JP4974832B2 - Vapor deposition source, vapor deposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vapor deposition apparatus and a vapor deposition method.

The organic EL element is one of the display elements that have attracted the most attention in recent years, and has excellent characteristics such as high brightness and fast response speed. In the organic EL element, a light emitting region that emits three different colors of red, green, and blue is disposed on a glass substrate. The light emitting region is an anode electrode film, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer and a cathode electrode film laminated in this order, and is a color former added in the light emitting layer. Color is red, green, or blue.
A hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and the like are generally made of an organic material, and a vapor deposition apparatus is widely used for forming a film of such an organic material.

  Reference numeral 203 in FIG. 5 is a conventional vapor deposition apparatus, in which a vapor deposition vessel 212 is disposed inside a vacuum chamber 211. The vapor deposition container 212 has a container main body 221, and the upper part of the container main body 221 is closed by a lid portion 222 in which one or more discharge ports 224 are formed.

A powdery organic vapor deposition material 200 is disposed inside the vapor deposition vessel 212.
Heaters 223 are disposed on the side and bottom surfaces of the vapor deposition vessel 212. The inside of the vacuum chamber 211 is evacuated. When the heater 223 generates heat, the vapor deposition vessel 212 is heated, and the organic vapor deposition material 200 in the vapor deposition vessel 212 is heated. Is done.

When the organic vapor deposition material 200 is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the evaporation temperature, the vapor of the organic material is filled in the vapor deposition vessel 212 and discharged from the discharge port 224 into the vacuum chamber 211.
A holder 210 is disposed above the discharge port 224. If the holder 210 holds the substrate 205, the organic material vapor discharged from the discharge port 224 reaches the surface of the substrate 205, and a hole injection layer or a hole is formed. Organic thin films such as a transport layer and a light emitting layer are formed.

  An organic thin film can be sequentially formed on a plurality of substrates 205 by passing the substrates 205 one by one over the discharge port 224 while releasing the organic material vapor.

However, in order to form a film on a plurality of substrates 205, it is necessary to dispose a large amount of organic material in the vapor deposition container 212. In an actual production site, the organic vapor deposition material 200 in the vapor deposition vessel 212 is exposed to a high temperature for a long time because the film formation process is continuously performed for 120 hours or more while heating the organic material to 250 ° C. to 450 ° C. Thus, it reacts with moisture in the vapor deposition vessel 212 and changes its quality, or decomposition by heating proceeds.
As a result, the organic vapor deposition material 200 is deteriorated compared to the initial state, and the film quality of the organic thin film is deteriorated.

  A device is known in which an organic vapor deposition material passing through a groove between ridges is supplied to a heating vessel little by little by rotating a rotating shaft (screw) having a ridge formed in a spiral shape in a cylinder. (For example, Patent Documents 1 and 3) According to this apparatus, since the organic vapor deposition material is not heated in large quantities at a time, the organic vapor deposition material is unlikely to deteriorate.

However, when heating the container for heating, the rotating shaft is also easily heated, and the organic vapor deposition material is heated before reaching the heating means, and clogs in the groove due to deformation of grains, increase in resistance, dissolution, etc. There is. Moreover, it may evaporate in the groove | channel between protrusions.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-14334 JP 2006-307239 A JP 2007-70687 A

  The present invention is for solving the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to efficiently form a film by arranging organic vapor deposition materials in small amounts in a steam generator.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a steam generator for heating a powdered organic material to generate a vapor of the organic material to form an organic thin film, comprising a heating plate and the heating plate An inner protrusion disposed on the surface of the inner protrusion, and in a state where the heating plate and the inner protrusion are at or above the evaporation temperature of the organic material, When the material is supplied, vapor of the organic material is generated, and on the surface of the heating plate, there is an outer peripheral protrusion disposed so as to surround the inner protrusion, and the supply section includes the inner protrusion. And the outer peripheral protrusion, the inner protrusion, the outer peripheral protrusion, and the heating plate each include a steam generator and a supply device made of metal, and the supply device A housing portion for housing the organic material, and the organic material housed in the housing portion. A moving device that moves the moving device to the outside of the feeding device, the dropping hole of the moving device is disposed above the steam generating device, and the organic material in the housing portion is moved from the dropping hole of the moving device to the A vapor deposition source configured to fall on a steam generator, wherein the steam generator is disposed with a surface on which the inner protrusion is disposed facing upward, and the drop hole is disposed on the supply unit The deposition source located above .
The present invention is a vapor deposition source, wherein the moving device has an opening provided on a bottom surface of the housing portion, one end connected to the opening of the housing portion, and the other end connected to the outside of the housing portion. The vapor deposition source includes a connecting pipe and a rotating shaft inserted through the connecting pipe, and the falling hole is configured at a lower end of a gap between the rotating shaft and an inner wall surface of the connecting pipe.
The present invention is a vapor deposition source, wherein a lower end of the rotating shaft is a vapor deposition source located on a tip of the inner protrusion.
The present invention is a vapor deposition source, wherein the rotating shaft includes a shaft main body and a heat insulating member disposed at a tip of the shaft main body, and the rotating shaft is an end portion on a side where the heat insulating member is disposed. Is a vapor deposition source inserted through the connecting pipe with the surface facing downward.
The present invention is a vapor deposition source, wherein the heat insulating member is a deposition source composed of a ceramic material mainly composed of Si ₃ N _4.
The present invention includes a vacuum chamber, a discharge device, and the vapor deposition source, and a space in which the vapor generation device of the vapor deposition source is disposed is connected to an internal space of the discharge device, A vapor deposition apparatus in which a discharge port connecting the internal space of the vacuum chamber and the internal space of the discharge apparatus is formed.

In the present invention, the main component means that 50% by weight or more of the main component is contained, and the ceramic material mainly containing Si ₃ N ₄ means 50% by weight of Si ₃ N _4. It means the ceramic material to be contained.

  Since the lower end of the rotating shaft faces the tip of the inner protrusion and is heated to a high temperature by the radiant heat emitted from the inner protrusion, the vapor of the organic material does not deposit on the lower end of the rotating shaft without heating the rotating shaft. . At least, since a heat insulating material is arranged between the tip of the rotating shaft and the shaft main body, even if the tip of the rotating shaft becomes high temperature, the shaft main body and the ridge are not heated, and the organic material that contacts the rotating shaft is Does not evaporate. Since the relationship between the amount of rotation of the rotating shaft and the amount of organic material falling does not change, the required amount of organic material can be accurately supplied to the steam generator. Since only the necessary amount of organic material is heated, the organic material is unlikely to deteriorate.

Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 indicates an example of a film forming apparatus (organic EL manufacturing apparatus).
The film forming apparatus 1 includes a plurality of vapor deposition apparatuses 10a to 10c. Here, the vapor deposition apparatuses 10a to 10c are connected to the transfer chamber 2, and the transfer chamber 2 to which the vapor deposition apparatuses 10a to 10c are connected includes The carry-in chamber 3a, the carry-out chamber 3b, the processing chamber 6, the sputtering chamber 7, and the mask storage chamber 8 are connected. A plurality of masks are housed in the mask housing chamber 8 and are periodically replaced with the masks disposed in the vapor deposition apparatuses 10a to 10c and the sputtering chamber 7.

  By the evacuation system 9, the inside of the transfer chamber 2, the inside of the vapor deposition apparatuses 10a to 10c, the inside of the processing chamber 6, the inside of the sputtering chamber 7, the inside of the mask storage chamber 8, the inside of the carry-in chamber 3a, and the inside of the carry-out chamber 3b A vacuum atmosphere is formed.

  A transfer robot 5 is disposed inside the transfer chamber 2. The substrate with the lower electrode formed on the surface is carried into the carry-in chamber 3a, and the substrate is carried into the transfer chamber 2 from the carry-in chamber 3a by the transfer robot 5 in the vacuum atmosphere. Thus, organic thin films such as an electron injection layer, an electron transport layer, a light emitting layer, a hole transport layer, and a hole injection layer are formed inside the vapor deposition apparatuses 10a to 10c, and an upper electrode film is formed inside the sputtering chamber 7. The manufactured organic EL element is unloaded from the unloading chamber 3b.

  Among the vapor deposition apparatuses 10a to 10c connected to the transfer chamber 2, at least one is the vapor deposition apparatus 10b of the present invention.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the vapor deposition apparatus 10b of the present invention. The vapor deposition apparatus 10b includes a film forming unit 70 and one or two (here, three) vapor deposition sources 20a to 20c. Each vapor deposition source 20a-20c has the same structure, and the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and demonstrated to the same member.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the vapor deposition device 10 b, and the vapor deposition sources 20 a to 20 c have a supply device 30 and an evaporation chamber 27.

  The supply device 30 includes a device main body 31, a housing portion 32, a connection pipe 33, and a rotation shaft 35. A space capable of accommodating an organic material is provided inside the apparatus main body 31, and the accommodating portion 32 is configured by the space. The bottom surface of the housing portion 32 has a mortar shape, and an opening is formed at the lower end of the mortar-shaped bottom surface.

One end of the connection pipe 33 is connected to the opening on the bottom of the mortar shape of the housing portion 32.
The configuration of the connection pipe 33 is not particularly limited, but here, the apparatus main body 31 is extended downward from the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 32, and a through hole communicating with the opening of the accommodating portion 32 is formed in the extended lower portion. The inner tube 43 is composed of a lower portion 43 and a metal straight tube (inner tube) 42 inserted through the outer tube 43. The inner space of the connecting tube 33 is the inner space of the inner tube 42. The inner wall surface of the connection pipe 33 is formed by the inner wall surface of the inner cylinder 42.

  The rotary shaft 35 includes a linear shaft body 38, a protrusion 36 formed in a spiral shape on the outer periphery of at least a part of the shaft body 38, and a heat insulating member 46 attached to the tip of the shaft body 38. Yes.

  The rotating shaft 35 is inserted into the connecting pipe 33 such that at least a part of the protrusion 36 is located in the connecting pipe 33 with the side on which the heat insulating member 46 is attached facing away from the housing portion 32. A gap is formed between the rotary shaft 35 and the inner wall surface of the connection pipe 33, and here, a drop hole 48 is formed at the end (lower end) opposite to the accommodation section 32 of the gap, and the connection pipe 33, the rotating shaft 35, and the drop hole 48 constitute a moving device.

  The evaporation chamber 27 includes the evaporation tank 21 and the steam generator 22, and the supply device 30 is attached to the ceiling of the evaporation tank 21 with the accommodating portion 32 facing upward and the falling hole 48 facing downward. . The lower end of the connection pipe 33 is inserted into the evaporation tank 21 in an airtight manner, and the internal space of the housing portion 32 and the internal space of the evaporation tank 21 are connected to each other through a gap between the rotating shaft 35 and the connection pipe 33. ing.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the lid 34 of the apparatus main body 31 is opened and the organic material 39 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 32, and then the lid 34 is closed and the accommodating portion 32 is sealed.
The organic material 39 used in the present invention is a powder. The distance from the tip of the ridge 36 to the inner wall surface of the connection tube 33 is smaller than the particle size of the organic material 39 (for example, a particle size of 100 μm or more and 200 μm or less). Does not fall between.

  In addition, the inclination of the groove between the protrusions 36 is so gentle that the organic material 39 does not enter the groove when the rotating shaft 35 is stationary. When the rotating shaft 35 is stationary, the organic material 39 is contained in the housing portion 32. Stay on.

  The rotating means 41 is connected to the rotating shaft 35, and when the power of the rotating means 41 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 35, the rotating shaft 35 does not rise or fall, while maintaining the state inserted through the connecting pipe 33, It rotates around the central axis of the connecting pipe 33.

  The rotation direction at this time is a direction in which the tip protrudes from the female screw by rotation when the rotation shaft 35 is assumed to be inserted into the female screw to be screwed. A force that moves downward along the slope of the ridge 36 is applied, and the organic material 39 in the accommodating portion 32 slides on the slope of the ridge 36 and enters the groove between the ridges 36, along the slope of the ridge 36. Move downward.

  When the lower end of the groove between the protrusions 36 is connected to the drop hole 48 or the lower end is not connected to the drop hole 48, the lower part of the groove of the rotating shaft 35 is between the inner wall surfaces of the connection pipe 33. The gap is narrowed so that the organic material 39 can drop, and the lower end of the groove is connected to the drop hole 48 through the gap. In any case, when the organic material 39 reaches the lower end of the groove, it falls from the drop hole 48.

  The steam generator 22 includes a heating plate 22c, an inner protrusion 22a disposed on the surface of the heating plate 22c, and a ring-shaped outer peripheral protrusion 22b disposed on the surface of the heating plate 22c so as to surround the inner protrusion 22a. The ring-shaped supply part 29 is formed in the space between the inner protrusion 22a and the outer peripheral protrusion 22b.

  4A and 4B are a sectional view and a projection view showing the positional relationship between the drop hole 48 and the supply unit 29, and the planar edge of the drop hole 48 is connected to the lower end outer periphery 45 a of the rotating shaft 35. It is comprised by the lower end inner periphery 45b of the pipe | tube 33. FIG.

  The outer periphery 45a of the lower end of the rotating shaft 35 and the inner periphery 45b of the lower end of the connecting tube 33 are larger than the outer periphery of the tip of the inner protrusion 22a and smaller than the upper end opening of the outer protrusion 22b. The inner circumference is larger than the inner circumference of the supply section 29, and the outer circumference is smaller than the outer circumference of the supply section 29.

  The steam generator 22 is disposed inside the evaporation tank 21 so that the surface on which the inner protrusion 22a and the outer peripheral protrusion 22b are disposed faces upward, and the tip of the inner protrusion 22a faces the lower end of the rotation shaft 35. ing.

  The lower end outer periphery 45a of the rotating shaft 35 protrudes outward from the entire outer periphery of the tip of the inner protrusion 22a, and the lower end inner periphery 45b of the connection pipe 33 protrudes inward from the front outer periphery of the upper end opening of the outer protrusion 22b.

  Since the drop hole 48 is located on the supply part 29 without facing the inner protrusion 22a or the outer protrusion 22b, the organic material 39 does not fall on the inner protrusion 22a or the outer protrusion 22b. Drops into the supply unit 29. Since the supply unit 29 is surrounded by the outer peripheral projection 22 b, the dropped organic material 39 is blocked by the outer peripheral projection 22 b and does not fall down from the supply unit 29.

  A heating means 25 comprising a coil is wound around the evaporation tank 21. The inner protrusion 22a, the outer protrusion 22b, and the heating plate 22c are each made of a high resistance metal such as stainless steel, and the evaporation tank 21 is made of a low resistance material such as copper. When a voltage is applied, an alternating magnetic field is formed inside the evaporation tank 21, the inner protrusion 22a, the outer protrusion 22b, and the heating plate 22c are induction-heated, and the inner protrusion 22a, the outer protrusion 22b, and the heating plate 22c are raised. Warm up.

  The rotating shaft 35 and the connecting tube 33 are made of a low resistance material such as copper or an insulating material such as ceramic. When the inner protrusion 22a, the outer protrusion 22b and the heating plate 22c are induction-heated, the rotating shaft 35 is rotated. The connecting pipe 33 is not heated, and the organic material 39 that has entered the gap 45 does not evaporate.

  An evacuation system is connected to the evaporation tank 21 and the accommodating portion 32, and the inner protrusion 22 a, the outer peripheral protrusion 22 b, and the heating plate 22 c are connected in a state where a vacuum atmosphere is formed in the evaporation tank 21 and the accommodating portion 32. When the temperature is raised above the evaporation temperature of the organic material 39 and the organic material 39 is dropped, vapor of the organic material 39 is generated.

  Here, the inner protrusion 22a has a larger diameter as it is closer to the heating plate 22c, and has an inclined side surface. The organic material 39 is heated by heat conduction while rolling down the side surface of the inner protrusion 22a, and is organic. The material 39 evaporates in a short time without accumulating in the supply unit 29.

Exposed members such as the tip of the rotary shaft 35 and the inner wall surface of the evaporating tank 21 are exposed in the evaporating tank 21, and the vapor generated in the evaporating tank 21 contacts the exposed member.
Among the exposed members, the tip of the rotating shaft 35 faces the tip of the inner protrusion 22a as described above, and thus the distance from the steam generator 22 is shorter than the other exposed members, and the steam generator. A large amount of radiant heat from 22 is received. Therefore, even if the rotating shaft 35 is not heated by a heater or the like, the tip of the rotating shaft 35 becomes equal to or higher than the evaporation temperature of the organic material 39, and no vapor is deposited.

  The exposed member other than the tip of the rotating shaft 35 is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the evaporation temperature of the organic material 39 by radiant heat from the steam generator 22 or is heated by a heater (not shown) attached to the evaporation tank 21 in addition to the radiant heat. The evaporation temperature of the organic material 39 is exceeded, and the vapor of the organic material 39 does not precipitate. Therefore, the vapor of the organic material 39 is not deposited inside the evaporation tank 21.

  As described above, the rotary shaft 35 is inserted into the connecting pipe 33 with the side on which the heat insulating member 46 is disposed facing downward, and the heat insulating member 46 is exposed at the tip of the rotary shaft 35 or on the heat insulating member 46. The other exposed member provided in is exposed and faces the tip of the inner protrusion 22a.

  In any case, the shaft body 38 does not face the tip of the inner protrusion 22a, and there is a heat insulating member 46 between the tip of the rotating shaft 35 and the shaft body 38, so the tip of the rotating shaft 35 is organic. Even if the temperature exceeds the evaporation temperature of the material 39, the shaft body 38 and the protrusions 36 around it do not reach the evaporation temperature of the organic material 39.

  Cooling means 47 is attached to the apparatus main body 31, the apparatus main body 31 and the connection pipe 33 are cooled, and the inner wall surface of the connection pipe 33 is maintained below the evaporation temperature of the organic material 39.

  Since the organic material 39 in the gap 45 between the rotating shaft 35 and the connecting pipe 33 does not evaporate and moves in the groove between the protrusions 36, the amount of the organic material 39 falling from the drop hole 48 and the rotating shaft The relationship with the rotation amount with 35 does not change.

  If the relationship between the fall amount of the organic material 39 and the rotation amount of the rotary shaft 35 is obtained, the necessary rotation amount of the rotary shaft 35 required to arrange the desired amount of the organic material 39 in the supply unit 29 can be found from the relationship. If the rotation shaft 35 is rotated by the necessary amount of rotation, a desired amount of the organic material 39 falls on the supply unit 29, so that the organic material 39 can be evaporated by a desired amount.

  One end of pipes 59a to 59c is connected to the evaporation tank 21, the other end of the pipes 59a to 59c is connected to the discharge device 50, and valves 57a to 57c are provided between one end and the other end of the pipes 59a to 59c. When the valves 57a to 57c are opened, the internal space of the evaporation tank 21 is connected to the discharge device 50, and when the valves 57a to 57c are closed, the internal space of the evaporation tank 21 is blocked from the discharge device 50.

  When there are a plurality of vapor deposition sources 20a to 20c with respect to one emission device 50, the evaporation tank 21 of the desired vapor deposition sources 20a to 20c is transferred to the emission device 50 by selecting the valves 57a to 57c to be opened. Only the vapor generated in the evaporation tank 21 can be connected and supplied to the discharge device 50.

The discharge device 50 includes a box-shaped discharge container (housing) 51 and a supply pipe (header) 52 disposed inside the discharge container 51, and the steam supplied to the discharge apparatus 50 is supplied from the supply pipe. 52.
An outlet 53 is formed in the supply pipe 52, and the vapor supplied to the supply pipe 52 is discharged from the outlet 53 into the discharge container 51.

  A discharge port 55 is formed in the discharge device 50, and a part or all of the discharge device 50 is arranged inside the vacuum chamber 11 so that each discharge port 55 is exposed to the internal space of the vacuum chamber 11. Since the internal space of the discharge container 51 is connected to the internal space of the vacuum chamber 11 via the discharge port 55, the vapor discharged into the discharge container 51 is discharged into the vacuum chamber 11 from the discharge port 55. .

Next, a film forming process using the vapor deposition apparatus 10b will be described.
The film forming unit 70 includes a vacuum chamber 11 and a discharge device 50 disposed inside the vacuum chamber 11, and a vacuum exhaust system 9 is connected to the vacuum chamber 11. In FIG. 2, the vacuum chamber 11 is omitted.

In a state where the organic material 39 is accommodated in the apparatus main body 31 and the lid 34 is closed, the accommodating portion 32, the inside of the evaporation tank 21, and the inside of the vacuum chamber 11 are evacuated, the accommodating portion 32, the inside of the evaporation tank 21, A vacuum atmosphere at a predetermined pressure (for example, 10 ⁻⁵ Pa) is formed inside the pipes 59 a to 59 c, inside the discharge device 50, and inside the vacuum chamber 11.

  Inside the vacuum chamber 11, the substrate holder 15 is disposed at a position facing each discharge port 55 of the discharge device 50, and the substrate 81 is transferred from the transfer chamber 2 to the vacuum chamber while maintaining the vacuum atmosphere inside the vacuum chamber 11. 11 is placed in the substrate holder 15 with the film formation surface on which the thin film of the substrate 81 is to be formed facing the discharge port 55.

  When a thin film is formed only in a predetermined region of the substrate 81, the mask 16 is disposed between the substrate holder 15 and the discharge device 50, and an alignment mark (not shown) between the substrate 81 and the mask 16 is observed by the alignment means 60. Positioning is performed while the opening 17 of the mask 16 faces a predetermined region of the substrate 81.

  While maintaining the vacuum atmosphere inside the evaporation tank 21, the vapor generating device 22 is heated to a heating temperature (for example, 200 ° C. to 300 ° C.) higher than the evaporation temperature of the organic material 39, and evaporated by radiant heat from the vapor generating device 22. The exposed member in the tank 21 is heated.

The film thickness of the organic thin film to be formed in advance is determined, and the required amount of the organic material 39 to fall to form the organic thin film having the film thickness is known.
When the organic material 39 is dropped onto the steam generator 22 that has been heated to the heating temperature, the amount of drop (supply speed) per unit time that the organic material 39 evaporates without accumulating in the supply unit 29 is obtained.
From the required fall amount and the supply speed, the required fall time required for dropping the required amount of organic material 39 is known.

  When the steam generating device 22 reaches the above heating temperature and the exposed member exposed in the evaporation tank 21 becomes equal to or higher than the evaporation temperature of the organic material 39, the vacuum exhaust system valve connected to the evaporation tank 21 is closed, The organic material 39 is supplied for the required drop time at a supply rate determined in advance. Specifically, the rotational speed of the rotary shaft 35 at which the supply speed is obtained in advance is obtained, and the rotary shaft 35 is rotated at the required fall time (or required rotational amount) at the obtained rotational speed.

  Since the organic material 39 evaporates without accumulating in the supply unit 29, the organic material 39 is not bumped or deteriorated inside the evaporation tank 21, and the required amount of vapor of the organic material 39 is generated in the evaporation tank 21. .

  A heating means 68 is attached to the discharge device 50 and the pipes 59a to 59c. The heating means 68 is energized in advance, and the pipes 59a to 59c and the discharge device 50 are heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the evaporation temperature of the organic material 39. Keep it.

  Before the vapor is generated in the evaporation tank 21 or after the vapor is generated in the evaporation tank 21, the vacuum exhaust in the vacuum tank 11 is continued while the vacuum exhaust in the evaporation tank 21 is stopped. The evaporation tank 21 is connected to the discharge device 50. At this time, the other evaporation tanks 21 are blocked from the discharge device 50.

The vapor of the organic material 39 is supplied from the evaporation tank 21 to the discharge device 50 due to the pressure difference, and is discharged from the discharge port 55 without being precipitated inside the pipes 59a to 59c and the discharge device 50.
Before the vapor is discharged from the discharge port 55, the substrate 81 is disposed on the discharge device 50 as described above, and the alignment of the mask 16 and the substrate 81 is also completed. Accordingly, the vapor discharged from the discharge port 55 reaches a predetermined area on the surface of the substrate 81 and a thin film (organic thin film) of the organic material 39 grows.

  When the required drop time has elapsed from the start of rotation, the rotation of the rotary shaft 35 is stopped, and the dropping of the organic material 39 is completed. Further, when the predetermined time elapses or the internal pressure of the evaporation tank 21 becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure and the vapor is not released from the discharge port 55, it is determined that the film formation is completed.

  When the film formation is completed, the necessary amount of the vapor of the organic material 39 has been released, so that the substrate 81 is placed on the discharge device 50 until the film formation ends after the vapor starts to be released from the discharge port 55. If arranged, an organic thin film having a determined film thickness is formed on the surface of the substrate 81.

  When film formation is completed, the substrate 81 is removed from the substrate holder 15, a new substrate 81 is placed on the substrate holder 15, and when the mask 16 is used for film formation, the mask 16 and the substrate 81 are aligned (replacement of the substrate). ).

  The necessary amount of vapor of the organic material 39 is generated in the above-described process, and at least until the vapor starts to be released into the vacuum chamber 11 from the discharge port 55, the replacement of the substrate 81 is completed until the film formation is completed. If the substrate 81 and the mask 16 are arranged on the emission device 50 without changing the relative positional relationship, an organic thin film having a predetermined film thickness is formed on the new substrate. By repeating the replacement of the substrate and the formation of the organic thin film, a plurality of substrates can be formed.

  When two or more vapor deposition sources 20 a to 20 c are connected to one emission device 50, two or more different organic thin films may be continuously formed on the surface of the substrate 81 on the same emission device 50.

  Specifically, after the film formation of the organic thin film is completed, another evaporation tank 21 is connected to the discharge apparatus 50 while the substrate 81 is placed on the discharge apparatus 50, and the other evaporation tank 21 is connected to the discharge apparatus 50. In the evaporation tank 21 that is shut off and connected to the discharge device 50, the required amount of the organic material 39 vapor is generated and the vapor is discharged from the discharge port 55.

If the mask 16 is not moved with respect to the substrate 81, a new organic thin film grows on the previously formed organic thin film to form a laminated film.
In addition, after the film formation of the organic thin film is completed, the mask 16 is replaced or the mask 16 is moved with respect to the substrate 81, and the area where the organic thin film is formed is often covered by the shielding portion 18 of the mask 16. If the next organic material 39 is discharged after the opening 17 is made to face the region where the organic thin film is not formed, the organic thin film is not laminated, and the organic thin film is formed in a separate region.

  For example, in the case where a light emitting layer is formed by forming a plurality of colored layers at different locations, vapor deposition sources 20a to 20c are prepared for at least the number of colors of the colored layers, and different colors are provided in the accommodating portions of the respective vapor deposition sources 20a to 20c. An organic material 39 (for example, red, green, blue) is accommodated. In this case, the organic material 39 is obtained by adding an additive (dopant) that is an organic dye to a main component (host) including an organic light emitting material, for example.

The colored layer is formed in a state where the place where the colored layer of the first color on the surface of the substrate 81 is to be formed faces the opening 17 of the mask 16 and the other part is covered with the shielding part 18 of the mask 16. Replace the mask 16 or move the mask 16 relative to the substrate 81 so that the opening 17 faces the place where the colored layer of the second color is to be formed and the other part is covered with the shielding part 18. From this, a second colored layer is formed.
By repeating the exchange or movement of the mask and the formation of the colored layer, a light emitting layer composed of three or more colored layers can be formed.

  In the organic EL element, lower electrodes are formed in different regions on the surface of the substrate 81, and a colored layer is formed on a predetermined lower electrode. If necessary, after forming another organic thin film such as a hole transport layer on the light emitting layer, an upper electrode is formed to form an organic EL element.

  If the selected electrode is energized while the upper electrode is energized, only the colored layer on the selected electrode emits light. As described above, by forming the light emitting layer with two or more colored layers, a full color display of the organic EL element is possible.

  The color combinations of the colored layers are not limited to red, blue, and green, and may be other combinations such as red, blue, and yellow. Further, the number of colors of the colored layer is not limited to three colors, and may be two colors or four or more colors.

  The vapor deposition apparatus 10b of the present invention can be used not only for the light emitting layer but also for the formation of other organic thin films such as a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, an electron injection layer, and an electron transport layer.

  One or a plurality of discharge devices 50 can be arranged inside one vacuum chamber 11. When a plurality of discharge devices 50 are arranged inside one vacuum chamber 11, the discharge devices 50 are sufficiently separated from each other so that the vapor discharged from each discharge device 50 is not mixed, or the vapor is not contained in the vacuum chamber 11. It is desirable to provide a shielding plate that shields the flow.

Although the above has described the case where the organic material 39 is prepared by mixing a host and a dopant in advance, the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, a plurality of vapor deposition sources 20 a to 20 c are connected to one emission device 50, and the host and the dopant are accommodated in the accommodating portions 32 of different vapor deposition sources 20 a to 20 c connected to one emission device 50. Keep it.

  If the vapor of the host and the vapor of the dopant are generated in different vapor deposition sources 20a to 20c and are supplied to the same discharge device 50, the vapor is mixed inside the discharge device 50. A mixed vapor of host vapor and dopant vapor is released, and a thin film containing both the host and dopant is grown.

  Either one or both of the emission device 50 and the substrate holder 15 is connected to the swinging means 58, and the emission device 50 is kept stationary while the substrate 81 and the mask 16 are relatively stationary while the colored layer is grown. If one or both of the substrate holder 15 and the substrate holder 15 are reciprocated or circularly moved in a horizontal plane, and the substrate 81 held by the substrate holder 15 is moved together with the substrate holder 15 with respect to the discharge device 50, coloring is performed. The layer thickness is uniform.

  The direction of relative reciprocation between the substrate holder 15 and the discharge device 50 is not particularly limited. For example, when the supply pipe 52 has a plurality of branch pipes arranged substantially in parallel at a predetermined interval, The substrate 81 and the discharge device 50 are relatively moved in a horizontal plane in a direction intersecting the branch pipe.

  If the jet outlet 53 of the supply pipe 52 is provided at a position not facing the discharge outlet 55 of the discharge container 51, the vapor jetted from the jet outlet 53 is discharged from the discharge outlet 55 after filling the discharge container 51. Therefore, the release rate is stabilized. Specifically, when the discharge port 55 is provided on the ceiling of the discharge container 51, the jet port 53 is provided in a portion of the supply pipe 52 that faces the bottom surface or side surface of the discharge container 51.

  If the surface (front surface) on which the discharge ports 55 of the discharge device 50 (here, the discharge container 51) are formed is larger than the substrate 81, and the discharge ports 55 are arranged in a distributed manner at a predetermined interval on the front surface, A thin film can be formed over the entire surface of the substrate 81 while the substrate 81 is positioned on the discharge device 50. According to this method, it is not necessary to form a film while transporting the substrate 81, and the moving distance of the substrate 81 in the vacuum chamber 11 is shortened, so that the amount of dust generated by transporting the substrate 81 is small.

When the mask 16 is heated by radiant heat from the discharge device 50, thermal expansion occurs and the film forming accuracy is lowered. Therefore, a heat insulating material (cooling plate) 57 is disposed between the discharge device 50 and the mask 16, and heating means is provided. 68 is preferably covered with a cooling plate 57.
An opening (vapor discharge port) through which the discharge port 55 is exposed is provided at a position on the discharge port 55 of the cooling plate 57, and the size of the opening is large enough that the vapor discharged from the discharge port 55 is not in contact. Then, the vapor does not deposit on the cooling plate 57.

The heating of the steam generator 22 is not limited to induction heating, and a heater may be attached to the steam generator 22 as a heating means and heated by heat conduction from the heater.
If the inner protrusion 22a, the outer protrusion 22b, and the heating plate 22c are made of a heat conductive material such as metal, the steam generator 22 can be used regardless of whether it is heated by induction heating or heat conduction from a heater. Heating efficiency is high because the whole is heated only by heating a part.

When the steam generator 22 is heated by a method other than induction heating, when the entire rotation shaft 35 is outside the electromagnetic field forming space, the rotation shaft 35 may be made of a material capable of induction heating.
The constituent material of the heat insulating member 46 is not particularly limited, but a ceramic material mainly composed of Si ₃ N ₄ is particularly preferable because it is excellent not only in heat insulating properties but also in insulating properties and mechanical strength.

  It is particularly preferable that the shaft main body 38, the protrusion 36, and the heat insulating member 46 are integrally formed of the same ceramic material because the mechanical strength of the entire rotating shaft 35 is improved. Specifically, the rotating shaft 35 is formed by pouring and solidifying a molten ceramic material into a mold, removing the mold from the mold, and mechanically polishing the surface.

  The inside of the evaporation tank 21 may be evacuated by evacuating the vacuum tank 11 in a state where the evaporation tank 21 is connected to the discharge device 50 without connecting the evaporation tank 21 directly to the evacuation system. In this case, the organic material 39 is heated inside the evaporation tank 21 after the vacuum exhaust in the evaporation tank 21 is stopped by blocking the discharge device 50 from the evaporation tank 21.

When supplying vapor from the evaporation tank 21 to the discharge device 50, if a carrier gas (for example, N ₂ ) is introduced into the evaporation tank 21, the supply efficiency of the vapor is increased, but an organic thin film such as a colored layer is formed. In some cases, the carrier gas may be taken into the organic thin film. Therefore, in the present invention, it is most desirable to move the vapor from the evaporation tank 21 to the discharge device 50 by a pressure difference without using a carrier gas.

The required amount of fall is obtained in advance by conducting a preliminary test. In the preliminary test, the same organic material 39 as that used in the actual film formation is accommodated in the accommodating portion 32, and the film formation conditions such as the pressure in the vacuum atmosphere and the heating temperature of the steam generator 22 are the same as those in the actual production. With the same film conditions as above, with the substrate 81 (the mask 16 and the substrate 81 if the mask 16 is used) placed on the discharge device 50, the organic material 39 is dropped onto the vapor generator 22 to generate vapor, Vapor is discharged from the discharge port 55 to form a thin film. If the relationship between the falling amount of the organic material 39 and the film thickness of the thin film is obtained, the necessary supply amount can be determined from the relationship.
The installation location of the vapor deposition sources 20 a to 20 c is not particularly limited, and a part or all of the vapor deposition sources 20 a to 20 c may be set inside the same vacuum chamber 11 as the discharge device 50.

Schematic plan view for explaining an example of a film forming apparatus Schematic perspective view of the vapor deposition apparatus of the present invention Sectional drawing of the vapor deposition apparatus of this invention (A), (b): sectional view and projection view schematically showing the positional relationship between the steam generator and the drop hole Sectional drawing for demonstrating the vapor deposition apparatus of a prior art

Explanation of symbols

  10b …… Vapor deposition apparatus 11 …… Vacuum tank 20a to 20c …… Vapor deposition source 21 …… Evaporation tank 22 …… Steam generator 22a …… Inner protrusion 22b …… Outer peripheral protrusion 22c …… Heat plate 32 …… Housing section 33 …… Connection pipe 35 …… Rotating shaft 39 …… Organic material 46 …… Insulation member

Claims (6)

A vapor generator for heating an organic material of powder to generate vapor of the organic material to form an organic thin film,
A heating plate, and an inner protrusion disposed on the surface of the heating plate,
When the organic material is supplied to a supply part around the inner protrusion in a state where the heating plate and the inner protrusion are at or above the evaporation temperature of the organic material, vapor of the organic material is generated. and,
On the surface of the heating plate, there is an outer peripheral protrusion arranged so as to surround the inner protrusion,
The supply part is located between the inner protrusion and the outer peripheral protrusion,
The inner protrusion, the outer peripheral protrusion, and the heating plate each have a steam generating device made of metal and a supply device,
The supply device includes a storage unit that stores the organic material, and a moving device that moves the organic material stored in the storage unit to the outside of the supply device.
The dropping hole of the moving device is disposed above the vapor generating device, and the organic material in the housing portion is configured to fall on the vapor generating device from the dropping hole of the moving device. Because
The vapor generating device is a vapor deposition source that is disposed with the surface on which the inner protrusion is disposed facing upward, and the drop hole is located on the supply unit. The moving device includes an opening provided on a bottom surface of the housing portion, a connecting pipe having one end connected to the opening of the housing portion and the other end connected to the outside of the housing portion, and the insertion through the connecting pipe. A rotating shaft,
Wherein at the lower end of the gap between the rotating shaft and the inner wall surface of said connection tube, the deposition source according to claim 1, wherein the dropping hole is configured. The vapor deposition source according to claim 2 , wherein a lower end of the rotation shaft is located on a tip of the inner protrusion. The rotating shaft includes a shaft main body, and a heat insulating member disposed at a tip of the shaft main body,
The rotary shaft, the ends of the heat insulating member is disposed side downward, the deposition source according to any one of claims 2 or 3 is inserted into the connecting pipe. The heat insulating member evaporation source according to claim 4, wherein composed of a ceramic material mainly composed of Si ₃ N _4. It includes a vacuum chamber, a discharge device, and a deposition source according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The space where the vapor generating device of the vapor deposition source is arranged is connected to the internal space of the discharge device,
A vapor deposition apparatus in which the discharge device is formed with a discharge port connecting the internal space of the vacuum chamber and the internal space of the discharge device.

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