Film forming apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a film forming apparatus that improves the measurement accuracy of the degree of adsorption of a substrate. The film forming apparatus includes a chamber that maintains the inside in a vacuum, an adsorption plate that is provided in the inside of the chamber and is used to adsorb the substrate, a detection member that is disposed below the adsorption plate in a vertical direction and detects the degree of adsorption of the substrate to the adsorption plate, and a moving member that moves the detection member in a first direction along the surface of the substrate to be formed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to film-forming apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacture of organic EL displays, a mask is used to deposit a material onto a substrate. As a pretreatment for film formation, the mask and the substrate are aligned to ensure they overlap. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for aligning the substrate and the mask by bringing them close together while the substrate is adsorbed onto an adsorption plate such as an electrostatic chuck. Furthermore, a detection component for detecting the adsorption state of the substrate is disclosed.

[0003] Prior technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-117926

[0006] In existing technologies, the placement of the detection components is fixed. Therefore, this may limit the location from which the adsorption state of the substrate can be measured. Consequently, the accuracy of the substrate's adsorption degree measurement may be reduced. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to improve the accuracy of the determination of the adsorption degree of the substrate.

[0008] Solution for solving the problem

[0009] The present invention adopts the following structure. That is,

[0010] A film-forming apparatus, characterized in that,

[0011] The film-forming device has the following features:

[0012] A chamber that maintains a vacuum inside;

[0013] An adsorption plate is disposed inside the chamber for adsorbing the substrate;

[0014] A detection component, vertically positioned below the adsorption plate, detects the degree of adsorption of the substrate onto the adsorption plate; and

[0015] The moving component moves the detection component in a first direction along the film-forming surface of the substrate.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention employs the following structure. That is,

[0017] A film-forming apparatus, characterized in that,

[0018] The film-forming device has the following features:

[0019] A chamber that maintains a vacuum inside;

[0020] An adsorption plate is disposed inside the chamber for adsorbing the substrate;

[0021] A mask support component is disposed inside the chamber to support the mask;

[0022] Alignment components are used to align the substrate and the mask adsorbed on the adsorption plate.

[0023] A detection component, disposed on the lower side of the adsorption plate in the vertical direction, detects the degree of adhesion between the mask and the substrate; and

[0024] The moving component moves the detection component in a direction along the film-forming surface of the substrate.

[0025] The effects of the invention

[0026] According to the present invention, the accuracy of the determination of the adsorption degree of the substrate can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a part of an electronic device production line.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a film-forming apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0029] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram of the substrate support unit and the adsorption plate.

[0030] Figure 4 This is an illustration of the electrical wiring of the adsorption plate.

[0031] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram of the measurement unit.

[0032] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram of the adjustment unit.

[0033] Figure 7 This is an illustration of the process of overlapping the substrate and mask using an adsorption plate.

[0034] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the detection component.

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a detection scenario based on a detection component.

[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of detection based on a detection component.

[0037] Figure 11 This is a top view showing another example of scanning a detection component.

[0038] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of an electronic device production line.

[0039] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the sensor unit.

[0040] Figure 14 It is a diagram used to illustrate the manufacturing process of electronic devices.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0042] 2: Alignment device; 3: Vacuum chamber; 14: Control device; 15: Adsorption plate; 100: Substrate; 101: Mask; 204: Moving mechanism; 236: Distance sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, these features are not all limited to those essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. In the accompanying drawings, the same or identical structures are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0044] [Electronic component production line]

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the structure of an electronic device production line to which the film-forming apparatus of the present invention can be applied. Figure 1 For example, in a production line used to manufacture display panels for organic EL display devices for smartphones, substrate 100 is sequentially transported to film forming block 301, where organic EL film is formed on substrate 100.

[0046] In the film-forming block 301, a plurality of film-forming chambers 303a to 303d for film-forming the substrate 100 are arranged around a transfer chamber 302, which has an octagonal shape when viewed from above, and a mask receiving chamber 305 for storing the mask before and after use. A transfer robot 302a for transferring the substrate 100 is arranged in the transfer chamber 302. The transfer robot 302a includes a hand that holds the substrate 100 and a multi-joint arm that moves the hand in the horizontal direction. In other words, the film-forming block 301 is a cluster-type film-forming unit in which a plurality of film-forming chambers 303a to 303d are arranged around the transfer robot 302a. Furthermore, the film-forming chambers 303a to 303d are collectively referred to as film-forming chamber 303, or, if no distinction is made, are designated as film-forming chamber 303.

[0047] In the transport direction (arrow direction) of the substrate 100, a buffer chamber 306, a swirl chamber 307, and a transfer chamber 308 are respectively arranged on the upstream and downstream sides of the film forming block 301. During the manufacturing process, each chamber is maintained in a vacuum state. Furthermore, Figure 1 Only one film-forming block 301 is illustrated, but the production line of this embodiment has multiple film-forming blocks 301, and the multiple film-forming blocks 301 have a structure connected by a connecting device consisting of a buffer chamber 306, a swirl chamber 307, and a transfer chamber 308. In addition, the structure of the connecting device is not limited to this, for example, it may be composed of only the buffer chamber 306 or the transfer chamber 308.

[0048] The transfer robot 302a performs the following operations: transferring the substrate 100 from the upstream transfer chamber 308 to the transfer chamber 302; transferring the substrate 100 between the film forming chambers 303; transferring the mask between the mask receiving chamber 305 and the film forming chamber 303; and transferring the substrate 100 from the transfer chamber 302 to the downstream buffer chamber 306.

[0049] The buffer chamber 306 is a chamber used to temporarily hold substrates 100 according to the working conditions of the production line. A substrate storage rack, also referred to as a housing, and a lifting mechanism are provided in the buffer chamber 306. The substrate storage rack has a multi-layer structure capable of holding multiple substrates 100 in a horizontal state with the processed surface (film-forming surface) of the substrate 100 facing downwards in the direction of gravity. The lifting mechanism raises and lowers the substrate storage rack to align the layer of substrates 100 being moved in or out with the transport position. Thus, multiple substrates 100 can be temporarily accommodated and held in the buffer chamber 306.

[0050] The rotary chamber 307 is equipped with a device for changing the orientation of the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the rotary chamber 307 rotates the orientation of the substrate 100 by 180 degrees using a transfer robot installed in the rotary chamber 307. The transfer robot installed in the rotary chamber 307 rotates 180 degrees while supporting the substrate 100 received in the buffer chamber 306 and transfers it to the transfer chamber 308, thereby exchanging the front and rear ends of the substrate in the buffer chamber 306 and the transfer chamber 308. Therefore, in each film deposition block 301, the orientation of the substrate 100 when it is moved into the film deposition chamber 303 is the same, thus, the scanning direction of film deposition relative to the substrate S and the orientation of the mask can be aligned in each film deposition block 301. By adopting such a structure, the orientation of the mask placed in the mask receiving chamber 305 can be aligned in each film deposition block 301, which simplifies mask management and improves usability.

[0051] The production line control system includes a host computer 300 that controls the entire production line and control devices 14a-14d, 309, and 310 that control various structures. These devices can communicate via wired or wireless communication line 300a. Control devices 14a-14d are correspondingly installed with film-forming chambers 303a-303d and control the film-forming apparatus 1, which will be described later. Furthermore, they are collectively referred to as control devices 14a-14d or, if no distinction is made, as control device 14.

[0052] Control device 309 controls the transfer robot 302a. Control device 310 controls the device of the rotary chamber 307. The host device 300 sends information related to the substrate 100, transfer timing and other instructions to each control device 14, 309 and 310, and each control device 14, 309 and 310 controls each structure according to the received instructions.

[0053] [Overview of the film-forming device]

[0054] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a film-forming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. The film-forming apparatus 1, provided in the film-forming chamber 303, is an apparatus for depositing vapor-deposited material on a substrate 100, using a mask 101 to form a thin film of vapor-deposited material with a predetermined pattern. The material of the substrate 100 in which film formation is performed in the film-forming apparatus 1 can be appropriately selected from materials such as glass, resin, and metal, and preferably a material on which a resin layer such as polyimide is formed. The vapor-deposited material can be organic materials, inorganic materials (metals, metal oxides, etc.), etc. The film-forming apparatus 1 can be applied to manufacturing apparatuses for electronic devices and optical components such as display devices (flat panel displays, etc.), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film camera elements), and particularly to manufacturing apparatuses for organic EL panels. In the following description, an example of film formation on the substrate 100 by vacuum vapor deposition using the film-forming apparatus 1 will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various film-forming methods such as sputtering and CVD can be applied. Additionally, in each diagram, arrow Z represents the up-down direction (direction of gravity), while arrows X and Y represent mutually orthogonal horizontal directions.

[0055] The film-forming apparatus 1 has a box-shaped vacuum chamber 3 (also simply referred to as a chamber) capable of maintaining an internal vacuum. The internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inactive gas atmosphere such as nitrogen. In this embodiment, the vacuum chamber 3 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). In this specification, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with a gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a depressurization state. Inside the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3, a substrate support unit 6 that supports the substrate 100 in a horizontal position, a mask stage 5 that supports the mask 101, a film-forming unit 4, a plate unit 9, and an adsorption plate 15 are arranged. The mask 101 is a metal mask having an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern formed on the substrate 100, and is placed on the mask stage 5. In addition, the mask stage 5 can be replaced with other components that fix the mask 101 in a predetermined position. As the mask 101, a mask having a structure in which a mask foil with a thickness of about a few μm to tens of μm is welded and fixed on a frame-shaped mask frame can be used. The material of the mask 101 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a metal with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, such as Invar alloy. The film formation process is performed with the substrate 100 placed on the mask 101 and the substrate 100 and the mask 101 overlapping each other.

[0056] The plate unit 9 includes a cooling plate 10 and a magnet plate 11. The cooling plate 10 is suspended below the magnet plate 11 and can be displaced in the Z direction. The cooling plate 10 has the function of cooling the substrate 100 adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15 during film formation by contacting it during film formation. The cooling plate 10 is not limited to a structure that actively cools the substrate 100 by having a water cooling mechanism or the like, and can also be a plate-shaped member that absorbs heat from the substrate 100 by contacting the adsorption plate 15 even without a water cooling mechanism or the like. The magnet plate 11 is a plate that functions as a mask support member that attracts the mask 101 by magnetic force, and is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 100 to improve the adhesion between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 during film formation.

[0057] Alternatively, the cooling plate 10 and the magnet plate 11 can be omitted. For example, if a cooling mechanism is provided on the adsorption plate 15, the cooling plate 10 may be omitted. Also, if the adsorption plate 15 also functions as a mask support member for the adsorption mask 101, the magnet plate 11 may be omitted.

[0058] The film-forming unit 4, comprising a heater, an on / off switch, a drive mechanism for the evaporation source, and an evaporation rate monitor, is an evaporation source that deposits the material onto the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the film-forming unit 4 is arranged vertically below the adsorption plate 15. More specifically, in this embodiment, the film-forming unit 4 is a linear evaporation source from which multiple nozzles (not shown) are arranged side-by-side in the X direction, and the material to be deposited is emitted from each nozzle. For example, the linear evaporation source is reciprocated in the Y direction (depth direction of the device) by an evaporation source moving mechanism (not shown). In this embodiment, the film-forming unit 4 is disposed in the same vacuum chamber 3 as the alignment device 2 described later. However, in embodiments where the film-forming process is performed in a different chamber than the vacuum chamber 3 used for alignment, the film-forming unit 4 is not disposed in the vacuum chamber 3.

[0059] [Alignment device]

[0060] The film forming apparatus 1 includes an alignment device 2 as an alignment component for aligning the substrate 100 and the mask 101. The alignment device 2 includes a substrate support unit 6, an adsorption plate 15, a position adjustment unit 20, a distance adjustment unit 22, a plate unit lifting unit 13, measuring units 7 and 8, an adjustment unit 17, a floating part 19, and a detection unit 16. The structure of each part of the alignment device will be described below.

[0061] (Substrate support unit)

[0062] The alignment device 2 includes a substrate support unit 6 that supports the periphery of the substrate 100. In addition to Figure 2 In addition, refer to Figure 3 Please provide an explanation. Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram of the substrate support unit 6 and the adsorption plate 15, and it is a view of them from below.

[0063] The substrate support unit 6 includes multiple base portions 61a to 61d forming its outer frame and multiple mounting portions 62 and 63 protruding inward from the base portions 61a to 61d. The mounting portions 62 and 63 are sometimes referred to as "receiving claws" or "hooks". The base portions 61a to 61d are each supported by a support shaft R3. The multiple mounting portions 62 are spaced apart on the base portions 61a to 61d such that they receive the long side of the peripheral edge of the substrate 100. Similarly, the multiple mounting portions 63 are spaced apart on the base portions 61a to 61d such that they receive the short side of the peripheral edge of the substrate 100. The substrate 100, which is moved into the film forming apparatus 1 by the transfer robot 302a, is supported by the multiple mounting portions 62 and 63. Hereinafter, the base portions 61a to 61d will be collectively referred to as base portions 61, or, if no distinction is made, as base portion 61.

[0064] In this embodiment, the plurality of mounting portions 62 and 63 are composed of leaf springs. When the substrate 100 supported by the plurality of mounting portions 62 and 63 is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15, the elastic force of the leaf springs can be used to press the substrate 100 onto the adsorption plate 15.

[0065] In addition, Figure 3 In the example, four base portions 61 form a rectangular frame with partial cutouts. However, this is not a limitation; the base portions 61 can also be rectangular frames without cutouts, such as those surrounding the outer periphery of the rectangular substrate 100. However, by providing cutouts in the multiple base portions 61, when the transport robot 302a hands over the substrate 100 to the placement portions 62 and 63, the transport robot 302a can avoid the base portions 61 and retreat. This improves the efficiency of transporting and handing over the substrate 100.

[0066] Alternatively, a plurality of clamping portions may be provided on the substrate support unit 6 corresponding to a plurality of mounting portions 62, 63, and the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 mounted on the mounting portions 62, 63 may be clamped and held by the clamping portions.

[0067] (Adsorption plate)

[0068] Continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The alignment device 2 is disposed inside the vacuum chamber 3 and includes an adsorption plate 15 capable of adsorbing the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the adsorption plate 15 is disposed between the substrate support unit 6 and the plate unit 9 and is supported by one or more support shafts R1. In this embodiment, the adsorption plate 15 is supported by four support shafts R1. In one embodiment, the support shafts R1 are cylindrical shafts.

[0069] In this embodiment, the adsorption plate 15 is an electrostatic chuck that uses electrostatic force to adsorb the substrate 100. For example, the adsorption plate 15 has a structure in which circuits such as metal electrodes are embedded inside a ceramic matrix (also called a substrate). For example, in each electrode arrangement region 151, a pair of electrodes for applying positive and negative voltages are arranged to generate electrostatic attraction. The positive and negative electrodes are arranged alternately in one electrode arrangement region 151. When a positive (+) and a negative (-) voltage are applied to the metal electrodes arranged in the electrode arrangement region 151, the substrate 100 is induced with polarized charges through the ceramic matrix, and the substrate 100 is adsorbed and fixed to the adsorption surface 150 of the adsorption plate 15 by the electrostatic attraction (electrostatic force) between the substrate 100 and the adsorption plate 15.

[0070] In addition, the adsorption plate 15 includes a voltage control unit (not shown) that controls the magnitude of the voltage applied to the electrodes, the start time of voltage application, the duration of voltage application, and the order of voltage application. The voltage control unit can independently control the voltage application to the multiple electrode placement areas 151.

[0071] Furthermore, the electrode arrangement area 151 can be appropriately set. For example, in this embodiment, multiple electrode arrangement areas 151 are arranged separately from each other, but it is also possible to form an electrode arrangement area 151 covering approximately the entire surface of the adsorption surface 150 of the adsorption plate 15.

[0072] Furthermore, multiple contact sensors 1621 for detecting the contact between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100 are embedded in the adsorption plate 15. In this embodiment, a total of nine contact sensors 1621 are provided. Four are provided along each of the two long sides of the periphery of the adsorption plate 15, and one is provided in the center of the adsorption plate 15. As described above, by providing contact sensors 1621 at multiple locations on the adsorption plate 15, it can be confirmed that the entire surface of the substrate 100 is adsorbed onto the adsorption surface 150. In addition, the number and arrangement of the contact sensors 1621 can be appropriately changed.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the contact sensor 1621 mechanically detects its contact with the object. As an example, the contact sensor 1621 is configured such that its end portion is subjected to force by a spring or the like, and protrudes from the adsorption surface 150 when the end portion is not in contact with the substrate 100. When the substrate 100 contacts the end portion of the contact sensor 1621, the end portion is pressed by the substrate 100 and retracts towards the adsorption plate 15, making contact with internal contacts, thereby outputting a predetermined electrical signal. The shape of the end portion is not particularly limited and can be a button shape or a rod shape. By appropriately setting the length of the end portion protruding from the adsorption surface 150 when not in contact with the object, the contact sensor 1621 can substantially detect the contact between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100. Furthermore, multiple contact sensors 1621, as described later, constitute a detection unit 16 (see [Detection Unit]) for detecting the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5.

[0074] In this embodiment, an optical fiber sensor 1622 is provided on the adsorption plate 15 to confirm the adsorption state of the substrate 100 onto the adsorption plate 15. The optical fiber sensor 1622 includes a light-emitting part 1622a and a light-receiving part 1622b. The light-emitting part 1622a and the light-receiving part 1622b are arranged to form a light path 1622c below the adsorption plate 15, for example, a few mm to tens of mm below the adsorption plate 15. If a portion of the substrate 100 is not adsorbed by the adsorption plate 15, this portion bends downward due to gravity. After the adsorption process of the substrate 100 onto the adsorption plate 15 is performed, if bending occurs on the substrate 100, the bent portion blocks the light path 1622c, thereby detecting the bending of the substrate 100. That is, it is possible to detect that the adsorption of the substrate 100 has not been properly performed. Alternatively, the optical fiber sensor 1622 may be omitted.

[0075] In addition, a plurality of openings 152 are formed in the adsorption plate 15, and the measurement units (first measurement unit 7 and second measurement unit 8) described later take pictures of the mask marks described later through the plurality of openings 152.

[0076] Refer to together Figure 4 . Figure 4 The structure from the adsorption plate 15 to the support shaft R1 is schematically shown. Additionally, Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram of the electrical wiring of the adsorption plate, showing the wiring for supplying power to the electrodes disposed in the electrode arrangement area 151 of the adsorption plate 15. In this embodiment, the plurality of support shafts R1 supporting the adsorption plate 15 are formed as hollow cylinders. Furthermore, wires 153 for applying positive (+) and negative (-) voltages are arranged to pass through their interior. Figure 4 In the example shown, one wire 153 is used to apply positive (+) voltage and one wire 153 is used to apply negative (-) voltage, for a total of two wires. Additionally, the wire 153 extending from the lower part of the support shaft R1 towards the vacuum chamber 3 extends along the short side of the adsorption plate 15 and connects to an electrical connection 154 located approximately at the center of the short side. That is, the wire 153 is guided from the outside of the vacuum chamber 3 to the inside via the support shaft R1 and connects to the electrical connection 154. Furthermore, the power supplied from the wire 153 to the electrical connection 154 is supplied to each electrode disposed in the electrode arrangement area 151.

[0077] In this embodiment, four support shafts R1 are provided, through which various wires (cables) are guided into the interior of the vacuum chamber 3. In one embodiment, the wires 153 that supply power to the adsorption plate 15 pass through the inner sides of two diagonally opposite support shafts R1, while the cables such as the contact sensor 1621 and the fiber optic sensor 1622 (described later) pass through the inner sides of the remaining two support shafts R1 in a bundled state.

[0078] (Position Adjustment Unit)

[0079] The alignment device 2 includes a position adjustment unit 20, which adjusts the relative position of the substrate 100, whose peripheral portion is supported by the substrate support unit 6 or adsorbed by the adsorption plate 15, and the mask 101. The position adjustment unit 20 adjusts the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the mask 101 by displacing the substrate support unit 6 or the adsorption plate 15 in the XY plane. That is, the position adjustment unit 20 can also be described as a unit that adjusts the horizontal position of the mask 101 and the substrate 100. For example, the position adjustment unit 20 can displace the substrate support unit 6 in the rotational directions about the axes in the X, Y, and Z directions. In this embodiment, the position of the mask 101 is fixed, and the substrate 100 is displaced to adjust their relative position. However, it is also possible to adjust by displacing the mask 101, or by displacing both the substrate 100 and the mask 101.

[0080] In this embodiment, the position adjustment unit 20 includes a fixed plate 20a, a movable plate 20b, and a plurality of actuators 201 disposed between these plates. The fixed plate 20a is fixed to the upper wall 30 of the vacuum chamber 3. In addition, a frame-like platform 21 is mounted on the movable plate 20b, and a distance adjustment unit 22 and a plate unit lifting unit 13 are supported on the platform 21. When the movable plate 20b is moved horizontally relative to the fixed plate 20a by means of the actuators 201, the platform 21, the distance adjustment unit 22, and the plate unit lifting unit 13 are moved together.

[0081] The plurality of actuators 201 include, for example, actuators capable of displacing the movable plate 20b in the X direction and actuators capable of displacing the movable plate 20b in the Y direction. By controlling their movement, the movable plate 20b can be displaced in rotational directions about axes in the X, Y, and Z directions. For example, the plurality of actuators 201 may include mechanisms such as a motor as a drive source and a ball screw mechanism that converts the driving force of the motor into linear motion.

[0082] (Distance Adjustment Unit)

[0083] The distance adjustment unit 22 adjusts the distance between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate support unit 6 and the mask stage 5 by raising and lowering them, so that the substrate 100 and the mask 101 approach and move away (separate) in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 100. In other words, the distance adjustment unit 22 makes the substrate 100 and the mask 101 approach each other in the same direction, or move away from each other in the opposite direction. In addition, the "distance" adjusted by the distance adjustment unit 22 is the so-called vertical distance (or vertical distance), and the distance adjustment unit can also be said to be a unit that adjusts the vertical position of the mask 101 and the substrate 100.

[0084] like Figure 2As shown, the distance adjustment unit 22 includes a first lifting plate 220. A guide rail 21a extending in the Z direction is formed on the side of the platform 21, and the first lifting plate 220 can move freely up and down in the Z direction along the guide rail 21a.

[0085] The first lifting plate 220 supports the adsorption plate 15 via multiple support shafts R1. When the first lifting plate 220 rises or falls, the adsorption plate 15 rises or falls accordingly. In other words, the first lifting plate 220 supports multiple support shafts R1 that support the adsorption plate 15; through the rise and fall of the first lifting plate 220, the multiple support shafts R1 rise and fall synchronously, and the adsorption plate 15 rises and falls while maintaining its parallelism. Furthermore, the first lifting plate 220 supports the substrate support unit 6 via multiple actuators 65 and multiple support shafts R3. When the first lifting plate 220 rises or falls, the substrate support unit 6 rises or falls accordingly. Additionally, the multiple actuators 65 can move the connected multiple support shafts R3 in the vertical direction. The substrate support unit 6 moves relative to the adsorption plate 15 in the vertical direction using the multiple actuators 65. The multiple actuators 65 can also be configured, for example, using a motor and a ball screw mechanism, to move the support shafts R3 in the vertical direction.

[0086] The lifting and lowering of the first lifting plate 220 will be described in more detail. The distance adjustment unit 22 is supported on the frame 21 and includes a drive unit 221, which serves as an actuator for lifting and lowering the first lifting plate 220. The drive unit 221 is a mechanism that transmits the driving force of the motor 221a, which is the drive source, to the first lifting plate 220. In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism having a ball screw shaft 221b and a ball nut 221c is used as the transmission mechanism of the drive unit 221. The ball screw shaft 221b extends along the Z direction and rotates about the Z-axis by the driving force of the motor 221a. The ball nut 221c is fixed to the first lifting plate 220 and engages with the ball screw shaft 221b. By rotating the ball screw shaft 221b and switching its rotation direction, the first lifting plate 220 can be lifted and lowered in the Z direction. The amount of lifting and lowering of the first lifting plate 220 can be controlled, for example, based on the detection results of sensors such as rotary encoders that detect the rotation amount of each motor 221a. Therefore, the position of the adsorption plate 15 that adsorbs and supports the substrate 100 in the Z direction can be controlled, and the contact and separation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 can be controlled. In addition, an adjustment unit 17, which will be described later, is provided on the upper part of the first lifting plate 220.

[0087] In addition, the distance adjustment unit of this embodiment fixes the position of the mask stage 5 and moves the substrate support unit 6 and the adsorption plate 15 to adjust their distance in the Z direction, but it is not limited to this. The position of the substrate support unit 6 or the adsorption plate 15 can be fixed and the mask stage 5 can be moved for adjustment, or the substrate support unit 6, the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 can be moved separately to adjust their relative distances.

[0088] (Plate unit lifting unit)

[0089] The plate unit lifting unit 13, connected to the second lifting plate 12 located outside the vacuum chamber 3, lifts and lowers the plate unit 9 located inside the vacuum chamber 3. The plate unit 9 is connected to the second lifting plate 12 via one or more support shafts R2. In this embodiment, the plate unit 9 is supported by two support shafts R2. The support shafts R2 extend upward from the magnet plate 11, passing through the openings of the upper wall portion 30, the fixed plate 20a and the movable plate 20b, and the opening of the first lifting plate 220, and are connected to the second lifting plate 12.

[0090] The second lifting plate 12 can move freely up and down in the Z direction along the guide shaft 12a. The plate unit lifting unit 13 is supported on the frame 21 and has a drive mechanism for raising and lowering the second lifting plate 12. The drive mechanism of the plate unit lifting unit 13 is a mechanism that transmits the driving force of the motor 13a, which is the drive source, to the second lifting plate 12. In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism with a ball screw shaft 13b and a ball nut 13c is used as the transmission mechanism of the plate unit lifting unit 13. The ball screw shaft 13b extends along the Z direction and rotates about the axis in the Z direction by the driving force of the motor 13a. The ball nut 13c is fixed to the second lifting plate 12 and meshes with the ball screw shaft 13b. By rotating the ball screw shaft 13b and switching its rotation direction, the second lifting plate 12 can be raised and lowered in the Z direction. The amount of raising and lowering of the second lifting plate 12 can be controlled, for example, based on the detection results of sensors such as rotary encoders that detect the rotation amount of each motor 13a. Therefore, the position of the board unit 9 in the Z direction can be controlled, and the contact and separation between the board unit 9 and the substrate 100 can be controlled.

[0091] The openings of the upper wall portion 30 of the vacuum chamber 3 through which the aforementioned support shafts R1 to R3 pass have a range of displacement in both the X and Y directions. To maintain the airtightness of the vacuum chamber 3, bellows or similar conduits are provided at the openings of the upper wall portion 30 through which the support shafts R1 to R3 pass. For example, the support shaft R1 supporting the first lifting plate 220 is supported by a bellows 31 (see reference 31). Figure 4 (etc.) coverage.

[0092] (Measurement Unit)

[0093] The alignment device 2 includes a measuring unit (a first measuring unit 7 and a second measuring unit 8) that measures the positional offset of the mask 101 and the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 at its periphery. In addition to Figure 2 In addition, refer to Figure 5 Please provide an explanation. Figure 5This is an explanatory diagram of the first measuring unit 7 and the second measuring unit 8, showing the method for measuring the positional offset between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In this embodiment, both the first measuring unit 7 and the second measuring unit 8 are imaging devices (cameras) for capturing images. The first measuring unit 7 and the second measuring unit 8 are arranged above the upper wall portion 30 and are capable of capturing images inside the vacuum chamber 3 through a window (not shown) formed in the upper wall portion 30.

[0094] A substrate coarse alignment mark 100a and a substrate fine alignment mark 100b are formed on the substrate 100, and a mask coarse alignment mark 101a and a mask fine alignment mark 101b are formed on the mask 101. Hereinafter, the substrate coarse alignment mark 100a is sometimes referred to as substrate coarse mark 100a, and the substrate fine alignment mark 100b is sometimes referred to as substrate fine mark 100b, and both are collectively referred to as substrate marks. In addition, the mask coarse alignment mark 101a is sometimes referred to as mask coarse mark 101a, and the mask fine alignment mark 101b is sometimes referred to as mask fine mark 101b, and both are collectively referred to as mask marks.

[0095] A coarse substrate mark 100a is formed at the center of the short side of the substrate 100. A fine substrate mark 100b is formed at the four corners of the substrate 100. A coarse mask mark 101a is formed at the center of the short side of the mask 101, corresponding to the coarse substrate mark 100a. Similarly, a fine mask mark 101b is formed at the four corners of the mask 101, corresponding to the fine substrate mark 100b.

[0096] Four second measurement units 8 (second measurement units 8a to 8d) are provided to capture images of each set (four sets in this embodiment) of the corresponding fine markings 100b on the substrate and fine markings 101b on the mask. The second measurement units 8 are high-magnification CCD cameras (fine cameras) with relatively narrow field of view but high resolution (e.g., on the order of a few μm) to measure the positional offset of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 with high precision. A first measurement unit 7 is provided to capture images of each set (two sets in this embodiment) of the corresponding coarse markings 100a on the substrate and coarse markings 101a on the mask.

[0097] The first measurement unit 7 is a low-magnification CCD camera (coarse camera) with a relatively wide field of view but low resolution, used to measure the approximate positional offset of the substrate 100 and the mask 101. Figure 5 The example shows a structure in which two sets of substrate coarse markings 100a and mask coarse markings 101a are captured by a single first measurement unit 7, but this is not a limitation. Similar to the second measurement unit 8, two first measurement units 7 can also be provided at positions corresponding to each set to capture each set of substrate coarse markings 100a and mask coarse markings 101a respectively.

[0098] In this embodiment, after the approximate position adjustment of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed based on the measurement results of the first measurement unit 7, the precise position adjustment of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed based on the measurement results of the second measurement unit 8.

[0099] (Adjustment Unit)

[0100] The alignment device 2 is equipped with an adjustment unit 17. Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram of the adjustment unit 17 (adjustment device). The adjustment unit 17 is a unit for adjusting the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. In this embodiment, the adjustment unit 17 adjusts the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 by moving the adsorption plate 15. Furthermore, the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is adjusted by adjusting the axial position of at least a portion of the plurality of support shafts R1.

[0101] The adjustment unit 17 has multiple operating parts 171 that can be operated by an operator. In this embodiment, the multiple operating parts 171 are respectively provided corresponding to multiple support shafts R1. Furthermore, when an operating part 171 is operated, the corresponding support shaft R1 moves independently of the other support shafts R1 in the vertical direction that is its axis. That is, the multiple operating parts 171 can independently adjust the vertical position of the corresponding support shaft R1 supporting the adsorption plate 15. Therefore, by operating the operating parts 171, the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 can be adjusted. In order to improve the degree of freedom of adjustment, it is preferable to provide an operating part 171 on each of the multiple support shafts R1, but as long as an operating part 171 is provided on at least one support shaft R1, the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 can be adjusted within a certain range.

[0102] In this embodiment, the operating part 171 is an adjusting nut that moves the support shaft R1 in the vertical direction, which is its axial direction. The adjusting nut is engaged with the thread 172 formed on the support shaft R1, and the support shaft R1 moves when the operator rotates the adjusting nut.

[0103] In this embodiment, the operation unit 171 is located outside the vacuum chamber 3. Specifically, the support shaft R1 is supported on the first lifting plate 220 via a sliding bushing 173, and the operation unit 171 is provided on the upper side of the sliding bushing 173. By providing the operation unit 171 outside the vacuum chamber 3, the operator can perform adjustments based on the adjustment unit 17 while the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 is kept under vacuum.

[0104] Furthermore, a joint portion 18 is provided between the support shaft R1 and the adsorption plate 15, allowing the angle of the adsorption plate 15 relative to the support shaft R1 to be variably connected between the support shaft R1 and the adsorption plate 15. In this embodiment, the joint portion 18 is a spherical bearing, including a spherical portion 181 and a bearing portion 182 that can slidably support the spherical portion 181.

[0105] In this embodiment, the multiple support shafts R1 are configured to move only in the vertical direction (axial direction). Therefore, in situations such as Figure 6 As shown on the left side of ST1, the adsorption plate 15 remains in a horizontal state, similar to... Figure 6 As shown in state ST2 on the right, the angle between the adsorption plate 15 and the support shaft R1 is different when the adsorption plate 15 is tilted. In this embodiment, by bending the adsorption plate 15 relative to the support shaft R1 at the joint 18, the support shaft R1 can support the adsorption plate 15 even when the adsorption plate 15 is tilted. In addition, the joint 18 can be appropriately equipped with a universal joint or the like to connect the two components in a way that allows the connection angle to be changed.

[0106] Here, the structure of the adjustment unit 17 will be compared and explained with that of the distance adjustment unit 22. When the first lifting plate 220 of the distance adjustment unit 22 is raised or lowered, all the multiple support shafts R1 supported by the first lifting plate 220 are raised or lowered by the same amount; that is, the multiple support shafts R1 are raised or lowered synchronously. Therefore, the adsorption plate 15 is raised or lowered while maintaining its parallelism or relative tilt to the mask stage 5. On the other hand, the adjustment unit 17 can move any one of the multiple support shafts R1 independently relative to the first lifting plate 220 in the vertical direction (axial direction). For example, the adjustment unit 17 can adjust the axial position of the remaining support shaft R1 without changing the positions of three support shafts R1. Thus, the adjustment unit 17 can adjust the tilt of the adsorption plate 15 supported by the multiple support shafts R1.

[0107] (Floating section)

[0108] The alignment device 2 includes a floating part 19. The floating part 19 is disposed between the connector 18 and the adsorption plate 15. The floating part 19 includes an elastic member 191, a bushing 192, a shaft member 193, an adsorption plate support 194, and a flange 195. The shaft member 193 extends downward from the connector 18. The bushing 192 is disposed between the shaft member 193 and the adsorption plate support 194 to reduce friction or wobble between them. For example, the bushing 192 is formed of a metal sintered material with good sliding properties. The adsorption plate support 194 supports the adsorption plate 15. The elastic member 191 is configured to be disposed between the adsorption plate support 194 and the flange 195 disposed on the shaft member 193, bearing the load of the adsorption plate 15. That is, the floating part 19 is connected to the support shaft R1 via the connector 18, and the elastic member 191 of the floating part 19 supports the adsorption plate 15. Thus, by supporting the adsorption plate 15 via the elastic member 191 of the floating part 19 through the support shaft R1, the load applied to the mask 101 when the adsorption plate 15 comes into contact with the mask 101 can be reduced, and the retraction of the adsorption plate 15 when it comes into contact with the mask 101 can be ensured.

[0109] (Detection unit)

[0110] The alignment device 2 includes a detection unit 16. (Refer to the previous section.) Figure 2 and Figure 3 The detection unit 16 detects the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. In this embodiment, parallelism refers to the degree of relative tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. In this embodiment, the detection unit 16 is configured to include the aforementioned plurality of contact sensors 1621 disposed on the side of the adsorption plate 15. The plurality of contact sensors 1621 are mounted on the adsorption plate 15 with approximately equal protrusion lengths from the adsorption surfaces 150 at their ends. By mounting the contact sensors 1621 on the adsorption plate 15, even if the vacuum chamber 3 deforms due to atmospheric pressure, the change in the relative position of the adsorption plate 15 and the contact sensors 1621 can be reduced. That is, even in a vacuum state, the protrusion lengths of the ends of the contact sensors 1621 remain almost unchanged and remain approximately equal. Therefore, if all of the plurality of contact sensors 1621 react approximately simultaneously when the adsorption plate 15 moves, it can be determined that the parallelism is high, in other words, the relative tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is small. By appropriately changing the length of the end portion protruding from the adsorption surface 150, the predetermined tilt angle of non-parallelism can also be set to a target value. The detection operation of the parallelism of the adsorption plate 15 using the detection unit 16 will be described later. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the contact sensor 1621 performs both the detection of the contact between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100, and the detection of the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. Therefore, compared to the case where separate sensors are provided to detect them, the number of sensors can be reduced.

[0111] [Control Device]

[0112] The control device 14 controls the entire film-forming apparatus 1. The control device 14 includes a processing unit 141, a storage unit 142, an input / output interface (I / O) 143, a communication unit 144, a display unit 145, and an input unit 146. The processing unit 141 is a processor, such as a CPU, that executes programs stored in the storage unit 142 to control the film-forming apparatus 1. The storage unit 142 is a storage device such as ROM, RAM, or HDD, which stores not only the programs executed by the processing unit 141 but also various control information. The I / O 143 is an interface for sending and receiving signals between the processing unit 141 and external devices. The communication unit 144 is a communication device that communicates with a host device 300 or other control devices 14, 309, 310, etc., via a communication line 300a. The processing unit 141 receives information from or sends information to the host device 300 via the communication unit 144. The display unit 145 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays various information. The input unit 146 is, for example, a keyboard or a positioning device, which accepts various inputs from the user. In addition, all or part of the control devices 14, 309, 310 and the host device 300 may also be composed of a PLC, ASIC, or FPGA.

[0113] [The process of overlapping the substrate and the mask]

[0114] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram of the process of overlapping the substrate 100 and the mask 101 using the adsorption plate 15. Figure 7 The various states of the process are shown.

[0115] State ST100 is the state after the transfer robot 302a has moved the substrate 100 into the film forming apparatus 1 and then retreated. At this time, the substrate 100 is supported by the substrate support unit 6.

[0116] State ST101 is the preparation stage for the adsorption plate 15 to adsorb the substrate 100, and the substrate support unit 6 is raised. From state ST100, the substrate support unit 6 is raised in a manner close to the adsorption plate 15 using the actuator 65. In state ST101, the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 is in contact with the adsorption plate 15 or located slightly away from the adsorption plate 15. On the other hand, the central portion of the substrate 100 flexes due to its own weight, and therefore is located at a position separated from the adsorption plate 15 compared to the peripheral portion.

[0117] State ST102 is the state in which the substrate 100 is adsorbed by the adsorption plate 15. By applying a voltage to the electrodes in the electrode configuration region 151 of the adsorption plate 15, the substrate 100 is adsorbed to the adsorption plate 15 by electrostatic force.

[0118] State ST103 is the state used to confirm whether the substrate 100 is properly adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15. With the substrate support unit 6 descending and separating from the substrate 100, the system confirms whether the substrate 100 is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15 based on the detection value of the contact sensor 1621. For example, when all the contact sensors 1621 embedded in the adsorption plate 15 detect contact with the substrate 100, the control device 14 determines that the substrate 100 is properly adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15. Alternatively, if a fiber optic sensor 1622 is provided, the system can also determine whether the adsorption of the substrate 100 is proceeding normally based on the output from the fiber optic sensor 1622.

[0119] State ST104 is the state during the alignment operation of substrate 100 and mask 101. When the control device 14 lowers the adsorption plate 15 through the distance adjustment unit 22 to bring substrate 100 and mask 101 closer together, the position adjustment unit 20 performs the alignment operation.

[0120] State ST105 is a state in which the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are brought closer together using the magnet plate 11. After the alignment operation is completed, the control device 14 lowers the board unit 9 via the board unit lifting unit 13. The magnet plate 11 brings the substrate 100 closer to the mask 101, and the mask 101 is attracted towards the substrate 100 side, improving the adhesion between the substrate 100 and the mask 101.

[0121] The process of aligning substrate 100 and mask 101, as described above, is now complete. For example, after this process is finished, the vapor deposition process of film deposition unit 4 is performed.

[0122] Furthermore, during the alignment of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the process described above, the tilt angle between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 can sometimes affect the alignment accuracy. Alignment accuracy can be improved by bringing the substrate 100 and the mask 101 closer together. However, if there is a relative tilt angle between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5, a portion of the substrate 100 may come into contact with the mask 101, potentially causing damage to the substrate 100. The alignment accuracy may decrease by an amount corresponding to the increase in the distance between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 to protect the substrate 100. Therefore, generally, parallel adjustment of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is sometimes performed in an environment where the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is at atmospheric pressure. Parallel adjustment under atmospheric pressure is performed, for example, by inserting shims into the connecting portion of the substrate support unit 6.

[0123] [Example 1]

[0124] The structure of the detection adsorption degree (the degree of adhesion between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100) of the embodiment is described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0125] [Detection Components]

[0126] The configuration, structure, and function of the sensor in the embodiment will be described. FIG8(a) is a schematic perspective view showing the formation of a film on a substrate 100 inside a vacuum chamber 3. The substrate 100 is in a state where it is adsorbed by an adsorption plate 15 and aligned with a mask 101. The film formation unit 4 includes an evaporation source 208 having a plurality of nozzles 244. The housing of the evaporation source 208 includes a container (crucible) for containing vapor deposition material, a heater, and an on / off switch. As the heater, a sheathed heater or the like that which heats up when an electric current is applied is preferred. The container is heated by the heater, and the vapor deposition material vaporizes and is released from the nozzles 244 (dashed arrow 251). The control device 14 can control the amount of vapor deposition material released by controlling the current to the heater and controlling the opening and closing degree of the on / off switch.

[0127] The moving mechanism 204 is a moving component including a guide rail 204a and a drive unit 204b. The drive unit 204b is equipped with a drive component such as a motor and can be mounted on a housing. The control device 14 causes the drive unit 204b to reciprocate on the guide rail 204a, thereby moving the evaporation source mounted on the drive unit 204b. As a result, since film formation is performed while changing the relative position of the evaporation source and the substrate 100, film formation can be uniformly performed on the entire substrate 100. That is, the control device 14 performs film formation that meets the desired film formation conditions by controlling the scanning speed, number of scans, heater temperature, and opening / closing degree of the switch based on the drive unit 204b. In addition, if the film formation unit 4 is equipped with a crystal oscillation type film formation rate monitor, the control device 14 can also control film formation based on the measured film formation rate. In addition to the linear evaporation source shown, point-shaped or area-shaped evaporation sources can also be used. Furthermore, the scanning is not limited to reciprocating scanning; depending on the shape of the evaporation source, a raster scanning method can also be used.

[0128] In the film-forming unit 4 of this embodiment, a distance sensor 236 as a detection component is also provided. In this embodiment, multiple distance sensors 236a to 236e are arranged along the contour of the linear evaporation source, as shown in the top view of FIG8(b), and move together with the evaporation source 208 as the drive unit 204b moves. The distance sensor 236 in this embodiment is a laser rangefinder, as shown in FIG8(c), which measures the distance to the substrate 100 by irradiating a laser L in the Z direction and receiving the reflected light. Therefore, by moving the linearly arranged distance sensors 236a to 236e from one end to the other in the moving mechanism 204, the distance in the Z direction can be measured throughout the entire substrate 100. This will be explained later, but the distance sensor 236 functions as a detection component (adsorption degree sensor) for detecting the degree of adsorption between the substrate 100 and the adsorption plate 15 in cooperation with the control device 14. That is, the moving mechanism 204 moves not only the evaporation source but also the distance sensor 236, which is a detection component, in the direction along the film-forming surface of the substrate 100 (e.g., the Y direction as the first direction).

[0129] Furthermore, the object of distance measurement is not limited to the substrate 100, nor is it limited to the type of object being measured above it. Therefore, when a mask 101 that aligns with the substrate 100 is located directly above the distance sensor 236, distance measurement of the mask can be performed. Conversely, when there is no substrate 100 directly above the distance sensor 236, distance measurement of the adsorption plate 15 can be performed. Furthermore, the distance measuring device is not limited to a laser rangefinder; for example, it can also analyze images obtained by a camera device. In addition, various distance measuring sensors can be used.

[0130] [Adsorption Degree Detection in the Implementation Method]

[0131] Reference Figure 9 This describes the steps for detecting the degree of adsorption. Figure 9 (a) is the first stage of detection, which is the state where the substrate 100 has not been moved into the vacuum chamber 3, or even if the substrate 100 has been moved in, it is not present between the distance sensor 236 and the adsorption plate 15. In this state, the moving mechanism 204 moves the evaporation source 208 by using the drive unit 204b, and also moves the distance sensor 236 connected to the evaporation source 208. Let the coordinates of the distance sensor 236 in the XY plane be DS(x,y), and let the distance (height) from the distance sensor 236 at DS(x,y) to the adsorption plate 15 be h1(x,y). By moving multiple distance sensors 236 and measuring the distance across the entire surface of the adsorption plate 15 at predetermined intervals, the height of each part of the adsorption plate 15 in the state without the substrate 100 can be measured.

[0132] Then, in the second stage, such as Figure 9As shown in (b), with the substrate 100 adsorbed by the adsorption plate 15, the moving mechanism 204 uses the drive unit 204b to move the evaporation source 208. The distance sensor 236 measures the distance to the lower surface of the substrate while moving along with the evaporation source 208. Let h2(x,y) be the distance (height) from the distance sensor 236 at coordinate DS(x,y) to the lower surface of the substrate. By measuring the distance of the entire substrate 100 at predetermined intervals while the distance sensor 236 moves, the height of each part of the lower surface of the substrate can be measured. Here, if the thickness of the substrate 100 is set to t1, then as long as the substrate 100 is flatly adsorbed by the adsorption plate 15, at all DS(x,y), h1(x,y) = t1 + h2(x,y).

[0133] On the other hand, such as Figure 9 As shown in (b), when the substrate 100 is flexed or deformed, an error m1(x, y) is generated at the coordinate of the flexure, becoming h1(x, y) - {t1 + h2(x, y)} = m1(x, y) ≠ 0. Therefore, the control device 14 reads the value of the specified allowable range related to the flexure from the memory and determines whether the error is within the specified allowable range. If the error is within the specified allowable range, it is determined that the adsorption based on the adsorption plate 15 has been completed, and the process moves to the next step. On the other hand, if the error is outside the allowable range, it is determined that the adsorption based on the adsorption plate 15 at the coordinate of the flexure is insufficient. Then, processing such as increasing the voltage applied to the electrode arrangement area 151 corresponding to the coordinate of insufficient adsorption is performed.

[0134] [Modified Example of Adsorption Degree Detection]

[0135] Reference Figure 10 This explains the other steps involved in detecting the degree of adsorption. In Figure 10 In the first stage shown in (a), with Figure 9 (a) In the same sequence, scanning is performed without substrate 100, and the height h1(x, y) of each part of the adsorption plate 15 is measured. Next, the adsorption plate 15 adsorbs substrate 100. Then, after aligning substrate 100 and mask 101, the process is performed with the magnet plate 11 pressing substrate 100 and mask 101 together. Figure 10(b) shows the second stage of measurement. That is, as the moving mechanism 204 moves the evaporation source 208 using the drive unit 204b, the distance sensor 236 measures the distance to the lower surface of the mask. The distance (height) from the distance sensor 236 to the lower surface of the mask at coordinates DS(x,y) is set as h3(x,y). The distance sensor 236 can measure the height of each part of the lower surface of the mask by moving and measuring the distance of the entire mask 101 at predetermined intervals. Here, if the thickness of the mask 101 is set to t2, then as long as the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are flatly adsorbed, then at all coordinates DS(x,y), it becomes h1(x,y) = t1 + t2 + h3(x,y).

[0136] On the other hand, if at least one of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 flexes or deforms, an error m2(x, y) is generated at the coordinate of the flexure, becoming h1(x, y) - {t1 + t2 + h3(x, y)} = m2(x, y) ≠ 0. Therefore, the control device 14 reads a value within a specified tolerance range from the memory and determines whether the error is within the specified tolerance range. If the error is within the specified tolerance range, it can be determined that the adsorption of the substrate 100 and the adhesion of the mask 101 are performed correctly. On the other hand, if the error is outside the tolerance range, it is determined that the adsorption of the substrate 100 or the adhesion of the mask 101 is not performed correctly at that coordinate, and therefore corrections are made to the adsorption of the substrate or the adhesion of the mask.

[0137] Furthermore, in this modified example, the evaporation source 208 and the distance sensor 236 are scanned while the mask 101 is in close contact with the substrate 100. Therefore, distance measurement based on the distance sensor 236 can be performed during the vapor deposition based on the evaporation source 208 to shorten the processing time. By performing vapor deposition and contact measurement in parallel, it is also possible to quickly detect defects during vapor deposition.

[0138] Furthermore, in this modified example, the heights h1(x, y) of the surface of the adsorption plate, h2(x, y) of the lower surface of the substrate, and h3(x, y) of the lower surface of the mask can all be measured. This allows for the separate detection of the degree of adsorption of the substrate 100 and the tightness of the mask 101, enabling film deposition with higher precision. Moreover, in this modified example, contact sensors 1621 disposed at multiple locations on the adsorption plate 15 can be used to measure the tightness of the adhesion between the substrate 100 and the adsorption plate 15.

[0139] [Example 2]

[0140] Reference Figure 11The configuration of the distance sensor 236 in Embodiment 2 will be described. Descriptions of structures identical to those in Embodiment 1 are omitted. In this embodiment, a distance sensor 236 is provided on the evaporation source 208 of the film-forming unit 4. The distance sensor 236 is capable of relative movement in the X direction, orthogonal to the scanning direction of the evaporation source 208, under the control of the control device 14. Therefore, the drive unit 204b has, for example, a linear sliding mechanism as a second moving component, which includes a guide rail extending in the X direction along the evaporation source 208.

[0141] In this structure, as in Embodiment 1, the drive unit 204b moves the evaporation source 208 in the Y direction as the first scan (scan 1). Simultaneously, as in the second scan (scan 2), the distance sensor 236 moves in the X direction. The distance sensor 236 measures the distance to the object above it by moving during both the first and second scans. Similar to Embodiment 1, the object to be measured can be the adsorption plate 15, the substrate 100, and the mask 101, and the degree of adsorption on the substrate 100 can be detected based on the measurement results. According to the structure of this embodiment, the number of distance sensors 236 can be reduced, thus lowering the cost.

[0142] [Example 3]

[0143] Example 3 will be described. Descriptions of structures identical to those in the above examples are omitted. In the above examples, the adsorption of the substrate 100 by the adsorption plate 15 and the alignment and bonding of the mask 101 with the substrate 100 are performed inside the film-forming chamber 303 of the film-forming apparatus 1. Therefore, the distance sensor 236 is also provided in the film-forming unit 4 of the film-forming apparatus 1. However, the arrangement of the distance sensor 236 is not limited to this if the adsorption of the substrate 100 or the alignment of the mask 101 is performed outside the film-forming chamber.

[0144] (Structure of a series-connected film-forming device)

[0145] Here, public intellectuals are like Figure 12 The manufacturing system 250 shown includes a series-connected film deposition apparatus. The manufacturing system 250 has chambers including a mask loading chamber 90, an alignment chamber 107 (mask mounting chamber), multiple film deposition chambers 303a, 303b, flipping chambers 111a, 111b, a transport chamber 112, a mask separation chamber 113, a substrate separation chamber 114, a carrier transport chamber 115, a mask transport chamber 116, and a substrate loading chamber 117 (substrate mounting chamber). The substrate carrier 212 is transported within each chamber by a transport component provided in the manufacturing system 250.

[0146] Specifically, the substrate carrier 212 is transported through each chamber in the following order: substrate loading chamber 117, flipping chamber 111a, mask loading chamber 90, alignment chamber 107, multiple film deposition chambers 303a, 303b, transport chamber 112, mask separation chamber 113, flipping chamber 111b, substrate separation chamber 114, and transport chamber 115, and then returns to the substrate loading chamber 117. On the other hand, the mask 101 is transported through each chamber in the following order: mask loading chamber 90, alignment chamber 107, multiple film deposition chambers 303a, 303b, transport chamber 112, and mask separation chamber 113, and then returns to the mask loading chamber 90. As described above, the substrate carrier 212 and the mask 101 are cyclically transported along predetermined transport paths (circular transport paths) indicated by dashed lines and dotted lines, respectively.

[0147] The function of each chamber will be explained. The unfilmed substrate 100 is transported into the substrate transport chamber 117 with the film-forming surface facing upwards in the vertical direction. At this time, a substrate carrier 212 is disposed within the substrate transport chamber 117 with its holding surface facing upwards in the vertical direction. Therefore, the transported substrate 100 is placed on the holding surface of the substrate carrier 212 and held by the substrate carrier 212.

[0148] The flipping chambers 111a and 111b are equipped with flipping mechanisms 120a and 120b that flip the orientation of the substrate holding surface of the substrate carrier 212. In the flipping chamber 111a, the flipping mechanism 120a flips the substrate carrier 212 holding the substrate 100 so that the film-forming surface of the substrate 100 faces downward in the vertical direction. On the other hand, when the substrate carrier 212 is moved from the mask separation chamber 113 into the flipping chamber 111b, the substrate carrier 212 is moved in with the film-forming surface of the substrate 100 facing downward in the vertical direction. After being moved in, the flipping mechanism 120b flips the substrate carrier 212 holding the substrate 100 so that the film-forming surface of the substrate 100 faces upward in the vertical direction. Then, the substrate 100 is removed from the substrate separation chamber 114 with the film-forming surface facing upward in the vertical direction.

[0149] The substrate carrier 212, which has been flipped while holding the substrate 100, is moved into the alignment chamber 107 via the mask loading chamber 90. Correspondingly, the mask 101 is also moved from the mask loading chamber 90 into the alignment chamber 107. An alignment device 2 is mounted in the alignment chamber 107 (mask mounting chamber). In the alignment chamber 107, the alignment device 2 aligns the substrate 100 placed on the substrate carrier 212 with the mask 101, and places the substrate carrier 212 (substrate 100) onto the mask 101.

[0150] Next, the mask 101, on which the substrate carrier 212 is placed, is handed over to a transfer roller (not shown) and the transfer begins. Multiple transfer rollers are arranged along the transfer direction on both sides of the transfer path, and are rotated by the driving force of an AC servo motor (not shown), thereby transferring the substrate carrier 212 and the mask 101. In the film deposition chambers 303a and 303b, the substrate 100, adsorbed on the transferred substrate carrier 212, passes above the film deposition unit 4, thereby forming a film on the substrate 100 through the mask 101 on the surface to be deposited.

[0151] After film deposition, the substrate carrier 212 is separated from the mask 101 in the mask separation chamber 113. The separated mask 101 is then transported to the mask transport chamber 116 for the next substrate 100. Meanwhile, the substrate carrier 212, holding the substrate 100, is flipped in the flipping chamber 111b and transported to the substrate separation chamber 114. In the substrate separation chamber 114, the substrate 100 is separated from the substrate carrier 212, recovered from the circulating transport path, and sent to the next process. Conversely, the substrate carrier 212 is transported to the substrate loading chamber 117.

[0152] (Structure and function of distance sensor)

[0153] In the series-connected structure described above, the substrate carrier 212 holding the substrate 100 can utilize a structure equipped with an adsorption plate using an electrostatic chuck. In this case, with the substrate 100 held by the adsorption plate, the substrate carrier 212 is moved to the alignment chamber 107 near the film-forming chamber. In this structure, as in the embodiments described above, a distance sensor 236 cannot be fixed on the film-forming unit to measure the adhesion.

[0154] Therefore, refer to Figure 13 The configuration of the distance sensor 236 suitable for this embodiment is described. Figure 13 (a) shows an example of a sensor unit 209 disposed in an alignment chamber 107. The sensor unit 209 has a drive mechanism in the alignment chamber 107 that is capable of scanning in a direction substantially parallel to the film-forming surface of the substrate 100, and has a plurality of distance sensors 236a to 236e arranged in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction.

[0155] First, the sensor unit 209 performs measurements based on distance sensors 236a to 236e while scanning in a plane facing the substrate carrier 212. This allows the measurement of the distances at various positions of the substrate 100 held by the substrate carrier 212. Next, after the mask 101 is assembled relative to the substrate 100, measurements based on distance sensors 236a to 236e are performed again. This allows the measurement of the distances at various positions of the mask 101. Then, based on the distances to the substrate 100 and the mask 101 at each position, the adhesion between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 can be measured.

[0156] The above description describes the measurement in the alignment chamber 107 using sensor unit 209. However, by providing the same sensor unit in the substrate loading chamber 117, it is also possible to measure the adhesion between the substrate 100 and the adsorption plate of the substrate carrier 212.

[0157] As described above, the present invention is applicable even when vapor deposition is performed in a second chamber (film formation chamber 303) that is different from the chamber for measuring adhesion (alignment chamber 107).

[0158] (Modified Example)

[0159] Figure 13 (b) shows a variant of the sensor unit 209. In this variant, the sensor unit 209 includes a distance sensor 236. During distance measurement, the sensor unit itself scans in a first direction (Y direction) (scan 1) via a drive mechanism, and the distance sensor 236 scans in a second direction (X direction) intersecting the first direction (scan 2). Thus, the distance sensor 236 can measure the distance to various positions of the object being measured.

[0160] Figure 13 (c) shows another variation of the sensor unit 209. In this variation, the sensor unit 209 includes a distance sensor 236. Furthermore, the sensor unit 209 includes a movement mechanism 213 that moves the distance sensor 236 to various positions within a plane. The movement mechanism 213 is preferably, for example, a multi-joint arm as shown in the figure. With this structure, the distance sensor 236 can also measure the distance to various positions of the object being measured.

[0161] [Example 4]

[0162] The measurement of the adhesion between the adsorption plate and the substrate, and the measurement of the adhesion between the substrate and the mask, can be performed during the actual film formation process on the substrate, or during maintenance modes such as when the film formation apparatus is set up or during periodic inspections. When the adhesion measurement is performed during the actual film formation process, defects in the film formation can be detected at an early stage.

[0163] On the other hand, when performing adhesion measurement in maintenance mode, the distance sensor 236 can be configured only during adhesion measurement. For example, in the cases of Examples 1 and 2, the distance sensor 236 can be installed on the evaporation source 208 for measurement in maintenance mode, and the distance sensor 236 can be removed during the actual film formation process. Alternatively, the film formation unit can be removed in maintenance mode, and a sensor unit including the distance sensor 236 can be installed for measurement. In addition, in the case of Example 3, the sensor unit 209 can be installed in the alignment chamber 107 for measurement in maintenance mode, and the sensor unit 209 can be removed during the actual film formation process. Therefore, the structure of the film formation chamber and the alignment chamber in the actual film formation process can be simplified, and undesirable conditions can be suppressed.

[0164] Manufacturing methods for electronic devices

[0165] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device using the film-forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, as an example of an electronic device, the structure of an organic EL display device will be shown, and a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be illustrated.

[0166] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be explained. Figure 14 (a) is an overall view of the organic EL display device 50. Figure 14 (b) represents a cross-sectional structure of 1 pixel.

[0167] like Figure 14 As shown in (a), a plurality of pixels 52, each equipped with a plurality of light-emitting elements, are arranged in a matrix in the display area 51 of the organic EL display device 50. As will be explained in detail later, each light-emitting element has a structure having an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. Furthermore, the term "pixel" here refers to the smallest unit in the display area 51 capable of displaying a desired color. In the case of the organic EL display device of this embodiment, pixels 52 are constructed by a combination of first light-emitting elements 52R, second light-emitting elements 52G, and third light-emitting elements 52B, each displaying different light emission. Pixels 52 are mostly constructed by a combination of red, green, and blue light-emitting elements, but they can also be constructed by a combination of yellow, cyan, and white light-emitting elements; there are no particular limitations as long as at least one color is used.

[0168] Figure 14 (b) is Figure 14(a) is a partial cross-sectional view along line A-B. Pixel 52 is composed of multiple light-emitting elements, each of which has a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, any one of light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58 on substrate 53. The hole transport layer 55, light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, 56B, and electron transport layer 57 are equivalent to organic layers. Furthermore, in this embodiment, light-emitting layer 56R is an organic EL layer emitting red light, light-emitting layer 56G is an organic EL layer emitting green light, and light-emitting layer 56B is an organic EL layer emitting blue light. Light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to the light-emitting elements (sometimes described as organic EL elements) emitting red, green, and blue light, respectively. Furthermore, the first electrode 54 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, electron transport layer 57, and second electrode 58 can be formed either in a manner shared with multiple light-emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or formed specifically for each light-emitting element. Furthermore, to prevent short circuits between the first electrode 54 and the second electrode 58 due to foreign matter, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrode 54. Moreover, since the organic EL layer deteriorates due to moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 40 is provided to protect the organic EL element from the effects of moisture and oxygen.

[0169] exist Figure 14 In (b), the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are represented by a single layer, but they can also be formed in multiple layers, each with a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer, depending on the structure of the organic EL display element. Alternatively, a hole injection layer with a band structure can be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55, which allows for smooth injection of holes 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.

[0170] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be given.

[0171] First, a substrate 53 is prepared having a circuit (not shown) for driving an organic EL display device and a first electrode 54.

[0172] Next, acrylic resin is formed on the substrate 53 where the first electrode 54 is formed by spin coating. Using photolithography, the acrylic resin is patterned to form an opening in the portion where the first electrode 54 is formed, and an insulating layer 59 is formed. This opening corresponds to the light-emitting area where the light-emitting element actually emits light.

[0173] A substrate 53 with an insulating layer 59 patterned on it is placed into a first organic material film-forming apparatus. The substrate is held by a substrate support stage and an electrostatic chuck. A hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on the first electrode 54 of the display area. The hole transport layer 55 is formed by vacuum evaporation. In fact, since the hole transport layer 55 is formed to a size larger than the display area 51, a high-precision mask is not required.

[0174] Next, the substrate 53, with the hole transport layer 55 formed thereon, is moved into the second organic material film forming apparatus and held by a substrate support stage and an electrostatic chuck. The substrate and the mask are aligned, the substrate is placed on the mask, and a red light emitting layer 56R is formed on the portion of the substrate 53 where the red light emitting element is arranged.

[0175] Similar to the deposition of the light-emitting layer 56R, a green light-emitting layer 56G is deposited using a third organic material film-forming apparatus, and a blue light-emitting layer 56B is deposited using a fourth organic material film-forming apparatus. After the deposition of the light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B is completed, an electron transport layer 57 is deposited integrally in the display area 51 using a fifth film-forming apparatus. The electron transport layer 57 forms a common layer for the three-color light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

[0176] The substrate with the electron transport layer 57 formed is moved to the metallic vapor deposition material film forming apparatus to form the second electrode 58.

[0177] Then, it is moved to a plasma CVD device to form a protective film 40, thus completing the organic EL display device 50.

[0178] From the moment the substrate 53 with the insulating layer 59 patterned on it is moved into the film deposition apparatus until the film deposition of the protective layer 40 is completed, if it is exposed to an atmosphere containing moisture and oxygen, the light-emitting layer made of organic EL material may deteriorate due to moisture and oxygen. Therefore, in this embodiment, the transfer of the substrate between the film deposition apparatuses is performed under a vacuum atmosphere or an inactive gas atmosphere.

[0179] The above embodiments illustrate one example of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the structure of the above embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope of its technical concept.

Claims

1. A film-forming device, The film-forming device has the following features: A chamber that maintains a vacuum inside; An adsorption plate is disposed inside the chamber for adsorbing the substrate; A detection component, disposed on the lower side of the adsorption plate in the vertical direction, detects the degree of adsorption of the substrate onto the adsorption plate; and The moving component causes the detection component to move in a first direction along the film-forming surface of the substrate. Its features are, The film-forming apparatus also includes an evaporation source disposed inside the chamber, which releases the vapor-deposited material onto the substrate. The detection component is located at the evaporation source. The moving component moves the detection component by moving the evaporation source in the first direction.

2. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film-forming device also features: A mask support component, disposed inside the chamber, supports the mask; and The alignment component aligns the substrate and the mask adsorbed on the adsorption plate. The detection component detects the degree to which the substrate and the mask are adsorbed onto the adsorption plate.

3. A film-forming device, The film-forming device has the following features: A chamber that maintains a vacuum inside; An adsorption plate is disposed inside the chamber for adsorbing the substrate; A mask support component is disposed inside the chamber to support the mask; Alignment components are used to align the substrate and the mask adsorbed on the adsorption plate. A detection component is disposed on the lower side of the adsorption plate in the vertical direction to detect the degree of adhesion of the mask to the substrate; as well as The moving component causes the detection component to move in a first direction along the film-forming surface of the substrate. Its features are, The film-forming apparatus also includes an evaporation source disposed inside the chamber, which releases the vapor-deposited material onto the substrate. The detection component is located at the evaporation source. The moving component moves the detection component by moving the evaporation source in the first direction.

4. The film-forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The detection component is fixed to the evaporation source.

5. The film-forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The film-forming apparatus includes a second moving component that moves the detection component relative to the evaporation source along the film-forming surface and in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

6. The film-forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The detection component includes a laser-based ranging sensor.

7. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The detection component includes a laser-based ranging sensor.

8. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The detection component includes a laser-based ranging sensor.

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