Film deposition apparatus

Abstract

To provide a film deposition apparatus capable of suppressing a variation in a film thickness distribution in a movement direction when a film deposition is performed while an object is moved.SOLUTION: A film deposition movement mechanism 3B of a movement mechanism 3 moves a substrate 11 in a state where a relative position between an edge part 11a of the substrate 11 and support parts 41A, 41B is maintained. Thus, by moving the edge part 11a of the substrate 11 and the support parts 41A, 41B move together in a moving direction A, a collision of the edge part 11a of the substrate 11 and the support parts 41A, 41B is suppressed during movement. As a result, the movement mechanism 3 can move an object in a stable state. Accordingly, the variation in a film thickness distribution in the movement direction is suppressed when a film deposition is performed while moving the object. In addition, this structure allows making a portion supporting the substrate 11 by the support parts 41A, 41B smaller than a roller. Consequently, an area capable of depositing a film on the substrate 11 can be enlarged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] As a film forming apparatus, as described in Patent Document 1, a film forming apparatus that supplies a film forming material to a moving object to form a film is known. This film forming apparatus generates plasma in a chamber using a plasma gun and sublimates the film forming material in the chamber. The film forming material adheres to the moving substrate and continues to deposit, whereby a film grows and is formed on the substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, in the above-described film forming apparatus, at the time of film formation, the object is moved by a mechanism such as a roller. In this case, due to the end of the object colliding with the roller or the like, the movement of the object in the moving direction may become unstable. At this time, a problem occurs in that the film thickness distribution of the object varies.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a film forming apparatus capable of suppressing variations in film thickness distribution in the moving direction when forming a film while moving an object.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The film forming apparatus according to the present invention is a film forming apparatus that forms a film by attaching a film forming material to an object, and supports the end portions of the object by a plurality of different first support portions provided at intervals from each other in the moving direction of the object, and moves the object by moving the plurality of first support portions while maintaining the relative positions of the end portions of the object and the plurality of first support portions. It includes a first moving mechanism, a second moving mechanism provided on at least one side in the moving direction with respect to the first moving mechanism for moving the object in the moving direction, and a supply unit for supplying a film forming material to the object moved by the first moving mechanism, and performs handover of the object between the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism.

[0007] The film forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a first moving mechanism for moving an object while supporting the end portions of the object by first support portions. Thereby, the supply unit can supply a film forming material to the object while moving the object by the first moving mechanism. Here, the first moving mechanism moves the object while maintaining the relative positions of the end portions of the object and the support portions. In this way, by both the end portion of the object and the first support portion moving in the moving direction, it is possible to suppress the end portion of the object and the first support portion from colliding during movement. As a result, the first moving mechanism can move the object in a stable state. Further, the first moving mechanism supports the end portions of the object by a plurality of first support portions. Thereby, the first moving mechanism can stably support the end portions of the object by the plurality of first support portions. Also, it becomes possible to form a film between the first support portions on the object. From the above, when forming a film while moving the object, it is possible to suppress variations in the film thickness distribution in the moving direction.

[0008] The film forming apparatus may further include a second moving mechanism that is provided at a distance from the first moving mechanism in a direction intersecting the moving direction, and is supported by a plurality of different second support portions that are spaced apart from each other in the moving direction, and moves the object by moving the plurality of second support portions while maintaining the relative positions of the end portion of the object and the plurality of second support portions. The object is moved while being supported on both sides in a direction intersecting the moving direction by the first support portion and the second support portion while maintaining the relative position. For example, compared with the case where the moving mechanism supports the object in a cantilever manner, the object can be moved in a stable state. Thereby, the variation in the film thickness distribution in the moving direction on both sides of the object can be suppressed.

[0009] The first moving mechanism may include a plurality of rotating bodies arranged at intervals from each other in the moving direction, and a feed member provided with a plurality of first support portions that are bridged over the plurality of rotating bodies and turn by the rotation of the plurality of rotating bodies. In this case, by rotating the rotating body to drive the feed member, the first support portion can be moved together with the object. In this way, with a simple mechanism using the rotating body and the feed member, it is possible to move the object while maintaining the relative position between the end portion of the object and the first support portion.

[0010] The plurality of first support portions may have substantially the same moving speed. Thereby, at each first support portion, the object can be supported while maintaining the relative position with the object.

[0011] The supply unit may supply the film forming material from below to the object disposed on the upper side. In this case, the effect of preventing the adhesion of the pieces of the film forming material and the film forming material peeled from the surrounding walls can be obtained.

[0012] The feed member spanned across the rotating body may have a linear movement section that linearly moves the support section in the moving direction of the object, and a rotational movement section that rotates the support section around the rotating body. In this case, by rotating the rotating body to drive the feed member, in the linear movement section, the support section can be moved together with the object. Also, in the rotational movement section, the support section can be circulated and returned to the linear movement section again. Thus, with a simple mechanism using the rotating body and the feed member, it becomes possible to move the object while maintaining the relative position between the end of the object and the support section.

[0013] A plurality of first support sections may be provided on the feed member so as to be arranged along the moving direction. In this case, the object can be supported by a plurality of support sections that move at the same speed with the same feed member. Thereby, since the moving mechanism can move the object in a stable state, even a film with a large film thickness can be formed with a stable film thickness distribution.

[0014] When viewed from the moving direction, with respect to the outer peripheral side of the object in the direction in which the object spreads, the central axis of the rotating body may form an angle of 45° to 135°. For example, when the central axis of the rotating body forms an angle of 0°, the size of the moving mechanism in the vertical direction becomes large. In this case, with respect to the space where the film-forming material is flying, the moving mechanism or the shield plate for the moving mechanism projects greatly. In this case, the projecting portion affects the film-forming material heading towards the vicinity of the end of the object. On the other hand, by suppressing the central axis of the rotating body to 45° to 135°, the projection into the space can be suppressed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a film-forming apparatus capable of suppressing variations in film thickness distribution in the moving direction when film formation is performed while moving an object.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, a film forming method and a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0018] First, with reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an RPD (Reactive Plasma Deposition) film forming apparatus used in a so-called RPD method which is a kind of ion plating method. The feature of the RPD method is that the plasma generated at high density using the plasma gun 7 is introduced into the film forming material Ma by the hearth mechanism 2, so that the sublimation of the material and the ionization of the sublimated material particles are performed by the same mechanism. In the RPD method, since high-density plasma is used, the ionization rate of the material particles is high, and a denser and more adhesive thin film to the substrate can be formed as compared with a general ion plating method. However, the film forming apparatus of the present invention may be of a type that forms a film by attaching a film forming material to a moved substrate. For example, as the film forming apparatus, a film forming apparatus of a type such as an evaporation apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, or a CVD apparatus may be adopted. For convenience of explanation, an XYZ coordinate system is shown in FIG. 1. The Y-axis direction is the direction in which the central axis of the plasma gun 7 extends. The Z-axis direction is the position where the substrate and the hearth mechanism described later face each other. The X-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

[0019] The film forming apparatus 1 may be a so-called horizontal film forming apparatus in which the substrate 11 (object) is disposed and conveyed in the chamber 10 such that the thickness direction of the substrate 11 is substantially vertical. In this case, the X-axis and Y-axis directions are horizontal directions, and the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction and the thickness direction. Note that the film forming apparatus 1 may be a so-called vertical film forming apparatus in which the substrate 11 is disposed and conveyed in the chamber 10 in an upright or inclined state from the upright state such that the thickness direction of the substrate 11 is the horizontal direction (Z-axis direction in FIG. 1). In this case, the Z-axis direction is the horizontal direction and the thickness direction of the substrate 11, the Y-axis direction is the horizontal direction, and the X-axis direction is the vertical direction. Hereinafter, the film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking a horizontal film forming apparatus as an example.

[0020] The film forming apparatus 1 includes a chamber 10, a moving mechanism 3, and a film forming mechanism 14.

[0021] The chamber 10 is a member for housing the substrate 11 and performing a film forming process. The chamber 10 includes a transfer chamber 10a for transferring the substrate 11 on which a film of the film forming material Ma is to be formed, a film forming chamber 10b for diffusing the film forming material Ma, and a plasma port 10c for receiving the plasma P irradiated in a beam shape from the plasma gun 7 into the chamber 10. The transfer chamber 10a, the film forming chamber 10b, and the plasma port 10c communicate with each other. The transfer chamber 10a is set along a predetermined moving direction (arrow A in the figure) (in the Y-axis). Further, the chamber 10 is made of a conductive material and is connected to a ground potential.

[0022] The film forming chamber 10b has, as a wall portion 10W, a pair of side walls along the transfer direction (arrow A), a pair of side walls 10h and 10i along the direction (Z-axis direction) intersecting the transfer direction (arrow A), and a bottom wall 10j disposed to intersect the X-axis direction.

[0023] The moving mechanism 3 moves the substrate 11 in the moving direction (arrow A) while facing the film-forming material Ma. The moving mechanism 3 includes a non-film-forming moving mechanism 3A (second moving mechanism) provided in a region where the film-forming material Mb is not supplied to the substrate 11, and a film-forming moving mechanism 3B provided in a region where the film-forming material Mb is supplied to the substrate 11. The detailed configuration of the moving mechanism 3 will be described later. The moving mechanism 3 is constituted by a plurality of transfer rollers 15 installed in the transfer chamber 10a. The transfer rollers 15 are arranged at equal intervals along the transfer direction (arrow A), and support the substrate 11 and transfer it in the transfer direction (arrow A). Note that, for example, a plate-like member such as a glass substrate or a plastic substrate is used as the substrate 11.

[0024] Subsequently, the configuration of the film-forming mechanism 14 will be described in detail. The film-forming mechanism 14 attaches particles generated as a result of the sublimation of the film-forming material Ma to the substrate 11 by an ion plating method. The film-forming mechanism 14 includes a plasma gun 7, a steering coil 5, a hearth mechanism 2, and a ring hearth 6.

[0025] The plasma gun 7 is, for example, a pressure-gradient type plasma gun, and its main body is connected to the film-forming chamber 10b through a plasma port 10c provided on the side wall of the film-forming chamber 10b. The plasma gun 7 generates plasma P in the chamber 10. The plasma P generated in the plasma gun 7 is emitted in a beam shape from the plasma port 10c into the film-forming chamber 10b. Thereby, plasma P is generated in the film-forming chamber 10b.

[0026] The plasma gun 7 generates plasma by discharging argon gas introduced through the cathode 60. A first intermediate electrode (grid) 61 and a second intermediate electrode (grid) 62 are concentrically arranged between the cathode 60 and the plasma port 10c. An annular permanent magnet 61a for converging the plasma P is built in the first intermediate electrode 61. An electromagnetic coil 62a for converging the plasma P is also built in the second intermediate electrode 62. In the present embodiment, the first intermediate electrode 61 is arranged closer to the cathode 60 than the second intermediate electrode 62, but the positional relationship may be opposite.

[0027] The steering coil 5 is provided around the plasma port 10c to which the plasma gun 7 is attached. The steering coil 5 guides the plasma P into the film formation chamber 10b. The steering coil 5 is excited by passing an electric current through it by a power supply (not shown) for the steering coil.

[0028] The hearth mechanism 2 holds the film formation material Ma. The hearth mechanism 2 is provided in the film formation chamber 10b of the chamber 10 and is arranged in the negative direction of the Z-axis direction as viewed from the moving mechanism 3. The hearth mechanism 2 has a main hearth 17 that is a main anode for guiding the plasma P emitted from the plasma gun 7 to the film formation material Ma or a main anode for guiding the plasma P emitted from the plasma gun 7 to itself.

[0029] The main hearth 17 has a function of sublimating the film formation material Ma. The main hearth 17 has a cylindrical container 17a extending in the positive direction of the Z-axis direction filled with the film formation material Ma. Since the main hearth 17 is maintained at a positive potential with respect to the ground potential of the chamber 10, the main hearth 17 becomes an electrode (anode) in the discharge and can attract the plasma P. A through hole 17b for filling the film formation material Ma is formed in the container 17a of the main hearth 17 where the plasma P is incident. And the surface SF of the tip portion of the film formation material Ma is exposed to the film formation chamber 10b (see FIG. 1) at one end of the through hole 17b.

[0030] As the film-forming material Ma, for example, conductive materials such as ITO (indium tin oxide doped with tin oxide) and IWO (indium oxide doped with tungsten oxide) are used. When the plasma P irradiates the main hearth 17 and the film-forming material Ma is composed of a conductive substance, the plasma P directly enters the film-forming material Ma, the surface of the tip portion of the film-forming material Ma is heated and sublimated, and the particles of the film-forming material Mb ionized by the plasma P diffuse into the film-forming chamber 10b. The particles of the film-forming material Mb diffused into the film-forming chamber 10b are ionized by the plasma P, move in the positive Z-axis direction of the film-forming chamber 10b, and adhere to the surface of the substrate 11 in the transfer chamber 10a. The film-forming material Ma is a solid object formed into a cylindrical shape with a predetermined length, and a plurality of film-forming materials Ma are filled into the hearth mechanism 2 at one time. Then, as the atomic composition in the film thickness direction becomes constant, the tip portion of the film-forming material Ma at the forefront maintains a predetermined positional relationship with the upper end of the main hearth 17, and as the film-forming material Ma sublimes, the film-forming material Ma is sequentially pushed out from the negative Z-axis side of the hearth mechanism 2. As described above, the main hearth 17 functions as a supply unit 70 that supplies the film-forming material Mb to the substrate 11 that moves by the moving mechanism 3.

[0031] The film-forming material Ma may be an insulating substance such as silicon oxide or tin oxide. Since the film-forming material Ma is composed of an insulating substance, the plasma P enters the upper end portion of the main hearth 17. As a result, the main hearth 17 is heated, and the film-forming material Ma is heated and sublimated.

[0032] The ring hearth 6 is an auxiliary anode having an electromagnet for inducing the plasma P. The ring hearth 6 is disposed around the container 17a of the main hearth 17 that holds the film-forming material Ma. The ring hearth 6 has an annular coil 20, an annular permanent magnet portion 9, and an annular container 12, and the coil 20 and the permanent magnet portion 9 are housed in the container 12. In the present embodiment, the permanent magnet portion 9 and the coil 20 are installed in this order in the negative Z-axis direction as viewed from the moving mechanism 3, but they may be installed in the order of the coil 20 and the permanent magnet portion 9 in the negative Z-axis direction. The ring hearth 6 controls the direction of the plasma P incident on the film-forming material Ma or the direction of the plasma P incident on the main hearth 17 according to the magnitude of the current flowing through the coil 20.

[0033] The gas supply unit 18 supplies carrier gas and oxygen gas into the chamber 10. As substances contained in the carrier gas, for example, noble gases such as argon and helium are adopted. The gas supply unit 18 is disposed outside the chamber 10 and supplies the source gas into the chamber 10 through a gas supply port provided in the side wall (for example, the side wall 10h) of the film forming chamber 10b. The gas supply unit 18 supplies carrier gas and oxygen gas with a flow rate based on a control signal from the control unit.

[0034] The power source 80 supplies current to the plasma gun 7. Thereby, the plasma gun 7 discharges with a discharge current of a predetermined value. The power source 80 is connected to the plasma gun 7 which is the cathode and the main hearth 17 which is the anode. The power source 80 supplies current with a current value based on a control signal from the control unit 90. The control unit 90 is a device that controls the entire film forming apparatus 1.

[0035] Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of the moving mechanism 3 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the moving mechanism 3 viewed from above. In FIG. 2, the region where the film forming material Mb is supplied to the substrate 11 is shown as the "film forming region E1". A film forming moving mechanism 3B is provided at a position corresponding to the film forming region E1. In the moving direction A, non-film forming moving mechanisms 3A are provided at positions upstream and downstream of the film forming region E1. In the following description, "inside" in the X-axis direction indicates the substrate 11 side, and "outside" indicates the side opposite to the substrate 11 side.

[0036] The non-film-forming transfer mechanism 3A is a mechanism for moving the substrate 11 by supporting both end portions 11a of the substrate 11 in the X-axis direction with rollers 51. The non-film-forming transfer mechanism 3A has support mechanisms 50 on both sides in the X-axis direction. The support mechanisms 50 are provided at a predetermined pitch along the moving direction A. The support mechanism 50 includes a roller 51 and a shaft portion 52 that rotatably supports the roller 51. The roller 51 is provided on the inner side (substrate 11 side) in the X-axis direction. The rotation axis of the roller 51 is parallel to the X-axis direction. Therefore, the roller 51 rotates with the substrate 11 placed on the upper end side, thereby moving the substrate 11 in the moving direction A. The roller 51 supports the vicinity of the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 in the X-axis direction.

[0037] The film formation moving mechanism 3B is a mechanism that moves the substrate 11 by supporting both end portions 11a of the substrate 11 in the X-axis direction on the support portion 41. The film formation moving mechanism 3B has moving mechanisms 40 on both sides in the X-axis direction. Specifically, the film formation moving mechanism 3B has a moving mechanism 40A on the negative side in the X-axis direction and a moving mechanism 40B on the positive side in the X-axis direction. In the present embodiment, the moving mechanism 40A is regarded as the "first moving mechanism" in the claims, and the moving mechanism 40B is regarded as the "third moving mechanism" in the claims. However, when the moving mechanism 40B is regarded as the "first moving mechanism", the moving mechanism 40A becomes the "third moving mechanism". The moving mechanism 40B is provided at a distance from the moving mechanism 40A in the X-axis direction (a direction intersecting the moving direction). The moving mechanism 40A directly supports the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 by a plurality of different support portions 41A (first support portions) provided at a distance from each other in the moving direction A, and moves the substrate 11 by moving the plurality of support portions 41A while maintaining the relative position between the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 and the plurality of support portions 41A. The moving mechanism 40B directly supports the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 by a plurality of different support portions 41B (second support portions) provided at a distance from each other in the moving direction A, and moves the substrate 11 by moving the plurality of support portions 41B while maintaining the relative position between the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 and the plurality of support portions 41B. Thereby, the film formation moving mechanism 3B supports both sides in the X-axis direction orthogonal to the moving direction A of the substrate 11 by the support portions 41A and 41B. The moving mechanisms 40A and 40B move the substrate 11 while supporting the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 by the support portions 41A and 41B. In the following description, when simply referred to as "moving mechanism 40" and "support portion 41", the same description shall apply to both "moving mechanisms 40A and 40B" and "support portions 41A and 41B".

[0038] The moving mechanism 40 of the film-forming moving mechanism 3B includes a pair of rotators 42, a feed member 43, and a plurality of support portions 41. The rotators 42 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the moving direction A. One rotator 42 is arranged at a position corresponding to the upstream end of the film-forming region E1 in the moving direction A. The other rotator 42 is arranged at a position corresponding to the downstream end of the film-forming region E1 in the moving direction A. Also, the rotators 42 rotate in the same rotation direction. As the rotator 42, a sprocket, a drum, etc. may be adopted.

[0039] The feed member 43 is a member that is bridged over the pair of rotators 42 and provided with the support portions 41. The feed member 43 may be an endless member, and at one end, it is looped around the upstream rotator 42, and at the other end, it is looped around the downstream rotator 42. The feed member 43 is provided with support portions 41 that project toward the outer peripheral side. As the feed member 43, for example, a chain for a sprocket, a steel belt for a drum, etc. may be adopted.

[0040] The feed member 43 bridged over the rotators 42 has a linear movement portion 43A that linearly moves the support portion 41 in the moving direction A of the substrate 11, a linear movement portion 43B that linearly moves the support portion 41 to the opposite side of the moving direction A, and a rotational movement portion 43C that rotates the support portion 41 around the rotator 42. The linear movement portion 43A moves in the direction D1 that is the same as the moving direction A inside in the X-axis direction. The linear movement portion 43A moves in the direction D2 that is opposite to the moving direction A outside in the X-axis direction. The rotational movement portion 43C is provided at the ends of the linear movement portions 43A and 43B on the upstream side and the downstream side in the moving direction A.

[0041] The support part 41 is constituted by a member that protrudes from the feed member 43 toward the outer peripheral side. The support part 41 supports the substrate 11 in a state where the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 is placed on the upper surface of the tip at the outer peripheral side. The plurality of support parts 41 are provided on the feed member 43 so as to be arranged along the moving direction A. The plurality of support parts 41 are provided at equal pitches. Also, the pitch can be adjusted so that the plurality of support parts 41 can support the end portion 11a of one substrate 11. Since the plurality of support parts 41 are provided on the same feed member 43, their moving speeds are substantially the same.

[0042] The film forming apparatus 1 transfers the substrate 11 between the moving mechanisms 40A and 40B of the film forming moving mechanism 3B and the non-film forming moving mechanism 3A. The non-film forming moving mechanism 3A on the upstream side in the moving direction A transfers the substrate 11 to the moving mechanisms 40A and 40B at the negative-side end portion of the film forming moving mechanism 3B in the Y-axis direction. The film forming moving mechanism 3B transfers the substrate 11 from the moving mechanisms 40A and 40B to the non-film forming moving mechanism 3A at the positive-side end portion in the Y-axis direction. More specifically, both end portions 11a of the substrate 11 that have moved from the non-film forming moving mechanism 3A on the upstream side in the moving direction A to the film forming region E1 are transferred onto the support parts 41 near the upstream-side rotating body 42 from the roller 51. As the substrate 11 moves in the moving direction A, the number of support parts 41 that support the substrate 11 increases sequentially. At the end portion 11a of the substrate 11, the portion once placed on the support part 41 moves in the moving direction A while being maintained in a state where the relative position with the support part 41 does not change. The end portion 11a of the substrate 11 is transferred from the support part 41 to the roller 51 of the non-film forming moving mechanism 3A on the downstream side. The support part 41 that has transferred the substrate 11 to the roller 51 turns at the downstream-side rotational moving part 43C, moves back to the opposite side of the moving direction A at the outer linear moving part 43B, and turns at the upstream-side rotational moving part 43C. Then, the support part 41 moves in the moving direction A together with the substrate 11 again at the inner linear moving part 43A.

[0043] Next, with reference to FIG. 3, an example of the detailed configuration of the moving mechanism 40A of the film forming moving mechanism 3B will be described. Although FIG. 3 shows the moving mechanism 40A, the same description applies to the moving mechanism 40B except that it is symmetric about the Y-axis direction. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a sprocket is adopted as the rotating body 42, and a chain is used as the feeding member 43. The rotating body 42 rotates around the central axis CL1. When viewed from the moving direction A, taking the direction in which the substrate 11 spreads (X-axis direction) and the outer peripheral side of the substrate 11 as a reference (0°), the angle of the central axis CL1 of the rotating body 42 is θ. At this time, the central axis CL1 of the rotating body 42 may form an angle θ of 45° to 135°. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the central axis CL1 forms an angle of 90°.

[0044] The rotating body 42 has a main body portion 42a and a gear portion 42b provided on the lower end side of the main body portion 42a. The feeding member 43, which is a chain, engages with the gear portion 42b. A support portion 41A is provided on the feeding member 43 via a bracket 44 having an L-shaped cross section. The support portion 41A of the inner (positive side) linear movement portion 43A in the X-axis direction extends from the bracket 44 toward the inner (positive side) in the X-axis direction. The support portion 41A of the outer (negative side) linear movement portion 43B in the X-axis direction extends from the bracket 44 toward the outer (inner side) in the X-axis direction.

[0045] At the tip of the support portion 41A, a mounting member 45 for placing the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 is provided. The mounting member 45 has a flat mounting surface. Further, the support portion 41A has a pair of bearings 46A and 46B between the mounting member 45 and the bracket 44. The bearings 46A and 46B guide the movement of the support portion 41A by coming into contact with the guide plates 47A and 47B. The guide plate 47A is provided below the support portion 41A. The guide plate 47A has a stepped structure so as to be in contact with the bearing 46A while not being in contact with the bearing 46B. The guide plate 47B is provided above the support portion 41A. The guide plate 47B has a stepped structure so as to be in contact with the bearing 46B while not being in contact with the bearing 46A. The guide plates 47A and 47B extend in the moving direction A in a state of sandwiching a plurality of support portions 41A vertically. Thereby, the plurality of support portions 41A move in the moving direction A (and the opposite side of the moving direction A) in a state where the vertical play is restricted by the guide plates 47A and 47B.

[0046] A shield plate 48 is provided below the moving mechanism 40A. The shield plate 48 is a member for suppressing the adhesion of the film forming material Mb to the moving mechanism 40A. The shield plate 48 has a flat plate portion 48a extending parallel to the X-axis direction and a rising portion 48b rising from the flat plate portion 48a. The rising portion 48b rises upward toward the end portion 11a side of the substrate 11 at the inner side (positive side) end portion of the flat plate portion 48a in the X-axis direction. In the present embodiment, the rising portion 48b rises so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Thereby, in the vicinity of the end portion 11a of the substrate 11, the gap GP between the tip of the mounting member 45 of the support portion 41A and the tip of the rising portion 48b can be narrowed. Further, since the rising portion 48b is inclined, the shield plate 48 can be configured not to protrude as much as possible into the space SP where the film forming material Mb is flying. When the shield plate 48 protrudes excessively into the space SP, there are effects such as affecting the plasma or the film forming material Mb that should adhere to the substrate 11 being attracted to the shield plate 48.

[0047] Next, the operation and effects of the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0048] The film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes transfer mechanisms 40A and 40B that transfer the substrate 11 while supporting the end portion 1a of the substrate 11 by the support portions 41A and 41B. As a result, the supply unit 70 can supply the film forming material Mb to the substrate 11 while transferring the substrate 11 by the film forming transfer mechanism 3B of the transfer mechanism 3. Here, a transfer mechanism that conveys the substrate 11 with rollers, such as the non-film forming transfer mechanism 3A, is taken as a comparative example. In this comparative example, since the range in which the rollers support the substrate 11 becomes large, the area on the substrate 11 where film formation is possible decreases. In addition, if a large roller is provided below the substrate 11, the film forming material is likely to adhere to the roller, which causes a failure. Even if the adhesion of the film forming material to the roller is suppressed by a shield plate or the like, conveyance by the roller is a method in which the substrate 11 is likely to tilt. Therefore, when the substrate 11 tilts, the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 collides with a location other than the conveyance surface of the roller, resulting in a non-uniform transfer speed. In this case, there arises a problem that the film thickness distribution of the substrate 11 varies.

[0049] In contrast, the film-forming movement mechanism 3B of the movement mechanism 3 moves the substrate 11 while maintaining the relative positions of the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 and the support portions 41A and 41B. In this way, by both the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 and the support portions 41A and 41B moving in the moving direction A, it is possible to suppress the end portion 11a of the substrate and the support portions 41A and 41B from colliding during movement. As a result, the movement mechanism 3 can move the object in a stable state. Also, the movement mechanisms 40A and 40B support the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 by a plurality of support portions 41A and 41B. Thereby, the movement mechanisms 40A and 40B can stably support the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 by the plurality of support portions 41A and 41B. Also, it becomes possible to form a film between the support portions 41A and 41B on the object. From the above, when forming a film while moving the object, variations in the film thickness distribution in the moving direction can be suppressed. Also, according to the said structure, the portion where the support portions 41A and 41B support the substrate 11 can be made smaller than a roller. Therefore, the film-forming possible area of the substrate 11 can also be expanded.

[0050] The film-forming apparatus 1 may further include a movement mechanism 40B that is provided at a distance from the movement mechanism 40A in the X-axis direction (a direction intersecting the moving direction), is supported by a plurality of different support portions 41B that are spaced apart from each other in the moving direction A, and moves the substrate 11 by moving the plurality of support portions 41B while maintaining the relative position between the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 and the plurality of support portions 41B. The substrate 11 moves while being supported on both sides in the Y-axis direction by the support portion 41A and the support portion 41B while maintaining the relative position. For example, compared with the case where the movement mechanism supports the object in a cantilever manner, the object can be moved in a stable state. Thereby, variations in the film thickness distribution in the moving direction A on both sides of the substrate 11 can be suppressed.

[0051] The moving mechanisms 40A and 40B may include a plurality of rotators 42 arranged at intervals from each other in the moving direction A, and a feed member 43 provided with a plurality of support portions 41A and 41B that are bridged over the plurality of rotators 42 and that turn by the rotation of the plurality of rotators 42. In this case, by rotating the rotator 42 to drive the feed member 43, the support portions 41A and 41B can be moved together with the substrate 11. In this way, with a simple mechanism using the rotator 42 and the feed member 43, it becomes possible to move the substrate while maintaining the relative positions of the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 and the support portions 41A and 41B.

[0052] The plurality of support portions 41A and 41B may have substantially the same moving speed. Thereby, at each of the support portions 41A and 41B, the substrate 11 can be supported while maintaining the relative position with the substrate 11.

[0053] The supply unit 70 may supply the film-forming material Mb from below to the substrate 11 disposed on the upper side. In this case, it is possible to obtain the effect of preventing the adhesion of pieces of the film-forming material Mb and the film-forming material peeled from the surrounding walls.

[0054] The feed member 43 bridged over the rotator 42 may include linear movement portions 43A and 43B that linearly move the support portions 41A and 41B in the moving direction A of the substrate 11, and a rotational movement portion 43C that turns the support portion 41 around the rotator 42. In this case, by rotating the rotator 42 to drive the feed member 43, in the linear movement portion 43A, the support portions 41A and 41B can be moved together with the substrate 11. Also, in the rotational movement portion 43C, the support portions 41A and 41B can be circulated and returned to the linear movement portion 43A again. In this way, with a simple mechanism using the rotator 42 and the feed member 43, it becomes possible to move the substrate 11 while maintaining the relative positions of the end portion 11a of the substrate 11 and the support portions 41A and 41B.

[0055] The plurality of support portions 41A and 41B may be provided on the feed member 43 so as to be arranged along the moving direction A. In this case, the substrate 11 can be supported by the plurality of support portions 41 that move at the same speed with the same feed member 43. Thereby, since the moving mechanism 3 can move the substrate 11 in a stable state, even a film with a large film thickness can be formed with a stable film thickness distribution.

[0056] When viewed from the moving direction A, with respect to the direction in which the substrate 11 spreads and with reference to the outer peripheral side of the substrate 11, the central axis of the rotating body 42 may form an angle of 45° to 135°. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the central axis CL1 of the rotating body 42 forms an angle of 0°, the size of the moving mechanism 40 of the moving mechanism 3 in the vertical direction becomes large. In this case, with respect to the space SP in which the film forming material Mb is flying, the moving mechanism 40 or the shield plate for the moving mechanism 40 protrudes greatly. In this case, the protruding portion affects the film forming material Mb heading toward the vicinity of the end portion 11a of the substrate 11. On the other hand, by suppressing the central axis CL1 of the rotating body 42 to 45° to 135°, the protrusion into the space SP can be suppressed (see, for example, FIG. 4 described later).

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0058] For example, the structure shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) may be adopted. In the example shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), a drum is used as the rotating body 42, and a steel belt is used as the feeding member 43. The support portion 41 is an attachment attached to the steel belt. Further, in FIG. 4(a), when viewed from the moving direction, with respect to the outer peripheral side of the substrate 11 in the direction in which the substrate 11 spreads, the central axis CL1 of the rotating body 42 forms an angle of 45°. In FIG. 4(b), when viewed from the moving direction, with respect to the outer peripheral side of the substrate 11 in the direction in which the substrate 11 spreads, the central axis CL1 of the rotating body 42 forms an angle of 135°. In FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), since the central axis CL1 is inclined, the footprint of the moving mechanism 40 in the vertical direction is smaller than that of the moving mechanism 40 shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, the size of the moving mechanism 40 protruding into the space SP can be suppressed. In FIG. 4(a), the height of the rising portion 48 of the shield plate 48 can be suppressed as compared with FIG. 5.

[0059] For example, the structure shown in FIG. 5 may be adopted. In the example shown in FIG. 5, a drum is used as the rotating body 42, and a belt is used as the feeding member 43. Further, in FIG. 5, when viewed from the moving direction, with respect to the outer peripheral side of the substrate 11 in the direction in which the substrate 11 spreads, the central axis CL1 of the rotating body 42 forms an angle of 0°.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the support portions 41A and 41B of the moving mechanisms 40A and 40B directly supported the substrate 11. Instead of this, the substrate 11 may be held by a substrate holding member such as a tray, and the moving mechanisms 40A and 40B and the non-film-forming moving mechanism 3A may move the substrate 11 via the substrate holding member. Note that the substrate holding member moves in the moving direction A together with the substrate 11 while maintaining the relative position with the substrate 11. However, the substrate holding member does not transfer the substrate 11 to other moving mechanisms. Therefore, such a substrate holding member does not correspond to any of the "first moving mechanism", "second moving mechanism", and "third moving mechanism" in claim 1. Note that when the moving mechanisms 40A and 40B directly move the substrate 11 without using a substrate holding member, a mechanism for returning the substrate holding member after film formation to the apparatus entrance becomes unnecessary.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, only one set of the moving mechanisms 40A and 40B is provided in the moving direction A. However, a plurality of sets of the moving mechanisms 40A and 40B may be provided in the moving direction A. The upstream moving mechanisms 40A and 40B transfer the substrate 11 to the downstream moving mechanisms 40A and 40B. In this way, the transfer destination of the substrate 11 of the moving mechanisms 40A and 40B may be not only the moving mechanism using rollers but also other moving mechanisms 40A and 40B having the same configuration.

[0062] The positions, sizes, orientations, angles, etc. of the respective components of the above-described film forming apparatus may be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0063] 1... Film forming apparatus, 3A... Non-film forming moving mechanism (second moving mechanism), 40A... Moving mechanism (first moving mechanism, third moving mechanism), 40B... Moving mechanism (third moving mechanism, first moving mechanism), 41A... Support portion (first support portion, second support portion), 41B... Support portion (second support portion, first support portion), 42... Rotating body, 43... Feeding member, 43A, 43B... Linear moving portions, 43C... Rotational moving portion, 70... Supply portion.

Claims

1. A film forming apparatus that forms a film by attaching a film forming material to an object, comprising: a plurality of different first support portions that support end portions of the object so as to be spaced apart from each other in the moving direction of the object, and move the object by moving the plurality of first support portions while maintaining the relative positions of the end portions of the object and the plurality of first support portions; a first moving mechanism; a second moving mechanism provided on at least one side in the moving direction with respect to the first moving mechanism, for moving the object in the moving direction; a supply unit that supplies the film forming material to the object moved by the first moving mechanism; and a film forming apparatus that transfers the object between the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism.

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second moving mechanism that is provided at a distance from the first moving mechanism in a direction intersecting the moving direction, supports the object by a plurality of different second support portions that are spaced apart from each other in the moving direction, and moves the object by moving the plurality of second support portions while maintaining the relative positions of the end portions of the object and the plurality of second support portions.

3. The first moving mechanism includes: a plurality of rotating bodies arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the moving direction; and a feed member that is spanned across the plurality of rotating bodies and provided with the plurality of first support portions that turn by the rotation of the plurality of rotating bodies. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of first support portions have substantially the same moving speed.

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the supply unit supplies the film forming material from below to the object arranged on the upper side.

6. The feed member spanned across the rotating body has a linear movement portion that linearly moves the first support portion in the moving direction of the object, and a rotational movement portion that rotates the first support portion around the rotating body. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3.

7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of first support portions are provided on the feed member so as to be arranged along the moving direction.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the central axis of the rotating body forms an angle of 45° to 135° with respect to the outer peripheral side of the object in the direction in which the object spreads as viewed from the moving direction.

Images