JPWO2012046672A1 - Film forming apparatus and film forming material supply method - Google Patents

Abstract

A film forming apparatus capable of suppressing temperature rise and temperature rise inside the steam generating section and performing precise temperature control. A film forming apparatus that performs a film forming process on a glass substrate G, a processing chamber 5 that houses the glass substrate G, a vapor generating unit 1 that generates a vapor of the film forming material by heating the film forming material, and a vapor A transport path 21 for transporting the vapor of the film forming material generated in the generator 1 to the processing chamber 5 together with the transport gas, an exhaust path 22, an adjustment valve device 31 provided in the middle of the transport path, and an exhaust path 22, an exhaust valve device 32, a material temperature detection unit 64 that detects the temperature of the steam generation unit 1, a first steam amount detection unit 23, and a steam generation unit when heating the film forming material In the case where the opening / closing operation of the exhaust valve device 32 is controlled according to the level of the temperature 1 and the film forming material is transferred to the processing chamber, when the vapor amount detected by the first vapor amount detection unit 23 is stable, A control unit 8 for closing the exhaust valve device 32 and opening the regulating valve device 31; That.

Description

  The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus for forming a film by heating the film forming material to generate a vapor of the film forming material and supplying the vapor to a substrate to be processed by a carrier gas, and a film forming material supply Regarding the method.

  An organic EL (Electro Luminescence) film forming apparatus is configured to heat a vapor of the organic film forming material by heating the organic film forming material to a high temperature, e.g. A steam generation unit is provided. The vapor | steam of the organic film-forming material produced | generated in the vapor | steam generation part is conveyed to a process chamber with carrier gas through a conveyance path. The processing chamber is provided with a blowing mechanism that blows out the vapor of the organic film forming material transferred through the transfer path toward the glass substrate accommodated in the processing chamber. An opening / closing valve for opening and closing the conveyance path is provided in the middle of the conveyance path. By controlling the opening / closing valve, the start and end of film formation by supplying steam to the glass substrate is controlled.

JP 2008-38225 A

By the way, in order to control the film forming amount and film forming rate of the organic film forming material, precise temperature control of the organic film forming material is required. Specifically, it is required to control the temperature of the organic film forming material with an accuracy of ± 0.1 ° C. However, when the organic film-forming material in the vapor generating part reaches the evaporation temperature, the vapor concentration of the organic film-forming material gradually increases. Precise temperature control becomes difficult. In order to suppress such pressure rise and temperature rise and enable precise temperature control, that is, film thickness control, proper operation of the organic EL film forming apparatus is necessary, but a specific method is disclosed. It has not been.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. When heating a film forming material, the steam generation is performed by controlling the opening / closing operation of the on / off valve according to the temperature, the amount of steam, and the like of the steam generating unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a film forming apparatus and a film forming material supply method capable of efficiently heating a film forming material while suppressing an increase in pressure and temperature inside the unit and performing precise temperature control.

  In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, a processing chamber that accommodates a substrate to be processed, a vapor generating unit that generates vapor of the film forming material by heating the film forming material, and the vapor generating unit Provided in the middle of the transport path, a transport path for transporting the vapor of the film forming material to the processing chamber together with a transport gas, an exhaust path for exhausting the vapor of the film forming material generated in the steam generating section A film-forming apparatus comprising: a first on-off valve that opens and closes the transport path; and a second on-off valve that is provided in the middle of the exhaust path and opens and closes the exhaust path. Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the generating part, steam amount detecting means for detecting the vapor amount of the film forming material conveyed from the steam generating part, and when the film forming material is heated, the temperature detecting means detects The opening / closing operation of the second opening / closing valve is controlled according to the temperature level. And a control means for controlling the opening / closing operation of the first and second on-off valves according to the amount of vapor detected by the vapor amount detecting means when transporting the film forming material to the processing chamber. To do.

  In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the vapor generating section heats the film forming material to a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature, and the control means detects the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means as the predetermined temperature. When the temperature is lower than the temperature, the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature when the temperature of the first and second on-off valves is controlled to be closed and when the temperature of the steam generator is increased. And means for controlling the second on-off valve to an open state.

  In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the predetermined temperature is a temperature equal to or lower than an evaporation temperature of the film forming material.

  In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the film forming material is an organic film forming material, and the predetermined temperature is 250 ° C. or lower.

  In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the temperature of the conveyance path on the downstream side of the first on-off valve is equal to or higher than the temperature of the first on-off valve, and the temperature of the first on-off valve is the first on-off valve. Means for heating the transport path and the first on-off valve so as to be equal to or higher than the temperature of the transport path on the upstream side.

  The film forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an upstream heating unit that heats the transport path on the upstream side of the first on-off valve, the first on-off valve, and the transport path on the downstream side of the first on-off valve, Valve heating means, downstream heating means, upstream for detecting the temperature of the conveyance path upstream of the first on-off valve, the first on-off valve, and the conveyance path downstream of the first on-off valve, respectively Side temperature detection means, valve temperature detection means, downstream temperature detection means, and the temperature of the conveyance path on the downstream side of the first on-off valve is equal to or higher than the temperature of the first on-off valve, and the first on-off valve Means for controlling the operation of the upstream heating means, the valve heating means and the downstream heating means so that the temperature of the upstream side becomes equal to or higher than the temperature of the conveying path on the upstream side of the first on-off valve. And

  The film forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a blowing mechanism for blowing the vapor of the film forming material transferred through the transfer path toward the substrate to be processed accommodated in the processing chamber, and the blowing mechanism is configured to have the transfer path. And a shutter for closing the opening so as to be openable and closable.

  A film forming material supply method according to the present invention includes a processing chamber that accommodates a substrate to be processed, a vapor generating unit that generates vapor of the film forming material by heating the film forming material, and generated in the vapor generating unit. A transport path for transporting the vapor of the deposited film material together with a transport gas to the processing chamber, an exhaust path for exhausting the vapor of the film deposition material generated in the steam generation section, and a middle of the transport path The film forming apparatus includes a first on-off valve that opens and closes the transport path and a second on-off valve that is provided in the middle of the exhaust path and opens and closes the exhaust path. A film forming material supply method for heating a film material, wherein the temperature of the steam generation unit is detected, and when the detected temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the first and second on-off valves are closed. When the film forming material is heated and the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, The first open / close valve is opened to heat the film forming material, the vapor amount of the film forming material conveyed from the vapor generating unit is detected, and the first and second open / closed states are determined according to the detected vapor amount. It is characterized by controlling the opening / closing operation of the valve.

  A film forming material supply method according to the present invention includes a processing chamber that accommodates a substrate to be processed, a plurality of vapor generating units that generate vapor of the film forming material by heating the film forming material, and the plurality of vapors. A plurality of transport paths for transporting the vapor of the film-forming material generated in the generation unit to the processing chamber together with a transport gas; and a plurality of channels for exhausting the vapor of the film-forming material generated in the plurality of vapor generation units And a plurality of first on-off valves that open and close the transport path, and a plurality of first on-off valves that are provided in the middle of the exhaust path and open and close the exhaust path. A film-forming material supply method for heating a film-forming material using a film-forming apparatus having two open / close valves, wherein the temperature of the first steam generation unit is detected, and the detected temperature is less than a predetermined temperature The first on-off valve related to the first steam generator is closed. When the material is heated and the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the second on-off valve related to the first steam generation unit is opened to heat the film forming material, and the first steam generation Detecting a vapor amount of the film forming material conveyed from the unit, and controlling an opening / closing operation of the first and second on-off valves related to the first vapor generation unit according to the detected vapor amount, When the temperature of the steam generating part is detected and the detected temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the first on-off valve related to the second steam generating part is closed and the film forming material is heated and detected. When the measured temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the film forming material is heated by opening the second on-off valve related to the second steam generation unit, and conveyed from the second steam generation unit. The amount of vapor of the film material is detected, and the first vapor generation unit according to the detected amount of vapor 1-off valve as well as in the closed state, and controlling the opening and closing operation of the second of said first and second on-off valve according to the steam generating unit.

  In the present invention, the temperature detection unit detects the temperature of the steam generation unit, and the control unit controls the opening / closing operation of the second on-off valve in accordance with the temperature of the steam generation unit. When the second on-off valve is in the open state, the vapor of the film forming material generated in the steam generation unit can be discharged out of the steam generation unit. Film formation can be started in a stable state. When the second on-off valve is in the closed state, the film forming material is efficiently heated in the steam generation unit.

In the present invention, the film-forming material is heated to a temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature in the vapor generating section. When the temperature of the steam generating unit is lower than the predetermined temperature, the first and second on-off valves are kept closed. When the steam generating part is lower than the predetermined temperature, the pressure rise and temperature rise in the steam generating part due to evaporation of the film forming material are not a problem, so it is precise even when the first and second on-off valves are closed. Temperature control is possible. Moreover, it is possible to efficiently heat the film forming material by closing the first and second on-off valves.
When the temperature of the steam generating unit is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the second on-off valve is opened. When the second on-off valve is in the open state, the vapor of the film forming material generated in the steam generation unit can be discharged until the desired amount of steam is stabilized. It can be suppressed.

  In the present invention, the predetermined temperature is equal to or lower than the evaporation temperature of the film forming material. Therefore, by opening and closing the second on-off valve in accordance with the predetermined temperature, it is possible to effectively suppress an increase in pressure and temperature in the vapor generation unit due to evaporation of the film forming material.

  In the present invention, the film forming material is an organic film forming material, and the predetermined temperature is 250 ° C. or lower. 250 ° C. is a lower limit value of the evaporation temperature of the organic film forming material. Therefore, by opening and closing the second on-off valve according to the predetermined temperature, an increase in pressure and temperature inside the steam generation unit due to evaporation of the organic film forming material can be effectively suppressed.

  In the present invention, the downstream temperature of the transport path is equal to or higher than the temperature of the first on-off valve, and the temperature of the first open / close valve is equal to or higher than the upstream temperature of the transport path. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the film forming material from condensing on the transport path and the first on-off valve.

  In the present invention, the temperatures of the transport path upstream of the first on-off valve, the first on-off valve, and the transport path downstream of the first on-off valve are upstream temperature detection means, valve temperature detection means, and It is detected by the downstream temperature detecting means. The temperature of the conveying path on the downstream side of the first on-off valve is equal to or higher than the temperature of the first on-off valve, and the temperature of the first on-off valve is equal to or higher than the temperature of the conveying path on the upstream side of the first on-off valve. In addition, the operations of the upstream heating means, the valve heating means and the downstream heating means are controlled. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the film forming material from condensing on the transport path and the first on-off valve.

  In the present invention, the vapor of the film forming material transferred through the transfer path is supplied to the blowing mechanism and blown out to the substrate to be processed. The blow-out mechanism includes a retention chamber that retains vapor of the film forming material conveyed through the conveyance path, and the opening of the retention chamber can be opened and closed by a shutter. Therefore, even when the on-off valve is opened when the film forming material is heated, the opening is closed by the shutter so that the vapor of the film forming material is not blown into the processing chamber before the film forming process.

  In the present invention, the vapor generating section that generates the vapor of the film forming material can be quickly switched, and the film forming material can be exchanged without interrupting the film forming process.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently heat the film forming material while suppressing the pressure rise and temperature rise inside the steam generating section, and precise temperature control can be performed. In addition, precise film thickness control by deposition of a film forming material on a substrate to be processed can be performed by precise temperature control.

It is explanatory drawing which showed notionally the structure of the film-forming apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment 1. FIG. It is the flowchart which showed the process sequence of the control part which concerns on the heating and conveyance of organic film-forming material. It is the flowchart which showed the process sequence of the control part which concerns on the heating and conveyance of organic film-forming material. It is the flowchart which showed the process sequence of the control part which concerns on temperature control, such as a conveyance path and an adjustment valve apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which showed notionally the structure of the film-forming apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a six-layer continuous film forming apparatus according to a third embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the film-forming unit which concerns on this Embodiment 3. FIG. It is sectional drawing of the steam generation part which concerns on this Embodiment 3. It is a schematic diagram of the organic EL element formed with the film-forming apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment 3. FIG. It is sectional drawing of the steam generation part which concerns on this Embodiment 3, and a conveyance path. It is sectional drawing of the regulating valve apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment 3. It is the graph which showed the result of having detected the leak amount using the regulating valve apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment 3. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which showed notionally the structure of the film-forming apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment 4.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. The film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention accommodates a glass substrate G and performs a film forming process on the glass substrate (substrate to be processed) G, and each configuration of the film forming apparatus. And a control unit 8 for controlling the operation of the unit. The processing chamber 5 has a hollow, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with the conveyance direction of the glass substrate G as a longitudinal direction, and is made of aluminum, stainless steel, or the like. An inlet (not shown) for carrying the glass substrate G into the processing chamber 5 is formed on the surface on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the processing chamber 5 (left end surface in FIG. 1). On the right end surface of 1, an unillustrated unloading port for unloading the glass substrate G out of the processing chamber 5 is formed. In addition, an exhaust hole is formed at an appropriate location of the storage chamber, and a vacuum pump disposed outside the processing chamber 5 is connected to the exhaust hole via an exhaust pipe. By driving the vacuum pump, the inside of the processing chamber 5 is depressurized to a predetermined pressure, for example, 10 ⁻⁴ Pa to 10 ⁻² Pa. The operation of the vacuum pump is controlled by the control unit 8. Further, a purge gas supply pipe (not shown) for supplying a purge gas (for example, nitrogen gas) for releasing to the atmosphere may be connected to the processing chamber 5.
A transfer device for transferring the glass substrate G from the carry-in port to the carry-out port is installed at the bottom inside the processing chamber 5. The transfer device includes a guide rail provided at the bottom of the processing chamber 5 along the longitudinal direction, a moving member guided by the guide rail so as to be movable in the transfer direction, that is, the longitudinal direction, It is provided in the upper end part, and is provided with the support stand which supports the glass substrate G so that it may become substantially parallel with respect to a bottom part. An electrostatic chuck for holding the glass substrate G, a heater for keeping the temperature of the glass substrate G constant, a refrigerant tube, and the like are provided inside the support base. The support base is configured to be moved by a linear motor. The operation of the linear motor is controlled by the control unit 8.

  In addition, a blowing mechanism 4 for forming a film on the glass substrate G by a vacuum deposition method is provided in the upper part of the processing chamber 5 and in the substantially central part in the transport direction. The blowing mechanism 4 is a mechanism unit that blows out vapor of an organic film forming material (film forming material) transferred through a transfer path 21 described later toward the glass substrate G accommodated in the processing chamber 5. The blowing mechanism 4 is connected to a vapor generation unit 1 disposed outside the processing chamber 5 via a conveyance path 21, and the vapor of the organic film forming material conveyed from the vapor generation unit 1 through the conveyance path 21. A residence chamber 41 for temporarily retaining is provided. The residence chamber 41 is, for example, a hollow substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and an opening 42 for blowing out the vapor of the organic film forming material staying in the residence chamber 41 is provided on the lower surface of the residence chamber 41. The blowing mechanism 4 includes a shutter 43 that closes the opening 42 so that the opening 42 can be opened and closed. The shutter 43 is configured to reciprocate between an open position where the opening 42 is opened and a closed position where the opening 42 is closed, and is driven by a shutter driving unit (not shown). The operation of the shutter driving unit is controlled by the control unit 8.

The steam generation unit 1 includes, for example, a stainless steel container and a heating mechanism disposed inside the container. The heating mechanism has a container-shaped portion capable of accommodating the organic film forming material of each layer constituting the organic EL element, and is configured to heat the organic film forming material by a current generated by electric power supplied from a power source. Yes. The organic film forming material is, for example, a metal complex such as an aluminum complex (Alq ₃ ), a low molecular dye-containing polymer such as polyvinyl carbazole, or a π-conjugated polymer. The organic film forming material is heated by, for example, an electric resistor embedded in a container. In this way, the organic film forming material stored in the heating mechanism is heated to generate vapor of the organic film forming material. The container is connected to a carrier gas supply pipe 91 that supplies a carrier gas made of an inert gas, for example, a rare gas such as Ar, to the glass substrate G, and is supplied from the carrier gas supply pipe 91 to the container. Along with the transported gas, the vapor of the organic film forming material is supplied from the steam generation unit 1 to the blowing mechanism 4 via the transport path 21. In the middle of the carrier gas supply pipe 91, a carrier gas supply adjusting valve 92 for adjusting the amount of carrier gas supplied is provided. For example, the control unit controls the internal pressure of the carrier path 21 to 300 Pa or less. 8 is controlled.

The conveyance path 21 connects between the steam generation unit 1 and the blowing mechanism, and conveys the vapor of the organic film forming material generated by the vapor generation unit 1 to the processing chamber 5 together with the conveyance gas. The conveyance path 21 is made of, for example, stainless steel, and the flow path diameter is, for example, 44.5 mm ² or more.

  The film forming apparatus also includes an adjustment valve device (first on-off valve) 31 that opens and closes the transport path 21 provided in the middle of the transport path 21. The regulating valve device 31 is, for example, an electromagnetic valve, and the opening / closing operation of the regulating valve device 31 is configured to be controlled by the control unit 8. As the regulating valve device 31, for example, a high temperature heat resistant valve described in JP 2010-216577 A (Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-064546) can be used. The high-temperature heat-resistant valve is excellent in leak characteristics at high temperatures and is suitable for high-temperature gas flow control.

  Further, the film forming apparatus detects the temperature of the first upstream temperature detection unit (upstream temperature detection means) 61 a that detects the temperature of the conveyance path portion 21 a on the upstream side of the adjustment valve device 31, and the temperature of the adjustment valve device 31. A first valve temperature detector (valve temperature detector) 62a, a first downstream temperature detector (downstream temperature detector) 63a for detecting the temperature of the conveyance path portion 21b on the downstream side of the regulating valve device 31, steam, A material temperature detection unit (temperature detection means) 64 that detects the temperature of the generation unit 1, that is, the temperature of the organic film forming material is provided. The first upstream temperature detection unit 61a, the first valve temperature detection unit 62a, the first downstream temperature detection unit 63a, and the material temperature detection unit 64 are configured using, for example, a resistance temperature detector, a thermocouple, a thermistor, or the like. A signal indicating the detected temperature of each unit is output to the control unit 8. The first upstream temperature detection unit 61a, the first valve temperature detection unit 62a, and the first downstream temperature detection unit 63a are not particularly limited as long as the temperature of each unit can be detected. A non-contact temperature sensor such as an infrared temperature sensor, a temperature sensor IC, or the like may be used.

  Furthermore, the film forming apparatus includes a first upstream heating unit (upstream heating unit) 71a that heats the conveyance path portion 21a on the upstream side of the regulating valve device 31, and a first valve heating unit that heats the regulating valve device 31. (Valve heating means) 72a and a first downstream heating section (downstream heating means) 73a for heating the conveyance path portion 21b on the downstream side of the regulating valve device 31 are provided. The first upstream heating unit 71a, the first valve heating unit 72a, and the first downstream heating unit 73a are configured using, for example, heating resistance elements such as heating wires and heaters, and the first upstream heating unit 71a. The first valve heating unit 72a and the first downstream heating unit 73a are connected to the control unit 8 via a power source (not shown), and the operation of each heating unit is configured to be controlled by the control unit 8. Yes. The first upstream heating unit 71a, the first valve heating unit 72a, and the first downstream heating unit 73a are not particularly limited as long as each unit can be heated, and may be an induction heating method, a combustion method, or the like. There may be.

Furthermore, a first vapor amount detection unit (vapor amount detection means) 23 for detecting the vapor amount of the organic film forming material is provided in the conveyance path portion 21 a on the upstream side of the conveyance path 21. The second steam amount detection unit 24 may be provided between the downstream conveyance path portion 21 b, that is, between the blowing mechanism 4 and the regulating valve device 31. The first and second vapor quantity detectors 23 and 24 monitor the vapor quantity of a crystal thickness meter such as a quartz crystal (QCM), a capacitance manometer pressure gauge, or an FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer). It is a means that can be done. The first steam amount detection unit (steam amount detection means) 23 is used for detecting the steam amount in the steam generation unit and controlling the opening and closing of the regulating valve device 31. The second vapor amount detection unit (vapor amount detection means) 24 is used to measure the film formation amount and film formation rate during film formation. The second vapor amount detection unit (vapor amount detection means) 24 may be configured to detect the vapor amount during film formation or to perform feedback control.

  An exhaust path 22 is connected to the transport path portion 21a on the upstream side of the transport path 21 so as to branch off halfway. The film forming apparatus includes an exhaust valve device (second on-off valve) 32 that opens and closes the exhaust path 22. The exhaust valve device 32 has the same configuration as the adjustment valve device 31, and the opening / closing operation of the exhaust valve device 32 is configured to be controlled by the control unit 8. A high temperature heat resistant valve can be used as the exhaust valve device 32.

  Similarly to the transport path 21, the film forming apparatus also includes a second upstream temperature detector 61 b that detects the temperature of the exhaust path portion 22 a on the upstream side of the exhaust valve apparatus 32, and a first temperature that detects the temperature of the exhaust valve apparatus 32. A two-valve temperature detector 62b and a second downstream temperature detector 63b that detects the temperature of the exhaust passage portion 22b on the downstream side of the exhaust valve device 32 are provided. The second upstream temperature detector 61b, the second valve temperature detector 62b, the second downstream temperature detector 63b, and the material temperature detector 64 are configured using, for example, a resistance temperature detector, a thermocouple, a thermistor, or the like. A signal indicating the detected temperature of each unit is output to the control unit 8.

  Further, the film forming apparatus includes a second upstream heating unit 71 b that heats the exhaust passage portion 22 a on the upstream side of the exhaust valve device 32, a second valve heating unit 72 b that heats the exhaust valve device 32, and the exhaust valve device 32. And a second downstream heating unit 73b that heats the exhaust passage portion 22b on the downstream side. The details of each heating unit are the same as those of each heating unit provided in the transport path.

The control unit 8 is, for example, a microcomputer provided with a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The CPU stores a computer program necessary for the operation of the control unit 8 and various types of information necessary for the film forming process. An input / output unit for inputting / outputting a signal for controlling the operation of each component of the film forming apparatus is connected via a bus. The various types of information include, for example, a predetermined temperature necessary for controlling the opening / closing operation of the regulating valve device 31 performed when the organic film forming material is heated. The predetermined temperature is a temperature set below the evaporation temperature of the organic film forming material. More specifically, the predetermined temperature is, for example, a temperature of 250 ° C. or lower that is equal to or lower than the evaporation start temperature. The various information includes, for example, a heating target temperature of the organic film forming material. The heating target temperature is a temperature that is higher than a predetermined temperature and that allows a desired evaporation amount to be obtained.
When the organic film forming material is heated, the control unit 8 controls the opening / closing operation of the exhaust valve device 32 according to the temperature detected by the material temperature detection unit 64. Specifically, when the temperature detected by the material temperature detection unit 64 is lower than the predetermined temperature, the control unit 8 controls the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32 to be closed, and the material temperature detection unit When the temperature detected at 64 becomes the predetermined temperature, the exhaust valve device 32 is controlled to be opened. Then, the control unit 8 closes the exhaust valve device 32 and opens the regulating valve device 31 when the vapor amount of the organic film forming material is stabilized.
The controller 8 is configured such that the temperature of the conveyance path portion 21 b on the downstream side of the adjustment valve device 31 is equal to or higher than the temperature of the adjustment valve device 31, and the temperature of the adjustment valve device 31 is the conveyance path portion on the upstream side of the adjustment valve device 31. The conveyance path 21 and the regulating valve device 31 are heated so that the temperature becomes 21 a or higher. Specifically, the temperature of the conveyance path 21 on the downstream side of the adjustment valve device 31 is equal to or higher than the temperature of the adjustment valve device 31, and the temperature of the adjustment valve device 31 is on the conveyance path 21 on the upstream side of the adjustment valve device 31. The operations of the first upstream heating unit 71a, the first valve heating unit 72a, and the first downstream heating unit 73a are controlled so as to be equal to or higher than the temperature. This is because, if not controlled in this way, the vapor of the organic film forming material generated in the vapor generating unit 1 is condensed in the middle of the transport path 21.
The same applies to the exhaust passage 22, and the control unit 8 determines that the temperature of the exhaust passage portion 22 b on the downstream side of the exhaust valve device 32 is equal to or higher than the temperature of the exhaust valve device 32, and the temperature of the exhaust valve device 32 is The exhaust passage 22 and the exhaust valve device 32 are heated so as to be equal to or higher than the temperature of the conveyance path portion 22a on the upstream side of the exhaust valve device 32.

2 and 3 are flowcharts showing a processing procedure of the control unit 8 related to heating and transport of the organic film forming material.
The controller 8 closes the regulating valve device 31, the exhaust valve device 32, and the shutter 43 (step S11), and heats the organic film forming material (step S12). Specifically, the control unit 8 gives a control signal to the adjustment valve device 31 and the shutter drive unit, and closes the adjustment valve device 31, the exhaust valve device 32, and the shutter 43. Moreover, the control part 8 operates a heating mechanism by giving a control signal to the steam generation part 1, and starts the heating of organic film-forming material. Next, the control unit 8 detects the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 at the material temperature detection unit 64, and whether or not the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 is close to a predetermined temperature, that is, the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 is It is determined whether or not a temperature lower by a certain amount than the predetermined temperature has been reached (step S13). The fixed amount is determined by the temperature of the transport path 21, the exhaust path 22, the regulating valve device 31, and the exhaust valve device 32 before the temperature of the steam generating unit 1 reaches a predetermined temperature by the process of step S14 described later. It is set to reach a temperature equal to or higher than that of the generator 1.

  When it determines with the temperature of the steam generation part 1 not having approached predetermined temperature by the process of step S13 yet (step S13: NO), the control part 8 performs the process of step S13 again. That is, the control unit 8 stands by until the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 approaches a predetermined temperature. When it determines with the temperature of the steam generation part 1 having approached predetermined temperature (step S13: YES), the control part 8 calls the below-mentioned subroutine and performs temperature control of the conveyance path 21, the exhaust path 22, etc. (step S14). ). In step S14, temperature control is performed so that the transport path 21, the exhaust path 22, the regulating valve device 31, and the exhaust valve device 32 are heated to their respective set temperatures before the steam generating unit 1 reaches a predetermined temperature. Do. Note that the above-described temperature relationship only needs to be achieved before the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 reaches a predetermined temperature, and it is not necessary to increase the temperature with the temperature increase of the steam generation unit 1. Details of the temperature control will be described later. And the control part 8 detects the temperature of the steam generation part 1 in the material temperature detection part 64, and determines whether the temperature of the steam generation part 1 is more than predetermined temperature (step S15).

  When it determines with the temperature of the steam generation part 1 being less than predetermined temperature (step S15: NO), the control part 8 returns a process to step S14. When it determines with the temperature of the steam generation part 1 being more than predetermined temperature (step S15: YES), the control part 8 opens the exhaust valve apparatus 32 (step S16).

  Next, the control unit 8 opens the adjustment valve 92 for supplying the carrier gas, and supplies the carrier gas to the steam generation unit 1 (step S17). Note that the supply timing of the carrier gas is an example, and the carrier gas may be supplied immediately after the exhaust valve device 32 is opened, or the carrier gas may not be supplied. However, when a temperature close to the target heating temperature is reached, it is preferable to supply the carrier gas at a flow rate similar to that during film formation. And the control part 8 carries out PID control of the temperature of the steam generation part 1 so that the temperature of the steam generation part 1 may correspond with target heating temperature (step S18). Next, similarly to step S14, the control unit 8 calls a subroutine described later, and performs temperature control of the conveyance path 21, the exhaust path 22, and the like (step S19). Next, the control unit 8 detects the vapor amount of the organic film forming material using the first vapor amount detection unit 23, and controls the vapor amount to match the predetermined amount (step S20). Then, the control unit 8 detects the vapor amount of the organic film forming material using the first vapor amount detection unit 23, and the vapor amount detected by the first vapor amount detection unit 23 is a predetermined amount and is stable. It is determined whether or not (step S21). In order to determine whether or not it is stable, the first steam amount detection unit (steam amount detection means) 23 detects the steam amount at predetermined time intervals, and determines whether or not the value of each steam amount is within a certain range. Alternatively, the monitoring may be continued continuously, and it may be determined to be stable when a value within a certain range for a predetermined time is indicated. As a result, when it is determined that the amount of steam is not stable (step S21: NO), the control unit 8 returns the process to step S18. When it determines with the vapor | steam amount having stabilized (step S21: YES), the control part 8 closes the exhaust valve apparatus 32 (step S22), and opens the adjustment valve apparatus 31 (step S23).

  Next, as in steps S18 to S20, the control unit 8 performs PID control on the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 so that the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 matches the target heating temperature (step S24), and further executes a subroutine described later. The temperature control of the calling, transport path 21 and exhaust path 22 is performed (step S25), and the vapor amount of the organic film forming material is controlled (step S26). However, the control of the steam amount in step S26 is preferably performed based on the steam amount obtained by monitoring by the second steam amount detection unit 24. This is because the amount of vapor of the organic film forming material supplied to the substrate G can be more accurately controlled based on the amount of vapor of the organic film forming material detected in the portion close to the substrate G side. With the above control, the organic film forming material is supplied to the substrate G, and the film forming process is started. During the film forming process, the steam generating unit 1 is controlled by well-known PID control or the like so as to reach the heating target temperature. On the other hand, it is determined whether or not the steam amount obtained by monitoring by the first steam amount detection unit 23 or the second steam amount detection unit 24 is a predetermined amount. When the amount is smaller than the predetermined amount, the flow rate of the carrier gas such as Ar gas is increased, and the vapor amount of the organic film forming material supplied to the blowing mechanism 4 is increased. When the amount of steam is less than the predetermined amount and the amount of steam is small, the amount of steam of the organic material can be increased by heating the steam generating unit 1. Further, both the flow rate of the carrier gas and the heating temperature of the vapor generating unit 1 may be changed, or the substrate G is supplied by controlling the temperature of the substrate G or changing the moving speed of the substrate G. The vapor amount of the organic film forming material can also be substantially controlled. The amount of deviation between the actual amount of steam and the predetermined amount is compared with a threshold, and when the amount of deviation is smaller than that value, the amount of steam is controlled by the flow rate of the carrier gas. When the magnitude of the deviation is large, it is desirable to control the flow rate by changing the heating temperature, that is, changing the heating target temperature to a higher temperature.

  Next, the control unit 8 determines whether or not to end the film forming process (step S27). When it determines with not complete | finishing a film-forming process (step S27: NO), the control part 8 returns a process to step S24. When it determines with complete | finishing the film-forming process (step S27: YES), the control part 8 closes the shutter 43 and the adjustment valve apparatus 31 (step S28), and opens the exhaust valve apparatus 32 (step S29). And the control part 8 stops the heating of organic film-forming material (step S30). Next, also in the process of lowering the temperatures of the transport path 21 and the exhaust path 22, the control unit 8 calls a subroutine described later and controls the temperature of the transport path 21 and the exhaust path 22 (step S31). In step S31, temperature control is performed so that the transport path 21, the exhaust path 22, the regulating valve device 31, and the exhaust valve device 32 are heated to a predetermined temperature until the steam generating unit 1 is at least below a predetermined temperature. You can go. If the steam generation part 1 becomes less than predetermined temperature, the above-mentioned temperature control is not necessarily required. And the control part 8 determines whether the temperature of the steam generation part 1 became less than predetermined temperature (step S32). That is, it is determined whether or not the generation of vapor of the organic film forming material has stopped, or whether or not the vapor amount has become sufficiently small. When it determines with the temperature of the steam generation part 1 being more than predetermined temperature (step S32: NO), the control part 8 returns a process to step S31, and performs temperature control of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 continuously. When it determines with the temperature of the steam generation part 1 being less than predetermined temperature (step S32: YES), the control part 8 performs heating control of the conveyance path 21, the exhaust path 22, the adjustment valve apparatus 31, and the exhaust valve apparatus 32. The supply is stopped (step S33), the supply of the carrier gas is stopped, and the exhaust valve device 32 is closed (step S34).

  Next, the control unit 8 determines whether or not to restart the film forming process (step S35). When it is determined that the film forming process is not resumed (step S35: NO), the control unit 8 executes the determination process of step S35 again. When it determines with restarting a film-forming process (step S35: YES), the control part 8 returns a process to step S12.

In the above-described end control, that is, the processing of step S28 to step S34, the temperature on the downstream side of the steam generation unit 1 and the exhaust path 22 until the vapor amount of the organic film forming material is sufficiently reduced (until the temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature). Or the temperature on the downstream side of the exhaust passage 22 is controlled to be higher. Specifically, the temperature of the exhaust passage portion 22 b on the downstream side of the exhaust valve device 32 is equal to or higher than the temperature of the exhaust valve device 32, and the temperature of the exhaust valve device 32 is the conveyance path portion on the upstream side of the exhaust valve device 32. The temperature is controlled to be equal to or higher than the temperature of 22a. This is because if the temperature is not lowered while maintaining such a relationship, the organic film forming material is condensed in the middle of the exhaust path 22. At this time, it is only necessary to maintain the above-described temperature relationship at least to a temperature (predetermined temperature) at which the amount of steam from the steam generating unit 1 becomes sufficiently small, and the temperature is not limited to this.
Similarly, in the present embodiment, control is performed so that at least the temperature on the upstream side of the conveyance path 21 is equal to or higher than the temperature of the steam generation unit 1.

Next, temperature control of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 will be described. When supplying the organic film forming material, the transport path 21, the exhaust path 22, the regulating valve device 31, and the exhaust valve device 32 are predetermined before the vapor generation unit 1 is heated and the vapor generation unit 1 reaches a predetermined temperature. Must be heated to temperature. Thereafter, the temperature of the conveying path 21, the exhaust path 22, the regulating valve device 31, and the exhaust valve device 32 is raised while maintaining a temperature higher than the temperature of the steam generating unit 1. This is because the transport path 21, the exhaust path 22, the regulating valve device 31, and the exhaust valve device 32 may be heated to the predetermined temperature before the steam generating unit 1 reaches the predetermined temperature. There is no need to increase the temperature with temperature. At least in the temperature region above the predetermined temperature (including before the film formation process is started, during the film formation process or when the film formation is stopped), the temperatures of the transport path 21, the exhaust path 22, the regulating valve device 31, and the exhaust valve device 32 are at least It is only necessary to maintain the temperature equal to or higher than that of the steam generation unit 1.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the control unit 8 related to temperature control of the conveyance path 21 and the regulating valve device 31 and the like. Specifically, when a subroutine is called in the processes of steps S14, 19, 25, and 31, the control unit 8 detects the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 in the material temperature detection unit 64 (step 51). And the control part 8 detects the upstream temperature of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 in the 1st and 2nd upstream temperature detection parts 61a and 61b (step S52). Next, the control unit 8 detects the temperature of the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32 in the first and second valve temperature detection units 62a and 62b (step S53), and the first and second downstream side temperature detection units. In 63a and 63b, the downstream temperature of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 is detected (step S54).

  The control unit 8 determines whether or not the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 (temperature equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature) is higher than the upstream temperature of the transport path 21 and the exhaust path 22 (step S55). When it determines with the temperature of the steam generation part 1 being higher than the upstream temperature of the conveyance path 21, and the upstream temperature of the exhaust path 22 (step S55: YES), the control part 8 is 1st and 2nd upstream. One or both upstream sides of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 are heated by the heating units 71a and 71b (step S56). That is, when it is determined that the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 is higher than the upstream temperature of the conveyance path 21, the upstream side of the conveyance path 21 is heated, and the temperature of the steam generation unit 1 is the upstream temperature of the exhaust path 22. If it is determined that the temperature is higher than that, the upstream side of the exhaust path 22 is heated. When it determines with the temperature of the steam generation part 1 being below the upstream temperature of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 (step S55: NO), the control part 8 of the said generation part 1, the conveyance path 21, and the exhaust path 22 is said. The temperature relationship is maintained (step S57). By the processing of steps S55 to 57, the upstream temperature of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 becomes equal to or higher than the temperature of the steam generation unit 1, and this state is maintained.

  The control unit 8 that has finished the process of step S56 or step S57 determines whether the upstream temperatures of the transport path 21 and the exhaust path 22 are higher than the temperatures of the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32, respectively. (Step S58). That is, it is determined whether the upstream temperature of the conveyance path 21 is higher than the temperature of the regulating valve device 31, and whether the upstream temperature of the exhaust path 22 is higher than the temperature of the exhaust valve device 32. Determine whether or not. When it is determined that either the transport path 21 or the exhaust path 22 has an upstream temperature higher than the temperatures of the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32 (step S58: YES), the controller 8 controls the first valve One or both of the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32 are heated by the heating unit 72a (step S59). That is, when the upstream temperature of the conveyance path 21 is higher than the temperature of the regulating valve device 31, the regulating valve device 31 is heated, and the upstream temperature of the exhaust path 22 is higher than the temperature of the exhaust valve device 32. If so, the exhaust valve device 32 is heated. When it determines with the upstream temperature of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 being below the temperature of the adjustment valve apparatus 31 and the exhaust valve apparatus 32 (step S58: NO), the control part 8 is the adjustment valve apparatus 31, exhaust valve apparatus. 32, the temperature relationship between the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 is maintained (step S60). By the processing in steps S58 to S60, the temperature of the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32 becomes equal to or higher than the upstream temperature of the transport path 21 and the exhaust path 22, and this state is maintained.

  The control unit 8 that has finished the processing of step S59 or step S60 determines whether or not the temperatures of the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32 are higher than the downstream temperatures of the transport path 21 and the exhaust path 22, respectively. (Step S61). That is, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the regulating valve device 31 is higher than the downstream temperature of the conveyance path 21 and whether or not the temperature of the exhaust valve device 32 is higher than the downstream temperature of the exhaust path 22. When it is determined that any one of the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32 is higher than the downstream temperature of the transport path 21 and the exhaust path 22 (step S61: YES), the first and second downstream heating units 73a. 73b, the downstream side of one or both of the transport path 21 and the exhaust path 22 is heated (step S62), and the process ends when the downstream temperature becomes equal to or higher than the temperature of the regulating valve device. That is, when the temperature of the regulating valve device 31 is higher than the downstream temperature of the conveyance path 21, the downstream side of the conveyance path 21 is heated, and the temperature of the exhaust valve device 32 is higher than the downstream temperature of the exhaust path 22. If so, the downstream side of the exhaust path 22 is heated. When it is determined that the adjustment valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32 are equal to or lower than the downstream temperature of the transport path 21 and the exhaust path 22 (step S61: NO), the control unit 8 controls the adjustment valve device 31, the exhaust valve device 32, The temperature relationship between the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 is maintained (step S63), and the process is finished. Through the processing in steps S61 to 63, the downstream temperatures of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22 become equal to or higher than the temperatures of the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32, and this state is maintained.

When the film formation is started or during the film formation by the above-described process, PID control or the like is performed based on the temperature detected by each detection unit, the vapor generation unit 1 is maintained at the target heating temperature, and the conveyance path 21 and The temperature of the exhaust path 22 is controlled so as to maintain a predetermined relationship. Further, for more precise control, feedback control may be performed so that the steam amount becomes a predetermined value based on the value detected by the steam amount detector.
When film formation is terminated, control opposite to that at the time of starting film formation or during film formation is performed.
That is, first, the shutter 43 and the adjustment valve device 31 are closed, and the exhaust valve device 32 is opened. And the temperature of the steam generation part 1, the upstream conveyance path part 21a and the exhaust path part 22b, and the downstream conveyance path part 21b and the exhaust path part 22b is reduced. At this time, at least up to a predetermined temperature, the temperature of the upstream conveyance path portion 21b and the exhaust path portion 22b is equal to or higher than the temperature of the steam generation unit 1, and the upstream conveyance path portion 21b and the exhaust path portion 22b. The temperature is lowered while maintaining the relationship that the temperature is the same as or lower than the temperatures of the downstream conveyance path portion 21b and the exhaust path portion 22b. By controlling the temperature drop in this way, it is possible to prevent the organic film forming material from condensing / depositing in the middle of the conveyance path 21 and the exhaust path 22, and the condensed organic material is peeled off during the next film forming process. This makes it possible to prevent the substrate from being contaminated.

  In the film forming apparatus and film forming material supply method according to Embodiment 1 configured as described above, the temperature of the vapor generating unit 1 reaches a predetermined temperature until just before the organic film forming material starts to evaporate. Until, the regulating valve device 31 and the exhaust valve device 32 are closed to heat the organic film forming material, and when the organic film forming material starts to evaporate, the exhaust valve device 32 is opened and the organic film forming material is opened. When the amount of steam becomes constant and stable, the exhaust valve device 32 is closed and the regulating valve device 31 is opened. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently heat the film forming material while suppressing the pressure rise and temperature rise inside the steam generating section 1, and precise temperature control can be performed. In addition, precise film thickness control by deposition of a film forming material on a substrate to be processed can be performed by precise temperature control.

In addition, since the predetermined temperature is set to, for example, 250 ° C., which is the lower limit value of the evaporation temperature of the organic film forming material, it is effective to increase the pressure and temperature inside the vapor generating part due to the evaporation of the organic film forming material. Can be suppressed.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the downstream temperature of the conveyance path 21 is equal to or higher than the temperature of the adjustment valve device 31, and the temperature of the adjustment valve device 31 is equal to or higher than the upstream temperature of the conveyance path 21. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the organic film forming material from condensing on the transport path 21 and the regulating valve device 31.

  Furthermore, the temperature of each part of the conveyance path 21 and the regulating valve device 31 is detected by the first upstream temperature detector 61a, the first valve temperature detector 62a, and the first downstream temperature detector 63a. Is heated by the first upstream heating unit 71a, the first valve heating unit 72a, and the first downstream heating unit 73a. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the organic film forming material from condensing on the transport path 21 and the regulating valve device 31. The exhaust passage 22 has the same effect.

  Furthermore, even if the regulating valve device 31 is opened when the organic film forming material is heated, the opening 42 is closed by the shutter 43, so that the vapor of the organic film forming material is vaporized before the film forming process. It can prevent being blown into the inside. The exhaust passage 22 has the same effect.

(Embodiment 2)
The film forming apparatus according to the second embodiment is configured to be able to quickly exhaust the vapor of the organic film forming material staying in the blowing mechanism at the end of film formation, and transports the exhaust path and the exhaust valve device. Since the points provided on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the road are different, the differences will be mainly described below.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the first exhaust path 22 and the exhaust valve device 32 are provided in the upstream portion 21 from the adjustment valve device 31 of the transport path 21, but the film forming apparatus according to the second embodiment is Further, the second exhaust path 25 and the exhaust valve device 33 are provided downstream of the regulating valve device 31 and upstream of the blowing mechanism 4. As the exhaust valve device 33, a high-temperature heat-resistant valve can be used like other valve devices. The processing chamber 5 is connected to a purge gas supply pipe 51 for supplying a purge gas for releasing the processing chamber 5 to the atmosphere, for example, nitrogen gas, and the purge gas is supplied to the processing chamber 5 from a purge gas supply source (not shown). It is configured as follows. The purge gas supply pipe 51 is provided with a purge gas on-off valve 52 for opening and closing the purge gas supply pipe 51.

  The control unit 8 closes the adjustment valve device 31 at the end of the film formation, and opens the first and second exhaust valve devices 32 and 33.

With this configuration, the vapor of the organic film forming material staying in the blowing mechanism can be quickly exhausted at the end of film formation.
(Modification of Embodiment 2)
The regulating valve device 31 according to the modification is a high-temperature heat-resistant valve described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-216577 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-064546), and only the content of control when film formation is stopped is the above-described embodiment. Different. The control unit 8 according to the modified example 2 is configured not to perform temperature control on the downstream side of the adjustment valve device 31, that is, the conveyance path portion 21b when the film formation is stopped. That is, the controller 8 is configured not to execute the processes of steps S61 to S63 in the first embodiment with respect to the temperature control of the transport path portion 21b when the film formation is stopped. In other words, only the temperature relationship among the regulating valve device 31, the transport path portion 21 a on the upstream side of the transport path 21, and the steam generator 1 may be controlled to a predetermined relationship. This is because the regulating valve device 31 does not leak even in the high temperature region, and if the regulating valve device 31 is in the closed state, the steam does not flow to the downstream conveyance path portion 21b.

  Next, the opening / closing control procedure of each valve when the film formation is stopped will be described. First, the controller 8 closes the regulating valve device 31 immediately after the film formation is completed when the film formation is completed and the air release operation is started. At substantially the same time, the exhaust valve device 33 is opened, and the steam remaining in the blowing mechanism 4 is sucked and exhausted. Thereafter, the purge gas on-off valve 52 is opened to introduce the purge gas for releasing the atmosphere into the process chamber 5 from the outside of the process chamber 5.

According to the film forming apparatus according to the modification, the processing chamber 5 can be opened to the atmosphere in a shorter time at the end of film formation. As the size of the substrate G increases, the volume of the processing chamber 5 also increases. For example, if it becomes a film-forming apparatus which processes the board | substrate G of 73 cm x 92 cm, the volume of the process chamber 5 will exceed 10,000 liters. Although it is necessary to open the processing chamber 5 to the atmosphere when performing regular maintenance, etc., since the volume is large, it takes a considerable time of several hours to open the atmosphere. However, when the high-temperature heat-resistant valve is used as the regulating valve device 31, the leak characteristic at a high temperature (up to about 500 degrees) is good, so that it can be closed with a good sealing property even at a high temperature. That is, the air release operation can be started from a high temperature near the film formation temperature, and downtime can be reduced. Unlike the above-described embodiment, the regulating valve device 31 can completely separate the downstream conveyance path portion 21b and the upstream conveyance path portion 21a of the regulating valve device 31 and control the temperature thereof. It becomes like this. According to such a configuration, it is possible to shorten the time required for opening to the atmosphere, and it is possible to greatly reduce downtime. That is, the time required for opening to the atmosphere can be shortened.
As described above, the control and effect at the time of stopping the film formation when the high temperature heat resistant valve is used as the adjusting valve device 31 in the present film forming apparatus has been described in detail. It is only necessary that 21 and the regulating valve device 31 have a predetermined temperature relationship. That is, even if the predetermined temperature at which steam is generated is exceeded, it is not necessary that the predetermined transfer path 21 and the adjusting valve device 31 are in a temperature relationship as shown in the first embodiment, and the adjusting valve is not used at the start of film formation. The temperature of the conveyance path portion 21 b on the downstream side of the device 31 is equal to or higher than the temperature of the adjustment valve device 31, and the temperature of the adjustment valve device 31 is equal to or higher than the temperature of the conveyance path portion 21 a on the upstream side of the adjustment valve device 31. Just do it. That is, it is possible to independently control the temperature of the conveyance path 21b on the downstream side of the regulating valve device 31. As described above, the high-temperature heat-resistant valve has excellent leak characteristics at high temperatures, so that it is possible to independently control the temperature of the upstream conveyance path 21a and the downstream conveyance path 21b.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a six-layer continuous film forming apparatus according to the third embodiment, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the film forming unit according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 8 is the present embodiment. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a steam generation unit according to FIG. Hereinafter, a film forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The six-layer continuous film forming apparatus according to the third embodiment embodies the configuration of each component of the film forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, particularly the adjustment valve device 300 suitable for the present embodiment. The processing contents of the control unit are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the following, the physical configuration of each component will be mainly described. In the following description and the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are given to components having the same configuration and function, and redundant description is omitted.

The description will be given in the following order.
1. 1. Overall configuration of a film forming apparatus using a regulating valve device 2. Internal configuration of film forming unit according to film forming apparatus 3. Internal configuration of regulating valve device related to film forming unit 4. Structure, shape and surface treatment of valve body and valve seat surface Leak condition verification

[Film deposition system]
First, a film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  The film forming apparatus includes a rectangular processing chamber 500. The inside of the processing chamber 500 is exhausted by an exhaust device (not shown) and is maintained in a desired vacuum state. In the processing chamber 500, six film forming units 10 are arranged side by side. A partition plate 510 is provided between adjacent film forming units 10. The film forming unit 10 includes three rectangular steam generation units 100, a connecting pipe 200, three regulating valve devices 300 and a blowing mechanism 400 that are arranged in pairs with the steam generation unit 100.

  The steam generation unit 100 is made of a metal such as SUS. Since quartz or the like hardly reacts with the organic film forming material, the vapor generating unit 100 may be formed of a metal coated with quartz or the like. Note that the steam generation unit 100 is an example of a vapor deposition source that vaporizes a material, and is not necessarily a unit-type vapor deposition source, and may be a general crucible.

  Different types of organic film forming materials are stored in the vapor generating unit 100. The material heating unit 130 heats the vapor generating unit 100 to a desired temperature, that is, a heating target temperature, and vaporizes the organic film forming material. Vaporization includes not only a phenomenon in which a liquid changes to a gas but also a phenomenon in which a solid changes directly to a gas without going through a liquid state (that is, sublimation).

  The vapor of the organic film forming material (vaporized organic molecules) is transported to the blowing mechanism 400 through the connecting pipe 200 and blown out from a slit-like opening 420 provided at the upper part of the blowing mechanism 400. The vapor | steam of the organic film-forming material which was blown off adheres to the board | substrate G, and, thereby, the board | substrate G is formed into a film. The partition plate 510 prevents the film formation while the vapor of the organic film forming material blown out from the adjacent opening 420 is mixed. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the face-down substrate G that slides at the ceiling position of the processing chamber 500 is formed, but the substrate G may be arranged face-up.

[Deposition unit]
Next, the internal structure of the film forming unit 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 showing the VV cross section of FIG. The other five film forming units 10 shown in FIG. 6 have the same structure as the film forming unit 10 in the VV cross section of FIG.

  The steam generation unit 100 includes a material input device 110 and an outer case 120. The material input device 110 includes a material container 110a for storing an organic film forming material and a carrier gas introduction channel 110b. The outer case 120 is formed in a bottle shape, and the material feeder 110 is detachably mounted in the hollow interior. When the material feeder 110 is attached to the outer case 120, the internal space of the steam generation unit 100 is defined. The internal space of the steam generation unit 100 communicates with a conveyance path 200 a formed inside the connection pipe 200. The conveyance path 200 a is opened and closed by the opening and closing mechanism of the regulating valve device 300. The regulating valve device 300 opens and closes the conveyance path 200 a with pressurized air supplied from an air supply source 600 provided outside the processing chamber 500. The internal structure of the regulating valve device 300 will be described later.

  The end of the material input device 110 is connected to a gas supply source (not shown), and introduces argon gas supplied from the gas supply source into the flow path 110b. The argon gas functions as a carrier gas that carries vapor generated by evaporation of the organic film forming material stored in the material container 110a. The carrier gas is not limited to argon gas, and may be any inert gas such as helium gas or krypton gas.

  A material heating unit 130 such as a heater is embedded in the outer case 120 of the steam generation unit 100. In addition, a material temperature detecting unit 64 that detects the temperature of the steam generating unit 100 is disposed at an appropriate location inside the steam generating unit 100. The material temperature detection unit 64 outputs a signal indicating the detected temperature to the control unit.

It blows out from the slit-shaped opening 420 provided in the upper part of the blowing mechanism 400. The steam generation unit 100 is connected to the blowing mechanism 400 via the transport path 200a of the connection pipe 200, and the vapor of the organic film forming material transported from the steam generation unit 1 through the transport path 200a is temporarily retained. A retention chamber 410 is provided. The residence chamber 410 is, for example, a hollow substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and an opening 420 for blowing out the vapor of the organic film material staying in the residence chamber 410 is provided on the upper surface of the residence chamber 410. In addition, the blowing mechanism 400 includes a shutter 430 that closes the opening 420 so that the opening 420 can be opened and closed. The shutter 430 is configured to be able to reciprocate between an open position where the opening 420 is opened and a closed position where the opening 42 is closed. This is the same as the first embodiment.
The vapor of the organic film forming material is conveyed from the vapor generation unit 100 through the conveyance path 200a of the connecting pipe 200 to the blowing mechanism 400, temporarily stays in the retention chamber 410, and then passes through the slit-like opening 420 on the substrate G. Adhere to.

[Organic film structure]
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an organic EL element formed by the film forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the film forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the substrate G travels above the first to sixth blowing mechanisms 400 at a certain speed. In progress, as shown in FIG. 9, the first hole injection layer, the second hole transport layer, the third blue light emitting layer, and the fourth green light emitting layer are sequentially formed on the ITO of the substrate G. Then, the fifth red light emitting layer and the sixth electron transport layer are formed. Thus, in the film forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, the first to sixth organic layers are continuously formed. Among these, the blue light emitting layer, the green light emitting layer, and the red light emitting layer of the third to fifth layers are light emitting layers that emit light by recombination of holes and electrons. The metal layer (electron injection layer and cathode) on the organic layer is formed by sputtering.

  As a result, an organic EL element having a structure in which the organic layer is sandwiched between the anode (anode) and the cathode (cathode) is formed on the glass substrate G. When a voltage is applied to the anode and cathode of the organic EL element, holes (holes) are injected into the organic layer from the anode, and electrons are injected into the organic layer from the cathode. The injected holes and electrons recombine in the organic layer, and light emission occurs at this time.

[Conveyance route]
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the steam generation unit 100 and the conveyance path according to the third embodiment. Next, the path of the transport path 200a will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 10 showing a VIII-VIII cross section of FIG. As described above, the connecting pipe 200 conveys the vapor of the organic film forming material to the blowing mechanism 400 side via the regulating valve device 300. Specifically, since the valve body of the regulating valve device 300 is opened during film formation, the vapor of the organic film-forming material vaporized in each vapor generation unit 100 is conveyed by the carrier gas while being forwarded in the conveyance path. 200a1 is passed through the return path 200a2 and conveyed to the blowing mechanism 400. On the other hand, since the valve body of the regulating valve device 300 is closed when the film is not formed, the forward path 200a1 and the return path 200a2 of the transport path are closed, and the transport of the vapor of the organic film forming material is stopped.

  The connecting pipe 200 is embedded with a first upstream heating unit 71a and a first downstream heating unit 73a that heat the forward path 200a1 and the return path 200a2 of the conveyance path, respectively. In addition, the connecting pipe 200 is provided with a first upstream temperature detector 61a and a first downstream temperature detector 63a that detect the temperatures of the forward path 200a1 and the return path 200a2, respectively. The first upstream temperature detection unit 61a and the first downstream temperature detection unit 63a each output a signal indicating the detected temperature to the control unit.

[Regulating valve device]
If this film forming apparatus is configured using the regulating valve device, the supply control of the organic film forming material vapor can be accurately performed even in a high temperature region higher than the evaporation temperature of the organic film forming material.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the regulating valve device 300 according to the third embodiment. Next, the internal configuration and operation of the regulating valve device 300 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 11 showing a cross section of the regulating valve device 300. The regulating valve device 300 has a cylindrical valve box 305. The valve box 305 is divided into three parts: a front member 305a, a central bonnet 305b, and a rear member 305c. The valve box 305 is hollow, and a valve body 310 is built in substantially the center thereof.

  In the front member 305a and the bonnet 305b, a first valve heating unit 72a for heating the regulating valve device 300, for example, a heater is embedded. Further, a first valve temperature detector 62a that detects the temperature of the regulating valve device 300 is embedded in the front member 305a. The first valve temperature detection unit 62a outputs a signal indicating the detected temperature to the control unit.

  The valve element 310 is separated into a valve element head part 310a and a valve element body part 310b. The valve head 310a and the valve body 310b are connected by a valve shaft 310c. Specifically, the valve shaft 310c is a rod-like member, and penetrates the center of the valve body part 310b in the longitudinal direction, and is fitted into a recess 310a1 provided at the center of the valve body head 310a. The protrusion 310b1 of the valve body 310b is inserted into an annular recess 305a1 provided in the bonnet 305b of the valve box 305. In the front member 305a of the valve box 305, an outward path 200a1 and a return path 200a2 of the transport path 200a are formed.

  The recess 305a1 is provided with a space in which the valve body 310b can slide in the longitudinal direction in a state in which the protrusion 310b1 is inserted, and a heat-resistant buffer member 315 is interposed in the space. ing. An example of the buffer member 315 is a metal gasket. The buffer member 315 blocks the vacuum on the conveyance path side and the atmosphere on the valve shaft 310c side, and reduces mechanical interference between the protrusion 310b1 and the bonnet 305b due to sliding of the valve body part 310b.

(Separation structure of valve body and valve head)
A play 310a2 is also provided in the recess 310a1 of the valve body head 310a with the valve shaft 310c inserted. In the valve body 310 according to the present embodiment, since the valve body part 310b and the valve body head part 310a are separated, by controlling the clearance (gap) between the valve body part 310b and the valve shaft 310c, The deviation of the center position of the valve body 310 during the opening / closing operation is corrected. In addition, by providing the play 310a2 in the recess 310a1 of the valve head 310a, a slight deviation of the shaft of the valve head 310a can be adjusted. Thereby, by making the valve body head 310a abut against the valve seat surface 200a3 without deviation, the adhesion between the valve body head 310a and the valve seat surface 200a3 can be increased, and leakage can be prevented. As a result, according to the separation-type valve body 310 according to the present embodiment, the adjustment valve device 300 is used in a high temperature state or is used in a low temperature state, so that an influence is caused due to thermal expansion of the metal. Even so, since the influence can be absorbed by the separation structure of the valve body 310 as described above, the leakage of the valve body portion at the time of opening and closing can be effectively prevented as compared with the integrated valve body.

  A valve body driving unit 320 is provided on the rear member 305 c of the valve box 305. The valve body drive unit 320 includes a power transmission member 320a, a first bellows 320b, and a second bellows 320c built in the valve box 305. The power transmission member 320a is substantially T-shaped and is screwed to the end of the valve shaft 310c.

  The first bellows 320b has one end welded to the power transmission member 320a and the other end welded to the rear member 305c. Accordingly, the first side which is isolated by the power transmission member 320a, the first bellows 320b, and the rear member 305c on the rear side of the valve box 305 (position opposite to the valve body 310 with respect to the power transmission member 320a). A space Us is formed.

  The second bellows 320c has one end welded to the power transmission member 320a and the other end welded to the rear member 305c. Thus, the power transmission member 320a, the first bellows 320b, the second bellows 320c, and the rear member 305c are isolated on the front side of the valve box 305 (position on the valve body side with respect to the power transmission member 320a). A second space Ls is formed.

  The first pipe 320d communicates with the first space Us isolated by the first bellows 320b. The first pipe 320d is connected to the supply pipe Ar1 of the air supply source 600. The first pipe 320d supplies the pressurized air output from the air supply source 600 to the first space Us.

  The second pipe 320e communicates with the second space Ls isolated by the first bellows 320b and the second bellows 320c. The second pipe 320e is connected to the supply pipe Ar2 of the air supply source 600. The second pipe 320e supplies the pressurized air output from the air supply source 600 to the second space Ls.

  According to this configuration, according to the ratio of the pressurized air supplied from the first pipe 320d to the first space Us and the pressurized air supplied from the second pipe 320e to the second space Ls, Power is transmitted from the power transmission member 320a to the valve body head portion 310a via the valve shaft 310c. Thereby, the forward path 200a1 and the return path 200a2 of the conveyance path formed in the valve box 305 are opened and closed by the valve body head 310a moving forward or backward in the longitudinal direction. The opening / closing direction is determined by the ratio of the pressurized air supplied to the first space Us and the pressurized air supplied to the second space Ls.

  For example, when the ratio of the pressurized air supplied to the first space Us to the pressurized air supplied to the second space Ls increases, the power transmission member 320a slides in the direction of pressing the valve body 310. Then, the valve body head portion 310a is pushed forward via the valve shaft 310c, whereby the valve body head portion 310a closes the forward path 200a1 of the conveyance path, and the valve body 310 is closed.

  On the other hand, when the ratio of the pressurized air supplied to the first space Us to the pressurized air supplied to the second space Ls becomes low, the power transmission member 320a slides in the direction of pulling the valve body 310. The valve body head 310a is pulled backward via the valve shaft 310c, whereby the valve body head 310a is separated from the forward path 200a1 of the conveyance path, and the valve body 310 is opened.

  The third bellows 325 has one end welded to the valve body head 310a and the other end welded to the valve body part 310b. Thereby, the atmospheric space on the valve shaft side and the vacuum space on the transport path side are blocked. Further, the clearance between the valve body part 310b and the valve shaft 310c can be managed by supporting the valve body part 310b and the valve body head part 310a by the third bellows 325. Thus, the valve body body portion 310b and the valve shaft 310c are controlled to contact with each other during the valve body opening / closing operation so that friction is not generated. The bonnet 305b is provided with a purge port 330 for purging the sealed space between the bonnet 305b and the valve body drive unit 320.

  A metal gasket 335 for sealing is interposed on the contact surface between the front member 305a and the bonnet 305b and the contact surface between the bonnet 305b and the rear member 305c of the valve box 305 in order to ensure hermeticity. Thereby, the adjustment valve apparatus 300 can be made into a structure suitable for use in a vacuum environment.

[Surface treatment of valve body and valve seat]
In the regulating valve device 300 according to the present embodiment, in addition to the separation of the valve body 310 as described above, the operability and the sealing performance can be stably maintained even in a high temperature environment of about 500 ° C. The material, shape, and surface processing of the valve body and valve seat are optimized.

(Material and surface treatment of valve body and valve seat)
Specifically, the inventors adopted austenitic stainless steel with excellent heat resistance as the material of the valve seat surface 200a3 and the valve body 310. In addition, the inventors processed the surface of the valve body 310 with Stellite (registered trademark) finish or F2 coat (registered trademark) so that the Vickers hardness was 500 HV or more. Stellite is obtained by applying a cobalt alloy-based weld pile to stainless steel, and F2 coating is a process of coating stainless steel with a material in which phosphorus is mixed into nickel. For example, when stainless steel is stelliteed, the Vickers hardness of the valve body head 310a is 500 HV or more, and when F2 is coated, the Vickers hardness of the valve body head 310a is about 700 HV. Therefore, the F2 coat is more preferable than the stellite scale because of its high hardness.

  On the valve seat side (valve seat surface 200a3), for example, stainless steel is burnished. In the burnishing process, the metal surface is crushed by a roller and plastically deformed to harden the surface layer and finish the surface into a mirror surface. In the present embodiment, the inventors surface-treat the valve seat surface 200a3 so that the Vickers hardness is approximately 200 to 400 HV.

  As described above, the inventors set the F2 coat and Vickers hardness of the valve head 310a to 500 HV or higher, and the Vickers hardness of the valve seat surface 200a3 to approximately 200 to 400 HV by seat burnishing. A hardness difference was provided between the valve body head portion 310a and the valve seat surface 200a3, and different surface hardening treatments were applied to the valve body head portion 310a and the valve seat surface 200a3. As a result, a smooth opening and closing operation of the valve body 310 was realized, and galling and image sticking were prevented.

  On the other hand, if the valve seat surface 200a3 is too hard, the crystal structure of the material forming the valve seat surface 200a3 is broken, the corrosion resistance is lowered, the material constituting the valve seat is peeled off and flies into the transport path, The Vickers hardness of the valve seat surface 200a3 is set to 400 HV or less (preferably approximately 200 to 400 HV) because it is mixed into the film forming material and causes contamination.

(Shape of valve body and valve seat)
The portion of the valve body head 310a that comes into contact with the valve seat surface 200a3 has a tapered shape, and the taper opening θ with respect to the line perpendicular to the tip surface of the valve body head 310a is 40 ° to 80 °. The reason why the taper opening θ is limited to 40 ° to 80 ° is to improve the sheet property. Thereby, the valve body 310 is opened and closed more smoothly, and galling and image sticking are prevented.

  The contact portion of the valve head 310a with the valve seat surface 200a3 may be arcuate. In that case, it is preferable to have a desired radius of curvature. Thereby, the valve body 310 is opened and closed more smoothly, and galling and image sticking are prevented.

  Further, when the valve body 310 is assembled and finished, by performing coaxiality and alignment (sliding) between the valve seat and the valve body, the center axis of the valve body 310 and the valve seat surface 200a3 is prevented from being displaced. Set to the finished state. In this way, by performing special surface hardening treatment and preventing galling and seizure, a regulating valve that can stably maintain operability, sealing performance and heat resistance using a valve body and a valve seat made of metal. The device 300 could be constructed.

[Verify leak condition]
FIG. 12 is a chart showing the result of detecting the leak amount using the regulating valve device 300 according to the third embodiment.
The inventor verified the leak state of the valve body 310 using the regulating valve device 300 having the above-described configuration. The experiment was performed both in a state in which the valve box 305 was at a high temperature of 500 ° C. and in a state in which the valve box 305 was at room temperature. The taper opening θ of the contact portion of the valve body head 310a was 60 ° C. The valve body head 310a is made of SUS316 stainless steel with F2 coating surface treatment, and the valve seat surface 200a3 is made of SUS316 stainless steel burnished. The Vickers hardness of the valve head 310a was 700 HV, and the Vickers hardness was 400 HV by seat burnishing of the valve seat (valve seat surface 200a3).

When the temperature in the valve box 305 (body) is 500 ° C., as shown in FIG. 12, the operating pressure (MPa), that is, the pressurized air supplied from the first pipe 320d presses the power transmission member 320a. When the pressure at the time of changing was varied, the leakage amount was on the order of 10 ⁻¹¹ (Pa × m ³ / sec) or less at all the operating pressures (0.20 to 0.60: MPs) examined. In particular, when the operating pressure was 0.25 to 0.55 (MPa), the leak amount detection result was less than the minimum detection sensitivity. This indicates that the leak amount could not be detected because almost no leak occurred.

On the other hand, when the temperature in the valve box was room temperature, the leakage amount was on the order of 10 ⁻⁹ (Pa × m ³ / sec) or less at the operating pressure (0.50 to 0.60: MPs). From the above, even when the temperature in the valve box is room temperature, when the operating pressure is 0.50 to 0.60 (MPa), the leak amount is on the order of 10 ⁻⁹ (Pa × m ³ / sec) or less. It was found that the amount of leakage can be further reduced at a high temperature of about 500 ° C. Compared with the conventional regulating valve device 300 having a leak amount of about 10 ⁻³ to 10 ⁻⁴ (Pa × m ³ / sec), in the regulating valve device 300 according to the present embodiment, the valve body 310 and By optimizing the material, shape, and surface processing of the valve seat, it was proved that the opening / closing operation of the valve body 310 can be repeated with almost no leakage.

  In particular, in the case of organic film formation, the organic vapor deposition material that passes through the transport path 200a is used in an environment of high temperature and reduced pressure. The reason why the organic vapor deposition material is used at a high temperature will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the organic film forming material evaporated in the vapor generating unit 100 is transported to the substrate G through the transport path 200a by the transport gas Ar. In consideration of the adhesion coefficient during conveyance, the conveyance path 200a needs to be in a high temperature state of 300 ° C. or higher in order to avoid the deposition material from adhering to the inner wall of the conveyance path 200a. The reason why the organic vapor deposition material is used under reduced pressure is that it is desired to transport the vapor of the organic film forming material to the substrate G in a state where there is almost no contamination by making the inside of the transport path 200a a decompressed state. is there.

  From the above, when the regulating valve device 300 of the film forming apparatus according to the second embodiment is used in an organic film forming apparatus, the vicinity of the valve body 310 is in a high temperature and reduced pressure state. However, as described above, in the opening / closing mechanism of the valve body 310 described above, leakage hardly occurs, so that the atmosphere on the valve shaft side does not flow into the conveyance path side even when the conveyance path side is in a vacuum environment. As a result, it is possible to prevent the organic film forming material passing through the transport path 200a from deteriorating and realize a good organic film forming.

  In particular, the regulating valve device 300 of the film forming apparatus according to the second embodiment can maintain a very high hermeticity even at a high temperature of about 500 ° C. Further, by forming both the valve body side and the valve seat side from metal and adopting the separation structure of the valve body, it is possible to realize a valve mechanism capable of preventing leakage with high accuracy.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Is done.

For example, the regulating valve device according to the present invention is used not only for opening / closing a conveyance path provided in an organic EL device, but also for a manufacturing device requiring a valve opening / closing mechanism such as a semiconductor manufacturing device or an FPD device. be able to. In particular, the regulating valve device according to the present invention can be used even in a high temperature state of about 500 ° C., and can be used even in a vacuum state of about 10 ⁻¹ to 10 ² Pa.

  Note that a powdery (solid) organic film forming material can be used as the film forming material of the organic EL device according to the present invention. MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition :) which mainly uses a liquid organic metal as a film forming material and decomposes the vaporized film forming material on the heated object to be processed to grow a thin film on the object to be processed. It can also be used for organometallic vapor phase epitaxy.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the structure of the film forming apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. The film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 4 has basically the same configuration as that of Embodiment 1, except that a plurality of film forming material supply systems are provided. Specifically, the film formation apparatus according to Embodiment 4 includes a processing chamber 5 that houses the glass substrate G, and first to third vapors of the film formation material that are generated by heating the film formation material. Vapor generation units 1011, 1012, 1013 and first to third conveyances for conveying vapors of film forming materials generated by the first to third vapor generation units 1011, 1012, 1013 together with the carrier gas to the processing chamber 5. Passages 1021, 1022, 1023, first to third exhaust passages 1031, 1032, 1033 for exhausting the vapor of the film forming material generated in the first to third steam generation units 1011, 1012, 1013; First to third adjustment valve devices 1041, 1042, which are provided in the middle of the first to third conveyance paths 1021, 1022, 1023 and open and close the first to third conveyance paths 1021, 1022, 1023, 043, and first to third exhaust valve devices 1051, 1052, which are provided in the middle of the first to third exhaust passages 1031, 1032, 1033 and open and close the first to third exhaust passages 1031, 1032, 1033, 1053 and a blowing mechanism 4 for forming a film of a film forming material supplied from any one of the first to third vapor generating units 1011, 1012, 1013 on the glass substrate G by vacuum deposition. . The configurations of the first to third regulating valve devices 1041, 1042, and 1043 and the first to third exhaust valve devices 1051, 1052, and 1053 are the same as those of the valve device described in the third embodiment.

Similarly to the first embodiment, the first to third transport paths 1021, 1022, and 1023 include a first upstream heating unit, a first valve heating unit, a first downstream heating unit, and a first upstream temperature detection. , A first valve temperature detection unit, and a first downstream temperature detection unit, and the operation of each unit is controlled by the control unit. Similarly, the first to third exhaust passages 1031, 1032, and 1033 include a second upstream heating unit, a second valve heating unit, a second downstream heating unit, a second upstream temperature detection unit, and a second valve temperature. A detection unit and a second downstream temperature detection unit are provided, and the operation of each unit is controlled by the control unit.
Furthermore, a first steam amount detector is provided between the first to third steam generators 1011, 1012, 1013 and the first to third regulating valve devices 1041, 1042, 1043, and the blowing mechanism 4; A second steam amount detection unit is also provided between the first to third regulating valve devices 1041, 1042, and 1043. The detection result of each steam amount detection unit is input to the control unit.
Furthermore, the first to third transport gases for supplying the first to third steam generation units 1011, 1012, 1013 with a transport gas made of an inert gas, for example, a rare gas such as Ar, etc., to the glass substrate G. Supply pipes 1061, 1062, 1063 are connected, and first to third adjustment valves 1071, 1072, 1073 are provided in the middle of the first to third carrier gas supply pipes 1061, 1062, 1063.

  A description will be given of a film forming material supply method using the film forming apparatus configured as described above, in particular, a switching operation of the first to third vapor generating units 1011, 1012, 1013 accompanying replacement of the film forming material. As an example, in a state where the first steam generation unit 1011 is operating, an apparatus for supplying a vapor of the film formation material from the first vapor generation unit 1011 to replace the film formation material of the first vapor generation unit 1011 A process of switching to the second steam generation unit 1012 will be described. The other switching methods of the first to third steam generation units 1011, 1012, 1013 can be performed in the same manner. In order to operate the first steam generator 1011, the first to third regulating valve devices 1041, 1042, 1043, the first to third exhaust valve devices 1051, 1052, 1053, and the shutter are closed, and the embodiment The same process as in Steps S12 to S26 of No. 1 may be executed for the first steam generation unit 1011. Specifically, the control unit detects the temperature of the first steam generation unit 1011. If the detected temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 1041 is at least closed to heat the film forming material. When the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the first exhaust valve device 1051 is opened to heat the film forming material, and the vapor amount of the film forming material conveyed from the first vapor generating unit is set. When the detected amount of steam is detected, the first exhaust valve device 1051 is closed and the first regulating valve device 1041 is opened. Thereafter, the control unit performs PID control on the temperature of the first vapor generation unit 1011, and supplies vapor of a certain film forming material to the processing chamber 5.

Here, when a switching instruction from the first steam generation unit 1011 to the second steam generation unit 1012 is given to the control unit, the control unit performs the same processing as Step S12 to Step S21 on the second steam generation unit 1012. Run. Specifically, the control unit detects the temperature of the second steam generation unit 1012, and when the detected temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, at least the second regulating valve device 1042 is closed to heat the film forming material. When the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the second exhaust valve device 1052 is opened to heat the film forming material, and the vapor amount of the film forming material conveyed from the second vapor generating unit 1012 is reduced. To detect. When it is determined that the vapor amount of the film forming material supplied from the second steam generation unit 1012 is stable, the control unit closes the second exhaust valve device 1052 and opens the second adjustment valve device 1042. Further, the control unit closes the first regulating valve device 1041 and opens the first exhaust valve device 1051. The timing of closing the second exhaust valve device 1052 and opening the second adjustment valve device 1042 and the timing of closing the first adjustment valve device 1041 and opening the first exhaust valve device 1051 can be appropriately set. The timing of closing the first adjustment valve device 1041 and the timing of opening the first exhaust valve device 1051 can be arbitrarily set, and the timing of closing the second exhaust valve device 1052 and the second adjustment valve device 1042 can be set. The timing before and after opening may be arbitrarily set.
Hereinafter, the same processing as Step S30 to Step S34 is executed on the first steam generation unit 1011 side, the heating control on the first steam generation unit 1011 side is stopped, and the first exhaust valve device 1051 is closed.

  According to the film forming apparatus and the film forming material supply method according to Embodiment 4, the first to third vapor generating units 1011, 1012, and 1013 that generate the vapor of the film forming material can be quickly switched, and the film forming is performed. It is possible to replace the film forming material without interrupting the process.

  In addition, since the first to third regulating valve devices 1041, 1042, and 1043 and the first to third exhaust valve devices 1051, 1052, and 1053 employ the configuration described in the third embodiment, under high temperature heating. In addition, when switching the operation of the first to third steam generators 1011, 1012, 1013, there is no steam leakage from the first to third regulating valve devices 1041, 1042, 1043, and a certain amount of the vapor of the film forming material is processed. It is possible to supply to the chamber 5.

  In the fourth embodiment described above, an example in which the number of steam generation units is three has been described. However, the number of steam generation units is not particularly limited to three.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steam generating part 4 Blowing mechanism 5 Processing chamber 8 Control part (control means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Conveyance path 22 Exhaust path 23 1st steam quantity detection part 24 2nd steam quantity detection part 31 Adjusting valve apparatus 32 Exhaust valve apparatus 41 Retention chamber 42 Opening 43 Shutter 61a 1st upstream temperature detection part (upstream temperature detection means)
62a 1st valve temperature detection part (valve temperature detection means)
63a 1st downstream temperature detection part (downstream temperature detection means)
61b 2nd upstream temperature detection part 62b 2nd valve temperature detection part 63b 2nd downstream temperature detection part 64 Material temperature detection part (temperature detection means)
71a First upstream heating section (upstream heating means)
72a 1st valve heating part (valve heating means)
73a 1st downstream side heating part (downstream side heating means)
71b Second upstream heating unit 72b Second valve heating unit 73b Second downstream heating unit 91 Carrier gas supply pipe 92 Carrier gas supply regulating valve G Glass substrate (substrate to be processed)

Claims (9)

A processing chamber that accommodates a substrate to be processed, a vapor generation unit that generates vapor of the film formation material by heating the film formation material, and vapor of the film formation material generated in the vapor generation unit together with a carrier gas A transport path for transporting to the processing chamber, an exhaust path for exhausting the vapor of the film-forming material generated by the steam generating unit, and an intermediate part of the transport path, open and close the transport path A film-forming apparatus comprising: a first on-off valve that is provided; and a second on-off valve that is provided in the middle of the exhaust path and opens and closes the exhaust path,
Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the steam generating section;
A vapor amount detecting means for detecting a vapor amount of the film forming material conveyed from the vapor generating unit;
When the film forming material is heated, the opening / closing operation of the second on-off valve is controlled in accordance with the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, and when the film forming material is transferred to the processing chamber, the vapor A film forming apparatus comprising: control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the first and second on-off valves in accordance with the amount of steam detected by the quantity detecting means. The steam generating part is
The film forming material is heated to a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature,
The control means includes
Means for controlling the first and second on-off valves to a closed state when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is lower than the predetermined temperature;
2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a unit configured to control the second on-off valve to an open state when the temperature of the steam generation unit is increased when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature. Deposition device.   The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined temperature is equal to or lower than an evaporation temperature of the film forming material.   The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the film forming material is an organic film forming material, and the predetermined temperature is 250 ° C. or less. The temperature of the conveyance path on the downstream side of the first on-off valve is equal to or higher than the temperature of the first on-off valve, and the temperature of the first on-off valve is the temperature of the conveyance path on the upstream side of the first on-off valve. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for heating the transport path and the first on-off valve. An upstream heating means, a valve heating means, and a downstream heating means for heating the conveyance path upstream of the first on-off valve, the first on-off valve, and the conveyance path downstream of the first on-off valve, respectively. When,
Upstream temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the conveying path upstream of the first on-off valve, the first on-off valve, and the temperature of the conveying path downstream of the first on-off valve, and valve temperature detecting means, and Downstream temperature detection means;
The temperature of the conveyance path on the downstream side of the first on-off valve is equal to or higher than the temperature of the first on-off valve, and the temperature of the first on-off valve is the temperature of the conveyance path on the upstream side of the first on-off valve. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: means for controlling operations of the upstream heating means, the valve heating means, and the downstream heating means. A blowing mechanism for blowing the vapor of the film forming material transferred through the transfer path toward the target substrate accommodated in the processing chamber;
The blowing mechanism is
A retention chamber for retaining vapor of the film forming material conveyed through the conveyance path;
An opening for blowing out the steam retained in the retention chamber;
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a shutter that closes the opening so as to be openable and closable. A processing chamber that accommodates a substrate to be processed, a vapor generation unit that generates vapor of the film formation material by heating the film formation material, and vapor of the film formation material generated in the vapor generation unit together with a carrier gas A transport path for transporting to the processing chamber, an exhaust path for exhausting the vapor of the film-forming material generated by the steam generating unit, and an intermediate part of the transport path, open and close the transport path A film forming material supply method for heating a film forming material using a film forming apparatus provided with a first on-off valve for performing the operation and a second on-off valve provided in the middle of the exhaust path for opening and closing the exhaust path Because
Detecting the temperature of the steam generating section;
When the detected temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the film-forming material is heated by closing the first and second on-off valves,
When the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the second on-off valve is opened to heat the film forming material,
Detecting the amount of vapor of the film forming material conveyed from the vapor generating unit,
A method for supplying a film forming material, wherein the opening and closing operations of the first and second on-off valves are controlled according to the detected amount of vapor. A processing chamber that accommodates the substrate to be processed, a plurality of vapor generating portions that generate vapor of the film forming material by heating the film forming material, and a vapor of the film forming material generated by the plurality of vapor generating portions In the middle of each of the transport paths, a plurality of transport paths for transporting together with the transport gas to the processing chamber, a plurality of exhaust paths for exhausting the vapor of the film forming material generated in the plurality of vapor generating sections A film-forming apparatus provided with a plurality of first on-off valves provided to open and close the transport path and a plurality of second on-off valves provided in the middle of each exhaust path to open and close the exhaust path. A film forming material supply method for heating a film forming material using,
Detecting the temperature of the first steam generation unit;
When the detected temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the film forming material is heated by closing the first and second on-off valves related to the first steam generation unit,
When the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the film-forming material is heated by opening the second on-off valve related to the first steam generation unit,
Detecting the amount of vapor of the film-forming material conveyed from the first vapor generation unit;
According to the detected amount of steam, controlling the opening and closing operation of the first and second on-off valves related to the first steam generation unit,
Detecting the temperature of the second steam generation unit;
When the detected temperature is less than a predetermined temperature, the film forming material is heated by closing the first and second on-off valves related to the second steam generation unit,
When the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the film forming material is heated by opening the second on-off valve related to the second steam generation unit,
Detecting the amount of vapor of the film forming material conveyed from the second vapor generation unit;
According to the detected amount of steam, the first on-off valve related to the first steam generation unit is closed, and the on-off operation of the first and second on-off valves related to the second steam generation unit The film-forming material supply method characterized by controlling.

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