KR20230004275A - Film forming apparatus and film forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to form a homogeneous film on a relatively moving substrate. A film forming device includes: a film forming unit that forms a film on a substrate that moves relatively in a moving direction; and an adjustment means for adjusting the positional relationship between the substrate and a mask. The film forming unit includes a first unit and a second unit each including at least one evaporation source emitting a deposition material. In either of a first state in which the mask is overlaid on a first region of the substrate by the adjusting means, and a second state in which the mask is overlaid on a second region of the substrate by the adjustment means, film formation by the first unit and film formation by the second unit are performed.

Description

Film formation apparatus and film formation method {FILM FORMING APPARATUS AND FILM FORMING METHOD}

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus and a film forming method.

In the manufacture of organic EL displays and the like, deposition materials released from an evaporation source adhere to a substrate to form a thin film on the substrate. Patent Literature 1 discloses that film formation is performed on a rotating substrate using a plurality of evaporation sources.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-218623

However, in recent years, there has been a request for an increase in the size of a substrate for film formation from the viewpoint of improving production efficiency or the like. In order to form a film on a large substrate, it is conceivable to perform film formation while relatively moving the substrate and the evaporation source. However, in the prior art described above, when the substrate is enlarged, it becomes difficult to stably rotate the substrate, and there are cases in which a film cannot be formed uniformly on the substrate.

The present invention provides a technique for uniformly forming a film on a relatively moving substrate.

According to one aspect of the present invention,

a film forming unit that forms a film on the substrate relatively moving in the moving direction;

A film forming apparatus having an adjustment means for adjusting the positional relationship between a substrate and a mask, comprising:

The film formation unit includes a first unit and a second unit each including at least one evaporation source emitting a deposition material,

In either of the first state in which the mask overlaps with the first region of the substrate by the adjustment means, and the second state in which the mask overlaps with the second region of the substrate by the adjustment means, the first unit A film formation apparatus characterized in that film formation and film formation by a second unit are provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to uniformly form a film on a relatively moving substrate.

1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 1 .
3 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a film formation unit.
4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an evaporation source.
5 : is a figure explaining the arrangement|positioning of an evaporation source and a monitoring device.
6 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film formation unit according to an embodiment.
7(A) and 7(B) are cross-sectional views taken along line II of FIG. 6 to explain the film formation operation by the film formation unit.
Fig. 8 is a diagram explaining the film thickness distribution in the moving direction of the substrate.
9 is an operation explanatory diagram of the film forming apparatus.
10 is an operation explanatory diagram of the film forming apparatus.
Fig. 11(A) is an overall view of the organic EL display device, and Fig. 11(B) is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. On the other hand, the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiment, not all of these plurality of features are necessarily essential to the invention, and a plurality of features may be combined arbitrarily. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar structures, and redundant explanations are omitted.

<First Embodiment>

<Overview of Film Formation Equipment>

1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 . In each drawing, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions orthogonal to each other, and arrow Z indicates a vertical direction (vertical direction).

The film forming apparatus 1 is a film forming apparatus that deposits while moving an evaporation source with respect to a substrate. The film forming apparatus 1 is used, for example, for manufacture of a display panel of an organic EL display device for smartphones, and a plurality of units are arranged side by side to constitute the production line. As the material of the substrate on which vapor deposition is performed in the film forming apparatus 1, glass, resin, metal, or the like can be appropriately selected, and a resin layer formed on glass such as polyimide is preferably used. As the deposition material, organic materials, inorganic materials (metals, metal oxides, etc.) and the like are used. The film forming apparatus 1 can be applied to, for example, electronic devices such as display devices (flat panel displays, etc.), thin-film solar cells, organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), manufacturing apparatuses for manufacturing optical members, etc. And, in particular, it is applicable to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL panel. Further, in the present embodiment, the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film on a glass substrate (1100 mm x 2500 mm, 1250 mm x 2200 mm) of G8H size, but the size of the substrate on which the film forming apparatus 1 performs film formation can be set appropriately. .

The film formation apparatus 1 includes a film formation unit 10 (evaporation source unit), a moving unit 20, and a plurality of support units 30A and 30B (hereafter referred to as the support unit 30 when these are collectively referred to as The same applies to these components, etc.) are provided. The film formation unit 10, the moving unit 20, and the support unit 30 are disposed inside the chamber 45 maintained in a vacuum during use. In this embodiment, a plurality of support units 30A and 30B are installed at an upper part in the chamber 45 at a distance in the Y direction, and a film forming unit 10 and a moving unit 20 are installed below them. Further, the chamber 45 is provided with a plurality of substrate loading inlets 44A and 44B for loading and unloading the substrates 100 . On the other hand, in the present embodiment, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced pressure state.

Further, the film forming apparatus 1 includes a power source 41 that supplies power to the film forming unit 10 and an electrical connector 42 that electrically connects the film forming unit 10 and the power source 41 . The electrical connector 42 is configured by passing electric wires through the inside of the arm moving in the horizontal direction, and as will be described later, power from the power source 41 can be supplied to the film formation unit 10 moving in the XY direction. is supposed to

In addition, the film forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit 43 that controls the operation of each component. For example, the controller 43 may include a processor represented by a CPU, memory such as RAM and ROM, and various interfaces. For example, the control unit 43 realizes various processes by the film forming apparatus 1 by reading programs stored in ROM into RAM and executing them.

<support unit>

The support unit 30 supports the substrate 100 and the mask 101 and adjusts their positions. The support unit 30 includes a substrate support unit 32 , a position adjusting unit 34 , and a mask support unit 36 .

The substrate support part 32 supports the substrate 100 . In this embodiment, the substrate support portion 32 supports the substrate 100 so that the longitudinal direction of the substrate 100 is the X direction and the short longitudinal direction of the substrate 100 is the Y direction. For example, the substrate support portion 32 may support the substrate 100 by holding the edge of the substrate 100 at a plurality of positions or the like, or adsorb the substrate 100 with an electrostatic chuck or the like to hold the substrate 100 together. ) may be supported.

The position adjusting unit 34 adjusts the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 . In this embodiment, the position adjusting unit 34 adjusts the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 by moving the substrate support unit 32 in a state in which the substrate 100 is supported. However, the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 may be adjusted by moving the mask 101 . The positioning unit 34 includes a fixed unit 341 fixed to the chamber 45 and a movable unit 342 that supports the substrate support unit 32 and moves with respect to the fixed unit 341 . The movable part 342 moves the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support part 32 in the X direction by moving in the X direction with respect to the fixed part 341, thereby moving the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the X direction. Adjust the approximate positional relationship of Furthermore, the movable part 342 includes a mechanism for moving the supported substrate support part 32 in the XY direction in order to precisely position the substrate 100 and the mask 101 (alignment). As for the specific method of alignment, since a well-known technique can be adopted, detailed description is abbreviate|omitted. Further, the movable part 342 moves the substrate support part 32 in the Z direction to adjust the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the Z direction. For the movable part 342, a known technique such as a rack and pinion mechanism or a ball screw mechanism can be appropriately applied.

The mask support 36 is , supports the mask 101. In this embodiment, the mask support part 36 supports the mask 101 so that the mask 101 may be located in the center of the X direction within the chamber 45 . For example, the mask support portion 36 may support the mask 101 by holding the edges of the mask 101 at a plurality of positions.

The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a so-called dual stage film forming apparatus 1 capable of supporting a plurality of substrates 100A and 100B by a plurality of supporting units 30A and 30B. For example, while deposition is being performed on the substrate 100A supported by the support unit 30A, alignment of the substrate 100 supported by the support unit 30B and the mask 101 can be performed, and the film formation process can run efficiently. Hereinafter, a stage on the side of the support unit 30A may be referred to as a stage A, and a stage on the side of the support unit 30B may be referred to as a stage B.

In the present embodiment, during film formation, approximately half of the substrate 100 is overlapped with the mask 101 by the support unit 30 . Therefore, a suppression plate (not shown) for suppressing deposition material from adhering to a portion of the substrate 100 that does not overlap with the mask 101 during film formation is properly installed inside the chamber 45 .

<mobile unit>

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

The X-direction moving unit 22 is a component installed in the film forming unit 10, and includes a motor 221, a pinion 222 attached to a shaft member rotated by the motor 221, and a guide member 223. ). Further, the X-direction moving unit 22 includes a frame member 224 supporting the film forming unit 10, a rack 225 formed on an upper surface of the frame member 224 and engaged with the pinion 222; The guide member 223 includes a guide rail 226 that slides. The film forming apparatus 10 moves in the X direction along the guide rail 226 when the pinion 222 rotated by the driving of the motor 221 engages with the rack 225 .

The Y-direction moving part 24 includes two support members 241A and 241B extending in the Y-direction and spaced apart in the X-direction. The two support members 241A and 241B support the short side of the frame member 224 of the X-direction moving part 22 . The Y-direction moving unit 24 includes a drive mechanism such as a motor and rack and pinion mechanism (not shown), and moves the frame member 224 in the Y-direction with respect to the two support members 241A and 241B to form a film. The unit 10 is moved in the Y direction. The Y-direction moving unit 24 moves the film formation unit 10 to a position below the substrate 100A supported by the support unit 30A and to a position below the substrate 100B supported by the support unit 30B. between them in the Y direction.

<The Tabernacle Unit>

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of the film forming unit 10. As shown in FIG. The film formation unit 10 includes a plurality of evaporation sources 12a to 12f (hereinafter referred to as evaporation sources 12 when they are collectively referred to, and the same applies to their components, etc.), and a plurality of monitoring devices 14a to 14f. (Hereinafter, when these are collectively called, it is indicated as monitoring device 14, and the same applies to these components, etc.) and the restraining part 16 are included.

See also FIG. 4 . 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the evaporation source 12. As shown in FIG. The evaporation source 12 evaporates and discharges the deposition material. Each evaporation source 12 includes a material container 121 (crucible) and a heating part 122 .

The material container 121 accommodates the deposition material therein. An upper portion of the material container 121 is formed with an emission portion 1211 through which the evaporated deposition material is discharged. In this embodiment, the discharge portion 1211 is an opening formed on the upper surface of the material container 121, but may be a tubular member or the like. Alternatively, a plurality of discharge units 1211 may be provided in the material container 121 .

The heating unit 122 heats the deposition material accommodated in the material container 121 . The heating unit 122 is installed so as to cover the material container 121 . In this embodiment, a sheath heater using an electric heating wire is used as the heating part 122, and FIG. 4 shows a cross section when the heating wire of the sheath heater is wound around the material container 121.

The heating of the deposition material by the heating unit 122 is controlled by the control unit 43 . In this embodiment, the some evaporation source 12 has the material container 121 and the heating part 122 each independently. Therefore, the control unit 43 can independently control the evaporation of the deposition material by the plurality of evaporation sources 12 .

The plurality of monitoring devices 14 each monitor the emission state of the deposition material from the plurality of evaporation sources 12 . In this embodiment, six monitoring devices 14a to 14f are installed. In addition, the monitoring devices 14a to 14c are housed in the case 145a, and the monitoring devices 14d to 14f are housed in the case 145b, respectively. Cases 145a and 145b are properly provided with openings for allowing deposition materials to enter the inside so that deposition materials discharged from each evaporation source 12 to be monitored can reach each monitoring device 14 .

The monitoring apparatus 14 of this embodiment is equipped with the crystal oscillator 143 (refer FIG. 5) as a film thickness sensor inside the case 141 (refer FIG. 5). The deposition material discharged from the evaporation source 12 is introduced and attached to the crystal vibrator 143 through an inlet 142 (see FIG. 5 ) formed in the case 141 . The frequency of the crystal oscillator 143 fluctuates depending on the deposition amount of the deposition material. Therefore, the controller 43 can calculate the film thickness of the deposition material deposited on the substrate 100 by monitoring the frequency of the crystal oscillator 143 . Since the amount of deposition material attached to the crystal oscillator 143 per unit time has a correlation with the amount of emission of deposition material from the evaporation source 12, as a result, the emission state of the deposition material from the plurality of evaporation sources 12 can be monitored. there is. In addition, in this embodiment, each heating part 122 of each evaporation source 12 is monitored based on the result by independently monitoring the release state of the deposition material from each evaporation source 12 by each monitoring device 14. output can be controlled more appropriately. Accordingly, the film thickness of the deposition material deposited on the substrate 100 can be effectively controlled.

In this embodiment, the film formation unit 10 performs film formation on the substrate 100 while moving in the X direction (movement direction) by the moving unit 20 . However, employment in which film formation is performed by an evaporation source fixedly disposed with respect to the moving substrate 100 is also possible. That is, the film formation unit 10 may form a film on the substrate 100 that is relatively moving in the moving direction.

The restraining unit 16 suppresses scattering of the deposition materials discharged from the plurality of evaporation sources 12 to the non-corresponding monitoring device 14 . Details will be described later.

<Arrangement of evaporation source and monitoring device>

5 : is a figure explaining the arrangement|positioning of the evaporation source 12 and the monitoring apparatus 14. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the evaporation sources 12a to 12c are arranged in the Y direction, that is, in the width direction of the substrate 100 crossing the direction of relative movement of the substrate 100 and the film formation unit 10 . Further, the evaporation sources 12d to 12f are arranged in the Y direction at positions spaced apart from the evaporation sources 12a to 12c in the X direction. Further, a plurality of monitoring devices 14 are provided outside the plurality of evaporation sources 12 in the Y direction.

Here, attention is paid to the two evaporation sources 12a to 12b and the two monitoring devices 14a to 14b. Evaporation sources 12a to 12b are arranged along the Y direction, and monitoring devices 14a to 14b are arranged along the X direction crossing the Y direction. In this way, since the arrangement direction of the evaporation sources 12a to 12b and the arrangement direction of the corresponding monitoring devices 14a to 14b intersect, these can be arranged compactly. For example, compared to the case where the monitoring devices 14a to 14b are arranged in the Y direction similarly to the evaporation sources 12a to 12b and spaced apart from the evaporation sources 12a to 12b in the X direction, the X direction is compact. The evaporation sources 12a to 12b and the monitoring devices 14a to 14b can be conveniently arranged. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the chamber 45 in the X direction, that is, in the moving direction of the film formation unit 10 during film formation. Further, even when the size of the chamber 45 in the X direction does not change, the movement range of the film formation unit 10 in the X direction can be suppressed from being limited by increasing the size of the film formation unit 10 in the X direction. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the evaporation source 12a and the monitoring apparatus 14a are arrange|positioned so that it may overlap in the X direction, they can arrange them more compactly in the X direction.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the monitoring devices 14a to 14b are arranged in the moving direction of the film forming unit 10, but the arrangement direction is not limited to this. For example, the arrangement direction of the monitoring devices 14a to 14b may include a component in the Z direction. That is, the monitoring device 14a and the monitoring device 14b may be arranged at different heights. In addition, the arrangement direction of the monitoring apparatuses 14a-14b may have a predetermined angle, not orthogonal to the X direction in planar view.

Next, attention is paid to the three evaporation sources 12a to 12c and the three monitoring devices 14a to 14c. The monitoring devices 14a to 14b corresponding to the evaporation sources 12a to 12b are disposed outside the evaporation source 12a as a side where the evaporation source 12a is provided in the Y direction. Moreover, the monitoring apparatus 14c corresponding to the evaporation source 12c is arrange|positioned outside the evaporation source 12c as the side on which the evaporation source 12c is provided in the Y direction. In other words, the monitoring apparatuses 14a to 14c are disposed on both outer sides of the evaporation sources 12a to 12c in the Y direction. Thereby, the monitoring devices 14a to 14c can be compactly arranged in the X direction. Specifically, compared to the case where monitoring devices 14a to 14c are arranged in the X direction and installed on one side outside the evaporation sources 12a to 12c in the Y direction, the monitoring devices 14a to 14c are arranged in the X direction. compactly placed. In addition, in this embodiment, since the evaporation source 12a and the monitoring device 14a are arranged so as to overlap in the X direction, and the evaporation source 12c and the monitoring device 14c are arranged so as to overlap in the X direction, monitoring Devices 14a to 14c are arranged more compactly in the X direction.

Here, among the three evaporation sources 12a to 12c arranged in the width direction of the substrate 100, the evaporation source 12b disposed in the center has a higher film formation rate or evaporation material per unit time than the evaporation sources 12a and 12c on both sides. The amount of emission may be set to be small. In this way, variation in film thickness in the width direction of the substrate 100 can be reduced.

Next, attention is paid to the four evaporation sources 12a to 12b and 12e to 12f and the four monitoring devices 14a to 14b and 14e to 14f. The evaporation sources 12e to 12f are provided apart from the evaporation sources 12a to 12b in the X direction. And the monitoring apparatuses 14a-14b corresponding to the evaporation sources 12a-12b are installed in one outer side (+Y side) of the some evaporation source 12. In addition, the monitoring devices 14e to 14f corresponding to the evaporation sources 12e to 12f are installed on the outer side (-Y side) of the plurality of evaporation sources 12 . In this way, when the plurality of evaporation sources 12 are spaced apart in the X direction and arranged in two rows, the monitoring devices 14 corresponding to the evaporation sources 12 in each row are divided and disposed on both sides of the plurality of evaporation sources 12, A plurality of monitoring devices 14 can be compactly arranged in the X direction.

In this embodiment, the evaporation sources 12a to 12c and the evaporation sources 12d to 12f emit different deposition materials. This enables co-evaporation in which two types of materials are deposited simultaneously to form a mixed film on the substrate 100 . Further, for example, after deposition by the evaporation sources 12a to 12c is performed in a state in which scattering of the deposition material from the evaporation sources 12d to 12f to the substrate 100 is blocked by a shutter (not shown), Deposition by the evaporation sources 12d to 12e may be performed in a state in which scattering of the deposition material from the evaporation sources 12a to 12c to the substrate 100 is blocked by a shutter. In this way, two layers of thin films can be formed on the substrate by one film forming unit 10 .

<Configuration of suppression unit>

See Figures 3 and 5. The restraining portion 16 is constituted by including a plurality of plate members 161a to 161i (hereinafter referred to as a plate member 161 when naming them generically, and the same applies to the permitting portion 162 described later). The plate member 161 is a plate-shaped member that suppresses scattering of deposition materials from each evaporation source 12 to the monitoring device 14 that does not correspond. As an example, the plate-shaped member 161a suppresses scattering of deposition material from the evaporation source 12a to the monitoring device 14 other than the monitoring device 14a (eg, the monitoring device 14b). By means of the plate member 161, each monitoring device 14 discharges the deposition material from the evaporation source 12 to be monitored in a state in which the influence of evaporation sources 12 other than the evaporation source 12 to be monitored is reduced. status can be monitored.

Here, paying attention to the evaporation source 12b, the monitoring device 14a, and the plate member 161f, the plate member 161f is provided so as to suppress scattering of the evaporation material from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14a. . Thereby, the monitoring apparatus 14a can monitor the discharge|release state of the evaporation material from the evaporation source 12a in the state in which the influence of the evaporation source 12b was reduced. Moreover, scattering of the evaporation material from the evaporation sources 12c to 12f to the monitoring device 14a is also suppressed by the other plate member 161 . For example, scattering of the deposition material from the evaporation source 12d to the monitoring device 14a is suppressed by the plate member 161d.

In addition, in this embodiment, the evaporation source 12b is arrange|positioned in the position farther from the monitoring apparatus 14b than the evaporation source 12a in the Y direction. And the plate member 161f is arrange|positioned between the evaporation source 12a and the evaporation source 12b. And the plate member 161f is formed with a permissive portion 162b that permits scattering of the deposition material from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14b. When the plate member 161f is provided to suppress scattering of the evaporation material from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14a, scattering of the evaporation material from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14b may also be suppressed. In this embodiment, since the deposition material scatters from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14b through the allowing portion 162b by providing the permitting portion 162b to the plate member 161f, the monitoring device 14b Monitoring of the evaporation source 12b by this becomes possible.

In this embodiment, the plate member 161f is provided with a tubular portion as the permissible portion 162b. In detail, this tubular portion is installed so as to surround an imaginary straight line Vb connecting the emitting portion 121lb of the evaporation source 12b and the crystal oscillator 143b, which is the attachment portion of the deposition material of the monitoring device 14b. In other words, the tubular portion is provided so that the virtual straight line Vb passes through the inside of the tubular portion without passing through the plate member 161f and the member itself of the tubular portion formed therein. As a result, since the directivity of the deposition material discharged from the evaporation source 12b can be increased, the deposition material can easily reach the monitoring device 14b. Therefore, the monitoring device 14b can more accurately monitor the release state of the film material from the evaporation source 12b.

On the other hand, the allowable portion 162b may be an opening formed in the plate member 161f. In this case, the opening may be formed in a region including a position through which the virtual straight line Vb on the plate member 161f passes. When the permissible portion 162b is an opening, processing of the plate member 161f becomes easy, and thus manufacturing cost and the like can be reduced.

On the other hand, here, attention is paid to the evaporation source 12b and the plate member 161f, and the permitting portion 162b has been described, but similarly, the amount of evaporation material from the evaporation sources 12a, 12c to 12f to the monitoring devices 14a, 14c to 14f Permissible portions 162a and 162c to 162f that permit scattering are provided on each plate member 161 . And, in this embodiment, it is provided so that virtual straight line Va, Vc-Vf may not be physically blocked by any member also about the other permissible part 162a, 162c-162f, respectively.

<Second Embodiment>

Next, the film forming apparatus 9 according to the second embodiment will be described. The film forming apparatus 9 is different from the film forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment in the structure of the film forming unit. Hereinafter, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected about the same structure as 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate|omitted in some cases.

6 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film formation unit 90 according to an embodiment. 7(A) and 7(B) are cross-sectional views taken along line I-I in FIG. 6 to explain the film forming operation by the film forming unit 90. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7(A) shows a film forming operation by a unit 90B described later, and FIG. 7(B) shows a film forming operation by a unit 90A described later. In the present embodiment, the film formation unit 90 includes seven evaporation sources 92a to 92g (hereinafter referred to as evaporation sources 92 when they are collectively referred to). The plurality of evaporation sources 92 are constituted by evaporation sources 92a to 92c in one row, evaporation sources 92d to 92e in one row, and evaporation sources 92f to 92g in one row and three rows. In this embodiment, the plurality of evaporation sources 92 evaporate different deposition materials for each row. In this embodiment, the evaporation sources 92a to 92c evaporate Ag, the evaporation sources 92d to 92e evaporate Mg, and the evaporation sources 92f to 92g evaporate LiF, respectively.

In the present embodiment, among the plurality of monitoring devices 94, the monitoring devices 94a and 94c to 94g are disposed separately on both sides of the plurality of evaporation sources 92 in the Y direction, but the monitoring device 94b is installed in the area surrounded by the evaporation sources 92d to 92g. Therefore, the size of the film forming unit 90 in the X direction is suppressed by the arrangement of the monitoring device 94b. Further, paying attention to the two evaporation sources 92a to 92b and the two monitoring devices 94a to 94b, the evaporation sources 92a to 92b are arranged in the Y direction, and the monitoring devices 94a to 94b are X-direction components and Y-direction components. They are arranged in a direction having a direction component, and these arrangement directions intersect.

Moreover, in this embodiment, one unit 90A is comprised by evaporation sources 92a-92e, and another unit 90B is comprised by evaporation sources 92f-92g. In this embodiment, the film formation unit 90 performs film formation on the substrate 100 for each of these units. That is, in this embodiment, the unit 90A performs co-evaporation of Ag and Mg, and the unit 90B performs independent deposition of LiF. Further, the film formation unit 90 performs film formation for each unit using shutters 98A and 98B.

The shutter 98A has a blocking position (FIG. 7(A)) to block scattering of the deposition material from the evaporation sources 92a to 92e of the unit 90A to the substrate 100, and the evaporation source 92a of the unit 90A. -92e) to the allowable position (FIG. 7(B)) that permits scattering of the deposition material onto the substrate 100. In addition, the shutter 98B has a blocking position (FIG. 7(B)) to block scattering of the deposition material from the evaporation sources 92f to 92g of the unit 90B to the substrate 100, and the evaporation source of the unit 90B. It is displaced from 92f to 92g to an allowable position (FIG. 7(A)) allowing scattering of the deposition material onto the substrate 100. Therefore, film formation can be performed by the evaporation sources 92a to 92e of the unit 90A by performing film formation with the shutter 98A in the allowed position and the shutter 98B in the shut-off position. Further, film formation can be performed by the evaporation sources 92f to 92g of the unit 90B by performing film formation with the shutter 98B in the allowed position and the shutter 98A in the shut-off position.

<Emission direction of evaporation source>

FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining the film thickness distribution in the moving direction (X direction) of the substrate 100 . In detail, FIG. 8 shows the distribution of the film thickness of the deposition material released from the evaporation source 92 of each row when co-evaporation is performed by the unit 90A. The pattern PT1 shows the distribution of the film thickness when the discharge direction of the deposition material from the emission portion 9211 of the evaporation source 92 is vertically upward. Meanwhile, the deposition material may be discharged from the emission portion 9211 with a spread within a certain range. Here, the direction the emission portion 9211 is directed is referred to as an emission direction.

When the emission direction of the deposition material is vertically upward, since the evaporation sources 92a to 92c and the evaporation sources 92d to 92e are spaced apart in the X direction (movement direction) of the substrate 100, the X direction of the film thickness distribution The vertices are out of alignment. In this case, depending on the relationship between the film formation region, which is the region where the substrate 100 and the mask 101 overlap, and the movement start position and end position of the film formation unit 90, Ag and Mg in the X direction of the substrate 100 In some cases, the film is formed in a different mixing ratio. That is, the deposition material deposited on the substrate 100 may vary in the X direction.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, as shown in the pattern PT2, each evaporation source 92 is arranged so that the direction of emission of the evaporation material is inclined. In this way, the distribution of the film thickness of the deposition material discharged from the evaporation sources 92a to 92c and the apex in the X direction of the distribution of the film thickness of the deposition material discharged from the evaporation sources 92d to 92e can be aligned or brought close to each other. there is. Accordingly, variation in the X direction (movement direction) of the deposition material deposited on the substrate 100 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the evaporation sources 92a to 92c are arranged so that the emission direction of the deposition material faces the evaporation sources 92d to 92e in the X direction (movement direction). In addition, the evaporation sources 92d to 92e are disposed so that the emission direction of the deposition material faces the evaporation sources 92a to 92c in the X direction (movement direction).

On the other hand, when the emission direction of the deposition material is inclined, the evaporation source 92 itself may be inclined, or the shape of the emission portion 9211 such that the emission direction is inclined may be employed. For example, when the discharge portion 9211 has a tubular shape, the discharge portion 9211 may be configured such that the axial direction of the tub is inclined.

<Film formation process>

Next, a film forming process using the film forming device 9 will be described. 9 and 10 are operation explanatory diagrams of the film forming apparatus 9 in the film forming process.

The state ST1 is an initial state, and indicates a state in which the substrate 100A and the substrate 100B are loaded into the film forming apparatus 9 and aligned with the mask 101A and the mask 101B, respectively. Here, the substrate 100A on the stage A side is in a state where approximately half of the area on the +X side in the X direction is covered with the mask 101A, and the substrate 100B on the stage B side is in a state where the area on the +X side in the X direction is covered with the mask 101A. Approximately half of the area on the -X side of is in a state covered by the mask 101B. Further, the film formation unit 90 is located at a position (x1) on the -X side in the X direction from the film formation region, which is a region where the substrate 100A and the mask 101A overlap, on the stage A side.

State ST2 is a state after film formation is performed on the substrate 100A while the film formation unit 90 moves to the +X side of the X direction. The film formation unit 90 moves from the position (x1) to the position (x2) on the +X side in the X direction from the film formation area. State ST3 is a state after film formation is performed on the substrate 100A while the film formation unit 90 moves to the -X side of the X direction. That is, during the transition from state ST1 to state ST3, the film formation unit 90 moves back and forth between the position x1 and the position x2 by the moving unit 20 once, and moves on the substrate 100A. perform the tabernacle

On the other hand, although the operation for one reciprocation is shown here, the film forming unit 90 may perform film formation while repeating the reciprocating operation for a total of two reciprocations. For example, the film formation unit 90 may perform film formation by the unit 90B while making one reciprocation in the X direction, and then perform film formation by the unit 90A while making one reciprocation in the X direction. In this case, since the film formation by the unit 90A is performed for one reciprocal cycle, the effect of the positional difference in the X direction between the evaporation sources 92a to 92c and the evaporation sources 92d to 92e is reduced, and the film is adhered to the substrate 100A. The mixing ratio of Ag and Mg, which are deposition materials, may be equal to or close to each other.

Further, for example, the film formation unit 90 may perform film formation by the unit 90B for the first round trip outbound and perform film formation by the unit 90A for the first round trip and the second round trip. do. Accordingly, when it is desired to make the Ag and Mg mixture film thicker than the LiF film thickness, it is possible to secure a longer time for film formation by the unit 90A.

Further, the film formation unit 90 may perform film formation by the unit 90B on the outward path and by the unit 90A on the return path while the film forming apparatus 1 is reciprocating in the X direction. Alternatively, the film formation unit 90 may perform film formation by the units 90A and 90B while reciprocating three or more times in the X direction. In any case, in the present embodiment, approximately half of the area on the +X side of the X direction of the substrate 100A is covered with the mask 101A, and the film formation by the unit 90A and the film formation by the unit 90B are performed. Both are done.

Further, in the present embodiment, at the position x1 and the position x2, the film formation unit 90 is set so as not to overlap with a film formation region, which is an area where the substrate 100A and the mask 101A overlap in plan view. That is, the film formation unit 90 reciprocates so as to completely pass through this film formation region in plan view. However, at the position (x1) and the position (x2), at least a part of the film formation unit 90 may be arranged so as to overlap the film formation region in plan view.

State ST4 represents a state in which the film forming unit 90 has moved from stage A to stage B. The film forming unit 90 is moved in the Y direction (the width direction of the substrate 100 ) by the Y direction moving unit 24 of the moving unit 20 . Here, the film forming unit 90 moves from the position y1 on the stage A side to the position y2 on the stage B side in the Y direction.

State ST5 is a state after film formation is performed on the substrate 100B while the film formation unit 90 moves to the +X side of the X direction. The film forming unit 90 moves from position x1 to position x2 in the X direction. Further, the state ST5 is also a state after the substrate 100A moves in the X direction in the stage A. By the position adjusting part 34A of the support unit 30A, the board|substrate 100A moves from the position where approximately half of the +X side is covered with the mask 101A, and approximately half of the -X side is covered by the mask 101A. Move to a covered position. In addition, after rough movement of the substrate 100A in the X direction, precise positioning of the substrate 100A and the mask 101A is performed by alignment using a camera (not shown) or the like, and then the substrate 100A and the mask (101A) overlaps.

State ST6 is a state after film formation is performed on the substrate 100B while the film formation unit 90 moves to the -X side of the X direction. That is, during the transition from state ST4 to state ST6, the film formation unit 90 moves back and forth between the position x1 and the position x2 by the moving unit 20 once, relative to the substrate 100B. perform the tabernacle On the other hand, as in the transition from state ST1 to state ST3, the film formation unit 90 may perform film formation on the substrate 100B while making two or more reciprocations.

State ST7 represents a state in which the film forming unit 90 has moved from stage B to stage A. Here, the film forming unit 90 moves from position y2 to position y1 in the Y direction. State ST8 is a state after film formation is performed on the substrate 100A while the film formation unit 90 is moved to the +X side of the X direction, and state ST9 is a state after the film formation unit 90 moves to the -X side of the X direction. This is a state after film formation is performed on the substrate 100A while holding. That is, during the transition from state ST7 to state ST9, the film formation unit 90 moves back and forth between the position x1 and the position x2 by the moving unit 20 once, and moves on the substrate 100A. perform the tabernacle On the other hand, the film forming unit 90 can operate similarly to the state ST1 to ST3 transition. In any case, in the present embodiment, the film formation by the unit 90A and the film formation by the unit 90B are carried out in a state where approximately half of the area on the -X side of the X direction of the substrate 100A is covered with the mask 101A. Both are done.

Further, the state ST8 is also a state after the substrate 100B moves in the X direction in the stage B. By the positioning unit 34B of the support unit 30B, the substrate 100B is moved from a position where approximately half of the -X side is covered with the mask 101B, and approximately half of the +X side is covered by the mask 101B. Move to a covered position. Further, after rough movement of the substrate 100B in the X direction, precise positioning of the substrate 100B and the mask 101B is performed by alignment using a camera (not shown) or the like, and then the substrate 100B and the mask (101B) overlaps.

State ST10 represents a state in which the film forming unit 90 has moved from stage A to stage B. The operation and the like of the film forming unit 90 here are the same as the transition from state ST3 to state ST4. State ST11 is a state after film formation is performed on the substrate 100B while the film formation unit 90 moves to the +X side of the X direction, and state ST12 moves the film formation unit 90 to the -X side of the X direction. This is a state after film formation is performed on the substrate 100B while holding. That is, during the transition from state ST10 to state ST12, the film forming unit 90 moves back and forth between the position x1 and the position x2 by the moving unit 20 once to and fro the substrate 100B. perform the tabernacle On the other hand, the film forming unit 90 can operate similarly to the state ST1 to ST3 transition.

Further, the state ST11 is also a state in which the substrate 100A is unloaded from the film forming apparatus 9 in the stage A. State ST12 is also a state after the substrate 100A is unloaded from the film forming apparatus 9 . In this way, the substrate 100A is carried out of the film forming apparatus 9 after film formation is performed on approximately half of the area on the +X side in the X direction and approximately half of the area on the -X side in the X direction, respectively. .

In this way, a state in which the mask 101 overlaps approximately half of the area on the +X side of the substrate 100, and a state in which the mask 101 overlaps approximately half of the area on the -X side of the substrate 100 In either case, film formation by the unit 90A and film formation by the unit 90B are performed. Accordingly, film formation can be performed by both the unit 90A and the unit 90B even on the large-sized substrate 100 . Specifically, as the size of the substrate 100 increases, there are cases in which the mask 101 having the same size as the substrate 100 cannot be created due to the rigidity balance of the mask 101 . However, according to the present embodiment, even when the mask 101 is smaller than the substrate 100, film formation can be performed over substantially the entire area of the substrate 100. In addition, since the relative movement of the substrate 100 and the film formation unit 90 is a linear movement, compared to rotational movement, etc., these relative movements can be stably performed at a constant speed, and film formation is uniform with respect to the substrate 100. can do Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the film forming unit 90 moves, even if the substrate 100 is large, these relative movements can be stably performed.

In the present embodiment, while film formation is performed by the film formation unit 90 on the stage B (state ST4 to ST6), the substrate 100A and the mask ( 101A), the film formation process can be performed efficiently. On the other hand, position adjustment of the substrate 100A and the mask 101A on the stage A is carried out when the film formation unit 90 is moved in the Y direction (state ST4 to ST5, state ST6 to ST6). State ST7) or the like may be performed.

<Method of manufacturing electronic device>

Next, an example of a manufacturing method of an electronic device will be described. Hereinafter, the configuration and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device as an example of an electronic device will be illustrated. In this example, a plurality of film forming apparatuses 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 are installed on the production line.

First, an organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Fig. 11(A) is an overall view of the organic EL display device 50, and Fig. 11(B) is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

As shown in FIG. 11(A), in the display area 51 of the organic EL display device 50, a plurality of pixels 52 having a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a matrix form. Details will be described later, but each of the light emitting elements has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes.

Incidentally, the term "pixel" here refers to a minimum unit enabling display of a desired color in the display area 51 . In the case of a color organic EL display device, a pixel 52 is constituted by a combination of a plurality of subpixels of the first light emitting element 52R, the second light emitting element 52G, and the third light emitting element 52B emitting different light. has been The pixel 52 is often composed of a combination of three types of sub-pixels: a red (R) light emitting element, a green (G) light emitting element, and a blue (B) light emitting element, but is not limited thereto. The pixel 52 only needs to include at least one type of subpixel, preferably includes two or more types of subpixels, and more preferably includes three or more types of subpixels. As the subpixels constituting the pixel 52, for example, a combination of four types of subpixels: a red (R) light emitting element, a green (G) light emitting element, a blue (B) light emitting element, and a yellow (Y) light emitting element. may be continued

Fig. 11(B) is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram taken along line A-B in Fig. 11(A). The pixel 52 includes, on the substrate 53, the first electrode (anode) 54, the hole transport layer 55, and any one of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B. It has a plurality of sub-pixels composed of one organic EL element including an electron transport layer 57 and a second electrode (cathode) 58. Among these, the hole transport layer 55, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, the blue layer 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to organic layers. The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes described as organic EL elements) emitting red, green, and blue, respectively.

Moreover, the 1st electrode 54 is formed separately for each light emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, the electron transport layer 57, and the second electrode 58 may be formed commonly over a plurality of light emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. That is, as shown in FIG. 11(B), the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed on the hole transport layer 55 as a common layer over a plurality of sub-pixel regions. It may be formed separately for each region, and furthermore, the electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 may be formed as a common layer over a plurality of sub-pixel regions.

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

Although the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are shown as one layer in FIG. 11(B), depending on the structure of the organic EL display element, it may be formed of a plurality of layers having a hole blocking layer or an electron blocking layer. do. In addition, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure capable of smoothly injecting holes from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55 is formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55. can form Similarly, an electron injection layer may also be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57 .

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

In addition, although the example of the red layer 56R has been shown here, the same structure may be employed also in the green layer 56G or the blue layer 56B. In addition, the number of layers may be two or more. Furthermore, layers of different materials such as a light emitting layer and an electron blocking layer may be laminated, or layers of the same material may be laminated, for example, two or more light emitting layers are laminated.

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

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

On the substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed, a resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is coated with a bar coat or spin coat, and the resin layer is applied to the portion where the first electrode 54 is formed by a lithography method. An insulating layer 59 is formed by patterning to form an opening. This opening corresponds to a light emitting region in which the light emitting element actually emits light. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, processing is performed on a large-sized substrate until the formation of the insulating layer 59, and a dividing step of dividing the substrate 53 is executed after the formation of the insulating layer 59.

The board|substrate 53 on which the insulating layer 59 was patterned is carried into the 1st film-forming apparatus 1, and the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a layer common to the 1st electrode 54 of a display area. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask having openings for each display area 51 that will ultimately become a panel portion of each organic EL display device.

Next, the substrate 53 on which up to the hole transport layer 55 is formed is carried into the second film forming apparatus 1 . Align the substrate 53 with the mask, place the substrate on the mask, and place the substrate 53 on the hole transport layer 55 in a portion of the substrate 53 where a red-emitting element is disposed (a region where red sub-pixels are formed). , the red layer 56R is formed. Here, the mask used in the second film formation chamber is a high-precision mask in which openings are formed only in a plurality of regions serving as red subpixels among a plurality of regions on the substrate 53 serving as subpixels of the organic EL display device. . As a result, the red layer 56R including the red light emitting layer is formed only in the region to be the red sub-pixel among the regions to be the plurality of sub-pixels on the substrate 53 . In other words, the red layer 56R is not formed in the area to be a blue sub-pixel or the area to be a green sub-pixel among the areas to be a plurality of sub-pixels on the substrate 53, but in the area to be a red sub-pixel. It is formed selectively.

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

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

1: Tabernacle device
10: tabernacle unit
12: evaporation source
14: monitoring device
20: mobile unit
30: support unit
100: substrate
101: mask

Claims (10)

a film forming unit that forms a film on the substrate relatively moving in the moving direction;
A film forming apparatus having an adjustment means for adjusting the positional relationship between a substrate and a mask, comprising:
The film formation unit includes a first unit and a second unit each including at least one evaporation source emitting a deposition material,
In either of the first state in which the mask overlaps with the first region of the substrate by the adjustment means, and the second state in which the mask overlaps with the second region of the substrate by the adjustment means, the first unit A film formation apparatus characterized in that film formation and film formation are performed by the second unit. According to claim 1,
The film forming unit, in either of the first state and the second state,
While forming a film by the first unit, reciprocate once between a first position and a second position in the moving direction;
The film forming apparatus characterized in that the second unit reciprocates between the first position and the second position once in the moving direction while film forming is performed by the second unit. According to claim 1,
The film forming unit, in either of the first state and the second state,
moving in the moving direction from a first position to a second position while performing film formation by the first unit;
The film forming apparatus characterized by moving from the second position to the first position in the moving direction while performing film formation by the second unit. According to claim 3,
In either of the first state and the second state, the film formation unit moves in the moving direction from the second position to the first position while performing film formation by the second unit, and then moves to the second position. A film forming apparatus characterized by performing one reciprocal movement between the first position and the second position in the moving direction while performing film formation by the unit. According to any one of claims 1 to 4,
By the film formation by the first unit, a first thin film is formed on the substrate;
A film forming apparatus characterized in that a second thin film having a composition different from that of the first thin film is formed on a substrate by the film forming by the second unit. According to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The at least one evaporation source of the first unit evaporates a first material;
The at least one evaporation source of the second unit includes an evaporation source that emits a second material and an evaporation source that emits a third material. According to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A first blocking position for blocking scattering of the deposition material from the at least one evaporation source of the first unit to the substrate, and a first blocking position allowing scattering of the deposition material from the at least one evaporation source of the first unit to the substrate. a first shutter displaced between the retracted positions;
A second blocking position for blocking scattering of the deposition material from the at least one evaporation source of the second unit to the substrate, and a second blocking position allowing scattering of the deposition material from the at least one evaporation source of the second unit to the substrate. A film forming apparatus comprising a second shutter displaced between the evacuation positions. According to claim 7,
When film formation is performed by the first unit, the first shutter is positioned at the first retracted position and the second shutter is positioned at the second blocking position;
When film formation is performed by the second unit, the first shutter is positioned at the first blocking position, and the second shutter is positioned at the second retracted position. According to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A plurality of the adjustment means are provided at a distance in a width direction of the substrate intersecting the moving direction;
The film forming unit is provided at a first width direction position at which film formation is performed on a substrate whose positional relationship is adjusted by one of the plurality of adjustment means and on a substrate whose positional relationship is adjusted by the other of the plurality of adjustment means. A film forming apparatus characterized by moving in the width direction between positions in the second width direction at which film formation is performed. Adjusting means for adjusting the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask so that a first state in which the mask overlaps with a first region of the substrate or a second state in which the mask overlaps with a second region of the substrate;
A film forming method of a film forming apparatus having a film forming unit for forming a film on a substrate relatively moving in a moving direction, comprising:
The film formation unit includes a first unit and a second unit each including at least one evaporation source,
The film formation method,
In the first state, a first film formation step of performing film formation by the first unit and film formation by the second unit by the film formation unit;
a step of adjusting the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask by the adjusting means so that the substrate and the mask are in the second state;
In the second state, the film formation method comprises a second film formation step of performing film formation by the first unit and film formation by the second unit by the film formation unit.

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