Film forming apparatus, film forming method, electronic device manufacturing method, and computer program recording medium

Abstract

A film deposition device according to one embodiment of the present invention deposits a film, through a mask that has one or a plurality of open regions provided in a mask foil joined to a frame-like mask frame, onto one or a plurality of panel regions of a substrate that correspond to the open regions, said film deposition device being characterized by comprising: an alignment means that aligns the substrate and the mask; and a confirmation means that uses an alignment mark provided to the thin film mask to confirm the relative position of an open region of the mask and a panel region of the substrate that have been aligned by the alignment means.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays are finding wider application in applications beyond smartphones, televisions, and automotive displays to include virtual reality head-mounted displays (VR HMDs). In particular, displays used in VR HMDs require highly accurate pixel patterns to reduce dizziness in users.

[0003] In the manufacture of organic EL display devices, when forming the organic light-emitting elements (organic EL elements; OLEDs) that make up the organic EL display device, a film-forming material is emitted from a film-forming source of a film-forming device and deposited on a substrate through a mask with a pixel pattern, thereby forming an organic layer and a metal layer.

[0004] In such a film formation apparatus, in order to improve the film formation accuracy, the relative positions of the substrate and mask are measured before the film formation process, and if the relative positions are misaligned, the substrate and / or mask are moved relatively to adjust (align) the positions.

[0005] The relative positions of the substrate and mask are measured by using an alignment camera installed on the top surface of the outside (atmospheric side) of the vacuum chamber to photograph the alignment marks formed on the substrate and mask inside the vacuum chamber.

[0006] This alignment process is performed with the substrate and the mask spaced apart by a predetermined distance to prevent damage to the substrate caused by the mask during the adjustment of the relative positions of the substrate and the mask, and the film formation process after the alignment is completed is performed with the substrate and the mask as closely together as possible to improve film formation accuracy. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In this way, in a film formation apparatus, when the substrate and the mask are aligned in a non-contact state and then brought into close contact with each other to perform the film formation process, the relative relationship between the substrate and the mask is different during alignment and during film formation, which may result in a misalignment of the relative positions between the region of the substrate where elements are to be formed (panel region) and the opening region of the mask during the film formation process.

[0008] Such relative misalignment reduces film formation accuracy and can lead to OLED panel defects. However, currently, such panel defects are only determined by conducting a lighting test after the panel is completed through the film formation process. If a panel is determined to be defective in the lighting test, the amount of misalignment is calculated based on the lighting test results, and this is reflected as an offset in the alignment process, followed by the film formation process and another lighting test. The time required for this defect determination, from the film formation process to the lighting test, is typically as long as two to three days.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a film formation apparatus, a film formation method, a method for manufacturing an electronic device, and a computer program recording medium that can improve alignment accuracy and film formation accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A film formation apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is a film formation apparatus that forms a film on one or more panel areas of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening areas provided in a mask foil joined to a frame-shaped mask frame, the film formation apparatus comprising: an alignment means that aligns the substrate and the mask; and a means that uses an alignment mark provided on the mask foil to confirm the relative positions of the panel area of ​​the substrate and the opening area of ​​the mask that have been aligned by the alignment means. The alignment means aligns the substrate and the mask using a substrate periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the substrate and a mask periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the mask, and the alignment mark is provided in a position adjacent to the opening region, closer to the opening region than the mask periphery alignment mark, in the periphery of the opening region. It is characterized by:

[0011] A film formation apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is a film formation apparatus that forms a film on one or more panel regions of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening regions through a mask having the opening regions, and is characterized by comprising: an alignment means that aligns the substrate and the mask using a substrate peripheral alignment mark provided on the peripheral edge of the substrate and a mask peripheral alignment mark provided on the peripheral edge of the mask; and a confirmation means that confirms the relative positions of the panel region of the substrate and the opening region of the mask that have been aligned by the alignment means, using an alignment mark provided on the periphery of the opening region of the mask, which is located adjacent to the opening region of the mask and is closer to the opening region than the mask peripheral alignment mark.

[0012] A film formation method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a film formation method for forming a film on one or more panel areas of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening areas provided in a mask foil joined to a frame-shaped mask frame, the method including an alignment step of aligning the substrate and the mask, and a confirmation step of confirming the relative positions of the panel area of ​​the substrate and the opening area of ​​the mask using an alignment mark provided on the mask foil after the alignment is performed in the alignment step. the alignment step aligns the substrate and the mask using a substrate periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the substrate and a mask periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the mask, the alignment mark being provided at a position adjacent to the opening region and closer to the opening region than the mask periphery alignment mark. It is characterized by:

[0013] A film formation method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a film formation method for forming a film on one or more panel regions of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening regions through a mask having the opening regions, the film formation method including: an alignment step of aligning the substrate and the mask using substrate peripheral alignment marks provided on the peripheral edge of the substrate and mask peripheral alignment marks provided on the peripheral edge of the mask; and a confirmation step of confirming the relative positions of the panel region of the substrate and the opening region of the mask after the alignment step using alignment marks provided on the periphery of the opening region of the mask adjacent to the opening region and closer to the opening region than the mask peripheral alignment marks.An electronic device manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by manufacturing an electronic device using the film formation method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve alignment accuracy and film formation accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a part of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an alignment system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement positions of panel alignment marks. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view and a plan view schematically showing the relative positions of the substrate and the mask for the periphery alignment step. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view and a plan view schematically showing the relative positions of the substrate and the mask for the panel alignment process. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an alignment method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic device. [Figure 9a] FIG. 9a is a plan view and a cross-sectional view schematically showing the relative positions of a substrate and a mask when alignment is completed in a conventional alignment system. [Figure 9b] FIG. 9b is a plan view and a cross-sectional view schematically showing the relative positions of the substrate and the mask during the film formation process in a conventional alignment system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Preferred embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the following embodiments and examples merely exemplify preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these configurations. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the hardware and software configurations, processing flows, manufacturing conditions, dimensions, materials, shapes, etc. of the device in the following description are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those alone.

[0017] The present invention can be applied to a film formation apparatus that deposits various materials on the surface of a substrate to form a film, and can be desirably applied to an apparatus that forms a thin film (material layer) of a desired pattern by vacuum deposition.

[0018] The substrate material can be any material such as glass, a polymer film, a metal, or a semiconductor (e.g., silicon). The substrate can be, for example, a silicon wafer or a glass substrate on which a film such as polyimide is laminated. Furthermore, the film-forming material (sometimes referred to as a deposition material in the case of deposition) can be any material such as an organic material or a metallic material (e.g., metal, metal oxide, etc.).

[0019] In the following description, a deposition apparatus will be described as a film formation apparatus; however, the film formation apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to this and may be a sputtering apparatus or a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus. Specifically, the technology of the present invention is applicable to various electronic devices such as semiconductor devices, magnetic devices, and electronic components, as well as to manufacturing apparatuses for optical components. Specific examples of electronic devices include light-emitting elements, photoelectric conversion elements, and touch panels. The present invention is particularly applicable to manufacturing apparatuses for organic light-emitting elements such as OLEDs and organic photoelectric conversion elements such as organic thin-film solar cells. The electronic device in the present invention also includes display devices (e.g., organic EL display devices) and lighting devices (e.g., organic EL lighting devices) equipped with light-emitting elements, and sensors (e.g., organic CMOS image sensors) equipped with photoelectric conversion elements.

[0020] <Electronic device manufacturing equipment> FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a part of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus.

[0021] The manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1 is used, for example, to manufacture display panels for smartphone organic EL display devices. In the case of display panels for smartphones, for example, a 4.5th generation (G4.5) rectangular substrate (approximately 700 mm x 900 mm) or a 6th generation (G6) full-size (approximately 1500 mm x 1850 mm) or half-cut size (approximately 1500 mm x 925 mm) rectangular substrate is subjected to film formation for forming organic EL elements, and then the substrate is cut out to produce multiple smaller panels.

[0022] An electronic device manufacturing apparatus generally includes a plurality of cluster apparatuses 1 and relay apparatuses that connect the cluster apparatuses.

[0023] The cluster apparatus 1 includes a plurality of film forming apparatuses 11 that perform processing (e.g., film formation) on substrates S, a plurality of mask stock apparatuses 12 that store masks M before and after use, and a transfer chamber 13 located in the center thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer chamber 13 is connected to each of the plurality of film forming apparatuses 11 and the mask stock apparatus 12.

[0024] A transfer robot 14 for transferring substrates and masks is provided within the transfer chamber 13. The transfer robot 14 transfers the substrate S from a pass chamber 15 of a relay device arranged upstream to the film formation device 11. The transfer robot 14 also transfers a mask M between the film formation device 11 and the mask stock device 12. The transfer robot 14 is, for example, a robot having a structure in which a robot hand for holding the substrate S or mask M is attached to an articulated arm.

[0025] In the film forming apparatus 11 (also called a vapor deposition apparatus), a vapor deposition material stored in an evaporation source is heated by a heater to evaporate and is then deposited on a substrate through a mask. A series of film forming processes, such as transferring the substrate S to and from a transfer robot 14, adjusting (aligning) the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M, fixing the substrate S on the mask M, and film formation (vapor deposition), are performed by the film forming apparatus 11.

[0026] In the mask stock device 12, new masks to be used in the film formation process in the film formation device 11 and used masks are stored in two separate cassettes. A transfer robot 14 transfers used masks from the film formation device 11 to a cassette in the mask stock device 12, and transfers new masks stored in another cassette in the mask stock device 12 to the film formation device 11.

[0027] The cluster apparatus 1 is connected to a pass chamber 15 that transfers the substrate S from the upstream side in the flow direction of the substrate S to the cluster apparatus 1, and a buffer chamber 16 that transfers the substrate S that has completed film formation processing in the cluster apparatus 1 to another cluster apparatus on the downstream side. A transfer robot 14 in the transfer chamber 13 receives the substrate S from the upstream pass chamber 15 and transfers it to one of the film formation apparatuses 11 (for example, film formation apparatus 11a) in the cluster apparatus 1. The transfer robot 14 also receives the substrate S that has completed film formation processing in the cluster apparatus 1 from one of the multiple film formation apparatuses 11 (for example, film formation apparatus 11b) and transfers it to the buffer chamber 16 connected downstream.

[0028] A turning chamber 17 for changing the orientation of the substrate may be installed between the buffer chamber 16 and the pass chamber 15. The turning chamber 17 is provided with a transfer robot 18 for receiving the substrate S from the buffer chamber 16, rotating the substrate S by 180°, and transferring it to the pass chamber 15. This ensures that the orientation of the substrate S is the same in the upstream cluster device and the downstream cluster device, facilitating substrate processing.

[0029] The pass chamber 15, buffer chamber 16, and swirl chamber 17 are so-called relay devices that connect the cluster devices, and the relay devices provided upstream and / or downstream of the cluster device include at least one of the pass chamber, buffer chamber, and swirl chamber.

[0030] The film forming device 11, the mask stock device 12, the transfer chamber 13, the buffer chamber 16, the swirl chamber 17, etc. are maintained in a high vacuum state during the manufacturing process of the organic light-emitting device. The pass chamber 15 is usually maintained in a low vacuum state, but may be maintained in a high vacuum state as necessary.

[0031] In this embodiment, the configuration of the electronic device manufacturing apparatus has been described with reference to FIG. 1 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. Other types of apparatuses and chambers may be included, and the arrangement of these apparatuses and chambers may be changed. For example, the electronic device manufacturing apparatus may be an in-line type instead of a cluster type. That is, the apparatus may be configured such that a substrate and a mask are mounted on a carrier and film formation is performed while the carrier is transported through a plurality of film formation apparatuses arranged in a line. Furthermore, the apparatus may have a structure that combines a cluster type and an in-line type. For example, processes up to the formation of an organic layer may be performed using a cluster type manufacturing apparatus, and processes from the film formation of an electrode layer (cathode layer) to the sealing process and cutting process may be performed using an in-line type manufacturing apparatus.

[0032] The specific configuration of the film forming apparatus 11 will be described below.

[0033] <Film forming equipment> 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus 11. In the following description, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is used, with the vertical direction being the Z direction. When a rectangular substrate S is fixed parallel to a horizontal plane (XY plane) during film formation, the short side direction (direction parallel to the short side) of the substrate S is the X direction, and the long side direction (direction parallel to the long side) is the Y direction. The rotation angle around the Z axis is represented by θ.

[0034] The film forming apparatus 11 includes a vacuum vessel 21 maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas, and a substrate support unit 22, a mask support unit 23, an electrostatic chuck 24, a magnet plate 30, and an evaporation source 25 provided inside the vacuum vessel 21.

[0035] The substrate support unit 22 is a means for receiving and holding the substrate S transferred by the transfer robot 14 provided in the transfer chamber 13, and is also called a substrate holder. According to this embodiment, the substrate S has a plurality of panel regions on its film formation surface. The "panel region" refers to a region corresponding to the element formation region of the substrate S, which is cut out to produce a plurality of panels after film formation for forming organic EL elements on the substrate S. In other words, the element formation region of the substrate S is a collection of panel regions (a plurality of panel regions) spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval.

[0036] In this specification, a non-panel region on the film formation surface of the substrate S that is adjacent to the panel region is referred to as a "panel region peripheral region." According to this embodiment, there is no particular limit to how close the panel region peripheral region is to the panel region, as long as it is an area that is closer to the panel region than the distance to another panel region adjacent to the panel region. The panel region peripheral region may be a scribe region of the substrate S, but is not limited to this.

[0037] A mask support unit 23 is provided below the substrate support unit 22. The mask support unit 23 is a means for receiving and holding the mask M transferred by the transfer robot 14 provided in the transfer chamber 13, and is also called a mask holder. The mask support unit 23 is disposed at a position such that the mask M supported by the mask support unit 23 is disposed between the substrate S supported by the substrate support unit 22 and an evaporation source 25, which is a film formation source.

[0038] The mask M has an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern to be formed on the substrate S, and is placed on the mask support unit 23. The mask M may have a structure in which a mask foil having a thickness of about several μm to several tens of μm is joined to a frame-shaped mask frame by welding or the like. The material of the mask M is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a metal with a low thermal expansion coefficient, such as an invar material. In particular, the mask used to manufacture organic EL elements for smartphones is a metal mask with a fine opening pattern, and is also called an FMM (Fine Metal Mask).

[0039] In this specification, an opening or a group of openings having a size corresponding to the panel area of ​​the substrate S is referred to as an "opening area." In other words, the opening area of ​​the mask M may consist of a single opening or may include multiple openings. Furthermore, an area of ​​the mask M adjacent to the opening area and corresponding to the periphery of the panel area of ​​the substrate S is referred to as an "opening periphery." There are no particular restrictions on how close the opening periphery is to the opening area; similar to the panel area periphery, it is sufficient that the area is closer to the opening area than the distance to other opening areas adjacent to the opening area. The opening periphery of the mask M is located inside the mask frame of the mask M and corresponds to the mask foil between the mask frame and the opening area.

[0040] An electrostatic chuck 24 is provided as a substrate attracting means or an attractable body attracting means for attracting and fixing the substrate S by electrostatic attraction at a position facing the film formation surface of the substrate S supported by the substrate supporting unit 22 (here, above the substrate supporting unit 22). The electrostatic chuck 24 has a structure in which an electric circuit such as a metal electrode is embedded in a dielectric (e.g., ceramic) matrix.

[0041] The electrostatic chuck 24 may be a Coulomb force type electrostatic chuck in which a dielectric having a relatively high resistance is interposed between the electrode and the attracting surface, and attraction is achieved by the Coulomb force between the electrode and the object to be attracted; a Johnsen-Rahbek force type electrostatic chuck in which a dielectric having a relatively low resistance is interposed between the electrode and the attracting surface, and attraction is achieved by the Johnsen-Rahbek force generated between the attracting surface of the dielectric and the object to be attracted; or a gradient force type electrostatic chuck in which the object to be attracted is attracted by a non-uniform electric field.

[0042] When the object to be attracted is a conductor or semiconductor (silicon wafer), it is preferable to use a Coulomb force type electrostatic chuck or a Johnson-Rahbek force type electrostatic chuck, and when the object to be attracted is an insulator such as glass, it is preferable to use a gradient force type electrostatic chuck.

[0043] The electrostatic chuck 24 may be formed of a single plate or may be formed to have multiple sub-plates. Even if it is formed of a single plate, it may include multiple electric circuits therein to control the electrostatic attractive force to vary depending on the position within the single plate.

[0044] In this embodiment, an electrostatic chuck will be mainly described as a substrate attracting means, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an adhesive chuck that attracts a substrate by adhesive force may also be used. Although not shown in FIG. 2, a cooling mechanism (e.g., a cooling plate) for suppressing the temperature rise of the substrate S may be provided on the side opposite the attracting surface of the electrostatic chuck 24, thereby suppressing alteration and deterioration of the organic material deposited on the substrate S.

[0045] A magnet plate 30 is provided above the electrostatic chuck 24 to apply a magnetic force to a metal mask M to attract the mask and bring the mask M into close contact with the substrate S. The magnet plate 30 has a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, and applies a magnetic force to the mask M via the electrostatic chuck 24 and the substrate S. The magnet plate 30 may be divided into a plurality of modules that are arranged side by side when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the attracting surface of the electrostatic chuck 24. The magnet plate 30 may also be formed integrally with a cooling plate, which will be described later.

[0046] The magnet plate 30 is an example of a mask pulling means for attracting the mask M, and the configuration of the mask pulling means varies depending on the material of the mask M. For example, when the mask M is made of a non-metallic material such as silicon, the electrostatic chuck 24 may function as the mask pulling means, but is not limited to this.

[0047] The evaporation source 25 includes a crucible (not shown) that stores the evaporation material to be deposited on the substrate, a heater (not shown) for heating the crucible, and a shutter (not shown) that prevents the evaporation material from scattering onto the substrate until the evaporation rate from the evaporation source becomes constant. The evaporation source 25 can have various configurations depending on the application, such as a point evaporation source, a linear evaporation source, or a planar evaporation source.

[0048] 2, the film forming apparatus 11 includes a film thickness monitor (not shown) and a film thickness calculation unit (not shown) for measuring the thickness of the film deposited on the substrate. A quartz crystal monitor including a quartz crystal oscillator can be used as the film thickness monitor.

[0049] The upper outside (atmosphere side) of the vacuum vessel 21 is provided with a substrate support unit Z actuator 26, a mask support unit Z actuator 27, an electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28, a position adjustment mechanism 29, a magnet plate Z actuator 32, and the like. Although the electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28 and the magnet plate Z actuator 32 are shown as a single unit in the drawing, this is merely for the sake of convenience of illustration. The electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28 is connected to the electrostatic chuck 24, and the magnet plate Z actuator 32 is connected to the magnet plate 30, and each is driven independently.

[0050] These actuators 26, 27, 28, and 32 and the position adjustment mechanism 29 are configured, for example, with a motor and a ball screw or a motor and a linear guide, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration and other configurations known in the art may be employed. The substrate support unit Z actuator 26 is a drive mechanism for raising and lowering (moving in the Z direction) the substrate support unit 22, i.e., a substrate support unit moving mechanism or an attractable object support unit moving mechanism. The mask support unit Z actuator 27 is a drive mechanism for raising and lowering (moving in the Z direction) the mask support unit 23. The electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28 is a drive mechanism for raising and lowering (moving in the Z direction) the electrostatic chuck 24, i.e., a substrate attracting means moving mechanism or an attractable object attracting means moving mechanism. The magnet plate Z actuator 32 is a drive mechanism for raising and lowering (moving in the Z direction) the magnet plate 30, i.e., a magnet plate moving mechanism.

[0051] The position adjustment mechanism 29 is a driving means for aligning the electrostatic chuck 24. The position adjustment mechanism 29 moves the entire electrostatic chuck 24 in the X direction, the Y direction, and rotates it by θ relative to the substrate support unit 22 and the mask support unit 23. In this embodiment, alignment is performed to adjust the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M by adjusting the position of the electrostatic chuck 24 in the X, Y, and θ directions while the substrate S is attracted to the electrostatic chuck 24.

[0052] In addition to the driving mechanism described above, an alignment camera 20 may be installed on the outer upper surface of the vacuum vessel 21 to photograph the alignment marks on the substrate S and mask M through a transparent window provided on the upper surface of the vacuum vessel 21.

[0053] In this embodiment, alignment cameras 20 include a perimeter alignment camera and a panel alignment camera, which will be described below.

[0054] The alignment camera 20 provided in the film formation apparatus 11 of this embodiment is a fine alignment camera used to adjust the relative position between the substrate S and the mask M with high precision, and is a camera with a narrow viewing angle but high resolution. In addition to the fine alignment camera 20, the film formation apparatus 11 may also have a rough alignment camera with a relatively wide viewing angle and low resolution.

[0055] The position adjustment mechanism 29 performs alignment by relatively moving the substrate S and the mask M to adjust their positions based on position information of the substrate S and the mask M acquired by the alignment camera 20. In this embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism 29 aligns the substrate S and the mask M based on an image (first image) acquired by a panel alignment camera, in addition to aligning the substrate S and the mask M based on an image (second image) acquired by the peripheral alignment camera, which will be described later.

[0056] The film forming apparatus 11 includes a control unit 31. The control unit 31 has functions such as controlling the transport and alignment of the substrate S and mask M (controlling each moving mechanism), controlling the evaporation source 25, and controlling film formation.

[0057] In particular, the control unit 31 according to this embodiment functions as an alignment control means for controlling, in the alignment process between the substrate S and the mask M, the acquisition of an image using an alignment camera, confirmation of the relative position between the substrate and the mask using the acquired image, and the raising and lowering of the mask support unit 23 by the mask support unit Z actuator 27, the raising and lowering of the magnet plate 30 by the magnet plate Z actuator 32, the raising and lowering of the electrostatic chuck 24 by the electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28, and the adjustment of the relative position between the substrate S and the mask M by the position adjustment mechanism 29. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an alignment control means may be provided separately from the control unit of the film formation apparatus.

[0058] The control unit 31 can be configured, for example, by a computer having a processor, memory, storage, I / O, etc. In this case, the functions of the control unit 31 are realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory or storage. The computer may be a general-purpose personal computer, an embedded computer, or a PLC (programmable logic controller). Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the control unit 31 may be configured by a circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. Furthermore, a control unit may be provided for each film formation apparatus, or one control unit may be configured to control multiple film formation apparatuses. As a result of extensive investigation into such a film forming apparatus, the present inventors have found the following problem: The problem found by the present inventors will be described below with reference to Figures 9a and 9b. In the film formation apparatus, the substrate and the mask are aligned in a non-contact state, and then the substrate and the mask are brought into close contact with each other to perform the film formation process. Figure 9a is a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing the relative positions of the substrate and the mask after the alignment is complete, and Figure 9b is a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing the relative positions of the substrate and the mask during the film formation process.

[0059] 9a, with the substrate S and mask M spaced apart, alignment is performed by photographing the peripheral alignment marks AMc provided on the peripheral edges of the substrate S and mask M with alignment camera 20. Typically, the peripheral alignment marks AMc of the substrate S are formed on the peripheral edge of the substrate S, and the peripheral alignment marks AMc of the mask M are formed on the peripheral edge of the mask M, on the mask frame Mb or on the mask foil Ma at a position overlapping the mask frame Mb. As a result of the alignment, as shown in the plan view, the panel region 41a of the substrate S and the opening region 41b of the mask M are aligned without any relative positional deviation.

[0060] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9b, when the aligned substrate S is placed on and tightly attached to the mask M for the film formation process, the substrate S may come into contact with the mask M while bent due to its own weight, which may deform the mask foil Ma. Furthermore, the lifting and lowering movements after alignment may cause the positions of the substrate S and / or mask M to fluctuate. As a result, as shown in the plan view, although the peripheral alignment marks AMc of the substrate S and the peripheral alignment marks AMc of the mask M are aligned, a relative positional deviation occurs between the panel region 41a of the substrate S and the opening region 41b of the mask M. The greater the amount of bending of the substrate S due to its own weight, the greater this positional deviation.

[0061] The inventors of the present invention have found that the above problems can be solved by using a film forming apparatus that employs an alignment system, which will be described below. The alignment system will be described below.

[0062] <Alignment system> FIG. 3(a) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an alignment system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3(b) is a schematic plan view of a portion of the substrate S or mask M.

[0063] 3, alignment system 100 of this embodiment includes a mask support unit 123, an electrostatic chuck 124, a magnet plate 130, a mask support unit lifting mechanism 127, an electrostatic chuck lifting mechanism 128, a magnet plate lifting mechanism 132, a position adjustment mechanism 129, alignment cameras 120a and 120b, and a control unit 131. To avoid repetitive explanation, the alignment system 100 of this embodiment will be described below, focusing on differences from the alignment system included in the film formation apparatus 11 described with reference to FIG. 2. Therefore, the same applies to matters not specifically described below as described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0064] 3 is an apparatus for adjusting the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M before performing a film formation process in which a film formation material is deposited on the substrate S that is carried into the film formation apparatus 11. According to this embodiment, the adjustment of the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M by the alignment system 100 includes an alignment process (hereinafter referred to as a "panel alignment process") in which the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M are adjusted based on images of the alignment marks AM of the mask M and the panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S, which are taken by the panel alignment camera 120b, in addition to an alignment process (hereinafter referred to as a "periphery alignment process") in which the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M are adjusted based on images of the alignment marks AM of the mask M and the panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S, which are taken by the panel alignment camera 120b.

[0065] Here, the peripheral alignment marks (substrate peripheral alignment marks) SAMac provided on the substrate S refer to alignment marks provided on the peripheral edge 42 of the substrate S. Furthermore, the peripheral alignment marks (mask peripheral alignment marks) MAMc provided on the mask M refer to alignment marks provided on the peripheral edge 42 of the mask M. The substrate peripheral alignment marks SAMac may be provided at each corner of the rectangular substrate S, as shown in FIG. 3B, or may be provided at two diagonal corners or the centers of two opposing sides of the rectangular substrate S. Furthermore, the mask peripheral alignment marks MAMc may be provided at each corner of the mask frame Ma of the rectangular mask M, as shown in FIG. 3B, or may be provided at two diagonal corners or the centers of two opposing sides of the mask frame Ma.

[0066] Furthermore, the alignment marks AM refer to alignment marks provided in the aperture periphery 43 of the mask M, closer to the aperture region 41 than the mask periphery alignment marks MAMc. The aperture periphery 43 is an area made of mask foil Mb inside the mask frame Ma. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the alignment marks AM may be provided on the mask foil Mb corresponding to the aperture periphery 43 on two opposing sides of the aperture region 41 of the rectangular mask M (for this reason, the alignment marks AM may also be referred to as "mask foil alignment marks"). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the alignment marks AM may be provided on all of the mask foil Ma corresponding to the aperture periphery 43 on all four sides of the aperture region 41. As described above, the mask M may be a mask having a structure in which the mask foil Mb is welded and fixed to the frame-shaped mask frame Ma.

[0067] Depending on the embodiment, panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S may be additionally provided at positions closer to the panel region than the substrate peripheral edge alignment marks SAMac, as the peripheral portion of the panel region of the substrate S. In this case, the panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S are provided at positions corresponding to the alignment marks AM of the mask M.

[0068] The mask support unit 123 is a means for supporting the mask frame Mb of the mask M. The mask support unit 123 can be moved in the Z-axis direction by a mask support unit lifting mechanism 127, which is a mask support unit moving mechanism. The electrostatic chuck 124 is a means for attracting and holding the substrate S, and is an example of a substrate attracting means. The electrostatic chuck 124 can be moved in the Z-axis direction by an electrostatic chuck lifting mechanism 128, which is a substrate attracting means moving mechanism.

[0069] The magnet plate 130 is a means for attracting the mask M and is an example of a mask pulling means. The magnet plate 130 can be moved in the Z-axis direction by a magnet plate lifting mechanism 132, which is a mask pulling means moving mechanism. In one embodiment of the present invention, during a panel alignment process described below, the magnet plate 130 moves (descends) toward the electrostatic chuck 124 and attracts the mask M, thereby lifting the mask M toward the film formation surface of the substrate S. Then, during the film formation process, the magnet plate 130 moves (descends) even closer to the electrostatic chuck 124 and attracts the mask M, thereby causing the mask M to come into close contact with the substrate S. Alternatively, depending on the embodiment, the mask M may move (ascend) toward the magnet plate 130.

[0070] The position adjustment mechanism 129 is an alignment stage mechanism (alignment means) that adjusts the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M in the X, Y, and θ directions based on images acquired by the alignment cameras 120a and 120b. In one embodiment of the present invention, the position adjustment mechanism 129 adjusts the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M based on position information of the substrate peripheral alignment marks SAMac and the mask peripheral alignment marks MAMc in the image (second image) acquired by the peripheral alignment camera 120a. The position adjustment mechanism 129 also readjusts the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M based on position information of the alignment marks AM of the mask M in the image (first image) acquired by the panel alignment camera 120b. In some embodiments, the position adjustment mechanism 129 may readjust the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M based on position information of the alignment marks AM of the mask M and the panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S, which are included in the first image.

[0071] The alignment cameras 120a, 120b include a perimeter alignment camera 120a and a panel alignment camera 120b.

[0072] The edge alignment camera 120a is provided to capture an image including the substrate edge alignment marks SAMac and the mask edge alignment marks MAMc, and is provided at a position corresponding to the edge alignment marks SAMac and MAMc. As an example, the edge alignment camera 120a is provided at a position corresponding to the edge alignment marks SAMac and MAMc provided at each corner of the rectangular substrate S or mask M, as shown in FIG.

[0073] The panel alignment camera 120b is used to capture an image including alignment marks AM provided on the mask M. The panel alignment camera 120b is provided at a position corresponding to the alignment marks AM on the mask M. As an example, as shown in FIG. 3, the panel alignment camera 120b is provided at a position corresponding to the alignment marks AM provided in the opening peripheral portions 43 on both opposing sides of the opening region 41.

[0074] The control unit 131 is for controlling the operation of the alignment system 100, and controls the components included in the alignment system 100 to check and adjust the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M. The function of the control unit 131 may be embodied as an independent functional unit for the alignment system 100, or may be embodied as one functional unit of the control unit 31 of the film forming apparatus 11.

[0075] The control unit 131 first controls at least one of the electrostatic chuck lifting mechanism 128 and the mask support unit lifting mechanism 127 to adjust the distance between the substrate S and the mask M. For example, the control unit 131 brings the substrate S and the mask M closer to each other in order to perform a peripheral alignment process. Then, after the peripheral alignment process, the control unit 131 may control the distance between the substrate S and the mask M to be even closer in order to perform a panel alignment process.

[0076] Furthermore, the control unit 131 controls the magnet plate lifting mechanism 132 to adjust the distance of the magnet plate 130 relative to the mask M. For example, when the distance between the substrate S and the mask M becomes closer for the panel alignment process, the control unit 131 controls the magnet plate 130 to move toward the mask M, so that the mask M is lifted toward the film formation surface of the substrate S.

[0077] The control unit 131 also controls the periphery alignment camera 120a to acquire an image (second image) including the periphery alignment marks SAMc and MAMc, and then confirms the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M using the substrate periphery alignment marks SAMc and the mask periphery alignment marks MAMc included in the acquired second image. If the confirmation result shows that the positional misalignment between the substrate S and the mask M is outside the tolerance range, the control unit 131 controls the position adjustment mechanism 129 to adjust the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M based on the position information of the substrate periphery alignment marks SAMc and the mask periphery alignment marks MAMc included in the acquired second image.

[0078] Furthermore, the control unit 131 controls the panel alignment camera 120b to acquire an image (first image) including the alignment marks AM, and then confirms the relative position of the panel region of the substrate S and the opening region of the mask M using the alignment marks AM of the mask M included in the acquired first image (confirmation means). In some embodiments, the first image may additionally include panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S, and the control unit 131 may confirm the relative position of the panel region of the substrate S and the opening region of the mask M using the alignment marks AM of the mask M and the panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S. Then, if it is determined as a result of the confirmation that the positional misalignment between the panel region of the substrate S and the opening region of the mask M is outside the tolerance range, the control unit 131 controls the position adjustment mechanism 129 to readjust the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M based on the position information of the alignment marks AM of the mask M included in the acquired first image. Depending on the embodiment, the control unit 131 may control the position adjustment mechanism 129 to readjust the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M based on position information of the alignment marks AM of the mask M and the panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S, which are included in the acquired first image. Hereinafter, the periphery alignment process and the panel alignment process under the control of the control unit 131 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0079] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view (FIG. 5(a)) and a plan view (FIG. 5(b)) that schematically show the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M for the peripheral alignment process of the alignment system, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view (FIG. 6(a)) and a plan view (FIG. 6(b)) that schematically show the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M for the panel alignment process. In FIGS. 5(b) and 6(b), the solid lines indicate the plan views of the substrate S, and the dotted lines indicate the plan views of the mask M.

[0080] 5, the substrate S and the mask M are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The distance between the substrate S and the mask M is not particularly limited and may be equal to or greater than the distance between the substrate S and the mask M during a conventional rough alignment process or fine alignment process. In this case, the magnetic plate 130 is located at a distance from the mask M such that no magnetic force is applied to the mask M.

[0081] After the periphery alignment camera 120a acquires an image (second image) including the periphery alignment marks SAMc and MAMc of the substrate S and the mask M, the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M are adjusted (aligned) based on the positional information of the periphery alignment marks SAMc and MAMc of the substrate S and the mask M in the acquired image. This adjustment of the relative positions is repeated until the misalignment between the periphery alignment marks SAMc and MAMc of the substrate S and the mask M becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. As a result, the substrate S and the mask M are aligned, and the panel region 41a of the substrate S and the opening region 41b of the mask M are also aligned with each other.

[0082] 6, the electrostatic chuck 124 is moved downward to bring the substrate S and the mask M relatively close to each other. In some embodiments, the mask support unit 123 may be moved upward. As a result, the distance between the substrate S and the mask M becomes closer than in the state shown in FIG. 5, but it is preferable that they are spaced apart enough so that they do not come into contact with each other.

[0083] Then, after panel alignment camera 120b acquires an image (first image) including alignment marks AM of mask M, the alignment marks AM of mask M in the acquired image are used to confirm the relative position of panel area 41a of substrate S and opening area 41b of mask M. If the positional deviation between panel area 41a of substrate S and opening area 41b of mask M is outside the tolerance range, the relative position of substrate S and mask M is readjusted based on the position information of alignment marks AM of mask M. In this way, even if a positional deviation occurs between substrate S and mask M due to unexpected contact or shaking during the lifting and lowering process when substrate S and mask M are brought closer to each other, panel area 41a of substrate S and opening area 41b of mask M can be aligned.

[0084] In an embodiment in which panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S are further provided at positions corresponding to the alignment marks AM of the mask M as the periphery of the panel region 41a of the substrate S, after acquiring an image (first image) including the alignment marks AM of the mask M and the panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S, the relative positions of the panel region 41a of the substrate S and the opening region 41b of the mask M are confirmed using the alignment marks AM of the mask M and the panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S in the acquired image. Then, if necessary, the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M may be readjusted based on the positional information of the alignment marks AM of the mask M and the panel alignment marks AMp of the substrate S.

[0085] According to one aspect of the present embodiment, the electrostatic chuck 124 may be moved downward to bring the substrate S and the mask M relatively closer together, or simultaneously thereafter, the magnet plate 130 may be moved toward the electrostatic chuck 124 so that the magnetic force of the magnet plate 130 is applied to the mask M. In this way, the distance between the magnet plate 130 and the mask M becomes shorter, so that the mask M is pulled toward the magnet plate 130 and is lifted in the direction of the film formation surface of the substrate S. As a result, the accuracy of the alignment process using the panel alignment mark AMp is improved.

[0086] <Alignment method> 7 is a flowchart showing an alignment method according to one embodiment of the present invention. A method for adjusting (aligning) the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0087] First, the substrate S is carried into the film forming apparatus 11 and is supported by the substrate supporting unit 22. At this time, the mask M is supported by the mask supporting unit .

[0088] Next, after the electrostatic chuck 24 is brought closer to the substrate S supported by the substrate support unit 22 (for example, after the electrostatic chuck 24 is lowered toward the substrate S), a predetermined voltage is applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 to attract the substrate to the electrostatic chuck 24 by electrostatic attraction. Then, the electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28 and / or the mask support unit Z actuator 27 are driven to bring the electrostatic chuck 24 and the mask support unit 23 closer to each other, so that the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M become a predetermined measurement position (S1).

[0089] Then, an image (second image) including the peripheral alignment marks SAMc and MAMc is acquired by the peripheral alignment camera 120a (S2). As an example, the alignment marks are illuminated with a predetermined light source (not shown), and the peripheral alignment camera 120a captures images of the peripheral alignment marks SAMc and MAMc formed at the corners of the rectangular substrate S and mask M to acquire the images.

[0090] Then, based on the second image acquired in step S2, the relative positions of the substrate S and the mask M are primarily adjusted (S3). Depending on the embodiment, the periphery alignment process of steps S2 and S3 may be repeated until the misalignment between the periphery alignment marks SAMac of the substrate S and the periphery alignment marks MAMc of the mask M falls within a predetermined range. The periphery alignment process of steps S2 and S3 may include a rough alignment that roughly adjusts the positions of the substrate S and the mask M, and a fine alignment that precisely adjusts the positions of the substrate S and the mask M.

[0091] Next, the substrate S and the mask M are brought closer to each other, and then the magnetic plate 130 is brought closer to the mask M (S4). As a result, the mask M is pulled toward the magnetic plate 130 and is lifted upward. Depending on the embodiment, for example, if the substrate S and the mask M are brought sufficiently close to each other in step S1, the step of bringing the substrate S and the mask M closer to each other in step S4 may not be performed. Furthermore, the step of bringing the magnetic plate 130 closer to the mask M may be performed simultaneously with the step of bringing the substrate S and the mask M closer to each other, or may be performed before that.

[0092] Next, when the mask M is lifted up toward the substrate S, the panel alignment camera 120b captures an image (first image) of the alignment marks AM (S5). As an example, the alignment marks AM provided in the opening periphery 43 of the mask M are illuminated by a predetermined light source (not shown), and the image can be captured by the panel alignment camera 120b.

[0093] Then, using the first image acquired in step S5, the relative positions of the panel region 41a of the substrate S and the opening region 41b of the mask M are confirmed (S6). If the confirmation in step S6 shows that the misalignment between the panel region 41a of the substrate S and the opening region 41b of the mask M is not within a tolerance range, the positions of the substrate S and the mask M are secondarily readjusted (S7). Depending on the embodiment, the panel alignment process of steps S5 to S7 may be repeated until the misalignment between the panel region 41a of the substrate S and the opening region 41b of the mask M falls within a predetermined range (within a tolerance range).

[0094] According to this embodiment, after the peripheral alignment processes of steps S2 and S3, the image acquired in step S5 is used to check whether the misalignment between the panel area 41a of the substrate S and the opening area 41b of the mask M is within the tolerance range, and if necessary, an additional panel alignment process is performed, thereby improving the alignment accuracy.

[0095] <Film formation process> A film forming method employing the alignment method according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0096] With the mask M supported by the mask support unit 23 in the vacuum chamber 21, the substrate S is carried into the vacuum chamber 21 of the film forming apparatus 11 by the transfer robot 14 in the transfer chamber 13.

[0097] The hand of the transfer robot 14 that has entered the vacuum chamber 21 places the substrate S on the support portion of the substrate support unit 22 .

[0098] Next, the electrostatic chuck 24 descends toward the substrate S, and after it comes sufficiently close to or into contact with the substrate S, a predetermined voltage is applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 to attract the substrate S. Then, with the substrate S attracted to the electrostatic chuck 24, the substrate S and the mask M are brought close to each other in order to measure the relative positional deviation of the substrate S with respect to the mask M.

[0099] When the substrate S and mask M approach the relative position measurement position, the alignment process is performed according to the alignment method of this embodiment. That is, with the substrate S and mask M approaching the relative position measurement position, a periphery alignment process is performed based on an image including the periphery alignment marks AMp, and then a panel alignment process is performed based on an image including the alignment marks AM. In some embodiments, the substrate S and mask M may be brought even closer together after the periphery alignment process. Then, before the panel alignment process, a magnet plate 130 may be brought close to the mask M so that the mask M is lifted toward the substrate S.

[0100] When the alignment method of this embodiment causes the relative positional deviation between the substrate S and the mask M to become smaller than a predetermined threshold (tolerance), the shutter of the evaporation source 25 is opened and the evaporation material is evaporated onto the substrate S through the mask M.

[0101] After deposition to the desired thickness, the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 24 is reduced to separate the mask M, and with only the substrate attached to the electrostatic chuck 24, the substrate is raised by the electrostatic chuck Z actuator 28.

[0102] In addition, the process of checking whether the misalignment between the panel area 41a of the substrate S and the opening area 41b of the mask M is within the tolerance range based on an image including the alignment mark AM may be performed during the process of opening the shutter of the evaporation source 25 and evaporating the evaporation material onto the substrate S through the mask M.

[0103] Next, the hand of the transfer robot 14 enters the vacuum chamber 21 of the film forming apparatus 11, and a voltage of zero (0) or reverse polarity is applied to the electrode portion or sub-electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 24 to separate the substrate S from the electrostatic chuck 24. The separated substrate is then carried out of the vacuum chamber 21 by the transfer robot 14.

[0104] In the above description, the film forming apparatus 11 is configured as a so-called upward deposition method (depo-up) in which film formation is performed with the film formation surface of the substrate S facing vertically downward, but this is not limited to this, and the film may also be configured such that the substrate S is placed vertically on the side of the vacuum container 21 and film formation is performed with the film formation surface of the substrate S parallel to the direction of gravity.

[0105] <Electronic device manufacturing method> Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device using the film forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described below. As an example of the electronic device, the configuration and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be illustrated.

[0106] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Figure 8(a) is an overall view of an organic EL display device 60, and Figure 8(b) shows the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 8(a), a display area 61 of an organic EL display device 60 is provided with a plurality of pixels 62 arranged in a matrix, each pixel including a plurality of light-emitting elements. As will be described in detail later, each light-emitting element has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. Note that the term "pixel" here refers to the smallest unit that enables a desired color to be displayed in the display area 61. In the organic EL display device according to this embodiment, each pixel 62 is configured by a combination of a first light-emitting element 62R, a second light-emitting element 62G, and a third light-emitting element 62B, which emit light different from one another. While the pixel 62 is often configured by a combination of red, green, and blue light-emitting elements, it may also be a combination of yellow, cyan, and white light-emitting elements, and is not particularly limited as long as it is of at least one color.

[0108] 8(b) is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram taken along line AB in FIG. 8(a). A pixel 62 includes an organic EL element (EL element) on a substrate 63, the organic EL element including an anode 64, a hole transport layer 65, one of light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B, an electron transport layer 67, and a cathode 68. Among these, the hole transport layer 65, the light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B, and the electron transport layer 67 correspond to organic layers. In this embodiment, the light-emitting layer 66R is an organic EL layer that emits red light, the light-emitting layer 66G is an organic EL layer that emits green light, and the light-emitting layer 66B is an organic EL layer that emits blue light. The light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B are formed in patterns corresponding to the light-emitting elements (sometimes referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue light, respectively. The anode 64 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 65, the electron transport layer 67, and the cathode 68 may be formed in common with the plurality of light emitting elements 62R, 62G, and 62B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. Note that an insulating layer 69 is provided between the anodes 64 to prevent short-circuiting between the anode 64 and the cathode 68 due to foreign matter. Furthermore, since the organic EL layer deteriorates due to moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 70 is provided to protect the organic EL elements from moisture and oxygen.

[0109] 8(b), the hole transport layer 65 and the electron transport layer 67 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. Also, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure that can smoothly inject holes from the anode 64 into the hole transport layer 65 can be formed between the anode 64 and the hole transport layer 65. Similarly, an electron injection layer can be formed between the cathode 68 and the electron transport layer 67.

[0110] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described.

[0111] First, a substrate 63 on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and an anode 64 are formed is prepared.

[0112] An acrylic resin is formed by spin coating on the substrate 63 on which the anode 64 is formed, and the acrylic resin is patterned by lithography so that an opening is formed in the area where the anode 64 is formed, thereby forming an insulating layer 69. This opening area corresponds to the light-emitting area where the light-emitting element actually emits light.

[0113] The substrate 63 with the patterned insulating layer 69 is carried into a first organic material film deposition apparatus, and the substrate is held by an electrostatic chuck. A hole transport layer 65 is then deposited on the anode 64 in the display area as a common layer. The hole transport layer 65 is deposited by vacuum deposition. In practice, the hole transport layer 65 is formed to be larger than the display area 61, so a high-resolution mask is not required.

[0114] Next, the substrate 63 on which the hole transport layer 65 has been formed is carried into a second organic material film forming apparatus and held by an electrostatic chuck. The substrate and the mask are aligned, and the mask is attached to the electrostatic chuck 24 via the substrate. Then, a red light-emitting layer 66R is formed on the portion of the substrate 63 where the red light-emitting element is to be disposed.

[0115] Similar to the formation of the light-emitting layer 66R, a green-emitting light-emitting layer 66G is formed by a third organic material film-forming apparatus, and then a blue-emitting light-emitting layer 66B is formed by a fourth organic material film-forming apparatus. After the formation of the light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B is completed, an electron transport layer 67 is formed over the entire display area 61 by a fifth film-forming apparatus. The electron transport layer 67 is formed as a layer common to the three light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B.

[0116] The substrate on which the electron transport layer 67 has been formed is moved in a metallic evaporation material deposition device, and a cathode 68 is deposited.

[0117] According to the present invention, in the alignment process, an image including the peripheral alignment marks AMc is acquired, the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M is initially adjusted, and then an image including the alignment marks AM is acquired to check the relative position of the substrate S and the mask M, and readjust it if necessary, thereby improving the accuracy of the alignment process.

[0118] Thereafter, the substrate is transferred to a plasma CVD apparatus, where a protective layer 70 is formed, and the organic EL display device 60 is completed.

[0119] If the substrate 63 on which the insulating layer 69 is patterned is exposed to an atmosphere containing moisture or oxygen after being carried into the film-forming apparatus until the formation of the protective layer 70 is completed, the light-emitting layer made of an organic EL material may be deteriorated by the moisture or oxygen. Therefore, in this example, the substrate is carried in and out of the film-forming apparatus in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere.

[0120] The above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and may be modified appropriately within the scope of the technical concept thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 20: alignment camera, 120a: periphery alignment camera, 120b: panel alignment camera, 22: substrate support unit, 23, 123: mask support unit, 24, 124: electrostatic chuck, 25: evaporation source, 26: substrate support unit Z actuator, 27, 127: mask support unit Z actuator, 28, 128: electrostatic chuck actuator, 29, 129: position adjustment mechanism, 30, 130: magnet plate, 31, 131: control unit, 41: panel area 41a / opening area 41b, 42: periphery, 43: panel area peripheral area / opening area peripheral area, AM: alignment mark, AMc: periphery alignment mark, SAMac: substrate periphery alignment mark, MAMc: mask periphery alignment mark, AMp: panel alignment mark

Claims

1. 1. A film forming apparatus for forming a film on one or more panel regions of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening regions provided in a mask foil joined to a frame-shaped mask frame, the apparatus comprising: an alignment means for aligning the substrate and the mask; a confirmation means for confirming the relative positions of the panel area of ​​the substrate and the opening area of ​​the mask, which have been aligned by the alignment means, using an alignment mark provided on the mask foil; Equipped with the alignment means aligns the substrate and the mask using a substrate periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the substrate and a mask periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the mask; The alignment mark is provided in a peripheral portion of the opening region, adjacent to the opening region and closer to the opening region than the mask peripheral alignment mark. A film forming apparatus characterized by:

2. 1. A film forming apparatus for forming a film on one or more panel regions of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening regions through a mask, the apparatus comprising: an alignment unit that aligns the substrate and the mask using a substrate periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the substrate and a mask periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the mask; a confirmation means for confirming the relative positions of the panel area of ​​the substrate and the opening area of ​​the mask, which have been aligned by the alignment means, using an alignment mark provided in the peripheral portion of the opening area of ​​the mask, which is adjacent to the opening area of ​​the mask and closer to the opening area than the mask peripheral alignment mark; A film forming apparatus comprising:

3. further comprising an image acquisition means for capturing and acquiring an image including the alignment mark; The confirmation means confirms the relative position using the acquired image.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. If the confirmed relative position is outside a tolerance range, the alignment means realigns the substrate and the mask based on the position information of the alignment mark.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The confirmation means confirms the relative position during the process of forming a film of a vapor deposition material on the panel region through the mask.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

6. the substrate includes a panel alignment mark provided on a peripheral portion of a panel region at a position corresponding to the alignment mark; The confirmation means confirms the relative position using the panel alignment marks as well.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

7. a substrate suction means for suction-holding the substrate; a mask support unit that supports the mask; a panel alignment camera that captures an image of the alignment mark; a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the relative positions of the substrate and the mask by moving at least one of the substrate suction means and the mask support unit in at least one of a first direction parallel to a substrate suction surface of the substrate suction means, a second direction parallel to the substrate suction surface and intersecting the first direction, and a rotation direction about an axis of a third direction perpendicular to the substrate suction surface, The confirmation means is a control unit that confirms the relative position between the panel region and the opening region using a first image captured by the panel alignment camera, and if the confirmed relative position is outside a tolerance range, controls the position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative position between the substrate and the mask based on position information of the alignment mark.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

8. a mask pulling means provided on the opposite side of the substrate suction surface of the substrate suction means and configured to pull a mask; The control unit controls the mask pulling unit to lift the mask toward the substrate without contacting the substrate, and then checks the relative positions of the panel area and the opening area.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7.

9. a mask pulling means moving mechanism for moving the mask pulling means in the third direction; The control unit causes the mask pulling means moving mechanism to move the mask pulling means closer to the mask so that the mask is lifted toward the substrate.

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8.

10. The alignment marks are provided in peripheral portions of at least one of the one or more opening regions, the peripheral portions being adjacent to both sides of the one or more opening regions in the first direction and the second direction.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7.

11. The panel alignment camera is provided at a position corresponding to the alignment mark. are 11. The film forming apparatus according to claim 10.

12. a peripheral alignment camera configured to capture an image of a peripheral alignment mark provided on each of the peripheral edges of the substrate and the mask; The control unit controls the position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative position of the substrate and the mask based on a second image captured by the periphery alignment camera.

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8.

13. The film forming apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the control unit, after adjusting the relative position of the substrate and the mask based on the second image, also uses the first image to confirm the relative position of the panel region and the opening region.

14. a substrate suction means moving mechanism for moving the substrate suction means in a third direction perpendicular to the substrate suction surface, and a mask support unit moving mechanism for moving the mask support unit in the third direction, The control unit adjusts the relative position of the substrate and the mask based on the second image using the position adjustment mechanism, and then moves the substrate and the mask relatively closer together using at least one of the substrate suction means moving mechanism and the mask support unit moving mechanism, and then confirms the relative position of the panel region and the opening region using the first image.

14. The film forming apparatus according to claim 13.

15. a mask pulling means moving mechanism for moving the mask pulling means in a third direction perpendicular to the substrate attracting surface, The control unit adjusts the relative position of the substrate and the mask based on the second image, and then moves the mask pulling means close to the mask so that the mask is lifted toward the substrate by the mask pulling means moving mechanism, and then checks the relative position of the panel region and the opening region using the first image.

14. The film forming apparatus according to claim 13.

16. the substrate includes a panel alignment mark provided on a peripheral portion of a panel region at a position corresponding to the alignment mark; The panel alignment camera also captures an image of the panel alignment mark to obtain the first image.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7.

17. 1. A film formation method for forming a film on one or more panel regions of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening regions provided in a mask foil joined to a frame-shaped mask frame, the method comprising: an alignment step of aligning the substrate and the mask; a confirmation step of confirming the relative positions of a panel region of the substrate and an opening region of the mask using an alignment mark provided on the mask foil after the alignment is performed in the alignment step; Including, the alignment step aligns the substrate and the mask using a substrate periphery alignment mark provided on a periphery of the substrate and a mask periphery alignment mark provided on a periphery of the mask; The alignment mark is provided in a peripheral portion of the opening region, adjacent to the opening region and closer to the opening region than the mask peripheral alignment mark. A film forming method characterized by:

18. 1. A film forming method for forming a film on one or more panel regions of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening regions through a mask, the method comprising: an alignment step of aligning the substrate and the mask using a substrate periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the substrate and a mask periphery alignment mark provided on the periphery of the mask; a confirmation step of confirming the relative positions of the panel area of ​​the substrate and the opening area of ​​the mask using an alignment mark provided in a peripheral portion of the opening area of ​​the mask, the alignment mark being adjacent to the opening area of ​​the mask and being closer to the opening area than the mask peripheral alignment mark; A film forming method comprising:

19. If the relative position confirmed in the confirmation step is outside a range of tolerance, the method further includes a first relative position adjustment step of adjusting the relative position between the substrate and the mask by moving at least one of the substrate and the mask in at least one of a first direction parallel to the deposition surface of the substrate, a second direction parallel to the deposition surface and intersecting the first direction, and a rotation direction about an axis of a third direction perpendicular to the deposition surface, based on position information of the alignment mark.

19. The film forming method according to claim 17 or 18.

20. The method further includes, before the checking step, a mask pulling step of pulling the mask toward the substrate so that the mask is lifted toward the substrate without contacting the substrate.

20. The film forming method according to claim 19.

21. In the mask pulling step, a mask pulling means that is disposed on the opposite side of the mask with respect to the substrate and pulls the mask is brought closer to the mask along the third direction.

21. The film forming method according to claim 20.

22. The alignment marks are provided in peripheral portions of at least one of the one or more opening regions, the peripheral portions being adjacent to both sides of the one or more opening regions in the first direction and the second direction.

20. The film forming method according to claim 19.

23. The method further includes a first image acquisition step of capturing images of the alignment marks by using panel alignment cameras provided at positions corresponding to the alignment marks, respectively, to acquire first images.

23. The film forming method according to claim 22.

24. a second image acquisition step of acquiring a second image by photographing peripheral alignment marks provided on the peripheral portions of the substrate and the mask; The method further includes a second relative position adjusting step of adjusting the relative position between the substrate and the mask in at least one of the first direction and the second direction based on the second image.

24. The film forming method according to claim 23.

25. After the second relative position adjustment step is performed, the confirmation step is performed.

25. The film forming method according to claim 24.

26. After the second relative position adjusting step is performed, the substrate and the mask are brought relatively close to each other, and then the checking step is performed.

26. The film forming method according to claim 25.

27. After the second relative position adjusting step is performed, the mask is pulled toward the substrate so that the mask can be lifted toward the substrate without contacting the substrate, and then the checking step is performed.

26. The film forming method according to claim 25.

28. the substrate includes a panel alignment mark provided on a peripheral portion of a panel region at a position corresponding to the alignment mark; In the first image acquisition step, the panel alignment mark is also imaged to acquire the first image.

24. The film forming method according to claim 23.

29. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute a film formation method for forming a film on one or more panel regions of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening regions through a mask having the opening regions, the program comprising: The film forming method is a film forming method according to claim 17 or 18. A computer-readable recording medium.

30. A computer program stored on a medium for causing a computer to execute a film formation method for forming a film on one or more panel regions of a substrate corresponding to one or more opening regions through a mask, the computer program comprising: The film forming method is a film forming method according to claim 17 or 18.

1. A computer program stored on a medium.

31. An electronic device is manufactured using the film forming method according to claim 17 or 18.

1. A method for manufacturing an electronic device comprising the steps of:

Images