Substrate carrier, film formation system, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Abstract

Provided is a substrate carrier capable of suppressing peeling and vibration of a glass substrate, a film formation system, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. The substrate carrier includes a plurality of substrate holders for holding and transporting a substrate downward in a vertical direction by the plurality of substrate holders, wherein the plurality of substrate holders includes at least: a first substrate holder that adherently holds a substrate; and a second substrate holder that adherently holds a substrate, has a higher shear rigidity than the first substrate holder, and has a shorter distance from the second substrate holder to the center of the substrate than a distance from the first substrate holder to the center of the substrate in a substrate holding surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to 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 tended to utilize large glass substrates due to production efficiency considerations. For example, a glass substrate with a side length exceeding 2 meters, such as G7 size (1870×2200 mm) or G8 size (2160×2460 mm), is used. After performing manufacturing processes such as film deposition on this large glass substrate, the panels are assembled according to the required product panel size to become the final product.

[0003] As a film-forming apparatus for forming a film on a glass substrate, there is a linear film-forming apparatus that suspends and holds the glass substrate from a substrate carrier and transports it together with the substrate carrier while forming a film. Patent Document 1 discloses a means of holding the glass substrate using an adhesive holding member as a substrate carrier in this case.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-195670 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] As the panel size for large glass substrates is used, large finished panels such as 65 inches or 78 inches are sometimes employed. If a large glass substrate is held in place by adhesive retainers within the display area of ​​a large finished panel, defects may occur during the film deposition process. Therefore, sometimes adhesive retainers are placed only at the panel junction, avoiding the display area of ​​the finished panel.

[0009] If adhesive retainers are only placed at the junction of the panels, the finished panel is large, and due to the deformation caused by the weight of the glass and the thermal displacement caused by the film-forming process, a large force is applied to the adhesive retainers in the shear direction orthogonal to the suspension direction of the glass substrate. Therefore, the glass substrate may sometimes peel off from the adhesive retainers, causing defects in the film-forming process. Patent Document 1 discloses a method to prevent the glass substrate from peeling off by reducing the shear direction rigidity of the adhesive retainers, thereby mitigating the force in the shear direction.

[0010] On the other hand, if the rigidity of the adhesive retainer in the shear direction is reduced, there is a problem that the glass substrate may vibrate and malfunction when the substrate carrier is disturbed during the transport of the glass substrate.

[0011] In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a substrate holding technology that can suppress the peeling and vibration of glass substrates.

[0012] Methods for solving problems

[0013] To address the aforementioned issues, the substrate carrier of the present invention includes a plurality of substrate holding members for holding and transporting the substrate downwards in the vertical direction via the plurality of substrate holding members, wherein...

[0014] The plurality of substrate holders include at least:

[0015] A first substrate holder, which adheres and holds the substrate; and

[0016] The second substrate holder, which adheres to and holds the substrate, has a higher shear stiffness than the first substrate holder.

[0017] In the substrate holding surface, the distance from the second substrate holder to the center of the substrate is shorter than the distance from the first substrate holder to the center of the substrate.

[0018] The effects of the invention

[0019] According to the present invention, a substrate holding technique is provided that can suppress the peeling and vibration of glass substrates. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram showing the substrate carrier of the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the substrate carrier of the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the substrate holder in the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 4 (A) Figure 4 (B) is a diagram showing the substrate holder of the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 5 (A) Figure 5 (B) is a diagram illustrating the forces acting on the sample glass held in place by the substrate carrier.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the process of mounting / removing the sample glass onto the substrate carrier of this embodiment.

[0026] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0027] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0028] Figure 9 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0029] Figure 10 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0030] Figure 11 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the flipping device of the substrate holding device in this embodiment.

[0031] Figure 12 This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film-forming apparatus of the substrate holding apparatus in this embodiment.

[0032] Figure 13 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the substrate holding device during peeling in this embodiment.

[0033] Figure 14 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the substrate holding device during peeling in this embodiment.

[0034] Figure 15 (A) is a diagram showing the arrangement of substrate holders on the substrate carrier. Figure 15 (B) is a graph showing the amount of shear displacement for each configuration.

[0035] Figure 16 (A)~ Figure 16 (E) is a diagram showing a modified example of the substrate holder.

[0036] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the substrate carrier according to the second embodiment.

[0037] Figure 18 (A) is a diagram showing the arrangement of substrate holders on the substrate carrier. Figure 18 (B) is a graph showing the amount of shear displacement for each configuration.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0039] 100: Substrate carrier; 301, 302: Adhesive retainer; 110: Flat plate component; 310, 121, 123: Elastomer layer; 122: Deformation blocking layer. Detailed Implementation

[0040] 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.

[0041] [First Implementation]

[0042] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The substrate carrier of this embodiment will be 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.

[0043] Figure 1 The substrate carrier 100 shown includes a flat plate member 110 and a frame 115 supporting the flat plate member 110. Furthermore, the holding surface (hereinafter referred to as substrate holding surface 110X or glass holding surface 110X) on the flat plate member 110, which holds the sample glass (glass substrate) 10 by an adhesive retainer 120, is planar on the flat plate member 110. Additionally, the flat plate 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 the pin 240, which can move out of the substrate holding surface 110X, up and down through the pin through hole 111. In addition, a plurality of holding member through holes 112 are also provided adjacent to the pin through hole 111. The adhesive holding member 120 is a substrate holding member inserted through the holding member through hole 112 and mounted on the flat member 110. The adhesive holding member 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.

[0044] 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).

[0045] In the final product, the area that becomes the image display area is not equipped with adhesive retainers 120; adhesive retainers 120 are only equipped at the panel junction (also known as the border area). Therefore, the adhesive retainers 120 are equipped above the length of the shortest separation side, and the unsupported area becomes larger. The panel junction (border area) is the area located between the two parts used as the display panel in the product.

[0046] Next, using Figure 3 The configuration of the adhesive retainer 120 on the substrate carrier 100 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 This is a top view of the substrate carrier, showing cases where a large image is displayed as a two-panel panel and a small image as a five-panel panel using a glass substrate. Adhesive retainers 301 and 302 are provided on the substrate carrier 100, and the adhesive portions of the adhesive retainers 301 and 302 adhere and retain a glass substrate (not shown). The adhesive retainers 301 and 302 are only provided at the panel panel junctions on the substrate carrier 100 to avoid adhering and retaining the effective portion that will become the finished panel. Figure 3 The dashed lines shown indicate the diagonal of the glass substrate, and the intersection of the dashed lines indicates approximately the center of the glass substrate. The adhesive retainer 301 disposed in this region, compared to adhesive retainers 302 disposed in other locations, has higher shear rigidity, as described later. Figure 3 In this design, the number of adhesive retainers 301 is shown as six, but it is not limited to this. In other words, a plurality of substrate retainers 120 are disposed on the substrate carrier 100, and the substrate retainers include adhesive retainers 301 and adhesive retainers 302. In addition, the adhesive retainers 301 are disposed at a position closer to the center side of the glass substrate than the adhesive retainers 302.

[0047] <Adhesive retainer>

[0048] The adhesive retainer 301 and adhesive retainer 302 provided on the substrate carrier 100 will now be described. Figure 4 (A) indicates the first type of adhesive retainer 301. Figure 4 (B) indicates a second type of adhesive retainer 302. For example... Figure 4 As shown in (A), the adhesive retainer 301 has an elastomer layer 310 as an adhesive layer on the metal shaft 126, and an adhesive layer (not shown) is formed between the two. Known materials can be used as the material constituting the adhesive layer, and it is preferable that it does not release outgassing components that would adversely affect the vacuum film deposition process. Furthermore, the elastomer layer 310 is preferably fluororubber without silicon-oxygen bonds to avoid releasing outgassing components that would adversely affect the vacuum film deposition process. In this embodiment, the metal shaft 126 is made of stainless steel or ceramic with a diameter of 10 mm, and the elastomer layer 310 is made of fluororubber with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm. The fixing member 150 and the substrate carrier 100 are integrally fixed to the flat member 110 by the fixing part 127 relative to the substrate carrier 100.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown in (B), the adhesive retainer 302 comprises an elastomer B layer 121 bonded to the metal fixed portion 127, a deformation blocking layer (intermediate layer) 122, and an elastomer A layer 123 serving as an adhesive layer for the adhesive retainer substrate. An adhesive layer (not shown) is formed between each layer. Known materials can be used as the material constituting the adhesive layer, and it is preferable that it does not release gas components that adversely affect the vacuum film deposition process. Furthermore, the elastomer A layer and elastomer B layer are preferably fluororubber without silicon-oxygen bonds to avoid releasing gas components that adversely affect the vacuum film deposition process. In one example, the metal shaft 126 is a stainless steel or ceramic component with a diameter of 10 mm, and the deformation blocking layer 122 is a stainless steel or ceramic component with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of 1 mm. In another example, both the elastomer A layer 123 and the elastomer B layer 121 are made of fluororubber with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm. Relative to the substrate carrier 100, the fixing part 127 fixes the fixing member 150 and the substrate carrier 100 to the flat member 110 in such a way that the fixing member 150 and the substrate carrier 100 are integrated.

[0050] Figure 4 (A) shows an adhesive retainer 301 that becomes associated with Figure 4Compared to the adhesive retainer 302 shown in (B), the structure of the elastomer B layer 121 and the deformation blocking layer 122 is omitted. The deformation blocking layer 122 is made of metal; therefore, the elastomer B layer 121 is sufficient as the elastic element. Thus, since the elastomer B layer 121 is absent, the adhesive retainer 301 has fewer elastic elements between the substrate carrier 100 and the adhered glass substrate 10, resulting in higher shear stiffness than the adhesive retainer 302. Shear stiffness is represented by the amount of displacement in the direction along which a certain force is applied. The higher the shear stiffness, the smaller the displacement relative to a certain force. Therefore, the adhesive retainer 302 has a larger displacement relative to the shear force, i.e., the force in the direction parallel to the adhesive surface, than the adhesive retainer 301.

[0051] In addition, such as Figure 4 (A) Figure 4 As shown in (B), adhesive retainers 301 and 302 are fixed to the plate-shaped member 110 via a fixing member 150 at the fixed portion 127 of the shaft 126 in an integrated manner with the substrate carrier 100. The fixing member 150 and the plate-shaped member 110 can be fixed using known means such as bolts (not shown). The elastomeric layer 310 of adhesive retainer 301 and the elastomeric layer A 123 of adhesive retainer 302 are inserted into the through hole 112 for retainers with their upper surfaces parallel to the substrate holding surface 110X and facing upwards in the vertical direction, 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 adhesive retainer 120 and the compression characteristics of the material, in one example it is less than the thickness of the glass substrate 10. The diameter of the through hole 112 for retainers is relatively large; therefore, adhesive retainer 120 is allowed to swing in both the vertical and horizontal directions within a specified range.

[0052] The following describes a method for determining the placement position of the adhesive retainer 301 with high shear rigidity on the substrate carrier 100 relative to the adhesive retainer 120. Figure 15 Indicates in Figure 15 The location shown in (A) was determined through simulation. Figure 1 The substrate carrier 100 shown adheres to and holds the glass substrate 10, and the shear displacement applied to the adhesive holder during the vacuum film deposition process is described. Figure 15 (A) and Figure 15 In the simulation shown in (B), the adhesive retainers 120 disposed on the substrate carrier 100 are assumed to have the same characteristics for calculation. Figure 15 (B) indicates the amount of shear displacement of the adhesive retainer 120 applied to each part. Figure 15 (A) indicates that... Figure 15(B) shows the mounting positions of the adhesive retainer 120 on the substrate carrier 100 corresponding to the curves. For example, Figure 15 (B) 134 indicates that... Figure 15 Arrow 134 in (A) indicates the position of the adhesive retainer 120, which is a curve formed by connecting the points obtained by plotting the shear displacement of each adhesive retainer 120. (Distributed in...) Figure 15 Even when a vacuum film deposition process is applied, the shear displacement of the adhesive retainer 120 at point 135 shown in (B) is very small compared to adhesive retainers 120 positioned elsewhere. Therefore, even if a greater shear force is applied by increasing the rigidity of the adhesive retainer 120 in the shear direction, the allowable shear force of the adhesive retainer will not be exceeded, thus preventing glass peeling. Furthermore, the small shear displacement of the adhesive retainer 120 at point 135 allows for the suppression of vibration of the glass substrate 10 by configuring an adhesive retainer 120 with a small displacement relative to the shear direction.

[0053] Figure 15 (B) The position of the adhesive retainer at point 135 on the substrate carrier 100 is as shown in the figure. Figure 15 Point 135 in (A) is located near the intersection of the diagonals of the substrate carrier 100. It can be seen that although it is not strictly located in the center due to the arrangement of the adhesive retainer, it is located approximately in the center of the transport carrier. The range in which the adhesive retainer with high shear rigidity is positioned can be determined based on the allowable shear force value of the adhesive retainer. For example, an adhesive retainer positioned at a point where the shear displacement is below a specified threshold during simulation is... Figure 4 (A) shows a high-rigidity adhesive retainer 301, making the adhesive retainers disposed at other points as Figure 4 (B) shows the low-rigidity adhesive retainer 302. This allows the glass substrate 10 to be adhered and held even when it is flexed. Furthermore, by using the high-rigidity adhesive retainer 301 to adhere and hold the glass substrate near its center, vibration of the glass substrate 10 can be suppressed.

[0054] Below, refer to Figure 5 (A) and Figure 5 (B) The shear rigidity of the adhesive retainer in this embodiment will be explained. Furthermore, in Figure 5 (A) and Figure 5 In (B), the adhesive retainer 302 is used as an example for explanation, but the same applies to the adhesive retainer 301. Figure 5(A) is a partial schematic diagram showing a glass substrate 10 with a longitudinal (X-direction) of 2200mm × transverse (Y-direction) of 2200mm × thickness of 0.5mm suspended on a flat plate member 110 constituting the substrate carrier 100, with a pair of adhesive retaining members 302 provided. (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.

[0055] exist Figure 5 In (A), a pair of adhesive retainers 302 disposed in the frame area are separated from each other by 1050 mm, which corresponds to the case of panelizing an 80-inch (996 mm × 1771 mm) area from the glass substrate 10. Under its own weight, the glass substrate 10 flexes at a point M near the middle of the pair of adhesive retainers 302, and with the flexing, Figure 5 (A) Consider the shear force F, indicated by the arrow in the Y direction, acting on the adhesive retainer 302. 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.

[0056]

[0057] 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. 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 deformation of a thinner adhesive member is smaller (i.e., the stress at the contact interface is smaller), while the deformation of a thicker adhesive member is larger (i.e., the stress at the contact interface is larger). Therefore, it can be considered that the adhesive force is greater with a thinner adhesive member compared to a thicker adhesive member. In other words, when using the same material, the shear stiffness and adhesive force are smaller with a larger thickness, and the shear stiffness and adhesive force are larger with a smaller thickness. Here, shear stiffness refers to the magnitude of the displacement of a specified shear force in a direction relative to the horizontal plane (the plane horizontal to the adhesion surface), and adhesion force refers to the load that can withstand in the vertical direction (the suspension direction).

[0058] The adhesive retainer 302 of this embodiment, by functionally separating an elastomer A (adhesive) layer with adhesive function and an elastomer B (softening) 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 B layer 121 deforms under shear force, increasing the glass deflection and mitigating the shear force. The deformation blocking layer 122 blocks the deformation of the elastomer B layer 121, and the elastomer A layer 123 adheres to the glass substrate 10 while 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 302 in the border area.

[0059] Furthermore, the thickness T1 of the elastomer A layer 123 adhered to the glass and the thickness T2 of the elastomer B layer 121 connected to the shaft can be set in various ways according to the physical properties of the elastomers. In one example, if the elastomer A layer 123 and the elastomer B layer 121 are made of the same material to facilitate the manufacture of the adhesive retainer 120, it is preferable to satisfy the relationship T1≤T2.

[0060] Furthermore, the elastomer A layer 123 and elastomer B layer 121 constituting the adhesive retainer 302 are preferably fluororubbers that do not contain silicon-oxygen bonds in their structure, and the deformation blocking layer 122 is preferably stainless steel. In addition, in order to mitigate the shear force caused by the deflection of the glass substrate 10, the shear stiffness of the elastomer A layer 123 and elastomer B layer 121 constituting the adhesive retainer 302 of this embodiment is preferably 10 to 30 [N / mm].

[0061] <Processing>

[0062] 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.

[0063] <<Sample Glass Holding Process (S601)>>

[0064] In S601, via Figure 7 The substrate holding device 700 shown holds the glass substrate 10 on the substrate carrier 100. Figure 7The 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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 executing a control program. This control will be described below. The power supply unit 710 supplies power to various parts of the system.

[0070] <<<Preparation Process (S611)>>>

[0071] 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 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.

[0072] <<<Placing process (S612)>>>

[0073] 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 adhesive layer (elastomeric layer) of the adhesive retainer 120.

[0074] Figure 8 This illustrates the state where pin 240 has moved downwards and the glass substrate 10 is in contact with the elastomeric layer 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.

[0075] <<<Adhesion process (S613)>>>

[0076] Next, in 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 adhesive layer 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 layer A 123 of the adhesive retainer 120 that protrudes slightly from the flat member 110.

[0077] 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 A 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.

[0078] <<Flipping Process (S602)>>

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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 layer and low shear stiffness, thus reducing the shear force caused by flexing and continuously and stably holding the glass substrate 10.

[0081] <<Mask holding process (S603)>>

[0082] 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.

[0083] <<Film Forming Process (S604)>>

[0084] 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.

[0085] <<Stripping Process (S605)>>

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] <Example of a modified adhesive retainer>

[0089] The following describes embodiments applicable to adhesive retainers 301 and 302. Adhesive retainer 301 is provided as... Figure 4 The structure shown in (A) is such that the adhesive retainer 302, which is positioned closer to the outer edge than the adhesive retainer 301, is configured as follows: Figure 4 The structure shown in (B) is explained.

[0090] Reference Figure 16 (A)~ Figure 16 (E) Other examples of adhesive retainers 302 are described.

[0091] Figure 16 (A) shows another example of the adhesive retainer 302. It comprises a metal shaft 126 and an elastomer layer 1602, with an adhesive sheet 1601 formed between them. As the material constituting the adhesive sheet 1601, known materials can be used, and preferably, it will not release gas components that adversely affect the vacuum film deposition process. In one example, the metal shaft 126 is a stainless steel or ceramic component with a diameter of 10 mm, and the elastomer layer 1602 is a fluororubber with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm. It is fixed to the plate 110 of the substrate carrier 100 via the fixing member 150 by the fixing part 127. Figure 16 (A) shows the adhesive retainer and Figure 4 (A) shows an adhesive retainer where the adhesive sheet and adhesive layer differ. The adhesive sheet is coated with adhesive on both sides, and generally, the adhesive layer is more rigid than the adhesive sheet. Therefore, due to the... Figure 4 (A) lacks an adhesive layer, thus Figure 4 (A) shows the adhesive retainer 301 and Figure 16 Compared to the adhesive retainer 302 shown in (A), it has fewer elastic elements and higher shear rigidity between the substrate carrier 100 and the adhesively retained glass substrate 10.

[0092] in addition, Figure 16 (B) and Figure 16 (C) represents another example of adhesive retainer 302. Figure 16 (B) is a diagram showing the adhesive surface of the adhesive retainer 302 as viewed from the vertical direction (Z direction). Figure 16 (C) shows Figure 16 (B) Section A-A. An elastomer C layer 1611 is formed on a metal substrate 1610, and an adhesive layer (not shown) is formed between the two. The substrate 1610 is surrounded by an elastomer D layer 1612, and the elastomer D layer 1612 is surrounded by a base portion 1613. An adhesive layer (not shown) is formed between the substrate 1610 and the elastomer D layer 1612, and between the elastomer D layer 1612 and the base portion 1613. As the material constituting the adhesive layer, known materials can be used, and it is preferable that it does not release gas components that would adversely affect the vacuum film deposition process. In one example, the metal substrate 1610 is made of a stainless steel component with a diameter of 10 mm, and the elastomer C layer 1611 is made of fluororubber with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm. Furthermore, the elastomer D layer 1612 is made of fluororubber with an inner diameter of 10 mm and an outer diameter of 20 mm, and the base portion 1613 is made of stainless steel. The substrate 1610 and the base portion 1613, and the elastomer C layer 1611 and the elastomer D layer 1612 are not in direct contact. The base portion 1613 is fastened to the substrate carrier. Figure 16 (B) and Figure 16 (C) shows the adhesive retainer and Figure 4 The adhesive retainer shown in (A) has the same structure except for the elastomer D layer 1612 and the base portion 1613. The base portion 1613 is made of metal; therefore, the elastomer D layer 1612 can be considered as the elastic element. Thus, since there is no elastomer D layer 1612, ... Figure 4 (A) shows the adhesive retainer and Figure 16 (B) and Figure 16 Compared to the adhesive retainer 302 shown in (C), it has fewer elastic elements and higher shear rigidity between the substrate carrier 100 and the adhesively retained glass substrate 10.

[0093] in addition, Figure 16 (D) and Figure 16 (E) represents another example of adhesive retainer 302. Figure 16 (D) is a diagram showing the adhesive surface of the adhesive retainer as viewed from the vertical direction (Z direction). Figure 16 (E) shows Figure 16(D) B-B section. An elastomer layer 1621 is formed on a metal substrate 1620, and an adhesive layer (not shown) is formed between the two. The substrate 1620 is bonded to the leaf spring portion 1622, and the leaf spring portion 1622 is bonded to the base portion 1623. As the material constituting the adhesive layer, known materials can be used, and it is preferable to use materials that do not release gas components that would adversely affect the vacuum film deposition process. In one example, the metal substrate 1620 and the base portion 1623 are stainless steel components, and the elastomer layer 1621 is fluororubber with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm. Furthermore, the leaf spring portion 1622 is fluororubber with a thickness of 0.5 mm. Figure 16 (D) indicates that L is 50mm. Figure 16 (E) shows a stainless steel component with H = 10 mm. The base 1620 and the base portion 1623 are not in direct contact; the base portion 1623 is fastened to the plate 110 on the substrate carrier 100 side. Figure 16 (D) and Figure 16 (E) shows the adhesive retainer 302 and Figure 4 (A) shows that the adhesive retainer 301 differs in the shape of the base 1620 and the presence of the leaf spring portion 1622 and the base portion 1623. As an elastic element, the thickness direction of the leaf spring portion can be considered. Therefore, since there is no leaf spring portion, ... Figure 4 (A) shows the adhesive retainer 301 and Figure 16 (D) and Figure 16 Compared to the adhesive retainer 302 shown in (E), it has fewer elastic elements and higher shear rigidity between the substrate carrier 100 and the adhesively retained glass substrate 10.

[0094] also, Figure 16 (D) Figure 16 The adhesive retainer 302 shown in (E) differs from other types of adhesive retainers in that it exhibits anisotropy in rigidity in the shear direction. Its rigidity decreases in the thickness direction of the leaf spring portion 152; therefore, the mounting phase of the adhesive retainer 302 needs to be changed according to the vector of the shear force at the location of the adhesive pad mounted on the substrate carrier 100.

[0095] As explained above, even if the substrate carrier 100 is disturbed during the transport of the glass substrate 10, vibration of the glass substrate can be suppressed by the adhesive retainer 301 with high shear rigidity. In addition, the adhesive retainer 302 with low shear rigidity can also suppress the peeling of the glass substrate from the adhesive retainer caused by deflection due to the deformation of the glass itself or by thermal displacement due to the film formation process.

[0096] <Second Implementation>

[0097] Next, refer to Figure 17The second embodiment will be described. Figure 17 This is a top view of the substrate carrier, showing the use of a G8.5 size (2200mm × 2500mm) glass substrate with a large image arranged as a 3-panel layout and a small image arranged as a 2-panel layout. Adhesive holders 1701 and 1702 are fixed to the substrate carrier 1700, and the glass substrate (not shown) is transported by adhering and holding it through the adhesive portions of the adhesive holders 1701 and 1702. The adhesive holders are not configured on the substrate carrier to adhere and hold the effective portion of the finished panel, but only at the panel panel junction. Figure 1 The substrate carrier shown is the same. Figure 17 The dashed lines shown indicate the diagonal of the glass substrate, and the intersection of the dashed lines indicates the approximate center of the glass substrate. The adhesive retainer 1701, located in the area near the approximate center, has higher shear rigidity compared to adhesive retainers 1702 located in other areas. For example, it is possible to apply [the following] as the adhesive retainer 1701. Figure 4 (A) The adhesive retainer 301 can be used as the adhesive retainer 1702. Figure 4 (B) Adhesive retainer 302. Figure 17 In the example, the number of adhesive retainers 1701 is nine, but it is not limited to this.

[0098] The following describes a method for positioning an adhesive retainer 1701, which has a higher shear stiffness than the adhesive retainer 1702, approximately at the center of the substrate carrier. Figure 17 The intersection of the diagonals of the substrate carrier, indicated by the dashed line, is located inside the product panel in the product panel panel configuration and is not equipped with adhesive retainers. In this case, a perpendicular line is drawn from the intersection of the diagonals to the nearby panel junction, and the multiple intersections of the perpendicular line with the panel junction are defined as approximately the center.

[0099] Figure 18 This indicates that it was obtained through simulation. Figure 17 The shear force applied to the adhesive retainer during the application of a vacuum film deposition process to the substrate carrier adhesive holding glass. Figure 18 In the simulation of the obtained values, the adhesive retainers disposed on the substrate carrier are assumed to have the same characteristics for calculation. Figure 18 (B) indicates the amount of shear displacement applied to the adhesive retainer at each location. Figure 18 (A) indicates that... Figure 18 (B) The mounting positions of the adhesive retainer on the substrate carrier 1700 corresponding to the curves shown in the diagram. For example, Figure 18 (B) 1810 will follow Figure 18(A) The position of the adhesive retainer configured with arrow 1810 is indicated in relation to the amount of shear displacement. Figure 18 Even when a vacuum film deposition process is applied, the shear displacement values ​​of the adhesive retainers at positions 1815, 1816, 1817, and 1818 shown in (B) are very small compared to other adhesive retainers.

[0100] Therefore, even if the rigidity of the adhesive retainer in the shear direction is increased and a larger shear force is applied, it will not exceed the allowable shear force of the adhesive retainer, thus preventing glass peeling.

[0101] Figure 18 (B) The positions of 1815, 1816, 1817, and 1818 shown correspond to the adhesive retainers that are closest to the center of the substrate carrier. Therefore, it can be seen that it is sufficient to place the adhesive retainer with high shear rigidity at approximately the center of the substrate carrier. Similar to the first embodiment, the range in which the adhesive retainer with high shear rigidity is placed is determined based on the allowable shear force value of the adhesive retainer.

[0102] In addition, it can also be used as an adhesive retainer 1702. Figure 16 (A)~ Figure 16 The structure shown in (E)

[0103] As explained above, even if the substrate carrier is disturbed during the transport of the glass substrate, vibration of the glass substrate can be suppressed by the adhesive retainer 301 with high shear rigidity. In addition, the adhesive retainer 302 with low shear rigidity can also suppress the peeling of the glass substrate from the adhesive retainer caused by deflection due to the deformation of the glass due to its own weight or by thermal displacement due to the film formation process.

[0104] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0105] 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 carrier, the substrate carrier comprising a plurality of substrate holders for holding and transporting a substrate downward in a vertical direction by means of the plurality of substrate holders, characterized in that, The plurality of substrate holders include at least: A first substrate holder, which adheres and holds the substrate; and The second substrate holder, which adheres to and holds the substrate, has a higher shear stiffness than the first substrate holder, wherein the shear stiffness is the stiffness along the direction of the substrate holding surface. In the substrate holding surface, the distance from the second substrate holder to the center of the substrate is shorter than the distance from the first substrate holder to the center of the substrate.

2. The substrate carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shear rigidity corresponds to the displacement of the substrate holding surfaces of the plurality of substrate holders relative to a force in a direction parallel to the holding surfaces of the plurality of substrate holders.

3. The substrate carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, All of the substrate holders having a lower shear stiffness than the second substrate holder are positioned closer to the outer edge of the substrate than the second substrate holder.

4. The substrate carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first substrate holder includes: The first elastomeric layer has an adhesion surface that adheres to the substrate; The second elastomeric layer, which is bonded to the support member on the substrate carrier side, has a greater displacement than the first elastomeric layer relative to a predetermined shear force in a predetermined direction parallel to the adhesion surface; as well as An intermediate layer, disposed between the first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer, has a higher rigidity than the first elastomer layer and the second elastomer layer.

5. The substrate carrier according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first and second elastomer layers are elastomers made of fluororubber.

6. The substrate carrier according to claim 4, characterized in that, The intermediate layer is made of stainless steel.

7. The substrate carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second substrate holder includes an elastomer layer, which is bonded to a support member on the substrate carrier side and has an adhesion surface for adhesion to the substrate.

8. A film-forming system, characterized in that, The film-forming system comprises: The substrate carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and A film-forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate held on the substrate carrier.

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 any one of claims 1 to 7; The process of performing a film-forming process on the substrate held by the substrate carrier; and The process of peeling the substrate after film formation from the substrate holding surface.

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