Alignment system, film forming apparatus, alignment method, film forming method, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Abstract

The invention provides an alignment system, a film forming apparatus, an alignment method, a film forming method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. The alignment system is used for adjusting the relative position of a substrate and a mask, and is characterized by comprising an electrostatic chuck used for adsorbing the substrate; the separation state detection mechanism is used for detecting the separation state of the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck; the position adjusting mechanism is used for adjusting the relative position of the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck; and a control unit for controlling the electrostatic chuck, the separation state detection mechanism, and the position adjustment mechanism, the control unit being configured to adjust the position of the substrate on the basis of the separation state of the substrate and the mask detected by the separation state detection mechanism. And determining whether to start the adjustment of the relative position of the substrate and the mask by the position adjustment mechanism.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application with application date of June 4, 2019, application number 201910478796.4, and invention name “Alignment system, film forming device, alignment method, film forming method and method for manufacturing electronic device”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to an alignment system, a film forming device, an alignment method, a film forming method and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. Background Art

[0003] In the manufacture of an organic EL display device (organic EL display), when forming an organic light-emitting element (organic EL element; OLED) constituting the organic EL display device, a deposition material evaporated from a deposition source of a film-forming device is deposited onto a substrate through a mask having a pixel pattern formed thereon, thereby forming an organic layer or a metal layer.

[0004] In a film forming apparatus of the upward evaporation method (upward deposition), the evaporation source is arranged at the lower part of the vacuum container of the film forming apparatus, and the substrate is arranged at the upper part of the vacuum container, and evaporation is applied to the lower surface of the substrate. In the vacuum container of such a film forming apparatus of the upward evaporation method, since only the peripheral part of the lower surface of the substrate is held by the substrate holder, the substrate bends due to its own weight, which is a major cause of the reduction in evaporation accuracy. Even in film forming apparatuses of methods other than the upward evaporation method, deflection caused by the own weight of the substrate may occur.

[0005] As a method for reducing the deflection caused by the weight of the substrate, a technique using an electrostatic chuck is being studied. That is, the deflection of the substrate can be reduced by sucking the entire upper surface of the substrate with an electrostatic chuck.

[0006] Patent Document 1 (Korean Patent Publication No. 2007-0010723) proposes a technique for adsorbing a substrate and a mask using an electrostatic chuck.

[0007] [Prior art literature]

[0008] [Patent Literature]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 2007-0010723

[0010]

Issues to be solved

[0011] However, in the prior art, when the electrostatic chuck with the substrate adsorbed is brought close to the mask for alignment between the substrate and the mask, the mask is subjected to electrostatic attraction from the electrostatic chuck and may come into contact with the lower surface of the substrate. In this state, if the positions of the substrate and the mask are adjusted, the pattern of pixels formed on the lower surface of the substrate may be damaged by the mask. Summary of the invention

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide an alignment system, a film forming apparatus, an alignment method, a film forming method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device, which are capable of reducing damage to a film forming surface of a substrate.

[0013] [Solution to the problem]

[0014] The alignment system of the first scheme of the present invention is used to adjust the relative position of a substrate and a mask, and is characterized in that it includes: an electrostatic chuck, which is used to adsorb the substrate; a separation state detection mechanism, which is used to detect the separation state of the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck; a position adjustment mechanism, which is used to adjust the relative position of the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck; and a control unit, which is used to control the electrostatic chuck, the separation state detection mechanism, and the position adjustment mechanism, and the control unit determines whether to start the adjustment of the relative position of the substrate and the mask by the position adjustment mechanism based on the separation state of the substrate and the mask detected by the separation state detection mechanism.

[0015] The alignment system of the second scheme of the present invention is used to adjust the relative position of the substrate and the mask, and is characterized in that it includes: an electrostatic chuck, which is used to adsorb the substrate; a distance measuring mechanism, which is used to measure the distance between the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck; a position adjustment mechanism, which is used to adjust the relative position of the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck; and a control unit, which is used to control the electrostatic chuck, the distance measuring mechanism, and the position adjustment mechanism, and the control unit determines whether to start adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask by the position adjustment mechanism based on the distance between the substrate and the mask measured by the distance measuring mechanism.

[0016] A film forming apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is used to form a film of a vapor deposition material on a substrate via a mask, and is characterized by comprising the alignment system according to the first aspect or the second aspect of the present invention.

[0017] The alignment method of the fourth scheme of the present invention is used to adjust the relative position of a substrate and a mask, and is characterized in that it includes: a step of causing an electrostatic chuck to adsorb the substrate; a step of detecting a separation state between the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck; a step of determining whether to start adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask based on the detected separation state of the substrate and the mask; and a step of adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask when it is determined in the step of determining whether to start adjusting the relative position that the adjustment of the relative position of the substrate and the mask is to be started.

[0018] A computer-readable recording medium according to a fifth aspect of the present invention records a program for causing a computer to execute an alignment method for adjusting a relative position between a substrate and a mask, wherein the alignment method is the alignment method according to the fourth aspect of the present invention.

[0019] A computer program stored in a medium according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is used to cause a computer to execute an alignment method for adjusting the relative position of a substrate and a mask, wherein the alignment method is the alignment method according to the fourth aspect of the present invention.

[0020] A film forming method according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is used to form a film of a vapor deposition material on a substrate via a mask, and is characterized by including the alignment method according to the fourth aspect of the present invention.

[0021] A method for manufacturing an electronic device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the electronic device is manufactured using the film forming method according to the seventh aspect of the present invention.

[0022] [Effects of the invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, when adjusting the relative position between the substrate and the mask, damage to the film formation surface of the substrate caused by the mask can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a portion of an apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3a and Figure 3b Schematic diagram of an alignment system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the detection operation of the separation state of the alignment system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5a and 5bThis is a flowchart showing an alignment method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram representing an electronic device.

[0030]

Explanation of symbols

[0031] 22: Substrate support unit

[0032] 23: Mask support unit

[0033] 24: Electrostatic chuck

[0034] 32: Separation state detection mechanism

[0035] 33: Control Department DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments and examples are merely illustrative of preferred structures of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these structures. Moreover, the hardware structure and software structure, processing flow, manufacturing conditions, size, material, shape, etc. of the device in the following description are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these unless otherwise specified.

[0037] The present invention can be applied to a device for depositing various materials on the surface of a substrate to form a film, and can preferably be applied to a device for forming a thin film (material layer) of a desired pattern by vacuum evaporation. As the material of the substrate, any material such as glass, a film of a polymer material, a metal, etc. can be selected, and the substrate can also be a substrate in which a film of polyimide, etc. is stacked on a glass substrate. Moreover, as the evaporation material, any material such as an organic material, a metallic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.) can be selected. It should be noted that, in addition to the vacuum evaporation device described in the following description, the present invention can also be applied to a film forming device including a sputtering device or a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) device. Specifically, the technology of the present invention can be applied to manufacturing devices for organic electronic devices (e.g., organic EL elements, thin-film solar cells), optical components, etc. Among them, a manufacturing device for an organic EL element that forms an organic EL element by evaporating the evaporation material and evaporating it onto the substrate via a mask is one of the preferred application examples of the present invention.

[0038] <Electronic device manufacturing apparatus>

[0039] Figure 1 It is a plan view schematically showing the structure of a part of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus.

[0040] Figure 1The manufacturing device is used, for example, in the manufacture of display panels of organic EL display devices for smartphones. In the case of display panels for smartphones, for example, after film formation for forming organic EL elements is performed on a 4th or 5th generation substrate (about 700 mm × about 900 mm) or a 6th generation full-size substrate (about 1500 mm × about 1850 mm) or a half-cut size substrate (about 1500 mm × about 925 mm), the substrate is cut to produce a plurality of small-sized panels.

[0041] An electronic device manufacturing apparatus generally includes a plurality of cluster devices 1 and a relay device connecting the cluster devices.

[0042] The cluster device 1 includes a plurality of film forming devices 11 for processing (eg, forming films) the substrate S, a plurality of mask storage devices 12 for storing masks M before and after use, and a transfer chamber 13 disposed in the center thereof. Figure 1 As shown, the transfer chamber 13 is connected to a plurality of film forming devices 11 and a mask storage device 12 respectively.

[0043] A transfer robot 14 for transferring a substrate and a mask is arranged in the transfer chamber 13. The transfer robot 14 transfers the substrate S from the passage chamber 15 of the relay device arranged on the upstream side to the film forming device 11. In addition, the transfer robot 14 transfers the mask M between the film forming device 11 and the mask storage device 12. The transfer robot 14 is a robot having a structure in which a robot hand for holding the substrate S or the mask M is installed on a multi-jointed arm, for example.

[0044] In the film forming device 11 (also referred to as an evaporation device), the evaporation material stored in the evaporation source is heated by a heater to evaporate, and is evaporated onto the substrate through the mask. The film forming device 11 performs a series of film forming processes, including the transfer of the substrate S / mask M to the transfer robot 14, the adjustment (alignment) of the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M, the fixing of the substrate S to the mask M, and film formation (evaporation).

[0045] New masks and used masks used in the film forming process of the film forming apparatus 11 are stored in two boxes in the mask storage apparatus 12. The transfer robot 14 transfers the used masks from the film forming apparatus 11 to the box of the mask storage apparatus 12, and transfers new masks stored in other boxes of the mask storage apparatus 12 to the film forming apparatus 11.

[0046] The cluster device 1 is connected to a passage chamber 15 for transferring the substrate S from the upstream side to the cluster device 1 in the flow direction of the substrate S, and a buffer chamber 16 for transferring the substrate S after the film forming process in the cluster device 1 to other cluster devices on the downstream side. The transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13 receives the substrate S from the passage chamber 15 on the upstream side and transfers it to one of the film forming devices 11 (for example, the film forming device 11a) in the cluster device 1. In addition, the transfer robot 14 receives the substrate S after the film forming process in the cluster device 1 from one of the plurality of film forming devices 11 (for example, the film forming device 11b), and transfers it to the buffer chamber 16 connected on the downstream side.

[0047] A swirl chamber 17 for changing the orientation of the substrate is provided between the buffer chamber 16 and the passage chamber 15. A transfer robot 18 is provided in the swirl chamber 17 for receiving the substrate S from the buffer chamber 16, rotating the substrate S 180°, and transferring it to the passage chamber 15. Thus, the orientation of the substrate S is the same in the cluster device on the upstream side and the cluster device on the downstream side, and substrate processing becomes easy.

[0048] The passage chamber 15, the buffer chamber 16, and the swirl chamber 17 are so-called relay devices that connect cluster devices. The relay devices provided on the upstream and / or downstream sides of the cluster devices include at least one of the passage chamber, the buffer chamber, and the swirl chamber.

[0049] The film forming device 11, the mask storage device 12, the transfer chamber 13, the buffer chamber 16, the swirl chamber 17, etc. are maintained in a high vacuum state during the manufacturing process of the organic light emitting element. The passage chamber 15 is usually maintained in a low vacuum state, but can be maintained in a high vacuum state as needed.

[0050] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 1 , the structure of the manufacturing apparatus of the electronic device is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and other types of apparatuses or chambers may be provided, and the configuration between these apparatuses or chambers may be changed. For example, the present invention may also be applied to an in-line manufacturing apparatus that carries out a film forming process while carrying the substrate S and the mask M on a carrier after bonding them not in the film forming apparatus 11 but in another apparatus or chamber, and conveying them through a plurality of film forming apparatuses arranged in a row.

[0051] Hereinafter, a specific structure of the film forming apparatus 11 will be described.

[0052] <Film forming device>

[0053] Figure 2Schematic diagram showing the structure of the film forming device 11. In the following description, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is used with the vertical direction being the Z direction (third direction). When the substrate S is fixed to be parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane) during film formation, the width direction (direction parallel to the short side) of the substrate S is set as the X direction (first direction), and the length direction (direction parallel to the long side) is set as the Y direction (second direction). Moreover, the rotation angle (rotation direction) around the Z axis is represented by θ.

[0054] The film forming apparatus 11 includes a vacuum container 21 maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen, and a substrate support unit 22 , a mask support unit 23 , an electrostatic chuck 24 , and a vapor deposition source 25 provided inside the vacuum container 21 .

[0055] The substrate supporting unit 22 is a mechanism for receiving and holding the substrate S transferred by the transfer robot 14 provided in the transfer chamber 13 , and is also referred to as a substrate holder.

[0056] A mask supporting unit 23 is provided below the substrate supporting unit 22. The mask supporting unit 23 is a mechanism for receiving and holding the mask M transferred by the transfer robot 14 provided in the transfer chamber 13, and is also referred to as a mask holder.

[0057] The mask M has an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern formed on the substrate S, and is supported by the mask support unit 23. In particular, the mask used to manufacture organic EL elements for smartphones is a metal mask formed with a fine opening pattern, also called FMM (Fine Metal Mask).

[0058] An electrostatic chuck 24 for adsorbing and fixing the substrate by electrostatic attraction is provided above the substrate support unit 22. The electrostatic chuck 24 has a structure in which an electrical circuit such as a metal electrode is embedded in a dielectric (e.g., ceramic) matrix. The electrostatic chuck 24 can be a Coulomb force type electrostatic chuck, a Johnson-Rabbeck force type electrostatic chuck, or a gradient force type electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic chuck 24 is preferably a gradient force type electrostatic chuck. Since the electrostatic chuck 24 is a gradient force type electrostatic chuck, even when the substrate S is an insulating substrate, it can be well adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck 24. For example, in the case where the electrostatic chuck 24 is a Coulomb force type electrostatic chuck, when positive (+) and negative (-) voltages are applied to the metal electrodes, polarized charges with polarities opposite to those of the metal electrodes are induced in the substrate S and other adsorbed bodies through the dielectric matrix, and the substrate S is adsorbed and fixed to the electrostatic chuck 24 by the electrostatic attraction between them. The electrostatic chuck 24 can be formed by a single plate, or it can be formed to have a plurality of sub-plates. Furthermore, when formed by one plate, a plurality of electric circuits may be included therein so that the electrostatic attraction can be controlled to be different depending on the position within the one plate.

[0059] In the present embodiment, as described later, before film formation, not only the substrate S (first adsorbed body) but also the mask M (second adsorbed body) is adsorbed and held by the electrostatic chuck 24 .

[0060] That is, in this embodiment, the electrostatic chuck is used to adsorb and hold the substrate S (first adsorbed body) placed on the lower side of the electrostatic chuck 24 in the vertical direction, and then the electrostatic chuck 24 is used to adsorb and hold the mask M (second adsorbed body) placed on the opposite side of the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate S (first adsorbed body).

[0061] In one embodiment of the present invention, the deterioration or degradation of the organic material deposited on the substrate S can be suppressed by providing a cooling plate 30 that suppresses the temperature rise of the substrate S on the opposite side of the adsorption surface of the electrostatic chuck 24. In the embodiment including the cooling plate 30, the cooling plate 30 may also include a magnet. When the electrostatic chuck 24 adsorbs the mask M through the substrate S, the magnet forms the adsorption starting point of the mask M (in the case of a local magnet), or attracts the mask M to further increase the adhesion to the substrate S.

[0062] The evaporation source 25 includes a crucible (not shown) for storing the evaporation material to be formed on the substrate, a heater (not shown) for heating the crucible, a baffle (not shown) for preventing the evaporation material from scattering to the substrate before the evaporation rate from the evaporation source becomes constant, etc. The evaporation source 25 can have a variety of structures depending on the application, such as a point evaporation source or a linear evaporation source.

[0063] Although Figure 2 Although not shown, the film forming apparatus 11 includes a film thickness monitor (not shown) and a film thickness calculation unit (not shown) for measuring the thickness of a film deposited on a substrate.

[0064] A substrate support unit actuator 26, a mask support unit actuator 27, an electrostatic chuck actuator 28, and a position adjustment mechanism 29 are provided on the upper outer side (atmosphere side) of the vacuum container 21. These actuators and position adjustment mechanisms are composed of, for example, a motor and a ball screw, or a motor and a linear guide. The substrate support unit actuator 26 is a driving mechanism for lifting (moving in the Z direction) the substrate support unit 22. The mask support unit actuator 27 is a driving mechanism for lifting (moving in the Z direction) the mask support unit 23. The electrostatic chuck actuator 28 is a driving mechanism for lifting (moving in the Z direction) the electrostatic chuck 24.

[0065] The position adjustment mechanism 29 is a mechanism for adjusting the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M. For example, Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the position adjustment mechanism 29 moves and / or rotates the electrostatic chuck 24 or the electrostatic chuck actuator 28 as a whole relative to the substrate support unit 22 and the mask support unit 23 in the XYθ direction (at least one of the X direction, the Y direction, and the rotation direction). It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M is adjusted by adjusting the position of the electrostatic chuck 24 in the XYθ direction in a state where the substrate S is adsorbed. However, the present invention is not limited to such a structure. For example, the position adjustment mechanism 29 may have a structure that does not relatively move the electrostatic chuck 24 or the electrostatic chuck actuator 28 in the XYθ direction, but can relatively move the substrate support unit 22 or the substrate support unit actuator 26 and the mask support unit 23 or the mask support unit actuator 27 relative to the electrostatic chuck 24 in the XYθ direction.

[0066] In addition to the above-mentioned driving mechanism and position adjustment mechanism, an alignment camera 31 is provided on the upper surface of the outer side of the vacuum container 21 for photographing alignment marks formed on the substrate S and the mask M through a transparent window provided on the upper surface of the vacuum container 21. In this embodiment, the alignment camera 31 can be provided at a position corresponding to the center of two opposing sides of the rectangular substrate S, mask M, and electrostatic chuck 24 or at a position corresponding to the four corners of the rectangle.

[0067] The alignment camera 31 provided in the film forming apparatus 11 of the present embodiment is a fine alignment camera used to adjust the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M with high precision, and is a camera having a narrow field of view but a high resolution. In addition to the fine alignment camera 31, the film forming apparatus 11 may also have a coarse alignment camera having a relatively wide field of view and a low resolution.

[0068] It should be noted that the position adjustment mechanism 29 adjusts the position of the substrate S (first adsorbed body) and the mask M (second adsorbed body) by relatively moving the substrate S (first adsorbed body) and the mask M (second adsorbed body) based on the position information of the substrate S (first adsorbed body) and the mask M (second adsorbed body) obtained by the alignment camera 31.

[0069] In one embodiment of the present invention, the film forming apparatus 11 includes a separation state detection mechanism 32 for detecting the separation state of the substrate S and the mask M before the relative position adjustment of the substrate S adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask M begins. Figure 3a and Figure 3b , which will be described later.

[0070] The film forming device 11 includes a control unit 33. The control unit has functions such as conveying and aligning the substrate S / mask M, controlling the evaporation source 25, and controlling film forming. The control unit 33 can be composed of a computer having, for example, a processor, a memory, a storage, an I / O, etc. In this case, the functions of the control unit 33 are realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory or the storage. As a computer, a general-purpose personal computer can be used, or an embedded computer or a PLC (programmable logic controller) can be used. Alternatively, a part or all of the functions of the control unit 33 can be constituted by a circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. Moreover, a control unit can be provided for each film forming device, or one control unit 33 can control multiple film forming devices.

[0071] <Alignment System>

[0072] Reference Figure 3a , Figure 3b and Figure 4 , an alignment system according to an embodiment of the present invention and detection of a separation state between a substrate S and a mask M at the start of alignment are described.

[0073] like Figure 3a As shown, the alignment system of the present embodiment includes a substrate support unit 22 , a mask support unit 23 , an electrostatic chuck 24 , a position adjustment mechanism 29 , an alignment camera 31 , a separation state detection mechanism 32 , and a control unit 33 .

[0074] The separation state detection mechanism 32 of the present embodiment is a mechanism for detecting the separation state between the substrate S and the mask M. That is, the separation state detection mechanism 32 is a mechanism (distance measurement mechanism) for detecting or measuring whether the film forming surface of the substrate S adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask M are in contact with each other or separated in the Z direction, and in the case of separation, how much the distance between them is, etc.

[0075] The separation state detection mechanism 32 may include, for example, an electrostatic capacitance sensor 321 or a laser displacement meter 322 .

[0076] The electrostatic capacitance sensor 321 indirectly measures the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask M by utilizing the principle that the electrostatic capacitance changes when the mask M approaches the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate S.

[0077] like Figure 3a As shown, the electrostatic capacitance sensor 321 is provided in a manner buried in the plate portion of the electrostatic chuck 24. It is preferred that one electrostatic capacitance sensor 321 is provided at a position corresponding to the central portion of the mask M. This is because, in the case where a plurality of electrostatic capacitance sensors 321 are provided, the area of ​​the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced, and the adsorption force generated by the electrostatic chuck 24 may be weakened. Moreover, by providing the electrostatic capacitance sensor 321 at a position corresponding to the central portion of the mask M, as described later, when the mask M is made convex toward the electrostatic chuck 24 by the adsorption force of the electrostatic chuck 24 before the start of the alignment process, it is possible to more accurately detect whether the central portion of the mask M is in contact with the film forming surface of the substrate S. Moreover, it is also possible to detect whether wrinkles are generated in the central portion of the mask M after the adsorption of the mask M is completed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the electrostatic capacitance sensor 321 may also be provided at the central portion and / or the four corners of the electrostatic chuck 24.

[0078] The laser displacement meter 322 measures the distance between the lower surface of the substrate S adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 and the upper surface of the mask M by detecting the situation in which the laser beam from the laser light source (not shown) is reflected by the lower surface of the substrate S adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 and the upper surface of the mask M and returns to the laser light receiving part (not shown).

[0079] like Figure 3aAs shown, the laser displacement meter 322 is preferably arranged on the outside (atmosphere side) of the vacuum container 21 in a manner corresponding to the central portion of the mask M. A window that allows the laser beam to pass is provided at a position on the upper surface of the vacuum container 21 corresponding to the setting position of the laser displacement meter 322. In addition, a hole is also formed at a position of the electrostatic chuck 24 corresponding to the setting position of the laser displacement meter 322 so that the laser beam can pass. Therefore, similar to the case of the electrostatic capacitance sensor 321, in order to prevent the reduction of the adsorption force of the electrostatic chuck 24, it is preferred to set one laser displacement meter 322 at a position corresponding to the central portion of the mask M, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and multiple laser displacement meters 322 may also be provided at other positions, for example, at the four corners of the electrostatic chuck. Figure 3a and Figure 3b The figure shows that the laser displacement meter 322 is provided outside the upper surface of the vacuum container 21 , but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the laser displacement meter 322 may be provided outside the lower surface of the vacuum container 21 .

[0080] In the present embodiment, the control unit 33 controls whether to start adjustment (alignment) of the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M by the position adjustment mechanism 29 based on the separation state of the substrate S and the mask M detected by the separation state detection mechanism 32 .

[0081] In the structure where the substrate S and / or the mask M are adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck 24, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown in (a), the control unit 33 controls the electrostatic chuck 24 by applying a voltage for substrate adsorption, i.e., a first voltage (V1), to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24, so that the electrostatic chuck 24 adsorbs the substrate S. Next, in order to adjust (align) the relative position of the substrate S adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask M in the XYθ direction, the control unit 33 controls the electrostatic chuck actuator 28 and / or the mask support unit actuator 27 so that the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask M are relatively close. At this time, the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced to a second voltage (V2) that is smaller than the first voltage (V1). After the electrostatic chuck 24 completes the adsorption of the substrate S, even if the voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced to the second voltage (V2), the adsorption state of the substrate S can be maintained.

[0082] When the distance (d) between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 reaches the relative position measurement distance (d= D1 ), the control unit 33 stops the movement of the electrostatic chuck 24 .

[0083] However, although the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced to the second voltage (V2), as the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask M is shortened, the mask M can also receive electrostatic attraction from the electrostatic chuck 24, thereby, the mask M is Figure 4 As shown by the dotted line in (b), it is possible to be convex toward the electrostatic chuck 24.

[0084] When the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 is too close (d < D1), the upper surface of the mask M contacts the film-forming surface, i.e., the lower surface, of the substrate S. If the alignment process is started in this state, the pixel pattern formed on the film-forming surface of the substrate S may be damaged by the mask M.

[0085] On the other hand, when the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 is too large (d >> D1), in the subsequent alignment process, the alignment camera cannot properly focus on the alignment marks of the substrate S and the mask M, and the accuracy of the alignment process decreases.

[0086] In the present invention, to solve such problems, after the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 becomes the relative position measurement distance (d = D1), instead of immediately starting the alignment process, the separation state detection mechanism 32 detects or measures whether the substrate S adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask M supported by the mask support unit 23 are in contact with each other or separated, and if separated, to what extent. That is, the control unit 33 determines whether to start the alignment process based on the separation state of the substrate S and the mask M detected by the separation state detection mechanism 32.

[0087] In the present embodiment, the relative position measurement distance (D1) for measuring the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M in the XYθ directions is preferably set to a distance (non-contact limit distance) at which the mask M does not contact the film-forming surface of the substrate S even when the mask M becomes convex due to the electrostatic attraction from the electrostatic chuck 24.

[0088] However, as the film formation on the substrate S progresses, the dielectric constant or resistivity of the entire substrate S changes (therefore, the intensity of the electrostatic attraction that spreads from the electrostatic chuck 24 through the substrate S to the mask M sometimes changes), and as the mask M is repeatedly adsorbed / separated from the electrostatic chuck 24, the mask M may be deformed and elongated. Therefore, at the initial setting of the alignment system of the present invention, it is preferable that even if the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 is set to the non-contact limit distance, the separation state of the substrate S and the mask M can be confirmed by the separation state detection mechanism 32.

[0089] Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is more preferable that the control unit 33, in a state where the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 becomes the non-contact limit distance, detects the distance between the substrate S and the mask M by the separation state detection mechanism 32, and when the distance (d SM ) between the substrate S and the mask M is greater than a specified threshold value (d th ), it is determined that the adjustment of the relative position between them (i.e., alignment) is started.

[0090] The electrostatic chuck 24 of the alignment system of this embodiment includes an electrode portion, which generates an electrostatic adsorption force for adsorbing an adsorbed object (for example, a substrate S, a mask M) on an adsorption surface. Figure 3b As shown, the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 may include a plurality of sub-electrode portions.

[0091] Each sub-electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 includes an electrode pair to which positive (first polarity) and negative (second polarity) voltages are applied in order to generate electrostatic adsorption force. For example, each electrode pair includes a first electrode 241 to which a positive voltage is applied and a second electrode 242 to which a negative voltage is applied.

[0092] like Figure 3b As shown in the figure, the first electrode 241 and the second electrode 242 each have a comb shape. For example, the first electrode 241 and the second electrode 242 each include a plurality of comb teeth and a base connected to the plurality of comb teeth. The base of each electrode 241, 242 supplies a potential to the comb teeth, and the plurality of comb teeth generate an electrostatic adsorption force with the adsorbed body. In a sub-electrode portion, the comb teeth of the first electrode 241 are alternately arranged in a manner opposite to the comb teeth of the second electrode 242. In this way, by setting the comb teeth of each electrode 241, 242 to a structure that is opposite and enters each other, the interval between the electrodes to which different potentials are applied can be narrowed, forming a large non-uniform electric field, and the substrate S can be adsorbed by a gradient force.

[0093] In the present embodiment, the electrodes 241 and 242 of the secondary electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 are described as having a comb shape. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the electrodes 241 and 242 may have various shapes as long as they can generate electrostatic attraction with the adsorbed body.

[0094] The control unit 33 of this embodiment controls the magnitude of the voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24, the start time of voltage application, the voltage maintenance time, the voltage application order, etc., according to the progress of the adsorption process of the electrostatic chuck 24 or the film forming process of the film forming device 11. The control unit 33 can, for example, independently control the application of voltage to the plurality of sub-electrode portions included in the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 for each sub-electrode portion. In this embodiment, the control unit 32 is described as also controlling the electrostatic chuck 24, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the electrostatic chuck 24 may also include another control unit.

[0095] <Alignment method>

[0096] Below, refer to Figure 5a and Figure 5b , a method for adjusting (aligning) the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M is described.

[0097] First, the mask M and the substrate S are brought into the alignment system and supported by the mask supporting unit 23 and the substrate supporting unit 22, respectively (S10, S20).

[0098] Next, after the electrostatic chuck 24 is brought close to the substrate S supported by the substrate support unit 22 (for example, after the electrostatic chuck 24 is lowered toward the substrate S), a first voltage (V1) is applied to the electrostatic chuck 24, and the electrostatic chuck 24 is made to adsorb the substrate S by electrostatic attraction (S30). The first voltage (V1) is set to a voltage of sufficient magnitude to allow the electrostatic chuck 24 to reliably adsorb the substrate S.

[0099] When the electrostatic chuck 24 adsorbs the substrate S, the entire adsorption surface of the electrostatic chuck 24 may adsorb the entire surface of the substrate S at the same time, or the electrostatic chuck 24 may adsorb the substrate S sequentially from one region to another region of the plurality of regions. For example, the substrate may be adsorbed sequentially from one side of the electrostatic chuck 24 toward the other side opposite thereto, or the substrate may be adsorbed sequentially from one corner on the diagonal line of the electrostatic chuck 24 toward the other corner opposite thereto.

[0100] In order to sequentially adsorb the substrate S from one region to another region of the electrostatic chuck 24, the order of applying the first voltage for substrate adsorption to the plurality of sub-electrode portions may be controlled, or the first voltage may be applied to the plurality of sub-electrode portions simultaneously but the structure or supporting force of the supporting portion of the substrate supporting unit 22 supporting the substrate S may be different. By sequentially adsorbing the substrate S to the electrostatic chuck 24 according to each region, the substrate S is well adsorbed to the electrostatic chuck 24 without leaving wrinkles in the central portion of the substrate.

[0101] At a predetermined time point after the substrate S is completely attracted to the electrostatic chuck 24 , the voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced from the first voltage ( V1 ) to a second voltage ( V2 ) that is smaller than the first voltage ( V1 ).

[0102] The second voltage (V2) is an adsorption maintenance voltage for maintaining the state in which the substrate S is adsorbed to the electrostatic chuck 24. When the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced to the second voltage (V2), the adsorption force acting on the substrate S is correspondingly reduced. However, once the substrate S is adsorbed to the electrostatic chuck 24 by the first voltage (V1), the adsorption state of the substrate can be maintained even if the second voltage (V2) lower than the first voltage (V1) is applied.

[0103] Next, the control unit 33 drives the electrostatic chuck actuator 28 and / or the mask support unit actuator 27 to bring the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 relatively close (S35). At this time, the control unit 33 brings the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 relatively close (for example, lowers the electrostatic chuck 24) until the distance d between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 becomes a preset relative position measurement distance D1. As described above, the relative position measurement distance D1 is preferably preset to a non-contact limit position where the electrostatic attraction generated by the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 does not act on the mask M.

[0104] The control unit 33 preferably reduces the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 to the second voltage (V2) as described above before the distance (d) between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 becomes the relative position measurement distance (D1). When the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 is maintained at the first voltage (V1), the non-contact limit distance increases, so the accuracy in the relative position measurement and adjustment process may decrease.

[0105] In this embodiment, when the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 reaches the non-contact limit distance, the separation state detection mechanism 32 detects the separation state of the substrate S adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask M supported by the mask support unit 23 (S40).

[0106] The control unit 33 determines to start measuring the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M in the XYθ direction when the separation state detection mechanism 32 detects that the substrate S and the mask M are separated without contact. More preferably, the control unit 33 determines to start relative position measurement when it detects that the distance between the substrate S and the mask M is greater than a predetermined threshold value (dth) (S45).

[0107] When the separation state detection mechanism 32 detects that the substrate S and the mask M are in contact or the distance between the substrate S and the mask M is smaller than a predetermined threshold value (dth), the control unit 33 determines not to start measuring the relative position (S45).

[0108] In this case, the control unit 33 controls the subsequent operation of the alignment system (S46) based on the number of detections (n) of the separation state by the separation state detection mechanism 32. That is, when the detection operation of the separation state detection mechanism 32 is performed a predetermined number of times (nth, an integer greater than or equal to 1), it is determined that the separation of the substrate S and the mask M cannot be ensured at the preset relative position measurement distance (D1), and an error is notified to the operator for inspection or correction of the set value (S49).

[0109] When the number of detection actions performed by the separation state detection mechanism 32 is less than the prescribed number of times, the detection action of the separation state detection mechanism 32 is performed again. Therefore, the control unit 33 drives the electrostatic chuck actuator 28 and / or the mask support unit actuator 27 to increase the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 (for example, to raise the electrostatic chuck 24) (S47). At this time, in order to reduce the deformation of the mask M, the voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 can be reduced to a prescribed voltage lower than the second voltage (V2). Next, in order to make the distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 become the preset relative position measurement distance (non-contact limit distance) again, the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 are relatively close (for example, the electrostatic chuck 24 is lowered), and the above-mentioned separation state detection process is repeated.

[0110] When the control unit 33 determines to start measuring the relative position, Figure 5b In the illustrated flow, a relative position measurement and adjustment step between the substrate S and the mask M, that is, an alignment step, is performed.

[0111] First, the control unit 33 uses the alignment camera 31 to capture images of alignment marks on the substrate S and the mask M, measures the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M in the XYθ directions, and based on the images, calculates the relative positional deviation therebetween ( S50 ).

[0112] When the calculated positional deviation is greater than or equal to a predetermined deviation threshold, the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M in the XYθ direction is adjusted based on the calculated positional deviation (S55). This process is repeated until the relative positional deviation between the substrate S and the mask M is less than the predetermined deviation threshold.

[0113] When the relative position deviation between the substrate S and the mask M is less than a specified deviation threshold, the control unit 33 moves the electrostatic chuck 24 and / or the mask support unit 23 (for example, lowers the electrostatic chuck 24) to a vapor deposition position (S60) where the film forming surface of the substrate S adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 contacts the upper surface of the mask M.

[0114] When the electrostatic chuck 24 reaches the vapor deposition position, during the process, the relative position between the substrate S and the mask M is measured (S62) in order to confirm whether a position deviation in the XYθ direction occurs between the substrate S and the mask M. When the measured deviation of the relative position is greater than a specified deviation threshold, the electrostatic chuck 24 and / or the mask is separated again (for example, the electrostatic chuck 24 is raised) to the non-contact limit distance (D1) (S66), the relative position between the substrate S and the mask M is adjusted (S55), and the same process is repeated.

[0115] When the electrostatic chuck 24 is located at the vapor deposition position and the relative positional deviation between the substrate S and the mask M is smaller than a predetermined deviation threshold, the control unit 33 applies a third voltage for attracting the mask M to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 ( S70 ).

[0116] The third voltage ( V3 ) is preferably larger than the second voltage ( V2 ) and has a magnitude that allows the mask M to be charged by electrostatic induction via the substrate S. Thus, the mask M is attracted to the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate S.

[0117] However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the third voltage (V3) may also have the same magnitude as the second voltage (V2). Even if the third voltage (V3) has the same magnitude as the second voltage (V2), as described above, the relative distance between the electrostatic chuck 24 or the substrate S and the mask M is shortened by the movement of the electrostatic chuck 24 to the vapor deposition position, so that the polarized charge electrostatically induced on the substrate S can also cause electrostatic induction on the mask M, and an adsorption force can be obtained to the extent that the mask M can be adsorbed to the electrostatic chuck 24 through the substrate.

[0118] The third voltage ( V3 ) may be smaller than the first voltage ( V1 ), and may be set to be substantially the same as the first voltage ( V1 ) in consideration of shortening the process time (Tact).

[0119] When the electrostatic chuck 24 adsorbs the mask M via the substrate S, in the present embodiment, in order to avoid wrinkles remaining on the mask M, the third voltage (V3) may be sequentially applied to the plurality of sub-electrode portions of the electrostatic chuck 24. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the third voltage (V3) may be simultaneously applied to the entire electrostatic chuck 24.

[0120] When the adsorption of the mask M is completed, the relative position deviation between the substrate S and the mask M is measured (S72) in order to confirm whether the substrate S and the mask M are deviated during the adsorption process. When the deviation between them is greater than a predetermined deviation threshold, the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced to a second voltage (V2), the mask M is peeled off from the electrostatic chuck 24 (S76), the electrostatic chuck 24 is separated from the mask support unit 23 (for example, the electrostatic chuck 24 is raised) to the non-contact limit distance (S66), and the relative position between the substrate S and the mask M is adjusted.

[0121] Thereafter, in a state where the mask M is attracted to the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate, the same process is repeated until the positional deviation between the substrate S and the mask M becomes smaller than a predetermined deviation threshold.

[0122] According to the alignment method of this embodiment, before the relative position measurement and position adjustment of the substrate S and the mask M are started, the separation state of the substrate S and the mask M is confirmed in advance, and the relative position measurement and position adjustment are started when the substrate S and the mask M are separated by a specified distance. This can reduce the situation where the pixel pattern formed on the film forming surface of the substrate S is damaged by the mask M during the alignment process.

[0123] <Film Forming Process>

[0124] Hereinafter, a film forming method using the alignment method of this embodiment will be described.

[0125] In a state where the mask M is supported by the mask support unit 23 in the vacuum container 21 , the substrate S is carried into the vacuum container 21 of the film forming apparatus 11 by the transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13 .

[0126] The hand of the transfer robot 14 that has entered the vacuum chamber 21 places the substrate S on the support portion of the substrate support unit 22 .

[0127] Next, the electrostatic chuck 24 is lowered toward the substrate S, and after being sufficiently close to or in contact with the substrate S, a first voltage ( V1 ) is applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 , so that the substrate S is adsorbed.

[0128] With the substrate S adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 , the substrate S is lowered toward the mask M to measure the relative positional deviation of the substrate S with respect to the mask M. At this time, the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced from the first voltage ( V1 ) to the second voltage ( V2 ).

[0129] When the substrate S is lowered to the relative position measurement position, the alignment process is performed according to the alignment method of the present embodiment described above. That is, when the substrate S is lowered to the relative position measurement position, the alignment process is not immediately started, but after the separation state between the substrate S and the mask M is confirmed by the separation state detection mechanism 32, the alignment process is started.

[0130] Through the alignment method of this embodiment, when the mask M is adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate S, if the deviation of the relative position between the substrate S and the mask M is less than the specified deviation threshold, the baffle of the evaporation source 25 is opened to allow the evaporation material to be evaporated onto the substrate S through the mask.

[0131] After vapor deposition to a desired thickness, the voltage applied to the electrode or sub-electrode of the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced to separate the mask M, and the electrostatic chuck actuator 28 lifts the substrate while the electrostatic chuck 24 only attracts the substrate.

[0132] Next, the hand of the transfer robot 14 enters the vacuum container 21 of the film forming apparatus 11, and applies a voltage of zero (0) or reverse polarity to the electrode portion or the sub-electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24, so that the substrate S is separated from the electrostatic chuck 24. The separated substrate is sent out of the vacuum container 21 by the transfer robot 14.

[0133] It should be noted that, in the above description, the film forming device 11 is configured as a structure of a so-called upward evaporation method (upward deposition) in which film formation is performed in a state where the film forming surface of the substrate S is facing downward in the vertical direction, but it is not limited to this. It can also be a structure in which the substrate S is arranged in a vertically upright state on the side side of the vacuum container 21, and film formation is performed in a state in which the film forming surface of the substrate S is parallel to the direction of gravity.

[0134] <Method for manufacturing electronic device>

[0135] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device using the film-forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the structure and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be described as an example of an electronic device.

[0136] First, the manufactured organic EL display device will be described. Figure 6 (a) shows an overall view of an organic EL display device 60, Figure 6 (b) shows the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0137] like Figure 6 As shown in (a), in the display area 61 of the organic EL display device 60, a plurality of pixels 62 having a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in a matrix. The light-emitting elements each have a structure having an organic layer clamped by a pair of electrodes, and the details are described later. It should be noted that the pixel referred to here refers to the smallest unit that can display the desired color in the display area 61. In the case of the organic EL display device of this embodiment, the pixel 62 is formed by a combination of a first light-emitting element 62R, a second light-emitting element 62G, and a third light-emitting element 62B that exhibit different light emission. The pixel 62 is mostly composed of a combination of a red light-emitting element, a green light-emitting element, and a blue light-emitting element, but it can also be a combination of a yellow light-emitting element, a cyan light-emitting element, and a white light-emitting element, as long as it is at least one color, there is no particular limitation.

[0138] Figure 6 (b) is Figure 6Schematic diagram of a partial cross-section at line AB of (a). The pixel 62 has an organic EL element on a substrate 63, and the organic EL element has an anode 64, a hole transport layer 65, any one of the light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B, an electron transport layer 67, and a cathode 68. Among them, the hole transport layer 65, the light-emitting layer 66R, 66G, 66B, and the electron transport layer 67 are equivalent to organic layers. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the light-emitting layer 66R is an organic EL layer that emits red, the light-emitting layer 66G is an organic EL layer that emits green, and the light-emitting layer 66B is an organic EL layer that emits blue. The light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B are respectively formed into patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes also described as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue. Moreover, the anode 64 is formed separately according to each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 65, the electron transport layer 67, and the cathode 68 may be formed in common with the plurality of light-emitting elements 62R, 62G, and 62B, or may be formed for each light-emitting element. It should be noted that an insulating layer 69 is provided between the anode 64 to prevent a short circuit between the anode 64 and the cathode 68 due to impurities. In addition, since the organic EL layer is degraded by moisture or oxygen, a protective layer 70 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture or oxygen.

[0139] exist Figure 6 In (b), the hole transport layer 65 or the electron transport layer 67 is represented by one layer, but depending on the structure of the organic EL display element, it can also be formed by multiple layers including a hole blocking layer or an electron blocking layer. In addition, a hole injection layer can also be formed between the anode 64 and the hole transport layer 65, and the hole injection layer has an energy band structure that enables holes to be injected smoothly from the anode 64 to the hole transport layer 65. Similarly, an electron injection layer can also be formed between the cathode 68 and the electron transport layer 67.

[0140] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be described in detail.

[0141] First, a substrate 63 on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and the anode 64 are formed is prepared.

[0142] An acrylic resin is formed by spin coating on the substrate 63 having the anode 64 formed thereon, and the acrylic resin is patterned by photolithography to form an opening in the portion having the anode 64 formed thereon, thereby forming the insulating layer 69. The opening corresponds to a light emitting region where the light emitting element actually emits light.

[0143] The substrate 63 with the insulating layer 69 patterned thereon is fed into the first organic material film forming device, and the substrate is held by an electrostatic chuck, and the hole transport layer 65 is formed as a common layer on the anode 64 of the display area. The hole transport layer 65 is formed by vacuum evaporation. In fact, the hole transport layer 65 is formed to a size larger than the display area 61, so a high-definition mask is not required.

[0144] Next, the substrate 63 formed with the hole transport layer 65 is sent to the second organic material film forming device and held by an electrostatic chuck. After the substrate and the mask are aligned and the mask is adsorbed to the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate, a red light emitting layer 66R is formed on the portion of the substrate 63 where the red light emitting element is arranged.

[0145] Similar to the film formation of the light-emitting layer 66R, the green light-emitting layer 66G is formed by the third organic material film-forming device, and the blue light-emitting layer 66B is formed by the fourth organic material film-forming device. After the film formation of the light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B is completed, the electron transport layer 67 is formed on the entire display area 61 by the fifth film-forming device. The electron transport layer 67 is formed as a common layer in the three-color light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B.

[0146] The substrate on which the electron transport layer 67 is formed is moved in a metallic vapor deposition material film forming apparatus to form a cathode 68 .

[0147] According to the present invention, the substrate and / or the mask are sucked and held by the electrostatic chuck 24 , but the separation state of the substrate S and the mask M is confirmed before the alignment process starts.

[0148] Then, the device is moved to a plasma CVD device to form a protective layer 70 , and the organic EL display device 60 is completed.

[0149] If the substrate 63 having the insulating layer 69 formed thereon is exposed to an atmosphere containing moisture or oxygen from the time when it is transported to the film forming apparatus until the film forming of the protective layer 70 is completed, the light-emitting layer composed of the organic EL material may be degraded by moisture or oxygen. Therefore, in this example, the substrate is transported in and out between the film forming apparatuses in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere.

[0150] The above-mentioned embodiment is an example of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be modified appropriately within the scope of the technical concept.

Claims

1. An alignment system, the alignment system is used to adjust the relative position of a substrate and a mask, characterized in that: include: An electrostatic chuck, the electrostatic chuck is used to adsorb the substrate; a separation state detection mechanism, the separation state detection mechanism being used to detect whether the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck are in contact with each other or separated; a position adjustment mechanism, the position adjustment mechanism being used to adjust the relative position of the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck; A control unit, the control unit is used to control the electrostatic chuck, the separation state detection mechanism, and the position adjustment mechanism; and a mask supporting unit, the mask supporting unit being used to support the mask, When the separation state detection mechanism detects that the substrate and the mask, which have been relatively close to each other until a predetermined distance has been reached, are separated or not in contact with each other in a state where the distance between the electrostatic chuck and the mask support unit is separated by a predetermined distance in order to adjust the relative position of the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck by the position adjustment mechanism, the control unit decides to start adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask by the position adjustment mechanism, When the separation state detection mechanism detects that the substrate and the mask, which are relatively close to each other until a prescribed distance is reached, are in contact or not separated in a state where the distance between the electrostatic chuck and the mask supporting unit is separated by a prescribed distance in order to adjust the relative position of the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck by the position adjustment mechanism, the control unit decides not to start the adjustment of the relative position and controls the electrostatic chuck and the mask supporting unit to be separated by a distance greater than the prescribed distance.

2. The alignment system according to claim 1, characterized in that The position adjustment mechanism adjusts the relative position of the substrate and the mask in at least one of a first direction, a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a rotation direction with a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction as an axis.

3. The alignment system according to claim 2, characterized in that The separation state detection mechanism detects whether the substrate and the mask in the third direction are in contact with each other or separated.

4. The alignment system according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit reduces a voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck to a predetermined voltage before separating the electrostatic chuck from the mask support unit by a distance greater than the predetermined distance.

5. The alignment system according to claim 4, characterized in that When the control unit detects through the separation state detection mechanism that the number of times n that the substrate and the mask are in contact is greater than the predetermined number of times nth, the control unit does not separate the electrostatic chuck and the mask support unit by a distance greater than the predetermined distance, but controls by notifying an alarm. Here, nth is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

6. The alignment system according to claim 1, characterized in that The separation state detection mechanism includes a distance measurement mechanism for measuring the distance between the substrate and the mask.

7. The alignment system according to claim 6, characterized in that The control unit determines to start adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask when the distance between the substrate and the mask measured by the distance measuring mechanism is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

8. The alignment system according to claim 6, characterized in that The distance measuring mechanism includes an electrostatic capacitance sensor or a laser displacement meter.

9. The alignment system according to claim 8, characterized in that The distance measuring mechanism is formed at a position corresponding to a center portion of the electrostatic chuck.

10. A film forming device for forming a film of a vapor deposition material onto a substrate via a mask, characterized in that: The invention comprises the alignment system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. An alignment method for adjusting the relative position of a substrate and a mask, characterized in that: include: The step of causing an electrostatic chuck to adsorb the substrate; A step of detecting whether the substrate and the mask, which have been relatively close to each other until a predetermined distance has been reached, are in contact with or separated from each other in a state where the distance between the electrostatic chuck and the mask supporting unit is separated by a predetermined distance in order to adjust the relative position of the mask and the substrate adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck; When it is detected in the detecting step that the substrate and the mask are separated or not in contact with each other, determining to start a step of adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask; and When it is determined in the determining step to start adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask, a step of adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask is performed; When it is detected in the detecting step that the substrate is in contact with the mask, it is determined not to start the step of adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask, When it is determined not to start the step of adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask, the electrostatic chuck and the mask supporting unit are separated by a distance greater than the predetermined distance.

12. The alignment method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The step of adjusting the relative position includes measuring the deviation of the relative position of the substrate and the mask in at least one direction including a first direction, a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a rotation direction with a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction as an axis, and adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask based on the measured deviation of the relative position.

13. The alignment method according to claim 12, characterized in that: In the step of detecting, a separation state of the substrate and the mask in the third direction is detected.

14. The alignment method according to claim 11, characterized in that: After the step of the electrostatic chuck adsorbing the substrate, The alignment method further includes the step of bringing the electrostatic chuck relatively close to a mask support unit for supporting the mask so that a distance between the electrostatic chuck and the mask support unit becomes a predetermined distance. In the detecting step, a separation state between the substrate attracted by the electrostatic chuck and the mask supported by the mask supporting unit is detected in a state where the distance between the electrostatic chuck and the mask supporting unit reaches the predetermined distance.

15. The alignment method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The step of causing the electrostatic chuck to adsorb the substrate comprises the step of applying a first voltage to the electrostatic chuck, Before the step of detecting, the alignment method further includes the step of reducing the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck from the first voltage to a second voltage lower than the first voltage. In a case where it is decided not to start the step of adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask, the alignment method further includes a step of reducing the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck to a voltage lower than the second voltage before the step of separating the electrostatic chuck from the mask support unit by a distance greater than the prescribed distance.

16. The alignment method according to claim 11, characterized in that: When it is detected in the detecting step that the number of times n that the substrate contacts the mask is greater than or equal to a predetermined number nth, an alarm is notified instead of separating the electrostatic chuck from the mask support unit by a distance greater than the predetermined distance. Here, nth is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

17. The alignment method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The step of detecting includes the step of measuring a distance between the substrate and the mask.

18. The alignment method according to claim 17, characterized in that: When the measured distance between the substrate and the mask is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the step of adjusting the relative position is started.

19. A computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for causing a computer to execute an alignment method for adjusting a relative position between a substrate and a mask, wherein: The alignment method is the alignment method according to any one of claims 11 to 18.

20. A film forming method for forming a film of a vapor deposition material onto a substrate via a mask, characterized in that: The invention comprises the alignment method according to any one of claims 11 to 18.

21. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that: An electronic device is manufactured using the film forming method according to claim 20.

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