Film forming apparatus, film forming method, and electronic device manufacturing method

Abstract

To efficiently deposit a film using a plurality of evaporation sources.SOLUTION: A film deposition apparatus includes an evaporation source unit including a first evaporation source having a first discharge part for discharging a vapor deposition material and a second evaporation source having a second discharge part for discharging a vapor deposition material and depositing a film on a substrate while moving. The first and second discharge parts have different positions in the moving direction of the evaporation source unit; and the moving ranges of the evaporation source unit are different in first film deposition of depositing the film on the substrate by the first evaporation source while moving the evaporation source unit in the moving direction and second film deposition of depositing the film on the substrate by the second evaporation source while moving the evaporation source unit in the moving direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a film forming method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacture of organic EL displays and the like, a thin film is formed on a substrate by deposition of a vapor deposition material emitted from an evaporation source onto the substrate. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of forming a film on a rotating substrate using multiple evaporation sources. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-218623 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In addition to the above-mentioned conventional techniques, a film formation apparatus using multiple evaporation sources includes an apparatus in which an evaporation source unit having multiple evaporation sources moves in a predetermined direction relative to a substrate to form a film. For example, in such a film formation apparatus, multiple thin films can be formed on a substrate by sequentially performing film formation processes using some of the multiple evaporation sources. However, even while film formation processes using some of the evaporation sources are being performed, the evaporation material contained in the remaining evaporation sources may be consumed. Therefore, an efficient film formation process is desired from the viewpoint of reducing the consumption of the evaporation material, etc.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for performing an efficient film formation process using a plurality of evaporation sources. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an evaporation source unit that includes a first evaporation source having a first emission portion that emits an evaporation material and a second evaporation source having a second emission portion that emits the evaporation material, and that forms a film on a substrate while moving, wherein the first emission portion and the second emission portion are located at different positions in a moving direction of the evaporation source unit, and the moving range of the evaporation source unit is different between a first film formation process in which a film is formed on a substrate by the first evaporation source while the evaporation source unit moves in the moving direction, and a second film formation process in which a film is formed on a substrate by the second evaporation source while the evaporation source unit moves in the moving direction. A film forming apparatus characterized by the above features is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, an efficient film formation process can be performed using a plurality of evaporation sources. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an evaporation source unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an evaporation source. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of the configuration and operation of an evaporation source unit and a blocking unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a film formation range of an evaporation source on a substrate. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus in a film forming process. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus in a film forming process. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the movement range of the evaporation source unit in the X direction during the film formation process. [Figure 10] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating examples of the trajectory of movement of an evaporation source unit in a film forming process. [Figure 11]1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of the configuration and operation of an evaporation source unit and a blocking unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the movement range of the evaporation source unit in the X direction during the film formation process. [Figure 13] (A) is an overall view of an organic EL display device, and (B) is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF 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 scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] <Overview of the film deposition equipment> Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus 1 of Fig. 1. In each drawing, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are orthogonal to each other, and arrow Z indicates the vertical direction (perpendicular direction).

[0011] The film forming apparatus 1 is a film forming apparatus that performs deposition while moving an evaporation source relative to a substrate. The film forming apparatus 1 is used, for example, in the manufacture of display panels for organic electroluminescence (EL) display devices for smartphones, and multiple apparatuses are arranged side by side to form a production line. The substrate material on which deposition is performed in the film forming apparatus 1 can be appropriately selected from glass, resin, metal, etc., and a resin layer such as polyimide formed on glass is preferably used. The deposition material can be an organic material or an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.). The film forming apparatus 1 is applicable to manufacturing equipment for manufacturing electronic devices such as display devices (e.g., flat panel displays), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), as well as optical components, and is particularly applicable to manufacturing equipment for manufacturing organic EL panels. The film forming apparatus 1 can form films on substrates of various sizes, such as G8H size substrates (1100 mm × 2500 mm, 1250 mm × 2200 mm), but the size of the substrate on which the film forming apparatus 1 forms films can be adjusted as needed.

[0012] The film forming apparatus 1 includes an evaporation source unit 10, a moving unit 20, and a plurality of support units 30A and 30B (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as the support unit 30, and the same applies to their components). The evaporation source unit 10, the moving unit 20, and the support unit 30 are disposed inside a chamber 45 that is maintained at a vacuum during use. In this embodiment, the plurality of support units 30A and 30B are provided at an upper portion of the chamber 45, spaced apart in the Y direction, and the evaporation source unit 10 and the moving unit 20 are provided below them. The chamber 45 also has a plurality of substrate loading ports 44A and 44B for loading and unloading substrates 100. In this embodiment, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced-pressure state.

[0013] The film forming apparatus 1 also includes a power supply 41 that supplies power to the evaporation source unit 10, and an electrical connection part 42 that electrically connects the evaporation source unit 10 and the power supply 41. The electrical connection part 42 is configured with electrical wiring passing through the inside of an arm that is movable in the horizontal direction, and as will be described later, power can be supplied from the power supply 41 to the evaporation source unit 10 that moves in the X and Y directions.

[0014] The film forming apparatus 1 also includes a control unit 43 that controls the operation of each component. For example, the control unit 43 may include a processor such as a CPU, memories such as RAM and ROM, and various interfaces. For example, the control unit 43 reads out a program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executes it, thereby realizing various processes by the film forming apparatus 1.

[0015] <Support unit> The support unit 30 supports the substrate 100 and the mask 101 and adjusts their positions. The support unit 30 includes a substrate support section 32, a position adjustment section , and a mask support section .

[0016] The substrate support section 32 supports the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the substrate support section 32 supports the substrate 100 from below so that the longitudinal direction of the substrate 100 is the X direction and the lateral direction of the substrate 100 is the Y direction. However, the substrate support section 32 may support the substrate 100 by clamping the edges of the substrate 100 at multiple locations, or may support the substrate 100 by adsorbing the substrate 100 with an electrostatic chuck, an adhesive chuck, or the like. Furthermore, the substrate support section 32 is not limited to a section that directly supports the substrate 100, and may also be a section that indirectly supports the substrate 100, such as a section that supports a substrate carrier on which the substrate 100 is placed.

[0017] The position adjustment unit 34 adjusts the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In this embodiment, the position adjustment unit 34 adjusts the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 by moving the substrate support unit 32 supporting the substrate 100. However, the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 may also be adjusted by moving the mask 101. The position adjustment unit 34 includes a fixed unit 341 fixed to the chamber 45 and a movable unit 342 that supports the substrate support unit 32 and moves relative to the fixed unit 341. The movable unit 342 moves in the X direction relative to the fixed unit 341, thereby moving the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 32 in the X direction and adjusting the rough positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the X direction. Furthermore, the movable unit 342 includes a mechanism for moving the substrate support unit 32 in the X and Y directions, which it supports, in order to precisely adjust (align) the substrate 100 and the mask 101. A detailed description of the specific alignment method will be omitted as it can employ known techniques. The movable unit 342 moves the substrate support unit 32 in the Z direction to adjust the positional relationship between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the Z direction. Known techniques such as a rack-and-pinion mechanism or a ball screw mechanism can be applied to the movable unit 342 as appropriate.

[0018] The mask support part 36 supports the mask 101. In this embodiment, the mask support part 36 supports the mask 101 so that the mask 101 is positioned at the center in the X direction within the chamber 45. For example, the mask support part 36 may support the mask 101 in other ways, such as by clamping the edges of the mask 101 at multiple points.

[0019] The film formation apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a so-called dual-stage film formation apparatus that can support multiple substrates 100A and 100B at a distance in the Y direction (intersecting direction) using multiple support units 30A and 30B and can form films on each of the supported substrates. For example, while deposition is being performed on the substrate 100A supported by the support unit 30A, alignment of the substrate 100 and mask 101 supported by the support unit 30B can be performed, allowing for efficient film formation. Hereinafter, the stage on the support unit 30A side may be referred to as stage A, and the stage on the support unit 30B side may be referred to as stage B.

[0020] <Mobile Unit> The moving unit 20 includes an X-direction moving section 22 that moves the evaporation source unit 10 in the X direction, and a Y-direction moving section 24 that moves the evaporation source unit 10 in the Y direction.

[0021] The X-direction moving part 22 includes, as components provided in the evaporation source unit 10, a motor 221, a pinion 222 attached to a shaft member rotated by the motor 221, and a guide member 223. The X-direction moving part 22 also includes a frame member 224 that supports the evaporation source unit 10, a rack 225 formed on the upper surface of the frame member 224 and engaging with the pinion 222, and a guide rail 226 along which the guide member 223 slides. The pinion 222, which rotates when driven by the motor 221, engages with the rack 225, causing the evaporation source unit 10 to move in the X direction along the guide rail 226.

[0022] The Y-direction moving unit 24 includes two support members 241A and 241B that extend in the Y direction and are spaced apart in the X direction. The two support members 241A and 241B support the short sides of the frame member 224 of the X-direction moving unit 22. The Y-direction moving unit 24 includes a driving mechanism such as a motor and a rack-and-pinion mechanism (not shown), and moves the frame member 224 in the Y direction relative to the two support members 241A and 241B, thereby moving the evaporation source unit 10 in the Y direction. The Y-direction moving unit 24 moves the evaporation source unit 10 in the Y direction between a position below the substrate 100A supported by the support unit 30A and a position below the substrate 100B supported by the support unit 30B.

[0023] <Evaporation source unit> 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of the evaporation source unit 10. The evaporation source unit 10 includes, as multiple evaporation sources, three evaporation sources 12a arranged in the Y direction and three evaporation sources 12b arranged in the Y direction at positions spaced apart from the three evaporation sources 12a in the X direction. Hereinafter, the evaporation sources 12a and 12b will be collectively referred to as evaporation source 12, and the same applies to these components, etc.

[0024] In this embodiment, three evaporation sources 12a constitute one unit 10a, and three evaporation sources 12b constitute another unit 10b. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, the evaporation source units 10 form films on the substrate 100 for each of these units.

[0025] Also refer to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the evaporation source 12. The evaporation source 12 evaporates and releases a deposition material. Each evaporation source 12 includes a material container 121 (crucible) and a heating unit 122.

[0026] The material container 121 contains an evaporation material therein. A discharge portion 1211 is formed in the upper portion of the material container 121, from which the evaporated evaporation material is discharged. In this embodiment, the discharge portion 1211 is an opening formed in the upper surface of the material container 121, but it may also be a cylindrical member or the like. Alternatively, a plurality of discharge portions 1211 may be provided for the material container 121. In this embodiment, the discharge portion 1211a of the evaporation source 12a and the discharge portion 1211b of the evaporation source 12b are positioned at different positions in the X direction, which is the movement direction of the evaporation source unit 10 during film formation (see FIG. 5). Furthermore, the discharge portion 1211a is positioned on the +X side (one side) of the discharge portion 1211b in the X direction (movement direction).

[0027] The heating unit 122 heats the evaporation material contained in the material container 121. The heating unit 122 is provided so as to cover the material container 121. In this embodiment, a sheathed heater using an electric heating wire is used as the heating unit 122, and FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the electric heating wire of the sheathed heater wound around the material container 121.

[0028] The heating of the deposition material by the heating unit 122 is controlled by the control unit 43. In this embodiment, each of the multiple evaporation sources 12 has an independent material container 121 and a heating unit 122. Therefore, the control unit 43 can independently control the evaporation of the deposition material by each of the multiple evaporation sources 12.

[0029] <Shutter> 5(A) and 5(B) are explanatory diagrams of the configuration and operation of the evaporation source unit 10 and the blocking section 18. The film forming apparatus 1 includes a blocking section 18 that blocks the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 12 from scattering onto the substrate 100. The blocking section 18 includes a shutter 18a that blocks the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 12a from scattering onto the substrate 100, and a shutter 18b that blocks the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 12b from scattering onto the substrate 100. Note that although the blocking section 18 shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B) is illustrated as a so-called rotary shutter mechanism, the configuration of the blocking section 18 is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a so-called sliding shutter mechanism in which the shutter slides in a predetermined direction.

[0030] The shutter 18a is located to the side of the evaporation source 12a in the direction shown in the figure and is displaceable between an allowable position (FIG. 5(A)) that allows the evaporation material to be scattered from the discharge portion 1121a of the evaporation source 12a to the substrate 100, and a blocking position (FIG. 5(B)) that covers the evaporation source 12a from above and blocks the evaporation material from being scattered from the discharge portion 1121a to the substrate 100. The shutter 18b is located to the side of the evaporation source 12b in the direction shown in the figure and is displaceable between an allowable position (FIG. 5(B)) that allows the evaporation material to be scattered from the discharge portion 1121b of the evaporation source 12b to the substrate 100, and a blocking position (FIG. 5(A)) that covers the evaporation source 12b from above and blocks the evaporation material from being scattered from the discharge portion 1121b to the substrate 100.

[0031] That is, the blocking unit 18 can be in a state where it allows the evaporation material emitted from the emission unit 1121a to scatter onto the substrate 100 while blocking the evaporation material emitted 100 from the emission unit 1121b (FIG. 5(A)). Also, the blocking unit 18 can be in a state where it allows the evaporation material emitted from the emission unit 1121b to scatter onto the substrate 100 while blocking the evaporation material emitted 100 from the emission unit 1121a (FIG. 5(B)). In the film formation process described below, the film formation apparatus 1 performs film formation by the unit 10a when the blocking unit 18 is in the state shown in FIG. 5(A), and performs film formation by the unit 10b when the blocking unit 18 is in the state shown in FIG. 5(B).

[0032] The shutters 18a and 18b are provided so as to be rotatable about the Y direction as an axial direction, for example, by a rotation mechanism (not shown). The blocking unit 18 may also be in a state where both the shutters 18a and 18b are positioned in the permitting position, or in a state where both the shutters 18a and 18b are positioned in the blocking position.

[0033] <Deposition range of evaporation source> 6 is a diagram illustrating the film formation range of the evaporation source 12 on the substrate 100. In detail, FIG. 6 shows the substrate 100 of the evaporation source 12 and a film formation range 1200 in the X direction at the height of the film formation surface 1000 of the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the evaporation source unit 10 includes a demarcation portion 19 that defines the film formation range 1200 of the evaporation source 12. In this embodiment, the film formation range 1200 of the evaporation source 12 is determined by the shape of the demarcation portion 19 and the positional relationship between the film formation surface 1000 of the substrate 100 and the emission portion 1211.

[0034] The demarcation section 19 is provided between the evaporation source 12 and the film formation surface 1000 in the Z direction. The demarcation section 19 extends in the XY direction and includes two plate-like members 191 that restrict the passage of the evaporation material. A passage area 192 through which the evaporation material passes is formed between them. The position of a virtual line VL1 passing through the −X side end of the discharge section 1211 and the −X side end of the plate-like member 191 provided on the +X side of the passage area 192 at the height of the film formation surface 1000 is the +X side end of the film formation range 1200 of the evaporation source 12. The position of a virtual line VL2 passing through the +X side end of the discharge section 1211 and the +X side end of the plate-like member 191 provided on the −X side of the passage area 192 at the height of the film formation surface 1000 is the −X side end of the film formation range 1200 of the evaporation source 12. In this manner, the film formation range 1200 of the evaporation source 12 is demarcated. Although some of the deposition material may scatter outside the geometrically defined film formation area, the geometrically defined area is referred to as the film formation area 1200 here.

[0035] In addition, in this embodiment, the film formation range 1200 of the evaporation source 12 in the X direction is defined by the defining portion 19 above the evaporation source 12, but other aspects may also be employed. For example, the film formation range 1200 of the evaporation source 12 may be defined by forming the emission portion 1211 of the evaporation source 12 in a nozzle shape to increase the directionality of the vapor deposition material emitted from the emission portion 1211.

[0036] <Film formation process> 7 and 8 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film formation apparatus 1 during a film formation process. The diagrams show the operation of the evaporation source unit 10 when it first forms a film on a substrate 100A on stage A and then forms a film on a substrate 100B on stage B. In each state of FIGS. 7 and 8, the units 10a and 10b are shown as white when the corresponding shutters 18a and 18b are in the permitting position and film formation is possible, and are shown as hatched when the corresponding shutters 18a and 18b are in the blocking position and film formation is not possible. Coordinates such as x1 indicating the position of the evaporation source unit 10 are assumed to be coordinates indicating the center position of the evaporation source unit 10 in each direction. Hereinafter, the film formation process by unit 10a may be referred to as film formation process a, and the film formation process by unit 10b may be referred to as film formation process b.

[0037] State ST1 represents an initial state in which the substrate 100A and the substrate 100B are loaded into the chamber 45 of the film forming apparatus 1 and aligned with the mask 101A and the mask 101B, respectively. At this time, the evaporation source unit 10 is located on the stage A side at a position (x1, y1) on the -X side in the X direction from the film forming region where the substrate 100A and the mask 101A are superimposed. In this state, the substrate 100B may not have been loaded yet, or the substrate 100B may be loaded and aligned with the mask 101B while a film formation process is being performed on the substrate 100A. Alternatively, the substrate 100B may be in the process of being loaded after a film formation process is completed, or may be in the process of being loaded.

[0038] State ST2 shows the state after the evaporation source unit 10 has performed film formation on the substrate 100A by the unit 10a while moving toward the +X side. The evaporation source unit 10 moves from position (x1, y1) on the stage A side to position (x2, y1) where the unit 10a is on the +X side of the film formation region of the substrate 100A (arrow (1) in FIG. 7). The position x2 in the X direction at this time is a position corresponding to the film formation range of the evaporation source 12a. This will be described in detail later.

[0039] Thereafter, the evaporation source unit 10 performs film formation on the substrate 100A by the unit 10a while moving in the -X direction (arrow (2) in Figure 7). This returns to state ST1. In this way, the evaporation source unit 10 performs film formation on the substrate 100A by the unit 10a while moving back and forth in the X direction (movement direction) (film formation process a). Note that while film formation process a is being performed, the evaporation source 12b of the unit 10b may be in a pre-heating state. This allows film formation process b to be started promptly after film formation process a is completed.

[0040] State ST3 indicates a state in which the unit performing film formation is switched from unit 10a to unit 10b. Specifically, the film formation apparatus 1 displaces the shutter 18a from the permitting position to the blocking position, and displaces the shutter 18b from the blocking position to the permitting position (arrow (3) in FIG. 7).

[0041] State ST4 shows the state after the evaporation source unit 10 moves toward the +X direction and performs film formation on the substrate 100A using the unit 10b. The evaporation source unit 10 moves from position (x1, y1) on the stage A side to position (x3, y1) where the unit 10b is located on the +X side of the film formation area of ​​the substrate 100A (arrow (4) in FIG. 7). The evaporation source unit 10 then moves toward the -X direction and performs film formation on the substrate 100A using the unit 10b (arrow (5) in FIG. 7). This returns to state ST3. In this way, the evaporation source unit 10 performs film formation on the substrate 100A using the unit 10b while reciprocating in the X direction (movement direction) (film formation process b). While film formation process b is being performed, the evaporation source 12a of the unit 10a may be in a preheating state. This allows film formation process a to be started promptly after film formation process b is completed.

[0042] State ST5 shows a state in which the evaporation source unit 10 has moved from stage A to stage B. Here, the evaporation source unit 10 moves from position (x1, y1) to position (x1, y2) on the +Y side. In state ST5, the unit performing film formation is switched from unit 10b to unit 10a as the stage moves.

[0043] The subsequent operations are similar to those in stage A, and will be briefly described below. First, the evaporation source unit 10 performs film formation using unit 10a while reciprocating in the X direction (movement direction) on the substrate 100B (film formation process a) (arrows (5) and (6) in FIG. 8). Then, the film formation apparatus 1 switches the unit performing film formation from unit 10a to unit 10b (arrow (8) in FIG. 8). Then, the evaporation source unit 10 performs film formation using unit 10b while reciprocating in the X direction (movement direction) on the substrate 100B (film formation process b) (arrows (9) and (10) in FIG. 8). This completes the film formation processes in stages A and B.

[0044] While the film formation process is being performed on the substrate 100B on the stage B, the substrate 100A on which the film has already been formed may be carried out of the chamber 45, and the next substrate 100A to be formed with the film may be carried into the chamber 45 and aligned with the mask 101A.

[0045] <Movement range of the deposition unit> FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the movement range of the evaporation source unit 10 in the X direction during the film forming process.

[0046] When the unit 10a performs one round trip of the film formation process a (for example, arrows (1) and (2) in FIG. 7), the evaporation source unit 10 moves from position x1 to position x2 on the +X side, then turns back to position x1 on the -X side. Therefore, the movement range a1 of the evaporation source unit 10 at this time is the range between positions x1 and x2. This movement range a1 is set according to the film formation range 1200a of the evaporation source 12a, as will be described in detail later.

[0047] On the other hand, when the unit 10b performs one round trip of the film formation process b (for example, arrows (4) and (5) in FIG. 7), the evaporation source unit 10 moves from position x1 to position x3 on the +X side, then turns back to position x1 on the -X side. Therefore, the movement range b1 of the evaporation source unit 10 at this time is the range between positions x1 and x3. This movement range b1 is set according to the film formation range 1200b of the evaporation source 12b, as will be described in detail later.

[0048] Here, if the movement range a1 and the movement range b1 are set to the same range, unnecessary movement of the evaporation source unit 10 may occur. For example, if the movement ranges a1 and b1 are both set to the range between position x1 and position x3, when the evaporation source unit 10 moves between position x2 and position x3 in film formation process a, the film formation range 1200a and the film formation region 1001 do not overlap. Therefore, this movement is unnecessary movement that does not allow film formation on the substrate 100. In contrast, in this embodiment, the movement range a1 and the movement range b1 are different, and the movement range a1 is set according to the film formation range 1200a of the evaporation source 12a, and the movement range b1 is set according to the film formation range 1200b of the evaporation source 12b. This reduces unnecessary movement of the evaporation source unit 10, allowing for efficient film formation using the evaporation sources 12a and 12b. Furthermore, in the above example, the deposition material is wasted during the movement of the evaporation source unit 10 between position x2 and position x3, where the film formation range 1200a does not overlap with the film formation region 1001. In this embodiment, such wasteful consumption of the deposition material can be suppressed, and the utilization efficiency of the deposition material can be improved.

[0049] In this embodiment, the movement range a1 is narrower on the +X side (one side) than the movement range b2. Therefore, the movement amount of the evaporation source unit 10 in the film formation process a is reduced, and the time for the film formation process a can be shortened.

[0050] The movement speed of the evaporation source unit 10 in the film formation process a or film formation process b may be reduced by the amount of reduction in the movement amount of the evaporation source unit 10 in the film formation process a. The slower the movement speed of the evaporation source unit 10, the thicker the thin film formed on the substrate 100. Therefore, by reducing the movement speed by the amount of reduction in the movement amount, the thickness of the thin film formed on the substrate 100 can be increased without increasing the processing time.

[0051] In this embodiment, the +X-side end of the movement range a1 is set according to the film formation range 1200a of the evaporation source 12a (see FIG. 6). Specifically, the -X-side (other side) end of the film formation range 1200a is set to be located on the +X side or further than the +X-side (one side) end of the film formation region 1001 of the substrate 100. This allows for uniform film formation on the substrate in the X direction while reducing the movement amount of the evaporation source unit 10. More specifically, if the film formation range 1200a and the film formation region 1001 partially overlap in the X direction when the evaporation source unit 10 is located at the end of the movement range a1, the film formation time for the end region of the film formation region 1001 may be relatively short. As a result, the film thickness in the end region may be thinner than in other regions. In contrast, in this embodiment, the above configuration can prevent a difference in film thickness between the end region of the film formation region 1001 and other regions.

[0052] It is possible to appropriately set how far the -X side end of the film formation range 1200a is positioned on the +X side relative to the +X side end of the film formation region 1001 of the substrate 100. For example, the -X side end of the film formation range 1200a may be positioned 0 mm or more, 10 mm or more, 50 mm or more, 100 mm or more, 200 mm or more, or 300 mm or more on the +X side relative to the +X side end of the film formation region 1001 of the substrate 100. It is also possible to set the +X side end of the movement range b1 of the evaporation source 12b based on the same idea so as to suppress the occurrence of a difference in film thickness in the X direction.

[0053] In this embodiment, the +X-side end of the movement range a1 is set so that the −X-side end of the film formation range 1200b of the evaporation source 12b is located closer to the −X-side than the +X-side end of the film formation region 1001 of the substrate 100. That is, assuming that the shutter 18b is in the allowable position, the movement range a1 is set at a position where the film formation range 1200b and the film formation region 1001 of the substrate 100 partially overlap in the X-direction. As described above, in consideration of the uniformity of the film thickness, the film formation range b1 is set so that the −X-side end is located closer to the +X-side than the +X-side end of the film formation region 1001. Therefore, by setting the movement range a1 in this manner, the movement range a1 can be set narrower on the +X-side than the movement range b1. Therefore, the movement amount of the evaporation source unit 10 in the film formation process a can be reduced.

[0054] In this embodiment, the -X end of the movement range b1 is set at the same position x1 as the movement range a1. Here, if the -X end of the movement range b1 is set at a position x4, such that the +X end of the film formation range 1200b is located further toward the -X end of the film formation region 1001 of the substrate 100 than the -X end of the film formation region 1001 of the substrate 100, uniform film formation on the substrate 100 can be performed while reducing the amount of movement of the evaporation source unit 10. On the other hand, when film formation is performed sequentially on multiple substrates 100, film formation process b may be performed on one substrate 100, and then film formation process a may be performed on the next substrate 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, the -X end of the film formation range b1, which corresponds to the end position of film formation process b, is set at the same position x1 as the -X end of the film formation range a1, which corresponds to the start position of film formation process a. This allows film formation process a to be performed promptly after film formation process b.

[0055] Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the movement trajectory of the evaporation source unit 10 during film formation processes. Fig. 10 shows two cases in which the evaporation source unit 10 makes two round trips in the X direction during film formation process a and film formation process b (pattern PT1) and one case in which the evaporation source unit 10 makes 1.5 round trips in the X direction (pattern PT2). In Fig. 10, the movement trajectory of the evaporation source unit 10 during film formation process a is shown by a solid line, and the movement trajectory of the evaporation source unit 10 during film formation process b is shown by a dashed line.

[0056] When the evaporation source unit 10 makes two round trips in each direction in the X direction as in pattern PT1, the movement range a1 in film formation process a and the movement range b1 in film formation process b are different, just like the case where each makes one round trip as described above. In particular, since the movement range a1 in film formation process a is narrower, the movement amount of the evaporation source unit 10 can be reduced compared to when the movement ranges a1 and b1 are the same range (position x1 to position x3), and it can be said that the efficiency of the film formation process is improved.

[0057] On the other hand, in the film formation process b, the movement range b1 from start to finish is wider than the movement range a1, but the turning point from the return path of the first round trip to the outward path of the second round trip is position x4, so the movement range in some sections is narrower. In detail, the movement range b11 of the evaporation source unit 10 in the section sb1 from the first turning point to the last turning point in the film formation process b is narrower than the movement range b1 from start to finish in the film formation process b. This is because if film formation by the unit 10b continues after the turning point, there is no need to move to position x1 (see FIG. 9). In such a case, the evaporation source unit 10 can turn back before position x1, thereby reducing the movement amount of the evaporation source unit 10.

[0058] Similarly, even when each film formation process involves three or more round trips, or when one film formation process involves one round trip and the other involves two or more round trips, the amount of movement of the evaporation source unit 10 can be reduced.

[0059] Next, pattern PT2 will be described. When each film formation process involves 1.5 round trips, the start position and end position are on opposite sides of the substrate 100. Therefore, film formation process a ends at position x3, taking into account the film formation range 1200b of the evaporation source 12b in film formation process b. Therefore, the movement range a2 from the start to the end of film formation process a is wider than the movement range a1 described above. On the other hand, the movement range a21 of the evaporation source unit 10 in the section sa2 from the first turn to the last turn in film formation process a is the same as the movement range a1 described above, so the movement amount of the evaporation source unit 10 in this section can be reduced.

[0060] In film formation process b, the movement range b2 from the start to the end is the same as the movement range b1, but the movement range b21 of the evaporation source unit 10 in section sb2 from the first turn to the last turn in film formation process b is narrower than the movement range b2. Therefore, the movement amount of the evaporation source unit 10 in this section can be reduced. In addition, in this example, the sections from the start to the first turn in film formation process a and film formation process b are also narrower than the movement ranges a2 and b2, respectively. That is, in the case where each film formation process involves n.5 round trips (n is a natural number) as in this example, the movement amount of the evaporation source unit 10 in this section can also be reduced.

[0061] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to perform an efficient film formation process using a plurality of evaporation sources.

[0062] <Other embodiments> Next, a film forming apparatus 9 according to another embodiment will be described. The film forming apparatus 9 differs from the film forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the evaporation source unit. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted.

[0063] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams of the configuration and operation of an evaporation source unit 90 and a blocking unit 98 according to one embodiment. In the previously described embodiment, the evaporation source unit 10 includes three evaporation sources 12a arranged in the Y direction and three evaporation sources 12b arranged in the Y direction and spaced apart from the three evaporation sources 12a in the X direction. In this embodiment, the evaporation source unit 90 includes multiple evaporation sources 92c arranged in the Y direction, multiple evaporation sources 92d arranged in the Y direction and spaced apart from the multiple evaporation sources 92c in the X direction, and multiple evaporation sources 92e arranged in the Y direction and spaced apart from the multiple evaporation sources 92c and 92d in the X direction. That is, three rows of multiple evaporation sources 92 arranged in the Y direction are provided. In this embodiment, the multiple evaporation sources 92c form one unit 90a, and the multiple evaporation sources 92d and 92e form another unit 90b. The unit 90b can perform co-evaporation by evaporating different deposition materials from the evaporation source 92d and the evaporation source 92e.

[0064] In addition, in this embodiment, the blocking section 98 includes a shutter 98a that blocks the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation source 92c from scattering onto the substrate 100, and a shutter 98b that blocks the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation sources 92d and 92e from scattering onto the substrate 100.

[0065] The shutter 98a is displaceable between an allowable position (FIG. 11(A)) located to the side of the evaporation source 92c in the direction shown in the figure and allowing the evaporation material to scatter from the evaporation source 92c to the substrate 100, and a blocking position (FIG. 11(B)) where it covers the evaporation source 92c from above and blocks the evaporation material from scattering from the evaporation source 92c to the substrate 100. The shutter 98b is displaceable between an allowable position (FIG. 11(B)) located to the side of the evaporation sources 92d and 92e in the direction shown in the figure and allowing the evaporation material to scatter from the evaporation sources 92d and 92e to the substrate 100, and a blocking position (FIG. 11(A)) where it covers the evaporation sources 92d and 92e from above and blocks the evaporation material from scattering from the evaporation sources 92d and 92e to the substrate 100. Therefore, film formation by unit 90a is possible by setting shutter 98a to the permitting position and shutter 98b to the blocking position, and film formation by unit 90b is possible by setting shutter 98a to the blocking position and shutter 98b to the permitting position.

[0066] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the movement range of the evaporation source unit 90 in the X direction during the film forming process.

[0067] The movement range a9 in the film formation process by the unit 90a can be set in the same way as the film formation range a1 in the film formation process by the unit 10a in the above-described embodiment. That is, the +X side end of the movement range a9, in other words, the turning position, is set in accordance with the film formation range 9200c of the evaporation source 92c. Specifically, the -X side end of the film formation range 9200c is set so as to be located on the +X side further than the +X side end of the film formation region 1001 of the substrate 100.

[0068] Furthermore, the +X-side end of the movement range b9 in the film formation process by the unit 90b is set in accordance with the film formation range 9200e of the evaporation source 92e. Specifically, the -X-side end of the film formation range 9200e is set so as to be located on the +X side or higher than the +X-side end of the film formation region 1001 of the substrate 100. In the unit 90b, in order to perform uniform film formation in the X direction, both of the film formation ranges 9200d and 9200e of the evaporation sources 92d and 92e need to be located on the +X side or higher than the +X-side end of the film formation region 1001. Therefore, the +X-side end of the movement direction b9 is set in accordance with the film formation range 9200e of the evaporation source 92e, which is located on the -X side of the evaporation sources 92d and 92e. Note that in FIG. 12, the -X-side end of the movement range b9 is set to match the movement range a9 for the transition from film formation process b to film formation process a. However, for example, when the film formation process by the unit 90b is performed 1.5 times back and forth and turning back is performed on the -X side of the substrate 100 during the film formation process, the turning back position may be set according to the film formation range 9200 of the evaporation source 92d. That is, in the unit 90b, both ends of the movement range 9b may be set according to the film formation range 9200 of the evaporation source 92 that corresponds to the inside of the movement range b9.

[0069] As described above, according to this embodiment, even when three (or more) rows of evaporation sources 92 are arranged in the Y direction, the movement range of the evaporation source unit 90 is set according to the film formation range 9200 of each evaporation source 92. This allows for efficient film formation processing.

[0070] <Electronic device manufacturing method> Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described. Below, as an example of an electronic device, the configuration of an organic EL display device and a manufacturing method thereof will be illustrated. In this example, a plurality of film forming apparatuses 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 are provided on a manufacturing line.

[0071] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Fig. 13(A) is an overall view of an organic EL display device 50, and Fig. 13(B) is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0072] 13(A), a plurality of pixels 52, each including a plurality of light-emitting elements, are arranged in a matrix in a display region 51 of an organic EL display device 50. As will be described in detail later, each of the light-emitting elements has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes.

[0073] The term "pixel" as used herein refers to the smallest unit capable of displaying a desired color in the display region 51. In the case of a color organic EL display device, a pixel 52 is configured by a combination of multiple sub-pixels, each of which is a first light-emitting element 52R, a second light-emitting element 52G, and a third light-emitting element 52B, each of which emits light differently from one another. The pixel 52 is often configured by a combination of three types of sub-pixels: a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, and a blue (B) light-emitting element, but is not limited to this. The pixel 52 may include at least one type of sub-pixel, preferably two or more types of sub-pixels, and more preferably three or more types of sub-pixels. The sub-pixels that make up the pixel 52 may be a combination of four types of sub-pixels: 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, for example.

[0074] Figure 13(B) is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram taken along line AB in Figure 13(A). A pixel 52 has, on a substrate 53, multiple sub-pixels each composed 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. Of 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 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 referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue, respectively.

[0075] 13B , the hole transport layer 55 may be formed as a common layer across the plurality of sub-pixel regions, and the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B may be formed separately for each sub-pixel region on the hole transport layer 55. The electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 may be formed separately for each sub-pixel region on the hole transport layer 55. The electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 may be formed as a common layer across the plurality of sub-pixel regions on the hole transport layer 55.

[0076] In order to prevent short circuits between adjacent first electrodes 54, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54. Furthermore, 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.

[0077] 13(B), the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are shown as a single layer, but they may be formed of multiple layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer depending on the structure of the organic EL display element. Furthermore, 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.

[0078] Each of the red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B may be formed of a single light-emitting layer or may be formed by laminating multiple layers. For example, the red layer 56R may be formed of two layers, with the upper layer being a red light-emitting layer and the lower layer being a hole-transporting layer or an electron-blocking layer. Alternatively, the lower layer may be a red light-emitting layer and the upper layer being an electron-transporting layer or a hole-blocking layer. By providing a layer below or above the light-emitting layer in this manner, the light-emitting position in the light-emitting layer can be adjusted, and the optical path length can be adjusted, thereby improving the color purity of the light-emitting element.

[0079] Although the example of the red layer 56R is shown here, a similar structure may be adopted for the green layer 56G or the blue layer 56B. The number of layers may be two or more. Furthermore, layers of different materials may be stacked, such as a light-emitting layer and an electron-blocking layer, or layers of the same material may be stacked, such as two or more light-emitting layers.

[0080] 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 is made up of two layers, a lower layer 56R1 and an upper layer 56R2, and the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B are made up of a single light-emitting layer.

[0081] First, a substrate 53 is prepared on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a first electrode 54 are formed. The material of the substrate 53 is not particularly limited, and it can be made of glass, plastic, metal, etc. In this embodiment, a substrate in which a polyimide film is laminated on a glass substrate is used as the substrate 53.

[0082] A resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is coated by bar coating or spin coating on the substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed, and the resin layer is patterned by lithography so as to form an opening in the area where the first electrode 54 is formed, thereby forming an insulating layer 59. This opening corresponds to the light-emitting region from which the light-emitting element actually emits light. In this embodiment, the large substrate is processed up to the formation of the insulating layer 59, and after the insulating layer 59 is formed, a dividing step is carried out to divide the substrate 53.

[0083] The substrate 53 with the patterned insulating layer 59 is carried into the first film forming apparatus 1, and a hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on the first electrodes 54 in the display area. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask in which an opening is formed for each display area 51 that will ultimately become the panel portion of each organic EL display device.

[0084] Next, the substrate 53 on which the hole transport layer 55 has been formed is carried into the second film formation apparatus 1. The substrate 53 and a mask are aligned, and the substrate is placed on the mask. A red layer 56R is formed on the hole transport layer 55 in the portion of the substrate 53 where the red-emitting elements are to be arranged (the region where the red subpixels are to be formed). The mask used in the second film formation chamber is a high-definition mask with openings formed only in the regions that will become the red subpixels among the regions on the substrate 53 that will become the subpixels of the organic EL display device. As a result, the red layer 56R including the red light-emitting layer is formed only in the regions that will become the red subpixels among the regions on the substrate 53 that will become the red subpixels. In other words, the red layer 56R is selectively formed in the regions that will become the red subpixels, but not in the regions that will become the blue or green subpixels among the regions on the substrate 53 that will become the subpixels.

[0085] Similar to the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G is formed in the third film formation apparatus 1, and then the blue layer 56B is formed in the fourth film formation apparatus 1. After the formation of the red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B is completed, the electron transport layer 57 is formed over the entire display area 51 in the fifth film formation apparatus 1. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a layer common to the three color layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

[0086] The substrate on which the layers up to the electron transport layer 57 have been formed is moved to the sixth film formation apparatus 1, where the second electrode 58 is formed. In this embodiment, the first to sixth film formation apparatuses 1 form each layer by vacuum deposition. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the second electrode 58 in the sixth film formation apparatus 1 may be formed by sputtering. Thereafter, the substrate on which the layers up to the second electrode 58 have been formed is moved to a sealing apparatus, and the protective layer 60 is formed by plasma CVD (sealing step), thereby completing the organic EL display device 50. Note that although the protective layer 60 is formed by the CVD method here, the method is not limited thereto, and the protective layer 60 may also be formed by the ALD method or the inkjet method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1: film forming device, 10: evaporation source unit, 12: evaporation source, 100: substrate, 101: mask

Claims

1. an evaporation source unit including a first evaporation source having a first emission portion that emits an evaporation material and a second evaporation source having a second emission portion that emits an evaporation material, and which forms a film on a substrate while moving; the first emission section and the second emission section are located at different positions in the movement direction of the evaporation source unit, a first film formation process in which a film is formed on a substrate by the first evaporation source while the evaporation source unit is moving in the movement direction, and a second film formation process in which a film is formed on a substrate by the second evaporation source while the evaporation source unit is moving in the movement direction, the movement ranges of the evaporation source unit being different. A film forming apparatus characterized by:

2. 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, the movement ranges in the first film formation process and the second film formation process are set according to film formation ranges of the first evaporation source and the second evaporation source at a height of a film formation surface of a substrate, respectively; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

3. 3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, the first discharge portion is disposed on one side of the second discharge portion in the movement direction, the movement range of the evaporation source unit in the first film formation process is narrower on the one side than the movement range of the evaporation source unit in the second film formation process; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

4. 4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, The vapor deposition device further includes a blocking means that assumes a first state in which the vapor deposition material discharged from the first discharge portion is allowed to scatter onto the substrate while blocking the vapor deposition material discharged from the second discharge portion from scattering onto the substrate, and a second state in which the vapor deposition material discharged from the second discharge portion is allowed to scatter onto the substrate while blocking the vapor deposition material discharged from the first discharge portion from scattering onto the substrate. A film forming apparatus characterized by:

5. 5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, the first discharge portion is disposed on one side of the second discharge portion in the movement direction, an end on one side of the movement range of the evaporation source unit in the first film formation process is set so that an end on the other side of the movement direction of the film formation range of the first evaporation source at the height of the film formation surface of the substrate is positioned on the one side or further than the end on the one side of the film formation region of the substrate; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

6. 5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, the first discharge portion is disposed on one side of the second discharge portion in the movement direction, one end of the movement range of the evaporation source unit in the first film formation process is set so that the other end of the first evaporation source in the movement direction of the film formation range at the height of the film formation surface of the substrate is located 100 mm or more to the one side of the one end of the film formation region of the substrate; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

7. 7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 5, an end on one side of the movement range of the evaporation source unit in the first film formation process is set so that an end on the other side of the movement direction of the film formation range of the second evaporation source at the height of the film formation surface of the substrate is located on the other side of the end on the one side of the film formation region of the substrate; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

8. 8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, the film forming apparatus performs the first film forming process and then the second film forming process on the same substrate; a position of the evaporation source unit in the movement direction at the start of the first film formation process and a position of the evaporation source unit at the end of the second film formation process are the same; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

9. 9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, A plurality of substrates to be film-formed can be arranged at intervals in an intersecting direction intersecting the moving direction, The evaporation source unit also moves in the cross direction. A film forming apparatus characterized by:

10. 10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, the evaporation source further includes a first demarcation portion and a second demarcation portion that demarcate film formation ranges of the first evaporation source and the second evaporation source, respectively, at a height of a film formation surface of a substrate; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

11. an evaporation source unit including a first evaporation source having a first emission portion that emits an evaporation material and a second evaporation source having a second emission portion that emits an evaporation material, and which forms a film on a substrate while moving; the first emission section and the second emission section are located at different positions in the movement direction of the evaporation source unit, the evaporation source unit performs a first film formation process of forming a film on a substrate by using the first evaporation source while moving in the movement direction, and a second film formation process of forming a film on a substrate by using the second evaporation source while moving in the movement direction, the evaporation source unit turns back a plurality of times while moving in the movement direction in the first film formation process and the second film formation process, a movement range of the evaporation source unit from the first turning point to the last turning point in the first film formation process is different from a movement range of the evaporation source unit from the first turning point to the last turning point in the second film formation process; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

12. A film formation method for a film formation apparatus equipped with an evaporation source unit that includes a first evaporation source having a first emission part that emits an evaporation material and a second evaporation source having a second emission part that emits an evaporation material, and that forms a film on a substrate while moving, comprising: a first film forming step of forming a film on a substrate by the first evaporation source while the evaporation source unit is moving in a movement direction; a second film forming step of forming a film on a substrate by the second evaporation source while the evaporation source unit is moving in the movement direction, the first emission portion and the second emission portion are positioned differently in the movement direction, a moving range of the evaporation source unit is different between the first film formation process and the second film formation process; A film forming method characterized by:

13. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the step of forming a film on a substrate by the film formation method according to claim 12.

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