WO2024116668A1

WO2024116668A1 - Evaporation source unit, film forming device, and film forming method

Info

Publication number: WO2024116668A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/038674
Authority: WO
Inventors: 由季菅原; 正浩市原
Original assignee: キヤノントッキ株式会社
Priority date: 2022-12-01
Filing date: 2023-10-26
Publication date: 2024-06-06
Also published as: JP2024080102A

Abstract

Provided is an evaporation source unit that performs film forming on a substrate moving relatively in a movement direction, said unit being characterized by including: a plurality of evaporation sources that each independently include a container that accommodates a vapor deposition substance to be deposited on the substrate and a heating means that heats the vapor deposition substance accommodated in the container; and a control means that controls each of the plurality of evaporation sources. The unit is also characterized in that: the plurality of evaporation sources include a first evaporation source, a second evaporation source, and a third evaporation source arranged in order from the center of a layout region of the plurality of evaporation sources, along a crossing direction that crosses the movement direction; and the control means controls each of the first evaporation source, the second evaporation source, and the third evaporation source so that a film forming rate of the second evaporation source is smaller than that of the first evaporation source and that of the third evaporation source.

Description

Evaporation source unit, film forming apparatus and film forming method

The present invention relates to an evaporation source unit, a film forming apparatus, and a film forming method.

In the manufacture of organic electroluminescence displays and the like, deposition materials emitted from evaporation sources are deposited on the substrate to form a film (thin film). Patent Document 1 discloses that multiple evaporation sources are used to form a film while the substrate is rotated.

JP 2019-218623 A

However, in recent years, substrates have become larger, making it difficult to rotate the substrate during film formation, which may reduce the uniformity of the film thickness formed on the substrate.

The present invention provides a technology that is advantageous for making the thickness of a film formed on a substrate uniform.

The evaporation source unit according to one aspect of the present invention is an evaporation source unit that forms a film on a substrate that moves relatively in a moving direction, and includes a plurality of evaporation sources each independently including a container for containing an evaporation material to be attached to the substrate and a heating means for heating the evaporation material contained in the container, and a control means for controlling each of the plurality of evaporation sources, the plurality of evaporation sources including a first evaporation source, a second evaporation source, and a third evaporation source that are arranged in sequence from the center of a layout area of the plurality of evaporation sources along a cross direction that crosses the moving direction, and the control means controls each of the first evaporation source, the second evaporation source, and the third evaporation source so that the film formation rate of the second evaporation source is smaller than the film formation rate of the first evaporation source and the film formation rate of the third evaporation source.

The present invention can provide a technology that is advantageous for, for example, making the thickness of a film formed on a substrate uniform.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a film formation system having a film formation apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a film forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention; 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of an evaporation source unit. 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of an evaporation source unit. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of an evaporation source. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing Example 2. FIG.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for identical or similar configurations, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a film formation system SY having a film formation apparatus 1 according to one aspect of the present invention. The film formation system SY is a system that performs a film formation process on a substrate that is brought in and then removes the substrate after the film formation process. For example, a manufacturing line for electronic devices is formed by arranging multiple film formation systems SY side by side. An example of an electronic device is a display panel of an organic EL display device for a smartphone.

As shown in FIG. 1, the film formation system SY includes a film formation apparatus 1, a loading chamber 60, a substrate transport chamber 62, an unloading chamber 64, and a mask stock chamber 66. The configuration of the film formation apparatus 1 will be described in detail later.

The substrate 100 to be subjected to the film formation process in the film formation apparatus 1 is carried into the loading chamber 60 from outside the film formation apparatus 1. The substrate transport chamber 62 is provided with a transport robot 620 for transporting the substrate 100. The transport robot 620 transports the substrate 100 carried into the loading chamber 60 to the film formation apparatus 1. The transport robot 620 also transports the substrate 100 to the unloading chamber 64 after the film formation process in the film formation apparatus 1. The substrate 100 transported to the unloading chamber 64 by the transport robot 620 is unloaded from the unloading chamber 64 to the outside of the film formation system SY. When multiple film formation systems SY are installed side by side, the unloading chamber 64 of the upstream film formation system SY may also serve as the substrate transport chamber 62 of the downstream film formation system SY. In the mask stock chamber 66, the mask 101 used for the film formation process in the film formation apparatus 1 is stocked. The mask 101 stored in the mask stock chamber 66 is transported to the film forming apparatus 1 by the transport robot 620.

The inside of the deposition apparatus 1 and each chamber that constitutes the deposition system SY is maintained in a vacuum state by an exhaust mechanism such as a vacuum pump. In this embodiment, the "vacuum state" means a state filled with gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, i.e., a reduced pressure state.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a film forming apparatus 1 according to one aspect of the present invention. In the following figures, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are perpendicular to each other, and arrow Z indicates the vertical direction.

The film forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus for performing a film forming process to form a film (thin film) on a substrate by adhering (evaporating) an evaporation material released from an evaporation source onto the substrate while moving the evaporation source relative to the substrate. The film forming apparatus 1 is used, for example, as a manufacturing apparatus for display panels of organic EL display devices for smartphones, and as described above, a manufacturing line is formed by arranging a plurality of the apparatuses. The material of the substrate on which the film forming process is performed in the film forming apparatus 1 can be appropriately selected from glass, resin, metal, etc., and in particular, a substrate on which a resin layer such as polyimide is formed on glass is suitable. As the evaporation material, organic materials and inorganic materials (e.g., metals, metal oxides), etc. are used. The film forming apparatus 1 is not limited to the manufacture of display panels of organic EL display devices, and can also be used as a manufacturing apparatus for electronic devices such as display devices (flat panel displays), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), and optical components. In addition, in this embodiment, the film forming apparatus 1 performs film forming processing on a G8H size glass substrate (1100 mm x 2500 mm, 1250 mm x 2200 mm), but the size of the substrate on which the film forming apparatus 1 performs film forming processing can be set appropriately.

As shown in FIG. 2, the film forming apparatus 1 has an evaporation source unit 10 and multiple

film forming stages

30A and 30B. The evaporation source unit 10 and the

film forming stages

30A and 30B are arranged inside a chamber 45 that is maintained in a vacuum state during film forming processing (when in use). In this embodiment, the multiple

film forming stages

30A and 30B are provided spaced apart in the X direction at the top inside the chamber 45, and the evaporation source unit 10 is provided below them. The chamber 45 also has multiple loading/unloading ports (not shown) for loading and unloading the substrate 100.

The film forming apparatus 1 further includes a power supply 41 that supplies power to the evaporation source unit 10, and an electrical connection section 42 that electrically connects the evaporation source unit 10 and the power supply 41. The electrical connection section 42 includes electrical wiring built into an arm that is movable in the horizontal direction, and is configured to be able to supply power from the power supply 41 to the evaporation source unit 10 that is movable in the X direction.

The film forming apparatus 1 further includes a control unit 43 that controls each component (operation) of the film forming apparatus 1. The control unit 43 is composed of a computer (information processing device) including, for example, a processor such as a CPU, memories such as RAM and ROM, and various interfaces. The control unit 43 realizes various operations and processes in the film forming apparatus 1 by reading a program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing it. Note that instead of the control unit 43, it is also possible to directly control each component of the film forming apparatus 1 using a host computer that comprehensively controls the film forming system SY.

The film-forming stage 30A is a stage for performing a film-forming process on the substrate 100A. The film-forming stage 30A supports the substrate 100A and the mask 101A, and adjusts the relative positions of the substrate 100A and the mask 101A. The film-forming stage 30A includes a substrate support portion 32A, a mask support portion 34A, a support column 35A, and an alignment mechanism 36A.

The substrate support section 32A supports the substrate 100A. In this embodiment, the substrate support section 32A supports the substrate 100A so that the short side of the substrate 100A is aligned along the X direction and the long side of the substrate 100A is aligned along the Y direction. The substrate support section 32A supports the edge of the substrate 100A from the underside of the substrate 100A. However, the substrate support section 32A may support the substrate 100A by clamping the edge of the substrate 100A, or may support the substrate 100A by adsorbing the substrate 100A with an electrostatic chuck or an adhesive chuck. The substrate support section 32A receives the substrate 100A that has been transported into the film formation system SY via a transport robot 620 provided in the substrate transport chamber 62. The substrate support 32A is provided with a lifting mechanism (not shown) that allows the substrate support 32A to be raised and lowered, and the substrate 100A received from the transfer robot 620 can be superimposed on the mask 101A supported by the mask support 34A. For such a lifting mechanism, a ball screw mechanism or other technology well known in the industry can be applied.

The mask support portion 34A supports the mask 101A. In this embodiment, an opening (not shown) is provided in the mask support portion 34A, and the deposition material adheres (scatters) through this opening to the deposition surface (surface on which a film is formed) of the substrate 100A superimposed on the mask 101A. The mask support portion 34A is supported by the chamber 45 via the support pillars 35A.

The alignment mechanism 36A performs alignment to adjust the relative positions of the substrate 100A and the mask 101A. The alignment mechanism 36A adjusts the relative positions of the substrate support part 32A and the mask support part 34A in the horizontal direction to align the substrate 100A supported by the substrate support part 32A and the mask 101A supported by the mask support part 34A. For the alignment of the substrate 100A and the mask 101A, techniques well known in the industry can be applied. For example, the alignment mechanism 36A first detects alignment marks formed on the substrate 100A and the mask 101A with a camera (not shown). Then, the alignment mechanism 36A adjusts the positional relationship between the substrate 100A and the mask 101A so that the relationship between the position of the substrate 100A and the position of the mask 101A obtained by detecting these marks satisfies a predetermined condition. Specifically, the mark formed on the substrate 100A and the mark formed on the mask 101A are overlapped, the amount of misalignment between these marks is detected by a camera, and the position of the substrate 100A is adjusted so that the specified conditions are met (within the tolerance range).

Once the alignment mechanism 36A has aligned the substrate 100A and the mask 101A, the substrate support 32A overlays the substrate 100A it is supporting on the mask 101A. With the substrate 100A and the mask 101A overlaid, a film formation process is performed on the substrate 100A by the evaporation source unit 10.

The deposition stage 30B includes a configuration similar to that of the deposition stage 30A. The deposition stage 30B includes a substrate support 32B, a mask support 34B, a support 35B, and an alignment mechanism 36B. The substrate support 32B, the mask support 34B, the support 35B, and the alignment mechanism 36B correspond to the substrate support 32A, the mask support 34A, the support 35A, and the alignment mechanism 36A, respectively.

In this embodiment, the film forming apparatus 1 has multiple

film forming stages

30A and 30B, and is embodied as a so-called dual-stage film forming apparatus. Therefore, while a film forming process (such as vapor deposition) is being performed on the substrate 100A in the film forming stage 30A, alignment between the substrate 100B and the mask 101B can be performed in the film forming stage 30B, and the film forming process can be performed efficiently.

Next, the evaporation source unit 10 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Here, an overview of each element constituting the evaporation source unit 10 will be described, and the arrangement and operation of the evaporation source unit 10 will be described in detail later. Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the evaporation source unit 10, and is a diagram showing the evaporation source unit 10 from a lateral direction (Y direction). Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the evaporation source unit 10, and is a diagram showing the evaporation source unit 10 from above (Z direction).

In this embodiment, the evaporation source unit 10 is a unit that performs a film formation process on the substrate 100 by emitting a deposition material while moving in the X direction. The evaporation source unit 10 includes a plurality of evaporation sources 11a to 11r, a plurality of monitoring devices 12a to 12r, shutters 161 to 163, and a moving unit 20.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the evaporation sources 11a to 11r. Each of the evaporation sources 11a to 11r emits a deposition material. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the evaporation sources 11a to 11r includes a material container 111 and a heating unit 112.

The material container 111 is a crucible that contains a deposition material to be attached to the substrate 100. A release section 1111 is provided at the top of the material container 111 to release the deposition material evaporated inside the material container 111 to the outside of the material container 111. In this embodiment, the release section 1111 is configured as an opening (release port) formed on the top surface of the material container 111, but is not limited to this. For example, the function of the release section 1111 may be realized by configuring the material container 111 from a cylindrical member or the like. In addition, the top surface of the material container 111 may be provided with multiple openings as the release section 1111.

The heating unit 112 heats and evaporates the deposition material contained in the material container 111. For example, the heating unit 112 is preferably provided so as to cover the entire material container 111. In this embodiment, the heating unit 112 is embodied as a sheathed heater using an electric heating wire, and FIG. 5 shows a cross section of the sheathed heater when the electric heating wire is wrapped around the material container 111.

The heating of the deposition material by the heating unit 112 is controlled by the control unit 43. In this embodiment, each of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11r independently includes a material container 111 and a heating unit 112. Therefore, the control unit 43 can independently control the heating (evaporation) of the deposition material by each of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11r.

Returning to Figures 3 and 4, the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11r are roughly divided into three evaporation source groups 17A to 17C spaced apart from one another along the movement direction (X direction) of the evaporation source unit 10. Evaporation source group 17A includes multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f arranged along a cross direction (Y direction) that intersects with the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10. Evaporation source group 17B includes multiple evaporation sources 11g to 11l arranged along a cross direction that intersects with the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10. Evaporation source group 17C includes multiple evaporation sources 11m to 11r arranged along a cross direction that intersects with the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10.

In this embodiment, the three evaporation source groups 17A to 17C are arranged in the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10 in the order of evaporation source group 17A, evaporation source group 17B, and evaporation source group 17C. Therefore, when focusing on the evaporation sources included in each of the evaporation source groups 17A to 17C, for example, evaporation source 11d, evaporation source 11j, and evaporation source 11p are arranged in this order along the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10.

The three evaporation source groups 17A to 17C can emit different deposition materials. For example, evaporation source group 17A emits magnesium (Mg), evaporation source group 17B emits silver (Ag), and evaporation source group 17C emits ytterbium (Yb) (or lithium fluoride (LiF)). In this case, in the evaporation source unit 10, the control unit 43 controls the operation of the shutters 161 to 163, and a layer of lithium fluoride (first layer) and a layer of silver magnesium (AgMg) (second layer) are deposited on the substrate 100. Note that these deposition materials (deposition materials) are merely examples and are not limiting.

The multiple monitoring devices 12a to 12r are provided corresponding to the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11r. Each of the multiple monitoring devices 12a to 12r monitors the state (emission state) of the deposition material emitted from each of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11r, for example, the rate of the deposition material (evaporation rate (film formation rate)). As shown in FIG. 3, the monitoring devices 12a to 12r include a case 121 and a quartz oscillator 123 provided inside the case 121 as a film thickness sensor. The deposition material emitted from the evaporation source 11 and introduced into the case 121 through an introduction part 122 provided in the case 121 adheres to the quartz oscillator 123. The frequency of the quartz oscillator 123 varies depending on the amount (adhesion amount) of the deposition material adhering to the quartz oscillator 123. Therefore, the control unit 43 can calculate the film thickness of the deposition material adhered (deposited) on the substrate 100 based on the frequency of the quartz oscillator 123. The amount of deposition material adhering to the quartz crystal oscillator 123 per unit time correlates with the amount of deposition material released from the evaporation source 11, so the monitoring devices 12a to 12r can monitor the state of the deposition material released from the multiple evaporation sources 11.

In this embodiment, each of the monitoring devices 12a to 12r independently monitors the state of the deposition material released from the evaporation sources 11a to 11r. Furthermore, the control unit 43 independently controls the evaporation sources 11a to 11r (the output of each heating unit) based on the monitoring results of the monitoring devices 12a to 12r. In other words, the control unit 43 controls the film formation rate of each of the evaporation sources 11a to 11r based on the rate of the deposition material monitored by each of the monitoring devices 12a to 12r.

The limiting section 14 limits the release range of the deposition material released from the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11r. In this embodiment, the limiting section 14 includes multiple plate members 141 to 144. The

plate members

141 and 142 limit the release range in the X direction of the deposition material released from the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f. The

plate members

142 and 143 limit the release range in the X direction of the deposition material released from the multiple evaporation sources 11g to 11l. The

plate members

143 and 144 limit the release range in the X direction of the deposition material released from the multiple evaporation sources 11g to 11r.

The plate member 141 is provided with cylindrical members 141a-141l through which the deposition material introduced (scattered) to the monitoring devices 12a-12l passes. The plate member 142 is provided with cylindrical members 142g-142l through which the deposition material introduced to the monitoring devices 12g-12l passes. The plate member 144 is provided with cylindrical members 144m-144l through which the deposition material introduced to the monitoring devices 12m-12r passes. The cylindrical members 141a-141l, 142g-142l, and 144m-144l contribute to preventing a decrease in the monitoring accuracy of the monitoring devices caused by deposition material emitted from an adjacent evaporation source entering a monitoring device that is not being monitored (so-called crosstalk).

The shutters 161-163 control the scattering of the deposition material emitted from the evaporation source groups 17A-17C onto the substrate 100. The shutters 161-163 are provided so as to be displaceable between a blocking position that blocks the scattering of the deposition material emitted from the evaporation source groups 17A-17C onto the substrate 100, and an allowable position that allows the scattering of the deposition material onto the substrate 100. For example, the shutter 161 is provided so as to be displaceable between a blocking position that blocks the scattering of the deposition material emitted from the evaporation sources 11a-11f included in the evaporation source group 17A onto the substrate 100, and an allowable position that allows the scattering of the deposition material onto the substrate 100. The

shutters

162 and 163 are also provided so as to be displaceable between a blocking position and an allowable position, similar to the shutter 161.

The shutter 161 includes a rotating shaft 1611 whose axial direction is a cross direction (Y direction) that intersects with the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10, and a shielding member 1612 provided on the rotating shaft 1611. The shutter 161 is displaced between a blocking position and an allowable position as the shielding member 1612 rotates about the rotating shaft 1611 to perform an opening and closing operation. Similarly, the shutter 162 includes a rotating shaft 1621 and a shielding member 1622, and the shutter 163 includes a rotating shaft 1631 and a shielding member 1632.

The rotation axis 1611 of the shutter 161 is positioned offset in the movement direction (X direction) of the evaporation source unit 10 with respect to the emission parts 1111 of the evaporation sources 11a to 11f. Similarly, the rotation axis 1621 of the shutter 162 is positioned offset in the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10 with respect to the emission parts 1111 of the evaporation sources 11g to 11l. Furthermore, the rotation axis 1631 of the shutter 163 is positioned offset in the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10 with respect to the emission parts 1111 of the evaporation sources 11p to 11r. This makes it possible to suppress interference between the shutters 161 to 163 and the emission ranges of the evaporation sources 11a to 11r when the shutters 161 to 163 are positioned in the permissible positions.

In addition, in this embodiment, the height of the pivot shaft 1611 of the shutter 161 is different from the height of the pivot shaft 1621 of the shutter 162. This makes it possible to suppress interference between the

shutters

161 and 162 when the

shutters

161 and 162 are opened and closed simultaneously, and to arrange the

shutters

161 and 162 compactly in the X direction.

In addition, in this embodiment, the rotation axis 1621 of the shutter 162 covering the top of the evaporation source group 17B arranged on the +X side of the evaporation source group 17A is shifted to the +X side with respect to the emission parts 1111 of the evaporation sources 11g to 11l. On the other hand, the rotation axis 1611 of the shutter 161 covering the top of the evaporation source group 17A arranged on the -X side of the evaporation source group 17B is shifted to the -X side with respect to the emission parts 1111 of the evaporation sources 11a to 11f. Therefore, the

shutters

161 and 162 are configured like double-hinged doors. This makes it possible to prevent the shutter 161 from interfering with the emission range of the evaporation source group 17B and the shutter 162 from interfering with the emission range of the evaporation source group 17A when co-evaporation is performed with the evaporation source group 17A and the evaporation source group 17B.

The moving unit 20 moves the evaporation source unit 10, specifically the multiple evaporation sources 11a-11r and the multiple monitoring devices 12a-12r, in the moving direction (X direction). In this embodiment, the moving unit 20 moves the evaporation source unit 10 relative to the substrate 100, while the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source unit 10 is deposited (deposited) on the substrate 100 to form a film (layer) of the evaporation material on the substrate 100.

The moving part 20 includes, as components provided in the evaporation source unit 10, a motor (not shown), a pinion 202 provided on a shaft member that rotates when driven by the motor, and a guide member 203. The moving part 20 further includes a rack (not shown) that engages with the pinion 202, and a guide rail 206 along which the guide member 203 slides. The evaporation source unit 10 moves in the X direction along the guide rail 206 as the pinion 202, which rotates when driven by the motor, engages with the rack.

In the film forming apparatus 1 configured in this manner, in order to improve the uniformity of the thickness of the film of the deposition material formed on the substrate 100, it is necessary to control with high precision the amount of deposition material discharged from the evaporation source unit 10 and adhering to the substrate 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 43 independently controls the amount of deposition material discharged from each of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11r and adhering to the substrate 100, i.e., the deposition rate of each evaporation source 11a to 11r. In this case, the inventors have found that it is advantageous to make the deposition rates of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11r different, rather than making them the same, in order to make the thickness of the film of the deposition material formed on the substrate 100 uniform.

Hereinafter, the control of the film formation rate of each evaporation source 11a to 11r performed by the control unit 43 in the film formation process (film formation method) of this embodiment will be described. Here, attention is focused on the

evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c included in the evaporation source group 17A. As shown in FIG. 4, the

evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c are arranged along a cross direction (Y direction) that crosses the movement direction (X direction) of the evaporation source unit 10. The evaporation source 11c is the evaporation source (first evaporation source) that is arranged at a position closest to the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f. The evaporation source 11b is the evaporation source (second evaporation source) that is arranged at a position next closest to the evaporation source 11c from the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f. The evaporation source 11a is the evaporation source (third evaporation source) that is arranged at a position farthest from the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f. In this way, the

evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c are arranged in the order of evaporation source 11c, evaporation source 11b, evaporation source 11c from the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f.

In this embodiment, the control unit 43 controls each of the

evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c (the output of each heating unit) so that the film formation rates of the

multiple evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c include two different film formation rates. Specifically, the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11b is different from the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11c and the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11a, and more specifically, the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11b is smaller than the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11c and the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11a. Furthermore, the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11a and the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11c are equal. Thus, in this embodiment, each evaporation source 11a to 11c is controlled so that the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11c = the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11a > the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11b. As a result, as shown numerically in the following examples, the thickness of the film of the deposition material formed on the substrate 100 can be made more uniform than when the deposition rates of each of the evaporation sources 11a to 11r are the same.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 43 may control each of the

evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c include three different film formation rates. Specifically, the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11b is smaller than the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11c and the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11a, and the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11a is larger than the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11c. In this way, in this embodiment, each evaporation source 11a to 11c may be controlled so that the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11a > the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11c > the film formation rate of the evaporation source 11b. As a result, as shown numerically in the following example, the thickness of the film of the deposition material formed on the substrate 100 can be made uniform compared to the case where the film formation rates of the evaporation sources 11a to 11r are the same.

In addition, in this embodiment, attention is focused on the

evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c included in the evaporation source group 17A, but the film formation rate may be controlled in the same manner for the

evaporation sources

11d, 11e, and 11f. For example, for the evaporation source 11d, which is located closest to the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f, the film formation rate may be controlled in the same manner as for the evaporation source 11c. For the evaporation source 11e, which is located next closest to the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f, the film formation rate may be controlled in the same manner as for the evaporation source 11b. For the evaporation source 11f, which is located farthest from the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f, the film formation rate may be controlled in the same manner as for the evaporation source 11a.

Furthermore, for the evaporation sources 11g to 11l included in the evaporation source group 17B, similar to the evaporation sources 11a to 11f included in the evaporation source group 17A, the deposition rate may be controlled according to the distance from the center of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11g to 11l.Furthermore, for the evaporation sources 11m to 11r included in the evaporation source group 17C, similar to the evaporation sources 11a to 11f included in the evaporation source group 17A, the deposition rate may be controlled according to the distance from the center of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11m to 11r.

The inventors also discovered that the distance (spacing) between two adjacent evaporation sources in a cross direction (Y direction) that intersects with the movement direction (X direction) of the evaporation source unit 10 is related to the uniformity of the film thickness of the deposition material formed on the substrate 100. For example, by making the distance between two adjacent evaporation sources in a cross direction that intersects with the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10 shorter on the outside of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources than on the center side, this can contribute to the uniformity of the film thickness of the deposition material formed on the substrate 100.

Specifically, when focusing on

evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c included in the evaporation source group 17A, the distance L3 between evaporation source 11b and evaporation source 11a is made shorter than the distance L2 between evaporation source 11c and evaporation source 11b. Also, the distance twice the distance L1 between evaporation source 11c and the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f (the distance between evaporation source 11c and evaporation source 11d) is made longer than the distance L2 between evaporation source 11c and evaporation source 11b. In this way, the distance between two evaporation sources adjacent to each other in the intersecting direction intersecting with the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10 among the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f is made shorter the further away from the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f.

Note that the distance (between evaporation source 11c and evaporation source 11d) twice the distance L1 between evaporation source 11c and the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f does not necessarily have to be longer than the distance L2 between evaporation source 11c and evaporation source 11b. In other words, the distance L2 between evaporation source 11c and evaporation source 11b may be shorter than the distance L1 twice the distance between evaporation source 11c and the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f. However, in this case, the distance L2 twice the distance L1 between evaporation source 11c and the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f needs to be longer than the distance L3 between evaporation source 11b and evaporation source 11c. This satisfies the requirement that the distance between two adjacent evaporation sources in the intersecting direction intersecting the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10 be shorter on the outside of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources than on the center side. This contributes to the uniformity of the thickness of the film of deposition material formed on the substrate 100.

Here, the deposition material emitted from the evaporation sources 11a to 11f is silver (Ag), and the results of forming a film having a thickness of 150 Å on the substrate 100 are shown in Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C as Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example. However, Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C only show numerical examples related to

evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c out of evaporation sources 11a to 11f. This is because

evaporation sources

11a, 11b, and 11c, and

evaporation sources

11f, 11e, and 11d are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center CT of the layout area of evaporation sources 11a to 11f.

In Example 1, the deposition rates of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11c include two different deposition rates. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6A, the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11b (11e) is smaller than the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11a (11f) and the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11c (11d), and the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11a is equal to the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11c. Regarding the ratio of the deposition rates between the evaporation sources, the ratio of the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11c to the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11b to the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11a is set to 1.00:0.58:1.00. The deposition rate of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f from the center CT of the layout area is 316 mm, the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11b is set to 863 mm, and the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11a is set to 1200 mm. Therefore, twice the distance L1 between evaporation source 11c and the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f is 632 mm, the distance L2 between evaporation source 11c and evaporation source 11b is 547 mm, and the distance L3 between evaporation source 11b and evaporation source 11c is 337 mm.

In Example 2, the deposition rates of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11c are different from each other and include three different deposition rates. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6B, the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11b (11e) is smaller than the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11a (11f) and the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11c (11d), and the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11a is larger than the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11c. Regarding the ratio of the deposition rates between the evaporation sources, the ratio of the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11c to the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11b to the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11a is set to 1.00:0.85:1.41. The deposition rate of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f from the center CT of the layout area is 240 mm, the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11b is set to 730 mm, and the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11a is set to 1200 mm. Therefore, twice the distance L1 between evaporation source 11c and the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f is 480 mm, the distance L2 between evaporation source 11c and evaporation source 11b is 490 mm, and the distance L3 between evaporation source 11b and evaporation source 11c is 470 mm.

In the comparative example, the deposition rates of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11c were set to the same. Therefore, the ratio of the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11c to the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11b to the deposition rate of the evaporation source 11a was 1.00:1.00:1.00. The evaporation source 11c was placed at a position where the distance from the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f was 226 mm, the evaporation source 11b was placed at a position where the distance was 840 mm, and the evaporation source 11a was placed at a position where the distance was 1200 mm. Therefore, twice the distance L1 between the evaporation source 11c and the center CT of the layout area of the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f is 452 mm, the distance L2 between the evaporation source 11c and the evaporation source 11b is 617 mm, and the distance L3 between the evaporation source 11b and the evaporation source 11c is 357 mm.

Comparing Example 1 (FIG. 6A) with Comparative Example (FIG. 6C), it can be seen that the deposition rates of the evaporation sources 11a to 11c include two different deposition rates, and thus the uniformity of the film thickness distribution of the film formed on the substrate 100 is improved from ±3.6% to ±1.6%. Also, comparing Example 2 (FIG. 6B) with Comparative Example (FIG. 6C), it can be seen that the deposition rates of the evaporation sources 11a to 11c include three different deposition rates, and thus the uniformity of the film thickness distribution of the film formed on the substrate 100 is improved from ±3.6% to ±1.5%. Comparing Example 1 with Example 2, the uniformity of the film thickness distribution of the film formed on the substrate 100 is about the same. In terms of the amount of deposition material consumed, it can be seen that the consumption increases in the order of Comparative Example, Example 1, and Example 2.

Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, the distance between two adjacent evaporation sources in the intersecting direction (Y direction) that intersects with the movement direction (X direction) of the evaporation source unit 10 is not constant, and there are portions where the distance between the two adjacent evaporation sources is wide. In such a case, it is possible to adopt an arrangement of the multiple monitoring devices 12a to 12r that has a high crosstalk suppression effect, as shown in Figure 4.

Specifically, the monitoring devices 12a to 12f are arranged so that the line connecting each of the monitoring devices 12a to 12f and the corresponding evaporation source among the multiple evaporation sources 11a to 11f included in the evaporation source group 17A is parallel to the movement direction (X direction) of the evaporation source unit 10. Also, the monitoring devices 12g to 12l are arranged so that the line connecting each of the monitoring devices 12g to 12l and the corresponding evaporation source among the multiple evaporation sources 11g to 11l included in the evaporation source group 17B intersects with the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10. Also, the monitoring devices 12a to 12f and the monitoring devices 12g to 12l are arranged on one side of the movement direction (X direction) of the evaporation source unit 10, which in this embodiment is the side of the evaporation source group 17A. Therefore, the state of the deposition material released from the evaporation sources 11a to 11f included in the evaporation source group 17A close to the area where the monitoring devices 12a to 12l are arranged is monitored by the monitoring devices 12a to 12f at the shortest distance. In addition, the state of the deposition material emitted from the evaporation sources 11g to 11l included in the evaporation source group 17B is monitored from an oblique direction by the monitoring devices 12g to 12l. This suppresses crosstalk between the monitoring devices 12a to 12f and the monitoring devices 12g to 12l, and prevents a decrease in the monitoring accuracy of the monitoring devices 12a to 12l.

On the other hand, the monitoring devices 12m-12r are arranged so that the line connecting each monitoring device 12m-12r to the corresponding evaporation source among the multiple evaporation sources 11m-11r included in the evaporation source group 17C is parallel to the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10. The monitoring devices 12m-12r are also arranged on the other side of the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10, which in this embodiment is the side of the evaporation source group 17C. Therefore, the state of the deposition material emitted from the evaporation sources 11m-11r included in the evaporation source group 17C close to the area where the monitoring devices 12m-12r are arranged is monitored by the monitoring devices 12m-12r at the shortest distance. This suppresses crosstalk in the monitoring devices 12m-12r, and prevents a decrease in the monitoring accuracy of the monitoring devices 12m-12r.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claims are attached to publicly disclose the scope of the invention.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-193003, filed on December 1, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

An evaporation source unit that forms a film on a substrate that moves relatively in a moving direction,
A plurality of evaporation sources each independently including a container for containing an evaporation material to be attached to the substrate and a heating means for heating the evaporation material contained in the container;
A control means for controlling each of the plurality of evaporation sources;
having
the plurality of evaporation sources include a first evaporation source, a second evaporation source, and a third evaporation source that are arranged in sequence from a center of a layout region of the plurality of evaporation sources along a cross direction that crosses the moving direction,
the control means controls each of the first evaporation source, the second evaporation source, and the third evaporation source such that a film formation rate of the second evaporation source is smaller than a film formation rate of the first evaporation source and a film formation rate of the third evaporation source.
The evaporation source unit is characterized by:
The evaporation source unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls each of the first evaporation source and the third evaporation source so that the film formation rate of the third evaporation source is greater than the film formation rate of the first evaporation source.
The evaporation source unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the control means controls each of the first evaporation source, the second evaporation source, and the third evaporation source so that the ratio of the film formation rate of the first evaporation source, the film formation rate of the second evaporation source, and the film formation rate of the third evaporation source is 1.00:0.85:1.41.
The evaporation source unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls each of the first evaporation source and the third evaporation source so that the film formation rate of the third evaporation source is equal to the film formation rate of the first evaporation source.
The evaporation source unit according to claim 4, characterized in that the control means controls each of the first evaporation source, the second evaporation source, and the third evaporation source so that the ratio of the film formation rate of the first evaporation source, the film formation rate of the second evaporation source, and the film formation rate of the third evaporation source is 1.00:0.58:1.00.
The evaporation source unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the second evaporation source and the third evaporation source is shorter than the distance between the first evaporation source and the second evaporation source.
The evaporation source unit of claim 6, characterized in that the distance twice the distance between the first evaporation source and the center of the layout area is longer than the distance between the first evaporation source and the second evaporation source.
The evaporation source unit of claim 6, characterized in that the distance twice the distance between the first evaporation source and the center of the layout area is shorter than the distance between the first evaporation source and the second evaporation source, and longer than the distance between the second evaporation source and the third evaporation source.
The evaporation source unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between two of the plurality of evaporation sources adjacent in the intersecting direction becomes shorter the farther away from the center of the layout area.
The method further includes a plurality of monitoring means for monitoring a state of the deposition material emitted from a corresponding one of the plurality of evaporation sources,
The plurality of evaporation sources include a first evaporation source group including a plurality of evaporation sources arranged in line along the moving direction in order from one side of the moving direction, the first evaporation source group including a plurality of evaporation sources arranged in line along the intersecting direction, and a second evaporation source group including a plurality of evaporation sources arranged in line along the intersecting direction,
Among the plurality of monitoring means, a first monitoring means for monitoring a state of the deposition material emitted from each evaporation source included in the first evaporation source group is disposed such that a line connecting the first monitoring means and a corresponding evaporation source among the plurality of evaporation sources included in the first evaporation source group is parallel to the movement direction;
Among the plurality of monitoring means, a second monitoring means for monitoring a state of the deposition material emitted from each evaporation source included in the second evaporation source group is disposed such that a line connecting the second monitoring means and a corresponding evaporation source among the plurality of evaporation sources included in the second evaporation source group intersects with the movement direction;
2. The evaporation source unit according to claim 1, wherein the first monitoring means and the second monitoring means are disposed on one side in the moving direction.
The evaporation source unit of claim 10, wherein the state of the evaporation material includes the rate at which the evaporation material is released from the evaporation source.
The evaporation source unit according to claim 11, characterized in that the control means controls the deposition rate of each of the plurality of evaporation sources based on the deposition rate of the evaporation material monitored by each of the plurality of monitoring means.
A film forming apparatus having the evaporation source unit according to claim 1.
A film formation method for forming a film on a substrate moving relatively in a moving direction, comprising the steps of:
The method includes a step of controlling each of a plurality of evaporation sources, each of which independently includes a container for containing an evaporation material to be attached to the substrate and a heating means for heating the evaporation material contained in the container;
the plurality of evaporation sources include a first evaporation source, a second evaporation source, and a third evaporation source that are arranged in sequence from a center of a layout region of the plurality of evaporation sources along a cross direction that crosses the moving direction,
In the step, the first evaporation source, the second evaporation source, and the third evaporation source are controlled so that a film formation rate of the second evaporation source is smaller than a film formation rate of the first evaporation source and a film formation rate of the third evaporation source.
A film forming method comprising: