JP5347491B2 - Thin film forming equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thin film deposition system which can prevent the generation of wrinkles in a substrate by securely correcting winding dislocation in a flexible substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The thin film deposition systems 1, 41 perform film deposition to a flexible substrate (hereinafter referred to as a substrate) carried in a state where the surface of a film shape is made parallel to a vertical direction, and comprise a coiling core 11 composed so as to coil the substrate 2 by performing rotation with a rotary axis 11a along the vertical direction as the center; a guide roll 12 composed rotatably with the rotary axis 12a along the vertical direction as the center and arranged at the upstream side in the carrying direction of the substrate 2 than the coiling core 11 so as to guide the substrate 2 toward the coiling core 11; and a sensor 13 detecting the edge parts of the substrate 2 and also arranged at the upstream side in the carrying direction of the substrate 2 than the guide roll 12, and all of the coiling core 11, the guide roll 12 and the sensor 13 are composed so as to be movable in the vertical direction relatively to the substrate 2 correspondingly to the positional change of the edge parts of the substrate 2 detected by the sensor 13. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a thin film forming apparatus including a winding core for winding a flexible substrate.

  The thin film forming apparatus forms a photoelectric conversion layer including a thin film photoelectric conversion element mainly composed of an a-Si material on the surface of a flexible substrate (hereinafter referred to as “substrate”). It is used. The step of depositing the substrate is performed in a deposition chamber provided in the thin film forming apparatus. As a typical system for transporting a substrate inside such a thin film forming apparatus, there are a roll-to-roll system and a stepping roll system. In the roll-to-roll method, the substrate wound on the unwinding core is sent out toward the film formation chamber, the film is formed on the substrate surface while moving the substrate in the film formation chamber, and then the substrate is wound up. This is a method of winding with a core. On the other hand, the stepping roll method is a method in which the movement of the substrate is temporarily stopped when the film is formed on the substrate surface in the film forming chamber.

In such a roll-to-roll system and a stepping roll system, a winding shift may occur when the substrate is wound by the winding core due to a positional shift of the substrate that occurs during the conveyance of the substrate. This winding deviation causes wrinkles on the substrate, and as a result, the characteristics of the thin film photoelectric conversion element formed on the substrate surface may be significantly deteriorated. Therefore, in order to correct such a winding deviation, the thin film forming apparatus of Patent Document 1 corrects the position of the substrate while tilting the transport direction of the substrate by tilting a roll used for transporting the substrate. .
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-326781

  However, in Patent Document 1, when the substrate passes through the inclined roll, the direction is suddenly changed corresponding to the inclination of the roll, and the substrate is drawn obliquely toward the roll. Therefore, a forced bending is applied to the substrate, and a large shearing force is generated on the substrate. Such shearing force generates wrinkles extending in a direction perpendicular to the substrate transport direction, and the wrinkles may deteriorate the characteristics of the thin film photoelectric conversion element.

  In addition, as in Patent Document 1, in the configuration in which the position of the substrate is corrected little by little by tilting the substrate, the winding deviation of the substrate is corrected quickly and the winding deviation is corrected with high accuracy. And there are still problems. Due to such a problem, wrinkles due to winding deviation may occur, and the characteristics of the thin film photoelectric conversion element may be deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thin film forming apparatus capable of preventing the generation of wrinkles on a substrate by reliably correcting the winding deviation of the substrate. is there.

  In order to solve the problems, a thin film forming apparatus of the present invention is a thin film forming apparatus for forming a flexible substrate that is transported in a state in which a film-shaped surface is aligned in a vertical direction. A winding core configured to be capable of winding the flexible substrate by rotating about a rotating axis along the axis, and configured to be rotatable about a rotating axis along a vertical direction, and the flexible A guide roll disposed upstream of the winding core in the transport direction of the flexible substrate so as to guide the substrate toward the winding core, and an edge portion of the flexible substrate are detected. And a sensor arranged upstream of the guide roll in the conveyance direction of the flexible substrate, and the sensor detects a positional change that occurs during conveyance of the flexible substrate, and the winding core The guide roll and the front Sensors, both are configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the flexible substrate corresponding to the position change of the detected edge portion of the flexible substrate by the sensor.

In the present invention, the thin film forming apparatus is preferably configured as follows.
A lower shaft extending from the lower end portion of the winding core in the vertical direction along the rotation axis of the winding core is driven to rotate along the rotation axis of the winding core, and the vertical direction The winding core is configured to rotate with the lower shaft so as to wind up the flexible substrate, and the winding core, the guide roll , the sensor, and the Both lower shafts are configured to be movable in the vertical direction.
In this case, the upper shaft extending along the rotation axis of the winding core from the upper end in the vertical direction of the winding core is configured separately from the lower shaft, and the lower shaft and cooperatively sandwiching the winding core while applying a pressure to the winding core, and is configured to rotate together with said lower shaft and the winding core, the winding core, the guide roll Preferably, the sensor, the lower shaft, and the upper shaft are all configured to be movable in the vertical direction.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the thin film forming apparatus is preferably configured as follows.
A lower shaft extending from the lower end portion of the winding core in the vertical direction along the rotation axis of the winding core is driven to rotate along the rotation axis of the winding core, and the vertical direction The upper shaft extending along the rotation axis of the winding core from the upper end in the vertical direction of the winding core is formed integrally with the lower shaft, The winding core is configured to be sandwiched while applying pressure by the lower shaft and the upper shaft and rotate together with the lower shaft and the upper shaft, and the winding core, the guide roll, the sensor, Both the lower shaft and the upper shaft are configured to be movable in the vertical direction.

  According to the thin film forming apparatus of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. The thin film forming apparatus of the present invention is a thin film forming apparatus for forming a flexible substrate that is transported in a state in which the surface of the film shape is aligned along the vertical direction, and the rotation axis along the vertical direction is the center. A take-up core configured to be able to take up the flexible substrate by rotating in the direction of rotation, and to be configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis along a vertical direction. A guide roll disposed upstream of the winding core in the transport direction of the flexible substrate so as to be guided toward the winding core, and an edge portion of the flexible substrate, and the guide roll A sensor disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction of the flexible substrate, the sensor detects a change in position that occurs during transport of the flexible substrate, and the winding core, the guide roll, and the Both sensors are in front And it is movable in the vertical direction relative to the flexible substrate corresponding to the position change of the detected edge portion of the flexible substrate by a sensor. Therefore, the winding core and the guide roll slide in a vertical direction relative to the flexible substrate in response to a change in the position of the flexible substrate, so that the winding displacement of the flexible substrate is reduced. Can be corrected quickly and accurately. In particular, in the correction by sliding movement of the guide roll, since a large bending generated by the pulling of the guide roll is not applied to the flexible substrate, a shearing force is hardly generated on the flexible substrate. Therefore, the winding deviation of the flexible substrate can be accurately corrected while reliably preventing the generation of wrinkles due to the shearing force.

Further, in the present invention, a lower shaft extending along a rotation axis of the winding core from a lower end portion in a vertical direction of the winding core is rotated along the rotation axis of the winding core. The winding core is configured to be driven and movable in the vertical direction, and the winding core is configured to rotate with the lower shaft so as to wind up the flexible substrate, and the winding core, the guide The roll , the sensor, and the lower shaft are all configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and the function of moving the winding core in the vertical direction while rotating is handled by a simple configuration like the lower shaft. It is easy. With such an easy-to-handle configuration, accurate correction of the winding deviation of the flexible substrate can be realized more easily.

Furthermore, the upper shaft extending along the rotation axis of the winding core from the vertical upper end of the winding core is configured separately from the lower shaft, and the lower shaft The winding core is configured to sandwich the winding core while applying pressure to the winding core and rotate together with the lower shaft and the winding core, and the winding core and the guide roll. The sensor, the lower shaft, and the upper shaft are all configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and the upper shaft and the lower shaft are wound by the pressure of the upper shaft applied to the winding core. The take-up core can be securely held. Therefore, the function of moving the winding core in the vertical direction while rotating the winding core is easy to handle by a simple configuration such as the lower shaft and the upper shaft that is separate from the lower shaft. . With such an easy-to-handle configuration, accurate correction of the winding deviation of the flexible substrate can be realized more easily.

  Further, in the present invention, a lower shaft extending along a rotation axis of the winding core from a lower end portion in a vertical direction of the winding core is rotated along the rotation axis of the winding core. An upper shaft that is driven and movable in the vertical direction and that extends from the vertical upper end of the winding core along the rotation axis of the winding core is integrated with the lower shaft. The winding core is sandwiched while applying pressure by the lower shaft and the upper shaft and rotates together with the lower shaft and the upper shaft, and the winding core, The guide roll, the sensor, the lower shaft, and the upper shaft are both configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and the lower shaft and the integrally configured Side shaft, and is surely held between the winding core from the vertical direction above and below. Therefore, the function of moving the winding core in the vertical direction while rotating the winding core is easy to handle with a simple configuration in which the lower shaft and the upper shaft are integrated. With such an easy-to-handle configuration, accurate correction of the winding deviation of the flexible substrate can be realized more easily.

[First Embodiment]
A thin film forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “apparatus”) in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the internal structure of a device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 1 is configured to form a film on the surface of a flexible substrate (hereinafter referred to as “substrate”) 2 formed in a film shape. The apparatus 1 is provided with an unwinding chamber 3, a film forming chamber 4, and a winding chamber 5, and the substrate 2 is moved in the order of the unwinding chamber 3, the film forming chamber 4, and the winding chamber 5. It has the structure which conveys along the conveyance direction shown by A. FIG. Further, the inside of the unwinding chamber 3, the film forming chamber 4 and the winding chamber 5 is configured so as to be in a vacuum state during film forming.

  Inside the unwinding chamber 3, an unwinding core 6 in a state where the substrate 2 is wound is provided so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis along the vertical direction. A transport roll 7 for transporting to the unloading port 3a of the unwind chamber 3 is provided.

  The film forming chamber 4 is configured such that the substrate 2 sent out from the unwinding chamber 3 passes therethrough. Inside the film forming chamber 4, a pair of electrodes 8 used for forming the substrate 2 is provided. The substrate 2 is formed by passing between the pair of electrodes 8 and applying an electrode between the pair of electrodes 8.

  The take-up chamber 5 is provided with a carry-in port 5a for carrying the substrate 2 after film formation. A drive roll 9 that can be driven to transport the substrate 2 and a press roll 10 that sandwiches the substrate 2 in cooperation with the drive roll 9 are provided inside the winding chamber 5. Furthermore, a winding core 11 for winding the substrate 2 is provided inside the winding chamber 5, and a guide roll 12 is provided in the vicinity of the upstream side of the winding core 11 in the transport direction. The take-up core 11 and the guide roll 12 are configured to be rotatable about respective rotary shafts 11a and 12a along the vertical direction.

  Further, a sensor 13 is provided in the vicinity of the upstream side of the guide roll 12 in the conveying direction. The sensor 13 is configured to be able to detect the position of the edge portion of the substrate 2 in the vertical direction. The sensor 13 is particularly preferably a non-contact type sensor, and examples of such a non-contact type sensor include a transmission type laser sensor and a reflection type photo sensor. A tension roll 14 is provided in the conveyance section between the sensor 13 and the drive roll 9 and the press roll 10.

  2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1 in the case of the first embodiment. A lower shaft 15 is disposed at the lower end of the winding core 11. A lower taper cone portion 15a is provided at the upper end portion of the lower shaft 15, and the lower taper cone portion 15a is formed in a substantially conical shape extending from the upper side to the lower side. A lower shaft portion 15b extending downward from the lower portion of the tapered cone portion 15a is provided along the rotation axis 11a of the winding core 11.

  On the other hand, an upper shaft 16 configured separately from the lower shaft 15 is disposed at the upper end of the winding core 11. An upper taper cone portion 16a is provided at the lower end portion of the upper shaft 16, and the upper taper cone portion 16a is formed in a substantially conical shape that spreads from below to above. An upper shaft portion 16b extending upward from the upper portion of the upper tapered cone portion 16a is provided along the rotation axis 11a of the winding core 11. The upper taper cone portion 16a is attached to the upper shaft portion 16b so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 11a of the winding core 11.

  The winding core 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending along the vertical direction. The lower taper cone 15 a is fitted at the lower end portion of the winding core 11, and the upper taper cone at the upper end portion of the winding core 11. 16a is fitted. With such a configuration, the winding core 11, the lower shaft 15, and the upper shaft 16 rotate about the same rotation shaft 11a.

  The lower shaft portion 15b extends from the lower portion of the winding chamber 5 toward the outside of the winding chamber 5, and a bearing 17 is provided on the outer periphery of the lower shaft portion 15b so that the lower shaft 15 can rotate. Installed on. Further, a lower linear guide 18 for supporting the bearing 17 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction is provided between the bearing 17 and the winding chamber 5. The bearing 17 and the lower linear guide 18 have a vacuum seal structure for keeping the winding chamber 5 in a vacuum.

  The lower part of the bearing 17 is attached to the lower movable member 19 outside the winding chamber 5. The lower movable member 19 is disposed at a distance from the lower linear guide 18 in the vertical direction. The lower movable member 19 can extend and contract in the vertical direction between the lower movable member 19 and the lower linear guide 18. As an example of the elastic member, a bellows 20 is disposed between the two. Further, the bellows 20 is disposed so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 17. A motor 21 is attached to the lower end portion of the lower shaft portion 15b. Due to the rotational drive of the motor 21, the lower shaft 15a rotates, and the winding core 11 and the upper tapered cone portion 16a rotate with this rotation.

  Further, the lower movable member 19 includes a slide portion 19 a that is slidably attached to the external linear guide 22 provided at the lower portion of the winding chamber 5 in the vertical direction. In addition, the movable portion 23a of the actuator 23 is attached to the lower movable member 19 so as to be vertically movable in the vertical direction. The fixed portion 23b of the actuator 23 is installed outside the winding chamber 5, for example, on the floor of the production line.

  Further, a weight 24 for lifting the lower movable member 19 upward is attached so that the lower movable member 19 is positioned in the middle of the movable range in the vertical direction even when the actuator 23 is not operated. As a result, the take-up roll 11 and the guide roll 12 can also be positioned in the middle of the movable range in the vertical direction with the actuator 23 not operating.

  On the other hand, the upper shaft portion 16b extends outward from the upper portion of the winding chamber 5, and the upper shaft portion 16b can be slid in the vertical direction between the upper shaft portion 16b and the winding chamber 5. A first upper straight guide 25 is provided. The first upper linear guide 25 has a vacuum seal structure for keeping the inside of the winding chamber 5 in a vacuum. A piston portion 16c is provided at the upper end portion of the upper shaft portion 16b. The piston portion 16c is housed in a cylinder 26 that opens downward. Therefore, a space 27 surrounded by the upper portion of the piston portion 16c and the cylinder 26 is formed.

  The cylinder 26 is connected to a pressure pipe 28 configured to supply or discharge a fluid in order to pressurize or depressurize the space 27, and the pressure pipe 28 is a pressure regulator for controlling the pressure in the space 27. 29 is provided. When the pressure in the space 27 is increased, the piston portion 16 c is pushed down, and the upper tapered cone portion 16 a of the upper shaft 16 is pressed against the upper end portion of the winding core 11. In this state, the winding core 11 is sandwiched between the lower tapered cone portion 15a and the upper tapered cone portion 16a while pressure is applied. On the other hand, when the pressure in the space 27 is lowered, the piston portion 16c can move upward, and the upper shaft 16 can move upward.

  A support member 30 extending toward the guide roll 12 is attached to the bearing 17, and a lower end portion of the guide roll 12 is attached to the support member 30 so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 12 a. On the other hand, the upper end portion of the guide roll 12 is attached to a second upper linear guide 31 provided at the upper portion of the winding chamber 5 so as to be rotatable about the rotary shaft 12a and slidable in the vertical direction. .

  Further, although not shown in FIG. 2, the sensor 13 is attached to the winding core 11, the guide roll 12, the lower shaft 15 and the upper shaft 16 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

Here, the conveyance operation of the substrate 2 will be described.
The substrate 2 in a state of being wound around the unwinding core 6 in the unwinding chamber 3 is fed out from the unwinding core 6 and guided to the unloading port 3a of the unwinding chamber 3 by the transport roll 7 to be unloaded. It is carried out from 3a. Thereafter, the substrate 2 passes through the film formation chamber 4, and the substrate 2 is formed by applying a voltage between the pair of electrodes 8 during the passage. During this film formation, the substrate 2 may be formed while being moved by a roll-to-roll method, or may be formed in a state where it is temporarily stopped by a stepping roll method. After the film formation, the substrate 2 enters the inside of the winding chamber 5 through the carry-in port 5a of the winding chamber 5, and is sandwiched between the drive roll 9 and the press roll 10 and then passed by the tension roll 14. It is guided toward the guide roll 12 while applying tension. Here, in the conveyance section between the tension roll 14 and the guide roll 12, the position of the edge portion of the substrate 2 is detected by the sensor 13. Further, the substrate 2 that has passed through the guide roll 12 is taken up by the take-up core 11.

Further, the winding operation of the substrate 2 will be described.
After the substrate 2 is conveyed to the position of the guide roll 12, the substrate 2 is wound around the guide roll 12, guided so as to be conveyed toward the take-up core 11, and taken up by the take-up core 11. At this time, the substrate 2 is conveyed while being wound around the winding core 11 by rotating the winding core 11 by driving the motor 21.

  In such a winding process of the substrate 2, when the positional deviation in the vertical direction of the substrate 2 occurs before the substrate 2 passes through the guide roll 12, this positional deviation is arranged upstream in the conveying direction of the guide roll 12. It is detected by the sensor 13. The actuator 23 is controlled to move in the vertical direction in accordance with the detected positional deviation. By the operation of the actuator 23, the lower shaft 15 moves up and down, and the winding core 11, the guide roll 12 and the sensor 13 move up and down relative to the substrate 2, and the winding position of the substrate 2 is corrected. It will be. At this time, the upper shaft 16 moves following the vertical movement of the winding core 11. During the movement of the upper shaft 16, the pressure regulator 29 controls the force pressing the upper shaft 16 against the upper end portion of the winding core 11 by controlling the pressure in the space 27. Therefore, the pressure with which the winding core 11 is clamped by the lower shaft 15 and the upper shaft 16 transmits the rotation of the lower shaft 15 to the winding core 11, and the winding core is wound by the lower taper cone 15 a and the upper taper cone 16 a. 11 is maintained in a size that can be securely clamped.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the winding core 11 and the guide roll 12 slide in the vertical direction relative to the substrate 2 in response to a change in the position of the substrate 2, The winding deviation of 2 can be corrected quickly and accurately. In particular, in the correction by the sliding movement of the guide roll 12, since the large bending generated by the pulling of the guide roll 12 is not applied to the substrate 2, it is difficult for the substrate 2 to generate a shearing force. Therefore, the winding deviation of the substrate 2 can be accurately corrected while reliably preventing the generation of wrinkles due to the shearing force.

  Furthermore, the function of moving the winding core 11 in the vertical direction while rotating it is easy to handle with a simple configuration like the lower shaft 15. With such an easy-to-handle configuration, accurate correction of the winding deviation of the substrate 2 can be realized more easily.

  In addition, the lower shaft 15 and the upper shaft 16 can securely hold the winding core 11 by the pressure of the upper shaft 16 applied to the winding core 11. Therefore, the function of moving the winding core 11 in the vertical direction while rotating the winding core 11 is easy to handle with a simple configuration such as the lower shaft 15 and the upper shaft 16 that is separate from the lower shaft 15. . With such an easy-to-handle configuration, accurate correction of the winding deviation of the substrate 2 can be realized more easily.

[Second Embodiment]
An apparatus 41 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The device 41 of the second embodiment has the same basic configuration as the device 1 of the first embodiment. Elements similar to those in the first embodiment will be described using the same symbols and names as those in the first embodiment. Here, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1 in the case of the second embodiment. It is gripped by the gripping mechanism 43 outside the winding chamber 42. The gripping mechanism 43 is attached to the upper movable member 44. The upper movable member 44 is disposed at a distance in the vertical direction from the first upper linear guide 25, and is an elastic member that can expand and contract in the vertical direction between the first upper linear guide 25 and the upper movable member 44. As an example, a bellows 45 is sandwiched and disposed. Furthermore, the bellows 45 is formed so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the upper shaft portion 16b. The upper movable member 44 includes a slide portion 44 a that is slidably attached to an external linear guide 46 provided at the upper portion of the winding chamber 42 in the vertical direction.

  Further, the lower movable member 19 and the upper movable member 44 are connected by a connecting member 47 extending in the vertical direction. At this time, the winding core 11 is sandwiched between the lower taper cone 15 a and the upper taper cone 16 a in a state in which sufficient pressure is applied to transmit the rotation of the lower shaft 15 to the winding core 11. The lower movable member 19, the upper movable member 44, and the connecting member 47 that are integrally formed in this way are configured to be moved up and down in the vertical direction by the actuator 48. The movable portion 48 a of the actuator 48 is attached to the connecting member 47, and the fixed portion 48 b of the actuator 48 is attached to the outer side portion of the winding chamber 42.

  Further, even when the actuator 48 is not operated, the lower movable member 19, the upper movable member 44, and the connecting member 47 that are integrally formed are positioned so as to be positioned in the middle of the movable range in the vertical direction. A weight 49 for lifting the side movable member 19, the upper movable member 44, and the connecting member 47 upward is attached. As a result, the take-up roll 11 and the guide roll 12 can also be positioned in the middle of the movable range in the vertical direction with the actuator 48 not operating. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the sensor 13 is attached to the winding core 11, the guide roll 12, the lower shaft 15, and the upper shaft 16 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

  The transporting operation of the substrate 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the vertical movement of the winding core 11 and the guide roll 12 is different from that of the first embodiment regarding the winding operation of the substrate 2. In the winding operation of the substrate 2, if a positional deviation in the vertical direction of the substrate 2 occurs before the substrate 2 passes through the guide roll 12, this positional deviation is detected by the sensor 13 disposed upstream in the conveyance direction of the guide roll 12. To detect. The actuator 48 is controlled to move in the vertical direction in accordance with the detected positional deviation. By the operation of the actuator 48, the lower shaft 15 and the upper shaft 16 both move up and down, and the winding core 11, the guide roll 12, and the sensor 13 move up and down relative to the substrate 2, and the substrate 2 is wound. The picking position will be corrected. At this time, the pressure sandwiching the winding core 11 by the lower shaft 15 and the upper shaft 16 transmits the rotation of the lower shaft 15 to the winding core 11 and is wound by the lower taper cone 15a and the upper taper cone 16a. The core 11 is maintained in a size that can be securely clamped.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the winding deviation of the substrate 2 can be accurately corrected while reliably preventing the generation of wrinkles in the substrate 2 with the same configuration as the first embodiment.

  In addition, the lower shaft 15 and the upper shaft 16 that are integrally formed securely hold the winding core 11 from above and below in the vertical direction. Therefore, with a simple configuration such as the lower shaft 15 and the upper shaft 16, the function of moving the winding core 11 in the vertical direction while rotating it is easy to handle. With such an easy-to-handle configuration, accurate correction of the winding deviation of the substrate 2 can be realized more easily.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.

It is a top view which represents roughly the internal structure of the thin film forming apparatus in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. 1 in the case of 1st Embodiment. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. 1 in the case of 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1,41 Thin film forming equipment
2 Flexible substrate (substrate)
3 Unwinding chamber 4 Film forming chamber 5, 42 Winding chamber 6 Unwinding core 7 Transport roll 8 Electrode 9 Drive roll 10 Press roll 11 Winding core 11 a, 12 a Rotating shaft 12 Guide roll 13 Sensor 14 Tension roll 15 Lower shaft 15a Lower tapered cone portion 15b Lower shaft portion 16 Upper shaft 16a Upper tapered cone portion 16b Upper shaft portion 16c Piston portion 17 Bearing 18 Lower linear guide 19 Lower movable member 19a Slide portion 20, 45 Bellows 21 Motor 22, 46 External straight line Guides 23, 48 Actuators 23a, 48a Movable parts 23b, 48b Fixed parts 24, 49 Weight 25 First upper linear guide 26 Cylinder 27 Space 28 Pressure pipe 29 Pressure regulator 30 Support member 31 Second upper linear guide 43 Grip mechanism 44 Upper movable Member 44a Slide part 47 Connecting member A Arrow

Claims (4)

A thin film forming apparatus for forming a flexible substrate that is transported in a state in which a film-shaped surface is aligned in a vertical direction,
A winding core configured to be capable of winding the flexible substrate by rotating around a rotation axis along a vertical direction;
It is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis along the vertical direction, and is upstream of the winding core in the conveyance direction of the flexible substrate so as to guide the flexible substrate toward the winding core. A guide roll to be arranged;
A sensor configured to detect an edge portion of the flexible substrate and disposed upstream of the guide roll in the transport direction of the flexible substrate, and
The sensor detects a change in position that occurs during conveyance of the flexible substrate,
The winding core, the guide roll, and the sensor can all move in the vertical direction relative to the flexible substrate in response to a change in the position of the edge of the flexible substrate detected by the sensor. A thin film forming apparatus configured as described above. A lower shaft extending from the lower end portion of the winding core in the vertical direction along the rotation axis of the winding core is driven to rotate along the rotation axis of the winding core, and the vertical direction The winding core is configured to rotate with the lower shaft so as to wind up the flexible substrate, and the winding core, the guide roll , the sensor, and the The thin film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both lower shafts are configured to be movable in a vertical direction. An upper shaft extending along the rotation axis of the winding core from the vertical upper end of the winding core is configured separately from the lower shaft, and cooperates with the lower shaft. The winding core is sandwiched while applying pressure to the winding core, and is rotated with the lower shaft and the winding core. The winding core, the guide roll , and the sensor The thin film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein both the lower shaft and the upper shaft are configured to be movable in a vertical direction.   A lower shaft extending from the lower end portion of the winding core in the vertical direction along the rotation axis of the winding core is driven to rotate along the rotation axis of the winding core, and the vertical direction The upper shaft extending along the rotation axis of the winding core from the upper end in the vertical direction of the winding core is formed integrally with the lower shaft, The winding core is configured to be sandwiched while applying pressure by the lower shaft and the upper shaft and rotate together with the lower shaft and the upper shaft, and the winding core, the guide roll, the sensor, The thin film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both the lower shaft and the upper shaft are configured to be movable in a vertical direction.

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