TWI427178B - Apparatus for depositing film and method for depositing film and system for depositing film - Google Patents

Description

Apparatus, method and system for depositing thin films

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for depositing a thin film, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for depositing a film on a substrate, and a system for depositing a thin film for depositing a thin film The devices are connected in an in-line type.

Unlike a liquid crystal display (LCD), an Organic Light Emitted Diode (OLED) has self-luminous characteristics, so that a backlight is not required and its power consumption is small. In addition, due to the wide viewing angle and fast response time, display devices using OLEDs can display high quality images without problems with viewing angles and afterimages.

The OLED is fabricated by stacking a plurality of films (for example, an organic film and a metal film) on a glass substrate. Therefore, in the past, a cluster type in which a plurality of unit chambers for performing a series of unit processes are connected around a circular transfer chamber is mainly used, and the cluster type is used for each of the glass substrates in the respective chambers. Substrate transfer and device processing are performed when the chambers are placed in a horizontal state. This cluster type has the advantage of being able to perform a series of processes quickly and continuously, and also has the advantage of being able to replace a deposition mask, which is very important for the manufacture of OLEDs.

On the other hand, recently, the so-called three primary colors independent pixel type OLEDs have attracted attention, and the three primary color independent pixel type OLEDs sequentially form a blue color using a Fine Metal Mask (FMM). (B), green (G) and red (R) light-emitting layers on a large area of the substrate. It is known that the three primary color independent pixel types have better color purity and luminous efficiency, and have the advantage of ensuring competitive price.

However, for the three primary color independent pixel types, the blue (B), green (G), and red (R) light-emitting layers should be sequentially formed in separate independent processing chambers, so that they are used to execute the individual unit processes. The in-line type of the series connection of the plurality of process chambers is sufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to convert the traditional cluster type into an inline type. However, compared to the cluster type, the inline type has the following problem: the production cost of the production line is high due to the existence of many overlapping devices, and the productivity is low due to the long process time.

For the cluster type of the prior art, since a substrate is horizontally disposed to perform a thin film process (organic thin film deposition process), severe substrate bending phenomenon makes the fabrication of the device very difficult. In addition, since the deposition mask for a large-area substrate has a weight of more than several hundred kilograms, the substrate bending phenomenon may be aggravated to cause serious problems such as breakage of the substrate.

The present invention provides an apparatus, method and system for depositing a thin film that can be achieved by simultaneously processing a plurality of substrates and minimizing process latency (eg, time for setting/aligning the substrate and depositing the mask) productivity.

The present invention also provides an apparatus, method and system for depositing a film which can reduce the construction of a production line by maximizing the commonality of a commonly available device. this.

The present invention also provides an apparatus, method and system for depositing a film that overcomes the phenomenon of substrate bending by placing a substrate in a vertical state to perform a thin film process on the substrate.

According to an exemplary embodiment, there is provided an apparatus for depositing a film, comprising: a chamber for providing a reaction space; a first substrate holder and a second substrate holder spaced apart from each other and mounted in the chamber And a deposition source is disposed between the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder, and is configured to sequentially supply a deposition material in a direction of the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder.

The first substrate holder and the second substrate holder can be used to support a substrate in a vertical state.

The first substrate holder and the second substrate holder may include: a platform for supporting the substrate; and a clamp for holding the substrate stably placed on the platform.

The first substrate holder and the second substrate holder may further comprise a driving unit for standing the platform in a vertical state or lying the platform in a horizontal state.

The deposition source is rotatable between the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder.

The deposition source can be one of a one-point deposition source, a linear deposition source, and a planar deposition source.

The chamber can be connected to a mask chamber, which is used for the mask chamber Providing a deposition mask to the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder or for replacing the deposition mask.

According to another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a method of depositing a thin film, comprising: providing a first process line and a second process line for each of a plurality of serially connected chambers; a first substrate along which the first substrate is transferred into one of the chambers to perform a first unit process; loading a second substrate along the second substrate Transmitting a line into the designated chamber of the chambers for performing a unit process of the first substrate, performing one of the preparations required for a second unit process; and when the first unit process is completed, The second unit process is performed on the second substrate on which the pre-preparation has been completed.

The first unit process can include supplying a raw material in a direction of one of the first substrates using the deposition source, and the second unit process can include supplying the raw material in a direction of one of the second substrates by rotating the deposition source.

The first unit process and the second unit process can be performed by evaporating and supplying an organic material.

The above method may further include: unloading the first substrate from the designated chamber when the unit process of the second substrate is performed.

The first substrate and the second substrate can be placed and transferred in a horizontal state.

The first substrate and the second substrate can be placed and transferred in a vertical state.

The first substrate and the second substrate can be placed in a vertical state to perform the unit processes.

The pre-preparation may include at least one of: aligning the second substrate to one Determining a position and arranging and aligning a deposition mask on the second substrate.

According to still another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a system for depositing a thin film, comprising: a plurality of chambers connected in series; and a first process line and a second process line formed in the chambers, wherein At least one of the chambers may be provided with: a first substrate holder included in the first process line; and a second substrate holder included in the second process line and spaced apart from the first substrate holder And a deposition source installed between the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder for supplying a deposition material.

The deposition source is rotatable between the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder.

The deposition source can be one of a one-point deposition source, a linear deposition source, and a planar deposition source.

The chambers can include: a plurality of process chambers for performing a unit process; and a plurality of buffer chambers coupled between the process chambers.

The process chambers can be coupled to a mask chamber for supplying a deposition mask or replacing the deposition mask.

According to the present invention, since a sequential thin film process can be performed on two or more process lines disposed in each of the process chambers through a single deposition source disposed in each of the process chambers, manufacturing cost can be saved and at the same time Improve productivity.

In addition, while performing a thin film process on one substrate on one process line, substrate transfer and substrate/mask alignment can be performed on another substrate on another process line to shorten the waiting time and further improve productivity.

In addition, since the substrate is disposed in a horizontal state when a substrate is transferred, the probability of the substrate being broken when the substrate is transferred is reduced, and since the substrate is disposed in a vertical state during the film processing, the phenomenon of bending the substrate is less likely to occur. This makes the fabrication of the device easy.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the invention may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, the embodiments are intended to be thorough and complete, and the scope of the invention will be

1 is a thin film deposition system according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of any of a plurality of chambers included in the thin film deposition system shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the thin film deposition system includes a loading chamber 110 at a front end, an unloading chamber 120 at a rear end, and a plurality of unit chambers 200, 600 in a continuous manner ( The in-line manner is arranged between the loading chamber 110 and the unloading chamber 120. At this time, the unit cells 200, 600 are arranged in a column direction along the two process lines PL1 and PL2. When a unit process is performed on the first process line PL1, one of the second process lines PL2 is pre-prepared, and after the unit process of the first process line PL1 is completed, one of the process lines of the second process line can be continued.

The loading chamber 110 is configured to receive a substrate G that has undergone a predetermined previous process under an atmospheric pressure state, and load the substrate G into a processing chamber 210 under a vacuum state. The unloading chamber 120 is configured to receive from a process chamber 263 and has experienced one The substrate G of the series unit process, and unloads the substrate G to a space in an atmospheric pressure state. Therefore, the loading chamber 110 and the unloading chamber 120 are used to transition from a atmospheric pressure state to a vacuum state or vice versa. Further, although not shown in the drawings, the loading chamber 110 and the unloading chamber 120 may be coupled to a substrate transfer device (e.g., a robot arm) and a substrate carrying unit (e.g., a cassette).

The unit chambers 200, 600 include a plurality of process chambers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 (200) and are coupled between the process chambers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 (200) The plurality of buffer chambers 610, 620 (600). The buffer chamber 600 provides an arbitrary space in which the substrate G stays for a certain period of time to wait for a process. In addition, a first mask chamber 310 for providing a first mask M1 to a first process line PL1 is connected to each of the processing chambers 200 arranged on the first process line PL1, and is used to provide a The second mask chamber 320 of the second mask M2 to the second process line PL2 is connected to each of the process chambers 200 arranged on the second process line PL2. The deposition masks M1, M2 for a thin film deposition process or for replacement are stored in the first mask chamber 310 and the second mask chamber 320. Of course, since the first mask chamber 310 and the second mask chamber 320 can be shared, only a single common mask chamber can be connected to each of the processing chambers 200. Additionally, a feedstock feeder 410 for supplying a feedstock to a deposition source 540 can be coupled to some of the respective unit chambers.

The process chambers 200 are used to perform a series of unit processes on the substrate G. For example, an exemplary embodiment is used to form an OLED including a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (hole transport layer) formed on the substrate G in sequence. HTL), an emission material layer (EML), an electron transport layer (electron transport layer; ETL) and an electron injection layer (EIL), an anode is formed on the substrate G. To this end, the HIL forming chamber 210, the HTL forming chamber 220, the EML forming chamber 230, the ETL forming chamber 240, the EIL forming chamber 250, and the cathode forming chamber 260 are connected in series. At this time, the EML forming chamber 230 may further include a blue (B) EML forming chamber 231, a green (G) EML forming chamber 232, and a red (R) EML forming chamber 233 to display a natural color. The cathode forming chamber 260 may further include a plurality of cathode forming chambers 261, 262, 263 to form a cathode in the form of a multilayer structure.

One of the process chambers is formed in a rectangular box shape to provide a reaction space for processing the substrate G. In addition, each processing chamber 200 has a first substrate inlet 511a, a first substrate holder 520, and a first substrate outlet 512a positioned along the first process line PL1, and has a second position along the second process line PL2. A substrate inlet 511b, a second substrate holder 530, and a second substrate outlet 512b. The first substrate inlet 511a and the second substrate inlet 511b are formed at a side wall of the process chamber 200 at intervals from each other, and the first substrate outlet 512a and the second substrate outlet 512b are formed at intervals from each other in the process chamber 200. Side wall. The substrate inlets 511a, 511b and the substrate outlets 512a, 512b may be constituted by slit valves.

Each of the substrate holders 520, 530 includes: a platform for supporting a back surface of the substrate G1 or G2; a clamp 522 mounted in the platform 521 for holding the substrate G1 or G2; and a driver (not shown) The platform 521 is used to stand in a vertical state or lie flat in a horizontal state. Unlike the exemplary embodiment, if the substrates G1, G2 are loaded in each of the process chambers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, the driver can be omitted.

Inside or below the platform 521, a temperature control device 523 can be provided to maintain the substrates G1, G2 placed on the platform 521 at a temperature suitable for performing a process. The temperature control device 523 may be composed of at least one of: a heating device for heating the substrates G1, G2; a cooling device for cooling the substrates G1, G2; and a combination thereof. The present exemplary embodiment enhances the reactivity of the substrates G1, G2 with one of the deposited material layers deposited on the substrates G1, G2 by maintaining the temperature of the substrates G1, G2 at a process temperature using a cooling device.

When the state of the substrates G1, G2 placed on the stage 521 is changed from the horizontal state to the vertical state or from the vertical state to the horizontal state, the jig 522 sandwiches the edges of the substrates G1, G2 to prevent the substrates G1, G2 from moving. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, in order to control one of the thin film patterns formed on the substrates G1 and G2, deposition masks M1 and M2 each having a predetermined deposition pattern are disposed on the substrates G1 and G2, respectively. Therefore, it is preferable to use the jig 522 for holding the substrates G1, G2 and the deposition masks M1, M2 on the platform 521.

The first substrate holder 520 and the second substrate holder 530 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance on the same horizontal plane. Here, the predetermined distance may be equal to or greater than a distance when one of the first substrate holder 520 and the second substrate holder 530 is rotated from a vertical state to a horizontal state or from a horizontal state to a vertical state, the other is not Affected by the rotator.

The deposition source 540 is located between the first substrate holder 520 and the second substrate holder 530 that are spaced apart from each other by the predetermined distance. The deposition source 540 is disposed to be rotated toward a vertical state in the substrates G1 and G2 to perform one of the deposition processes, and is used to supply an evaporation material in a direction toward the substrate G (ie, along a deposition surface direction). . in spite of Not shown, the deposition source 540 has a crucible in which a raw material is contained, a heating unit for evaporating the raw material, and an ejector for ejecting the evaporated raw material. The deposition source 540 can be one of a point-type deposition source, a line-type deposition source, and a plane-type deposition source according to a process state. The present exemplary embodiment utilizes a linear deposition source 540 comprising a plurality of point deposition sources 541, 542 arranged in a straight line pattern, and the linear deposition source 540 is driven in the left and right direction by a reciprocating drive member The material is uniformly supplied (or sprayed) over the entire area of one of the substrates G1, G2 during reciprocating motion.

In particular, the deposition source 540 according to the present exemplary embodiment is configured such that the deposition source 540 can be from the first substrate holder 520 in one direction of the second substrate holder 530 or from the second substrate holder 530 along the first substrate holder 520. One direction is rotated 180 degrees to spray the material. Thus, although a two-row process line is formed in a single chamber, the process of the two-process line can be performed using a single deposition source 540.

Now, a thin film deposition process carried out using the thin film deposition system having the above configuration will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

The substrate G having the anode formed through a prior process is loaded into the load chamber 110 in an atmospheric state, and then the inside of the load chamber 110 is converted into a vacuum state. Next, the substrate G is sequentially loaded into the process chambers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, and the process chambers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 are along the selected first process line and the first The two process lines are alternately arranged to perform a series of unit processes. In other words, the substrate G is sequentially loaded into the HIL forming chamber 210, the HTL forming chamber 220, and the EML forming chambers 231, 232, 233 in a vacuum state. By this, in order One HIL, one HTL and one EML are formed on the anode of the substrate G. Thereafter, the resulting substrate G is sequentially loaded into the ETL forming chamber 240, the EIL forming chamber 250, and the cathode forming chambers 261, 262, 263. Thereby, an ETL, an EIL, and a multilayer cathode are formed on the EML of the substrate G to form an OLED. Next, the substrate G is transferred to the unloading chamber 120 and then unloaded to the outside in an atmospheric state.

Meanwhile, in the thin film deposition process, the substrate G can be transferred in a vertical state or a horizontal state. However, if the transfer of the substrate G is performed in a horizontal state, a process of converting the substrate from the horizontal state to the vertical state in each of the process chambers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 is required. Hereinafter, a process of converting a substrate from a horizontal state to a vertical state to perform a unit process will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8. 3 through 8 are plan views of a unit process of a thin film deposition system, according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the first substrate G1 transported in a horizontal state along the first process line is loaded into the process chamber 200 through the first substrate inlet 511a, and the loaded first substrate G1 is placed in a horizontal state. On the platform of the first substrate holder 520. Next, the first deposition mask M1 (see FIG. 4) is loaded into the process chamber 200 from the first mask chamber 310 connected to the process chamber 200, and placed and aligned on the first substrate G1. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4, the jig 522 of the first substrate holder 520 holds the first substrate G1 and the first deposition mask M1 placed thereon, and then rotates the first substrate holder 520 by 90 degrees to The first substrate G1 is converted into a vertical state. As a result, the outer surface of one of the first substrates G1 faces the ejection direction of one of the deposition sources 540. An evaporated material is sprayed onto the outer surface through a deposition source 540 to perform a first thin film process on the first substrate G1.

Referring to FIG. 5, the second substrate G2 transported in a horizontal state along the second process line is loaded into the process chamber 200 through the second substrate inlet 511b simultaneously with or after the loading of the first substrate G1. The loaded second substrate G2 is placed on the platform of the second substrate holder 530 disposed in a horizontal state, and the second deposition mask M2 is supplied from the second mask chamber 320 connected to the process chamber (see Fig. 6) is placed and aligned on the second substrate G2. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6, the jig 522 of the second substrate holder 530 holds the second substrate G2 and the second deposition mask M2 placed thereon, and then rotates the second substrate holder 530 by 90 degrees to The second substrate G2 is converted into a vertical state. At this time, it is preferable to perform the placement/alignment process of the second substrate G2 and the placement/alignment process of the second deposition mask M2 during the first film process. Thereby, the process waiting time can be shortened and the productivity can be improved.

Referring to FIG. 7, after the first film process is completed, the ejection direction of the deposition source 540 is rotated by 180 degrees with respect to the first substrate holder 520. As a result, the outer surface of one of the second substrates G2 faces the ejection direction of the deposition source 540. Next, an evaporated material is sprayed onto the outer surface of the second substrate G2 to perform a second thin film process on the second substrate G2. Meanwhile, while the second thin film process is being performed, the first substrate holder 520 is returned to the original horizontal state and the first deposition mask M1 is separated from the first substrate G1 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the first substrate G1 is unloaded through the first substrate outlet 512a and then loaded into the next chamber. At the same time, after the first and second film processes are completed, the first deposition mask M1 and the second deposition mask M2 separated from the first substrate G1 and the second substrate G2 are respectively held in the corresponding chambers for use in Follow-up process. If the first mask and/or the second mask need to be replaced due to contamination or damage due to long-term use, the first mask M1 and the second mask M2 are transferred to the first mask chamber 310 and The chamber 320 is masked and unloaded into the atmosphere. Then, for example, by The first deposition mask M1 and the second deposition mask M2 are reused for cleaning, repairing, and the like. Of course, the first mask chamber 310 and the second mask chamber 320 may be provided with a plurality of additional deposition masks for replacement of the used deposition mask.

In summary, a thin film deposition system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be disposed in each of the process chambers through a single deposition source 540 disposed in each of the process chambers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260. Two or more of the process lines PL1, PL2 of the chambers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 perform a continuous film process, thereby saving manufacturing costs while increasing productivity. In addition, while performing a thin film process on one process line PL1, substrate transfer and substrate/mask alignment can be performed on the substrate G2 on the other process line to shorten the waiting time, thereby further improving productivity.

Although an apparatus, method and system for depositing a film are described above with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not limited thereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

110‧‧‧Loading chamber

120‧‧‧Unloading chamber

200‧‧‧Processing chamber

210‧‧‧Processing chamber

220‧‧‧Processing chamber

230‧‧‧Processing chamber

231‧‧‧Processing chamber

232‧‧‧Processing chamber

233‧‧‧Processing chamber

240‧‧‧Processing chamber

250‧‧‧Processing chamber

260‧‧‧Processing chamber

261‧‧‧Processing chamber

262‧‧‧Processing chamber

263‧‧‧Processing chamber

310‧‧‧mask chamber

320‧‧‧mask chamber

410‧‧‧Material feeder

511a‧‧‧substrate entrance

511b‧‧‧substrate entrance

512a‧‧‧Substrate exit

512b‧‧‧Substrate exit

520‧‧‧Substrate bracket

521‧‧‧ platform

522‧‧‧ fixture

523‧‧‧ Temperature Control Devices

530‧‧‧Substrate support

540‧‧‧Sedimentary source

541‧‧‧Sedimentary source

542‧‧‧Sedimentary source

600‧‧‧buffer chamber

610‧‧‧buffer chamber

620‧‧‧buffer chamber

G1‧‧‧ substrate

G2‧‧‧ substrate

M1‧‧‧ mask

M2‧‧‧ mask

PL1‧‧‧Processing line

PL2‧‧‧Processing line

1 is a plan view of a system for depositing a film according to an exemplary embodiment; and FIG. 2 is a view of any of the plurality of chambers included in the film deposition system of FIG. A plan view; and Figures 3 through 8 are plan views of a unit process for a system for depositing a film, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

200‧‧‧Processing chamber

310‧‧‧mask chamber

320‧‧‧mask chamber

511a‧‧‧substrate entrance

511b‧‧‧substrate entrance

512a‧‧‧Substrate exit

512b‧‧‧Substrate exit

520‧‧‧Substrate bracket

521‧‧‧ platform

522‧‧‧ fixture

523‧‧‧ Temperature Control Devices

530‧‧‧Substrate support

540‧‧‧Sedimentary source

541‧‧‧Sedimentary source

542‧‧‧Sedimentary source

G1‧‧‧ substrate

G2‧‧‧ substrate

M1‧‧‧ mask

M2‧‧‧ mask

Claims (20)

An apparatus for depositing a film, comprising: a chamber for providing a reaction space; a first substrate holder and a second substrate holder spaced apart from each other and mounted in the chamber; and a deposition source, The first substrate holder is mounted between the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder, and a deposition material is sequentially supplied in the direction of the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder. The device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder are used to support a substrate in a vertical state. The device of claim 2, wherein the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder comprise: a platform for supporting the substrate; and a clamp for holding the substrate stably placed on the platform . The device of claim 2, wherein the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder further comprise a driving unit for standing the platform in a vertical state or lying the platform in a horizontal state. . The device of claim 1, wherein the deposition source is rotatable between the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder. The device of claim 1, wherein the deposition source is one of a one-point deposition source, a linear deposition source, and a planar deposition source. The device of claim 1, wherein the chamber is coupled to a mask chamber, each of the mask chambers for providing a deposition mask to the first substrate holder and the second The substrate holder is used to replace the deposition mask. A method of depositing a film, comprising: providing a first process line and a second process line for each of a plurality of serially connected chambers, wherein each of the chambers provides a reaction space Loading a first substrate along which the first substrate is transferred into one of the chambers to perform a first unit process; loading a second substrate along which the second substrate is mounted Transmitting a second process line into the designated chamber of the chambers for performing a unit process of the first substrate, performing one of the preparations required for a second unit process; and when the first unit process Upon completion, the second unit process is performed on the second substrate that has completed the pre-preparation. The method of claim 8, wherein the first unit process comprises supplying a raw material in a direction of one of the first substrates by using the deposition source, and the second unit process comprises rotating the deposition source to the second The raw material is supplied in one direction of the substrate. The method of claim 9, wherein the first unit process and the second unit process are performed by evaporating and supplying an organic material. The method of claim 8, further comprising: unloading the first substrate from the designated chamber when the unit process of the second substrate is performed. The method of claim 8, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are placed and transferred in a horizontal state. The method of claim 8, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are placed and transferred in a vertical state. The method of claim 8, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are disposed Placed in a vertical state to perform these unit processes. The method of claim 8, wherein the pre-preparation comprises at least one of: aligning the second substrate to a predetermined position, and arranging and aligning the deposition mask on the second substrate. A system for depositing a film, comprising: a plurality of chambers connected in series, wherein each of the chambers is configured to provide a reaction space; and a first process line and a second process line are formed in the chambers Wherein at least one of the chambers is provided with: a first substrate holder included in the first process line; and a second substrate holder included in the second process line and coupled to the first substrate The spacers are spaced apart; and a deposition source is mounted between the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder for supplying a deposition material. The system of claim 16, wherein the deposition source is rotatable between the first substrate holder and the second substrate holder. The system of claim 16, wherein the deposition source is one of a one-point deposition source, a linear deposition source, and a planar deposition source. The system of claim 16 wherein the chambers comprise: a plurality of process chambers for performing a unit process; and a plurality of buffer chambers coupled between the process chambers. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing chambers are coupled to a masking chamber for supplying a deposition mask or replacing the deposition mask.