Film deposition apparatus, film deposition method, manufacturing method of electronic device, and mask

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of depositing a finer film while a durability of a mask is improved.SOLUTION: A film deposition apparatus includes: vapor deposition means where an evaporation material is discharged to a substrate through a mask having multiple opening parts for depositing a film of the evaporation material; and position adjustment means for adjusting a relative position between the mask and the substrate. The multiple openings have a taper shape of which opening area is larger in vapor deposition means side than in a substrate side. After a first discharge of the evaporation material to the substrate by the vapor deposition means, a vapor deposition part of the substrate is changed by adjusting a relative position between the mask and the substrate with the position adjustment means, and a second discharge of the evaporation material to the substrate is performed by the vapor deposition means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In the manufacture of organic EL displays and the like, a mask is used to deposit a film of a deposition material on a substrate. As a pretreatment for the deposition, the mask and the substrate are aligned and then superimposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The mask has the same pattern as the pattern to be formed on the substrate, and the desired pattern is formed on the substrate in one deposition process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-007538 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In small displays known as microdisplays, the pitch between pixels is narrow. One method of masking this is to make the pattern formation area thinner, but this reduces the mask's strength. If the pattern formation area is made thicker, the pitch between pixels cannot be made narrow enough, and the amount of deposition material passing through the openings is reduced, which can result in the film (pixels) becoming smaller than the openings.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique that enables formation of finer films while improving the durability of the mask. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, a deposition means for ejecting a deposition material onto a substrate through a mask having a plurality of openings for depositing the deposition material; a position adjusting means for adjusting a relative position between the mask and the substrate; A film forming apparatus comprising: the plurality of openings have a tapered shape in which an opening area on the deposition means side is larger than an opening area on the substrate side, after the deposition means has discharged the deposition material onto the substrate for the first time, the position adjustment means adjusts the relative position between the mask and the substrate to change the deposition site on the substrate, and the deposition means discharges the deposition material onto the substrate for the second time; The present invention provides a film forming apparatus. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique capable of forming a finer film while improving the durability of the mask. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of a part of a manufacturing line for electronic devices. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a substrate and a mask, and partially enlarged views of the substrate and the mask. [Figure 4] 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3, and (C) is a cross-sectional view of an opening of a comparative example. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. [Figure 11] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. [Figure 12](A) is an overall view of an organic EL display device, and (B) is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment <Electronic device manufacturing line> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the configuration of an electronic device manufacturing line 100 to which the film forming apparatus of the present invention can be applied. In each drawing, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions perpendicular to each other, and arrow Z indicates a vertical direction (gravity direction). The manufacturing line of FIG. 1 is used, for example, for manufacturing light-emitting elements of an organic EL display device. The manufacturing line 100 includes a transfer chamber 120 having an octagonal shape in a plan view. A substrate 101 is carried into the transfer chamber 120 from a transfer path 110, and the substrate 101 on which a film has been formed is carried out from the transfer chamber 120 to a transfer path 111.

[0011] A plurality of film forming apparatuses 1 for performing film forming processing on a substrate 101 are arranged around the transfer chamber 120. A transfer chamber 130 is arranged adjacent to each film forming apparatus 1. A storage chamber 140 for storing a mask 102 is arranged around the transfer chamber 130, which has an octagonal shape in a plan view.

[0012] A transport unit 121 for transporting the substrate 101 is disposed in the transport chamber 120. The transport unit 121 in this embodiment is a horizontal articulated robot, and transports the substrate 101 by mounting it in a horizontal position on its hand. The transport unit 121 performs a transport operation for transporting the substrate 101 transported from the transport path 110 to the film forming apparatus 1, and a transport operation for transporting the substrate 101, on which a film has been formed in the film forming apparatus 1, from the film forming chamber 1 to the transport path 111.

[0013] A transport unit 131 for transporting the mask 102 is disposed in each transport chamber 130. The transport unit 131 in this embodiment is a horizontal articulated robot, and transports the mask 102 by mounting it in a horizontal position on its hand. The transport unit 131 transports the mask 102 from the storage chamber 140 to the film forming apparatus 1 and transports the mask 102 from the film forming apparatus 1 to the storage chamber 140.

[0014] <Film forming equipment> 2 is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The film forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a film of a deposition material on a substrate 101, and forms a thin film of the deposition material in a predetermined pattern using a mask 102. The material of the substrate 101 on which a film is formed in the film forming apparatus 1 can be appropriately selected from materials such as glass, resin, and metal. Particularly in this embodiment, the substrate 101 is, for example, a glass substrate on which TFTs (Thin Film Transistors) are formed, or a semiconductor wafer (silicon wafer) on which semiconductor elements are formed.

[0015] The deposition material may be an organic material or an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.). The film forming apparatus 1 is applicable to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing electronic devices such as display devices (flat panel displays, etc.), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), and optical components, and is particularly applicable to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing organic EL panels. In the following description, an example will be described in which the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film on the substrate 101 by vacuum deposition, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various film forming methods such as sputtering and CVD can be applied.

[0016] The film forming apparatus 1 has a box-shaped vacuum chamber 2. The internal space of the vacuum chamber 2 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. In this embodiment, the vacuum chamber 2 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). A deposition unit 10 is disposed in the internal space of the vacuum chamber 2. The deposition unit 10 includes a deposition source that discharges a deposition material upward. A shutter 10a that restricts and releases the discharge of the deposition material is disposed above the deposition unit 10. The shutter 10a is opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown). FIG. 2 shows a case where the shutter 10a is in a closed state, and the discharge of the deposition material by the deposition unit 10 is restricted. An adhesion prevention plate 2a is also disposed above the deposition unit 10. The adhesion prevention plate 2a prevents the deposition material from unnecessarily adhering to the following components disposed in the upper part of the internal space of the vacuum chamber 2.

[0017] A substrate support plate 3 that supports the substrate 101 in a horizontal position is provided in the internal space of the vacuum chamber 2. In this embodiment, the substrate support plate 3 is an electrostatic chuck that attracts and holds the substrate 101 on its lower surface by electrostatic force. A cooling plate 4 is fixed on the substrate support plate 3. The cooling plate 4 is equipped with, for example, a water cooling mechanism, and cools the substrate 101 via the substrate support plate 3 during film formation.

[0018] The substrate support plate 3 and the cooling plate 4 are suspended from a magnet plate 5 via a support portion 5a so as to be displaceable in the Z direction. The magnet plate 5 is a plate that attracts the mask 102 by magnetic force. During film formation, the substrate 101 is sandwiched between the magnet plate 5 and the mask 102 by magnetic force, so that the adhesion between the substrate 101 and the mask 102 can be improved.

[0019] The film forming apparatus 1 includes a mask support unit 6 that supports the mask 102 during film formation. In this embodiment, the mask support unit 6 also transfers the substrate 101 between the transport unit 121 and the substrate support plate 3. The mask support unit 6 includes a pair of support members 6a spaced apart in the X direction. Each support member 6a is raised and lowered by a corresponding actuator 6b. In this embodiment, an actuator 6b is provided for each support member 6a, but the pair of support members 6a may be raised and lowered by one actuator 6b. The actuator 6b is, for example, an electric cylinder or an electric ball screw mechanism. The support member 6a includes a claw portion F1 at its lower end. The peripheral portion of the substrate 101 or the mask 102 is placed on the claw portion F1. In the example of FIG. 2, the mask 102 is placed on the claw portion F1. The pair of support members 6a are raised and lowered synchronously to raise and lower the substrate 101 or the mask 102. The claw portion F1 may have a mechanism for releasably holding the mask 102.

[0020] The film forming apparatus 1 includes an alignment unit 8 that aligns a substrate 101 and a mask 102. The alignment apparatus 8 includes a driving mechanism 80 and a plurality of measurement units SR. The driving mechanism 80 includes a distance adjustment unit 81, a support shaft 82, a stand 83, and a position adjustment unit 84.

[0021] The distance adjustment unit 81 is a mechanism for raising and lowering the support shaft 82 in the Z direction, and includes, for example, an electric cylinder or an electric ball screw mechanism. A magnet plate 5 is fixed to the lower end of the support shaft 82, and the substrate support plate 3 is raised and lowered via the magnet plate 5 by raising and lowering the support shaft 82. By raising and lowering the substrate support plate 3, the distance between the substrate 101 and the mask 102 is adjusted, and the substrate 101 and the mask 102 supported by the substrate support plate 3 are brought closer to each other and separated from each other in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 101. In other words, the distance adjustment unit 81 brings the substrate 101 and the mask 102 closer to each other in the direction in which they are superimposed, and separates them in the opposite direction. The "distance" adjusted by the distance adjustment unit 81 is the so-called vertical distance (or perpendicular distance), and the distance adjustment unit 81 can also be said to be a unit for adjusting the vertical position of the substrate 101. The distance adjustment unit 81 is mounted on the position adjustment unit 84 via a stand 83.

[0022] The position adjustment unit 84 adjusts the relative position of the substrate 101 with respect to the mask 102 by displacing the substrate support plate 3 on the XY plane. That is, the position adjustment unit 80 can also be said to be a unit that adjusts the horizontal positions of the mask 102 and the substrate 101. The position adjustment unit 80 can displace the substrate support plate 6 in a rotational direction (θ direction) around an axis in the X, Y, and Z directions. In this embodiment, the position of the mask 102 is fixed and the substrate 101 is displaced to adjust their relative positions, but the mask 102 may be displaced to adjust the position, or both the substrate 101 and the mask 102 may be displaced.

[0023] The position adjustment unit 84 includes a fixed plate 20a and a movable plate 20b. The fixed plate 84a and the movable plate 84b are rectangular frame-shaped plates, and the fixed plate 84a is fixed onto the upper wall portion 20 of the vacuum chamber 2. An actuator is provided between the fixed plate 20a and the movable plate 20b for displacing the movable plate 20b relative to the fixed plate 20a in the X-direction, Y-direction, and rotational directions around the Z-direction axes.

[0024] A frame-shaped stand 83 is mounted on the movable plate 84b, and a distance adjustment unit 81 is supported on the stand 83. When the movable plate 84b is displaced, the stand 83 and the distance adjustment unit 81 are displaced together. This allows the substrate 101 to be displaced in the rotational directions around the axes in the X-, Y-, and Z-directions. The upper wall 20 has openings through which the support shaft 82 and the support members 6a and 7a pass. These openings are sealed by sealing members (such as bellows) not shown, and the inside of the vacuum chamber 2 is kept airtight.

[0025] The measurement unit SR measures the positional deviation between the substrate 101 and the mask 102. The measurement unit SR in this embodiment is an imaging device (camera) that captures an image. The measurement unit SR is disposed on the upper wall portion 20 and is capable of capturing an image inside the vacuum chamber 2. Alignment marks (not shown) are formed on the substrate 101 and the mask 102, respectively. The measurement unit SR captures images of the alignment marks of the substrate 101 and the mask 102. The amount of positional deviation between the substrate 101 and the mask 102 is calculated based on the position of each alignment mark, and the position adjustment unit 84 adjusts the relative positions of the substrate 101 and the mask 102 to eliminate the amount of positional deviation.

[0026] The control device 9 controls the entire film forming apparatus 1. The control device 9 includes a processing unit 90, a storage unit 91, an input / output interface (I / O) 92, and a communication unit 93. The processing unit 90 is a processor such as a CPU, and controls the film forming apparatus 1 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 92. The storage unit 91 is a storage device such as a ROM, RAM, or HDD, and stores various control information in addition to the program executed by the processing unit 90. The I / O 92 is an interface that transmits and receives signals between the processing unit 90 and an external device. The communication unit 93 is a communication device that communicates with a higher-level device or other control devices via a communication line.

[0027] <Example of substrate and mask configuration> 3 shows an example of a substrate 101, a mask 102, and an electrostatic chuck 103. The substrate 101 is a circular silicon wafer, and after film formation and the like, a plurality of chips 101a are cut out from the substrate 101. In the illustrated example, it is assumed that a matrix pattern of a plurality of pixels 101b of a predetermined color (e.g., red, blue, or green) is formed for each chip 101a by the film formation device 1. The pixels 101b adjacent in the X direction are spaced apart by a pitch P0.

[0028] The mask 102 is a circular member similar to the substrate 101, and includes a mask portion 102b corresponding to each chip 101a and a frame portion 102a around the mask portion 102b. The mask portion 102b has a plurality of openings (through holes) 102c through which the deposition material to be deposited on the substrate 101 passes, and the arrangement of the openings 102c defines the deposition pattern on the substrate 101. The plurality of openings 101b form a matrix pattern, and the number and position (pitch) of the openings 101b in the Y direction match the pixels 101b. On the other hand, the pitch P1 of the openings 101b in the X direction is longer than the pitch P0, and in this embodiment, there is an integer multiple relationship as shown by P1=N×P0 (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2), and in the illustrated example, N=2. Therefore, the number of openings 101b in the X direction is half the number of pixels 101b in the X direction.

[0029] 4(A) and 4(B) are cross-sectional views taken along the lines AA and BB in FIG. 3. The mask 102 is made of, for example, a silicon plate (a plate material of Si). By using a silicon wafer as the mask 102, a finer and more precise opening 102c can be formed by applying semiconductor manufacturing technology. The frame portion 102a is a relatively thick portion, and the mask portion 102b is a relatively thin portion. The frame portion 102a has higher rigidity than the mask portion 102b. The mask portion 102b can be formed thin without significantly decreasing the rigidity of the entire mask 102. By providing a magnetic body (not shown) in the frame portion 102a, the mask 102 and the substrate 101 can be brought into close contact with each other during film formation by the magnetic force of the magnet plate 5. The magnetic body is, for example, a thin film of a magnetic material such as nickel (Ni).

[0030] The opening 102c has a tapered shape in which the opening area on the side of the vapor deposition unit 10 is larger than that on the side of the substrate 101. In the case of the present embodiment, the opening 102c has a frustum of a cone shape, the diameter of one end on the side of the vapor deposition unit 10 is D2, and the diameter of the other end on the side of the substrate 101 is D1 (<D2). The taper angle θ is the angle between the surface of the mask 102 on the substrate 101 side and the inner peripheral surface of the opening 102c, and the thickness t is the thickness of the mask portion 102b. The opening 102c may have a frustum of a pyramid shape.

[0031] Here, if the thickness t is small, the strength of the mask portion 102b decreases, and when particles enter between the substrate 101 and the mask portion 102b during film formation, the mask portion 102b may be damaged. When the thickness t is increased, if the opening 102c has a cylindrical shape or each cylindrical shape, the vapor deposition material passing through the opening 102c may decrease. FIG. 4(C) shows an example in which the opening 102c has a cylindrical shape as a comparative example. In the case of such a shape, when the thickness t increases, as shown by the broken line, the vapor deposition material incident obliquely to the opening 102c cannot pass through the opening 102c. As a result, a phenomenon occurs in which the film (pixel) to be formed becomes smaller than the cross-sectional area of the opening 102c.

[0032] Since the opening 102c has a tapered shape as in the present embodiment, the vapor deposition material can easily pass through the opening 102c. Therefore, while increasing the thickness t, a film (pixel) corresponding to the cross-sectional area on the substrate 101 side of the opening 102c can be formed. On the other hand, when the opening 102c has a tapered shape as in the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area on the side of the vapor deposition unit 10 becomes larger. When trying to match the pitch P1 of the opening 102c with the pitch P0 of the pixel 101b, the opening 102c cannot be arranged according to the number of pixels 101b, or a constraint occurs in the taper angle θ.

[0033] Therefore, in this embodiment, the substrate 101 is deposited in multiple stages using the mask 102. In this embodiment, since P1=2×P0, the substrate 101 is deposited in two stages. Specifically, a plurality of pixels 101b are deposited on the substrate 101 at pitch P1 by the first deposition. After that, the relative position between the substrate 101 and the mask 102 in the X direction is adjusted to change the deposition site on the substrate. The adjustment of the relative position is a displacement shorter than the pitch P1 of the openings 102c. In this embodiment, the relative position is adjusted by the pitch P0. Then, the second deposition is performed. As a result, a plurality of pixels 101b are deposited on the substrate 101 at the desired pitch P0.

[0034] In this manner, in this embodiment, by combining the shape of the opening 102c and the multi-stage film formation, it is possible to form a finer film while increasing the thickness t and improving the durability of the mask 102. Note that if the relationship P1=3×P0 holds, the film may be formed on the substrate 101 in three stages, and if the relationship P1=4×P0 holds, the film may be formed on the substrate 101 in four stages.

[0035] The number of film formation steps in multiple stages can be determined, for example, from the diameter D2 of the opening 102c and the pixel pitch P0 of the pixels 101b as follows: Number of depositions ≧ D2 ÷ P0 The diameter D2 is calculated from the thickness t, the taper angle θ, and the diameter D1 of the opening 102c as follows: D2 = t ÷ (tan θ × 2) + D1 Therefore, the number of film formations can also be defined as follows from the thickness t, the taper angle θ, the diameter D1 of the opening 102c, and the pixel pitch P0 of the pixels 101b. Number of depositions ≧(t÷(tanθ×2)+D1)÷P0 Each parameter can be appropriately designed within a range that satisfies the above relational expressions.

[0036] <Control example> An example of control of the film forming apparatus 1 executed by the processing section 90 of the control unit 9 will be described below. Figures 5 to 11 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film forming apparatus 1, showing an example of a process from loading of the substrate 101, to film formation and unloading.

[0037] State ST51 in FIG. 5 shows a state in which the substrate 101 has been carried into the vacuum chamber 2. The substrate 101 is carried below the substrate support plate 3 by the transport robot 121. The substrate adsorption surface 3a on the lower surface of the substrate support plate 3 is horizontal. Next, the mask support unit 6 transfers the substrate 101 from the transport robot 121 to the substrate support plate 3. State ST52 in FIG. 5 shows this operation. By raising the support member 6a, the peripheral edge of the substrate 101 is placed on the claw portion F1, and the substrate 101 is raised from the transport robot 121 and pressed against the substrate adsorption surface 3a of the substrate support plate 3. The electrostatic chuck of the substrate support plate 3 is operated to adsorb and hold the substrate 101.

[0038] Next, the mask 102 is carried into the vacuum chamber 2. State ST61 in FIG. 6 shows a state in which the mask 102 is carried into the vacuum chamber 2. The mask 102 is carried into the vacuum chamber 2 from the storage chamber 140 by the transport robot 131. The mask 102 is located directly below the substrate 101. Next, the mask 102 is transferred from the transport robot 131 to the mask support unit 6 and positioned at the alignment position. State ST62 in FIG. 6 shows this operation. By raising the support member 6a, the periphery of the mask 102 is placed on the claw portion F1, and the mask 102 is raised from the transport robot 131. The mask 102 is supported by the support member 6a, and is further raised to be positioned at the alignment position. In this embodiment, the mask 102 is raised to be positioned at the alignment position, but a configuration in which the substrate 101 is lowered to be positioned at the alignment position may also be used.

[0039] Next, an alignment operation is performed. As shown in state ST71 in Fig. 7, the measurement unit SR measures the relative positions of the alignment marks on the substrate 101 and the mask 102. If the measurement result (the amount of misalignment between the substrate 101 and the mask 102) is within the allowable range, the alignment operation ends. If the measurement result is outside the allowable range, a control amount (the amount of displacement of the substrate 101) is set based on the measurement result to bring the amount of misalignment within the allowable range.

[0040] The "amount of misalignment" is defined as the distance and direction (X, Y, θ) of the misalignment. Based on the set control amount, the position adjustment unit 80 is operated as shown in state ST71 in Fig. 7. As a result, the substrate support plate 3 is displaced on the XY plane, and the relative position of the substrate 101 with respect to the mask 102 is adjusted.

[0041] Whether or not the measurement results are within the allowable range can be determined, for example, by calculating the distances between the alignment marks and comparing the average value or the sum of squares of the distances with a preset threshold value.

[0042] After the relative positions are adjusted, the measurement unit SR again measures the relative positions of the alignment marks on the substrate 101 and the mask 102. If the measurement result is within the allowable range, the alignment operation is terminated. If the measurement result is outside the allowable range, the relative position of the substrate 101 with respect to the mask 102 is adjusted again. Thereafter, the measurement and relative position adjustment are repeated until the measurement result falls within the allowable range.

[0043] Next, a first film forming operation is performed. First, the substrate 101 is overlapped with the mask 102. State ST81 in FIG. 8 shows this operation. When the substrate support plate 3 is lowered, the substrate 101 is placed on the mask 102, and the entire surface to be processed of the substrate 101 comes into contact with the mask 102. The magnet plate 5 comes into contact with the cooling plate 4, and the magnet plate 5, the cooling plate 4, the substrate support plate 3, the substrate 101, and the mask 102 are in close contact from above. The mask 102 is attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet plate 5, and the mask 102 and the substrate 101 can be brought into close contact with each other overall.

[0044] 8, the shutter 10a is opened and the deposition material is released from the deposition unit 10. The deposition material is deposited on the substrate 101 through the mask 102.

[0045] After the first release of the deposition material, the deposition site on the substrate 101 is changed by adjusting the relative positions of the mask 102 and the substrate 101. First, as shown in state ST91 of Fig. 9, the magnet plate 5 is raised to separate the substrate 101 and the mask 102 in the Z direction. Next, as shown in state ST92 of Fig. 9, the position adjustment unit 80 moves the substrate 101 by a distance P0 in the X direction. This changes the deposition site on the substrate 101.

[0046] In this embodiment, when changing the deposition site, the substrate 101 is moved in the X direction by the distance P0. However, alignment marks for the substrate 101 and the mask 102 for the second film formation operation may be provided, and alignment may be performed in the same manner as in the example of FIG. 7 to change the relative positions of the substrate 101 and the mask 102.

[0047] Next, a second film formation operation is performed. The procedure is the same as the first film formation operation. First, the substrate 101 is overlapped with the mask 102. State ST101 in FIG. 10 shows this operation. When the substrate support plate 3 is lowered, the substrate 101 is placed on the mask 102, and the entire surface to be processed of the substrate 101 comes into contact with the mask 102. The magnet plate 5 comes into contact with the cooling plate 4, and the magnet plate 5, the cooling plate 4, the substrate support plate 3, the substrate 101, and the mask 102 are in close contact from above. The mask 102 is attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet plate 5, and the mask 102 and the substrate 101 can be brought into close contact with each other overall.

[0048] 10, the shutter 10a is opened and the deposition material is released from the deposition unit 10. The deposition material is deposited on the substrate 101 through the mask 102.

[0049] Through the above procedure, the pixels 101b having the pitch P0 illustrated in FIG. 3 can be formed on the substrate 101 using the mask 102 in which the openings 102c having the pitch P1 illustrated in FIG.

[0050] When such film formation is completed, the mask 102 and the substrate 101 are each unloaded. State ST111 in FIG. 11 shows the operation of unloading the mask 102. First, the magnet plate 5 is raised, and the substrate 101 and the mask 102 are separated from each other. After the hand portion of the transfer robot 131 is inserted below the mask 102, the support member 6a of the mask support unit 6 is lowered, and the mask 102 is transferred from the support member 6a to the transfer robot 131. The transfer robot 131 transfers the mask 102 to the storage chamber 140.

[0051] Next, the substrate 101 on which the film has been formed is carried out. The support members 6a of the mask support unit 6 are raised, and the substrate 101 is supported from below by the claws F1. The suction of the substrate support unit 3 to the substrate 101 is released, and the substrate 101 is transferred to the support members 6a. After the hand of the transport robot 121 is advanced below the substrate 101, the support members 6a of the mask support unit 6 are lowered, and the substrate 101 is transferred from the support members 6a to the transport robot 121, as shown in state ST112 of FIG. 11. The transport robot 121 transports the substrate 101 to the transport path 111. This completes the operations from carrying in the substrate 101, to forming a film on it, and carrying it out.

[0052] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, the pitch in the X direction of the pixels 101b and the openings 102c is set to P1=N×P0, but the pitch in the Y direction may also be set to the pitch of the openings 102c=n×the pitch of the pixels 10b (n is an integer of 2 or more). In this case, the change of the deposition site and the film formation operation shown in Figs. 9 and 10 may be performed n-1 times in the Y direction.

[0053] <Third embodiment> Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described below. As an example of the electronic device, the configuration and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be illustrated.

[0054] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Fig. 12(A) is an overall view of an organic EL display device 50, and Fig. 12(B) is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0055] 12(A), a plurality of pixels 52, each including a plurality of light-emitting elements, are arranged in a matrix in a display region 51 of an organic EL display device 50. As will be described in detail later, each of the light-emitting elements has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes.

[0056] The pixel here refers to the smallest unit capable of displaying a desired color in the display region 51. In the case of a color organic EL display device, a pixel 52 is configured by a combination of a plurality of pixels (called sub-pixels to distinguish from the whole pixel) of a first light-emitting element 52R, a second light-emitting element 52G, and a third light-emitting element 52B that emit light different from each other. The pixel 52 is often configured by a combination of three types of sub-pixels, a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, and a blue (B) light-emitting element, but is not limited to this. The pixel 52 needs to include at least one type of sub-pixel, and preferably includes two or more types of sub-pixels, and more preferably includes three or more types of sub-pixels. The sub-pixels that configure the pixel 52 may be, for example, a combination of four types of sub-pixels, a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, a blue (B) light-emitting element, and a yellow (Y) light-emitting element.

[0057] Fig. 12(B) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line AB in Fig. 12(A). A pixel 52 has a plurality of sub-pixels on a substrate 53, each of which is composed of an organic EL element having a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, any one of a red layer 56R, a green layer 56G, and a blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58. Of these, the hole transport layer 55, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, the blue layer 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to organic layers. The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue colors, respectively.

[0058] In addition, the first electrode 54 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, the electron transport layer 57, and the second electrode 58 may be formed in common for the plurality of light-emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or may be formed for each light-emitting element. That is, as shown in FIG. 12(B), the hole transport layer 55 may be formed as a common layer for the plurality of sub-pixel regions, and the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B may be formed separately for each sub-pixel region on top of the hole transport layer 55, and the electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 may be formed as a common layer for the plurality of sub-pixel regions on top of the hole transport layer 55.

[0059] In order to prevent short circuits between adjacent first electrodes 54, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54. Furthermore, since the organic EL layer deteriorates due to moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 60 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen.

[0060] 12(B), the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are shown as a single layer, but they may be formed of multiple layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer depending on the structure of the organic EL display element. In addition, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure that allows holes to be smoothly injected from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55 may be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer may be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

[0061] Each of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B may be formed of a single light-emitting layer, or may be formed by laminating a plurality of layers. For example, the red layer 56R may be configured of two layers, with the upper layer being a red light-emitting layer and the lower layer being a hole transport layer or an electron block layer. Alternatively, the lower layer may be formed of a red light-emitting layer and the upper layer being an electron transport layer or a hole block layer. By providing a layer below or above the light-emitting layer in this way, the light-emitting position in the light-emitting layer can be adjusted, and the optical path length can be adjusted, thereby improving the color purity of the light-emitting element.

[0062] Although the example of the red layer 56R is shown here, the same structure may be adopted for the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B. The number of layers may be two or more. Furthermore, layers of different materials may be laminated, such as a light-emitting layer and an electron blocking layer, or layers of the same material may be laminated, such as two or more light-emitting layers.

[0063] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described. Here, it is assumed that the red layer 56R is composed of two layers, a lower layer 56R1 and an upper layer 56R2, and the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B are composed of a single light-emitting layer. It is assumed that six film-forming chambers are arranged in which the film-forming device 1 is arranged.

[0064] First, a substrate 53 is prepared on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a first electrode 54 are formed. The material of the substrate 53 is not particularly limited, and the substrate 53 may be made of glass, plastic, metal, etc. In this embodiment, a substrate in which a polyimide film is laminated on a glass substrate is used as the substrate 53.

[0065] A resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is coated by bar coating or spin coating on the substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed, and the resin layer is patterned by lithography so that an opening is formed in the portion where the first electrode 54 is formed, to form an insulating layer 59. This opening corresponds to a light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light. In this embodiment, the large substrate is processed up to the formation of the insulating layer 59, and after the insulating layer 59 is formed, a division step is performed to divide the substrate 53.

[0066] The substrate 53 with the patterned insulating layer 59 is carried into a first film formation chamber, and a hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on the first electrodes 54 in the display regions. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask having an opening for each display region 51 which will eventually become the panel portion of each organic EL display device.

[0067] Next, the substrate 53 on which the hole transport layer 55 has been formed is carried into a second film formation chamber. The substrate 53 and the mask are aligned, and the substrate is placed on the mask. A red layer 56R is formed on the hole transport layer 55 in a portion of the substrate 53 where elements emitting red light are arranged (a region where a red subpixel is formed). Here, the mask used in the second film formation chamber is a high-definition mask in which openings are formed only in a plurality of regions that will become red subpixels among a plurality of regions on the substrate 53 that will become subpixels of the organic EL display device. As a result, the red layer 56R including a red light-emitting layer is formed only in a region that will become a red subpixel among a plurality of regions on the substrate 53 that will become subpixels. In other words, the red layer 56R is selectively formed in a region that will become a red subpixel, without being formed in a region that will become a blue subpixel or a green subpixel among a plurality of regions on the substrate 53 that will become subpixels.

[0068] Similar to the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G is formed in the third film formation chamber, and then the blue layer 56B is formed in the fourth film formation chamber. After the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B is completed, the electron transport layer 57 is formed over the entire display area 51 in the fifth film formation chamber. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a layer common to the three color layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

[0069] The substrate on which the electron transport layer 57 has been formed is moved to a sixth film-forming chamber, where the second electrode 58 is formed. In this embodiment, the first to sixth film-forming chambers form each layer by vacuum deposition. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the second electrode 58 in the sixth film-forming chamber may be formed by sputtering. Thereafter, the substrate on which the second electrode 58 has been formed is moved to a sealing device, and the protective layer 60 is formed by plasma CVD (sealing process), completing the organic EL display device 50. Note that, although the protective layer 60 is formed by the CVD method here, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be formed by the ALD method or the inkjet method.

[0070] Here, the films are formed in the first to sixth film formation chambers using a mask having an opening corresponding to the pattern of each layer to be formed. When forming the film, the relative positions of the substrate 53 and the mask are adjusted (aligned), and then the substrate 53 is placed on the mask and film formation is performed.

[0071] <Other embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0072] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 film forming apparatus, 5 magnet plate, 8 alignment unit, 10 deposition unit, 101 substrate, 102 mask, 1021 magnetic material

Claims

1. a deposition means for ejecting a deposition material onto a substrate through a mask having a plurality of openings for depositing the deposition material; a position adjusting means for adjusting a relative position between the mask and the substrate; A film forming apparatus comprising: the plurality of openings have a tapered shape in which an opening area on the deposition means side is larger than an opening area on the substrate side, after the deposition means has discharged the deposition material onto the substrate for the first time, the position adjustment means adjusts the relative position between the mask and the substrate to change the deposition site on the substrate, and the deposition means discharges the deposition material onto the substrate for the second time; A film forming apparatus comprising:

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , performing the first release, changing the deposition site, and the second release during a period from when the substrate is carried into the film forming apparatus until when the substrate is carried out of the film forming apparatus; A film forming apparatus comprising:

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , the first emission and the second emission form a plurality of pixels of a predetermined color on the substrate; A film forming apparatus comprising:

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , the position adjusting means adjusts the relative position by a distance shorter than a distance between adjacent openings after the first release. A film forming apparatus comprising:

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , a plurality of pixels having a first pitch are formed on the substrate by the deposition material; the plurality of openings are formed at a second pitch that is an integer multiple of the first pitch, and the position adjusting means adjusts the relative position by the first pitch after the first release; A film forming apparatus comprising:

6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , the substrate is a semiconductor wafer; The mask is a silicon plate. A film forming apparatus comprising:

7. a first deposition step of ejecting a deposition material from a deposition means onto a substrate through a mask having a plurality of openings for forming a film of the deposition material; a changing step of changing a deposition site on the substrate by adjusting a relative position between the mask and the substrate; a second vapor deposition step of ejecting the vapor deposition material from the vapor deposition means onto the substrate through the mask, the plurality of openings have a tapered shape in which the opening area on the deposition means side is larger than the opening area on the substrate side; A film forming method comprising:

8. a deposition step of ejecting a deposition material from a deposition means onto a substrate through a mask having a plurality of openings for forming a film of the deposition material; a changing step of changing a deposition site on the substrate by adjusting a relative position between the mask and the substrate, the plurality of openings have a truncated cone shape having a larger opening area on the deposition means side than on the substrate side, The deposition step and the modification step are repeated a predetermined number of times; a relationship between the predetermined number of times, a diameter of the plurality of openings on the vapor deposition means side, and a pitch of the film formed on the substrate, The predetermined number of times is equal to or greater than the diameter divided by the pitch. A film forming method comprising:

9. A film forming process of forming a film on a substrate by the film forming apparatus according to claim 1, 2. A method for producing an electronic device comprising the steps of:

10. A mask having a plurality of openings for depositing a plurality of pixels of deposition material on a substrate, the mask comprising: a pitch of the plurality of openings is longer than a pitch of the plurality of pixels; The plurality of openings have a tapered shape in which one end side has a larger opening area than the other end side. A mask characterized by:

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