JP5122314B2 - Vapor deposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vapor deposition apparatus that forms, for example, an organic film for an organic electroluminescence (organic EL) element by vapor deposition.

  An evaporation apparatus for forming an organic film for an organic EL element by evaporation arranges an evaporation source containing an evaporation material in a vacuum chamber, and heats the evaporation source in a vacuum atmosphere by reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber. The vapor deposition material is vaporized, and vapor deposition is performed by depositing the vaporized vapor deposition material on the surface of the deposition target. As a general evaporation source heating method, a resistance heating method is known in which an electric current is supplied to a resistor made of a refractory metal such as tungsten or molybdenum to generate heat and the evaporation source is heated using this resistor. ing.

  In the vapor deposition apparatus using this resistance heating method, the amount of vapor deposition material evaporated from the evaporation source is controlled by adjusting the amount of electric power to the resistor. In addition, in this type of vapor deposition apparatus, in general, the vapor deposition thickness per unit time (vapor deposition rate) is detected by using a film thickness meter made of a quartz vibrator or the like, and vapor deposition is vaporized from an evaporation source in accordance with the vapor deposition rate. So-called feedback control is performed to appropriately control the amount of material.

  In a vapor deposition apparatus that performs such feedback control, it is desirable that the vapor deposition film thickness in the vapor deposition target can be controlled with good response. In particular, in the vapor deposition of the organic EL film, it is important that the vapor deposition film thickness can be controlled with good response in order to obtain highly accurate organic EL film layers such as a host layer and a guest layer. However, in the above-described resistance heating method, there is a time lag between the adjustment of the amount of power to the resistor and the actual change in the amount of vapor deposition material evaporated from the evaporation source, and the vapor deposition film thickness in the vapor deposition target It was difficult to control with good response. Further, when the response is deteriorated, an ineffective material that does not contribute to the formation of the deposited film is likely to be generated, and the use efficiency of the expensive organic EL material may be reduced. In addition, the ineffective material adheres to and accumulates on the inner wall of the vacuum chamber, becomes particles in the vacuum chamber, and causes a manufacturing defect of the organic EL element.

As a solution to this, by providing a flow rate control means for controlling the flow rate of the vaporized vapor deposition material in the channel for conducting vapor deposition material vaporized from the evaporation source to the vapor deposition material, A vapor deposition apparatus that controls the vapor deposition film thickness with good response and suppresses the generation of ineffective materials is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). This vapor deposition apparatus includes a flow rate control means including a sharp needle and a valve seat into which the tip of the needle fits. By rotating or moving the sharp needle, the vapor deposition material flow path is formed. The film thickness of the vapor deposition material deposited on the surface of the deposition target is controlled by opening and closing.
JP 2005-48244 A

  However, the flow rate control means provided in the vapor deposition apparatus is heated to a temperature at which the vapor deposition material is vaporized, for example, a high temperature of about 300 ° C., so that the vaporized vapor deposition material is not deposited. However, since the strength of a sharp needle decreases when exposed to high temperatures, the flow rate of vaporized vapor deposition material may not be accurately controlled in a vapor deposition apparatus equipped with this type of flow rate control means. Is also likely to occur.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to provide a vapor deposition apparatus capable of accurately controlling the flow rate of vapor deposition material that is resistant to heat and vaporized with a simple configuration with good response.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 is an evaporation source for accommodating a vapor deposition material, and a flow path for causing the vapor deposition material to fly and flow from the evaporation source to the vapor deposition target, and the vapor deposition material is vaporized. In a vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a cylindrical body heated to a temperature; and a flow rate control means for controlling a flow rate of a vapor deposition material flowing through the cylindrical body, the cylindrical body includes a bottom portion on which the evaporation source is disposed, And an opening for discharging the vapor deposition material evaporated from the evaporation source to the deposition target, and a side wall connecting the bottom and the opening, and the flow rate control means has one end at the inner surface of the side wall. And a second magnetic body that is disposed outside the cylindrical body and attracts the first magnetic body via the side wall. And moving the second magnetic body along the outer surface of the side wall Thus, the flow rate of the vapor deposition material is controlled by adjusting the flow path area in the cylindrical body by deforming the metal film to which the first magnetic body is attached. .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vapor deposition apparatus according to the first aspect, the cylindrical body includes a shielding plate that partitions the cylindrical body into at least two spaces of a bottom side space and an opening side space, and the side wall. A groove portion that communicates a space partitioned by the shielding plate and guides the vapor deposition material, and the metal film flows by changing an area that closes the groove portion by deformation thereof. The road area is adjusted.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vapor deposition apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the metal film is made of a nonmagnetic material.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vapor deposition apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the vaporized vapor deposition material disposed in the opening and opening and closing is released or blocked. A shutter is further provided.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the flow rate control means has a simple configuration using a metal film that is difficult to work with high stress even when exposed to high temperatures, the flow control means is resistant to heat and is vaporized to flow through the cylindrical body. The flow rate of the deposited material can be accurately controlled. Further, since the metal film is lightweight and easily deformed, the flow channel area in the cylindrical body can be quickly changed, and the flow rate of the vapor deposition material can be controlled with good response.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the groove formed on the inner surface of the side wall serves as a flow path for the vaporized vapor deposition material. Therefore, the flow rate of the vapor deposition material is controlled by changing the area where the metal film closes the groove. be able to.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the metal film is not moved by a magnetic body other than the first and second magnetic bodies, it is possible to prevent the flow rate of the vapor deposition material from being erroneously controlled.

  According to invention of Claim 4, the vapor-deposited vapor deposition material can be completely enclosed in a cylindrical body as needed.

  A vapor deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The vapor deposition apparatus according to the present embodiment has a cylindrical shape serving as a flow path in which an evaporation source 3 that accommodates the vapor deposition material 2 and a vapor deposition material 2 vaporized from the evaporation source 3 fly and flow to the vapor deposition target 4 in the vacuum chamber 1. A body 5 and a flow rate control means 6 for controlling the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 flowing in the cylindrical body 5. The vacuum chamber 1 is configured so that the vapor deposition material 2 and the vapor deposition target 4 can be easily exchanged, and a vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the side wall thereof. The flow rate control means 6 controls the flow rate of the vaporized deposition material 2 by deforming the metal film 7 attached in the cylindrical body 5 and adjusting the flow path area in the cylindrical body 5. is there.

  The evaporation source 3 includes a crucible 31 for storing the vapor deposition material 2 and an evaporation source heater 32 for heating the crucible 31 to vaporize the vapor deposition material 2. For example, a sheathed heater or the like is used as the evaporation source heater 32, but the type and shape thereof are not particularly limited as long as the heating temperature of the crucible 31 can be appropriately controlled. The deposition target 4 is disposed in the vacuum chamber 1 when performing a deposition operation.

  The cylindrical body 5 is a cylindrical member in which one side is closed and the other is opened and the cross section is formed in a rectangular shape, and is vaporized toward the bottom 51 where the evaporation source 3 is disposed and the deposition target 4. An opening 52 that discharges the deposited vapor deposition material 2 and a side wall 53 that communicates the bottom 51 and the opening 52 are provided. The bottom 51 and the side wall 53 are provided with a cylindrical heater (not shown) outside thereof, and are heated to a temperature at which the vapor deposition material 2 is vaporized. The tubular body 5 partitions the inside of the tubular body 5 into at least two spaces, a space 51A on the bottom 51 side (referred to as a first space) and a space 52A on the opening 52 side (referred to as a second space). The vapor deposition material 2 vaporized from the evaporation source 3 is guided to the second space 52A by connecting the first space 51A and the second space 52A formed on the inner surface of the shielding plate 54 and the side wall 53 and partitioned by the shielding plate 54. And a groove portion 55 that flows. In addition, the cylindrical body 5 should just be comprised so that the surface in which the groove part 55 is formed may become a plane among the side parts 53, for example, even if the vicinity of the bottom part 51, the opening part 52, etc. is bent. Good. As a constituent material of the bottom 51, the side wall 53, and the shielding plate 54, for example, a nonmagnetic material having high thermal conductivity such as SUS305 or Al is used.

  Except for the groove portion 55, the shielding plate 54 is sealed and fixed to the inner surface of the side wall 53 by welding or the like so that the vapor deposition material 2 vaporized from the first space 51A to the second space 52A does not leak. The shielding plate 54 is disposed so as to have a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a plane parallel to the bottom portion 51 so that the vapor deposition material 2 vaporized from the evaporation source 3 can be effectively guided to the groove portion 55.

  The groove portion 55 is formed on the inner surface of the side wall 53 so as to penetrate at least the joint portion between the cylindrical body 5 and the shielding plate 54 from the bottom portion 51 side toward the opening portion 52 side. Preferably, the groove portion 55 has a wide width at a portion close to the bottom portion 51, for example, as shown in the drawing, so that the cross-sectional area from the bottom portion 51 side to the opening portion 52 side is different, and the width is continuous as the distance from the bottom portion 51 increases. It is formed to be narrow. Moreover, the groove part 55 may be formed so that the depth may change continuously, for example, the part close | similar to the bottom part 51 is deep, and it becomes shallow as it leaves | separates from the bottom part 51 (not shown).

  The metal film 7 is curved, for example, so that one end 7a is fixed to a region 56 that sandwiches the lower end of the groove 55 on the second space 52A side, and is convex toward the opening 52, and the other end. The part 7 b is disposed so as to face the inner surface of the side wall 53 facing the groove part 55. As a method for fixing the end portion 7a and the region 56, for example, welding, adhesion, riveting, or the like is used. Preferably, strong joining without a gap is possible, and the tubular body 5 to the metal film 7 is possible. A welding process that improves the thermal conductivity is used.

  The metal film 7 has a width wider than the maximum width of the groove portion 55 on the second space 52A side and at least the groove portion 55 on the second space 52A side so that the area covering the groove portion 55 can be changed by the deformation. A flexible metal thin plate formed longer than the length is used. As the constituent material, for example, a nonmagnetic material having high thermal conductivity such as SUS301, Cu, or Al is used. Preferably, the metal film 7 is urged in the direction of pressing the inner surface of the side wall 53 by its elasticity so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the side wall 53 in which the groove portion 55 is formed without a gap.

  The other end 7b of the metal film 7 is movable without being fixed to the inner surface of the side wall 53, and the first magnetic body 8a is attached thereto. A second magnetic body 8 b that attracts the first magnetic body 8 a through the side wall 53 is disposed outside the cylindrical body 5. When the second magnetic body 8b is moved along the outer surface of the side wall 53 by the first magnetic body 8a attracting to the second magnetic body 8b, the end portion 7b has a second magnetic body sandwiching the side wall 53. Move to the same position as 8b. At this time, since the end portion 7a is fixed to the inner surface of the side wall 53, the shape of the metal film 7 changes as the end portion 7b moves.

  The second magnetic body 8b has an appropriate operation mechanism so that its position can be arbitrarily moved from the outside of the vacuum chamber 1 during the vapor deposition operation, that is, when the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 is in a vacuum state. (Not shown) is provided. Preferably, a rail-like member parallel to the groove portion 55 is appropriately provided on the outer surface of the side wall 53, and the second magnetic body 8b is configured to slide along this rail-like member. Moreover, the vapor deposition apparatus of this embodiment is provided with the film thickness measurement part (not shown) which makes the vapor deposition material 2 adhere, and measures the vapor deposition film thickness (vapor deposition rate) per time, Preferably, 2nd The magnetic body 8b is configured to be appropriately operated according to the deposition rate measured by the film thickness measuring unit.

  Next, operation | movement of the vapor deposition apparatus of this embodiment is demonstrated. When the deposition material 2 is deposited on the deposition target body 4, first, the vacuum chamber 1 is decompressed to a vacuum state using a vacuum pump, and the cylindrical body heater 5 is operated to heat the cylindrical body 5. The temperature of the cylindrical body 5 is set to a temperature at which the vapor deposition material 2 is vaporized. Since the shielding plate 54 is in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical body 5, heat from the cylindrical body 5 is transmitted to a temperature equivalent to that of the cylindrical body 5. Subsequently, the evaporation source heater 32 is operated to heat the vapor deposition material 2 accommodated in the evaporation source 3 and vaporize it. The vaporized vapor deposition material 2 is discharged into the first space 51 </ b> A and proceeds to the groove portion 55 while being reflected by the inner surface of the side wall 53 and the shielding plate 54. Since the side wall 53, the shielding plate 54, and the groove portion 55 are all heated to a temperature at which the vapor deposition material 2 is vaporized by the cylindrical heater, the vapor deposition material 2 is not deposited on these surfaces.

  When the deposition rate for the deposition target 4 is set high, the second magnetic body 8b is placed at a position close to the bottom 51 as shown in FIG. The second magnetic body 8b attracts the first magnetic body 8a attached to the end 7b of the metal film 7, and the end 7b and the second magnetic body 8b sandwiching the side wall 53 together with the first magnetic body 8a Stop at the same position. At this time, since the metal film 7 is pulled toward the bottom 51 as a whole, the area S1 where the inner surface of the side wall 53 and the metal film 7 are in contact with each other is small, and the flow path area S2 of the groove 55 on the second space 52A side is small. Become wider. Therefore, the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 flowing from the groove portion 55 toward the second space 52A increases, and the vapor deposition amount of the vapor deposition material 2 that flies through the cylindrical body 5 and deposits on the surface of the vapor deposition target 4 from the opening 52 is also obtained. Become more. By arranging the shielding plate 54 at an inclination angle as illustrated, the end 7b can be moved to the vicinity of the bottom 51, and the flow path area S2 can be increased.

  On the other hand, when the vapor deposition rate for the deposition target 4 is set low, the second magnetic body 8b is placed at a position close to the opening 52 and the end 7b has the side wall 53 as shown in FIG. Stops at the same position as the second magnetic body 8b. At this time, the metal film 7 as a whole is pulled and deformed toward the opening 52, and the area S1 where the inner surface of the side wall 53 and the metal film 7 are in contact with each other is wide, and the flow path of the groove 55 on the second space 52A side. The area S2 becomes narrow. Therefore, the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 flowing into the second space 52A is reduced, and the vapor deposition amount of the vapor deposition material 2 flying in the cylindrical body 5 and deposited on the surface of the vapor deposition target body 4 is also reduced.

  As described above, the flow rate control means 6 moves the second magnetic body 8b arranged outside the cylindrical body 5, thereby deforming the metal film 7 to change the flow path area S2 of the groove portion 55, thereby It is possible to arbitrarily control the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 flowing in the body 5. Further, as shown in the drawing, the width W of the groove portion 55 is wide at the portion close to the bottom portion 51 and continuously narrows away from the bottom portion 51, so that the second magnetic body 8 b is opened at the opening portion 51. The width W of the opening area S <b> 2 becomes smaller as it is placed closer to, and the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 can be controlled with high accuracy. Furthermore, since the metal film 7 is made of a non-magnetic material, it is not moved by a magnetic material other than the first and second magnetic materials 8a and 8b, and the flow rate of the vapor deposition material is controlled by mistake. Can be prevented.

  Moreover, since the flow rate control means 6 has a simple configuration in which the metal film 7 is moved using the first and second magnetic bodies 8a and 8b, even if the metal film 7 is exposed to a high temperature, it is mechanical. Unlike a complicated control mechanism such as the above, the metal film 7 does not have such a high stress. Therefore, the flow rate control means 6 is resistant to heat and can accurately control the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 flowing in the cylindrical body 5. Moreover, since the metal film 7 is lightweight and easily deforms according to the movement of the second magnetic body 8b, the flow path area S2 of the groove portion 55 in the second space 52A can be quickly changed. Therefore, the vapor deposition apparatus of this embodiment can control the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 flowing through the cylindrical body 5 with good response.

  Furthermore, since the metal film 7 has a higher thermal conductivity than a sharp needle or the like used in a conventional vapor deposition apparatus, the vapor deposition material 2 is transferred by heat transfer from the cylindrical body 5 when the cylindrical body 5 is heated. Is easily heated to a temperature at which is vaporized. Therefore, the attachment of the vapor deposition material 2 to the metal film 7 can be suppressed with a simple configuration without providing a separate heater or the like, and the apparatus can be reduced in size and cost.

  Here, the modification of the vapor deposition apparatus of this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIG. This modification differs from the above embodiment in that the shutter 9 is provided in the opening 52 of the cylindrical body 5. The shutter 9 opens or closes the opening 52 by rotating or sliding a plate-like member formed so as to match the opening diameter of the opening 52 to release or block the vapor deposition material 2 from the cylindrical body 5. . Preferably, the shutter 9 is provided with a drive mechanism, and this drive mechanism is configured so that the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 is in a vacuum state during the vapor deposition operation and the shutter 9 can be opened and closed from the outside.

  Since the metal film 7 is only in contact with the inner surface of the side wall 53 except for the end portion 7a fixed to the region 56 of the side wall 53, vaporized vapor deposition is possible even when the opening area S2 is zero. It is difficult to completely block the flow of the material 2. Therefore, by providing the shutter 9 as in this modification, the vaporized vapor deposition material 2 can be completely confined in the cylindrical body 5 as necessary. This modification is effective when the deposition of the vapor deposition material 2 on the vapor deposition target 4 is stopped, for example, when the vapor deposition target 4 is replaced or when the vapor deposition operation is urgently stopped.

  In the present invention, the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 flowing through the cylindrical body 5 can be controlled by deforming the metal film 7 having one end fixed in the cylindrical body 5 using the magnetic bodies 8a and 8b. If it is a thing, it is not restricted to the structure of embodiment mentioned above. For example, the end 7 a fixed to the inner surface of the side wall 53 and the end 7 b to which the first magnetic body 8 a is attached are on the same plane of the side 53 and connect the bottom 51 and the opening 52. The metal film 7 may be arranged on the line segment and bent so as to be convex toward a surface (referred to as an opposing surface) facing the inner surface on which the end 7a and the end 7b are arranged. According to this configuration, when the end portion 7b is moved so as to be close to the end portion 7a, the metal film 7 is deformed so as to protrude toward the facing surface, and the flow path area in the cylindrical body 5 is reduced. . On the other hand, when the end portion 7b is moved so as to be separated from the end portion 7a, the metal film 7 has a shape along the inner surface of the side wall 53, and the flow path area in the cylindrical body 5 is increased. In this way, the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 flowing through the cylindrical body 5 can be adjusted without using the groove 55 and the shielding plate 54. However, in this example, a gap is likely to be generated between the metal film 7 and the inner surface of the side portion 53, and in particular, when the vapor deposition rate is set low, the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 may not be accurately controlled. . On the other hand, in the configuration using the groove portion 55 and the shielding plate 54 as in the above-described embodiment, if the metal film 7 is formed to have a sufficient width and length, the groove portion 55 is formed. It can be easily closed and the flow rate of the vapor deposition material 2 can be controlled with high accuracy.

  In addition, the present invention is suitably used for a vapor deposition apparatus that deposits an organic film for an organic EL element by vapor deposition. In this case, at least two evaporation sources 3 are used to vaporize a guest vapor deposition material, a host vapor deposition material, and the like. Provided. It can also be used as appropriate for the deposition of vapor deposition films other than organic films. That is, in the vapor deposition apparatus of the present invention, the number of the evaporation sources 3 and the types of materials accommodated in the evaporation sources 3 are not particularly limited.

The side sectional view when the vapor deposition rate is set high in the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and front sectional drawing corresponding to it. The side sectional view when the vapor deposition rate in the vapor deposition apparatus is set low, and the front sectional view corresponding thereto. The sectional side view which shows the modification of the vapor deposition apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Vapor deposition material 4 Deposited body 3 Evaporation source 5 Cylindrical body 51 Bottom part 52 Opening part 53 Side wall 54 Shielding board 55 Groove part 6 Flow control means 7 Metal film 7a End part 7b End part 8a 1st magnetic body 8b 2nd magnetism Body 9 Shutter

Claims (4)

An evaporation source that accommodates the vapor deposition material, a flow path that causes the vapor deposition material to fly and flow from the evaporation source to the deposition target, and a cylindrical body that is heated to a temperature at which the vapor deposition material is vaporized; A flow rate control means for controlling the flow rate of the vapor deposition material flowing through the vapor deposition apparatus,
The cylindrical body includes a bottom portion on which the evaporation source is disposed, an opening that discharges vapor deposition material evaporated from the evaporation source to the deposition target, and a side wall that connects the bottom and the opening,
The flow rate control means is
A metal film having one end fixed to the inner surface of the side wall and a first magnetic body attached to the other end;
A second magnetic body disposed outside the cylindrical body and attracted to the first magnetic body via the side wall;
By moving the second magnetic body along the outer surface of the side wall and deforming the metal film to which the first magnetic body is attached, the flow area in the cylindrical body is adjusted and the vapor deposition is performed. A vapor deposition apparatus configured to control a flow rate of a material. The cylindrical body is formed on the inner surface of the side wall and a shielding plate that partitions the cylindrical body into at least two spaces of a bottom side space and an opening side space, and communicates the space partitioned by the shielding plate. And a groove portion for guiding the vapor deposition material,
The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal film adjusts a flow path area by changing an area that closes the groove portion by deformation.   The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal film is made of a nonmagnetic material.   The vapor deposition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a shutter that is disposed in the opening and releases or blocks vaporized vapor deposition material with the opening being openable and closable. apparatus.

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