Film forming apparatus

The film forming apparatus addresses miniaturization and cost reduction by integrating getter material deposition on a mask within the vacuum chamber, enhancing impurity removal efficiency and improving film quality.

JP7716895B2Active Publication Date: 2025-08-01CANON TOKKI CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021096456
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-06-09
Publication Date
2025-08-01
Estimated Expiration
2041-06-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing film forming apparatuses face challenges in miniaturization and cost reduction due to the need for efficient impurity removal, particularly from vacuum chambers, which are often addressed by getter materials but require significant space and resources.

Method used

A film forming apparatus configuration that includes a first film forming means for forming a getter material on a mask and a second film forming means for forming a film forming material on a substrate within the same chamber, utilizing a getter material to enhance impurity removal efficiency and reduce the size and cost of the exhaust means.

Benefits of technology

This configuration enables miniaturization and cost reduction of the exhaust means by effectively removing impurities, improving film quality and reducing unevenness in element characteristics, while maintaining vacuum integrity.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a technology that enables miniaturization and cost reduction of exhaust means used for a vacuum chamber of a film deposition apparatus.SOLUTION: A film deposition apparatus includes: first film deposition means for depositing a film of a getter material on a mask; and second film deposition means for depositing a film of film deposition material on a substrate via the mask deposited with the getter material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A
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Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] As a technique for forming a thin film of a film forming material such as a metal on a substrate, a method of performing sputtering or evaporation on the substrate in a vacuum chamber is known. Here, it is known that the quality of film formation deteriorates when impurities such as oxygen and water molecules are present in the atmosphere of the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is usually provided with exhaust means such as an exhaust port and a pump, and impurities are removed from the atmosphere by such exhaust means.

[0003] Furthermore, in order to reduce the influence of impurities and perform good film formation, Patent Document 1 describes providing a getter material for capturing impurities in the atmosphere at the end of the substrate when manufacturing an organic EL display. Thereby, Patent Document 1 attempts to prevent a decrease in the display luminance of the display due to the influence of impurities.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In a film forming apparatus, miniaturization and cost reduction are problems, and for this purpose, miniaturization and cost reduction are also required for the exhaust means. Therefore, it has been considered to reduce the size and cost of the exhaust means by increasing the efficiency of removing impurities using a getter material in addition to the exhaust means.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique that enables miniaturization and cost reduction of an exhaust means used in a vacuum chamber of a film forming apparatus.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention employs the following configuration. That is, a first film forming means for forming a getter material on a mask, a second film forming means for forming a film forming material on a substrate via the mask on which the getter material is formed into , the same chamber and a film forming apparatus characterized by comprising the same.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that enables miniaturization and cost reduction of an exhaust means used in a vacuum chamber of a film forming apparatus.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 2C

Figure 2D

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the following embodiments are merely illustrative of preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to those configurations. Also, in the following description, the hardware configuration and software configuration of the apparatus, the processing flow, the manufacturing conditions, the dimensions, the materials, the shapes, etc. are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those, unless otherwise specifically described.

[0011] The present invention is suitable for forming a thin film on an object to be film-formed such as a substrate. For example, it is typical to form a thin film of a metal or a metal oxide by sputtering, or to form an organic film by vapor deposition. The present invention can be regarded as a film forming apparatus, its control method, or a film forming method. The present invention can also be regarded as a manufacturing apparatus for electronic devices and a manufacturing method for electronic devices. The present invention can also be regarded as a program for causing a computer to execute a control method and a storage medium storing the program. The storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium readable by a computer.

[0012] [Embodiment 1] The basic configuration of the film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. The film forming apparatus 1 is used for depositing and forming a thin film on a substrate in the manufacture of various electronic devices such as semiconductor devices, magnetic devices, and electronic components, and optical components. In the following description, the "substrate" as an object to be film-formed includes those on which a laminate is formed. Typically, the film forming apparatus 1 is suitable for manufacturing a panel for an organic EL display provided with an organic EL element.

[0013] In this embodiment, a film forming apparatus 1 having a single vacuum chamber will be described. However, as will be described in later embodiments, the film forming apparatus 1 may be a part of a film forming system such as a cluster type or an inline type. Each of the plurality of film forming apparatuses included in such a film forming system forms a part of a film that is repeatedly stacked on a substrate.

[0014] In this embodiment, a preferred example will be described when forming an electrode layer made of a film forming material such as a metal on a substrate by sputtering. In sputtering, magnetron sputtering is known in which a magnet is arranged on the surface of a target made of a film forming material opposite to the substrate, and the magnetic field generated increases the electron density to improve the sputtering efficiency. Further, a method is known in which the target is a rotatable cylindrical rotary cathode and a magnet is arranged inside the cylindrical portion, and this method is adopted in this embodiment.

[0015] The chamber of the film forming apparatus is provided with evacuation means such as a pump, an exhaust port, and piping, and a vacuum is maintained by the evacuation means evacuating from the inside of the chamber. Here, if a small evacuation means or an evacuation means with a relatively low evacuation capacity can be used, the size reduction and cost reduction of the entire film forming apparatus can be achieved. Therefore, in addition to the above evacuation means, evacuation using a highly reactive getter material such as titanium is being considered.

[0016] Furthermore, a film forming apparatus that performs sputtering is suitable for forming an electrode layer in a manufacturing apparatus for an organic EL display. If impurities such as oxygen and water molecules are present inside the chamber of such a film forming apparatus, the element characteristics of the manufactured organic EL display may deteriorate. Therefore, by increasing the removal efficiency of impurities using the above-described getter material, the quality of film formation Improving quality is also under consideration. For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-216096) described above, film formation is performed with a getter material provided on a substrate. However, in Patent Document 1, due to the fact that the installation location of the getter material is the substrate which is the object to be film-formed, the getter material can only be installed at the end of the substrate. Therefore, since the removal effect by the getter material in the film-forming region occupying a large area on the substrate decreases, there is a possibility that unevenness in element characteristics within the plane may occur.

[0017] (Configuration of the apparatus) FIG. 1 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a film-forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The film-forming apparatus 1 has a chamber 10. A substrate 6 which is an object to be film-formed is carried into the chamber 10 from outside the film-forming apparatus. The substrate 6 is carried in through a gate valve 17 provided on a first side wall 10a. The substrate 6 after film formation is carried out through a gate valve 18 provided on a second side wall 10b.

[0018] In the film-forming apparatus 1, a position adjustment mechanism 70, which is a position adjustment means for moving the substrate 6 to adjust the relative position with the mask 7, is disposed on an upper partition wall 10d of the chamber 10. Inside the chamber, there is a substrate holding portion 8 for holding the substrate 6 carried into the chamber.

[0019] The position adjustment mechanism 70 is provided outside the upper part of the chamber 10, and changes the relative positional relationship between the substrate 6 and the mask 7, or stably holds them in a state where they are in contact with each other. The position adjustment mechanism 70 includes in-plane movement means 71, a Z-lifting base 73, and a Z-lifting slider 72. The in-plane movement means 71 connected to the upper partition wall 10d moves the Z-lifting base 73 in XY directions and rotates it by θ. The Z-lifting base 73 serves as a base when the substrate 6 moves in the Z direction. The Z-lifting slider 72 is a member drivable in the Z direction, and is connected to the substrate holding portion 8 inside the chamber via a substrate holding shaft 74. In this example, there are 4 substrate holding shafts 74 respectively corresponding to four corner portions of the substrate 6.

[0020] The in-plane movement means 71 moves the Z-lift base 73, the Z-lift slider 72, and the substrate holding shaft 74 integrally, and transmits the driving force to the substrate holding unit 8. As a result, the held substrate 6 moves in XY and rotates in θ in a plane substantially parallel to the film-forming surface of the substrate 6. As the in-plane movement means, known alignment means including a motor and an encoder can be used.

[0021] The Z-lift slider 72 applies a driving force in the Z direction to the Z-lift base 73, transmits the driving force to the substrate 6 via the substrate holding shaft 74, and moves the substrate 6 in the Z direction (that is, the direction intersecting the film-forming surface of the substrate 6). As a result, the relative distance between the substrate 6 and the mask 7 changes (separates or approaches). As the Z-lift slider 72, known driving means including a motor, a ball screw, and an encoder can be used.

[0022] The substrate holding shaft 74 is disposed so as to communicate the outside and the inside of the chamber 10 through a through hole provided in the upper partition wall 10d. Inside the chamber, a substrate holding unit 8 including a substrate receiving claw 8a and a substrate holder 8b is disposed below the substrate holding shaft 74. After the substrate 6 is carried into the chamber, it is first placed on the substrate receiving claw 8a. Subsequently, the substrate holder 8b is driven by an actuator (not shown) to move up and down, whereby the substrate 6 is held.

[0023] The mask holding unit 85 is installed inside the chamber so as to connect to the upper partition wall 10d. The mask holding unit 85 holds a mask 7 having an opening corresponding to the film-forming pattern on the substrate 6 by a mask receiving portion 85a. The mask receiving portion 85a has a configuration corresponding to the shape of the mask. For example, by stretching a foil-shaped metal mask on a highly rigid mask frame, the deflection is reduced. For the mask 7, a mask receiving portion 85a in the shape of a receiving claw can be used. The mask holding unit 85 may be configured to clamp the end of the mask 7. Further, the mask holding unit 85 and the substrate holding unit 8 may be configured to clamp both the mask 7 and the substrate 6 placed on the mask.

[0024] Note that the position adjustment mechanism 70 is not limited to a configuration that only moves the substrate 6, and may be a configuration that only moves the mask 7, or a configuration that moves both the substrate 6 and the mask 7.

[0025] After the substrate 6 is carried into the chamber, the position adjustment mechanism 70 aligns the substrate 6 and the mask 7. The substrate holding unit 8 supports the aligned substrate 6 and mask 7 in a close contact state at a predetermined film formation height. The substrate holding unit 8 may include a magnet plate for attracting the mask 7 from the back surface of the substrate 6. As the substrate 6, a desired material such as glass can be used, and as the mask 7, a desired type of mask such as a metal mask can be used.

[0026] The camera 88 optically images the substrate 6 and the mask 7 to acquire an image. The alignment marks provided on the substrate 6 and the mask 7 are installed so as to be within the field of view (imaging range). The camera 88 is installed on the upper partition wall 10d and images the inside of the chamber through a transparent window for imaging provided on the upper partition wall 10d. The control unit 51 aligns the substrate 6 and the mask 7 by driving the in-plane movement means 71 and the Z lifting base 73 based on the captured image.

[0027] The control unit 51 controls various operations (loading and unloading of substrates and masks, alignment, sputtering control, etc.) by the film forming apparatus 1. The control unit 51 can be configured by, for example, a computer having a processor, a memory, a storage, an I / O, etc. In this case, the functions of the control unit 51 are realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory or the storage. As the computer, a general-purpose personal computer may be used, or an embedded computer or a PLC (programmable logic controller) may be used. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the control unit 51 may be configured by a circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

[0028] The control unit 51 of this embodiment supplies power to each component of the film formation apparatus 1 via a power supply 52, and operates each component of the film formation apparatus 1 via a target drive unit 53, a carriage drive unit 54, and a position adjustment drive unit 55. These drive units may be control blocks that constitute part of the control unit 51. The power supply 52 is a power supply device. The target drive unit 53 has a drive source such as a motor, and transmits power to the first target 2 and the second target 12 via a power transmission mechanism to rotate them.

[0029] The power supply 52 applies a bias voltage to the first target 2 and the second target 12. A backing tube layer (not shown) may be formed inside the first target 2 or the second target 12. In that case, the backing tube functions as a cathode to which the bias voltage is applied from the power supply 52. The chamber 10 is grounded.

[0030] Inside the chamber, there is a first rotary cathode unit 4 for getter material and a film forming unit. A second rotary cathode unit 14 related to the material is present. First, the second rotary cathode unit 14 will be described. Inside the chamber, the second rotary cathode unit 14 is arranged, which includes a second target 12 made of a film formation material and a magnet unit 13 facing the substrate 6 via the second target 12. The second target 12 in this embodiment is a cylindrical rotary cathode. Note that the term "cylindrical" does not only mean a mathematically strict cylindrical shape, but also includes a shape whose generatrix is a curved line rather than a straight line, or a shape whose cross section perpendicular to the central axis is not a mathematically strict "circle." In other words, the second target 12 in the present invention may be of a generally cylindrical shape that can be rotated about a central axis. Both ends of the second rotary cathode unit 14 are supported by a support block and an end block, respectively, which are fixed to the base 230. A target drive device 53 may be mounted on the support block or the end block.

[0031] The second magnet unit 13 includes a central magnet extending in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the second rotary cathode unit 14, peripheral magnets of opposite poles to the central magnet surrounding the central magnet, and a yoke plate. The second magnet unit 3 forms a loop-shaped magnetic field around the second target 12. As a result, a magnetic field tunnel extending in the longitudinal direction of the second target 12 is formed near the surface of the second target 12. Electrons are captured by this magnetic field and the plasma is concentrated near the surface of the second target 12, thereby enhancing the sputtering efficiency. The region of the surface of the second target 12 where the magnetic field of this magnet unit leaks becomes the sputtering region A2 where sputtered particles are generated.

[0032] In the film formation process, the second target 12 of the second rotary cathode unit 14 rotates about the rotation center axis. On the other hand, the second magnet unit 13 does not rotate unlike the second target 12. A magnetic field is formed on the surface side of the second target 12 facing the substrate 6, increasing the electron density in the vicinity of the second target 12. This region is the sputtering region A2 where sputtered particles are generated. As a sputtered particle anti-deposition plate, a first side plate 261 may be provided along the longitudinal direction of the second target 12.

[0033] Subsequently, the first rotary cathode unit 4 related to the getter material will be described. Inside the chamber of the present embodiment, a first rotary cathode unit 4 including a first target 2 made of a getter material and a first magnet unit 3 facing the substrate 6 via the first target 2 is arranged. The first target 2 is also a cylindrical rotary cathode. The region where a magnetic field is generated in the first rotary cathode unit 4 is the first sputtering region A1 where sputtered particles of the getter material are generated. As described later, as the film formation material constituting the first target 2, a material that can function as a getter material is used. As an anti-deposition plate, a second side plate 262 may be provided along the longitudinal direction of the first target 2.

[0034] The second target 12 serves as a source of the film-forming material for forming a film on the substrate 6. Examples of the material of the second target 12 include metals such as Cu, Al, Ti, Mo, Cr, Ag, Au, and Ni, or alloys containing these metal elements as main components. Alternatively, it may be a transparent conductive oxide such as ITO, IZO, IWO, AZO, GZO, or IGZO. However, the material of the second target 12 is not limited to these.

[0035] The material of the first target 2 is a getter material suitable for removing impurities such as oxygen and water molecules from the chamber. As the getter material, a highly reactive substance is preferable, and for example, Ti, Zr, V, Mg, Al, Ta, W, Mo, Hf, Nb, Fe, Ag, Ba, or Yb can be used. Also, as the getter material, an alloy or compound containing the above metal elements as main components can be used. However, the material of the first target 2 is not limited to these. Further, as will be described later in this embodiment, the first target 2 may have a configuration that also serves as both a getter material and a film-forming material for the substrate 6.

[0036] In this embodiment, the first rotary cathode unit 4 is mask 7 the first film-forming means for forming a film of the getter material, and the second rotary cathode unit 14 is substrate 6 the second film-forming means for forming a film of the film-forming material. In this embodiment, the first film-forming means and the second film-forming means are provided in the same chamber.

[0037] An exhaust port 86 is arranged in the lower partition wall 10c. The exhaust device 59 is an exhaust means including a pump and its control mechanism and, in accordance with the control of the control unit 51, discharges the air in the chamber through a pipe from the exhaust port 86 to keep the inside under vacuum. As the pump, a known vacuum pump or the like can be used. Thereby, the inside of the chamber 10 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere. Here, the vacuum referred to herein means a state filled with a gas having a pressure lower than normal atmospheric pressure (typically 1023 hPa).

[0038] Below the inside of the chamber (near the lower partition 10c), a guide rail 250 extending in the X-axis direction is arranged. Along the guide rail 250, the first rotary cathode unit 4 and the second rotary cathode unit 14 together with the base 230 functioning as a moving table are reciprocally movable in the X-axis direction. The moving table driving device 54 can use various known motion mechanisms such as a screw feed mechanism using a ball screw or the like that converts the rotational motion of a rotary motor into a driving force, a linear motor, or the like. The moving table driving device 54 moves the base 230 in a direction (X-axis direction) intersecting the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the first target 2 and the second target 12.

[0039] The base 230 is movably supported along a pair of guide rails 250 via a conveyance guide such as a linear bearing. The first target 2 and the second target 12 rotate about the rotation axis while the rotation axis extends in the Y-axis direction, and move within a moving region which is a plane substantially parallel to the substrate 6. As a result, since the deposition region where sputtered particles flying from the first target 2 and the second target 12 adhere to the substrate 6 also moves, even when the size of the deposition region is small with respect to the area of the substrate 6, film formation can be performed on the entire substrate. Also, as will be described later, even when the deposition region of sputtered particles from the first target 2 is small with respect to the area of the mask 7, film formation of the getter material on the entire mask becomes possible. During the sputtering for film formation, the base 230 may be reciprocated a plurality of times for the purpose of reducing film thickness unevenness and realizing uniform film formation.

[0040] (Operation of the device) With reference to FIGS. 2A to 2D, the operation of the device in the present embodiment will be described. For simplicity, in each figure, some components and reference numerals may be omitted. Here, the material of the first target 2 is Mg, and the material of the second target 12 is Ag.

[0041] Figure 2A shows the state before the substrate 6 is carried into the chamber, where the mask 7 is placed on the mask receiving portion 85a of the mask holding portion 85. The target driving device 53 rotates the first target 2 in the direction of the white arrow. Then, the power supply 52 applies a voltage to the first target 2 to scatter sputtered particles into the first sputtering region A1. The sputtered particles fly within the range indicated by the dotted line and adhere to the adhesion region A3 on the lower surface of the mask 7. In this step, the substrate 6 either does not exist inside the chamber or, even if it was inside the chamber, does not exist within the reach of the sputtered particles. That is, Mg adheres to the mask 7 while not adhering to the substrate 6.

[0042] During the sputtering using the first target 2, the moving stage driving device 54 moves the first rotary cathode unit 4 in the X direction together with the base 230 as the moving stage. As a result, since the adhesion region A3 also moves relative to the mask 7, Mg adheres to a wide range of the mask 7. If necessary, the base 230 may be reciprocated one or more times.

[0043] By continuing the above process, in the getter material adhesion step shown in Figure 2A, the getter material from the first target 2 adheres to the lower surface of the mask 7. Here, since the material of the first target 2 is Mg which can function as a getter material, a getter material film is formed on the mask 7 by this step. That is, after this step, as long as the vacuum atmosphere inside the chamber is maintained, a state where an active getter material adheres to the mask 7 is achieved.

[0044] Note that the deposition position, deposition area, deposition amount, etc. of the getter material on the mask 7 in the getter material deposition step are not particularly limited, and it is sufficient that the getter material is deposited to such an extent that the desired evacuation ability can be exhibited in subsequent steps. Therefore, even when the expression "a getter material is formed on the mask 7" is used, it is not necessarily required to have the same film formation accuracy as that of the functional layer (organic film or electrode film in the case of an organic EL element). For example, even if the getter material does not uniformly cover the lower surface of the mask and there are some portions where the getter material is not deposited, or if the thickness of the getter material varies depending on the location, the getter material can still function properly.

[0045] FIG. 2B shows a loading step in which the substrate 6 is loaded into the chamber through the gate valve 17. The substrate 6 is loaded, for example, by a robot hand (not shown) and placed on the substrate receiving claws 8a of the substrate holding portion 8. Subsequently, as the substrate holder 8b descends, the end portion of the substrate 6 is clamped between the substrate receiving claws 8a and the substrate holder 8b.

[0046] FIG. 2C shows an alignment step in which the substrate 6 and the mask 7 are aligned. The control unit 51 analyzes an image obtained by the camera 88 capturing the corners of the substrate 6 and the mask 7 to calculate the amount of misalignment between the substrate alignment mark and the mask alignment mark. Then, the position adjustment drive device 55 drives the in-plane movement means 71 of the position adjustment mechanism 70 to move and rotate the substrate 6 in the XY directions and by θ so that the amount of misalignment between the substrate alignment mark and the mask alignment mark in the captured image is within a predetermined range.

[0047] Subsequently, the position adjustment drive device 55 drives the Z-lift slider 72 of the position adjustment mechanism to bring the substrate 6 and the mask 7 into close contact with each other. As a result, the substrate 6 and the mask 7 are arranged at a predetermined film formation height. Note that a two-stage alignment including rough alignment for performing rough position adjustment and fine alignment for performing fine position adjustment may be carried out.

[0048] FIG. 2D shows a film formation process in which a film is formed on the substrate 6 through the mask 7. The target driving device 53 rotates the first target 2 and the second target 12 in the direction of the white arrow. Then, the power supply 52 applies a voltage to the first target 2 to scatter sputtered particles into the sputtering region A1, and applies a voltage to the second target 12 to scatter sputtered particles into the second sputtering region A2. The sputtered particles from the first target 2 fly within the range indicated by the dotted line above A1 and adhere to the substrate 6 in a shape corresponding to the mask pattern of the mask 7 in the adhesion region A3. On the other hand, the sputtered particles from the second target 12 fly within the range indicated by the dotted line above A2 and adhere to the substrate 6 in a shape corresponding to the mask pattern of the mask 7 in the adhesion region A4. That is, in the film formation process of the present embodiment, co-sputtering is performed in which sputtering is simultaneously performed from two targets.

[0049] Also, during the sputtering, the moving stage driving device 54 moves the base 230 as a moving stage, the first rotary cathode unit 4, and the second rotary cathode unit 14 in the X direction. As a result, the adhesion region A3 and the adhesion region A4 also move with respect to the substrate 6 and the mask 7. As a result, the Ag-Mg alloy adheres to the entire substrate 6 in a shape corresponding to the mask pattern of the mask 7. If necessary, the base 230 may be reciprocated one or more times.

[0050] Here, as described above, an active getter material is formed on the lower surface of the mask 7. Therefore, impurities such as oxygen and water molecules in the atmosphere, or impurities released during sputtering, are trapped at the height of the mask 7 before reaching the substrate 6 and removed from the atmosphere. In particular, since the getter material can be disposed near the substrate, in the vicinity of the substrate surface Impurities can be effectively reduced. As a result, the incorporation of impurities into the interior of the formed thin film and at the interface between the thin film and the substrate can be suppressed. Therefore, compared with the case where the getter material is disposed only at the end of the substrate as in Patent Document 1, since the getter material exists over a wide area of the mask 7, unevenness in element characteristics in the plane can be reduced.

[0051] (Application Example) A preferred application example of the film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 schematically shows a general layer structure of the organic EL element 600 and is a cross-sectional view for explaining a method of manufacturing an electronic device including the organic EL element. The organic EL element 600 has a structure in which an anode 601 (lower electrode), a hole injection layer 602, a hole transport layer 603, an organic light emitting layer 604, an electron transport layer 605, an electron injection layer 606, and a cathode 607 (upper electrode) are laminated in this order on a substrate 6. If necessary, an insulating layer for preventing short circuits between electrodes or a protective layer for suppressing deterioration may be provided.

[0052] The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is typically suitable for forming a film of a metal, a metal oxide, or the like used for the upper electrode layer (cathode) by sputtering. That is, it is a process of forming an electrode film of an Ag-Mg alloy on the substrate 6 in a state where an organic film or the like is laminated. Here, according to the studies of the applicants, it has been found that when sputtering on a substrate on which an organic film is formed, if impurities such as oxygen molecules and water molecules are present, the element characteristics of the organic EL element deteriorate. However, with the configuration of the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of cost reduction and miniaturization of the pump of the evacuation means, an effect of efficiently removing impurities during metal film formation and improving element characteristics can be obtained.

[0053] As described above, according to the film forming apparatus of the present embodiment, first, a getter material is formed on the mask, and then, alignment of the substrate and the mask, and the actual film forming for forming the functional layer on the substrate are performed. Therefore, when forming a film on the substrate, the getter material attached to the mask efficiently removes impurities. In addition, as the vacuum pump of the exhaust means, a relatively low-performance or small-sized one can be used, so that the cost reduction and miniaturization of the apparatus are possible.

[0054] In addition, in the present embodiment, the first rotary cathode unit 4 is used not only for forming the getter material on the mask 7, but also for the actual film forming on the substrate 6 in cooperation with the second rotary cathode unit 14. In this way, since the first rotary cathode unit 4 serves two purposes, there is no need to provide a rotary cathode unit dedicated to forming the getter material, and thus effects such as cost reduction and simplification of the apparatus configuration can be obtained. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a film forming source dedicated to forming the getter material may be provided.

[0055] <Modification Example> Hereinafter, various modification examples of the present embodiment will be described. These modification examples can also be applied to all subsequent embodiments within a range that does not cause contradictions.

[0056] (Modification Example 1) When the film forming apparatus 1 forms films on a plurality of substrates 6, instead of replacing the mask 7 for each substrate, it may be possible to form films on a plurality of substrates 6 using a single mask 7. In such a case where the mask-to-substrate relationship is one-to-many, it is not always necessary to form a getter material on the mask 7 every time a film is formed on a substrate 6. While the activity of the getter material formed on the mask 7 remains, the exhaust effect during film formation can be obtained even if the above-described getter material deposition step is omitted. In addition, in order to maintain the activity of the getter material even when the substrate 6 is replaced, it is necessary to maintain the vacuum state in the chamber during substrate replacement. For example, in a vacuum of 10 -3 Pa or less, the activity of the getter can be maintained for several hours or more.

[0057] For example, in a configuration where the mask 7 is replaced every 100 substrates 6, if the activity of the getter material deposited on the mask 7 can be maintained for at least the deposition of 10 substrates 6, the getter material deposition process may be performed every 10 substrates. In other words, when a mask 7 with an active getter material already deposited thereon is disposed inside the chamber, the getter material deposition process may be omitted, and the process from the loading process to the film deposition process may be performed.

[0058] (Modification 2) In the present embodiment, the deposition of the getter material on the mask 7 is performed by sputtering using a rotary cathode unit. However, other sputtering methods such as a planar cathode unit including a flat planar target may be used, or a method such as vapor deposition may be used. Further, in the present embodiment, the film deposition on the substrate 6 is performed by sputtering using a rotary cathode unit. However, other sputtering methods such as a planar cathode unit may be used, or a method such as vapor deposition may be used.

[0059] (Modification 3) In the present embodiment, while moving the film deposition source (the first rotary cathode unit 4 and the second rotary cathode unit 14), the film deposition of the getter material on the mask 7 and the film deposition on the substrate 6 are performed, whereby the film deposition is uniformly performed over a wide area. However, the movement of the film deposition source is not necessarily required, and it may be determined whether to perform it according to the size of the mask 7 or the substrate 6 and the capabilities of the film deposition source.

[0060] (Modification 4) In the present embodiment, the film deposition of the getter material on the mask 7 and the actual film deposition on the substrate 6 are performed by the Depo-up method in which the film deposition material flies from below to above the chamber. However, either one or both of the film deposition of the getter material and the actual film deposition may be performed by the Depo-down method in which the film deposition material flies downward, or by the Side Depo method in which the film deposition material is adhered to the standing object to be film-deposited from the side. In addition, regardless of the installation angle of the mask 7 or the substrate 6, film deposition corresponding to the angle can be performed.

[0061] [Embodiment 2] The configuration and functions of the film forming apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The same parts as those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be simplified.

[0062] (Configuration of the apparatus) This embodiment relates to a manufacturing apparatus for electronic devices that manufactures organic EL elements as electronic devices in a vacuum continuous manner. FIG. 4 is a top view schematically showing a film forming cluster 300 in the manufacturing apparatus for electronic devices. This film forming cluster may be a part of a manufacturing line in which a plurality of similar clusters are connected. The film forming cluster 300 includes a plurality of film forming chambers 110 (110a to 110d) in which processes such as film formation on the substrate 6 are performed, a mask stock chamber 120 in which masks before and after use are stored, and a transfer chamber 130 disposed in the center thereof.

[0063] The transfer robot 140 installed in the transfer chamber 130 transfers the substrate 6 and the mask 7 into and out of the transfer chamber 130. The transfer robot 140 is, for example, a robot having a structure in which a robot hand for holding the substrate 6 or the mask 7 is attached to a multi-joint arm.

[0064] Connected to the film forming cluster 300 are a pass chamber 150 that conveys the substrate 6 from the upstream side in the flow direction of the substrate 6 to the film forming cluster 300, and a buffer chamber 160 for conveying the substrate 6 on which the film forming process has been completed in the film forming cluster 300 to another film forming cluster on the downstream side. The transfer robot 140 in the transfer chamber 130 receives the substrate 6 from the upstream pass chamber 150 and conveys it to one of the film forming chambers 110 in the film forming cluster 300. Also, the transfer robot 140 is a The substrate 6 that has completed film formation in the film formation chamber 110 is moved to another film formation chamber 110 for forming another layer. Further, the transfer robot 140 receives the substrate 6 for which the film formation process in the film formation cluster 300 has been completed from one of the plurality of film formation chambers 110 and transfers it to the buffer chamber 160 connected to the downstream side. A turning chamber 170 for changing the direction of the substrate 6 is provided between the buffer chamber 160 and the pass chamber 150 on the further downstream side. As a result, the directions of the substrates are the same in the upstream film formation cluster and the downstream film formation cluster, facilitating substrate processing.

[0065] In the mask stock chamber 120, unused masks used in the film formation process in the film formation chamber 110 and used masks after film formation are stored separately in two cassettes. The transfer robot 140 transfers the used mask from the film formation chamber 110 to the cassette in the mask stock chamber 120 and transfers a new mask stored in another cassette in the mask stock chamber 120 to the film formation chamber 110. Each chamber such as the film formation chamber 110, the mask stock chamber 120, the transfer chamber 130, the buffer chamber 160, and the turning chamber 170 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere during the manufacturing process of the organic EL element. Also, the entire film formation cluster 300 is kept in a consistent vacuum.

[0066] The control unit 500 of the present embodiment can give instructions to the control unit 51 of each film formation chamber 110 and manages the film formation process for the entire film formation cluster. However, instead of providing such a comprehensive control unit 500, the control units 51 of each film formation chamber 110 may cooperate to perform the process.

[0067] Each film formation chamber 110 is provided with a film formation device 1. In the present embodiment, the film formation chamber 110a is a chamber for forming a getter material on the mask 7 by a planar cathode unit. Also, the film formation chamber 110b is a chamber for forming a functional layer by vapor deposition on the substrate 6 through the mask 7 on which the getter material has been formed.

[0068] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the film forming apparatus 1 disposed in the film forming chamber 110a. In the film forming apparatus 1, a planar cathode unit 104 using a planar target 102 having a flat plate shape is disposed as a film forming source for forming a getter material on the mask 7. The planar cathode unit 104 has a planar target 102 disposed substantially parallel to the lower surface of the mask 7 which is an object to be film formed, and a magnet unit 103 which is a magnetic field generating means disposed on the side opposite to the mask 7 with respect to the planar target 102. By applying power to the planar target 102, sputtered particles are generated in the sputtering region A1. Note that a backing plate may be provided on the surface of the planar target 102 opposite to the substrate 6, and in that case, power is applied from the power supply 52 to the backing plate.

[0069] Since the film forming chamber 110a of the present embodiment is used only for attaching the getter material to the mask 7, a configuration related to holding the substrate 6 and alignment between the substrate 6 and the mask 7 is not necessary. In addition, since the accuracy when attaching the getter material to the mask 7 only needs to be such that adsorption of impurities is possible, film thickness control and uniformity control as in the actual film forming are not necessary. Here, it is assumed that the planar cathode unit 104 is fixed at the lower part of the chamber, but depending on the configuration of the apparatus and the size of each member, the film forming source may be movable as in the above embodiment. Further, instead of preparing a chamber dedicated to attaching the getter material such as the film forming chamber 110a, a chamber that can be used in common with normal film forming may be used.

[0070] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the film forming apparatus 1 disposed in the film forming chamber 110b. The configuration related to loading and unloading of the substrate 6 and the configuration related to alignment between the substrate 6 and the mask 7 are the same as those in the above embodiment.

[0071] In the film forming apparatus 1 of the film forming chamber 110b, as a film forming source for forming a film forming material on the substrate 6, The evaporation source 304 is arranged. The evaporation source 304 includes a container 305 capable of accommodating a film-forming material 307 therein and a heater 306 for heating. In addition, the evaporation source 304 may further include a housing, a reflector for improving thermal efficiency, an openable and closable shutter for controlling the release of the film-forming material, and an evaporation rate monitor used for film thickness control. The container 305 is, for example, a crucible made of ceramic, metal, carbon material, or the like. As the heater 306, a resistance heating type heater such as a sheathed heater is preferably used. The shape of the heater 306 can adopt any shape such as a wire shape as shown in the figure, a plate shape, or a mesh shape. Note that the evaporation source 304 as the film-forming source may be fixed at the lower part of the chamber, and depending on the configuration of the apparatus and the size of each member, the film-forming source may be movable using the guide rail 250 and the base 230 as in the above-described embodiment.

[0072] When the film-forming material 307 is accommodated inside the container and the alignment of the substrate 6 and the mask 7 is completed, the control unit 51 controls the power supply 52 to heat the heater 306 and heat the film-forming material 307. When the temperature rises sufficiently, the evaporated film-forming material flies from the nozzle of the container 305. As a result, film formation is performed on the adhesion region A4. In this embodiment, Ag and Mg are used as the film-forming material 307 to form an Ag-Mg alloy electrode film on the substrate. Ag and Mg may be accommodated in a single container 305, or Ag and Mg may be accommodated in two containers respectively for co-evaporation.

[0073] In this embodiment, the evaporation source 304 is the second film-forming means for forming a film-forming material on the substrate 6, and the planar cathode unit 104 is the first film-forming means for forming a getter material on the mask 7. In this embodiment, the film-forming chamber 110a is the first chamber provided with the first film-forming means, and the film-forming chamber 110b is the second chamber provided with the second film-forming means.

[0074] (Operation of the apparatus) According to the flowchart of FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the operations performed by the film formation cluster 300 according to the control of the control unit 500 will be described. Note that since a plurality of film formation apparatuses 1 cooperate to perform film formation in a manufacturing apparatus for electronic devices, the entire film formation cluster 300 can also be referred to as a film formation apparatus.

[0075] This flow starts with the mask 7 necessary for the mask stock chamber 120 being placed and the substrate 6 flowing in from the upstream cluster. In step S1, the transfer robot 140 transfers the mask 7 from the mask stock chamber 120 to the film formation chamber 110a. In step S2, the film formation apparatus 1 in the film formation chamber 110a forms a getter material on the mask 7. Specifically, the power supply 52 applies power to the planar target 102 to generate sputtered particles in the sputtering region A1. As a result, the getter material adheres to the mask 7 in the adhesion region A3. The material of the getter material can be selected from the various materials described above, for example, Ti. In step S3, the transfer robot 140 transfers the mask 7 from the film formation chamber 110a to the film formation chamber 110b. Here, if the mask 7 during transfer is exposed to the atmosphere or an atmosphere containing impurities, the activity of the getter material may be lost. Therefore, the film formation cluster 300 needs to be maintained in a consistent vacuum at least in the route through which the mask 7 is transferred.

[0076] In step S4, the transfer robot 140 transfers the substrate 6 from the pass chamber 150 to the film formation chamber 110b. In step S5, the film formation apparatus 1 in the film formation chamber 110b aligns the substrate 6 and the mask 7. The operation of the position adjustment mechanism 70 during alignment is the same as that in the above embodiment.

[0077] In step S6, the film formation apparatus 1 in the film formation chamber 110b performs vapor deposition film formation on the substrate 6 through the mask 7. Specifically, the power supply 52 supplies power to the heater 306 to generate heat Then, Ag and Mg as the film-forming material 307 are formed on the adhesion region A3 of the substrate 6 in a shape corresponding to the mask pattern of the mask 7. At this time, since the mask 7 has an active Ti film as a getter material, impurities such as oxygen and water molecules in the atmosphere are efficiently removed, and good film formation is performed. In step S7, the transfer robot 140 carries out the substrate 6 from the film formation chamber 110b and transfers it to the downstream buffer chamber 160.

[0078] In step S8, the control unit 500 calculates the number of substrates 6 for which the mask 7 has been used for film formation. Then, the calculated number is compared with the processable number, which is the number of substrate sheets (for example, 10 sheets) for which the activity of the getter material attached to the mask 7 is sufficiently maintained. If the processable number has not been film-formed yet (S8 = No), the process returns to step S4 to perform film formation on the next substrate 6. On the other hand, if the processable number has been film-formed (S8 = Yes), the process proceeds to step S9, and the transfer robot 140 carries out the mask 7 from the film formation chamber 110b and transfers it into the mask stock chamber 120. Note that the mask 7 may be replaced at the normal mask 7 replacement timing. In that case, the amount of the getter material attached to the mask 7 is set to an amount that can maintain the activity during the normal replacement timing.

[0079] In step S10, the control unit 500 determines whether or not the film formation on all the substrates 6 to be processed by the film formation cluster 300 has been completed. This determination may be made based on a preset number of substrate sheets or in response to an end instruction from the operator. If there are still substrates 6 to be processed (S10 = No), the process returns to step S1, and the transfer robot 140 carries the mask 7 into the film formation chamber 110a and proceeds to the process of attaching the getter material again. On the other hand, if the film formation on all the substrates 6 has been completed (S10 = Yes), the process ends.

[0080] Note that the film formation chamber 110c has the same configuration as the film formation chamber 110a, and the film formation chamber 110d has the same configuration as the film formation chamber 110b. As a result, the film formation chambers 110c and 110d can form a film formation path different from those of the film formation chambers 110a and 110b, so that the number of substrate processing sheets of the entire film formation cluster increases.

[0081] As described above, in the present embodiment, when the film forming material 307 is formed on the substrate 6, since an active getter material film exists on the mask 7, impurities such as oxygen and water molecules in the atmosphere are efficiently removed. In particular, since the getter material can be arranged near the substrate, impurities can be effectively reduced in the vicinity of the substrate surface. Therefore, as the vacuum pump for the exhaust means, a relatively low-performance or small-sized one can be used, so that the cost and size of the apparatus can be reduced. Note that the film forming method, the type of film forming material, the presence or absence of movement of the film forming source, etc. in each of the first chamber for forming the getter material on the mask 7 and the second chamber for performing the actual film formation on the substrate 6 via the mask may be appropriately determined as necessary.

[0082] [Embodiment 3] The configuration and function of the film forming apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 3 will be described. The same parts as those in Embodiments 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be simplified.

[0083] (Configuration of the apparatus) The present embodiment relates to a manufacturing apparatus for an electronic device for manufacturing an organic EL element as an electronic device. FIG. 8 is a top view schematically showing an in-line type electronic device manufacturing apparatus 700 that performs film formation while transporting the substrate 6 held by the substrate carrier 9. Note that since a plurality of components cooperate to form a film on the substrate, the entire manufacturing apparatus 700 can also be called a film forming apparatus.

[0084] The manufacturing apparatus 700 includes a mask transfer chamber 790, an alignment chamber 795, a plurality of film formation chambers 110a and 110b, inversion chambers 711a and 711b, a transfer chamber 712, and a mask separation chamber 71 It has chambers including a transfer chamber 712, a mask separation chamber 713, an inversion chamber 711a, a substrate separation chamber 714, a carrier transfer chamber 715, a mask transfer chamber 716, a mask processing chamber 719, and a substrate transfer-in chamber 717 (substrate mounting chamber). The manufacturing apparatus 700 further includes transfer means for transferring a substrate carrier 9 holding a substrate 6 along a predetermined transfer path passing through each chamber.

[0085] Specifically, the substrate carrier 9 is transferred through the chambers in the order of the substrate transfer-in chamber 717, the inversion chamber 711a, the mask transfer-in chamber 790, the alignment chamber 795, a plurality of film deposition chambers 110a, 110b, the transfer chamber 712, the mask separation chamber 713, the inversion chamber 711b, the substrate separation chamber 714, and the transfer chamber 715, and then returns to the substrate transfer-in chamber 717 again. On the other hand, the mask 7 is transferred through the chambers in the order of the mask transfer-in chamber 790, the alignment chamber 795, a plurality of film deposition chambers 110a, 110b, the transfer chamber 712, the mask separation chamber 713, the mask transfer chamber 716, and then returns to the mask transfer-in chamber 790 again. The mask 7 can also enter and exit between the mask transfer chamber 716 and the mask processing chamber 719. It should be noted that the interior of the manufacturing apparatus 700 is maintained in a consistent vacuum state. In this way, the substrate carrier 9 and the mask 7 are circulated and transferred along the predetermined transfer paths (circulating transfer paths) indicated by the dashed line and the dotted line respectively. Hereinafter, the functions of each chamber will be described.

[0086] The uncoated substrate 6 is introduced into the circulating transfer path from the substrate transfer-in chamber 717 and is coated while being held by the substrate carrier 9. Thereafter, the coated substrate 6 is carried out from the substrate separation chamber 714. The uncoated substrate 6 introduced into the substrate transfer-in chamber 717 is first attached to and held by the substrate carrier 9 in the substrate transfer-in chamber 717. Then, before film deposition, it is carried into the alignment chamber 795 via the inversion chamber 711a and the mask transfer-in chamber 790.

[0087] The inversion chambers 711a and 711b are provided with inversion mechanisms 720a and 720b for inverting the orientation of the substrate holding surface of the substrate carrier 9 from vertically upward to vertically downward or from vertically downward to vertically upward. The inversion mechanisms 720a and 720b may appropriately employ a conventionally known mechanism that can grip the substrate carrier 9 and change its posture (orientation).

[0088] The substrate 6 is carried into the substrate carrier chamber 717 with the film-forming surface facing upward in the vertical direction. At this time, in the substrate carrier chamber 717, the substrate carrier 9 is arranged with the holding surface facing upward in the vertical direction. Therefore, the carried-in substrate 6 is placed on the holding surface of the substrate carrier 9 and held by the substrate carrier 9. Thereafter, in the inversion chamber 711a, the substrate carrier 9 holding the substrate 6 is inverted, and the film-forming surface of the substrate 6 faces downward in the vertical direction.

[0089] On the other hand, when the substrate carrier 9 is carried from the mask separation chamber 713 into the inversion chamber 711b, the film-forming surface of the substrate 6 is carried in facing downward in the vertical direction. After the carrying-in, the substrate carrier 9 holding the substrate 6 is inverted by the inversion mechanism 720b, and the film-forming surface of the substrate 6 faces upward in the vertical direction. Thereafter, the substrate 6 is carried out from the substrate separation chamber 714 with the film-forming surface facing upward in the vertical direction.

[0090] The substrate carrier 9 inverted while holding the substrate 6 is carried into the alignment chamber 795 through the mask carrier chamber 790. Accordingly, the mask 7 is also carried into the alignment chamber 795 from the mask carrier chamber 790. The alignment chamber 795 is equipped with a position adjustment mechanism 70 as an alignment device. In the alignment chamber 795, the position adjustment mechanism 70 accurately aligns the substrate 6 placed on the substrate carrier 9 and the mask 7, and places the substrate carrier 9 (substrate 6) on the mask 7.

[0091] Thereafter, the mask 7 on which the substrate carrier 9 is placed is delivered to a conveying roller (not shown), and the conveying to the next process is started. A plurality of conveying rollers are arranged along the conveying direction on both sides of the conveying path and convey the substrate carrier 9 and the mask 7 while rotating by the driving force of an AC servo motor.

[0092] In the film deposition chambers 110a and 110b, the substrate 6 adsorbed on the substrate carrier 9 that has been carried in passes over the film deposition source 404, so that a film is formed on the surface of the substrate 6 other than the areas blocked by the mask 7 on the film deposition surface. The film deposition chamber 110 is provided with an exhaust device including a vacuum pump or the like as an exhaust means. Inside the film deposition chamber 110, a film deposition source 404 storing a film deposition material is arranged. The film deposition material flies from the film deposition source 404 toward the substrate 6, and a film is formed on the substrate. The film deposition source 404 can be selected according to the performance of the organic EL element to be manufactured and the requirements in terms of the device configuration. For example, a sputtering device or an evaporation device can be used. Further, a mechanism for moving the film deposition source within a plane substantially parallel to the substrate carrier 9 and the mask 7 may be provided.

[0093] After the film deposition in the film deposition chambers 110a and 110b is completed, the substrate carrier 9 reaches the mask separation chamber 713 and separates the mask 7. The separated mask 7 is transported to the mask transport chamber 716. The mask processing chamber 719 connected to the mask transport chamber 716 in a vacuum-consistent manner includes a mask stocker 722 and a getter material deposition mechanism 724. The mask stocker 722 includes a rack that houses a plurality of masks 7 and can selectively carry them in and out. Then, a robot mechanism (not shown) moves the mask 7 between the mask stocker 722 and the mask transport chamber 716, and between the mask stocker 722 and the getter material deposition mechanism 724.

[0094] The getter material deposition mechanism 724 is a film deposition source for depositing a getter material on the mask 7. As the getter material deposition mechanism 724, a sputtering device or an evaporation device can be used as in the above-described embodiment. Note that the position where the getter material deposition mechanism is provided is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, it may be inside the mask transport chamber 716, inside the mask loading chamber 790, or inside a chamber connected to the mask loading chamber 790 in a vacuum-consistent manner. In any case, as long as the getter material can be deposited on the mask 7 in a state where the substrate 6 is absent, the location where it is arranged does not matter.

[0095] The mask 7 returned to the mask transfer chamber 716 is used in the film formation process of the new substrate 6. On the other hand, the substrate carrier 9 holding the substrate 6 is inverted in the inversion chamber 711b and transferred to the substrate separation chamber 714. In the substrate separation chamber 714, the substrate 6 is separated from the substrate carrier 9, recovered from within the circulation transfer path, and sent to the next process. On the other hand, the substrate carrier 9 is transferred to the substrate transfer chamber 717 and used for transferring a new substrate 6.

[0096] The getter material used by the getter material deposition mechanism 724 as the film formation material can be selected from various materials as in the above embodiment. For example, a getter material made of Mg may be formed by vapor deposition. Also, the film formation material deposited on the substrate 6 via the mask 7 can be selected from various materials. For example, it may be an organic material formed by vapor deposition.

[0097] In the present embodiment, the film formation sources 404a and 404b are the second film formation means for forming a film formation material on the substrate 6, and the getter material deposition mechanism 724 is the first film formation means for forming a getter material on the mask 7. In the present embodiment, the mask processing chamber 719 is the first chamber provided with the first film formation means, and the film formation chambers 110a and 110b are the second chambers provided with the second film formation means.

[0098] As described above, in the present embodiment, the getter material is formed on the mask 7 in a state separated from the substrate 6, and after the substrate 6 is combined with the mask 7 together with the substrate carrier 9, film formation is performed in the film formation chamber 110. Therefore, when the actual film formation is performed on the substrate 6, since an active getter material film exists on the mask 7, impurities such as oxygen and water molecules in the atmosphere are efficiently removed. In particular, since the getter material can be disposed in the vicinity of the substrate, impurities can be effectively reduced in the vicinity of the substrate surface. Therefore, as the vacuum pump of the exhaust means , Since relatively low-performance or small-sized ones can be used, the cost and size of the device can be reduced. Note that the film formation method, the type of film formation material, the presence or absence of movement of the film formation source, etc. in each of the first chamber for forming the getter material on the mask 7 and the second chamber for performing the actual film formation on the substrate 6 via the mask may be appropriately determined as necessary.

Explanation of Signs

[0099] 1: Film formation apparatus, 4, Rotary cathode unit, 6: Substrate, 7: Mask, 14: Second rotary cathode unit

Claims

1. A first film-forming means for forming a getter material on a mask, and a second film-forming means for forming a film-forming material on a substrate through the mask on which the getter material is formed, A film-forming apparatus characterized by being provided in the same chamber.

2. After the getter material is formed on the mask by the first film-forming means, until the film-forming material is formed on the substrate by the second film-forming means, the mask is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The first film-forming means forms the getter material on the mask by sputtering. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The second film-forming means forms the film-forming material on the substrate by sputtering, The first film-forming means performs co-sputtering in which the getter material is sputtered onto the substrate simultaneously with the sputtering of the second film-forming means onto the substrate. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that.

5. The getter material is Mg, the film-forming material is Ag, and in the co-sputtering, a layer made of an Ag—Mg alloy is formed on the substrate. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. The film-forming apparatus manufactures an organic EL element, An upper electrode made of an Ag—Mg alloy is formed on the substrate on which the organic film is formed by the co-sputtering. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. The film-forming apparatus further includes drive means for moving the first film-forming means and the second film-forming means in a moving region substantially parallel to the film-forming surface of the substrate in the chamber of the film-forming apparatus. The film-forming apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that.

8. The film-forming apparatus further includes position adjustment means for adjusting the relative position between the mask on which the getter material is formed by the first film-forming means and the substrate, The second film-forming means forms the film-forming material on the substrate through the mask after the relative position between the mask and the substrate is adjusted by the position adjustment means. The film-forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that.

9. The first film-forming means forms the getter material on the mask in a state where the getter material does not adhere to the substrate. The film-forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that.

10. The material of the getter material is any of the metal elements including Ti, Zr, V, Mg, Al, Ta, W, Mo, Hf, Nb, Fe, Ag, Ba, and Yb, or an alloy mainly composed of any of the metal elements. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that.

11. A first film forming means for forming a getter material on a mask, A second film forming means for forming a film forming material on a substrate through the mask on which the getter material is formed, Are provided in the same chamber, The first film forming means forms the getter material on the mask in a state where the getter material does not adhere to the substrate. A film forming apparatus characterized by that.

Citation Information

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