JP6999769B2 - Film forming equipment, control method, and manufacturing method of electronic devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a control method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device.

In recent years, the size and thickness of the substrate have been increasing, and the influence of the bending due to the weight of the substrate is increasing. Further, since the film formation region is provided in the central portion of the substrate, the substrate can be sandwiched only in the outer peripheral portion of the substrate.

Therefore, when the outer peripheral portion of the substrate is supported by the substrate holder and the substrate is placed on the mask with the outer peripheral portion (for example, a pair of opposite sides) of the substrate sandwiched between the substrate holders, the outer peripheral portion is sandwiched between the substrates. When the mask comes into contact with the central portion bent by the weight of the substrate, the free movement is hindered and the substrate is distorted.

Due to this distortion, a gap is created between the mask and the substrate, and the adhesion between the mask and the substrate is lowered, which causes film blurring and the like.

Therefore, for example, in order to make the substrate and the mask adhere well even if the size of the substrate or the like is increased, a technique as disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed, but further improvement is desired.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-277655

Therefore, when mounting the substrate on the mask, it is conceivable to mount the substrate in an open state so that the substrate can move freely with respect to the mask. In this case, the mask is first placed due to the influence of bending of each substrate. There is a variation in the position of contact with.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the deflection of the substrate A is substantially at the center position (A) and when it is deviated to the right from the center (B), when the substrate A is placed on the mask B. , The position of the substrate A shifts to the left side in (B) as compared with (A). In FIG. 1, reference numeral C is a substrate holder.

That is, the position of the substrate shifts when the substrate is placed on the mask depending on the position where the substrate first contacts the mask, so that the displacement of the substrate on the mask is not reproducible and the intended position on the mask. It is difficult to place the substrate on the surface.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned current situation, and it is possible to make the substrate and the mask adhere to each other in good contact with each other, and the substrate can be stably moved and placed on the mask. It provides a film forming apparatus capable of preventing a displacement of a substrate, a control method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device.

The following means were adopted to solve the above problems.

That is, the present invention comprises a substrate support that supports the substrate from below, and a substrate holder that sandwiches the outer peripheral portion of the substrate by a pressing tool that presses the substrate against the substrate support.
A mask holder that holds the mask, and a mask holder
Elevating means for raising and lowering the substrate support with respect to the mask holder, and
In a film forming apparatus provided with an alignment mechanism for aligning a substrate with a mask while the substrate is pressed against the substrate support by the pressing tool with the first pressing force.
The substrate is pressed against the substrate support by the pressing tool with a second pressing force that is weaker than the first pressing force and the holding position of the substrate can be moved by the elevating means. The substrate supported by the substrate support is brought into contact with the mask held by the mask holder and placed on the mask .

As described above, according to the present invention, not only the substrate and the mask can be brought into close contact with each other, but also the substrate can be stably moved, and the position of the substrate is displaced when the substrate is placed on the mask. Can be prevented.

It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the conventional example. It is schematic explanatory sectional drawing of this Example 1. FIG. It is a process schematic explanatory drawing of this Example 1. FIG. It is a process schematic explanatory drawing of this Example 1. FIG. It is a process schematic explanatory drawing of this Example 1. FIG. It is a process schematic explanatory drawing of this Example 1. FIG. It is a schematic explanatory perspective view of the main part of this Example 1. It is an upper view which shows a part of the structure of the manufacturing apparatus of the electronic device of this Example 2 schematically. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the film forming apparatus of this Example 2. It is a perspective view of the substrate holding unit of this Example 2. It is a schematic diagram of the organic EL apparatus of this Example 2.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail exemplary with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those alone unless otherwise specified. ..

(Embodiment)
In the present embodiment, the pressing tool 8 is in contact with the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 is lowered while the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 1 is temporarily sandwiched by a pressing force capable of shifting the position with respect to the substrate holding body 3. The substrate 1 is placed on the mask 2 by bringing it into contact with the mask 2 and further lowering it. After that, the substrate 1 is sandwiched by the pressing force of the pressing tool 8 as a stronger pressing force so as not to cause a positional deviation with respect to the substrate holding body 3.

At this time, at least at the start of contact, the displacement of the substrate 1 with respect to the substrate holder 3 due to the contact with the mask 2 is allowed. Therefore, since the substrate 1 is bent by its own weight, the central portion of the substrate 1 precedes the mask 2. Deformation caused by contact is not hindered, and outward extension of the substrate 1 is allowed. Further, since the substrate 1 is not completely free with respect to the substrate holder 3 and is temporarily fixed by being sandwiched between the pressing tool and the substrate holder 3, the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 2 when the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 2. It is possible to prevent the entire 1 from being largely displaced with respect to the mask 2.

Therefore, the substrate 1 can be placed on the mask 2 without causing misalignment, and good alignment can be performed. Further, the substrate 1 can be held in close contact with the mask 2 without distortion. Therefore, it is possible to satisfactorily perform the alignment step and the vapor deposition step after the substrate mounting step.

Further, by pressing the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 1 against the substrate holder 3 with the pressing tool 8, the periphery of the substrate 1 is pushed, and the central portion of the substrate 1 bent downward is pushed up by the principle of the lever. Be done. As a result, the amount of bending of the substrate 1 is reduced, and the descending distance until the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 2 after the central portion of the substrate 1 comes into contact with the mask 2 is reduced, so that the substrate 1 is mounted on the mask 2. The amount of displacement of the substrate 1 when placed is small.

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Example 1)
As shown in FIG. 2, this embodiment is for a film forming apparatus in which a substrate 1 and a mask 2 are arranged in a vacuum chamber 10 and a film forming mechanism including an evaporation source 13 or the like is used to form a film. This is an example to which the invention is applied. This film forming apparatus includes a film thickness monitor that monitors the evaporation rate of the evaporated particles ejected from the evaporation source 13, a film thickness meter that converts the amount of the monitored evaporated particles provided outside the vacuum chamber 10 into a film thickness, and a conversion. A heater power supply or the like for heating the evaporation source 13 is provided in order to control the evaporation rate of the film-forming material so that the film thickness is a desired film thickness. This film forming apparatus is used, for example, in manufacturing a display panel for an organic electroluminescence display apparatus.

Specifically, the substrate holder 3 for holding the substrate 1, the mask holder 4 for holding the mask 2 as a mounting body, and the substrate holder 3 are moved into the vacuum chamber 10 to move the substrate 1. A substrate moving mechanism 6 is provided as a mounting means for mounting on the mask 2 held by the mask holder 4.

Further, the substrate holder 3 includes a pressing tool 8 that presses the held substrate 1 against the substrate holding body 3, and a pressing force control mechanism 5 as a pinching force control mechanism that changes the pressing force by the pressing member 8. It is provided.

The substrate moving mechanism 6 is an advancing / retreating moving mechanism including a fixed portion attached to the wall surface of the vacuum chamber 10 and a moving portion provided on the fixed portion so as to move in contact with and away from the wall surface of the vacuum chamber 10. , Front / rear / left / right movement mechanism (not shown). The substrate holder 3 is provided at the tip of the moving portion of the advancing / retreating moving mechanism.

Therefore, the substrate 1 held by the substrate holder 3 by the substrate moving mechanism 6 moves in contact with the mask 2 and moves back and forth and left and right.

The substrate holder 3 is provided with a support 7 that comes into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate 1 and a pressing tool 8 provided on the upper surface side of the substrate 1. The substrate 1 is sandwiched between the support 7 and the press 8. The support 7, the pressing tool 8, and the pressing pressure control mechanism 5 constitute a holding means for holding the peripheral edge of the substrate 1.

Specifically, in the substrate holder 3, sleeves are vertically provided on the left and right sides of the body, and a support 7 is provided so as to project inward from the tip of the sleeve. Further, a guide portion 9 provided with an insertion hole through which the pressing tool 8 is inserted so as to face the support tool 7 is provided. It should be noted that an insertion hole through which the pressing tool 8 is inserted is also provided at a position facing the insertion hole of the guide portion 9 in the body portion of the substrate holder 3. Further, in FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 is a bellows.

The pressing tool 8 is composed of a tip portion that abuts on the substrate 1 and a base end portion that is connected to the pressing force control mechanism 5. The substrate 1 is pressed against the support tool 7 by protruding from the base portion 9 and pressing the substrate 1 against the support tool 7 at the tip portion. It is configured to be pinched. With the support 7 and the pressing tool 8 (pinching mechanism), it is possible to appropriately switch between a holding state in which the pressing tool 8 is pressed against the substrate 1 and a state in which the pressing tool 8 is retracted from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 is released. Will be.

Further, the pressing force control mechanism 5 is composed of a fixed portion provided on the outside of the wall surface of the vacuum chamber 10 and a moving portion provided on the fixed portion so as to be able to move forward and backward. The base end portion of the pressing tool 8 is connected to the tip of the moving portion that moves in contact with and away from the wall surface of the vacuum chamber 10 due to this advancing / retreating movement, and the pressing tool 8 depends on the degree of advancing / retreating of the moving portion of the pressing tool control mechanism 5. The pressing force of the substrate 1 by the tip of the substrate 1 can be adjusted. The tip of the pressing tool 8 has a structure in which a metal material is coated with fluorine so that the substrate 1 can be easily extended to the outside. The tip of the pressing tool 8 may be made of an appropriate elastic member such as rubber so as not to damage the substrate 1.

The pressing force control mechanism 5 may be configured so that the pressing force can be adjusted stepwise or continuously. The pressing force control mechanism 5 of this embodiment is a general electric cylinder, and is configured so that the pressing force can be continuously adjusted.

In the present embodiment, the pressing force control mechanism 5 is for temporary holding that allows the displacement of the substrate 1 on the substrate holder 3 due to the contact with the mask 2 at least at the start of contact between the substrate 1 and the mask 2. It is the pressing pressure of. That is, at the start of the contact, the pressing force control mechanism 5 controls the support tool 7 and the pressing tool 8 so that the holding position of the substrate 1 can be moved while holding the substrate 1. .. The "pinching force at which the pinching position can be moved" is a pinching force at which the pinching position can be moved by the force applied from the mask 2 to the substrate 1 in the mounting step described later. Then, after the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 2, the pressing force control mechanism 5 prevents the substrate 1 from being displaced on the substrate holding body 3, so that the pressing force for holding the substrate is stronger than at the start of the contact. It is controlled to be. That is, after the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 2, the pressing force control mechanism 5 controls the holding position of the substrate 1 to be a pinching force that can be fixed by the support 7 and the pressing tool 8.

The pressing force for temporary holding is such that the distance between the support 7 and the press 8 is at least about the same as the thickness of the substrate 1, and the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 1 is locked to the substrate holder 3 and the press 8. All you need is. Specifically, in this embodiment, by pressing the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 1, the periphery of the substrate 1 is pushed, and the central portion of the substrate 1 bent downward is slightly pushed up by the principle of the lever. The pressing force is set to a certain degree.

Further, the pressing force for this pinching may be about the same as the general pinching state in which the substrate 1 is firmly pinched so as not to be displaced with respect to the mask 2.

Further, the substrate moving mechanism 6 is configured to move the substrate holding body 3 in order to align the substrate 1 and the mask 2 after the pressing force control mechanism 5 changes the pressing force to be stronger than that at the start of the contact. ing. That is, the alignment process and the like after the substrate mounting process are performed while maintaining the pinched state. The alignment adjusts the relative positions of the substrate 1 and the mask 2.

A plurality of supports 7 and pressing tools 8 (pinching mechanisms) are provided so as to abut on a plurality of side portions of the substrate 1. In this embodiment, the support 7 and the press 8 are provided in pairs so as to abut on the pair of opposite side portions. In this embodiment, a pair of pushing pressure control mechanisms 5 are also provided corresponding to the holding mechanism.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the pair of supports 7 and the pressing tool 8 each contact one side portion of the substrate 1 with respect to substantially the entire longitudinal direction of the side portion. It is configured. As shown in the second embodiment, a plurality of supporters 7 and pressing tools 8 may be provided for one side portion to support and sandwich one side portion at a large number of points. Further, the configuration may be such that the corner portions of the substrate 1 are sandwiched at a plurality of locations.

Using the substrate moving mechanism 6 and the sandwiching mechanism having the above configuration, the substrate 1 whose outer peripheral portion is temporarily sandwiched by the sandwiching mechanism is placed on the mask 2, and then the outer peripheral portion is actually sandwiched.

That is, the substrate moving mechanism 6 brings the relative distance between the substrate 1 and the mask 2 whose outer peripheral portion is temporarily sandwiched close to each other, and at least when the substrate 1 and the mask 2 come into contact with each other, the mask 2 is temporarily sandwiched. After the placement is completed in contact with the substrate 1, the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 1 is actually sandwiched.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, for example, the substrate 1 conveyed from the substrate transfer mechanism outside the vacuum chamber 10 is carried into the vacuum chamber 10 and received by the substrate holder 3 (FIG. 3). ), Then the substrate 1 is temporarily sandwiched (pinching step). Subsequently, from the start of lowering for mounting the substrate 1 on the mask 2 (FIG. 4), from the start of contact with the mask 2 to the intermediate mounting time (FIG. 5), and to the completion of mounting the substrate 1 on the mask 2. In the (placement step), the temporary pinching is maintained, and then the main pinching is performed at least before the alignment step which is a later step (FIG. 6). In FIG. 6, reference numeral 12 is an alignment camera.

As a result, when the substrate 1 descends while increasing the contact area with the mask 2, the substrate 1 comes into contact with the mask 2 in the temporarily sandwiched state, so that the deformation of the substrate 1 is not hindered by the sandwiching mechanism, and the substrate 1 is not hindered. When 1 extends outward, the substrate 1 can be well aligned with the mask 2, and the substrate 1 can be overlapped with the mask 2 in close contact with the mask 2 without distortion. Therefore, while stably transporting the substrate 1, deformation at the time of contact with the mask 2 can be prevented and film blurring can be satisfactorily prevented.

Further, in the temporarily sandwiched state, the substrate 1 is not completely free with respect to the substrate holder 3, but is sandwiched between the pressing tool 8 and the substrate holder 3 and temporarily fixed, so that the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 2. It is possible to prevent the entire substrate 1 from being largely displaced with respect to the mask 2 when placed.

(Example 2)
Hereinafter, a further specific example (Example 2) when applied to a film forming apparatus will be described. However, the following examples merely illustrate preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to those configurations. Further, unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration and software configuration, processing flow, manufacturing conditions, dimensions, materials, shapes, etc. of the apparatus in the following description are limited to those of the present invention. It is not the purpose.

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate and a control method thereof, and more particularly to a technique for highly accurate transfer and position adjustment of the substrate. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be preferably applied to an apparatus for forming a thin film (material layer) having a desired pattern on the surface of a parallel plate substrate by vacuum vapor deposition. As the substrate material, any material such as glass, resin, and metal can be selected, and as the vapor deposition material, any material such as an organic material and an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.) can be selected. Specifically, the technique of the present invention can be applied to a manufacturing apparatus such as an organic electronic device (for example, an organic EL display device, a thin film solar cell), an optical member, and the like. In particular, the organic EL display device manufacturing apparatus is required to further improve the transfer accuracy of the substrate and the alignment accuracy of the substrate and the mask by increasing the size of the substrate or increasing the definition of the display panel. Therefore, the preferred application of the present invention is made. This is one of the examples.

<Manufacturing equipment and manufacturing process>
FIG. 8 is an upper view schematically showing a part of the configuration of the electronic device manufacturing apparatus. The manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 8 is used, for example, for manufacturing a display panel of an organic EL display device for a smartphone. In the case of a display panel for a smartphone, for example, after forming an organic EL film on a substrate having a size of about 1800 MM × about 1500 MM and a thickness of about 0.5 MM, the substrate is diced to produce a plurality of small-sized panels. To.

An electronic device manufacturing apparatus generally has a plurality of film forming chambers 111 and 112 and a transport chamber 110, as shown in FIG. A transfer robot 119 that holds and conveys the substrate 1 is provided in the transfer chamber 110. The transfer robot 119 is, for example, a robot having a structure in which a robot hand for holding the substrate 1 is attached to an articulated arm, and carries in / out the substrate 1 to each film forming chamber.

Each of the film forming chambers 111 and 112 is provided with a film forming apparatus (also referred to as a vapor deposition apparatus). A series of film forming processes such as transfer of the substrate 1 to and from the transfer robot 119, adjustment of the relative position between the substrate 1 and the mask (alignment), fixing of the substrate 1 on the mask, and film formation (deposited film) are performed by the film forming apparatus. It is done automatically. Although the film forming equipment in each film forming chamber differs in small points such as the difference in the vapor deposition source and the difference in the mask, the basic configurations (particularly the configurations related to the transfer and alignment of the substrate) are almost the same. .. Hereinafter, a common configuration of the film forming apparatus in each film forming chamber will be described.

<Film formation device>
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus. In the following description, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system with the vertical direction as the Z direction is used. The substrate is fixed so as to be parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane) at the time of film formation, and the lateral direction (direction parallel to the short side) of the substrate at this time is the X direction and the longitudinal direction (direction parallel to the long side). ) Is in the Y direction. The angle of rotation around the Z axis is represented by Θ.

The film forming apparatus has a vacuum chamber 200. The inside of the vacuum chamber 200 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an atmosphere of an inert gas such as nitrogen gas. Inside the vacuum chamber 200, a substrate holding unit 210, a mask 220, a mask stand 221, a cooling plate 230, and a vapor deposition source 240 are roughly provided.

The board holding unit 210 is a means for holding and transporting the board 1 received from the transfer robot 119, and is also called a board holder. The substrate holding unit 210 corresponds to the substrate holding body 3 in the first embodiment. The mask 220 is a metal mask having an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern formed on the substrate 1, and is fixed on the frame-shaped mask base 221. The mask stand 221 corresponds to the mask holder 4 in the first embodiment.

At the time of film formation, the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 220. Therefore, the mask 220 also serves as a mounting body on which the substrate 1 is mounted. The cooling plate 230 is a member that adheres to the substrate 1 (the surface opposite to the mask 220) during film formation and suppresses the temperature rise of the substrate 1 to suppress deterioration or deterioration of the organic material. The cooling plate 230 may also serve as a magnet plate. The magnet plate is a member that enhances the adhesion between the substrate 1 and the mask 220 at the time of film formation by attracting the mask 220 by a magnetic force. The thin-film deposition source 240 includes a thin-film deposition material, a heater, a shutter, a drive mechanism for the evaporation source, an evaporation rate monitor, and the like (all not shown).

A substrate Z actuator 250, a clamp Z actuator 251 and a cooling plate Z actuator 252, an X actuator (not shown), a Y actuator (not shown), and an Θ actuator (not shown) are provided on the vacuum chamber 200 (outside). ing. These actuators are composed of, for example, a motor and a ball screw, a motor and a linear guide, and the like. The substrate Z actuator 250 is a driving means for raising and lowering (moving in the Z direction) the entire substrate holding unit 210. The substrate Z actuator 250 corresponds to the substrate moving mechanism 6 in the first embodiment. The clamp Z actuator 251 is a driving means for opening and closing the holding mechanism (described later) of the substrate holding unit 210. The clamp Z actuator 251 corresponds to the pressing force control mechanism 5 in the first embodiment.

The cooling plate Z actuator 252 is a driving means for raising and lowering the cooling plate 230. The X actuator, Y actuator, and Θ actuator (hereinafter collectively referred to as “XY Θ actuator”) are driving means for alignment of the substrate 1. The XYΘ actuator moves the entire substrate holding unit 210 and the cooling plate 230 in the X direction, moves in the Y direction, and rotates by Θ. In this embodiment, the X, Y, and Θ of the substrate 1 are adjusted with the mask 220 fixed, but the position of the mask 220 is adjusted or the positions of both the substrate 1 and the mask 220 are adjusted. By adjusting, the substrate 1 and the mask 220 may be aligned.

On the upper side (outside) of the vacuum chamber 200, cameras 260 and 261 for measuring the positions of the substrate 1 and the mask 220 are provided for alignment of the substrate 1 and the mask 220. The cameras 260 and 261 photograph the substrate 1 and the mask 220 through a window provided in the vacuum chamber 200. By recognizing the alignment mark on the substrate 1 and the alignment mark on the mask 220 from the image, it is possible to measure each XY position and the relative deviation in the XY plane. In order to achieve high-precision alignment in a short time, the first alignment (also called "rough alignment"), which is the first position adjustment process for rough alignment, and the second alignment for high-precision alignment are performed. It is preferable to carry out two-step alignment of the second alignment (also referred to as "fine alignment") which is a position adjustment step. In that case, it is preferable to use two types of cameras, a low-resolution but wide-field first alignment camera 260 and a narrow-field but high-resolution second alignment camera 261. In this embodiment, the alignment marks attached to the two opposite sides of the substrate 1 and the mask 220 are measured by two cameras 260 for the first alignment, and the four corners of the substrate 1 and the mask 220 are measured. The alignment mark attached to is measured by four cameras 261 for the second alignment. When the first alignment and the second alignment are performed, the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 220 after the first alignment is performed (mounting step), and then the second alignment is performed.

The film forming apparatus has a control unit 270. The control unit 270 controls the substrate Z actuator 250, the clamp Z actuator 251, the cooling plate Z actuator 252, the XYΘ actuator, and the cameras 260 and 261, as well as the transfer and alignment of the substrate 1, the control of the vapor deposition source, and the control of film formation. It has functions such as. The control unit 270 can be configured by, for example, a computer having a processor, memory, storage, I / O, and the like. In this case, the function of the control unit 270 is realized by the processor executing the program stored in the memory or the storage. As the computer, a general-purpose personal computer may be used, or a built-in computer or a PLC (PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER) may be used. Alternatively, a part or all of the functions of the control unit 270 may be configured by a circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. A control unit 270 may be provided for each film forming apparatus, or one control unit 270 may control a plurality of film forming apparatus.

The components (board holding unit 210, board Z actuator 250, clamp Z actuator 251, XYΘ actuator, cameras 260, 261, control unit 270, etc.) related to the holding / transporting and alignment of the board 1 are "board mounting devices". , "Board holding device", "board transfer device" and the like.

<Board holding unit>
The configuration of the substrate holding unit 210 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the substrate holding unit 210.

The substrate holding unit 210 sandwiches the peripheral edge portion of the substrate 1 by the sandwiching mechanism.
It is a means for holding and transporting the substrate 1. Specifically, the substrate holding unit 210 is a plurality of supporting frames 301 provided with a plurality of supports 300 for supporting each of the four sides of the substrate 1 from below, and a plurality of the substrate holding units 210 sandwiching the substrate 1 between the supports 300. It has a clamp member 303 provided with a pressing tool 302 of the above. A pair of supports 300 and a pressing member 302 form one holding mechanism. In the example of FIG. 10, three supports 300 are arranged along the short side of the substrate 1, and six holding mechanisms (a pair of the support 300 and the pressing tool 302) are arranged along the long side, and the length is long. It is configured to sandwich two sides. However, the configuration of the pinching mechanism is not limited to the example of FIG. 10, and the number and arrangement of the pinching mechanisms may be appropriately changed according to the size and shape of the substrate to be processed, the film forming conditions, and the like. The support 300 is also referred to as a "claw" or "finger", and the press 302 is also referred to as a "clamp".

The transfer of the substrate 1 from the transfer robot 119 to the substrate holding unit 210 is performed, for example, as follows. First, the clamp member 303 is raised by the clamp Z actuator 251 to separate the pressing tool 302 from the support tool 300, so that the holding mechanism is released. After the substrate 1 is introduced between the support tool 300 and the pressing tool 302 by the transfer robot 119, the clamp member 303 is lowered by the clamp Z actuator 251 and the pressing tool 302 is pressed against the support tool 300 with a predetermined pressing force. As a result, the substrate 1 is sandwiched between the pressing tool 302 and the supporting tool 300. By driving the substrate holding unit 210 by the substrate Z actuator 250 in this state, the substrate 1 can be moved up and down (moved in the Z direction). Since the clamp Z actuator 251 moves up / down together with the board holding unit 210, the state of the holding mechanism does not change even if the board holding unit 210 moves up and down.

Here, the operation (mounting step) by the clamp Z actuator 251 and the board Z actuator 250 from the time when the board holding unit 210 receives the board 1 to the time when the board 1 is mounted on the mask 220 is the case of the first embodiment. Is similar to. That is, also in this embodiment, in the process of lowering the substrate holding unit 210 by the substrate Z actuator 250, at least at the start of contact between the substrate 1 and the mask 220, the pressing force by the clamp Z actuator 251 is the pressing force for temporary holding. It has become. That is, the displacement of the substrate 1 on the substrate holding unit 210 due to the contact between the substrate 1 and the mask 220 is allowed. Then, after the substrate holding unit 210 is further lowered by the substrate Z actuator 250 and the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 220, the pressing force by the clamp Z actuator 251 is the pressing force for main holding. .. That is, the displacement of the substrate 1 on the substrate holding unit 210 is prevented by setting the pressing force for main holding, which is stronger than that at the start of the contact. Since the details of the pressing force and the like are as described in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted. From the above, it goes without saying that the same effect as in the case of the above-mentioned Example 1 can be obtained in this Example as well.

<Alignment>
In this embodiment, after the first alignment is performed, the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 220, and the pressing force by the clamp Z actuator 251 becomes the pressing force for main holding, and then the second alignment is performed. To. Reference numeral 101 in FIG. 10 indicates an alignment mark for the second alignment attached to the four corners of the substrate 1, and reference numeral 102 indicates an alignment mark for the first alignment attached to the center of the short side of the substrate 1. Is shown.

In each alignment, the XYΘ actuator adjusts the position of the substrate 1 with the substrate 1 slightly separated from the mask 220 so that the substrate 1 does not slide with the mask 220. First, using two cameras for first alignment 260, two marks 102 for first alignment and two marks for first alignment (not shown) attached to the mask 220 are both. The position of the substrate 1 is adjusted so as to match. After that, the substrate 1 is once mounted on the mask 220 (mounting step). After this placement process, as described above,
The substrate 1 and the substrate holding unit 210 are sandwiched by the pressing force for this pinching, and the substrate 1 is slightly separated from the mask 200 again. Then, using the four cameras 260 for the second alignment, the four marks 101 for the second alignment and the four marks for the second alignment (not shown) attached to the mask 220 are all. The position of the substrate 1 is adjusted so as to match. After that, the substrate 1 is placed on the mask 220 again. By the above alignment, the substrate 1 is in close contact with the mask 220 in a state of being accurately positioned. The above mounting step can also be applied to the case where the substrate 1 is mounted on the mask 220 after the second alignment.

<Example of manufacturing method of electronic device>
Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device using the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the configuration and manufacturing method of the organic EL display device will be illustrated as an example of the electronic device.

First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. FIG. 11A shows an overall view of the organic EL display device 60, and FIG. 11B shows a cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

As shown in FIG. 11A, a plurality of pixels 62 including a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a matrix in the display area 61 of the organic EL display device 60. Although the details will be described later, each of the light emitting elements has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. The pixel referred to here refers to the smallest unit capable of displaying a desired color in the display area 61. In the case of the organic EL display device according to this embodiment, the pixel 62 is composed of a combination of the first light emitting element 62R, the second light emitting element 62G, and the third light emitting element 62B, which emit light different from each other. The pixel 62 is often composed of a combination of a red light emitting element, a green light emitting element, and a blue light emitting element, but may be a combination of a yellow light emitting element, a cyan light emitting element, and a white light emitting element, and is particularly limited to at least one color. It is not limited.

11 (B) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along the line AB of FIG. 11 (A). The pixel 62 has a first electrode (anode) 64, a hole transport layer 65, one of the light emitting layers 66R, 66G, 66B, an electron transport layer 67, and a second electrode (cathode) 68 on the substrate 63. It has an organic EL element comprising. Of these, the hole transport layer 65, the light emitting layers 66R, 66G, 66B, and the electron transport layer 67 correspond to the organic layer. Further, in the present embodiment, the light emitting layer 66R is an organic EL layer that emits red, the light emitting layer 66G is an organic EL layer that emits green, and the light emitting layer 66B is an organic EL layer that emits blue. The light emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B are formed in a pattern corresponding to a light emitting element (sometimes referred to as an organic EL element) that emits red, green, and blue, respectively. Further, the first electrode 64 is formed separately for each light emitting element. The hole transport layer 65, the electron transport layer 67, and the second electrode 68 may be formed in common with the plurality of light emitting elements 62R, 62G, 62B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. An insulating layer 69 is provided between the first electrodes 64 in order to prevent the first electrode 64 and the second electrode 68 from being short-circuited by foreign matter. Further, since the organic EL layer is deteriorated by moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 70 for protecting the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen is provided.

In order to form the organic EL layer in units of light emitting elements, a method of forming a film through a mask is used. In recent years, the definition of display devices has been increasing, and a mask having an opening width of several tens of μM is used to form an organic EL layer. In the case of film formation using such a mask, if the mask receives heat from an evaporation source during film formation and is thermally deformed, the positions of the mask and the substrate are displaced, and a pattern of a thin film formed on the substrate is desired. It will be formed out of position. Therefore, the film forming apparatus (vacuum vapor deposition apparatus) according to the present invention is preferably used for the film formation of these organic EL layers.

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described.

First, a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a substrate 63 on which the first electrode 64 is formed are prepared.

Acrylic resin is formed by spin coating on the substrate 63 on which the first electrode 64 is formed, and the acrylic resin is patterned by a lithography method so that an opening is formed in the portion where the first electrode 64 is formed to form an insulating layer. Form 69. This opening corresponds to a light emitting region where the light emitting element actually emits light.

The substrate 63 in which the insulating layer 69 is patterned is carried into the first film forming apparatus, the substrate is held by the substrate holding unit, and the hole transport layer 65 is a common layer on the first electrode 64 in the display region. To form a film. The hole transport layer 65 is formed by vacuum vapor deposition. In reality, the hole transport layer 65 is formed in a size larger than that of the display region 61, so that a high-definition mask is unnecessary.

Next, the substrate 63 on which the hole transport layer 65 is formed is carried into the second film forming apparatus and held by the substrate holding unit. The substrate and the mask are aligned, the substrate is placed on the mask, and the light emitting layer 66R that emits red is formed on the portion of the substrate 63 where the element that emits red is arranged. According to this example, the mask and the substrate can be satisfactorily overlapped with each other, and high-precision film formation can be performed.

Similar to the film formation of the light emitting layer 66R, the light emitting layer 66G that emits green is formed by the third film forming apparatus, and the light emitting layer 66B that emits blue is further formed by the fourth film forming apparatus. After the film formation of the light emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B is completed, the electron transport layer 67 is formed on the entire display region 61 by the fifth film forming apparatus. The electron transport layer 67 is formed as a layer common to the light emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B of three colors.

The substrate on which the electron transport layer 67 is formed is moved to a sputtering device to form a second electrode 68, and then moved to a plasma CVD device to form a protective layer 70 to complete the organic EL display device 60. do.

From the time when the substrate 63 in which the insulating layer 69 is patterned is carried into the film forming apparatus until the film formation of the protective layer 70 is completed, when the substrate 63 is exposed to an atmosphere containing moisture or oxygen, a light emitting layer made of an organic EL material is formed. It may be deteriorated by moisture and oxygen. Therefore, in this example, the loading and unloading of the substrate between the film forming apparatus is performed in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere.

In the organic EL display device thus obtained, a light emitting layer is accurately formed for each light emitting element. Therefore, if the above manufacturing method is used, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the organic EL display device due to the misalignment of the light emitting layer.

1 Board 2,220 Mask 3 Board holder 4 Mask holder 5 Pushing pressure control mechanism 6 Board moving mechanism 7,300 Supporter 8,302 Presser 210 Board holding unit (equivalent to board holder)
221 Mask stand (equivalent to mask holder)
250 Board Z actuator (equivalent to board movement mechanism)
251 Clamp Z actuator (equivalent to push pressure control mechanism)

Claims (15)

A substrate support that supports the substrate from below, and a substrate holder that sandwiches the outer peripheral portion of the substrate by a pressing tool that presses the substrate against the substrate support.
A mask holder that holds the mask, and a mask holder
Elevating means for raising and lowering the substrate support with respect to the mask holder, and
In a film forming apparatus provided with an alignment mechanism for aligning a substrate with a mask while the substrate is pressed against the substrate support by the pressing tool with the first pressing force.
The substrate is pressed against the substrate support by the pressing tool with a second pressing force that is weaker than the first pressing force and the holding position of the substrate can be moved by the elevating means. A film forming apparatus characterized in that the substrate supported by the substrate support is brought into contact with a mask held by the mask holder and placed on the mask . The substrate holder is moved while the substrate is pressed against the substrate support by the pressing tool with the first pressing force to align the substrate with the mask, and then film formation is performed. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the alignment adjusts a relative position between the substrate and the mask while the substrate and the mask are separated from each other. It is equipped with a pressing force control mechanism that changes the pressing force by the pressing tool.
The substrate holder is moved to perform the alignment after the pressing force by the pressing tool is changed from the second pressing force to the first pressing force by the pressing force control mechanism. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressing force control mechanism is configured so that the pressing force can be adjusted stepwise. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressing force control mechanism is configured so that the pressing force can be continuously adjusted. A substrate support that supports the substrate from below, and a substrate holder that sandwiches the outer peripheral portion of the substrate by a pressing tool that presses the substrate against the substrate support.
A mask holder that holds the mask, and a mask holder
In a control method in a film forming apparatus including a means for raising and lowering the substrate support with respect to the mask holder.
An alignment step of aligning the substrate with the mask while the substrate is pressed against the substrate support by the pressing tool with the first pressing force.
The substrate is pressed against the substrate support by the pressing tool with a second pressing force that is weaker than the first pressing force and the holding position of the substrate can be moved by the elevating means. A contact step in which the substrate supported by the substrate support is brought into contact with the mask held by the mask holder and placed on the mask .
A control method characterized by comprising. The control method according to claim 7, wherein after the contact step, the substrate is separated from the mask and then the alignment step is performed. The control method according to claim 8, further comprising a film forming step of forming a film on the substrate after the alignment step. A substrate support that supports the substrate from below, and a substrate holder that sandwiches the outer peripheral portion of the substrate by a pressing tool that presses the substrate against the substrate support.
A mask holder that holds the mask, and a mask holder
A method for manufacturing an electronic device to be formed on a substrate by a film forming apparatus provided with an elevating means for raising and lowering the substrate support with respect to the mask holder.
An alignment step of aligning the substrate with the mask while the substrate is pressed against the substrate support by the pressing tool with the first pressing force.
The substrate is pressed against the substrate support by the pressing tool with a second pressing force that is weaker than the first pressing force and the holding position of the substrate can be moved by the elevating means. A contact step in which the substrate supported by the substrate support is brought into contact with the mask held by the mask holder and placed on the mask .
A method of manufacturing an electronic device, which comprises. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 10, wherein a metal film is formed on a substrate by the film forming apparatus. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 10, wherein an organic film is formed on a substrate by the film forming apparatus. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the electronic device is a display panel of an organic EL display device. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein after the contact step, the substrate is separated from the mask and then the alignment step is performed. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 14, further comprising a film forming step of forming a film on the substrate after the alignment step.

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