Alignment device, alignment method, film forming device and film forming method

Abstract

The alignment device of the present application is characterized by comprising: a position shift detecting section that detects a position shift between a substrate and a mask; a driving section that relatively moves the substrate or the mask; a control section that controls the driving section based on the position shift detected by the position shift detecting section to perform position matching between the substrate and the mask; and a contact detecting section that detects contact of the substrate with the mask, the control section being configured to adjust a gain of the control of the driving section based on a detection result of the contact detected by the contact detecting section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an alignment device, an alignment method, a film forming device and a film forming method. Background Art

[0002] Organic EL display devices (OLEDs) are not only used in smartphones, televisions, and automotive displays, but their application areas are also expanding in VR-HMDs (Virtual Reality-Head Mount Displays). In particular, displays used in VR-HMDs require high-precision pixel patterns to reduce user dizziness.

[0003] In the manufacture of an organic EL display device, when forming an organic light-emitting element (organic EL element: OLED) that constitutes the organic EL display device, a film-forming material released from a film-forming source of a film-forming device is formed on a substrate through a mask having a pixel pattern, thereby forming an organic layer or a metal layer.

[0004] In order to improve film formation accuracy, such film forming apparatuses require a step of measuring the relative position of a substrate and a mask before the film forming process. If the relative positions are misaligned, the substrate and / or mask are relatively moved to adjust (align) the positions.

[0005] Furthermore, in order to improve the accuracy of positional matching between the substrate and the mask, the substrate and the mask are aligned as close as possible.

[0006] For example, as a prior art, the following method is described in Patent Documents 1 and 2: In an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL display by vacuum evaporation, in order to accurately position a substrate and a mask, the mask and the substrate are brought close to each other, and the relative positions of alignment marks respectively formed on the substrate and the mask are photographed and position matching is performed.

[0007] Prior art literature

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-92397

[0010] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-12597 Summary of the Invention

[0011] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0012] However, when alignment is performed with the substrate and mask in close proximity, the substrate and mask may come into contact during alignment due to, for example, mask deformation (deflection) or variations in substrate thickness. Such contact between the substrate and mask during alignment may damage the mask or substrate surface due to friction, or may cause instability in alignment due to increased load caused by contact.

[0013] The object of the present invention is to eliminate the instability of alignment work generated when a substrate and a mask come into contact.

[0014] Means for solving problems

[0015] An alignment device according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the alignment device includes: a position offset detection component, which detects the position offset between the substrate and the mask; a driving component, which is used to move the substrate or the mask relative to each other; a control component, which controls the driving component based on the position offset detected by the position offset detection component to perform position matching between the substrate and the mask; and a contact detection component, which detects the contact between the substrate and the mask, and the control component is configured to adjust the gain of controlling the driving component based on the detection result of the contact detected by the contact detection component.

[0016] A film forming device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a film forming device for forming a film of a film-forming material on a substrate via a mask, and is characterized in that the film forming device includes: a vacuum container; the above-mentioned alignment device, which is arranged in the vacuum container and is used to adjust the position of the substrate and the mask; and a film forming source, which is arranged in the vacuum container and is used to accommodate the film forming material and granulate and release the film forming material.

[0017] An alignment method according to one embodiment of the present invention is an alignment method for adjusting the position of a substrate and a mask using a film forming device, wherein the film forming device includes a position offset detection component for detecting the position offset between the substrate and the mask, a driving component for moving the substrate or the mask relative to each other, and a control component for controlling the driving component. The alignment method is characterized in that the alignment method includes: a position offset detection process for detecting the position offset between the substrate and the mask using the position offset detection component; and a process for performing position matching between the substrate and the mask by controlling the driving component based on the detected position offset using the control component, wherein the control component performs control so that when contact between the substrate and the mask is detected in the position matching process, the gain of controlling the driving component is reduced.

[0018] A film forming method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a film forming method for forming a film of a film forming material on a substrate via a mask, and is characterized in that the film forming method includes: a process of adjusting the position of the substrate and the mask using the above-mentioned alignment method; and a process of forming a film of the film forming material that has been particle-ized using a film forming source on the substrate via the mask.

[0019] Effects of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate instability in alignment work generated when a substrate and a mask come into contact with each other. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a portion of an apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figures 3a to 3d It is a schematic diagram of a magnetic levitation stage mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4a and 4b This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a magnetic levitation linear motor according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a deadweight compensation member according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a block diagram related to the control of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the current and control output of the linear motor of the fine movement stage when the mask of the present invention comes into contact with the substrate.

[0028] Description of Reference Signs

[0029] 11: Film forming device, 22: Magnetic levitation stage mechanism, 23: Mask stage, 24: Substrate adsorption component. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Preferred embodiments and examples of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments and examples illustrate preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these configurations. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited solely to the hardware and software configurations, processing flow, manufacturing conditions, dimensions, materials, and shapes of the devices described below.

[0031] The present invention can be applied to an apparatus for depositing various materials on the surface of a substrate to form a film, and can be preferably applied to an apparatus for forming a thin film (material layer) of a desired pattern by vacuum deposition.

[0032] As the material for the substrate, any material can be selected, such as a semiconductor (e.g., silicon), glass, a thin film of a polymer material, or a metal. For example, the substrate may be a silicon wafer or a substrate formed by laminating a thin film of polyimide or the like on a glass substrate. Furthermore, as the film-forming material, any material can be selected, such as an organic material or a metallic material (e.g., a metal, a metal oxide, etc.).

[0033] In addition to vacuum deposition systems that utilize heated evaporation, the present invention can also be applied to film-forming systems including sputtering systems and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) systems. Specifically, the technology of the present invention can be applied to manufacturing equipment for various electronic devices, such as semiconductor devices, magnetic devices, and electronic components, as well as optical components. Specific examples of electronic devices include light-emitting elements, photoelectric conversion elements, and touch panels.

[0034] The present invention is particularly applicable to apparatus for manufacturing organic light-emitting elements such as OLEDs and organic photoelectric conversion elements such as organic thin-film solar cells. Furthermore, the electronic devices of the present invention also include display devices (e.g., organic EL display devices) or lighting devices (e.g., organic EL lighting devices) equipped with light-emitting elements, and sensors (e.g., organic CMOS image sensors) equipped with photoelectric conversion elements.

[0035] <Electronic Device Manufacturing Apparatus>

[0036] Figure 1 It is a plan view schematically showing the structure of a portion of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus.

[0037] Figure 1 This manufacturing apparatus is used, for example, to manufacture display panels for organic EL display devices used in VR-HMDs. In the case of VR-HMD display panels, for example, after forming a film for forming organic EL elements on a 300 mm silicon wafer, the wafer is cut along the areas between the element formation areas (scribe lines) to produce multiple small-sized panels. The electronic device manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment generally includes multiple cluster devices 1 and relay devices connecting the cluster devices.

[0038] The group device 1 includes a film forming device 11 for processing (eg forming a film) a substrate W, a mask storage device 12 for storing masks before and after use, and a transfer chamber 13 arranged in the center thereof. Figure 1As shown, the transfer chamber 13 is connected to each of the film forming apparatus 11 and the mask storage apparatus 12 .

[0039] A transfer robot 14 for transferring a substrate W and a mask is arranged in the transfer chamber 13. The transfer robot 14 is a robot having a structure in which, for example, a robot arm is attached to a multi-jointed arm, and the robot arm holds the substrate W or the mask.

[0040] In the film forming apparatus 11, a film forming material released from a film forming source is formed onto a substrate W through a mask. The film forming apparatus 11 performs a series of film forming processes, including transfer of the substrate W or mask to and from the transfer robot 14, adjustment (alignment) of the relative position of the substrate W and mask, securing the substrate W to the mask, and film formation.

[0041] In a manufacturing device for manufacturing an organic EL display device, the film forming device 11 can be divided into an organic film forming device and a metallic film forming device according to the type of film-forming material. The organic film forming device forms a film of an organic film-forming material on a substrate W by evaporation or sputtering, and the metallic film forming device forms a film of a metallic film-forming material on a substrate W by evaporation or sputtering.

[0042] In a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL display device, which film forming apparatus is arranged at which position depends on the stacked structure of the organic EL element being manufactured. A plurality of film forming apparatuses are arranged according to the stacked structure of the organic EL element for forming the film.

[0043] In the case of an organic EL element, it usually has a structure in which a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer and a cathode are stacked in this order on a substrate W formed with an anode, and an appropriate film-forming device is arranged along the flow direction of the substrate in such a way that these layers can be formed into films in sequence.

[0044] For example, in Figure 1 In the structure, the film forming device 11a forms a hole injection layer HIL and / or a hole transport layer HTL, the film forming devices 11b and 11f form a blue light emitting layer, the film forming device 11c forms a red light emitting layer, the film forming devices 11d and 11e form a green light emitting layer, the film forming device 11g forms an electron transport layer ETL and / or an electron injection layer EIL, and the film forming device 11h forms a cathode metal film. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, due to the characteristics of the raw materials, the film forming speed of the blue light-emitting layer and the green light-emitting layer is slower than the film forming speed of the red light-emitting layer. Therefore, in order to achieve a balance in processing speed, two film forming devices are used to form the blue light-emitting layer and the green light-emitting layer respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may also have other configuration structures.

[0045] In the mask storage system 12, new masks to be used in the film forming process in the film forming apparatus 11 and used masks are stored separately in multiple cassettes. The transport robot 14 transports used masks from the film forming apparatus 11 to a cassette in the mask storage system 12, and transports new masks stored in other cassettes in the mask storage system 12 to the film forming apparatus 11.

[0046] The relay device connecting the plurality of cluster devices 1 includes a passage chamber 15 for transferring substrates W between the cluster devices 1 .

[0047] The transfer robot 14 in the transfer chamber 13 receives a substrate W from the upstream access chamber 15 and transfers it to one of the film forming apparatuses 11 (e.g., the film forming apparatus 11a) within the cluster apparatus 1. Furthermore, the transfer robot 14 receives a substrate W on which film formation processing has been completed in the cluster apparatus 1 from one of the plurality of film forming apparatuses 11 (e.g., the film forming apparatus 11e) and transfers it to the downstream access chamber 15.

[0048] In addition to the passage chamber 15, the relay device can also include a buffer chamber (not shown) for absorbing differences in processing speeds of substrates W in the upstream and downstream cluster devices 1, and a swirl chamber (not shown) for changing the orientation of the substrates W. For example, the buffer chamber includes a substrate loading section for temporarily storing multiple substrates W, and the swirl chamber includes a substrate rotation mechanism (such as a rotating stage or a transfer robot) for rotating the substrates W 180 degrees. This ensures that the orientation of the substrates W in the upstream and downstream cluster devices is consistent, facilitating substrate processing.

[0049] The passage chamber 15 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a substrate loader (not shown) or a substrate rotating mechanism for temporarily storing a plurality of substrates W. In other words, the passage chamber 15 may also function as a buffer chamber or a swirl chamber.

[0050] The film forming apparatus 11, mask storage apparatus 12, and transfer chamber 13 constituting the group apparatus 1 are maintained in a high vacuum state during the manufacturing process of the organic light emitting device. The passage chamber 15 of the relay apparatus is usually maintained in a low vacuum state, but can be maintained in a high vacuum state as needed.

[0051] The substrate W on which multiple layers constituting the organic EL element have been formed is conveyed to a sealing device (not shown) for sealing the organic EL element or a cutting device (not shown) for cutting the substrate into a predetermined panel size.

[0052] In this embodiment, referring to Figure 1 Although the structure of the electronic device manufacturing apparatus has been described, the present invention is not limited thereto, and other types of apparatuses or chambers may be included, and the arrangement of these apparatuses or chambers may also be varied.

[0053] For example, the electronic device manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may not be Figure 1 The group type shown is not an inline type. Specifically, a structure can be employed in which the substrate W and mask are mounted on a carrier and transported through multiple film forming apparatuses arranged in a row while film formation is performed. Alternatively, a structure combining the group and inline types is possible. For example, the organic layer formation process can be performed in a group type manufacturing apparatus, while the electrode layer (cathode layer) formation process, sealing process, and cutting process can be performed in an inline type manufacturing apparatus.

[0054] Hereinafter, the specific structure of the film forming apparatus 11 will be described.

[0055] <Film Forming Equipment>

[0056] Figure 2 Schematic diagram showing the structure of a film forming apparatus 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, an XYZ rectangular coordinate system is used in which the vertical direction is the Z direction and the horizontal plane is the XY plane. X Indicates the rotation angle around the X axis, using θ Y Indicates the rotation angle around the Y axis, using θ Z Indicates the rotation angle around the Z axis.

[0057] Figure 2 An example of a film forming apparatus 11 that forms a film on a substrate W through a mask M by heating a film forming material to evaporate or sublime the material is shown.

[0058] The film forming apparatus 11 includes a vacuum container 21 maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen, and a film forming apparatus 11 configured to form a plurality of film layers in the vacuum container 21 and configured to form a plurality of film layers in the X direction, the Y direction, and the θ direction. Z The present invention also includes a magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 for adjusting the position of the substrate W in the direction of the substrate W, a mask stage 23 provided in the vacuum container 21 and supporting the mask M, a substrate adsorption component 24 provided in the vacuum container 21 and adsorbing and holding the substrate W, a receiving claw 28 provided in the vacuum container 21 and temporarily receiving the substrate W and the mask M, a mask receiving pin 281 for receiving the mask when the mask is transferred from the receiving claw 28 to the mask stage 23, and a mask stage 23 equipped with the receiving claw 28 and used for adjusting the position of the substrate W in the X direction, the Y direction, and the θ direction. Z The coarse movement stage 232 adjusts the positions of the substrate W and the mask M in the vertical direction, and the film forming source 25 is provided in the vacuum container 21 to store the film forming material and to particle the material and release the particle during film formation.

[0059] The film forming apparatus 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a magnetic force applying member 26 for bringing the mask M into close contact with the substrate W using a magnetic force.

[0060] The vacuum container 21 of the film forming device 11 of one embodiment of the present invention includes a first vacuum container part 211 configured with a magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 and a second vacuum container part 212 configured with a film forming source 25. For example, a vacuum pump P connected to the second vacuum container part 212 is used to maintain the entire internal space of the vacuum container 21 in a high vacuum state.

[0061] Furthermore, a retractable member 213 is provided between at least the first vacuum vessel section 211 and the second vacuum vessel section 212. The retractable member 213 reduces the transmission of vibrations from the vacuum pump connected to the second vacuum vessel section 212 and from the ground or floor on which the film forming apparatus 11 is installed, which are transmitted to the first vacuum vessel section 211 via the second vacuum vessel section 212. The retractable member 213 may be, for example, a bellows, but the present invention is not limited thereto; any other member may be used as long as it can reduce the transmission of vibrations between the first vacuum vessel section 211 and the second vacuum vessel section 212.

[0062] The vacuum container 21 includes a reference frame 215, and the reference frame 215 is fixedly connected to the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22. In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, a retractable member 213 may be further provided between the reference frame 215 and the first vacuum container 211. This can further reduce the transmission of external vibrations to the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 via the reference frame 215.

[0063] A vibration isolation unit 216 is provided between the reference frame 215 and the installation stand 217 of the film forming apparatus 11 to reduce the transmission of vibration from the ground or floor to the reference frame 215 through the installation stand 217 of the film forming apparatus 11 .

[0064] The magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 is a stage mechanism for adjusting the position of the substrate W or the substrate adsorption component 24 using a magnetic levitation linear motor, and at least adjusting the X direction, Y direction and θ direction. Z direction, preferably adjust the X direction, Y direction, Z direction, θ X Direction, θ Y Direction and θ Z The positions of the substrate W or the substrate adsorption member 24 in these six directions.

[0065] The magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 includes a stage reference plate portion 221 (first plate portion) functioning as a fixed stage, a fine-motion stage plate portion 222 (second plate portion) functioning as a movable stage, and a magnetic levitation unit 223 for magnetically levitating and moving the fine-motion stage plate portion 222 relative to the stage reference plate portion 221.

[0066] The mask stage 23 is a stage on which the mask M is placed during alignment and film formation, and is also called a mask holder.

[0067] The mask stage 23 is mounted on a coarse movement stage 232 that is movable in the horizontal direction (X, Y, and θ directions). This allows alignment marks formed on substrate W and mask M to be moved so that they fall within the field of view of the alignment camera. Furthermore, the mask stage 23 and coarse movement stage 232 are mounted on a coarse movement Z stage mechanism 233. This allows for easy adjustment of the vertical spacing between substrate W and mask M. When the position of substrate W is adjusted using a magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22, as in one embodiment of the present invention, the mask stage 23 supporting mask M is preferably mechanically raised and lowered by a motor (not shown) and a ball screw (not shown).

[0068] The mask stage 23 further includes receiving claws 28 for temporarily receiving the substrate W and the mask M carried into the vacuum chamber 21 by the transfer robot 14 .

[0069] The receiving claw 28 is provided on the mask stage 23 and is capable of temporarily receiving a substrate W or mask M from the transfer robot 14. The receiving claw 28 is capable of supporting the substrate W or mask M during the first alignment (rough alignment) operation, in which the coarse movement stage 232 is used to move the substrate W or mask M toward the center of the field of view of a camera for the second alignment (more precise alignment) described later. The receiving claw 28 has a drive shaft and can assume two positions: a position for receiving the substrate W or mask M and a retracted position where it does not interfere with the substrate W or mask M. Using the drive shaft and the coarse movement Z stage mechanism 233, the receiving claw 28 can place the temporarily received substrate W on the substrate suction unit 24, where the substrate W is placed during the film formation process, and similarly, place the temporarily received mask M on the mask stage 23, where the mask M is placed during the film formation process.

[0070] The mask receiving pins 281 are configured to be able to rise and fall relative to the mask supporting surface of the mask stage 23. Figure 2 As shown, the coarse motion Z stage mechanism 233 can be used to enable the mask receiving pins 281 to be raised and lowered relative to the mask support surface of the mask stage 23. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and other configurations are possible as long as the mask receiving pins 281 and the mask support surface of the mask stage 23 can be raised and lowered relative to each other. For example, the mask receiving pins 281 can have an independent lifting mechanism and be configured to be raised and lowered.

[0071] After the first alignment (rough alignment) is completed, the coarse Z stage mechanism 233 is lowered. Figure 2The mask receiving pins 281 in the mask stage 23 are raised relative to the mask support surface of the mask stage 23, and the mask M is transferred to the mask receiving pins 281. The receiving claws 28 move to the retracted position, and the coarse movement Z stage mechanism 233 is raised, transferring the mask M from the mask receiving pins 281 to the mask stage 23. Conversely, when unloading a used mask M, the coarse movement Z stage mechanism 233 is lowered, and the mask M placed on the mask stage 23 is received from the mask receiving pins 281, which have been raised relative to the mask setting surface of the mask stage 23. In this state, the receiving claws 28 are moved to the mask receiving position, and the coarse movement Z stage mechanism 233 is raised, thereby lifting the mask M with the receiving claws 28, allowing the manipulator of the transport robot 14 to receive the mask M.

[0072] The mask M has an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern formed on the substrate W and is supported by the mask stage 23. For example, the mask M used to manufacture an organic EL display panel for a VR-HMD includes a fine metal mask (Fine Metal Mask) and an open mask (Open Mask). The fine metal mask is a metal mask formed with a fine opening pattern corresponding to the RGB pixel pattern of the light-emitting layer of the organic EL element, and the open mask is used to form the common layers of the organic EL element (hole injection layer, hole transport layer, electron transport layer, electron injection layer, etc.).

[0073] The opening pattern of the mask M is defined by a shielding pattern that prevents particles of the film forming material from passing therethrough.

[0074] The substrate suction member 24 suctions and holds the substrate W, a film-forming object, conveyed by the conveying robot 14 installed in the conveying chamber 13 . The substrate suction member 24 is provided on the fine movement stage plate 222 , which is the movable stage of the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 .

[0075] The substrate adsorption member 24 is, for example, an electrostatic chuck having a structure in which a circuit such as a metal electrode is embedded in a dielectric or insulator (eg, ceramic) base.

[0076] The electrostatic suction cup serving as the substrate adsorption component 24 can be a Coulomb force type electrostatic suction cup in which a dielectric with relatively high resistance is interposed between the electrode and the adsorption surface and the Coulomb force between the electrode and the adsorbed body is used for adsorption; it can also be a Johnson-Rahbeck force type electrostatic suction cup in which a dielectric with relatively low resistance is interposed between the electrode and the adsorption surface and the Johnson-Rahbeck force generated between the adsorption surface of the dielectric and the adsorbed body is used for adsorption; it can also be a gradient force type electrostatic suction cup in which an uneven electric field is used to adsorb the adsorbed body.

[0077] When the adsorbent is a conductor or semiconductor (silicon wafer), it is preferred to use a Coulomb force type electrostatic chuck or a Johnson-Rabec force type electrostatic chuck. When the adsorbent is an insulator such as glass, it is preferred to use a gradient force type electrostatic chuck.

[0078] The electrostatic chuck can be formed from a single plate or multiple sub-plates. Furthermore, if formed from a single plate, multiple circuits can be incorporated therein, and the electrostatic attraction can be controlled so that it varies depending on the position within the plate.

[0079] Although Figure 2 Although not shown in the figure, the film forming apparatus 11 may further include a substrate supporting unit that temporarily holds the substrate W before the substrate suction member 24 suctions and holds the substrate W that has been loaded into the vacuum chamber 21 by the transfer robot 14. For example, the substrate supporting unit may be provided with a separate substrate supporting surface on the mask stage 23 and may be raised and lowered by raising and lowering the mask stage 23.

[0080] In addition, although Figure 2 Although not shown in the figure, the structure can be set as follows: a cooling component (such as a cooling plate) is provided on the side of the substrate adsorption component 24 opposite to the adsorption surface to suppress the temperature rise of the substrate W, thereby suppressing the deterioration or degradation of the organic material deposited on the substrate W.

[0081] The film forming source 25 includes a crucible (not shown) for storing the film forming material to be formed on the substrate W, a heater (not shown) for heating the crucible, and a baffle (not shown) for preventing the film forming material from scattering toward the substrate until the evaporation rate from the film forming source 25 becomes constant. The film forming source 25 can have various structures depending on the application, such as a point film forming source or a linear film forming source.

[0082] The film forming source 25 may include a plurality of crucibles containing different film forming materials. In this configuration, the plurality of crucibles containing different film forming materials may be moved to the film forming position so that the film forming material can be changed without opening the vacuum container 21 to the atmosphere.

[0083] The magnetic force applying member 26 is a member for pulling the mask M toward the substrate W and making it in close contact with the substrate W by magnetic force during the film forming process, and is provided to be vertically movable. For example, the magnetic force applying member 26 is composed of an electromagnet and / or a permanent magnet.

[0084] Although Figure 2 Although not shown, the film forming apparatus 11 may include a film thickness monitor (not shown) and a film thickness calculation unit (not shown) for measuring the thickness of the film deposited on the substrate.

[0085] A magnetic force applying member lifting mechanism 261 for lifting the magnetic force applying member 26 is provided on the upper outer side (atmosphere side) of the vacuum container 21 , that is, on the reference frame 213 .

[0086] The film forming apparatus 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes an alignment camera unit 27 provided on the upper outer side (atmosphere side) of the vacuum container 21 and configured to capture images of alignment marks formed on the substrate W and the mask M.

[0087] In this embodiment, the alignment camera unit 27 may include a first alignment camera and a second alignment camera. The first alignment camera is used to roughly adjust the relative position of the substrate W and the mask M, and the second alignment camera is used to accurately adjust the relative position of the substrate W and the mask M. The first alignment camera has a relatively wide field of view and low resolution, while the second alignment camera has a relatively narrow field of view but high resolution.

[0088] The first and second alignment cameras are positioned corresponding to the alignment marks formed on the substrate W and the mask M. For example, the second alignment cameras are positioned so that four cameras form the four corners of a rectangle, and the first alignment cameras are positioned at the center of two opposing sides of the rectangle. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration and may have other configurations depending on the positions of the alignment marks on the substrate W and the mask M.

[0089] like Figure 2 As shown, the alignment camera unit 27 of the film-forming apparatus 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention images alignment marks from the upper atmospheric side of the vacuum chamber 21 through a vacuum-compatible cylinder 214 provided in the vacuum chamber 21. By placing the alignment camera so as to enter the interior of the vacuum chamber 21 via the vacuum-compatible cylinder in this manner, even when the substrate W and mask M are supported relative to each other by the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 and are spaced apart from the reference frame 215, it is possible to maintain focus on the alignment marks formed on the substrate W and mask M. The position of the lower end of the vacuum-compatible cylinder can be appropriately determined based on the depth of focus of the alignment camera and the distance of the substrate W or mask M from the reference frame 215.

[0090] Although Figure 2 Although not shown in the figure, since the interior of the sealed vacuum container 21 is dark during the film forming process, in order to use the alignment camera that enters the inside of the vacuum container 21 to photograph the alignment mark, an illumination light source that illuminates the alignment mark from below can be provided.

[0091] The film forming apparatus 11 includes a control unit (not shown). The control unit has functions such as controlling the transport and alignment of the substrate W and the mask M, and controlling film formation. The control unit may also have a function of controlling the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck.

[0092] The control unit can be composed of, for example, a computer having a processor, memory, storage, and I / O. In this case, the functions of the control unit are realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory or storage. As the computer, a general-purpose personal computer can be used, or an embedded computer or PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) can be used. Alternatively, part or all of the functions of the control unit can be implemented by a circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. In addition, a control unit can be provided for each film forming device, or a single control unit can be configured to control multiple film forming devices.

[0093] <First Alignment Mechanism>

[0094] Below, refer to Figure 2 A first alignment mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0095] The first alignment operation is an operation of moving the alignment marks formed on the substrate W and the mask M within the field of view of the second alignment camera in the alignment cameras 27 . The mechanism that performs the first alignment operation is referred to as a first alignment mechanism.

[0096] The first alignment mechanism in the present invention includes: a receiving claw 28, which can support the substrate W and the mask M during the first alignment operation and can take two positions: a receiving position for the substrate W or the mask M and a retreat position for avoiding interference with the substrate W or the mask M by having a driving mechanism; a mask stage 23, which is equipped with the receiving claw 28 and supports the mask M during the film forming process; a coarse motion stage 232, which can move the receiving claw 28 and the mask stage 23 in the planar direction (XYθ direction) and move (adjust) the alignment marks formed on the substrate W and the mask M within the field of view of the second alignment camera; a coarse motion Z stage mechanism 233, which supports the coarse motion stage 232 and moves it in the vertical direction; and a mask receiving pin 281, which temporarily sets the mask M when the mask M is handed over from the receiving claw 28 to the mask stage 23.

[0097] <Magnetic levitation stage mechanism>

[0098] Below, refer to Figures 3a to 3d 、 Figure 4a 、 Figure 4b 、 Figure 5 , describing the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] Figures 3a to 3d 1 and 2 are a schematic top view and a schematic cross-sectional view of the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] As described above, the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 includes the stage reference plate 221 functioning as a fixed stage, the fine movement stage plate 222 functioning as a movable stage, and the magnetic levitation unit 223 for magnetically levitating and moving the fine movement stage plate 222 relative to the stage reference plate 221 .

[0101] The stage reference plate portion 221 is a member that serves as a reference for the movement of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 and is provided so that its position is fixed. Figure 2 As shown, the stage reference plate portion 221 is provided parallel to the XY plane and is fixed to the reference frame 215 of the vacuum chamber 21 .

[0102] However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the stage reference plate portion 221 may be fixed to another member (eg, another reference plate) instead of being directly fixed to the reference frame 215 as long as its position can be fixed.

[0103] Since the stage reference plate portion 221 is a member serving as a reference for the movement of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 , it is preferably provided so as to be protected from external disturbances such as vibrations from a vacuum pump or the ground by using the retractable member 213 and the vibration isolation unit 216 .

[0104] The fine movement stage plate portion 222 is provided so as to be movable relative to the stage reference plate portion 221. A substrate attracting member 24, such as an electrostatic chuck, is provided on one main surface (e.g., the lower surface) of the fine movement stage plate portion 222. Therefore, the position of the substrate attracting member 24 and the substrate W attracted thereby can be adjusted by moving the fine movement stage plate portion 222.

[0105] The magnetic levitation unit 223 of one embodiment of the present invention includes: a magnetic levitation linear motor 31, which is used to generate a driving force for moving the fine-motion stage plate 222 serving as a movable platform relative to the stage reference plate 221 serving as a fixed platform; a position measuring component, which is used to measure the position of the fine-motion stage plate 222; a self-weight compensation component 33, which compensates for the gravity applied to the fine-motion stage plate 222 by providing a floating force for floating the fine-motion stage plate 222 relative to the stage reference plate 221; and an origin position determining component 34, which determines the origin position of the fine-motion stage plate 222.

[0106] The magnetic levitation linear motor 31 is a driving source that generates a driving force for moving the fine movement stage plate portion 222, for example, Figure 3a As shown, it includes: two X-direction magnetic levitation linear motors 311 that generate driving force for moving the fine motion stage plate 222 in the X direction, two Y-direction magnetic levitation linear motors 312 that generate driving force for moving the fine motion stage plate 222 in the Y direction, and three Z-direction magnetic levitation linear motors 313 that generate driving force for moving the fine motion stage plate 222 in the Z direction.

[0107] The use of the plurality of magnetic levitation linear motors 31 can enable the fine-motion stage plate 222 to move in six degrees of freedom (X direction, Y direction, Z direction, θ direction, X Direction, θ Y Direction and θ Z direction).

[0108] For example, translational movement in the X, Y, and Z directions can be achieved by driving each of the X-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 311 , the Y-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 312 , and the Z-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 313 in the same direction.

[0109] Toward θ Z Rotational movement in the direction of rotation can be achieved by adjusting the driving directions of the two X-direction magnetic levitation linear motors 311 and the two Y-direction magnetic levitation linear motors 312. For example, by driving the X-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 311a in the +X direction, the X-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 311b in the -X direction, the Y-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 312a in the +Y direction, and the Y-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 312bb in the -Y direction, the fine motion stage plate 222 can be rotated counterclockwise about the Z-axis.

[0110] Similarly, to θ X Direction, θ Y Movement in the Z-direction can be achieved by adjusting the driving direction of each of the three Z-direction magnetic suspension linear motors 313 .

[0111] Figure 3a The number or configuration of the magnetic levitation linear motors 31 shown is exemplary, and the present invention is not limited thereto. As long as the fine motion stage plate 222 can be moved in a desired direction, the number or configuration may be other.

[0112] In the present invention, the accuracy of position adjustment of the substrate W can be further improved by adopting the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 instead of the alignment stage using a mechanical motor, a ball screw, and a linear guide.

[0113] Furthermore, unlike a mechanical stage mechanism, the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 is less likely to be contaminated by particles or by evaporation of the lubricant, and can be installed within the vacuum chamber 21. This reduces the distance between the substrate W holding member (substrate suction member 24) and the stage mechanism, thereby minimizing the effects of shaking during stage mechanism operation or external disturbances on the substrate suction member 24.

[0114] Figure 4a is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the Z-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 313, Figure 4b Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the X-direction or Y-direction magnetic levitation linear motors 311 and 312 .

[0115] The magnetic levitation linear motor 31 includes a stator 314 provided on the stage reference plate portion 221 and a rotor 315 provided on the fine movement stage plate portion 222 .

[0116] like Figure 4a and Figure 4b As shown, the stator 314 of the magnetic levitation linear motor 31 includes a magnetic field generating component, such as a coil 3141 for current flow, and the rotor 315 includes a magnetic body, such as a permanent magnet 3151 .

[0117] The magnetic levitation linear motor 31 utilizes the magnetic field generated by flowing current through the coils 3141 of the stator 314 to apply a driving force to the permanent magnets 3151 of the rotor 315. By adjusting the direction of the current flowing through the stator 314, the magnetic levitation linear motor 311 can adjust the direction of the force applied to the permanent magnets 3151 of the rotor 315.

[0118] For example, Figure 4a As shown in (b), when the direction of the current flowing in the coil 3141 of the stator 314 is set to counterclockwise, Figure 4a In (a), an N pole is induced on the left side (-X side) of coil 3141, and an S pole is induced on the right side (+X side), so a force is applied to rotor 315 in the downward (-Z) direction. Conversely, if the direction of current flowing through coil 3141 is set to clockwise, rotor 315 can be moved in the upward (+Z) direction.

[0119] Likewise, Figure 4b The X-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 311 or the Y-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 312 shown can also move the rotor 315 in the X direction or the Y direction respectively by controlling the direction of the current flowing in the coil 3141 of the stator 314 .

[0120] The position measuring component of the magnetic levitation unit 223 according to one embodiment of the present invention is used to measure the position of the fine movement stage plate 222, and includes a laser interferometer 32 and a reflecting portion 324 provided on the fine movement stage plate 222 so as to face the laser interferometer 32. The reflecting portion 324 may be, for example, a plane mirror.

[0121] The laser interferometer 32 irradiates a measuring beam onto a reflecting portion 324 provided on the fine movement stage plate portion 222 and detects the reflected beam, thereby measuring the position of the reflecting portion 324 (the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222). More specifically, the laser interferometer 32 can measure the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 based on the interference light between the reflected light of the measuring beam and the reflected light of the reference beam.

[0122] The position measuring components of the magnetic levitation unit 223 according to one embodiment of the present invention include an X-direction position measuring unit for measuring the X-direction position of the fine movement stage plate 222 , a Y-direction position measuring unit for measuring the Y-direction position, and a Z-direction position measuring unit for measuring the Z-direction position.

[0123] like Figure 3a As shown, the laser interferometer 32 of the position measuring component of one embodiment of the present invention includes two X-direction laser interferometers 321 for detecting the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 in the X-axis direction, one Y-direction laser interferometer 322 for detecting the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 in the Y-axis direction, and three Z-direction laser interferometers 323 for detecting the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 in the Z-axis direction.

[0124] A reflecting portion 324 is provided on the fine movement stage plate portion 222 so as to face the laser interferometer 32. The reflecting portion 324 reflects the measurement beam from the laser interferometer 32. For example, the reflecting portion 324 includes an X-direction reflecting portion 3241 facing the X-direction laser interferometer 321, a Y-direction reflecting portion 3242 facing the Y-direction laser interferometer 322, and a Z-direction reflecting portion 3243 facing the Z-direction laser interferometer 323.

[0125] The X-direction position measuring unit includes an X-direction laser interferometer 321 and an X-direction reflecting unit 3241 , the Y-direction position measuring unit includes a Y-direction laser interferometer 322 and a Y-direction reflecting unit 3242 , and the Z-direction position measuring unit includes a Z-direction laser interferometer 323 and a Z-direction reflecting unit 3243 .

[0126] exist Figure 3a In the embodiment shown, the X-direction reflecting portion 3241 and the Z-direction reflecting portion 3243 are plane mirrors arranged on the side and upper surface of a component, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as each reflecting portion 324 can reflect the measuring light beam from the laser interferometer 32 facing it and return it to the laser interferometer 32, it can have other structures and configurations.

[0127] By using this structure of the position measuring components, the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 can be accurately measured in 6 degrees of freedom. In other words, the X-direction position, Y-direction position, and Z-direction position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 can be measured using the X-direction laser interferometer 321, the Y-direction laser interferometer 322, and the Z-direction laser interferometer 323. In addition, by providing a plurality of X-direction laser interferometers 321, it is also possible to measure the rotation (θ Z) direction. In addition, by setting up multiple Z-direction laser interferometers 323, it is also possible to measure the rotation direction (θ X or θ Y ) on the micro-motion stage plate portion 222 (that is, the inclination angle of the micro-motion stage plate portion 222).

[0128] However, the present invention is not limited to Figure 3a and Figure 3b The number and arrangement of the laser interferometers 32 and the reflecting parts 324 shown in the figure are as long as the six degrees of freedom (X, Y, Z, θ) of the fine-motion stage plate 222 can be measured. X ,θ Y ,θ Z ) position, and may have other numbers or configurations. For example, two Y-direction laser interferometers may be provided instead of only one X-direction laser interferometer.

[0129] The control unit of the film-forming apparatus 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention controls the magnetic levitation linear motor 31 based on position information of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 (or the substrate holding member 24 provided on the fine movement stage plate portion 222) measured by the laser interferometer 32. For example, the control unit of the film-forming apparatus 11 moves the fine movement stage plate portion 222 or the substrate holding member 24 to a position determination target position determined based on the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 or the substrate holding member 24 measured by the laser interferometer 32 and the relative positional offset between the substrate W and the mask M measured by the alignment camera unit 27. This allows the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 or the substrate holding member 24 to be controlled with high precision, down to nanometers.

[0130] In this embodiment, a structure using a laser interferometer is described. The laser interferometer is a component for measuring the position of the fine-motion stage plate portion 222, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the position of the fine-motion stage plate portion 222 can be measured, other position measuring components may also be used.

[0131] The self-weight compensation component 33 is a component for compensating the weight of the fine movement stage plate portion 222, for example, Figure 3d and Figure 5 As shown, the self-weight compensation component 33 of one embodiment of the present invention utilizes the repulsive force or attractive force between the first magnet portion 331 arranged on the side of the carrier reference plate portion 221 and the second magnet portion 332 arranged on the side of the fine motion carrier plate portion 222 to provide a buoyancy force of a magnitude proportional to the gravity applied to the fine motion carrier plate portion 222.

[0132] The first magnet portion 331 and the second magnet portion 332 can be formed of electromagnets or permanent magnets.

[0133] For example, Figure 3d As shown, by arranging the first magnet portion 331 provided on the side of the stage reference plate portion 221 and the second magnet portion 332 provided on the side of the fine-motion stage plate portion 222 in such a manner that their magnetic poles have opposite polarities facing each other, the first magnet portion 331 provided on the side of the stage reference plate portion 221 attracts the second magnet portion 332 provided on the side of the fine-motion stage plate portion 222 upward, thereby offsetting the gravity applied to the fine-motion stage plate portion 222.

[0134] Alternatively, the gravity of the fine movement stage plate 222 can be offset by the repulsive force between the first magnet 331 provided on the stage reference plate 221 side and the second magnet 332 provided on the fine movement stage plate 222 side.

[0135] For example, Figure 5 As shown, the first magnet portion 331 and the second magnet portion 332 may be arranged so that their magnetic poles of the same polarity face each other, and a spacer 333 extending in the Z direction is interposed between the fine movement stage plate portion 222 and the second magnet portion 332, with the lower end of the second magnet portion 332 being higher than the lower end of the first magnet portion 331. In other words, the length of the spacer 333 in the Z direction is set so that the lower end of the second magnet portion 332 provided on the fine movement stage plate portion 222 side is higher than the lower end of the first magnet portion 331 provided on the stage reference plate portion 221 side (that is, further away from the fine movement stage plate portion 222).

[0136] With this structure, the second magnet portion 332 provided on the fine movement stage plate portion 222 side is repelled upward by the first magnet portion 331 provided on the stage reference plate portion 221 side, thereby offsetting the gravity applied to the fine movement stage plate portion 222 .

[0137] Preferably, if Figure 3a As shown, the self-weight compensation members 33 are provided at least at three locations in the XY plane to more stably support the fine movement stage plate 222. For example, they are preferably provided symmetrically around the center of gravity of the fine movement stage plate 222.

[0138] Thus, in the film forming apparatus 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the use of the deadweight compensation member 33 can reduce the load on the magnetic levitation linear motor 31 and reduce the heat generated by the magnetic levitation linear motor 31. This can suppress thermal degradation of the organic material formed on the substrate W.

[0139] That is, if the weight of the fine movement stage plate 222 is supported solely by the Z-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 313 without using the deadweight compensation member 33, an excessive load may be applied to the Z-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 313, generating considerable heat and potentially causing degradation of the organic material deposited on the substrate W. In this embodiment, the deadweight compensation member 33 offsets the gravity applied to the fine movement stage plate 222. Therefore, the Z-direction magnetic levitation linear motor 313 only needs to provide the driving force for fine movement in the Z direction to the fine movement stage plate 222, which is levitated by the deadweight compensation member 33. Consequently, the load is reduced.

[0140] In one embodiment of the present invention, the self-weight compensation component 33 is implemented by a magnet, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As long as it can offset the gravity of the fine motion stage plate 222 and make it float, it can have other structures.

[0141] The origin position determining member 34 of the magnetic levitation unit 223 according to one embodiment of the present invention determines the origin position of the fine movement stage plate 222 and can be formed by a kinematic coupling including a triangular pyramid-shaped concave portion 341 and a hemispherical convex portion 342 .

[0142] For example, Figure 3c As shown, a triangular pyramid-shaped recess 341 is provided on the stage reference plate 221 side, and a hemispherical protrusion 342 is provided on the fine movement stage plate 222 side. When the hemispherical protrusion 342 is inserted into the triangular pyramid-shaped recess 341, the hemispherical protrusion 342 contacts the inner surface of the triangular pyramid-shaped recess 341 at three supporting points, thereby determining the position of the fine movement stage plate 222.

[0143] like Figure 3a As shown, by providing three such kinematic coupling type origin position determining members 34 symmetrically around the center of the fine movement stage plate 222 at equal intervals (e.g., 120° intervals), the center position of the fine movement stage plate 222 can be determined to be constant. Specifically, the laser interferometer 32 measures the position of the fine movement stage plate 222 when the fine movement stage plate 222 is brought close to the stage reference plate 221 and the convex portions 342 of the three origin position determining members are seated in the concave portions 341, and this position is then determined as the origin position.

[0144] According to the film forming apparatus 11 of one embodiment of the present invention, by using three kinematic couplings as the origin position determining member 34 , the origin position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 can be determined to be constant, and the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 can be controlled more precisely.

[0145] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the film-forming apparatus 11 utilizes a magnetic levitation drive mechanism (magnetic levitation linear motor) rather than a mechanical drive mechanism, thereby enabling the stage and its drive mechanism to be positioned within the vacuum chamber 21 of the film-forming apparatus 11. This effectively reduces the effects of vibrations caused by external disturbances. Furthermore, the shaking caused by mechanical drive can be reduced, resulting in improved accuracy in substrate position adjustment. Furthermore, the use of a position measurement component comprising a laser interferometer 32, a deadweight compensation component 33, and an origin position determination component 34 comprised of a kinematic coupling further enhances substrate position adjustment accuracy.

[0146] <First Alignment Method>

[0147] Hereinafter, a first alignment method for adjusting the substrate W and the mask M so as to be within the field of view of the second alignment camera using the first alignment mechanism of the present invention will be described for the substrate W and the mask M, respectively.

[0148] A first alignment method for the substrate W will be described.

[0149] First, the transfer robot 14 carries the substrate W into the vacuum chamber 21 and transfers it to the receiving claws 28. The coarse motion Z stage mechanism 233, to which the receiving claws 28 are attached, brings the substrate W supported by the receiving claws 28 close to a preset measurement distance of the first alignment camera.

[0150] When substrate W becomes the measurement distance of the first alignment camera, the alignment mark of substrate W is photographed by the first alignment camera, and the position of the alignment mark of substrate W in the XYθ direction within the field of view of the first alignment camera is measured. Based on this, the alignment mark of substrate W is moved to the center of the field of view of the first alignment camera.

[0151] Next, with the substrate W supported by the receiving claws 28 and the substrate holding member 24 sufficiently close to or in contact with each other using the coarse motion Z stage mechanism 233, a substrate holding voltage is applied to the substrate holding member 24, causing the substrate W to be held by the substrate holding member 24 using electrostatic attraction. When the substrate holding member 24 holds the substrate W, the entire holding surface of the substrate holding member 24 can be simultaneously held to the entire surface of the substrate W, or the substrate W can be held sequentially from one region to the other of the multiple regions of the substrate holding member 24. After the substrate W is held to the substrate holding member 24, the first alignment of the substrate W is completed. At this point, a compliance mechanism can be added to the receiving claws 28 to mitigate the impact caused by contact or collision of the substrate W with the substrate holding member 24.

[0152] Next, a first alignment method of the mask M will be described.

[0153] First, the mask M is loaded into the vacuum chamber 21 by the transfer robot 14 and handed over to the receiving claws 28. Similar to the first alignment operation of the substrate W, the coarse motion Z stage mechanism 233 equipped with the receiving claws 28 brings the mask M supported by the receiving claws 28 close to a preset measurement distance of the first alignment camera.

[0154] When the mask M becomes the measurement distance of the first alignment camera, the alignment mark of the mask M is photographed by the first alignment camera, and the position of the alignment mark of the mask M in the XYθ direction within the field of view of the first alignment camera is measured. Based on this, the alignment mark of the mask M is moved to the center of the field of view of the first alignment camera.

[0155] Next, the coarse motion Z stage mechanism 233 transfers the mask M, supported by the receiving claws 28, to the mask receiving pins 281. After confirming that the mask M is away from the receiving claws 28, the drive mechanism moves the receiving claws 28 to the retracted position. Furthermore, after confirming that the mask M is away from the receiving claws 28, the coarse motion stage mechanism 232 moves the positions in the X, Y, and θ directions toward their respective stroke centers (origins). This operation ensures that the position of the mask M in the X, Y, and θ directions always matches the stroke center position of the coarse motion stage 232, regardless of the position of the mask M being transported by the robot.

[0156] Next, the coarse motion Z stage mechanism 233 is moved upward to receive the mask M from the mask receiving pins 281 , thereby completing the first alignment of the mask M.

[0157] <Second Alignment Method>

[0158] The control unit of the film forming apparatus 11 drives the coarse motion Z stage mechanism 233 to bring the substrate suction member 24 and the mask stage 23 relatively close to each other. At this time, the control unit brings the substrate suction member 24 and the mask stage 23 relatively close to each other (for example, by raising the mask stage 23 or lowering the substrate W) until the distance between the substrate W suctioned by the substrate suction member 24 and the mask M supported by the mask stage 23 reaches a preset second alignment measurement distance.

[0159] When the distance between the substrate W and the mask M becomes the second alignment measurement distance, the second alignment camera is used to capture the alignment marks of the substrate W and the mask M, and the relative positions of the substrate W and the mask M in the XYθ direction are measured. Based on this, their relative position offset is calculated.

[0160] If the relative position offset between the substrate W and the mask M at the second alignment measurement position is larger than the specified threshold, the substrate W is raised again. After the substrate W and the mask M are separated, the moving target position of the fine-motion stage plate 222 is calculated based on the position of the fine-motion stage plate 222 measured by the laser interferometer 32 and the relative position offset between the substrate W and the mask M.

[0161] Based on the calculated target movement position, the position of the fine movement stage plate portion 222 is measured by the laser interferometer 32, and the magnetic levitation linear motor 31 is used to drive the fine movement stage plate portion 222 to the target movement position in the XYθ direction, thereby adjusting the relative position of the substrate W and the mask M.

[0162] This process is repeated until the relative positional deviation between the substrate W and the mask M becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value.

[0163] As described above, the secondary alignment process, which precisely adjusts the minute misalignment between the substrate W and mask M, is typically performed with the substrate W and mask M brought as close together as possible. For example, alignment is performed with the gap between the substrate W and mask M close to approximately 3 to 10 μm. In this case, if the mask M is deformed upward or the thickness of the substrate W varies, the mask M and substrate W may come into contact during close proximity. If this occurs, continuing the alignment process using the normal control routine can lead to frictional damage to the mask or wafer surface, destabilizing the alignment process, and other undesirable issues.

[0164] Figure 6 A block diagram related to the control of the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 is shown. As described above, the magnetic levitation stage mechanism 22 is configured to be movable while the fine movement stage plate 222 is magnetically levitated relative to the stage reference plate 221, which serves as a fixed base, using the magnetic levitation unit 223. The driving components for driving the fine movement stage plate 222, which are components of the magnetic levitation unit 223, include an X-direction magnetic levitation linear motor (311: X-LM), a Y-direction magnetic levitation linear motor (312: Y-LM), and a Z-direction magnetic levitation linear motor (313: Z-LM). These magnetic levitation linear motors 311-313 are connected to the control unit via respective servo drivers (X-Dr, Y-Dr, and Z-Dr). The servo drivers (X-Dr, Y-Dr, and Z-Dr) are controlled based on commands from the control unit, thereby controlling the motor outputs to move the fine movement stage plate 222 to a target position determined by the positional offset between the substrate W and the mask M. In addition, when controlling the movement to the target moving position, in order to confirm the position of the fine-motion stage plate portion 222, the outputs from the above-mentioned X-direction position measuring portion (XA), Y-direction position measuring portion (YA) and Z-direction position measuring portion (ZA) are input to the control portion. The X-direction position measuring portion (XA), Y-direction position measuring portion (YA) and Z-direction position measuring portion (ZA) are respectively composed of a laser interferometer for measuring the position of the fine-motion stage plate portion 222 in the XYZ directions and a reflection plate arranged opposite thereto.

[0165] In the above servo control structure, under normal conditions without load fluctuations, each magnetic levitation linear motor (X-LM, Y-LM, Z-LM) controls its output by controlling its driving current with a constant current of a constant size while moving the micro-motion stage plate 222 to the target moving position.

[0166] However, as described above, when substrate W moves relative to mask M in the XY plane while in proximity to mask M, mask M and substrate W may sometimes come into contact due to deformation of mask M or thickness deviation of substrate W. When this contact occurs, the load increases due to friction generated between mask M and substrate W. When the load for relative movement in the XY plane increases, the drive current values ​​applied to the X-axis linear motor (X-LM) and Y-axis linear motor (Y-LM), which serve as their driving components, also increase. Thus, if alignment work is continued according to the usual control routine previously performed while the drive current value increases, the X-axis linear motor (X-LM) and Y-axis linear motor (Y-LM) may vibrate due to changes in the contact state between mask M and substrate W, causing the fine-motion stage plate 222, which is the driven object, to accelerate rapidly, thereby making the alignment work unstable.

[0167] Therefore, in the present invention, contact between the mask M and the substrate W during the alignment operation is detected. When contact is detected, the linear motor gain is automatically reduced to prevent the linear motor, which is a driving component, from vibrating.

[0168] Specifically, when the drive current values ​​of the X-axis linear motor (X-LM) and the Y-axis linear motor (Y-LM) increase during alignment and exceed a specified value, it is inferred that the mask M is in contact with the substrate W. Upon detecting this contact, the control unit issues a control command to reduce the current value in the servo driver (X-Dr) connected to the X-axis linear motor (X-LM) and the servo driver (Y-Dr) connected to the Y-axis linear motor (Y-LM). As a result, the output of the X-axis linear motor (X-LM) and the Y-axis linear motor (Y-LM) decreases, and subsequent alignment operations are performed with the motor outputs controlled to a low level and the drive current values ​​reduced. This allows stable alignment even after the mask M and substrate W have come into contact.

[0169] exist Figure 7The state at this time is shown in . The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the driving current value of the linear motor (solid line) or the output of the linear motor (dashed line). As shown in the figure, the driving current value applied to the linear motor is controlled at a constant current of a constant size under normal conditions without load changes. On the other hand, at the moment when the load changes, that is, at the moment when the mask M and the substrate W come into contact, it suddenly increases significantly. In the present invention, at the moment when the driving current value exceeds the specified value, the output of the linear motor is reduced, and subsequent control is performed. In this way, by controlling in a state of reducing the output of the motor, the driving current value applied to the motor also decreases accordingly, thereby preventing vibration of the motor and performing stable alignment.

[0170] In this manner, the contact state is detected and the drive current value is reduced until alignment between the substrate that has reached the contact state and the mask is complete. After film formation on that substrate is completed and the substrate is removed from the vacuum chamber, when the next substrate to be filmed is brought into the vacuum chamber and alignment between that substrate and the mask is performed, the control unit can either restore the drive current value applied to the linear motor to the set value before the contact state is reached, or maintain the reduced drive current value.

[0171] The fluctuation of the driving current value of the linear motor (X-LM, Y-LM) can be detected by each servo driver (X-Dr, Y-Dr) connected to the linear motor (X-LM, Y-LM), but the present invention is not limited to this. Another load current detection component may be provided in connection with each linear motor (X-LM, Y-LM).

[0172] By observing the fluctuations in the drive current of the linear motors (X-LM, Y-LM) using the aforementioned servo drivers (X-Dr, Y-Dr), it is possible to adequately detect load fluctuations during contact between the mask M and the substrate W. Specifically, if the mask M is made of silicon and has a deflection (deformation from a flat state) of approximately 200 μm, a force of 5 N is required to correct the deflection (i.e., the load increase caused by contact with the mask is 5 N). In this case, if the thrust constant of the linear motor in use is 15 N / A, a load fluctuation of 5 N is detected as a current change of 0.33 A. Therefore, considering that the current resolution of a commonly used servo driver is approximately 0.5 mA, there is sufficient margin to observe this current change.

[0173] As described above, the present invention is characterized in that, when the linear motor drive current exceeds a predetermined value, the alignment operation is performed with the linear motor output reduced. This allows stable alignment to continue even if contact between the mask M and substrate W occurs during alignment.

[0174] On the other hand, if the load increase caused by contact between the mask M and the substrate W is excessive, for example, if the mask M is significantly deformed, the detected displacement of the motor drive current value may be excessively large. Therefore, even if the motor gain is adjusted, it may be difficult to reduce the drive current value to a range that prevents motor vibration. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, a predetermined reference value may be pre-set for the displacement of the drive current value when contact between the mask and the substrate is detected. When the displacement of the drive current value is below this reference value, alignment is performed by adjusting the gain of the linear motor. If the displacement of the drive current value exceeds the reference value, alignment is first stopped at the moment contact is detected, and the substrate W or the mask M is relatively moved in a direction away from each other to reduce the displacement of the drive current value to below the reference value. Alignment is then resumed at the position where it has decreased below the reference value.

[0175] When the relative positional deviation between the substrate W and the mask M is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the substrate W is lowered so that the film formation surface of the substrate W adsorbed by the substrate adsorption member 24 comes into contact with the upper surface of the mask M at the deposition position.

[0176] When the substrate W and the mask M arrive at the vapor deposition position, the magnetic force applying member 26 is lowered to pull the mask M closer via the substrate W, so that the substrate W and the mask M are brought into close contact with each other.

[0177] During this process, in order to confirm whether a positional offset in the XYθ directions between the substrate W and the mask M occurs, a second alignment camera is used to measure the relative position of the substrate W and the mask M. When the measured relative position offset is above a specified threshold, the substrate W and the mask M are separated again (for example, raised) to a specified distance, the relative position between the substrate W and the mask M is adjusted, and the same process is repeated.

[0178] When the substrate W and the mask M are located at the vapor deposition position and the relative positional deviation between the substrate W and the mask M becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold, the alignment process is completed and the film formation process starts.

[0179] <Film Formation Process>

[0180] Hereinafter, a film forming method using the alignment method of this embodiment will be described.

[0181] With the mask M supported by the mask stage 23 in the vacuum chamber 21 , the substrate W is carried into the vacuum chamber 21 of the film forming apparatus 11 by the transfer robot 14 in the transfer chamber 13 .

[0182] The substrate W moved into the vacuum container 21 is transferred from the manipulator of the transport robot 14 to the receiving claw 28 or another substrate supporting unit. After it is sufficiently close to or in contact with the substrate adsorption component 24, a substrate adsorption voltage is applied to the substrate adsorption component 24 to adsorb the substrate W.

[0183] With the substrate W adsorbed on the substrate adsorption member 24 , the alignment process is performed according to the alignment method of the present embodiment described above.

[0184] When the relative positional deviation between the substrate W and the mask M becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value by the alignment method of this embodiment, the shutter of the film forming source 25 is opened to form a film of the film forming material on the substrate W through the mask M.

[0185] After vapor deposition to a desired thickness, the magnetic force applying member 26 is raised to separate the mask M, and the mask stage 23 is lowered.

[0186] Next, the manipulator of the transport robot 14 enters the vacuum chamber 21 of the film forming apparatus 11 and applies a substrate separation voltage of zero (0) or reverse polarity to the electrode portion of the substrate adsorption member 24, thereby separating the substrate W from the substrate adsorption member 24. The separated substrate W is then carried out of the vacuum chamber 21 by the transport robot 14.

[0187] In addition, in the above description, the film forming device 11 is configured as a structure of a so-called upward evaporation method (upward precipitation) in which film formation is performed with the film forming surface of the substrate W facing downward in the vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. It can also be a structure in which the substrate W is arranged on the side of the vacuum container 21 in a vertically upright state, and film formation is performed with the film forming surface of the substrate W parallel to the direction of gravity.

Claims

1. An alignment device, characterized in that: The alignment device comprises: a position offset detection component configured to detect a position offset between the substrate and the mask; a driving component, configured to relatively move the substrate or the mask; a control unit configured to control the driving unit to perform position matching between the substrate and the mask based on the position deviation detected by the position deviation detecting unit; as well as a contact detection unit configured to detect contact between the substrate and the mask based on a change in a driving current value of the driving unit; The control component controls so that when the displacement of the driving current value of the driving component detected by the contact detection component during the position matching work between the substrate and the mask is below a predetermined reference value, the output of the driving component is reduced and the position matching work is continued.

2. The alignment device according to claim 1, characterized in that The control component controls so that when the displacement of the driving current value of the driving component detected by the contact detection component during the position matching work between the substrate and the mask is greater than a predetermined reference value, the position matching work is stopped and the substrate and the mask are moved relative to each other in the separation direction.

3. The alignment device according to claim 1, wherein: The alignment device further comprises a substrate adsorption component for adsorbing the substrate. The driving member is a linear motor that moves the substrate adsorption member to which the substrate is adsorbed relative to the mask.

4. The alignment device according to claim 3, characterized in that The alignment device further includes a magnetic levitation stage mechanism, wherein the magnetic levitation stage mechanism includes a fixed plate portion and a movable plate portion capable of moving relative to the fixed plate portion in a magnetic levitation state. The substrate adsorption component is provided on the movable plate portion, The driving member is a linear motor that moves the movable plate portion in a magnetically levitated state.

5. The alignment device according to claim 3, characterized in that The control unit controls the output of the linear motor to be reduced by reducing the drive current value of the drive unit within a range where the linear motor does not vibrate when the contact detection unit detects contact and the output of the linear motor is reduced.

6. A film forming device for forming a film of a film forming material on a substrate via a mask, characterized in that: The film forming device comprises: Vacuum container; The alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the alignment device is disposed in the vacuum container and is used to adjust the positions of the substrate and the mask; as well as The film forming source is provided in the vacuum container and is used for storing a film forming material and converting the film forming material into particles and releasing the particles.

7. An alignment method for adjusting the position of a substrate and a mask using a film forming apparatus, wherein the film forming apparatus comprises a position offset detection unit for detecting the position offset between the substrate and the mask, a driving unit for relatively moving the substrate or the mask, and a control unit for controlling the driving unit, wherein: The alignment method comprises: a positional deviation detecting step of detecting a positional deviation between the substrate and the mask using the positional deviation detecting member; and a position matching step of performing position matching between the substrate and the mask by controlling the driving unit based on the detected positional deviation by the control unit; The control component performs control so that in the position matching process, the contact between the substrate and the mask is detected based on the change in the driving current value applied to the driving component. When the displacement of the driving current value of the driving component is below a predetermined reference value, the output of the driving component is reduced and the position matching process is continued.

8. The alignment method according to claim 7, wherein: The control component controls so that when the displacement of the driving current value of the driving component during the position matching process between the substrate and the mask is greater than a predetermined reference value, the position matching process is stopped and the substrate and the mask are relatively moved in a separation direction.

9. The alignment method according to claim 7, wherein: The film forming apparatus further includes a substrate adsorption member that adsorbs the substrate, and the driving member is a linear motor that moves the substrate adsorbing member adsorbing the substrate relative to the mask.

10. The alignment method according to claim 9, wherein: The film forming device also includes a magnetic levitation stage mechanism, which has a fixed plate portion and a movable plate portion that can move relative to the fixed plate portion in a magnetic levitation state. The substrate adsorption component is arranged on the movable plate portion, and the driving component is a linear motor that moves the movable plate portion in a magnetic levitation state.

11. The alignment method according to claim 9, wherein: The control unit controls the output of the linear motor to be reduced by reducing the driving current value of the driving unit within a range where the linear motor does not vibrate when the output of the linear motor is reduced by detecting contact between the substrate and the mask.

12. A film forming method for forming a film of a film forming material on a substrate through a mask, characterized in that: The film forming method comprises: A step of adjusting the positions of the substrate and the mask using the alignment method according to any one of claims 7 to 11; and A step of forming a film on the substrate through the mask using a film-forming material that has been granulated using a film-forming source.

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