JP7163211B2 - Vapor deposition apparatus and vapor deposition method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vapor deposition apparatus and a vapor deposition method for evaporating a vapor deposition material and attaching it to a vapor deposition object.

A vapor deposition apparatus that evaporates a vapor deposition material and adheres it to an object to be vapor deposited is used to manufacture various products such as organic EL (electro-luminescence) displays and image sensors. A vapor deposition apparatus includes an evaporation source arranged in a chamber, and an object to be vapor-deposited, such as a display panel, is arranged to face the evaporation source.

The evaporation source can contain a solid or liquid evaporation material, and has a heating mechanism. The vapor deposition material is heated by the heating mechanism, and the generated vapor is supplied to the vapor deposition object. The amount of vapor deposition material emitted from the evaporation source per unit time, that is, the vapor deposition rate can be adjusted by the heating temperature of the vapor deposition material.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a vapor deposition apparatus that adjusts the vapor deposition rate according to the heating temperature.

JP 2004-176126 A

However, as described in Patent Document 1, when adjusting the deposition rate by heating temperature, it may be difficult to adjust the deposition rate. Depending on the type of vapor deposition material, the evaporation temperature and the deterioration temperature are close to each other, and if the heating temperature is changed, the vapor deposition material may not evaporate or may deteriorate.

In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vapor deposition apparatus and a vapor deposition method capable of controlling the vapor deposition rate while preventing deterioration of the vapor deposition material.

To achieve the above object, a vapor deposition apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a chamber, an evaporation source, a chamber internal pressure sensor, a vapor deposition rate sensor, a pressure adjustment mechanism, and a controller.
The evaporation source is arranged in the chamber, contains a vapor deposition material, and includes a heating mechanism for heating the vapor deposition material.
The chamber internal pressure sensor measures the internal pressure of the chamber.
The vapor deposition rate sensor measures the vapor deposition rate of the vapor deposition material onto the vapor deposition object.
The pressure adjustment mechanism adjusts the internal pressure.
The controller controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the internal pressure and the vapor deposition rate.

According to this configuration, the controller controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the internal pressure of the chamber and the deposition rate to adjust the internal pressure of the chamber. Thereby, it is possible to control the vapor deposition rate without changing the heating temperature of the vapor deposition material, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the vapor deposition material due to heat. Furthermore, it becomes possible to control the distribution of the vapor deposition material toward the vapor deposition object by the vapor deposition rate.

The control unit may control the pressure adjustment mechanism so that the vapor deposition rate reaches a preset value.

The controller may decrease the internal pressure when the deposition rate is lower than the set value, and increase the internal pressure when the deposition rate is higher than the set value.

The pressure adjustment mechanism may be a pressure adjustment valve connected to the internal space.

The pressure adjustment mechanism may be a gas source that supplies an inert gas to the internal space.

The controller may further control the heating mechanism based on the internal pressure and the deposition rate.

The evaporation source has a pressure chamber forming an indoor space for containing the vapor deposition material, and a nozzle for communicating the indoor space with an outdoor space, which is a space outside the pressure chamber in the chamber,
The chamber internal pressure sensor measures the outdoor pressure, which is the pressure of the outdoor space,
The deposition rate sensor measures the indoor pressure, which is the pressure in the indoor space,
The controller may calculate the vapor deposition rate from the outdoor pressure and the indoor pressure.

In order to achieve the above object, a vapor deposition method according to one aspect of the present invention uses an evaporation source that is arranged in a chamber, contains a vapor deposition material, and has a heating mechanism that heats the vapor deposition material. Then, the internal pressure is adjusted based on the vapor deposition rate of the vapor deposition material onto the vapor deposition object.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vapor deposition apparatus and a vapor deposition method capable of controlling the vapor deposition rate while preventing deterioration of the vapor deposition material.

1 is a schematic diagram of a vapor deposition apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a perspective view of a partial configuration of the vapor deposition apparatus. It is a schematic diagram of the evaporation source with which the same vapor deposition apparatus is provided. It is a schematic diagram which shows the path|route of the vapor deposition material in the vapor deposition source with which the same vapor deposition apparatus is provided. It is a schematic diagram which shows operation|movement of the same vapor deposition apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows operation|movement of the same vapor deposition apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the directivity of the vapor deposition material in the same vapor deposition apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other structure of the evaporation source with which the same vapor deposition apparatus is provided. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other structure of the evaporation source with which the same vapor deposition apparatus is provided. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other structure of the evaporation source with which the same vapor deposition apparatus is provided. It is a schematic diagram of the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

(First embodiment)
A vapor deposition apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present technology will be described.

[Configuration of Vapor Deposition Apparatus]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vapor deposition device 100 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partial configuration of the vapor deposition device 100. As shown in FIG. In the following figures, the three mutually orthogonal directions are the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction, respectively. The X and Y directions are, for example, the horizontal direction, and the Z direction is, for example, the vertical direction.

As shown in these figures, the deposition apparatus 100 includes a chamber 101, a support mechanism 102, an evaporation source 103, a temperature controller 104, a deposition rate sensor 105, a chamber internal pressure sensor 106, a pressure adjustment mechanism 107, and a controller 108. .

The chamber 101 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) to maintain the inside at a predetermined pressure. A support mechanism 102 and an evaporation source 103 are housed within the chamber 101 .

The support mechanism 102 is arranged inside the chamber 101 and supports the vapor deposition object S. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the support mechanism 102 is configured to be able to move the deposition target S between a position facing the evaporation source 103 and a position not facing the evaporation source 103 in the X direction. The deposition target S is, for example, a display panel.

A mask M is provided on the surface of the object S to be vapor-deposited. The mask M is provided with openings in a predetermined pattern, and the pattern of the vapor deposition material is formed on the surface of the vapor deposition object S. In addition, when performing vapor deposition on the entire surface of the vapor deposition object S, the mask M may not be provided.

The evaporation source 103 is arranged in the chamber 101 and supplies the deposition target S with the deposition material.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the evaporation source 103, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the evaporation material in the evaporation source 103 with arrows. As shown in FIG. 3 , the evaporation source 103 includes pressure chambers 111 , heating mechanisms 112 and nozzles 113 .

The pressure chamber 111 accommodates the vapor deposition material R. The deposition material R is a metal, an organic substance, or the like, and is not particularly limited. Hereinafter, the internal space of the pressure chamber 111 will be referred to as an indoor space K1, and the space outside the pressure chamber 111 and within the chamber 101 will be referred to as an outdoor space K2.

A first dispersion plate 114, a second dispersion plate 115 and a mesh plate 116 are provided in the indoor space K1. These members are for dispersing the flow of the evaporated vapor deposition material R and for evenly discharging the vapor deposition material R from each nozzle 113 .

The first dispersion plate 114 is provided with openings 114a at a plurality of locations, and the second dispersion plate 115 is provided with openings 115a at positions not facing the openings 114a of the first dispersion plate 114 .

As shown in FIG. 4, vapor deposition material R that has passed through opening 114a flows between first dispersion plate 114 and second dispersion plate 115 toward opening 115a and is dispersed. Such a structure is called a tournament system. Note that the evaporation source 103 does not necessarily have to have a tournament-type structure.

The heating mechanism 112 is provided around the pressure chamber 111 and heats the deposition material R to evaporate it. The heating mechanism 112 can generate heat by resistance heating, induction heating, or the like. A temperature adjuster 104 is connected to the heating mechanism 112 , and the heating temperature of the heating mechanism 112 is adjusted by the temperature adjuster 104 .

The nozzle 113 is a nozzle that discharges the vapor deposition material R that has evaporated, and allows the indoor space K1 to communicate with the outdoor space K2. A plurality of nozzles 113 are provided, and as shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of nozzles 113 can be arranged along the Y direction. Note that the number of nozzles 113 is not particularly limited, and may be one.

The vapor deposition apparatus 100 may be provided with one evaporation source 103 or may be provided with a plurality of evaporation sources 103 . When a plurality of evaporation sources 103 are provided, different vapor deposition materials R can be supplied to the vapor deposition object S. FIG.

The temperature adjuster 104 is connected to the heating mechanism 112 and adjusts the temperature of the heating mechanism 112 to a preset temperature. The temperature adjuster 104 can adjust the temperature of the heating mechanism 112 by, for example, increasing or decreasing the power supplied to the heating mechanism 112 .

A deposition rate sensor 105 measures the deposition rate. The deposition rate sensor 105 can be a crystal oscillator sensor that oscillates a crystal oscillator at a predetermined frequency and measures the deposition rate based on the frequency fluctuation due to the deposition of the deposition material.

In addition, the vapor deposition speed sensor 105 may be any sensor that can measure the vapor deposition speed. The vapor deposition speed sensor 105 outputs the measured vapor deposition speed to the controller 108 .

The chamber internal pressure sensor 106 is a sensor that measures the gas pressure in the outdoor space K2 (hereinafter referred to as chamber internal pressure Pc). Chamber pressure sensor 106 may be an ion gauge. Although other pressure sensors may be used as the chamber internal pressure sensor 106, it is preferable to use a pressure gauge that can prevent the deposition material R from adhering in order to extend its service life. is also possible.

The arrangement of the chamber internal pressure sensor 106 is not limited as long as it is a position where the chamber internal pressure can be measured. The chamber internal pressure sensor 106 is connected to the controller 108 as shown in FIG. 1 and outputs the measured chamber internal pressure Pc to the controller 108 .

The pressure adjustment mechanism 107 adjusts the chamber internal pressure Pc. The pressure regulation mechanism 107 can be a pressure regulation valve connected between the chamber 101 and the vacuum pump. Also, the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 may be a gas source capable of supplying an inert gas into the chamber 101 . Furthermore, the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 may have both a pressure adjustment valve and a gas source. In addition, the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 may be configured to adjust the chamber internal pressure Pc.

The control unit 108 controls the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 based on the chamber internal pressure Pc output from the chamber internal pressure sensor 106 and the deposition rate output from the deposition rate sensor 105 to control the chamber internal pressure Pc. The control unit 108 can be, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC). The operation of control unit 108 will be described later.

[About the operation of the vapor deposition equipment]
The operation of vapor deposition apparatus 100 will be described. 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the vapor deposition apparatus 100. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the vapor deposition material R is heated by the heating mechanism 112 (see FIG. 3) in the evaporation source 103, and the vapor deposition material R is discharged from the nozzle 113. As shown in FIG. The heating mechanism 112 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the temperature regulator 104 .

Before the vapor deposition is started, the vapor deposition object S is positioned at a standby position away from the evaporation source 103 as shown in FIG. When the deposition material R reaches a predetermined temperature, the support mechanism 102 is driven to move the deposition target S to a position facing the evaporation source 103 as shown in FIG.

The vapor deposition material R scatters from the nozzle 113 toward the vapor deposition target S and adheres to the vapor deposition target S. Moreover, a part is shielded by the mask M and patterned.

When the deposition target S reaches the end position (the left end in the drawing), the support mechanism 102 returns the deposition target S to the standby position shown in FIG.

The vapor deposition material R is vapor-deposited on the vapor deposition object S in both the forward trip from the standby position of the vapor deposition object S to the terminal position and the return trip from the terminal position to the standby position. Thereby, a film made of the vapor deposition material R is formed on the surface of the vapor deposition object S. As shown in FIG.

Note that vapor deposition may be performed while the vapor deposition object S is fixed with respect to the chamber 101 and the evaporation source 103 is moved with respect to the vapor deposition object S, and the relative positions of the vapor deposition object S and the evaporation source 103 are fixed. vapor deposition may be performed.

[Regarding control by the controller]
As described above, when the vapor deposition material R reaches a predetermined temperature, the control unit 108 controls the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 .

Specifically, the controller 108 acquires the deposition rate from the deposition rate sensor 105 and acquires the chamber internal pressure Pc from the chamber internal pressure sensor 106 .

The control unit 108 controls the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 so that the chamber internal pressure Pc decreases when the vapor deposition rate is lower than a preset value. This makes it easier for the vapor deposition material R to flow from the indoor space K1 to the outdoor space K2, increasing the vapor deposition rate.

Also, when the vapor deposition rate is higher than a preset value, the control unit 108 controls the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 to increase the chamber internal pressure Pc. This makes it difficult for the vapor deposition material R to flow from the indoor space K1 to the outdoor space K2, thereby reducing the vapor deposition rate.

Thus, the control unit 108 can control the deposition rate by adjusting the chamber internal pressure Pc with the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 . It should be noted that the set value of the vapor deposition rate can be obtained by performing a vapor deposition test on the vapor deposition material in advance.

Furthermore, the controller 108 can control the directivity of the deposition material R by adjusting the chamber internal pressure Pc. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the directivity of vapor deposition material R. As shown in FIG.

When the chamber internal pressure Pc is high and the vapor deposition rate is low, the flow of the vapor deposition material R becomes a molecular flow with a sharp distribution as shown in FIG. 7(a). Therefore, the scattering path of the vapor deposition material R is largely geometrically restricted by the shape of the nozzle 113 .

On the other hand, when the chamber internal pressure Pc is small and the vapor deposition rate is high, the flow at the vapor deposition rate R becomes a viscous flow and flows with a broad distribution as shown in FIG. 7(b). Therefore, the scattering path of the vapor deposition material R is less subject to geometric restrictions due to the shape of the nozzle 113 .

Thus, the controller 108 can also control the directivity of the vapor deposition rate R by the chamber internal pressure Pc.

[About the effect of vapor deposition equipment]
As described above, the deposition apparatus 100 adjusts the chamber internal pressure Pc based on the deposition rate and the chamber internal pressure Pc to adjust the deposition rate. Since it is not necessary to adjust the vapor deposition rate by the temperature of the heating mechanism 112, the heating mechanism 112 can be maintained at a temperature suitable for evaporating the vapor deposition material R, and deterioration of the vapor deposition material R can be prevented. .

Furthermore, in the vapor deposition apparatus 100, the directivity of the vapor deposition material R can be adjusted by adjusting the chamber internal pressure Pc as described above. In vapor deposition, the appropriate directivity of the vapor deposition material R may vary depending on the type of the vapor deposition material R, the pattern of the mask M, etc., but the vapor deposition apparatus 100 can adjust the directivity as necessary.

[Modification]
In the above description, the vapor deposition apparatus 100 is provided with the vapor deposition speed sensor 105, which is a crystal oscillator sensor or the like. It may be a pressure sensor that The controller 108 can calculate the deposition rate from the pressure difference between the chamber internal pressure Pc, which is the pressure in the outdoor space K2, and the internal pressure.

Also, the structure of the evaporation source 103 is not limited to that described above. 8 to 10 are schematic diagrams of evaporation sources 103 having other structures.

As shown in FIG. 8, the pressure chamber 111 may be provided with a pot portion 121 that stores the vapor deposition material R. As shown in FIG. The heating mechanism 112 is provided around the pot portion 121 and heats the vapor deposition material R. As shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the pressure chamber 111 may not be provided with a dispersion plate.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10 , the evaporation source 103 may have a tank 117 instead of the pressure chamber 111 . The tank 117 accommodates the vapor deposition material R and has a structure in which the vapor deposition object S side is open. Even with this structure, the deposition rate can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the chamber internal pressure Pc.

(Second embodiment)
A vapor deposition apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present technology will be described.

[Configuration of Vapor Deposition Apparatus]
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vapor deposition apparatus 200 according to this embodiment. In addition, in the structure of the vapor deposition apparatus 200, the same structure as the vapor deposition apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment is attached|subjected with the same code|symbol as the vapor deposition apparatus 100, and description is abbreviate|omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the vapor deposition apparatus 200 includes a chamber 101 , a support mechanism 102 , an evaporation source 103 , a temperature controller 204 , a vapor deposition speed sensor 105 , a chamber internal pressure sensor 106 , a pressure adjustment mechanism 107 and a controller 208 . Configurations other than the temperature adjuster 204 and the control unit 208 are the same as those of the first embodiment.

A temperature adjuster 204 adjusts the heating temperature of the heating mechanism 112 . Here, the temperature adjuster 204 according to this embodiment is connected to the control unit 208 and controls the heating mechanism 112 so that the heating temperature reaches the temperature instructed by the control unit 208 .

The control unit 208 controls the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 based on the chamber internal pressure Pc output from the chamber internal pressure sensor 106 and the deposition rate output from the deposition rate sensor 105 to control the chamber internal pressure Pc.

Furthermore, the control unit 208 controls the temperature adjuster 204 according to the deposition rate output from the deposition rate sensor 105 to adjust the heating temperature of the heating mechanism 112 .

[Regarding control by the controller]
Also in the vapor deposition apparatus 200, the vapor deposition material R is heated to a predetermined temperature and vapor deposition is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. When the vapor deposition material R reaches a predetermined temperature, the controller 208 controls the temperature regulator 204 and the pressure regulation mechanism 107 .

Specifically, the controller 108 acquires the deposition rate from the deposition rate sensor 105 and acquires the chamber internal pressure Pc from the chamber internal pressure sensor 106 .

The control unit 108 controls the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 so that the chamber internal pressure Pc decreases when the vapor deposition rate is lower than a preset value. This makes it easier for the vapor deposition material R to flow from the indoor space K1 to the outdoor space K2, increasing the vapor deposition rate.

Furthermore, the controller 208 instructs the temperature regulator 204 to increase the heating temperature of the heating mechanism 112 . Thereby, the heating temperature of the vapor deposition material R rises, and the vapor deposition rate increases.

Also, when the vapor deposition rate is higher than a preset value, the control unit 208 controls the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 to increase the chamber internal pressure Pc. This makes it difficult for the vapor deposition material R to flow from the indoor space K1 to the outdoor space K2, thereby reducing the vapor deposition rate.

Furthermore, the controller 208 instructs the temperature adjuster 204 to lower the heating temperature of the heating mechanism 112 . As a result, the heating temperature of the vapor deposition material R is lowered, and the vapor deposition rate is lowered.

In this way, the control unit 208 can control the deposition rate by adjusting the chamber internal pressure Pc with the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 and adjusting the heating temperature of the deposition material R with the temperature adjuster 204. . It should be noted that the set value of the vapor deposition rate can be obtained by performing a vapor deposition test on the vapor deposition material in advance.

[About the effect of vapor deposition equipment]
In the deposition apparatus 200 , the deposition rate can be controlled by adjusting the heating temperature with the temperature adjuster 204 in addition to the adjustment of the chamber internal pressure Pc by the pressure adjustment mechanism 107 . For this reason, the control unit 208 adjusts the vapor deposition rate by the heating temperature of the heating mechanism 112 when the temperature is lower than the deterioration temperature of the vapor deposition material R, and adjusts the vapor deposition rate by the chamber pressure Pc when the heating temperature reaches the deterioration temperature. control is possible.

[Modification]
Also in this embodiment, the structure of the evaporation source 203 is not limited to that described above, and the evaporation source 203 as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 can be employed. Also, the vapor deposition rate sensor 105 may be a pressure sensor that measures the pressure (internal pressure) of the indoor space K1 (see FIG. 3). The controller 208 can calculate the vapor deposition rate from the pressure difference between the chamber internal pressure Pc, which is the pressure in the outdoor space K2, and the internal pressure.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 200... Vapor deposition apparatus 101... Chamber 102... Support mechanism 103... Evaporation source 104, 204... Temperature controller 105... Vapor deposition rate sensor 106... Chamber pressure sensor 107... Pressure adjustment mechanism 108, 208... Control part 111... Pressure chamber DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 112... Heating mechanism 113... Nozzle 114... 1st dispersion plate 115... 2nd dispersion plate 116... Mesh plate 121... Pot part

Claims (7)

a chamber;
an evaporation source disposed in the chamber, containing a vapor deposition material, and including a heating mechanism for heating the vapor deposition material ;
a chamber internal pressure sensor that measures the internal pressure of the chamber;
a vapor deposition rate sensor for measuring the vapor deposition rate of the vapor deposition material onto the vapor deposition target;
a pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts the internal pressure;
controlling the pressure adjustment mechanism and the heating mechanism based on the internal pressure and the deposition rate, and adjusting the deposition rate by the heating temperature when the heating temperature by the heating mechanism is lower than the deterioration temperature of the deposition material; and a controller that adjusts the vapor deposition rate by the internal pressure when the heating temperature reaches a deterioration temperature of the vapor deposition material . The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1,
The vapor deposition apparatus, wherein the control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism so that the vapor deposition rate reaches a preset value. The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 2,
The controller reduces the internal pressure when the deposition rate is lower than the set value, and increases the internal pressure when the deposition rate is higher than the set value. The vapor deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The vapor deposition apparatus, wherein the pressure adjustment mechanism is a pressure adjustment valve connected to the internal space. The vapor deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The vapor deposition apparatus, wherein the pressure adjustment mechanism is a gas source that supplies an inert gas to the internal space. The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1,
The evaporation source has a pressure chamber forming an indoor space for containing the vapor deposition material, and a nozzle that communicates the indoor space with an outdoor space that is a space outside the pressure chamber in the chamber,
The chamber internal pressure sensor measures the outdoor pressure, which is the pressure of the outdoor space,
The deposition rate sensor measures the indoor pressure, which is the pressure in the indoor space,
The control unit reduces the internal pressure when the deposition rate is smaller than a preset value or when the flow of the deposition material in the chamber is made viscous, and the deposition rate is reduced to the set value. value, or if the flow of the vapor deposition material in the chamber is molecular flow, the internal pressure is increased.
Evaporation equipment. Using an evaporation source arranged in a chamber, containing a vapor deposition material, and including a heating mechanism for heating the vapor deposition material, the inside of the chamber is heated based on the internal pressure of the chamber and the vapor deposition rate of the vapor deposition material onto the vapor deposition target. The pressure and the heating temperature by the heating mechanism are adjusted , and when the heating temperature is lower than the deterioration temperature of the vapor deposition material, the vapor deposition rate is adjusted by the heating temperature, and when the heating temperature reaches the deterioration temperature of the vapor deposition material. adjusting the deposition rate by the internal pressure
evaporation method.

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