Evaporation source for vacuum deposition apparatus

The deposition source with a two-chamber housing and butterfly valve system stabilizes sublimation rates and reduces size, addressing the inefficiencies of conventional apparatuses by minimizing waste and ensuring stable deposition.

JP7856456B2Active Publication Date: 2026-05-11ULVAC INC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
ULVAC INC
Filing Date
2022-03-22
Publication Date
2026-05-11

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional vacuum deposition apparatuses are large in size due to multiple components, and the deposition rate is difficult to stabilize during the initial heating phase, leading to waste of organic materials and potential thermal deterioration.

Method used

A deposition source with a housing box divided into two chambers and a butterfly valve that allows controlled vaporization or sublimation, using a drive unit to manage the valve's position and maintain a sealed state for stable sublimation, reducing the size and minimizing material waste.

Benefits of technology

The solution achieves a compact design with stable sublimation rates and reduced material waste, ensuring operational stability and precise control over deposition rates.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a vapor deposition source for vacuum deposition equipment, the vapor deposition source which can be downsized and has an excellent operation stability.SOLUTION: A vapor deposition source DS arranged in a vacuum chamber 1 and used for vapor deposition equipment Dm which performs vapor deposition on a vapor deposition-target by vaporizing or sublimating vapor deposition material Ms. The vapor deposition equipment has a housing box 4 with the inside divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, 4a and 4b by a partitioning member 5. In the partitioning member, a communication passage 51 is formed which allows communication of a first chamber 4a and a second chamber 4b. A butterfly valve 6 which is rotatable from a closed attitude orthogonal in a vertical direction is arranged in the communication passage. In a wall surface portion of a housing box defining the second chamber, an ejection portion 42a is arranged which enables vaporized or sublimated vapor deposition material to be ejected. In a closed attitude of the butterfly valve, a conductance between the first chamber and the second chamber is determined by a gap Cr between a valve plate portion 61 of the butterfly valve and an inner surface of the communication passage. When the vapor deposition material existing in the first chamber is vaporized or sublimated by heating, the second chamber is maintained in a non-leakage state of the vaporized or sublimated vapor deposition material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an evaporation source for a vacuum evaporation apparatus that is disposed in a vacuum chamber and vaporizes or sublimates an evaporation material to deposit it on a deposition target.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in the manufacturing process of an organic EL device, in a vacuum atmosphere, a solid evaporation material (organic material) such as α-NPD or 2-TNATA is vaporized or sublimated (hereinafter simply referred to as "sublimated") onto a substrate as a deposition target, and a predetermined thin film is deposited on the surface of the deposition target. In the deposition process, generally, a vacuum evaporation apparatus is used. As an evaporation source used in such a vacuum evaporation apparatus, one including a crucible filled with an organic material and heating means for heating the crucible is known. Then, the crucible is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 300°C) in a vacuum chamber in a vacuum atmosphere, and the organic material is heated and sublimated by heat conduction or radiant heat from the wall surface of the crucible, and the sublimated material is released from the upper surface opening of the crucible, whereby a predetermined thin film is deposited (formed) on the substrate surface. Such organic materials for such applications are relatively expensive and easily decompose or thermally deteriorate when more heat than necessary is applied.

[0003] The film formation rate when depositing on the substrate surface is mainly adjusted by the amount of heat applied to the crucible per unit time by the heating means. However, at the initial stage of heating the organic material, it is difficult to stabilize the sublimation amount while adjusting the amount of heat so that more heat than necessary does not be applied to the organic material. In such a case, for example, it is generally known to provide a shutter that covers the upper surface opening of the crucible, but this increases the amount of organic material wasted. Therefore, the following evaporation source for a vacuum evaporation apparatus is known, for example, from Patent Document 1. This includes a sublimation container filled with an organic material and having heating means, and a diffusion container in which a release portion (passage) for diffusing the sublimated evaporation material inside and releasing the diffused material is formed, and both containers are connected to each other by a communication pipe of a predetermined length provided with a flow rate adjustment valve.

[0004] At the start of heating, the flow control valve is closed, and once the sublimation rate in the sublimation vessel stabilizes, the flow control valve is opened. As a result, the organic material sublimated in the sublimation vessel is introduced into the diffusion vessel through the connecting pipe due to the pressure difference between the sublimation vessel and the diffusion vessel, and diffuses there. This diffused material is then released from the discharge section due to the pressure difference with the vacuum chamber. During film formation, the film formation rate can be adjusted by controlling the opening of the flow control valve. However, the conventional example described above consists of multiple components, such as a sublimation vessel, a diffusion vessel, and a connecting pipe with a flow control valve. Furthermore, when heating the sublimation vessel to a predetermined temperature, the connecting pipe must be made longer to prevent malfunctions due to thermal expansion of the components that operate the flow control valve. Consequently, the deposition source becomes larger, which in turn leads to the vacuum deposition apparatus becoming larger. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6207319 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In view of the above points, the object of the present invention is to provide a deposition source for a vacuum deposition apparatus that can be miniaturized and has good operational stability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a deposition source for a vacuum deposition apparatus, which is placed in a vacuum chamber to vaporize or sublimate a deposition material and deposit it onto a material to be deposited. The deposition source has a housing box whose interior is separated into two chambers, upper and lower, by a partition member. A communication passage is formed in the partition member that allows communication between the first chamber and the second chamber. A butterfly valve is provided in this communication passage that is rotatable from a closed position perpendicular to the vertical direction. A discharge section is provided on the wall surface of the housing box defining the second chamber, which allows the vaporized or sublimated deposition material to be released into the vacuum chamber. In the closed position of the butterfly valve, the conductance between the first chamber and the second chamber is determined by the gap between the valve plate of the butterfly valve and the inner wall surface of the communication passage. The deposition source is configured such that when the deposition material in the first chamber is heated to vaporize or sublimate, the second chamber is maintained in a non-leakage state of the vaporized or sublimated deposition material.

[0008] In the present invention, a pressure-receiving portion is formed on the valve stem portion of the butterfly valve located within the housing box, and a drive unit is further provided that applies a pressing force to the pressure-receiving portion to rotate the valve stem portion around its axis, thereby rotating the butterfly valve from a closed position to an open position. Preferably, the drive unit has a pressing rod that enters the housing box and applies a pressing force to the pressure-receiving portion, a bellows tube that is fitted onto the portion of the pressing rod that protrudes outside the housing box, and a drive unit that extends and retracts the bellows tube to move the pressing rod forward and backward. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which an upright wall portion is provided along the outer peripheral edge of the valve plate portion on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the valve plate portion of the butterfly valve.

[0009] According to the above, after filling the first chamber of the containment box with, for example, powdered deposition material at a predetermined filling rate, the butterfly valve is opened by the drive unit and the vacuum chamber is evacuated by a vacuum pump. At this time, since the second chamber of the containment box is in communication with the vacuum chamber via the discharge section, the inside of the containment box is also evacuated to the same pressure as the inside of the vacuum chamber. Once the inside of the vacuum chamber is evacuated to the predetermined pressure, the butterfly valve is closed and the containment box is heated by heating means provided around it. As a result, the deposition material is heated by heat transfer from the walls of the containment box and radiant heat (including radiant heat from the valve body), and begins to vaporize or sublimate.

[0010] As the vaporization or sublimation of the vapor-deposited material progresses, the pressure in the first chamber gradually becomes higher than that in the second chamber. However, by appropriately setting the conductance value of the gap between the valve plate of the butterfly valve and the inner wall surface of the communication passage, the second chamber can be maintained in a non-leakage state of the vaporized or sublimated vapor-deposited material (in other words, the first chamber can be made into a substantially sealed space). This allows the vaporization or sublimation rate to be quickly stabilized by vaporizing or sublimating the vapor-deposited material in the substantially sealed first chamber, which has a smaller volume, according to its vapor pressure curve. In this invention, "non-leakage state" does not only mean a state in which leakage of the vaporized or sublimated vapor-deposited material into the second chamber is completely prevented, but also includes a state in which a small amount of leakage of the vaporized or sublimated vapor-deposited material into the second chamber is permitted within a range that allows the first chamber to be made into a substantially sealed space and a state in which the vaporization or sublimation rate can be quickly stabilized.

[0011] The deposition material that leaks into the second chamber is released into the vacuum chamber through the discharge section, and the amount of deposition material wasted at this time can be significantly reduced compared to conventional methods. In the inventor's experiments, a container filled with deposition material was heated by applying a certain amount of heat using a heating means, and after a predetermined time had elapsed, the butterfly valve was alternately changed between the closed and open positions, and the deposition rate at each position was measured. It was confirmed that the deposition rate in the closed position could be reduced to 5% or less compared to the open position of the butterfly valve when the deposition rate was at its maximum. When the amount of vaporization or sublimation in the first chamber stabilizes, the butterfly valve is opened. As a result, the vaporized or sublimated deposition material in the first chamber is introduced into the second chamber through the connecting passage, diffused in the second chamber, and then released into the vacuum chamber through the discharge section due to the pressure difference between the second chamber and the vacuum chamber, where it is deposited (deposited) on the surface of the object to be deposited at a predetermined deposition rate. At this time, the deposition rate can be adjusted by controlling the rotation angle around the valve stem of the butterfly valve in the open position.

[0012] In this invention, by dividing the containment box into two chambers and incorporating a butterfly valve, and by giving this butterfly valve a flow rate adjustment function, the size can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional example described above. Moreover, the vaporization or sublimation rate of the deposition material can be stabilized in the containment box before being released into the vacuum chamber. Furthermore, by arranging the drive unit components other than the pressure rod that applies pressure to the pressure receiving part outside the containment box, and adopting a configuration in which the position of the butterfly valve can be changed only by the forward and backward movement (e.g., linear movement) of the pressure rod, the structure is less prone to malfunction. In addition, by using a bellows tube, it is possible to prevent the deposition material that has vaporized or sublimated inside the containment box from leaking outside the containment box. At this time, the pressure rod and bellows tube are also heated, so even if the vaporized or sublimated deposition material adheres to their surface, it will not return to a solid state and will vaporize or sublimate again, thus ensuring the operational stability of the pressure rod and bellows tube.

[0013] Incidentally, when the housing is heated by a heating means provided around it while the butterfly valve is in the closed position, the valve plate and valve stem of the butterfly valve are also heated and thermally expand. For this reason, depending on the area of ​​the valve plate and the temperature at which the vapor-deposited material is to be heated, it may be necessary to set a relatively large gap between the valve plate and the inner wall surface of the communication passage. In such cases, it is advantageous to provide an upright wall along the outer edge of the valve plate on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the valve plate of the butterfly valve, as this ensures a predetermined conductance value. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] A schematic partial cross-sectional view showing a vacuum deposition apparatus equipped with a deposition source according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] (a) is a magnified view of the deposition source shown in Figure 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view along line IIb-IIb in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A graph showing experimental results confirming the action of the present invention. [Figure 4] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the vapor deposition source in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The embodiments of the deposition source for the vacuum deposition apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, using as an example a case in which a predetermined organic film is deposited on one side of a glass substrate of a predetermined thickness having a rectangular outline (hereinafter referred to as "substrate Sw"), and the deposition material is a sublimable organic material Ms. In the following, terms indicating directions such as "up" and "down" will be based on Figure 1, which shows the installation position of the vacuum deposition apparatus.

[0016] Referring to Figure 1, the vacuum deposition apparatus Dm equipped with the deposition source DS of this embodiment includes a vacuum chamber 1. A vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum chamber 1 via an exhaust pipe (not shown in the figure), and a vacuum atmosphere can be formed by evacuating to a predetermined pressure (vacuum level). A substrate transport device 2 is provided at the top of the vacuum chamber 1. The substrate transport device 2 has a carrier 21 that holds the substrate Sw with its lower surface, which is the film deposition surface, open. A drive device (not shown) can transport the carrier 21, and by extension the substrate Sw, in one direction at a predetermined speed within the vacuum chamber 1. A known substrate transport device 2 can be used, so further explanation is omitted.

[0017] A plate-shaped mask plate 3 is provided between the substrate Sw, which is transported by the substrate transport device 2, and the deposition source DS. In this embodiment, the mask plate 3 is attached integrally with the substrate Sw and transported together with the substrate Sw by the substrate transport device 2. The mask plate 3 can also be fixed in place in the vacuum chamber 1 beforehand. Multiple openings 31 are formed in the mask plate 3 that penetrate in the thickness direction, and the deposition range of the sublimated organic material Ms on the substrate Sw is limited at positions where there are no openings 31, so that a film is formed (deposited) on the substrate Sw in a predetermined pattern. As for the mask plate 3, metals such as Invar, aluminum, and stainless steel can be used, as well as ceramics such as alumina and resins such as polyimide. The deposition source DS of this embodiment is provided on the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber 1, facing the substrate Sw.

[0018] Referring also to Figures 2(a) and (b), the vapor deposition source DS comprises a housing box 4 having a box portion 41 filled with organic material Ms at a predetermined filling rate and a lid plate portion 42 that detachably closes the top opening of the box portion 41, and a heating means Ht arranged around the housing box 4. Known heating means such as a sheath heater or a lamp heater can be used as the heating means Ht, and it can also be made of an induction heating coil. The housing box 4 is made of a material with good thermal conductivity and a high melting point (has heat resistance), such as stainless steel (SUS304, etc.), titanium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, or carbon. The lid plate portion 42 has discharge passages 42a formed in a predetermined pattern, which penetrate in the vertical direction (plate thickness direction) as discharge sections. The inside of the housing box 4 is separated into two upper and lower chambers 4a and 4b by a partition member 5. The partition member 5 is made of a plate of a predetermined thickness, formed from the same material as the storage box 4, and has a dish-shaped outline. In its approximately central region, a circular passage 51 is formed in plan view, penetrating in the vertical direction (thickness direction) to allow communication between the first chamber 4a located below and the second chamber 4b located above. A butterfly valve 6 is provided within the passage 51, which is rotatable from a closed position perpendicular to the vertical direction (longitudinal direction of the passage 51).

[0019] The butterfly valve 6, like the partition member 5 described above, is made of the same material as the housing box 4 and comprises a valve plate portion 61 that has a contour (circular in plan view) that matches the communication passage 51 and is housed within the communication passage 51, and a valve stem portion 62 that is integrally attached to the upper surface of the valve plate portion 61 by welding or the like. The area of ​​the valve plate portion 61 is set such that a predetermined gap Cr is formed between the valve plate portion 61 and the inner circumferential surface of the communication passage 51, taking into consideration, for example, the heating temperature of the organic material Ms, and the conductance between the first chamber 4a and the second chamber 4b is determined by the gap Cr (in other words, the size of the gap Cr is set so that a predetermined conductance value is obtained). As a result, when the organic material Ms filled in the first chamber 4a is heated and sublimated, the second chamber 4b is maintained in a non-leak state of the sublimated organic material Ms (that is, the first chamber 4a is made into a substantially sealed space that allows a small amount of sublimated organic material Ms to leak into the second chamber 4b).

[0020] The valve shaft portion 62 of the solid round bar is dimensioned to project outward from the outer peripheral edge thereof through the center of the valve plate portion 61. In this case, at a predetermined position of the partition member 5, receiving recesses 52a and 52b for receiving substantially the lower half of the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft portion 62 are formed to face each other, and both ends of the valve shaft portion 62 are rotatably engaged with these pair of receiving recesses 52a and 52b to support the butterfly valve 6. Further, at a predetermined position of the valve shaft portion 62, a tongue piece 63 as a pressure receiving portion is provided so as to project in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. In this case, corresponding to the position of the tongue piece 63, a storage portion 4c is provided at the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the box portion 41 with a height extending from the lower surface to the vicinity of the partition member 5. In the state where the storage box 4 is installed in the vacuum chamber 1, the storage portion 4c communicates with the atmospheric atmosphere through a through hole 11 formed in the lower wall of the vacuum chamber 1. A bellows tube 71 is disposed in the storage portion 4c. A support plate 72 for closing the opening thereof is joined to the lower flange 71a of the bellows tube 71 via a vacuum seal not shown, and normally, the support plate 72 is seated on a seating surface 41a formed at a predetermined position of the storage portion 4c.

[0021] The upper flange 71b of the bellows tube 71 is in close contact with the lower surface of the partition member 5 via a vacuum seal (not shown), thereby connecting the inside of the bellows tube 71 to the inside of the housing box 4 and separating it from the atmosphere. In this case, the drive shaft 73a of a drive unit 73 such as a linear motor is inserted through the through hole 11 formed in the vacuum chamber 1, and the linear motion of the drive shaft 73a allows the bellows tube 71 to be extended and retracted vertically by a predetermined stroke value. A pressing rod 74 is erected on the support plate 72 so as to move up and down (forward and backward) in accordance with the extension and retraction of the bellows tube 71. The upper end of the pressing rod 74 protrudes from the upper flange 71b into the housing box 4 through a through hole 53 formed at a predetermined position in the partition member 5, and normally abuts against the lower surface of the tongue piece 63. Then, when a pressing force is applied to the tongue 63 by the pressing rod 74, the valve stem 62 rotates around its axis, causing the butterfly valve 6 to rotate from a closed position to an open position, for example, approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction. At this time, by appropriately adjusting the protrusion height (i.e., stroke value) of the pressing rod 74, the inclination of the butterfly valve 6 with respect to the vertical direction can be changed. In this embodiment, components such as the bellows tube 71, the drive unit 73, and the pressing rod 74 constitute the drive unit 7.

[0022] When a film is deposited on a substrate Sw through a mask plate 3 using a vacuum deposition apparatus Dm equipped with the above deposition source DS, for example, powdered organic material Ms is filled into the first chamber 4a in the containment box 4 at a predetermined filling rate. Then, with the butterfly valve 6 opened by the drive unit 7, the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated using a vacuum pump (not shown). At this time, since the inside of the containment box 4 is in communication with the vacuum chamber 1 via the discharge passage 42a, the inside of the containment box 4 is also evacuated to the same pressure as the inside of the vacuum chamber 1. When the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated to the predetermined pressure, the drive shaft 73a of the drive unit 7 is moved downward to close the butterfly valve 6, and the containment box 4 is heated by the heating means Ht provided around it. As a result, the organic material Ms is heated by heat transfer and radiant heat from the walls of the containment box 4 (with the addition of radiant heat from the butterfly valve 6), and sublimation begins.

[0023] When the sublimation of the organic material Ms progresses, the pressure in the first chamber 4a gradually becomes higher than that in the second chamber 4b. However, since the conductance value between the first chamber 4a and the second chamber 4b is set to a predetermined value by the gap Cr, the sublimated organic material Ms can be maintained in a non-leaking state to the second chamber 4b (in other words, the inside of the first chamber 4a can be made into a substantially sealed space). As a result, by sublimating the organic material Ms in the substantially sealed first chamber 4a with a reduced volume according to its vapor pressure curve, its sublimation amount can be quickly stabilized. In this case, since a part of the organic material Ms leaked into the second chamber 4b may be released into the vacuum chamber 1 through the release passage 42a, at the beginning of film formation, a shutter (not shown) having a known structure may be provided to prevent film formation (evaporation) on the substrate Sw. At this time, the wasted organic material Ms can be made significantly less compared with the conventional one.

[0024] When the sublimation amount in the first chamber 4a becomes stable, the drive unit 7 again changes the butterfly valve 6 to an open posture. As a result, the sublimated organic material Ms in the first chamber 4a is introduced into the second chamber 4b through the communication passage 51, diffused in the second chamber 4b, and then released into the vacuum chamber 1 through the release passage 42a due to the pressure difference between the second chamber 4b and the inside of the vacuum chamber 1, and an organic film made of the organic material Ms is formed (evaporated) on the substrate Sw through the mask plate 3. At this time, if the stroke value of the pressing rod 74 is appropriately adjusted to control the rotation angle around the valve shaft portion 62 of the butterfly valve 6, the film formation rate can be adjusted.

[0025] To confirm the above effects, the following experiment was conducted using the vacuum deposition apparatus Dm described above. Specifically, the organic material Ms was set to α-NPD, and with the butterfly valve 6 in the closed position, a container 4 filled with the organic material Ms was heated by a heating means Ht in a vacuum chamber 1 under a vacuum atmosphere. After a predetermined time had elapsed, the butterfly valve 6 was alternately changed to the closed position and the open position when the pressing rod 74 was moved upward at its maximum stroke value, and a film was deposited on the substrate Sw. The deposition rate at that time was measured using a quartz crystal vibration type film thickness monitor (not shown) placed inside the vacuum chamber 1. According to this, as shown in Figure 3, the deposition rate fluctuated according to the change in the position of the butterfly valve 6, and it was confirmed that the deposition rate in the closed position could be reduced to 5% or less compared to the open position of the butterfly valve 6, where the deposition rate is at its maximum.

[0026] According to the above embodiment, by dividing the housing box 4 into two upper and lower chambers 4a and 4b and incorporating a butterfly valve 6, and giving this butterfly valve 6 a flow rate adjustment function, the size can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional example, and moreover, the amount of sublimation of the organic material Ms can be stabilized in the housing box 4 and then discharged from the discharge passage 42a to the vacuum chamber 1. Furthermore, the components of the drive unit 7 other than the pressing rod 74 that applies pressing force to the tongue piece 63 as a pressure receiving part are placed outside the housing box 4, and a configuration is adopted in which the posture of the butterfly valve 6 is changed only by the linear motion of the pressing rod 74, and since the butterfly valve 6 is supported only by engaging both ends of the valve shaft portion 62 with a pair of receiving recesses 52a and 52b, the structure can be made less prone to malfunction even when the housing box 4 is heated. Furthermore, because a bellows tube 71 is used, it is possible to prevent the sublimated organic material Ms from leaking out of the containment box 4. Also, since the pressing rod 74 and the bellows tube 71 are heated, even if the sublimated organic material Ms adheres to their surfaces, it will not return to a solid state and will sublimate again, thus ensuring the operational stability of the pressing rod 74 and the bellows tube 71.

[0027] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications are possible as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention. In the above embodiments, the drive unit 7 was described as being composed of components such as a bellows tube 71, a drive unit 73, and a pressing rod 74, but it is not limited to this, and other known means can be combined to construct the drive unit 7, as long as operational stability is ensured. Also, in the above embodiments, the pressing force was described as being applied by a pressing rod 74 that contacts the tongue piece 63, but it is not limited to this, and the upper end of the pressing rod 74 may be connected, for example, via a crank mechanism.

[0028] Incidentally, when the housing 4 is heated by the heating means Ht in the closed position of the butterfly valve 6, the valve plate portion 61 and valve stem portion 62 of the butterfly valve 6 are also heated and thermally expand. Therefore, depending on the area of ​​the valve plate portion 61 and the heating temperature of the organic material Ms, for example, it may be necessary to set the gap Cr to be relatively large. In such cases, as shown in the modified example in Figure 4, in which the same members and elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, upright wall portions 64a and 64b of a predetermined height may be provided along the outer peripheral edge of the valve plate portion 61 to secure a predetermined conductance value. In this modified example, a first upright wall portion 64a is formed on the upper outer peripheral edge of the valve plate portion 61 over a substantially semicircular area, corresponding to the direction in which the valve plate portion 61 is rotated by the drive unit 7, and a second upright wall portion 64b is formed on the lower outer peripheral edge of the valve plate portion 61 over the remaining substantially semicircular area, so as not to hinder the rotational movement of the valve plate portion 61. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] DS... Evaporation source for vacuum deposition apparatus, Dm... Vacuum deposition apparatus, Ms... Organic material (deposition material), Sw... Substrate (object to be deposited), 1... Vacuum chamber, 4... Housing box, 4a... First chamber, 4b... Second chamber, 42a... Discharge passage (discharge section), 5... Partition member, 51... Connecting passage, 6... Butterfly valve, Cr... Gap, 61... Valve plate section, 62... Valve stem section, 63... Tongue (pressure receiving section), 64a, 64b... Upright wall section, 7... Drive unit, 71... Bellows tube, 73... Drive unit, 74... Pressing rod.

Claims

1. In a vacuum deposition apparatus, which is placed inside a vacuum chamber and vaporizes or sublimes a deposition material to deposit onto an object to be deposited, It has a storage box whose interior is divided into two compartments, upper and lower, by a partition member. A passage is formed in the partition member that allows communication between the first chamber and the second chamber, and a butterfly valve that can rotate from a closed position perpendicular to the vertical direction is provided within this passage, and a discharge section is provided on the wall surface of the containment box defining the second chamber that allows the vaporized or sublimated deposition material to be discharged into the vacuum chamber. In the closed position of the butterfly valve, the conductance between the first chamber and the second chamber is determined by the gap between the valve plate of the butterfly valve and the inner wall surface of the communication passage, and the second chamber is configured to maintain a non-leakage state of the vaporized or sublimated vaporized material when the vaporized or sublimated vaporized material present in the first chamber is heated and vaporized or sublimated. A pressure-receiving portion is formed on the valve stem portion of the butterfly valve located within the aforementioned housing box, and a drive unit is further provided that applies pressing force to this pressure-receiving portion to rotate the valve stem portion around its axis, thereby rotating the butterfly valve from a closed position to an open position. A vapor deposition source for a vacuum deposition apparatus, characterized in that the drive unit comprises a pressing rod that enters the housing box and applies pressing force to a pressure receiving part, a bellows tube that is externally fitted to the portion of the pressing rod that protrudes outside the housing box, and a drive unit that extends and retracts the bellows tube to move the pressing rod forward and backward.

2. A vapor deposition source for a vacuum deposition apparatus, which is arranged in a vacuum chamber and vaporizes or sublimes a deposition material to deposit onto an object to be deposited, It has a storage box whose interior is divided into two compartments, upper and lower, by a partition member. A passage is formed in the partition member that allows communication between the first chamber and the second chamber, and a butterfly valve that can rotate from a closed position perpendicular to the vertical direction is provided within this passage, and a discharge section is provided on the wall surface of the containment box defining the second chamber that allows the vaporized or sublimated deposition material to be discharged into the vacuum chamber. In the closed position of the butterfly valve, the conductance between the first chamber and the second chamber is determined by the gap between the valve plate of the butterfly valve and the inner wall surface of the communication passage, and the second chamber is configured to maintain a non-leakage state of the vaporized or sublimated vaporized material when the vaporized or sublimated vaporized material present in the first chamber is heated and vaporized or sublimated. A vapor deposition source for a vacuum deposition apparatus, characterized in that an upright wall portion is provided along the outer peripheral edge of the valve plate portion on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the valve plate portion of the butterfly valve.