Substrate Holder, Substrate Holding Device, Film Deposition System, and Method for Manufacturing Electronic Device

Abstract

To provide a substrate holder, a substrate holding device, a film forming system, and an electronic device manufacturing method that can easily separate a substrate from an adhesive section while suppressing a decrease in the holding force of the substrate.SOLUTION: A holder 120 includes an adhesive section 121 that includes an adhesive surface 121a that sticks to a substrate 10 and an opposite surface 121b on the opposite side of the adhesive surface and has flexibility and an adhesive holder 120 being a separation section for separating the substrate from the adhesive section. The separation section presses a plurality of positions of the adhesive section from the side of the opposite surface. Thereby, the substrate can be easily separated from the adhesive section while suppressing a decrease in the holding force of the substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate holder, a substrate holding device, a film forming system, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in the FPD (Flat Panel Display) industry, there has been a remarkable trend towards larger screen sizes, as seen in LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), PDP (Plasma Display Panel), organic EL (OEL, Organic Electro Luminescence), etc. Handling of large substrates, such as in the conveyance process of large substrates, has become a technical issue. Various processes such as film formation on a substrate are performed while the substrate is held by a substrate holding member such as a substrate carrier. As an example of holding a substrate by a substrate holding member, holding the substrate by the adhesive force of an adhesive member such as an adhesive pad can be mentioned. Patent Document 1 discloses that a substrate is held by an adhesive pad provided on a substrate holding member, the held substrate is conveyed together with the substrate holding member, and after various processes such as film formation are performed, the adhesive pad is peeled off from the substrate. Further, the adhesive pad disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a non-adhesive region provided at the central portion of the contact surface with the substrate in order to facilitate peeling of the substrate. That is, by pressing the non-adhesive region from the side opposite to the side in contact with the substrate, the substrate can be easily peeled off from the adhesive pad.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above prior art, since a non-adhesive portion is provided at the center of the adhesive pad, the holding force of the substrate may decrease as compared with the case where the entire contact surface with the substrate is an adhesive area that adheres to the substrate.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for facilitating the peeling of a substrate from an adhesive portion while suppressing a decrease in the holding force of the substrate.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] According to the present invention, an adhesive portion having flexibility, including an adhesive surface that adheres to a substrate and an opposite surface on the opposite side of the adhesive surface; for peeling the substrate from the adhesive portion Pressing a plurality of positions of the adhesive part from the side of the opposite surface a peeling portion, and a substrate holder comprising: Further comprising a base material that supports the adhesive part from the side of the opposite surface and in which a through hole communicating with the adhesive part is formed wherein the peeling portion A first member provided in the through hole and pressing the adhesive part from the side of the opposite surface A second member provided independently of the first member and displacing the first member by displacing in the approaching and separating direction with respect to the adhesive part Including a displacement part that displaces the second member in the approaching and separating direction The first member has a predetermined clearance with respect to the through hole and is provided independently of the second member in the through hole, so that it can also be displaced in a direction intersecting the approaching and separating direction A substrate holder is provided, which is characterized by the above.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate the peeling of the substrate from the adhesive portion while suppressing a decrease in the holding force of the substrate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 10

Figure 11

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Figure 17

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are essential for the invention. Two or more of the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Also, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0010] Also, in each figure, the XY direction indicates the planar direction, and the Z direction indicates the vertical direction. Also, in consideration of the ease of viewing the drawings, etc., the assignment of reference numerals may be omitted for some of the components shown in plurality in the figures.

[0011] <Substrate carrier 100> FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate carrier 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 1. For convenience of explanation, the scale of FIG. 1 may be different from the actual one in order to emphasize the characteristic configuration. Also, in FIGS. 1 and 2, in order to make the arrangement relationship easier to understand, some components are shown by broken lines.

[0012] The substrate carrier 100 is an example of a substrate holding device that holds the substrate 10. The substrate carrier 100 includes a flat plate member 110, a frame body 115 (see FIG. 3), an adhesive type holder 120 (hereinafter referred to as the holder 120), and a support tool 130.

[0013] The flat plate member 110 has a holding surface 110X which is a surface that comes into contact with the substrate 10 when the substrate carrier 100 holds the substrate 10. A plurality of through holes 111 and a plurality of through holes 112 are respectively provided in the flat plate member 110. The through hole 111 is a hole through which a pin 240 for lifting the substrate 10 placed on the holding surface 110X passes. As shown in FIG. 2, when the pin 240 protrudes from below the substrate carrier 100 to the holding surface 110X side through the through hole 111, the substrate 10 is lifted from the holding surface 110X. The through hole 112 is a hole for installing the holder 120. Details will be described later.

[0014] The frame body 115 is a member that supports the flat plate member 110. The frame body 115 is provided along the outer periphery of the flat plate member 110. A plurality of holders 120 are provided corresponding to the plurality of through holes 112, and the substrate 10 is adhered and held to the substrate 10 by an adhesive force. The support tool 130 supports the periphery of the substrate 10. In this embodiment, one is provided on each short side of the flat plate member 110 and two are provided on each long side. As the support tool 130, a known technique such as a general clamp can be adopted. That is, the substrate 10 is supported and fixed to the holding surface 110X by a plurality of arranged holders 120 and support tools 130, and is transported integrally with the substrate carrier 100.

[0015] Note that the shape and dimensions of the flat plate member 110 are appropriately set according to the dimensions of the substrate 10 and the dimensions of the chamfered single-piece size (film formation region). Also, the dimensions, number, and arrangement of the through holes 111 to 112, the holder 120, and the support tool 130 are appropriately set according to the dimensions of the substrate 10 and the chamfered dimensions (film formation region). Since the holder 120 is not arranged in the region that will become the image display region in the final product and is arranged only in the frame region, for example, when chamfering an 80-inch (996×1771 mm) size, the holder 120 is arranged at least separated by the length of the short side or more, and the non-support region can be enlarged.

[0016] <holder 120> FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B' of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 schematically shows the configuration of the holder 120. The holder 120 is arranged by being supported by a shaft 126 and a fixing member 150 in a through hole 112 formed in the flat plate member 110. The holder 120 includes an elastic adhesive portion 121, an adhesive layer 123, and a metal base material 124. The holder 120 has a configuration in which the adhesive portion 121 is adhered via the adhesive layer 123 on the adhesive layer 123 fixed to the shaft 126.

[0017] The adhesive portion 121 is a member that adheres to the substrate 10 by adhesive force. The substrate carrier 100 is configured to be able to hold a flat substrate such as an LCD, a PDP, or an organic EL by the adhesive force of the adhesive portion 121. For example, the adhesive portion 121 may be a material having flexibility such as rubber or elastomer, in other words, a material that can be elastically deformed. Also, the adhesive portion 121 may be a fluorine rubber or the like that does not contain a siloxane bond in consideration of outgassing in the manufacturing process under vacuum. In the present embodiment, the adhesive portion 121 is molded into a flat disk shape. Also, the adhesive portion 121 includes an adhesive surface 121a that adheres to the substrate 10 and an opposite surface 121b that faces the adhesive surface 121a.

[0018] The next layer 123 is a layer for adhering the adhesive part 121 and the metal base material 124. The adhesive layer 123 may be an elastomer EA layer or the like. Also, the adhesive layer 123 may be an adhesive agent, a double-sided tape, etc. that does not release outgas components that adversely affect the manufacturing process under vacuum. The metal base material 124 is a metal member that supports the adhesive part 121 via the adhesive layer 123.

[0019] Hereinafter, the internal structure of the holder 120 and the operation of the holder 120 will be described. Figs. 4(A) to 4(C) are diagrams showing the configuration of the holder 120. Fig. 4(A) is a top view of the holder 120. Also, Figs. 4(B) and 4(C) are cross-sectional views taken along the line C-C' of Fig. 4(A). Fig. 4(B) shows a state where the adhesive part 121 is attached to the substrate 10, and Fig. 4(C) shows a state where an attempt is being made to peel the substrate 10 from the adhesive part 121.

[0020] The adhesive holder 120 includes a pressing part 125, which is an example of a peeling part for peeling the substrate 10 from the adhesive part 121. The pressing part 125 is provided in the through holes 122 formed in the metal base material 124 and is configured to be able to press the adhesive part 121 from the side of the opposite surface 121b. The pressing part 125 includes a pressing member 1251, a support part 1252, and a nut part 1253.

[0021] The pressing member 1251 is a member that presses the adhesive part 121 from the side of the opposite surface 121b. In the present embodiment, four through holes 122 are formed in the metal base material 124 along the outer circumference of a circle as viewed in the direction of Fig. 4(A). The pressing part 125 has four pressing members 1251 that can move within the four through holes 122 respectively. In the present embodiment, the pressing member 1251 has a cylindrical shape, but the shape etc. of the pressing member 1251 can be set as appropriate. Also, the number of the pressing members 1251 can be changed and may be two to three, or five or more.

[0022] The support portion 1252 supports the pressing member 1251 so as to be movable in the Z direction. In the present embodiment, the support portion 1252 includes a disk-shaped portion located inside the metal base material 124. And, the end portion of the pressing member 1251 on the side opposite to the end portion that presses the adhesive portion 121 is connected to the disk-shaped portion of the support portion 1252. In the present embodiment, by connecting a plurality of pressing members 1251 to one support portion 1252, the plurality of pressing members 1251 can be moved simultaneously by moving the support portion 1252. Further, the support portion 1252 includes a cylindrical portion extending from the disk-shaped portion to the side opposite to the side to which the pressing member 1251 is connected. A nut portion 1253 is connected to this cylindrical portion.

[0023] Also, FIG. 4(B) shows an actuator 127 which is an example of a displacement portion that displaceably moves the pressing portion 125 relative to the adhesive portion 121. The actuator 127 is, for example, an electric motor. The actuator 127 is provided with a screw shaft 1271 that engages with the nut portion 1253 of the pressing portion 125. When the actuator 127 is driven, the rotation of the actuator 127 is converted into linear motion by the screw shaft 1271 and the nut portion 1253, so that the pressing member 1251 moves up and down in the Z direction. That is, the actuator 127 can displace a plurality of adhesive portions 1215 relative to the adhesive portion 121 in the approaching and separating directions simultaneously. Note that the control of the actuator 127 is performed via the control line 129.

[0024] Next, the operation for peeling the substrate 10 from the adhesive portion 121 using the pressing portion 125 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4(B), in the state where the adhesive portion 121 is attached to the substrate 10, the pressing portion 125 descends inside the metal base material 124 and the pressing member 1251 is positioned away from the adhesive portion 121. Thereby, since the adhesive portion 121 can be in surface contact with the substrate 10 in its original planar shape, it can contact the substrate 10 with the maximum contact area. That is, the adhesive portion 121 can be attached to the substrate 10 with a relatively large adhesive force.

[0025] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4(C), when the substrate 10 is peeled from the adhesive portion 121, the actuator 127 raises the pressing portion 125, causing the plurality of pressing members 1251 to press the adhesive portion 121 from the side of the opposite surface 121b. When the adhesive portion 121 is pressed from the opposite surface 121b, a convex deformation is formed on the adhesive surface 121a. As a result, the adhesive force of the adhesive portion 121 to the substrate 10 becomes relatively low, facilitating the peeling of the substrate 10. For example, in the state shown in FIG. 4(C), by lifting the substrate 10 upward from below in the figure with the pin 240 (see FIG. 2), the substrate 10 is peeled from the adhesive portion 121.

[0026] According to the present embodiment, the peeling of the substrate 10 from the adhesive portion 121 is performed in a state where the adhesive force of the adhesive portion 121 to the substrate 10 is relatively low. Therefore, it is possible to facilitate the peeling of the substrate 10 from the adhesive portion 121. Further, since the peeling operation is performed in a state where the adhesive force is relatively low, the stress generated in the substrate 10 during the peeling operation can be reduced, and the occurrence of cracks in the substrate 10 can be suppressed. In the present embodiment, the entire surface where the holder 120 contacts the substrate 10 is constituted by the adhesive portion 121. That is, since no non-adhesive region is provided on the contact surface between the holder 120 and the substrate 10, the adhesive force of the adhesive portion 121 does not decrease as in a configuration where a part of the contact surface is made into a non-adhesive region in order to facilitate peeling of the substrate 10, for example. Therefore, it is possible to facilitate the peeling of the substrate 10 from the adhesive portion 121 while suppressing a decrease in the holding force of the substrate 10 by the holder 120.

[0027] Further, in the present embodiment, the pressing portion 125 presses a plurality of positions of the adhesive portion 121 from the side of the opposite surface 121b by a plurality of pressing members 1251. As a result, deformation of the adhesive portion 121 occurs at a plurality of locations, making it easier to peel the substrate 10 from the adhesive portion 121.

[0028] Further, the holder 120 may be configured to be movable up and down within a certain range so as to be able to manage the amount of protrusion from the holding surface 110X.

[0029] <Modification Example 1 of Holder 120> Next, a modified example of the holder 120 will be described. FIGS. 5(A) to 5(C) are diagrams showing a holder 1201 as a modified example of the holder 120. FIG. 5(A) is a top view of the holder 1201 according to an embodiment. FIGS. 5(B) and 5(C) are cross-sectional views taken along line D-D' of FIG. 5(A). FIG. 5(B) shows a state where the adhesive portion 121 is attached to the substrate 10, and FIG. 5(C) shows a state where an attempt is being made to peel the substrate 10 from the adhesive portion 121. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the holder 120 in FIG. 4 will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0030] The holder 1201 in FIG. 5 is different from the holder 120 in FIG. 4 in that, while the holder 120 in FIG. 4 can press four locations around the adhesive portion 121, the holder 1201 can press not only the four locations around the adhesive portion 121 but also the central portion of the adhesive portion 121. Specifically, the holder 1201 has a pressing member 1251a for pressing the central portion of the adhesive portion 121 in addition to the four pressing members 1251 for pressing around the adhesive portion 121. A through hole 122a corresponding to the pressing member 1251a is provided in the central portion of the metal base material 124.

[0031] In this modified example, since not only the peripheral portion but also the central portion of the adhesive portion 121 is pressed, deformation of the central portion of the adhesive portion 121 into a concave shape during pressing is suppressed. As a result, the adhesive force of the adhesive portion 121 is not rapidly lost, but rather the adhesive force gradually decreases, and the peeling operation can be performed more stably.

[0032] The pressing position of the adhesive portion 121 by the pressing portion 125, in other words, the deformed portion of the adhesive portion 121, can be appropriately set according to the properties of the substrate 10 or the adhesive portion 121, such as the size, thickness, and rigidity of the substrate 10, and the area and deformation tolerance range of the adhesive portion 121. Also, the holders 120 and 1201 used may be appropriately selected according to the position on the substrate carrier 100. For example, the holder 120 may be used as the holder disposed around the flat plate member 110, and the holder 1201 may be used as the holder disposed inside the flat plate member 110.

[0033] <Modification Example 2 of Holder 120> FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C) are diagrams showing a holder 1202 as a modification example of the holder 120. FIG. 6(A) is a top view of the holder 1202 according to an embodiment. FIGS. 6(B) and 6(C) are cross-sectional views taken along line E-E' of FIG. 6(A). FIG. 6(B) shows a state in which the adhesive portion 121 is attached to the substrate 10, and FIG. 6(C) shows a state in which an attempt is being made to peel the substrate 10 from the adhesive portion 121. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the holder 120 in FIG. 4 will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0034] The holder 1202 in FIG. 6 is different from the holder 120 in FIG. 4 in that one spherical member 1251b as a pressing member is provided so as to be able to press the central portion of the adhesive portion 121. The spherical member 125b is provided independently of the support portion 1252b and is provided so as to be able to press the adhesive portion 121 from the opposite surface 121b. In this modification example, the spherical member 1251b is disposed in a space defined by the opposite surface 121b, the through hole 122, and the support portion 1252b. Further, the spherical member 1251b is provided in the through hole 122 with a predetermined clearance with respect to the through hole 122. This clearance can be set as appropriate. Although it is merely an example, the difference between the diameter of the through hole 122 and the diameter of the spherical member 1251b may be set to 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm. Alternatively, the clearance may be set as a ratio of the diameter of the spherical member 1251b to the diameter of the through hole 122.

[0035] When the actuator 127 moves the support portion 1252b in a direction approaching the adhesive portion 121 from the state where the adhesive portion 121 is attached to the substrate 10 (Fig. 6(B)), the spherical member 1251b presses the adhesive portion 121 from the opposite surface 121b (Fig. 6(C)). At this time, since the spherical member 1251b is provided independently of the support portion 1252b and has a clearance with respect to the through hole 122, it can also move in a direction (XY direction) intersecting the direction of displacement by the actuator 127. Therefore, the pressing force of the spherical member 1251b on the adhesive portion 121 is also applied in the shearing direction with respect to the substrate 10, and the substrate 10 and the adhesive portion 121 can be peeled off with a smaller force. From another point of view, it can be said that the spherical member 1251b presses a plurality of positions of the adhesive portion 121 due to the change in the pressing position of the adhesive portion 121 during the pressing operation. Fig. 7 schematically shows the direction of the force applied by the spherical member 1251b to the adhesive portion 121. Also, depending on the usage situation, the configuration in which the spherical member 1251b and the support portion 1252b are independent makes it easier to replace the spherical member 1251b.

[0036] In this modification, the spherical member 1251b is used as a pressing member independent of the support portion 1252b, but the shape of the pressing member can be changed. For example, the pressing member may be formed such that the shape of the surface pressing the adhesive portion 121 includes a curved surface shape. Also, in this modification, one spherical member 1251b is provided as a pressing member independent of the support portion 1252b, but a plurality of such pressing members may be provided.

[0037] Thus, the configuration of the holder 120 can be appropriately deformed. Also, the configurations of the holders 120, 1201, and 1202 may be appropriately combined. Also, a plurality of types of holders 120, 1201, and 1202 may be provided in the substrate carrier 100.

[0038] In this embodiment, the holding force of the holder 120 with respect to the substrate 10 is defined as the maximum load until the substrate 10 is adhered to the adhesive portion 121, pulled in the vertical direction, and peeled off. Specifically, the substrate is adhered to the fixed holder 120, and the substrate 10 is lifted upward at a speed of 1 mm / s using an electric stage, and the maximum load until peeling is measured with a digital force gauge for evaluation.

[0039] Also, in this embodiment, the peeling force, which is an index of the substrate peelability of the holder 120, is defined as the maximum load until the substrate 10 is adhered to the adhesive portion 121 and the adhesive portion 121 is pressed by the pressing portion 125 and then pulled and peeled in the vertical direction. That is, if the peeling force is lower than the holding force, it can be said that the substrate 10 can be easily peeled from the adhesive portion 121 due to the action of the pressing portion 125.

[0040] <Film formation process using the substrate carrier 100> Next, an example of the film formation process using the substrate carrier 100 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a film formation system SY that performs a film formation process using the substrate carrier 100. The film formation system SY is a so-called in-line type film formation system, and performs predetermined processes on the substrate 10 in each of the following chambers R1 to R6 while transporting the substrate 10. FIG. 9(A) is a flowchart showing each step of the film formation process by the film formation system SY. In this embodiment, these series of steps are performed in a vacuum atmosphere. Therefore, each of the chambers R1 to R6 communicates with an adjacent chamber capable of maintaining an internal vacuum state. In this embodiment, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with a gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced pressure state.

[0041] (S1: Substrate holding step) Step S1 (hereinafter, each step will be simply denoted as S1 etc.) is a substrate holding step. The substrate holding step is a step of holding the transported substrate 10 by the substrate carrier 100. The substrate holding step is performed in the substrate holding chamber R1.

[0042] The substrate holding chamber R1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration and operation of the substrate holding chamber R1. The substrate holding chamber R1 includes a pin unit 200 that moves the substrate 10 up and down in the Z-axis direction by a plurality of pins 240, a pressing unit 400 that presses the substrate 10 to attach it to the adhesive portion 121 of the holder 120, and a support base 500 that supports the substrate carrier 100. The substrate carrier 100 is supported by the support base 500 such that the holding surface 110X of the flat plate-like member 110 is parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0043] The pin unit 200 includes a motor 210, a screw shaft 220 rotated by the motor 210, a nut portion 230 that moves up and down along the screw shaft 220 as the screw shaft 220 rotates, and a pin 240 fixed to the nut portion 230 and moving up and down together with the nut portion 230. Between the inner peripheral surface of the nut portion 230 and the outer peripheral surface of the screw shaft 220, a plurality of balls are configured to circulate infinitely. That is, the pin unit 200 is configured to be able to move the pin 240 up and down by a ball screw mechanism. In the present embodiment, a plurality of pin units 200 are provided corresponding to the positions of a plurality of through holes 111 provided in the flat plate-like member 110.

[0044] The pressing unit 400 includes a motor 410, a screw shaft 420 rotated by the motor 410, and a nut portion 430 that moves up and down along the screw shaft 420 as the screw shaft 420 rotates. Further, the pressing unit 400 includes a shaft portion 440 fixed to the nut portion 430 and moving up and down together with the nut portion 430, and a pressing portion 450 provided at the tip of the shaft portion 440. Between the inner peripheral surface of the nut portion 430 and the outer peripheral surface of the screw shaft 420, a plurality of balls are configured to circulate infinitely. That is, the pressing unit 400 is configured to be able to move the pressing portion 450 up and down by a ball screw mechanism. Also, in the present embodiment, a plurality of pressing units 400 are provided corresponding to the positions of a plurality of holders 120 provided on the substrate carrier 100.

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism is adopted as the mechanism for raising and lowering the pin 240 and the pressing portion 450, but other known techniques such as a rack and pinion system can also be adopted.

[0046] Further, the substrate holding chamber R1 is partitioned into a substrate processing region A1, a drive source arrangement region A2, and a drive source arrangement region A3. Through the substrate processing region A1, a drive source arrangement region A2 is provided vertically downward, and a drive source arrangement medium region A3 is provided vertically upward. In the substrate processing region A1, a substrate carrier 100 supported by a support base 500 and the like are arranged. And in the drive source arrangement region A2, a motor 210 of the pin unit 200 and the like are arranged, and in the drive source arrangement region A3, a motor 410 of the pressing unit 400 and the like are arranged. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress foreign matter generated by the rotation of the motors 210 and 410 and foreign matter (particles) generated at the sliding portion of the ball screw from entering the substrate processing region A1. Note that not all of the regions A1 to A3 need to be in a vacuum atmosphere. For example, a wall portion or the like for partitioning the substrate holding chamber R1 may be provided such that the substrate processing region A1 is in a vacuum atmosphere and the drive source arrangement region A2 and the drive source arrangement region A3 are in an air atmosphere.

[0047] Note that the pressing portion 125 and the actuator 127 of the holder 120 arranged in the flat plate member 110 of the substrate carrier 100 are sealed by a case 155 so that foreign matter generated from the peeling portion does not diffuse into the chamber.

[0048] Also, drive systems such as a motor 210 that drives a pin 240 for vertically moving the substrate 10 in the Z-axis direction, a motor 410 that drives a pressing portion 450, and an actuator 127 that drives a pressing portion 125 of the holder 120 are connected to a controller 720 by respective control lines 201, 401, 129, and are controlled by the controller 720 executing a control program. In the present embodiment, the controller 720 is a controller that controls the entire film forming system SY. For example, the controller 720 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, etc., and the CPU reads a program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executes it, thereby realizing the control of each drive system. Also, 710 is a power supply unit that supplies power to each part of the system. Note that a controller for controlling the components inside each chamber R1 to R6 may be provided for each chamber, and each controller may be configured to be communicable. That is, the number of controllers included in the film forming system SY, the roles of each controller, etc. are not limited.

[0049] Next, a specific example of the substrate holding step (S1) will be described. FIG. 9(B) is a flowchart showing the details of the steps of S1. The substrate holding step includes a preparation step (S11), a placement step (S12), and an adhesion step (S13).

[0050] S11 is the preparation step. The preparation step is a step of preparing for holding the substrate 10 by the substrate carrier 100. In this step, first, the pin 240 and the pressing portion 450 are waiting at the uppermost position in the vertical direction. More specifically, the pin 240 protrudes upward in the vertical direction from the holding surface 110X through a through hole 111 for the pin of the flat plate member 110. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the holder 120 is fixed to the flat plate member 110 with the elastic adhesion portion 121 protruding slightly from the holding surface 110X. Thus, the upper end of the pin 240 is located above the adhesion portion 121 of the holder 120 in the vertical direction. In this state, when the substrate 10 is carried into the substrate holding chamber R1 by a transport mechanism (not shown), the substrate 10 is supported by the pin 240 without contacting the adhesion portion 121 of the holder 120 (FIG. 10).

[0051] S12 is the placement process. The placement process is a process of placing the substrate 10 on the substrate carrier 100. The controller 720 controls the motor 210 to move the pin 240 downward in the vertical direction. The tip of the pin 240 passes through the through hole 111 of the flat plate member 110 and moves downward from the surface on the opposite side of the holding surface 110X of the flat plate member 110. As a result, the substrate 10 comes into contact with the adhesive portion 121 of the holder 120. FIG. 11 is an operation explanatory diagram of the substrate holding chamber R1, showing a state in which the substrate 10 is in contact with the adhesive portion 121 of the substrate carrier 100.

[0052] In the case of chamfering a large screen such as 70 inches (872×1549 mm) or 80 inches in size from the substrate 10, unlike the case shown in FIG. 1, the holder 120 may not be present inside the substrate 10. In such a case, as the pin 240 moves downward, there may be undulations remaining on the substrate 10, but it is possible to reduce the undulations of the substrate 10 by adjusting the downward movement of the pin 240.

[0053] S13 is the substrate adhesion process. The substrate adhesion process is a process of adhering the adhesive portion 121 to the substrate 10. The controller 720 controls the motor 410 to move the pressing portion 450 downward in the vertical direction, thereby pressing the substrate 10 against the adhesive portion 121. As a result, the substrate 10 adheres to the adhesive portion 121. In this way, by pressing the substrate 10 against the adhesive portion 121 by the pressing portion 450, a sufficient contact surface between the substrate 10 and the adhesive portion 121 can be ensured.

[0054] At this time, instead of pressing the plurality of pressing portions 450 against the substrate 10 simultaneously, the operation of the pressing portion 450 may be controlled by the controller 720 such that the pressing region gradually changes from a specific starting point to a specific ending point. For example, the controller 720 starts pressing from the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 10 and controls the plurality of pressing portions 450 so that the substrate 10 is sequentially pressed toward both end portions. FIG. 12 is an operation explanatory diagram of the substrate holding chamber R1, showing a state in which the pressing portion 450 has moved downward and the substrate 10 has come into contact with and adhered to the contact surface of the adhesive portion 121 of the holder 120 that slightly protrudes from the flat plate-like member 110. At this time, inside the holder 120, the pressing portion 125 is at a position where it has descended inside the metal base material 124, and the contact area of the adhesive portion 121 can be fully used for holding the substrate (see FIG. 4(B)).

[0055] After the pressing by the pressing portion 450, the controller 720 controls the motor 410 to move the pressing portion 450 upward in the vertical direction. Then, the controller 720 clamps the periphery of the substrate 10 with the support tool 130 and fixes it to the substrate carrier 100. As a result, the substrate 10 is firmly held by the support tool 130 and the holder 120 on the substrate carrier 100. FIG. 13 is an operation explanatory diagram of the substrate holding chamber R1, showing a state in which the holding operation of the substrate 10 by the substrate carrier 100 is completed. In this way, the substrate 10 is integrated with the substrate carrier 100, and the process before being carried out of the substrate holding chamber R1 is completed.

[0056] (S2: Inversion process) S2 is the inversion process. The inversion process is a process of inverting the substrate carrier 100 in the inversion chamber R2. FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B) are diagrams schematically showing the configuration and operation of the inversion chamber R2. FIG. 14(A) shows the state before inversion, and FIG. 14(B) shows the state after inversion. The inversion chamber R2 includes a holding member 610 that holds the substrate carrier 100, a rotating shaft 620 fixed to the holding member 610, a motor 630 that rotates the rotating shaft 620, and a support member 640 that axially supports the rotating shaft 620.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 14(A), the substrate carrier 100 holding the substrate 10 is conveyed from the substrate holding chamber R1 to the inversion chamber R2 by a mechanism (not shown) and held by the holding member 610. From that state, the controller 720 controls the motor 630 to rotate the rotary shaft 620, thereby rotating the substrate carrier 100 by 180 degrees. As a result, the substrate carrier 100 is in a state where the substrate 10 faces (hangs) downward in the vertical direction with respect to the substrate carrier 100 as shown in FIG. 12(B). When chamfering the large screen, there may be a deflection downward in the vertical direction at a portion of the substrate 10 that is not held by the holder 120. However, in this embodiment, the substrate 10 can be continuously and stably held by the adhesive portion 121.

[0058] (S3: Mask Holding Step) S3 is the mask holding step. The substrate carrier 100 holding the substrate 10 is conveyed to the alignment chamber R5 after being inverted in the inversion chamber R2. In the alignment chamber R5, alignment (alignment) is performed between the mask 20 waiting in the alignment chamber R5 and the substrate 10, and the substrate carrier 100 is placed in an aligned state above the mask 20. As a method of fixing the substrate carrier 100 to the mask 20, a known technique can be adopted. For example, a configuration using magnetism such as an electromagnet or a mechanical mechanism such as a clamp can be adopted. Further, without fixing the substrate carrier 100 to the mask 20, the substrate carrier can be placed on the mask 20 on a conveying member such as a roller and moved integrally on the conveying member.

[0059] (S4: Film Forming Step) S4 is a film deposition process. FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the film deposition chamber R3. The film deposition chamber R3 is capable of performing vapor deposition treatment as an example of film deposition treatment. Note that the film deposition method is not limited to methods such as vapor deposition and sputtering, and the types of film deposition materials and vapor deposition materials are also not limited. Inside the film deposition chamber R3, a vapor deposition source 30 is installed. The substrate carrier 100 that integrally holds the substrate 10 and the mask 20 is transported from the alignment chamber R5 to the film deposition chamber R3. By passing the substrate carrier 100 through the space where the film deposition material is evaporating or sublimating from the vapor deposition source 30, a thin film is formed on the substrate 10. Note that a plurality of film deposition chambers R3 may be provided, and different vapor deposition sources may be arranged in each of them. Then, by sequentially transporting the substrate carrier 100 to a plurality of film deposition chambers R3, a plurality of types of thin films may be sequentially formed on the substrate 10. In this case, between each film deposition chamber R3, an alignment chamber R5 or the like capable of exchanging the mask 20 and aligning the substrate 10 and the mask 20 may be provided. Note that the number of film deposition chambers R3 to be provided can be set as appropriate.

[0060] When the film deposition is completed, the substrate carrier 100 is transported to the mask removal chamber R6, and the mask 20 combined with the substrate 10 is removed. Note that a configuration in which another mask is combined again and the film deposition process is repeated is also adoptable.

[0061] (S5: Substrate peeling process) S5 is a substrate peeling process. The substrate peeling process is a process of peeling the substrate 10 after film deposition in the substrate peeling chamber R4 from the adhesive portion 121. FIGS. 16(A) and 16(B) are diagrams schematically showing the configuration and operation of the substrate peeling chamber R4. FIG. 16(A) shows the state before peeling the substrate 10, and FIG. 16(B) shows the state after peeling the substrate 10.

[0062] In the substrate peeling chamber R4, similar to the substrate holding chamber R1, a pin unit 200 for moving the substrate 10 up and down and a support base 500 are provided. After film formation in the film formation chamber R3, the substrate carrier 100 is transported to the inversion chamber R2 and inverted, and then reacted in the substrate peeling chamber R4. When the substrate carrier 100 is transported to the substrate peeling chamber R4, as shown in FIG. 16(A), the fixing of the substrate 10 by the support tool 130 is released. Then, the controller 720 controls the motor 210 to move the pin 240 upward in the vertical direction, so that the substrate 10 is lifted by the plurality of pins 240 and separated from the substrate carrier 100 (FIG. 16(B)). Then, the substrate 10 is carried out of the substrate peeling chamber R4.

[0063] When separating the substrate 10 from the substrate carrier 100 upward by the pins 240, as described with reference to FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C) and the like, in the holder 120, the actuator 127 raises the pressing portion 125, and presses and deforms the adhesive portion 121 from the opposite surface 121b. Thereby, by reducing the contact area with respect to the substrate 10, the adhesive force is reduced, and the substrate 10 can be easily peeled off.

[0064] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when holding the substrate 10 by the substrate carrier 100, a strong holding force can be obtained by fully using the contact area of the adhesive portion 121 of the holder 120. On the other hand, when peeling the substrate 10 from the adhesive portion 121, the substrate 10 can be easily peeled from the adhesive portion 121 by partially deforming the adhesive portion 121. Therefore, without applying an unnecessary load to the substrate 10, processes such as substrate holding, conveyance, film formation, and peeling can be smoothly performed.

[0065] In the present embodiment, the case where the substrate carrier 100 having the holder 120 is used in the inline film forming system SY has been described. However, the substrate support device having the holder 120 may be used in other types of film forming apparatuses. For example, the configuration of the present embodiment can also be applied to a cluster type film forming apparatus that sequentially loads the substrate 10 into the film forming chamber using a transfer robot and performs film forming processing on the substrate 10 in each film forming chamber.

[0066] <Method for manufacturing an electronic device> Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described. Hereinafter, the configuration and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be exemplified as an example of an electronic device. In the case of this example, the film forming chambers R3 illustrated in FIG. 15 are provided, for example, at six locations on the production line.

[0067] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. FIG. 17(A) is an overall view of the organic EL display device 50, and FIG. 17(B) is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 17(A), in the display area 51 of the organic EL display device 50, a plurality of pixels 52 each including a light emitting element are arranged in a matrix. Although details will be described later, each of the light emitting elements has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes.

[0069] Note that the pixel mentioned here refers to the smallest unit capable of displaying a desired color in the display area 51. In the case of a color organic EL display device, the pixel 52 is composed of a combination of a plurality of sub-pixels of a first light-emitting element 52R, a second light-emitting element 52G, and a third light-emitting element 52B that exhibit different emissions. The pixel 52 is often composed of a combination of three types of sub-pixels, namely a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, and a blue (B) light-emitting element, but is not limited thereto. The pixel 52 may include at least one type of sub-pixel, preferably includes two or more types of sub-pixels, and more preferably includes three or more types of sub-pixels. As the sub-pixels constituting the pixel 52, for example, a combination of four types of sub-pixels, namely a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, a blue (B) light-emitting element, and a yellow (Y) light-emitting element, may also be used.

[0070] FIG. 17(B) is a partial cross-sectional schematic view taken along line A-B of FIG. 17(A). The pixel 52 includes a plurality of sub-pixels formed of an organic EL element including a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, one of a red layer 56R, a green layer 56G, and a blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58 on a substrate 100. Among these, the hole transport layer 55, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, the blue layer 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to the organic layers. The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes described as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue, respectively.

[0071] Also, the first electrode 54 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, the electron transport layer 57, and the second electrode 58 may be formed commonly across a plurality of light-emitting elements 52R, 52G, 52B, or may be formed for each light-emitting element. That is, as shown in FIG. 17(B), the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer across a plurality of sub-pixel regions, and then the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed separately for each sub-pixel region, and further, the electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 may be formed as common layers across a plurality of sub-pixel regions thereon.

[0072] In order to prevent short circuits between adjacent first electrodes 54, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54. Further, since the organic EL layer deteriorates due to moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 60 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen.

[0073] In FIG. 17(B), the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are shown as one layer, but depending on the structure of the organic EL display element, it may be formed of a plurality of layers having a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer. Also, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure that can smoothly inject holes from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55 may be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer may be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

[0074] Each of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B may be formed of a single light-emitting layer or may be formed by laminating a plurality of layers. For example, the red layer 56R may be composed of two layers, with the upper layer formed of a red light-emitting layer and the lower layer formed of a hole transport layer or an electron blocking layer. Alternatively, the lower layer may be formed of a red light-emitting layer and the upper layer may be formed of an electron transport layer or a hole blocking layer. By providing a layer below or above the light-emitting layer in this way, the light-emitting position in the light-emitting layer is adjusted, and by adjusting the optical path length, there is an effect of improving the color purity of the light-emitting element.

[0075] Here, an example of the red layer 56R is shown, but the same structure may be adopted for the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B. Also, the number of laminated layers may be two or more. Further, layers of different materials such as a light-emitting layer and an electron blocking layer may be laminated, or layers of the same material may be laminated, for example, by laminating two or more light-emitting layers.

[0076] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described. Here, it is assumed that the red layer 56R consists of two layers, a lower layer 56R1 and an upper layer 56R2, and the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B consist of a single light-emitting layer.

[0077] First, prepare a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a substrate 100 on which a first electrode 54 is formed. Note that the material of the substrate 100 is not particularly limited and can be made of glass, plastic, metal, etc. In this embodiment, as the substrate 100, a substrate in which a polyimide film is laminated on a glass substrate is used.

[0078] A resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is coated on the substrate 100 on which the first electrode 54 is formed by bar coating or spin coating, and the resin layer is patterned by a lithography method so that an opening is formed in the portion where the first electrode 54 is formed to form an insulating layer 59. This opening corresponds to the light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light. In this embodiment, until the formation of the insulating layer 59, processing is performed on a large substrate, and after the formation of the insulating layer 59, a dividing step of dividing the substrate 100 is executed.

[0079] The substrate 100 on which the insulating layer 59 is patterned is carried into the first film formation chamber R3, and a hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on the first electrode 54 in the display region. The hole transport layer 55 is finally formed using a mask in which an opening is formed for each display region 51 that becomes the panel portion of each organic EL display device.

[0080] Next, the substrate 100 on which the hole transport layer 55 is formed is carried into the second film deposition chamber R3. Alignment is performed between the substrate 100 and the mask, the substrate is placed on the mask, and a red layer 56R is deposited on the portion of the substrate 100 that emits red light above the hole transport layer 55 (the region where the red sub-pixels are formed). Here, the mask used in the second film deposition chamber is a high-definition mask in which openings are formed only in a plurality of regions that become red sub-pixels among a plurality of regions on the substrate 100 that become sub-pixels of the organic EL display device. As a result, the red layer 56R including the red light-emitting layer is deposited only on the regions that become red sub-pixels among the regions that become a plurality of sub-pixels on the substrate 100. In other words, the red layer 56R is not deposited on the regions that become blue sub-pixels or green sub-pixels among the regions that become a plurality of sub-pixels on the substrate 100, but is selectively deposited on the regions that become red sub-pixels.

[0081] Similar to the deposition of the red layer 56R, a green layer 56G is deposited in the third film deposition chamber R3, and further, a blue layer 56B is deposited in the fourth film deposition chamber R3. After the deposition of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B is completed, an electron transport layer 57 is deposited on the entire display region 51 in the fifth film deposition chamber R3. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a layer common to the three-color layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

[0082] The substrate on which the electron transport layer 57 is formed is moved to the sixth film deposition chamber R3, and the second electrode 58 is deposited. In the present embodiment, in the first film deposition chamber R3 to the sixth film deposition chamber R3, each layer is deposited by vacuum evaporation. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the deposition of the second electrode 58 in the sixth film deposition chamber R3 may be performed by sputtering. Thereafter, the substrate on which the second electrode 58 is formed is moved to a sealing device, and a protective layer 60 is deposited by plasma CVD (sealing process), and the organic EL display device 50 is completed. Here, the protective layer 60 is formed by the CVD method, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be formed by the ALD method or the inkjet method.

[0083] Here, the film formation in the first to sixth film formation chambers R3 is performed using a mask in which openings corresponding to the patterns of the respective layers to be formed are formed. At the time of film formation, after performing relative position adjustment (alignment) between the substrate 100 and the mask, the substrate 100 is placed on the mask and film formation is performed. Here, the alignment process performed in each film formation chamber is performed as in the above-described alignment process.

[0084] <Other Embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. Further, it can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0085] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0086] 10: Substrate, 100: Substrate carrier, 120: Fixture, 121: Adhesive portion, 121a: Adhesive surface, 121b: Opposite surface, 125: Pressing portion

Claims

1. An adhesive portion having an adhesive surface to be attached to a substrate and an opposite surface on the opposite side of the adhesive surface, the adhesive portion being flexible; A substrate holder comprising a peeling portion that presses a plurality of positions of the adhesive portion from the side of the opposite surface to peel the substrate from the adhesive portion, further comprising a base material that supports the adhesive portion from the side of the opposite surface and has a through hole formed therethrough leading to the adhesive portion, wherein the peeling portion includes a first member provided in the through hole and pressing the adhesive portion from the side of the opposite surface, a second member provided independently of the first member and displacing the first member by displacing in the approaching and separating direction with respect to the adhesive portion, and a displacement portion that displaces the second member in the approaching and separating direction, wherein the first member has a predetermined clearance with respect to the through hole and is provided independently of the second member in the through hole, so that the first member is also displaceable in a direction intersecting the approaching and separating direction, A substrate holder characterized by the above.

2. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the peeling portion presses the plurality of positions by changing the pressing position during the pressing operation, A substrate holder characterized by the above.

3. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the first member that presses the adhesive portion includes a curved surface shape, A substrate holder characterized by the above.

4. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the first member is spherical, A substrate holder characterized by the above.

5. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the through hole has a cylindrical shape, the first member is spherical, and as the predetermined clearance, the difference between the diameter of the through hole and the diameter of the first member is set to 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm, A substrate holder characterized by the above.

6. A substrate holding device having a plurality of the substrate holders according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A film forming system comprising the substrate holding device according to claim 6 and a film forming device that performs a film forming process on the substrate held by the substrate holding device. A film forming system characterized by the above.

8. A step of holding a substrate by the substrate holding device according to claim 6, a step of performing a film forming process on the substrate held by the substrate holding device, and a step of peeling the substrate after the film forming process from the adhesive portion, A method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized by including the above steps.

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