Substrate holder transport system

Abstract

A substrate support conveying system capable of improving handling efficiency to increase throughput is provided. The substrate support conveying system includes a substrate support support body configured to be distanced from an evaporation source that evaporates a deposition material, the substrate support support body having a support portion that is inclined at a prescribed angle different from a horizontal direction and supports at least one substrate support that holds at least one substrate that is a deposition target; and a substrate support conveying portion that loads the substrate support to the support portion in a manner to maintain the state of being inclined at the prescribed angle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a conveyance system that conveys a substrate holder. BACKGROUND

[0002] A film formation apparatus that performs tilt driving for tilting a substrate in order to oppose the substrate to a film formation source is known.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-257174

[0006] The aforementioned conventional film formation apparatus requires a process of tilting a substrate each time film formation processing is performed. Therefore, the efficiency of loading and unloading is low, and it is difficult to increase the processing amount. SUMMARY

[0007] The present application has been achieved in view of the above. An object thereof is to provide a conveyance system that can improve the efficiency of loading and unloading to increase the processing amount.

[0008] The substrate holder conveyance system of the present application is characterized by comprising:

[0009] a substrate holder support body that is disposed away from an evaporation source that evaporates a deposition material, the substrate holder support body having a support portion that is tilted at a prescribed angle different from the horizontal direction and supports at least one substrate holder that holds at least one substrate that is a film formation target; and

[0010] a substrate holder conveyance portion that loads the substrate holder to the support portion in a state in which the substrate holder is tilted at the prescribed angle.

[0011] EFFECT OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present application can improve the efficiency of loading and unloading to increase the processing amount. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic view that shows the schematic configuration of the film formation apparatus of the present embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 In the figure, (a) shows a front view of the substrate holder 200, (b-1) shows a side view of the state of the substrate holder stacking machine 300 when five substrate holders 200 are mounted, and (b-2) shows a side view of the state of the substrate holder stacking machine 300 when two substrate holders 200 are mounted.

[0015] Figure 3 is a schematic view that shows the loading process and the unloading process.

[0016] Figure 4 is a schematic view showing the height of the substrate holder 200 at the uppermost position of the loading palletizer 300L, the height of the substrate holder 200 on which a substrate is placed, and the height of the substrate holder 200 at the uppermost position of the unloading palletizer 300U.

[0017] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] 10: film formation apparatus; 100: substrate vault; 300L: loading palletizer; 300U: unloading palletizer; 400: conveyance system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENT

[0020] FIRST CHARACTERISTIC

[0021] According to the first characteristic, there is provided a substrate holder conveyance system including:

[0022] a substrate holder support body (e.g., the substrate vault 100 described later, etc.) disposed away from an evaporation source that evaporates a deposition material, the substrate holder support body having a support portion (e.g., the surrounding portion 120 described later, etc.) inclined at a prescribed angle different from the horizontal direction, and supporting at least one substrate holder (e.g., the substrate holder 200 described later, etc.) that holds at least one substrate (e.g., the substrate SB described later, etc.) that is a film formation target; and

[0023] a substrate holder conveyance portion (e.g., the conveyance system 400 described later, etc.) that loads the substrate holder to the support portion in a manner that maintains the state of being inclined at the prescribed angle (e.g., the angle θ described later, etc.).

[0024] The substrate holder conveyance system includes the substrate holder support body and the substrate holder conveyance portion.

[0025] The substrate holder support body is disposed away from the evaporation source that evaporates the deposition material. The substrate holder support body has the support portion. The support portion is inclined at the prescribed angle different from the horizontal direction. The support portion supports the at least one substrate holder. The substrate holder holds the substrate that is the film formation target.

[0026] The substrate holder conveyance portion loads the substrate holder to the support portion. The substrate holder conveyance portion conveys and loads the substrate holder to the support portion in a manner that maintains the state of being inclined at the prescribed angle.

[0027] Since the substrate holder is conveyed in a manner that maintains the inclined state, control and operation of inclining the substrate holder can be omitted, and the handling efficiency can be improved to increase the throughput.

[0028] << Second Feature >>

[0029] The second feature is that, in the first feature,

[0030] A loading holding unit (e.g., a loading palletizer 300L described later, etc.) holds at least one of the substrate holders in a state of being inclined at the prescribed angle to be loaded to the support unit.

[0031] Since the loading holding unit inclines the substrate holders in advance, control and operation of inclining the substrate holders can be omitted, and the loading and unloading efficiency can be improved to increase the throughput.

[0032] << Third Feature >>

[0033] The third feature is that, in the first feature,

[0034] The substrate holder conveying unit conveys the substrate holders from the support unit in a state of being maintained inclined at the prescribed angle (e.g., a hand device 410 described later, etc.).

[0035] Since the substrate holders are inclined even during the conveying, control and operation of inclining the substrate holders can be omitted, and the loading and unloading efficiency can be improved to increase the throughput.

[0036] << Fourth Feature >>

[0037] The fourth feature is that, in the third feature,

[0038] An unloading holding unit (e.g., an unloading palletizer 300U, etc.) holds at least one of the substrate holders unloaded from the support unit in a state of being inclined at the prescribed angle.

[0039] The unloading holding unit also inclines the substrate holders even during the storage after the film formation processing, so that control and operation of inclining the substrate holders can be omitted, and the loading and unloading efficiency can be improved to increase the throughput.

[0040] << Fifth Feature >>

[0041] The fifth feature is that, in the second feature,

[0042] The loading holding unit holds a plurality of substrate holders in a state of being inclined at the prescribed angle.

[0043] Since the plurality of substrate holders are inclined in advance, control and operation of inclining each of the substrate holders can be omitted, and the loading and unloading efficiency can be improved to increase the throughput.

[0044] << Sixth Feature >>

[0045] The sixth feature is that, in the fourth feature,

[0046] The unloading retaining part is used to retain multiple substrate supports by overlapping them in a state of tilt at the specified angle.

[0047] Since multiple substrate supports are tilted even during storage after film formation, the control and operation of tilting each substrate support can be omitted, thereby increasing the throughput by improving loading and unloading efficiency.

[0048] <<<<Details of this implementation method>>>>

[0049] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described based on the accompanying drawings. The drawings show a schematic diagram illustrating the general configuration of the film-forming apparatus according to this embodiment. Figure 2 (a) is a front view showing the substrate support 200. Figure 2 (b-1) is a side view showing the state of the substrate support palletizer 300 when it is equipped with five substrate supports 200. Figure 2 (b-2) is a side view showing the state of the substrate support palletizer 300 when it is equipped with two substrate supports 200. Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing the loading and unloading processes. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the height of the substrate support 200 at the uppermost position of the loading palletizer 300L, the height of the substrate support 200 placed on the substrate support 200, and the height of the substrate support 200 at the uppermost position of the unloading palletizer 300U. It should be noted that... Figure 3 The substrate support 200 is shown in a simplified form.

[0050] <<<<Film Forming Device 10>>>>

[0051] The film-forming apparatus 10 mainly comprises an evaporation source 20 and a substrate dome 100. The evaporation source 20 and the substrate dome 100 are housed within a vacuum chamber 30.

[0052] <<<Vacuum Chamber 30>>>

[0053] An evaporation source 20 and a substrate dome 100 are arranged in a vertical order from bottom to top within a vacuum chamber 30. The vacuum chamber 30 has a height greater than the distance between the evaporation source 20 and the substrate dome 100.

[0054] Vacuum chamber 30 has an exhaust port. A vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to vacuum chamber 30. The interior of vacuum chamber 30 can be set to a desired vacuum level.

[0055] Vacuum chamber 30 is equipped with a heater. It can heat the substrate SB, which is mounted on the substrate dome 100. Vacuum chamber 30 is equipped with various sensors (not shown). The vacuum level and temperature can be controlled by the sensors.

[0056] <<<Substrate SB>>>

[0057] The substrate SB is the object to be deposited with a vapor deposition material. For example, the substrate SB has a thin, circular shape. The circular surface of the substrate SB will be coated with the vapor deposition material. The substrate SB can also be other shapes, not limited to a thin, circular shape.

[0058] The substrate SB has a desired size. For example, the diameter can be set to 2 inches, 4 inches, 8 inches, etc.

[0059] The substrate SB is made of a material corresponding to the type of evaporated substance. For example, the substrate SB is made of LT, LN, Si, SiO2, etc.

[0060] <<<Substrate Dome 100>>>

[0061] The substrate dome 100 holds the substrate SB. The substrate SB held in the substrate dome 100 is the object to be formed.

[0062] The substrate dome 100 holds multiple substrate supports 200. For example, the substrate dome 100 holds five substrate supports 200. The substrate dome 100 may also be configured to hold one substrate support 200.

[0063] As described below, a substrate support 200 holds multiple substrates SB. For example, a substrate support 200 holds three substrates SB. The substrate dome 100 positions the substrates SB in a fixed position via the substrate support 200.

[0064] The substrate dome 100 can simultaneously perform vapor deposition on multiple substrates SB. The substrate dome 100 is positioned above the vacuum chamber 30. The substrate dome 100 is positioned approximately 1200 mm away from the evaporation source 20. The distance between the substrate dome 100 and the evaporation source 20 can be appropriately determined based on the size of the substrate.

[0065] The size of the substrate dome 100 can be appropriately determined based on the size and quantity of the substrate support 200 and the substrate SB that are to be vapor-deposited simultaneously.

[0066] The material and properties of the substrate dome 100 only need to be heat-resistant, meaning it does not easily release its constituent substances under vacuum or heating conditions. Examples include Ti, stainless steel, and Al.

[0067] <Shape, Structure>

[0068] The baseboard dome 100 has a shape that is approximately pyramidal, approximately conical, approximately umbrella-shaped, approximately bowl-shaped, approximately basin-shaped, or approximately hemispherical.

[0069] The substrate dome 100 has a central portion 110 and a plurality of surrounding portions 120 surrounding the central portion 110. For example, the substrate dome 100 has five surrounding portions 120. The surrounding portions 120 have a generally fan-shaped shape. The outermost periphery 130 of the five surrounding portions 120 generally has a generally circular or generally polygonal outline centered on the central portion 110.

[0070] The surrounding portion 120 is biased relative to the horizontal direction as it moves radially from the center portion 110 towards the outermost periphery 130. For example, the surrounding portion 120 is biased downward as it moves from the center portion 110 towards the outermost periphery 130. The surrounding portion 120 is inclined downward at a predetermined angle to the horizontal direction. A substrate support 200 is mounted on one of the surrounding portions 120.

[0071] <Opening 140>

[0072] The surrounding portion 120 has at least one opening 140. The substrate support 200 is disposed on the surrounding portion 120 such that it covers the opening 140. Evaporation material from the evaporation source 20 can be deposited onto the substrate SB via the opening 140.

[0073] <Distance between evaporation source 20 and substrate SB>

[0074] By tilting the multiple surrounding portions 120 downwards at a predetermined angle to the horizontal direction, the distance between the evaporation source 20 and the multiple surrounding portions 120 can be made consistent. This arrangement ensures that the distance between the evaporation source 20 and each substrate SB is consistent. Preferably, each substrate SB extends substantially perpendicularly to the direction toward the evaporation source 20. By making the distance consistent, the film thickness, film quality, etc., of the multiple substrates SB can be made similar.

[0075] <<<Substrate support 200>>>

[0076] Figure 2 (a) is a front view of the substrate support 200.

[0077] The substrate holder 200 holds multiple substrates SB. For example, the substrate holder 200 holds five substrates SB. The substrate holder 200 may also hold at least one substrate SB. The number of substrates SB held in the substrate holder 200 may be appropriately determined based on the size of the substrate holder 200 and the size of the substrates SB.

[0078] A substrate support 200 is placed on the surrounding portion 120 of a substrate dome 100. Multiple substrates SB are placed on the substrate dome 100 via the substrate support 200. The substrate support 200 functions as an accessory for holding the substrates SB on the substrate dome 100.

[0079] <Material>

[0080] The substrate support 200 is made of metal, glass, or the like. For example, the substrate support 200 may be made of aluminum, stainless steel, or the like. The substrate support 200 can be made of a material suitable for heating and vacuum conditions. The substrate support 200 can be made of a material that is heat-resistant and does not easily release gas under vacuum conditions. The substrate support 200 can be made of a material that is easy to process into a fixed shape or easy to maintain a fixed shape.

[0081] <Shape>

[0082] The substrate support 200 has a thin plate-like shape. The substrate support 200 has a generally fan-shaped shape. The substrate support 200 can have a generally isosceles trapezoidal or generally isosceles triangular plate-like shape. The substrate support 200 can be any shape that can support at least one substrate SB and be placed on the surrounding portion 120 of the substrate dome 100.

[0083] <First side 210F and second side 210S>

[0084] The substrate holder 200 has a first surface 210F and a second surface 210S. The direction of the normal to the first surface 210F is opposite to the direction of the normal to the second surface. When using the substrate holder 200, the normal to the first surface 210F faces approximately upward, and the normal to the second surface faces approximately downward. The substrate SB is placed on the side of the first surface 210F.

[0085] <Sudden Rise 220>

[0086] The substrate support 200 has a plurality of protrusions 220. The plurality of protrusions 220 are disposed on a first surface 210F of the substrate support 200. For example, four protrusions 220 are disposed on the first surface 210F. The protrusions 220 protrude in a direction away from the first surface 210F. The plurality of protrusions 220 have approximately the same height.

[0087] The top end of a protrusion 220 of one substrate holder 200 abuts against the second surface 210S of another substrate holder 200 disposed immediately above it. A fixed gap is formed by the multiple protrusions 220, allowing multiple substrate holders 200 to be sequentially overlapped on the upper side. The protrusions 220 allow multiple substrate holders 200 to be stacked and placed on the substrate holder palletizer 300 (described later). The fixed gap allows the handle device 410 (described later) to enter the gap and easily grip the substrate holder 200. The substrate holder 200 gripped by the handle device 410 is then loaded or unloaded.

[0088] <Gap section 230>

[0089] The substrate support 200 has a plurality of notches 230. The plurality of notches 230 are formed at the ends of the substrate support 200. For example, four notches 230 are formed at the end edges of the substrate support 200. At least one notch 230 may be formed at the end of the substrate support 200.

[0090] The notch 230 can engage with the rod 310 provided on the loading palletizer 300L or the unloading palletizer 300U. By engaging the notch 230 with the rod 310, the loading palletizer 300L and the unloading palletizer 300U can overlap multiple substrate supports 200 with the same orientation. By aligning the orientation of the substrate supports 200, the handle device 410 can easily grip the substrate supports 200, and the substrate supports 200 can be loaded or unloaded stably.

[0091] <Through Hole 240>

[0092] The substrate support 200 has through holes 240. The substrates SB are arranged to cover the through holes 240. One substrate SB corresponds to one through hole 240. During the film deposition process, the evaporated material adheres to the substrate SB through the through holes 240.

[0093] <<<Baseboard support palletizer 300 (loading palletizer 300L and unloading palletizer 300U)>>>

[0094] Figure 2 (b-1) is a side view showing the state of the substrate support palletizer 300 when it is equipped with five substrate supports 200. Figure 2 (b-2) is a side view showing the state of the substrate support palletizer 300 when it is equipped with two substrate supports 200.

[0095] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the substrate support palletizer 300 includes a loading palletizer 300L and an unloading palletizer 300U. The loading palletizer 300L is used to load substrate supports 200 to be loaded onto the substrate dome 100. The unloading palletizer 300U is used to load substrate supports 200 that have been unloaded from the substrate dome 100. The loading palletizer 300L and the unloading palletizer 300U have the same configuration. Unless otherwise specified, they are simply referred to as substrate support palletizer 300. It should be noted that... Figure 3 In the diagram, the base plate support 200 placed at the uppermost position of the loading palletizer 300L and the unloading palletizer 300U is representatively shown as the loading palletizer 300L and the unloading palletizer 300U.

[0096] The substrate holder palletizer 300 holds at least one substrate holder 200. The substrate holder palletizer 300 holds the substrate holder 200 at an angle. The substrate holder palletizer 300 holds multiple substrate holders 200 at an angle relative to the horizontal. The multiple substrate holders 200 are held in the substrate holder palletizer 300 in a manner that overlaps and parallels each other.

[0097] <<Rod 310>>

[0098] like Figure 2 As shown in (b-1) and (b-2), the substrate support palletizer 300 has at least one rod 310. For example, the substrate support palletizer 300 has four rods 310. The rods 310 are elongated. The rods 310 extend in a vertical direction. It should be noted that the vertical direction is the direction of gravity and is perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The direction in which the rods 310 extend can also be other directions and is not limited to the vertical direction. The direction in which the rods 310 extend can be set such that the handle device 410 can easily grip the substrate support 200.

[0099] The rod 310 can engage with the notch 230. One notch 230 corresponds to one rod 310. By engaging the notch 230 with the rod 310, the substrate support 200, which is inclined relative to the horizontal, can be stably held on the substrate support stacker 300. By engaging the notch 230 with the rod 310, multiple substrate support stackers 300 can be stacked and stably held on the substrate support stacker 300 in such a way that the orientation of multiple substrate support stackers 300 is consistent.

[0100] <Tilting Adjustment Unit 320>

[0101] like Figure 2 As shown in (b-1) and (b-2), the substrate holder palletizer 300 has a tilt adjustment unit 320. The tilt adjustment unit 320 determines the tilt angle (θ) of the substrate holder 200 placed on the substrate holder palletizer 300. The tilt adjustment unit 320 holds the substrate holder 200 on the substrate holder palletizer 300 in an orientation different from the horizontal direction. The tilt adjustment unit 320 holds the substrate holder 200 on the substrate holder palletizer 300 in a state tilted relative to the horizontal direction. Multiple substrate holders 200 are placed overlappingly on the substrate holder palletizer 300 with the tilt angle determined by the tilt adjustment unit 320.

[0102] The tilt adjustment unit 320 can adjust the tilt of the substrate support 200 (refer to arrow A). For example, the tilt of the substrate support 200 can be changed according to the tilt of the surrounding portion 120 of the substrate dome 100. The tilt of the substrate support 200 can be adjusted in advance by the tilt adjustment unit 320 so that it is substantially consistent with the tilt of the surrounding portion 120 of the substrate dome 100.

[0103] The tilt can be adjusted either manually or by a drive mechanism. In the case of manual adjustment, a rotatable component (not shown) is rotated by hand to achieve the desired tilt angle. In the case of adjustment by a drive mechanism, an electric motor (not shown) is driven to achieve the desired tilt angle.

[0104] <<Lifting Mechanism 330>>

[0105] like Figure 2 As shown in (b-1) and (b-2), the substrate support palletizer 300 has a lifting mechanism 330. The lifting mechanism 330 adjusts the overall height of the substrate support 200 placed on the substrate support palletizer 300 (refer to arrow B). Figure 2 As indicated by the white arrow (b-2), Figure 2 (b-2) indicates that the lifting mechanism 330 is used to lift from... Figure 2 The state after (b-1) rises.

[0106] The lifting mechanism 330 adjusts the height to fix the uppermost substrate support 200 in the substrate support stacker 300. For example, the position of the uppermost substrate support 200 when five substrate supports 200 are mounted ( Figure 2 (b-1) and the position of the uppermost substrate support 200 when two substrate supports 200 are mounted ( Figure 2 (b-2) is the same as shown by the dashed line.

[0107] The lifting mechanism 330 can adjust the height of the substrate support 200 by means of an elastic unit such as a spring that generates applied force. In addition, the lifting mechanism 330 can measure the load by means of a sensor (not shown) and drive an electric motor (not shown) to adjust the height of the substrate support 200 according to the load.

[0108] <<Orientation of substrate support 200>>

[0109] In the substrate support stacker 300, the substrate support 200 is placed with the first side 210F facing upward and the second side 210S facing downward.

[0110] <<<Conveying System 400>>>

[0111] The conveying system 400 loads the substrate support 200 from the loading palletizer 300L onto the substrate dome 100. Furthermore, the conveying system 400 unloads the substrate support 200 from the substrate dome 100 onto the unloading palletizer 300U.

[0112] The conveying system 400 has a handle device 410 and a conveying device 420.

[0113] <Handle device 410>

[0114] The handle 410 grips the substrate holder 200 in a transportable manner. The handle 410 can engage with the ends, claws, protrusions, etc. (not shown) of the substrate holder 200 for gripping. The handle 410 has a drive mechanism (not shown) for gripping the substrate holder 200. The drive mechanism can be driven by an electric motor, compressed air, etc. It should be noted that gripping can be achieved not only by engagement but also by magnetic force, vacuum-induced adsorption, etc. The goal is to stably hold the substrate holder 200 in a transportable manner.

[0115] The handle device 410 grips the substrate support 200 in an inclined position. The handle device 410 loads the substrate support 200 from the loading palletizer 300L onto the substrate dome 100 (see reference) while maintaining the inclined position. Figure 3 (The dashed arrow L). Furthermore, the handle device 410 unloads the substrate support 200 from the substrate dome 100 to the unloading palletizer 300U while maintaining an inclined state (see reference). Figure 3 The dashed arrow U).

[0116] The handle device 410 can transport one substrate holder 200 or multiple substrate holders 200 at the same time.

[0117] <Conveying device 420>

[0118] The conveying device 420 conveys the substrate support 200 held by the handle device 410. The conveying device 420 conveys the substrate support 200 from the loading palletizer 300L to the substrate dome 100. The conveying device 420 conveys the substrate support 200 from the substrate dome 100 to the unloading palletizer 300U. The conveying device 420 loads or unloads the substrate support 200 in a manner that maintains the substrate support 200 in an inclined state.

[0119] The conveying device 420 rotates about a fixed rotation axis DS. The conveying device 420 rotates at a predetermined angle, thereby conveying the substrate support 200 from the loading palletizer 300L to the substrate dome 100. The conveying device 420 rotates at a predetermined angle, thereby conveying the substrate support 200 from the substrate dome 100 to the unloading palletizer 300U.

[0120] The rotation axis DS of the conveyor 420 is located approximately at the center between the loading palletizer 300L, the unloading palletizer 300U, and the substrate dome 100. The conveyor 420 rotates only in one direction and does not rotate back and forth. For example, the conveyor 420 rotates only clockwise or only counterclockwise. This arrangement simplifies the control of the conveyor 420 and simplifies its construction.

[0121] The conveying device 420 only requires rotating the substrate support 200, eliminating the need for radial movement of the substrate support 200. This simplifies the control and construction of the conveying device 420.

[0122] <<<Loading, Unloading>>>

[0123] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the height of the substrate support 200 at the top position of the loading palletizer 300L, the height of the substrate support 200 placed on the substrate support 200, and the height of the substrate support 200 at the top position of the unloading palletizer 300U.

[0124] like Figure 4 As shown, the height of the substrate support 200 at the top position of the loading palletizer 300L, the height of the substrate support 200 placed on the substrate support 200, and the height of the substrate support 200 at the top position of the unloading palletizer 300U are approximately the same.

[0125] Furthermore, the tilt angle of the uppermost substrate support 200 of the loading palletizer 300L relative to the horizontal direction, the tilt angle of the substrate support 200 placed on the substrate support 200 relative to the horizontal direction, and the tilt angle of the uppermost substrate support 200 of the unloading palletizer 300U relative to the horizontal direction are approximately the same.

[0126] With this configuration, the substrate can be loaded from the loading palletizer 300L to the substrate dome 100 without changing the height and tilt of the substrate support 200. Similarly, it can be unloaded from the substrate dome 100 to the unloading palletizer 300U without changing the height and tilt of the substrate support 200. This improves loading and unloading efficiency and increases throughput by eliminating the need for vertical movement of the substrate support 200 and changes to its tilt.

[0127] <<<<Variations>>>>

[0128] In the aforementioned example, the substrate support palletizer 300 is shown to have a lifting mechanism 330. That is, the lifting mechanism 330 adjusts the height of the substrate support 200 so that the height of the uppermost substrate support 200 in the loading palletizer 300L and the height of the uppermost substrate support 200 in the unloading palletizer 300U are the same as the height of the substrate support 200.

[0129] Alternatively, the conveying device 420 may have a lifting mechanism to adjust the height of the substrate support 200 during transport so that it matches the height of the substrate support 200. This arrangement eliminates the need to adjust the tilt of the substrate support 200, thus improving loading and unloading efficiency and increasing throughput.

[0130] <<<<Scope of Implementation>>>>

[0131] This embodiment has been described as above. However, the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be construed as limiting, including various embodiments not described herein.

Claims

1. A substrate support conveying system, comprising: A substrate support body, disposed away from an evaporation source from which the vapor-deposited material evaporates, has a support portion inclined at a predetermined angle different from the horizontal direction, and supports at least one substrate holder holding at least one substrate intended for film deposition; and The substrate support transport unit loads the substrate support onto the support unit in a manner that maintains it at the specified angle of inclination. The substrate support transport unit has a handle device and a transport device. The handle device grips the substrate support for transport, and the transport device transports the substrate support gripped by the handle device.

2. The substrate support conveying system according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes a loading retainer that holds at least one of the substrate supports in a state that allows it to be loaded onto the support at a predetermined angle.

3. The substrate support conveying system according to claim 1, wherein, The substrate support transport section unloads the substrate support from the support section while maintaining an inclined state at the specified angle.

4. The substrate support conveying system according to claim 3, wherein, It also includes an unloading retaining part, which holds at least one substrate support unloaded from the support part at an angle specified thereto.

5. The substrate support conveying system according to claim 2, wherein, The loading retaining part holds multiple substrate supports by overlapping them in a state of tilt at the specified angle.

6. The substrate support conveying system according to claim 4, wherein, The unloading retaining part is used to retain multiple substrate supports by overlapping them in a state of tilt at the specified angle.

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