas supply system connected to the supply chamber, and supplies the dry gas as the heating gas. is there.
The present invention is a manufacturing apparatus of an organic EL device having a transfer chamber and a transfer robot arranged in the transfer chamber, the transfer chamber being hermetically connected to the work chamber.
The present invention includes a work chamber and a bonding apparatus, the bonding apparatus including a first holding means for holding a first substrate, a second holding means for holding a second substrate, The first and second holding means are relatively moved to move the first and second substrates together, and the internal space of the working chamber can be blocked from the external atmosphere. An apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising: a heating device that heats the work chamber after carrying out maintenance for connecting the work chamber to an external atmosphere and before carrying a substrate into the work chamber. is there.
The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising alignment means for detecting relative position information of the first and second substrates, wherein the moving means is position information detected by the alignment means. The organic EL device manufacturing apparatus moves the first and second holding means relative to each other in a horizontal plane.
The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, wherein the heating device is one of a working chamber heating means attached to a wall of the working chamber and a heating gas supply device for supplying a heating gas into the working chamber. Or it is a manufacturing apparatus of the organic EL device which has both.
The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, wherein the heating gas supply device has a gas supply system connected to the supply chamber, and supplies the dry gas as the heating gas. is there.
The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, which includes a transfer chamber and a transfer robot disposed in the transfer chamber, and the transfer chamber is airtightly connected to the work chamber. Device.

In the present invention, the wall of the work room in which the work room heating means is installed includes all the ceiling, bottom surface, and side walls of the work room. The working chamber heating means may be installed on the outer wall surface of the working chamber or on the inner wall surface.
Furthermore, the working chamber heating means may be embedded in the wall of the working chamber, but it is desirable to attach it to the inner wall surface or the outer wall surface in consideration of the ease of maintenance of the working chamber heating means. In consideration of the removal efficiency of the impurity gas, it is desirable to attach the working chamber heating means to the inner wall surface of the working chamber.

  According to the present invention, since the impurity gas adhering to the wall surface of the work chamber is removed by heating, no impurity gas remains in the work chamber. Since the impurity gas is not mixed in the manufacturing process, the life of the organic EL device is extended.

Schematic cross-sectional view explaining the first manufacturing apparatus Schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the second manufacturing apparatus Schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the third manufacturing apparatus

Explanation of symbols

  1 to 3 ... Manufacturing equipment (first to third manufacturing equipment) 7a, 7b ... Substrate heating devices 12a to 12c 15a to 15c ... Work chamber heating means 16a to 16c ... Heated gas supply devices 17a to 17c ... ... Gas supply system 20 ... Inkjet printer 40 ... Sealing material supply device 50 ... Bonding device 51 ... First holding means 52 ... Second holding means 55 ... Moving means 56 ... Positioning means

  Reference numerals 1 to 3 in FIGS. 1 to 3 denote manufacturing apparatuses for the first to third organic EL devices of the present invention, respectively. The same members of the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 1 to 3 are distinguished by adding the suffixes a to c to the same reference numerals.

The first to third manufacturing apparatuses 1 to 3 have transfer chambers 31a to 31c, work chambers 11a to 11c, and cassette chambers 36a to 36c, respectively.
The working chambers 11a to 11c and the cassette chambers 36a to 36c are connected to the transfer chambers 31a to 31c via the doors 8a to 8c and 9a to 9c. To the internal spaces of .about.31c.

  The cassette chambers 36a to 36c are provided with unillustrated unloading / unloading openings. When the unloading / unloading opening is opened, the cassette containing the substrate can be loaded / unloaded, and when the unloading / unloading opening is closed, the cassette chambers 36a to 36c. The internal space of is blocked from the outside.

  Inside the transfer chambers 31a to 31c, transfer robots 35a to 35c for transferring the substrates are arranged. When the doors 8a to 8c and 9a to 9c are opened, the transfer robots 35a to 35c and the work chambers 11a to 11c and the cassette are arranged. The substrate can be transported between the chambers 36a to 36c. Accordingly, the substrate is transferred between the working chambers 11a to 11c and the cassette chambers 36a to 36c through the transfer chambers 31a to 31c without being exposed to the external atmosphere.

Heating devices 12a to 12c are attached to the working chambers 11a to 11c, and the working chambers 11a to 11c are heated by the heating devices 12a to 12c.
The heating devices 12a to 12c are either one of working chamber heating means 15a to 15c for heating the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c and a heating gas supply device 16a to 16c for supplying a heating gas to the inside of the working chambers 11a to 11c. Or have both.
The working chamber heating means 15a to 15c are attached in close contact with the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c.
Here, the working chamber heating means 15a to 15c are attached to the side walls and the ceiling of the working chambers 11a to 11c inside the working chambers 11a to 11c, but the mounting locations of the working chamber heating means 15a to 15c are not particularly limited. .
The working chamber heating means 15a to 15c may be provided at one or more of the ceiling, bottom wall, and side walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c. Further, the working chamber heating means 15a to 15c can be provided on either or both of the inner side (inner wall surface) and the outer side (outer wall surface) of the working chambers 11a to 11c.

  The working chamber heating means 15a to 15c have a heater (for example, a sheath heater) or a hot water circulation pipe. When the heater is energized or hot water is passed through the hot water circulation pipe, the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c The part to which the working chamber heating means 15a to 15c are attached is heated.

The walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c are made of a heat conductive material such as metal (for example, stainless steel). When the portions of the working chambers 11a to 11c to which the working chamber heating means 15a to 15c are attached are heated, the entire walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c are heated by heat conduction.
When the temperature of the walls of the work chambers 11a to 11c rises, water and oxygen attached to the inner wall surfaces of the work chambers 11a to 11c become gas (including steam) and are released into the internal spaces of the work chambers 11a to 11c. Exhaust systems 19a to 19c are connected to the work chambers 11a to 11c, and gas can be discharged from the internal spaces of the work chambers 11a to 11c.

The heated gas supply devices 16a to 16c have gas supply systems 17a to 17c and gas heating means 14a to 14c.
The gas supply systems 17a to 17c have tanks 41a to 41c in which a dry gas (for example, dry nitrogen) is disposed, one end connected to the tanks 41a to 41c, and the other end airtightly inserted into the working chambers 11a to 11c. It has piping 42a-42c.
The gas heating means 14a to 14c are attached to any one or both of the tanks 41a to 41c and the pipes 42a to 42c.
The gas heating means 14a to 14c are heaters, for example. When the gas heating means 14a to 14c are energized, the dry gas disposed in the tanks 41a to 41c moves from the tanks 41a to 41c into the working chambers 11a to 11c. Heated in between. Accordingly, heated dry gas (heated gas) is supplied into the working chambers 11a to 11c.
The inner wall surfaces of the working chambers 11a to 11c are heated in contact with the heated dry gas, and water and oxygen attached to the inner wall surfaces of the working chambers 11a to 11c are released as gases. Since the released gas is swept away by the heated dry gas, it is efficiently discharged outside the working chambers 11a to 11c by the exhaust systems 19a to 19c.
Only one of the working chamber heating means 15a to 15c and the heated gas supply devices 16a to 16c may be used, but the discharge efficiency of water and oxygen attached to the inner wall surfaces of the working chambers 11a to 11c is high.

  Here, in-line filters 18a to 18c are provided in portions of the pipes 42a to 42c between the tanks 41a to 41c and the working chambers 11a to 11c, and fine particles and impurity gases are mixed into the tanks 41a to 41c. Even if it is, it is removed by the in-line filters 18a to 18c.

Next, the process of manufacturing an organic EL device using the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 1 to 3 will be described.
Before starting the manufacture of the organic EL device, the working chambers 11a to 11c of the first to third manufacturing devices 1 to 3 are blocked from the external atmosphere, the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c are heated, Release oxygen.

While heating the walls of the work chambers 11a to 11c, the heated gas supply devices 16a to 16c are supplied with the dried gas, and at the same time, exhaust is performed by the exhaust systems 19a to 19c. Is replaced.
At this time, if the exhaust speed of the exhaust systems 19a to 19c and the supply amount of the dry gas are set so that the internal pressure of the working chambers 11a to 11c is slightly positive than the atmospheric pressure, Oxygen contamination is prevented.
However, when handling toxic substances in the working chambers 11a to 11c, the exhaust speed of the exhaust systems 19a to 19c and the drying gas are set so that the internal pressure of the working chambers 11a to 11c is slightly negative than the atmospheric pressure. If the supply amount is set, leakage of toxic substances from the working chambers 11a to 11c to the outside is prevented.

  In any case, by keeping the inside of the working chambers 11a to 11c at a pressure close to the atmospheric pressure, the heat inside the working chambers 11a to 11c (heated dry gas) is conducted by heat conduction in the working chambers 11a to 11c. It is possible to warm up every corner and promote the separation of impurities such as moisture, and the atmosphere inside the working chambers 11a to 11c can be quickly withered.

  Note that if the interiors of the work chambers 11a to 11c are evacuated to a vacuum, they are heated only by heat radiation from the work chamber heating means 15a to 15c, so that the shaded parts are not warmed, and impurities are not separated from those parts. The interior of the working chambers 11a to 11c cannot be withered.

  Any heating time may be used for heating the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c, but one cycle of heating is preferably 8 hours or more. When the heating time is short, it is impossible to warm up all the corners of the working chambers 11a to 11c, and the impurities cannot be sufficiently separated.

After sufficiently heating the working chambers 11a to 11c, the working chamber heating means 15a to 15c and the gas heating means 14a to 14c are stopped, and the heating of the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c and the heating of the dry gas are finished.
While supplying the dry gas to the work chambers 11a to 11c without heating, the exhaust of the work chambers 11a to 11c is continued, and the temperature of the walls of the work chambers 11a to 11c is lowered, so that the atmosphere inside the work chambers 11a to 11c Can be withered (gas replacement step).

  When the atmosphere inside the working chambers 11a to 11c does not reach a dew point of -76 ° C. (moisture concentration of 1 ppm) or a level desired by the worker, the heating process and the gas replacement process are repeated twice or more to dry the atmosphere.

A substrate having electrodes, transistors and the like formed on the surface is accommodated in a cassette, and the cassette is placed inside the cassette chamber 36a of the first manufacturing apparatus 1.
Inside the work chamber 11a of the first manufacturing apparatus 1, a stage 21 and an ink jet printer 20 are arranged.
The ink jet printer 20 includes a print head 25, and the print head 25 is disposed above the stage 21 and separated from the stage 21 by a holding unit 26.

  While exhausting the inside of the working chamber 11a, the drying gas is supplied without heating to maintain a dry working atmosphere. While maintaining the work atmosphere, the substrate is carried into the work chamber 11a from the cassette chamber 36a, the substrate is placed on the stage 21, the door 9a is closed, and the internal space of the work chamber 11a is shut off from the transfer chamber 31a. .

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the substrate 7 a is arranged on the stage 21.
The print head 25 is connected to an organic material supply system 28, and a raw material liquid containing an organic material (light emitting material, charge transport material, electron transport material, dye, etc.) is supplied from the organic material supply system 28 to the print head 25. .

One or both of the print head 25 and the stage 21 are attached to a moving means (not shown).
Either one or both of the print head 25 and the stage 21 are moved, and the substrate 7a on the stage 21 and the print head 25 are relatively moved. When the nozzle hole of the print head 25 is positioned on a predetermined position on the surface of the substrate 7a, the raw material liquid is discharged from the nozzle hole and landed on the surface of the substrate 7a to form an organic material layer.
If the working atmosphere described above is maintained inside the working chambers 11a to 11c while the organic material layer is formed, moisture, oxygen and the like are not mixed in the organic material layer, and the film chamber does not deteriorate.

  After the movement and the discharge are repeated and the organic material layer is formed at a predetermined position of the substrate 7a, the substrate 7a is returned from the working chamber 11a to the cassette chamber 36a, accommodated in the cassette, and a new substrate 7a is accommodated in the cassette chamber 36a. Are carried into the working chamber 11a and the substrate 7a is exchanged.

After the formation of the organic material layer and the replacement of the substrate 7a are repeated to form the organic material layer on a predetermined number of substrates 7a, the cassette is taken out from the cassette chamber 36a.
The cassette is carried directly from the first manufacturing apparatus 1 into the cassette chamber 36b of the second manufacturing apparatus 2. Or after carrying in from the 1st manufacturing apparatus 1 to another apparatus and processing each board | substrate 7a, it carries in into the cassette chamber 36b of the 2nd manufacturing apparatus 2. FIG. After carrying the cassette into the cassette chamber 36b, the cassette chamber 36b is shut off from the external atmosphere.

A stage 38 and a sealing material supply device 40 are disposed inside the work chamber 11 b of the second manufacturing apparatus 2.
While exhausting the working chamber 11b, the drying gas is supplied without heating to form a dry working atmosphere. While maintaining the working atmosphere, the substrate 7a on which the organic material layer is formed is carried into the working chamber 11b from the cassette chamber 36b and placed on the stage 38.

  The sealing material is pasty or solid. Here, the sealing material is in a paste form, and the sealing material supply device 40 includes a dispenser 45, and the dispenser 45 is connected to the sealing material supply system 41 and supplied with the paste-like sealing material. The

One or both of the dispenser 45 and the stage 38 are connected to a moving means (not shown).
Either or both of the dispenser 45 and the stage 38 are moved, and while the substrate 7a on the stage 38 and the dispenser 45 are relatively moved, the sealing material is pushed out from the nozzle holes of the dispenser 45 to the surface of the substrate 7a. The ring-shaped sealing material layer is formed so as to surround the region (light emitting region) where each organic material layer is formed on the surface of the substrate 7a.
If the working atmosphere described above is maintained while the sealing material layer is formed, the organic material layer formed on the surface of the substrate 7a does not deteriorate.

  In the case where the sealing material is solid (for example, a rod shape), the sealing material supply device 40 arranges the sealing material on the surface of the substrate 7a along the edge of the light emitting region outside the light emitting region. A surrounding encapsulating material layer is formed.

  The substrate 7a on which the sealing material layer is formed is replaced with a new substrate 7a, and the formation of the sealing material layer and the replacement of the substrate 7a are repeated, so that the sealing material layer is formed on a predetermined number of substrates 7a. Remove the cassette.

The cassette chamber 36c of the third manufacturing apparatus 3 is provided with a cassette containing a substrate 7a on which a sealing material layer is formed and a cassette containing a substrate to be bonded. 36c is shielded from the external atmosphere.
While exhausting the inside of the working chamber 11c, the drying gas is supplied without heating to form a dry working atmosphere. While maintaining the work atmosphere, the substrate 7a on which the sealing material layer is formed and the substrate to be bonded are carried into the work chamber 11c from the cassette chamber 36c.

A laminating device 50 is disposed inside the work chamber 11c of the third manufacturing apparatus 3. The laminating device 50 includes first and second holding means 51 and 52, an alignment means 56, and a moving means. 55.
In the state where the substrate 7a on which the sealing material layer is formed and the substrate to be bonded are oriented so that the surface on which the sealing material layer is formed and the surface to be bonded face each other. The first and second holding means 51 and 52 hold it.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the substrates 7 a and 7 b are held by the first and second holding means 51 and 52.
The orientation and arrangement of the substrates 7a and 7b in this state are not particularly limited. However, when the adhesiveness between the sealing material layer and the substrate 7a is low, the surface on which the sealing material layer is arranged faces upward. The substrate 7a is disposed substantially horizontally, and the substrate 7b to be bonded is disposed on the substrate 7a with the surface to be bonded facing downward.

The alignment means 56 is a CCD camera or the like, for example, and observes the substrates 7a and 7b held by the first and second holding means 51 and 52 and detects the position information.
The moving means 55 and the alignment means 56 are connected to the control device 59, and the position information detected by the alignment means 56 is transmitted to the control device 59.

  The moving means 55 is configured to be able to move and rotate either one or both of the first and second holding means 51 and 52 within a horizontal plane. Since the substrates 7a and 7b held by the first and second holding means 51 and 52 move together with the first and second holding means 51 and 52, the substrates 7a and 7b move relatively in a horizontal plane. Or rotate.

Based on the transmitted position information, the control device 59 operates the moving means 55 to rotate and / or move the substrates 7a and 7b in the horizontal plane, thereby aligning the substrates 7a and 7b.
The moving means 55 is configured to be able to relatively move one or both of the first and second holding means 51 and 52 in the vertical direction in addition to the horizontal movement and rotation.

  In a state where the substrates 7a and 7b are aligned, the control device 59 moves the first and second holding means 51 and 52 relatively up and down to bring the substrates 7a and 7b closer together and attach the sealing material layer. The substrates 7a and 7b are bonded to each other with the sealing material layer sandwiched between the target substrates 7b.

Inside the work chamber 11c of the third manufacturing apparatus 3, curing means (not shown) is arranged.
The curing means irradiates the sealing material layer with ultraviolet rays when the sealing material layer contains an ultraviolet curable resin, and heats the sealing material layer when the sealing material layer contains a thermosetting resin. The resin is polymerized and cured.

  Further, when the sealing material layer contains a melting material such as glass or thermoplastic resin, the curing means heats and melts the sealing material layer to improve the adhesion to the substrates 7a and 7b, and then the sealing material. The layer is cooled (including natural cooling) to solidify.

Accordingly, the substrates 7a and 7b are fixed to each other by the cured or solidified sealing material layer.
The organic EL device in which the substrates 7a and 7b are fixed is carried out from the work chamber 11c to the cassette chamber 36c, and new substrates 7a and 7b are carried into the work chamber 11c.

After the step of bonding and fixing the substrates 7a and 7b, the unloading of the organic EL device, and the loading of new substrates 7a and 7b are repeated, and a predetermined number of substrates 7a and 7b are bonded together to create the organic EL device If the cassette is taken out from the cassette chamber 36c, the organic EL device is taken out.
If the working atmosphere described above is maintained in all steps such as bonding and fixing the substrates 7a and 7b, unloading of the organic EL device, and loading of the new substrates 7a and 7b, the substrate 7a is formed. The formed organic material layer does not deteriorate.

  As described above, since the sealing material layer is formed in a ring shape surrounding the light emitting region where the organic material layer is formed, the organic material layer is the cured material or solidified sealing material layer. Surrounded. Therefore, the organic material layer is shielded from the external atmosphere, and moisture and oxygen do not enter.

  Moreover, as described above, the step of forming the organic material layer, the step of forming the sealing material layer, and the step of bonding and fixing the substrates 7a and 7b are operations in which an impurity gas such as water is previously removed. Since the process is performed inside the chambers 11a to 11c, no impurity gas is mixed into the organic material layer in the manufacturing process.

Therefore, the organic material layer is not deteriorated by the impurity gas, and the life of the organic EL device is extended.
If the production of the organic EL device is continued, maintenance inside the working chambers 11a to 11c such as cleaning and replacement of the print head 25 and the dispenser 45 and filling of the raw material liquid into the organic material supply system 28 becomes necessary. When performing maintenance inside the working chambers 11a to 11c, the substrates 7a and 7b are unloaded and the production of the organic EL device is temporarily stopped.

  When performing maintenance work, the interior spaces of the work chambers 11a to 11c are usually connected to the external atmosphere, so that air enters the work chambers 11a to 11c, and impurities such as water and oxygen in the air are in the work chamber. It adheres to the inner wall surface of 11a-11c.

  After the maintenance is completed, before carrying at least the substrates 7a and 7b into the work chambers 11a to 11c, as described above, the atmosphere in the work chamber 11 is dew point -76 ° C. (water concentration 1 ppm) or a level desired by the operator. The working atmosphere is formed by replacing the gas while heating the working chambers 11a to 11c until it reaches.

It should be noted that the working chamber 11a is supplied without supplying dry gas for a predetermined time after the maintenance is completed until the heating of the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c is started, or after the heating of the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c is started. The inside of ˜11c may be exhausted.
In this case, most of the atmosphere that has entered the working chambers 11a to 11c can be replaced by the first gas replacement, which is efficient. However, after that, as described above, while heating the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c, it is desirable to supply exhaust gas and supply dry gas, and replace the gas inside the working chambers 11a to 11c with dry gas.
The drying gas may be supplied without heating while heating the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c with the working chamber heating means 15a to 15c. Furthermore, you may heat the working chamber 11 by supplying the heated dry gas, without heating with the working chamber heating means 15a-15c.
In any case, after the heating of the working chambers 11a to 11c is completed, the working chambers 11a to 11c are exhausted and the dry gas is supplied without heating to form a working atmosphere.
After the working atmosphere is formed, the substrates 7a and 7b are carried in, and the formation of the organic material layer, the formation of the sealing material layer, and the bonding of the substrates 7a and 7b are resumed.

Valves 29 and 49 are provided between the print head 25 and the organic material supply system 28 and between the dispenser 45 and the sealing material supply system 41, respectively.
When exhausting the work chambers 11a to 11c to a reduced pressure atmosphere (including a vacuum atmosphere) lower than the atmospheric pressure, the valves 29 and 49 are closed and a dry gas is supplied to the interior of the work chambers 11a to 11c. After the space rises to a predetermined pressure or higher, the valves 29 and 49 are opened, and the raw material liquid and the sealing material are supplied to the print head 25 and the dispenser 45. It is not ejected to the internal space of ˜11c.

The dry gas is not limited to dry nitrogen gas, and various gases such as Ar gas can be used as long as the gas does not chemically degrade the organic material. For example, when the presence of oxygen is not a problem, a dry gas containing oxygen (for example, dry air) can be used. Only one type of these dry gases may be supplied to the working chambers 11a to 11c, or two or more types may be supplied to the working chambers 11a to 11c.
Further, the type of dry gas may be changed between the heating gas supplied when heating the working chambers 11a to 11c and the working gas supplied when forming the working atmosphere after the heating is finished, or the same. May be.
Although it is desirable that the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c be made of a material having high thermal conductivity, a viewing window may be made by inserting a transparent plate such as glass into at least a part thereof.

  It is desirable to heat the working chambers 11a to 11c so that the wall temperature is 60 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower. If it is less than 60 ° C., moisture removal is not sufficiently performed, and if it exceeds 80 ° C., there is a problem in safety.

The working chambers 11a to 11c may be heated not only before the substrates 7a and 7b are carried into the working chambers 11a to 11c but also in a state where the substrates are arranged in the working chambers 11a to 11c. However, when films having low heat resistance such as organic EL layers are formed on the substrates 7a and 7b, heating is terminated before the substrates 7a and 7b are loaded, and the internal temperatures of the working chambers 11a to 11c are set to a predetermined temperature. It is necessary to reduce it to below (for example, the temperature at which the organic material constituting the organic EL layer is not decomposed).
Furthermore, the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 1 to 3 are connected to a transfer chamber (not shown), and the substrates 7a and 7b are not exposed to the atmosphere via the transfer chamber. It may be possible to convey between 1 and 3.

  In the above, the case where the organic material layer is formed and then the sealing material layer is formed on the substrate 7a has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the second manufacturing apparatus 2 uses the sealing material. After forming the layer, the organic material layer may be formed by the first manufacturing apparatus 1.

Alternatively, the sealing material layer may be disposed on the substrate 7b to be bonded without providing the sealing material layer on the substrate 7a on which the organic material layer is formed, and the substrates 7a and 7b may be bonded to each other. After the sealing material layer is disposed on both the substrate 7a for forming the layer and the substrate 7b to be bonded, the substrates 7a and 7b may be bonded to each other.
The material of the substrates 7a and 7b is not particularly limited, and a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, a ceramic substrate, or the like can be used.

  The pressure when processing the substrates 7a to 7c inside the working chambers 11a to 11c is not particularly limited, but when forming the organic material layer, the pressure is set to atmospheric pressure so that the meniscus of the nozzles of the print head 25 is not disturbed. It is desirable that the substrates 7a and 7c be bonded in a working atmosphere at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.

  In the above, the case where the formation of the organic material layer, the formation of the sealing material layer, and the bonding and fixing of the substrates 7a and 7b are performed inside the separate working chambers 11a to 11c has been described. It is not limited.

  Among the inkjet printer 20, the sealing material supply device 40, and the bonding device 50, at least two or more devices are arranged in the same working chamber, forming an organic material layer, forming a sealing material layer, Of the bonding and fixing of the substrates 7a and 7b, two or more steps may be performed in the same working chamber.

  In particular, if devices used for successive processes, such as the sealing material supply device 40 and the bonding device 50, are arranged in the same work chamber, the time required to carry in and out the substrates 7a and 7b is shortened. In addition, it is more desirable because the risk that the substrates 7a and 7b are exposed to the external atmosphere is reduced.

In this case, an unloading robot for unloading the substrates 7a and 7b may be provided inside the work chamber, and the substrate may be transferred inside the work chamber.
Further, while heating the walls of the working chambers 11a to 11c, the insides of the working chambers 11a to 11c may be continuously exhausted, and the working chambers 11a to 11b may be heated without supplying the dry gas. However, as described above, in this case, the impurity removal efficiency decreases.

  In addition, a gas supply system that supplies a dry gas and an exhaust system may be connected to one or both of the transfer chambers 31a to 31c and the cassette chambers 36a to 36c.

If the drying gas is supplied while exhausting the inside of the transfer chambers 31a to 31c and the cassette chambers 36a to 36c before the substrates 7a and 7b are carried into the work chambers 11a to 11c, the substrates 7a and 7b are moved to the work chamber 11. The amount of impurity gas entering from the transfer chambers 31a to 31 and the cassette chambers 36a to 36c is reduced when being carried into the container.

Claims (13)

A working room,
An inkjet printer that discharges liquid on the surface of the substrate disposed inside the working chamber;
An apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device configured to be able to block the internal space of the working chamber from an external atmosphere,
An apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising: a heating device that heats the work chamber after the completion of maintenance for connecting the work chamber to an external atmosphere and before the substrate is carried into the work chamber. The heating device includes a working chamber heating means attached to the wall of the working chamber,
The apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 1, comprising one or both of heating gas supply devices for supplying a heating gas into the work chamber. The heated gas supply device has a gas supply system connected to the supply chamber,
The apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 2, wherein a drying gas is supplied as the heating gas. A transfer chamber;
A transfer robot disposed in the transfer chamber;
The apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer chamber is hermetically connected to the work chamber. A working room,
A sealing material supply device that disposes a sealing material on a substrate disposed in the working chamber;
An apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device configured to be able to block the internal space of the working chamber from an external atmosphere,
An apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising: a heating device that heats the work chamber after the completion of maintenance for connecting the work chamber to an external atmosphere and before the substrate is carried into the work chamber. The heating device includes a working chamber heating means attached to the wall of the working chamber,
The apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 5, comprising one or both of heating gas supply devices for supplying a heating gas into the work chamber. The heated gas supply device has a gas supply system connected to the supply chamber,
The organic EL device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a drying gas is supplied as the heating gas. A transfer chamber;
A transfer robot disposed in the transfer chamber;
The organic EL device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transfer chamber is airtightly connected to the working chamber. A working room and a bonding device;
The laminating apparatus includes first holding means for holding a first substrate;
A second holding means for holding the second substrate;
Moving the first and second holding means relative to each other, and moving means for bonding the first and second substrates;
An apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device configured to be able to block the internal space of the working chamber from an external atmosphere,
An apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising: a heating device that heats the work chamber after the completion of maintenance for connecting the work chamber to an external atmosphere and before the substrate is carried into the work chamber. Alignment means for detecting relative positional information of the first and second substrates;
The organic EL device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the moving unit relatively moves the first and second holding units in a horizontal plane based on position information detected by the positioning unit. The heating device includes a working chamber heating means attached to the wall of the working chamber,
The apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 9, comprising one or both of heating gas supply devices for supplying a heating gas into the work chamber. The heated gas supply device has a gas supply system connected to the supply chamber,
The apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 11, wherein a drying gas is supplied as the heating gas. A transfer chamber;
A transfer robot disposed in the transfer chamber;
The apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 9, wherein the transfer chamber is hermetically connected to the work chamber.

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