TW201434725A - Substrate transfer tray and film formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate transfer tray and a film formation device, which can simplify the structure used for substrate transfer and enhance the film formation efficiency. The substrate transfer tray (20) comprises a frame body (21) and a support part (22) configured on a top side of the frame body (21). The support part (22) is provided with a guide rail part (31) that is contacted with a driving roller (63) utilized for providing the driving force for transfer. Besides, even though particles generated by film peeling at the driving roller (63) or a portion contacted with the driving roller (63), a lower wall part (32) extended in the thickness direction can receive the particles. Thus, with a simple structure of the invention provided for contacting the guide rail part (31) of the support part (22) with the driving roller (63), the transfer of substrate (101) can be performed and scattered particles can be prohibited.

Description

Substrate transfer tray and film forming device

The present invention relates to a substrate transfer tray and a film forming apparatus for a film forming apparatus.

Conventionally, a substrate transfer tray used for transporting a substrate in a vacuum chamber of a film forming apparatus is known as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The substrate transfer tray is conveyed in a rack/pinion manner. That is, a drive portion having a pinion gear is provided on the upper side of the vacuum chamber, and a rack in which the teeth are linearly arranged to mesh with the pinion gear of the drive portion is provided on the upper end side of the substrate transfer tray. According to this configuration, the substrate holding tray holds the substrate, and the pinion of the driving portion is rotated, whereby the substrate transfer tray moves together with the rack in the conveying direction. Thereby, the substrate is transferred while being held in the substrate transfer tray in the vacuum chamber of the film forming apparatus.

(previous technical literature) (Patent Literature)

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-268870

However, as the transfer method of the substrate transfer tray as described above, when the rack/pinion type is employed, there is a problem that the structure of the film forming apparatus transfer portion and the structure of the substrate transfer tray become complicated. Further, when the substrate transfer tray is transported from a vacuum chamber to an adjacent vacuum chamber, the following control (catch control) is sometimes performed, that is, the substrate transfer tray transported from a vacuum chamber can be caught up adjacent The substrate transfer tray is conveyed in the vacuum chamber. When the rack/pinion gear method is adopted, there is a problem that the driving portion of the substrate transfer tray close to one vacuum chamber and the driving portion of the other vacuum chamber are caused by the teeth of the rack and the teeth of the pinion. In the state of this, it is impossible to set the difference in the conveying speed between the driving portions of the respective vacuum chambers, and it is difficult to cope with the catch-up control. When it is difficult to cope with the catch-up control, there is a case where the interval between the substrate transfer trays becomes large in the portion where the film formation is performed, and the film formation efficiency is affected. According to the above, the structure for simplifying the substrate transfer can be realized, and the film formation efficiency can be improved.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate transfer tray and a film forming apparatus which can simplify a structure for substrate transfer and can improve film formation efficiency.

The substrate transfer tray of the present invention is a substrate transfer tray for a film forming apparatus capable of holding a substrate when the substrate is transported in a transport direction intersecting the thickness direction of the substrate, and includes a housing capable of mounting the substrate, and a support portion provided on the substrate One end side of the frame, and supports the frame when being conveyed, and the support portion has The first portion is connected to one end side of the frame and extends at least in the thickness direction of the frame; and the second portion is in contact with a driving roller that imparts a driving force for transmission.

The substrate transfer tray of the present invention includes a support portion provided on one end side of the housing, and the support portion has a second portion in contact with a drive roller that imparts a driving force for transport. Thereby, the frame which can mount the board|substrate is provided with the drive-force by the drive roller via the support part which has a 2nd part, and can move to the conveyance direction with the board|substrate. Further, the support portion has a first portion connected to the frame, and the first portion extends in the thickness direction of the frame. Therefore, even if particles generated by peeling of the film or the like are generated in the driving roller or the portion in contact with the driving roller, the first portion extending in the thickness direction can receive the particles. In this manner, the simplified structure of the second portion of the support portion in contact with the driving roller is achieved, but the substrate can be transported and the scattering of particles can be suppressed. Further, in the case of the rack/pinion type, the teeth on the rack side are meshed with the teeth on the pinion side to give the driving force, but by using the driving roller, even in the driving portion of one vacuum chamber and the other Since there is a difference in the conveying speed between the driving portions of a vacuum chamber, and it is also possible to transmit, it is possible to cope with the catch-up control. Thereby, the substrate can be efficiently transported, and the film formation efficiency can be improved. According to the above, the structure for substrate transfer can be simplified, and the film formation efficiency can be improved.

In the substrate transfer tray of the present invention, the end portion of the second portion in the transport direction may have a shape that becomes narrower in width toward the transport direction. The second portion is in contact with a driving roller that imparts a driving force for conveyance, but the driving roller has a flange portion on both end sides in the thickness direction in order to support the second portion. in In this case, the end portion of the second portion has a shape that narrows in width toward the conveying direction, whereby the end portion of the second portion can smoothly contact the driving roller without interfering with the flange portion of the driving roller.

In the substrate transfer tray of the present invention, the end portion in the conveying direction of the other end side of the frame body may have a shape which becomes narrower in width toward the conveying direction. On the other end side of the casing, a side support portion that supports both side faces of the other end side of the frame may be provided. In this case, since the end portion in the conveying direction of the casing has a shape which becomes narrower in width toward the conveying direction, the end portion in the conveying direction of the casing can be smoothly prevented from interfering with the side supporting portion. Move in the direction of the transfer.

In the substrate transfer tray of the present invention, when viewed from the transport direction, the first portion is formed as Word shape, in the The second part can be mounted on the inner surface of the word shape. By virtue of the first part The shape of the word can surround the driving roller that is in contact with the second portion. Therefore, it is possible to reliably receive the particles generated in the vicinity of the driving roller and suppress the scattering.

The film forming apparatus of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber that can accommodate the substrate transfer tray and a substrate held by the substrate transfer tray, and a transfer unit that transports the substrate in an upright state or in an upright state. The transport unit has a drive roller that is disposed on the upper side of the vacuum chamber and that supplies a driving force to the substrate transfer tray. The drive roller is disposed in the space surrounded by the first portion and the second portion of the supported portion, and the second portion. The parts are contacted and the driving force is given to the substrate transfer tray.

In the film forming apparatus of the present invention, the driving roller disposed on the upper side of the vacuum chamber is disposed in the first portion and the second portion of the support portion of the substrate transfer tray. In the partially enclosed space, the second portion can be brought into contact with each other to impart a driving force to the substrate transfer tray. Thereby, the effect of the substrate transfer tray as described above can be exhibited in a simplified configuration in which only the drive roller is disposed in the space surrounded by the first portion and the second portion of the supported portion.

In the film forming apparatus of the present invention, when the substrate transfer tray is supported and driven by the driving roller, the lower end portion of the substrate transfer tray can be separated from the structure on the bottom side of the vacuum chamber in the up and down direction. By this means, by arranging the structure for supporting the weight of the substrate transfer tray by the drive roller on the upper side of the vacuum chamber, it is possible to eliminate the influence on the conveyance when the substrate transfer tray is extended in the vertical direction by heat or the like. Further, when the weight is supported on the lower side of the substrate transfer tray, since the center of gravity of the substrate transfer tray is located on the upper side of the support portion, it is necessary to have a structure in which the strength of the substrate transfer tray itself is high, but the center of gravity is located by being supported only on the upper side. The lower side of the support portion simplifies the structure of the substrate transfer tray.

In the film forming apparatus of the present invention, the conveying portion may be provided with a side surface supporting portion that supports the two side faces on the lower end side of the substrate conveying tray. As a result, there is a case where the thickness in the thickness direction is increased on the lower end side of the side opposite to the upper end side on which the substrate transfer tray is supported, but the side support portion can suppress the shaking.

According to the present invention, the structure for substrate transfer can be simplified, and the efficiency of film formation can be improved.

10‧‧‧Transportation Department

20‧‧‧Substrate transfer tray

21‧‧‧ frame

22‧‧‧Support

30‧‧‧ Main Department (Part 1)

31‧‧‧ Rails (Part 2)

61‧‧‧ drive roller

81‧‧‧Side support

100‧‧‧ film forming device

150‧‧‧vacuum chamber

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a basic configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the substrate transfer tray according to the embodiment of the present invention as seen from the vapor deposition source side.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing the configuration of the periphery of the upper structure shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing the configuration of the periphery of the lower portion structure shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the basic configuration of the drive system from above.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the shape of the end portion of the end portion of the rail portion and the end portion of the lower end portion in the conveying direction.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view showing a basic configuration of a periphery of an upper structure of a substrate transfer tray according to a modification.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a substrate transfer tray and a film forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements, and the repeated description is omitted.

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a basic configuration of a film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. The film forming apparatus 100 shown in Fig. 1 is for performing processing such as film formation on a substrate 101 (for example, a glass substrate) as a film formation target. The film forming apparatus 100 is based on, for example, the RPD method (reactive plasma evaporation method) A device for film formation. The film forming apparatus 100 includes a plasma gun that generates plasma, and ionizes the film forming material (vapor deposition source 140) using the generated plasma, and adheres particles of the film forming material to the surface of the substrate 101. Film formation is carried out. For convenience of explanation, the XYZ coordinate system is shown in Fig. 1. The Y-axis direction is the direction in which the substrate 101 is transferred. The X-axis direction is a direction in which the substrate 101 and the vapor deposition source 140 face each other. The Z-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In the film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, in order to make the thickness direction of the substrate 101 in the horizontal direction, the substrate 101 is placed in the vacuum chamber and the so-called vertical type is placed in a state where the substrate 101 is erected or tilted from the upright state. The film forming apparatus has a Z-axis direction corresponding to the vertical direction.

The film forming apparatus 100 includes a load lock chamber 121, a buffer chamber 122, a film forming chamber 123, a buffer chamber 124, and a load lock chamber 125. The chambers 121 to 125 are arranged in the above order. All of the chambers 121 to 125 are configured as a vacuum chamber 150, and chamber doors 135 are provided at the entrances and exits of the chambers 121 to 125. The film forming apparatus 100 may be configured by arranging a plurality of buffer chambers 122 and 124 and a film forming chamber 123. Further, it may be a film forming apparatus composed of a series of chambers.

A vacuum pump (not shown) for setting the inside to an appropriate pressure is connected to each of the chambers 121 to 125. Further, a vacuum gauge (not shown) for monitoring the pressure in the chamber is provided in each of the chambers 121 to 125. A vacuum exhaust pipe connected to the vacuum pump is connected to each of the chambers 121 to 125, and a vacuum gauge is disposed on the vacuum exhaust pipe.

A substrate for transferring the holding substrate 101 is disposed in the film forming apparatus 100 The conveying portion 10 of the conveying tray 20 is conveyed. The transfer unit 10 has a function of transporting the substrate 101 and the substrate transfer tray 20 in the chambers 121 to 125 in an upright state. The detailed configuration of the transport unit 10 and the substrate transport tray 20 will be described later.

In the film forming apparatus 100, the outlet side of a vacuum chamber 150 is connected to the inlet side of another vacuum chamber 150 adjacent to the transfer direction D1 of the substrate 101 via the chamber door 135. A vacuum chamber 150 communicates with another adjacent vacuum chamber 150 by opening the chamber door 135. Further, the substrate 101 and the substrate transfer tray 20 pass through the opened chamber door 135, thereby moving from a vacuum chamber 150 to the adjacent vacuum chamber 150. After the movement of the substrate 101 and the substrate transfer tray 20 is completed, the chamber door 135 is closed.

Next, the substrate transfer tray 20 of the present embodiment and the transfer unit 10 of the film forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6 . The substrate transfer tray 20 can hold the substrate 101 while the substrate 101 is being transported in an upright state. The state in which the substrate 101 is erected means that the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101 is in the horizontal direction (in this case, the thickness direction D2 coincides with the X-axis direction). At this time, the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101 is arranged in the vertical direction. In addition, the substrate 101 can be held in a state of being inclined from an upright state. The thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101 may be a substantially horizontal direction or may be inclined to the horizontal direction. Further, the transport direction D1 of the substrate 101 (which coincides with the Y-axis direction) is a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction D2 of the substrate and horizontal. In addition, the side on which the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101 in the thickness direction D2 faces is referred to as "front side", and the side on which the back surface 101f of the substrate 101 faces is referred to as "back side".

(vacuum chamber)

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vacuum chamber 150 has a box shape capable of accommodating the substrate transfer tray 20, and includes an upper wall portion 51, a lower wall portion 52, a front wall portion (not shown), and a rear wall portion. 54. The entrance side end wall portion 55 and the exit side end wall portion 56. The upper wall portion 51 and the lower wall portion 52 are wall bodies that are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction. The entrance side end wall portion 55 and the exit side end wall portion 56 are wall bodies that are disposed to face each other in the transport direction D1. The entrance side end wall portion 55 is a wall body on the side of the inlet side, that is, the substrate 101 and the substrate transfer tray 20 are carried into the vacuum chamber 150. The exit side end wall portion 56 is a wall body on the outlet side which is the side on which the substrate 101 and the substrate transfer tray 20 are carried out to the outside of the vacuum chamber 150. The front wall portion and the rear wall portion 54 are wall bodies that are disposed to face each other in the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101. A hole portion 57 through which the substrate 101 and the substrate transfer tray 20 pass is formed in the inlet side end wall portion 55. A hole portion 58 through which the substrate 101 and the substrate transfer tray 20 pass is formed in the outlet side end wall portion 56.

(substrate transfer tray)

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the substrate transfer tray 20 includes a housing 21 to which the substrate 101 can be mounted, and a support portion 22 provided on the upper end side of the housing 21 . The substrate transfer tray 20 of the present embodiment is configured to hold one substrate 101. The substrate transfer tray 20 may be configured to hold a plurality of (for example, two) substrates 101. The substrate transfer tray 20 can hold the entire circumference of the edge portion of the substrate 101 or partially maintain the edge portion of the substrate 101. As the material of the substrate transfer tray 20, for example, stainless steel can be used.

The housing 21 is a rectangular annular member having an outer circumference larger than the substrate 101 when viewed in the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101 and having an opening 23 smaller than the substrate 101. The housing 21 includes an upper end holding portion 21A that holds the upper end portion 101a of the substrate 101, a lower end portion holding portion 21B that holds the lower end portion 101b of the substrate 101, and side end portion holding portions 21C and 21D that hold the side end portion of the substrate 101. 101c, 101d.

The upper end holding portion 21A includes a support plate 24A that supports a part of the upper end portion 101a of the substrate 101 from the opposite side of the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101. The support plate 24A is a plate material that extends in the conveying direction D1 on the upper end portion 101a side of the substrate 101. The thickness direction of the support plate 24A coincides with the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101, and is at least thicker than the substrate 101. The support plate 24A supports the upper end portion 101a of the substrate 101 at the edge portion on the lower end side. The support plate 24A is provided with a substrate pressing member 26 that presses the upper end portion 101a of the substrate 101 from the side of the film formation surface 101e (see Fig. 4). Thereby, the upper end portion 101a of the substrate 101 is supported by the support plate 24A and the substrate pressing member 26 from both sides in the thickness direction D2.

The lower end holding portion 21B includes a support plate 24B that supports a part of the lower end portion 101b of the substrate 101 from the opposite side of the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101. The support plate 24B is a plate material that extends in the conveying direction D1 on the lower end portion 101b side of the substrate 101. The thickness direction of the support plate 24B coincides with the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101, and is at least thicker than the substrate 101. The support plate 24B supports the lower end portion 101b of the substrate 101 at the edge portion on the upper end side. The support plate 24B is provided with a substrate pressing member 26 that presses the lower end portion 101b of the substrate 101 from the side of the film formation surface 101e (see Fig. 5). Thereby, the substrate The lower end portion 101b of the 101 is supported by the support plate 24B and the substrate pressing member 26 from both sides in the thickness direction D2.

A frame member 27B is provided on the lower end portion 24Ba of the support plate 24B of the lower end holding portion 21B. The frame member 27B extends in the conveying direction D1 in such a manner as to support the entire area of the lower end portion 24Ba of the support plate 24B. The frame member 27B has a rectangular cross section extending in the thickness direction D2, and is fixed to the lower end portion 24Ba of the support plate 24B at an intermediate position in the thickness direction D2 of the upper surface 27Ba (see Fig. 5).

Each of the side end holding portions 21C and 21D includes a support plate 24C and 24D that support a part of the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101 from the opposite side of the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101. The support plates 24C and 24D are plate members extending in the vertical direction on the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101. The thickness direction of the support plates 24C, 24D coincides with the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101, and is at least thicker than the substrate 101. The support plates 24C and 24D support the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101 at the edge portions on the side of the opening portion 23. The support plates 24C and 24D are provided with a substrate pressing member (not shown, but having the same configuration as the substrate pressing member 26) that presses the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101 from the film formation surface 101e side. Thereby, the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101 are supported by the support plates 24C and 24D and the substrate pressing member from both sides in the thickness direction D2.

Frame members 27C and 27D are provided on the side end portions 24Ca and 24Da on the outer sides of the support plates 24C and 24D of the side end holding portions 21C and 21D. The frame members 27C, 27D extend in the up and down direction so as to support the entire area of the side end portions 24Ca, 24Da of the support plates 24C, 24D. Frame member 27C and 27D have a rectangular cross section extending in the thickness direction D2, and intermediate positions in the thickness direction D2 of the inner side surfaces 27Ca and 27Da are fixed to the side end portions 24Ca and 24Da of the support plates 24C and 24D.

Further, the support plates 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D may be integrally formed by providing the opening portions 23 in one plate member, or each of the plate members may be coupled to each other.

Next, the configuration of the support portion 22 of the substrate transfer tray 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the support portion 22 is provided on the upper end side of the casing 21 and is used to support the casing 21 when the substrate 101 is transported. The support portion 22 includes a main body portion (first portion) 30 that is coupled to the frame body 21 and a rail portion (second portion) 31 that is in contact with the drive roller 63 of the transport portion 10 (described in detail later).

As shown in FIG. 4, the main body portion 30 is formed as a cross section when viewed from the conveying direction D1. A member having a shape of a word and extending in the conveying direction D1 on the upper end side of the casing 21. Specifically, the main body portion 30 includes a lower wall portion 32 that is fixed to the upper end portion 24Aa of the support plate 24A of the upper holding portion 21A of the frame body 21 and extends in the thickness direction D2, and a front wall portion 33 that is from the lower wall portion 32. The front end portion 32a extends upward; and the upper wall portion 34 extends from the upper end portion 33a of the front wall portion 33 toward the rear side in the thickness direction D2. The lower wall portion 32, the front wall portion 33, and the upper wall portion 34 extend in the conveying direction D1 over the entire region from one end portion to the other end portion in the conveying direction D1 of the casing 21 (see Fig. 2).

As shown in Fig. 4, the lower wall portion 32 is fixed to the upper end portion 24Aa of the support plate 24A at a substantially intermediate position in the thickness direction D2 of the lower surface 32b. In the present embodiment, the rear end portion 32c of the lower wall portion 32 and the end portion 27Cb of the frame member 27C (and the frame member 27D) are disposed at the same position in the thickness direction D2, but they may not be the same position. Further, the front end portion 32a of the lower wall portion 32 (that is, the front surface 33b of the front wall portion 33) is disposed on the front side of the end portion 27Cc of the frame portion 27C (and the frame portion 27D) in the thickness direction D2, but It can be placed anywhere depending on the size of the drive roller 63.

The upper wall portion 34 is provided to face the lower wall portion 32 in the up-and-down direction, and the lower surface 34a is attached with the rail portion 31. The method of fixing the upper wall portion 34 and the rail portion 31 is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, it is fixed by a bolt. The rear end portion 34b of the upper wall portion 34 is disposed on the front side of the end portion 32c of the lower wall portion 32. However, the remaining amount of the rail portion 31 can be sufficiently secured, and the mounting member 73 can be disposed without being disturbed. Available anywhere.

The rail portion 31 has a rectangular cross section extending in the thickness direction D2 and extends in the conveying direction D1 along the lower surface 34a of the upper wall portion 34 of the main body portion 30. The rail portion 31 extends over one end portion of the upper wall portion 34 of the main body portion 30 in the conveying direction D1 to the entire region of the other end portion. The upper surface 31a of the rail portion 31 is in contact with the lower surface 34a of the upper wall portion 34, and the lower surface 31b of the rail portion 31 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface 63a of the drive roller 63.

(transfer department)

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transfer unit 10 includes an upper structure 60 provided in an upper end side region of the vacuum chamber 150, and is provided in a vacuum chamber. A lower structure 61 of the lower end side region of 150. The upper structure 60 has a function of supporting the substrate transfer tray 20 holding the substrate 101 in a suspended state, and imparting a driving force to the substrate transfer tray 20. The lower structure 61 has a function of guiding the movement of the lower end side of the substrate transfer tray 20 and restricting the movement in the thickness direction D2.

The detailed structure of the upper structure 60 of the transport unit 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4 . As shown in FIG. 4, the upper structure 60 includes a driving roller 63 that applies a driving force to the substrate transfer tray 20, a shaft portion 64 that rotatably supports the driving roller 63, and a first bearing portion 66 that is in the vacuum chamber 150. The through portion of the rear wall portion 54 rotatably supports the shaft portion 64; the second bearing portion 67 rotatably supports the shaft portion 64 in the vacuum chamber 150; and the drive system 68 via the shaft portion 64 The drive roller 63 is rotationally driven. Further, in the upper structure 60, the drive roller 63, the shaft portion 64, the first bearing portion 66, and the second bearing portion 67 constitute a set of roller units 70. The roller units 70 are provided in plural in the transport direction D1 at predetermined intervals (see FIG. 2). Each of the roller units 70 is disposed at the same position in the vertical direction.

The driving roller 63 is disposed on the upper side in the vacuum chamber 150, and is a cylindrical member that is rotatable about an axis CL1 that extends in parallel in the thickness direction D2. The driving roller 63 is disposed to be separated downward from the upper wall portion 51 of the vacuum chamber 150, and is separated from the rear wall portion 54 in the thickness direction D2. The driving roller 63 has a peripheral surface 63a that is in contact with the rail portion 31 of the support portion 22 of the substrate transfer tray 20. The outer peripheral surface 63a of the driving roller 63 is in contact with the lower surface 31b of the rail portion 31, and the substrate transport tray 20 is transported via the rail portion 31. The driving force in the conveying direction D1 is given. At both end portions of the drive roller 63 in the axial direction, a flange portion 71 that restricts the movement of the rail portion 31 in the thickness direction D2 is formed. The flange portion 71 is expanded to the outer peripheral side so as to have an outer diameter larger than the outer peripheral surface 63a. Each of the flange portions 71 faces each end portion of the rail portion 31 in the thickness direction D2. The dimension in the thickness direction D2 between the flange portions 71 is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction D2 of the rail portion 31.

In a state where the substrate transfer tray 20 is supported by the drive roller 63 of the transport unit 10, that is, in a state where the outer peripheral surface 63a of the drive roller 63 is in contact with the lower surface 31b of the rail portion 31, the lower end and the lower wall portion 32 of the drive roller 63 are provided. A gap is provided between the upper surfaces 32d. A gap is provided between the front end of the driving roller 63 and the rear surface 33c of the front wall portion 33.

Further, as shown in Fig. 7(a), the end portion 31c side of the rail portion 31 has a ship bottom shape so that the end portion 31c is not caught by the flange portion 71 of the driving roller 63. In other words, the end portion 31c of the rail portion 31 has a shape that is narrowed toward the front end side width (the size in the thickness direction D2) toward the transport direction D1. On the side of the end portion 31c of the rail portion 31, inclined surfaces 31d and 31d which are inclined in the conveying direction are formed.

As shown in Fig. 4, the shaft portion 64 is a circular rod-shaped member that extends in the thickness direction D2 around the axis CL1. The shaft portion 64 penetrates the rear wall portion 54 of the vacuum chamber 150. The shaft portion 64 is fixed to the driving roller 63 at the inner end portion of the vacuum chamber 150, and is connected to the drive system 68 at the outer end portion. The shaft portion 64 is rotated together with the driving roller 63 by the driving force from the drive system 68.

The first bearing portion 66 is disposed on the rear wall portion 54 of the vacuum chamber 150 The portion through which the shaft portion 64 extends. A magnetic fluid bearing or the like is used as the first bearing portion 66. Thereby, the first bearing portion 66 rotatably supports the shaft portion 64, and the airtightness of the portion through which the shaft portion 64 of the rear wall portion 54 penetrates can be secured.

The second bearing portion 67 rotatably supports the distal end side of the shaft portion 64. The second bearing portion 67 includes a bearing 72 that rotatably supports the shaft portion 64 and a mounting member 73 for mounting the bearing 72. The mounting member 73 extends downward from the upper wall portion 51 of the vacuum chamber 150, and a bearing 72 is attached to the lower end side. The upper end portion of the mounting member 73 is connected to the plate member 74 fixed to the upper wall portion 51. The bearing 72 and the mounting member 73 are disposed on the rear side of the drive roller 63. Thereby, the upper wall portion 51 of the vacuum chamber 150 can support the load applied to the driving roller 63 and the shaft portion 64 via the second bearing portion by supporting the substrate transfer tray 20.

The drive system 68 applies a rotational driving force to the shaft portion 64 of each roller unit 70 and the drive roller 63. The drive system 68 is disposed outside of the vacuum chamber 150. The drive system 68 is not particularly limited as long as the shaft portion 64 and the drive roller 63 of each roller unit 70 are rotated. However, the driving force generated by a motor is equally distributed to the shaft portion 64 and the drive roller 63. The structure is better.

Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, the motor 76 uses the timing belt 77 and the timing pulley 78 to simultaneously rotate the shaft portion 64 and the driving roller 63 of each roller unit 70 at the same speed. A timing pulley 78 is attached to the outer end portion of the vacuum chamber 150 of the shaft portion 64, and the timing pulleys 78 of the shaft portion 64 adjacent to the conveying direction D1 are coupled to each other by the timing belt 77. In addition, the end portion of the shaft portion 64 is in the thickness direction D2 is provided with two timing pulleys 78 for coupling the timing belt 77 coupled to the other roller unit 70 adjacent in the conveying direction D1 and for connecting another roller unit 70 adjacent to the opposite side in the conveying direction D1. The timing belts 77 are different in the thickness direction D2. Further, a tensioning device (not shown) that adjusts the tension of the timing belt 77 may be provided between the adjacent roller units 70.

The roller unit 70 on the most downstream side in the conveying direction D1 is given a driving force by the motor 76 (the roller unit 70 on the most upstream side and the roller unit 70 in the intermediate position). The motor 76 is disposed on the lower side (upper side or side) of the roller unit 70, and is fixed to the wall portion of the vacuum chamber 150 via a bracket (not shown). A timing pulley is provided at the front end of the shaft portion of the motor 76, and the timing pulley of the motor 76 is coupled to the timing pulley 78 of the shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70 via the timing belt 79. The shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70 is coupled to the shaft portion of the motor 76 in the axial direction, and the motor 76 can directly apply a driving force to the shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70.

Further, if the motor 76 in the drive system 68 can impart a rotational force to the shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70, it can be mounted in any aspect. For example, the shaft portion of the motor 76 extends in the vertical direction, and the driving force may be applied to the shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70 via the bevel gear.

The detailed structure of the lower structure 61 of the transport unit 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In the fifth embodiment, the lower portion structure 61 includes a side surface supporting portion 81 that supports both side surfaces of the lower end portion side of the substrate transfer tray 20 facing the thickness direction D2, and a base portion 82 for fixing the side surface supporting portion 81. . In addition, in the lower structure 61, the side support portion 81 and the base portion The group is provided in plural in the transport direction D1 at a predetermined interval (see Fig. 2).

The base portion 82 is a rectangular parallelepiped member that extends upward from the lower wall portion 52 of the vacuum chamber 150 and extends in the thickness direction D2. The base portion 82 is disposed below the substrate transfer tray 20 in a state of being supported by the drive roller 63. One end portion 82b in the thickness direction D2 of the base portion 82 extends further forward than the side surface of the front side of the substrate transfer tray 20 (here, the side surface 27Bb of the frame member 27B), and the other end portion 82c is rearward than the substrate transfer tray 20. The side of the side (here, the side 27Bc of the frame member 27B) extends further toward the rear side. A side support portion 81 is provided on the upper surface 82a of the base portion 82.

The side support portion 81 has a function of restricting the movement of the lower end side region of the substrate transfer tray 20 in the thickness direction D2 and guiding the movement to the transport direction D1 of the lower end side region of the substrate transfer tray 20. The side support portion 81 includes a pair of idler bearings 83A and 83B which are disposed at intervals in the thickness direction D2, and a pair of shaft portions 84A and 84B that support the idler bearings 83A and 83B, respectively. The portions on the outer circumferential surfaces 83Aa and 83Ba of the idler gear bearings 83A and 83B are rotatable about the axes CL2 and CL3 that extend vertically in the vertical direction. The shaft portions 84A and 84B are cylindrical members that extend in the vertical direction around the center axes CL2 and CL3, respectively. The upper end portions of the shaft portions 84A and 84B are fitted to the inner circumferential surfaces 83Ab and 83Bb of the idler gear bearings 83A and 83B. The lower end portions of the shaft portions 84A, 84B are fixed to the upper surface 82a of the base portion 82.

The idler bearing 83A supports the side of the front side of the substrate transfer tray 20 (here, the side surface 27Bb of the frame member 27B), the idler bearing 83B supports the side surface of the rear side of the substrate transfer tray 20 (here, the side surface 27Bc of the frame member 27B). The frame members 27B on the lower end side of the substrate transfer tray 20 in a state in which the idler gear bearings 83A and 83B are supported by the drive roller 63 are disposed at the same position in the vertical direction. Further, the idler bearing 83A, 83B is disposed so as to sandwich the frame member 27B in the thickness direction D2. The outer circumferential surface 83Aa of the idler bearing 83A and the side surface 27Bb of the frame member 27B face each other in the thickness direction D2 with a very small gap therebetween. The outer peripheral surface 83Ba of the idler bearing 83B and the side surface 27Bc of the frame member 27B face each other in the thickness direction D2 with a very small gap therebetween.

When the substrate transfer tray 20 is supported by the drive roller 63 and the driving force is applied, the lower end portion of the substrate transfer tray 20 (the lower surface 27Bd of the frame member 27B in the present embodiment) is a structure from the bottom side of the vacuum chamber 150 (here, The base portion 82 is separated from the vertical direction even when the structure protrudes upward from the bottom surface side of the vacuum chamber, and is separated from the structure in the vertical direction. That is, the weight of the substrate transfer tray 20 is supported only by the upper structure 60 on the upper end side, and is floating in the air at the lower end side without being supported by the member provided in the vacuum chamber 150. In the present embodiment, the lower surface 27Bd of the frame member 27B corresponding to the lower end portion of the substrate transfer tray 20 is separated from the upper surface 82a of the base portion 82 provided on the bottom side of the vacuum chamber 150. Further, the idler gear bearings 83A and 83B can support the substrate transfer tray 20 in the thickness direction D2 (the movement in the thickness direction D2 is restricted), but the weight of the substrate transfer tray 20 cannot be supported.

Further, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the end of the frame member 27B The 27Be side is in the shape of a ship bottom to smoothly enter the idler bearings 83A, 83B with each other. That is, the end portion 27Be of the frame member 27B has a shape that narrows toward the front end side width (the size of the thickness direction D2) toward the conveying direction D1. The end portion 27Be side of the frame member 27B is formed with inclined surfaces 27Bf and 27Bf which are inclined in the conveying direction D1.

Next, the action and effect of the film forming apparatus 100 and the substrate transfer tray 20 of the present embodiment will be described.

Conventionally, as a mechanism for transporting a substrate in a film forming apparatus, a rack/pinion method has been employed. That is, a drive portion having a pinion gear is provided on the upper side of the vacuum chamber, and a rack that is arranged in a linear shape so as to mesh with the pinion gear of the drive portion is provided on the upper end side of the substrate transfer tray. According to this configuration, the substrate holding tray holds the substrate, and the pinion of the driving portion is rotated, whereby the substrate transfer tray moves together with the rack in the conveying direction. Thereby, the substrate in the vacuum chamber of the film forming apparatus is transferred while being held by the substrate transfer tray. However, when such a rack/pinion type is employed, the structure of the substrate transfer tray itself is complicated, and the structure on the side of the drive unit that imparts a driving force to the substrate transfer tray becomes complicated, and the overall structure is complicated. The problem of getting bigger.

On the other hand, the substrate transfer tray 20 of the present embodiment includes a support portion 22 provided on the upper end side of the housing 21, and the support portion 22 has a rail portion 31 that is in contact with a drive roller 63 that imparts a driving force for transport. Thereby, the frame 21 to which the substrate 101 can be mounted is given a driving force by the driving roller 63 via the support portion 22 having the rail portion 31, and can move together with the substrate 101 in the conveying direction D1. And, the support portion 22 has a frame The main body portion 30 connected to the main body portion 30 is connected to the frame body 21 in the main body portion 30, and the wall portion 32 (the upper surface 32d thereof) extends in the thickness direction D2 of the casing 21. Therefore, even if the particles generated by the film peeling or the like are generated in the driving roller 63 or the portion in contact with the driving roller 63, the wall portion 32 can receive the particles in the thickness direction. At this time, the upper surface 32d extending in the thickness direction D2 and the end portion 32c facing the drive system 68 side function as a particle receiving surface in the surface of the lower wall portion 32. By receiving the particles on the particle receiving surface, it is possible to suppress adhesion of the particles to the film formation surface of the substrate 101, and it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the quality of the film formation surface by the contact. In this manner, although the guide portion 31 of the support portion 22 is simply in contact with the drive roller 63, the substrate 101 can be transported and the scattering of particles can be suppressed.

Further, in the film forming apparatus 100 shown in Fig. 1, when the substrate transfer tray 20 is transported from the vacuum chamber 150 to the adjacent vacuum chamber 150, the following control (catch control) may be performed, that is, The substrate transfer tray 20 transported from a vacuum chamber 150 can catch up with the substrate transfer tray 20 that is transported in the adjacent vacuum chamber 150. Specifically, in the film forming chamber 123, in order to obtain a uniform film thickness, it is necessary to have a constant speed (to ensure the deposition time, the speed of the film in the film forming chamber 123 is slower than that in the other vacuum chambers 150) The substrate transfer tray 20 is transported. On the other hand, when the substrate transfer tray 20 is transported from the buffer chamber 122 to the film forming chamber 123, the interval between the substrate transfer trays 20 that have been transferred into the film forming chamber 123 and transported at a constant speed does not occur. The larger mode (to catch up with the preceding substrate transfer tray 20) is preferably such that the substrate transfer tray 20 is accelerated and transferred from the buffer chamber 122 to the film forming chamber 123.

Here, when the conventional rack/pinion type is employed, there is a relationship between the teeth of the rack and the teeth of the pinion, and the driving portion of one vacuum chamber 150 and the driving portion of the other vacuum chamber 150 cannot be used. Setting the difference in transmission speed makes it difficult to cope with the problem of catch-up control (for example, because the structure becomes extremely complicated). When it is difficult to cope with the catch-up control, there is a case where the interval between the substrate transfer trays becomes large in the portion where the film formation is performed, and the efficiency of film formation is affected.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the film forming chamber 123 has a receiving area EA1 that receives the substrate transfer tray 20 from the buffer chamber 122, and a constant speed area EA2 that is conveyed at a constant speed at a position opposite to the vapor deposition source 140. The substrate transfer tray 20 and the transfer area EA3 transfer the substrate transfer tray 20 to the buffer chamber 124, and each of the areas EA1, EA2, EA3 has a drive system 68 that is independently driven. When the catch-up control is performed in this configuration, the drive system 68 transports the substrate transfer tray 20 at a constant speed in the constant speed region EA2, and on the other hand, the drive system 68 of the receiving region EA1 and the buffer chamber 122 is quickly entered. The inside of the film chamber 123 operates in such a manner as to accelerate the substrate transfer tray 20. However, in the rack/pinion mode, when the tooth of the rack of the substrate transfer tray 20 conveyed in the constant speed region EA2 has a portion that meshes with the teeth of the pinion gear in the receiving region EA1, the receiving region EA1 also needs Matches the speed of the constant speed zone EA2. Thereby, if the substrate transfer tray 20 is not completely moved toward the constant velocity region EA2 side, the drive system 68 in the receiving region EA1 and the buffer chamber 122 cannot accelerate the substrate transfer tray 20. As described above, it is difficult to cope with the catch-up control in the conventional rack/pinion type.

On the other hand, the substrate transfer tray 20 of the present embodiment is driven by the drive roller 63 to provide a driving force. Thereby, even if a part of the substrate transfer tray 20 conveyed in the constant speed area EA2 is close to the drive roller 63 in the receiving area EA1, even if the receiving area EA1 and the driving roller 63 of the buffer chamber 122 are accelerated, The drive roller 63 that is in contact with a portion of the substrate transfer tray 20 that is transported at a constant speed is also idling by slipping, and cannot be transported as in the rack/pinion method. Therefore, even if the preceding substrate transfer tray 20 is not completely transferred to the constant velocity region EA2, the subsequent substrate transfer tray 20 can be quickly accelerated from the buffer chamber 122 to the film forming chamber 123 to be transported. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the driving roller 63 is used, even if there is a difference in conveying speed between the driving system 68 of the vacuum chamber 150 and the driving system 68 of the other vacuum chamber 150, the transfer can be performed. Ability to respond to catch-up control. Thereby, the substrate 101 can be efficiently transported, and the film formation efficiency can be improved. As described above, the structure for substrate transfer can be simplified, and the efficiency of film formation can be improved.

Further, in the film forming apparatus 100, the driving roller 63 disposed on the upper side of the vacuum chamber 150 is disposed on the lower wall portion 32, the front wall portion 33, the upper wall portion 34 of the support portion 22 of the substrate transfer tray 20, and The space surrounded by the rail portion 31 can be brought into contact with the rail portion 31 to impart a driving force to the substrate transfer tray 20. In this manner, the effect of the substrate transfer tray 20 as described above can be exhibited in a simplified configuration in which only the drive roller 63 is disposed in the space in the support portion 22.

Further, in the substrate transfer tray 20 of the present embodiment, the transfer side The end portion 31c of the rail portion 31 on the D1 has a shape that becomes narrower in width toward the conveying direction D1. Thereby, the end portion 31c of the rail portion 31 can smoothly contact the driving roller 63 without interfering with the flange portion 71 of the driving roller 63.

In the substrate transfer tray 20 of the present embodiment, the end portion 27Be in the traveling direction of the transport direction D1 has a shape that is narrowed in width toward the transport direction D1 on the lower end side of the casing 21. Thereby, the end portion 27Be in the conveying direction D1 of the casing 21 can smoothly move in the conveying direction without interfering with the side supporting portion 81.

In the substrate transfer tray 20 of the present embodiment, the main body portion 30 is formed as viewed from the transport direction D1. Word shape, in the The rail portion 31 is attached to the inner surface of the font shape (here, the lower surface 34a of the upper wall portion 34). Thereby, by the main body 30 The shape of the word can surround the driving roller 63 that is in contact with the rail portion 31. Therefore, it is possible to reliably receive the particles generated in the vicinity of the driving roller 63 and suppress the scattering to the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101. At this time, in the main body portion 30, at least the upper surface 32d and the end portion 32c of the lower wall portion 32, the inner surface 33c of the front wall portion 33, and a portion of the lower surface 34a of the upper wall portion 34 function as a particle receiving surface. . By receiving the particles on the particle receiving surface, the particles can be adhered to the film formation surface of the substrate 101 and contacted to suppress the deterioration of the quality of the film formation surface.

In the film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, when the substrate transfer tray 20 is supported by the drive roller 63 and the driving force is applied, the lower end portion of the substrate transfer tray 20 is separated from the structure on the bottom side of the vacuum chamber in the vertical direction. Thereby, the structure in which the weight of the substrate transfer tray 20 is suspended and supported by the upper drive roller 63 of the vacuum chamber 150 can eliminate the substrate transfer by heat or the like. The influence of the conveyance tray 20 on the conveyance when extending in the up and down direction. Further, for example, when the weight is supported on the lower side of the substrate transfer tray 20, since the center of gravity of the substrate transfer tray 20 is located above the support point of the substrate transfer tray 20, it becomes unstable (a state in which vibration is likely to occur). In addition, if the substrate transfer tray 20 is supported on the lower side, the substrate transfer tray 20 must withstand its own weight (must be subjected to bending due to its own weight), and thus it is necessary to increase the strength. However, in the present embodiment, since the substrate transfer tray 20 is supported only on the upper side of the vacuum chamber 150, the center of gravity is located below the support portion 22 of the substrate transfer tray 20, so that the support can be stably performed. Further, since it is not necessary to excessively consider the deformation caused by the weight of the substrate transfer tray 20, it is not necessary to increase the strength, and the structure of the substrate transfer tray 20 can be simplified.

In the film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the transport unit 10 includes side surface support portions 81 that support the two side surfaces 27Bb and 27Bc on the lower end side of the substrate transport tray 20. The lower end portion side of the side opposite to the upper end side of the support substrate transfer tray 20 may be shaken in the thickness direction D2, but the side support portion 81 can suppress the shake.

In the film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the drive roller 63 is a cantilever structure supported on the rear wall portion 54 side of the vacuum chamber 150, and the substrate transfer tray 20 is hung on the drive roller 63. . Therefore, the structure to be driven (for example, the second bearing portion 67 that supports the driving roller 63, the drive system 68, and the like) can be closer to the rear side than the substrate transfer tray 20, or can be not above the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101. Providing a driving portion and a sliding portion, wherein the structures are capable of suppressing particles generated by film peeling The child faces the film formation surface 101e.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the shape and size of the frame, the number and arrangement of the driving rollers, and the like are merely examples, and may be appropriately changed depending on the size and shape of the substrate, the size and type of the film forming apparatus, and the like. For example, a spherical roller unit 270 shown in Fig. 8 can be employed. In response to this, the shape of the main body portion 270 on the substrate transfer tray side also has a shape corresponding to the spherical roller.

10‧‧‧Transportation Department

20(101)‧‧‧Substrate transfer tray (substrate)

63‧‧‧ drive roller

68‧‧‧Drive system

100‧‧‧ film forming device

121(150)‧‧‧Load lock chamber (vacuum chamber)

122(150)‧‧‧buffer chamber (vacuum chamber)

123(150)‧‧‧ Film forming chamber (vacuum chamber)

124(150)‧‧‧buffer chamber (vacuum chamber)

125(150)‧‧‧Load lock chamber (vacuum chamber)

135‧‧‧ chamber door

140‧‧‧vaporation source

EA1‧‧‧ receiving area

EA2‧‧‧ Constant speed zone

EA3‧‧‧ handover area

D1‧‧‧Transfer direction

Claims (7)

A substrate transfer tray which is a substrate transfer tray for a film formation apparatus capable of holding the substrate when the substrate is transported in a transport direction intersecting with a thickness direction of the substrate, and is characterized in that: a substrate is provided, and the substrate can be mounted; The support portion is provided on one end side of the frame body and supports the frame body during transport, and the support portion has a first portion connected to the one end side of the frame body and extending at least along a thickness direction of the frame body And the second part is in contact with a drive roller that imparts a driving force for transmission. The substrate transfer tray according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the end portion of the second portion in the conveying direction has a shape that becomes narrower in width toward the conveying direction. The substrate transfer tray according to the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the end portion in the transport direction has a shape that narrows in width in the transport direction on the other end side of the housing. The substrate transfer tray according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first portion is formed as viewed from the transport direction Word shape, in the The second part is attached to the inner surface of the word shape. A film forming apparatus having: The substrate, wherein the substrate transfer tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and the substrate held by the substrate transfer tray; and a transfer portion, the substrate is erected or The conveyance unit has a drive roller that is disposed on the upper side of the vacuum chamber and that supplies a driving force to the substrate transfer tray, and the drive roller is disposed on the support portion. When the space between the first portion and the second portion is in contact with the second portion, a driving force is applied to the substrate transfer tray. The film forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, when the substrate transfer tray is supported and driven by the driving roller, a structure of a lower end portion of the substrate transfer tray from a bottom side of the vacuum chamber is Separate in the up and down direction. The film forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the conveying unit includes a side surface supporting portion that supports the two side surfaces on the lower end side of the substrate conveying tray.