Substrate alignment apparatus and film forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a substrate alignment device and a film deposition apparatus capable of grasping the positional relationship between a substrate and a mask immediately before film deposition.SOLUTION: The vapor deposition device 10 includes the vacuum tank 11 that defines the housing-space 11S that houses the substrate S, the mask stage 23 that holds the mask M in the housing-space 11S, the infrared light camera 31 that images light with which the substrate S is irradiated from the opposite side of the mask stage 23 with respect to the substrate S, the imaging-unit elevating mechanism that moves the infrared light camera 31 toward the first position, which is the position of the substrate S when the substrate S is processed using the mask M, in the housing-space 11S, and the controller 10C that controls driving of the imaging-unit elevating mechanism to cause the imaging-unit elevating mechanism to change the position of the infrared light camera 31 in the housing-space 11S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate alignment apparatus and a film deposition apparatus including the substrate alignment apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a deposition apparatus includes a position detection unit for aligning the position of a non-transparent substrate with the position of a deposition mask. The position detection unit includes a mark camera, a load camera, a deposition camera, and a control unit. The mark camera and the load camera are mounted on an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM). The deposition camera is mounted on a deposition chamber.

[0003] The mark camera is configured to capture an image of the substrate mark from a position facing the front surface of the substrate, and the load camera and deposition camera are configured to capture an image of the bevel portion of the substrate from positions facing the back surface of the substrate.

[0004] Before forming a film on a substrate in the deposition chamber, the control unit calculates the position of the pattern center, which is the center of the substrate on the front surface of the substrate, using an image captured by the mark camera.The control unit calculates the position of the first substrate center, which is the center of the substrate on the back surface of the substrate, using an image captured by the load camera.The control unit calculates the position of the second substrate center, which is the center of the substrate on the back surface of the substrate, using an image captured by the deposition camera.

[0005] When aligning the position of the substrate with respect to the position of the deposition mask, the control unit calculates the position of the mask center in the deposition mask using an image captured by the deposition camera. Then, using the pattern center and the first substrate center, the control unit calculates the amount of deviation between the pattern center and the first substrate center. The control unit reflects the amount of deviation in the second substrate center to calculate a correction amount for aligning the second substrate center with the mask center (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-112655 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the example of the deposition apparatus described above, before depositing a film on a substrate in the deposition chamber, the EFEM must calculate the position of the pattern center on the front surface of the substrate and the position of the first substrate center using information about the perimeter on the back surface of the substrate. Furthermore, because the position of the center on the front surface of the substrate placed in the deposition chamber cannot be directly calculated, the position of the center on the back surface of the substrate must be calculated and then the amount of misalignment between the front and back surfaces must be reflected in this position. Therefore, if the substrate changes over time during the production process, a discrepancy will occur between the current substrate center position and the first substrate center on the back surface of the substrate confirmed by the EFEM, preventing the expected target position from being achieved. Furthermore, it is impossible to determine the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask immediately before deposition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A substrate alignment device for solving the above problem includes a vacuum chamber defining a storage space for accommodating a substrate, a mask holding unit for holding a mask within the storage space, an imaging unit for capturing an image of light irradiated onto the substrate from the side opposite the mask holding unit, an imaging unit lifting mechanism for moving the imaging unit within the storage space toward a first position which is the position of the substrate when processing the substrate using the mask, and a control unit for controlling the drive of the imaging unit lifting mechanism to cause the imaging unit lifting mechanism to change the position of the imaging unit within the storage space.

[0009] A film formation apparatus for solving the above problem includes the substrate alignment device and a film formation unit configured to be able to form a film on the substrate positioned within the accommodation space. According to the substrate alignment device and film deposition device, the position of the imaging unit within the accommodation space can be changed by the imaging unit lifting mechanism. Therefore, regardless of the distance between the substrate position and the mask position, the imaging unit can capture images of the substrate mark and the mask mark on the mask. Therefore, the image captured by the imaging unit can be used to calculate the position of the surface of the substrate facing the mask. This eliminates the need to calculate the amount of deviation between the predetermined positions on the front and back of the substrate. As a result, it becomes possible to grasp the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask immediately before film deposition.

[0010] The substrate alignment device may further include a substrate lifting mechanism that changes the position of the substrate in the direction in which the mask and the substrate are aligned within the storage space, and a substrate position changing mechanism that changes the position of the substrate along a plane in which the substrate extends, wherein the control unit controls the driving of the substrate lifting mechanism to cause the substrate lifting mechanism to change the position of the substrate in the direction in which the mask and the substrate are aligned, and controls the driving of the substrate position changing mechanism to cause the substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate in the plane, the control unit causes the substrate lifting mechanism to move the substrate from a second position toward the mask to the first position, causes the imaging unit lifting mechanism to move the imaging unit to a position where the imaging unit can image the substrate located at the second position, causes the imaging unit to image the substrate located at the second position, and causes the substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate based on the imaging result of the imaging unit, and the distance between the second position and the mask may be longer than the distance between the first position and the mask.

[0011] According to the substrate alignment device, the substrate placed at the second position can be imaged by the imaging unit, and the position of the substrate can be changed based on the image capture result of the imaging unit without the substrate interfering with the mask.

[0012] In the above substrate alignment device, the control unit may cause the substrate lifting mechanism to move the substrate from a third position to the second position toward the mask, cause the imaging unit to image the substrate positioned at the third position, and cause the substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate based on the imaging result of the imaging unit, and the distance between the third position and the mask may be longer than the distance between the second position and the mask.

[0013] According to the substrate alignment device, the position of the substrate along the plane on which the substrate extends is changed between the second position and the third position. Therefore, even if the position of the substrate along the plane on which the substrate extends changes when the position of the substrate is changed from the third position to the second position, it is possible to correct the position of the substrate along the plane on which the substrate extends at the second position.

[0014] In the above-mentioned substrate alignment device, the substrate position changing mechanism is a first substrate position changing mechanism and further includes a second substrate position changing mechanism that changes the position of the substrate along the plane, the accuracy of the position change by the first substrate position changing mechanism is higher than the accuracy of the position change by the second substrate position changing mechanism, the control unit controls the drive of the second substrate position changing mechanism to cause the second substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate on the plane, the control unit causes the substrate lifting mechanism to move the substrate from a third position to the second position toward the mask, the imaging unit to image the substrate located at the third position, and the second substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate based on the imaging result of the imaging unit, and the distance between the third position and the mask may be longer than the distance between the second position and the mask.

[0015] According to the substrate alignment device, the position of the substrate along the plane on which the substrate extends is changed between the second position and the third position. Therefore, even if the position of the substrate along the plane on which the substrate extends changes when the position of the substrate is changed from the third position to the second position, it is possible to correct the position of the substrate along the plane on which the substrate extends at the second position. In addition, it is possible to change the position of the substrate with higher accuracy when the distance between the mask and the substrate is shorter.

[0016] In the substrate alignment apparatus, the substrate may be made of silicon, and the imaging unit may be configured to be able to capture light in the infrared region.

[0017] According to the substrate alignment device, even if the working distance of the imaging unit is short, the imaging unit can be positioned by the imaging unit lifting mechanism so that the imaging unit can capture an image of the substrate mark on the substrate, thereby obtaining an image of the surface of the substrate facing the mask. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vapor deposition apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an imaging mechanism included in the vapor deposition apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an imaging mechanism included in the vapor deposition apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the substrate together with the light incident on the substrate. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an image showing an example of an image of a board mark provided on a board. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning a substrate with respect to a deposition mask. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. [Figure 21]FIG. 21 is a process diagram showing one step included in an alignment method for aligning the substrate with respect to the deposition mask. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] An embodiment of a substrate alignment apparatus and a film deposition apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. [Vapor deposition equipment] Referring to FIG. 1, a deposition apparatus, which is an example of a film forming apparatus, will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vapor deposition apparatus 10 includes a vacuum chamber 11, a support frame 12, a connection unit 13, an exhaust unit 14, and a vapor deposition source 15. The vacuum chamber 11 defines a storage space 11S for accommodating a substrate S. The support frame 12 is mechanically connected to the vacuum chamber 11 via the connection unit 13. The connection unit 13 may have a vibration-damping function. The exhaust unit 14 reduces the pressure in the storage space 11S by evacuating the vacuum chamber 11. The vapor deposition source 15 vaporizes or sublimates the vapor deposition material, thereby discharging the vapor deposition material toward the substrate S. A substrate mark SM is provided on the surface of the substrate S in advance (see FIG. 4). The vapor deposition source 15 is an example of a film formation unit configured to be able to form a film on the substrate S located within the storage space 11S.

[0020] The deposition apparatus 10 includes a position changing mechanism 20. The position changing mechanism 20 includes a first substrate stage 21, a second substrate stage 22, and a mask stage 23. The first substrate stage 21 and the mask stage 23 are located inside the accommodation space 11S. The second substrate stage 22 is located outside the accommodation space 11S. The mask stage 23 is mechanically supported by the support frame 12. The position of the mask stage 23 within the accommodation space 11S is fixed. The mask stage 23 is an example of a mask holding unit that holds a mask M within the accommodation space 11S. A mask mark is provided on the mask M in advance.

[0021] A driving source 28A is connected to the first substrate stage 21 via a transmission mechanism 29A. The driving source 28A outputs power to be transmitted to the transmission mechanism 29A. The transmission mechanism 29A receives the power of the driving source 28A and thereby moves the first substrate stage 21 along the Z direction. The Z direction is an example of the direction in which the mask M and the substrate S are aligned. In this embodiment, the driving source 28A and the transmission mechanism 29A constitute an example of a substrate lifting mechanism. The substrate lifting mechanism is configured to be able to change the position of the substrate S in the Z direction, which is the direction in which the mask M and the substrate S are aligned, within the accommodation space 11S.

[0022] A driving source 28B is connected to the first substrate stage 21 via a transmission mechanism 29B. The driving source 28B outputs power to be transmitted to the transmission mechanism 29B. The transmission mechanism 29B receives the power from the driving source 28B and thereby moves the first substrate stage 21 along the XY plane. The XY plane is an example of a plane on which the substrate S extends. The X direction and the Y direction are both directions perpendicular to the Z direction. In this embodiment, the first substrate stage 21, the driving source 28B, and the transmission mechanism 29B constitute an example of a first substrate position changing mechanism. The first substrate position changing mechanism is configured to be able to change the position of the substrate S along the plane on which the substrate S extends.

[0023] A driving source 28C is connected to the second substrate stage 22 via a first transmission mechanism 29C1. A first substrate stage 21 is connected to the second substrate stage 22 via a second transmission mechanism 29C2. The driving source 28C outputs power to be transmitted to the first transmission mechanism 29C1. The first transmission mechanism 29C1 receives the power of the driving source 28C, thereby moving the second substrate stage 22 along the XY plane.

[0024] The first substrate stage 21 is connected to the second substrate stage 22 via the second transmission mechanism 29C2. As a result, when the position of the second substrate stage 22 changes in the XY plane, the position of the first substrate stage 21 also changes in the XY plane. As a result, when the first substrate stage 21 supports the substrate S, the position of the substrate S changes in the XY plane. In this embodiment, the second substrate stage 22, the drive source 28C, and the first transmission mechanism 29C1 constitute an example of a second substrate position changing mechanism. The second substrate position changing mechanism is configured to be able to change the position of the substrate S along the plane on which the substrate S extends.

[0025] The accuracy of the position change by the first substrate position changing mechanism is higher than the accuracy of the position change by the second substrate position changing mechanism. For example, the accuracy of the position change by the first substrate position changing mechanism may be less than ±1 μm, and the accuracy of the position change by the second substrate position changing mechanism may be ±1 μm or more.

[0026] The position change mechanism 20 further includes a substrate suction portion 24, a mask suction portion 25, a substrate hook 26, and a mask hook 27. The substrate suction portion 24 is mounted on the first substrate stage 21. The substrate suction portion 24 includes a support surface that contacts the substrate S. The substrate suction portion 24 may be, for example, an electrostatic chuck or an adhesive pad. The substrate suction portion 24 is capable of moving along the Z direction together with the first substrate stage 21, and is also capable of moving along the XY plane.

[0027] The mask suction portion 25 is located within the accommodation space 11S. In the Z direction, the mask suction portion 25 is located on the opposite side of the first substrate stage 21 from the substrate suction portion 24. The mask suction portion 25 may be, for example, a magnet. A driving source 28D is connected to the mask suction portion 25 via a transmission mechanism 29D. The driving source 28D outputs power to be transmitted to the transmission mechanism 29D. The transmission mechanism 29D receives the power of the driving source 28D and thereby moves the mask suction portion 25 along the Z direction.

[0028] The substrate hook 26 is located within the accommodation space 11S. In the Z direction, the substrate hook 26 is located above the mask stage 23. A drive source 28E is connected to the substrate hook 26 via a transmission mechanism 29E. The drive source 28E outputs power to be transmitted to the transmission mechanism 29E. The transmission mechanism 29E receives the power of the drive source 28E, and thereby moves the substrate hook 26 along the X, Y, and Z directions. The substrate hook 26 is configured so as not to interfere with the movement of the first substrate stage 21 and the substrate suction portion 24 in the Z direction.

[0029] The mask hook 27 is located within the accommodation space 11S. In the Z direction, the mask hook 27 operates between the mask stage 23 and the substrate hook 26. A driving source 28F is connected to the mask hook 27 via a transmission mechanism 29F. The driving source 28F outputs power to be transmitted to the transmission mechanism 29F. The transmission mechanism 29F receives the power of the driving source 28F, thereby moving the mask hook 27 along the Z direction. The mask hook 27 is configured not to interfere with the transport robot 16 (see FIG. 6) when changing its position in the Z direction.

[0030] The control unit 10C is electrically connected to each of the drive sources 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D, 28E, and 28F. The control unit 10C controls the driving of the drive source 28A, thereby causing the drive source 28A to change the position of the substrate S in the Z direction while it is adsorbed to the substrate adsorption unit 24. The control unit 10C controls the driving of the drive sources 28B and 28C, thereby causing the drive sources 28B and 28C to change the position of the substrate S in the XY plane while it is adsorbed to the substrate adsorption unit 24.

[0031] Control unit 10C controls the driving of drive source 28D, thereby causing drive source 28D to change the position of mask suction unit 25 in the Z direction. Control unit 10C controls the driving of drive source 28E, thereby causing drive source 28E to change the position of substrate hook 26 in the Z direction. Control unit 10C controls the driving of drive source 28F, thereby causing drive source 28F to change the position of mask hook 27.

[0032] The control unit 10C generates control signals for driving each of the drive sources 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D, 28E, and 28F so that each of the drive sources 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D, 28E, and 28F outputs a predetermined power. The control unit 10C outputs the generated control signals to each of the drive sources 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D, 28E, and 28F. After receiving the control signals, each of the drive sources 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D, 28E, and 28F is driven based on the control signals.

[0033] The control unit 10C includes an alignment program for executing the substrate alignment method. By executing the alignment program, the control unit 10C causes the deposition apparatus 10 to carry out a process of transporting the mask M, a process of transporting the substrate S, and a process of changing the position of the substrate S.

[0034] The control unit 10C includes electronic circuits such as a CPU and an MPU. The control unit 10C includes storage such as an SSD or an HDD. The control unit 10C includes memory such as a ROM, a RAM, or a registered memory. The control unit 10C may include an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. All of the processing performed by the control unit 10C may be performed by software included in the control unit 10C, or by a combination of an integrated circuit and software included in the control unit 10C.

[0035] The substrate S is made of a material that has low transmittance for light in the visible region. The substrate S may be made of a material that does not transmit light in the visible region. The substrate S may be made of, for example, silicon. A substrate S made of silicon transmits light in the infrared region. The mask M may be made of a magnetic or non-magnetic material, for example, metal or silicon.

[0036] [Imaging mechanism] The imaging mechanism 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 5. Fig. 2 shows the state of the imaging mechanism 30 when the bellows 33 included in the imaging mechanism 30 is contracted. On the other hand, Fig. 3 shows the state of the imaging mechanism 30 when the bellows 33 is expanded. FIG. 2 schematically shows the imaging mechanism 30 provided in the vapor deposition apparatus 10. As shown in FIG.

[0037] 2, the vapor deposition apparatus 10 includes an imaging mechanism 30. The vapor deposition apparatus 10 may include multiple imaging mechanisms 30. When the vapor deposition apparatus 10 includes multiple imaging mechanisms 30, each imaging mechanism 30 is supported by the support frame 12 so that the distance between each imaging mechanism 30 and the center of the mask stage 23 is equal in the XY plane.

[0038] The imaging mechanism 30 includes an infrared camera 31. The infrared camera 31 is configured to be able to capture light from the visible light region to the infrared region. The infrared camera 31 may be, for example, a short wavelength infrared (SWIR) camera. The short wave infrared region is 900 nm or more and 2500 nm or less. The infrared camera 31 is an example of an imaging unit. The imaging unit captures an image of light irradiated onto the substrate S from the side opposite the mask stage 23 with respect to the substrate S.

[0039] The infrared camera 31 is equipped with an irradiation unit 31A. The irradiation unit 31A is an infrared lamp capable of irradiating light included in the infrared region. The irradiation of light by the irradiation unit 31A and the imaging by the infrared camera 31 are performed from the same direction with respect to the substrate S. In other words, the irradiation unit 31A and the infrared camera 31 are arranged on the opposite side of the substrate S from the mask stage 23. The irradiation unit 31A irradiates light included in a wavelength band that can be detected by the infrared camera 31. The infrared lamp irradiates, for example, light included in the short-wave infrared region. The infrared lamp irradiates, for example, light included in the range of 900 nm to 2500 nm.

[0040] The imaging mechanism 30 includes a housing 32, a bellows 33, a support 34, a lift stage 35, a connecting portion 36, a fixing portion 37, and a refrigerant introduction pipe 38. The housing 32 has a columnar shape, e.g., a cylindrical shape, extending along the Z direction and defines a space capable of housing the infrared camera 31. The housing 32 is inserted through a through-hole 11H of the vacuum chamber 11 and is thereby positioned within the housing space 11S. The space defined by the housing 32 is exposed to the atmosphere. In the Z direction, the housing 32 has a first end and a second end. A viewing window 32A is located at the first end. The viewing window 32A is made of a material capable of transmitting light in the infrared region. The viewing window 32A transmits light in the infrared region that can be captured by the infrared camera 31. The light transmitted through the viewing window 32A may be, for example, light in the short-wave infrared region.

[0041] The bellows 33 is connected to a second end of the accommodation portion 32 and is connected to the lifting stage 35 via a connection portion 36. The bellows 33 is located outside the accommodation space 11S. The bellows 33 seals the through-hole 11H of the vacuum chamber 11, thereby preventing the inside of the vacuum chamber 11 from being exposed to the atmosphere.

[0042] The support part 34 has a shape that extends along the Z direction. The support part 34 is passed through the housing part 32 and the bellows 33. In the Z direction, the support part 34 has a first end and a second end. Of the first end and the second end, the first end is the end that is closest to the observation window 32A. The infrared camera 31 is attached to the first end of the support part 34. The second end of the support part 34 is fixed to the connection part 36. As a result, the infrared camera 31 is suspended within the space defined by the housing part 32.

[0043] The lifting stage 35 is configured to be movable along the Z direction. When the lifting stage 35 moves along the Z direction, the bellows 33 connected to the connection part 36 contracts or expands. Furthermore, when the lifting stage 35 moves along the Z direction, the support part 34 connected to the connection part 36 moves along the Z direction.

[0044] The fixing portion 37 fixes the lift stage 35 to the support frame 12. The position of the lift stage 35 along the XY plane is fixed by the fixing portion 37. The refrigerant introduction pipe 38 has a shape that extends along the Z direction. The refrigerant introduction pipe 38 has a first end and a second end in the Z direction. The first end of the refrigerant introduction pipe 38 is located within the space defined by the accommodation portion 32. The second end of the refrigerant introduction pipe 38 is located outside the bellows 33 and is fixed to the connection portion 36. A cooling gas, which is a refrigerant, is introduced into the refrigerant introduction pipe 38. The cooling gas may be, for example, helium gas.

[0045] The imaging mechanism 30 includes a drive source 41 and a transmission mechanism 42. The drive source 41 is connected to the lift stage 35 via the transmission mechanism 42. The drive source 41 outputs power to be transmitted to the transmission mechanism 42. The transmission mechanism 42 receives the power of the drive source 41 and thereby moves the lift stage 35 along the Z direction.

[0046] In this embodiment, the lifting stage 35, the drive source 41, and the transmission mechanism 42 constitute an example of an imaging unit lifting mechanism. The imaging unit lifting mechanism is configured to be able to move the infrared camera 31 toward a first position, which is the position of the substrate S when processing the substrate S using the mask M, within the accommodation space 11S.

[0047] In the imaging mechanism 30, the lifting stage 35 moves in the Z direction toward the mask stage 23, causing the bellows 33 to contract. At this time, the support unit 34 moves in the Z direction toward the mask stage 23 together with the infrared camera 31. On the other hand, the lifting stage 35 moves in the Z direction away from the mask stage 23, causing the bellows 33 to expand. At this time, the support unit 34 moves in the Z direction away from the mask stage 23 together with the infrared camera 31. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the infrared camera 31 can be moved in the Z direction toward the mask stage 23 while the distance between the infrared camera 31 and the viewing window 32A remains constant.

[0048] The control unit 10C may also be electrically connected to the infrared camera 31 and the driving source 41. In this case, the control unit 10C controls the driving of the driving source 41, thereby causing the driving source 41 to change the position of the infrared camera 31 within the accommodation space 11S. The control unit 10C generates a control signal for driving the driving source 41 so that the driving source 41 outputs a predetermined power. The control unit 10C outputs the generated control signal to the driving source 41. After receiving the control signal, the driving source 41 is driven based on the control signal. The control unit 10C outputs the image captured by the infrared camera 31.

[0049] In this embodiment, the position changing mechanism 20 and the imaging mechanism 30 constitute an example of a substrate alignment device. According to the imaging mechanism 30 of this embodiment, the position of the infrared camera 31 within the accommodation space 11S can be changed by the imaging unit lifting mechanism. Therefore, the light irradiated onto the substrate S can be captured by the infrared camera 31, and the position of the surface of the substrate S facing the mask M can be calculated using the image captured by the infrared camera 31. This eliminates the need to capture an image of the back surface SR of the substrate S or to calculate the amount of deviation of a predetermined position between the front and back surfaces of the substrate S. As a result, the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask immediately before film formation can be accurately determined.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the imaging mechanism 30 of this embodiment, even if the infrared camera 31 has a short working distance, the imaging unit lifting mechanism can be used to position the infrared camera 31 at a position where it can capture an image of the light irradiated onto the substrate S. This makes it possible to obtain an image of the surface of the substrate S that faces the mask M.

[0051] FIG. 4 schematically shows the state of the substrate S irradiated with light in the infrared region. As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate S has a front surface SF and a back surface SR opposite to the front surface SF. The front surface SF is the surface on which a predetermined thin film is formed. A substrate mark SM is located on the front surface SF. As described above, the substrate S may be, for example, a silicon substrate. The substrate mark SM may be formed from, for example, a metal thin film. The substrate S may have multiple substrate marks SM. The number of substrate marks SM may be the same as the number of imaging mechanisms 30. When the substrate S has multiple substrate marks SM, the multiple substrate marks SM may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the substrate S.

[0052] A portion of the light incident on the substrate S is reflected in an amount dependent on the surface condition of the back surface SR of the substrate S, and is emitted from the substrate S as back surface reflected light LRR of the substrate S, while the light that is not reflected passes through the substrate S and reaches the front surface SF of the substrate S. The light that reaches the front surface SF of the substrate S is reflected in an amount dependent on the surface condition of the front surface SF of the substrate S, and is emitted as front surface reflected light LRF of the substrate S that has passed through the substrate S, while the light that is not reflected passes through the substrate S and is thereby emitted from the substrate S as transmitted light LT.

[0053] Of the light incident on the substrate S, the light that is incident on the substrate mark SM is scattered by the difference in refractive index between the substrate mark SM and the portion of the substrate S made of silicon, and by the roughness of the surface SMF of the substrate mark SM. As a result, the light that is incident on the substrate mark SM is emitted from the substrate S as scattered light LS.

[0054] The infrared camera 31 irradiates the substrate S and detects a portion of the light that passes through the substrate S as reflected light. Because the light reflected by the substrate marks SM is reflected as scattered light LS, the amount of light is smaller than the amount of surface-reflected light LRF reflected from the portions of the front surface SF other than the substrate marks SM. As a result, the substrate marks SM have lower brightness than the portions of the substrate S other than the substrate marks SM. This makes it possible to detect the substrate marks SM from an image captured of light that has passed through the portions of the substrate S that include the substrate marks SM. In other words, the infrared camera 31 can detect the total amount of back-surface reflected light LRR, front-surface reflected light LRF, and scattered light LS of the substrate S, and as a result, can capture the scattered light LS, which has the weakest reflection, as contrast. From the perspective of increasing the reflectivity of the portions of the substrate S other than the substrate marks SM and increasing the contrast with the substrate marks SM, it is preferable that the front surface SF and back surface SR are polished.

[0055] FIG. 5 is an example of an image obtained by capturing an image of the substrate S with the infrared camera 31. 5, in the image PIC captured by the infrared camera 31 while irradiating light in the infrared region from the irradiation unit 31A, the brightness of the board mark SM on the board S is lower than the brightness of the other parts of the board S. This makes it possible to detect the board mark SM from the image PIC.

[0056] [Alignment method] An alignment method performed by the vapor deposition apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 21. The alignment method includes a mask setting step, a substrate setting step, and an alignment step, which will be described below. In the mask setting step, a mask M outside the vapor deposition apparatus 10 is set on the mask stage 23. In the substrate setting step, a substrate S outside the vapor deposition apparatus 10 is set on the first substrate stage 21. In the alignment step, the position of the substrate S is aligned with the position of the mask M. Each step described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 21 is performed by the vapor deposition apparatus 10 as the control unit 10C executes an alignment program.

[0057] The transfer robot 16 (see FIG. 6) included in the vapor deposition device 10 is also electrically connected to the control unit 10C. The control unit 10C inputs a control signal generated by executing an alignment program to the transfer robot 16, and the transfer robot 16 is driven in accordance with the control signal.

[0058] 6 to 21, for the convenience of explaining the position of the infrared camera 31 relative to the vacuum chamber 11 in the Z direction, the length of the entire imaging mechanism 30 in the Z direction is shown as changing.

[0059] [Mask installation process] The mask setting process will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, the transfer robot 16 loads the mask M from outside the vacuum chamber 11. At this time, the transfer robot 16 loads the mask M into the accommodation space 11S defined by the vacuum chamber 11 through a loading / unloading entrance (not shown) of the vacuum chamber 11. When the mask installation process starts, the substrate hook 26 is positioned above the mask stage 23. The substrate hook 26 and the mask hook 27 are positioned so as not to interfere with the movement of the transfer robot 16. The first substrate stage 21 is positioned above the mask stage 23.

[0060] 7, the transfer robot 16 positions the entire mask M within the storage space 11S. At this time, the transfer robot 16 transfers the mask M into the storage space 11S so that the mask M overlaps the mask hooks 27 when viewed along the Z direction.

[0061] 8, the mask hook 27 moves in the Z direction toward the transport robot 16. As a result, the mask hook 27 pushes up the mask M from the transport robot 16, and the mask M is transferred from the transport robot 16 to the mask hook 27. As described above, the mask hook 27 is configured to be able to change its position in the Z direction so as not to interfere with the transport robot 16.

[0062] 9, after transferring the mask M to the mask hook 27, the transfer robot 16 moves toward the outside of the vacuum chamber 11. At this time, the transfer robot 16 moves to the outside of the vacuum chamber 11 through a transfer entrance (not shown) that the vacuum chamber 11 has.

[0063] 10, the mask hook 27 moves in the Z direction toward the mask stage 23. As a result, the mask hook 27 places the mask M on the mask stage 23.

[0064] 11, the infrared camera 31 changes its position in the Z direction. The infrared camera 31 moves in the Z direction toward the mask stage 23. At this time, the infrared camera 31 moves in the Z direction inside the housing unit 32, causing the infrared camera 31 to approach the mask M in the Z direction. Alternatively, the housing unit 32 may move in the Z direction, or both the infrared camera 31 and the housing unit 32 may move in the Z direction.

[0065] Next, the infrared camera 31 captures an image of a portion of the mask M that includes the mask marks provided on the mask M. The mask M may include multiple mask marks. The number of mask marks may be the same as the number of imaging mechanisms 30. When the mask M includes multiple mask marks, the mask marks may be positioned at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the mask M. The infrared camera 31 is configured to be able to capture images of light from the visible light region to the infrared region, and therefore can capture an image that includes images of the mask marks.

[0066] The infrared camera 31 outputs an image including an image of the mask marks to the control unit 10C. The control unit 10C executes an alignment program to calculate the position of the mask M on the XY plane from the input image. For example, the control unit 10C calculates the center position of the mask M on the XY plane from the positions of multiple mask marks as the position of the mask M. The control unit 10C stores the calculated position of the mask M.

[0067] [Board installation process] The substrate placement process will be described with reference to FIGS. 12, the transfer robot 16 carries in the substrate S from outside the vacuum chamber 11. At this time, the transfer robot 16 carries in the substrate S into the accommodation space 11S defined by the vacuum chamber 11 through a carry-in / out port (not shown) of the vacuum chamber 11.

[0068] 13, the transfer robot 16 positions the entire substrate S within the accommodation space 11S. At this time, the transfer robot 16 transfers the substrate S into the accommodation space 11S so that the substrate S overlaps the substrate hooks 26 when viewed along the Z direction.

[0069] 14, the substrate hook 26 moves in the Z direction toward the transport robot 16. As a result, the substrate hook 26 pushes up the substrate S from the transport robot 16, and the substrate S is transferred from the transport robot 16 to the substrate hook 26. As described above, the substrate hook 26 is configured to be able to change its position in the Z direction so as not to interfere with the transport robot 16.

[0070] 15, the first substrate stage 21 moves together with the substrate suction portion 24 in the Z direction toward the substrate hook 26. As a result, the substrate suction portion 24 comes into contact with the substrate S, and then the substrate suction portion 24 adsorbs the substrate S. As a result, the first substrate stage 21 fixes the position of the substrate S on the XY plane so that the board mark SM provided on the substrate S is included in the imaging range of the infrared camera 31.

[0071] [Alignment process] The alignment process will be described with reference to FIGS. 16, the first substrate stage 21 moves in the Z direction toward the mask stage 23. At this time, the first substrate stage 21 positions the substrate S at a third position in the Z direction. That is, the control unit 10C controls the driving of the drive source 28A that constitutes the substrate lifting mechanism, thereby moving the substrate S to the third position toward the mask M.

[0072] Next, the infrared camera 31 captures an image of the portion of the substrate S that includes the board marks SM. That is, the control unit 10C causes the infrared camera 31 to capture an image of the board marks SM of the substrate S located at the third position. The infrared camera 31 outputs an image that includes an image of the board marks SM to the control unit 10C. The control unit 10C executes an alignment program to calculate the position of the substrate S on the XY plane from the input image. For example, the control unit 10C calculates the position of the substrate S as the center position of the substrate S on the XY plane from the positions of the multiple board marks SM. The control unit 10C stores the calculated position of the substrate S.

[0073] 17, the second substrate stage 22 changes the position of the substrate S, thereby aligning the position of the substrate S with the position of the mask M. That is, the control unit 10C controls the driving of the drive source 28C that constitutes the second substrate position changing mechanism, thereby changing the position of the substrate S based on the imaging results of the infrared camera 31.

[0074] 18, the first substrate stage 21 moves further along the Z direction toward the mask stage 23. At this time, the first substrate stage 21 positions the substrate S at a second position in the Z direction. That is, the control unit 10C controls the driving of the drive source 28A that constitutes the substrate lifting mechanism, thereby moving the substrate S to the second position toward the mask M. The control unit 10C causes the drive source 28A to move the substrate S from the third position to the second position. The distance between the third position and the mask M is longer than the distance between the second position and the mask M.

[0075] Furthermore, the infrared camera 31 moves along the Z direction to a position where it can capture images of the substrate S and the mask mark of the mask M located at the second position. That is, the control unit 10C controls the drive source 41 constituting the imaging unit lifting mechanism, thereby moving the infrared camera 31 to a position where it can capture images of the substrate S and the mask mark of the mask M located at the second position. At this time, the infrared camera 31 moves in the Z direction within the storage unit 32, thereby bringing the infrared camera 31 closer to the mask M in the Z direction. Alternatively, the storage unit 32 may move in the Z direction, or both the infrared camera 31 and the storage unit 32 may move in the Z direction.

[0076] Next, the infrared camera 31 captures images of the substrate marks SM and the mask marks. That is, the control unit 10C causes the infrared camera 31 to capture images of the substrate S and the mask marks located at the second position. The infrared camera 31 outputs an image including images of the substrate marks SM and the mask marks to the control unit 10C. The control unit 10C executes an alignment program to calculate the position of the substrate S and the mask position on the XY plane from the input image. The control unit 10C calculates, for example, the position of the center of the substrate S on the XY plane from the positions of multiple substrate marks SM. The control unit 10C stores the calculated positions of the substrate S and the mask M.

[0077] 19, the first substrate stage 21 changes the position of the substrate S, thereby aligning the position of the substrate S with the position of the mask M. That is, the control unit 10C causes the drive source 28B constituting the first substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate S based on the imaging results of the infrared camera 31.

[0078] As described above, according to the vapor deposition apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the substrate S placed at the second position can be imaged by the infrared camera 31. This makes it possible to change the position of the substrate S based on the image capture result of the infrared camera 31, without the substrate S interfering with the mask M.

[0079] Furthermore, the position of the substrate S along the plane on which the substrate S extends is changed between the second position and the third position. Therefore, even if the position of the substrate S along the XY plane changes when the position of the substrate S is changed from the third position to the second position, it is possible to correct the position of the substrate S along the XY plane at the second position. In addition, it is possible to change the position of the substrate S with higher accuracy while the distance between the mask M and the substrate S is shorter.

[0080] 20, the first substrate stage 21, together with the substrate suction portion 24, further moves in the Z direction toward the mask stage 23. As a result, the position of the substrate S is changed from the second position to the first position. That is, the control unit 10C controls the drive source 28A to move the substrate S from the second position to the first position. The distance between the second position and the mask M is longer than the distance between the first position and the mask M.

[0081] Next, the infrared camera 31 captures an image of a portion of the substrate S including the substrate marks SM and the mask marks of the mask M. At this time, the infrared camera 31 moves in the Z direction within the accommodation unit 32, thereby bringing the infrared camera 31 closer to the mask M in the Z direction. Alternatively, the accommodation unit 32 may move in the Z direction, or both the infrared camera 31 and the accommodation unit 32 may move in the Z direction. The infrared camera 31 outputs an image including images of the substrate marks SM and the mask marks to the control unit 10C. The control unit 10C executes an alignment program to calculate the position of the substrate S and the mask on the XY plane from the input image. The control unit 10C calculates, for example, the center position of the substrate S on the XY plane from the positions of the multiple substrate marks SM and mask marks. The control unit 10C stores the calculated positions of the substrate S and the mask.

[0082] Thereafter, the control unit 10C calculates the amount of deviation of the position of the substrate S from the position of the mask M. For example, the control unit 10C calculates the amount of deviation of the center position of the substrate S from the center position of the mask M on the XY plane. The control unit 10C determines whether the calculated amount of deviation is equal to or less than a predetermined amount.

[0083] Furthermore, if the mask M is made of a magnetic material, the mask adsorption portion 25 moves in the Z direction, and thereby the mask adsorption portion 25 is positioned at a position where it can adsorb the mask M onto the substrate S. If the mask M is made of a non-magnetic material, the mask adsorption portion 25 does not move.

[0084] As shown in Figure 21, if the calculated deviation amount is less than a predetermined amount, the evaporation source 15 evaporates or sublimes the evaporation material, and a thin film having a predetermined pattern is formed on the surface SF of the substrate S using the mask M.

[0085] On the other hand, if the calculated amount of deviation exceeds the predetermined amount, the first substrate stage 21 realigns the position of the substrate S with respect to the position of the mask M. Subsequently, the control unit 10C recalculates the position of the substrate S with respect to the position of the mask M. The control unit 10C again determines whether the calculated amount of deviation is equal to or less than the predetermined amount. The deposition apparatus 10 repeats the process of aligning the position of the substrate S with respect to the position of the mask M, the process of calculating the amount of deviation, and the process of determining whether the amount of deviation is equal to or less than the predetermined amount until the amount of deviation becomes equal to or less than the predetermined amount.

[0086] The control unit 10C may generate a control signal for issuing a warning to the user of the vapor deposition apparatus 10 when the process of aligning the position of the substrate S with respect to the position of the mask M has been repeated a predetermined number of times.

[0087] As described above, according to one embodiment of the substrate alignment apparatus and film deposition apparatus, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The position of the infrared camera 31 within the accommodation space 11S can be changed by the imaging unit lifting mechanism. Therefore, the light irradiated onto the substrate S can be captured by the infrared camera 31, and the position of the surface of the substrate S facing the mask M can be calculated using the image captured by the infrared camera 31. This eliminates the need to calculate the amount of misalignment between predetermined positions on the front and back of the substrate. As a result, the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask immediately before film formation can be grasped, and the amount of misalignment can be reduced.

[0088] (2) The substrate S placed at the second position can be imaged by the infrared camera 31. This makes it possible to change the position of the substrate S based on the image capture result of the infrared camera 31 without the substrate S interfering with the mask M.

[0089] (3) Even if the infrared camera 31 has a short working distance, the imaging unit lifting mechanism can be used to position the infrared camera 31 at a position where it can capture an image of the light transmitted through the substrate S. This makes it possible to obtain an image of the surface of the substrate S that faces the mask M.

[0090] (4) The position of the substrate S along the plane on which the substrate S extends is changed between the second position and the third position. Therefore, even if the position of the substrate S along the XY plane changes when the position of the substrate S is changed from the third position to the second position, it is possible to correct the position of the substrate S along the XY plane at the second position. In addition, it is possible to change the position of the substrate S with higher accuracy while the distance between the mask M and the substrate S is shorter.

[0091] The above-described embodiment can be modified as follows. [Imaging mechanism] The control unit 10C may cause the imaging unit lifting mechanism to move the infrared camera 31 to a position where the infrared camera 31 can capture an image of the substrate S located at the third position. That is, as shown in Fig. 15, before capturing an image of the substrate S located at the third position, the driving source 41 may move the substrate S along the Z direction.

[0092] The imaging unit included in the imaging mechanism 30 is not limited to the infrared camera 31. The imaging unit may be a camera capable of detecting light in the visible range. In this case, the substrate S may be made of a material that is capable of transmitting light in the visible range. In this case, the imaging unit does not need to include an illumination unit.

[0093] [Substrate position change mechanism] The accuracy of position change in the first substrate stage 21 may be the same as the accuracy of position change in the second substrate stage 22. In this case, the accuracy of change in each of the substrate stages 21, 22 may be ±1 μm or more, or may be less than ±1 μm.

[0094] The deposition apparatus 10 may include only the second substrate stage 22.

[0095] [Mask suction part] The deposition apparatus 10 does not have to adsorb the mask M so that it is in contact with the substrate S. In this case, the deposition apparatus 10 does not have to include the mask adsorption unit 25.

[0096] [Film forming equipment] The film forming apparatus does not have to be a vapor deposition apparatus. For example, the film forming apparatus may be a sputtering apparatus, a CVD apparatus, or an ALD apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 10...Vapor deposition equipment 10C...Control unit 11...Vacuum chamber 11S...Containment space 15...evaporation source 20... Position change mechanism 21...First substrate stage 22...Second substrate stage 23...Mask Stage 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D, 28E, 28F...Drive source 29A, 29B, 29D, 29E, 29F...Transmission mechanism 29C1...First transmission mechanism 29C2...Second transmission mechanism 30...imaging mechanism 31...Infrared camera M...Mask PIC...Image S...Substrate

Claims

1. a vacuum chamber defining a storage space for storing a substrate; a mask holding portion that holds a mask within the accommodation space; an imaging unit that images the light irradiated onto the substrate from the side opposite to the mask holding unit with respect to the substrate; an imaging unit lifting mechanism that moves the imaging unit toward a first position, which is a position of the substrate when the substrate is subjected to processing using the mask, within the accommodation space; a control unit that controls the driving of the imaging unit lifting mechanism to cause the imaging unit lifting mechanism to change the position of the imaging unit within the accommodation space. Substrate alignment equipment.

2. a substrate lifting mechanism for changing the position of the substrate in the direction in which the mask and the substrate are aligned within the accommodation space; a substrate position changing mechanism that changes the position of the substrate along a plane on which the substrate extends, the control unit controls driving of the substrate lifting mechanism to cause the substrate lifting mechanism to change the position of the substrate in a direction in which the mask and the substrate are aligned, and controls driving of the substrate position changing mechanism to cause the substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate in the plane; The control unit causing the substrate lifting mechanism to move the substrate from a second position toward the mask to the first position; moving the imaging unit to a position where the imaging unit can capture an image of the substrate located at the second position; causing the imaging unit to image the substrate positioned at the second position; causing the substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate based on the imaging result of the imaging unit; The distance between the second position and the mask is greater than the distance between the first position and the mask.

2. The substrate alignment apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The control unit causing the substrate lifting mechanism to move the substrate from a third position toward the mask to the second position; causing the imaging unit to image the substrate positioned at the third position; causing the substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate based on the imaging result of the imaging unit; The distance between the third position and the mask is greater than the distance between the second position and the mask.

3. The substrate alignment apparatus according to claim 2.

4. the substrate position changing mechanism is a first substrate position changing mechanism, a second substrate position changing mechanism for changing the position of the substrate along the plane; the accuracy of the position change by the first substrate position change mechanism is higher than the accuracy of the position change by the second substrate position change mechanism; the control unit controls driving of the second substrate position changing mechanism to cause the second substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate on the plane; The control unit causing the substrate lifting mechanism to move the substrate from a third position toward the mask to the second position; causing the imaging unit to image the substrate positioned at the third position; causing the second substrate position changing mechanism to change the position of the substrate based on the imaging result of the imaging unit; The distance between the third position and the mask is greater than the distance between the second position and the mask.

3. The substrate alignment apparatus according to claim 2.

5. the substrate is formed from silicon; The imaging unit is configured to be able to capture light in the infrared region.

5. A substrate alignment apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A substrate alignment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a film forming unit configured to be able to form a film on the substrate located in the accommodation space; Film deposition equipment.

Images