JP5639431B2 - Deposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus.

  Currently, the transport method in an organic EL display panel manufacturing apparatus has a substrate size of, for example, a fourth-generation half-cut size or less, and the glass substrate is not bent due to gravity. ing.

  By the way, it is clear that the size of the substrate will increase in the future (becomes the fourth generation or more). In this case, there is a concern that in horizontal conveyance, a problem may occur in alignment between the substrate and the mask due to deflection of the substrate. .

  Therefore, in order to reduce the deflection of the substrate due to gravity, it is conceivable to adopt a vertical conveyance method in which the substrate is conveyed in a vertical state (upright state).

  However, in an organic EL display panel manufacturing apparatus that employs conventional vertical conveyance, an alignment driving mechanism that aligns a substrate (substrate tray) and a mask (mask tray) in a vertical state is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. An alignment drive mechanism is used, which is similar to that used in horizontal conveyance, in which the alignment drive unit is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the substrate / mask surface. Since it protrudes greatly in the conveyance direction and the direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction), a large installation space is required, which is not preferable.

Japanese Patent No. 3789857

  The present invention has been made in view of the current situation as described above, and the alignment drive mechanism is divided into two upper and lower parts and installed in a chamber as a rigid body, thereby realizing space saving while ensuring alignment accuracy. It is an object of the present invention to provide an extremely practical film forming apparatus that can handle a large substrate of a generation or more.

  The gist of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  A film forming apparatus for forming a film by attaching a film forming material to a substrate 2 held in an upright state in a vacuum chamber 1 through a mask 3, and an alignment frame 4 having the mask 3 attached in an upright state. An alignment drive mechanism that adjusts and moves relative to the substrate 2 and aligns the mask 3 and the substrate 2 so that the mask 3 is in an appropriate position with respect to the substrate 2 is provided. Are an upper side fixed base portion 5 provided outside the vacuum chamber 1 and fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber 1, and an X direction and a Y direction parallel to the mask surface with respect to the upper side fixed base portion 5 And an upper side moving base part 6 which is movable to the upper side of the vacuum chamber 1 and one end of which is supported by the upper side moving base part 6 so as to be rotatable in the θ direction which is the rotational direction on the mask surface. The upper through-hole 7 provided Next, the upper side driving mechanism comprising the upper side connecting body 8 connected to the upper part of the alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 or the outside of the vacuum chamber 1 is fixed to the lower side of the vacuum chamber 1. A lower-side fixed base portion 9, a lower-side moving base portion 10 movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface relative to the lower-side fixed base portion 9, and one end rotating on the mask surface The other end is supported by the lower moving base 10 so as to be rotatable in the θ direction, and the other end is formed at the lower portion of the alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 through a lower through hole 11 provided in the lower portion of the vacuum chamber 1. The lower-side drive mechanism is composed of a lower-side connecting body 12 to be connected, and the upper-side connecting body 8 and the lower-side connecting body 12 are connected to the alignment frame 4 through the upper through hole 7 and the lower through-hole. Seal the holes 11 in an airtight state. Those of the film forming apparatus characterized by over rose 34 and 35 provided in the vacuum chamber 1.

  The film forming apparatus performs film formation by depositing a film forming material on a substrate 2 held in an upright state in a vacuum chamber 1 through a mask 3, and the alignment frame has the mask 3 attached in an upright state. 4 is provided with an alignment driving mechanism for aligning the mask 3 and the substrate 2 so that the mask 3 is in an appropriate position with respect to the substrate 2 by adjusting and moving the substrate 4 with respect to the substrate 2. The driving mechanism is provided on the outside of the vacuum chamber 1 and fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber 1. The driving mechanism is fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber 1. An upper side moving base portion 6 that can move in the Y direction, one end of which is supported by the upper side moving base portion 6 so as to be rotatable in the θ direction that is the rotation direction on the mask surface, and the other end of the vacuum chamber 1. Top penetration at the top 7 is connected to the upper side of the alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 through the upper side drive mechanism 8 and is fixed to the lower side of the vacuum chamber 1 provided outside the vacuum chamber 1. A lower fixed base portion 9, a lower movable base portion 10 movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface relative to the lower fixed base portion 9, and one end of the rotational direction on the mask surface. The other end is connected to the lower part of the alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 through a lower through-hole 11 provided in the lower part of the vacuum chamber 1. And a lower side driving mechanism comprising a lower side connecting body 12, and the upper side connecting body 8 and the connecting portion of the lower side connecting body 12 with the alignment frame 4 are the upper through hole 7 and the lower through hole. Seal the holes 11 in an airtight state. Those of the film forming apparatus characterized by over rose 34 and 35 provided in the vacuum chamber 1.

  The film forming apparatus performs film formation by depositing a film forming material on a substrate 2 held in an upright state in a vacuum chamber 1 through a mask 3, and the alignment frame has the mask 3 attached in an upright state. 4 is provided with an alignment driving mechanism for aligning the mask 3 and the substrate 2 so that the mask 3 is in an appropriate position with respect to the substrate 2 by adjusting and moving the substrate 4 with respect to the substrate 2. The driving mechanism is provided on the outside of the vacuum chamber 1 and fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber 1. The driving mechanism is fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber 1. An upper side moving base portion 6 that can move in the Y direction, one end of which is supported by the upper side moving base portion 6 so as to be rotatable in the θ direction that is the rotation direction on the mask surface, and the other end of the vacuum chamber 1. Top penetration at the top 7 is an upper drive mechanism comprising an upper connecting body 8 connected to the upper portion of the alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 through 7 or fixed to the lower side of the vacuum chamber 1 provided outside the vacuum chamber 1. A lower-side fixed base portion 9, a lower-side moving base portion 10 movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface relative to the lower-side fixed base portion 9, and one end rotating on the mask surface The other end is supported by the lower moving base 10 so as to be rotatable in the θ direction, and the other end is formed at the lower portion of the alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 through a lower through hole 11 provided in the lower portion of the vacuum chamber 1. The X-direction driving device or the Y-direction driving device or both are provided in the upper-side driving mechanism or the lower-side driving mechanism. Directional drive By moving the upper-side moving base portion 6 or the lower-side moving base portion 10 in the X-direction and the Y-direction with respect to the upper-side fixed base portion 5 or the lower-side fixed base portion 9 by the mounting and Y-direction drive device. The alignment frame 4 can be adjusted and moved in the X, Y, and θ directions via the upper side connection body 8 or the lower side connection body 12, and the upper side connection body 8 and the lower side connection body. The connecting portion of 12 to the alignment frame 4 is provided in the vacuum chamber 1 through bellows 34 and 35 for sealing the upper through hole 7 and the lower through hole 11 in an airtight state, respectively. The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus.

  The film forming apparatus performs film formation by depositing a film forming material on a substrate 2 held in an upright state in a vacuum chamber 1 through a mask 3, and the alignment frame has the mask 3 attached in an upright state. 4 is provided with an alignment driving mechanism for aligning the mask 3 and the substrate 2 so that the mask 3 is in an appropriate position with respect to the substrate 2 by adjusting and moving the substrate 4 with respect to the substrate 2. The driving mechanism is provided on the outside of the vacuum chamber 1 and fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber 1. The driving mechanism is fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber 1. An upper side moving base portion 6 that can move in the Y direction, one end of which is supported by the upper side moving base portion 6 so as to be rotatable in the θ direction that is the rotation direction on the mask surface, and the other end of the vacuum chamber 1. Top penetration at the top 7 is connected to the upper side of the alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 through the upper side drive mechanism 8 and is fixed to the lower side of the vacuum chamber 1 provided outside the vacuum chamber 1. A lower fixed base portion 9, a lower movable base portion 10 movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface relative to the lower fixed base portion 9, and one end of the rotational direction on the mask surface. The other end is connected to the lower part of the alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 through a lower through-hole 11 provided in the lower part of the vacuum chamber 1. A lower side drive mechanism composed of a lower side coupling body 12, and the upper side drive mechanism and the lower side drive mechanism are each provided with an X-direction drive device or a Y-direction drive device, or both, X direction drive and By moving the upper-side moving base portion 6 and the lower-side moving base portion 10 in the X-direction and the Y-direction with respect to the upper-side fixed base portion 5 and the lower-side fixed base portion 9 by the Y-direction drive device, The alignment frame 4 can be adjusted and moved in the X, Y, and θ directions via the upper side connecting body 8 and the lower side connecting body 12, and the upper side connecting body 8 and the lower side connecting body 12 The connecting portion with the alignment frame 4 is provided in the vacuum chamber 1 through bellows 34 and 35 that seal the upper through hole 7 and the lower through hole 11 in an airtight state, respectively. It concerns the device.

The Y-direction drive device provided in the lower-side drive mechanism that moves the lower-side movement base portion 10 in the Y-direction that is the vertical direction parallel to the mask surface includes the lower-side movement base portions 10. 5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the film forming apparatuses is configured to be independently movable, and the upper-side drive mechanism is not provided with the Y-direction drive device .

  In addition, the upper-side moving base portion 6 is connected to the upper-side fixed base portion 5 via a linear motion guide portion that guides the upper-side moving base portion 6 in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the upper-side fixed base portion 5. The upper side connecting body 8 is connected to each upper side moving base part 6 via a rotation guide part that guides the upper side connecting body in the θ direction with respect to each upper side moving base part 6. The lower-side moving base portion 10 is connected to the lower-side fixed base portion 9 via a linear motion guide portion that guides the lower-side moving base portion 10 in the X and Y directions with respect to the lower-side fixed base portion 9. The lower-side connecting body 12 is connected to each lower-side moving base portion 10 via a rotation guide portion that guides the lower-side connecting body 12 in the θ direction with respect to each lower-side moving base portion 10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the film forming apparatus is connected. It is related to the position.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, it achieves a space-saving while ensuring alignment accuracy, and is a very practical film forming apparatus that can be applied to a large substrate of the fourth generation or higher.

It is a schematic explanatory perspective view of the principal part of a present Example. It is a schematic explanatory front view of the principal part of a present Example. It is a schematic explanatory sectional drawing of the principal part of a present Example. It is a schematic explanatory sectional drawing of the principal part of a present Example. It is an expansion schematic explanatory drawing of the guide roller of a present Example. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the upper side drive mechanism and lower side drive mechanism of a present Example. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the example of alignment operation of a present Example.

  An embodiment of the present invention which is considered to be suitable will be briefly described with reference to the drawings showing the operation of the present invention.

  Positioning the substrate 2 and the mask 3 conveyed in an upright state in the film forming chamber (chamber) comprising the vacuum chamber 1, the upper side moving base portion 6 and the lower side moving base portion 10 are respectively fixed to the upper and lower fixed bases. It moves with respect to the parts 5 and 9 so that it moves integrally with the alignment frame 4 and the alignment frame 4 via the upper side connecting body 8 or the lower side connecting body 12 provided in each of the moving base parts 6 and 10. The mask 3 to be attached is adjusted and moved in the X, Y, and θ directions with respect to the substrate 2.

  Here, the present invention relates to the upper side fixed base portion 5 or the lower side fixed base portion 6 of the upper side driving mechanism or the lower side driving mechanism arranged outside or in the lower side of the vacuum chamber 1 (chamber). In order to align the mask 3 and the substrate 2 by moving the upper side moving base part 6 or the lower side moving base part 10 by using a driving device for driving them, an alignment driving mechanism is used as in the prior art. It is possible to arrange compactly above or below the vacuum chamber 1 or both without projecting in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and the horizontal direction, and to reduce the installation space on the plane layout as much as possible. Can do.

  Moreover, since each fixed base part 5 and 9 is provided in the chamber as a rigid body, sufficient alignment accuracy can be ensured. Further, the central space can be enlarged, and installation of a substrate cooling mechanism, a mask cooling mechanism, a mask suction mechanism, or the like is facilitated accordingly. Further, the holding moment of the mask 3 is reduced, the influence on the alignment accuracy can be reduced, and the increase in the substrate size can be dealt with. Accordingly, the drive mechanism can be made as compact as possible, and the distance between the drive mechanism and the connecting portion between each of the connecting bodies 8 and 12 can be shortened, so that precise alignment adjustment movement is possible.

  In addition, a driving device for moving the upper and lower moving base parts 6 and 10 can be provided separately on the upper and lower parts of the vacuum chamber 1, for example, a pair (two pieces) provided at predetermined intervals. ) To move the lower side moving base portion 10 in the X direction relative to the lower side fixed base portion 9 and a ball screw device to move in the Y direction (two axes for each moving base portion). Can be provided on the lower side, and a ball screw mechanism (one axis) for moving the upper side moving base portion 6 in the X direction relative to the upper side fixed base portion 5 can be provided on the upper side (each upper side moving base). Since the part 6 and the lower side moving base part 10 are connected by the upper side connecting body 8 and the lower side connecting body 12, they move in conjunction with each other).

  As a result, by adjusting and setting the amount of movement of each moving base portion by each driving device, the alignment frame 4 can be adjusted and moved freely in the X, Y, and θ directions, and the upper driving device can be reduced. Thus, it is possible to provide an alignment driving mechanism in the vacuum chamber more stably.

  Further, only the connection parts of the respective connecting bodies 8 and 12 to the alignment frame 4 are arranged in the vacuum chamber 1 (vacuum side), and all the frictional contact portions of the alignment drive mechanism are outside the vacuum chamber 1 (atmosphere). Therefore, the interior of the vacuum chamber 1 can be maintained in a clean atmosphere, and the thin film to be formed can be of higher quality.

  Therefore, the present invention realizes space saving while ensuring alignment accuracy, and is extremely excellent in practicality that can be applied to a large substrate of the fourth generation or higher.

  Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a film forming chamber of a film forming apparatus (vacuum evaporation apparatus) provided with a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate and a mask (vertical transport) in a vertically upright state standing vertically to a horizontal direction. It is applied.

  That is, this embodiment is a film forming apparatus for forming a film by depositing a film forming material on a substrate 2 held in an upright state in a vacuum chamber 1 through a mask 3, and the mask 3 is in an upright state. An alignment driving mechanism that adjusts and moves the alignment frame 4 attached to the substrate 2 to align the mask 3 with the substrate 2 so that the mask 3 is in an appropriate position with respect to the substrate 2. The alignment drive mechanism is provided outside the vacuum chamber 1 and is fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber 1. The alignment drive mechanism is provided on the mask surface with respect to the upper side fixed base portion 5. An upper-side moving base portion 6 that can move in parallel X and Y directions, one end is supported by the upper-side moving base portion 6 so as to be rotatable in the θ direction, which is the rotation direction on the mask surface, and the other end. Installed above the vacuum chamber 1 An upper drive mechanism comprising an upper connecting body 8 connected to the upper portion of the alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 through the upper through hole 7 and a lower portion of the vacuum chamber 1 provided outside the vacuum chamber 1. A lower-side fixed base portion 9 fixed to the side, a lower-side movable base portion 10 movable relative to the lower-side fixed base portion 9 in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface, and one end of the mask surface The alignment frame 4 in the vacuum chamber 1 is supported by the lower-side moving base portion 10 so as to be rotatable in the θ direction which is the upper rotation direction, and the other end through a lower through hole 11 provided in the lower portion of the vacuum chamber 1. The lower side driving mechanism is composed of a lower side connecting body 12 connected to the lower part of the upper side connecting body 8, and the upper side connecting body 8 and the lower side connecting body 12 are connected to the alignment frame 4 at the upper through hole 7. And the lower through-holes 11 are airtight. In is through the bellows 34, 35 for sealing those provided in the vacuum chamber 1.

  Each part will be specifically described.

  The vacuum chamber 1 (film formation chamber) is connected in a straight line with the respective chambers on the carry-in side and the carry-out side through a gate valve so as to maintain an airtight state, and has an appropriate pressure reducing mechanism.

  In addition, an evaporation source for the film forming material is arranged so as to face the substrate 2, and when the film is formed, an alignment driving mechanism is used to superpose the substrate 2 and the mask 3 in a state where they are aligned at appropriate positions. Provided.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the glass substrate 2 is attached to the substrate tray 41, the mask 3 is attached to a frame-shaped mask frame (not shown), and this mask frame is a frame-shaped mask. It is attached to the tray 42 (when the substrate size is 5th generation or 5.5th generation).

  Note that, depending on the substrate size (for example, in the case of the sixth generation), the mask 3 attached to the mask frame (without the mask tray) may be employed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, an upper guide body 43 having a substantially U shape in sectional view is provided on the upper portion of the mask tray 42.

  Inside the upper guide body 43, guide rollers 40 and 44 provided on the inner upper surface side of the vacuum chamber 1 abut. An insertion hole 37 is provided on the bottom surface of the upper guide body 43, and the mask 3 can be fixed during alignment by inserting a positioning pin 36, which will be described later.

  A round bar-shaped lower guide body 45 is provided below the mask tray 42.

  The mask 3 is conveyed by the lower guide body 45 while being guided by a conveyance roller 46 (V roller) provided on the inner lower surface side of the vacuum chamber 1. Specifically, the transport roller 46 is erected on the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber 1. An insertion hole 39 is provided in the bottom surface of the lower guide body 45, and the mask 3 can be fixed at the time of alignment by inserting a positioning pin 38 to be described later.

  Similarly, the substrate tray 41 is provided with an upper guide body 48 that is substantially U-shaped in cross-section, with which the guide roller 47 abuts, and a lower guide body 50 that is transported while being guided by the transport roller 49 (V roller). Yes. The bottom surface of the upper guide body 48 and the bottom surface of the lower guide body 50 are provided with insertion holes into which the substrate tray lock pins are inserted.

  On the opposite side (back surface) of the substrate tray 41 to which the substrate 2 is clamped and fixed, a cooling plate for cooling the substrate tray 41 and a mask 3 (made of a magnetic material such as Invar) and the substrate 2 are provided. A recess is provided for providing a plate 51 having a magnet plate to be brought into close contact with.

  In addition, alignment marks are respectively provided at the front surface side corners of the substrate 2 and the back surface side corners (a pair of corners at diagonal positions) of the mask 3.

  This alignment mark is configured to be visible by an alignment camera 54 comprising a CCD camera, a lens and illumination through alignment mark visualizing holes 52 and 53 provided in the substrate tray 41 and the plate body 51. The alignment is performed by controlling the alignment drive mechanism based on the image from the alignment camera 54.

  The alignment drive mechanism will be described in detail.

  The upper-side moving base portion 6 is connected to the upper-side fixed base portion 5 via a linear motion guide portion that guides the upper-side moving base portion 6 in the X and Y directions with respect to the upper-side fixed base portion 5. The upper-side connecting body 8 is connected to each upper-side moving base portion 6 via a rotation guide portion that guides the upper-side connecting body in the θ direction with respect to each upper-side moving base portion 6. The lower-side moving base portion 10 is connected to the lower-side fixed base portion 5 via a linear motion guide portion that guides the lower-side moving base portion 10 in the X and Y directions with respect to the lower-side fixed base portion 9. The lower-side connecting body 12 is connected to the lower-side moving base portions 10 via a rotation guide portion that guides the lower-side connecting body 12 in the θ direction with respect to the lower-side moving base portions 10. ing.

  In this embodiment, the upper fixed base portion 5 is provided in a fixed state outside the upper wall surface of the vacuum chamber 1 (chamber).

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a guide block 16 having a U-shaped cross section in a rail 15 extending in the X direction (left-right direction) on the mounting surface parallel to the mask surface of the upper-side fixed base portion 5. A plate-like upper side X-direction movement base 14 is provided via two LM (Linear Motion) guides formed by fitting the upper side X-direction movement base 14 on the mounting surface parallel to the mask surface of the upper side X-direction. A plate-like upper side Y-direction movement base 17 is provided via two LM guides formed by fitting a guide block 19 on a rail 18 extending in the (vertical direction) to constitute the upper side movement base portion 6. ing.

  The surface facing the mounting surface of the upper side fixed base portion 5 of the upper side X-direction moving base 14 is set to a surface parallel to the mask surface, and the mounting flat surface of the guide block 16 is mounted and fixed on this surface. Further, the surface of the upper side Y-direction moving base 17 facing the mounting surface of the upper side X-direction moving base 14 is set to a surface parallel to the mask surface, and the mounting flat surface of the guide block 19 is attached and fixed to this surface. The

  Similarly, the lower side fixed base portion 9 is provided in a fixed state outside the lower wall surface of the vacuum chamber 1 on the lower side.

  A plate-like lower side Y direction through two LM guides formed by fitting a guide block 22 on a rail 21 extending in the Y direction on a mounting surface parallel to the mask surface of the lower side fixed base portion 9 A movable base 20 is provided, and two LM guides are formed by fitting a guide block 25 to a rail 24 extending in the X direction on a mounting surface parallel to the mask surface of the lower Y-direction movable base 20. A plate-like lower side X-direction moving base 23 is provided to constitute the lower side moving base portion 10.

  The surface facing the mounting surface of the lower side fixed base portion 9 of the lower side Y-direction moving base 20 is set to a surface parallel to the mask surface, and the mounting flat surface of the guide block 22 is mounted and fixed on this surface. Further, the lower surface of the lower X direction moving base 23 and the mounting surface of the lower Y direction moving base 20 facing the mounting surface are set parallel to the mask surface, and the mounting flat surface of the guide block 25 is fixedly mounted on this surface. The

  In this embodiment, considering the balance, the vertical arrangement relationship between the X-direction moving base and the Y-direction moving base is reversed by the upper and lower drive mechanisms, but they may be matched.

  Moreover, the upper side moving base part 6 and the lower side moving base part 10 are provided in pairs (two each) on the left and right sides.

  On the mounting surface parallel to the mask surface of each upper side moving base portion 6, a cross-sectional bearing L-shaped plate member of the upper side connecting body 8 is provided via a cross roller bearing 13 provided so that the outer ring can turn with respect to the inner ring. A vertical surface of one base portion 27 is provided, and the base portion 27 is provided on each upper moving base portion 6 in a erected state.

  Similarly, on the lower side, a cross-sectional view of the lower coupling body 12 is provided on the mounting surface parallel to the mask surface of each lower side moving base portion 10 via a cross roller bearing 26 provided so that the outer ring can turn with respect to the inner ring. A vertical surface of one base portion 29 made of an L-shaped plate material is provided, and the base portion 29 is provided in a state of being erected on each lower-side moving base portion 6.

  The mask 3 is attached in an upright state to the left and right ends (positions corresponding to the cross roller bearings 13) of the horizontal plane orthogonal to the vertical surface of the base portion 27 of the upper side connecting body 8 provided on the upper side moving base portion 6, respectively. A connecting cylinder 28 connected to the alignment frame 4 is erected.

  The leading end of each connecting cylinder 28 is introduced into the vacuum chamber 1 through the upper through-hole 7 of the vacuum chamber 1, and a guide roller 44 (in the mask positioning and fixing position) is provided at this leading end for guiding the mask. A horizontal plate 30 connected to the alignment frame 4 is connected in an erected state. As shown in FIG. 5, the guide roller 44 includes a roller body 70 that contacts the inner bottom surface of the upper guide body 43, a roller body 71 that contacts the inner surface, and these roller bodies 70 and 71 are rotatable. The roller holder 72 is held, and a pair of slide bushes 73 that support the roller holder 72 so as to be movable toward and away from the surface of the horizontal plate 30. The roller holder 72 is biased in a direction away from the horizontal plate 30 by a biasing mechanism such as a spring.

  Further, the horizontal plate 30 is provided with a positioning pin 36 having a fitting portion to be fitted into the fitting hole 37 of the mask 3 at the tip. The positioning pin 36 is provided between the slide bushes 73 of the guide roller 44, and the tip thereof is provided so as to protrude from an insertion hole provided at the center of the roller holder 72 of the guide roller 44. The insertion portion at the tip of the positioning pin 36 is normally configured not to protrude from the roller bodies 70 and 71. When the roller holding body 72 is pushed up against the urging force of the urging mechanism, the roller body It is configured so as to protrude (exposure) from 70 and 71 and be fitted into the fitting hole 37 of the upper guide body 43.

  Accordingly, when the mask 3 (mask tray 42) is pushed upward by a positioning pin 38, which will be described later, and the roller holder 72 is pushed up by the upper guide body 43 via the roller body 70, the fitting portion at the tip of the positioning pin 36 is exposed. Then, it is inserted into the insertion hole 37 of the upper guide body 43.

  Further, a metal bellows 34 (expandable tube) is provided so as to cover the connecting cylinder 28. One end of the bellows 34 is disposed at the peripheral edge of the upper through hole 7, and the other end is disposed on the upper surface side of the horizontal plate 30, whereby the upper through hole 7 is sealed in an airtight state.

  The lower side is provided with masks 3 at left and right end portions (positions corresponding to the cross roller bearings 26) of the horizontal plane orthogonal to the vertical surface of the base portion 29 of the lower side connecting body 12 provided on the lower side moving base portion 10, respectively. A connecting cylinder 31 connected to the alignment frame 4 attached in an upright state is erected.

  The distal end portion of each connecting cylinder 31 is introduced into the vacuum chamber 1 through the lower through hole 11 of the vacuum chamber 1, and a horizontal plate 33 connected to the alignment frame 4 is connected to the distal end portion in an erected state. .

  The connecting cylinder 31 has a leading end that passes through the horizontal plate 33 (in a state where airtightness without gaps can be maintained) and protrudes upward, and is inserted into the connecting cylinder 31 from the leading end of the connecting cylinder 31. A cylindrical body 60 that protrudes in a state that can maintain airtightness without a gap is provided, and a positioning pin 38 can be protruded and retracted from the tip by an appropriate protruding and retracting drive mechanism 61 such as an eccentric cam mechanism inside the cylindrical body 60. Is provided. Further, the protruding amount of the positioning pin 38 is pushed up so that at least the lower guide body 50 of the mask tray 42 is separated from the conveying roller 46 by being inserted into the insertion hole 39, and the roller body 70 is driven by the upper guide body 43 of the mask tray 42. The roller holding body 72 is pushed up through the position so that the insertion portion at the tip of the positioning pin 36 can be exposed.

  The outer peripheral surface of the positioning pin 38 and the inner peripheral surface of the distal end of the cylindrical body 60 are configured to be able to slide into and out while maintaining airtightness.

  Accordingly, the positioning pin 38 protrudes from the tip of the cylindrical body 60 and is inserted into the insertion hole 39 of the mask 3, and the mask 3 (mask tray 42) is pushed up and the roller holding body 72 is pushed up by the upper guide body 43. The mask 3 can be positioned and fixed with respect to the upper connection body 8 and the lower connection body 12 by inserting the exposed insertion portion of the exposed positioning pin 36 into the insertion hole 37, and the mask 3 is aligned with the alignment frame 4. Can be fixed together.

  In addition, a metal bellows 35 is provided so as to cover the connecting cylinder 31. One end of the bellows 35 is disposed on the peripheral edge of the lower through hole 11, and the other end is disposed on the lower surface side of the horizontal plate 33, whereby the lower through hole 11 is sealed in an airtight state.

  The alignment frame 4 has upper and lower ends connected to the horizontal plates 30 and 33, respectively. Therefore, the alignment frame 4 and the coupling bodies 8 and 12 move together. That is, the alignment frame 4 is moved in the X, Y, and θ directions together with the coupling bodies 8 and 12 that move in the X, Y, and θ directions under the influence of the movement of the left and right moving base portions 6 and 10. Moving. The alignment frame 4 is provided with a cooling mechanism for cooling the mask.

  A drive mechanism for moving the respective movement base units 6 and 10 will be described in detail.

  In this embodiment, the upper side drive mechanism and the lower side drive mechanism are each provided with an X-direction drive device and / or a Y-direction drive device, and the X-direction drive device and the Y-direction drive device provide the upper part. By moving the side moving base portion 6 and the lower side moving base portion 10 in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the upper side fixed base portion 5 and the lower side fixed base portion 9, the upper side connecting body 8 and the lower side moving base portion 10 are moved. The alignment frame 4 can be adjusted and moved in the X, Y, and θ directions via the side coupling body 12.

  Specifically, a known ball screw device is employed as the X-direction drive device and the Y-direction drive device. The ball screw device includes a motor 55 that can rotate forward and backward, and a ball screw 56 (fixed portion) that is rotated by the motor 55, and an axial direction of the ball screw 56 that is engaged with the ball screw 56 and rotated by the ball screw 56. And a nut 57 (moving part) that moves to

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a motor 55 and a ball screw 56 are provided on the left and right ends of the lower fixed base portion 9 (attachment surface thereof), and this ball screw 56 extends in the Y direction. The lower-side fixed base 20 of the lower-side Y-direction moving base 20 of the lower-side moving base 10 provided at the left and right ends of the lower-side fixed base 9 is fixed between the two rails 21 in parallel. A nut 57 that is screwed with the ball screw 56 is attached to the surface facing the base portion 9, and is driven in the Y direction.

  Further, a motor 55 and a ball screw 56 are placed on the lower side Y-direction moving base 20 of the lower side moving base portion 10 provided at the right end, and the ball screw 56 extends between the rails 24 extending in the X direction. A nut 57 that is screwed with the ball screw 56 is attached to the surface of the lower side X-direction moving base 23 that faces the lower side Y-direction moving base 20 and is driven in the X direction. It is configured as follows.

  Further, a motor 55 and a ball screw 56 are provided at one end (right end) of the upper side fixed base portion 5 (attachment surface thereof), and the rail is provided between the rails 15 where the ball screw 56 extends in the X direction. 15 is fixed to be parallel to the upper side fixed base portion 5, and the upper side moving base portion 6 provided at the right end of the upper side fixed base portion 5 is opposed to the upper side fixed base portion 5 of the upper side X-direction moving base 14. A nut 57 to be screwed with the ball screw 56 is attached and configured to be driven in the X direction.

  Accordingly, since the upper side connecting body 8 and the lower side connecting body 12 and the alignment frame 4 move together, the above four ball screw devices (hereinafter, the lower side X direction driving device is referred to as A, lower left side Y direction). By adjusting the amount of movement of each moving base by B as the driving device, C as the driving device for the lower right Y direction, and D as the driving device for the upper X direction, the upper connecting body 8 and the lower side connecting body are adjusted. The body 12 and the alignment frame 4 can be moved freely in the X, Y, and θ directions.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the lower side X-direction moving base 23 is sent leftward by A, the upper side X-direction moving base 14 is sent rightward by D, and the lower side Y-direction moving base left is sent by B. The alignment frame 4 (mask 3) can also be rotated via the cross roller bearing by feeding 20 upward and feeding the lower Y-direction moving base 20 on the right side downward by C. By independently controlling the feeding direction and the feeding amount according to, the mask 3 can be precisely aligned with the substrate 2 based on the alignment mark.

  Further, in this embodiment, since it is necessary to support the mass of the alignment frame 4 and the mask 3 by the lower side drive mechanism, the mass is canceled by supplying air pressure corresponding to the load, and the Y-axis drive load A balancer cylinder 62 for reducing the above is provided. The connecting portion with the lower drive mechanism is connected via an LM guide 63 so as not to limit the alignment operation.

  In this embodiment, the lock mechanism for the substrate 2 and the reciprocating mechanism for the mask 3 are configured as follows.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lock mechanism of the substrate 2 includes an eccentric cam 32 that raises the substrate 2 (substrate tray 41), and a bottom surface of the lower guide body 50 of the substrate tray 41 that is raised by the eccentric cam 32. A substrate tray lock pin (moves back and forth with respect to the mask 3 together with the eccentric cam 32) to be inserted into the insertion hole, and a guide roller to be inserted into a V-shaped groove provided on the bottom surface of the upper guide body 48 when the substrate tray 41 is raised. It consists of 47 tapered roller bodies.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the reciprocating mechanism with respect to the mask 3 includes a support 66 for supporting the eccentric cam 32, a support 69 for supporting the guide roller 47, and vacuuming the supports 66 and 69. The LM guide 67 is slidably supported with respect to the tank 1 in a direction orthogonal to the surface direction of the mask 3 and the horizontal direction, and a slide moving mechanism 75 for slidingly moving these supports 66 and 69. The slide moving mechanism 75 includes a servo motor and a ball screw unit driven by the servo motor, and a moving base 78 that moves in the direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the mask 3 along the LM guide 76 by the ball screw unit. And a connecting portion 74 that connects the moving base 78 and the supports 66 and 69.

  In the figure, reference numeral 64 is a rotating shaft for rotating the eccentric cam 32, 65 is a drive motor for driving the rotating shaft 64, and 68 is a reciprocating mechanism for preventing excessive adhesion when the substrate 2 is pressed against the mask 3. The spring 77 is a bellows.

  An alignment operation according to the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described.

  The mask 3 and the substrate 2 are transferred to the film forming chamber by a transfer mechanism (transfer roller and guide roller), respectively. In this embodiment, these transport rollers and guide rollers are arranged in parallel in two rows for mask transport and substrate transport in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the horizontal direction. Of course, three or more rows may be juxtaposed.

  The positioning pins 36 and 38 and the substrate tray lock pin are respectively inserted into the insertion holes by a pre-alignment mechanism that mechanically temporarily positions the mask 3 and the substrate 2 transferred to the film forming chamber with an arm or the like. Adjust and move to a position where it can be inserted.

  Positioning pins 36 and 38 are inserted into the insertion holes 37 and 39 of the pre-aligned mask 3, and the mask 3 (mask tray 42) is fixed to the coupling bodies 8 and 12.

  For the substrate 2, while raising the substrate tray lock pin, the substrate tray 41 is raised by the rotation of a part of the eccentric cam 32 of the transport roller, and the alignment position (the position where the alignment mark of the mask 3 and the substrate 2 overlaps to some extent). The substrate tray lock pin is inserted into the insertion hole at this alignment position and fixed to the vacuum chamber 1.

  After the substrate 2 is moved to the measurement position, the position correction amount of the mask tray 42 is calculated in the drive control device based on the position information of the alignment mark acquired by the CCD camera, and the alignment frame 4 is calculated from this position correction amount. And the movement amount of the mask 3 (feed amount by each X-direction drive device and Y-direction drive device) is calculated, and each drive device is driven based on the calculated movement amount to align the mask 3 with respect to the substrate 2. Align).

  After the alignment, the substrate 2 is moved by a reciprocating mechanism so as to be close to the mask 3 (FIG. 4), the substrate 2 and the mask 3 are brought into close contact with each other, and a plate provided with a cooling plate and a magnet plate in the concave portion of the substrate tray 41. In this state, the position information of the alignment mark is obtained by the CCD camera, and the drive control device determines whether the alignment is within the reference dimension. If the alignment mark is within the reference dimension, The film formation is started as it is, and if it is not within the reference dimension, the position correction amount and the movement amount are calculated, and the alignment is repeated until it is within the reference dimension.

  In this embodiment, the alignment is performed by moving the mask 3 side, but it may be configured similarly so as to move the substrate 2 side. In this embodiment, the upper side driving mechanism and the lower side driving mechanism are provided above and below the vacuum chamber 1, respectively, but the upper side driving mechanism provided with the X direction driving device and the Y direction driving device. Or it is good also as a structure which provides only a lower side drive mechanism.

  Since the present embodiment is configured as described above, the alignment of the substrate 2 and the mask 3 conveyed in an upright state in the film forming chamber (chamber) including the vacuum chamber 1 is performed by using the upper-side moving base portion 6 and the lower portion. The side moving base portion 10 is moved with respect to the upper and lower fixed base portions 5 and 9, respectively, and alignment is performed via the upper side connecting body 8 and the lower side connecting body 12 provided on the upper and lower moving base portions 6 and 10, respectively. Since the frame 4 and the mask 3 attached so as to move integrally with the alignment frame 4 are adjusted and moved in the X, Y, and θ directions with respect to the substrate 2, the alignment drive mechanism is set in the transport direction as in the prior art. Without projecting in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, the vacuum chamber 1 can be divided and arranged in a compact manner, and the installation space on the planar layout can be made as small as possible.

  Moreover, since each fixed base part 5 and 9 is provided in the chamber as a rigid body, sufficient alignment accuracy can be ensured. In addition, the central space can be enlarged, and installation of a mask cooling mechanism, a substrate suction mechanism, and the like is facilitated accordingly. Further, the holding moment of the mask 3 is reduced, the influence on the alignment accuracy can be reduced, and the increase in the substrate size can be dealt with. Therefore, the drive mechanism can be divided into upper and lower parts, and the distance between the drive mechanism and the connecting portion between the connecting bodies 8 and 12 can be shortened. Is possible.

  In addition, a driving device for moving the upper and lower moving base parts 6 and 10 can be provided separately on the upper and lower parts of the vacuum chamber 1, and a pair (two) of them provided at a predetermined interval. A ball screw device (one axis) for moving the lower side moving base portion 10 in the X direction relative to the lower side fixed base portion 9 and a ball screw device for moving in the Y direction (two axes for each moving base portion, respectively) on the lower side A ball screw mechanism (one axis) for moving the upper side moving base portion 6 in the X direction with respect to the upper side fixed base portion 5 is provided on the upper side, and the amount of movement of each moving base portion by each driving device is set. By adjusting and setting, the alignment frame 4 can be adjusted and moved freely in the X, Y, and θ directions, and the alignment drive mechanism can be provided in the vacuum chamber more stably by reducing the number of upper drive devices. It becomes possible.

  Further, only the connection parts of the respective connecting bodies 8 and 12 to the alignment frame 4 are arranged in the vacuum chamber 1 (vacuum side), and all the frictional contact portions of the alignment drive mechanism are outside the vacuum chamber 1 (atmosphere). Therefore, the interior of the vacuum chamber 1 can be maintained in a clean atmosphere, and the thin film to be formed can be of higher quality.

  Therefore, the present embodiment achieves space saving while ensuring alignment accuracy, and is extremely practical for handling large substrates of the fourth generation or higher.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum chamber 2 Board | substrate 3 Mask 4 Alignment frame 5 Upper side fixed base part 6 Upper side movement base part 7 Upper through-hole 8 Upper side coupling body 9 Lower side fixed base part
10 Lower side moving base
11 Lower through hole
12 Lower side connector
34, 35 Bellows

Claims (6)

  A film forming apparatus for forming a film by attaching a film forming material to a substrate held in an upright state in a vacuum chamber through a mask, and an alignment frame attached with the mask in an upright state with respect to the substrate An alignment drive mechanism is provided that adjusts and moves the mask and the substrate so that the mask is in an appropriate position with respect to the substrate. The alignment drive mechanism is provided outside the vacuum chamber. An upper-side fixed base portion fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber, an upper-side moving base portion movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface with respect to the upper-side fixed base portion, and one end of the upper-side fixed base portion The alignment in the vacuum chamber is supported by the upper moving base portion so as to be rotatable in the θ direction, which is the rotation direction on the mask surface, and the other end through an upper through hole provided in the upper portion of the vacuum chamber. An upper drive mechanism comprising an upper connecting body connected to the upper part of the vacuum chamber, or a lower fixed base portion provided outside the vacuum chamber and fixed to the lower side of the vacuum chamber, and the lower fixed base portion And a lower-side moving base portion that is movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface, and one end thereof is supported by the lower-side moving base portion so as to be rotatable in the θ direction, which is the rotation direction on the mask surface. The other end is configured by a lower side driving mechanism including a lower side coupling body coupled to a lower portion of the alignment frame in the vacuum chamber through a lower through hole provided in the lower portion of the vacuum chamber, and the upper side coupling body and A film forming apparatus, wherein a connecting portion of the lower side connecting body and the alignment frame is provided in the vacuum chamber via a bellows that seals the upper through hole and the lower through hole in an airtight state. .   A film forming apparatus for forming a film by attaching a film forming material to a substrate held in an upright state in a vacuum chamber through a mask, and an alignment frame attached with the mask in an upright state with respect to the substrate An alignment drive mechanism is provided that adjusts and moves the mask and the substrate so that the mask is in an appropriate position with respect to the substrate. The alignment drive mechanism is provided outside the vacuum chamber. An upper-side fixed base portion fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber, an upper-side moving base portion movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface with respect to the upper-side fixed base portion, and one end of the upper-side fixed base portion The alignment in the vacuum chamber is supported by the upper moving base portion so as to be rotatable in the θ direction, which is the rotation direction on the mask surface, and the other end through an upper through hole provided in the upper portion of the vacuum chamber. An upper side drive mechanism comprising an upper side connecting body connected to the upper part of the vacuum chamber, a lower side fixed base portion provided outside the vacuum chamber and fixed to the lower side of the vacuum chamber, and a lower side fixed base portion On the other hand, a lower side moving base part movable in the X direction and the Y direction parallel to the mask surface, and one end supported by the lower side moving base part so as to be rotatable in the θ direction which is a rotation direction on the mask surface, The other end is constituted by a lower side driving mechanism comprising a lower side coupling body coupled to a lower portion of the alignment frame in the vacuum chamber through a lower through hole provided in the lower portion of the vacuum chamber, and the upper side coupling body and A film forming apparatus, wherein a connecting portion of the lower side connecting body and the alignment frame is provided in the vacuum chamber via a bellows that seals the upper through hole and the lower through hole in an airtight state. .   A film forming apparatus for forming a film by attaching a film forming material to a substrate held in an upright state in a vacuum chamber through a mask, and an alignment frame attached with the mask in an upright state with respect to the substrate An alignment drive mechanism is provided that adjusts and moves the mask and the substrate so that the mask is in an appropriate position with respect to the substrate. The alignment drive mechanism is provided outside the vacuum chamber. An upper-side fixed base portion fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber, an upper-side moving base portion movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface with respect to the upper-side fixed base portion, and one end of the upper-side fixed base portion The alignment in the vacuum chamber is supported by the upper moving base portion so as to be rotatable in the θ direction, which is the rotation direction on the mask surface, and the other end through an upper through hole provided in the upper portion of the vacuum chamber. An upper drive mechanism comprising an upper connecting body connected to the upper part of the vacuum chamber, or a lower fixed base portion provided outside the vacuum chamber and fixed to the lower side of the vacuum chamber, and the lower fixed base portion And a lower-side moving base portion that is movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface, and one end thereof is supported by the lower-side moving base portion so as to be rotatable in the θ direction, which is the rotation direction on the mask surface. The lower end drive mechanism comprising a lower side connecting body connected to the lower portion of the alignment frame in the vacuum chamber through a lower through-hole provided at the lower end of the vacuum chamber, and the upper side drive mechanism or The lower-side drive mechanism is provided with an X-direction drive device and / or a Y-direction drive device, and the upper-side moving base portion or the lower portion is provided by the X-direction drive device and the Y-direction drive device. By moving the moving base part in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the upper fixed base part or the lower fixed base part, the alignment frame is moved to the X, Y via the upper connected body or the lower connected body. And the connecting portion of the upper side connecting body and the lower side connecting body with the alignment frame seals the upper and lower through holes in an airtight state, respectively. A film forming apparatus provided in the vacuum chamber via a bellows.   A film forming apparatus for forming a film by attaching a film forming material to a substrate held in an upright state in a vacuum chamber through a mask, and an alignment frame attached with the mask in an upright state with respect to the substrate An alignment drive mechanism is provided that adjusts and moves the mask and the substrate so that the mask is in an appropriate position with respect to the substrate. The alignment drive mechanism is provided outside the vacuum chamber. An upper-side fixed base portion fixed to the upper side of the vacuum chamber, an upper-side moving base portion movable in the X and Y directions parallel to the mask surface with respect to the upper-side fixed base portion, and one end of the upper-side fixed base portion The alignment in the vacuum chamber is supported by the upper moving base portion so as to be rotatable in the θ direction, which is the rotation direction on the mask surface, and the other end through an upper through hole provided in the upper portion of the vacuum chamber. An upper side drive mechanism comprising an upper side connecting body connected to the upper part of the vacuum chamber, a lower side fixed base portion provided outside the vacuum chamber and fixed to the lower side of the vacuum chamber, and a lower side fixed base portion On the other hand, a lower side moving base part movable in the X direction and the Y direction parallel to the mask surface, and one end supported by the lower side moving base part so as to be rotatable in the θ direction which is a rotation direction on the mask surface, A lower side drive mechanism comprising a lower side coupling body connected to the lower part of the alignment frame in the vacuum chamber through a lower through hole provided at the lower end of the vacuum chamber, the upper side drive mechanism and The lower drive mechanism is provided with an X-direction drive device and / or a Y-direction drive device, respectively, and the X-direction drive device and the Y-direction drive device respectively provide the upper-side moving base portion and the lower-side moving base. By moving the part in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the upper side fixed base part and the lower side fixed base part, the alignment frame is moved to the X, Y, and θ via the upper side connected body and the lower side connected body. The upper and lower connection bodies are connected to the alignment frame by a bellows that seals the upper and lower through holes in an airtight state, respectively. The film forming apparatus is provided in the vacuum chamber. The Y-direction drive device provided in the lower-side drive mechanism for moving the lower-side movement base portion in the Y direction, which is an up-down direction parallel to the mask surface, each independently moves the lower-side movement base portion. movably constituted, film forming apparatus according to claim 4, in the upper-side drive mechanism, characterized in that it is provided with the Y-direction drive device.   The upper-side moving base portion is connected to the upper-side fixed base portion via a linear motion guide portion that guides the upper-side moving base portion with respect to the upper-side fixed base portion in the X direction and the Y direction. The side connection body is connected to each upper side movement base portion via a rotation guide portion that guides the upper side connection body in the θ direction with respect to each upper side movement base portion, and the lower side movement base portion is The lower-side fixed base part is connected to the lower-side fixed base part via a linear motion guide part that guides the lower-side movable base part in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the lower-side fixed base part. 6. The lower-side moving base portion is connected to each lower-side moving base portion via a rotation guide portion that guides the lower-side connected body in the θ direction with respect to the lower-side moving base portion. 2. The film forming apparatus according to 1.

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