Alignment device, film forming device, alignment method, method for manufacturing an electronic device, and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention relates to edge alignment of a substrate cut out from a large substrate, and suppresses a reduction in the accuracy of alignment in a film formation chamber that is a conveyance destination. The alignment device includes: a substrate support member that supports any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate; an edge detection member that detects an edge of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; a position adjustment member that adjusts the position of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; and a control member that controls the position adjustment member. An acquisition member acquires substrate information of the substrate supported by the substrate support member related to a portion in the large substrate before division. The control member controls the position adjustment member based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected by the edge detection member and the substrate information acquired by the acquisition member.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In the manufacture of an organic EL display or the like, sometimes a plurality of modules are connected to form a production line. The module includes a transfer chamber provided with a transfer robot for transferring a substrate and a plurality of film forming chambers arranged around it. In such a production line, when feeding a substrate to an upstream module, the substrate sequentially flows downstream while undergoing a plurality of film forming processes, and is sent out from a downstream module. In Patent Document 1, a structure is disclosed in which a transfer chamber for transferring a substrate is provided between adjacent modules. Further, in Patent Document 1, in the transfer chamber, edge alignment for detecting an edge of the substrate and adjusting the position of the substrate based on the detection result is performed. This edge alignment is positioned as a preparatory alignment for efficiently performing alignment using alignment marks formed on the substrate and a mask to be performed in the film forming chamber.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019 - 192898 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] An organic EL display is manufactured by forming a plurality of layers on a substrate using various film forming processes. At this time, depending on the situation of the production line, sometimes a large substrate (also referred to as a mother glass) is processed until a certain process, and then the large substrate is cut into a plurality of smaller substrates, and the divided substrates are subjected to film forming and other processes in subsequent processes. For example, in the manufacture of an organic EL display for a smartphone, in a backplane process (TFT formation process, anode formation process, etc.), film forming and other processes are performed on a large substrate of the 6th generation (about 1500 mm × about 1850 mm). Thereafter, the large substrate is cut in half to form a half-cut substrate of the 6th generation (about 1500 mm × about 925 mm), and film forming and other processes are performed on the half-cut substrate of the 6th generation in subsequent processes.

[0008] However, for substrates cut out from a large substrate, sometimes the characteristics of the substrate such as size are different depending on which part of the large substrate is cut out (for example, whether it is the left half or the right half of the mother glass). When the sizes of the substrates are different, there may be a deviation in the positional relationship between the center position of the substrate based on the edge and the center position of the substrate based on the alignment mark. Thus, if substrates of different sizes are edge-aligned and then transported to the film-forming chamber, there may be a deviation in the center position of the substrate based on the alignment mark. This deviation may affect the alignment in the film-forming chamber.

[0009] The present invention provides a technique related to edge alignment of substrates cut out from a large substrate, which suppresses a reduction in the alignment accuracy in a film-forming chamber as a transport destination.

[0010] Means for solving the problem

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an alignment device including:

[0012] a substrate support member that supports any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate;

[0013] an edge detection member that detects an edge of the substrate supported by the substrate support member;

[0014] a position adjustment member that adjusts the position of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; and

[0015] a control member that controls the position adjustment member,

[0016] characterized in that

[0017] the alignment device includes an acquisition member that acquires substrate information related to a part in the large substrate before division of the substrate supported by the substrate support member,

[0018] and the control member controls the position adjustment member based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected by the edge detection member and the substrate information acquired by the acquisition member.

[0019] Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an alignment device including:

[0020] a first alignment unit;

[0021] a second alignment unit; and

[0022] an acquisition member,

[0023] characterized in that

[0024] The first alignment unit includes:

[0025] A first substrate support member that supports any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate;

[0026] An edge detection member that detects the edge of the substrate supported by the first substrate support member;

[0027] A first position adjustment member that adjusts the position of the substrate supported by the first substrate support member; and

[0028] A first control member that controls the first position adjustment member,

[0029] The second alignment unit includes:

[0030] A second substrate support member that supports the substrate;

[0031] A mask support member that supports a mask;

[0032] An alignment mark detection member that detects the alignment mark of the substrate supported by the second substrate support member;

[0033] A second position adjustment member that adjusts the relative position between the substrate supported by the second substrate support member and the mask supported by the mask support member; and

[0034] A second control member that controls the second position adjustment member based on the position information of the alignment mark detected by the alignment mark detection member,

[0035] The second alignment unit aligns the substrate whose position has been adjusted by the first position adjustment member and conveyed from the first alignment unit,

[0036] The acquisition member acquires substrate information related to the position of the substrate supported by the first substrate support member in the large substrate before division,

[0037] The first control member controls the first position adjustment member based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected by the edge detection member and the substrate information acquired by the acquisition member.

[0038] In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, an alignment method is provided, the alignment method including:

[0039] A support step of supporting any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate;

[0040] An edge detection process for detecting the edge of the substrate supported in the supporting process; and

[0041] A position adjustment process for adjusting the position of the substrate,

[0042] characterized in that

[0043] an acquisition process is provided, in which substrate information related to the position of the substrate to be position-adjusted in the large substrate before division is acquired,

[0044] In the position adjustment process, the position of the substrate is adjusted based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected in the edge detection process and the substrate information acquired in the acquisition process.

[0045] In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that the manufacturing method includes:

[0046] An alignment process for aligning a substrate by the alignment method of the above manner;

[0047] A feeding process for feeding the substrate aligned by the alignment process into a film forming apparatus; and

[0048] A film forming process for forming a film on the substrate fed into the film forming apparatus by the feeding process.

[0049] In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that a program for causing a computer to execute each process of the alignment method of the above manner is stored.

[0050] Effects of the Invention

[0051] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique related to edge alignment of a substrate cut out from a large substrate, which suppresses a decrease in alignment accuracy in a film forming chamber as a conveyance destination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Figure 1 is a schematic view of a part of a production line of an electronic device.

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0054] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the outline of an edge alignment device.

[0055] Figure 4 is a top view schematically showing the structure of a support unit.

[0056] Figure 5 (A) to Figure 5 (C) is a diagram illustrating the feeding operation of the substrate supported by the support unit.

[0057] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the outline of edge alignment.

[0058] Figure 7 is a diagram showing examples of a large substrate and a cut substrate.

[0059] Figure 8 is a diagram explaining the difference between the center position based on the alignment mark and the center position based on the edge.

[0060] Figure 9 (A) is a flowchart showing a processing example of the processing unit 3111, Figure 9 (B) is a flowchart showing an operation example of the production line of the electronic device.

[0061] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the information managed by the storage unit 3112.

[0062] Figure 11 (A) is an overall view of the organic EL display device, Figure 11 (B) is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel. Detailed Embodiment

[0063] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiments do not limit the invention of the claims. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential features of the invention. In addition, the multiple features can be arbitrarily combined. And in the drawings, the same or similar structures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0064] <Production Line of Electronic Device>

[0065] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the structure of the production line of the electronic device to which the film forming apparatus of the present invention can be applied. Figure 1 The production line is used, for example, for manufacturing a display panel of an organic EL display device for a smartphone. The substrate 100 is sequentially conveyed to the film forming module 301, and organic EL film formation is performed on the substrate 100.

[0066] In the film forming module 301, around a transfer chamber 302 having an octagonal shape in plan view, a plurality of film forming chambers 303a to 303d for performing a film forming process on the substrate 100 and a mask storage chamber 305 for storing masks before and after use are arranged. A transfer robot 302a for transferring the substrate 100 is arranged in the transfer chamber 302. In other words, the film forming module 301 is a cluster type film forming unit in which a plurality of film forming chambers 303a to 303d are arranged so as to surround the transfer robot 302a. In addition, when the film forming chambers 303a to 303d are collectively referred to or not distinguished, they are expressed as the film forming chamber 303.

[0067] In the transfer direction (arrow direction) of the substrate 100, a buffer chamber 306, a turning chamber 307, and an exchange chamber 16 (passage chamber) are respectively arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side of the film forming module 301. During the manufacturing process, each chamber is maintained in a vacuum state. In addition, Figure 1 Only one film forming module 301 is illustrated in the figure, but the production line of the present embodiment has a plurality of film forming modules 301, and the plurality of film forming modules 301 have a structure connected by a connecting device composed of a buffer chamber 306, a turning chamber 307, and an exchange chamber 308. In addition, the structure of the connecting device is not limited to this, and for example, it may be composed of only the buffer chamber 306 or the exchange chamber 308.

[0068] The transfer robot 302a performs the feeding of the substrate 100 from the upstream exchange chamber 16 to the transfer chamber 302, the transfer of the substrate 100 between the film forming chambers 303, the transfer of the mask between the mask storage chamber 305 and the film forming chamber 303, and the sending out of the substrate 100 from the transfer chamber 302 to the downstream buffer chamber 306.

[0069] The buffer chamber 306 is a chamber for temporarily storing the substrate 100 according to the operating conditions of the production line. In the buffer chamber 306, a multi-layer substrate storage rack (also called a cassette) capable of storing a plurality of substrates 100 while keeping the processed surface (film forming surface) of the substrate 100 facing downward in the gravity direction in a horizontal state unchanged and a lifting mechanism for lifting the substrate storage rack to align the layer of the substrate 100 to be fed or sent out with the transfer position are provided. Thereby, a plurality of substrates 100 can be temporarily accommodated in the buffer chamber 306 and retained in the buffer chamber 306.

[0070] The rotation chamber 307 is equipped with a device for changing the orientation of the substrate 100. In the present embodiment, the rotation chamber 307 rotates the orientation of the substrate 100 by 180 degrees by a transfer robot (not shown) provided in the rotation chamber 307. The transfer robot provided in the rotation chamber 307 rotates 180 degrees while supporting the substrate 100 received in the buffer chamber 306 and transfers it to the transfer chamber 308, so that the front end and the rear end of the substrate are swapped between the buffer chamber 306 and the transfer chamber 308. As a result, the orientation when the substrate 100 is fed into the film forming chamber 303 becomes the same orientation in each film forming module 301. Therefore, the scanning direction of the film formation with respect to the substrate 100 and the orientation of the mask can be made consistent in each film forming module 301. By adopting such a structure, the orientation of setting the mask in the mask storage chamber 305 can be made consistent in each film forming module 301, the management of the mask is simplified, and the usability can be improved.

[0071] The transfer chamber 16 is a chamber for transferring the substrate 100 fed by the device of the rotation chamber 307 to the transfer robot 302a of the downstream film forming module 301. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, position alignment based on the position of the edge of the substrate 100, that is, edge alignment, is performed in the transfer chamber 16. From this point of view, the transfer chamber 16 of the present embodiment has a function as an edge alignment device for the substrate 100. Hereinafter, the transfer chamber 16 may sometimes be referred to as the edge alignment device 16.

[0072] The control system of the production line includes an upper device 300 that controls the entire production line as a main computer and control devices 14a to 14d, 309, 310, 311 that control each structure, and they can communicate via a wired or wireless communication line 300a. The control devices 14a to 14d (second control components) are provided corresponding to the film forming chambers 303a to 303d and control the film forming device 1 described later. In addition, when collectively referring to the control devices 14a to 14d or when not distinguishing them, they are expressed as the control device 14.

[0073] The control device 309 controls the transfer robot 302a. The control device 310 controls the device of the rotation chamber 307. The control device 311 controls the edge alignment device 16 described later. The upper device 300 sends instructions such as information related to the substrate 100 and transfer timing to each of the control devices 14, 309, 310, 311, and each of the control devices 14, 309, 310, 311 controls each structure based on the received instructions.

[0074] <Summary of the Film Forming Device>

[0075] Figure 2FIG. 0 is a schematic view of a film forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The film forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a film of a vapor deposition material on a substrate 100, and forms a thin film of the vapor deposition material having a predetermined pattern using a mask 101. The material of the substrate 100 on which the film is formed by the film forming apparatus 1 can be appropriately selected from materials such as glass, resin, and metal, and a material having a resin layer such as polyimide formed on the glass is preferably used. As the vapor deposition material, substances such as organic materials and inorganic materials (metals, metal oxides, etc.) are used. The film forming apparatus 1 can be applied to manufacturing apparatuses for manufacturing electronic devices or optical elements such as display devices (flat panel displays, etc.), thin film solar cells, and organic optoelectronic conversion elements (organic thin film imaging elements), and in particular, can be applied to manufacturing apparatuses for manufacturing organic EL panels. In the following description, an example in which the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film on the substrate 100 by vacuum evaporation is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various film forming methods such as sputtering and CVD can be applied. In addition, in each figure, an arrow Z indicates the vertical direction (gravity direction), and arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions orthogonal to each other.

[0076] The film forming apparatus 1 has a box-shaped vacuum chamber 3. The internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is maintained in a vacuum environment or an inert gas environment such as nitrogen. In the present embodiment, the vacuum chamber 3 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). In addition, in the present specification, "vacuum" means a state in which a gas having a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure is filled, in other words, a reduced pressure state. In the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3, a substrate support unit 6 for supporting the substrate 100 in a horizontal posture, a mask stage 5 (mask support member) for supporting the mask 101, a film forming unit 4 (film forming member), and a plate unit 9 are arranged. The mask 101 is a metal mask having an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern to be formed on the substrate 100, and is fixed on the mask stage 5. As the mask 101, a mask having a structure in which a mask foil having a thickness of about several μm to several tens of μm is welded and fixed to a frame-shaped mask frame can be used. The material of the mask 101 is not particularly limited, but a metal having a small thermal expansion coefficient such as invar alloy is preferably used. The film forming process is performed in a state where the substrate 100 is placed on the mask 101 and the substrate 100 and the mask 101 overlap each other.

[0077] The plate unit 9 includes a cooling plate 10 for cooling the substrate 100 during film formation and a magnet plate 11 for attracting the mask 101 by magnetic force to bring the substrate 100 into close contact with the mask 101. The plate unit 9 is provided so as to be able to move up and down in the Z direction by a lifting unit 13 including, for example, a ball screw mechanism.

[0078] The film forming unit 4 is composed of a heater, a baffle, a driving mechanism of the evaporation source, an evaporation rate monitor, etc., and is an evaporation source that evaporates the evaporation material onto the substrate 100. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the film forming unit 4 is a linear evaporation source in which a plurality of nozzles (not shown) are arranged in the X direction and the evaporation material is discharged from each nozzle. The film forming unit 4 reciprocates in the Y direction (the direction away from the connection portion between the film forming chamber 303 and the conveying chamber 302) by an evaporation source moving mechanism (not shown).

[0079] In addition, the film forming apparatus 1 includes an alignment device 2 (second alignment unit) for aligning the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In general, the alignment device 2 detects the alignment marks formed on the substrate 100 and the mask 101 using cameras (photographing device, alignment mark detection component) 7 and 8, and adjusts the relative position of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 based on the detection result. The cameras 7 and 8 are arranged above the upper wall of the vacuum chamber 3, and can capture the image in the vacuum chamber 3 through a window portion (not shown) formed on the upper wall. The cameras 7 and 8 capture the substrate alignment marks provided on the substrate 100 and the mask alignment marks provided on the mask 101 arranged in the vacuum chamber 3. The obtained image is processed by an image processing component (not shown), so that the position information of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 can be obtained.

[0080] The alignment device 2 includes a substrate support unit 6 (second substrate support member) that supports the peripheral portion of the substrate 100. The substrate support unit 6 includes a pair of base portions 62 that are separated from each other in the X direction and extend in the Y direction, and a plurality of claw-shaped receiving portions 61 that protrude inward from the base portion 62. In addition, the receiving portion 61 is sometimes also referred to as a "receiving claw" or a "finger-like member". The plurality of receiving portions 61 are arranged at intervals on each of the pair of base portions 62. The portion on the long side of the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 is placed on the receiving portion 61. The base portion 62 is suspended from the beam member 222 via a plurality of pillars 64.

[0081] By forming a pair of base parts 62 separately in the X direction and not forming a base part 62 on the short side of the substrate 100 as in the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the interference between the conveying robot 302a and the base part 62 when the conveying robot 302a hands over the substrate to the loading part 61. However, the base part 62 may also be a rectangular frame shape that surrounds the entire peripheral portion of the substrate 100. Thus, the efficiency of conveying and handing over the substrate 100 can be improved. In addition, the base part 62 may also be a rectangular frame shape with a cutout partially. By adopting a rectangular frame shape with a cutout partially, it is possible to suppress the interference between the conveying robot 302a and the base part 62 when the conveying robot 302a hands over the substrate to the loading part 61, and the efficiency of conveying and handing over the substrate 100 can be improved.

[0082] The substrate support unit 6 further includes a clamping unit 63. The clamping unit 63 includes a plurality of clamping parts 66. Each clamping part 66 is provided corresponding to each placement part 61, and can hold the peripheral part of the substrate 100 by clamping it between the clamping part 66 and the placement part 61. As a method of supporting the substrate 100, in addition to the method of holding the peripheral part of the substrate 100 by clamping it between the clamping part 66 and the placement part 61, a method of placing the substrate 100 only on the placement part 61 without providing the clamping part 66 can also be adopted.

[0083] In addition, the alignment device 2 includes an adjustment unit 20 (second position adjustment member), and the adjustment unit 20 adjusts the relative position between the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 at the peripheral part and the mask 101. The adjustment unit 20 displaces the substrate support unit 6 in the X-Y plane based on the detection results of alignment marks provided on the substrate 100 and the mask 101 by the cameras 7 and 8, etc., so as to adjust the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the mask 101. In the present embodiment, the position of the mask 101 is fixed and the substrate 100 is displaced to adjust their relative positions, but the mask 101 can also be displaced for adjustment, or both the substrate 100 and the mask 101 can be displaced.

[0084] In addition, the alignment device 2 includes an approaching / separating unit 22, and the approaching / separating unit 22 moves the substrate support unit 6 up and down to make the substrate 100 and the mask 101 supported by the substrate support unit 6 at the peripheral part approach and separate (move away) in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 100. In other words, the approaching / separating unit 22 can make the substrate 100 and the mask 101 approach in the overlapping direction. As the approaching / separating unit 22, for example, an electric actuator adopting a ball screw mechanism can also be used.

[0085] <Edge Alignment Device>

[0086] Utilize Figures 3 - 6 To describe the edge alignment device 16 (alignment device, first alignment unit). Figure 3 It is a diagram showing the outline of the edge alignment device 16. Figure 4 It is a top view schematically showing the structure of the support unit 161.

[0087] The edge alignment device 16 performs edge alignment for detecting the edge of the substrate 100 conveyed from a device in the cyclotron chamber 307 as an external device and adjusting the position of the substrate 100 based on the detection result. In addition, in Figure 3 and the following Figures 4 - 6 、8, a coordinate system fixed with respect to the edge alignment device 16 with the conveying direction of the substrate 100 (arrow direction in the figure) set as the Y direction is shown. That is, Figure 2 the XY direction of Figures 3 - 5The XY directions are not necessarily the same.

[0088] The edge alignment device 16 has a support unit 161 (substrate support member, first substrate support member), a position adjustment mechanism 162 (position adjustment member, first position adjustment member), a detection unit 163 (detection member), a chamber 164 (container), and a reference member 165 (reference Figure 6 ).

[0089] The support unit 161 supports the substrate 100 conveyed from an external device, and is sometimes referred to as a substrate stage. In the present embodiment, the substrate 100 conveyed from the turning chamber 307 is supported. However, in the case where the buffer chamber 306 and the turning chamber 307 are not provided in the production line, the substrate 100 conveyed from the upstream transfer robot 302a can be supported. The support unit 161 includes a support portion 1611 that supports the substrate 100 inside the chamber 164 and a shaft 1612 that connects the support portion 1611 to the position adjustment mechanism outside the chamber 164.

[0090] The support portion 1611 includes a pair of frame members 1611a separately provided in the X direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the substrate 100, and a plurality of receiving claws 1611b extending inward from the frame members 1611a to receive the substrate 100. The frame members 1611a are configured to include a long strip-shaped portion extending in the conveyance direction (Y direction) of the substrate 100 and portions extending from both ends of the long strip-shaped portion toward the other frame member 1611a side (X direction). The receiving claws 1611b are respectively provided on each of the portion extending in the Y direction of the frame member 1611a and the portion extending in the X direction. The peripheral portion of the substrate 100 is supported by the plurality of receiving claws 1611b.

[0091] The shaft 1612 connects the support portion 1611 to the position adjustment mechanism outside the chamber 164 via an opening formed in the chamber 164. The shaft 1612 is configured to be able to move relative to the chamber 164 while maintaining the vacuum state inside the chamber 164 by a well-known technique such as a vacuum bellows.

[0092] Figure 5 (A) to Figure 5 (C) are diagrams for explaining the ejection operation of the substrate 100 supported by the support unit 161. First, the downstream transfer robot 302a of the edge alignment device 16 moves its robot hand below the substrate 100 supported by the support portion 1611 ( Figure 5 (A), Figure 5 (B)). After that, the downstream transfer robot 302a moves its robot hand to a position above the support portion 1611 to lift the substrate ( Figure 5(C)). In this embodiment, a pair of frame members 1611a are disposed separately in the X direction. Therefore, the transfer robot 302a can lift the substrate through between the pair of frame members 1611a. In addition, when the upstream device places the substrate 100 on the support portion 1611, the operation opposite to the above description is performed.

[0093] Refer to again Figure 3 . The position adjustment mechanism 162 is a mechanism capable of adjusting the position of the substrate 100 supported by the support unit 161. In this embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism 162 moves the support unit 161 in the X-Y direction or rotates it about the Z axis to displace it in the X-Y plane, thereby adjusting the position of the substrate 100. For example, the position adjustment mechanism 162 may include a fixed member (not shown) fixed to the installation site and a movable member (not shown) capable of moving in the XY direction relative to the fixed member and connected to the shaft 1612. Moreover, the position adjustment mechanism 162 may also displace the movable member by using one electric cylinder capable of expanding and contracting in the X direction and two electric cylinders capable of expanding and contracting in the Y direction and disposed separately in the X direction, thereby displacing the support unit 161 in the X-Y plane.

[0094] The detection unit 163 detects the edge of the substrate 100 supported by the support unit 161. In this embodiment, the detection unit 163 is a camera, and two are provided so as to be able to detect the peripheries of two corners on the diagonal of the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the detection unit 163 is disposed outside the chamber 164 and detects the edge of the substrate 100 through a transparent window provided on the bottom surface of the chamber 164. In addition, in this embodiment, the detection unit 163 detects a reference mark provided on a reference member 165 provided inside the chamber 164 (refer to Figure 6 ). In addition, in this specification, the "edge" of the substrate refers to all ends of the substrate, including not only the "sides" but also the "corners".

[0095] The chamber 164 is a container that maintains its internal space 164a in a vacuum state and houses the support portion 1611 of the support unit 161. In addition, a structure in which the position adjustment mechanism 162, the detection unit 163, etc. are housed in the chamber 164 can also be adopted. In addition, in this embodiment, a reference member 165 described later is fixed to the chamber 164.

[0096] The control device 311 controls the entire edge alignment device 16. Further, the control device 311 controls the position adjustment mechanism 162. The control device 311 includes a processing unit 3111 (control component, first control component), a storage unit 3112, an input / output interface (I / O) 3113, and a communication unit 3114.

[0097] The processing unit 3111 is a processor represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which executes a program stored in the storage unit 3112 to control the edge alignment device 16. The storage unit 3112 is a storage device (storage component) such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). In addition to storing the program executed by the processing unit 3111, it also stores various control information. The I / O (Input / Output) 3113 is an interface for transmitting and receiving signals between the processing unit 3111 and external devices. The communication unit 3114 is a communication device that communicates with the upper device 300 via the communication line 300a. The processing unit 3111 receives information from the upper device 300 or transmits information to the upper device 300 via the communication unit 3114. In addition, all or part of the control device 311 may also be constituted by a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0098] <Overview of Edge Alignment>

[0099] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an overview of edge alignment and is a view of the inside of the chamber 164 from below. In terms of the relationship with the alignment performed by the alignment device 2 of the above-described film forming device 1, the edge alignment performed by the edge alignment device 16 is equivalent to preparatory alignment for efficiently performing the alignment by the alignment device 2. If there is a deviation in the position of the substrate 100 supported by the support unit 161, there will also be a deviation in the position of the substrate 100 relative to the substrate support unit 6 when the substrate 100 is transported to the film forming device 1. If there is a deviation in the initial position of the substrate 100 placed on the substrate support unit 6, more specifically, the position of the alignment mark 1002 formed on the substrate 100, the alignment time of the alignment device 2 may be prolonged or the alignment accuracy may be reduced due to the initial position, and the tact time and alignment accuracy may no longer be stable. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to reduce the position deviation of the substrate 100 relative to the feeding position of the substrate 100 to the film forming device 1 when the substrate 100 is transported to the film forming device 1, edge alignment is performed by the edge alignment device 16.

[0100] First, the processing unit 3111 executes the detection process performed by the detection unit 163. As Figure 6As shown, the detection unit 163 detects the edge 1001 of the substrate 100 within the detection range 163a and the reference mark 1651 of the reference member 165.

[0101] Then, the processing unit 3111 calculates the center position C1 of the substrate 100 based on the position information of the two detected edges 1001 of the substrate 100, and calculates the center position C2 of the reference mark 1651 based on the position information of the two detected reference marks 1651. In the present embodiment, the center position C2 of the reference mark 1651 is used as the reference position for position alignment during edge alignment. In the present embodiment, in the storage unit 3112, information associating the coordinate system (camera coordinate system) within the detection range 163a and the coordinate system (world coordinate system) within the entire edge alignment device 16 is stored. The processing unit 3111 calculates the position information of the center position C1 of the substrate 100 and the center position C2 of the reference mark 1651 in the world coordinate system based on the detection results of each detection unit 163 and the information stored in the storage unit 3112.

[0102] Next, the processing unit 3111 adjusts the position of the support unit 161 through the position adjustment mechanism 162 so that the center position C1 of the substrate 100 coincides with the center position C2 of the reference mark 1651. Thus, the edge alignment ends. In addition, the processing unit 3111 may, based on the detection results of the detection unit 163, calculate not only the center position C1 of the substrate 100 but also the angle of the substrate 100. Moreover, the processing unit 3111 may rotate the substrate 100 around the Z axis through the position adjustment mechanism 162 so that the angle of the substrate 100 coincides with the reference angle. In addition, the reference angle can be calculated based on the position information of the reference mark 1651 detected by the detection unit 163.

[0103] <Substrate>

[0104] The substrate 100 of the present embodiment is a cut substrate cut out from a large substrate. Figure 7 FIG. is an example showing a large substrate and a cut substrate. The large substrate MG is a 6th-generation full-size (about 1500 mm × about 1850 mm) mother glass and has a rectangular shape. At a corner of a part of the large substrate MG, an orientation plane OF for determining the orientation of the large substrate MG is formed.

[0105] In addition, here, an example is shown in which only one of the four corners of the large substrate MG is cut off to form the orientation plane OF, but it is not limited thereto. It may also be the case where all four corners are cut off, but one corner is cut off larger than the other corners to form the orientation plane OF. In this case, the portion cut off into a different shape from the other corners can be used as the orientation plane OF.

[0106] As described above, for example, in the manufacture of an organic EL display for a smartphone, a film forming process or the like is performed on a large substrate MG of the sixth generation full size in a backplane process (TFT forming process, anode forming process, etc.). After that, the large substrate MG is cut in half (cutting process), and the substrate 100 of the half-cut size of the sixth generation (about 1500 mm × about 925 mm) obtained by cutting is sent to the film forming module 301 for forming an organic layer in the production line of the present embodiment. The substrate 100 sent to the film forming module 301 is any one of two divided substrates obtained by cutting the large substrate MG, and in the present embodiment, it is the substrate 100A or the substrate 100B. The large substrate MG is cut at a cutting line CTL at a position at a distance L from a reference edge which is one side thereof, thereby obtaining the substrate 100A and the substrate 100B. In Figure 1 In the exemplified production line, the substrates 100A and 100B are mixed, conveyed as the substrate 100, and various processes are performed.

[0107] In addition, here, it is assumed that the large substrate MG is cut in half, but it is not limited thereto, and as long as the large substrate MG is cut and divided into a plurality of substrates of substantially the same size. For example, the large substrate MG may be divided into four parts to form four substrates 100, and sent to the film forming module 301.

[0108] The substrates 100A and 100B may sometimes have different characteristics of the substrates such as dimensions and rigidity distribution. For example, the length of the short side of the substrate 100A is determined to be L, but the length of the short side of the substrate 100B is not determined, and sometimes the lengths of the short sides between the substrate 100A and the substrate 100B are different. The difference in the length of the short side sometimes affects the initial position shift when the substrate 100 is sent into the film forming apparatus 1. Details will be described below.

[0109] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining the difference between the center position of the substrate 100A or the substrate 100B based on the alignment mark and the center position based on the edge. In the present embodiment, since the length of the short side of the substrate 100A is determined to be L, the center position based on the alignment mark 1002 used for alignment by the alignment device 2 coincides with the center position based on the edge 1001 (center position C10). On the other hand, the length of the short side of the substrate 100B is not determined, and in Figure 8 the example, the length LB of the short side is longer than the length L. Therefore, an offset of a distance c occurs between the center position C111 based on the alignment mark 1002 and the center position C112 based on the edge 1001.

[0110] In the edge alignment of the edge alignment device 16, position alignment is performed so that the center position C112 calculated based on the position information of the edge 1001 coincides with the center position C2 as the reference position. That is, in edge alignment, the edge 1001 of the substrate 100 is detected to obtain the position information of the substrate 100, and alignment is performed. In other words, in edge alignment, alignment is performed using the outer shape of the substrate 100 as an index. By detecting the edge 1001 of the substrate 100 and performing alignment based on the position information of the edge 1001, alignment can be performed more simply than in the case of alignment based on the position information of the alignment mark 1002 in the film forming device 1 described later.

[0111] On the other hand, in the alignment in the film forming device 1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "mark alignment"), position alignment is performed so that the center position C111 calculated based on the position information of the alignment mark 1002 coincides with the center position of the alignment mark of the mask 101. That is, in mark alignment, the alignment mark 1002 of the substrate 100 is detected to obtain the position information of the substrate 100, and alignment is performed. As a result, in the film forming device 1, the center of the effective area where the opening is formed in the pattern of the mask 101 coincides with the center of the film formation area of the substrate 100 defined by the alignment mark 1002, and film formation is performed in the desired area on the substrate 100. The alignment mark 1002 is accurately formed on the substrate 100 by a method such as photolithography. By using the alignment mark 1002 to align the positions of the substrate 100 and the mask 101, the film formation area on the substrate 100 and the effective area of the mask 101 can be accurately aligned.

[0112] Thus, between the edge alignment in the edge alignment device 16 and the alignment in the film forming device 1, the objects to be detected for obtaining the position information of the substrate 100 (the edge 1001 in edge alignment and the alignment mark 1002 in mark alignment) are different.

[0113] As described above, when a large substrate MG is cut and divided into a plurality of substrates, a substrate may be generated in which the center of the substrate calculated based on the outer shape does not coincide with the center of the substrate calculated based on the substrate alignment mark formed thereon. In such a case, the result of alignment based on the position information of the edge by edge alignment and the result of alignment based on the position information of the alignment mark by mark alignment will deviate. Also, the deviation between the center position of the substrate calculated based on the outer shape and the center position of the substrate calculated based on the alignment mark may be different for each substrate obtained by division. In this case, the deviation between the result of edge alignment and the result of mark alignment varies depending on the substrate.

[0114] As described above, the edge alignment in the present embodiment is for preparatory alignment in order to efficiently perform the mark alignment with the mask 101 used for film formation in the film forming apparatus 1. That is, alignment is preparatorily performed in the edge alignment apparatus 16 so that the substrate 100 can be transported to a position within the film forming apparatus 1 where the substrate 100 will be located or a position near it after mark alignment is performed in the film forming apparatus 1. However, when the result of the edge alignment as described above deviates from the result of the mark alignment, the preparatory alignment in the edge alignment apparatus 16 sometimes cannot make the mark alignment in the film forming apparatus 1 efficient enough.

[0115] For example, there is a case where the result of the edge alignment in the edge alignment apparatus 16 is that the substrate 100 is aligned to a position where the substrate 100 will be transported to a position that is significantly offset from the position within the film forming apparatus 1 where the substrate 100 will be located after mark alignment is performed in the film forming apparatus 1. In such a case, in the edge alignment apparatus 16, the target position of the edge alignment is corrected to cancel out this offset, thereby being able to solve this problem. However, as described above, in the case of substrates cut from a large substrate MG, the above-mentioned offset sometimes varies for each substrate, so it is not sufficient to correct with a single correction value.

[0116] In addition, there is an orientation plane OF in the substrate 100B, but there is no orientation plane OF in the substrate 100A. The magnitude of the residual stress at the cut surface sometimes also differs between the substrate 100A and the substrate 100B. In addition, the position of the cut surface is on the right side in the substrate 100A and on the left side in the substrate 100B, and the parts are different. Due to such differences in the characteristics of the substrates, the flexure mode and the like when the substrate 100 is supported by the support unit 161 are different, and sometimes it affects the accuracy of the edge alignment.

[0117] Therefore, in the present embodiment, as described below, control of the position adjustment mechanism 162 corresponding to the part of the large substrate MG from which the substrate 100 is cut out is performed.

[0118] <Control Example>

[0119] A control example of the edge alignment apparatus 16 executed by the processing unit 3111 of the control device 311 will be described. Figure 9 (A) is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the processing unit 3111. This flowchart starts, for example, based on the situation where the processing unit 3111 receives an execution instruction for edge alignment from the host device 300.

[0120] In step S1 (hereinafter simply referred to as S1. The same applies to other steps), the processing unit 3111 acquires substrate information of the substrate 100 supported by the support unit 161 (acquisition process). In the present embodiment, the substrate information includes information related to the relative position of the substrate 100 in the large substrate MG before dicing. In other words, this information is part information related to the part of the large substrate MG from which the substrate 100 is cut out, and can also be referred to as "cut-out information" or "cutting information". In this way, the processing unit 141 has the function of an acquisition component for acquiring information related to the part of the substrate 100 in the large substrate MG before dicing. In the present embodiment, in Figure 7 , the substrate 100A corresponding to the part on the left side of the cutting line CTL of the large substrate MG and having a cutting position on the right side of the drawing plane is set as A cutting, and the substrate 100B corresponding to the part on the right side of the cutting line CTL of the large substrate MG and having a cutting position on the left side of the drawing plane is set as B cutting. The processing unit 3111 acquires whether the substrate 100 supported by the support unit 161 is A cutting or B cutting as part information.

[0121] In addition, in the present embodiment, the substrate information is managed by the host device 300 in association with other information of the substrate 100. The host device 300 stores the identification information for identifying each substrate 100 and the part information of the substrate 100 (whether it is substrate 100A or substrate 100B) in correspondence. Then, when the host device 300 instructs the processing unit 3111 and the like to perform edge alignment of the substrate 100, the identification information and the part information are sent to the processing unit 3111. That is to say, in S1, the processing unit 3111 acquires the substrate information by receiving information related to the substrate 100 from the host device 300 via the communication unit 3114. In addition, the host device 300 can also acquire the substrate information from, for example, a cutting device (substrate dicing device) that cuts the large substrate MG, or other devices arranged upstream of the film forming device 1 in the production line, or devices outside the production line, or can accept the input of the operator of the production line and acquire the substrate information according to the operator's input.

[0122] In S2, the processing unit 3111 executes the detection process performed by the detection unit 163. Specifically, the processing unit 3111 causes the detection unit 163 to detect the edge 1001 and the reference mark 1651 of the substrate 100.

[0123] In S3, the processing unit 3111 performs target position setting. The target position can also be said to be the reference position that becomes the target for position alignment. Specifically, the processing unit 3111 calculates the center position C2 (XC2, YC2) of the reference mark 1651 based on the detection result in S2, and sets the center position C2 as the target position.

[0124] In S4, the processing unit 3111 corrects the target position calculated in S3 based on the substrate information acquired in S1. Specifically, the edge alignment correction information for canceling the offset of the center position based on the alignment mark 1002 of the substrate 100 from the center position based on the edge 1001 of the substrate 100 is stored in the storage unit 3112 corresponding to the substrate information. Then, in S4, the processing unit 3111 refers to the edge alignment correction information stored in the storage unit 3112 corresponding to the substrate information and performs the correction of the target position. In the storage unit 142, a plurality of edge alignment correction information corresponding to the number of substrates 100 cut out from one large substrate MG (i.e., the division number) is stored.

[0125] In the case of the present embodiment, the edge alignment correction information is a correction amount (offset amount) for adding or subtracting to / from the reference position to offset the reference position. For example, in Figure 8 the example of, in the substrate 100B, the center position C111 based on the alignment mark 1002 is offset by a distance c in the negative X direction with respect to the center position C112 based on the edge 1001 (there is no offset in the Y direction). That is, the center position C111 based on the alignment mark 1002 is offset by (-c, 0) with respect to the center position C112 based on the edge 1001. Figure 10 FIG. is an example diagram showing the information managed by the storage unit 3112. As Figure 10 shown, the storage unit 3112 stores the part information and the edge alignment correction information in association with each other.

[0126] For example, when the substrate information acquired in S1 is B cut, the processing unit 3111 reads the edge alignment correction information (c, 0) stored corresponding to the substrate 100B as the B cut substrate. Then, the edge alignment correction information is added to the center position C2 (XC2, YC2) of the reference mark 1651, which is the reference position calculated in S3, to obtain the corrected reference position C2' (XC2 + c, YC2). The corrected reference position C2' is used as the target position of the center position C1 based on the edge 1001 of the substrate 100 for subsequent position alignment. When aligning the position of the center position C1 based on the edge 1001 of the substrate 100 with this as the target position, the center position C111 based on the alignment mark 1002 will be at (XC2, YC2).

[0127] In S5, the center position C1(XC1, YC1) based on the detection result in S2 with respect to the edge 1001 of the substrate 100 and the reference position C2’(XC2 + c, YC2) of the target position corrected in S4 are compared. In S5, it is determined whether the position offset between the center position C1 and the reference position C2’ is within the allowable range. If the distance between the center position C1 and the reference position C2’ is below the threshold value, it is determined to be within the allowable range, and if the distance exceeds the threshold value, it is determined to be outside the allowable range. If the determination result in S5 is within the allowable range, the edge alignment operation is ended, and if it is outside the allowable range, it proceeds to S6.

[0128] In addition, here, for simplicity, the case where the position alignment determination is made by comparing the distance between the center position C1 and the reference position C2’ with the threshold value is described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, it is also possible to compare the positions of a plurality of reference marks 1651 corresponding to the reference position C2’ corrected in S4 (that is, the positions obtained by correcting the positions of the plurality of reference marks 1651 detected in S2 according to the edge alignment correction information) and the positions of the edges 1001 of the substrate 100 corresponding to the respective reference marks 1651 to make the position alignment determination. In this case, for each group of the reference marks 1651 and the edges 1001, the distance between the position of the reference mark 1651 corrected in S4 and the position of the edge 1001 is calculated respectively. Then, it is also possible to compare the average value or the sum of squares of the calculated distances with a preset threshold value. If the distance is below the threshold value, it is determined to be within the allowable range, and if the distance exceeds the threshold value, it is determined to be outside the allowable range.

[0129] In S6, the processing unit 3111 sets the control amount of the position adjustment mechanism 162. For example, the processing unit 3111 sets the displacement amounts in the X direction and the Y direction of the support unit 161 based on the position offset between the center position C1 based on the detection result of the detection unit 163 and the reference position C2’ corrected in S4, so that the position offset between the center position C1 and the reference position C2’ falls within the allowable range. Typically, the processing unit 3111 sets the displacement amounts in the X direction and the Y direction of the support unit 161 so that the center position C1 coincides with the reference position C2’. In addition, for example, when the angle of the substrate 100 is also included in the determination conditions, the processing unit 3111 calculates the angle offset of the substrate 100 from the reference based on the detection result in S2, and sets the rotation angle of the support unit 161 around the Z axis so that the angle offset of the substrate 100 falls within the allowable range. In addition, the control amount is not limited to the displacement amount of the support unit 161, and may also be a control parameter of the position adjustment unit, etc.

[0130] In S7, the processing unit 3111 performs a position adjustment process of adjusting the position of the substrate 100 through the position adjustment mechanism 162 based on the control amount set in S6. As a result, the support unit 161 is displaced on the X-Y plane, and the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the chamber 164 and the reference member 165 is adjusted.

[0131] In S8, the processing unit 3111 performs the detection process by the detection unit 163 again. Specifically, the processing unit 3111 causes the detection unit 163 to detect the edge 1001 of the substrate 100 and the reference mark 1651. After that, the processing unit 3111 returns to S5 and repeats the above process until the position deviation between the center position C1 and the corrected reference position C2' in S4 falls within the allowable range.

[0132] <Example of operation from edge alignment to film formation process>

[0133] Figure 9 (B) is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the production line of the electronic device, and shows the process from the edge alignment in the transfer chamber 16 to the film formation process in the film formation apparatus 1.

[0134] In S101, the edge alignment device 16 performs edge alignment. In the present embodiment, the edge alignment device 16 is executed by the processing unit 3111 Figure 9 the flowchart shown in (A), and performs edge alignment of the substrate 100.

[0135] In S102, the transfer robot 302a transfers the substrate 100 to the film formation chamber 303. For example, when the control device 309 receives a transfer instruction of the substrate 100 from the control device 311 or the upper device 300, the control device 309 causes the transfer robot 302a to transfer the substrate 100. In the present embodiment, the transfer robot 302a transfers the substrate 100 to the substrate support unit 6 of the film formation apparatus 1 provided in the film formation chamber 303.

[0136] In the present embodiment, after the edge alignment is performed in S101, the substrate 100 is transferred by the transfer robot 302a. Therefore, at the time of transferring the substrate 100, the position of the substrate 100 is adjusted so that the center position of the substrate 100 based on the alignment mark 1002 comes to a constant position. As a result, the transfer robot 302a can transfer the substrate 100 to the position inside the film formation apparatus 1 where the substrate 100 will be located or a position near it after the mark alignment in the film formation apparatus 1. In other words, the transfer robot 302a can transfer the substrate 100 in such a way that the center position of the substrate 100 based on the alignment mark 1002 of the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 as the transfer target is constant (or the deviation of the center position is suppressed).

[0137] In S103, the alignment device 2 of the film forming apparatus 1 performs mark alignment of the substrate 100. For example, the alignment device 2 performs mark alignment by the method described in <Outline of Film Forming Apparatus>. As described above, for the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6, the center position of the substrate 100 based on the alignment mark 1002 at the start time of mark alignment is constant (or the deviation of the center position is suppressed). Thereby, the alignment device can efficiently perform mark alignment.

[0138] In S104, the film forming apparatus 1 performs a film forming process on the substrate 100. For example, the control device 303 causes the film forming unit 4 to perform a film forming process.

[0139] As described above, in the present embodiment, the processing unit 3111 controls the position adjustment mechanism 162 (S4 to S7) based on the position information of the edge 1001 of the substrate 100 detected by the detection unit 163 and the substrate information. Thereby, regarding the edge alignment of the substrate 100 cut out from the large substrate MG, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the alignment accuracy in the film forming apparatus 1 as the conveyance destination. Further, in the present embodiment, for the substrates 100A and 100B with different cut-out positions from the large substrate MG, the position adjustment mechanism 162 is controlled according to different control amounts based on the substrate information. Thereby, for the substrates 100 with different cut-out positions, it is possible to perform edge alignment taking into account the deviation between the center position based on the edge 1001 and the center position based on the alignment mark.

[0140] In addition, in the present embodiment, even if the cut-out positions are different, it is possible to perform edge alignment so that the center position based on the alignment mark comes to a constant position. Thereby, regardless of the cut-out position of the substrate 100, it is possible to make the center position of the substrate 100 based on the alignment mark constant when the substrate 100 is conveyed to the film forming apparatus 1 after the edge alignment is completed. In other words, regardless of the cut-out position of the substrate 100, it is possible to make the center position of the substrate 100 based on the alignment mark constant when the substrate support unit 6 of the film forming apparatus 1 first receives the substrate 100 conveyed from the edge alignment device 16. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the alignment accuracy and an increase in the time required for alignment in the film forming apparatus 1 as the conveyance destination.

[0141] In addition, in the present embodiment, the reference position for position alignment is corrected based on the substrate information, and the control amount of the position adjustment mechanism 162 is set based on the position offset amount between the center position C1 and the corrected reference position C2'. However, it is also possible to correct the control amount based on the substrate information after setting the control amount of the position adjustment mechanism 162 in such a manner that the center position C1 of the substrate 100 coincides with the center position C2 of the reference mark 1651. That is, the object to be corrected according to the substrate information is not limited to the reference position for position alignment, and may also be the control amount of the position adjustment mechanism 162 or the like.

[0142] <Method for manufacturing an electronic device>

[0143] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described. Hereinafter, as an example of the electronic device, the structure and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be illustrated. In this example, Figure 1 The exemplified film-forming module 301 is provided, for example, at three locations on the production line.

[0144] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Figure 11 (A) is an overall view of the organic EL display device 50, Figure 11 (B) is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0145] As Figure 11 shown in (A), in the display area 51 of the organic EL display device 50, a plurality of pixels 52 each including a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in a matrix. Details will be described later, but each light-emitting element has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes.

[0146] In addition, the pixel as used herein refers to the smallest unit capable of displaying a desired color in the display area 51. In the case of a color organic EL display device, the pixel 52 is constituted by a combination of a plurality of sub-pixels such as a first light-emitting element 52R, a second light-emitting element 52G, and a third light-emitting element 52B that emit different lights. The pixel 52 is often constituted by a combination of three types of sub-pixels, namely, a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, and a blue (B) light-emitting element, but is not limited thereto. The pixel 52 may include at least one type of sub-pixel, preferably includes two or more types of sub-pixels, and more preferably includes three or more types of sub-pixels. As the sub-pixels constituting the pixel 52, for example, a combination of four types of sub-pixels, namely, a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, a blue (B) light-emitting element, and a yellow (Y) light-emitting element, may also be used.

[0147] Figure 11 (B) is Figure 11Partial cross-sectional schematic view of line A - B of (A). Pixel 52 has a plurality of sub-pixels formed of an organic EL element having a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, any one of a red layer 56R, a green layer 56G, and a blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58 on a substrate 53. Among them, the hole transport layer 55, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, the blue layer 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to organic layers. The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are each formed in a pattern corresponding to a light-emitting element (sometimes also referred to as an organic EL element) that emits red, green, and blue light, respectively.

[0148] In addition, the first electrode 54 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, the electron transport layer 57, and the second electrode 58 can be formed commonly for a plurality of light-emitting elements 52R, 52G, 52B, or can be formed for each light-emitting element. That is, as shown in Figure 11 (B), after the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer over a plurality of sub-pixel regions, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed separately for each sub-pixel region, and then the electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 are formed as a common layer over a plurality of sub-pixel regions.

[0149] In addition, in order to prevent short circuits between adjacent first electrodes 54, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54. And since the organic EL layer deteriorates due to moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 60 is provided to protect the organic EL element from the influence of moisture and oxygen.

[0150] In Figure 11 (B), the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are shown as one layer, but depending on the structure of the organic EL display element, they can also be formed of a plurality of layers having a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer. In addition, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure can be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55 so that holes can be smoothly injected from the first electrode 54 into the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer can also be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

[0151] The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B can each be formed of a single light-emitting layer, or can be formed by laminating a plurality of layers. For example, the red layer 56R can be composed of two layers, with the upper layer formed of a red light-emitting layer and the lower layer formed of a hole transport layer or an electron blocking layer. Or, the lower layer can be formed of a red light-emitting layer and the upper layer can be formed of an electron transport layer or a hole blocking layer. By providing a layer on the lower side or the upper side of the light-emitting layer in this way, the light-emitting position in the light-emitting layer is adjusted, and the optical path length is adjusted, thereby having the effect of improving the color purity of the light-emitting element.

[0152] In addition, an example of the red layer 56R is shown here, but the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B may have the same structure. In addition, the number of stacked layers may be two or more. Also, layers of different materials such as a light-emitting layer and an electron blocking layer may be stacked, or layers of the same material such as two or more light-emitting layers may be stacked, for example.

[0153] Hereinafter, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described. Here, it is assumed that the red layer 56R is composed of two layers, a lower layer 56R1 and an upper layer 56R2, and the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B are composed of a single light-emitting layer.

[0154] First, a substrate 53 on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a first electrode 54 are formed is prepared. In addition, the material of the substrate 53 is not particularly limited and can be made of glass, plastic, metal, etc. In the present embodiment, as the substrate 53, a substrate in which a polyimide film is laminated on a glass substrate is used.

[0155] A resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is coated on the substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed by bar coating (Japanese: バーコート) or spin coating, and the resin layer is patterned by photolithography so as to form an opening in the portion where the first electrode 54 is formed, thereby forming an insulating layer 59. This opening corresponds to the light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light. In addition, in the present embodiment, the large substrate is processed until the insulating layer 59 is formed, and after the insulating layer 59 is formed, a dividing step of dividing the substrate 53 is performed.

[0156] The substrate 53 on which the insulating layer 59 is patterned is sent into the first film-forming chamber 303, and the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on the first electrode 54 in the display region. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask in which openings are formed in the display region 51 of the panel portion of each organic EL display device finally formed.

[0157] Next, the substrate 53 formed up to the hole transport layer 55 is fed into the second film forming chamber 303. Alignment of the substrate 53 with the mask is performed, the substrate is placed on the mask, and a film of the red layer 56R is formed on the portion of the substrate 53 where the component that emits red light is arranged (the region where the red sub-pixel is formed) above the hole transport layer 55. Here, the mask used in the second film forming chamber is a high-precision mask having openings formed only in the regions that become the red sub-pixels among the multiple regions on the substrate 53 that become the sub-pixels of the organic EL display device. As a result, the red layer 56R including the red light emitting layer is formed only in the regions that become the red sub-pixels among the regions that become the multiple sub-pixels on the substrate 53. In other words, the red layer 56R is not formed in the regions that become the blue sub-pixels and the regions that become the green sub-pixels among the regions that become the multiple sub-pixels on the substrate 53, and is selectively formed in the regions that become the red sub-pixels.

[0158] Similar to the film formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G is formed in the third film forming chamber 303, and then the blue layer 56B is formed in the fourth film forming chamber 303. After the film formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B is completed, the electron transport layer 57 is formed on the entire display region 51 in the fifth film forming chamber 303. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a common layer on the three-color layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

[0159] The substrate formed up to the electron transport layer 57 is moved to the sixth film forming chamber 303, and the second electrode 58 is formed. In the present embodiment, the film formation of each layer is performed by vacuum evaporation in the first film forming chamber 303 to the sixth film forming chamber 303. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the film formation of the second electrode 58 in the sixth film forming chamber 303 can also be performed by sputtering. After that, the substrate formed up to the second electrode 58 is moved to a sealing device, and a protective layer 60 is formed by plasma CVD (sealing process), and the organic EL display device 50 is completed. In addition, here it is assumed that the protective layer 60 is formed by the CVD method, but it is not limited thereto, and it can also be formed by the ALD method or the inkjet method.

[0160] Here, the film formation in the first film forming chamber 303 to the sixth film forming chamber 303 is performed using a mask having openings corresponding to the patterns of the respective layers to be formed. At the time of film formation, after the relative position adjustment (alignment) of the substrate 53 and the mask is performed, the substrate 53 is placed on the mask and film formation is performed. Here, the alignment process performed in each film forming chamber is carried out as described in the above alignment process.

[0161] <Other Embodiments>

[0162] In the above-described embodiment, the storage unit 3112 of the edge alignment device 16 stores the substrate information in association with the position offset tolerance value and the correction amount from the center position C2 (XC2, YC2). However, a host device 300 may centrally manage some or all of this information.

[0163] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the processing unit 3111 acquires the substrate information from the host device 300 through communication (step S1). However, the acquisition of the substrate information by the processing unit 3111 may be in other ways. For example, a detection unit 163 or a camera separately provided in the edge alignment device 16 may detect the presence or absence of the orientation plane OF, and the processing unit 3111 may acquire the substrate information based on the detection result. In addition, for example, a code representing the substrate information may be assigned to each substrate 100, and the processing unit 3111 may acquire the substrate information by reading the code.

[0164] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the host device 300 manages the substrate information in association with the identification information of the substrate 100, but the identification information of the substrate 100 itself may include the substrate information. For example, a part representing the substrate information may be included in a character string or the like constituting the identification information. In this case, the processing unit 3111 can acquire the substrate information based on the identification information of the substrate 100 received from the host device 300.

[0165] The present invention can also be implemented by the following process: supplying a program that implements one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device reading and executing the program. In addition, it can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0166] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention.

[0167] Description of Reference Numerals

[0168] 1 Film forming device, 16 Edge alignment device (alignment device, first alignment unit), 161 Support unit (substrate support member, first substrate support member), 162 Position adjustment mechanism (position adjustment member, first position adjustment member), 163 Detection unit (edge detection member), 3111 Processing unit (acquisition member, control member), 3112 Storage unit (storage member), 100 Substrate, 101 Mask.

Claims

1. An alignment device, the alignment device comprising: a substrate support member that supports any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate; an edge detection member that detects an edge of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; a position adjustment member that adjusts the position of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; and a control member that controls the position adjustment member, characterized in that the alignment device includes an acquisition member that acquires substrate information of the substrate supported by the substrate support member related to a part in the large substrate before division, the control member controls the position adjustment member based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected by the edge detection member and the substrate information acquired by the acquisition member, alignment marks are formed on the substrate, the control member controls the position adjustment member to bias the position of the substrate in a direction that suppresses the deviation of the center position of the substrate based on the alignment marks between substrates with different parts in the large substrate before division.

2. An alignment device, the alignment device comprising: a substrate support member that supports any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate; an edge detection member that detects an edge of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; a position adjustment member that adjusts the position of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; and a control member that controls the position adjustment member, characterized in that the alignment device includes an acquisition member that acquires substrate information of the substrate supported by the substrate support member related to a part in the large substrate before division, the control member controls the position adjustment member based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected by the edge detection member and the substrate information acquired by the acquisition member, the alignment device further includes: a transfer member that transfers the substrate whose position has been adjusted by the position adjustment member; a second substrate support member that supports the substrate transferred by the transfer member; a mask support member that supports a mask; an alignment mark detection member that detects alignment marks formed on the substrate supported by the second substrate support member; a second position adjustment member that adjusts the relative position between the substrate supported by the second substrate support member and the mask supported by the mask support member; and a second control member that controls the position adjustment member based on the detection result of the alignment mark detection member.

3. An alignment device, the alignment device comprising: a substrate support member that supports any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate; an edge detection member that detects an edge of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; a position adjustment member that adjusts the position of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; and A control component that controls the position adjustment component. Characterized in that The alignment device is provided with an acquisition component that acquires substrate information related to the position in the large substrate before splitting of the substrate supported by the substrate support component. The control component controls the position adjustment component based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected by the edge detection component and the substrate information acquired by the acquisition component. The edge detection component detects a plurality of the edges and also detects a plurality of fiducial marks. The control component corrects the position information of the plurality of fiducial marks detected by the edge detection component according to the substrate information, and controls the position adjustment component based on the corrected position information of the plurality of fiducial marks and the position information of the plurality of edges detected by the edge detection component.

4. The alignment device according to claim 3, characterized in that It further includes a container for accommodating the substrate support component. The component having the fiducial mark is fixed relative to the container.

5. The alignment device according to claim 3, characterized in that The control component corrects the position information of the plurality of fiducial marks detected by the edge detection component in such a way that the position information is offset according to the substrate information.

6. The alignment device according to claim 3, characterized in that It further has a storage component that stores correction information for correcting the position information of the fiducial mark in correspondence with the substrate information.

7. The alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The substrate information is included in the identification information for identifying the substrate.

8. The alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The alignment device functions as a transfer chamber for transferring the substrate sent from an external device to another external device different from the external device.

9. An alignment device, the alignment device comprising: A first alignment unit; A second alignment unit; and An acquisition component, Characterized in that The first alignment unit has: A first substrate support component that supports any one of the plurality of substrates obtained by splitting a large substrate; An edge detection component that detects the edge of the substrate supported by the first substrate support component; A first position adjustment component that adjusts the position of the substrate supported by the first substrate support component; and A first control component that controls the first position adjustment component, The second alignment unit has: A second substrate support component that supports the substrate; A mask support component that supports a mask; An alignment mark detection component that detects the alignment mark of the substrate supported by the second substrate support component; A second position adjustment component that adjusts the relative position of the substrate supported by the second substrate support component and the mask supported by the mask support component; And A second control component that controls the second position adjustment component based on the position information of the alignment marks detected by the alignment mark detection component. The second alignment unit aligns the substrate whose position has been adjusted by the first position adjustment component and conveyed from the first alignment unit. The acquisition component acquires substrate information related to the part of the substrate supported by the first substrate support component in the large substrate before division. The first control component controls the first position adjustment component based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected by the edge detection component and the substrate information acquired by the acquisition component.

10. A film forming apparatus, characterized in that, The film forming apparatus includes: The alignment apparatus according to claim 9; and A film forming component that forms a film on the substrate via the mask.

11. An alignment method, the alignment method comprising: A support step of supporting any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate; An edge detection step of detecting the edge of the substrate supported in the support step; and A position adjustment step of adjusting the position of the substrate, characterized in that The alignment method includes an acquisition step in which substrate information related to the part of the large substrate before division of the substrate whose position is adjusted is acquired, In the position adjustment step, the position of the substrate is adjusted based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected in the edge detection step and the substrate information acquired in the acquisition step, Alignment marks are formed on the substrate, In the position adjustment step, the position of the substrate is adjusted so that the position of the substrate is biased in a direction that suppresses the deviation of the center position of the substrate based on the alignment marks of substrates with different parts in the large substrate before division.

12. An alignment method, the alignment method comprising: A support step of supporting any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate; An edge detection step of detecting the edge of the substrate supported in the support step; and A position adjustment step of adjusting the position of the substrate, characterized in that The alignment method includes an acquisition step in which substrate information related to the part of the large substrate before division of the substrate whose position is adjusted is acquired, In the position adjustment step, the position of the substrate is adjusted based on the position information of the edge of the substrate detected in the edge detection step and the substrate information acquired in the acquisition step, In the edge detection step, a plurality of the edges are detected, and a plurality of reference marks are detected, In the position adjustment step, the position information of the plurality of reference marks detected by the edge detection step is corrected according to the substrate information, and the position of the substrate is adjusted based on the corrected position information of the plurality of reference marks and the position information of the plurality of edges detected by the edge detection step.

13. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, the manufacturing method comprising: An alignment process for aligning a substrate by the alignment method according to claim 11 or 12; A feeding process for feeding the substrate aligned by the alignment process into a film forming apparatus; And A film forming process for forming a film on the substrate fed into the film forming apparatus by the feeding process.

14. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 13, wherein it further includes a second alignment process for adjusting the relative position between the substrate fed into the film forming apparatus in the feeding process and a mask provided in the film forming apparatus based on the position of alignment marks formed on the substrate before the film forming process.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A program for causing a computer to execute the respective processes of the alignment method according to claim 12 is stored.

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