JP5520871B2 - Vapor deposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming a vapor deposition film, and more particularly to a vapor deposition apparatus effective for evaporating an evaporation material in a molten state to form a thin film on a substrate.

Currently, organic EL elements are being actively developed. An organic EL display (organic EL display device) is expected as a next-generation thin film display replacing a liquid crystal display or a plasma display. Even now, organic EL displays are used in mobile devices such as mobile phones and car audio. Further, organic EL lighting is being developed so as to follow LED lighting that has already been commercialized. In particular, since LED lighting is mostly point light emission, even if it is suitable for miniaturization, there is a demand for constraining heat generation and light diffusion. On the other hand, organic EL lighting has features such as surface light emission, no restrictions on shape, and transparency, and will continue to seize in the future.
It is thought that it may spread beyond ED.

An organic EL element used in an organic EL display device or a lighting device has a sandwich structure in which an organic layer is sandwiched between a cathode and an anode and is formed on a substrate such as a glass plate or a plastic plate. By applying a voltage to the cathode and anode, electrons and holes are injected into the organic layer from each,
Light is emitted by excitons (excitons) generated by recombination.

This organic layer has a multilayer structure including an electron injection layer, an electron transport layer, a light emitting layer, a hole transport layer, and a hole injection layer. Organic materials used for the organic layer include high polymers and low molecules. Among these, a low molecular material is formed into a film using a vapor deposition apparatus.

In general, a metal material is used as the cathode and a transparent conductive material is used as the anode in the electrode. It is advantageous that the cathode has a small work function for injecting electrons into the organic layer, and the anode has a large work function for injecting holes into an organic layer such as a hole injection layer or a hole transport layer. Because it is necessary. Specifically, indium tin oxide (ITO), tin oxide (SnO ₂ ), or the like is used for the anode. For the cathode, MgAg (ratio 9: 1) alloy, Al or the like is used. These cathode materials are often formed using a vapor deposition apparatus.

An example of an evaporation source used in a conventional vapor deposition apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 18 which is a simplified view of “Patent Document 1”. An evaporating material 5 is housed in a crucible consisting of a crucible body 1 and a nozzle (structure) 2. The crucible is heated by a heater 3, and heat escaped by the reflector 4 is returned to the crucible and the heater 3 to increase thermal efficiency. Then, the evaporation material 5 is heated. The heated evaporation material 5 evaporates by sublimation or vaporization, and is ejected from the opening 9 of the nozzle (structure) 2 to deposit the evaporation material 5 on a substrate (not shown).

In particular, when the evaporation material 5 is Al, the temperature of the melting point (660 ° C.) is low because Al has a vapor pressure lower than the melting point.
) Set as above and deposit in molten state. In this case, it is known that a so-called creeping phenomenon occurs in which molten Al rises along the inner wall surface of the crucible and overflows from the crucible. The molten Al scoops up the inner wall of the crucible (main body) 1 shown in FIG. 17 and scoops up the upper surface of the nozzle (structure) 2 from the opening 9 of the nozzle 2 depending on conditions such as temperature, and the crucible in which the heater 3 is arranged. In some cases, the heater body 10 surrounded by the (main body) 1, the nozzle 2, and the reflector 4 wraps around. Even if it does not crawl up to the upper surface of the nozzle 2, the molten Al is the crucible (main body) 1 and the nozzle 2
In many cases, the gaps between the crucible (main body) 1 and the nozzle 2 are circulated into the heater chamber 10 as Al vapor. When Al enters the heater chamber 10, the heater 3 and the reflector 4
It causes the heater 3 to deteriorate and cause disconnection, or is deposited on an insulator (not shown) that supports the heater 3 so as to have conductivity, and is deposited on the reflector 4 via an insulator having surface conductivity. There is a problem that causes a failure of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus, such as an electrical short circuit between the heater 3 and the reflector 4 (which is assumed to be grounded in this case).

Further, “Patent Document 2” discloses a vapor deposition apparatus using a crucible in which a crucible body and a nozzle are integrated. However, such a structure in which the opening is smaller than the bottom of the crucible is difficult to manufacture, and even if it can be manufactured, there is a problem of high cost.

JP 2008-024998 A JP 2007-046100 A

When the evaporation source Al is melted, it is known that the molten Al rises along the inner wall surface of the crucible and overflows from the crucible. This Al scoops up,
Alternatively, when Al vapor enters, Al adheres to the heater for heating or the insulator that supports the heater and should have electrical insulation, causing an electrical short circuit, which causes a problem of evaporation source failure and damage. In addition, the crucible in which the crucible body and the nozzle are integrated has a problem that it is difficult to manufacture and the cost is high.

An object of the present invention is to provide an evaporation apparatus having an evaporation source which prevents Al from creeping up or from entering Al vapor and hardly causing damage.

The outline of typical inventions among inventions disclosed in this document will be described as follows. The inventor has obtained the following knowledge regarding the creeping of aluminum or Al vapor intrusion through experiments and repeated experiences. FIG. 17 is similar to FIG. 18, in which the molten Al scoops up the path (gap) surrounded by the crucible body 1 and the nozzle 2 having the crucible collar 8 and the cylindrical fixture 7, or the crucible body 1 and the nozzle 2. It is a case where it enters into a heater chamber as Al vapor | steam from the clearance gap.

In fact, when observed after deposition of Al at 1400 ° C. or higher in a short period of time, Al entered the gap between the crucible collar 8 and the nozzle 2 and went around to the heater chamber. In addition, even when the scooping up is not noticeable at 1400 ° C. or lower, after use for a long time, the heater 3 is altered, the Al adheres to the upper part of the reflector 4, the reflector material is altered and deformed. This is because the Al vapor in the crucible body 1 is formed by the crucible collar 8, the nozzle 2, and the cylindrical fixture 7 to form a path 11 as indicated by an arrow and a dotted line. This is considered to have entered the heater chamber 10.

When heated to a high temperature in order to perform Al deposition in such a state, Al in the heater chamber 10 evaporates and accumulates on the back side of the crucible collar, or Al is deposited on the surface of an insulator (not shown) that supports the heater 3 and contacts the reflector. As a result, the heater 3 is easily short-circuited. In addition, the heater wire changes in quality and is easily disconnected. As described above, in the structure shown in FIG. 17, Al rises and a path 11 through which Al vapor easily enters the heater chamber is formed, so that the evaporation source is likely to break down and break down.

On the other hand, no Al scooping up is observed on the upper surface of the nozzle 2 in FIG. 17, and the gap between the Al upper surface and the cylindrical fixture 7 is also away from the nozzle 2 opening 9, so that Al vapor enters the heater chamber 10. Is unlikely to occur. The reason why the Al creeping up to the upper surface of the nozzle 2 was not observed is considered to be that the Al upper surface is opened to a vacuum, the heat radiation is large, and the temperature drop is larger than that of the opening 9.

From the above, if a structure is formed in which the Al vapor from the crucible 1 does not easily enter the heater chamber 3, it is difficult for Al to scoop up and Al vapor does not easily enter the heater chamber, and the evaporation source fails. It will be difficult to destroy. Therefore, an evaporation source having the structure shown in FIG. 1 has been devised. The difference from FIG. 17 is the relationship between the nozzle 2 and the crucible body 1. In FIG. 1, since the nozzle 2 is disposed inside the crucible body 1, a notch 12 is provided in the path 11 as shown in FIG. 17. Here, the notch 12 is configured such that there is no path for guiding the vapor to the heater chamber in the vicinity of the opening of the nozzle. Due to the presence of the notch 12, the crucible collar 8, the nozzle 2, and the cylindrical fixture 7 do not form an Al vapor intrusion path.

Moreover, since Al reacts with a metal at a high temperature to form an alloy, the crucible is made of an insulator such as ceramic. For example, PBN (Pyrolytic Boron Nitride) is boron nitride (BN) produced by a vapor deposition method (CVD method). For this reason, the overhang structure in which the crucible body 1 and the nozzle 2 are integrated is time-consuming to manufacture and expensive. The crucible body does not have an overhang structure, that is, has a structure in which the opening extends from the bottom.
Therefore, it is cheaper to manufacture and combine them separately, and the opening diameter of the nozzle can be changed according to the conditions, and the usability is improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the nozzle (structure) 2 is protruded from the crucible body 1. Thereby, the temperature of a nozzle opening part falls and the creeping of Al can be prevented. In summary,
The specific main means are as follows.

(1) At least comprises a fixture, a nozzle structure, a crucible, and a heating unit (heater),
The nozzle structure is provided in the crucible opening, and the path formed by the nozzle structure and the other evaporation source components is a structure that does not connect to the space (heater chamber) in which the heating unit exists. apparatus.

Alternatively, at least a fixture, a nozzle structure, a crucible, and a heating unit (heater) are provided. The nozzle structure is provided in the crucible opening, and is formed by the nozzle structure and other evaporation source parts. The vapor deposition apparatus is characterized in that the path having a notch is formed in the path between the space where the heating unit exists (heater chamber).

(2) Further, the nozzle structure has a structure that protrudes outside the crucible.

Since the path formed by the nozzle structure and the other evaporation source parts has a notch between the space (heater chamber) in which the heating unit exists, Al vapor hardly enters the heater chamber.
1) It is difficult for crawl-up to the heater chamber.

Further, since the nozzle structure has a structure that protrudes from the fixing tool to the outside of the crucible, the temperature is lower than that of the crucible, and Al scooping up hardly occurs. Furthermore, a crucible having a structure in which the opening is wider than the bottom is easy to manufacture, and thus is low in cost. Thereby, it is possible to provide a low cost vapor deposition apparatus having an evaporation source that can prevent the spilling of the Al vapor and the creeping of the aluminum, and is unlikely to fail or break.

It is a schematic sectional drawing of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 1. It is explanatory drawing of the crucible of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 1. FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the vapor deposition apparatus using the vapor deposition source of the reference example 1. It is process drawing which showed an example of the organic EL display production process. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 2. It is a schematic block diagram of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 2. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of Example 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vapor deposition apparatus of Example 1. FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 3. It is a schematic block diagram of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 3. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 4. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the evaporation source of the other vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 4. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 5. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the other evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 5. It is a schematic cross section (side surface) figure of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 6. It is a schematic cross section (upper surface) figure of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of the reference example 6. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporation source of a vapor deposition apparatus for comparison with Reference Example 1. FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of a prior art.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail using examples and reference examples. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiments, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

Reference example 1

1 to 4 and FIG. 17 are diagrams for explaining this reference example . FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of this reference example . FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus for comparison with Reference Example 1 . FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a crucible of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 1 . FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vapor deposition apparatus using the vapor deposition source of Reference Example 1 . FIG. 4 is a process diagram showing an example of an organic EL display production process.

First, for comparison with Reference Example 1 , an evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus in FIG. 17 will be described. FIG.
The evaporation source is a crucible (main body) 1 having a crucible collar 8, a heater (heater) 3, a reflector 4,
It consists of an evaporating material 5, an outer cylinder 6, a nozzle (structure) 2 having an opening 9, and a fixture 7. A region surrounded by the outer cylinder 6 and the crucible 1 and where the heater 3 exists is called a heater chamber 10. In FIG. 17, Al which is the evaporating material 5 contained in the crucible body 1 is heated to a melting point of 660 ° C. or higher by the heater 3 heated to high temperature by electric power from a power source (not shown) to be in a molten state.

The heat generated by reflecting the radiant heat from the heater 3 by the reflector 4 and returning to the heater 3 or the crucible 1 is used for heating Al as much as possible. These are housed in the outer cylinder 6, and the crucible 1 is supported by the outer cylinder 6 with a crucible collar 8. A nozzle (structure) 2 having an opening 9 is disposed on the crucible collar 8, and the crucible 1 and the nozzle (structure) 2 are fixed to the outer cylinder 6 by a fixture 7.

These are installed in a vacuum chamber (not shown) maintained at a high vacuum. Outer cylinder 6
Is cooled by a cooling mechanism such as water cooling (not shown) to suppress an excessive discharge gas into the vacuum chamber and to suppress a high temperature of the vacuum chamber itself. Al vapor is generated from the molten Al and fills the crucible 1, and Al vapor is ejected from the opening 9 of the nozzle 2. The ejected Al vapor is sprayed and deposited on a substrate arranged corresponding to the opening 9 of the nozzle 2 (not shown).

When the evaporation source Al is melted, the molten Al rises along the inner wall surface of the crucible 1,
It is known that a creeping phenomenon that overflows from the crucible occurs. In FIG. 17, molten Al scoops up the path (gap) surrounded by the crucible body 1 and the nozzle 2 having the crucible collar 8 and the cylindrical fixture 7, or as Al vapor from the gap between the crucible body 1 and the nozzle 2. Enter the heater room.

In fact, when it is observed after deposition of Al at a temperature of 1400 ° C. or higher in a short period of time, the Al is the crucible collar 8 and the nozzle 2
Intruded into the gap, and went around to the heater room. In addition, even when the scooping up is not noticeable at 1400 ° C. or lower, after use for a long time, the heater 3 is altered, the Al adheres to the upper part of the reflector 4, the reflector material is altered and deformed.

This is because the Al vapor generated from the inside of the crucible body 1 is formed by the crucible collar 8, the nozzle 2, and the cylindrical fixture 7 along the path 11 as indicated by an arrow and a dotted line.
I think that it was because I entered. When the heater is heated to perform Al vapor deposition in such a state, the Al that has entered and accumulated through the path 11 in the heater chamber 10 evaporates again and accumulates on the back side of the crucible collar or supports the heater 3 and the reflector 4. Al on the insulator surface (not shown) in contact with
Accumulates and the heater 3 is easily short-circuited. In addition, the heater wire changes in quality and is easily disconnected. As described above, in the structure as shown in FIG. 17, Al rises and a path 11 through which Al vapor easily enters the heater chamber is formed, so that the evaporation source is easily destroyed and broken down.

However, no Al scooping up is observed on the upper surface of the nozzle 2 in FIG. 17, and the gap between the Al upper surface and the cylindrical fixture 7 is also away from the nozzle 2 opening 9, so that Al vapor enters the heater chamber 10. Is unlikely to occur. The reason why no rise of Al on the upper surface of the nozzle 2 was observed is considered to be that the upper surface of the Al was opened in a vacuum, the heat radiation was large, and the temperature was greatly decreased as compared with the opening 9.

From the above, if the structure in which the Al vapor from the crucible 1 does not form a path through which the heater chamber 3 easily enters, or if the path from the nozzle of the Al vapor to the heater chamber is notched or interrupted, Al It is thought that it is difficult to crawl up and make it difficult for Al vapor to enter the heater chamber, and it is difficult for the evaporation source to break down or break down.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of an evaporation source according to Reference Example 1 of the present invention. The difference from FIG. 17 is the relationship between the nozzle 2 and the crucible body 1. In FIG. 1, since the nozzle 2 is disposed inside the crucible body 1, a route such as Al vapor as shown in FIG. 17 is not formed. That is, a notch 12 for the path 11 is provided. Here, the notch 12 refers to a configuration in which a path that guides steam to the heater chamber does not exist in the vicinity of the opening of the nozzle. That is, in FIG. 1, the notch 12 is a path that guides steam to the heater chamber 10 between the fixture 7 and the nozzle 2 or the crucible collar 8 in the vicinity of the nozzle opening, as indicated by the dotted line. Is not formed, and the vapor is only released upward and outward. Due to the presence of the notch 12, the crucible collar 8, the nozzle 2, and the cylindrical fixture 7 do not form an Al vapor intrusion path. The entirety of FIG. 1 is called a vapor deposition source unit 26.

1 and 17, the crucible collar 8 and the fixture 7, the crucible collar 8 and the outer cylinder 6, and the fixture 7 and the outer cylinder 6 are drawn so as to be separated from each other. This explains the “path”. To make it easier,
It was drawn on purpose. Actually, they are installed in contact with each other, but when viewed microscopically, the gaps as shown in the figure are exaggerated. The same applies to the following similar figures.

Moreover, since Al reacts with a metal at a high temperature to form an alloy, the crucible is made of an insulator such as ceramic. For example, PBN (Pyrolytic Boron Nitride) is boron nitride (BN) produced by a vapor deposition method (CVD method). At this time, if an attempt is made to reduce the crucible opening, the crucible body has an overhang structure. However, the overhang structure in which the crucible body 1 and the nozzle 2 are integrated is time-consuming and expensive. That is,
In order to form the crucible by vapor phase growth, PBN is deposited around the mold, but in the overhang structure, the mold cannot be extracted and the mold must be melted. Therefore, the crucible manufacturing time and material cost increase.

In the present invention, the crucible body 1 and the nozzle 2 are prepared separately. Therefore, the crucible body 1 in the present invention does not need to have an overhang structure. That is, the bottom and the opening have the same diameter, or the opening can be expanded from the bottom. That is, it is not necessary to melt a mold for forming the crucible body 1 by vapor phase growth, and the mold can be pulled out. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the crucible 1 can be suppressed. That is, in the present invention, the nozzle 2
The crucible 1 and the crucible 1 are separately manufactured and assembled, but the cost can be kept lower than that of making a crucible having an overhang structure. In addition, the opening diameter of the nozzle can be easily changed, and the usability is improved.

2A and 2B are explanatory views of the crucible of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 1. FIG. 2A and 2B
), A support structure 13 for the crucible 1 that supports the nozzle 2 omitted for simplicity in FIG.
Was described. Even if the crucible 1 has the support structure 13, the cross section does not become narrower from the bottom of the crucible 1 toward the opening. 2A and 2B, the bottom of the crucible 1 and the opening have the same diameter, but it is better that the diameter of the opening is larger. Thus, the crucible 1 of the present invention is not an overhanging structure toward the opening, but has a structure in which the diameters of the bottom and the opening are the same, or rather, the cross section expands toward the opening. Such a structure simplifies the manufacturing process by CVD and is less expensive than manufacturing an overhanging structure. In the drawings of the following reference examples , entry of the support structure 13 of the crucible 1 that supports the nozzle 2 is omitted for simplicity unless otherwise specified.

Thus, in the vapor deposition source of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 1 , as shown in FIG. 1, the path formed by the nozzle structure and the other vapor source components is a space where the heater (heating unit) 3 exists ( Since the structure has the notch 12 between the heater chamber and the heater chamber, Al vapor hardly enters the heater chamber, and Al wraps around the heater chamber and does not easily crawl up.

Furthermore, a crucible having a structure in which the opening is wider than the bottom is easy to manufacture, and thus is low in cost. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an inexpensive vapor deposition apparatus having an evaporation source that can prevent Al vapor from flowing around and scoop up Al and that is unlikely to fail or break.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vapor deposition apparatus using the vapor deposition source of Reference Example 1 . A substrate 15, an organic thin film 16 formed thereon, and a substrate holding unit (not shown) for holding the substrate are arranged in a vacuum chamber 14 maintained at a high vacuum. Further, a metal mask 17 for forming a pattern on the substrate, an evaporation source 18 in which a plurality of evaporation source units shown in FIG. 1 are arranged, and a film thickness monitor fixed to an evaporation source for monitoring a film forming rate on the substrate 15. 19 and evaporation source 18
A horizontal movement mechanism 20 is provided for moving the. By this horizontal movement mechanism 20, the evaporation source 18 moves horizontally in the vacuum chamber 14 along the evaporation source guide 21.

In order to generate a vaporized particle 26 from the evaporation source 18 by heating a crucible (not shown) provided in the evaporation source 18 and a film thickness controller 22 that receives a signal from the film thickness monitor 19 and feeds back the film thickness information to the power source 23. A power source 23 for controlling the temperature of the evaporation source 18, a horizontal drive mechanism controller 24 for moving the evaporation source 18 horizontally by the horizontal drive mechanism 20, and the power source 23 and the film thickness controller 2
2 and a controller 25 for controlling the horizontal drive mechanism controller 24.

Next to the organic thin film formed on the substrate 15, an ultrathin film (up to 0.5 nm) such as an oxide or fluoride of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal, such as LiF, is formed as an interface layer. After this, an Al thin film (˜150 nm) is formed. In some cases, all of the Al thin film is formed by vapor deposition, or after a thinner Al thin film is formed by vapor deposition, the remaining Al thin film is formed by sputtering from the vacuum chamber 18 to another vacuum chamber.

The deposition of Al is performed as follows. The controller 25 controls the film thickness controller 22, the power source 23, and the horizontal drive mechanism controller 24. The heaters of the plurality of evaporation source units each containing Al as an evaporation material are heated by the power source 23, and the vapor deposition particles 26, in this case, from the upward nozzle openings of the evaporation source 18 composed of these evaporation source units. Al particles (vapor) are formed on the substrate 15.
Inject towards.

The film thickness controller 22 receives a signal from the film thickness monitor 19 that detects a part of the ejected Al particles, feeds back film thickness information to the power source 23, and heats a crucible (not shown) provided in the evaporation source 18. In order to generate the evaporation particles 26 from the evaporation source 18, the temperature of the evaporation source 18 is controlled to keep the Al deposition rate on the substrate constant. Each of the evaporation source units of the evaporation source 18 has a crucible 1
A temperature detector (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the evaporation source unit is provided, the crucible temperature of each evaporation source unit is monitored and maintained at approximately 1400 ° C., and the deposition film thickness is controlled more accurately using the film thickness monitor 19. Is done.

Although only one film thickness monitor 19 is shown in FIG. 3, it is desirable to provide one film thickness monitor for each evaporation source unit of the evaporation source 18 and control the deposition rate individually. The evaporation source 18 moves horizontally in the vacuum chamber 14 along the evaporation source guide 21 by a horizontal movement mechanism 20 controlled by a horizontal drive mechanism controller 24. The deposition source 18 is scanned in one-way or reciprocating horizontal direction, and is deposited on the organic thin film 16 and LiF thin film formed on the substrate 15 through the metal mask 17 to form an Al thin film.

FIG. 4 is a process diagram showing an example of an organic EL display production process. In FIG. 4, a TFT substrate on which an organic layer and a thin film transistor (TFT) for controlling a current flowing in the organic layer are formed and a sealing substrate for protecting the organic layer from external moisture are separately formed and combined in a sealing process. It is.

In the TFT substrate manufacturing process of FIG. 4, dry cleaning is performed on the wet-cleaned substrate. Dry cleaning may include cleaning by ultraviolet irradiation. First, a TFT is formed on the dry-cleaned TFT substrate. A passivation film and a planarizing film are formed on the TFT, and a lower electrode of the organic EL layer is formed thereon. The lower electrode is connected to the drain electrode of the TFT. When the lower electrode is an anode, for example, ITO (Indium Ti
n Oxide) film is used.

An organic EL layer is formed on the lower electrode. The organic EL layer is composed of a plurality of layers. When the lower electrode is an anode, from the bottom, for example, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer. Such an organic EL layer is formed by vapor deposition.

On the organic EL layer, an upper electrode is formed of a solid film in common for each pixel. When the organic EL display device is top emission, the upper electrode is a transparent electrode such as IZO, or Ag,
When a metal or alloy such as MgAg is used and the organic EL display device is bottom emission, a metal film such as Ag, Mg, or Al is used. The above-described example such as Al vapor deposition corresponds to vapor deposition of the upper electrode in this step.

In the sealing substrate process of FIG. 4, a desiccant (desiccant) is disposed on the sealing substrate that has been subjected to wet cleaning and dry cleaning. Since the organic EL layer deteriorates when moisture is present, a desiccant is used to remove the moisture inside. Although various materials can be used for the desiccant, the desiccant arrangement method differs depending on whether the organic EL display device is a top emission or a bottom emission.

In this way, the TFT substrate and the sealing substrate manufactured separately are combined in the sealing step. A sealing material for sealing the TFT substrate and the sealing substrate is formed on the sealing substrate. After combining the sealing substrate and the TFT substrate, the sealing portion is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the sealing portion and complete the sealing. A lighting test is performed on the organic EL display device thus formed. In the lighting inspection, even if defects such as black spots and white spots have occurred, those that can be corrected can be corrected to complete the organic EL display device. In addition, it cannot be overemphasized that the vapor deposition apparatus of this invention can be used also about manufacture of what is called a solid sealing organic electroluminescence display which does not have a sealing substrate.

Reference example 2

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 2 . The reflector 4 shown in FIG. 1 is omitted for simplicity. Also in the following drawings, the description is omitted unless particularly necessary for the description.
Only portions different from FIG. 1 of the reference example 1 will be described. The same applies to Examples and Reference Examples after Reference Example 1 . The feature of this embodiment is that the structure 2 having nozzles protrudes outward from the fixture 7, that is, outward in the direction perpendicular to the plane including the crucible collar 8. Moreover, the opening of the structure 2 having a nozzle is upward.

Since the structure 2 having the nozzle protrudes outward from the fixture 7, that is, outward in the direction perpendicular to the plane including the crucible collar 8, the temperature is lower than the crucible 1, and Al rises. Is unlikely to occur. Since the notch 12 is provided in the path from the nozzle of the Al vapor to the heater chamber, it is difficult for the Al vapor to enter the heater chamber 10.

In FIG. 5, the lower end of the cylindrical nozzle 2 protruding outward in the direction perpendicular to the plane including the crucible collar 8 is attached to the inner wall of the crucible 1. The nozzle opening is formed in a flat portion at the tip of the nozzle 2. And the opposing member does not exist outside the plane including the opening of the nozzle 2. Therefore, a path through which the vapor from the evaporation source enters the heater chamber 10 is not formed.

Further, the nozzle structure 9 is also made of PBN like the crucible 1, but the cross-sectional area does not become narrower in the downward direction in FIG. Low cost.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 2 . A vapor deposition source 18 composed of a plurality of vapor deposition source units 26 arranged in parallel with one side of the horizontally placed substrate 15 is horizontally arranged with respect to the horizontally arranged substrate 15 by the same mechanism as in Reference Example 1. And Al is deposited on the substrate 15 to form a thin film.

As described above, even in this reference example, it is difficult for Al to crawl up, Al wraparound to the heater chamber 10 hardly occurs, and manufacturing is easy, so an evaporation source that is less likely to break down and break down is provided at a low cost. I can do it.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of Example 1 . The feature of the present embodiment is that the structure 2 having a nozzle protrudes from the fixture 7 to the outside of the crucible 1 and the crucible collar 8, and the opening 9 of the nozzle structure 2 is oriented in the horizontal direction.

Also in this embodiment, since the nozzle structure 2 protrudes from the fixture 7 to the outside of the crucible 1 and the crucible collar 8, the temperature is lower than that of the crucible 1, and it is difficult for the Al scooping up to occur. Since the notch 12 is provided in the path from the nozzle of the Al vapor to the heater chamber, it is difficult for the Al vapor to enter the heater chamber 10.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of the vapor deposition apparatus according to the first embodiment . A mechanism similar to that in Reference Example 1 is provided for the deposition source 18 composed of a plurality of vertically disposed deposition source units 26 arranged in parallel to one side of the substrate 15 placed vertically. By scanning vertically, Al is deposited on the substrate 15 to form a thin film.

As described above, it is difficult for Al to crawl up, and Al vapor does not easily enter the heater chamber 10, so that it is possible to provide an evaporation source that is less likely to fail or break. In addition, when vertically scanning a deposition source composed of a plurality of evaporation source units with respect to a vertically standing substrate, the evaporation source unit can be vertically placed and the evaporation particles can be ejected horizontally. is there.

Reference example 3

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 3 . The feature of this reference example is a structure in which the nozzle structure 2 protrudes from the fixture 7 to the outside of the crucible 1 and the crucible collar 8, and the crucible is obliquely oriented, but the opening 9 of the nozzle structure 2 is oriented in the horizontal direction. It is that.

Also in this reference example , since the nozzle structure 2 protrudes from the fixture 7 to the outside of the crucible 1 and the crucible collar 8, the temperature is lower than that of the crucible 1, and it is difficult for the Al scooping up to occur. Since the notch 12 is provided in the path from the nozzle of the Al vapor to the heater chamber, it is difficult for the Al vapor to enter the heater chamber 10.

Further, the nozzle structure 9 is also made of PBN like the crucible 1, but the cross-sectional area becomes narrower downward in FIG. 5 with reference to the upper left portion of the nozzle structure 2 where the opening 9 in FIG. Since there is no,
Easy to manufacture and low cost.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 3 . A deposition source 18 composed of a plurality of oblique deposition source units 26 arranged in the vertical direction in parallel with one side of the vertically-arranged substrate 15 is compared with Reference Example 1 with respect to the vertically arranged substrate 15. A similar mechanism scans in the horizontal direction, deposits Al on the substrate 15, and forms a thin film. Since the opening of the nozzle structure 2 faces the horizontal direction, the evaporated particles are ejected around the horizontal direction. Therefore, it is possible to perform vapor deposition with better uniformity than when vapor deposition is performed by ejecting vapor deposition particles in an oblique direction on a vertically arranged substrate. Or the utilization efficiency of an evaporating material can be improved. Since the axis of the evaporation source unit is oblique, it can be arranged vertically and can be scanned horizontally. The distribution of vapor deposition is wider than when the opening is oblique, and a uniform film can be formed with a small number of evaporation sources.

As described above, it is difficult for Al to crawl up, Al wraparound to the heater chamber 10 hardly occurs, and manufacturing is easy, so that an evaporation source that is less likely to fail or break can be provided at low cost. In addition, it is possible to scan the evaporation source consisting of a plurality of evaporation source units in the horizontal direction with respect to the substrate arranged vertically, and to evaporate the evaporation particles in the horizontal direction by placing the evaporation source unit obliquely. Also, there is an effect that the film can be formed with good uniformity and efficient use of the evaporation material.

Reference example 4

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 4 . The feature of this reference example is that the nozzle structure 2 protrudes from the fixture 7 to the outside of the crucible 1 and the crucible collar 8, and the nozzle structure 2 is provided with an auxiliary heater 27, and the nozzle structure 2 has a melting point. It is to be maintained above. In the structure in which the nozzle structure 2 protrudes from the fixture 7 to the outside of the crucible 1 and the crucible collar 8, the temperature may be excessively lowered to be below the melting point of the evaporation material. In that case, the evaporation material accumulates in the opening of the nozzle structure 2 and nozzle clogging occurs. This is an embodiment effective in such a case. The auxiliary heater 27 keeps the nozzle structure above the melting point. Thereby, nozzle clogging can be prevented.

FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporation source of another vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 4 . The difference from FIG. 11 is that the auxiliary heater has a structure embedded in a crucible and a heater embedded crucible 28.
A specific example of the heater embedded crucible 28 is, for example, PBN-PG-PBN. PG is a conductive heater.

By adopting such a structure, the structure of the nozzle structure 2 + the auxiliary heater 27 is simplified. In addition, the thermal efficiency of the heater is improved, and there is an effect that power consumption can be reduced.

Reference Example 5

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 5 . The feature of this reference example is a crucible 1
The crucible collar 8 has a crucible extension portion 29 extending to the outside of the side surface of the outer cylinder 6, and the crucible extension portion end portion 31 extends from the fixture side end portion 30.
Also in this case, the crucible extension portion between the fixture side surface end 30 and the crucible extension portion end 31 is provided because there is a distance between the fixture 7 and the crucible extension portion 29 or the structure having the notch 12. Since the temperature drops at 29, the creeping of Al hardly occurs. In addition, since the notch 12 is provided in the path from the nozzle of the Al vapor to the heater chamber 10, it is difficult for Al vapor to enter the heater chamber 10, so that an evaporation source that is less likely to fail or break can be provided.

FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporation source of another vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 5 . The difference from FIG. 13 is that the evaporation source unit 26 having the crucible extension 29 has a cooling mechanism 32 for cooling the outer cylinder 6.
It is to have outside. Or it may have in the outer cylinder 6 itself, that is, the cooling mechanism may be a part of the outer cylinder. FIG. 14 also shows the reflector 4 clearly.

By adopting such a structure, the outer cylinder 6 is cooled by the cooling mechanism, so that the crucible outer extension 29 is further cooled, so that no aluminum scoops up and the path has the notch 12. Since the Al vapor hardly flows into the heater chamber 10, there is an effect that it is possible to provide an evaporation source that is less likely to fail or break.

Reference Example 6

15 is a side view and a cross-sectional view of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 6. FIG. 16A and 16B are top view examples of the evaporation source of the vapor deposition apparatus of Reference Example 6. FIG. The feature of this reference example is that the diameter of the crucible collar 8 is larger than the diameter of the outer cylinder 6, and the crucible collar 8 of the nozzle 2 and the crucible 1 is fixed to the outer cylinder 6 by a wire-like fixture 7. The wire-shaped fixture 7 has a structure in which a ring-shaped wire is provided on the nozzle 2 and around the outer cylinder 6 and these are connected by a wire. Thereby, the crucible 1 and the nozzle 2 are fixed to the outer cylinder 6.

In this case, a path of Al vapor to the heater chamber 10 is formed along the wire connecting the rings of the fixture 7, but it is very small, and most of the other parts have a diameter of the crucible collar 8 of the outer cylinder 6. Since it is larger than the diameter, the passage from the Al vapor nozzle to the heater chamber 10 has a notch 12, that is, the distance between the fixture 7 and the outer cylinder 6, so that it is difficult for Al vapor to enter the heater chamber 10. Because the temperature drops at the end of the crucible brim, it is difficult for the Al to crawl up.
It is possible to provide an evaporation source that is not easily damaged.

The wire of the fixture 7 on the nozzle is the ring shape of FIG. 16A in the above, but FIG.
) And may be connected to the fixture 6 wire around the outer cylinder 6 at three places.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various combinations described above. Moreover, although the process of manufacturing an organic EL element used in an organic EL display device or a lighting device has been described as an example, it is needless to say that the present invention is applicable to all processes including a vapor deposition process in other fields such as a magnetic tape.

As described above, according to the vapor deposition apparatus of the present invention, the path formed by the nozzle structure and the other evaporation source parts has a notch between the space where the heater 3 exists, that is, the heater chamber 10. Because of the structure, Al vapor is difficult to enter the heater chamber, and it is difficult for Al to crawl up into the heater chamber 10. In addition, since the nozzle structure has a structure that protrudes from the upper lid to the outside of the crucible, the temperature is lower than that of the crucible, and the aluminum does not easily rise.

Furthermore, since the crucible of the present invention has a structure in which the opening expands from the bottom, it is easy to manufacture,
Low cost. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inexpensive vapor deposition apparatus having an evaporation source that can prevent Al vapor from wrapping around and scooping up aluminum and that is unlikely to fail or break.

In the above examples and reference examples , Al was described as an example, but it is needless to say that the present invention can also be applied to a vapor deposition apparatus using another evaporation material that is evaporated in a molten state.

In the configuration described above, the evaporation source moves in a predetermined direction with respect to the substrate and is deposited on the substrate. However, the present invention can also be applied to a vapor deposition apparatus configured such that the evaporation source is fixed and the substrate moves in a predetermined direction. That is, in order to form a uniform vapor deposition film on the substrate, the substrate and the evaporation source need only move relatively. It goes without saying that all possible combinations of the above-described embodiments can be implemented as the present invention.

Although specific description has been given based on the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is needless to say that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present invention relates to a vapor deposition apparatus, and is particularly applicable to a vapor deposition apparatus having an evaporation source that is unlikely to fail or break.

1 ... crucible (main body), 2 ... nozzle (structure), 3 ... heater (heater), 4 ... reflector,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 ... Evaporating material, 6 ... Outer cylinder, 7 ... Fixing tool, 8 ... Crucible collar, 9 ... Opening part, 10 ... Heater chamber, 11
... path, 12 ... notch, 13 ... support structure, 14 ... vacuum chamber, 15 ... substrate, 16 ... organic thin film, 17 ... metal mask, 18 ... evaporation source, 19 ... film thickness monitor, 20 ... horizontal movement mechanism, 2
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Evaporation source guide, 22 ... Film thickness controller, 23 ... Power supply, 24 ... Horizontal drive mechanism controller, 25 ...
Controller, 26 ... Deposition source unit, 27 ... Auxiliary heater, 28 ... Heater embedded crucible, 29 ...
Crucible extension part, 30 ... fixture side surface end part, 31 ... crucible extension part end part, 32 ... cooling mechanism.

Claims (6)

A vapor deposition apparatus having a vapor deposition source unit in a vacuum chamber,
The vapor deposition unit has a crucible and a nozzle attached to the crucible,
The crucible has a crucible body for containing Al as an evaporation material, and a crucible collar having an upper surface and a lower surface,
A heater chamber is formed by the crucible body, the outer cylinder surrounding the crucible body and the crucible collar,
The crucible and the nozzle are fixed to the outer cylinder by a fixture,
The nozzle has a portion protruding above the crucible and the fixture,
The portion protruding above the nozzle has an upper surface and side surfaces,
A nozzle opening is formed on the side surface of the portion protruding above the nozzle,
The nozzle opening is in a horizontal direction;
The said nozzle does not have a surface which opposes the upper surface of the said crucible collar, and the lower surface of the said fixing tool, The vapor deposition apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.   The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an axis of the evaporation source unit is disposed obliquely with respect to a horizontal direction. The nozzle is equipped with an auxiliary heater,
The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a melting point of the evaporation source.   The crucible collar has a crucible extension part extending to the outer side surface of the outer cylinder, and the crucible extension part end part extends from the fixture side end part. Vapor deposition equipment. The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the evaporation source having the crucible outer extension has a cooling mechanism for cooling the outer cylinder outside the outer cylinder. The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the evaporation source having the crucible outer extension has a cooling mechanism for cooling the outer cylinder in the outer cylinder itself.

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