KR20240012984A - Inline deposition system having deposition shield unit - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of process chamber modules are arranged to communicate with each other and perform individual processes on a substrate; a substrate shuttle on which the substrate is mounted and moves within the plurality of process chamber modules; a magnetic levitation rail installed along the inside of the plurality of process chamber modules and levitating the substrate shuttle by magnetic force to induce movement of the substrate shuttle; An in-line deposition system provided with a deposition shield unit is provided to cover the magnetic levitation rail and includes a deposition shield unit that opens and closes the magnetic levitation rail as the substrate shuttle moves.

Description

Inline deposition system having deposition shield unit}

The present invention relates to an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit. More specifically, the present invention relates to an in-line deposition system equipped with a magnetic levitation transfer system, and an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit capable of preventing parasitic deposition of gaseous deposition material in the magnetic levitation transfer system. will be.

An Organic Luminescence Emitting Device (OLED) is a self-luminous device that emits light by itself using the electroluminescence phenomenon, which emits light when a current flows through a fluorescent organic compound. It does not require a backlight to apply light to a non-luminescent device. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a lightweight and thin flat display device.

Flat panel displays using such organic electroluminescent devices have a fast response speed and a wide viewing angle, and are emerging as next-generation display devices.

In an organic electroluminescent device, except for the anode and cathode electrodes, the remaining organic layers, such as a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer, are made of organic thin films, and these organic thin films are deposited on a substrate using a vacuum thermal evaporation method. It is deposited.

A cluster-type deposition system or an in-line deposition system is used as an equipment system for forming an organic thin film or a metal thin film by a vacuum thermal deposition method. The in-line deposition system shuttles multiple substrates with multiple process chambers arranged in a row. On the other hand, the cluster-type deposition system is a method of depositing organic thin films on a substrate by forming a plurality of vacuum chambers into a cluster to form several organic thin films.

However, recently, as substrates have become larger in area and heavier in weight, it is difficult to transport the substrate within the in-line deposition system.

For example, in the case of a glass substrate for an 8th generation display, the size is 2200 mm x 2500 mm and the weight is approximately 300 kg, making it difficult to smoothly transfer the glass substrate using a conventional substrate transfer system.

In response to this, recently, a magnetic levitation transfer system has been developed to transport substrates by levitating heavy substrates using magnetic force. While transporting substrates using an in-line method, deposition particles in the gaseous state are magnetically activated during deposition on the substrate. There is a problem that parasitic deposition occurs in the floating transfer system, preventing smooth transfer of the substrate.

Republic of Korea Registered Utility Model Publication No. 20-0310597 (published on April 23, 2003)

The present invention provides an in-line deposition system equipped with a magnetic levitation transfer system and a deposition shield unit capable of preventing parasitic deposition of gaseous deposition material in the magnetic levitation transfer system.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of process chamber modules are arranged to communicate with each other and perform individual processes on a substrate; a substrate shuttle on which the substrate is mounted and moves within the plurality of process chamber modules; a magnetic levitation rail installed along the inside of the plurality of process chamber modules and levitating the substrate shuttle by magnetic force to induce movement of the substrate shuttle; An in-line deposition system provided with a deposition shield unit is provided to cover the magnetic levitation rail and includes a deposition shield unit that opens and closes the magnetic levitation rail as the substrate shuttle moves.

At least one of the plurality of process chamber modules includes a deposition chamber module that performs deposition on the substrate, and the deposition shield unit may be installed inside the deposition chamber module.

A magnet for opening may be attached to the front end of the substrate shuttle. In this case, the deposition shield unit includes: a shield plate arranged to cover the magnetic levitation rail; a rotating shaft rotatably coupled to the shield plate; It may include a rotating magnet that is coupled to one surface of the shield plate and disposed to generate a repulsive force opposing the opening magnet.

The rotation axis may be coupled to the upper center of gravity of the shield plate so that it is restored to its original position by the weight of the shield plate.

A fixing magnet may be attached to the top of the substrate shuttle.

A plurality of deposition shield units may be installed continuously along the magnetic attachment rail, and may be arranged in a zigzag shape so that adjacent shield plates are stepped.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in an in-line deposition system equipped with a magnetic levitation transfer system, it is possible to prevent parasitic deposition of gaseous deposition material on the magnetic levitation transfer system during the deposition process on the substrate.

Figure 1 is a diagram briefly showing a magnetic levitation substrate transfer system of an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram briefly illustrating a cross-sectional configuration of an inline deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a deposition shield unit of an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the operating state of a deposition shield unit of an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Since the present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an inline deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding components are indicated by the same drawing numbers. This will be given and redundant explanations will be omitted.

1 is a diagram briefly illustrating a magnetic levitation substrate transfer system of an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. And, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the plan configuration of an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a diagram schematically showing an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram briefly showing the cross-sectional configuration of the deposition system. In addition, Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a deposition shield unit of an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing a deposition shield unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram to explain the operating state of the deposition shield unit of an inline deposition system equipped with a shield unit.

1 to 6, a process chamber module 12, a substrate 13, a substrate shuttle 14, a deposition chamber module 16, an evaporation source 18, a deposition material 19, a magnetic levitation rail 20, Floating magnet (21), deposition shield unit (22), opening magnet (24), fixing magnet (26), rotating shaft (28), rotating shaft support (29), shield plate (30), rotating magnet ( 32) is shown.

An inline deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit according to this embodiment includes a plurality of process chamber modules 12 that perform individual processes on a substrate 13 and are arranged to communicate with each other; a substrate shuttle 14 on which a substrate 13 is mounted and moves within a plurality of process chamber modules 12; A magnetic levitation rail 20 installed along the inside of the plurality of process chamber modules 12 and levitating the substrate shuttle 14 by magnetic force to induce movement of the substrate shuttle 14; It is arranged to cover the magnetic levitation rail 20 and includes a deposition shield unit 22 that opens and closes the magnetic levitation rail 20 according to the movement of the substrate shuttle 14.

In this embodiment, the process chamber module 12, such as the deposition chamber module 16, includes a chamber body whose interior is made of a vacuum when processing the substrate 13, and a chamber body for processing the substrate 13. It refers to a chamber-shaped module that performs a process on the substrate 13, including various devices mounted inside.

As shown in FIG. 1, the in-line deposition system is a type in which a plurality of process chamber modules 12 as described above are arranged sequentially so as to communicate with each other, and the substrate 13 is deposited within each process chamber module 12. Each individual process is performed.

The in-line deposition system is equipped with a magnetic levitation substrate transport system consisting of a substrate shuttle 14 and a magnetic levitation rail 20. The substrates 13 are each mounted on a plurality of substrate shuttles 14 that circulate in the in-line deposition system, and the substrate shuttles 14 sequentially move through each process chamber module 12 to perform individual processes on the substrates 13. It is carried out.

The substrate shuttle 14 moves within a plurality of process chamber modules 12 on which the substrate 13 is mounted. Inside the in-line deposition system, the substrate 13 is mounted on a continuously circulating substrate shuttle 14, and individual processes are performed on the substrate 13 within each process chamber module 12.

The substrate shuttle 14 is a component for moving the inside of the in-line deposition system on which the substrate 13 is mounted. It includes a substrate chuck on which the substrate 13 is attached to the lower surface, and is disposed on the upper part of the substrate chuck and located below the substrate 13. It may include a magnet plate that magnetically attaches the mask.

The substrate chuck is a device to which the upper surface of the substrate 13 is attached and fixed, and an electrostatic chuck or an adhesive chuck can be used as a substrate chuck. Electrostatic chucks and adhesive chucks can churn the substrate 13 in a vacuum state, so they can also be used inside the process chamber module 12, where a vacuum state is maintained during the process.

In this embodiment, a form using an electrostatic chuck as a substrate chuck is presented. Electrostatic Chuck is a chucking device that fixes the substrate 13 using the power of static electricity. When '+' or '-' is applied to the electrostatic chuck, the opposite potential is charged ('-', ') to the object. +'), and the substrate 13 is attached and fixed to the electrostatic chuck using the principle that an attractive force is generated by the charged potential.

Meanwhile, a magnetic material (not shown) that levitates the substrate shuttle 14 by attractive force may be attached to the substrate shuttle 14 in correspondence with the levitation magnet 21 of the magnetic levitation rail 20, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic levitation rail 20 is installed along the inside of the plurality of process chamber modules 12 and levitates the substrate shuttle 14 by magnetic force to induce movement of the substrate shuttle 14. do.

The magnetic levitation rail 20 includes a levitation magnet 21 corresponding to the magnetic material of the substrate shuttle 14, and a propulsion linear motor (not shown) that moves the substrate shuttle 14 mounted on the magnetic levitation rail 20. etc. can be installed.

The magnetic levitation substrate transport system, which consists of a substrate shuttle 14 and a magnetic levitation rail 20, is a system for transporting a substrate 13 inside the process chamber module 12, and is a system for transporting a large-area, high-weight substrate 13. Mass production can be increased by smoothly transporting and handling.

As shown in FIG. 2, the deposition shield unit 22 is arranged to cover the magnetic levitation rail 20, and opens and closes the magnetic levitation rail 20 according to the movement of the substrate shuttle 14. The deposition shield unit 22 is configured to prevent the gaseous deposition material 19 generated during the deposition process from attaching to the magnetic levitation rail 20, when the substrate shuttle 14 arrives. Before doing so, the magnetic levitation rail 20 is covered, and when the substrate shuttle 14 arrives at the corresponding location, the magnetic levitation rail 20 at the front end of the substrate shuttle 14 is opened in response. When the substrate shuttle 14 passes the corresponding position, the magnetic levitation rail 20 at the rear end of the substrate shuttle 14 is covered so as to be closed.

In particular, since much parasitic deposition may occur on the magnetic levitation rail 20 within the deposition chamber module 16 where the deposition process for the substrate 13 is performed, the deposition shield unit 22 according to the present embodiment is installed in the deposition chamber. It can be installed inside the module 16.

FIG. 3 is a diagram briefly illustrating a cross-sectional configuration of an in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit at a position where the substrate shuttle 14 enters. Referring to FIG. 3, when the substrate shuttle 14 enters the deposition chamber module 16, the gaseous deposition material 19 ejected from the evaporation source 18 is deposited on the substrate 13. At this time, parasitic deposition of the deposition material 19 may be performed on the magnetic levitation rail 20 other than the substrate 13. Therefore, the magnetic levitation rail 20 is opened at a position where the substrate shuttle 14 is moving, and the deposition shield unit 22 opens the magnetic levitation rail 20 to prevent parasitic deposition at locations other than the moving position of the substrate shuttle 14. Make sure to cover it.

Hereinafter, the configuration will be described focusing on the deposition shield unit 22 installed in the deposition chamber module 16.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the deposition shield unit 22 of the inline deposition system equipped with the deposition shield unit according to this embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the deposition shield unit 22 according to this embodiment includes a shield plate 30 arranged to cover the magnetic levitation rail 20; a rotating shaft 28 to which the shield plate 30 is rotatably coupled; It may include a rotating magnet 32 that is coupled to one surface of the shield plate 30 and is disposed to generate a repulsive force opposing the opening magnet 24 of the substrate shuttle 14.

The shield plate 30 is continuously disposed on the front surface to cover the magnetic levitation rail 20 and prevents the gaseous deposition material 19 ejected from the evaporation source 18 from reaching the magnetic levitation rail 20.

The rotating shaft 28 is rotatably coupled to the shield plate 30. The shield plate 30 is rotatably coupled to one end of the rotating shaft 28, and the other end of the rotating shaft 28 is connected to the wall of the deposition chamber module 16. It can be fixed through the rotation axis support (29). At this time, one end of the rotation axis 28 may be coupled to the upper center of gravity of the shield plate 30 so that it is restored to its original position by the weight of the shield plate 30.

An opening magnet 24 is attached to the front end of the substrate shuttle 14, and correspondingly, one side of the shield plate 30 is rotated so as to generate a repulsive force against the opening magnet 24 of the substrate shuttle 14. A magnet 32 is attached.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, before the substrate shuttle 14 arrives, the shield plate 30 covers the magnetic levitation rail 20 due to the weight of the shield plate 30, and the substrate shuttle 14 When entering this position, the open magnet 24 located at the front of the substrate shuttle 14 generates a repulsive force on the rotating magnet 32 of the shield plate 30, causing the shield plate 30 to rotate around the axis 28. As it rotates to the center, the shield plate (30) is lifted upward and opens the magnetic levitation rail (20).

When the shield plate 30 is lifted, the fixing magnet 26 located on top of the substrate shuttle 14 maintains the lifted position of the shield plate 30 until the substrate shuttle 14 passes by. Thereafter, when the substrate shuttle 14 passes the corresponding location, the magnetic force is released and rotated by the weight of the shield plate 30 to return to its original position covering the magnetic levitation rail 20.

5 and 6 show the operating state of the deposition shield unit 22 of the in-line deposition system equipped with the deposition shield unit according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, before the substrate shuttle 14 enters, the shield plate 30 covers the magnetic levitation rail 20, and when the substrate shuttle 14 enters, as shown in FIG. 6 , the open magnet 24 lifts the shield plate 30 while pushing the rotation magnet 32 by repulsive force, and the fixing magnet ( 26) maintains a repulsive force on the rotating magnet 32 to maintain the lifted shield plate 30.

In this embodiment, the rotation axis 28 is coupled to the upper center of gravity of the shield plate 30 and is restored to its original position by the weight of the shield plate 30. However, an elastic member such as a spring is placed on the rotation axis 28. By configuring the rotation axis 28 to elastically rotate and support the shield plate 30, it is also possible to configure the shield plate 30 to be restored to its original position by elastic force after the substrate shuttle 14 passes by.

Meanwhile, the above-mentioned deposition shield unit 22 can be installed continuously along the longitudinal direction to cover along the magnetic levitation rail 20. In the process of rotating and lifting the shield plate 30, the adjacent shield plate 30 ), the deposition shield unit 20 may be installed in a zigzag shape so that adjacent shield plates 30 are stepped apart from each other, as shown in FIG. 2 .

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art can vary the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. You will understand that it can be modified and changed.

Many embodiments other than those described above are within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

12: Process chamber module 13: Substrate
14: substrate shuttle 16: deposition chamber module
18: evaporation source 19: deposition material
20: magnetic levitation rail 21: levitation magnet
22: deposition shield unit 24: magnet for opening
26: fixing magnet 28: rotation axis
29: Rotating axis support 30: Shield plate
32: Rotating magnet

Claims (6)

a plurality of process chamber modules that perform individual processes on a substrate and are arranged to communicate with each other;
a substrate shuttle on which the substrate is mounted and moves within the plurality of process chamber modules;
a magnetic levitation rail installed along the inside of the plurality of process chamber modules and levitating the substrate shuttle by magnetic force to induce movement of the substrate shuttle;
An inline deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit, which is disposed to cover the magnetic levitation rail and includes a deposition shield unit that opens and closes the magnetic levitation rail according to movement of the substrate shuttle.
According to paragraph 1,
At least one of the plurality of process chamber modules includes a deposition chamber module that performs deposition on the substrate,
An inline deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit, characterized in that the deposition shield unit is installed inside the deposition chamber module.
According to paragraph 1,
An open magnet is attached to the front end of the substrate shuttle,
The deposition shield unit,
a shield plate arranged to cover the magnetic levitation rail;
a rotating shaft rotatably coupled to the shield plate;
An in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit, characterized in that it includes a rotating magnet coupled to one surface of the shield plate and disposed to generate a repulsive force opposing the opening magnet.
According to paragraph 3,
The rotation axis is,
An inline deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit, characterized in that it is coupled to the upper center of gravity of the shield plate so that it is restored to its original position by the weight of the shield plate.
According to paragraph 3,
An inline deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit, characterized in that a fixing magnet is attached to the top of the substrate shuttle.
According to paragraph 3,
The deposition shield unit,
A plurality of pieces are installed sequentially along the magnetic attachment rail,
An in-line deposition system equipped with a deposition shield unit, characterized in that the adjacent shield plates are arranged in a zigzag shape so that the adjacent shield plates are stepped.