Substrate inspection apparatus, film formation apparatus, substrate inspection method, film formation method

Abstract

To provide a technique to detect cracks in a substrate in a substrate inspection device with a simple configuration at low cost.SOLUTION: A substrate inspection device is used comprising: support means that supports a substrate; photographing means that performs photographing of the substrate held by the support means; and determination means that determines if cracks occur in the substrate based on a result of photographing performed by the photographing means. The determination means determines if cracks occur in the substrate based on the distance between a first reference point and a second reference point calculated based on the result of photographing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate inspection apparatus and a film forming apparatus including the substrate inspection apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] An organic EL display device is known as a flat panel display device. An organic EL element constituting the organic EL display device has a basic structure in which a functional layer having a light-emitting layer, which is an organic material layer that causes light emission, is formed between two opposing electrodes (a cathode electrode and an anode electrode). The functional layer and the electrode layer of the organic EL element are formed by depositing materials constituting the respective layers on a substrate such as glass through a mask in a film forming apparatus.

[0003] When the film forming apparatus performs film formation, an image obtained by photographing a substrate using an imaging device may be used for alignment or inspection of the substrate. Patent Document 1 irradiates a linear light that straddles in the width direction orthogonal to the substrate conveyance direction with respect to the surface of the substrate, and images while conveying the substrate, and obtains an image of the entire substrate by connecting a plurality of images, and discloses a technique for detecting an edge of the substrate from the image to detect a crack in the substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the above configuration in which imaging is continuously performed while conveying the substrate, if the holding of the substrate by the conveying means is insufficient and the substrate moves during conveyance, an appropriate image cannot be obtained and a crack in the substrate cannot be detected. Therefore, there is a need for a conveying means that does not interfere with imaging and can hold the substrate sufficiently to convey it with high precision, which increases the equipment cost.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a technology for detecting cracks in a substrate at low cost and with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The substrate inspection apparatus of the present invention is Support means for supporting the substrate, A photographing means for taking a photograph of the substrate supported by the support means, A determination means for determining whether a crack has occurred in the substrate based on the imaging results of the imaging means, Equipped with, The determination means is characterized by determining whether a crack has occurred in the substrate based on the distance between a first reference point and a second reference point calculated based on the imaging results. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a technology for detecting cracks in a substrate can be provided at low cost and with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the film deposition apparatus. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the substrate lifting device installed in the carrier transfer room. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the process of transporting the circuit board carrier into the carrier handover room. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the process of transporting circuit boards into the carrier handover room. [Figure 5] This diagram shows how a circuit board is supported by a circuit board lifting device in the carrier transfer room. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the circuit board being held on the circuit board carrier in the carrier transfer chamber. [Figure 7] This is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the substrate and substrate carrier. [Figure 8]This is a cross-sectional view of the suction pad and clamp of the substrate carrier. [Figure 9] This diagram shows a method for separating a substrate from a substrate carrier. [Figure 10] This figure shows photographic images and edge images of the substrate and substrate carrier. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the diagonal dimensions of a circuit board obtained during crack inspection. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart for inspecting cracks in circuit boards. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram of the film deposition chamber. [Figure 14] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments for carrying out this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, based on examples. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in these embodiments should be appropriately modified depending on the configuration of the device to which the invention is applied and various conditions. In other words, the scope of this invention is not intended to be limited to the following embodiments.

[0011] The present invention can be applied to a film forming apparatus that forms a thin film of a film forming material on the surface of an object to be filmed, such as a substrate, by vapor deposition or sputtering while transporting the object, and can be preferably applied to an apparatus that forms a thin film (material film) of a desired pattern by vacuum evaporation. As the material of the substrate, any material such as glass, a film of a polymer material, a silicon wafer, or a metal can be selected, and the substrate may be, for example, a substrate on which a film such as polyimide is deposited on a glass substrate. Also, as the vapor deposition material, any material such as an organic material or a metal material (metal, metal oxide, etc.) may be selected. In addition to the vacuum evaporation apparatus described in the following description, the present invention can also be applied to a film forming apparatus including a sputtering apparatus and a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus. The technology of the present invention can be specifically applied to manufacturing apparatuses for organic electronic devices (e.g., organic light emitting elements, thin film solar cells), optical members, etc. Among them, a manufacturing apparatus for an organic light emitting element that forms an organic light emitting element by evaporating a vapor deposition material and depositing it on a substrate through a mask is one of the preferred application examples of the present invention. Hereinafter, the case where the present invention is applied to a manufacturing apparatus for an electronic device will be described as an example, but the substrate inspection apparatus of the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to the above various manufacturing apparatuses.

[0012] (Example) <Film Forming Apparatus> FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, a film forming apparatus in a manufacturing line for an organic EL display will be described. When manufacturing an organic EL display, a substrate of a predetermined size is carried into the film forming apparatus, and a film of an organic EL or a metal layer is formed. The substrate after film formation is carried out to a subsequent process and undergoes post-treatment such as cutting of the substrate.

[0013] In this embodiment, a film forming apparatus called an inline type will be described as an example. In an inline type film forming apparatus, a plurality of chambers are arranged side by side, and a substrate, a substrate carrier, and a mask are sequentially transported into each chamber, and various processes are performed in each chamber. For the transportation of the substrate and the like, transportation rollers or linear motors are used as transportation means. A plurality of transportation rollers are arranged along the transportation direction on both sides of the transportation path, and each rotates by the driving force of an AC servo motor (not shown) to transport the substrate carrier 100 and the mask M in and out of each chamber. In each chamber, it is configured such that a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere can be set for each individual chamber or for a plurality of adjacent chambers. In order to maintain the vacuum state inside the vacuum container, the film forming apparatus includes a vacuum pump (not shown).

[0014] Note that the film forming apparatus to which the substrate inspection apparatus of the present invention is applied is not limited to the inline type, and may be a cluster type film forming apparatus. In a cluster type film forming apparatus, a substrate is film formed while being transported between a plurality of chambers arranged around a transfer robot.

[0015] In FIG. 1, among the plurality of chambers, only the chambers where representative processes are performed are marked with the symbol R, and the other chambers are omitted by black dots. Also, in FIG. 1, the thin solid line arrows indicate the transport path of the substrate carrier 100, the thin dashed line arrows indicate the transport path of the substrate 200, and the thick solid line arrows indicate the transport path of the mask M. The operation of the devices provided in each chamber is controlled by a control unit C such as a computer. The control unit C can be provided individually for each device, or a common control unit C can be provided for a plurality of devices. Generally, the fact that various operations are controlled by a control unit is a well-known technique. As the control unit C, for example, an information processing device or a processing circuit having arithmetic resources such as a processor and a memory can be used.

[0016] First, the substrate carrier 100 and the substrate 200 are sent to the substrate placement chamber R1, where the substrate 200 is held on top of the substrate carrier 100. Inside the substrate placement chamber R1, the substrate carrier 100 is positioned with its substrate holding surface facing vertically upward. The substrate 200 brought into the substrate placement chamber R1 is placed on the holding surface of the substrate carrier 100 so that the film-deposition surface faces vertically upward. During this placement, the film deposition apparatus images the substrate 200 to acquire positional information and performs positional adjustment (first alignment) so that the substrate 200 is in a predetermined position on the substrate carrier 100. The substrate carrier 100 and the substrate 200 held by the substrate carrier 100 are then transported to the inversion chamber R2.

[0017] The inversion chamber R2 is equipped with an inversion mechanism that reverses the orientation of the substrate holding surface of the substrate carrier 100 from vertically upward to vertically downward. In the inversion chamber R2, the substrate carrier 100 rotates 180° together with the substrate 200 so that the substrate 200 is held on the underside of the substrate carrier 100, so that they are upside down.

[0018] Furthermore, the mask M is transported to the inversion chamber R2 via a different path than the transport path of the substrate carrier 100. In the inversion chamber R2, the substrate carrier 100, which holds the substrate 200 on its underside, is placed on top of the mask M. Then, the substrate 200 held by the substrate carrier 100, along with the mask M that has been sent to the inversion chamber R2, is transported to the deposition chamber R3. Note that the rotation of the substrate carrier 100, its merging with the mask M, and its placement on the mask M may each be performed in separate chambers.

[0019] An alignment device is located in the inversion chamber R2 to align the substrate carrier 100 (and the substrate 200 held therein) with the mask M. The alignment device places the substrate carrier 100 on the mask M so that the substrate 200 and the mask M are in a predetermined positional relationship in the in-plane direction of the film deposition surface of the substrate 200. When the substrate carrier 100 is placed on the mask M in the inversion chamber R2, the film deposition apparatus images the substrate 200 and the mask M to acquire positional information and performs in-plane positional adjustment (second alignment) of the substrate 200 and the mask M.

[0020] Next, in the deposition chamber R3, a thin film is formed on the surface of the substrate 200 via a mask M having an opening at the desired deposition position. After this, the substrate carrier 100 and other components are transported to the mask discharge chamber R4. Generally, multiple deposition chambers R3 are provided, as shown in Figure 1, to allow for the formation of thin films using different materials. Therefore, typically, the deposition process is performed in a specific deposition chamber R3 during the transport of the substrate 200 in a single cycle.

[0021] After film deposition, the substrate 200 held by the substrate carrier 100 is lifted from the mask M in the mask discharge chamber R4. Masks M that have reached a predetermined number of uses are discharged from the mask discharge chamber R4 to the outside of the apparatus. The substrate 200 held by the substrate carrier 100 and the mask M to be reused are transported from the mask discharge chamber R4 to the relay chamber R5. The masks M in the relay chamber R5 are transported toward the inversion chamber R2. A mask stocker that stores multiple masks M and discharges them as needed may be placed on the production line. The substrate carrier 100 and substrate 200 in the relay chamber R5 are inverted in an inversion chamber (not shown) so that the film deposition surface of the substrate 200 and the substrate holding surface of the substrate carrier 100 are facing vertically upward, and then transported toward the substrate peeling chamber R6.

[0022] Then, in the substrate peeling chamber R6, the substrate 200 is peeled off from the substrate carrier 100. After that, the substrate carrier 100 is either transported outside the film deposition apparatus or transported back to the substrate placement chamber R1. The substrate 200 that has been peeled off from the substrate carrier 100 is removed outside. Note that the present invention is not limited to the deposit-up configuration shown in Figure 1, but may also take the form of a deposit-down configuration or a side-deposit configuration. In this embodiment, after peeling the substrate 200 from the substrate carrier 100 in the substrate peeling chamber R6, an inspection is performed to check whether there are any cracks in the substrate 200. Details of the crack inspection method for the substrate 200 will be described later.

[0023] <Substrate lifting device> The configuration of the substrate lifting device located in the substrate mounting chamber R1 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. The substrate lifting device comprises a carrier transfer chamber 300, a lifting mechanism 400, and a clamp rotation mechanism 500 as a clamp driving means. Multiple lifting mechanisms 400 with similar configurations may be arranged.

[0024] Figure 2 shows a schematic configuration of the carrier transfer chamber 300 and the substrate lifting device according to this embodiment. The carrier transfer chamber 300 includes an opening 311 through which the substrate carrier 100 passes, a carrier gate valve 312 that can open and close this opening 311, an opening 321 through which the substrate 200 passes, and a substrate gate valve 322 that can open and close this opening 321. The openings 311 and the carrier gate valves 312 are provided on the far side and near side of the paper in Figure 2, respectively. As a result, the substrate carrier 100 enters the carrier transfer chamber 300 from the far side of the paper and is transported out of the carrier transfer chamber 300 toward the near side of the paper. In addition, although not shown in the figure, the opening 311 and the carrier gate valve 312 are also provided on the right side of the carrier transfer chamber 300.

[0025] Furthermore, the carrier transfer chamber 300 is provided with a carrier support member 330 that supports the substrate carrier 100 when the substrate 200 is placed on the substrate carrier 100. This carrier support member 330 supports the outer circumference of the substrate carrier 100 so as not to interfere with the operation of the support pins provided in the lifting mechanism. Alternatively, the carrier support member 330 may have an opening in the area through which the support pins pass. In addition, the substrate placement chamber R1 (carrier transfer chamber 300) may be provided with transport rollers for transporting the substrate carrier 100. In this case, the transport rollers can support the substrate carrier 100 when the substrate 200 is placed on the substrate carrier 100.

[0026] Furthermore, the carrier transfer chamber 300 is equipped with an imaging means 350 (photography means). Although only one imaging means 350 is shown in each figure, generally, multiple imaging means 350 are provided. The control unit C can adjust the positions (alignment) of the substrate carrier 100 and the substrate 200 by acquiring positional information from images of the substrate carrier 100 and the substrate 200 taken by the imaging means 350. A wide-angle imaging means 350 capable of imaging the entire substrate may be provided, or multiple imaging means 350 with a field of view sufficient to image a portion of the substrate 200 may be provided. When performing alignment based on the edge image of the substrate 200, The imaging means 350 is positioned so that at least a portion of the edges and ends of the plate 200 is included in the field of view.

[0027] Furthermore, the imaging means 350 can also serve as a discrimination means for determining the type of substrate carrier 100 or the type of substrate 200. For example, various marks can be attached according to the type of substrate carrier 100, and the type of substrate carrier 100 can be determined by the marks captured by the imaging means 350. The imaging means 350 used for alignment and the imaging means 350 used as a discrimination means may be provided separately, or one of the multiple imaging means 350s generally provided for alignment can also be used as a discrimination means.

[0028] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 400 is configured such that only the support pin 411 is inserted into the carrier transfer chamber 300, and the clamp rotation mechanism 500 is configured such that only the push pin 511 is inserted into the carrier transfer chamber 300. This prevents lubricants, wear particles, etc. from entering the carrier transfer chamber 300. Alternatively, the entire substrate lifting device may be placed in the substrate mounting chamber R1, or the above-mentioned carrier transfer chamber 300 may correspond to the substrate mounting chamber R1. In the latter case, most of the components of the lifting mechanism (components other than the support pin 411) and most of the components of the clamp rotation mechanism 500 (components other than the push pin 511) will be located outside the substrate mounting chamber R1.

[0029] The lifting mechanism 400 comprises a plurality of support pins 411, a first plate 410 that supports the plurality of support pins 411, and a ball screw mechanism 420 as a first lifting means for raising and lowering the first plate 410. The ball screw mechanism 420 comprises a motor 421, a screw shaft 422 that rotates with the motor 421, a nut portion 423 that moves up and down along the screw shaft 422 in accordance with the rotational movement of the screw shaft 422, and a support column 424 that is fixed to the nut portion 423 and moves up and down together with the nut portion 423. A plurality of balls are configured to circulate infinitely between the inner circumferential surface of the nut portion 423 and the outer circumferential surface of the screw shaft 422. The first plate 410 is supported by the support column 424, and the support pins 411 move up and down together with the first plate 410 in accordance with the rotational movement of the screw shaft 422. Multiple support pins 411, which serve as support means for the substrate 200, are configured to be able to contact the substrate 200 from the vertically downward side, and the substrate 200 moves up and down as the support pins 411 move up and down within the carrier transfer chamber 300.

[0030] In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism is shown as the means for raising and lowering the plate, but other known technologies such as a rack and pinion system can also be used as the means for raising and lowering the plate.

[0031] Furthermore, the substrate lifting device includes an alignment mechanism 430 as an alignment means for adjusting the position of the substrate 200 relative to the substrate carrier 100 by moving a plurality of support pins 411 in a direction perpendicular to the lifting direction of the substrate 200. In this embodiment, the lifting direction of the substrate 200 is the vertical direction. Therefore, the alignment mechanism 430 is configured to move the plurality of support pins 411 in the horizontal direction. Specifically, the alignment mechanism 430 includes a first rail 431 extending in the left-right direction in Figure 2 (hereinafter referred to as the "X-axis direction") and a second rail 432 extending in a direction perpendicular to the first rail 431 (hereinafter referred to as the "Y-axis direction"). Both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are perpendicular to the vertical direction. The second rail 432 is configured to reciprocate along the first rail 431.

[0032] Furthermore, the alignment mechanism 430 includes a base 433 on which the lifting mechanism 400 is mounted. This base 433 is configured to be able to reciprocate along the second rail 432. The alignment mechanism 430 is also fixed to the base 433 and extends in the X-axis direction. The alignment mechanism 430 comprises a first shaft portion 434 and a second shaft portion 436 fixed to a base 433 and extending in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the alignment mechanism 430 includes a moving mechanism 435 for moving the first shaft portion 434 in the X-axis direction and a moving mechanism (not shown) for moving the second shaft portion 436 in the Y-axis direction. Various known technologies, such as ball screw mechanisms and rack and pinion mechanisms, can be employed for these moving mechanisms.

[0033] With the alignment mechanism 430 configured as described above, the lifting mechanism 400 can be moved in the X-axis and Y-axis directions together with the base 433, thereby moving the multiple support pins 411 horizontally. This allows the substrate 200, which is mounted on the multiple support pins 411, to be moved and adjusted horizontally, and the position of the substrate 200 relative to the substrate carrier 100 can be adjusted.

[0034] The clamp rotation mechanism 500 comprises a plurality of push pins 511, a clamping plate 510 that supports the plurality of push pins 511, and a ball screw mechanism 520 that raises and lowers the clamping plate 510. The ball screw mechanism 520 comprises a motor 521, a screw shaft 522 that is rotated by the motor 521, a nut portion 523 that moves up and down along the screw shaft 522 in accordance with the rotational movement of the screw shaft 522, and a support column 524 that is fixed to the nut portion 523 and moves up and down together with the nut portion 523. A plurality of balls are configured to circulate infinitely between the inner circumferential surface of the nut portion 523 and the outer circumferential surface of the screw shaft 522. The clamping plate 510 is supported by the support column 524, and the push pins 511 move up and down together with the clamping plate 510 in accordance with the rotational movement of the screw shaft 522. Although a ball screw mechanism was shown as the means for raising and lowering the clamping plate 510, other known technologies such as a rack and pinion system can also be used as the means for raising and lowering.

[0035] <Operation of placing a circuit board onto a circuit board carrier> The operation of holding the substrate 200 on the substrate carrier 100 inside the carrier transfer chamber 300 using the substrate lifting device configured as described above will be explained with reference to Figures 3 to 6. Figure 3 shows the substrate carrier 100 being transported into the carrier transfer chamber 300. Figure 4 shows the substrate 200 in the process of being transported into the carrier transfer chamber 300. Figure 5 shows the substrate 200 being supported by the support pins 411. Figure 6 shows the substrate 200 being held on the substrate carrier 100.

[0036] First, the carrier gate valve 312 opens the opening 311, and the substrate carrier 100 is brought into the carrier transfer chamber 300. The substrate carrier 100 brought into the carrier transfer chamber 300 is supported by the carrier support member 330 (see Figure 3). Note that, in order to make the configuration of each part easier to understand, the opening 311 and the carrier gate valve 312 are omitted from the illustrations from Figure 3 onward.

[0037] The substrate carrier 100 is provided with multiple clamps 110 for holding the substrate 200 to the substrate carrier 100. The clamps 110 are rotatably mounted on the substrate carrier 100 while biased in a first rotational direction, which is the direction in which the substrate 200 to be held by the substrate carrier 100 is clamped. In Figure 3, the clamp 110 on the left side of the paper is rotatably mounted on the substrate carrier 100 while biased in a clockwise direction, and the clamp 110 on the right side is rotatably mounted on the substrate carrier 100 while biased in a counterclockwise direction.

[0038] After the substrate carrier 100 is supported by the carrier support member 330, the opening 321 opens due to the operation of the substrate gate valve 322, and the substrate 200 is transported into the carrier transfer chamber 300 (see Figure 4). The substrate 200 is transported into the carrier transfer chamber 300 by a transport robot. In Figure 4, the transport robot supports the substrate 200. Only a portion of the hand section 250 is shown. This hand section 250 is generally arranged in a comb-like shape so as not to interfere with the operation of the support pin 411 and other components.

[0039] Furthermore, when the substrate 200 is loaded, the lifting mechanism 400 raises the first plate 410 and the multiple support pins 411 to a predetermined position. The multiple support pins 411 are provided so as to be able to pass through multiple through holes provided in the substrate carrier 100, and the tips of the multiple support pins 411 move to a position above the upper surface of the substrate carrier 100 and below the lower surface of the substrate 200 being loaded.

[0040] Furthermore, the clamp rotation mechanism 500 causes multiple push pins 511 to rise along with the clamp plate 510, and the tip of each push pin 511 pushes into the corresponding clamp 110. As a result, the clamp 110 rotates in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, making it possible to place the substrate 200 on the substrate carrier 100 from above (see Figure 4).

[0041] The order in which the substrate 200 is brought into the carrier transfer chamber 300, the lifting mechanism 400 raises the first plate 410, and the clamping plate 510 raises the clamping rotation mechanism 500 is not particularly limited and may be performed simultaneously.

[0042] The substrate 200 is placed on the tips of the multiple support pins 411, and after the hand unit 250 of the transport robot retracts, the first plate 410 is lowered to a predetermined position by the lifting mechanism 400. As a result, the substrate 200 is brought sufficiently close to the substrate carrier 100 (see Figure 5).

[0043] In this state, the alignment mechanism 430 adjusts the movement of the substrate 200 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, thereby adjusting the position of the substrate 200 relative to the substrate carrier 100. Subsequently, the lifting mechanism 400 further lowers the first plate 410, and the tips of the multiple support pins 411 move below the lower surface of the substrate carrier 100. During this process, the substrate 200 is placed on top of the substrate carrier 100. The substrate carrier 100 is provided with multiple suction pads 130 (see Figure 8), and the substrate 200 is held in place by these suction pads 130. However, simply placing the substrate 200 on the substrate carrier 100 may result in insufficient suction by the suction pads 130. Therefore, it is preferable to include a step to ensure more reliable suction by the suction pads 130 by pressing the substrate 200 downwards.

[0044] After the substrate 200 is placed on the substrate carrier 100, the clamping plate 510 is lowered by the clamp rotation mechanism 500. This causes the push pin 511 to separate from the clamp 110, and the clamp 110 rotates in the first rotational direction, clamping the substrate 200 into the substrate carrier 100. As a result, the substrate 200 is held in place by the substrate carrier 100 (see Figure 6). The substrate 200, now held in place, is then removed from the carrier transfer chamber 300 along with the substrate carrier 100 and transported to the inversion chamber R2.

[0045] <Substrates and substrate carriers> Next, with reference to Figures 7 and 8, the substrate 200 and substrate carrier 100 used in the film deposition apparatus according to this embodiment will be described.

[0046] Figure 7(a) is a top view of the substrate 200. The substrate 200 is roughly rectangular and is cut in a later process along the cutting lines 211 and 212 shown by the dashed lines in Figure 7. When used in a display, the area enclosed by the dotted line in the figure becomes the image display area and corresponds to the display element area.

[0047] Figure 7(b) is a top view of the substrate carrier 100. The substrate carrier 100 has multiple A clamp 110 is provided. The number and arrangement of the clamps 110 can be appropriately set according to the size and weight of the substrate carrier and the substrate 200. The substrate carrier 100 includes a plurality of through holes 121 provided in a predetermined central area (the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 7(b)) and a plurality of through holes 122 provided along the outer circumference of the substrate carrier 100. When the substrate 200 is held by the substrate carrier 100, the plurality of through holes 121 are provided along the cutting lines 211 and 212 on the substrate 200 and are located outside the area enclosed by the dotted line in Figure 7(a). Also, when the substrate 200 is held by the substrate carrier 100, the plurality of through holes 122 are provided along the outer circumference of the substrate 200 and are located outside the area enclosed by the dotted line in Figure 7(a).

[0048] Multiple through holes 121 and 122 are used for the support pin 411 to pass through and for the suction pad 130 to be attached. The arrangement of the through holes used for the support pin 411 and the through holes used for the suction pad 130 can be set as appropriate, such as by alternating them. The diameter of the through holes used for the support pin 411 and the diameter of the through holes used for the suction pad 130 may be set to be the same or different.

[0049] The substrate carrier 100 will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 7(b). As shown in Figure 8, the diameter of the through hole 121 used for the support pin 411 to pass through is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the support pin 411. This allows the support pin 411 to pass through the through hole and to move horizontally relative to the substrate carrier 100 during alignment. The tip of the support pin 411 is provided with a displacement prevention member 411a made of an elastic material such as rubber to suppress displacement of the substrate 200.

[0050] The suction pad 130 is attached to the substrate carrier 100 by being inserted through a through hole for the suction pad 130. The suction pad 130 comprises a metal pad body 131 having a flange portion 131a, an adhesive member 132 provided at the tip of the pad body 131 via an adhesive layer (not shown), and a fixing member 133 for fixing the pad body 131 to the through hole. The flange portion 131a and the fixing member 133 are integrated by a known method. The fixing member 133 and the substrate carrier 100 can be fixed together by known techniques such as bolts. As for the material of the adhesive member 132, it is preferable to use fluororubber that does not contain siloxane bonds in order to suppress the generation of outgassing that would adversely affect the manufacturing process under vacuum. Similarly, it is preferable to use known adhesives or double-sided tapes that do not release outgassing components for the materials constituting the adhesive layer. The adhesive member 132 is configured to be adjustable in the vertical direction in the figure within a certain range using a spacer (not shown) or the like so that the amount of protrusion from the surface of the substrate carrier 100 can be controlled. The above-mentioned protrusion amount depends on the size of the components constituting the suction pad 130 and the compression characteristics of the adhesive member 132, but is less than the thickness of the substrate 200. The diameter of the through hole for the suction pad 130 is larger than the outer diameter of the portion of the pad body 131 that is inserted into the through hole, and the pad body 131 is allowed to oscillate to some extent in addition to vertical vertical movement.

[0051] The clamp 110 is mounted on the substrate carrier 100 so as to be rotatable around the shaft portion 110a. The clamp 110 is biased in the first rotational direction by a spring 110b acting as a biasing member. As described above, when pressed by the push pin 511, the clamp 110 rotates in the second rotational direction against the biasing force of the spring 110b, and when the push pin 511 is released, it rotates in the first rotational direction due to the biasing force of the spring 110b. In Figure 8, the state of the clamp 110 rotated in the second rotational direction by the push pin 511 is shown by a solid line, and the state of the clamp 110 rotated in the first rotational direction after the push pin 511 is released is shown by a dotted line. The clamp 110 rotates around the shaft portion 110a along the film deposition surface of the substrate 200. In this configuration, the clamp 110 can be retracted from above the substrate holding area of ​​the substrate carrier 100. In this way, a path for placing the substrate 200 onto the substrate carrier 100 can be secured with a simple configuration.

[0052] <Substrate peeling operation from substrate carrier> In the substrate peeling chamber R6, a substrate lifting device configured as described above is also provided, and the substrate 200 can be peeled off the substrate carrier 100 by performing the procedure of placing the substrate 200 on the substrate carrier 100 in reverse order. The operation of peeling the substrate 200 off the substrate carrier 100 will be described below with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9(a) shows the substrate 200 being held on the substrate carrier 100 in the substrate peeling chamber R6. Figure 9(b) shows the push pin 511 rising and the clamp 110 rotating in the second rotation direction. Figure 9(c) shows the support pin 411 rising and the substrate 200 being peeled off the substrate carrier 100.

[0053] First, with the first plate 410 and the clamping plate 510 waiting below, the substrate carrier 100 holding the substrate 200 is brought into the carrier transfer chamber 300, and these are supported by the carrier support member 330 (see Figure 9(a)).

[0054] Subsequently, the clamp rotation mechanism 500 raises the clamping plate 510 along with the multiple push pins 511, and the tip of each push pin 511 pushes into the corresponding clamp 110. As a result, the clamp 110 rotates in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, making it possible to detach the substrate 200 from the substrate carrier 100 (see Figure 9(b)). Then, the lifting mechanism 400 raises the first plate 410 along with the multiple support pins 411 to a predetermined position. In this process, the substrate 200 is pushed in by the multiple support pins 411, detached from the substrate carrier 100, and raised to a predetermined position (see Figure 9(c)).

[0055] Subsequently, the substrate 200 is removed from the carrier transfer chamber 300 by a transport robot. After the first plate 410 and the multiple support pins 411 have descended, the substrate carrier 100 is removed from the carrier transfer chamber 300 and either transported outside the film deposition apparatus or transported back to the substrate placement chamber R1.

[0056] <Crack inspection of circuit boards> As described above, a peeling operation is performed in the substrate peeling chamber R6 to separate the substrate 200 from the substrate carrier 100. However, since the substrate 200 is adhered to the substrate carrier 100 by suction pads 130, cracks may occur in the substrate 200 during the peeling operation. Even if cracks occur in the substrate 200 within a vacuum chamber such as the substrate peeling chamber R6, the operator cannot visually detect them, and if broken fragments remain in the vacuum chamber, it could lead to equipment failure. Therefore, the film deposition apparatus according to this embodiment is configured to perform a crack inspection in the substrate peeling chamber R6 after the peeling operation to detect the presence or absence of cracks in the substrate 200. In the crack inspection, the control unit C calculates the distance between reference points on the substrate 200 based on the imaging results of the imaging means 350, and determines whether cracks have occurred in the substrate 200 based on this distance. The substrate inspection apparatus in the substrate peeling chamber R6 and its inspection method according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0057] The crack inspection begins after the support pins 411 have risen and the substrate 200 has been detached from the substrate carrier 100, with the substrate 200 supported by the support pins 411 (as shown in Figure 9(c)). During the crack inspection, the imaging means 350 first images the substrate 200 from the film-forming surface side, including the edge portions near the four corners of the substrate 200. Specifically, the imaging means 350 obtains four images, and the imaging means 350 is configured such that the four corners of the substrate 200 are included in the field of view of the imaging means 350 in each image. In this embodiment, The imaging means 350 includes four cameras, each of which images one of the four corners of the substrate 200. That is, although not shown in the illustration, cameras are provided at positions corresponding to each of the four corners of the substrate 200. As a substrate inspection device, it is sufficient that the imaging means 350 is provided so that it can image at least the peripheral area of ​​each of the four corners of the substrate 200, and a wide-angle imaging means 350 may be provided so that the entire substrate can be imaged.

[0058] In this embodiment, an optical imaging device is used as the imaging means 350, in which the light intensity of illumination from the light source, shutter speed, gain value, etc., can be controlled by the control unit C. The control unit C can adjust the obtained image by controlling at least one of the light intensity, shutter speed, or gain value. The control unit C in this embodiment analyzes the image captured by the imaging means 350 and recognizes the edges that constitute the surface of the substrate 200 as edges. Therefore, even if the vertical position of the substrate 200 changes compared to when no crack occurred, for example, when the substrate 200 cracks and is supported at an angle by the support pins 411, it is possible to obtain an image in which edges can be recognized by adjusting each parameter.

[0059] Figure 10(a) shows the positional relationship of the field of view angles of the substrate 200 and the imaging means 350, with the four field of view angles 351 to 354 indicated by dashed lines. Figure 10(b) shows an image captured by the imaging means 350, showing the interior of field of view angle 351. Figure 10(c) shows an image captured by the imaging means 350, showing the interior of field of view angle 352. At the time of imaging of the substrate 200, the substrate 200 is supported by the support pins 411 on the vertically upper side of the substrate carrier 100, so from the perspective of the imaging means 350 positioned above the substrate peeling chamber R6, the substrate 200 overlaps with a part of the substrate carrier 100.

[0060] As described above, in this embodiment, the imaging means 350 performs imaging so that the four corners of the substantially rectangular substrate 200 are included in each captured image. The field of view angle 351, which includes the first corner of the substrate 200 in the imaging range, includes the edge 210A of the substrate 200 and the edge 210C perpendicular to edge 210A. Furthermore, the substrate 200 in this embodiment has chamfered corners and has corner edges 210B. Note that carrier marks may be formed on a part of the substrate carrier 100 for alignment purposes.

[0061] The control unit C can recognize the edges of the substrate 200 from the image captured by the imaging means 350 and obtain the coordinates of the edge intersections. In the field of view 351, the coordinates of the intersection 220A of edge 210A and edge 210C are obtained, and positional information of the area around the first corner of the substrate 200 is acquired.

[0062] Similarly, the field of view 352 that images the second corner of the substrate 200, which is diagonally opposite to the first corner, includes the edge 210D parallel to edge 210A of the substrate 200, the edge 210F perpendicular to edge 210D, and the corner edge 210E. Then, the control unit C obtains the position information of intersection point 220B as the intersection coordinates of edge 210A and edge 210C. Once the position information of intersection points 220A and 220B, which are diagonally opposite each other, is obtained from the first image containing intersection point 220A and the second image containing intersection point 220B, the control unit C calculates the distance L1 between intersection point 220A and intersection point 220B.

[0063] In this embodiment, the distance L2 between the intersection points of the edges included in the field of view 353 for imaging the third corner and the field of view 354 for imaging the fourth corner is also calculated by the control unit C. In other words, in this embodiment, the imaging means 350 and the control unit C acquire positional information of the intersection points of two sides as reference points located closest to each of the first to fourth corners, and two diagonal distances of the substrate 200 can be obtained.

[0064] Figure 11(a) shows the top and front views of the substrate 200, which is free of cracks. (b) is a diagram showing the top and front surfaces of the cracked substrate 200. When the substrate 200 is cracked, the substrate 200 is tilted and supported by the support pins 411, or its position is shifted due to the impact of the crack, so there is a difference between the distance L1a when the substrate 200 is not cracked and the distance L1b when the substrate 200 is cracked. In this embodiment, the distances L1 and L2 between reference points located diagonally opposite each other on the substrate 200 are calculated, and if either distance L1 or L2 deviates from a predetermined theoretical range, the control unit C, which acts as a determination means, determines that the substrate 200 is cracked. In this embodiment, two distances between reference points on the substrate are obtained and used for detecting cracks in the substrate, but it is also possible to use only one distance information for detecting cracks in the substrate, or to obtain distances other than the diagonal distance and use more distance information.

[0065] <Processing flow for crack inspection> Referring to Figure 12, the processing flow for crack inspection of the substrate 200 in this embodiment will be explained. Once the film deposition process is complete and the mask M is removed from the substrate 200, the substrate 200 and the substrate carrier 100 are brought into the substrate delamination chamber R6. At this time, the substrate 200 is brought in so that its edges are roughly included in the field of view 351 to 354 of the imaging means 350. Then, when the substrate 200 is delaminated from the substrate carrier 100 and is supported only by the support pins 411, the crack inspection of the substrate 200 is started (S100).

[0066] First, in step S101, the imaging means 350 captures images of four locations around the corners of the substrate 200. The control unit C stores the captured images in memory and performs image processing such as filtering on the captured images to create edge images.

[0067] In step S102, the control unit C determines whether an edge can be detected from the edge image. That is, the control unit C in this embodiment also functions as a determination means for determining whether a problem occurs in capturing the edge image. The detection method is arbitrary; for example, in a field of view of 351, it may be determined whether line segments corresponding to edges 210A, 210B, and 210C can be extracted from the edge image. Alternatively, for example, the acquired edge image may be compared with the image pattern of the expected edge image to make the determination. If an edge cannot be detected, the process proceeds to step S103, where the user is notified of the error and the type of error, and the crack inspection is terminated (S108).

[0068] If an edge is detected in step S102, the process proceeds to step S104, where the control unit C obtains intersection coordinates from the edge. In this embodiment, the coordinates of the intersection point 220A (first reference point) of edge 210A and edge 210C included in the field of view 351, and the intersection point 220B (second reference point) of edge 210D and edge 210F included in the field of view 352 are obtained as position information. Similarly, the coordinates of the intersection point of the edge included in the field of view 353 (third reference point) and the intersection point of the edge included in the field of view 354 (fourth reference point) are also obtained as position information.

[0069] Then, the process proceeds to step S105, where the control unit C calculates the diagonal distance as the distance between intersections located diagonally opposite each other on the substrate 200. In this embodiment, the distance between intersection 220A in the field of view 351 and intersection 220B in the field of view 352, and the distance between intersection in the field of view 353 and intersection in the field of view 354 are calculated as the diagonal distance.

[0070] In step S106, the control unit C checks whether the calculated diagonal distance is within the theoretical range and determines whether a crack has occurred in the substrate 200. In this embodiment, the theoretical range is set to ±3 mm of the design value, taking into account manufacturing errors and measurement errors. Note that the theoretical range is not limited to this value and can be appropriately determined according to the configuration of the substrate and equipment. If the diagonal distance is within the theoretical range, the control unit C determines that no crack has occurred in the substrate 200, and after the crack inspection is completed (S108), the substrate 200 and the substrate carrier 100 are automatically delaminated. It is removed from room R6.

[0071] On the other hand, if it is confirmed in step S106 that the diagonal distance is not within the theoretical range, the control unit C determines that a crack has occurred in the substrate 200, and in step S107, it notifies the user that a crack has been detected by an alarm, and the crack inspection ends (S108). The user, having learned from the alarm that the control unit C has determined that a crack has occurred in the substrate 200, manually removes the substrate 200 from the substrate peeling chamber R6. Note that the method of notifying the user is not limited to an alarm; other notification methods such as notifications on the display screen may also be used.

[0072] As described above, according to this embodiment, a portion of the substrate can be photographed while the substrate is stationary, and cracks in the substrate can be detected within the vacuum apparatus from the photographic results. As a result, high-precision transport means are not required as in the conventional technology, and equipment costs can be reduced. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to image the entire substrate, even if the substrate is large, there is no need to increase the number of imaging means to expand the imaging range, and cracks in the substrate can be inspected with a simple configuration while keeping equipment costs such as imaging means down.

[0073] In recent years, the thinning and increasing size of substrates have made them more susceptible to cracking. Furthermore, if the entire substrate is photographed to detect cracks, a wide-ranging imaging device is required, which tends to increase equipment costs. However, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to excessively widen the imaging range regardless of the size of the substrate, thus reducing equipment costs such as imaging devices. Moreover, since it is not necessary to project light onto the entire substrate to sharpen the edges, the equipment costs for illumination lights used for image capture are also reduced.

[0074] It should be noted that the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not lose identity with the invention embodied in the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, cracks in the substrate were detected based on the diagonal distance of the substrate, but instead of the diagonal distance, it may be determined whether a crack has occurred in the substrate based on a different distance between intersections. Specifically, it may be a configuration in which the distances between four intersections along the four sides of a roughly rectangular substrate are checked to see if they are within the theoretical range, and if any of them are outside the theoretical range, it may be determined that a crack has occurred in the substrate. Also, in the above embodiment, the intersection of the edges was used as the reference point of the substrate, but a substrate mark may be provided on a part of the substrate other than the image display area, and the substrate mark or other things may be used as the reference point.

[0075] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes a configuration in which crack inspection of the substrate is performed in the substrate peeling chamber, the configuration may also describe a configuration in which crack inspection of the substrate is performed in a chamber other than the substrate peeling chamber. For example, the configuration may also describe a configuration in which crack inspection of the substrate is performed using the substrate inspection device according to the present invention in the substrate loading chamber before the substrate is held in the substrate carrier, and the device and sequence of performing crack inspection of the substrate are not limited to the above embodiment.

[0076] <Film formation chamber> Referring to Figure 13, the film deposition process in the deposition chamber R3 will be explained in more detail. An evaporation source 600, which serves as the film deposition source, is provided inside the deposition chamber R3. The substrate 200, held by the substrate carrier 100, is positioned and supported within the deposition chamber R3 so that it faces downwards. A mask M is also positioned below the substrate 200, relative to the substrate 200. The mask M has openings at positions corresponding to the locations where the thin film is to be formed on the substrate 200. As a result, film deposition is performed on the substrate 200 held by the substrate carrier 100, via the mask M.

[0077] In this embodiment, film deposition (evapor deposition) is performed by vacuum deposition. Specifically, the film deposition material evaporates or sublimes from the evaporation source 600, and the film deposition material is deposited onto the substrate 200. A thin film is formed. Since the evaporation source 600 is a known technology, a detailed explanation is omitted. For example, the evaporation source 600 can consist of a container for housing the film-forming material, such as a crucible, and a heating device for heating the container. Note that the film-forming source is not limited to the evaporation source 600; the film-forming source may also be a sputtering cathode for film formation by sputtering.

[0078] <Methods for manufacturing electronic devices> Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device using the film deposition apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. Below, the configuration of an organic EL display device is shown as an example of an electronic device, and a method for manufacturing the organic EL display device will be illustrated.

[0079] First, let me explain the organic EL display device that we manufacture. Figure 14(a) is an overall view of the organic EL display device 700, and Figure 14(b) shows the cross-sectional structure of a single pixel.

[0080] As shown in Figure 14(a), the display area 701 of the organic EL display device 700 has multiple pixels 702, each having multiple light-emitting elements, arranged in a matrix. As will be explained in detail later, each light-emitting element has a structure comprising an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. Here, a pixel refers to the smallest unit that enables the display of a desired color in the display area 701. In the organic EL display device according to this embodiment, the pixels 702 are composed of a combination of a first light-emitting element 702R, a second light-emitting element 702G, and a third light-emitting element 702B, which emit light differently from each other. The pixels 702 are often composed of a combination of a red light-emitting element, a green light-emitting element, and a blue light-emitting element, but a combination of a yellow light-emitting element, a cyan light-emitting element, and a white light-emitting element may also be used, and there are no particular limitations as long as there is at least one color.

[0081] Figure 14(b) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the BB line in Figure 14(a). Pixel 702 consists of multiple light-emitting elements, each light-emitting element having a first electrode (anode) 704, a hole transport layer 705, one of the light-emitting layers 706R, 706G, or 706B, an electron transport layer 707, and a second electrode (cathode) 708 on the substrate 703. Of these, the hole transport layer 705, the light-emitting layers 706R, 706G, 706B, and the electron transport layer 707 are organic layers. In this embodiment, the light-emitting layer 706R is a red-emitting organic EL layer, the light-emitting layer 706G is a green-emitting organic EL layer, and the light-emitting layer 706B is a blue-emitting organic EL layer. The light-emitting layers 706R, 706G, and 706B are formed in patterns corresponding to the red, green, and blue-emitting light-emitting elements (sometimes described as organic EL elements), respectively.

[0082] Furthermore, the first electrode 704 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 705, the electron transport layer 707, and the second electrode 708 may be formed in common for multiple light-emitting elements 702R, 702G, and 702B, or they may be formed for each light-emitting element. In addition, an insulating layer 709 is provided between the first electrode 704 and the second electrode 708 to prevent short circuits caused by foreign matter. Furthermore, since the organic EL layer deteriorates due to moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 710 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen.

[0083] In Figure 14(b), the hole transport layer 705 and the electron transport layer 707 are shown as a single layer, but depending on the structure of the organic EL display element, they may be formed as multiple layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer. Furthermore, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure that allows for smooth injection of holes from the first electrode 704 to the hole transport layer 705 can be formed between the first electrode 704 and the hole transport layer 705. Similarly, an electron injection layer can be formed between the second electrode 708 and the electron transport layer 707.

[0084] Next, we will specifically describe an example of a manufacturing method for an organic EL display device.

[0085] First, a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a substrate (mother glass) 703 on which the first electrode 704 is formed are prepared.

[0086] An acrylic resin is formed on a substrate 703 on which the first electrode 704 is formed by spin coating. The acrylic resin is then patterned by lithography to form an insulating layer 709 in the area where the first electrode 704 is formed. This opening corresponds to the light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light.

[0087] A substrate 703 patterned with an insulating layer 709 is placed on a substrate carrier on which an adhesive member is arranged. The substrate 703 is held in place by the adhesive member. It is then transported to a first organic material deposition apparatus, and after inversion, a hole transport layer 705 is deposited as a common layer on the first electrode 704 of the display area. The hole transport layer 705 is deposited by vacuum deposition. In practice, since the hole transport layer 705 is formed to a size larger than the display area 701, a high-resolution mask is not required.

[0088] Next, the substrate 703, on which the hole transport layer 705 has been formed, is brought into a second organic material deposition apparatus. The substrate and the mask are aligned, the substrate is placed on the mask, and a red light-emitting layer 706R is deposited on the portion of the substrate 703 where the red light-emitting elements will be placed.

[0089] Similar to the deposition of the light-emitting layer 706R, a light-emitting layer 706G that emits green light is deposited using a third organic material deposition apparatus, and then a light-emitting layer 706B that emits blue light is deposited using a fourth organic material deposition apparatus. After the deposition of light-emitting layers 706R, 706G, and 706B is completed, an electron transport layer 707 is deposited over the entire display area 701 using a fifth deposition apparatus. The electron transport layer 707 is formed as a common layer for the three colored light-emitting layers 706R, 706G, and 706B.

[0090] The substrate, with the electron transport layer 707 formed on it, is moved using a metallic vapor deposition material deposition apparatus to deposit the second electrode 708.

[0091] The material is then moved to a plasma CVD apparatus to deposit a protective layer 710, completing the deposition process on the substrate 703. After inversion, the adhesive material is peeled off the substrate 703, separating it from the substrate carrier. The organic EL display device 700 is then completed after cutting.

[0092] From the time the substrate 703, which has the insulating layer 709 patterned on it, is loaded into the film deposition apparatus until the deposition of the protective layer 710 is completed, exposure to an atmosphere containing moisture or oxygen may cause the light-emitting layer, which is made of organic EL material, to deteriorate due to moisture or oxygen. Therefore, in this embodiment, the loading and unloading of substrates between film deposition apparatuses is performed under a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 200...Substrate, 220A...Intersection (first reference point), 220B...Intersection (second reference point), 350...Imaging means (photography means), 411...Support pin (support means), C...Control unit (determination means), L1...Distance

Claims

1. A support means for supporting a substrate; an imaging means for imaging the substrate supported by the supporting means; a determination means for determining whether a crack has occurred in the substrate based on the photographing result of the photographing means; Equipped with A substrate inspection apparatus characterized in that the judgment means judges whether a crack has occurred in the substrate based on the distance between a first reference point and a second reference point calculated based on the photographing results.

2. 2. The substrate inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines that a crack has occurred in the substrate when the distance is out of a predetermined theoretical value range.

3. 2. The substrate inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the determining means obtains position information of the first reference point and the second reference point from the photographing result, and calculates the distance based on the position information.

4. The substrate is generally rectangular; the first reference point is provided at a position closest to a first corner among four corners of a surface of the substrate; 2. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second reference point is provided at a position closest to a second corner, which is different from the first corner, among the four corners.

5. 5. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first corner is located diagonally opposite to the second corner.

6. 5. The substrate inspection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the photographing results include a first image including the first corner and the first reference point, and a second image including the second corner and the second reference point.

7. the first reference point is an intersection of two sides that form the first angle, 5. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second reference point is an intersection of two sides that form the second angle.

8. 2. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first reference point and the second reference point are marks provided on the substrate.

9. the substrate has a third reference point provided at a position closest to a third corner of the four corners, and a fourth reference point provided at a position closest to a fourth corner of the four corners that is diagonally opposite to the third corner, The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the determination means determines whether a crack has occurred in the substrate based on the distance between the first reference point and the second reference point, and the distance between the third reference point and the fourth reference point.

10. 2. The substrate inspection device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means is a plurality of pins which come into contact with said substrate from below in the vertical direction.

11. 2. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification means for notifying an operator when the determination means determines that a crack has occurred in the substrate.

12. 12. The substrate inspection device according to claim 11, wherein the notification means is an alarm.

13. a vacuum vessel in which the support means and the imaging means are provided; a transport means for transporting the substrate into and out of the vacuum vessel; 13. The substrate inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

14. a deposition source for forming a thin film on the substrate held by a substrate carrier; A substrate inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, A film forming apparatus comprising:

15. A substrate inspection method using a substrate inspection apparatus including a support means for supporting a substrate and an imaging means for imaging the substrate supported by the support means, comprising: A determination step is performed to determine whether or not a crack has occurred in the substrate based on the photographing result of the photographing means; A substrate inspection method characterized in that the judgment process judges whether a crack has occurred in the substrate based on the distance between a first reference point and a second reference point calculated based on the photographing results.

16. A film formation method, characterized by carrying out a film formation step of forming a thin film on a substrate inspected by the substrate inspection method described in claim 15 and held by a substrate carrier.

Images