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

Abstract

A film-forming apparatus for overlapping a substrate and a mask to form a vapor-deposited material on the substrate, characterized in that it comprises: a substrate support member supporting the substrate; an adsorption plate adsorbing the substrate; a mask stage holding the mask; and an adjustment member adjusting the posture of the adsorption plate, wherein the adjustment member adjusts the adsorption plate from a first posture to a second posture before overlapping the substrate and the mask, the first posture being based on the substrate support surface of the substrate support member when the substrate is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate, and the second posture being based on the mask placed on the mask stage or the mask loading surface of the mask stage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to film-forming apparatus, adjustment method, film-forming method, and method for manufacturing electronic devices. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacture of organic EL displays, a mask is used to form a vapor-deposited material on a substrate. As a pretreatment for film formation, the mask and substrate are aligned and overlapped. A method is known to improve alignment accuracy by suppressing the effects of substrate and mask deformation. Patent Document 1 discloses adjusting the tilt of the adsorption plate for adsorbing the substrate and the mask stage while maintaining a vacuum inside the chamber. Patent Document 2 discloses a method for adsorbing the substrate onto an electrostatic chuck.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-57673

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-141312 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] Furthermore, when the orientation of the adsorption plate is adjusted based on the mask stage, and the adsorption plate adsorbs the substrate, the adsorption positions of the adsorption plate and the substrate may sometimes shift due to the orientation of the adsorption plate and the deformation of the substrate. When the adsorption positions of the adsorption plate and the substrate are shifted, and the substrate and mask are overlapped, positional shift between the substrate and the mask may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress the positional shift between the substrate and the mask.

[0009] This invention provides a technique for suppressing the positional misalignment between the substrate and the mask.

[0010] Methods for solving problems

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a film-forming apparatus is provided, the film-forming apparatus overlapping a substrate with a mask and forming a vapor-deposited material on the substrate, characterized in that it comprises: a substrate support member supporting the substrate; an adsorption plate adsorbing the substrate; a mask stage holding the mask; and an adjustment member adjusting the posture of the adsorption plate, the adjustment member adjusting the adsorption plate from a first posture to a second posture before overlapping the substrate with the mask, the first posture being based on the substrate support surface of the substrate support member when the substrate is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate, and the second posture being based on the mask placed on the mask stage or the mask loading surface of the mask stage.

[0012] Invention Effects

[0013] According to the present invention, positional misalignment between the substrate and the mask can be suppressed. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a part of an electronic device production line.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a film-forming apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram of the substrate support unit and the adsorption plate.

[0017] Figure 4 This is an illustration of the electrical wiring of the adsorption plate.

[0018] Figure 5A This is an explanatory diagram of the pressing component.

[0019] Figure 5B This is an explanatory diagram of the pressing component.

[0020] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram of the measurement unit.

[0021] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram of the adjustment unit.

[0022] Figure 8 This is an illustration of the process of overlapping a substrate and a mask using an adsorption plate.

[0023] Figure 9A This is an explanatory diagram showing the relative tilt between the adsorption plate and the mask stage.

[0024] Figure 9B This is an explanatory diagram showing the relative tilt between the adsorption plate and the mask stage.

[0025] Figure 9C This is an explanatory diagram showing the relative tilt between the adsorption plate and the mask stage.

[0026] Figure 10A This is an explanatory diagram of the posture of the adsorption plate.

[0027] Figure 10B This is an explanatory diagram of the posture of the adsorption plate.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a flowchart representing a control processing example.

[0029] Figure 12 This is a diagram showing an example of a display screen.

[0030] Figure 13This is a flowchart representing a control processing example.

[0031] Figure 14A This is an overall diagram of an organic EL display device.

[0032] Figure 14B It is a diagram representing the cross-sectional structure of a pixel.

[0033] Figure 15 This is an illustration of the relative tilt between the adsorption plate and the mask. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. Several features are described in the embodiments, but not all of these features are limited to those essential to the invention; moreover, the features can be combined arbitrarily. In the accompanying drawings, the same or identical structures are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0035] <Electronic Component Production Line>

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the structure of an electronic device production line to which the film-forming apparatus of the present invention can be applied. Figure 1 For example, in a production line used to manufacture display panels for organic EL display devices for smartphones, substrate 100 is sequentially fed to film forming block 301, where organic EL film is formed on substrate 100.

[0037] In the film-forming block 301, a plurality of film-forming chambers 303a to 303d for film-forming the substrate 100 and a mask storage chamber 305 for storing masks before and after use are arranged around a transport chamber 302, which has an octagonal shape when viewed from above. A transport robot 302a for transporting the substrate 100 is arranged in the transport chamber 302. The transport robot 302a includes a hand that holds the substrate 100 and a multi-joint arm that moves the hand in the horizontal direction. In other words, the film-forming block 301 is a cluster-type film-forming unit in which a plurality of film-forming chambers 303a to 303d are arranged around the transport robot 302a. Furthermore, the film-forming chambers 303a to 303d are collectively referred to as film-forming chamber 303, or, if no distinction is made, as film-forming chamber 303.

[0038] In the transport direction (arrow direction) of the substrate 100, a buffer chamber 306, a swirl chamber 307, and a transfer chamber 308 are respectively arranged on the upstream and downstream sides of the film forming block 301. During the manufacturing process, each chamber is maintained in a vacuum state. Furthermore, in Figure 1Only one film-forming block 301 is shown in the figure, but the production line of this embodiment has multiple film-forming blocks 301, and the multiple film-forming blocks 301 have a structure connected by a connecting device consisting of a buffer chamber 306, a swirl chamber 307, and a transfer chamber 308. In addition, the structure of the connecting device is not limited to this, for example, it may be composed of only the buffer chamber 306 or the transfer chamber 308.

[0039] The conveying robot 302a performs the following: moving the substrate 100 from the upstream transfer chamber 308 to the conveying chamber 302; conveying the substrate 100 between the film forming chambers 303; conveying the mask between the mask storage chamber 305 and the film forming chamber 303; and moving the substrate 100 from the conveying chamber 302 to the downstream buffer chamber 306.

[0040] The buffer chamber 306 is a chamber used to temporarily store substrates 100 according to the operating status of the production line. The buffer chamber 306 is equipped with a substrate storage rack, also referred to as a box, and a lifting mechanism. The substrate storage rack has a multi-layer structure capable of storing multiple substrates 100 in a horizontal state with the processed surface (film-forming surface) of the substrate 100 facing downwards in the direction of gravity. The lifting mechanism raises and lowers the substrate storage rack to match the layer of substrates 100 being moved in or out with the transport position. Thus, multiple substrates 100 can be temporarily accommodated and held in the buffer chamber 306.

[0041] The rotary chamber 307 includes a device for changing the orientation of the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the rotary chamber 307 utilizes a transport robot disposed in the rotary chamber 307 to rotate the orientation of the substrate 100 by 180 degrees. By rotating 180 degrees while supporting the substrate 100 received from the buffer chamber 306, the transport robot disposed in the rotary chamber 307 and delivers it to the transfer chamber 308, thereby exchanging the front and rear ends of the substrate within the buffer chamber 306 and the transfer chamber 308. As a result, the orientation of the substrate 100 when it is moved into the film deposition chamber 303 is the same in each film deposition block 301, thus enabling the scanning direction for film deposition on the substrate S and the orientation of the mask to be consistent in each film deposition block 301. With such a structure, the orientation in which the mask is placed in the mask storage chamber 305 can be aligned in each film deposition block 301, simplifying mask management and improving usability.

[0042] The production line control system includes a host computer 300 that controls the entire production line as a main computer, and control devices 14a-14d, 309, and 310 that control each structure. These devices can communicate via wired or wireless communication line 300a. Control devices 14a-14d are correspondingly provided with film-forming chambers 303a-303d and control the film-forming apparatus 1, which will be described later. Furthermore, when collectively referred to as control devices 14a-14d, or when no distinction is made, they are referred to as control device 14.

[0043] Control device 309 controls the conveying robot 302a. Control device 310 controls the device of the rotary chamber 307. The host device 300 sends information related to the substrate 100, conveying timing and other instructions to each control device 14, 309, 310, and each control device 14, 309, 310 controls each structure based on the received instructions.

[0044] <Overview of the film-forming device>

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a film-forming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. The film-forming apparatus 1, provided in the film-forming chamber 303, is an apparatus for depositing vapor-deposited material on a substrate 100, using a mask 101 to form a thin film of vapor-deposited material with a predetermined pattern. The material of the substrate 100 in which film formation is performed in the film-forming apparatus 1 can be appropriately selected from materials such as glass, resin, and metal, and preferably a material on which a resin layer such as polyimide is formed. The vapor-deposited material can be an organic material, an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.), etc. The film-forming apparatus 1 can be applied to manufacturing apparatuses for electronic devices and optical components such as display devices (flat panel displays, etc.), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), and particularly to manufacturing apparatuses for organic EL panels. In the following description, an example of film formation on the substrate 100 by vacuum vapor deposition using the film-forming apparatus 1 will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various film-forming methods such as sputtering and CVD can be applied. In addition, in each figure, arrow Z represents the up-down direction (the direction of gravity), and arrows X and Y represent mutually orthogonal horizontal directions.

[0046] The film-forming apparatus 1 has a box-shaped vacuum chamber 3 (also simply referred to as a chamber) capable of maintaining an internal vacuum. The internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen. In this embodiment, the vacuum chamber 3 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). Furthermore, in this specification, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with a gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a depressurization state. Inside the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3, there are a substrate support unit 6 that supports the substrate 100 in a horizontal position, a mask stage 5 that supports the mask 101, a film-forming unit 4, a plate unit 9, and an adsorption plate 15. The mask 101 is a metal mask having an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern formed on the substrate 100, and is placed on the mask stage 5. Furthermore, the mask stage 5 can be replaced with other components that fix the mask 101 in a predetermined position. As the mask 101, a mask having a structure in which a mask foil with a thickness of about a few μm to tens of μm is welded and fixed to a frame-shaped mask frame can be used. The material of the mask 101 is not particularly limited, but metals with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, such as Invar alloy, are preferred. The film formation process is performed with the substrate 100 placed on the mask 101 and the substrate 100 and the mask 101 overlapping each other.

[0047] The plate unit 9 includes a cooling plate 10 and a magnet plate 11. The cooling plate 10 is suspended below the magnet plate 11 in a manner that allows it to be displaced relative to the magnet plate 11 in the Z direction. The cooling plate 10 has the function of cooling the substrate 100 adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15 during film formation by contacting it during film formation. The cooling plate 10 is not limited to a member that actively cools the substrate 100 by having a water cooling mechanism or the like, and may also be a plate-shaped member that does not have a water cooling mechanism or the like but absorbs heat from the substrate 100 by contacting the adsorption plate 15. The magnet plate 11 is a plate that attracts the mask 101 by magnetic force and is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 100, thereby improving the adhesion between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 during film formation.

[0048] Furthermore, the cooling plate 10 and the magnet plate 11 can be omitted appropriately. For example, if the adsorption plate 15 is provided with a cooling mechanism, the cooling plate 10 may not be provided. In addition, if the adsorption plate 15 adsorbs the mask 101, the magnet plate 11 may not be required.

[0049] The film-forming unit 4 is a deposition source consisting of a heater, a gate, a drive mechanism for the evaporation source, an evaporation rate monitor, etc., which deposits the vapor-deposited material onto the substrate 100. More specifically, in this embodiment, the film-forming unit 4 is a linear evaporation source from which multiple nozzles (not shown) are arranged along the X direction and from which vapor-deposited material is emitted. For example, the linear evaporation source is reciprocated in the Y direction (depth direction of the device) by an evaporation source moving mechanism (not shown). In this embodiment, the film-forming unit 4 is disposed in the same vacuum chamber 3 as the alignment device 2 described later. However, in embodiments where the film-forming process is performed in a different chamber than the vacuum chamber 3 used for alignment, the film-forming unit 4 is not disposed in the vacuum chamber 3.

[0050] Alignment device

[0051] The film forming apparatus 1 includes an alignment device 2 for aligning the substrate 100 and the mask 101. The alignment device 2 includes a substrate support unit 6, an adsorption plate 15, a position adjustment unit 20, a distance adjustment unit 22, a plate unit lifting unit 13, measuring units 7 and 8, an adjustment unit 17, a floating part 19, and a detection unit 16. The structure of each part of the alignment device will be described below.

[0052] (Baseboard support unit)

[0053] The alignment device 2 includes a substrate support unit 6 that supports the periphery of the substrate 100. In addition to Figure 2 In addition, refer to Figure 3 Please provide an explanation. Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram of the substrate support unit 6 and the adsorption plate 15, which is a view of them from below.

[0054] The substrate support unit 6 includes multiple base portions 61a to 61d forming its outer frame and multiple mounting portions 62 and 63 protruding inward from the base portions 61a to 61d. The mounting portions 62 and 63 are sometimes referred to as "receiving claws" or "finger portions". The base portions 61a to 61d are each supported by a support shaft R3. The multiple mounting portions 62 are spaced apart on the base portions 61a to 61d, each receiving the long side of the periphery of the substrate 100. Similarly, the multiple mounting portions 63 are spaced apart on the base portions 61a to 61d, each receiving the short side of the periphery of the substrate 100. The substrate 100, which is transported into the film forming apparatus 1 by the transport robot 302a, is supported by the multiple mounting portions 62 and 63. Hereinafter, the base portions 61a to 61d will be collectively referred to as base portion 61, or, if no distinction is made, as base portion 61. In other words, the substrate support unit 6 is also a substrate support member that supports the substrate 100.

[0055] In this embodiment, the plurality of mounting portions 62 and 63 are composed of leaf springs. When the substrate 100 supported by the plurality of mounting portions 62 and 63 is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15, the elastic force of the leaf springs can press the substrate 100 against the adsorption plate 15.

[0056] In addition, Figure 3 In the example, four base portions 61 form a rectangular frame with partial cutouts, but this is not a limitation; the base portions 61 can also be rectangular frames without cutouts, such as those surrounding the outer periphery of the rectangular substrate 100. However, by using multiple base portions 61 with cutouts, when the transport robot 302a hands over the substrate 100 to the placement portions 62 and 63, the transport robot 302a can avoid the base portions 61 and retreat. This improves the efficiency of transporting and handing over the substrate 100.

[0057] Alternatively, the following method can be used: In the substrate support unit 6, a plurality of clamping parts are provided corresponding to the plurality of mounting parts 62 and 63, and the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 mounted on the mounting parts 62 and 63 is clamped and held by the clamping parts.

[0058] (Adsorption plate)

[0059] Continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The alignment device 2 includes an adsorption plate 15 disposed inside the vacuum chamber 3 and capable of adsorbing the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the adsorption plate 15 is disposed between the substrate support unit 6 and the plate unit 9 and is supported by one or more support shafts R1. In this embodiment, the adsorption plate 15 is supported by four support shafts R1. In one embodiment, the support shafts R1 are cylindrical shafts.

[0060] In this embodiment, the adsorption plate 15 is an electrostatic chuck that uses electrostatic force to adsorb the substrate 100. For example, the adsorption plate 15 has a structure in which circuits such as metal electrodes are embedded inside a ceramic matrix (also called a substrate). For example, when a positive (+) and a negative (-) voltage are applied to the metal electrodes disposed in the electrode placement region 151, polarization charges are guided to the substrate 100 through the ceramic matrix, and the substrate 100 is adsorbed and fixed to the adsorption surface 150 of the adsorption plate 15 by the electrostatic attraction (electrostatic force) between the substrate 100 and the adsorption plate 15.

[0061] Furthermore, the electrode arrangement area 151 can be appropriately set. For example, in this embodiment, multiple electrode arrangement areas 151 are arranged separately from each other, but it is also possible that a single electrode arrangement area 151 is formed covering approximately the entire surface of the adsorption surface 150 of the adsorption plate 15.

[0062] In addition, multiple touch sensors 1621 for detecting contact between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100 are embedded in the adsorption plate 15. In this embodiment, a total of nine touch sensors 1621 are provided. Four are provided along each of the two long sides of the periphery of the adsorption plate 15, and one is provided in the center of the adsorption plate 15. By providing touch sensors 1621 at multiple locations on the adsorption plate 15, it is possible to confirm that the entire surface of the substrate 100 is adsorbed onto the adsorption surface 150. Furthermore, the number and arrangement of the touch sensors 1621 can be appropriately changed.

[0063] In this embodiment, the touch sensor 1621 mechanically detects its contact with an object. For example, the touch sensor 1621 is configured such that its tip is protruding from the adsorption surface 150 when not in contact with the substrate 100. Furthermore, when the substrate 100 contacts the tip of the touch sensor 1621, the tip is pressed by the substrate 100 and retracts towards the adsorption plate 15, outputting a predetermined electrical signal through contact with internal contacts. The shape of the tip is not particularly limited and can be a button shape or a lever shape. By appropriately setting the length of the tip protruding from the adsorption surface 150 when not in contact with an object, the touch sensor 1621 can substantially detect the contact between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100. Additionally, as described later, multiple touch sensors 1621 constitute a detection unit 16 (see <Detection Unit>) for detecting the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5.

[0064] In this embodiment, an optical fiber sensor 1622 is provided on the adsorption plate 15 to confirm the adsorption state of the substrate 100 onto the adsorption plate 15. The optical fiber sensor 1622 includes a light-emitting part 1622a and a light-receiving part 1622b. The light-emitting part 1622a and the light-receiving part 1622b are arranged to form a light path 1622c below the adsorption plate 15, for example, a few mm to tens of mm below the adsorption plate 15. When a portion of the substrate 100 is not adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15, this portion bends downward due to gravity. When the substrate 100 bends after the adsorption process of the substrate 100 onto the adsorption plate 15 has been performed, the bendable portion blocks the light path 1622c, thereby detecting the bend of the substrate 100. That is, it is possible to detect cases where the adsorption of the substrate 100 is not performed properly. Alternatively, the optical fiber sensor 1622 may be omitted.

[0065] Furthermore, the adsorption plate 15 has multiple openings 152 and 155. The measuring units (first measuring unit 7 and second measuring unit 8, described later) capture images of the mask marks described later through the multiple openings 152. Additionally, the pressing member 23, described later, presses against the substrate 100 through the openings 155. The openings 155 are holes extending through the thickness of the adsorption plate 15. The number of openings 155 corresponds to the number of pressing members 23.

[0066] Refer to together Figure 4 . Figure 4 The structure from the adsorption plate 15 to the support shaft R1 is schematically shown. Additionally, Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram of the electrical wiring of the adsorption plate, showing the wiring for supplying power to the electrodes disposed in the electrode arrangement area 151 of the adsorption plate 15. In this embodiment, the plurality of support shafts R1 supporting the adsorption plate 15 are formed as hollow cylinders. Furthermore, the wires 153 for applying positive (+) and negative (-) voltages are routed through the interior of the support shafts R1. Figure 4 In this example, one wire 153 is shown for applying positive (+) and one for applying negative (-) voltage, for a total of two wires. Furthermore, the wire 153 extending from the lower part of the support shaft R1 towards the vacuum chamber 3 extends along the short side of the adsorption plate 15 and connects to the electrical connection portion 154 located approximately at the center of the short side. That is, the wire 153 is guided from the outside to the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 via the support shaft R1 and connects to the electrical connection portion 154. Additionally, the power supplied from the wire 153 to the electrical connection portion 154 is supplied to each electrode disposed in the electrode arrangement area 151.

[0067] In addition, in this embodiment, four support shafts R1 are provided, through which various wires (cables) are guided into the interior of the vacuum chamber 3. In one embodiment, the wires 153 that supply power to the adsorption plate 15 pass through the inner sides of two diagonally opposite support shafts R1, while the cables such as the touch sensor 1621 and the fiber optic sensor 1622 (described later) pass through the inner sides of the remaining two support shafts R1 in a bundled state.

[0068] (Pressing component)

[0069] like Figure 2 As shown, the film-forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment also includes a pressing member 23 for pressing the corner of the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 from the upper surface side of the substrate 100. In addition, the corner of the substrate 100 may not be a "corner" in a strict mathematical sense, for example, it may be a corner with a rounded corner by rounding (R processing).

[0070] The pressing member 23 is used to press the substrate 100 from above by abutting against the upper surface of the substrate 100 at one end. In this embodiment, the pressing member 23 is a pin-shaped member. In this embodiment, the area where the pressing member 23 presses against the upper surface of the substrate 100, i.e., the pressing area, is located at the corner of the substrate 100. Therefore, the pressing member 23 is provided at a position corresponding to the corner of the rectangular substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6. More specifically, the pressing area of ​​the pressing member 23 is located at at least two of the four corners of the substrate 100.

[0071] Reference Figure 5A and Figure 5B . Figure 5A and Figure 5B These are top views of the adsorption plate 15 showing the position of the pressing area 23a of the pressing member 23.

[0072] like Figure 5A As shown, the pressing member 23 can also be provided at a position corresponding to one pair of diagonal corners among the four corners of the rectangular substrate 100. That is, it can also be provided at a position corresponding to at least two opposite corners among the corners of the substrate 100. In this way, the number of pressing members 23 can be minimized, and the substrate 100 can be pressed effectively.

[0073] Or, such as Figure 5BAs shown, the pressing member 23 can also be positioned corresponding to all four corners of the rectangular substrate 100. By pressing two or four corners of the substrate 100 from above using the pressing member 23, the central portion of the flexed substrate 100 can be lifted, reducing the degree of downward flexing or flattening it. In particular, by pressing the corners of the central portion, which is far from the substrate 100 where flexing tends to be greatest, using the pressing member 23, the flexing of the central portion of the substrate 100 can be effectively reduced.

[0074] In addition, according to the implementation method, such as Figure 5A or Figure 5B As shown, the pressing member 23 is disposed at the corner of the substrate 100, so the pressing area 23a of the pressing member 23 (e.g., the corner) and the support area (e.g., the edge) of the substrate 100 supported by the plurality of mounting portions 62 and 63 of the substrate support unit 6 do not overlap when viewed from the vertical direction (that is, the direction perpendicular to the substrate surface). That is, the support area of ​​the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 and the pressing area of ​​the substrate 100 pressed by the plurality of pressing members 23 are different areas. Therefore, the substrate 100 can be sufficiently pressed by the pressing member 23 without being limited by the plurality of mounting portions 62 and 63.

[0075] The projection area of ​​the support area supported by the substrate support unit 6 is vertically projected onto the upper surface of the substrate 100, and the pressing area 23a pressed by the pressing member 23 is along an imaginary line L (refer to) that forms a pattern (e.g., a rectangle) similar to the outer periphery of the lower surface of the substrate 100. Figure 5B Arranged in the manner of ).

[0076] Furthermore, according to one aspect of this embodiment, the pressing member 23 is disposed on the wall (e.g., the upper sidewall) of the vacuum chamber 3 and fixed in a downwardly extending manner. In this case, as the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 rises, the upper surface of the substrate 100 contacts the pressing member 23, and the substrate 100 is pressed downward. Therefore, the pressing member 23 can be used to press the substrate 100 using the distance adjustment unit 22 described later, thus eliminating the need for additional drive components for raising and lowering the pressing member 23. Consequently, the device structure remains simple.

[0077] Furthermore, the structure for raising and lowering the pressing member 23 is not limited to this. For example, a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the pressing member 23 may be provided on the upper outer side (atmospheric side) of the film-forming apparatus 1. Additionally, the pressing member 23 is not limited to a structure provided on the wall of the chamber 3. For example, the lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the pressing member 23 and the pressing member may be provided on the adsorption plate 15. For example, the pressing member 23 may be a structure provided inside the adsorption plate 15 and protruding from the adsorption surface side of the substrate 100 of the adsorption plate 15. Furthermore, the pressing member 23 may not be fixed in one position, but may be configured to move between a pressing position that can press the corner of the substrate 100 and a retracting position. Thus, in other structures, interference with the pressing member 23 can be avoided.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example is shown where the portion of the pressing member 23 that contacts the substrate 100 is circular, but this is not a limitation. The portion of the pressing member 23 that contacts the substrate 100 may also be polygonal. The polygon may be, for example, a triangle to a hexagon, or other shapes.

[0079] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, during the period when the substrate support unit 6 rises and the substrate 100 approaches the pressing member 23, the adsorption plate 15 is also raised in conjunction with the distance adjustment unit 22 described later.

[0080] Furthermore, an opening 155 is formed on the adsorption plate 15 as described above, through which the pressing member 23 can pass, so that the pressing member 23 can press the substrate 100 through the adsorption plate 15. The opening 155 is formed at the position of the pressing member 23, that is, at the position corresponding to the pressing area of ​​the substrate 100, so that the pressing member 23 can pass through.

[0081] According to the embodiment, a block member (not shown) capable of adjusting the length of the pressing member 23 may also be provided in the opening 155. The block member, for example, is a member that protrudes downward from the opening 155 to press the substrate 100 when pressed from above by the pressing member 23. The block member may also be configured to return to its original position within the opening 155 when the pressing member 23 is released. That is, the block member may also be configured such that, when protruding from the opening 155, a restoring force acts towards the opening 155. For example, the block member may be combined with an elastic member such as a spring and provided within the opening 155. Alternatively, the block member may be an elastic member. Because the block member is elastic, it can absorb the load applied to the surface of the substrate 100 when the pressing member 23 presses against the substrate 100.

[0082] (Position adjustment unit)

[0083] The alignment device 2 includes a position adjustment unit 20 that adjusts the relative position of the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 or the substrate 100 adsorbed by the adsorption plate 15 with respect to the mask 101. The position adjustment unit 20 adjusts the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the mask 101 by displacing the substrate support unit 6 or the adsorption plate 15 in the XY plane. That is, the position adjustment unit 20 can also be described as a unit that adjusts the horizontal position of the mask 101 and the substrate 100. For example, the position adjustment unit 20 can displace the substrate support unit 6 in the X direction, Y direction, and rotational direction about the Z direction. In this embodiment, the relative position is adjusted by fixing the position of the mask 101 and displacing the substrate 100, but it is also possible to adjust by displacing the mask 101, or by displacing both the substrate 100 and the mask 101.

[0084] In this embodiment, the position adjustment unit 20 includes a fixed plate 20a, a movable plate 20b, and a plurality of actuators 201 disposed between these plates. The fixed plate 20a is fixed to the upper wall 30 of the vacuum chamber 3. In addition, a frame-like platform 21 is mounted on the movable plate 20b, and a distance adjustment unit 22 and a plate unit lifting unit 13 are supported on the platform 21. When the movable plate 20b is moved horizontally relative to the fixed plate 20a by means of the actuators 201, the platform 21, the distance adjustment unit 22, and the plate unit lifting unit 13 are moved together.

[0085] Multiple actuators 201 may include, for example, actuators capable of displacing the movable plate 20b in the X direction and actuators capable of displacing the movable plate 20b in the Y direction. By controlling their movement, the movable plate 20b can be displaced in the X direction, Y direction, and rotational direction about the Z direction. For example, the multiple actuators 201 may include a motor as a drive source and a ball screw mechanism that converts the driving force of the motor into linear motion.

[0086] (Distance adjustment unit)

[0087] The distance adjustment unit 22 adjusts the distance between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate support unit 6 and the mask stage 5 by raising and lowering them, so that the substrate 100 and the mask 101 approach and separate in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 100. In other words, the distance adjustment unit 22 makes the substrate 100 and the mask 101 approach in the overlapping direction or separate in the opposite direction. Furthermore, the "distance" adjusted by the distance adjustment unit 22 is the so-called vertical distance (or vertical distance), and the distance adjustment unit can also be described as a unit that adjusts the vertical position of the mask 101 and the substrate 100.

[0088] like Figure 2As shown, the distance adjustment unit 22 includes a first lifting plate 220. A guide rail 21a extending in the Z direction is formed on the side of the platform 21, and the first lifting plate 220 can move freely up and down in the Z direction along the guide rail 21a.

[0089] The first lifting plate 220 supports the adsorption plate 15 via multiple support shafts R1. When the first lifting plate 220 rises or falls, the adsorption plate 15 rises or falls accordingly. In other words, the first lifting plate 220 supports the multiple support shafts R1 that support the adsorption plate 15, and through the rise and fall of the first lifting plate 220, the multiple support shafts R1 rise and fall synchronously, allowing the adsorption plate 15 to rise and fall while maintaining its parallelism. Furthermore, the first lifting plate 220 supports the substrate support unit 6 via multiple actuators 65 and multiple support shafts R3. When the first lifting plate 220 rises or falls, the substrate support unit 6 rises or falls accordingly. Additionally, the multiple actuators 65 can move the connected multiple support shafts R3 in the vertical direction. The substrate support unit 6 moves relative to the adsorption plate 15 in the vertical direction via the multiple actuators 65. The multiple actuators 65 may, for example, be configured to move the support shafts R3 in the vertical direction via a motor and a ball screw mechanism.

[0090] The lifting and lowering of the first lifting plate 220 will be described more specifically. The distance adjustment unit 22 includes a drive unit 221, which serves as an actuator supported on the frame 21 and lifts and lowers the first lifting plate 220. The drive unit 221 is a mechanism that transmits the driving force of the motor 221a, which serves as the drive source, to the first lifting plate 220. In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism having a ball screw shaft 221b and a ball nut 221c is used as the transmission mechanism of the drive unit 221. The ball screw shaft 221b extends along the Z direction and rotates about the Z-axis by the driving force of the motor 221a. The ball nut 221c is fixed to the first lifting plate 220 and engages with the ball screw shaft 221b. By rotating the ball screw shaft 221b and switching its rotation direction, the first lifting plate 220 can be lifted and lowered in the Z direction. The amount of lifting and lowering of the first lifting plate 220 can be controlled, for example, based on the detection results of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the rotation amount of each motor 221a. Therefore, the position of the adsorption plate 15 that adsorbs and supports the substrate 100 in the Z direction can be controlled, thereby controlling the contact and separation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In addition, an adjustment unit 17, which will be described later, is provided on the upper part of the first lifting plate 220.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the distance adjustment unit fixes the position of the mask stage 5 and moves the substrate support unit 6 and the suction plate 15 to adjust their distance in the Z direction, but it is not limited to this. The position of the substrate support unit 6 or the suction plate 15 can be fixed and the mask stage 5 can be moved for adjustment, or the substrate support unit 6, the suction plate 15, and the mask stage 5 can be moved separately to adjust their distance from each other.

[0092] (Plate unit lifting unit)

[0093] The plate unit lifting unit 13 lifts and lowers the plate unit 9, which is connected to the second lifting plate 12 and disposed inside the vacuum chamber 3, by lifting and lowering the second lifting plate 12 disposed outside the vacuum chamber 3. The plate unit 9 is connected to the second lifting plate 12 via one or more support shafts R2. In this embodiment, the plate unit 9 is supported by two support shafts R2. The support shafts R2 extend upward from the magnet plate 11 and are connected to the second lifting plate 12 through the openings of the upper wall portion 30, the openings of the fixed plate 20a and the movable plate 20b, and the opening of the first lifting plate 220.

[0094] The second lifting plate 12 can move freely up and down in the Z direction along the guide shaft 12a. The plate unit lifting unit 13 has a drive mechanism supported on the frame 21 and for raising and lowering the second lifting plate 12. The drive mechanism of the plate unit lifting unit 13 is a mechanism that transmits the driving force of the motor 13a, which is the drive source, to the second lifting plate 12. In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism with a ball screw shaft 13b and a ball nut 13c is used as the transmission mechanism of the plate unit lifting unit 13. The ball screw shaft 13b extends along the Z direction and rotates about the Z-axis by the driving force of the motor 13a. The ball nut 13c is fixed to the second lifting plate 12 and engages with the ball screw shaft 13b. By rotating the ball screw shaft 13b and switching its rotation direction, the second lifting plate 12 can be raised and lowered in the Z direction. The amount of raising and lowering of the second lifting plate 12 can be controlled, for example, by the detection results of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the rotation amount of each motor 13a. Therefore, the position of the board unit 9 in the Z direction can be controlled to control the contact and separation between the board unit 9 and the substrate 100.

[0095] The openings of the upper wall portion 30 of the vacuum chamber 3 through which the aforementioned support shafts R1 to R3 pass have a range of displacement in both the X and Y directions. To maintain the airtightness of the vacuum chamber 3, bellows or similar conduits are provided at the openings of the upper wall portion 30 through which the support shafts R1 to R3 pass. For example, the support shaft R1 supporting the first lifting plate 220 is provided by a bellows 31 (see reference...). Figure 4 (etc.) coverage.

[0096] (Measurement unit)

[0097] The alignment device 2 includes a measurement unit (first measurement unit 7 and second measurement unit 8) for measuring the positional offset between the substrate 100, whose peripheral portion is supported by the substrate support unit 6, and the mask 101. In addition... Figure 2 In addition, refer to Figure 6 Please provide an explanation. Figure 6This is an explanatory diagram of the first measuring unit 7 and the second measuring unit 8, showing the method for measuring the positional offset between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In this embodiment, both the first measuring unit 7 and the second measuring unit 8 are imaging devices (cameras) for capturing images. The first measuring unit 7 and the second measuring unit 8 are disposed above the upper wall portion 30 and are capable of capturing images inside the vacuum chamber 3 through a window (not shown) formed in the upper wall portion 30.

[0098] A substrate coarse alignment mark 100a and a substrate fine alignment mark 100b are formed on the substrate 100, and a mask coarse alignment mark 101a and a mask fine alignment mark 101b are formed on the mask 101. Hereinafter, the substrate coarse alignment mark 100a is sometimes referred to as substrate coarse mark 100a, and the substrate fine alignment mark 100b is sometimes referred to as substrate fine mark 100b, and both are collectively referred to as substrate marks. In addition, the mask coarse alignment mark 101a is sometimes referred to as mask coarse mark 101a, and the mask fine alignment mark 101b is sometimes referred to as mask fine mark 101b, and both are collectively referred to as mask marks.

[0099] A coarse substrate mark 100a is formed at the center of the short side of the substrate 100. A fine substrate mark 100b is formed at the four corners of the substrate 100. A coarse mask mark 101a is formed at the center of the short side of the mask 101, corresponding to the coarse substrate mark 100a. Similarly, a fine mask mark 101b is formed at the four corners of the mask 101, corresponding to the fine substrate mark 100b.

[0100] The second measurement unit 8 is provided in four groups (8a-8d) to capture images of the corresponding fine markings 100b on the substrate and fine markings 101b on the mask. The second measurement unit 8 is a high-magnification CCD camera (fine camera) with a relatively narrow field of view but high resolution (e.g., on the order of a few μm), which measures the positional offset between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 with high precision. The first measurement unit 7 is provided in one group, which captures images of the corresponding coarse markings 100a on the substrate and coarse markings 101a on the mask (two groups in this embodiment).

[0101] The first measurement unit 7 is a low-magnification CCD camera (coarse camera) with a relatively wide field of view and low resolution, used to measure the approximate positional offset between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. Figure 6 The example shows a structure in which two sets of substrate rough markings 100a and mask rough markings 101a are simultaneously photographed using a first measurement unit 7, but it is not limited to this. Similarly, two first measurement units 7 can be set at positions corresponding to each set, just like the second measurement unit 8, so as to photograph each set of substrate rough markings 100a and mask rough markings 101a respectively.

[0102] In this embodiment, after the approximate position adjustment of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed based on the measurement results of the first measurement unit 7, the precise position adjustment of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed based on the measurement results of the second measurement unit 8.

[0103] (Adjustment Unit)

[0104] The alignment device 2 is equipped with an adjustment unit 17. Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram of the adjustment unit 17 (adjustment device). The adjustment unit 17 is a unit for adjusting the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. In this embodiment, the adjustment unit 17 adjusts the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 by moving the adsorption plate 15. Furthermore, the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is adjusted by adjusting the axial position of at least a portion of the plurality of support shafts R1.

[0105] The adjustment unit 17 has multiple operating sections 171 that can be operated by the operator. In this embodiment, the multiple operating sections 171 are respectively provided corresponding to multiple support shafts R1. Furthermore, when an operating section 171 is operated, the corresponding support shaft R1 moves independently of the other support shafts R1 in the vertical direction, which is its axis. That is, the multiple operating sections 171 can independently adjust the vertical position of the corresponding support shaft R1 supporting the adsorption plate 15. Therefore, the operator adjusts the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 by operating the operating section 171. In order to improve the degree of freedom of adjustment, it is preferable to provide operating sections 171 on each of the multiple support shafts R1, but as long as an operating section 171 is provided on at least one support shaft R1, the relative tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 can be adjusted within a certain range.

[0106] In this embodiment, the operating part 171 is an adjusting nut that moves the support shaft R1 in the vertical direction, which is its axial direction. The adjusting nut and the thread 172 formed on the support shaft R1 are screwed together, and the support shaft R1 moves when the operator rotates the adjusting nut.

[0107] In this embodiment, the operation unit 171 is located outside the vacuum chamber 3. Specifically, the support shaft R1 is supported on the first lifting plate 220 via a sliding bushing 173, and the operation unit 171 is provided on the upper side of the sliding bushing 173. By providing the operation unit 171 outside the vacuum chamber 3, the operator can perform adjustments based on the adjustment unit 17 while the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 is kept under vacuum.

[0108] Furthermore, a curved portion 18 is provided between the support shaft R1 and the adsorption plate 15, connecting the support shaft R1 and the adsorption plate 15 in such a variable angle as the adsorption plate 15 relative to the support shaft R1. In this embodiment, the curved portion 18 is a spherical bearing, including a spherical portion 181 and a bearing portion 182 that can slidably receive the spherical portion 181.

[0109] In this embodiment, the multiple support shafts R1 are configured to move only in the vertical direction (axial direction). Therefore, in situations such as Figure 7 As shown on the left side of ST1, the adsorption plate 15 is kept in a horizontal state and as... Figure 7 As shown in state ST2 on the right, the angle between the adsorption plate 15 and the support shaft R1 is different when the adsorption plate 15 is tilted. In this embodiment, by using the bending portion 18 to bend the adsorption plate 15 relative to the support shaft R1, the support shaft R1 can support the adsorption plate 15 even when the adsorption plate 15 is tilted. Furthermore, the bending portion 18 can be appropriately configured to connect two components, such as a universal joint, in a way that allows for changing their connection angle.

[0110] Here, the structure of the adjustment unit 17 will be compared with that of the distance adjustment unit 22. When the first lifting plate 220 of the distance adjustment unit 22 is raised or lowered, all the multiple support shafts R1 supported on the first lifting plate 220 are raised or lowered by the same amount; that is, the multiple support shafts R1 are raised or lowered synchronously. Therefore, the adsorption plate 15 is raised or lowered while maintaining parallelism or relative tilt with respect to the mask stage 5. On the other hand, the adjustment unit 17 can move any one of the multiple support shafts R1 independently of the other support shafts R1 relative to the first lifting plate 220 in the vertical direction (axial direction). For example, the adjustment unit 17 can adjust the axial position of the remaining support shaft R1 without changing the positions of three support shafts R1. Thus, the adjustment unit 17 can adjust the tilt of the adsorption plate 15 supported by the multiple support shafts R1.

[0111] (Floating section)

[0112] The alignment device 2 includes a floating section 19. The floating section 19 is disposed between the curved section 18 and the adsorption plate 15. The floating section 19 includes an elastic member 191, a bushing 192, a shaft member 193, an adsorption plate support 194, and a flange 195. The shaft member 193 extends downward from the curved section 18. The bushing 192 is disposed between the shaft member 193 and the adsorption plate support 194 to reduce friction or wobbling between them. For example, the bushing 192 is formed of a metal sintered material with good sliding properties. The adsorption plate support 194 supports the adsorption plate 15. The elastic member 191 is disposed between the adsorption plate support 194 and the flange 195 disposed on the shaft member 193, configured to bear the load of the adsorption plate 15. That is, the floating section 19 is connected to the support shaft R1 via the curved section 18, and the elastic member 191 of the floating section 19 supports the adsorption plate 15. By supporting the adsorption plate 15 via the elastic member 191 of the floating part 19, the load applied to the mask 101 when the adsorption plate 15 contacts the mask 101 can be reduced, and the retraction of the adsorption plate 15 when it contacts the mask 101 can be ensured.

[0113] (Detection unit)

[0114] The alignment device 2 includes a detection unit 16. (Refer to the previous section.) Figure 2 and Figure 3 The detection unit 16 is used to detect the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. In this embodiment, parallelism refers to the degree of relative tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. In this embodiment, the detection unit 16 is configured to include the aforementioned plurality of touch sensors 1621 disposed on the side of the adsorption plate 15. The plurality of touch sensors 1621 are mounted on the adsorption plate 15 with their top ends protruding from the adsorption surface 150 by approximately equal lengths. By mounting the touch sensors 1621 on the adsorption plate 15, even if the vacuum chamber 3 deforms due to atmospheric pressure, the change in the relative position of the adsorption plate 15 and the touch sensors 1621 can be reduced. That is, even in a vacuum state, the protruding lengths of the top ends of the touch sensors 1621 hardly change and remain equal to each other. Therefore, when the adsorption plate 15 moves, if all the touch sensors 1621 react simultaneously, it can be determined that the parallelism is high, in other words, it can be determined that the relative tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is small. By appropriately changing the length of the tip protruding from the adsorption surface 150, the non-parallelism can be set to a target value. The detection operation of the parallelism of the adsorption plate 15 using the detection unit 16 will be described later. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the touch sensor 1621 performs both the detection of contact between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100 and the detection of parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. Therefore, compared to the case where separate sensors are provided for detecting contact and parallelism, the number of sensors can be reduced.

[0115] <Control Device>

[0116] The control device 14 controls the entire film-forming apparatus 1. The control device 14 includes a processing unit 141, a storage unit 142, an input / output interface (I / O) 143, a communication unit 144, a display unit 145, and an input unit 146. The processing unit 141 is a processor, such as a CPU, that executes programs stored in the storage unit 142 to control the film-forming apparatus 1. The storage unit 142 is a storage device such as ROM, RAM, or HDD, which stores various control information in addition to the programs executed by the processing unit 141. The I / O 143 is the interface for transmitting and receiving signals between the processing unit 141 and external devices. The communication unit 144 is a communication device that communicates with the host device 300 or other control devices 14, 309, 310, etc., via the communication line 300a. The processing unit 141 receives information from or sends information to the host device 300 via the communication unit 144. The display unit 145 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays various information. The input unit 146 is, for example, a keyboard or an indicator device, which accepts various inputs from the user. In addition, all or part of the control devices 14, 309, 310 and the host device 300 may also be composed of a PLC, ASIC, or FPGA.

[0117] <Substrate and mask overlap process>

[0118] Figure 8 This is an illustration of the process of overlapping a substrate 100 and a mask 101 using an adsorption plate 15. Figure 8 This indicates the various states of the process.

[0119] State ST100 is the state after the substrate 100 has been moved into the film forming apparatus 1 by the transport robot 302a and then retracted. At this time, the substrate 100 is supported by the substrate support unit 6. In addition, the pressing member 23, the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100 are separated. In state ST100, as shown in the figure, the central part of the substrate 100 flexes downward due to its own weight.

[0120] State ST101 is a state in which the substrate support unit 6 is raised as a preparation stage for the adsorption plate 15 to adsorb the substrate 100. From state ST100, the substrate support unit 6 is raised in a manner close to the adsorption plate 15 using the actuator 65. Multiple pressing members 23 are fixed inside the vacuum chamber 3 (upper wall). By using the actuator 65 to bring the substrate support unit 6 close to the multiple pressing members 23, the pressing area on the upper surface of the substrate 100 is pressed through the opening 155 of the adsorption plate 15. By pressing the pressing area of ​​the substrate 100 with the pressing members 23 in this way, the substrate 100, which is bent downwards due to its own weight, can be brought into a horizontal position. As a result, the adsorption plate 15 can easily adsorb the substrate 100. In addition, by pressing the corners away from the center of the substrate 100, the deflection of the central part can be reduced more effectively.

[0121] State ST102 is the state in which the substrate 100 is adsorbed by the adsorption plate 15. Furthermore, in state ST102, the substrate 100 is also pressed against the pressing area by the pressing member 23. By applying a voltage to the electrodes of the electrode placement area 151 disposed on the adsorption plate 15, the substrate 100 is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15 using electrostatic force. By adsorbing the substrate 100, which has reduced deflection due to the pressing member 23, by using the adsorption plate 15, the adsorption time can be shortened, thereby shortening the film deposition process time. Additionally, the magnitude of the voltage applied to the adsorption plate 15 can be reduced.

[0122] State ST103 is the state where it is confirmed whether the substrate 100 is properly adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15. With the substrate support unit 6 lowered and away from the substrate 100, the system confirms whether the substrate 100 is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15 based on the detection value of the touch sensor 1621. For example, if all the touch sensors 1621 embedded in the adsorption plate 15 detect contact with the substrate 100, the control device 14 determines that the substrate 100 is properly adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15. Alternatively, if an optical fiber sensor 1622 is provided, the determination of whether the adsorption of the substrate 100 is proceeding normally can also be based on the output from the optical fiber sensor 1622.

[0123] State ST104 is the state during the alignment operation of substrate 100 and mask 101. When the control device 14 uses distance adjustment unit 22 to lower adsorption plate 15 to bring substrate 100 and mask 101 closer together, it uses position adjustment unit 20 to perform the alignment operation.

[0124] State ST105 is a state in which the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are further pressed together using the magnet plate 11. After the alignment operation is completed, the control device 14 uses the plate unit lifting unit 13 to lower the plate unit 9. As the magnet plate 11 approaches the substrate 100 and the mask 101, the mask 101 is pulled toward the substrate 100 side, and the tightness between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is improved.

[0125] Through the actions described above, the process of overlapping the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is completed. For example, after this process, a vapor deposition process based on the film-forming unit 4 is performed. Furthermore, by adsorbing the substrate 100 with the adsorption plate 15 while reducing the deflection of the substrate 100 caused by its own weight, residual wrinkles on the substrate 100 after adsorption on the adsorption plate 15 are suppressed. In other words, the substrate 100 is adsorbed on the adsorption plate 15 over a larger area. As a result, the reduction in vapor deposition accuracy during the vapor deposition process can be suppressed, and a precise pattern of the vapor-deposited material can be formed on the substrate 100.

[0126] Furthermore, during the alignment of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the process described above, the tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 can sometimes affect the alignment accuracy. Alignment accuracy can be improved by bringing the substrate 100 and the mask 101 closer together. However, when there is a relative tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5, a portion of the substrate 100 may come into contact with the mask 101, potentially causing damage to the substrate 100. Corresponding to increasing the distance between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 to protect the substrate 100, the alignment accuracy may decrease. Therefore, parallel adjustment of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is often performed under atmospheric pressure conditions inside the vacuum chamber 3. Parallel adjustment under atmospheric pressure conditions is performed, for example, by inserting shims into the connecting portion of the substrate support unit 6.

[0127] Figures 9A to 9C This is an explanatory diagram showing the relative tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. Figure 9A This shows the state after tilting adjustment under atmospheric pressure inside the vacuum chamber 3, space 3a. Figure 9A In the state shown, the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 remain approximately parallel. On the other hand, Figure 9B Showing from Figure 9A The state shown indicates that the air in the internal space 3a has been expelled, creating a vacuum. Even when the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 are aligned parallel under atmospheric pressure, sometimes when the internal space 3a is made into a vacuum, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vacuum chamber 3 causes deformation in the vacuum chamber 3, resulting in tilting between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. However, when the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is a vacuum, it is sometimes impossible to perform the same parallel adjustment as under atmospheric pressure as described above. Figure 9C Showing from Figure 9B The posture of the adsorption plate 15 is adjusted to correspond to the tilt of the mask stage 5. In this embodiment, for example, it can also be adjusted during the film formation process ( Figure 8 Prior to ST100~ST105, control is performed to adjust the posture of the adsorption plate 15 to correspond to the tilt of the mask stage 5. Details of this control are provided in... Figures 11-13 As will be described later. By adjusting the tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 while the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is under vacuum, the reduction in alignment accuracy can be suppressed.

[0128] <Adjusting the posture of the adsorption plate>

[0129] For example, such as Figure 9C As shown, with the orientation of the adsorption plate 15 adjusted based on the tilt of the mask stage, as... Figure 8 As in state ST100, the substrate 100 is supported on the substrate support unit 6, and the mask 101 is supported on the mask stage 5. Furthermore, in... Figure 8 When the substrate 100 is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15 as in state ST101, the adsorption position of the adsorption plate 15 on the substrate 100 may sometimes shift. Additionally, the pressing member 23 may sometimes fail to press sufficiently against the substrate 100. When the adsorption position of the adsorption plate 15 on the substrate 100 shifts, or when the pressing member 23 fails to press sufficiently against the substrate 100, a positional shift between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 may occur.

[0130] Here, refer to Figure 10A and Figure 10B . Figure 10A and Figure 10B This is a diagram illustrating the orientation of the adsorption plate 15. In other words, the orientation of the adsorption plate 15 is also the tilt of the adsorption plate 15 relative to the mask 101 and the mask stage 5. In the following description, the tilt of the adsorption plate 15 is sometimes referred to as the orientation of the adsorption plate 15. Figure 10A This is a diagram illustrating the orientation of the adsorption plate 15 when the substrate 100 and mask 101 in this embodiment are introduced into the interior of the vacuum chamber 3. Figure 10B This diagram illustrates the posture of the adsorption plate 15 before the substrate 100 overlaps with the mask 101 (before ST105) in this embodiment.

[0131] In this embodiment, such as Figure 10A As shown, when the substrate 100 and mask 101 are transported into the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3, the posture of the adsorption plate 15, which has been adjusted based on the tilt of the mask stage 5, is released. In this embodiment, the adsorption plate 15 is positioned as follows: Figure 10AThe substrate 100 is adsorbed in a prescribed posture as shown. This prescribed posture, for example, refers to a posture based on the substrate support surface of the substrate support unit 6. The substrate support surface is the side of the substrate support unit 6 that supports the substrate 100. Specifically, the adsorption plate 15 is adjusted by the adjustment unit 17 to a posture parallel to the substrate support surface of the substrate support unit 6. By adsorbing the substrate 100 in this posture, with the adsorption plate 15 parallel to the substrate support surface, it is possible to prevent the adsorption position of the adsorption plate 15 from shifting from that of the substrate 100.

[0132] Furthermore, by positioning the substrate 101 parallel to the substrate support surface, relative tilting between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100 can be suppressed. This facilitates pressing the pressing area of ​​the substrate 100 using the pressing member 23. Therefore, even if deflection occurs in the central portion of the substrate 100, the substrate 100 can easily adhere to the adsorption plate 15. Additionally, the substrate support unit 6 can be described as supporting the substrate 100 in a horizontal position. That is, the adsorption plate 15 adsorbs the substrate 100 in a horizontal position. This also improves the adhesion between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100.

[0133] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 10B As shown, in this embodiment, before the substrate 100 and mask 101 are overlapped, the adsorption plate 15 is adjusted based on the tilt of the mask stage using the adjustment unit 17. The adsorption plate 15 is adjusted to a posture based on the mask mounting surface of the mask stage 5. The mask mounting surface refers to the side of the mask stage 5 on which the mask 101 is mounted. As described later, before performing the film deposition process, the tilt of the mask mounting surface of the mask stage 5 is detected using multiple touch sensors 1621 provided on the adsorption plate 15. Based on the information of the tilt of the mask mounting surface of the mask stage 5 detected by the multiple touch sensors 1621, the posture of the adsorption plate 15 is adjusted. By adjusting the adsorption plate 15 based on the tilt of the mask stage 5 using the adjustment unit 17 before the substrate 100 and mask 101 are overlapped, positional misalignment between the substrate 100 adsorbed on the adsorption plate 15 and the mask 101 mounted on the mask stage 5 can be suppressed. Furthermore, Figure 10B The adjustment of the orientation of the adsorption plate 15 is performed during the alignment operation of the substrate 100 adsorbed on the adsorption plate 15 and the mask 101 placed on the mask stage 5. Specifically, Figure 10B The posture of the adsorption plate 15 shown can also be in Figure 8 Adjustments are made in state ST104. Furthermore, the orientation of the adsorption plate 15 can also be adjusted before the alignment operation begins, as in state ST103. In this way, by adjusting the orientation of the adsorption plate 15 during the alignment operation, a decrease in alignment accuracy can be suppressed.

[0134] That is, such as Figure 10A and Figure 10BAs shown, in this embodiment, it can also be said that before the substrate 100 is overlapped with the mask 101 and a material is deposited on the substrate 100, the adsorption plate 15 is adjusted from the posture corresponding to the substrate 100 when the substrate 100 is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate 15 to the posture corresponding to the mask stage 5.

[0135] (Explanation of the adjustment action)

[0136] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a control processing example of the processing unit 141, showing the processing during the adjustment of the posture of the adsorption plate 15 based on the adjustment unit 17. In this embodiment, specifically, this flowchart is described using the case performed before the film-forming process as an example. That is, this flowchart is based on the above-described... Figure 8 This process is executed before state ST100. Furthermore, for example, this flowchart can also be executed when the air in the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3, which is under atmospheric pressure, is exhausted by a vacuum pump (not shown), thus creating a vacuum in the internal space 3a. Furthermore, for example, this flowchart can also be executed at predetermined intervals during the period when the internal space 3a is in a vacuum state.

[0137] In step S1 (hereinafter simply referred to as S1, and the same applies to other steps), the processing unit 141 performs a parallelism detection process between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. In this embodiment, the processing unit 141 detects the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 during the parallelism detection process and determines whether the detected parallelism is within the allowable range. Furthermore, a specific example of this process will be described later (see [reference]). Figure 13 ).

[0138] In S2, processing unit 141, based on the processing result of S1, terminates the flowchart if the parallelism is within the acceptable range; otherwise, it proceeds to S3. For example, in Figure 9B In the case shown, if the parallelism or tilt is determined to be outside the allowable range in S1, the process proceeds to S3.

[0139] In S3, the processing unit 141 instructs tilt adjustment. In one embodiment, the processing unit 141 displays the instruction to adjust the tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 via the display unit 145. Figure 12 This diagram shows an example of the display screen 145a of the display unit 145. Figure 12In the example, as a display indicating tilt adjustment, the text "Please operate the operating part of support shaft C to lower support shaft C" is displayed. That is, information about the support shaft to be adjusted by adjustment unit 17 and the adjustment direction of that support shaft is shown. Furthermore, processing unit 141 can also display information such as whether adjustment by adjustment unit 17 is needed, and the amount of operation of support shaft R1 (the adjustment amount of adjustment unit 17). In addition, processing unit 141 can also send information indicating tilt adjustment to the host device 300, and the host device 300, upon receiving the information, displays the adjustment instruction to a display unit (not shown).

[0140] pass Figure 12 Such a display, for example, allows the operator to perform operations based on the instructions given in S3, using the adjustment unit 17. Thus, the operator can manipulate the support shaft, which is the object of adjustment by the adjustment unit 17, and the adjustment direction of that support shaft, as described above. Figure 9C Adjust the orientation of the adsorption plate 15 accordingly. (As described above...) Figure 9C In the state shown, with Figure 9B Compared to the state shown, the support shaft R1 on the right side of the attached figure is moved downward by the adjustment unit 17. As a result, the tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is reduced.

[0141] In S4, the processing unit 141 receives the completion of the adjustment. Specifically, the processing unit 141 receives the input from the operator who has adjusted the tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 based on the input unit 146, indicating the end of the adjustment. For example, the processing unit 141 may also receive the input from the operator via the input unit 146, such as an indicator device. Figure 12 When the "Adjustment Complete" button 145b is displayed, it is determined that the adjustment has been completed. Upon completion of the adjustment, the processing unit 141 returns to S1. Through the processing described above, the tilt adjustment of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is performed before the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 converges within the allowable range.

[0142] In S5, the processing unit 141 can also store the descent amount of the distance adjustment unit 22 relative to the adsorption plate 15 as tilt information of the mask stage in a memory such as the storage unit 142. The descent amount of the adsorption plate 15 is also the moving distance of the distance adjustment unit 22 relative to the mask mounting surface of the mask stage 5. By storing the tilt information of the mask in S5, for example, when performing an alignment operation, it is possible to perform the operation based on the tilt information of the mask stage 5 detected in advance. Figure 10B Adjust the position of the adsorption plate 15 as shown.

[0143] Figure 13 It means Figure 11A flowchart illustrating a specific example of the parallelism detection process is provided. In S11, the processing unit 141 begins the descent of the adsorption plate 15 using the distance adjustment unit 22. In S12, the processing unit 141 checks whether any one of the plurality of touch sensors 1621 has detected contact. If contact is detected, the process proceeds to S13; otherwise, the determination in S12 is repeated. In other words, the processing unit 141 continues the descent of the adsorption plate 15 from the start of its descent in S11 until any one of the touch sensors 1621 detects contact.

[0144] In S13, the processing unit 141 uses the distance adjustment unit 22 to lower the adsorption plate 15 by a predetermined amount. That is, the processing unit 141 lowers the adsorption plate 15 by a predetermined amount further from the point where either touch sensor 1621 initially detects contact. The amount of descent of the adsorption plate 15 can be appropriately set according to the target parallelism. In one embodiment, for example, the adsorption plate 15 may be lowered by 5mm to 10mm. Furthermore, the processing unit 141 may temporarily stop the adsorption plate 15 at the moment when either touch sensor 1621 detects contact, and lower the adsorption plate 15 by a predetermined amount from that point. Additionally, the processing unit 141 may stop the adsorption plate 15 when, after either touch sensor 1621 detects contact while the adsorption plate 15 is lowering, the adsorption plate 15 has lowered by a predetermined amount further. In other words, the descent of the adsorption plate 15 starting in S11 and the descent of the adsorption plate 15 in S13 can be continuous actions or separate independent actions.

[0145] In S14, the processing unit 141 confirms whether all touch sensors 1621 have detected contact. If all touch sensors 1621 have detected contact, the process proceeds to S15. If at least one touch sensor 1621 has not detected contact, the process proceeds to S16.

[0146] Here, when the adsorption plate 15 is parallel to the mask stage 5 or their inclination is relatively small, all the touch sensors 1621 provided on the adsorption plate 15 detect contact with the mask stage 5 almost simultaneously. Therefore, when the adsorption plate 15 is lowered by a predetermined amount in S13, all the touch sensors 1621 are able to detect contact with the mask stage 5.

[0147] On the other hand, when the relative tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is relatively large, at the moment when any touch sensor 1621 detects contact with the mask stage 5, there exists a touch sensor 1621 that is relatively far from the mask stage 5. Figure 9BFor example, at the moment when the touch sensor 1621 on the left side of the attached figure contacts the mask stage 5, the distance between the touch sensor 1621 on the right side of the attached figure and the mask stage 5 is relatively large. If the distance between the touch sensor 1621 and the mask stage 5 at this time is greater than the amount specified in S13, even if the adsorption plate 15 is lowered by a specified amount in S13, none of the touch sensors 1621 will detect contact.

[0148] That is, by confirming whether all touch sensors 1621 have detected contact during the period when the adsorption plate 15 descends a predetermined amount from the height at which contact is detected by any one touch sensor 1621, it can be confirmed whether the tilt of the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is less than a predetermined value. Therefore, from a certain point of view, the descent amount of the adsorption plate 15 in S13 can be set based on the allowable value of the parallelism (or tilt) between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5. In the case of adjusting to a higher parallelism, that is, when the allowable range of parallelism is narrow, the descent amount of the adsorption plate 15 in S13 can be set to be small.

[0149] In S15, the processing unit 141 determines that the parallelism is within the acceptable range. On the other hand, when proceeding to S16, the processing unit 141 determines that the parallelism is outside the acceptable range.

[0150] In S17, the processing unit 141 raises the adsorption plate 15 by a predetermined amount and ends the process flow. Furthermore, this predetermined amount can be a value different from the predetermined amount in S13. In one embodiment, the processing unit 141 raises the adsorption plate 15 to the height at which the descent of the adsorption plate 15 begins in S11. Thus, for example, it could also be... Figure 10A The posture of the adsorption plate 15 shown.

[0151] Through the above processing, it can be determined whether the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is within the allowable range. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing unit 141 confirms in S14 whether all touch sensors 1621 have detected contact. However, it is also possible that if a predetermined number of touch sensors 1621 detect contact, the process proceeds to S15 and determines that the parallelism is within the allowable range. For example, if the touch sensors 1621 located at the four corners of the adsorption plate 15 detect contact, the processing unit 141 determines that the parallelism is within the allowable range. Alternatively, if a predetermined number of touch sensors 1621 detect contact in S14, the processing unit 141 proceeds to S15 and determines that the parallelism is within the allowable range. For example, if more than half of the nine touch sensors 1621 located on the adsorption plate 15 (five or more) detect contact, the processing unit 141 determines that the parallelism is within the allowable range.

[0152] Thus, as Figures 11-13 As explained in the text, in the film-forming process ( Figure 8 The descent of the adsorption plate 15 is detected before states ST100 to ST105. The detection result is stored as tilt information of the mask stage 5. Furthermore, in Figure 8 Before performing the alignment action in state ST104, the operator can also operate the distance adjustment unit 22, such as... Figure 10B The posture of the mask stage 5 of the adsorption plate 15 is adjusted to correspond to the tilt of the mask stage, as shown. For example, when the adsorption plate 15 is adjusted by the operator, the processing unit 141 can also display operation instructions such as the display screen 145a of the display unit 145 based on the tilt information of the mask stage 5 stored in the storage unit 142. Specifically, for example, the processing unit 141 can also display operation instructions such as the display screen 145a of the display unit 145 based on the tilt information of the mask stage 5 stored in the storage unit 142. Figure 8 When the substrate support unit 6 is lowered in state ST103, operation instructions such as the display screen 145a of the display unit 145 are displayed.

[0153] <Manufacturing Methods of Electronic Devices>

[0154] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described. Hereinafter, as an example of an electronic device, the structure and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be illustrated. In this example, Figure 1 The illustrated film-forming block 301 is, for example, set in three locations on the production line.

[0155] First, the manufactured organic EL display device will be explained. Figure 14A This is an overall diagram of the organic EL display device 50. Figure 14B It is a diagram representing the cross-sectional structure of a pixel.

[0156] like Figure 14A As shown, in the display area 51 of the organic EL display device 50, a plurality of pixels 52, each equipped with a plurality of light-emitting elements, are arranged in a matrix. Each light-emitting element has a structure having an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes, which will be described in detail later.

[0157] Furthermore, the term "pixel" here refers to the smallest unit capable of displaying a desired color within the display area 51. In the case of a color organic EL display device, pixel 52 is constituted by a combination of multiple sub-pixels representing different light emission elements: a first light-emitting element 52R, a second light-emitting element 52G, and a third light-emitting element 52B. Pixel 52 is mostly composed of a combination of three sub-pixels: red (R) light-emitting elements, green (G) light-emitting elements, and blue (B) light-emitting elements, but is not limited to this. Pixel 52 may contain at least one sub-pixel, preferably two or more sub-pixels, and more preferably three or more sub-pixels. For example, the sub-pixels constituting pixel 52 may be a combination of four sub-pixels: red (R) light-emitting elements, green (G) light-emitting elements, blue (B) light-emitting elements, and yellow (Y) light-emitting elements.

[0158] Figure 14B yes Figure 14A A partial cross-sectional view at line AB. Pixel 52 has multiple sub-pixels, which are composed of an organic EL element having a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, a red layer 56R, a green layer 56G, and a blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58 on a substrate 53. The hole transport layer 55, red layer 56R, green layer 56G, blue layer 56B, and electron transport layer 57 are equivalent to organic layers. The red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B are respectively formed into patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes referred to as organic EL elements) emitting red, green, and blue light, respectively.

[0159] Furthermore, the first electrode 54 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, the electron transport layer 57, and the second electrode 58 can be formed together across multiple light-emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or they can be formed separately for each light-emitting element. That is, they can also be formed as follows: Figure 14B As shown, based on the hole transport layer 55 being formed as a shared layer covering multiple sub-pixel regions, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed separately for each sub-pixel region, and then the electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 are formed as a shared layer covering multiple sub-pixel regions on top of it.

[0160] Furthermore, to prevent short circuits between the adjacent first electrodes 54, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54. Moreover, since the organic EL layer can deteriorate due to moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 60 is provided to protect the organic EL element from the effects of moisture and oxygen.

[0161] exist Figure 14BIn this diagram, the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are represented as a single layer, but depending on the structure of the organic EL display element, they can also be formed from multiple layers having hole blocking layers and electron blocking layers. Alternatively, a hole injection layer with an energy band structure capable of smoothly injecting holes from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55 can be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer can also be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

[0162] The red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B can each be formed from a single emitting layer, or they can be formed by stacking multiple layers. For example, the red layer 56R can be composed of two layers, with the red emitting layer forming the upper layer and a hole transport layer or an electron blocking layer forming the lower layer. Alternatively, the red emitting layer can form the lower layer, and an electron transport layer or a hole blocking layer can form the upper layer. By setting layers on the lower or upper sides of the emitting layers in this way, the emitting position of the emitting layers can be adjusted to adjust the optical path length, thereby improving the color purity of the light-emitting element.

[0163] Furthermore, an example of red layer 56R is shown here, but green layer 56G and blue layer 56B can also adopt the same structure. Additionally, the number of layers can be two or more. Moreover, layers of different materials can be stacked, such as light-emitting layers and electron-blocking layers, or layers of the same material can be stacked, such as two or more light-emitting layers.

[0164] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described. Here, we assume that the red layer 56R is composed of two layers, a lower layer 56R1 and an upper layer 56R2, and that the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B are composed of a single light-emitting layer.

[0165] First, a substrate 53 is prepared, which has a circuit (not shown) for driving an organic EL display device and a first electrode 54. Furthermore, the material of the substrate 53 is not particularly limited and can be made of glass, plastic, metal, etc. In this embodiment, a substrate with a polyimide film laminated on a glass substrate is used as the substrate 53.

[0166] An acrylic or polyimide resin layer is coated onto a substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed by rod coating or spin coating. An insulating layer 59 is formed by patterning the resin layer using photolithography to create openings in the portions where the first electrode 54 is formed. These openings correspond to the light-emitting areas where the light-emitting element actually emits light. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a large substrate is processed before forming the insulating layer 59, and a dicing process is performed to divide the substrate 53 after forming the insulating layer 59.

[0167] A substrate 53 patterned with an insulating layer 59 is moved into a first film-forming chamber 303, and a hole transport layer 55 is formed on the first electrode 54 of the display area as a common layer. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask with openings formed in each display area 51 of the panel portion that ultimately becomes an organic EL display device.

[0168] Next, the substrate 53 to which the hole transport layer 55 is formed is moved into the second film deposition chamber 303. Alignment is performed between the substrate 53 and the mask, and the substrate is placed on the mask. A red layer 56R is formed on the portion of the hole transport layer 55 where the red-emitting element of the substrate 53 is disposed (the region forming the red sub-pixel). Here, the mask used in the second film deposition chamber is a high-precision mask with openings formed only in the regions of the red sub-pixels among the multiple regions on the substrate 53 that become sub-pixels of the organic EL display device. Thus, the red layer 56R, containing the red emitting layer, is formed only in the regions of the red sub-pixels among the multiple sub-pixels on the substrate 53. In other words, the red layer 56R is selectively formed only in the regions of the red sub-pixels, without forming the regions of the blue sub-pixels or the green sub-pixels among the multiple sub-pixels on the substrate 53.

[0169] Similar to the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G is formed in the third film-forming chamber 303, and the blue layer 56B is formed in the fourth film-forming chamber 303. After the formation of the red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B is completed, an electron transport layer 57 is formed over the entire display area 51 in the fifth film-forming chamber 303. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a shared layer among the three color layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

[0170] The substrate to which the electron transport layer 57 is formed is moved to the sixth film deposition chamber 303 to form the second electrode 58. In this embodiment, each layer is formed by vacuum evaporation in the first to sixth film deposition chambers 303. However, the present invention is not limited to this; for example, the second electrode 58 in the sixth film deposition chamber 303 can also be formed by sputtering. Then, the substrate to which the second electrode 58 is formed is moved to a sealing device, and a protective layer 60 is formed by plasma CVD (sealing process), completing the organic EL display device 50. In addition, the protective layer 60 is formed by CVD here, but it is not limited to this; it can also be formed by ALD or inkjet printing.

[0171] Here, film deposition in the first to sixth film deposition chambers 303 is performed using masks with openings corresponding to the patterns of the respective layers to be formed. During film deposition, after adjusting (aligning) the relative positions of the substrate 53 and the mask, the substrate 53 is placed on the mask to perform film deposition. Here, the alignment process performed in each film deposition chamber is performed as described above.

[0172] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0173] In the above embodiment, the method of detecting the tilt of the mask stage 5 before performing the film-forming process has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, the tilt of the mask 101 may also be detected before performing the film-forming process. (Refer to...) Figure 15 . Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating the detection of the tilt of mask 101. Figure 15 It also means in Figure 9A A diagram illustrating an example where mask 101 is placed on mask stage 5, as shown in section C. Figure 15 As shown, for example, information about the tilt of the mask 101 can also be obtained by detecting contact between the touch sensor 1621 disposed on the adsorption plate 15 and the mask 101 placed on the mask stage 5. That is, in Figure 11 In the processing, parallelism detection processing of mask 101 can also be performed (S1). Additionally, in S5, the amount of descent of the adsorption plate 15 from the distance adjustment unit 22 to the mask 101 can be stored as tilt information of the mask 101. Furthermore, in Figure 13 In the processing, it can also be determined in S12 and S14 whether the touch sensor 1621 is in contact with the mask 101. That is, the above-mentioned Figure 10B The orientation of the adsorption plate 15 shown can also be adjusted based on information about the tilt of the mask 101. That is, the orientation of the adsorption plate 15 can be adjusted based on information related to the orientation of the mask 101, such as the tilt of the mask stage 5 and the tilt of the mask 101. Even when the orientation of the adsorption plate 15 is adjusted based on the tilt of the mask 101, positional misalignment between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 can be suppressed, preventing a decrease in alignment accuracy.

[0174] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example is shown where the tilt of the mask stage 5 and the mask 101 is detected using a touch sensor 1621 provided on the adsorption plate 15, but this is not a limitation. For example, a different sensor than the touch sensor 1621 that detects the tilt of the mask stage 5, the mask 101, the adsorption plate 15, etc., may be provided inside the vacuum chamber 3. For example, a laser may be used to detect these tilts.

[0175] In the above embodiment, the adjustment unit 17 is configured so that the operator can manually perform the adjustment action, but it can also be configured so that the axial position of the support shaft R1 can be adjusted by a motor or the like. For example, a servo motor can be provided for each support shaft R1, and the operating part 171 provided on the support shaft R1 can be operated by the individual servo motor (in the example of the above embodiment, by rotating the nut), so that each support shaft R1 can be raised and lowered independently. In addition, with such a structure, the entire suction plate 15 can be raised and lowered by synchronously driving the individual servo motors. Furthermore, when the adjustment unit 17 is equipped with a motor, the motor and the operating part 171 can also be provided outside the vacuum chamber 3. By providing them outside the vacuum chamber 3, the generation of particles inside the vacuum chamber 3 can be suppressed.

[0176] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the relative tilt between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 is adjusted by adjusting the tilt of the adsorption plate 15, but their relative tilt can also be adjusted by adjusting the tilt of the adsorption plate 15 relative to the mask stage 5. However, in the above embodiment, by adjusting the tilt on the side of the adsorption plate 15, which is made of a ceramic material or the like with a relatively high rigidity compared to the mask stage 5 made of an aluminum plate or the like, the adjustment can be performed more reliably.

[0177] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, multiple touch sensors 1621 are used to detect the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5, but the parallelism detection can also be performed by other sensors. For example, a sensor group (multiple ranging sensors) of an optical system capable of measuring the distance between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 can be provided at multiple locations. Moreover, the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 can also be detected based on the difference in detection results of each sensor, i.e., the difference in distance between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask stage 5 at the measurement location. However, in the above embodiment, by using touch sensors 1621, compared to using sensors of an optical system, the sensor can be miniaturized, and the electrical wiring can be simplified. Furthermore, by miniaturizing the sensor, the area of ​​the electrode placement region 151 can be further increased, thereby improving the adsorption force of the adsorption plate 15.

[0178] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the adsorption plate 15 is an electrostatic chuck, but the adsorption plate 15 can also be other structures. For example, the adsorption plate 15 can also be a physical sticky chuck (PSC) with physical adhesion on its surface.

[0179] The present invention can also be implemented by providing a program that performs one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having the program be read and executed by one or more processors in the computer of the system or device. Alternatively, it can be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that performs one or more functions.

[0180] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

[0181] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-202137, filed on November 29, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0182] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0183] 1 Film forming apparatus, 2 Alignment apparatus, 5 Mask stage, 6 Substrate support unit, 15 Adsorption plate, 16 Detection unit, 17 Adjustment unit, 22 Distance adjustment unit, 23 Pressing member, 100 Substrate, 101 Mask, 141 Processing unit, 155 Opening, 1621 Touch sensor.

Claims

1. A film-forming apparatus, wherein the film-forming apparatus overlaps a substrate and a mask to form a vapor-deposited material on the substrate, characterized in that, have: A substrate support member, wherein the substrate support member supports the substrate; An adsorption plate, wherein the adsorption plate adsorbs and supports the substrate supported by the substrate support member; A mask stage, wherein the mask stage holds the mask; as well as An adjustment component that adjusts the posture of the adsorption plate. Before the substrate overlaps with the mask, the adjustment component adjusts the adsorption plate from a first posture to a second posture. The first posture is based on the substrate support surface of the substrate support member when the substrate is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate, and the second posture is based on the mask placed on the mask stage or the mask loading surface of the mask stage.

2. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first posture is an adjustment made by the adjustment component so that the adsorption plate is parallel to the substrate support surface.

3. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate support member supports the substrate in a horizontal position. The first posture is a horizontal posture.

4. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment component adjusts the adsorption plate to the second posture based on information related to the posture of the mask.

5. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The film-forming apparatus further includes a detection component that detects the tilt of the mask placed on the mask stage. Information related to the orientation of the mask is information about the tilt of the mask detected by the detection component.

6. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The film-forming apparatus also includes a detection component that detects the tilt of the mask mounting surface of the mask stage. Information related to the orientation of the mask is information about the tilt of the mask mounting surface detected by the detection component.

7. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film-forming apparatus includes an alignment component that aligns the substrate adsorbed on the adsorption plate with the mask placed on the mask stage. When the alignment component is used to align the substrate and the mask, the adjustment component adjusts the adsorption plate to the second posture.

8. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film-forming apparatus also includes a plurality of pressing members, which press the substrate before the substrate is adsorbed by the adsorption plate.

9. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The substrate is rectangular. The plurality of pressing members are positioned at positions corresponding to at least two opposite corners of the corners of the substrate.

10. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The film-forming device has: A chamber, the chamber of which maintains its interior as a vacuum; and A movable component that moves the substrate support member in the vertical direction of the chamber. The plurality of pressing members are fixed inside the chamber, and the substrate is pressed by bringing the substrate support member close to the plurality of pressing members using the moving part.

11. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The support area of ​​the substrate supported by the substrate support member and the pressing area of ​​the substrate pressed by the plurality of pressing members are different areas.

12. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film-forming apparatus further includes a film-forming component that forms a vapor-deposited material relative to the substrate from the lower side in the direction of gravity.

13. An adjustment method, said adjustment method being used in a film-forming apparatus that overlaps a substrate with a mask and forms a vapor-deposited material on the substrate, characterized in that, have: Adsorption plate, wherein the adsorption plate adsorbs the substrate; A mask stage, wherein the mask stage holds the mask; as well as The adjustment process involves adjusting the posture of the adsorption plate. Before the substrate overlaps with the mask, the adjustment process adjusts the adsorption plate from a first posture when the substrate is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate to a second posture.

14. A film-forming method, wherein the film-forming method involves overlapping a substrate and a mask to form a vapor-deposited material on the substrate, characterized in that, have: Adsorption plate, wherein the adsorption plate adsorbs the substrate; A mask stage, wherein the mask stage holds the mask; as well as The adjustment process involves adjusting the posture of the adsorption plate. Before the substrate overlaps with the mask, the adjustment process adjusts the adsorption plate from a first posture when the substrate is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate to a second posture.

15. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that, The method for manufacturing the electronic device includes a film-forming process, in which a film is formed on a substrate using the film-forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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