JP7372288B2 - Film deposition equipment, film deposition method, and evaporation source - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a film forming method, and an evaporation source.

In the manufacture of organic EL displays and the like, a thin film is formed on a substrate by adhering a deposition material emitted from an evaporation source to the substrate. Patent Document 1 discloses that, as a configuration of an evaporation source, a storage part that accommodates a vapor deposition material and a diffusion part in which a vaporized vapor deposition material is diffused are provided separately in the vertical direction, and these are connected via a communication part. is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-003122

In the above-mentioned conventional technology, since a communication part is provided between the wall forming the upper surface of the storage part that accommodates the vapor deposition material and the wall forming the lower surface of the diffusion part where the vapor deposition material is diffused, the vapor deposition source can be moved vertically. There is a risk that the size will increase in the direction.

The present invention provides a technique for suppressing an increase in the size of an evaporation source.

According to one aspect of the present invention,
A film forming apparatus that vaporizes a deposition substance to form a film on a substrate,
A container having an accommodation space for containing a solid or liquid vapor deposition material and a diffusion space for the vaporized vapor deposition material to diffuse;
a plate-like member that partitions the accommodation space and the diffusion space inside the container and is formed with an opening through which the vaporized deposition material passes;
an extending portion surrounding the opening and extending from the plate-like member ;
The container includes a first peripheral wall portion that defines an outer peripheral surface of the accommodation space, and a second peripheral wall portion that defines an outer peripheral surface of the diffusion space,
the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion are separable ;
A film deposition apparatus is provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the evaporation source.

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming unit. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the evaporation source. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a space forming part and a plate-like member. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an evaporation source and a cover member. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an evaporation source and a cover member. (A) is an overall view of an organic EL display device, and (B) is a view showing a cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the claimed invention. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

<First embodiment>
<Overview of film forming equipment>
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. In each figure, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions perpendicular to each other, and arrow Z indicates a vertical direction (vertical direction). Further, in each figure, some symbols may be omitted to make the drawing easier to read.

The film forming apparatus 1 forms a film by attaching a vaporized deposition substance to a substrate. In this embodiment, the film forming apparatus 1 performs evaporation while moving the evaporation source. The film forming apparatus 1 is used, for example, to manufacture a display panel of an organic EL display device for a smartphone, and a plurality of film forming apparatuses are arranged side by side to form a manufacturing line. The material of the substrate on which vapor deposition is performed in the film forming apparatus 1 can be appropriately selected from glass, resin, metal, etc., and a material in which a resin layer such as polyimide is formed on glass is preferably used. As the vapor deposition substance, organic materials, inorganic materials (metals, metal oxides, etc.), etc. are used. The film forming apparatus 1 is applicable to, for example, a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing electronic devices such as display devices (flat panel displays, etc.), thin film solar cells, organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin film image sensors), optical members, etc. In particular, it is applicable to manufacturing equipment that manufactures organic EL panels. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film on a G8H size glass substrate (1100 x 2500 mm, 1250 mm x 2200 mm), but the size of the substrate on which the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film can be set as appropriate. It is.

The film forming apparatus 1 includes a film forming unit 10 (evaporation source unit), a moving unit 20, and a plurality of support units 30A and 30B (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as support units 30, and these components etc. The same shall apply) and shall be provided. The film forming unit 10, the moving unit 20, and the supporting unit 30 are arranged inside a chamber 45 that is maintained in a vacuum during use. In this embodiment, a plurality of support units 30A and 30B are provided in the upper part of the chamber 45 to be spaced apart in the Y direction, and the film forming unit 10 and the movement unit 20 are provided below. Further, the chamber 45 is provided with a plurality of substrate loading ports 44A and 44B for loading and unloading the substrates 100. Note that in this embodiment, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced pressure state.

The film forming apparatus 1 also includes a power source 41 that supplies power to the film forming unit 10, and an electrical connection section 42 that electrically connects the film forming unit 10 and the power source 41. The electrical connection section 42 is configured such that electrical wiring passes through the inside of an arm that is movable in the horizontal direction, and as described later, power can be supplied from the power source 41 to the film forming unit 10 that moves in the X and Y directions. ing.

The film forming apparatus 1 also includes a control section 43 that controls the operation of each component. For example, the control unit 43 may include a processor represented by a CPU, memories such as RAM and ROM, and various interfaces. For example, the control unit 43 implements various processes by the film forming apparatus 1 by reading a program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing it.

<Support unit>
The support unit 30 supports the substrate 100 and the mask 101 and adjusts their positions. The support unit 30 includes a substrate support section 32, a position adjustment section 34, and a mask support section 36.

The substrate support section 32 supports the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the substrate support section 32 supports the substrate 100 such that the longitudinal direction of the substrate 100 is the X direction and the lateral direction of the substrate 100 is the Y direction. For example, the substrate support section 32 may support the substrate 100 by holding the edges of the substrate 100 at multiple locations, or may support the substrate 100 by adsorbing the substrate 100 with an electrostatic chuck or the like. good.

The position adjustment unit 34 adjusts the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In this embodiment, the position adjustment section 34 adjusts the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 by moving the substrate support section 32 that is supporting the substrate 100. However, the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 may be adjusted by moving the mask 101. The position adjustment section 34 includes a fixed section 341 fixed to the chamber 45 and a movable section 342 that supports the substrate support section 32 and moves relative to the fixed section 341. The movable part 342 moves the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support part 32 in the X direction by moving in the X direction with respect to the fixed part 341, and adjusts the rough positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the X direction. adjust. Further, the movable section 342 includes a mechanism for moving the supported substrate support section 32 in the XY directions in order to perform precise positional adjustment (alignment) between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. As for the specific method of alignment, a detailed explanation will be omitted since known techniques can be employed. Furthermore, the movable section 342 moves the substrate support section 32 in the Z direction to adjust the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the Z direction. Known techniques such as a rack and pinion mechanism or a ball screw mechanism can be applied to the movable part 342 as appropriate.

The mask support section 36 supports the mask 101. In this embodiment, the mask support section 36 supports the mask 101 so that the mask 101 is located at the center in the X direction within the chamber 45. For example, the mask support section 36 may support the mask 101 by holding the edges of the mask 101 at multiple locations.

The film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a so-called dual stage film forming apparatus 1 that can support a plurality of substrates 100A and 100B by a plurality of support units 30A and 30B. For example, while vapor deposition is being performed on the substrate 100A supported by the support unit 30A, alignment of the substrate 100 supported by the support unit 30B and the mask 101 can be performed, which makes the film formation process more efficient. can be executed. Hereinafter, the stage on the support unit 30A side may be referred to as stage A, and the stage on the support unit 30B side may be referred to as stage B.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, during film formation, approximately half of the substrate 100 is placed over the mask 101 by the support unit 30. Therefore, a suppressing plate (not shown) is appropriately provided inside the chamber 45 to suppress adhesion of the vapor deposition substance to the portion of the substrate 100 that is not overlapped with the mask 101 during film formation.

<Mobile unit>
The moving unit 20 includes an X-direction moving section 22 that moves the film-forming unit 10 in the X-direction, and a Y-direction moving section 24 that moves the film-forming unit 10 in the Y-direction.

The X-direction moving unit 22 includes a motor 221, a pinion 222 attached to a shaft member rotated by the motor 221, and a guide member 223, as components provided in the film forming unit 10. The X-direction moving unit 22 also supports a frame member 224 that supports the film forming unit 10, a rack 225 that is formed on the upper surface of the frame member 224 and engages with the pinion 222, and a guide rail 226 on which the guide member 223 slides. include. The film forming unit 10 moves in the X direction along a guide rail 226 as a pinion 222 rotates by driving a motor 221 and meshes with a rack 225 .

The Y direction moving unit 24 includes two support members 241A and 241B that extend in the Y direction and are spaced apart in the X direction. The two support members 241A and 241B support the short sides of the frame member 224 of the X-direction moving section 22. The Y-direction moving unit 24 includes a driving mechanism such as a motor and a rack-and-pinion mechanism (not shown), and moves the frame member 224 in the Y-direction with respect to the two support members 241A and 241B, thereby moving the film forming unit. 10 in the Y direction. The Y direction moving unit 24 moves the film forming unit 10 in the Y direction between a position below the substrate 100A supported by the support unit 30A and a position below the substrate 100B supported by the support unit 30B. .

<Film forming unit>
FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the film forming unit 10. The film forming unit 10 has evaporation sources 12a to 12c (hereinafter collectively referred to as evaporation sources 12, with the Y direction being the longitudinal direction and evaporation sources 12c provided in line in the X direction, and the same applies to these components etc.) )including. Although the configuration of the evaporation source 12 will be described later, in this embodiment, by providing a plurality of evaporation sources 12, one film forming unit 10 can vaporize and release a plurality of evaporation substances. The film forming unit 10 also includes a cover member 15 and a lid member 16 that cover the evaporation source 12. In this embodiment, the cover member 15 is fixed to a support stand 19 of the film forming unit 10. Details of the cover member 15 will be described later.

The film forming unit 10 also includes monitoring devices 14a to 14f (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as monitoring devices 14, and the same applies to these components), which are provided on both sides of the evaporation sources 12a to 12c in the Y direction. ). The monitoring device 14 monitors the release state of the vapor deposition material from the evaporation source 12 . In this embodiment, the monitoring devices 14a and 14d monitor the release state of the vapor deposition material from the evaporation source 12a, the monitoring devices 14b and 14e monitor the release state of the vapor deposition material from the evaporation source 12b, and the monitoring devices 14c and 14f monitor the release state of the vapor deposition material from the evaporation source 12b. monitors the release state of the evaporation material from the evaporation source 12c. Further, the monitoring devices 14a to 14c are housed in a housing 145a, and the monitoring devices 14d to 14f are housed in a housing 145b. The casings 145a and 145b are appropriately provided with openings for allowing the vapor deposition material to enter therein so that the vapor deposition material emitted from each evaporation source 12 to be monitored can reach each monitoring device 14.

The monitoring device 14 of this embodiment includes a crystal resonator (not shown) as a film thickness sensor inside the case 141. The evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 12 adheres to the crystal resonator through an introduction part (not shown) such as an opening formed in the case 141. The frequency of the crystal oscillator varies depending on the amount of deposited material. Therefore, the control unit 43 can calculate the thickness of the vapor deposition material deposited on the substrate 100 by monitoring the frequency of the crystal oscillator. Since the amount of vapor deposition material that adheres to the crystal oscillator per unit time has a correlation with the amount of vapor deposition material released from the evaporation sources 12, it is possible to monitor the release state of the vapor deposition material from a plurality of evaporation sources 12 as a result. I can do it.

Note that in this embodiment, two monitoring devices 14 are provided for one evaporation source 12, but one monitoring device 14 may be provided for one evaporation source 12. Further, the number of evaporation sources 12 and monitoring devices 14 can be changed as appropriate.

Further, the film forming unit 10 may include a shutter (not shown) that blocks the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 12 from scattering onto the substrate 100 . For example, the film forming unit 10 includes a shutter that blocks the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation sources 12a and 12b from scattering onto the substrate 100, and a shutter that blocks the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 12c from scattering onto the substrate 100. It may also have. For example, after vapor deposition is performed by the evaporation sources 12a and 12b in a state where the scattering of the evaporation material from the evaporation source 12c to the substrate 100 is blocked by a shutter (not shown), the substrate 100 is removed from the evaporation source 12a and 12b by a shutter (not shown). The vapor deposition may be performed using the evaporation source 12c in a state where scattering of the vapor deposition material to the substrate is blocked. Thereby, when the vapor deposition material emitted by the evaporation sources 12a and 12b is different from the vapor deposition material emitted by the evaporation source 12c, two layers of thin films can be formed on the substrate by one film forming unit 10. Furthermore, when the evaporation sources 12a and 12b emit different evaporation substances, co-evaporation that forms a mixed film on the substrate 100 becomes possible.

In this embodiment, the film forming unit 10 forms a film on the substrate 100 by discharging the vapor deposition material from the evaporation source 12 while moving in the X direction (moving direction) using the moving unit 20 . However, it is also possible to form a film using an evaporation source that is fixedly placed on the substrate 100 being transported.

<Evaporation source>
Next, the configuration of the evaporation source 12 will be explained. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal structure of the evaporation source 12. Note that in FIG. 4, the lid member 16 is omitted and the upper cover 152 is shown in a closed state.

Evaporation source 12 includes a container 121 having a space inside and a plate member 124. The container 121 defines an internal space including a housing space SP1 that is a space that accommodates the vapor deposition material, and a diffusion space SP2 that is a space where the vaporized vapor deposition material is diffused. Note that the space referred to here means an area partitioned by the container 121. Even if the region is filled with a substance different from the constituent members of the container 121, such as gas or liquid, it will be referred to as a space.

Container 121 includes a pair of side walls 1211 and a pair of side walls 1212. A pair of side walls 1211 define side surfaces of the accommodation space SP1 in the Y direction. A pair of side walls 1212 define the side surfaces of the diffusion space SP2 in the Y direction. Container 121 also includes a pair of connecting walls 1213. A pair of connecting walls 1213 connects a pair of side walls 1211 and a pair of side walls 1212. Specifically, one of the pair of connecting walls 1213 connects the +Y side of the pair of side walls 1211 and the pair of side walls 1212. Further, the other of the pair of connecting walls 1213 connects the −Y side of the pair of side walls 1211 and the pair of side walls 1212. Furthermore, the pair of connecting walls 1213 connects the upper ends of the pair of side walls 1211 and the lower ends of the pair of side walls 1212. In this embodiment, since the pair of side walls 1212 are provided between the pair of side walls 1211 in the Y direction, the pair of connecting walls 1213 are provided to extend from the pair of side walls 1211 to the inside of the container 121 in the Y direction.

With such a configuration, the container 121 forms an internal space such that a diffusion space SP2 having a narrower width in the Y direction than the accommodation space SP1 is provided on the upper surface of the accommodation space SP1. Here, by increasing the width of the accommodation space SP1, it is possible to increase the amount of vapor deposition material that can be accommodated. On the other hand, when the width of the diffusion space SP2 is widened, the nozzle 122 is placed further outside in the Y direction (width direction of the substrate 100), and at a large angle with respect to the normal direction of the deposition surface of the substrate 100. The deposition material will scatter toward the substrate 100. In this case, there is a possibility that the vapor deposition substance may enter between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In this embodiment, by configuring the accommodation space SP1 to be relatively wide and the diffusion space SP2 to be relatively narrow, the amount of evaporation material to be accommodated can be increased, and the evaporation material can be spread between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. It prevents it from getting in between.

The container 121 also includes a bottom wall 1214 that defines the bottom surface of the storage space SP1, a top wall 1215 that defines the top surface of the diffusion space SP2, a pair of side walls 1216 that define the side surfaces of the storage space SP1 in the X direction, and a diffusion space SP2. includes a pair of side walls 1217 defining side surfaces in the X direction. The configuration described above has an inverted T-shape as a whole in the direction shown in FIG. 4 .

In the accommodation space SP1, a plurality of partition members 126 are provided spaced apart in the Y direction. Each partition member 126 is provided so as to be connected to the bottom wall 1214 and the side wall 1216. Each section partitioned by the plurality of partition members 126 is configured to function as a storage section for accommodating the vapor deposition material. In this embodiment, the four partition members 126 form five housing parts in the housing space SP1. By providing a plurality of accommodating parts in the accommodating space SP1, even if there is uneven heating of the evaporation material by the heater 129, which will be described later, and there is variation in the amount of the evaporation material being reduced in the Y direction, the deposition on the substrate 100 can be easily performed. Unevenness can be suppressed. In the present embodiment, the plurality of accommodating portions formed in the accommodating space SP1 are formed to have equal sizes, but the sizes of the accommodating portions may be different.

Further, a plurality of nozzles 122 are formed on the upper wall 1215. The vapor deposition substance diffused in the diffusion space SP2 is discharged from the plurality of nozzles 122 onto the substrate 100. The plurality of nozzles 122 are provided spaced apart in the Y direction. Further, among the plurality of nozzles 122, the nozzles arranged on the outer side in the Y direction are provided so that their axial directions are inclined outward in the Y direction with respect to the Z direction. With this configuration, the deposition material can be deposited over the entire width of the substrate 100.

The plate member 124 is a member that partitions the accommodation space SP1 and the diffusion space SP2 inside the container 121. In this embodiment, the plate member 124 divides the internal space formed by the container 121 into upper and lower sections. That is, due to the plate member 124, the lower space of the internal space of the container 121 serves as a storage space SP1, and the upper space serves as a diffusion space SP2.

Furthermore, an opening 1241 is formed in the plate member 124 through which the vaporized deposition material passes. In this embodiment, when the vapor deposition material contained in the storage space SP1 is vaporized, it passes through the opening 1241 and enters the diffusion space SP2. That is, the plate-like member 124 is configured to partition the interior space of the container 121 into a plurality of spaces, while allowing the vaporized deposition substance to move between the spaces. In this embodiment, the plate-like member 124 is composed of one flat plate, but the shape etc. of the plate-like member 124 can be changed as appropriate.

Further, the plate member 124 is provided with an extension portion 125 that surrounds the opening 1241 and extends from the plate member 124 . In this embodiment, the extending portion 125 extends from the plate member 124 to the accommodation space SP1. The extending portion 125 rectifies the vaporized deposition material moving from the accommodation space SP1 to the diffusion space SP2. This makes it easier for the vaporized deposition substance to diffuse homogeneously in the diffusion space SP2. Further, since the extending portion 125 is provided on the plate member 124 that partitions the inside of the container 121, it is possible to suppress the container 121 from increasing in size in the vertical direction. Specifically, in this embodiment, the upper surface of the accommodation space SP1 and the lower surface of the diffusion space SP2 are in contact with each other via the plate-like member 124. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the accommodation space SP1 and the diffusion space SP2 are provided with an interval, the accommodation space SP1 and the diffusion space SP2 are arranged more compactly in the vertical direction, and the vapor deposition material is rectified by the extension part 125. can be introduced into the diffusion space SP2.

In this embodiment, the extending portion 125 has a cylindrical shape. The shape of the extending portion 125 can be changed as appropriate, but the extending portion 125 may have a cylindrical shape with a circular, elliptical, or polygonal cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. good. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the extending portion 125 extends downward from the plate member 124, that is, toward the accommodation space SP1, but the extending portion 125 extends upward from the plate member 124, that is, toward the diffusion space SP2. You can take it out. Alternatively, the extending portion 125 may extend upwardly and downwardly from the plate member 124. Further, in this embodiment, the edge portion of the plate member 124 that forms the opening 1241 and the extension portion 125 are continuous. That is, the opening 1241 and the hollow portion of the extending portion 125 are configured to have the same inner diameter. However, a configuration in which the opening 1241 is smaller than the inner diameter of the extending portion 125 can also be adopted. That is, the edge portion forming the opening 1241 of the plate member 124 may overlap the hollow portion of the extension portion 125.

Further, the length of the extension portion 125 extending from the plate-like member 124 can also be set as appropriate. For example, the length of the extending portion 125 may be 5 to 120 mm, 10 mm to 100 mm, 15 mm to 35 mm, 20 to 30 mm, etc. Furthermore, the length of the extending portion 125 may be 25 mm. Further, for example, the length of the extending portion 125 may be set based on the positional relationship with the partition member 126. For example, the length of the extending portion 125 may be set within a range in which the extending portion 125 and the partition member 126 do not overlap in the Z direction.

Further, the shape of the opening 1241 can also be changed as appropriate like the extension part 125, and may be circular, elliptical, or polygonal. Further, the shape of the opening 1241 may be set based on the relationship between the lengths in the X direction (movement direction of the substrate 100) and the Y direction (width direction of the substrate 100). For example, if the length of the opening 1241 in the X direction is a and the length in the Y direction is b, the shape of the opening 1241 may be set so that length a<length b. That is, the shape of the opening 1241 may be set to be longer in the Y direction. In this case, it is possible to stabilize the amount of vapor deposition material that moves from the accommodation space SP1 to the diffusion space SP2. On the other hand, the shape of the opening 1241 may be set so that length a>length b. That is, the shape of the opening 1241 may be set to be longer in the X direction. In this case, unevenness in film formation in the Y direction can be suppressed.

Further, in this embodiment, the opening 1241 is provided between the plurality of partition members 126 in the Y direction. That is, the partition member 126 is provided so as to avoid being directly under the opening 1241. Thereby, the uniformity of film formation on the substrate 100 can be improved. Furthermore, the internal configuration of the container 121 may be configured symmetrically in the direction shown in FIG. 4 with the opening 1241 as the center. Thereby, the uniformity of film formation on the substrate 100 can be improved.

Further, as described above, the container 121 is covered with the cover member 15. Although the cover member 15 will be described later, in this embodiment, a heater 129 for heating the vapor deposition substance is provided between the cover member 15 composed of a lower cover 151 and an upper cover 152 and the container 121. Specifically, the heater 129 is provided between the lower cover 151 and the side wall 1211, bottom wall 1214, and side wall 1216. Further, a heater 129 is also provided between the upper cover 152 and the side wall 1212. As the heater 129, a known technique can be adopted as appropriate, but for example, the heater 129 may be constructed by embedding a heating wire in a metal plate. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the heaters 129 are attached to each wall of the container 121, respectively. Note that the arrangement of the heater 129 may be changed as appropriate. As in this embodiment, the heater 129 may be provided so as to be able to heat both the wall forming the accommodation space SP1 and the wall forming the diffusion space SP2, or it may be possible to heat one of these walls. The heater 129 may be provided as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a cooling pipe 154 for cooling the cover member 15 is provided inside the cover member 15 . The cooling pipe 154 is a pipe through which cooling water can pass, and is connected to a heat radiation section (not shown). The cooling water circulates between the cooling pipe 154 and the heat radiation section, absorbs heat from the cover member 15 when passing through the cooling pipe 154, and radiates the absorbed heat in the heat radiation section. The evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 12, and more specifically, the organic material, may have its light emitting characteristics changed due to the influence of heat. Therefore, by suppressing the heat of the heater 129 from being radiated to the outside of the cover member 15 by the cooling pipe 154, it is possible to reduce the influence of the heat of the evaporation source 12 on the characteristics of the vapor deposited substance. Although the cooling pipe 154 is provided only inside the lower cover 151 in FIG. 4, the cooling pipe 154 may also be provided inside the upper cover 152.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view for explaining the structure of the container 121 and the plate member 124. In this embodiment, the container 121 is configured to be separable into a lower part 121a and an upper part 121b. Further, the plate member 124 is provided separately from the lower part 121a and the upper part 121b. The lower part 121a, the upper part 121b, and the plate member 124 can be assembled and disassembled using fastening members such as bolts.

The lower part 121a includes a side wall 1211, a bottom wall 1214, and a side wall 1216. Further, the upper part 121b includes a side wall 1212, a top wall 1215, and a side wall 1217. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the side wall 1211 and the side wall 1216 as the peripheral wall portion defining the outer peripheral surface of the accommodation space SP1 are separable from the side wall 1212 and the side wall 1217 as the peripheral wall portion defining the outer peripheral surface of the diffusion space SP2. It is composed of Therefore, both the accommodation space SP1 and the diffusion space SP2 can be easily accessed when replenishing the vapor deposition material or performing maintenance.

In the present embodiment, the plate member 124 includes a peripheral wall portion (side wall 1211 and side wall 1216) that defines the outer peripheral surface of the accommodation space SP1, and a peripheral wall portion (side wall 1212 and side wall 1216) that defines the outer peripheral surface of the diffusion space SP2. 1217) and is provided separately. Therefore, maintenance of the inside of the container 121 can be easily performed. Note that the term "separately provided" as used herein may mean, for example, that the parts are provided so that they can be separated from each other by an operator releasing bolts or the like during maintenance or the like.

On the other hand, the plate member 124 may be formed integrally with a peripheral wall portion (side wall 1212 and side wall 1217) that defines the outer peripheral surface of the diffusion space SP2. By integrally forming these, the thermal conductivity of the container 121 and the plate member 124 is improved, and the heating efficiency by the heater 129 can be improved.

In addition, in this embodiment, the side wall 1212 and the connection wall 1213 are connected and provided in the upper part 121b, but the connection wall 1213 may be omitted in the upper part 121b. In this case, a portion of the plate-shaped member 124 that is outside the side wall 1212 in the Y direction may function as a connection wall that connects the side wall 1211 and the side wall 1212.

<Cover member>
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the evaporation source 12, the cover member 15, and the lid member 16. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the evaporation source 12 and the cover member 15. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the lid member 16 is removed from the state shown in FIG. 6 and the cover member 15 is opened.

In this embodiment, the three containers 121 are substantially entirely covered by the cover member 15 and the lid member 16. Specifically, the lower cover 151 covers the side wall 1211, the bottom wall 1214, the side wall 1216, and the side wall 1217, the upper cover 152 covers the side wall 1212 and the connecting wall 1213, and the lid member 16 covers the upper wall 1215.

Further, the upper cover 152 is rotatably supported by a rotating portion 153 with respect to the lower cover 151. For example, the rotating portion 153 includes a shaft member that is connected to the upper cover 152 and whose axial direction is in the X direction, and a bearing member that rotatably supports this shaft member. With this configuration, the upper cover 152 can be opened and closed between a closed position (FIG. 6) in which it covers at least the connection wall 1213 and an open position (FIG. 7) in which the connection wall 1213 is exposed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the open position of the upper cover 152 is set so that the container 121 can be taken out from the lower cover 151 in the Z direction. That is, the open position is set so that the upper cover 152 in the open position and the container 121 partially covered by the lower cover 151 do not overlap in plan view. Thereby, the container 121 can be easily taken out from the cover member 15 in the Z direction.

In this embodiment, as the upper cover 152 opens and closes with respect to the lower cover 151, the heater 129 attached to the upper cover 152 also opens and closes together with the upper cover 152. Therefore, while the cover member 15 is configured to be openable and closable, the heater 129 can be installed on more surfaces of the container 121.

Note that the upper cover 152 only needs to cover at least the connection wall 1213, and the side wall 1212 may be covered by the lid member 16 instead of the upper cover 152. Even in this case, the container 121 can be taken out from the cover member 15 by removing the lid member 16 and opening the upper cover 152. Alternatively, the upper cover 152 may cover at least a portion of the upper wall 1215 or the side wall 1217, and the lid member 16 may be omitted. Moreover, each member of the lower cover 151, the upper cover 152, and the lid member 16 may be divided as appropriate.

<Method for manufacturing electronic devices>
Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described. The configuration and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be illustrated below as an example of an electronic device. In this example, a plurality of film forming apparatuses 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 are provided on a production line.

First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be explained. FIG. 8(A) is an overall view of the organic EL display device 50, and FIG. 8(B) is a view showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

As shown in FIG. 8A, in the display area 51 of the organic EL display device 50, a plurality of pixels 52 each including a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a matrix. Although details will be explained later, each light emitting element has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes.

Note that the pixel herein refers to the smallest unit that can display a desired color in the display area 51. In the case of a color organic EL display device, a pixel 52 is configured by a combination of a plurality of sub-pixels including a first light-emitting element 52R, a second light-emitting element 52G, and a third light-emitting element 52B that emit different light emissions. The pixel 52 is often composed of a combination of three types of subpixels: a red (R) light emitting element, a green (G) light emitting element, and a blue (B) light emitting element, but is not limited thereto. The pixel 52 only needs to include at least one type of subpixel, preferably two or more types of subpixels, and more preferably three or more types of subpixels. The subpixels constituting the pixel 52 may be, for example, a combination of four types of subpixels: a red (R) light emitting element, a green (G) light emitting element, a blue (B) light emitting element, and a yellow (Y) light emitting element.

FIG. 8(B) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line AB in FIG. 8(A). The pixel 52 includes, on a substrate 53, a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, one of a red layer 56R, a green layer 56G, and a blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode. It has a plurality of sub-pixels each made of an organic EL element including an electrode (cathode) 58. Among these, the hole transport layer 55, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, the blue layer 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to organic layers. The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to light emitting elements (sometimes referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue, respectively.

Further, the first electrode 54 is formed separately for each light emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, the electron transport layer 57, and the second electrode 58 may be formed in common across the plurality of light emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. That is, as shown in FIG. 8B, a hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer over a plurality of subpixel regions, and a red layer 56R, a green layer 56G, and a blue layer 56B are formed separately for each subpixel region. Further, an electron transport layer 57 and a second electrode 58 may be formed as a common layer over a plurality of sub-pixel regions.

Note that an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54 in order to prevent short circuits between adjacent first electrodes 54 . Furthermore, since the organic EL layer is degraded by moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 60 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen.

In FIG. 8B, the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are shown as one layer, but depending on the structure of the organic EL display element, they may be formed as multiple layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer. may be done. Further, an energy band structure is provided between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55 so that holes can be smoothly injected from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55. Alternatively, a hole injection layer may be formed. Similarly, an electron injection layer may also be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

Each of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B may be formed of a single light emitting layer, or may be formed by laminating a plurality of layers. For example, the red layer 56R may be composed of two layers, with the upper layer being a red light-emitting layer and the lower layer being a hole transport layer or an electron blocking layer. Alternatively, the lower layer may be formed of a red light emitting layer, and the upper layer may be formed of an electron transport layer or a hole blocking layer. Providing a layer below or above the light emitting layer in this manner has the effect of improving the color purity of the light emitting element by adjusting the light emitting position in the light emitting layer and adjusting the optical path length.

Note that although an example of the red layer 56R is shown here, a similar structure may be adopted for the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B. Further, the number of layers may be two or more. Furthermore, layers of different materials may be laminated, such as a light-emitting layer and an electronic block layer, or layers of the same material may be laminated, such as a layer of two or more light-emitting layers.

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described. Here, it is assumed that the red layer 56R is composed of two layers, a lower layer 56R1 and an upper layer 56R2, and the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B are composed of a single light emitting layer.

First, a substrate 53 on which a circuit (not shown) for driving an organic EL display device and a first electrode 54 are formed is prepared. Note that the material of the substrate 53 is not particularly limited, and may be made of glass, plastic, metal, or the like. In this embodiment, as the substrate 53, a substrate in which a polyimide film is laminated on a glass substrate is used.

A resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is coated by bar coating or spin coating on the substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed, and an opening is formed in the portion where the first electrode 54 is formed by applying a lithography method to the resin layer. The insulating layer 59 is formed by patterning to form an insulating layer 59. This opening corresponds to the light emitting region where the light emitting element actually emits light. Note that in this embodiment, the large substrate is processed until the formation of the insulating layer 59, and after the formation of the insulating layer 59, a dividing step of dividing the substrate 53 is performed.

The substrate 53 on which the insulating layer 59 has been patterned is carried into the first film forming apparatus 1, and the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on the first electrode 54 in the display area. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask in which an opening is formed for each display area 51 that will eventually become a panel portion of each organic EL display device.

Next, the substrate 53 on which up to the hole transport layer 55 has been formed is carried into the second film forming apparatus 1. The substrate 53 and the mask are aligned, the substrate is placed on the mask, and the portion of the substrate 53 on the hole transport layer 55 where the element that emits red color is arranged (the area where the red sub-pixel is formed) Then, a red layer 56R is formed. Here, the mask used in the second film-forming chamber is a mask with openings formed only in a plurality of regions that will become red subpixels among a plurality of regions on the substrate 53 that will become subpixels of the organic EL display device. It is a fine mask. As a result, the red layer 56R including the red light-emitting layer is formed only in the area that will become the red subpixel among the plurality of areas on the substrate 53 that will become the subpixel. In other words, the red layer 56R is not deposited on a region that becomes a blue subpixel or a region that becomes a green subpixel among the plurality of subpixel regions on the substrate 53; The film is selectively formed in the area where

Similarly to the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G is formed in the third film formation apparatus 1, and the blue layer 56B is further formed in the fourth film formation apparatus 1. After the deposition of the red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B is completed, the electron transport layer 57 is deposited over the entire display area 51 in the fifth film deposition apparatus 1. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a layer common to the three color layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

The substrate on which up to the electron transport layer 57 has been formed is moved to the sixth film forming apparatus 1, and the second electrode 58 is formed into a film. In this embodiment, each layer is formed by vacuum evaporation in the first film forming apparatus 1 to the sixth film forming apparatus 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the second electrode 58 may be formed by sputtering in the sixth film forming apparatus 1. Thereafter, the substrate on which up to the second electrode 58 has been formed is moved to a sealing device, and a protective layer 60 is formed by plasma CVD (sealing step), thereby completing the organic EL display device 50. In addition, although the protective layer 60 is formed by the CVD method here, it is not limited to this, and may be formed by the ALD method or the inkjet method.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Film forming apparatus, 10: Film forming unit, 12: Evaporation source, 121: Container, 124: Plate member, 125: Extension part, 15: Cover member, 151: Lower cover, 152: Upper cover, 100: Substrate, 101: Mask, SP1: Accommodation space, SP2: Diffusion space

Claims (16)

A film forming apparatus that vaporizes a deposition substance to form a film on a substrate,
A container having an accommodation space for containing a solid or liquid vapor deposition material and a diffusion space for the vaporized vapor deposition material to diffuse;
a plate-like member that partitions the accommodation space and the diffusion space inside the container and is formed with an opening through which the vaporized deposition material passes;
an extending portion surrounding the opening and extending from the plate-like member ;
The container includes a first peripheral wall portion that defines an outer peripheral surface of the accommodation space, and a second peripheral wall portion that defines an outer peripheral surface of the diffusion space,
the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion are separable ;
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The plate-like member is formed integrally with the second peripheral wall portion,
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The plate-like member is provided separately from the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion,
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
further comprising a partition member that partitions the storage space into a plurality of storage sections each accommodating a vapor deposition material;
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4 ,
A plurality of the partition members are provided spaced apart in a first direction,
The extending portion is provided between two adjacent partition members in the first direction.
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
further comprising a cover member that covers the container;
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. 7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 6 ,
further comprising a heater that is provided between the container and the cover member and heats the vapor deposition material;
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. 7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 6 ,
A water cooling pipe is provided inside the cover member.
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8,
The cover member includes a lower cover that covers the first peripheral wall and an upper cover that covers the second peripheral wall.
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to claim 9,
The upper cover is rotatably supported by a rotating part with respect to the lower cover, and is between a closed position that covers the second peripheral wall part and an open position that exposes the second peripheral wall part. Configured to be openable and closable.
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 ,
The container is provided with a plurality of nozzles that are arranged along a second direction and discharge the vapor deposition material diffused in the diffusion space.
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to claim 11 ,
The film forming apparatus performs film forming while moving an evaporation source including at least the container, the plate-like member, and the extension part in a moving direction with respect to the substrate;
the second direction is a direction intersecting the movement direction;
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12 ,
The accommodation space and the diffusion space are in contact with each other via the plate-like member,
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. The film forming apparatus according to claim 11 or 12,
further comprising a connection wall connecting the second peripheral wall part and the first peripheral wall part,
The width of the diffusion space in the second direction is smaller than the width of the accommodation space in the second direction.
A film forming apparatus characterized by the following. A film forming step of forming a film on a substrate using the film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14 ,
A film forming method characterized by the following. An evaporation source for vaporizing a deposition substance to form a film on a substrate,
a container that forms a storage space for accommodating a vapor deposition material and a diffusion space for diffusing the vaporized vapor deposition material;
a plate-like member that partitions the accommodation space and the diffusion space inside the container and is formed with an opening through which the vaporized deposition material passes;
an extending portion surrounding the opening and extending from the plate-like member ;
The container includes a first peripheral wall portion that defines an outer peripheral surface of the accommodation space, and a second peripheral wall portion that defines an outer peripheral surface of the diffusion space,
the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion are separable ;
An evaporation source characterized by:

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