Substrate holder, substrate carrier, film forming system, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Abstract

A substrate holder for simultaneously transporting a substrate while tolerating a load in a shearing direction and a load in adhesion, a substrate carrier, a film forming system, and a method of manufacturing an electronic device are provided. The substrate holder provided in a substrate carrier for holding and transporting a substrate downward in a vertical direction has a first elastic body layer having an adhesion surface that adheres to a substrate, a second elastic body layer that is bonded to a support member on one side of the substrate carrier, a displacement amount with respect to a force of a prescribed magnitude in a direction parallel to the adhesion surface is larger than that of the first elastic body layer, and an intermediate layer that is disposed between the first elastic body layer and the second elastic body layer and has a rigidity that is higher than each of a rigidity of the first elastic body layer and a rigidity of the second elastic body layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate holder, a substrate carrier, a film forming system, and a method for manufacturing electronic devices. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, the FPD (Flat Panel Display) industry has utilized a method to improve production efficiency by dividing a large glass substrate, known as a sample glass, into multiple glass substrates for use in various displays. This method involves panelizing individual panels according to required dimensions, such as performing film deposition and other manufacturing processes on a sample glass with a side exceeding 2 meters, and then dividing it into finished products. Typically, the sample glass is less than a few millimeters thick, making it crucial to handle it carefully during various processes such as transport and film deposition to prevent breakage and processing defects.

[0003] As a method for transporting sample glass in the manufacturing process, there are methods that transport it integrally with a substrate support member (substrate carrier). As a method for holding sample glass using a substrate carrier, there are generally methods that support the outer periphery by means of a clamping mechanism, methods that use electrostatic chucks, methods that use magnetic adsorption, and methods that use adhesion members such as adhesive pads.

[0004] By using an adhesion member to hold the substrate glass on a substrate carrier, it becomes small and compact without the need for a power source, and can suppress the effects of magnetic forces to perform film-forming processes. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of eliminating deflection by suspending the thin plate-shaped workpiece W in a state where the supporting portion W2 is supported by the substrate carrier 1000 while the unsupported portion W1 is adhered by the adhesion member 2000, thereby keeping the thin plate-shaped workpiece W in a planar state.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2012 / 117509 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] In order to maintain the uniformity of film formation, the adhesion members are sometimes discretely arranged at the junction of the mounting (border area) to avoid the image display area. In such cases, when mounting large-format images from the base glass, glass deflection is unavoidable in the center of the large image, and a large shear force parallel to the glass surface acts as a load on the adhesion members arranged in the border area. Moreover, when the temperature rises during processes such as film formation, the shear resistance of the adhesion members is sometimes insufficient, causing the base glass to peel off from the substrate carrier, causing manufacturing problems. Therefore, in order to transport the base glass in a series of manufacturing process cycles, it is necessary to reduce the shear force acting on the adhesion members or increase the shear resistance of the adhesion members (shear direction adhesion force).

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a technique for transporting substrates while taking into account both shear load resistance and adhesive load resistance.

[0011] Methods for solving problems

[0012] To address the aforementioned issues, the substrate holder of the present invention is disposed on a substrate carrier for holding and transporting a substrate downward in the vertical direction, wherein it comprises:

[0013] The first elastomeric layer has an adhesion surface that adheres to the substrate;

[0014] The second elastomer layer, which is bonded to a support member on one side of the substrate carrier, has a greater displacement relative to a force of a predetermined magnitude in a direction parallel to the adhesion surface than the first elastomer layer; and

[0015] An intermediate layer, disposed between the first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer, has a higher rigidity than each of the rigidity of the first elastomer layer and the rigidity of the second elastomer layer.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the substrate holder of the present invention is provided on a substrate carrier for holding and transporting the substrate downward in the vertical direction, wherein it has:

[0017] The first elastomeric layer has an adhesion surface that adheres to the substrate;

[0018] A second elastomeric layer, which is bonded to a support member on one side of the substrate carrier, is thicker than the first elastomeric layer; and

[0019] An intermediate layer, disposed between the first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer, has a higher rigidity than each of the rigidity of the first elastomer layer and the rigidity of the second elastomer layer.

[0020] The effects of the invention

[0021] The substrate holding device according to the present invention provides a technique for simultaneously conveying substrates while taking into account both shear load resistance and adhesive load resistance. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram showing the substrate carrier of this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the substrate carrier of this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an adhesive substrate holder of the substrate holding device according to this embodiment.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an adhesive substrate holder for mounting a substrate carrier according to this embodiment.

[0026] Figure 5 It is a diagram illustrating the forces acting on the glass substrate held in place by the substrate carrier.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the process of mounting / removing the glass substrate onto the substrate carrier of this embodiment.

[0028] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0029] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0030] Figure 9 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0031] Figure 10 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0032] Figure 11 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the flipping device of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0033] Figure 12 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film-forming apparatus of the substrate holding apparatus in this embodiment.

[0034] Figure 13 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the substrate holding device during peeling in this embodiment.

[0035] Figure 14 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the substrate holding device during peeling in this embodiment.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0037] 10: Sample glass, 20: Mask, 30: Evaporation source, 100: Substrate carrier, 110: Flat plate member, 110X: Substrate holding surface, 111: Through hole for pin, 112: Through hole for retainer, 115: Frame, 120: Adhesive retainer, 123: Elastomer EA (adhesive) layer, 124: Deformation blocking layer, 125: Elastomer EB (softening) layer, 126: Shaft, 127: Fixed part, 130: Support member, 150: Retainer fixing member, 200: Pin unit, 210: Motor, 220: Screw 230: Nut part, 240: Pin, 400: Pressing unit, 410: Motor, 420: Screw, 430: Nut part, 440: Shaft part, 450: Pressing part, 500: Support platform, 610: Holding member, 620: Rotating shaft, 630: Motor, 640: Support member, 710: Power supply, 720: Control unit, A1: Substrate processing area, A2: First drive source configuration area, A3: Second drive source configuration area, R1: Substrate holding chamber, R2: Flipping chamber, R3: Film forming chamber, R4: Substrate glass peeling chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments do not limit the invention as claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features can be arbitrarily combined. In the accompanying drawings, the same or identical structures are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0039] In this specification, "adhesion" refers to the property arising from the intermolecular forces (van der Waals forces) between an adhesive material and the surface of an adherend, such as a glass substrate, when the adhesive material comes into contact with the surface of the adherend.

[0040] Furthermore, the adhesive holding device of this embodiment can be preferably applied to substrate carriers and substrate holding methods, film forming apparatus and film forming methods using the substrate carrier and substrate holding method, and manufacturing apparatus and methods for electronic devices using pre-filmed substrates. The film forming method can be vapor deposition, sputtering, or other methods, and the types of film forming materials and vapor deposition materials are not limited.

[0041] [First Implementation]

[0042] In recent years, the FPD industry has seen a significant increase in the resolution of displayed images. Consequently, new requirements have arisen for the transport of substrate glass. In Patent Document 1, the unsupported areas not supported by the substrate carrier are functional parts requiring post-processing such as film deposition, often corresponding to the image display area of ​​the final product. If adhesive members are installed on these unsupported areas for film deposition as in Patent Document 1, localized differences in thermal conductivity can sometimes occur, compromising the uniformity of the film deposition and affecting the high-resolution image display on the finished panel. Therefore, it is advisable to consider dispersing the adhesive members at the panel boundary (border area) away from the image display area to maintain film deposition uniformity. However, when panelizing large-screen images from substrate glass, glass deflection is unavoidable in the center of the large image, and a large shear force parallel to the glass surface acts as a load on the adhesive members positioned in the border area. Furthermore, during temperature increases associated with film deposition and other processes, the shear resistance of the adhesive members may sometimes be insufficient, causing the substrate glass to peel off from the substrate carrier, creating manufacturing problems. Therefore, in order to transport the base glass in a series of manufacturing process cycles, it is necessary to reduce the shear force acting on the adhesive member or increase the shear-direction load tolerance (shear-direction adhesive force) of the adhesive member.

[0043] As a method to reduce load relative to the shear direction of the adhesive component, it is possible to further functionalize the combination of the adhesive layer and the rigid substrate by adding a buffer layer. For example, a buffer layer with a characteristic softness and a thickness of 5 to 100 μm can absorb foreign objects on the grinding table, while the rigid substrate can prevent deformation and keep the wafer (workpiece) placed on the adhesive layer without bumps. Furthermore, by making the thickness of the buffer layer less than 100 μm, it has the function of suppressing vibrations transmitted to the workpiece and not hindering the arrangement of individually cut chips during processing.

[0044] In this embodiment, a substrate holder that simultaneously achieves low rigidity in the shear direction relative to the substrate holder and high adhesion force (adhesion resistance load) in the suspension direction will be described.

[0045] Reference Figures 1-5 This invention describes the substrate holder, the substrate carrier on which the substrate holder is mounted, and the substrate glass transport method using the substrate carrier.

[0046] Furthermore, in this specification, the transport direction of the substrate carrier and the glass substrate is set as the X direction, the direction orthogonal to the transport direction within the substrate surface is set as the Y direction, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the substrate surface is set as the Z direction.

[0047] <Substrate Carrier>

[0048] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The substrate carrier is described. Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram of the substrate carrier with the adhesive retainer provided in this embodiment. For ease of explanation, Figure 1 The proportions sometimes differ from the actual situation. Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate carrier of the present invention, which is achieved through... Figure 1 A sectional view of the XZ plane along line A-A'. Furthermore, in Figure 1 and Figure 2 In order to make the configuration relationship easy to understand, some components are represented by dashed lines.

[0049] Figure 1 The substrate carrier 100 shown includes a flat member 110 and a frame 115 supporting the flat member 110. The holding surface (hereinafter referred to as substrate holding surface 110X or glass holding surface 110X) of the substrate glass (glass substrate) 10, held by an adhesive retainer 120, is planar on the flat member 110. Furthermore, the flat member 110 has a plurality of pin-through holes 111 at locations corresponding to the junction of the panel dimensions. Figure 2 As shown, the glass substrate 10 can be moved up and down by moving a pin 240, which is capable of moving vertically (Z direction) and intersecting with the substrate holding surface 110X, through the pin through-hole 111. Additionally, a plurality of holding member through-holes 112 are provided adjacent to the pin through-hole 111. The adhesive retainer 120 is a substrate retainer inserted through the holding member through-hole 112 and mounted on the flat member 110. The adhesive retainer 120 has a structure that allows it to move up and down within a certain range, so that the amount of protrusion from the substrate holding surface 110X can be managed.

[0050] The substrate carrier 100 also includes multiple support members 130, which are used to support the glass substrate 10 around the plate-shaped member 110. Any known technology, such as a clamping mechanism, can be used as the support member 130. That is, the glass substrate 10 is supported and fixed to the substrate holding surface 110X by multiple adhesive retainers 120 and support members 130, and is transported integrally with the substrate carrier 100. Furthermore, the shape and size of the plate-shaped member 110 are appropriately set according to the size of the glass substrate 10 and the size of the individual piece (film-forming area) for panelization. Additionally, the size, number, and arrangement of the pin through-hole 111, the retainer through-hole 112, the adhesive retainer 120, and the support members 130 are also appropriately set according to the size of the glass substrate 10 and the panelization size (film-forming area).

[0051] In this embodiment, the adhesive retainer 120 is not provided in the area of ​​the glass substrate 10 that becomes the image display area in the final product; the adhesive retainer 120 is only provided at the junction of the panels (also called the border area). Therefore, the adhesive retainer 120 is provided at least above the length of the shortest separating side, and the unsupported area becomes larger.

[0052] <Adhesive retainer>

[0053] Below, using Figure 3 and Figure 4 The structure of the adhesive retainer (substrate retainer) of this embodiment will be described. The adhesive retainer of this embodiment holds the substrate by distributing multiple such retainers on the substrate holding surface of the substrate carrier.

[0054] Figure 3 This diagram schematically illustrates the adhesive retainer 120 of this embodiment. The adhesive retainer 120 is constructed by stacking an elastomer EB layer 125, a deformation-blocking layer 124, and an elastomer EA layer 123 bonded to a metal shaft 126 in the Z direction, i.e., the stacking direction is Z, with an adhesive layer (not shown) formed between each layer. The elastomer EA layer 123 is an elastomer layer having an adhesive surface. The elastomer EB layer 125 is an elastomer layer disposed between the metal shaft 126 and the deformation-blocking layer 124. The deformation-blocking layer 124 is an intermediate layer having higher rigidity than the elastomer EA layer 123 and the elastomer EB layer 125 and is disposed between the elastomer EA layer 123 and the elastomer EB layer 125. Furthermore, in one example, considering the gas release during the manufacturing process under vacuum, each elastomer layer is made of fluororubber without silicon-oxygen bonds. Furthermore, the material constituting the adhesive layer can also be a known adhesive or double-sided tape that does not release gas-releasing components that would adversely affect the manufacturing process under vacuum. In this embodiment, the shaft 126 has an outer diameter of 10 mm. The stainless steel shaft, as described later, is a support member of the elastomer EB layer 125, which is fixed to the side of the substrate carrier 100 as a flat plate member 110. Both the elastomer EB layer 125 and the elastomer EA layer 123 are... It is made of fluororubber with a thickness of 0.5 mm. Additionally, the deformation-blocking layer 124 is... And the stainless steel parts are 1mm thick.

[0055] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the adhesive retainer 120 of this embodiment is mounted on the substrate carrier 100. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the substrate carrier 100 and the adhesive retainer 120 along the XZ plane of the dashed line B-B'. Figure 4As shown, the adhesive retainer 120 is fixed to the flat member 110 by means of the fixed portion 127 of the shaft 126, thereby integrating the retainer fixing member 150 and the substrate carrier 100. The retainer fixing member 150 and the flat member 110 can be fixed using known means such as bolts (not shown). The elastomeric EA layer 123 of the adhesive retainer 120 is inserted into the retainer through hole 112 with its upper surface parallel to the substrate holding surface 110X and facing upwards in the vertical direction, preferably protruding slightly upwards in the vertical direction from the substrate holding surface 110X. While the amount of protrusion depends on the size of the components constituting the adhesive retainer 120 and the compression characteristics of the material, it is less than the thickness of the glass substrate 10. The diameter of the retainer through hole 112 is relatively large; therefore, the adhesive retainer 120 is allowed to swing in both the vertical and horizontal directions within a specified range.

[0056] Below, refer to Figure 5 The adhesive retainer of this embodiment will be further explained. Figure 5 (A) is a partial schematic diagram showing the state in which a pair of adhesive retainers 120 are provided on the flat member 110, suspending the glass substrate 10 (the substrate carrier 100 is flipped up and down so that the substrate holding surface 110X is facing downwards). Figure 1 A sectional view of the XZ plane along the dashed line C-C'. Additionally, Figure 5 (B) is Figure 5 (A) is a magnified view of the dashed box area.

[0057] exist Figure 5 In (A), for example, a pair of adhesive retainers 120 disposed in the border area are separated from each other by 1050 mm, which corresponds to the case of panelizing a specified size area from the glass substrate 10. Under its own weight, the glass substrate 10 flexes at a point near the middle M of the pair of adhesive retainers 120, and with the flexing, ... Figure 5 (A) Consider the shear force F acting on the adhesive retainer 120 in the Y direction, indicated by the arrow. If we apply the concept of a toggle mechanism, the shear force F can be simply represented by the angle θ between the glass surfaces and the weight G of the glass, as shown in Equation 1.

[0058]

[0059] When suspending glass, the angle θ becomes close to 180 degrees, but according to (Equation 1), if the angle θ is small, the magnitude of the shear force F decreases. Therefore, if an adhesive member with low shear stiffness is used, the glass deflection becomes relatively larger, which can reduce the angle θ. Shear stiffness is represented by the amount of displacement in the direction along which a certain force (shear force) is applied when a certain force (shear force) is applied along the substrate holding surface 110X. The higher the shear stiffness, the smaller the amount of displacement relative to a certain force. Generally, shear stiffness decreases in soft materials. Therefore, when the adhesive member is made of the same elastomer, the thicker the adhesive member, the easier it is to move in the direction of the shear force (Y-axis direction). On the other hand, if we consider the stress generated when the adhesive member is peeled from the adhered object, the thinner adhesive member has smaller deformation (= smaller stress at the contact interface), and the thicker adhesive member has larger deformation (= larger stress at the contact interface). Therefore, it can be considered that the thinner adhesive member has a larger adhesive force than the thicker adhesive member. In other words, when using the same material, shear rigidity and adhesion are lower with greater thickness and higher with less thickness. Here, shear rigidity refers to the magnitude of displacement of a specified shear force in a direction relative to the horizontal plane (the plane horizontal to the adhesion surface), and adhesion refers to the load-bearing capacity in the vertical direction (the suspension direction).

[0060] The adhesive retainer 120 of this embodiment, by functionally separating an elastomer EA (adhesive) layer with adhesive function and an elastomer EB (mitigation) layer that reduces shear stiffness, can simultaneously achieve an increase in shear resistance load and a reduction in shear force. That is, as... Figure 5 As shown in (B), the elastomer EB layer 125 deforms under shear force, increasing the glass deflection and mitigating the shear force. The deformation blocking layer 124 blocks the deformation of the elastomer EB layer 125, and the elastomer EA layer 123 adheres to the glass substrate 10 in a state where the shear force is mitigated. Therefore, even when large-screen displays are assembled, the glass substrate 10 can be continuously adhered and held by the adhesive retainer 120 in the border area.

[0061] Furthermore, the thickness T1 of the elastomer EA layer 123 adhered to the glass and the thickness T2 of the elastomer EB layer 125 connected to the shaft can be set in various ways according to the physical properties of the elastomer. In one example, if the elastomer EA layer 123 and the elastomer EB layer 125 are made of the same material to facilitate the manufacture of the adhesive retainer 120, it is preferable to satisfy the relationship T1≤T2.

[0062] Furthermore, the displacement of the adhesion surface of the elastomer EA layer 123 relative to the shear force should be smaller than the displacement of the elastomer EB layer 125. In one example, the elastomer EA layer 123 and the elastomer EB layer 125 can be made of the same material, and the displacement relative to the shear force can be adjusted by changing their shapes. In one example, the elastomer EA layer 123 and the elastomer EB layer 125 have the same thickness, but the displacement of the elastomer EB layer 125 relative to the shear force can be larger by making the diameter of the elastomer EB layer 125 smaller than the diameter of the elastomer EA layer 123. Additionally, the elastomer EB layer 125 can be made in any structure, such as a sponge-like shape, to maximize the displacement of the elastomer EB layer 125 relative to the shear force.

[0063] Furthermore, the elastomeric EA layer 123 and elastomeric EB layer 125 constituting the adhesive retainer 120 are preferably fluororubbers that do not contain silicon-oxygen bonds in their structure, and the deformation blocking layer 124 is preferably stainless steel. In addition, in order to mitigate the shear force caused by the deflection of the glass substrate 10, the elastomeric EA layer 123 and elastomeric EB layer 125 constituting the adhesive retainer 120 of this embodiment are preferably 10 to 30 [N / mm].

[0064] Here, regardless of the materials of the elastomer EA layer 123 and the elastomer EB layer 125, and the amount of displacement relative to a certain shear force, the thickness T2 of the elastomer EB layer 125 is always greater than the thickness T1 of the elastomer EA layer 123. This ensures that the adhesive surface of the elastomer EA layer 123 maintains sufficient adhesion and reduces peeling due to shear force. In this case, as long as the elastomer EA layer 123 and the elastomer EB layer 125 exhibit elasticity, the relationship between their displacements relative to a certain shear force is not limited. For example, the displacement of the elastomer EA layer 123 relative to a certain shear force can be greater than that of the elastomer EB layer 125. This is because making the elastomer EA layer 123 thinner increases adhesion, while making the elastomer EB layer 125 thicker mitigates shear force.

[0065] <Processing>

[0066] Processing of the base glass, such as Figure 6 (A) and Figure 6 The flowchart shown in (B) includes a series of processes: a substrate glass holding process S601, a flipping process S602, a mask holding process S603, a film forming process S604, and a peeling process S605. These processes are performed in a vacuum environment. The substrate glass holding process S601 also includes a preparation process S611, a placement process S612, and an adhesion process S613. The processing of the substrate glass using the adhesive holding member 120 of this embodiment will be described in sequence below.

[0067] <<Sample Glass Holding Process (S601)>>

[0068] In S601, via Figure 7 The substrate holding device 700 shown holds the glass substrate 10 on the substrate carrier 100. Figure 7 The substrate holding device 700 shown includes a substrate holding chamber (first chamber) R1, a pin unit 200 (substrate moving mechanism) for moving the glass substrate 10 up and down in the Z direction, a pressing unit 400 for pressing the glass substrate 10, and a support platform 500 for supporting the substrate carrier 100.

[0069] The substrate carrier 100 is supported on the support platform 500, and the substrate holding surface 110X of the flat plate member 110 constituting the substrate carrier 100 is parallel to the horizontal plane. Furthermore, in Figure 7 The text indicates the use of a ball screw mechanism as the mechanism for moving the pin 240 and the pressing unit 400 up and down, but other known technologies such as rack and pinion can also be used.

[0070] The pin unit 200 includes: a motor 210; a screw 220 that rotates via the motor 210; a nut portion 230 that moves up and down along the screw 220 as the screw 220 rotates; and a pin 240 fixed to the nut portion 230 and moving up and down together with the nut portion 230. It is configured such that a plurality of balls circulate infinitely between the inner circumferential surface of the nut portion 230 and the outer circumferential surface of the screw 220.

[0071] The pressing unit 400 includes: a motor 410; a screw 420 that rotates via the motor 410; a nut portion 430 that moves up and down along the screw 420 as the screw 420 rotates; a shaft portion 440 fixed to the nut portion 430 and moving up and down together with the nut portion 430; and a pressing portion 450 provided at the front end of the shaft portion 440. Furthermore, a plurality of balls are configured to circulate infinitely between the inner circumferential surface of the nut portion 430 and the outer circumferential surface of the screw 420. Multiple pressing portions 450 are provided, each corresponding to one of the plurality of adhesive retaining members 120.

[0072] The substrate holding chamber R1 is divided into a substrate processing area A1, a first drive source placement area A2, and a second drive source placement area A3. The first drive source placement area A2 is located vertically downwards from the substrate processing area A1, and the second drive source placement area A3 is located vertically upwards. A substrate carrier 100, etc., is placed in the substrate processing area A1. Furthermore, a motor 210, etc., from the pin unit 200 is placed in the first drive source placement area A2, and a motor 410, etc., from the pressing unit 400 is placed in the second drive source placement area A3. This structure can suppress foreign matter generated by the rotation of the motors 210 and 410, and foreign matter generated in the sliding part of the ball screw, from entering the substrate processing area A1. Alternatively, all areas A1, A2, and A3 may not be placed within the vacuum environment of the substrate holding chamber R1; for example, the substrate processing area A1 may be placed within the vacuum environment of the substrate processing area R1, while the first drive source placement area A2 and the second drive source placement area A3 may be placed in the atmospheric environment.

[0073] Furthermore, the pin unit 200 of the pin 240 that drives the glass substrate 10 to move up and down in the Z-axis direction, and the drive unit 400 of the pressing part 450 are connected to the controller 720 via control lines 201 and 401, respectively, and are controlled by the controller 720 executing a control program. This control will be described below. The power supply unit 710 supplies power to various parts of the system.

[0074] <<<Preparation Process (S611)>>>

[0075] In the preparatory state before the glass substrate 10 is placed onto the substrate carrier 100, both the pin 240 and the pressing part 450 are positioned at their highest points in the vertical direction. In this state, the pin 240 protrudes vertically upwards from the pin-through hole 111 of the flat member 110 in the substrate carrier 100 beyond the substrate holding surface 110X. The elastomeric EA layer of the adhesive retainer 120 is as follows... Figure 4 It is fixed to the flat member 110, protruding slightly from the substrate holding surface 110X. Additionally, the pressing part 450 separates from the substrate carrier 100. In this state, when the glass substrate 10 is moved into the substrate processing area A1 of the substrate holding chamber R1 using a mechanism (not shown), as... Figure 7 As shown, the glass substrate 10 is placed on a plurality of pins 240.

[0076] <<<Placing process (S612)>>>

[0077] When the pin 240 is moved vertically downward by the motor 210, the front end of the pin 240 passes through the pin through hole 111 of the flat plate member 110 and moves to a position vertically downward on the side opposite to the substrate holding surface 110X. As a result, the glass substrate 10 comes into contact with the elastomeric EA layer 123 of the adhesive retainer 120.

[0078] Figure 8 This illustrates the state where pin 240 has moved downwards and the glass substrate 10 is in contact with the elastomeric EA layer 123 of the adhesive retainer 120. Furthermore, in the case of panelizing a large-screen display from the glass substrate 10, it becomes as follows... Figure 1 In this way, there is no adhesive retainer 120 on the glass surface corresponding to the image display area. Therefore, it is possible to prevent scratches on the glass surface corresponding to the image display area caused by dust or other contaminants adhering to the surface of the adhesive retainer 120. Furthermore, as the pin 240 moves downwards, some undulations may sometimes remain on the glass substrate 10, but these undulations can be reduced by adjusting the downward movement of the pin 240.

[0079] <<<Adhesion process (S613)>>>

[0080] Next, in step S613, the glass substrate 10 is pressed using a pressing mechanism. The pressing part 450 is moved vertically downwards by the motor 410, thereby ensuring sufficient contact between the elastomer EA layer 123 of the adhesive retainer 120 and the substrate glass. At this time, it can also be controlled so that multiple pressing parts 450 are not pressed onto the substrate glass simultaneously, but rather the pressing area gradually changes from a specific starting point to a specific ending point. For example, it can be controlled to start pressing from the center of the glass substrate 10 along its length and press sequentially towards both ends. This prevents the glass substrate 10 from becoming uneven. Figure 9 The image shows the state where the pressing part 450 moves downward, and the glass substrate 10 contacts and adheres to the elastomeric EA layer 123 of the adhesive retainer 120 that protrudes slightly from the flat member 110.

[0081] After that, as Figure 10 As shown, the pressing part 450 is moved vertically upward by the motor 410. The glass substrate 10 is fixed to the substrate carrier 100 by the support member 130, ensuring sufficient contact with the elastomer EA layer 123. In this way, the glass substrate 10 and the substrate carrier 100 are integrated, completing the process before being sent out from the substrate holding chamber R1.

[0082] <<Flipping Process (S602)>>

[0083] Figure 11 (A) and Figure 11(B) is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the flipping device. The flipping device includes a flipping chamber R2, a holding member 610 for holding the substrate carrier 100, a rotating shaft 620 fixed to the holding member 610, a motor 630 for rotating the rotating shaft 620, and a support member 640 for axially supporting the rotating shaft 620.

[0084] like Figure 11 (A) Thus, the substrate carrier 100, integrated with the glass substrate 10, is transported from the substrate holding chamber R1 to the flipping chamber R by a mechanism not shown, and held by the holding member 610. Afterwards, the substrate carrier 100 rotates 180 degrees, becoming as shown... Figure 11 (B) This is the state in which the sample glass is suspended (hanging) relative to the substrate carrier in the vertical direction. When mounting large images, the sample glass in the portion not held by the adhesive holder 120 flexes downward in the vertical direction. The adhesive holder 120 of this embodiment has an elastomer EB layer, which has low shear stiffness. Therefore, it can reduce the shear force caused by flexing and continuously and stably hold the glass substrate 10.

[0085] <<Mask holding process (S603)>>

[0086] The substrate carrier 100, holding the glass substrate 10, is transported from the flipping chamber R2 to the alignment chamber. The mask 20 and the glass substrate 10, which are waiting in the alignment chamber, are aligned, and the substrate carrier is placed on top of the mask in an aligned state. When fixing the substrate carrier 100 to the mask 20, for example, a magnetic means such as an electromagnet, a clamping device, or a mechanical mechanism can be used. Alternatively, the substrate carrier 100 can be placed on the mask 20 located on a conveying member such as rollers without being fixed to the mask 20, allowing it to move integrally on the conveying member.

[0087] <<Film Forming Process (S604)>>

[0088] Figure 12 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vapor deposition apparatus as an example of a film deposition apparatus. The vapor deposition apparatus includes a film deposition chamber R3, inside which an evaporation source 30 is disposed. A substrate carrier 100, which integrally holds a glass substrate 10 and a mask 20, is transported from an alignment chamber to the film deposition chamber R3. The substrate carrier 100 passes through the space where film-forming material evaporates or sublimates from the evaporation source 30, thereby forming a thin film on the glass substrate 10. Alternatively, a structure can be adopted in which multiple film deposition chambers are provided, each equipped with a film deposition source that releases different film-forming materials, and the substrate carrier 100 is transported sequentially to sequentially deposit various thin films on the glass substrate 10. When film deposition is complete, the mask 20 combined with the glass substrate 10 is removed. Alternatively, sometimes another mask is reassembled to repeat the film deposition process.

[0089] <<Stripping Process (S605)>>

[0090] After the film formation process S604 is completed, the mask is removed and the substrate glass is peeled off. Figure 13 (A) and Figure 13 (B) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the substrate glass peeling apparatus. The substrate glass peeling apparatus includes a substrate glass peeling chamber R4. Similar to the substrate holding apparatus, the substrate glass peeling apparatus includes a pin unit 200 and a support stage 500 for moving the glass substrate 10 vertically. The substrate carrier 100, transported from the film forming chamber R3 to the substrate glass peeling chamber R4, is as follows... Figure 13 (A) This releases the support member 130. Then, via motor 210, as... Figure 13 (B) This causes the pins 240 to move vertically upwards, lifting the glass substrate 10 from the substrate carrier 100. The glass substrate 10 is then ejected from the sample glass release chamber R4.

[0091] Furthermore, when the glass substrate 10 is separated from the substrate carrier 100 in the vertical direction by the pin 240, a mechanism for controlling the adhesive retainer 120 is provided to reduce the adhesive force of the adhesive retainer 120 and facilitate the peeling of the glass substrate 10 from the substrate carrier 100. For example... Figure 14 As shown, the adhesive retainer 120 is configured such that when the glass substrate 10 is adhered, the shaft 126 is locked horizontally to the vertical direction indicated by the line L. However, when separating the glass substrate 10 from the substrate carrier, the shaft 126 is pushed in the direction of arrow D1 by the control member 28, allowing the shaft 126 to deflect at a predetermined angle as indicated by arrow D2. At this time, the pushing force in the D1 direction is preferably a force greater than the load-bearing capacity in the shear direction of the adhesive retainer 120. As a result, the pressure applied to the adhesive surface of the adhesive retainer 120 is shifted, making it easier to peel the glass substrate 10 from the adhesive retainer 120.

[0092] As explained above, according to this embodiment, the adhesive retainer 120 that holds the substrate glass against the substrate carrier is laminated in such a manner that a portion with strong adhesion to peeling (or a thinner layer if made of the same material) and a portion with low shear rigidity that mitigates shear force (or a thicker layer if made of the same material) are separated by a rigid intermediate layer (deformation-blocking layer). Thus, it is possible to reliably maintain strong adhesion to the substrate glass relative to its weight and prevent peeling relative to shear force caused by glass deflection.

[0093] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0094] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A substrate holder, the substrate holder being disposed on a substrate carrier for holding and transporting a substrate downward in a vertical direction, characterized in that, The substrate holder has: The first elastomeric layer has an adhesion surface that adheres to the substrate; The second elastomer layer, which is bonded to a support member on one side of the substrate carrier, has a greater displacement relative to a force of a predetermined magnitude in a direction parallel to the adhesion surface than the first elastomer layer. as well as An intermediate layer, disposed between the first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer, has a higher rigidity than each of the rigidity of the first elastomer layer and the rigidity of the second elastomer layer.

2. The substrate holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer are made of the same material.

3. The substrate holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first and second elastomer layers are elastomers made of fluororubber.

4. The substrate holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the first elastomer layer in the stacking direction is smaller than the thickness of the second elastomer layer in the stacking direction.

5. The substrate holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate layer is made of stainless steel.

6. The substrate holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stiffness of at least one of the first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer relative to shear force is in the range of 10 to 30 [N / mm].

7. A substrate carrier that holds and transports a mounted substrate, characterized in that, The substrate holding member according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is provided at multiple positions on the substrate holding surface of the substrate carrier.

8. A film-forming system, characterized in that, The film-forming system comprises: The substrate carrier as described in claim 7; and A film-forming apparatus that performs film-forming processing on a substrate held in the substrate holder.

9. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that, The method for manufacturing the electronic device includes: The process of holding the substrate by the substrate carrier according to claim 7; The process of performing a film-forming process on the substrate held by the substrate holder; and The process of peeling the substrate, after film formation, from the adhesion surface.

10. A substrate holder, the substrate holder being disposed on a substrate carrier for holding and transporting a substrate downward in a vertical direction, characterized in that, The substrate holder has: The first elastomeric layer has an adhesion surface that adheres to the substrate; The second elastomer layer, which is bonded to a support member on one side of the substrate carrier, is thicker than the first elastomer layer; as well as An intermediate layer, disposed between the first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer, has a higher rigidity than each of the rigidity of the first elastomer layer and the rigidity of the second elastomer layer.

11. The substrate holder according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer are made of the same material.

12. The substrate holder according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first and second elastomer layers are elastomers made of fluororubber.

13. The substrate holder according to claim 10, characterized in that, The intermediate layer is made of stainless steel.

14. The substrate holder according to claim 10, characterized in that, The stiffness of at least one of the first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer relative to shear force is in the range of 10 to 30 [N / mm].

15. A substrate carrier that holds and transports a mounted substrate, characterized in that, The substrate holding member according to any one of claims 10 to 14 is provided at multiple positions on the substrate holding surface of the substrate carrier.

16. A film-forming system, characterized in that, The film-forming system comprises: The substrate carrier as claimed in claim 15; and A film-forming apparatus that performs film-forming processing on a substrate held in the substrate holder.

17. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that, The method for manufacturing the electronic device includes: The process of holding the substrate by the substrate carrier according to claim 15; The process of performing a film-forming process on the substrate held by the substrate holder; and The process of peeling the substrate, after film formation, from the adhesion surface.

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