Film forming apparatus and film forming method

Abstract

This film forming apparatus is provided with: a film forming source that discharges a film forming material onto a substrate via a mask positioned between the film forming source and a surface of the substrate on which a film is to be formed; a restriction plate that is disposed between the film formation source and the mask and that restricts a region where the film formation material is incident on the substrate; and a restriction plate moving member that moves the restriction plate relative to the film formation source in a direction along the surface on which the film is to be formed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming device having a limiting plate and a film forming method thereof. Background Art

[0002] As manufacturing equipment for organic EL (Organic Electro-Luminescence, organic electroluminescence display technology: OEL) displays, there is known a device that transports a substrate to a film forming chamber and forms a film on the substrate. Patent document 1 describes the following film forming device, in which a limiting plate is arranged near the evaporation source in order to deposit the film forming material emitted from the evaporation source within a predetermined range.

[0003] Prior Art Literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-14616 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] Here, when the limiting plate is integrally formed with the film forming source, it is sometimes impossible to bring the limiting plate closer to the substrate without changing the distance from the film forming source to the substrate, and it is difficult to accurately control the film forming area where the film forming material is formed on the substrate by the film forming source. In addition, in a structure where the film forming source and the limiting plate move integrally, vibrations generated by the movement of the film forming source may be transmitted to the limiting plate, which reduces the control accuracy of the film forming area by the limiting plate. In this way, since the freedom of configuration of the limiting plate is low, there is a problem that the control accuracy of the film forming area may sometimes be reduced.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique related to a film forming apparatus in which a limiting plate controls a film forming region with high accuracy.

[0009] Means for solving problems

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

[0011] A film-forming source, the film-forming source releasing a film-forming material toward a substrate via a mask, the mask being located between the film-forming source and a film-forming surface of the substrate;

[0012] a limiting plate, the limiting plate being arranged between the film forming source and the mask and limiting a region where the film forming material is incident on the substrate; and

[0013] The limiting plate moving member moves the limiting plate relative to the film formation source in a direction along the film formation surface.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique related to a film forming apparatus in which a limiting plate controls a film forming region with high accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a layout diagram of a film forming system according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of a film forming apparatus.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a film-forming source moving unit.

[0019] Figure 4A It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a limiting plate moving unit.

[0020] Figure 4B It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a limiting plate moving unit.

[0021] Figure 5A It is a diagram showing changes in the release range of the film-forming material according to the layout of the limiting unit.

[0022] Figure 5B It is a diagram showing changes in the release range of the film-forming material according to the layout of the limiting unit.

[0023] Fig. 6A It is a diagram showing an example of movement of a film forming source and a limiting plate.

[0024] Figure 6B It is a diagram showing an example of movement of a film forming source and a limiting plate.

[0025] Fig. 7A It is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate.

[0026] Figure 7B It is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate.

[0027] Fig. 8A 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate according to Modification 1.

[0028] Figure 8B 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate according to Modification 1.

[0029] Figure 8C 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate according to Modification 1.

[0030] Fig.8D 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate according to Modification 1.

[0031] Fig. 9A It is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate according to Modification 2.

[0032] Fig. 9B It is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate according to Modification 2.

[0033] Fig. 10A 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate according to Modification 3.

[0034] Fig. 10B 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the limiting plate according to Modification 3.

[0035] Fig.11A This is an overall diagram of an organic EL display device.

[0036] Fig. 11B This is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of one pixel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following detailed description of the embodiments is given with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following embodiments do not limit the technical solutions involved in the claims. A plurality of features are described in the embodiments, but not all of these features are necessarily required for the invention. In addition, a plurality of features may be combined arbitrarily. Moreover, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar structures are marked with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0038] <Overview of film forming system>

[0039] Figure 1 It is a layout diagram of the film forming system 1. In addition, in each figure, the arrow Z indicates the up and down direction (gravity direction), and the arrows X and Y indicate mutually orthogonal horizontal directions. The film forming system 1 has a film forming device 10 for performing film forming processing on the substrate W. For example, by arranging a plurality of film forming systems 1 along the X direction, a production line of electronic devices is formed. As electronic devices, for example, display panels of organic EL display devices for VR-HMD (Virtual Reality Head Mount Display) can be listed. In the case of using the film forming system 1 as a production line for display panels for VR-HMD, the film forming system 1 performs film formation for forming organic EL elements on a semiconductor wafer as a substrate W. The semiconductor wafer on which the film has been formed using the film forming system 1 is cut along the area (scribe area) between the element formation areas in the downstream process to form a plurality of small-sized panels. As semiconductor wafers, silicon wafers, silicon carbide wafers, etc. can be listed.

[0040] The film forming system 1 includes a substrate loading device 11 , a substrate conveying device 12 , a substrate unloading device 13 , a film forming device 10 , a mask conveying device 21 , a mask stocking device 22 , and a load lock device 23 .

[0041] The substrate W on which film is to be formed in the film forming system 1 is carried into the substrate carrying-in device 11. A conveying robot 121 for conveying the substrate W is provided in the substrate conveying device 12. The conveying robot 121 conveys the substrate W carried into the substrate carrying-in device 11 to the film forming device 10. The film forming process described later is performed on the substrate W conveyed to the film forming device 10. In addition, the conveying robot 121 of the substrate conveying device 12 carries the substrate W after the film forming process in the film forming device 10 into the substrate carrying-out device 13. The substrate W carried into the substrate carrying-out device 13 is carried out to the outside of the film forming system 1. In addition, when a plurality of film forming systems 1 are arranged in an array, the substrate carrying-out device 13 of the film forming system 1 on the upstream side in the flow direction (X direction) of the substrate W may also serve as the substrate carrying-in device 11 of the film forming system 1 on the downstream side.

[0042] The mask conveying device 21 is provided with a conveying robot (not shown) for conveying the mask M. The mask stocker 22 stores the mask M used for the film forming process in the film forming device 10. The load lock device 23 is a device for taking out or putting in the mask M without opening each chamber of the film forming system 1 to the atmosphere. The mask M used in the film forming system 1 is brought in from the outside of the film forming system 1 via the load lock device 23. The conveying robot of the mask conveying device 21 conveys the mask M between the film forming device 10, the mask conveying device 21, the mask stocker 22, and the load lock device 23.

[0043] In addition, the film forming system 1 includes a control unit 30 that controls the operation of each component. For example, the control unit 30 includes one or more control devices, and the control device has 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 30 reads the program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executes it, thereby realizing various processes in the film forming system 1. In addition, for example, it is also possible to adopt a form in which a main computer that controls the film forming system 1 in an overall manner directly controls the operation of each component of the film forming system 1. In addition, the control unit 30 can be formed integrally with predetermined devices such as the film forming device 10 and the substrate conveying device 12, or the film forming system 1 can be controlled via a communication network not shown.

[0044] The interior of each device constituting the film forming system 1 is maintained in a vacuum state by an exhaust mechanism such as a vacuum pump (not shown). In the present embodiment, "vacuum" means a state filled with a gas having a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, in other words, a decompressed state.

[0045] <Structure of film forming equipment>

[0046] Figure 2 1 is a front view schematically showing the structure of a film forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment. The film forming apparatus 10 includes a chamber 200, a substrate support 201, a mask support 202, a magnet 203, a film forming source 204, a film forming source moving unit 205, a shielding unit 206, a limiting plate 207, a limiting plate moving unit 208, an alignment camera 209, and a film forming amount monitor 210.

[0047] The chamber 200 forms a film forming space whose interior is maintained in a vacuum state. The chamber 200 is provided with an inlet for receiving a substrate W from the substrate transport device 12 and an inlet for receiving a mask M from the mask transport device 21 (neither of which is shown).

[0048] The substrate support part 201 supports the substrate W. In the present embodiment, the substrate support part 201 is an electrostatic suction cup that absorbs and supports the substrate W. However, as the substrate support part 201, a known technology can be appropriately adopted. For example, the substrate support part 201 can support the edge of the substrate W from the bottom side using a plurality of receiving claws, or can absorb and support the substrate W using an adhesive suction cup or the like.

[0049] The mask support part 202 supports the mask M. In the present embodiment, the mask support part 202 has a receiving claw and supports the mask frame MF to which the mask M is attached from the bottom. The magnet 203 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 202 with magnetic force. In addition, at least one of the substrate support part 201 and the mask support part 202 can also be configured to be movable in the up-down direction by a well-known mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism. Thus, the substrate W and the mask M can be moved closer and farther away.

[0050] The film forming source 204 discharges the film forming material while moving and forms a film on the substrate W through the mask M. In the present embodiment, the case where the film forming source 204 is a point unit is described, but it can also be a line unit. The film forming source 204 is equipped with a crucible for storing the raw material of the evaporation substance, a heater for heating the crucible, etc., and the raw material is heated to discharge the evaporation substance as its vapor from the opening to the top. In the present embodiment, the case where the film forming source 204 is equipped with a set of crucibles and heaters is described, but the crucibles and heaters can also be provided in plurality. In addition, in the case where a plurality of crucibles are provided, a plurality of film forming materials of different types can also be accommodated in each crucible. Specifically, one crucible among the plurality of film forming sources 204 contains the main material, and the other crucibles contain the dopant material. In addition, the same film forming material can also be accommodated in each of the plurality of crucibles. In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where the film forming source 204 is an evaporation source is described, but it can also be applied to other film forming sources such as sputtering that discharges the film forming material and forms a thin film.

[0051] The film forming source moving unit 205 moves the film forming source 204 along the film forming surface (XY plane) of the substrate W. Figure 3 As shown, the film forming source moving unit 205 has a pair of movable rails 301, a pair of fixed rails 302, arm members 303, 304 and a driving source 305. One end of the arm member 303 is connected to the driving source 305 and rotated by the driving source 305. The other end of the arm member 303 is rotatably connected to one end of the arm member 304, and the other end of the arm member 304 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the film forming source 204. The pair of movable rails 301 guides the movement of the film forming source 204 in the Y direction. Each movable rail 301 is extended in the Y direction, and the pair of movable rails 301 are separated from each other in the X direction. The pair of fixed rails 302 guides the movement of the pair of movable rails 301 in the X direction. Each fixed rail 302 is fixed so as not to move and extends in the X direction. The pair of fixed rails 302 are separated from each other in the Y direction. By driving the driving source 305, the postures of the arm members 303 and 304 are changed, thereby enabling the film forming source 204 to move in the XY directions below the substrate W. In addition, the arm members 303 and 304 can function as an atmospheric arm that allows wiring (power supply, signal line, thermocouple, etc.) of the film forming source 204 and / or a film forming amount monitor and cooling water to pass from the outside (atmosphere) to the inside (vacuum) of the chamber 200.

[0052] The shielding portion 206 is an anti-adhesion member that prevents the film-forming material discharged from the film-forming source 204 from being attached to the chamber 200, the limiting plate moving unit 208, etc. other than the substrate W, that is, limits the discharge range of the film-forming material discharged from the film-forming source 204. The film-forming source 204, the shielding portion 206, and the film-forming amount monitor 210 are sometimes collectively referred to as a film-forming unit 230.

[0053] The limiting plate 207 is a member configured to cover at least a portion of the substrate W in order to limit the discharge range of the film-forming material discharged from the film-forming source 204. The limiting plate 207 of this embodiment is configured in the chamber 200 separately from the film-forming unit. Thus, as described later with reference to FIG. 5 , the film-forming region on the substrate W where the film-forming material discharged from the film-forming source 204 is formed can be controlled with high accuracy. In addition, the limiting plate moving unit 208 moves the limiting plate 207 and the film-forming unit 230 independently along the film-forming surface (XY plane). That is, the limiting plate moving unit 208 can move the limiting plate 207 relative to the film-forming source 204.

[0054] Here, refer to Figure 4A , Figure 4B , the structure of the limiting plate moving unit 208 is described. The limiting plate moving unit 208 includes arm members 401, 402, a driving unit 403, and a supporting member 404. One end of the arm member 401 is connected to the driving unit 403, and the other end is rotatably connected to the arm member 402. One end of the arm member 402 is connected to the arm member 401, and the other end is rotatably connected to the limiting plate 207. The driving unit 403 is connected to the supporting member 404 connected to the chamber 200. The arm members 401, 402 are rotated by the driving unit 403, so that the limiting plate 207 can be moved. As a result, the limiting plate moving unit 208 can Figure 4A The first position of the limiting plate 207 is shown with Figure 4B The limiting plate 207 is reciprocated along the X direction between the second positions shown. In addition, the case where the limiting plate moving unit 208 of the present embodiment uses a movable arm to move the limiting plate 207 is described. However, the limiting plate 207 may also be moved using a conveying roller that conveys the placed limiting plate 207. In addition, the limiting plate 207 and the limiting plate moving unit 208 are sometimes collectively referred to as the limiting unit 220. The supporting member 404 is connected to the chamber 200 via the vibration-damping member 211. In addition, since the supporting member 404 supports the limiting plate 207, the limiting plate 207 is arranged in the chamber 200 via the vibration-damping member 211. The vibration-damping member 211 has a structure such as an air spring, a vibration-damping rubber, etc. for preventing the vibration of the chamber 200 from being transmitted to the limiting plate moving unit 208 or vice versa.

[0055] In addition, the substrate support 201 and the mask support 202 are also arranged in the chamber 200 via a vibration-damping member. Therefore, even when vibration is generated from a unit different from the limiting unit 220 of the film forming apparatus 10, it is possible to prevent the vibration from being transmitted to the substrate W, the mask M, and the limiting plate 207, and the film forming area can be controlled with high precision.

[0056] The alignment camera 209 is a camera for aligning the substrate W and the mask M. In the present embodiment, the film forming apparatus 10 includes an alignment mechanism (not shown) for adjusting the relative position of the substrate W supported by the substrate support 201 and the mask M supported by the mask support 202. For example, the control unit of the film forming apparatus 10 detects alignment marks formed on the substrate W and the mask M from the image captured by the alignment camera 209 and determines the positional relationship between the substrate W and the mask M. Then, the control unit 30 controls the alignment mechanism and adjusts the positional relationship between the substrate W and the mask M so that the positional relationship between the substrate W and the mask M satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0057] The film formation amount monitor 210 estimates the amount of film forming material discharged from the film forming source. In one example, the film formation amount monitor 210 is provided with a quartz resonator as a film thickness sensor inside the shell. The vapor deposition material discharged from the film forming source is introduced through an introduction portion formed in the shell and attached to the quartz resonator. The vibration frequency of the quartz resonator changes according to the amount of film forming material attached. Thus, the film formation amount monitor 210 can calculate the film thickness of the film forming material vapor deposited on the substrate by monitoring the vibration frequency of the quartz resonator. Since the amount of film forming material attached to the quartz resonator per unit time is correlated with the amount of film forming material discharged from the film forming source 204, it is possible to monitor the discharge state of film forming materials from multiple film forming sources.

[0058] <Example of layout of limiting plates>

[0059] In film formation on the wafer, the film formation area is defined so that the incident angle of particles reaching the substrate W from the film formation source 204 becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value, in one example, greater than 85°. As the incident angle of the particles approaches 90°, the range in which the film can be formed at one time becomes narrower. Therefore, in order to form a film on the entire substrate W, it is necessary to move the film formation source 204 below the film formation area (in the Z direction) and perform film formation multiple times.

[0060] Here, in Figure 5A , Figure 5B The correspondence between the layout of the limiting plates and the film forming area is shown in FIG.

[0061] Figure 5A FIG. 2 shows the change in the film forming area when the limiting plate 207 is located at a position relatively far from the substrate W. Figure 5B FIG. 2 shows the change of the film forming area when the limiting plate 207 is located relatively close to the substrate W. Figure 5A and Figure 5B The limiting plate moving unit 208, the film forming source moving unit 205, and other structures are omitted. Figure 5A and Figure 5BIn the embodiment, the size of the opening of the limiting plate 207 is changed so that film formation can be performed in film formation regions of the same area.

[0062] Depending on the direction in which the film forming material is discharged from the film forming source 204, the incident angle of the film forming material when it is attached to the substrate W may change. Figure 5A The film forming area where the film forming material is incident in the configuration of Figure 5B The film forming area where the film forming material is incident in the configuration of . Since only the film forming material discharged at a specific angle from a part of the opening of the film forming source 204 adheres to the areas 502 and 512, it is difficult to control the film forming amount. In addition, the areas 502 and 512 are areas where the film forming material can be incident at an incident angle below the threshold value of the angle specified as the film forming area. These areas 502 and 512 are treated as spreading areas where the film forming material spreads, and are not treated as film forming areas.

[0063] Here, if Figure 5A , Figure 5B As shown, when the distance between the limiting plate 207 and the substrate W is short, the range of the regions 502 and 512 where the film forming material spreads can be reduced.

[0064] Since the limiting plate 207 of this embodiment is provided separately from the film forming source 204, the distance between the limiting plate 207 and the substrate W can be reduced, and the area of ​​the spreading region can be reduced. That is, by bringing the limiting plate 207 closer to the substrate W, the film forming region can be controlled with higher accuracy.

[0065] Here, the limiting plate 207 and the film forming source 204 are provided separately, including the case where the positions of the limiting plate 207 and the film forming source 204 can be adjusted independently. Figure 2 As shown, the film forming source 204 of this embodiment is positioned by the film forming source moving unit 205, and the limiting plate 207 is positioned by the limiting plate moving unit 208. In this case, by adjusting the relative position of the limiting plate 207 with respect to the film forming source 204, the film forming region on the substrate where the film is formed by the film forming source 204 can be controlled with high precision.

[0066] In addition, the limiting plate 207 is provided separately from the film forming source 204, including the case where the limiting plate 207 is arranged separately from the film forming source 204 so that vibration is not transmitted. Figure 2 As shown, the limiting plate 207 of this embodiment is held by the limiting plate moving unit 208, and the film forming source 204 is supported by the film forming source moving unit 205. Figure 2As shown in FIG. 2 , the limiting plate 207 of the present embodiment is fixed to the chamber 200 via a vibration-damping member 211. Thus, when the film forming unit 230 is formed while being moved by the film forming source moving unit 205, it is possible to prevent the vibration generated from the film forming unit 230 or the film forming source moving unit 205 from being transmitted to the limiting plate moving unit 208 and the limiting plate 207 via the chamber 200. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the film forming material attached to the limiting plate 207 from falling due to the vibration and affecting the discharge of the film forming material by the film forming source 204, or to prevent the film forming region defined by the limiting plate 207 from changing due to the vibration of the limiting plate 207.

[0067] In addition, the limiting plate 207 is provided separately from the film forming source 204, including the case where other units can be arranged between the limiting plate 207 and the film forming source 204 in the vertical direction (Z direction). Figure 5A The position shown is Figure 5B During the movement of the position shown in FIG. 1 , the film forming source 204 sometimes continues to discharge the film forming material. In such a case, in order to temporarily stop the film forming process, by covering the entire substrate W with a baffle, the film forming amount in the film forming area 501 and the film forming area 511 can be made uniform. However, in the case where the limiting plate 207 and the film forming source 204 are integrally formed, it is necessary to configure a baffle unit between the limiting plate 207 and the substrate W, and there is a possibility that the distance between the limiting plate 207 and the substrate W cannot be sufficiently close. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the limiting plate 207 and the film forming source 204 can be configured separately. Therefore, by configuring the baffle unit between the film forming source 204 and the limiting plate 207, the baffle unit can be configured without changing the distance between the limiting plate 207 and the substrate W.

[0068] <Flow of film forming treatment>

[0069] Next, refer to Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , the film forming process is described.

[0070] like Fig. 6A As shown, the film forming source 204 forms a film on a first area 601 of the substrate W. Here, the limiting plate 207 of this embodiment is arranged at the first position 602 of the limiting plate, and the film forming source 204 moves along the Y direction at the position 603 in the X direction and performs scanning film forming. Here, the limiting plate 207 does not move during the film forming process of the film forming source 204.

[0071] Then, if Figure 6BAs shown, in order to form a film on the second area 611 of the substrate W, the limiting plate 207 is moved to the second limiting plate position 612, and the position of the film forming source 204 in the X direction is moved to the position 613, and the film forming is performed while the film forming source 204 is moved in the Y direction. The limiting plate moving unit 208 does not move the limiting plate 207 during the film forming process of the film forming source 204.

[0072] Here, vibration may be generated due to the movement of the film forming source moving unit 205, or due to the heating of the film forming source 204, the opening and closing of the baffle (not shown), etc. Even in such a case, since the limiting plate 207 of this embodiment is provided separately from the film forming unit, it is not affected by the vibration generated by the film forming unit, and the film forming area can be controlled with high precision. In addition, the limiting unit of this embodiment is arranged in the chamber 200 via a vibration-damping member. Thus, the vibration generated by the film forming unit can be prevented from being transmitted to the limiting unit 220 via the chamber 200.

[0073] Fig. 7A , Figure 7B They are shown respectively Fig. 6A , Figure 6B A top view of the XY plane showing the positional relationship between the substrate W and the limiting plate 207. Fig. 7A Shows Fig. 6A The position of the substrate W and the limiting plate 207 at the first position 602 of the limiting plate, Figure 7B Shows Figure 6B The positions of the substrate W and the limiting plate 207 at the second position 612 of the limiting plate. Arrows 701 and 711 indicate the moving direction of the film forming source 204. A plurality of element forming regions 702 for forming elements are arranged on the substrate W. Fig. 7A , Figure 7B In each of the above, a region of a portion of the substrate W facing the opening of the limiting plate 207 corresponds to the film forming region. By changing the film forming range according to a plurality of film forming positions, it is possible to form films on a plurality of element forming regions 702 of the entire substrate W. In addition, the film forming region is configured to completely include each element forming region 702. Thus, by film formation in the first film forming region, a portion of one element forming region 702 is formed, and by film formation in the second film forming region, a film is formed on the other portion of the one element forming region 702, thereby preventing the amount of the attached film forming material from being deviated within the element forming region 702.

[0074] Here, in order to form a film on the entire region of the substrate W where the film is to be formed, the position of the limiting plate 207 is specified so that parts of different film forming regions overlap. Figure 7B As shown, this will produce Fig. 7AThe overlapping region 712 where the film-forming regions shown overlap. In this case, compared with the non-overlapping regions, the amount of the film-forming material incident on the overlapping region 712 is larger, and a deviation in the film-forming amount may occur. Therefore, the overlapping region 712 where multiple film-forming regions overlap is arranged in the scribing region between the element formation regions. In other examples, dummy elements (Japanese: ダミー素子) that are not used as products are arranged in the overlapping region 712 where multiple film-forming regions defined by the restriction plate 207 overlap. Thereby, the influence of the deviation in the film-forming amount caused by the overlap of the film-forming regions defined by the restriction plate 207 can be suppressed.

[0075] In addition, in Fig. 7A and Figure 7B 's example, the case where a substrate W is divided into two film-forming regions and film formation is performed is illustrated. However, a substrate W can also be divided into three or more film-forming regions and film formation can be performed. By moving to the positions of the restriction plate 207 and the film-forming source 204 corresponding to each film-forming region by using the restriction plate moving unit 208 and the film-forming source moving unit 205, it is possible to perform the film-forming process while accurately restricting the film-forming region.

[0076] In addition, in Fig. 7A and Figure 7B 's example, the case where the opening of the restriction plate 207 has a rectangular shape in order to perform film formation while the film-forming unit 230 moves is illustrated. However, the opening of the restriction plate 207 is not limited thereto, and it can also have an opening of other shapes.

[0077] As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the restriction plate 207 can be arranged far from the film-forming source 204, the amount of the film-forming material attached to the restriction plate 207 can be reduced, and the influence of film peeling in which the film-forming material fixed to the restriction plate 207 peels off can be reduced.

[0078] (Modification Example 1)

[0079] In the above description, the case where the restriction plate moving unit 208 moves the restriction plate in the X direction and moves it between the first position and the second position of the restriction plate is illustrated.

[0080] In this modification example, the case where the restriction plate moving unit 208 moves the restriction plate in the XY direction is illustrated.

[0081] Figure 8A to Figure 8D is the XY top view of the restriction plate 207 and the substrate W of this modification example. Other components such as the mask and the substrate support portion 201 are omitted and shown.

[0082] As Fig. 8AAs shown, the opening of the limiting plate 207 is configured to form a film at the position shown in the first area 801 of the substrate W. When the film formation in the first area 801 is completed, the limiting plate moving unit 208 moves the limiting plate 207 in the +Y direction according to the arrow 802, and the film source moving unit 205 moves the film source 204 in the +Y direction according to the arrow 802. In addition, when the film source 204 is moved, the shutter (not shown) of the film source 204 is set to a closed state in a manner that the film forming material from the film forming source 204 is not discharged, and the film forming material is not discharged from the film forming source 204. In addition, the film forming unit 230 and the limiting unit 220 may be moved simultaneously, or the movement of one may be performed after the movement of the other is completed.

[0083] exist Figure 8B 2 shows the configuration of the film forming source 204 and the limiting plate 207 after the movement. By moving, the opening of the limiting plate 207 is configured to form a film at the position shown in the second area 811 of the substrate W. Then, after the film is formed in the second area 811, the limiting plate 207 and the film forming source 204 are moved along the -X direction according to the arrow 812 to form a film in the third area 621. Figure 8C As shown, after the film is formed on the third area 821, the limiting plate 207 and the film forming source 204 are moved along the -Y direction according to the arrow 822, as shown in FIG. Fig.8D Film formation is performed in the fourth region 631 as shown.

[0084] As described above, the film forming source moving unit 205 and the limiting plate moving unit 208 of this modification example move the film forming source 204 and the limiting plate 207 in two intersecting directions to perform film forming processing on multiple regions of the substrate W. Thus, even when the size of the substrate W is large relative to the film forming region, it is possible to form a film on the substrate W while controlling the film forming region with high precision.

[0085] In addition, the limiting plate moving unit 208 of this modified example needs to move the limiting plate 207 in the X direction and the Y direction. Therefore, the limiting plate moving unit 208 may also be provided with a Figure 3 The limiting plate 207 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction by using the same structure as the film forming source moving unit 205 described above. Alternatively, a movable arm for controlling the position of the limiting plate in the Y direction is arranged on the side of the limiting plate 207 in the X direction, and a movable arm for controlling the position of the limiting plate in the X direction is arranged on the side of the limiting plate 207 in the Y direction, thereby changing the position of the limiting plate on the XY plane.

[0086] (Variant 2)

[0087] In this modification, a case where the restricting plate moving unit 208 rotationally moves the restricting plate 207 will be described. Fig. 9A , Fig. 9B This is an XY plan view of the limiting plate 207 and the substrate W of this modification example. Other components such as the mask M and the substrate support portion 201 are omitted and shown.

[0088] like Fig. 9A As shown in FIG. 1 , the limiting plate 207 has a semicircular opening and is configured to form a film on the first region 901 of the substrate W. Here, the film forming source 204 moves according to arrow 902 and forms a film. Next, the limiting plate moving unit 208 rotates the limiting plate 207 according to arrow 903 and moves it to the position for forming a film on the first region 901 of the substrate W. Fig. 9B The position of the limiting plate 207 for film formation in the second region 911 is shown. Here, the film forming source moving unit 205 may move the film forming source 204 in the X direction as shown by arrow 904 and move it to the position of the film forming source 204 for film formation in the second region 911.

[0089] Then, in Fig. 9B At the position shown, the film forming source 204 moves as indicated by arrow 912 to form a film on the second region 911 of the substrate W.

[0090] In addition, Fig. 9A , Fig. 9B In the above description, the film forming source 204 is described as being moved to form a film, but the film forming source 204 may be stationary without moving. In this case, the film forming source moving unit 205 may also rotate and move the film forming source 204 in the same manner as the limiting plate moving unit 208 .

[0091] (Variant 3)

[0092] In this modification, a case where the limiting plate moving unit 208 moves the limiting plate 207 during the film forming process of the film forming source 204 will be described.

[0093] Fig. 10A , Fig. 10B This is an XY plan view of the limiting plate 207 and the substrate W of this modification example. Other components such as the mask and the substrate support portion 201 are omitted and shown.

[0094] like Fig. 10A As shown, when film is formed on the first area 1001 as the film forming area of ​​the substrate W, the limiting plate moving unit 208 forms the film while moving the limiting plate 207 in the +Y direction according to the arrow 1002. In addition, the film forming source moving unit 205 also forms the film while moving the film forming source 204 in the +X direction according to the arrow 1002.

[0095] When the film formation on the first area 1001 is completed, in order to form a film on the second area 1011 as a film formation area, the limiting plate moving unit 208 and the film formation source moving unit 205 move the limiting plate 207 and the film formation source 204 according to the arrow 1003. As a result, the limiting plate 207 is moved to Fig. 10B The substrate W and the limiting plate 207 are positioned as shown. In addition, the film forming source moving unit 205 moves the film forming source 204 to a position corresponding to the second area 1011. Then, the limiting plate moving unit 208 and the film forming source moving unit 205 form a film while moving the limiting plate 207 and the film forming source 204 in the -X direction as shown by the arrow 1012. In this way, the film forming process can be performed while controlling the film forming area of ​​the film forming source 204 on the XY plane.

[0096] <Method for manufacturing electronic device>

[0097] An example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device is described below. Hereinafter, as an example of an electronic device, a structure and a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device are described.

[0098] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Fig.11A is an overall diagram of an organic EL display device 1100. Fig. 11B This is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0099] like Fig.11A As shown, a plurality of pixels 1102 including a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a matrix in a display area 1101 of an organic EL display device 1100. Although details will be described later, each light emitting element has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched by a pair of electrodes.

[0100] In addition, the pixel mentioned here refers to the smallest unit that can display the desired color in the display area 1101. In the case of a color organic EL display device, the pixel 1102 is formed by a combination of multiple sub-pixels such as a first light-emitting element 1102R, a second light-emitting element 1102G, and a third light-emitting element 1102B that show different light emission from each other. In many cases, the pixel 1102 is 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 it is not limited to this. It is sufficient for the pixel 1102 to include at least one sub-pixel, preferably including two or more sub-pixels, and more preferably including three or more sub-pixels. As the sub-pixels constituting the pixel 1102, 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.

[0101] Fig. 11B yes Fig.11A Schematic diagram of partial cross-section at line AB of . Pixel 1102 has a plurality of sub-pixels composed of organic EL elements on substrate 1103, and the organic EL elements include a first electrode (anode) 1104, a hole transport layer 1105, any one of a red layer 1106R / a green layer 1106G / a blue layer 1106B, an electron transport layer 1107, and a second electrode (cathode) 1108. The hole transport layer 1105, the red layer 1106R, the green layer 1106G, the blue layer 1106B, and the electron transport layer 1107 are equivalent to organic layers. The red layer 1106R, the green layer 1106G, and the blue layer 1106B 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.

[0102] In addition, the first electrode 1104 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 1105, the electron transport layer 1107, and the second electrode 1108 may be formed in common over the plurality of light-emitting elements 1102R, 1102G, and 1102B, or may be formed for each light-emitting element. Fig. 11B As shown, it is also possible that, on the basis of forming the hole transport layer 1105 into a common layer throughout multiple sub-pixel regions, a red layer 1106R, a green layer 1106G, and a blue layer 1106B are separately formed according to each sub-pixel region, and then, the electron transport layer 1107 and the second electrode 1108 are formed thereon as a common layer throughout multiple sub-pixel regions.

[0103] In order to prevent short circuits between adjacent first electrodes 1104, an insulating layer 1109 is provided between the first electrodes 1104. Furthermore, since the organic EL layer is degraded by moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 1110 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen.

[0104] exist Fig. 11B In the figure, the hole transport layer 1105 and the electron transport layer 1107 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 having the following energy band structure can be formed between the first electrode 1104 and the hole transport layer 1105, and the energy band structure can smoothly inject holes from the first electrode 1104 to the hole transport layer 1105. Similarly, an electron injection layer can also be formed between the second electrode 1108 and the electron transport layer 1107.

[0105] Each of the red layer 1106R, the green layer 1106G, and the blue layer 1106B can be formed by a single light-emitting layer or by stacking a plurality of layers. For example, the red layer 1106R can be composed of two layers, the upper layer can be formed by a red light-emitting layer, and the lower layer can be formed by a hole transport layer or an electron blocking layer. Alternatively, the lower layer can be formed by a red light-emitting layer, and the upper layer can be formed by an electron transport layer or a hole blocking layer. In this way, 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 can be adjusted, and the optical path length can be adjusted, thereby having the effect of improving the color purity of the light-emitting element.

[0106] In addition, although the example of the red layer 1106R is shown here, the green layer 1106G and the blue layer 1106B may also adopt the same structure. In addition, the number of stacked layers may be two or more. Moreover, layers of different materials may be stacked, such as the light-emitting layer and the electron blocking layer, or layers of the same material may be stacked, such as stacking two or more light-emitting layers.

[0107] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device is specifically described. Here, it is assumed that the red layer 1106R is composed of two layers, the lower layer 1106R1 and the upper layer 1106R2, and the green layer 1106G and the blue layer 1106B are composed of a single light-emitting layer.

[0108] First, a substrate 1103 is prepared on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a first electrode 1104 are formed. The material of the substrate 1103 is not particularly limited, and can be made of glass, plastic, metal, etc. In this embodiment, as the substrate 1103, a substrate in which a polyimide film is laminated on a glass substrate is used.

[0109] A resin layer such as acrylic acid or polyimide is coated on the substrate 1103 on which the first electrode 1104 is formed by bar coating or spin coating, and the resin layer is patterned by photolithography to form an opening in the portion where the first electrode 1104 is formed, and an insulating layer 1109 is formed. The opening corresponds to a light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light.

[0110] The substrate 1103 with the patterned insulating layer 1109 is carried into the first film forming device, and the hole transport layer 1105 is formed as a common layer on the first electrode 1104 in the display area. The hole transport layer 1105 is formed using a mask having openings formed in each display area 1101 that will eventually become a panel portion of an organic EL display device.

[0111] Next, the substrate 1103 formed up to the hole transport layer 1105 is carried into the second film forming device. The substrate 1103 and the mask are aligned, the substrate is placed on the mask, and the red layer 1106R is formed on the portion of the hole transport layer 1105 where the red light emitting element of the substrate 1103 is arranged (the region forming the red sub-pixel). Here, the mask used in the second film forming device is a high-precision mask having openings formed only in the multiple regions on the substrate 1103 that become the sub-pixels of the organic EL display device, which are the multiple regions that become the red sub-pixels. As a result, the red layer 1106R 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 1103. In other words, the red layer 1106R is not formed in the region that becomes the blue sub-pixel and the region that becomes the green sub-pixel among the regions that become the multiple sub-pixels on the substrate 1103, and is selectively formed in the region that becomes the red sub-pixel.

[0112] Similar to the film formation of the red layer 1106R, the green layer 1106G is formed in the third film forming device, and the blue layer 1106B is formed in the fourth film forming device. After the film formation of the red layer 1106R, the green layer 1106G, and the blue layer 1106B is completed, the electron transport layer 1107 is formed in the entire display area 1101 in the fifth film forming device. The electron transport layer 1107 is formed as a common layer in the three color layers 1106R, 1106G, and 1106B.

[0113] The substrate formed up to the electron transport layer 1107 is moved to the sixth film forming device, and the second electrode 1108 is formed. In this embodiment, in the first film forming device to the sixth film forming device, each layer is formed by vacuum evaporation. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, for the film formation of the second electrode 1108 in the sixth film forming device, the film formation can also be performed by sputtering. After that, the substrate formed up to the second electrode 1108 is moved to the sealing device, and the protective layer 1110 is formed by plasma CVD (sealing process), and the organic EL display device 1100 is completed. In addition, here, it is assumed that the protective layer 1110 is formed by the CVD method, but it is not limited to this, and it can also be formed by the ALD method or the inkjet method.

[0114] Here, for film formation in the first to sixth film forming devices, film formation is performed using a mask having openings corresponding to the patterns of the respective layers to be formed. During film formation, after the relative positions of the substrate 1103 and the mask are adjusted (aligned), the substrate 1103 is placed on the mask and film formation is performed.

[0115] <Other embodiments>

[0116] In this embodiment, a case where a plurality of film forming regions defined by the limiting plate 207 overlap and cover the entire substrate W is described. However, it is also possible that the entire substrate W is not covered when a plurality of film forming regions overlap. In other words, there may be a region where film formation is not performed on the substrate W. In such a case, the region where film formation is not performed is arranged in the scribe line region so as not to include the element formation region.

[0117] When the film forming source 204 is a vapor deposition source for shot peening vapor deposition, a shutter may be provided between the shielding portion 206 and the limiting plate 207. In this case, the shutter can be switched between a closed state in which the shutter covers the entire substrate W and an open state in which the shutter is opened so that a film can be formed on the entire substrate W. Even in such a case, since the limiting plate 207 can be arranged separately from the film forming unit 230, the limiting plate 207 can be arranged at a position closer to the substrate W than the shutter, and the film forming area can be controlled with high precision.

[0118] The present invention can also be implemented by providing a program that implements one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read out and execute the program. In addition, the present invention can also be implemented by a circuit (such as an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0119] 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, the following claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention.

[0120] Description of Reference Numerals

[0121] 10 film forming device, 204 film forming source, 205 film forming source moving unit, 207 limiting plate, 208 limiting plate moving unit.

Claims

1. A film forming device, characterized in that: The film forming device comprises: A film-forming source, the film-forming source releasing a film-forming material toward a substrate via a mask, the mask being located between the film-forming source and a film-forming surface of the substrate; a limiting plate, the limiting plate being arranged between the film forming source and the mask to limit the area where the film forming material is incident on the substrate; as well as The limiting plate moving member moves the limiting plate relative to the film formation source in a direction along the film formation surface.

2. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The film forming apparatus further includes a film forming source moving member configured to move the film forming source in a direction along the film forming surface.

3. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting plate moving component moves the limiting plate from a first position to a second position. At the first position, a film is formed in a first area of ​​a portion of the substrate using the limiting plate. At the second position, a film is formed in a second area of ​​a portion of the substrate including an area of ​​the portion of the substrate not included in the first area.

4. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting plate moving member does not move the limiting plate relative to the substrate during film formation by the film formation source.

5. The film forming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: During film formation by the film formation source, the film formation source moving member moves the film formation source relative to the substrate.

6. The film forming device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The limiting plate moving member moves the limiting plate in a first direction along the film forming surface of the substrate. During film formation by the film formation source, the film formation source moving member moves the film formation source in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

7. The film forming device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The limiting plate moving member moves the limiting plate in a first direction along the film forming surface of the substrate when film forming is not performed. The film formation source moving member moves the film formation source in the first direction in accordance with the movement of the limiting plate in the first direction by the limiting plate moving member.

8. The film forming device according to claim 7, characterized in that: Forming a film on a first region of a portion of the substrate on the substrate using the film forming source, After forming a film on the first region of the substrate using the film forming source, the film forming source moving member and the limiting plate moving member respectively move the film forming source and the limiting plate along the first direction, After the film formation source and the limiting plate are moved in the first direction, the film formation source forms a film in a second region of a portion of the substrate including a region of a portion of the substrate not included in the first region.

9. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The film forming source further includes an adhesion preventing member that limits a discharge range of the film forming material from the film forming source.

10. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting plate moving member rotationally moves the limiting plate.

11. The film forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The film forming apparatus includes a chamber capable of maintaining a vacuum inside. The limiting plate moving member supports the limiting plate, The limiting plate moving member is disposed in the chamber via a vibration-damping member that reduces vibration.

12. A film forming method, wherein the film forming method is a film forming method of a film forming device, characterized in that: The film forming device comprises: A film-forming source, the film-forming source releasing a film-forming material toward a substrate via a mask, the mask being located between the film-forming source and a film-forming surface of the substrate; a limiting plate, the limiting plate being arranged between the film forming source and the mask to limit the area where the film forming material is incident on the substrate; as well as a limiting plate moving member for moving the limiting plate relative to the film forming source in a direction along the film forming surface, The film forming method comprises: Forming a film on a first region of a portion of the substrate using the film forming source; Using the limiting plate moving member, the limiting plate is moved from a position corresponding to the first area to a position corresponding to a second area, wherein the second area at least includes a portion of the substrate that is not included in the first area; as well as The film formation source is used to form a film in the second region of the substrate.

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