Film forming apparatus and film forming method

Abstract

To uniformly deposit a film on a substrate moving relatively.SOLUTION: A film deposition device comprises: a film deposition unit for depositing a film on a substrate moving relatively in a moving direction, and adjustment means for adjusting a position relationship between the substrate and a mask. The film deposition unit includes a first unit and a second unit respectively including at least one evaporation source emitting an evaporation substance. A film is deposited by the first unit and the second unit in any of a first state in which the mask is overlaid on a first area of the substrate by the adjustment means, and a second state in which the mask is overlaid on a second area of the substrate by the adjustment means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus and a film forming method. [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] Recently, there has been a demand for larger substrates on which films are formed in order to improve production efficiency. To form a film on a large substrate, it is conceivable to perform film formation while moving the substrate and the evaporation source relative to each other. However, with the above-mentioned conventional techniques, it becomes difficult to stably rotate the substrate as the substrate becomes larger, and it may not be possible to form a uniform film on the substrate.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for uniformly depositing a film on a relatively moving substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a film forming unit that forms a film on a substrate that moves linearly relative to the moving direction; an adjusting means for adjusting a positional relationship between the substrate and the mask, a plurality of the adjustment means are provided at intervals in a width direction of the substrate that intersects with the movement direction, the film forming unit includes a first unit and a second unit each including at least one evaporation source that emits an evaporation material; moving in the width direction between a first width direction position where a film is formed on the substrate whose positional relationship has been adjusted by one of the plurality of adjustment means and a second width direction position where a film is formed on the substrate whose positional relationship has been adjusted by the other of the plurality of adjustment means; film formation by the first unit and film formation by the second unit are performed in both a first state in which the adjustment means causes the mask to be superimposed on a first region of the substrate but not on a second region of the substrate, and a second state in which the adjustment means causes the mask to be superimposed on the second region of the substrate but not on the first region of the substrate. A film forming apparatus characterized by the above features is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a film can be formed uniformly on a relatively moving substrate. [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 a film forming unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an evaporation source. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of an evaporation source and a monitoring device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a film forming unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views taken along line II in FIG. 6, illustrating the film forming operation by the film forming unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the distribution of film thickness in the movement direction of the substrate. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11](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] First Embodiment <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 performs deposition while moving an evaporation source relative to a substrate. The film forming apparatus 1 is used, for example, to manufacture 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 selected from glass, resin, metal, etc., and a glass substrate with a resin layer such as polyimide formed thereon is preferably used. The deposition material can be an organic material or an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.). The film forming apparatus 1 can be used in manufacturing electronic devices such as display devices (e.g., flat panel displays), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion devices (organic thin-film imaging devices), as well as optical components, and is particularly applicable to manufacturing apparatuses for manufacturing organic EL panels. In this embodiment, the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film on a G8H-sized glass substrate (1100 mm × 2500 mm, 1250 mm × 2200 mm), but the size of the substrate on which the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film can be adjusted as needed.

[0012] The film forming apparatus 1 includes a film forming unit 10 (evaporation source unit), a moving unit 20, and a plurality of support units 30A and 30B (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as support units 30, and the same applies to their components). The film forming 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 film forming 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 film forming unit 10, and an electrical connection part 42 that electrically connects the film forming unit 10 and the power supply 41. The electrical connection part 42 is configured such that electrical wiring passes 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 film forming 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 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. For example, 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 or the like.

[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 by clamping the edges of the mask 101 at multiple points.

[0019] The film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a so-called dual-stage film forming apparatus 1 that can support multiple substrates 100A and 100B using multiple support units 30A and 30B. 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 the film forming process to be carried out efficiently. 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] Furthermore, in this embodiment, during film formation, approximately half of the substrate 100 is placed over the mask 101 by the support unit 30. Therefore, a suppression plate (not shown) is appropriately provided inside the chamber 45 to suppress deposition material from adhering to the portion of the substrate 100 that is not placed over the mask 101 during film formation.

[0021] <Mobile Unit> The moving unit 20 includes an X-direction moving section 22 that moves the film forming unit 10 in the X direction, and a Y-direction moving section 24 that moves the film forming unit 10 in the Y direction.

[0022] The X-direction moving part 22 includes, as components provided in the film forming 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 film forming 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 film forming apparatus 10 moves in the X direction along the guide rail 226 as the pinion 222, which rotates when driven by the motor 221, engages with the rack 225.

[0023] The Y-direction moving unit 24 includes two support members 241A and 241B extending in the Y direction and 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 drive 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 film forming unit 10 in the Y direction. The Y-direction moving unit 24 moves the film forming 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.

[0024] <Film forming unit> 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of the film forming unit 10. The film forming unit 10 includes a plurality of evaporation sources 12a to 12f (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as evaporation sources 12, and the same will apply to their components, etc.), a plurality of monitoring devices 14a to 14f (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as monitoring devices 14, and the same will apply to their components, etc.), and a suppression unit 16.

[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 a deposition material inside. A discharge portion 1211 is formed in the upper portion of the material container 121, from which the evaporated deposition 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 in the material container 121.

[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] The multiple monitoring devices 14 monitor the release state of the deposition material from the multiple evaporation sources 12, respectively. In this embodiment, six monitoring devices 14a to 14f are provided. The monitoring devices 14a to 14c are housed in a housing 145a, and the monitoring devices 14d to 14f are housed in a housing 145b, respectively. The housings 145a and 145b are appropriately provided with openings to allow the deposition material released from each evaporation source 12 to reach each monitoring device 14, thereby allowing the deposition material to enter the interior.

[0030] The monitoring device 14 of this embodiment includes a quartz crystal oscillator 143 (see FIG. 5) as a film thickness sensor inside a case 141 (see FIG. 5). The deposition material released from the evaporation source 12 is introduced to and adheres to the quartz crystal oscillator 143 through an inlet 142 (see FIG. 5) formed in the case 141. The oscillation frequency of the quartz crystal oscillator 143 varies depending on the amount of deposition material attached. Therefore, the control unit 43 can calculate the film thickness of the deposition material deposited on the substrate 100 by monitoring the oscillation frequency of the quartz crystal oscillator 143. The amount of deposition material adhering to the quartz crystal oscillator 143 per unit time correlates with the amount of deposition material released from the evaporation source 12. As a result, the release state of the deposition material from multiple evaporation sources 12 can be monitored. Note that in this embodiment, the release state of the deposition material from each evaporation source 12 is independently monitored by each monitoring device 14, and the output of each heating unit 122 of each evaporation source 12 can be more appropriately controlled based on the monitoring results. This allows the film thickness of the deposition material deposited on the substrate 100 to be effectively controlled.

[0031] In this embodiment, the film forming unit 10 forms a film on the substrate 100 while being moved in the X direction (movement direction) by the moving unit 20. However, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which film formation is performed by an evaporation source that is fixedly disposed on the moving substrate 100. In other words, it is sufficient that the film forming unit 10 can form a film on the substrate 100 that moves relatively in the movement direction.

[0032] The suppression unit 16 suppresses the evaporation material emitted from the multiple evaporation sources 12 from scattering toward the incompatible monitoring device 14. This will be described in detail later.

[0033] <Arrangement of evaporation source and monitoring device> 5 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the evaporation sources 12 and the monitoring devices 14. In this embodiment, the evaporation sources 12a to 12c are arranged in the Y direction, that is, the width direction of the substrate 100, which intersects with the direction of relative movement between the substrate 100 and the film forming unit 10. Furthermore, the evaporation sources 12d to 12f are arranged in the Y direction at positions spaced apart from the evaporation sources 12a to 12c in the X direction. Furthermore, a plurality of monitoring devices 14 are provided outside the plurality of evaporation sources 12 in the Y direction.

[0034] Here, attention is focused on the two evaporation sources 12a-12b and the two monitoring devices 14a-14b. The evaporation sources 12a-12b are arranged along the Y direction, and the monitoring devices 14a-14b are arranged along the X direction, which intersects with the Y direction. In this manner, the arrangement direction of the evaporation sources 12a-12b and the arrangement direction of the corresponding monitoring devices 14a-14b intersect, allowing for a compact arrangement of these. For example, compared to a case in which the monitoring devices 14a-14b are arranged in the Y direction like the evaporation sources 12a-12b and spaced apart from the evaporation sources 12a-12b in the X direction, the evaporation sources 12a-12b and the monitoring devices 14a-14b can be arranged more compactly in the X direction. This prevents the size of the chamber 45 from increasing in size in the X direction, i.e., the direction in which the film forming unit 10 moves during film formation. Furthermore, even if the size of the chamber 45 in the X direction does not change, it is possible to prevent the film formation unit 10 from becoming larger in the X direction and limiting the movement range of the film formation unit 10 in the X direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the evaporation source 12a and the monitoring device 14a are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the X direction, so that they can be arranged more compactly in the X direction.

[0035] In this embodiment, the monitoring devices 14a to 14b are arranged in the movement direction of the film forming unit 10, but the arrangement direction is not limited to this. For example, the arrangement direction of the monitoring devices 14a to 14b may include a component in the Z direction. That is, the monitoring devices 14a and 14b may be arranged at different heights. Furthermore, the arrangement direction of the monitoring devices 14a to 14b may not be perpendicular to the X direction in a plan view, but may have a predetermined angle therewith.

[0036] Next, attention will be focused on the three evaporation sources 12a to 12c and the three monitoring devices 14a to 14c. The monitoring devices 14a to 14b corresponding to the evaporation sources 12a to 12b are arranged on the side where the evaporation source 12a is provided, outside the evaporation source 12a in the Y direction. The monitoring device 14c corresponding to the evaporation source 12c is arranged on the side where the evaporation source 12c is provided, outside the evaporation source 12c in the Y direction. In other words, the monitoring devices 14a to 14c are arranged separately on both sides of the evaporation sources 12a to 12c in the Y direction. This allows the monitoring devices 14a to 14c to be arranged compactly in the X direction. Specifically, the monitoring devices 14a to 14c are arranged more compactly in the X direction than when the monitoring devices 14a to 14c are arranged in the X direction and on one side of the evaporation sources 12a to 12c in the Y direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the evaporation source 12a and the monitoring device 14a are arranged so as to overlap in the X direction, and the evaporation source 12c and the monitoring device 14c are arranged so as to overlap in the X direction, so that the monitoring devices 14a to 14c are arranged more compactly in the X direction.

[0037] Here, among the three evaporation sources 12a to 12c arranged in the width direction of the substrate 100, the evaporation source 12b arranged in the center may be set to have a smaller film formation rate or a smaller amount of vapor deposition material released per unit time than the evaporation sources 12a and 12c on either side, thereby reducing the variation in film thickness in the width direction of the substrate 100.

[0038] Next, attention will be focused on the four evaporation sources 12a-12b and 12e-12f and the four monitoring devices 14a-14b and 14e-14f. The evaporation sources 12e-12f are provided spaced apart from the evaporation sources 12a-12b in the X direction. The monitoring devices 14a-14b corresponding to the evaporation sources 12a-12b are provided on one outer side (the +Y side) of the evaporation sources 12. The monitoring devices 14e-14f corresponding to the evaporation sources 12e-12f are provided on the other outer side (the -Y side) of the evaporation sources 12. In this way, when the evaporation sources 12 are arranged in two rows spaced apart in the X direction, the monitoring devices 14 corresponding to the evaporation sources 12 in each row are separately arranged on both outer sides of the evaporation sources 12, allowing the monitoring devices 14 to be arranged compactly in the X direction.

[0039] In this embodiment, the evaporation sources 12a to 12c and the evaporation sources 12d to 12f emit different deposition materials. This allows co-evaporation, in which two types of materials are simultaneously deposited to form a mixed film on the substrate 100. Alternatively, for example, deposition may be performed using the evaporation sources 12a to 12c while a shutter (not shown) is blocking the evaporation materials from scattering from the evaporation sources 12d to 12f onto the substrate 100, and then deposition may be performed using the evaporation sources 12d to 12e while a shutter (not shown) is blocking the evaporation materials from scattering from the evaporation sources 12a to 12c onto the substrate 100. This allows two thin films to be formed on the substrate using one film forming unit 10.

[0040] <Configuration of suppression unit> 3 and 5. The suppression unit 16 includes a plurality of plate members 161a to 161i (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as plate members 161, and the same applies to the permitting unit 162 described later). The plate members 161 are plate-shaped members that suppress the scattering of the deposition material from each evaporation source 12 to an incompatible monitoring device 14. As an example, the plate member 161a suppresses the scattering of the deposition material from the evaporation source 12a to a monitoring device 14 (e.g., monitoring device 14b) other than the monitoring device 14a. The plate member 161 allows each monitoring device 14 to monitor the release state of the deposition material from the evaporation source 12 to be monitored while reducing the influence of evaporation sources 12 other than the evaporation source 12 to be monitored.

[0041] Focusing on the evaporation source 12b, the monitoring device 14a, and the plate member 161f, the plate member 161f is provided to suppress scattering of the evaporation material from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14a. This allows the monitoring device 14a to monitor the release state of the evaporation material from the evaporation source 12a while reducing the influence of the evaporation source 12b. In addition, scattering of the evaporation material from the evaporation sources 12c to 12f to the monitoring device 14a is also suppressed by the other plate members 161. For example, scattering of the evaporation material from the evaporation source 12d to the monitoring device 14a is suppressed by the plate member 161d.

[0042] In this embodiment, the evaporation source 12b is disposed farther from the monitoring device 14b in the Y direction than the evaporation source 12a. The plate member 161f is disposed between the evaporation source 12a and the evaporation source 12b. The plate member 161f is formed with a permissive portion 162b that allows the evaporation material to scatter from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14b. If the plate member 161f is provided to suppress the evaporation material from scattering from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14a, the permissive portion 162b may also be suppressed from scattering from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14b. In this embodiment, the permissive portion 162b is provided on the plate member 161f, allowing the evaporation material to scatter from the evaporation source 12b to the monitoring device 14b via the permissive portion 162b, thereby enabling the monitoring device 14b to monitor the evaporation source 12b.

[0043] In this embodiment, the plate member 161f has a cylindrical portion as the allowance portion 162b. Specifically, this cylindrical portion is provided so as to surround an imaginary line Vb connecting the release portion 1211b of the evaporation source 12b and the quartz crystal oscillator 143b, which is the deposition material adhesion portion of the monitoring device 14b. In other words, the cylindrical portion is provided so that the imaginary line Vb does not pass through the plate member 161f or the cylindrical portion formed thereon, but passes through the interior of the cylindrical portion. This improves the directionality of the deposition material released from the evaporation source 12b, making it easier for the deposition material to reach the monitoring device 14b. Therefore, the monitoring device 14b can more accurately monitor the release state of the film material from the evaporation source 12b.

[0044] The tolerance portion 162b may be an opening formed in the plate member 161f. In this case, the opening may be formed in an area including a position on the plate member 161f through which the imaginary line Vb passes. When the tolerance portion 162b is an opening, the plate member 161f can be easily machined, which makes it possible to reduce manufacturing costs, etc.

[0045] Although the explanation has been given here of the permissive portion 162b with focus on the evaporation source 12b and the plate member 161f, permissive portions 162a, 162c to 162f that permissively allow the evaporation material to scatter from the evaporation sources 12a, 12c to 12f to the monitoring devices 14a, 14c to 14f are similarly provided on each plate member 161. In this embodiment, the other permissive portions 162a, 162c to 162f are also provided so that the imaginary straight lines Va, Vc to Vf are not physically blocked by any member.

[0046] Second Embodiment Next, a film forming apparatus 9 according to a second 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 film forming 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.

[0047] FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically illustrating the configuration of a film forming unit 90 according to an embodiment. FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views along line II in FIG. 6, illustrating the film forming operation by the film forming unit 90. FIG. 7A illustrates the film forming operation by unit 90B (described later), and FIG. 7B illustrates the film forming operation by unit 90A (described later). In this embodiment, the film forming unit 90 includes seven evaporation sources 92a to 92g (hereinafter collectively referred to as evaporation sources 92). The evaporation sources 92 are arranged in three rows: one row of evaporation sources 92a to 92c, one row of evaporation sources 92d to 92e, and one row of evaporation sources 92f to 92g. In this embodiment, each row of the evaporation sources 92 evaporates a different deposition material. In this embodiment, the evaporation sources 92a to 92c evaporate Ag, the evaporation sources 92d to 92e evaporate Mg, and the evaporation sources 92f to 92g evaporate LiF.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, of the multiple monitoring devices 94, the monitoring devices 94a and 94c to 94g are separately arranged on both outer sides of the multiple evaporation sources 92 in the Y direction, while the monitoring device 94b is provided in an area surrounded by the evaporation sources 92d to 92g. Therefore, the arrangement of the monitoring device 94b prevents the film forming unit 90 from becoming larger in the X direction. Note that, focusing on the two evaporation sources 92a to 92b and the two monitoring devices 94a to 94b, the evaporation sources 92a to 92b are arranged in the Y direction, and the monitoring devices 94a to 94b are arranged in a direction having an X-direction component and a Y-direction component, and these arrangement directions intersect.

[0049] In this embodiment, evaporation sources 92a to 92e constitute one unit 90A, and evaporation sources 92f to 92g constitute another unit 90B. In this embodiment, the film-forming unit 90 forms a film on the substrate 100 for each of these units. That is, in this embodiment, unit 90A performs co-evaporation of Ag and Mg, and unit 90B performs single evaporation of LiF. In addition, the film-forming unit 90 uses shutters 98A and 98B to form a film for each of these units.

[0050] The shutter 98A is displaceable between a blocking position (FIG. 7(A)) that blocks the evaporation material from scattering from the evaporation sources 92a to 92e of the unit 90A onto the substrate 100 and a permitting position (FIG. 7(B)) that allows the evaporation material to scatter from the evaporation sources 92a to 92e of the unit 90A onto the substrate 100. The shutter 98B is displaceable between a blocking position (FIG. 7(B)) that blocks the evaporation material from scattering from the evaporation sources 92f to 92g of the unit 90B onto the substrate 100 and a permitting position (FIG. 7(A)) that allows the evaporation material to scatter from the evaporation sources 92f to 92g of the unit 90B onto the substrate 100. Therefore, by performing film formation with the shutter 98A at the permitting position and the shutter 98B at the blocking position, film formation can be performed by the evaporation sources 92a to 92e of the unit 90A. Furthermore, by performing film formation with the shutter 98B in the permitting position and the shutter 98A in the blocking position, film formation can be performed by the evaporation sources 92f to 92g of the unit 90B.

[0051] <Direction of evaporation source emission> 8 is a diagram illustrating the film thickness distribution in the movement direction (X direction) of the substrate 100. In detail, FIG. 8 shows the film thickness distribution of the deposition material emitted from the evaporation sources 92 of each row when co-evaporation is performed by the unit 90A. Pattern PT1 shows the film thickness distribution when the direction of emission of the deposition material from the emission portions 9211 of the evaporation sources 92 is vertically upward. Note that the deposition material can be emitted from the emission portions 9211 with a certain spread over a certain range, but here, the direction in which the emission portions 9211 are directed will be referred to as the emission direction.

[0052] When the direction of release of the deposition material is vertically upward, the evaporation sources 92a to 92c and the evaporation sources 92d to 92e are spaced apart in the X direction (movement direction) of the substrate 100, which causes the peak of the film thickness distribution in the X direction to be shifted. In this case, depending on the relationship between the film formation region, which is the region where the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are superimposed, and the movement start position and end position of the film formation unit 90, the mixture ratio of Ag and Mg may differ in the X direction of the substrate 100 when the deposition material is deposited on the substrate 100. In other words, the deposition material deposited on the substrate 100 may vary in the X direction.

[0053] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in pattern PT2, the evaporation sources 92 are arranged with the direction in which the evaporation material is emitted tilted. This makes it possible to make the peaks in the X direction of the film thickness distribution of the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation sources 92a to 92c and the film thickness distribution of the evaporation material emitted from the evaporation sources 92d to 92e coincide with or approach each other. This makes it possible to suppress variation in the X direction (movement direction) of the evaporation material evaporated on the substrate 100.

[0054] In this embodiment, the evaporation sources 92a to 92c are arranged so that the direction of emission of the evaporation material faces the evaporation sources 92d to 92e in the X direction (movement direction). Also, the evaporation sources 92d to 92e are arranged so that the direction of emission of the evaporation material faces the evaporation sources 92a to 92c in the X direction (movement direction).

[0055] When tilting the emission direction of the deposition material, the evaporation source 92 itself may be tilted, or the shape of the emission part 9211 may be such that the emission direction is tilted. For example, when the emission part 9211 has a cylindrical shape, the emission part 9211 may be configured so that the axial direction of the cylinder is tilted.

[0056] <Film formation process> Next, a description will be given of a film formation process using the film formation apparatus 9. Figures 9 and 10 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film formation apparatus 9 in the film formation process.

[0057] State ST1 indicates an initial state in which substrate 100A and substrate 100B have been loaded into film formation apparatus 9 and aligned with mask 101A and mask 101B, respectively. Here, approximately half of the area of ​​substrate 100A on the stage A side on the +X side in the X direction is covered by mask 101A, and approximately half of the area of ​​substrate 100B on the stage B side on the -X side in the X direction is covered by mask 101B. Furthermore, film formation unit 90 is located on the stage A side at position x1, which is on the -X side in the X direction of the film formation region where substrate 100A and mask 101A are superimposed.

[0058] State ST2 is a state after the film formation unit 90 has formed a film on the substrate 100A while moving toward the +X side in the X direction. The film formation unit 90 moves from position x1 to position x2, which is on the +X side in the X direction of the film formation region. State ST3 is a state after the film formation unit 90 has formed a film on the substrate 100A while moving toward the -X side in the X direction. That is, during the transitions from state ST1 to state ST3, the film formation unit 90 forms a film on the substrate 100A while making one round trip between position x1 and position x2 using the moving unit 20.

[0059] Although one reciprocating operation is shown here, the film forming unit 90 may repeat the reciprocating operation for a total of two reciprocating operations to form a film. For example, the film forming unit 90 may perform film formation by unit 90B while performing one reciprocating operation in the X direction, and then perform film formation by unit 90A while performing one reciprocating operation in the X direction. In this case, film formation by unit 90A is performed for one reciprocating operation, which reduces the effect of the difference in the X-direction positions of the evaporation sources 92a-92c and the evaporation sources 92d-92e, and makes it possible to match or approximate the mixture ratio of Ag and Mg, which are the deposition materials attached to the substrate 100A.

[0060] Furthermore, for example, the film forming unit 90 may perform film formation by the unit 90B on the outward journey of the first round trip, and may perform film formation by the unit 90A on the return journey of the first round trip and the second round trip. This allows more time to be secured for film formation by the unit 90A when it is desired to make the thickness of the Ag and Mg mixed film thicker than the thickness of the LiF film.

[0061] Furthermore, as the film forming apparatus 1 travels back and forth in the X direction, the film forming unit 90 may perform film formation by the unit 90B on the outbound trip and by the unit 90A on the return trip. Alternatively, the film forming unit 90 may perform film formation by the unit 90A and the unit 90B while making three or more round trips in the X direction. In any case, in this embodiment, film formation by both the unit 90A and the unit 90B is performed in a state where approximately half of the region on the +X side in the X direction of the substrate 100A is covered by the mask 101A.

[0062] In this embodiment, the film formation unit 90 is set at positions x1 and x2 so as not to overlap the film formation region, which is the region where the substrate 100A and the mask 101A overlap in a planar view. That is, the film formation unit 90 moves back and forth so as to completely pass through this film formation region in a planar view. However, the film formation unit 90 may be positioned so that at least a portion of the film formation unit 90 overlaps this film formation region in a planar view at positions x1 and x2.

[0063] State ST4 shows a state in which the film formation unit 90 has moved from stage A to stage B. The film formation unit 90 moves in the Y direction (the width direction of the substrate 100) by the Y-direction moving part 24 of the moving unit 20. Here, the film formation unit 90 moves in the Y direction from position y1 on the stage A side to position y2 on the stage B side.

[0064] State ST5 is the state after the film formation unit 90 has formed a film on the substrate 100B while moving toward the +X side in the X direction. The film formation unit 90 moves from position x1 to position x2 in the X direction. State ST5 is also the state after the substrate 100A has moved in the X direction on stage A. The position adjustment part 34A of the support unit 30A moves the substrate 100A from a position where approximately half of the substrate 100A on the +X side is covered by the mask 101A to a position where approximately half of the substrate 100A on the -X side is covered by the mask 101A. After the substrate 100A has roughly moved in the X direction, precise positional adjustment of the substrate 100A and the mask 101A is performed by alignment using a camera or the like (not shown), and the substrate 100A and the mask 101A are then superimposed.

[0065] State ST6 is a state after the film formation unit 90 has formed a film on the substrate 100B while moving to the -X side in the X direction. That is, during the transition from state ST4 to state ST6, the film formation unit 90 forms a film on the substrate 100B while making one round trip between position x1 and position x2 using the moving unit 20. Note that, as in the transition from state ST1 to state ST3, the film formation unit 90 may form a film on the substrate 100B while making two or more round trips.

[0066] State ST7 shows a state in which the film formation unit 90 has moved from stage B to stage A. Here, the film formation unit 90 moves from position y2 to position y1 in the Y direction. State ST8 is a state after the film formation unit 90 has formed a film on the substrate 100A while moving toward the +X side in the X direction, and state ST9 is a state after the film formation unit 90 has formed a film on the substrate 100A while moving toward the −X side in the X direction. That is, during the transition from state ST7 to state ST9, the film formation unit 90 forms a film on the substrate 100A while making one round trip between position x1 and position x2 using the moving unit 20. Note that the film formation unit 90 may operate in the same manner as during the transition from state ST1 to state ST3. In any case, in this embodiment, both film formation by unit 90A and film formation by unit 90B are performed in a state in which approximately half of the area of ​​the substrate 100A on the −X side in the X direction is covered by the mask 101A.

[0067] State ST8 is also the state after substrate 100B has moved in the X direction on stage B. Position adjustment section 34B of support unit 30B moves substrate 100B from a position where approximately half of its -X side is covered by mask 101B to a position where approximately half of its +X side is covered by mask 101B. After roughly moving substrate 100B in the X direction, precise positional adjustment of substrate 100B and mask 101B is performed by alignment using a camera or the like (not shown), and then substrate 100B and mask 101B are superimposed on each other.

[0068] State ST10 shows a state in which the film forming unit 90 has moved from stage A to stage B. The operation of the film forming unit 90 here is the same as in the transition from state ST3 to state ST4. State ST11 is a state after the film forming unit 90 has formed a film on the substrate 100B while moving toward the +X side in the X direction, and state ST12 is a state after the film forming unit 90 has formed a film on the substrate 100B while moving toward the -X side in the X direction. That is, during the transition from state ST10 to state ST12, the film forming unit 90 forms a film on the substrate 100B while making one round trip between position x1 and position x2 using the moving unit 20. Note that the film forming unit 90 can operate in the same way as during the transition from state ST1 to state ST3.

[0069] State ST11 is also a state in which the substrate 100A is being carried out of the film formation apparatus 9 on stage A. State ST12 is also a state in which the substrate 100A is being carried out of the film formation apparatus 9. In this way, the substrate 100A is carried out of the film formation apparatus 9 after films are formed on approximately half of the region on the +X side in the X direction and approximately half of the region on the −X side in the X direction.

[0070] In this manner, film formation is performed by unit 90A and film formation by unit 90B in both cases where mask 101 is superimposed on approximately half of the region on the +X side of substrate 100 and where mask 101 is superimposed on approximately half of the region on the −X side of substrate 100. Therefore, film formation can be performed by both unit 90A and unit 90B even on a large substrate 100. In particular, as the substrate 100 becomes larger, it may be impossible to create a mask 101 of the same size as the substrate 100 due to the tradeoff between the rigidity of the mask 101. However, according to this embodiment, even if the mask 101 is smaller than the substrate 100, film formation can be performed on approximately the entire region of the substrate 100. Furthermore, because the relative movement between the substrate 100 and film formation unit 90 is linear, this relative movement can be performed stably at a constant speed compared to rotational movement, etc., and film formation can be performed uniformly on the substrate 100. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the film forming unit 90 moves, the relative movement between them can be stably performed even if the substrate 100 is large.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, while film formation is being performed by the film formation unit 90 on stage B (states ST4 to ST6), the positions of the substrate 100A and the mask 101A are adjusted on stage A, allowing the film formation process to be carried out efficiently. Note that the position adjustment of the substrate 100A and the mask 101A on stage A may be performed when the film formation unit 90 is moving in the Y direction (states ST4 to ST5, states ST6 to ST7), etc.

[0072] <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.

[0073] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Fig. 11(A) is an overall view of an organic EL display device 50, and Fig. 11(B) is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0074] 11(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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 11(B) is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram taken along line AB in FIG. 11(A). A pixel 52 has, on a substrate 53, a plurality of subpixels 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 light, respectively.

[0077] 11B , 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 11(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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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]

[0089] 1: film forming apparatus, 10: film forming unit, 12: evaporation source, 14: monitoring device, 20: moving unit, 30: supporting unit, 100: substrate, 101: mask

Claims

1. a film forming unit that forms a film on a substrate that moves linearly relative to the moving direction; an adjusting means for adjusting a positional relationship between the substrate and the mask, a plurality of the adjustment means are provided at intervals in a width direction of the substrate that intersects with the movement direction, the film formation unit includes a first unit and a second unit each including at least one evaporation source that emits a vapor deposition material, and moves in the width direction between a first width direction position where a film is formed on the substrate whose positional relationship has been adjusted by one of the plurality of adjustment means, and a second width direction position where a film is formed on the substrate whose positional relationship has been adjusted by the other of the plurality of adjustment means; film formation by the first unit and film formation by the second unit are performed in both a first state in which the adjustment means causes the mask to be superimposed on the first region of the substrate but not on the second region of the substrate, and a second state in which the adjustment means causes the mask to be superimposed on the second region of the substrate but not on the first region of the substrate. A film forming apparatus characterized by:

2. 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, In either the first state or the second state, the film forming unit performing one reciprocation in the movement direction between the first position and the second position while performing film formation by the first unit; the second unit makes one reciprocating movement in the movement direction between the first position and the second position while performing film formation by the second unit; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

3. 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, In either the first state or the second state, the film forming unit a linear movement from a first position to a second position in the movement direction while performing film formation by the first unit; a linear movement from the second position to the first position in the movement direction while performing film formation by the second unit; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

4. 4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, In both the first state and the second state, the film forming unit linearly moves from the second position to the first position in the movement direction while performing film formation by the second unit, and then makes one reciprocating movement in the movement direction between the first position and the second position while performing film formation by the second unit. A film forming apparatus characterized by:

5. 5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, a first thin film is deposited on the substrate by the deposition performed by the first unit; a second thin film having a composition different from that of the first thin film is formed on the substrate by the film formation by the second unit; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

6. 5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, the at least one evaporation source of the first unit evaporates a first material; the at least one evaporation source of the second unit includes an evaporation source that emits a second material and an evaporation source that emits a third material; A film forming apparatus characterized by:

7. 7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, a first shutter that is displaceable between a first blocking position that blocks the evaporation material from scattering from the at least one evaporation source of the first unit onto the substrate and a first retracted position that allows the evaporation material to scatter from the at least one evaporation source of the first unit onto the substrate; a second shutter that is displaceable between a second blocking position that blocks the evaporation material from scattering from the at least one evaporation source of the second unit onto the substrate and a second retracted position that allows the evaporation material to scatter from the at least one evaporation source of the second unit onto the substrate, A film forming apparatus characterized by:

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7, when film formation is performed by the first unit, the first shutter is located at the first retracted position and the second shutter is located at the second blocking position; When film formation is performed by the second unit, the first shutter is located at the first blocking position and the second shutter is located at the second retracted position. A film forming apparatus characterized by:

9. an adjusting means for adjusting the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask so as to achieve a first state in which the mask is superimposed on a first region of the substrate and not superimposed on a second region of the substrate, and a second state in which the mask is superimposed on the second region of the substrate and not superimposed on the first region of the substrate; a film forming unit that forms a film on the substrate that moves linearly relative to a moving direction, a plurality of the adjustment means are provided at intervals in a width direction of the substrate intersecting the movement direction, the film formation unit includes a first unit and a second unit each including at least one evaporation source, and moves in the width direction between a first width direction position where a film is formed on the substrate whose positional relationship has been adjusted by one of the plurality of adjustment means, and a second width direction position where a film is formed on the substrate whose positional relationship has been adjusted by the other of the plurality of adjustment means, The film forming method includes: a first film formation process in which, in the first state, the film formation unit performs film formation by the first unit and film formation by the second unit; an adjusting step of adjusting a positional relationship between the substrate and the mask by the adjusting means so that the substrate and the mask are in the second state; a second film formation process in which, in the second state, the film formation unit performs film formation by the first unit and film formation by the second unit; Including, A film forming method characterized by:

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