Film forming apparatus, film forming method, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Abstract

The film forming apparatus includes: an evaporation source that has a heatable material container that accommodates an evaporation material and forms a film on a substrate while moving; and a control member that controls movement of the evaporation source. The control member causes the evaporation source to move within a film formation range in which the evaporation source forms a film on the substrate and within a non-film formation range outside the film formation range, and causes the evaporation source to execute a vibration application operation for applying vibration to the evaporation material in the material container within the non-film formation range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a film forming method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] As manufacturing equipment for organic EL (organic electro-luminescence: OEL) display devices, there are known devices for forming films on substrates. As an example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for performing vapor deposition while a vapor deposition source having a container for storing vapor deposition materials such as organic compounds moves relative to a substrate.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-299176 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] However, the evaporation material contained in the container in the evaporation source is sublimated and released from the container, for example, by receiving radiant heat from the wall of the container. However, when the evaporation material in the container becomes less, the shape of the evaporation material becomes unstable due to the influence of radiant heat, and the evaporation material may collapse. If the collapsed evaporation material contacts the wall of the container, sometimes the evaporation material will boil violently due to the influence of radiant heat, which will affect the evaporation rate of the evaporation material. In particular, in an evaporation source that forms a film while moving relative to the substrate, since the container moves during film formation, it can be considered that the frequency of boiling caused by the collapse of the evaporation material becomes higher.

[0008] The present invention provides a technology for suppressing the occurrence of bumping of a vapor deposition material in an evaporation source that performs film formation while moving relative to a substrate, thereby suppressing a decrease in the stability of the vapor deposition rate of the vapor deposition material.

[0009] Means for solving problems

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided a film forming device, characterized in that the film forming device comprises:

[0011] an evaporation source having a material container that accommodates an evaporation material and can be heated, and forming a film on a substrate while moving; and

[0012] a control member, the control member controlling the movement of the evaporation source,

[0013] The control means is capable of moving the evaporation source within a film forming range where the evaporation source forms a film on the substrate and within a non-film forming range outside the film forming range.

[0014] The control means causes the evaporation source to perform a vibration applying operation for applying vibration to the evaporation material in the material container during the movement of the evaporation source in the non-film formation range.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, in an evaporation source that performs film formation while moving relative to a substrate, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of bumping of a vapor deposition material and suppress a decrease in stability of a vapor deposition rate of the vapor deposition material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a layout diagram of a film forming system according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a front view schematically showing the structure of a film forming apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of an evaporation source according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a plan view schematically showing the structure of a moving unit according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a diagram for explaining the moving range of the evaporation source and the film formation area of ​​the substrate W.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing the movement path of the evaporation source during film formation.

[0023] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining bumping of the vapor deposition material in the material container.

[0024] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the evaporation source.

[0025] Fig. 9 It is a diagram for explaining the suppression of bumping of the vapor deposition material in the material container.

[0026] Fig.10 It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the evaporation source.

[0027] Fig.11 It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the evaporation source.

[0028] Fig. 12A This is an overall diagram of an organic EL display device.

[0029] Fig. 12B This is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, the embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following embodiments do not limit the invention involved in the scope of protection of the claims. In the embodiments, multiple features are described, but all of these multiple features are not limited to the features necessary for the invention. In addition, multiple features can also be combined arbitrarily. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar structures are marked with the same figure numbers, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0031] In each of the drawings, arrow Z indicates the up-down direction (direction of gravity), and arrow X and arrow Y indicate horizontal directions that are orthogonal to each other.

[0032] <First Embodiment>

[0033] <Overview of film forming system ( Figure 1 )>

[0034] Figure 1 : is a layout diagram of the film forming system 1. The film forming system 1 is a device for forming a film on a substrate W. For example, a plurality of film forming systems 1 are arranged in an array along the X direction, thereby forming a production line for electronic devices. As an electronic device, for example, a display panel of an organic EL display device for VR-HMD (Virtual Reality Head Mount Display) can be cited. When the film forming system 1 is used as a production line for a display panel for VR-HMD, the film forming system 1 forms a film for forming an organic EL element on a semiconductor wafer as a substrate W. The semiconductor wafer on which the film has been formed by the film forming system 1 is cut along the area (scribe area) between the element formation areas in a downstream process to form a plurality of small-sized panels. As semiconductor wafers, silicon wafers, silicon carbide wafers, etc. can be cited. The film forming system 1 includes passage chambers 21a, 21b, a substrate conveying chamber 22, a film forming chamber 23, a mask conveying chamber 24, a mask storage chamber 25, a load interlock chamber 26, and a control unit 4.

[0035] The substrate W to be film-formed in the film forming system 1 is fed into the passage chamber 21a. A conveying robot 221 for conveying the substrate W is provided in the substrate conveying chamber 22. The conveying robot 221 conveys the substrate W fed into the passage chamber 21a to the film forming chamber 23. The film forming process is performed on the substrate W conveyed to the film forming chamber 23 by the film forming device 3 described later. In addition, the conveying robot 221 of the substrate conveying chamber 22 conveys the substrate W after the film forming process in the film forming chamber 23 into the passage chamber 21b. The substrate W fed into the passage chamber 21b is conveyed to the outside of the film forming system 1. It should be noted that, when a plurality of film forming systems 1 are arranged in an array, in the flow direction (X direction) of the substrate W, the passage chamber 21b of the film forming system 1 on the upstream side can also be used as the passage chamber 21a of the film forming system 1 on the downstream side. In addition, a conveying robot (not shown) for conveying the mask M is provided in the mask conveying chamber 24. The mask stock room 25 stores masks M used for film forming in the film forming chamber 23. The load lock room 26 is a room for taking out or putting in masks M without opening each room of the film forming system 1 to the atmosphere. The masks M used in the film forming system 1 are brought in from the outside of the film forming system 1 via the load lock room 26. The transport robot of the mask transport room 24 transports the masks M between the film forming chamber 23, the mask transport room 24, the mask stock room 25, and the load lock room 26.

[0036] In addition, the film forming system 1 includes a control unit 4 that controls the operation of each component. For example, the control unit 4 includes one or more control devices having a processor represented by a CPU, a memory such as a RAM, a ROM, and various interfaces. For example, each control device of the control unit 4 reads a program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executes it, thereby realizing various processes in the film forming system 1. It should be noted that, for example, a method of directly controlling the operation of each component of the film forming system 1 by a host computer that uniformly controls the film forming system 1 may also be adopted.

[0037] The interior of each chamber constituting the film forming system 1 is maintained in a vacuum state by an exhaust mechanism such as a vacuum pump (not shown). In this embodiment, "vacuum" means a state filled with a gas having a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, in other words, a decompressed state.

[0038] <Film forming device ( Figure 2 )>

[0039] Figure 2 1 is a front view schematically showing the structure of a film forming apparatus 3 according to an embodiment. The film forming apparatus 3 includes a substrate support 31, a mask support 32, a magnet 33, evaporation sources 34a to 34c, a moving unit 35, a limiting plate 36, an anti-adhesion plate 37, and an alignment camera 38. Hereinafter, the evaporation sources 34a to 34c are referred to as the evaporation source 34 when not being specifically distinguished.

[0040] The substrate support part 31 supports the substrate W. In the present embodiment, the substrate support part 31 is an electrostatic suction cup that absorbs and supports the substrate W. However, as the substrate support part 31, a known technology can be appropriately adopted. For example, the substrate support part 31 can support the edge of the substrate W from the bottom side by a plurality of receiving claws, or can absorb and support the substrate W by an adhesive suction cup or the like.

[0041] The mask support part 32 supports the mask M. In the present embodiment, the mask support part 32 supports the mask M from the lower side by the receiving claws 321. The magnet 33 is used to improve the close contact between the substrate W and the mask M by attracting the mask M supported by the mask support part 32 by magnetic force. In addition, at least one of the substrate support part 31 or the mask support part 32 can also be configured to be movable in the up and down direction by a well-known mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism. Thus, the substrate W and the mask M can be approached and separated.

[0042] The evaporation source 34 discharges the evaporation material while moving, and forms a film on the substrate W. The moving unit 35 moves the evaporation source 34. The evaporation source 34 and the moving unit 35 will be described later.

[0043] The limiting plate 36 is a plate for limiting the emission range of the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 34. The anti-adhesion plate 37 is a plate for suppressing the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 34 from adhering to the substrate W or the like. The anti-adhesion plate 37 can be in an open state (open state) to allow the evaporation material to adhere to the substrate W or the like. Figure 2 The device is displaced in the X direction between a closed state in which the vapor deposition material is located below the substrate W in order to suppress adhesion of the vapor deposition material to the substrate W, etc.

[0044] The alignment camera 38 is a camera for aligning the substrate W and the mask M. In the present embodiment, the film forming apparatus 3 includes an alignment mechanism (not shown) for adjusting the relative position of the substrate W supported by the substrate support 31 and the mask M supported by the mask support 32. For example, the control unit 4 detects alignment marks formed on the substrate W and the mask M from the captured image of the alignment camera 38, thereby determining the positional relationship between the substrate W and the mask M. Then, the control unit 4 controls the alignment mechanism to adjust the positional relationship between the substrate W and the mask M so that their positional relationship satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0045] <Evaporation source( Figure 2~Figure 3 )>

[0046] The evaporation source 34 will be further described. Figure 3 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the evaporation source 34 . The evaporation source 34 includes a material container 341 (crucible) and a heating unit 342 .

[0047] The material container 341 contains the evaporation material. A discharge portion 3411 for discharging the evaporated or sublimated evaporation material is formed at the upper portion of the material container 341. The discharge portion 3411 is an opening (discharge port) formed on the upper surface of the material container 341 in this embodiment, but may also be a cylindrical component or the like. In addition, the discharge portion 3411 may also be provided in the material container 341.

[0048] The heating unit 342 heats the vapor deposition material contained in the material container 341. The heating unit 342 is provided so as to cover the material container 341. In this embodiment, a sheath heater using a heating wire is used as the heating unit 342. Figure 3 The cross section is shown when the heating wire of the sheath heater is wound around the material container 341 .

[0049] The heating of the vapor deposition material by the heating unit 342 is controlled by the control unit 4. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , in the present embodiment, the evaporation sources 34a to 34c each independently include a material container 341 and a heating unit 342. Therefore, the control unit 4 can independently control the evaporation of the deposition material by the evaporation sources 34a to 34c.

[0050] It should be noted that in the present embodiment, a plurality of (3) evaporation sources 34a to 34c separated in the X direction are provided. However, the number of evaporation sources 34 may be less than 2 or more than 4. In addition, the evaporation materials contained in the plurality of evaporation sources 34 may be the same, or some of the evaporation sources 34 may contain evaporation materials different from those of other evaporation sources, or all of the evaporation sources 34 may contain different materials. For example, among these evaporation sources 34a to 34c, the evaporation source 34b in the center in the X direction may contain the main material, and the evaporation sources 34a and 34c on both sides thereof may contain the dopant material. Thus, the evaporation particles of the main material and the evaporation particles of the dopant material may be co-evaporated to form a light-emitting layer.

[0051] < Mobile Unit ( Figure 2 , Figure 4 )>

[0052] Reference Figure 2 as well as Figure 4 , the mobile unit 35 is described. Figure 4 3 is a top view schematically showing the structure of the moving unit 35. The moving unit 35 has a pair of movable rails 351, a pair of fixed rails 352, an arm member 353, an arm member 354, and a driving source 355. One end of the arm member 353 is connected to the driving source 355 and rotated by the driving source 355. The other end of the arm member 353 is rotatably connected to one end of the arm member 354, and the other end of the arm member 354 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the evaporation source 34.

[0053] The pair of movable rails 351 guides the movement of the evaporation source 34 in the X direction. Each movable rail 351 is extended in the X direction, and the pair of movable rails 351 are separated from each other in the Y direction. The pair of fixed rails 352 guides the movement of the pair of movable rails 351 in the Y direction. Each fixed rail 352 is fixed so as not to move and extends in the X direction. The pair of fixed rails 352 are separated from each other in the X direction. By driving the driving source 355, the postures of the arm parts 353 and the arm parts 354 change, thereby enabling the evaporation source 34 to move in the XY directions below the substrate W.

[0054] <Film forming range of evaporation source and film forming area of ​​substrate ( Figure 5~Figure 6 )>

[0055] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining the moving range of the evaporation source 34 and the film forming region of the substrate W. In the present embodiment, the evaporation source 34 forms a film on the substrate W while being moved in the X direction (first direction) by the moving unit 35 .

[0056] The moving range of the evaporation source 34 in the X direction is divided into a film forming range R1 where the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 34 adheres to the substrate W and a non-film forming range R2 outside the film forming range. Figure 5 In the figure, each range is given a boundary based on the center position of the evaporation source 34a~34c in the X direction. The film forming range R1 is a range in which the film forming area A1 of the substrate W overlaps with the effective film forming area A2, which is a region where the evaporation material discharged from the evaporation source 34 at the height of the substrate W reaches. In addition, the non-film forming range R2 is a range in which the film forming area A1 and the effective film forming area A2 do not overlap in the X direction. In addition, the non-film forming range R2 includes a non-film forming range R21 on the negative side of the film forming range R1 in the X direction and a non-film forming range R22 on the positive side of the film forming range R1 in the X direction.

[0057] exist Figure 5 In the example, the film forming range R1 is formed between the positions POS2 and POS3 in the X direction of the evaporation source 34. In addition, the non-film forming range R21 is formed between the position POS2 and the position POS1 on the negative side of the X direction relative to the position POS2, and the non-film forming range R22 is formed between the position POS3 and the position POS4 on the positive side of the X direction relative to the position POS3.

[0058] For example, when the evaporation source 34 forms a film while moving toward the positive side in the X direction through the moving unit 35, it is first accelerated to the speed during film formation in the non-film formation range R21. Then, the evaporation source 34 enters the film formation range R1 at a constant speed. After that, the evaporation source 34 enters the non-film formation range R22 and decelerates. Thus, one (one scan) of film formation is completed. In this way, by accelerating and decelerating in the non-film formation range R2, the speed in the film formation range R1 can be made constant. Therefore, the deviation of the thickness of the thin film formed on the substrate W in the X direction can be suppressed.

[0059] Figure 6 : is a diagram showing the movement path of the evaporation source 34 during film formation. A plurality of element formation regions w1 are formed on the substrate W. In order to form films in all the element formation regions w1, the evaporation source 34 repeatedly performs film formation (scanning film formation) while moving in the X direction and movement (sliding) in the Y direction (second direction) within the non-film formation range. Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 1 , the film forming area A1 is divided into four areas A11 to A14 . The evaporation source 34 forms a film on one of the four areas A11 to A14 in each scanning film forming operation.

[0060] <Bumping of evaporation material ( Figure 7 )>

[0061] Figure 7 341 is a diagram for explaining the bumping of the evaporation material in the material container 341. State ST1 is a state after the evaporation material is replenished in the material container 341, and state ST2 is a state in which a part of the evaporation material in the material container 341 is released by performing film forming processing. The evaporation material contained in the material container 341 is sublimated or evaporated by the radiation heat from the container wall surface heated by the heating part 342 and is released from the container. The evaporation material in the material container 341 is first released from the part in contact with (or close to) the container wall surface. Therefore, as the evaporation proceeds, the shape of the evaporation material becomes unstable and the evaporation material may collapse. If the collapsed evaporation material contacts the container wall surface, the evaporation material may bump due to the influence of the radiation heat, which affects the evaporation rate of the evaporation material. In particular, in an evaporation source that forms a film while moving relative to the substrate as in the present embodiment, since the container moves during film formation, it is considered that the frequency of bumping caused by the collapse of the evaporation material becomes higher. Therefore, in this embodiment, bumping of the vapor deposition material is suppressed by performing the following operation.

[0062] <Action Description ( Figure 8 )>

[0063] Figure 8801 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the evaporation source 34. Graph 802 is a diagram showing the speed in the X direction relative to the time in a single film formation in the X direction. Graph 802 is a diagram showing the acceleration in the X direction relative to the time. Here, time t0 is the time when the evaporation source 34 starts to move. At this time, the evaporation source 34 is located at position POS1 as the initial position. In addition, time t1 is the time when the evaporation source 34 reaches position POS2. Time t2 is the time when the evaporation source 34 reaches position POS3. Time t3 is the time when the evaporation source 34 reaches position POS4. That is, the evaporation source 34 moves in the non-film formation range R2 at times t0~t1 and t2~t3, and moves in the film formation range R1 at times t1~t2. In addition, in the present embodiment, the evaporation source 34 operates as described below by controlling the moving unit 35 by the control unit 4.

[0064] At time t0-t1, the evaporation source 34 is accelerated to the speed v1 during film formation in the non-film formation range R21. Here, the acceleration a1 of the evaporation source 34 is a constant value (<0), but the acceleration of the evaporation source 34 may not be constant. Since the evaporation source 34 reaches the speed v1 before the evaporation source 34 reaches the position POS2, the evaporation source 34 can move at a constant speed from the start of film formation on the substrate W, and the variation of the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W can be suppressed. After that, at time t1-t2, the evaporation source 34 moves at a constant speed v1 in the film formation range R1.

[0065] At time t2 to t3, the evaporation source 34 moves within the non-film forming range R22. At this time, the evaporation source 34 stops after repeatedly accelerating and decelerating. This is an action (sometimes marked as a vibration applying action) for applying vibration to the evaporation material contained in the material container 341 of the evaporation source 34. That is, the control unit 4 causes the evaporation source 34 to perform a vibration applying action to apply vibration to the evaporation material in the material container 341 within the non-film forming range R22. In this way, according to this embodiment, by the vibration applying action of the evaporation source 34 performed based on the control of the control unit 4, the shape of the evaporation material can be homogenized and the bumping of the evaporation material can be suppressed.

[0066] Fig. 93 is a diagram for explaining the suppression of bumping of the evaporation material in the material container 341. When the shape of the evaporation material in the material container 341 becomes unstable (state ST2), when the evaporation source 34 is accelerated and decelerated to apply vibration to the evaporation material, the shape of the evaporation material is homogenized (state ST3), thereby suppressing the occurrence of bumping caused by the collapse of the evaporation material and contact with the wall surface of the material container 341. It should be noted that it can also be considered that the evaporation material collapses and contacts with the wall surface of the material container 341 during the transition from state ST2 to state ST3. However, in this embodiment, the action of applying vibration to the evaporation material in the material container 341 is performed in the non-film forming range R2. Therefore, when the evaporation source 34 enters the film forming range R1, the shape of the evaporation material becomes a homogenized state (state ST3), so it is possible to suppress the occurrence of bumping of the evaporation material during the film forming on the substrate W. That is, the influence of the bumping of the evaporation material on the film forming result can be reduced.

[0067] In addition, in the present embodiment, the absolute value of the acceleration a2 applied to the evaporation source 34 during the vibration applying action is greater than the absolute value of the acceleration a1. Thus, vibration can be effectively applied to the evaporation material in the material container 341. In addition, in the present embodiment, during the vibration applying action, the evaporation source 34 repeatedly accelerates and decelerates between a speed v2 greater than the speed v1 during film formation and a speed v3 (=0) less than the speed v1. By such an action of the evaporation source 34, vibration can also be effectively applied to the evaporation material in the material container 341. It should be noted that the speed v3 can also be a value greater than 0.

[0068] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0069] Fig.10 1001 to 1004 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the evaporation source. Specifically, they are diagrams showing other examples of the vibration application operation of the evaporation source 34 to the evaporation material in the material container 341. Graphs 1001 to 1004 are graphs showing the speed in the X direction relative to time in a single film formation in the X direction.

[0070] Graph 1001 shows an example in which the evaporation source 34 is repeatedly decelerated without accelerating. By changing the speed in this way, vibration can be applied to the evaporation material in the material container 341. In this way, as an action of applying vibration to the evaporation material in the material container 341, at least one of acceleration or deceleration can be repeatedly performed. As an example, acceleration and movement at a constant speed can be repeatedly performed without deceleration before the evaporation source 34 reaches the speed v1 in the non-film forming range R21.

[0071] Graph 1002 shows an example of performing a rapid deceleration of the evaporation source 34 only once. That is, by stopping the evaporation source 34 suddenly, vibration is applied to the evaporation material in the material container 341. In this case, the deceleration value (absolute value of acceleration) may be set to be greater than the acceleration a1 ( Figure 8 By performing acceleration or deceleration greater than that in a so-called normal film forming operation such as when film forming starts or when the direction is switched, vibration can be effectively applied to the vapor deposition material in the material container 341 .

[0072] Graph 1003 shows an example of gradually decelerating as an average while accelerating and decelerating. In this way, the maximum value and the minimum value of the speed when accelerating and decelerating are repeated may not be constant.

[0073] Graph 1004 shows an example where the evaporation source 34 repeatedly moves forward and backward. That is, the evaporation source 34 may not perform the vibration applying operation while moving forward to the positive side of the X direction, for example, but may perform the vibration applying operation by repeatedly moving forward and backward at a predetermined position. Alternatively, the evaporation source 34 may move forward as a whole while repeatedly moving forward and backward.

[0074] In addition, in the graphs 1001 to 1004, an example is shown in which the vibration applying operation is performed in the non-film forming range R22 after the evaporation source 34 passes through the film forming range R1. However, the vibration applying operation may be performed in the non-film forming range R21 before entering the film forming range R1, or may be performed in both the non-film forming range R21 and the non-film forming range R22.

[0075] In addition, Figure 8 as well as Fig.10 In the example of FIG. 3 , the evaporation source 34 is accelerated and decelerated in the X direction while advancing in the X direction, thereby applying vibration to the evaporation material in the material container 341. However, the evaporation source 34 may also apply vibration to the evaporation material by accelerating and decelerating in the Y direction. That is, the evaporation source 34 may also be accelerated or decelerated while moving in a predetermined direction in the non-film forming range R2, thereby applying vibration to the evaporation material in the material container 341.

[0076] Fig.11 34 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the evaporation source 34. Specifically, it is a diagram showing another example of the operation of the evaporation source 34 to apply vibration to the evaporation material in the material container 341. Fig.11The moving path of the evaporation source 34 and the positional relationship of the mask M when the film forming system 1 is viewed from above are schematically shown. In this example, after passing through the film forming range R1, the evaporation source 34 moves from the position POS3 to the position POS4 along the X direction while repeatedly and alternately moving to the positive side and the negative side of the Y direction. In this way, vibration can also be applied to the evaporation material in the material container 341 by repeatedly accelerating and decelerating in a direction intersecting the main moving direction.

[0077] In addition, the evaporation source 34 may also be Fig.11 The vibration applying operation is performed while moving the position POS1 or the position POS4 in the Y direction. That is, vibration may be applied to the vapor deposition material in the material container 341 by repeatedly performing acceleration and deceleration in the X direction or the Y direction while moving in the Y direction.

[0078] In addition, the film forming apparatus 3 of the above embodiment forms a film on a semiconductor wafer as a substrate W, but the features of the above embodiment can also be applied to a film forming apparatus that forms a film on other types of substrates. For example, it can also be a film forming apparatus that forms a film on a large glass substrate such as a sixth generation (G6) full-size (about 1500 mm × about 1850 mm) or half-cut size (about 1500 mm × about 925 mm) rectangular substrate.

[0079] <Method for manufacturing electronic device>

[0080] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device is described. Hereinafter, the structure and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device are described as an example of an electronic device.

[0081] First, the manufactured organic EL display device will be described. Fig. 12A is an overall diagram of an organic EL display device 50, Fig. 12B This is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0082] like Fig. 12A As shown, a plurality of pixels 52 including a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a matrix in a display region 51 of an organic EL display device 50. Each light emitting element has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched by a pair of electrodes, and the details will be described later.

[0083] It should be noted that the pixel mentioned here refers to the smallest unit that can display the desired color in the display area 51. In the case of a color organic EL display device, the pixel 52 is formed by a combination of multiple sub-pixels of the first light-emitting element 52R, the second light-emitting element 52G, and the third light-emitting element 52B that show different light emission from each other. Most of the pixels 52 are composed of a combination of three sub-pixels, namely, a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, and a blue (B) light-emitting element, but are not limited to this. The pixel 52 only needs to include at least one sub-pixel, preferably includes two or more sub-pixels, and more preferably includes three or more sub-pixels. As the sub-pixels constituting the pixel 52, for example, it can also be a combination of four sub-pixels, namely, a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, a blue (B) light-emitting element, and a yellow (Y) light-emitting element.

[0084] Fig. 12B yes Fig. 12A Schematic diagram of a partial cross section at line AB of FIG. Pixel 52 has a plurality of sub-pixels composed of organic EL elements, and the organic EL element includes a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, any one of a red layer 56R / a green layer 56G / a blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58 on a substrate 53. Among them, the hole transport layer 55, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, the blue layer 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 are equivalent to organic layers. The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed into patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes also referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red light, green light, and blue light, respectively.

[0085] In addition, the first electrode 54 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, the electron transport layer 57, and the second electrode 58 may be formed together over the plurality of light-emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or may be formed for each light-emitting element. Fig. 12B As shown, after the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer in multiple sub-pixel regions, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed separately according to each sub-pixel region, and then the electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 are formed as a common layer thereon in multiple sub-pixel regions.

[0086] In order to prevent short circuits between adjacent first electrodes 54, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54. Furthermore, since the organic EL layer is degraded by moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 60 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen.

[0087] exist Fig. 12BIn the figure, the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are shown as one layer, but according to the structure of the organic EL display element, they can also be formed by multiple layers having a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer. In addition, a hole injection layer can be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55, and the hole injection layer has an energy band structure that can smoothly inject holes from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer can also be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

[0088] The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B can be formed by a single light-emitting layer, or by stacking multiple layers. For example, the red layer 56R can be composed of two layers, with the red light-emitting layer forming the upper layer and the hole transport layer or the electron blocking layer forming the lower layer. Alternatively, the red light-emitting layer can form the lower layer and the electron transport layer or the hole blocking layer can form the upper layer. By providing a layer on the lower side or the upper side of the light-emitting layer, the light-emitting position in the light-emitting layer is adjusted, and the optical path length is adjusted, thereby having the effect of improving the color purity of the light-emitting element.

[0089] It should be noted that, although the example of the red layer 56R is shown here, the same structure can also be used in the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B. In addition, the number of stacked layers can also be two or more. Moreover, layers of different materials can be stacked, such as the light-emitting layer and the electron blocking layer, or layers of the same material can be stacked, for example, two or more light-emitting layers can be stacked.

[0090] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device is specifically described. Here, it is assumed that the red layer 56R is composed of two layers, the lower layer 56R1 and the upper layer 56R2, and the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B are composed of a single light-emitting layer.

[0091] First, a substrate 53 is prepared on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a first electrode 54 are formed. It should be noted that the material of the substrate 53 is not particularly limited, and it can be made of glass, plastic, metal, etc. In this embodiment, as the substrate 53, a substrate in which a polyimide film is laminated on a glass substrate is used.

[0092] A resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is applied by bar coating or spin coating on the substrate 53 having the first electrode 54 formed thereon, and the resin layer is patterned by photolithography to form an opening in the portion having the first electrode 54 formed thereon to form the insulating layer 59. The opening corresponds to the light emitting region where the light emitting element actually emits light.

[0093] The substrate 53 patterned with the insulating layer 59 is introduced into the first film forming chamber, and the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on the first electrode 54 in the display area. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask having an opening formed in each display area 51 of the panel portion of the organic EL display device.

[0094] Next, the substrate 53 formed up to the hole transport layer 55 is sent to the second film forming chamber. The substrate 53 and the mask are aligned, the substrate is placed on the mask, and the red layer 56R is formed on the portion of the hole transport layer 55 where the element emitting red light of the substrate 53 is arranged (the region forming the red sub-pixel). Here, the mask used in the second film forming chamber is a high-precision mask having openings formed only in the multiple regions that become red sub-pixels among the multiple regions on the substrate 53 that become the sub-pixels of the organic EL display device. As a result, the red layer 56R including the red light-emitting layer is formed only in the region that becomes the red sub-pixel among the regions that become the multiple sub-pixels on the substrate 53. In other words, the red layer 56R is not formed in the region that becomes the blue sub-pixel or the region that becomes the green sub-pixel among the regions that become the multiple sub-pixels on the substrate 53, but is selectively formed in the region that becomes the red sub-pixel.

[0095] Similar to the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G is formed in the third film forming chamber, and the blue layer 56B is further formed in the fourth film forming chamber. After the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B is completed, the electron transport layer 57 is formed in the entire display area 51 in the fifth film forming chamber. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a common layer in the three color layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

[0096] The substrate formed up to the electron transport layer 57 is moved to the sixth film forming chamber, and the second electrode 58 is formed. In the present embodiment, the film formation of each layer is performed by vacuum evaporation in the first film forming chamber to the sixth film forming chamber. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the film formation of the second electrode 58 in the sixth film forming chamber can also be performed by sputtering. Afterwards, the substrate formed up to the second electrode 68 is moved to the sealing device, and the protective layer 60 is formed by plasma CVD (sealing process), and the organic EL display device 50 is completed. It should be noted that the protective layer 60 is formed by the CVD method here, but it is not limited to this, and it can also be formed by the ALD method or the inkjet method.

[0097] Here, the film formation in the first to sixth film forming chambers is performed using a mask having openings corresponding to the patterns of the respective layers to be formed. During film formation, after the relative position of the substrate 53 and the mask is adjusted (aligned), the substrate 53 is placed on the mask to perform film formation.

[0098] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

[0099] Description of Reference Numerals

[0100] 1: film forming system, 23: film forming chamber, 3: film forming device, 34: evaporation source, 35: moving unit.

Claims

1. A film forming device, characterized in that: The film forming device comprises: An evaporation source, the evaporation source having a material container that accommodates the evaporation material and can be heated, and forming a film on the substrate while moving; as well as a control member for controlling the movement of the evaporation source, The control means is capable of moving the evaporation source within a film forming range where the evaporation source forms a film on the substrate and within a non-film forming range outside the film forming range. The control means causes the evaporation source to perform a vibration applying operation for applying vibration to the evaporation material in the material container during the movement of the evaporation source in the non-film formation range.

2. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control means moves the evaporation source so that the evaporation source repeats at least one of acceleration and deceleration during the vibration applying operation.

3. The film forming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control means moves the evaporation source in such a manner that the evaporation source repeats acceleration and deceleration while moving in a predetermined direction during the vibration applying operation.

4. The film forming device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control means is capable of performing a first movement control for moving the evaporation source in a first direction within the film formation range and a second movement control for moving the evaporation source in a second direction intersecting the first direction within the non-film formation range.

5. The film forming device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control means causes the evaporation source to perform the vibration applying operation while moving the evaporation source in the first direction within the non-film formation range between the first movement control and the second movement control.

6. The film forming device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control means causes the evaporation source to perform the vibration applying operation in the second movement control.

7. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control means moves the evaporation source so that the evaporation source repeatedly moves forward and backward during the vibration applying operation.

8. The film forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The evaporation source enters the film forming range in a state of being accelerated to a first speed at a first acceleration in the non-film forming range, In the vibration applying operation, an absolute value of acceleration applied to the evaporation source in order to apply vibration to the vapor deposition material in the material container is larger than the first acceleration.

9. The film forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The evaporation source forms a film while moving at a first speed within the film forming range. In the vibration applying operation, acceleration and deceleration are repeated between a speed higher than the first speed and a speed lower than the first speed.

10. The film forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The substrate is a semiconductor wafer.

11. A film forming device, characterized in that: The film forming device comprises: An evaporation source, the evaporation source having a material container that accommodates the evaporation material and can be heated, and forming a film on the substrate while moving; as well as a control member, the control member controlling the movement of the evaporation source, The control means is capable of moving the evaporation source within a film forming range where the evaporation source forms a film on the substrate and within a non-film forming range outside the film forming range. The control means controls the movement of the evaporation source so that the evaporation source repeatedly performs at least one of acceleration and deceleration while moving in a predetermined direction in the non-film formation range.

12. A film forming method, comprising: a film forming method using a film forming apparatus having an evaporation source, wherein the evaporation source has a material container that contains a vapor deposition material and can be heated; the film forming method comprising: A film forming step in which the evaporation source forms a film on the substrate while moving; as well as a control step of controlling the movement of the evaporation source, In the control step, the evaporation source can be moved within a film forming range where the evaporation source forms a film on the substrate and within a non-film forming range outside the film forming range. In the control step, control is performed to move the evaporation source so that the evaporation source is moved in a predetermined direction within the non-film formation range while repeating at least one of acceleration and deceleration.

13. A film forming method, comprising: a film forming method using a film forming apparatus having an evaporation source, wherein the evaporation source has a material container that contains a vapor deposition material and can be heated; the film forming method comprising: A film forming step in which the evaporation source forms a film on the substrate while moving; as well as a control step of controlling the movement of the evaporation source, In the control step, the evaporation source can be moved within a film forming range where the evaporation source forms a film on the substrate and within a non-film forming range outside the film forming range. In the control step, the evaporation source is caused to perform a vibration applying operation for applying vibration to the vapor deposition material in the material container during the movement of the evaporation source in the non-film formation range.

14. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that: The method comprises forming a film on a substrate by the film forming method according to claim 12 or 13.

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