Method and apparatus for vacuum vapor deposition

Abstract

To form a homogeneous film.SOLUTION: A method for vacuum vapor deposition deposits a heated and vaporized vapor deposition component of non-vapor deposition components not provided for vapor deposition and vapor deposition components provided for vapor deposition in a plurality of components contained in a vapor deposition material to a substrate. The method for vacuum vapor deposition includes: a first heating step (S1) of heating a vapor deposition material at a temperature in a first temperature range that is a temperature range of vaporizing a non-vapor deposition component till the non-vapor deposition component is vaporized; and a second heating step (S2) of heating the vapor deposition component at a temperature of a second temperature range that is higher than the first temperature range and includes the maximum temperature that is highest in the temperatures of vaporizing respective vapor deposition components, as a lower limit value, until completion of vapor deposition with a vapor deposition component that is vaporized at the maximum temperature at least immediately after the first heating step (S1).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum deposition method and a vacuum deposition apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In a vacuum deposition apparatus for depositing a deposition material onto a substrate, it is important to control the temperature at which the deposition material evaporates.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes that the temperature of the deposition material is selected depending on the type of components contained in the deposition material. In general, when the deposition material contains multiple components made of polymer materials with different molecular weights, the temperature at which the component with a smaller molecular weight evaporates is lower. Therefore, after the component with a smaller molecular weight is evaporated at a relatively low temperature, the temperature is further increased to evaporate the component with a larger molecular weight. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-70853 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When deposition is performed under such temperature control, the quality of the film formed on the substrate when the temperature of the deposition material is low may differ from the quality of the film formed on the substrate when the temperature of the deposition material is high.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is to form a uniform film on a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a vacuum deposition method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vacuum deposition method for depositing, on a substrate, deposition components that are heated and evaporated from non-deposition components that are not subjected to deposition and deposition components that are subjected to deposition among multiple components contained in a deposition material, the method including: a first heating step of heating the deposition material at a temperature in a first temperature range that is a temperature range for evaporating the non-deposition components until the non-deposition components evaporate; and a second heating step of heating the deposition components at a temperature in a second temperature range that includes, as a lower limit, the highest maximum temperature among temperatures for evaporating each of the multiple types of deposition components and is higher than the first temperature range, at least from immediately after the first heating step until deposition by the deposition components that evaporate at a temperature in the second temperature range is completed.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a vacuum deposition apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vacuum deposition apparatus that deposits, onto a substrate, deposition components that are heated and evaporated, among non-deposition components that are not subjected to deposition and deposition components that are subjected to deposition, among multiple components contained in a deposition material, and is equipped with a temperature control unit that heats the deposition material at a temperature in a first temperature range that is a temperature range in which the non-deposition components are evaporated until the non-deposition components are evaporated, and controls the heating temperature so that the deposition components are heated at a temperature in a second temperature range that includes, as a lower limit, the highest maximum temperature among the temperatures in which each of the multiple types of deposition components is evaporated and is higher than the first temperature range, at least from immediately after the end of heating at a temperature in the first temperature range until deposition is completed by the deposition components that evaporate at a temperature in the second temperature range. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a uniform film can be formed on a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vacuum deposition apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing a deposition process procedure performed by the vacuum deposition apparatus. [Diagram 3] 3 is a flowchart showing a specific procedure of a first heating process in the process procedure shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing a specific procedure of a second heating process in the process procedure shown in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vacuum deposition apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0012] <Configuration of Vacuum Deposition Apparatus> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vacuum deposition apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] 1, the vacuum deposition apparatus 101 includes a crucible 1, a pipe line 2, a buffer container 3 (storage space, pressure adjustment unit), a pressure adjustment valve 4 (pressure adjustment unit), a flow rate adjustment valve 5, a vacuum container 6, an evaporation source 7, a flow meter 8, a control unit 9, a vapor amount sensor 10, a heater 11, and a degassing valve 12. The vacuum deposition apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a functional film, such as an anti-fouling film (AF film; Anti-Fingerprint film), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) film, a colored film, or a hydrophilic film, on a substrate 20 by deposition.

[0014] The substrate 20 is made of a plastic film or the like. Examples of such plastic include, but are not limited to, polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. The substrate 20 may also be made of glass.

[0015] The crucible 1 is a container for accommodating a deposition material. The deposition material includes a deposition component to be used for deposition and a non-deposition component that is not used for deposition and is used for a purpose other than deposition.

[0016] The deposition components are appropriately selected depending on the type of film to be formed on the substrate 20. For example, when an anti-soiling film is formed on the substrate 20, the deposition components contain a fluorine-based material. Specifically, the deposition components contain multiple components made of polymer compounds containing fluorine atoms (hereinafter referred to as "fluorine-containing polymer materials"), and each component has a different molecular weight. Since each component has a different molecular weight, the evaporation temperature at which each component evaporates is different.

[0017] The non-deposition components include components other than the components for forming the film, such as solvents used as diluting liquids. Such non-deposition components have smaller molecular weights than the deposition components. Therefore, the evaporation temperature of the non-deposition components is lower than the evaporation temperature of the deposition components.

[0018] The crucible 1 is heated by a heater 11 attached to the outer periphery of the crucible 1. The crucible 1 evaporates the deposition material contained therein by heating the inside of the crucible 1 with the heat of the heater 11. The non-deposition components of the deposition material are evaporated and discarded prior to deposition by the deposition components. The deposition components of the deposition material are supplied to the evaporation source 7 through a pipe 2, which will be described later, after evaporation. The crucible 1 is degassed by a degassing pump (not shown) outside of the period during which deposition is performed, thereby creating a vacuum inside. The crucible 1 is composed of two crucibles arranged in parallel, so that while deposition is being performed in one crucible, the other crucible can be degassed.

[0019] The heater 11 is formed of, for example, a sheath heater. The temperature of the heater 11 is controlled by a temperature control unit 91, which will be described later. For convenience, in FIG. 1, the heater 11 is depicted as being provided in the crucible 1, but the heater 11 is provided to heat not only the crucible 1 but also the pipe line 2, the buffer vessel 3, the pressure control valve 4, the flow rate control valve 5, the vacuum vessel 6, and the evaporation source 7. The heater 11 does not necessarily have to be provided in the vacuum vessel 6.

[0020] The degassing valve 12 is provided between the crucible 1 and the degassing pump. The degassing valve 12 opens and closes a pipe connecting the crucible 1 and the degassing pump. When the deposition components evaporate in the crucible 1 and the evaporated deposition components are supplied to the evaporation source 7, the degassing valve 12 is closed.

[0021] The conduit 2 forms a path for guiding the evaporated deposition components to the substrate 20 via the evaporation source 7 arranged in the vacuum vessel 6. The conduit 2 is divided into a first conduit 2a, a second conduit 2b, a third conduit 2c, and a fourth conduit 2d. The first conduit 2a is connected to the crucible 1 and is located at the most upstream side where the evaporated deposition material flows out from the crucible 1. In the conduit 2, the first conduit 2a, the second conduit 2b, the third conduit 2c, and the fourth conduit 2d are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side. When the deposition components evaporate, the inside of the conduit 2 is also kept at a vacuum by a degassing pump, just like the crucible 1.

[0022] The buffer vessel 3 is provided between the second pipe 2b and the third pipe 2c in the pipe 2. The buffer vessel 3 forms a storage space that temporarily stores the evaporated deposition components (hereinafter referred to as "material vapor" as appropriate) to adjust the pressure of the material vapor to a predetermined designated value or lower. The shape of the buffer vessel 3 is not limited to a specific shape, and it may be a box-like, spherical, tubular, or other shape, as long as it has a volume that can reduce the pressure of the material vapor to a designated value or lower.

[0023] The pressure regulating valve 4 is a regulating valve that adjusts the pressure in the pipeline 2 in the second heating step, and is disposed between the buffer vessel 3 and the crucible 1. The inlet of the pressure regulating valve 4 is connected to the downstream end of the first pipeline 2a, and the outlet of the pressure regulating valve 4 is connected to the upstream end of the second pipeline 2b. The pressure regulating valve 4 is a regulating valve that adjusts the pressure of the material vapor inside the buffer vessel 3 or in the pipeline 2.

[0024] The flow rate control valve 5 is an adjusting valve that adjusts the flow rate of the above-mentioned material flowing through the pipeline 2 whose pressure is adjusted by the pressure adjusting valve 4, and is disposed downstream of the buffer vessel 3. The inlet of the flow rate control valve 5 is connected to the downstream end of the third pipeline 2c, and the outlet of the flow rate control valve 5 is connected to the upstream end of the fourth pipeline 2db.

[0025] A pressure gauge 31 is provided inside the buffer vessel 3. The pressure gauge 31 is a measuring instrument for measuring the pressure of the material vapor inside the buffer vessel 3. The pressure gauge 31 is preferably disposed inside the pressure gauge 31, but is not limited to being disposed inside the pressure gauge 31. The pressure gauge 31 may be disposed anywhere between the pressure regulating valve 4 and the flow rate regulating valve 5, and may be disposed, for example, in the second pipeline 2b or the third pipeline 2c. In addition, if the pressure of the material vapor inside the buffer vessel 3 can be inferred from the pressure of the material vapor inside the crucible 1 by conversion or the like due to the configuration of the vacuum deposition apparatus 101, the pressure gauge 31 may be disposed inside the crucible 1. Therefore, the pressure gauge 31 is disposed upstream of the flow rate regulating valve 5.

[0026] The vacuum vessel 6 is a vessel that forms a space for depositing the deposition components onto the substrate 20. The inside of the vacuum vessel 6 is maintained in a vacuum state by evacuating the inside of the vacuum vessel 6 with a pump other than the above-mentioned degassing pump. An evaporation source 7 is disposed inside the vacuum vessel 6.

[0027] The evaporation source 7 is connected to the fourth pipe 2d, and is supplied with material vapor via the pipe 2. The evaporation source 7 has a plurality of nozzles 71 for ejecting material vapor toward the substrate 20. The ejection ports of the nozzles 71 open toward the substrate 20. The deposition components ejected from the nozzles 71 are deposited on the substrate 20, forming a film on the substrate 20.

[0028] Inside the vacuum chamber 6, a flow meter 8 is disposed at a distance from the substrate 20 on the deposition surface side of the substrate 20. The flow meter 8 is a gravimetric measuring instrument that measures the weight of the material vapor that rushes into the flow meter 8. The flow meter 8 generally converts the flow rate from a vibration frequency that changes depending on the weight of the material attached to the quartz crystal, but other methods may be used.

[0029] Although not shown, a flow meter arranged in the evaporation source 7 may be provided in place of the flow meter 8. The flow meter is a pressure measurement type measuring instrument that converts pressure into flow rate (amount of material). Specifically, the flow meter uses the fact that the amount of heat removed by the adhesion of the material is proportional to the number of incident molecules of the material to the filament, and that the number of incident molecules is proportional to the pressure, to read the amount of material from the change in voltage required to heat the filament from which the heat has been removed.

[0030] The vapor amount sensor 10 is disposed, for example, in the second pipe 2b in order to measure the amount of vapor of the deposition component, i.e., the amount of material vapor, but may be disposed at any position in the pipe 2. The vapor amount sensor 10 measures the time integrated value of the flow rate of the material vapor as the vapor amount. The vapor amount sensor 10 may also be configured using various types of sensors.

[0031] The control unit 9 controls the operations of the pressure regulating valve 4, the flow rate regulating valve 5, the heater 11, the degassing valve 12, the degassing pump, and the like, which are controlled units in the vacuum deposition apparatus 101. The control unit 9 has a temperature control unit 91, a pressure control unit 92, and a flow rate control unit 93.

[0032] The temperature control unit 91 controls the temperature of the heater 11 so that heating is performed at different temperatures in the first heating step and the second heating step performed following the first heating step. Specifically, the temperature control unit 91 controls the temperature of the heater 11 so that the deposition material is heated at a temperature in a first temperature range that is a temperature range in which the non-deposition components are evaporated in the first heating step until the non-deposition components are evaporated. The temperature control unit 91 also controls the temperature (heating temperature) of the heater 11 so that the deposition components are heated at a second temperature range in the second heating step. The second temperature range includes, as a lower limit, the highest maximum temperature among the temperatures at which each of the multiple types of deposition components is evaporated, and is a temperature range higher than the first temperature range. In the second heating step, heating is performed during the period from immediately after the first heating step until the deposition of the deposition components that evaporate at a temperature in the second temperature range is completed.

[0033] The pressure control unit 92 controls the operation of the pressure regulating valve 4 based on the measurement value of the steam amount sensor 10 or the pressure gauge 31 so that the pressure in the pipeline 2 becomes a designated value.

[0034] The flow rate control unit 93 controls the flow rate adjustment valve 5. The flow rate control unit 93 controls the flow rate adjustment valve 5 so that the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 5 increases as the deposition component in the crucible 1 decreases.

[0035] When the amount of material vapor detected by the vapor amount sensor 10 drops to a predetermined designated value as the evaporation of the material vapor progresses, the control unit 9 commands the pressure control unit 92 to close the pipe line 2. In response to this, the pressure control unit 92 controls the pressure regulating valve 4 so that the valve opening becomes 0. Note that the amount of material vapor may be detected by the above-mentioned pressure measuring type flow meter instead of the vapor amount sensor 10.

[0036] (Control operation of vacuum deposition device) Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing a process procedure of deposition (vacuum deposition method) by the vacuum deposition apparatus 101. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing a specific procedure of a first heating treatment in the process procedure shown in the flowchart of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a specific procedure of a second heating treatment in the process procedure shown in the flowchart of Fig. 2.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, when the vacuum deposition apparatus 101 starts forming a film on the substrate 20, it first performs a first heating process (step S1) as a process performed in the first heating step described above. In the first heating process, the heater 11 heats the crucible 1 to a temperature in the first temperature range described above. The first heating process is performed for a heating period determined according to the amount of the non-deposition components, the temperature of the first temperature range, and the like. This causes the non-deposition components of the deposition material to evaporate. The evaporated non-deposition components are collected and discarded.

[0038] Immediately after the first heating process is completed (simultaneously with the completion of the first heating process), the vacuum deposition apparatus 101 performs the second heating process (step S2) as the process performed in the second heating step described above. In the second heating process, the heater 11 heats the crucible 1 and the like to a temperature in the second temperature range described above. This causes the deposition components of the deposition material to evaporate. The evaporated deposition components are supplied to the evaporation source 7 for deposition onto the substrate 20.

[0039] Next, the first heat treatment will be described in detail.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 3, when the first heating process starts, first, the degassing valve 12 is opened with the pressure regulating valve 4 closed, the crucible 1 is connected to a degassing pump, and the crucible 1 is evacuated to a vacuum by the degassing pump (step S11). Next, the non-evaporation components in the evaporation material in the crucible 1 are heated until they reach a temperature (e.g., 200°C) in the first temperature range (e.g., 200°C to 260°C), and are heated for an additional period that is added as necessary (step S12). The additional period is preset as a period during which the non-evaporation components can be completely evaporated at the temperature in the first temperature range.

[0041] The vacuum deposition apparatus 101 recovers and discards the non-evaporated components that have evaporated in the crucible 1 in a recovery mechanism (not shown) by sucking them with a degassing pump through the open degassing valve 12 (step S13), and returns the process to the main routine in the flowchart of Figure 2.

[0042] This allows the non-deposition components that have evaporated due to their low boiling points to be completely removed from the deposition material, leaving only the deposition components in the deposition material remaining in the crucible 1.

[0043] Next, the second heat treatment will be described in detail.

[0044] 4, in the second heat treatment, first, the degassing valve 12 is closed (step S21). Here, the pressure regulating valve 4 remains closed from the first heat treatment.

[0045] Thereafter, the deposition components are heated to a temperature in the second temperature range (for example, a temperature range equal to or higher than the maximum temperature of the first temperature range and up to a temperature at which the deposition components deteriorate, decompose, or carbonize (for example, around 300°C)) (step S22). Under the control of the temperature control unit 91, the heater 11 heats the deposition components remaining in the crucible 1 to a temperature in the second temperature range, for example, the maximum temperature mentioned above (300°C). The pressure adjustment valve 4 is opened at the timing to start film formation under the control of the pressure control unit 92. The heater 11 may heat to a temperature equal to or higher than the maximum temperature (for example, 310°C) as long as it is within the second temperature range.

[0046] Next, the pressure control unit 92 controls the pressure regulating valve 4 so that the pressure becomes a designated value based on the measurement value of the steam amount sensor 10 or the pressure gauge 31 (step S23, control step). This adjusts the aperture of the pressure regulating valve 4. The deposition components evaporated by heating are supplied from the crucible 1 to the evaporation source 7 through the pipe 2 under the adjusted pressure.

[0047] In step S23, the pressure control unit 92 acquires the measurement value (pressure) of the steam amount sensor 10 or the pressure gauge 31, and determines whether the acquired pressure has reached the designated value. If the pressure control unit 92 determines that the pressure has not reached the designated value, the pressure regulating valve 4 adjusts the pressure in the pipeline 2 under the control of the pressure control unit 92 (pressure adjustment step). During pressure adjustment, if the pressure control unit 92 determines that the pressure is below the designated value, it controls the pressure regulating valve 4 to increase the pressure, and if it determines that the pressure exceeds the designated value, it controls the pressure regulating valve 4 to decrease the pressure.

[0048] Then, the flow rate control unit 93 controls the flow rate adjustment valve 5 based on the measurement value of the flow meter 8 (step S24, control step). The flow rate adjustment valve 5 adjusts the flow rate of the deposition component flowing through the pipe 2 by adjusting the opening degree under the control of the flow rate control unit 93 (flow rate adjustment step).

[0049] Furthermore, the control unit 9 judges whether or not the deposition by the deposition components has been completed (step S25). For example, when the deposition is performed for a certain time by putting the deposition components in the crucible 1 in an amount that will be used up in one film formation, the control unit 9 judges that the second heat treatment is completed, that is, that the deposition by the deposition components is completed, when the certain time has elapsed since the start of the second heat treatment. Alternatively, when film formation is performed multiple times until the deposition components in the crucible 1 are exhausted, the control unit 9 judges that the deposition by the deposition components is completed when the deposition components in the crucible 1 are exhausted. In this case, the control unit 9 recognizes the remaining amount of the deposition components in the crucible 1 from the vapor amount sensor 10, the opening degree of the pressure adjustment valve 4 obtained from the pressure control unit 92, or the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 5 obtained from the flow rate control unit 93.

[0050] In step S25, when the control unit 9 determines that the deposition of the deposition components is completed (YES), it ends the heating of the crucible 1, the pressure adjustment by the pressure adjustment valve 4, and the flow rate adjustment by the flow rate adjustment valve 5 (step S26), and returns the processing to the main routine in the flowchart of Figure 2.

[0051] In step S26, the control unit 9 instructs the temperature control unit 91, the pressure control unit 92, and the flow rate control unit 93 to stop the control operations. As a result, the temperature control unit 91 causes the heater 11 to stop heating, the pressure control unit 92 causes the pressure adjustment valve 4 to stop (close) the pressure adjustment, and the flow rate control unit 93 causes the flow rate adjustment valve 5 to stop the flow rate adjustment. In step S25, when the control unit 9 determines that the deposition of the deposition components is not completed (NO), the process returns to step S23.

[0052] In addition, when deposition is performed on multiple substrates 20, the control unit 9 controls the pressure adjustment valve 4 and the flow rate adjustment valve 5 to close between steps S24 and S25, when film formation on the first substrate 20 is completed and film formation on the next, second substrate 20 is waiting to be started.

[0053] Effects of the vacuum deposition device As described above, the vacuum deposition apparatus 101 performs deposition by evaporating the deposition components remaining in the crucible 1 at a temperature in a second temperature range that includes, as a lower limit, the highest maximum temperature among the temperatures at which each of the multiple deposition components is evaporated, after evaporating and discarding the non-deposition components at a temperature in the first temperature range. This causes all of the multiple deposition components to evaporate simultaneously by the second heating process. Therefore, a homogeneous film can be formed on the substrate 20.

[0054] Furthermore, the pressure regulating valve 4 and the pressure control section 92 regulate the pressure in the pipeline 2. This makes it possible to prevent the pressure in the pipeline 2 from rising to an uncontrollable pressure. This makes it possible to avoid or significantly reduce the occurrence of a situation in which the pressure in the pipeline 2 rises significantly, making it difficult for the flow rate regulating valve 5 to regulate the flow rate.

[0055] Furthermore, the pressure control unit 92 controls the pressure in the pipe 2 to be a specified value. This allows the pressure to be controlled to a specified value by the pressure regulating valve 4 while the deposition rate is adjusted by adjusting the flow rate by the flow rate regulating valve 5. This makes it possible to adjust the deposition amount to a constant amount even if the deposition rate is increased to improve production volume. This therefore reduces the variation in the deposition amount for each substrate 20 used for mass-producing deposition products.

[0056] Also, when the amount of vapor detected by the vapor amount sensor 10 reaches a designated value, it is determined that the deposition of the deposition component is completed. Alternatively, it may be determined that the deposition of the deposition component is completed when it is determined that the amount of vapor reaches a designated value based on the opening degree of the pressure adjustment valve 4 or the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 5. As a result, when the amount of vapor decreases as the evaporation of the deposition component progresses, the pressure adjustment valve 4, which normally opens as the amount of vapor decreases, is controlled to close at the point when the amount of vapor reaches a designated value, so that the pipe 2 is blocked between the crucible 1 and the evaporation source 7. As a result, the deposition of the deposition component, i.e., the film formation, can be completed before the deposition component in the crucible 1 is completely gone. Even if the amount of vapor falls below the designated value and the deposition component in the crucible 1 is completely gone, if heating, pressure adjustment, and flow rate adjustment are continued, there is a risk that the film formation will not be performed correctly. According to the above control by the control unit 9, it is possible to avoid or significantly reduce the occurrence of such a situation.

[0057] Furthermore, in the vacuum deposition apparatus 101, the pressure in the pipeline 2 can be adjusted by storing evaporated deposition components in the buffer vessel 3 provided in the pipeline 2. This makes it possible to prevent the pressure from rising to an uncontrollable level. Although the pressure in the pipeline 2 can be adjusted to some extent by the buffer vessel 3 alone without providing the pressure regulating valve 4, the pressure can be adjusted with higher accuracy by using the pressure regulating valve 4. Furthermore, by adjusting the pressure by combining the buffer vessel 3 and the pressure regulating valve 4, the burden on the pressure regulating valve 4 can be reduced.

[0058] According to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the vacuum deposition apparatus 101 can improve the yield of film formation by including the control unit 9. This can contribute to achieving Goal 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Responsible Consumption and Production (natural materials, recycling, waste disposal, etc.)."

[0059] In vacuum deposition apparatus 101, the capacity of crucible 1 and pipe line 2 is smaller than the capacity of vacuum vessel 6. Therefore, even if material vapor enters vacuum vessel 6, the pressure inside vacuum vessel 6 changes slightly, but does not change enough to affect film formation. This prevents a decrease in the utilization efficiency of the material vapor. Also, by increasing the capacity of a pump (not shown) that creates a vacuum inside vacuum vessel 6, the pressure inside vacuum vessel 6 does not change even if a large amount of material vapor flows in.

[0060] As described above, the non-deposition component has a smaller molecular weight than the deposition component, but may have a larger molecular weight than the deposition component. In such a case, since the first temperature range is higher than the second temperature range, the non-deposition component is evaporated at the temperature of the first temperature range, and then the temperature is lowered to the second temperature range to heat the deposition component, thereby performing deposition. It is also possible to perform deposition using the deposition component by lowering the temperature to the second temperature range from a state in which some of the non-deposition components remain in the crucible 1 without evaporating by setting the time for heating the non-deposition component at the temperature of the first temperature range to be shorter than the time for the non-deposition component to evaporate.

[0061] [Embodiment 2] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 5. For ease of explanation, components having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vacuum deposition apparatus 102 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] 5, the vacuum deposition apparatus 102, like the above-mentioned vacuum deposition apparatus 101, includes a crucible 1, a pipeline 2, a buffer vessel 3, a pressure regulating valve 4, a flow rate regulating valve 5, a vacuum vessel 6, an evaporation source 7, a flowmeter 8, a control unit 9, a vapor amount sensor 10, a heater 11, and a degassing valve 12. However, the pipeline 2 has a partially different configuration from the pipeline 2 in the vacuum deposition apparatus 101, as will be described later. Note that, for the sake of convenience, the degassing valve 12 is not shown in FIG. 5.

[0064] Unlike the vacuum deposition apparatus 101, the vacuum deposition apparatus 102 is provided with a plurality of crucibles 1 and pressure adjustment valves 4, and in this embodiment, two in particular are provided. The number of crucibles 1 and pressure adjustment valves 4 is not limited to two, and three or more may be provided.

[0065] The pipeline 2 has a first pipeline 2a, a third pipeline 2c, and a fourth pipeline 2d, like the pipeline 2 in the vacuum deposition apparatus 101, but has a second pipeline 2e instead of the second pipeline 2b of the pipeline 2 in the vacuum deposition apparatus 101. The second pipeline 2e is a junction pipeline that joins downstream of two pressure regulating valves 4. The first pipelines 2a are provided in the same number as the crucibles 1 and the pressure regulating valves 4. The pressure regulating valves 4 are connected to the inlets of the second pipelines 2e.

[0066] The control unit 9 controls the temperature of the heater 11 of each crucible 1 and the pressure regulating valve 4 so that, when deposition from one crucible 1 is completed, deposition from the other crucible 1 is performed continuously.

[0067] In this way, the vacuum deposition apparatus 102 performs continuous deposition using a plurality of crucibles 1. This makes it possible to secure a sufficient amount of deposition components for continuous deposition without increasing the size of the crucibles 1.

[0068] In the above configuration, multiple pressure regulating valves 4 are provided, but multiple buffer containers 3 may be provided instead of the pressure regulating valves 4. In such a configuration, the pressure regulating valve 4 is not necessary, and therefore the pressure control unit 92 is also not necessary. The pressure regulating valve 4 and the flow rate regulating valve 5 may be reversed in position. With such a configuration, the same effect as the configuration in which the pressure regulating valve 4 and the flow rate regulating valve 5 are arranged as shown in FIG. 5 can be achieved.

[0069] [Software implementation example] The functions of the vacuum deposition apparatuses 101, 102 (hereinafter referred to as the "apparatus") can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as the apparatus, and a program for causing a computer to function as each control block of the apparatus (particularly each part included in the control unit 9).

[0070] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program to realize each function described in each of the above embodiments.

[0071] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be provided to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0072] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0073] 〔summary〕 As described above, the vacuum deposition method according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a vacuum deposition method for depositing, on a substrate, deposition components that are heated and evaporated from non-deposition components that are not subjected to deposition and deposition components that are subjected to deposition among multiple components contained in a deposition material, and includes a first heating step of heating the deposition material at a temperature in a first temperature range that is a temperature range for evaporating the non-deposition components until the non-deposition components evaporate, and a second heating step of heating the deposition components at a temperature in a second temperature range that includes, as a lower limit, the highest maximum temperature among temperatures for evaporating each of the multiple types of deposition components and is higher than the first temperature range, at least from immediately after the first heating step until deposition is completed by the deposition components that evaporate at a temperature in the second temperature range.

[0074] According to the above-mentioned configuration, all of the deposition components are evaporated simultaneously in the second heating step, so that a homogeneous film can be formed on the substrate.

[0075] The vacuum deposition method according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in accordance with aspect 1, further includes a pressure adjustment step of adjusting the pressure in a pipeline that guides the deposition components evaporated in the second heating step to the substrate, and a flow rate adjustment step of adjusting, by a flow rate control valve, the flow rate of the deposition material flowing through the pipeline whose pressure has been adjusted in the pressure adjustment step.

[0076] If the pressure in the conduit increases significantly due to the evaporation of all of the deposition components in the second heating step, it becomes difficult to adjust the flow rate in the flow rate adjustment step. According to the above configuration, the pressure in the conduit is adjusted in the pressure adjustment step, so that it is possible to prevent the pressure in the conduit from increasing to an uncontrollable level.

[0077] A vacuum deposition method according to a third aspect of the present invention is the method according to the second aspect, further comprising a control step of controlling the pressure so that the pressure becomes a designated value and controlling the flow rate adjustment valve.

[0078] According to the above configuration, the pressure can be controlled to a specified value by the pressure regulating valve while adjusting the deposition rate by adjusting the flow rate by the flow regulating valve. This makes it possible to adjust the deposition amount to a constant value even if the deposition rate is increased to improve production volume. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the variation in the deposition amount for each substrate used in mass production of deposition products.

[0079] A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a vacuum deposition method according to the second or third aspect, wherein the evaporated deposition components are stored in a storage space provided in the pipeline in the pressure adjusting step.

[0080] According to the above configuration, the evaporated deposition material is stored in the storage space, so that the pressure in the pipeline can be prevented from increasing to an uncontrollable level.

[0081] A vacuum deposition apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a vacuum deposition apparatus that deposits onto a substrate deposition components that are heated and evaporated from among non-deposition components that are not subjected to deposition and deposition components that are subjected to deposition among multiple components contained in a deposition material, and is equipped with a temperature control unit that heats the deposition material at a temperature in a first temperature range that is a temperature range in which the non-deposition components are evaporated until the non-deposition components are evaporated, and controls the heating temperature so that the deposition components are heated at a temperature in a second temperature range that includes as a lower limit the highest maximum temperature among the temperatures in which each of the multiple types of deposition components is evaporated and is higher than the first temperature range, at least from immediately after the end of heating at a temperature in the first temperature range until deposition is completed by the deposition components that evaporate at a temperature in the second temperature range.

[0082] According to the above-mentioned configuration, all of the deposition components are evaporated simultaneously by heating at the second temperature, so that a homogeneous film can be formed on the substrate.

[0083] The vacuum deposition apparatus according to aspect 6 of the present invention, in the above aspect 5, further includes a pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the pressure in the pipeline that guides the deposition component evaporated by heating to the substrate, and a flow rate adjustment valve that adjusts the flow rate of the deposition component flowing in the pipeline whose pressure is adjusted by the pressure adjustment unit.

[0084] When all of the deposition components evaporate by heating and the pressure in the pipeline rises significantly, it becomes difficult to adjust the flow rate by the flow rate adjustment valve. In the above configuration, since the pressure in the pipeline is adjusted by the pressure adjustment unit, it is possible to prevent the pressure in the pipeline from rising to an uncontrollable pressure.

[0085] The vacuum deposition apparatus according to aspect 7 of the present invention, in the above aspect 6, further includes a control unit that controls the pressure so that the pressure becomes a specified value and controls the flow rate adjustment valve.

[0086] According to the above configuration, while adjusting the deposition rate by adjusting the flow rate with the flow rate adjustment valve, the pressure can be controlled to the specified value by the pressure adjustment unit. As a result, even if the deposition rate is increased to improve the production volume, it is possible to adjust the deposition amount to be constant. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the variation in the film formation amount for each substrate for mass-producing deposited products.

[0087] The vacuum deposition apparatus according to aspect 8 of the present invention, in the above aspect 7, the pressure adjustment unit has a storage space provided in the pipeline so as to store the evaporated deposition component, and the flow rate adjustment valve is provided on the downstream side of the storage space in the pipeline.

[0088] According to the above configuration, by storing the evaporated deposition material in the storage space, it is possible to prevent the pressure in the pipeline from rising to an uncontrollable pressure.

[0089] A vacuum deposition apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, in which the pipelines have a junction pipeline that joins downstream of the pressure adjustment unit, and the pressure adjustment unit is provided in plurality and connected to each inlet of the junction pipeline.

[0090] According to the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to secure a sufficient amount of deposition components for continuous deposition without increasing the size of the crucible.

[0091] [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In addition, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 2 conduit 2e 2nd pipeline (merging pipeline) 3. Buffer vessel (storage space, pressure adjustment section) 4 Pressure regulating valve (pressure adjusting part) 5. Flow Control Valve 9. Control Unit 20 Substrate 91 Temperature control unit 101,102 Vacuum deposition equipment

Claims

1. 1. A vacuum deposition method for depositing, on a substrate, a non-deposition component that is not subjected to deposition and a deposition component that is subjected to deposition, the non-deposition component being heated and evaporated, the method comprising the steps of: a first heating step of heating the deposition material at a temperature in a first temperature range that is a temperature range in which the non-deposition components are evaporated until the non-deposition components are evaporated; a second heating step of heating the deposition components at a temperature in a second temperature range that includes, as a lower limit, the highest maximum temperature among temperatures at which each of the plurality of deposition components is evaporated and is higher than the first temperature range, at least from immediately after the first heating step until deposition by the deposition components that evaporate at a temperature in the second temperature range is completed.

2. a pressure adjusting step of adjusting a pressure in a conduit that guides the deposition component evaporated in the second heating step to the substrate; 2. The vacuum deposition method according to claim 1, further comprising a flow rate adjusting step of adjusting a flow rate of the deposition material flowing through the pipe whose pressure has been adjusted in the pressure adjusting step, by a flow rate adjusting valve.

3. 3. The vacuum deposition method according to claim 2, further comprising a control step of controlling the pressure so that the pressure becomes a designated value and controlling the flow rate adjustment valve.

4. 4. The vacuum deposition method according to claim 2, wherein the evaporated deposition components are stored in a storage space provided in the pipeline in the pressure adjusting step.

5. A vacuum deposition apparatus for depositing, on a substrate, a non-deposition component that is not subjected to deposition and a deposition component that is subjected to deposition, the non-deposition component being heated and evaporated, the vacuum deposition apparatus comprising: a temperature control unit that controls a heating temperature so as to heat the deposition material at a temperature in a first temperature range that is a temperature range in which the non-deposition components are evaporated until the deposition components are evaporated, and to heat the deposition components at a temperature in a second temperature range that includes, as a lower limit, a highest maximum temperature among temperatures in which each of a plurality of types of the deposition components is evaporated and is higher than the first temperature range, at least from immediately after completion of heating at a temperature in the first temperature range until completion of deposition of the deposition components that evaporate at a temperature in the second temperature range.

6. a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure in a pipe that guides the deposition component evaporated by heating to the substrate; 6. The vacuum deposition apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a flow rate regulating valve that regulates a flow rate of the deposition components flowing through the pipe whose pressure is regulated by the pressure regulator.

7. 7. The vacuum deposition apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a control unit that controls the pressure so that the pressure becomes a designated value and controls the flow rate adjustment valve.

8. the pressure adjusting unit has a storage space provided in the pipeline so as to store the evaporated deposition component, 8. The vacuum deposition apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the flow rate control valve is provided on the downstream side of the storage space in the pipeline.

9. The pipeline has a junction pipeline that joins the pipeline downstream of the pressure adjustment unit, 9. The vacuum deposition apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pressure adjusting section is provided in plurality and is connected to the inlet of each of the junction pipes.

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