Film forming apparatus, processing apparatus, film forming method, and manufacturing method of display panel

Abstract

A film forming apparatus includes a drying section that performs a drying process for drying an organic material in a liquid state on a substrate; a firing section that performs a firing process for firing the organic material on the substrate to obtain an organic material film; a transport mechanism that transports the substrate from the drying section to the firing section; and an irradiation section that irradiates the organic material with ultraviolet light after the drying process and before the firing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a processing apparatus, a film forming method, and a method for manufacturing a display panel. Background Technology

[0002] In manufacturing articles such as organic display panels having OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) elements as organic EL (Electro Luminescence) devices, methods for coating liquid films onto desired areas of a substrate are known. Organic display panels generally have a configuration in which an organic layer is disposed between an anode and a cathode. In addition to a light-emitting layer, the organic layer may include a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which, after the ultraviolet irradiation and firing processes are completed in the hole transport layer formation process, a removal process is performed to remove a portion of the hole transport layer material, leaving a residual insoluble layer as the hole transport layer. In this technique, ultraviolet irradiation is performed to thicken the residual insoluble layer. Patent Document 2 describes a technique in which an ultraviolet-curable ink composition is inkjet-coated as a sealing material in an organic element, and ultraviolet irradiation and heating are performed to prevent oxygen and moisture from penetrating the organic layer. Patent Document 3 describes a technique in which the inkjet-coated ink is heated and dried by irradiating it with high-intensity light. Non-Patent Document 1 describes a material containing a polyaniline structure that is oxidized to a quinone-type structure. However, the techniques described in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 do not shorten the firing time.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-214066

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 7164268

[0008] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 6222113

[0009] Non-patent literature

[0010] Non-patent literature 1: Hidetoshi Sakuraba, "Ananoβ-シクロデキストリンcladding complex microcrystals using solid phase-liquid phase incorporation", Polymer Papers Vol. 63, No. 5, pp. 331-340 (May 2006) Summary of the Invention

[0011] The object of this invention is to provide an advantageous technique for shortening the time required for the formation of organic material films.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, the film forming apparatus comprising: a drying section for drying a liquid organic material on a substrate; a sintering section for sintering the organic material on the substrate to obtain an organic material film; a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate from the drying section to the sintering section; and an irradiation section for irradiating the organic material with ultraviolet light after the drying process and before the sintering process.

[0013] According to the present invention, there is an advantageous technique for shortening the time required for the formation of organic material films.

[0014] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or identical components. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are included in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a membrane formation method according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3A The diagram illustrates, for example, the apparatus and method used to perform the irradiation process.

[0019] Figure 3B The diagram illustrates, for example, the apparatus and method used to perform the irradiation process.

[0020] Figure 3C The diagram illustrates, for example, the apparatus and method used to perform the irradiation process.

[0021] Figure 3D The diagram illustrates, for example, the apparatus and method used to perform the irradiation process.

[0022] Figure 4A The diagram illustrates the chemical structure of materials contained in organic materials.

[0023] Figure 4B The diagram illustrates the chemical structure of materials contained in organic materials.

[0024] Figure 4C The diagram illustrates the chemical structure of materials contained in organic materials.

[0025] Figure 5 The following is a graph illustrating the results of spectroscopic transmittance measurement of an organic material.

[0026] Figure 6 The graph illustrates the relationship between firing time and transmittance.

[0027] Figure 7 The figure illustrates the effect of ultraviolet light irradiation on shortening the firing time.

[0028] Figure 8 The figure illustrates the effect of ultraviolet light irradiation on shortening the firing time. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments do not limit the invention as described in the claims. Multiple features are described in the embodiments, but not all of these features are necessarily essential to the invention; moreover, the multiple features can be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or identical components, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0030] exist Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates the configuration of a film forming apparatus 100 according to a preferred embodiment for manufacturing an organic display panel. In one aspect, the film forming apparatus 100 can be understood as an apparatus for forming an organic material film on a substrate S. In another aspect, the film forming apparatus 100 can be understood as an apparatus for processing organic materials on the substrate S, or an apparatus for processing organic materials on the substrate S. The organic material film can be, for example, any one of the hole injection layer, hole transport layer, light-emitting layer, electron transport layer, or electron injection layer of an organic EL element (OLED). The method for manufacturing an organic EL element can include a film forming step of forming an organic material film such as a hole injection layer, hole transport layer, light-emitting layer, electron transport layer, or electron injection layer on the substrate S. The film forming step of forming the organic material film can include a coating step of applying or coating a liquid organic material onto the substrate S using a printing method or similar method; a drying step of drying the liquid organic material to form a dried film; and a firing step of firing the dried film. The organic material can be a solution containing a solute and a solvent for forming the organic material film.

[0031] The film forming apparatus 100 may include a plurality of processing units and a transport mechanism 9 for transporting a substrate between the plurality of processing units. Each processing unit may include a processing chamber. The film forming apparatus 100 includes a transport chamber 10 connected to each processing chamber of the plurality of processing units, and the transport mechanism 9 may be disposed in the transport chamber 10. The transport chamber 10 may be arranged such that it is surrounded by each processing chamber of the plurality of processing units. The film forming apparatus 100 may be a multi-chamber processing apparatus.

[0032] In one example, multiple processing units may include a coating unit 1, a drying unit 4, and a firing unit 5. The coating unit 1 performs a coating process to apply a liquid organic material to a substrate S. The drying unit 4 performs a drying process to dry the liquid organic material applied to the substrate S by the coating unit 1. The firing unit 5 performs a firing process to fire the organic material that has been dried by the drying unit 4, forming an organic material film. From another perspective, the multiple processing units may include, for example, a coating unit 1, a cleaning unit 2, a load locking unit 3, a drying unit 4, a firing unit 5, a cooling unit 6a, a positioning unit 6b, an unloading locking unit 7, and a buffer unit 8. The processing chambers of the coating unit 1, the drying unit 4, and the firing unit 5 may also be referred to as a coating chamber, a drying chamber, and a firing chamber. The coating chamber is a processing chamber for applying a liquid organic material to the substrate S. The drying chamber is a processing chamber for drying the liquid organic material applied to the substrate S by the coating unit 1. The firing chamber is a processing chamber used to perform a firing process on an organic material on a dried substrate S to obtain an organic material film.

[0033] The cleaning unit 2 can be configured to perform a cleaning process to remove contaminants (e.g., organic matter) adhering to the substrate S. For example, the cleaning unit 2 can be configured to use an ultraviolet light source such as an excimer lamp to generate ozone, and then use that ozone to remove the organic matter.

[0034] The load locking part 3 can be used as an interface for transporting the substrate S from the outside of the film forming apparatus 100 to the inside of the film forming apparatus 100. In this example, the cooling part 6a and the positioning part 6b are configured in one processing chamber, but they can be configured in different processing chambers. The cooling part 6a can be configured to cool the substrate cleaned by the cleaning part 2 and the substrate for which a dried film has been formed by the firing part 5. For example, the cooling part 6a can control the temperature of the substrate so that the temperature or temperature distribution of the substrate converges within ±0.2°C of a target temperature. The positioning part 6b can be configured, for example, to align the substrate supplied to the coating part 1. Alignment is performed, for example, with respect to position in the X-axis and Y-axis directions of the XYZ coordinate system and rotation around the Z-axis. Furthermore, the positioning part 6b can align the substrate unloaded from the film forming apparatus 100.

[0035] The unloading locking unit 7 can be configured as an interface for transferring the substrate S, after processing in the film forming apparatus 100, from the film forming apparatus 100 to the outside. The load locking unit 3 and the unloading locking unit 7 can be common. The buffer unit 8 can be used to retract the substrate S inside the film forming apparatus 100 in cases where adverse conditions occur in the film forming apparatus 100. An additional transport chamber 11 can be provided between the transport chamber 10 and the coating unit 1.

[0036] The film forming apparatus 100 may further include an irradiation unit 12 for irradiating the organic material (organic material film) on the substrate S with ultraviolet light after the drying process and before the firing process. In a first embodiment, the irradiation unit 12 may be configured to irradiate the organic material on the substrate S with ultraviolet light during the transport path of the substrate S from the drying section 4 to the firing section 5 using the transport mechanism 9. In a second embodiment, the irradiation unit 12 may be configured such that when a portion of the substrate S is irradiated with ultraviolet light using the irradiation unit 12, at least a portion of the portion of the substrate S that has already received ultraviolet light irradiation is located in the firing section 5 (firing chamber). In the second embodiment, the irradiation unit 12 may, for example, be configured near a gate valve (not shown) in the firing section 5 (firing chamber). In a third embodiment, the irradiation unit 12 may be configured such that when a portion of the substrate S is irradiated with ultraviolet light using the irradiation unit 12, at least a portion of the portion of the substrate S that has not yet received ultraviolet light irradiation is located in the drying section 4 (drying chamber). In the third configuration, the irradiation unit 12 may be disposed, for example, near a gate valve (not shown) in the drying unit 4 (drying chamber). In the fourth configuration, the irradiation unit 12 may be disposed in the space outside the drying unit 4 (drying chamber) and the firing unit 5 (firing chamber), for example, disposed in a manner that irradiates the substrate S with ultraviolet light in the transport chamber 10. In the fourth configuration, the irradiation unit 12 may be configured to irradiate the entire area of ​​the organic material on the substrate S with ultraviolet light simultaneously. In the fifth configuration, the irradiation unit 12 may be disposed in the drying unit 4 (drying chamber).

[0037] The film forming apparatus 100 may also include a control unit 20. The control unit 20 may be, for example, a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a general-purpose or special-purpose computer with a program assembled thereon, or a combination of all or some of these. The control unit 20 may be configured, for example, to control the coating unit 1, cleaning unit 2, drying unit 4, calcining unit 5, cooling unit 6a, positioning unit 6b, transport mechanism 9, and irradiation unit 12 based on control information provided from external devices.

[0038] exist Figure 2 The diagram above shows a flow chart of a membrane formation method according to one embodiment. Figure 2 The execution of the film formation method shown can be controlled by the control unit 20 according to control information. In process S201 (coating process), a coating process of a liquid organic material is performed on the substrate in the coating unit 1 (coating chamber). This organic material can be, for example, an organic material used to form a hole injection layer. The coating unit 1 includes, for example, an inkjet device, and the coating process can be performed using this inkjet device. Although in Figure 2Not shown, the substrate that has undergone process S201 can be transported to the drying chamber of the drying unit 4 using the transport mechanism 9. Next, in process S202 (drying process), a drying process can be performed in the drying unit 4 (drying chamber) to dry the organic material in its liquid state. Next, in process S203 (irradiation process), the organic material on the substrate that has undergone the drying process is irradiated with ultraviolet light using the irradiation unit 12.

[0039] Step S203 (irradiation step) is performed after step S202 (drying step) and after step S204 (firing step). Step S203 (irradiation step) can be performed, for example, in the transport path of the substrate S using the transport mechanism 9 from the drying section 4 (drying chamber) to the firing section 5 (firing chamber). Alternatively, step S203 (irradiation step) can be performed, for example, before or after the transport of the substrate S using the transport mechanism 9 from the drying section 4 (drying chamber) to the firing section 5 (firing chamber). Step S203 (irradiation step) can be performed in a way that reduces the time required for step S204 (firing step). Alternatively, step S203 (irradiation step) can be performed in a way that reduces the energy required for performing step S204 (firing step). In step S204 (firing step), a firing process can be performed in the firing section 5 (firing chamber) to fire the organic material on the substrate S.

[0040] Then, step S205 can be performed as needed. In step S205, an additional film formation process can be performed. For example, if a hole injection layer is formed in steps S201 to S204 described above, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer can be formed in the additional film formation process. Each of the hole transport layer, light-emitting layer, electron transport layer, and electron injection layer can be formed using an organic material different from the organic material used to form the hole injection layer, and can be performed using the same method as steps S201 to S204 described above. Next, in step 206 (post-processing), for example, electrodes, protective films, etc., can be formed on multiple organic material layers (the uppermost layer) on the substrate S. Step 206 (post-processing) can be performed in a device outside the film forming apparatus 100.

[0041] The manufacturing method for manufacturing a display panel can be understood as including a film forming step of forming an organic material film on a substrate S using the film forming method described above, and a processing step of processing the substrate S after the film forming step to obtain a display panel.

[0042] The following provides detailed examples of the drying process (process S202), the irradiation process (process S203), and the firing process (process S204).

[0043] First, the drying process will be explained. The thickness of the organic material film after the drying process can vary depending on the function of the organic material film, such as whether the organic material film constitutes a hole injection layer, hole transport layer, light emission layer, electron transport layer, or electron injection layer. For example, it can be set in the range of 10 nm to 100 nm. The drying process can be carried out, for example, by reducing the solvent in the organic material containing the solute (organic material) and solvent to less than 20%, preferably less than 10%, and more preferably less than 5% before the drying process. The drying process can be carried out, for example, in air, in an inactive atmosphere, or in a reduced pressure atmosphere.

[0044] In one example, the drying process can be carried out under conditions of atmospheric pressure, temperature ranging from 20°C to 80°C, and time ranging from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. In another example, the drying process can be carried out under conditions of pressure ranging from 1 to 1000 Pa, temperature ranging from 20°C to 80°C, and time ranging from 5 minutes to 25 minutes. Furthermore, in other examples, the drying process can be carried out under conditions of pressure ranging from 0.1 to 13 kPa and temperature ranging from -25°C to 10°C.

[0045] The uniformity of the dried organic material film can be determined according to the required specifications of the organic material film. The thickness and uniformity of the dried organic material film can depend on the drying rate. The drying unit 4 preferably has a function for controlling the thickness and uniformity of the dried organic material film. Such a function may include, for example, at least one of a depressurization function and a heating function. The depressurization function can control the evaporation rate of the solvent from the liquid organic material. The heating function can control the evaporation rate of the solvent from the liquid organic material and the convection of the solute in the liquid organic material.

[0046] Next, the irradiation process will be explained. In cases where the organic material being dried in the drying process contains a polyaniline structure, the organic material can be irradiated with ultraviolet light in the irradiation process to increase the quinone-type structure within the organic material. During the irradiation process, the ultraviolet light irradiating the organic material is absorbed by the organic material, thereby causing changes in the organic material. However, it can be ensured that the ultraviolet light does not cause unintentional bond cleavage in the organic material. From a productivity point of view, the light source for the irradiation unit 12 is preferably a light source with short start-up time, easy ON / OFF control, long lifespan, and minimal temperature variation on the substrate of the irradiated light and the irradiation unit 12; an LED light source is preferred.

[0047] Here, the wavelength of the ultraviolet light generated by the light source of the irradiation unit 12 will be explained exemplarily. It is known that the absorption wavelength peaks of benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene are 255 nm, 286 nm, and 375 nm, respectively. Organic materials containing these or similar structures absorb light at and near these absorption wavelength peaks. Therefore, from the viewpoint of light absorption, it is preferable that the ultraviolet light generated by the light source includes these wavelengths. On the other hand, light with wavelengths shorter than 339 nm has the energy to break carbon-carbon bonds. Therefore, if an organic material is irradiated with ultraviolet light in the wavelength band below 349 nm, with a peak wavelength of 339 nm, the carbon-carbon bonds will be broken, and the function of the organic material will be reduced. Therefore, the spectrum of the irradiated ultraviolet light preferably has a relative radiant intensity of less than 0.01, i.e., less than 1%, for wavelengths below 349 nm. Furthermore, the spectrum of the irradiated ultraviolet light is more preferably a relative radiant intensity of less than 0.01, i.e., less than 1%, for wavelengths below 340 nm. As a light source, an LED lamp with a narrow band is preferred compared to the wide band of a halogen lamp or the like. As a light source, when using LED lamps, general UV LEDs with emission wavelengths of 365nm, 385nm, 395nm, and 405nm can be used. LED lamps can be configured to have a dominant wavelength of 350nm or higher. Metal halide lamps are used as light sources that generate light with wavelengths longer than 405nm, but they are not preferred due to their high heat generation. Considering these factors, ultraviolet light with wavelengths from 350nm to 405nm is preferred. LED lamps have a short time from startup until the light intensity stabilizes, exhibiting good light intensity stability, making them suitable for ON / OFF control. They also have the advantage of high uniformity of irradiation intensity within the substrate surface.

[0048] The cumulative amount of ultraviolet light irradiated by the irradiation unit 12 onto the organic material on the substrate S can be controlled by the control unit 20 according to the type (composition), thickness, etc. of the organic material. The cumulative amount of light is the product of the illuminance of the irradiated ultraviolet light and the irradiation time (duration). The illuminance can be adjusted, for example, by the voltage applied to the light source and the distance from the light source to the organic material. Alternatively, the illuminance can be adjusted using a filter. The irradiation time can be adjusted by the ON / OFF of the light source or the shutter speed. Alternatively, the irradiation time can be adjusted by controlling the transport speed of the substrate S, that is, by controlling the time it takes for the organic material on the substrate S to pass through the ultraviolet irradiation area. The irradiation time can be set to a time that is sufficiently short compared to the firing time in the firing process, for example, in the range of 1 second to 100 seconds. Although the cumulative amount of light is affected by the organic material and its film thickness, if the illuminance is weak, the effect may not be sufficient. If the illuminance is less than 100 mW / cm²... 2 Sometimes, the effect produced by light irradiation cannot be fully obtained. The illuminance is preferably at least 100 mW / cm². 2 The preferred value is 140mW / cm. 2 above.

[0049] Next, refer to Figures 3A-3D The apparatus and methods used to perform the irradiation process are illustrated exemplarily. Furthermore, in Figures 3A-3D In the diagram, the gray area schematically represents the area irradiated by the ultraviolet light generated by the irradiation unit 12. Figures 3A-3D This can be understood as... Figure 1 The drying section 4, the conveying mechanism 9 (conveying chamber 10), and the firing section 5 are further schematically illustrated.

[0050] exist Figure 3A The first example is schematically shown. In the first example, during the transport path of the substrate S using the transport mechanism 9, the organic material on the substrate S is irradiated with ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 12. From another perspective, in the first example, the substrate S is transported using the transport mechanism 9 while the organic material on the substrate S is irradiated with ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 12. Furthermore, from another perspective, in the first example, the irradiation unit 12 can be arranged such that at least a portion of the portion of the substrate S that has been irradiated with ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 12 is located in the firing section 5 (firing chamber). Furthermore, from another perspective, in the first example, the irradiated area of ​​ultraviolet light is smaller than the substrate S. The illuminance can be adjusted, for example, by at least one of the distance between the light source (not shown) and the substrate S, and the applied voltage to the light source. The irradiation time can be adjusted by at least one of the transport speed of the substrate S using the transport mechanism 9, and the ON / OFF (pulse control) of the light source. The irradiation unit 12 can be arranged, for example, near a gate valve (not shown) in the firing section 5 (firing chamber).

[0051] exist Figure 3B The second example is schematically shown. In the second example, during the transport path of the substrate S using the transport mechanism 9, the organic material on the substrate S is irradiated with ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 12. From another perspective, in the second example, the substrate S is transported using the transport mechanism 9 while the organic material on the substrate S is irradiated with ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 12. Furthermore, from another perspective, in the third example, the irradiation unit 12 can be arranged such that at least a portion of the portion of the substrate S not irradiated by ultraviolet light when a portion of the substrate S is irradiated with ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 12 is located in the drying unit 4 (drying chamber). Furthermore, from another perspective, in the second example, the irradiation area of ​​ultraviolet light is smaller than that of the substrate S. The illuminance can be adjusted, for example, by at least one of the distance between the light source (not shown) and the substrate S, and the applied voltage to the light source. The irradiation time can be adjusted by at least one of the transport speed of the substrate S using the transport mechanism 9, and the ON / OFF (pulse control) of the light source. The irradiation unit 12 can be arranged, for example, near a gate valve (not shown) in the drying unit 4 (drying chamber).

[0052] exist Figure 3CThe third example is schematically shown. In this third example, the organic material on the substrate S is irradiated with ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 12 during the transport path of the substrate S using the transport mechanism 9. From another perspective, the irradiation unit 12 can be configured to irradiate the entire area of ​​the organic material on the substrate S with ultraviolet light simultaneously. Furthermore, from another perspective, the irradiation unit 12 can be configured to irradiate the organic material on the substrate S with ultraviolet light while the substrate S is stopped. Furthermore, from another perspective, in this third example, the irradiated area of ​​ultraviolet light is larger than that of the substrate S. The illuminance can be adjusted, for example, by at least one of the distance between the light source (not shown) and the substrate S, or by at least one of the applied voltage to the light source. The irradiation time can be adjusted by at least one of the ON / OFF state of the light source and the shutter speed.

[0053] exist Figure 3D The fourth example is schematically shown. In this fourth example, the organic material on the substrate S is irradiated with ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 12 in the drying chamber of the drying unit 4. From another perspective, the irradiation unit 12 can be configured to irradiate the entire area of ​​the organic material on the substrate S with ultraviolet light simultaneously. Furthermore, from another perspective, the irradiation unit 12 can be configured to irradiate the organic material on the substrate S with ultraviolet light while the substrate S is stationary. Furthermore, from yet another perspective, in the fourth example, the irradiation area of ​​the ultraviolet light is larger. The illuminance can be adjusted, for example, by at least one of the distance between the light source (not shown) and the substrate S, and the voltage applied to the light source. The irradiation time can be adjusted by at least one of the ON / OFF state of the light source and the shutter speed.

[0054] Next, the firing process will be described. The firing process may include a firing step for firing the organic material on the substrate S. The firing process can also be understood as a process that causes the organic material on the substrate S to acquire the desired properties. In the heating process, the temperature applied to the organic material may be, for example, in the range of 100°C to 230°C, more preferably in the range of 200°C to 230°C. The firing process may, for example, utilize the firing process to fire the organic material film containing a polyaniline structure (see reference...) Figure 4A The material oxidizes and transforms into a quinone-imine structure (see reference). Figure 4C ) and quinone-type structures (refer to Figure 4BThe firing process is carried out in a manner that involves quinone-type formation. In one example, the firing process can be performed such that the total amount of the quinone-type structure and the quinone-imine structure constitutes 20 mol% or more of the organic material film. Each structure exhibits a characteristic absorption wavelength observed in spectrophotometric transmittance measurements: absorption is visible at 365–375 nm for the polyaniline structure, 565 nm for the quinone-type structure, and 635 nm for the quinone-imine structure (Non-Patent Literature 1). The quinone-type formation can be evaluated using the spectrophotometric transmittance in the wavelength band of 565 nm to 635 nm. In one example, the firing process can be performed in air or in an inert gas atmosphere. In another example, the firing process can be performed in air under conditions ranging from 100°C to 230°C and from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.

[0055] The following describes liquid organic materials that can be coated onto substrate S during the coating process. The liquid organic material is a solution containing a solute and a solvent. The organic material can be coated onto substrate S using an inkjet printer. There are no particular limitations on the type of organic material, but aromatic compounds that absorb light are preferred. The organic material may not have curing reactivity caused by light irradiation and heating. The organic material may contain materials with a polyaniline structure that are oxidized during firing to form a quinone-type structure.

[0056] The following describes the embodiments. As the organic panel material, materials containing [a specific component] before firing were selected. Figure 4A The polyaniline structure shown is transformed through firing to become Figure 4B The organic material exhibits the target function by displaying a quinone-type structure. This organic material is coated onto a substrate using an inkjet printer to form an organic material film, which is then dried. The spectral transmittance of the dried organic material film containing the polyaniline structure is... Figure 5 The value is represented as 'a'. Then, the organic material film was sintered at 230°C for 30 minutes. The spectral transmittance of the sintered organic material film, containing quinone-imine and quinone structures, was... Figure 5 Let b represent this. Therefore, it can be seen that through firing, the structure of the organic material film changes from the structure shown in a to the structure shown in b. Figure 6 The diagram shows the firing time at 230°C changed to 0 minutes (corresponding to...). Figure 5 a) 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes (corresponding to Figure 5 The transmittance of the organic material film at a wavelength of 600 nm at time b) was measured. It can be confirmed that the transmittance of the organic material film decreases with firing, i.e., a change occurs from the polyaniline structure to the quinone structure.

[0057] An organic material film containing a polyaniline structure was formed using the same method, employing a UVLED light source that generates ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 365 nm, and an illuminance of 140 mW / cm².2 The cumulative light intensity is 1.4 J / cm. 2 The organic material film was irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light for 10 seconds. Under these conditions, the spectroscopic transmittance of the film was measured, and absorption at a wavelength of 635 nm was observed. This absorption is believed to be produced by the quinone-imine structure resulting from the partial oxidation of the polyaniline structure. That is, quinone oxidation is considered to have occurred. After UV irradiation, the film was sintered at 230°C for 15 minutes, and the spectroscopic transmittance of the organic material film was measured again. The results yielded [data missing]. Figure 5 The spectrum is very similar to that of b. Figure 7 The figure shows the transmittance of the organic material film at a wavelength of 600 nm when the firing time was changed to 0 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes. Figure 7 In the middle, for comparison, it is also shown Figure 6 The results shown are those without ultraviolet light.

[0058] exist Figure 8 The image shows the effect of ultraviolet light irradiation on shortening the firing time. Figure 8 The firing time required without ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation is denoted as "no UV irradiation," while the firing time required with UV light of 365 nm wavelength is denoted as "365 nm." By irradiating the organic material film with UV light of 365 nm wavelength, even with a firing time of 15 minutes, the same level of transmittance was obtained as with the unirradiated film and a firing time of 30 minutes. That is, the firing time can be shortened from 30 minutes to 15 minutes. Furthermore, the sample irradiated with UV light of 365 nm wavelength showed the same level of transmittance as the sample without UV irradiation with firing times of 20 minutes and 10 minutes, respectively, at firing times of 10 minutes and 5 minutes. These results confirm that UV irradiation can shorten the firing time by approximately 50%.

[0059] Furthermore, the wavelengths of the UV LED light source were changed to 385nm and 395nm, and the same experiment was conducted, confirming the reduction in firing time. The reduction in firing time caused by ultraviolet light irradiation was approximately 25% at both 385nm and 395nm, confirming that it could be reduced to approximately 75% of the time without irradiation. Figure 8 The firing time required for irradiation with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 385 nm (“385nm”) and the firing time required for irradiation with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 395 nm (“395nm”) are shown.

[0060] The 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 claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

[0061] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-191130, filed on November 8, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0062] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0063] 100: Film forming apparatus, 4: Drying section, 5: Firing section, 9: Transport mechanism, 12: Irradiation section, S: Substrate, 20: Control section.

Claims

1. A membrane forming apparatus, characterized in that, include: A drying section for drying liquid organic materials on a substrate; A firing section for firing the organic material on the substrate to obtain an organic material film; a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate from the drying section to the firing section; and an irradiation section for irradiating the organic material with ultraviolet light after the drying process and before the firing process.

2. The membrane forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a control unit that controls the drying process, the firing process, and the irradiation with ultraviolet light using the irradiation unit. The control unit controls the irradiation unit after the drying process and before the firing process so that the organic material is irradiated with ultraviolet light using the irradiation unit.

3. The membrane forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The irradiation unit is configured such that the organic material on the substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet light during the transport path of the substrate from the drying unit to the firing unit using the transport mechanism.

4. The membrane forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the irradiation section is configured such that when a portion of the substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet light using the irradiation section, at least a portion of the portion of the substrate that has already been irradiated with ultraviolet light is located in the firing section.

5. The membrane forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The irradiation section is configured such that when the irradiation section is used to irradiate a portion of the substrate with ultraviolet light, at least a portion of the portion of the substrate that has not yet been irradiated by the ultraviolet light is located in the drying section.

6. The membrane forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The irradiation section is configured such that the substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet light in the space outside the drying section and the firing section.

7. The membrane forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The irradiation section is configured such that it simultaneously irradiates the entire area of ​​the organic material on the substrate with ultraviolet light.

8. The membrane forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The irradiation section is configured such that the substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet light in the space within the drying section.

9. The membrane forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The drying chamber where the drying process is performed using the drying section is connected to the firing chamber where the firing process is performed using the firing section via a transport chamber, and the transport mechanism is disposed in the transport chamber.

10. The membrane forming apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a coating section on which the liquid organic material is coated onto the substrate, and the conveying mechanism conveys the substrate from the coating section to the drying section.

11. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The ultraviolet light contains wavelengths from 350 nm to 405 nm.

12. The membrane forming apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, The wavelength of light with a wavelength of less than 340 nm in the ultraviolet light is less than 1% of the total ultraviolet light.

13. The membrane forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The organic material dried in the drying section contains a polyaniline structure, and the irradiation section irradiates the organic material with ultraviolet light, thereby increasing the quinone structure in the organic material.

14. A processing apparatus for processing organic materials in a liquid state on a substrate, characterized in that, include: The unit includes a drying section for drying the organic material on the substrate, a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate from the drying section, and an irradiation section for irradiating the organic material on the substrate transported from the drying section by the transport mechanism with ultraviolet light.

15. The processing apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that, The organic material dried in the drying section contains a polyaniline structure, and the irradiation section irradiates the organic material with ultraviolet light, thereby increasing the quinone structure in the organic material.

16. A processing apparatus for processing organic materials on a substrate, characterized in that, include: A firing section for firing the organic material on the substrate, a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate to the firing section, and an irradiation section for irradiating the organic material on the substrate transported to the firing section by the transport mechanism with ultraviolet light.

17. The processing apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that, The organic material irradiated with ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit contains a polyaniline structure, and the irradiation unit irradiates the organic material with ultraviolet light so as to increase the quinone structure in the organic material.

18. The processing apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that, The organic material in the firing section is fired to induce quinone formation in the organic material.

19. A method for forming a membrane, characterized in that, The method includes: a drying process in which liquid organic material on a substrate is dried in a drying chamber; an irradiation process in which the substrate after the drying process is transferred from the drying chamber to a firing chamber and the organic material on the substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet light; and a firing process in which the organic material after the irradiation process is fired in the firing chamber to obtain an organic material film.

20. The membrane formation method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The organic material membrane is used to form a hole injection layer.

21. A method for forming a membrane, characterized in that, The method includes: a drying process for drying a liquid organic material on a substrate for forming a hole injection layer; an irradiation process for irradiating the dried organic material with ultraviolet light; and a sintering process for sintering the irradiated organic material to obtain an organic material film.

22. The membrane formation method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that, The organic material in liquid state on the substrate contains a polyaniline structure, and the irradiation process irradiates the organic material film with ultraviolet light to increase the quinone structure in the organic material.

23. The membrane formation method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The firing process is carried out to achieve the quinone-type conversion of the organic material.

24. The membrane formation method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The ultraviolet light contains wavelengths from 350 nm to 405 nm.

25. The membrane formation method according to claim 24, characterized in that, The wavelength of light with a wavelength of less than 340 nm in the ultraviolet light is less than 1% of the total ultraviolet light.

26. The membrane formation method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that, The drying process is performed such that the solvent in the organic material is reduced to less than 20% of its original state before the drying process was performed.

27. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that, The method includes a film forming step of forming an organic material film on a substrate using the film forming method according to any one of claims 19 to 26; and a processing step of processing the substrate after the film forming step to obtain the display panel.

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