Substrate support device, film deposition apparatus, film deposition method, and manufacturing method of electronic device

Abstract

To provide a substrate support device capable of suppressing a variation in a bending degree of a substrate, a film deposition apparatus, a film deposition method, and a method of manufacturing an electronic device.SOLUTION: A substrate support device has multiple support tools for supporting a substrate. The multiple support tools are a combination of a first support tool having a support surface inclined in a first inclination direction and a second support tool having a support surface inclined in a second inclination direction, the first inclination direction and the second inclination direction being different. The substrate is supported by these multiple support surfaces.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, substrates have become larger and thinner, and the effect of bending due to the substrate's own weight is becoming greater. In addition, since the film formation area is located in the center of the substrate, the substrate can only be supported and clamped at its outer periphery (edge).

[0003] In a film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate through a mask, a substrate is placed on the mask and brought into close contact with the mask using a substrate support device that supports the outer periphery (four sides) of the substrate and holds the substrate, and a film is formed in this state. In the case of a rectangular substrate, there is a configuration in which the substrate is clamped at one opposing side (e.g., long side) of the substrate's outer periphery, and only supported without being clamped at the other opposing side (e.g., short side). Patent Document 1 describes that in a substrate support device in which the substrate is clamped at the long side by a support and a pressing device, and the substrate is supported from below at the short side by the support only, the height of some of the supports that support the short side is made different from the height of the other supports, or the distance between some of the supports is made different from the distance between the other supports, thereby suppressing the variation in the bending of the substrate held by the substrate support device (also called the bending aspect or bending mode) for each substrate. Patent document 2 also describes that the hand portion of the robot hand that holds the substrate is configured to be rotatable by a motor, and by rotating the hand portion, the degree of contact between the hand portion and the substrate is increased even when a bent substrate is placed on the hand portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-197361 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2001-277169 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When the periphery of the substrate is supported as described above, the substrate bends under its own weight, and the center of the substrate is dented. In addition, the substrate also bends around the periphery of the substrate that is only supported. In this case, the manner in which the substrate bends differs from one substrate to another. Therefore, when the periphery of the substrate is supported by a plurality of supports, the contact state between the substrate and the plurality of supports also differs from one substrate to another. Furthermore, when the substrate is placed on the mask, a misalignment occurs between the substrate and the mask, and the manner of the misalignment differs from one substrate to another. This causes the inconvenience that the position of the substrate on the mask differs from one substrate to another when the substrate is placed on the mask. This leads to an increase in the time required for alignment between the substrate and the mask, leading to an increase in the manufacturing time (takt time).

[0006] In the case of conventional relatively small-sized substrates, it was possible to suppress the variation in the way substrates bend by partially changing the height of the supports that support the short sides, as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1. However, due to the increase in substrate size in recent years, it has become difficult to suppress the variation in the way substrates bend by changing the height of the supports. Using the robot hand of Patent Document 2 makes it possible to handle various types of bending, but in order to improve productivity and alignment accuracy, it is desirable to suppress the variation in the way substrates bend.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate supporting apparatus, a film forming apparatus, a film forming method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device that are capable of suppressing variations in the way a substrate bends. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a substrate support apparatus having a plurality of supports for supporting a substrate, the plurality of supports are a combination of a first support having a support surface inclined in a first inclination direction and a second support having a support surface inclined in a second inclination direction; The first inclination direction and the second inclination direction are different directions, and the substrate is supported by the plurality of support surfaces. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate supporting apparatus, a film forming apparatus, a film forming method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device, which are capable of suppressing variations in the way a substrate bends. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view showing a schematic view of a part of the configuration of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a film forming apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a substrate holding unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a substrate holding unit according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining a method of placing a substrate (from receiving the substrate to supporting the substrate). [Figure 6] 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining a substrate mounting method (first alignment). [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a substrate mounting method (second alignment). [Figure 8] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a substrate mounting method (second alignment). [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a method for placing a substrate (lowering the cooling plate to releasing the clamping). [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a substrate holding unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a substrate holding unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a substrate holding unit according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] 1A and 1B are an overall view of an organic EL display device and a cross-sectional structure of one pixel of an organic EL electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Preferred embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the following embodiments and examples merely exemplify preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these configurations. Furthermore, the hardware and software configurations, processing flow, manufacturing conditions, dimensions, materials, shapes, etc. of the device in the following description are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those unless otherwise specified.

[0012] The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate and a control method thereof, and in particular to a technique for highly accurate transport and position adjustment of the substrate. The present invention can be preferably applied to an apparatus for forming a thin film (material layer) of a desired pattern on the surface of a parallel plate substrate by vacuum deposition. Any material such as glass, resin, or metal can be selected as the substrate material, and any material such as organic material or inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.) can be selected as the deposition material. The technology of the present invention can be specifically applied to manufacturing apparatuses for organic electronic devices (e.g., organic EL display devices, thin film solar cells), optical members, etc. Among them, manufacturing apparatuses for organic EL display devices are one of the preferred application examples of the present invention, since further improvement in the substrate transport accuracy and the alignment accuracy between the substrate and the mask is required due to the increase in size of the substrate or the increase in the resolution of the display panel.

[0013] <Manufacturing equipment and manufacturing process> 1 is a top view that shows a schematic diagram of a part of the configuration of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus. The manufacturing apparatus in FIG. 1 is used, for example, to manufacture a display panel of an organic electroluminescence display device for a smartphone. In the case of a display panel for a smartphone, for example, the size is about 1800 mm×about 1500 mm, thickness is about 100 mm, and the like. After forming an organic EL film on a substrate measuring approximately 0.5 mm in size, the substrate is diced to produce multiple small panels.

[0014] 1, an electronic device manufacturing apparatus generally has a plurality of film formation chambers 111, 112 and a transfer chamber 110. A transfer robot 119 that holds and transfers a substrate 10 is provided inside the transfer chamber 110. The transfer robot 119 is, for example, a robot having a structure in which a robot hand that holds a substrate is attached to an articulated arm, and transfers the substrate 10 into and out of each film formation chamber.

[0015] Each of the film formation chambers 111, 112 is provided with a film formation apparatus (also called a deposition apparatus). A series of film formation processes, such as the transfer of the substrate 10 to the transfer robot 119, adjustment (alignment) of the relative positions of the substrate 10 and the mask, fixing of the substrate 10 on the mask, and film formation (deposition), are automatically performed by the film formation apparatus. Although the film formation apparatuses in the film formation chambers differ in minor points, such as whether the film is to be formed as an organic film or a metal film, the deposition source, and the mask, they are almost the same in basic configuration (especially the configuration related to the transfer and alignment of the substrate). Below, the common configuration of the film formation apparatuses in the film formation chambers will be described.

[0016] <Film forming equipment> Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a film forming apparatus. In the following explanation, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is used, with the vertical direction being the Z direction. The substrate is fixed so as to be parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane) during film formation, and the short side direction (direction parallel to the short side) of the substrate at this time is the X direction, and the long side direction (direction parallel to the long side) is the Y direction. The rotation angle around the Z axis is represented by θ.

[0017] The film forming apparatus has a vacuum chamber 200. The inside of the vacuum chamber 200 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. In the vacuum chamber 200, a substrate holding unit 210, a mask 220, a mask stage 221, a cooling plate 230, and a deposition source 240 are provided. The substrate holding unit 210 is a substrate supporting device that holds and transports the substrate 10 received from the transport robot 119, and is also called a substrate holder. The mask 220 is a metal mask having an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern to be formed on the substrate 10, and is fixed on a frame-shaped mask stage 221. During film formation, the substrate 10 is placed on the mask 220. Therefore, the mask 220 is also called a mounting body for mounting the substrate 10. The cooling plate 230 is a member that is in close contact with the substrate 10 (the surface opposite to the mask 220) during film formation, and suppresses the temperature rise of the substrate 10, thereby suppressing the alteration and deterioration of the organic material. The cooling plate 230 may also function as a magnet plate. The magnet plate is a member that attracts the mask 220 by magnetic force, thereby enhancing the adhesion between the substrate 10 and the mask 220 during film formation. The deposition source 240 is composed of a deposition material, a heater, a shutter, a driving mechanism for the deposition source, an evaporation rate monitor, and the like (all not shown).

[0018] A substrate Z actuator 250, a clamp Z actuator 251, a cooling plate Z actuator 252, an X actuator (not shown), a Y actuator (not shown), and a θ actuator (not shown) are provided above (outside) the vacuum chamber 200. These actuators are composed of, for example, a motor and a ball screw, or a motor and a linear guide. The substrate Z actuator 250 is a driving means (substrate lifting means) for raising and lowering (moving in the Z direction) the entire substrate holding unit 210. The clamp Z actuator 251 is a driving means for opening and closing a clamping mechanism (described later) of the substrate holding unit 210. The cooling plate Z actuator 252 is a driving means for raising and lowering the cooling plate 230. The X actuator, the Y actuator, and the θ actuator (hereinafter collectively referred to as "XYθ actuators") are driving means for aligning the substrate 10. The XYθ actuator moves the entire substrate holding unit 210 and the cooling plate 230 in the X direction, the Y direction, and rotates it by θ. In the first embodiment, the X, Y, and θ of the substrate 10 are adjusted while the mask 220 is fixed, but the alignment between the substrate 10 and the mask 220 may be performed by adjusting the position of the mask 220 or by adjusting the positions of both the substrate 10 and the mask 220.

[0019] On the top (outside) of the vacuum chamber 200, cameras 260 and 261 are provided for measuring the positions of the substrate 10 and the mask 220, respectively, for the purpose of aligning the substrate 10 and the mask 220. The cameras 260 and 261 photograph the substrate 10 and the mask 220 through windows provided in the vacuum chamber 200. By recognizing the alignment marks on the substrate 10 and the mask 220 from the images, it is possible to measure the respective XY positions and the relative deviation in the XY plane. In order to achieve high-precision alignment in a short time, it is preferable to perform two-stage alignment: a first alignment (also called "rough alignment") for roughly aligning, and a second alignment (also called "fine alignment") for highly accurate alignment. In that case, it is preferable to use two types of cameras: a camera 260 for the first alignment, which has a low resolution but a wide field of view, and a camera 261 for the second alignment, which has a narrow field of view but a high resolution. In Example 1, the alignment marks placed at two locations on a pair of opposing sides of the substrate 10 and the mask 220 are measured by two first alignment cameras 260, and the alignment marks placed at the four corners of the substrate 10 and the mask 220 are measured by four second alignment cameras 261.

[0020] The film forming apparatus includes a control unit 270. The control unit 270 has functions such as the control of the substrate Z actuator 250, the clamp Z actuator 251, the cooling plate Z actuator 252, the XYθ actuator, and the cameras 260 and 261, the transport and alignment of the substrate 10, the control of the deposition source, and the control of film formation. The control unit 270 can be configured, for example, by a computer having a processor, a memory, a storage, an I / O, and the like. In this case, the functions of the control unit 270 are realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory or the storage. As the computer, a general-purpose personal computer may be used, or an embedded computer or a PLC (programmable logic controller) may be used. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the control unit 270 may be configured by a circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. Note that a control unit 270 may be provided for each film forming apparatus, or one control unit 270 may control multiple film forming apparatuses.

[0021] In addition, the components involved in holding, transporting and aligning the substrate 10 (substrate holding unit 210, substrate Z actuator 250, clamp Z actuator 251, XYθ actuator, cameras 260, 261, control unit 270, etc.) are also referred to as "substrate mounting device," "substrate clamping device," "substrate transport device," etc.

[0022] <Substrate holding unit> The configuration of the substrate holding unit 210 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the substrate holding unit 210.

[0023] The substrate holding unit 210 is a means for holding and transporting the substrate 10 by clamping the peripheral portion of the substrate 10 with a clamping mechanism. Specifically, the substrate holding unit 210 has a support frame 301 provided with a plurality of supports 300 that support the four sides of the substrate 10 from below, and a clamp member 303 provided with a plurality of pressing tools 302 that clamp the substrate 10 between the supports 300 on the long side. A pair of supports 300 and pressing tools 302 constitute one clamping mechanism. In the example of FIG. 3, three supports 300 are arranged along the short sides of the substrate 10, and six clamping mechanisms (pairs of supports 300 and pressing tools 302) are arranged along the long sides, so that two long sides are clamped. However, the configuration of the clamping mechanism is not limited to the example of FIG. 3, and the number and arrangement of the clamping mechanisms may be appropriately changed according to the size and shape of the substrate to be processed or the film formation conditions. The support 300 is also called a "claw" or a "finger." The pressing tool 302 is also called a "clamp."

[0024] The transfer of the substrate 10 from the transport robot 119 to the substrate holding unit 210 is performed, for example, as follows. First, the clamp member 303 is raised by the clamp Z actuator 251, and the pressing tool 302 is moved away from the support 300, thereby releasing the clamping mechanism. After the substrate 10 is introduced between the support 300 and the pressing tool 302 by the transport robot 119, the substrate 10 is supported by the support 300. In this state, the substrate holding unit 210 can be driven by the substrate Z actuator 250 to raise and lower the substrate 10 (move in the Z direction). Note that since the clamp Z actuator 251 rises and lowers together with the substrate holding unit 210, the state of the clamping mechanism does not change even if the substrate holding unit 210 rises and lowers.

[0025] In addition, reference numeral 101 in FIG. 3 denotes alignment marks for second alignment provided at the four corners of the substrate 10, and reference numeral 102 denotes an alignment mark for first alignment provided at the center of the short side of the substrate 10.

[0026] Example 1 4(a) to 4(e) are diagrams illustrating a substrate holding unit 210 according to the first embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 4(a) is a schematic diagram of the substrate holding unit 210 and the substrate 10 seen from above. As shown in the figure, the support of the substrate holding unit 210 supports the peripheral portion 103 (supportable area) of the substrate 10. As described above, the long side of the substrate 10 is clamped by the support 300 and the pressing tool 302, while the short side of the substrate 10 is only supported by the support 300. Here, the support on the short side is a combination of the first support 41 and the second support 42, which is a support set 400, and constitutes a first side support group consisting of a plurality of support sets 400 arranged along a first direction (X direction in Example 1) in which the first side (short side in Example 1) of the substrate 10 extends. A second side support group is constituted by a plurality of supports 300 and pressing tools 302 arranged along a second direction (Y direction in Example 2) in which the second side (long side in Example 1) of the substrate 10 extends.

[0028] FIG. 4(d) is a side view of the support set 400, and FIG. 4(e) is a top view of the support set 400. The first support 41 constituting the support set 400 has a first inclined surface 51 inclined by a first angle φ1 with respect to a virtual surface 11 parallel to the surface of the substrate 10 when it is assumed that the substrate 10 held by the substrate holding unit 210 is not bent. The second support 42 has a second inclined surface 52 inclined by a second angle φ2 with respect to the virtual surface 11. The first inclined surface inclines in a first inclination direction so that the distance from the virtual surface 11 increases along the first direction (X direction), and constitutes a support surface that supports the substrate 10. The second inclined surface inclines in a second inclination direction so that the distance from the virtual surface 11 decreases along the first direction (X direction), and constitutes a support surface that supports the substrate 10. That is, the first inclination direction and the second inclination direction are different directions, and the peripheral portion (short side in Example 1) of the substrate 10 is supported by these multiple support surfaces.

[0029] In the first embodiment, the support set 400 is a set of a first support 41 and a second support 42 located on the first direction side (X direction side) of the first support 41, and as shown in Fig. 4(d), the first inclined surface 51 and the second inclined surface 52 face each other to form a valley shape along the first direction. The first angle φ1 and the second angle φ2 may be equal or different. The first angle φ1 and the second angle φ2 are set to 15 degrees to 45 degrees.

[0030] FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4(a), which is a cross-sectional view of the center of the substrate 10. FIG. 4(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4(a), which is a cross-sectional view of a short side of the substrate 10. In the center of the substrate 10, the center bends downward due to its own weight, as shown in FIG. 4(b). Meanwhile, in the short side of the substrate 10, valley shapes and mountain shapes are formed alternately by a plurality of support sets 400, as shown in FIG. 4(c), and these valley shapes and A deflection occurs along the mountain shape.

[0031] In this way, in Example 1, by actively bending the substrate 10 at the short side portion along the valley and mountain shapes formed by the multiple support sets 400 by utilizing the substrate 10's own weight, the manner in which the substrate 10 bends (the manner of bending, the bending mode) when the substrate holding unit 210 holds the substrate 10 can be made constant regardless of differences in the characteristics of each substrate 10, and variation in the manner in which the substrate bends can be suppressed.

[0032] Hereinafter, a series of processes from when the substrate holding unit 210 receives the substrate 10 from the transfer robot until when the substrate holding unit 210 places the substrate 10 on the mask 220 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0033] 5(a) shows a state in which the substrate 10 held by the robot hand 501 of the transport robot 119 is transferred to the substrate holding unit 210. Note that the center of the substrate 10 held by the robot hand 501 is bent downward due to its own weight.

[0034] 5(b) shows a state in which the transfer of the substrate 10 is completed and the robot hand 501 is removed. The short sides of the substrate 10 supported by the plurality of support sets 400 of the substrate holding unit 210 are bent in a certain manner formed by the valley shapes and mountain shapes of the plurality of support sets 400. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the substrate 10 when the substrate 10 is transferred between the robot hand 501 and the substrate holding unit 210.

[0035] 6(a), after the long side of the substrate 10 is clamped, the substrate 10 is lowered to a position where it does not come into contact with the mask 220. The long side of the substrate 10 is clamped by lowering the clamp member 303 and pressing the pressing tool 302 against the support tool 300 with a predetermined pressing force. The substrate 10 is lowered by driving the substrate holding unit 210 with the substrate Z actuator 250. The substrate 10 may be placed on the mask 220 by raising and lowering the mask stage 221 with a mask lifting means while keeping the height of the substrate holding unit 210 fixed.

[0036] In this example, the substrate 10 is lowered while the long sides of the substrate 10 are clamped, but the substrate 10 may be lowered without being clamped.

[0037] FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing the first alignment. The first alignment is an alignment process for performing rough alignment, and is also called "rough alignment." In the first alignment, the camera 260 recognizes the substrate alignment mark 102 provided on the substrate 10 and the mask alignment mark (not shown) provided on the mask 220, measures their respective XY positions and relative deviations in the XY plane, and performs alignment. The camera 260 used in the first alignment is a low-resolution but wide-field camera so that rough alignment can be performed. When performing alignment, the position of the substrate 10 (substrate holding unit 210) may be adjusted, the position of the mask 220 may be adjusted, or the positions of both the substrate 10 and the mask 220 may be adjusted.

[0038] After the first alignment process is completed, the substrate 10 is further lowered as shown in FIG. 6(c) to place the substrate 10 on the mask 220. Here, the state where the substrate 10 is placed on the mask 220 means a state where the substrate 10 and the mask 220 are in contact with each other. In other words, the state where the substrate 10 is placed on the mask 220 includes any of the states at the time when the substrate 10 starts to contact the mask 220, the time when the contact area between the substrate 10 and the mask 220 increases from the time when the contact started, and the time when the substrate 10 is completely placed on the mask 220. FIG. 7(a) shows the state where the substrate 10 is completely placed on the mask 220.

[0039] FIG. 7(b) to FIG. 8(c) are diagrams for explaining the second alignment. The second alignment is an alignment process for performing highly accurate alignment, and is also called "fine alignment". First, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the camera 261 recognizes the substrate alignment mark 101 provided on the substrate 10 and the mask alignment mark (not shown) provided on the mask 220, and measures their respective XY positions and relative deviations within the XY plane. The camera 261 is a high-resolution camera with a narrow field of view so as to perform highly accurate alignment. If the measured deviation exceeds a threshold, alignment processing is performed. The case where the measured deviation exceeds the threshold will be described below.

[0040] 7(c), the substrate Z actuator 250 is driven to raise the substrate 10 away from the mask 220. At this time, the substrate 10 supported by the substrate holding unit 210 is deflected uniformly by the multiple support sets 400 on the short side, so that random positional deviations due to the raising and lowering operation of the substrate 10 can be suppressed, improving the alignment accuracy.

[0041] 8(a), alignment is performed by driving the XYθ actuator based on the deviation measured by the camera 261. During alignment, the position of the substrate 10 (substrate holding unit 210) may be adjusted, the position of the mask 220 may be adjusted, or the positions of both the substrate 10 and the mask 220 may be adjusted.

[0042] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 8(b), the substrate 10 is lowered again and placed on the mask 220. Then, as shown in Fig. 8(c), the alignment marks of the substrate 10 and the mask 220 are photographed by the camera 261, and the misalignment is measured. If the measured misalignment exceeds a threshold value, the above-mentioned alignment process is repeated.

[0043] 9(a), the cooling plate Z actuator is driven to lower the cooling plate 230 to make it adhere closely to the substrate 10. In the first embodiment, the cooling plate 230 also serves as a magnet plate, and attracts the mask 220 by magnetic force, thereby enhancing the adhesion between the substrate 10 and the mask 20.

[0044] After the cooling plate (magnet plate) has been lowered, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the clamping members 303 are raised to release (unclamp) the clamping of the long side of the substrate 10. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 9(c), the substrate holding unit 210 is lowered.

[0045] Through the above steps, the process of placing the substrate 10 on the mask 220 is completed, and a film formation process (evaporation process) is performed by a film formation device.

[0046] According to the first embodiment, when the substrate 10 is held by the substrate holding unit 210, the substrate 10 is deflected by its own weight along the mountain and valley shapes formed by the multiple support sets 400 on the short side. This allows the substrate 10 to bend in the same manner even if there is a difference in uniformity between the substrates 10. Therefore, when the substrate 10 is placed on the mask 220, the placement position can be prevented from varying from substrate to substrate. This allows alignment to be completed with high accuracy and in a short time. Furthermore, film formation processing on the substrate can be completed with high accuracy and in a short time.

[0047] Example 2 10(a) to 10(e) are diagrams illustrating a substrate holding unit 210 of the second embodiment, and correspond to FIGS. 4(a) to 4(e). The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the support set 400 is a set of a second support 42 and a first support 41 located on the first direction side (X direction side) of the second support 42, and as shown in FIG. 10(d), the first inclined surface 51 and the first 10(c), the short sides of the substrate 10 bend in a manner different from that of the first embodiment. However, since the substrate 10 bends in a constant manner regardless of the substrate, the effect of suppressing the variation in the manner of bending for each substrate can be obtained in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0048] Example 3 11(a) to 11(e) are diagrams illustrating a substrate holding unit 210 of Example 3, and correspond to FIGS. 4(a) to 4(e). Example 2 differs from Example 1 in that the supports supporting the short sides of the substrate 10 include a third support 43 whose surface facing the substrate 10 is not an inclined surface. An upper surface 53 of the third support 43 is parallel to the imaginary plane 11, and has the same configuration as the support 300 supporting the long side. In this case, a pressing tool 302 for clamping the substrate 10 between the third support 43 and the third support 43 may be further provided.

[0049] As a result, the short side of substrate 10 includes a portion where substrate 10 is supported by being clamped between third support 43 and pressing tool 302, and a portion where substrate 10 is supported only from below by first support 41 and second support 42 of support set 400. Even with this configuration, the short side of substrate 10 bends in a different manner from that of Example 1, but by bending in a constant manner regardless of the substrate, the effect of suppressing the variation in the bending manner for each substrate can be obtained in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0050] Example 4 12(a) to 12(e) are diagrams for explaining a substrate holding unit 210 of the fourth embodiment, and correspond to FIGS. 4(a) to 4(e). The difference between the fourth embodiment and the first embodiment is that the first support 41 and the second support 42 are configured to be rotatable, and the first angle φ1 of the first inclined surface 51 and the second angle φ2 of the second inclined surface 52 with respect to the imaginary plane 11 are variable. In detail, the first support 41 has a rotating shaft 81 extending in the Y direction, and a motor 71 is connected to the rotating shaft 81. The first angle φ1 can be changed by rotating the rotating shaft 81 with the driving force of the motor 71. The second support 42 has a rotating shaft 82 extending in the Y direction, and a motor 72 is connected to the rotating shaft 82. The second angle φ2 can be changed by rotating the rotating shaft 82 with the driving force of the motor 72.

[0051] The configuration for inputting the driving force to the rotation shaft of each support may be a configuration in which an independent motor is provided for each rotation shaft, or a configuration in which the driving force output from a single motor or a number of motors less than the total number of supports is transmitted to the rotation shaft of each support by a drive transmission mechanism composed of gears or the like. The variable range of the first angle φ1 and the second angle φ2 may be from -45 degrees to +45 degrees. The variable range of the first angle φ1 and the second angle φ2 may be from -30 degrees to +30 degrees. By setting the variable angle to a range from negative to positive, it is possible to arbitrarily set the inclined surfaces of the two supports in one support set to face each other (a valley shape) or to face back to back (a mountain shape).

[0052] According to the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12(c), for example, a support set 400 in which the inclined surfaces of the first support 41 and the second support 42 face each other to form a valley shape can be provided with a support set 401 consisting of a first support 44 and a second support 45 in which the angle of the inclined surface is changed so that the valley shape is deeper. Also, a support set 402 in which the inclined surfaces of the first support 46 and the second support 47 face each other to form a mountain shape can be provided. As shown in FIG. 12(c), among the multiple support sets supporting the short side of the substrate 10, at least one support set having different first angle φ1 and second angle φ2 may be included, or the first angle φ1 and second angle φ2 of each of the multiple support sets may be changed simultaneously. The first angle φ1 and the second angle φ2 may be changed depending on the type of substrate 10, the use environment conditions of the film forming apparatus, and the like.

[0053] In the fourth embodiment, the angle of the inclined surfaces of the first and second supporters is changed by the driving force of a motor, but the first and second supporters may be manually rotatable without a motor. In this case, the angle needs to be adjusted manually by an operator, but a substrate holding unit in which the angle of the support surfaces of the first and second supporters is variable can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0054] In Examples 1 to 3, the angle of the inclined surface of the support supporting the short side was a preset fixed angle, which has the advantage of inducing the bending of the board with a simple mechanism and suppressing the variation in the bending of each board. In Example 4, the angle of the inclined surface of the support supporting the short side is variable, which makes it possible to induce the bending of the board into a shape that is most suitable for suppressing the variation in the bending depending on the type of board, etc.

[0055] In the above embodiments, the support that supports the short sides of the substrate 10 is provided with an inclined surface. However, the support that supports the long sides of the substrate 10 may be provided with an inclined surface.

[0056] (Example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device) Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device using the film forming apparatus of each of the above-mentioned embodiments will be described below. As an example of the electronic device, the configuration of an organic EL display device and a method for manufacturing the same will be described.

[0057] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Fig. 13(a) is an overall view of an organic EL display device 60, and Fig. 13(b) shows the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 13(a), a plurality of pixels 62 each including a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in a matrix in a display area 61 of an organic EL display device 60. Although details will be described later, each light-emitting element has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. Note that the pixel here refers to the smallest unit that allows a desired color to be displayed in the display area 61. In the case of the organic EL display device according to this embodiment, the pixel 62 is configured by a combination of a first light-emitting element 62R, a second light-emitting element 62G, and a third light-emitting element 62B that emit light different from each other. The pixel 62 is often configured by a combination of a red light-emitting element, a green light-emitting element, and a blue light-emitting element, but may also be a combination of a yellow light-emitting element, a cyan light-emitting element, and a white light-emitting element, and is not particularly limited as long as it is at least one color.

[0059] Fig. 13(b) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line AB in Fig. 13(a). The pixel 62 has an organic EL element on a substrate 63, the organic EL element including a first electrode (anode) 64, a hole transport layer 65, any one of the light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B, an electron transport layer 67, and a second electrode (cathode) 68. Among these, the hole transport layer 65, the light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B, and the electron transport layer 67 correspond to organic layers. In the embodiment, the light-emitting layer 66R is an organic EL layer that emits red light, the light-emitting layer 66G is an organic EL layer that emits green light, and the light-emitting layer 66B is an organic EL layer that emits blue light. The light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B are formed in a predetermined pattern corresponding to the light-emitting elements (sometimes referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue light, respectively. The first electrode 64 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 65, the electron transport layer 67, and the second electrode 68 may be formed in common with the plurality of light emitting elements 62R, 62G, and 62B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. In order to prevent the first electrode 64 and the second electrode 68 from being shorted by foreign matter, an insulating layer 69 is provided between the first electrodes 64. Furthermore, since the organic EL layer deteriorates due to moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 70 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen.

[0060] In order to form the organic EL layer for each light-emitting element, a method of forming the layer through a mask is used. In recent years, display devices have become increasingly finer, and masks with openings several tens of micrometers wide are used to form the organic EL layer. When forming the layer using such a mask, the mask evaporates during the film formation. When the mask is heated by the source and deformed, the positions of the mask and the substrate are shifted, and the thin film pattern formed on the substrate is formed in a position shifted from the desired position. Therefore, the film forming apparatus (vacuum deposition apparatus) according to the present invention is preferably used for forming these organic EL layers.

[0061] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described.

[0062] First, a substrate 63 on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a first electrode 64 are formed is prepared.

[0063] An acrylic resin is formed by spin coating on the substrate 63 on which the first electrode 64 is formed, and the acrylic resin is patterned by lithography so as to form an opening in the portion where the first electrode 64 is formed, thereby forming an insulating layer 69. This opening corresponds to the light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light.

[0064] The substrate 63 on which the insulating layer 69 has been patterned is carried into a first film forming apparatus, and the substrate is held by a substrate holding unit, and a hole transport layer 65 is formed as a common layer on the first electrodes 64 in the display area. The hole transport layer 65 is formed by vacuum deposition. In practice, the hole transport layer 65 is formed to be larger than the display area 61, so that a high-definition mask is not required.

[0065] Next, the substrate 63 on which the hole transport layer 65 has been formed is carried into a second film forming apparatus and held by a substrate holding unit. The substrate and the mask are aligned, the substrate is placed on the mask, and a red light emitting layer 66R is formed on the portion of the substrate 63 where the red light emitting element is to be disposed. According to this example, the mask and the substrate can be well aligned, and highly accurate film formation can be performed.

[0066] Similar to the deposition of the light-emitting layer 66R, a third deposition apparatus deposits a green-emitting light-emitting layer 66G, and a fourth deposition apparatus deposits a blue-emitting light-emitting layer 66B. After the deposition of the light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B is completed, a fifth deposition apparatus deposits an electron transport layer 67 over the entire display area 61. The electron transport layer 67 is formed as a layer common to the three light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B.

[0067] The substrate on which the electron transport layer 67 has been formed is transferred to a sputtering device, where the second electrode 68 is formed, and then transferred to a plasma CVD device where the protective layer 70 is formed, thereby completing the organic EL display device 60.

[0068] If the substrate 63 on which the insulating layer 69 is patterned is exposed to an atmosphere containing moisture or oxygen from the time when it is carried into the film forming apparatus until the film formation of the protective layer 70 is completed, the light emitting layer made of an organic EL material may be deteriorated by moisture or oxygen. Therefore, in this example, the substrate is carried in and out of the film forming apparatus in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere.

[0069] In the organic EL display device obtained in this manner, the light-emitting layer is formed with high precision for each light-emitting element, and therefore, by using the above-described manufacturing method, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the organic EL display device due to misalignment of the light-emitting layer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10: Substrate 41:First support 42:Second support 210: Substrate holding unit

Claims

1. A substrate support apparatus having a plurality of supports for supporting a substrate, The plurality of supports are a combination of a first support having a support surface inclined in a first inclination direction and a second support having a support surface inclined in a second inclination direction, A substrate supporting device, characterized in that the first inclination direction and the second inclination direction are different directions, and the substrate is supported by the plurality of supporting surfaces.

2. A virtual plane is a virtual plane that is parallel to a surface of the substrate when it is assumed that the substrate held by the substrate support device is not bent; The support surface of the first support tool is a first inclined surface inclined at a first angle with respect to the virtual plane, The support surface of the second support tool is a second inclined surface inclined at a second angle with respect to the virtual plane, The substrate supporting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a combination of the first support and the second support is defined as a support set, and the substrate supporting apparatus has a plurality of support sets arranged along a first direction parallel to the imaginary plane.

3. the first inclined surface is inclined along the first direction so that a distance from the virtual surface increases, The substrate support apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second inclined surface is inclined along the first direction so that a distance from the imaginary surface becomes smaller.

4. the support set is a set of the first support and the second support located on the first direction side of the first support, The substrate support device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface form a valley-shaped support surface along the first direction.

5. the support set is a set of the second support and the first support located on the first direction side of the second support, 4. The substrate supporting device according to claim 2, wherein the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface form a mountain-shaped supporting surface along the first direction.

6. The substrate support apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first angle and the second angle are fixed.

7. The substrate support apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first angle and the second angle are variable.

8. 8. The substrate support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first angle and the second angle are variable within a range of -45 degrees to +45 degrees with respect to the imaginary plane.

9. 8. The substrate supporting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first angle and the second angle are variable within a range of -30 degrees to +30 degrees with respect to the imaginary plane.

10. 4. The substrate supporting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a third support having a supporting surface parallel to the imaginary plane.

11. The substrate further includes a pressing tool that presses the third support via the substrate, The substrate supporting device according to claim 10 , wherein the substrate is supported by the supporting surfaces of the first support and the second support, and the substrate is sandwiched between the third support and the pressing tool.

12. A substrate supporting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A film forming means for forming a film on the substrate; A film forming apparatus comprising:

13. A method for forming a film having a predetermined pattern on a substrate, comprising the steps of: A step of placing the substrate on a mask by a substrate support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a film forming step of forming a film on the substrate through the mask; A film forming method comprising the steps of:

14. 1. A method for manufacturing an electronic device having an organic film formed on a substrate, comprising: A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising forming the organic film by the film forming method according to claim 13.

15. 1. A method for manufacturing an electronic device having a metal film formed on a substrate, comprising: A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising forming the metal film by the film forming method according to claim 13.

16. 15. The method for producing an electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the electronic device is a display panel of an organic electroluminescence display device.

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