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

Abstract

This film formation apparatus forms a vapor deposition material into a film on a pixel formation region of a substrate such that a mask having a plurality of openings is interposed therebetween, and includes a placement part on which a contact region that is at least a portion of a peripheral edge region surrounding the pixel formation region is placed. The placement part has the substrate placed thereon, the substrate having a wall part formed between the pixel formation region and the contact region such that the surface of the pixel formation region protrudes farther than the contact region toward the mask side.

Description

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

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

[0002] A technique is known in which a substrate and a mask are aligned, and then a deposition material is deposited on the substrate through the mask to form a film. The film is formed in a state in which the aligned substrate and the mask are in close contact with each other. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of a film formation apparatus in which a substrate placed on a mounting section is aligned with a mask and a film is formed.

[0003] JP 2022-007538 A

[0004] From the viewpoint of improving the adhesion between the substrate and the mask and protecting the mask, it is preferable to prevent particles that may be generated by contact between the substrate and the mounting part from getting between the substrate and the mask.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique that can prevent particles from getting between a substrate and a mask.

[0006] A film formation apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a film formation apparatus that forms a film of a deposition material on a pixel formation region of a substrate through a mask having a plurality of openings, and includes a mounting portion on which at least a part of a contact region of a peripheral region of the pixel formation region is mounted, and the mounting portion mounts the substrate on which a wall portion is formed between the pixel formation region and the contact region so that a surface of the pixel formation region protrudes from the contact region toward the mask.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that can prevent particles from getting between a substrate and a mask.

[0008] Schematic diagram of a part of a manufacturing line for electronic devices. Schematic diagram of a film formation apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. Perspective view of a substrate and a mask, and a partial enlarged view of the mask. Partial enlarged view of a substrate and a mask. Partial enlarged view of a substrate and a mask. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3A, 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 3A, and 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 3A. 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film formation apparatus of FIG. 2. 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film formation apparatus of FIG. 2. 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film formation apparatus of FIG. 2. 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film formation apparatus of FIG. 2. 9A and 9B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film formation apparatus of FIG. 2. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of another example of the substrate configuration.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment Electronic Device Manufacturing Line Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the configuration of an electronic device manufacturing line 100 to which the film forming apparatus of the present invention can be applied. In each drawing, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are orthogonal to each other, and arrow Z indicates the up-down direction (the direction of gravity). The manufacturing line of Figure 1 is used, for example, for manufacturing light-emitting elements of organic EL display devices. The manufacturing line 100 includes a transfer chamber 120 that is octagonal in plan view. A substrate 101 is carried into the transfer chamber 120 from a transfer path 110, and the substrate 101 on which a film has been formed is carried out from the transfer chamber 120 to a transfer path 111.

[0011] A plurality of film formation apparatuses 1 for performing film formation processing on substrates 101 are arranged around the transfer chamber 120. A transfer chamber 130 is arranged adjacent to each film formation apparatus 1. A storage chamber 140 for storing a mask 102 is arranged around the transfer chamber 130, which has an octagonal shape in a plan view.

[0012] A transport unit 121 that transports the substrate 101 is disposed in the transport chamber 120. The transport unit 121 in this embodiment is a horizontal articulated robot that transports the substrate 101 by mounting it in a horizontal position on its hand portion. The transport unit 121 performs a transport operation of transporting the substrate 101 that is transported from the transport path 110 to the film forming apparatus 1, and a transport operation of transporting the substrate 101 that has been film-formed in the film forming apparatus 1 from the film forming chamber 1 to the transport path 111.

[0013] A transfer unit 131 for transferring the mask 102 is disposed in each transfer chamber 130. The transfer unit 131 in this embodiment is a horizontal articulated robot, and transfers the mask 102 by mounting it in a horizontal position on its hand portion. The transfer unit 131 performs an operation of transferring the mask 102 from the storage chamber 140 to the film forming apparatus 1, and an operation of transferring the mask 102 from the film forming apparatus 1 to the storage chamber 140.

[0014] <Film Forming Apparatus> Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The film forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a film of a vapor deposition material on a substrate 101, and forms a thin film of the vapor deposition material in a predetermined pattern using a mask 102. The material of the substrate 101 on which a film is formed in the film forming apparatus 1 can be appropriately selected from materials such as glass, resin, and metal. In particular, in this embodiment, the substrate 101 is, for example, a glass substrate on which TFTs (Thin Film Transistors) are formed or a silicon wafer on which semiconductor elements are formed.

[0015] The deposition material may be an organic material, an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.), or the like. The film formation apparatus 1 is applicable to manufacturing apparatuses for manufacturing electronic devices such as display devices (flat panel displays, etc.), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), as well as optical components, and is particularly applicable to manufacturing apparatuses for manufacturing organic EL panels. In the following description, an example will be described in which the film formation apparatus 1 forms a film on the substrate 101 by vacuum deposition, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various film formation methods such as sputtering and CVD can be applied.

[0016] The film forming apparatus 1 has a box-shaped vacuum chamber 2. The interior space of the vacuum chamber 2 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. In this embodiment, the vacuum chamber 2 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). A vapor deposition unit 10 is disposed in the interior space of the vacuum chamber 2. The vapor deposition unit 10 includes a vapor deposition source (film formation source) that emits a vapor deposition material (film formation material) upward. A shutter 10a is disposed above the vapor deposition unit 10 to restrict and release the emission of the vapor deposition material. The shutter 10a is opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown). FIG. 2 shows the shutter 10a in a closed state, restricting the emission of the vapor deposition material from the vapor deposition unit 10. A deposition shield 2a is also disposed above the vapor deposition unit 10. The deposition shield 2a prevents the vapor deposition material from undesirably adhering to the following components disposed above the interior space of the vacuum chamber 2.

[0017] A substrate support plate 3 that supports the substrate 101 in a horizontal position is provided in the internal space of the vacuum chamber 2. In this embodiment, the substrate support plate 3 is an electrostatic chuck that attracts and holds the substrate 101 to its lower surface by electrostatic force. A cooling plate 4 is fixed on the substrate support plate 3. The cooling plate 4 is equipped with, for example, a water cooling mechanism, and cools the substrate 101 via the substrate support plate 3 during film formation.

[0018] The substrate support plate 3 and the cooling plate 4 are suspended from the magnetic plate 5 via the support parts 5a so as to be displaceable in the Z direction. The magnetic plate 11 is a plate that attracts the mask 102 by magnetic force. During film formation, the substrate 101 is sandwiched between the magnetic plate 11 and the mask 102 by magnetic force, thereby improving the adhesion between the substrate 101 and the mask 102.

[0019] The film forming apparatus 1 includes a mask support unit 6 that supports the mask 102 during film formation. In this embodiment, the mask support unit 6 also transfers the substrate 101 between the transport unit 121 and the substrate support plate 3. The mask support unit 6 includes a pair of support members 6a spaced apart in the X direction. Each support member 6a is raised and lowered by a corresponding actuator 6b. In this embodiment, an actuator 6b is provided for each support member 6a. However, a single actuator 6b may be used to raise and lower the pair of support members 6a. The actuator 6b may be, for example, an electric cylinder or an electric ball screw mechanism. The support member 6a includes a claw portion F1 (mounting portion) at its lower end. The peripheral edge of the substrate 101 or the mask 102 is placed on the claw portion F1. In the example of FIG. 2, the mask 102 is placed on the claw portion F1. The pair of support members 6a are raised and lowered synchronously to raise and lower the substrate 101 or the mask 102.

[0020] The film forming apparatus 1 includes an alignment unit 8 that aligns the substrate 101 and the mask 102. The alignment apparatus 8 includes a drive mechanism 80 and a plurality of measurement units SR. The drive mechanism 80 includes a distance adjustment unit 81, a support shaft 82, a stand 83, and a position adjustment unit 84.

[0021] The distance adjustment unit 81 is a mechanism for raising and lowering the support shaft 82 in the Z direction, and includes, for example, an electric cylinder or an electric ball screw mechanism. A magnet plate 5 is fixed to the lower end of the support shaft 82, and raising and lowering the support shaft 82 raises and lowers the substrate support plate 3 via the magnet plate 5. By raising and lowering the substrate support plate 3, the distance between the substrate 101 and the mask 102 is adjusted, and the substrate 101 and the mask 102 supported by the substrate support plate 3 are moved closer to or farther apart in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 101. In other words, the distance adjustment unit 81 brings the substrate 101 and the mask 102 closer to or farther apart in the overlapping direction. Note that the "distance" adjusted by the distance adjustment unit 81 is the so-called vertical distance (or perpendicular distance), and the distance adjustment unit 81 can also be said to be a unit that adjusts the vertical position of the substrate 101. The distance adjustment unit 81 is mounted on the position adjustment unit 84 via a stand 83.

[0022] The position adjustment unit 84 adjusts the relative position of the substrate 101 with respect to the mask 102 by displacing the substrate support plate 3 on the X-Y plane. In other words, the position adjustment unit 80 can also be said to be a unit that adjusts the horizontal positions of the mask 102 and the substrate 101. The position adjustment unit 80 can displace the substrate support plate 6 in a rotational direction (θ direction) around axes in the X, Y, and Z directions. In this embodiment, the position of the mask 102 is fixed and the substrate 101 is displaced to adjust their relative positions, but the mask 102 may also be displaced to adjust the position, or both the substrate 101 and the mask 102 may be displaced.

[0023] The position adjustment unit 84 includes a fixed plate 20a and a movable plate 20b. The fixed plate 84a and the movable plate 84b are rectangular frame-shaped plates, and the fixed plate 84a is fixed onto the upper wall 20 of the vacuum chamber 2. An actuator is provided between the fixed plate 20a and the movable plate 20b to displace the movable plate 20b relative to the fixed plate 20a in the X-direction, Y-direction, and rotational directions around the Z-direction axes.

[0024] A frame-shaped base 83 is mounted on the movable plate 84b, and the base 83 supports the distance adjustment unit 81. When the movable plate 84b is displaced, the base 83 and the distance adjustment unit 81 are displaced together. This allows the substrate 101 to be displaced in the X-, Y-, and Z-direction rotational directions around the axes. Openings are formed in the upper wall 20, through which the support shaft 82 and the support members 6a and 7a pass. These openings are sealed with sealing members (such as bellows) (not shown), maintaining airtightness within the vacuum chamber 2.

[0025] The measurement unit SR measures the positional misalignment between the substrate 101 and the mask 102. In this embodiment, the measurement unit SR is an imaging device (camera) that captures images. The measurement unit SR is disposed on the upper wall portion 20 and is capable of capturing images inside the vacuum chamber 2. Alignment marks (not shown) are formed on the substrate 101 and the mask 102, respectively. The measurement unit SR captures images of each alignment mark on the substrate 101 and the mask 102. The amount of positional misalignment between the substrate 101 and the mask 102 is calculated based on the position of each alignment mark, and the position adjustment unit 84 adjusts the relative positions of the substrate 101 and the mask 102 to eliminate the amount of positional misalignment.

[0026] The control device 9 controls the entire film forming apparatus 1. The control device 9 includes a processing unit 90, a storage unit 91, an input / output interface (I / O) 92, and a communication unit 93. The processing unit 90 is a processor typified by a CPU, and controls the film forming apparatus 1 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 92. The storage unit 91 is a storage device such as a ROM, RAM, or HDD, and stores various control information in addition to the program executed by the processing unit 90. The I / O 92 is an interface that transmits and receives signals between the processing unit 90 and an external device. The communication unit 93 is a communication device that communicates with a higher-level device or another control device via a communication line.

[0027] 3A, 3B, and 3C show examples of the configuration of the substrate 101 and the mask 102. The substrate 101 is a circular silicon wafer, and after film formation and the like, a plurality of chips 101a are cut out from the substrate 101. The mask 102 is a circular member like the substrate 101, and includes mask portions 102b corresponding to each chip 101a and a frame portion 102a surrounding the mask portions 102b. A plurality of openings (through holes) 102c are formed in the mask portions 102b, through which a deposition material to be deposited on the substrate 101 passes, and the deposition pattern on the substrate 101 is defined by the arrangement of the openings 102c.

[0028] FIG. 3B is a partially enlarged view of the substrate 101 and the mask 102, and FIG. 3BA in FIG. 3B is a plan view (XY plan view) of the substrate 101 as viewed from the Z direction, in which pixels corresponding to the plurality of chips 101a are formed in the pixel formation region 300. A region (peripheral region 310) surrounding the pixel formation region 300 is provided around the pixel formation region 300. The claw portion F1 (placing portion) moves in the left-right direction (X direction) to place at least a portion (contact region 311) of the peripheral region 310 of the substrate 101. As shown in FIG. 3BA in FIG. 3B, the substrate 101 may be placed on the claw portion F1 at multiple contact regions 311 in the left-right direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 3BA in FIG. 3B, the substrate 101 may be placed on the claw portion F1 at four contact regions 311, two on each side.

[0029] 3BB in FIG. 3B is a side view (XZ side view) of the substrate 101 as viewed from the Y direction. Between the pixel formation region 300 and the contact region 311, a wall portion 312 is formed so that the surface of the pixel formation region 300 protrudes from the contact region 311 toward the mask 102 (mask side). In 3BB in FIG. 3B, the height of the wall portion 312 is H1, and the distance (length) between the wall portion 312 of the substrate 101 and the edge of the substrate 101 is L1. The substrate 101 on which the wall portion 312 is formed has a stepped shape in which the thickness of the contact region 311 (H0-H1) is thinner than the thickness H0 of the pixel formation region 300. Similar wall portions 312 are formed in each contact region 311 that is placed on the claw portion F1, and similar stepped shapes are provided. The substrate 101 is a silicon wafer, and the wall portion 312 can be provided as a structure formed on the substrate 101 using a semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0030] 3BC in Figure 3B is a side view (XZ side view) of the substrate 101 and the mask 102 as viewed from the Y direction, and is a side view of the mask 102 as viewed from the Y direction in a positional relationship corresponding to the substrate 101. A region (peripheral region 410) surrounding the mask region 102e, in which the multiple mask portions 102b are formed, is provided around the periphery of the mask region 102e. The claw portion F1 moves in the left-right direction (X direction) to place at least a portion of the peripheral region 410 of the mask 102 (contact region 411).

[0031] The mask 102 has wall portions 412 formed such that the surface of the mask 102 facing the pixel formation region 300 of the substrate 101 (the surface of the mask region 102e) protrudes from the contact region 411 toward the substrate 101 (substrate side). In 3BC of FIG. 3B , the height H2 of the wall portions 412 of the mask 102 may be the same as the height H1 of the wall portions 312 of the substrate 101, or may be formed to be higher than the height H1 of the wall portions 312 of the substrate 101. The mask 102 on which the wall portions 412 are formed has a stepped shape in which the thickness of the contact region 411 is thinner than the thickness of the mask region 102e.

[0032] The distance (length) between the wall portion 412 of the mask 102 and the edge of the mask 102 is L2. The wall portion 412 of the mask 102 is formed at a position where the distance L2 between the wall portion 412 of the mask 102 and the edge of the mask 102 is longer than the distance L1 between the wall portion 312 of the substrate 101 and the edge of the substrate 101 (L2>L1). The wall portion 412 can be formed on the mask 102 using a mask manufacturing process.

[0033] FIG. 3C is a partial enlarged view of the substrate 101 and the mask 102, and FIG. 3C 3CA is a partial enlarged view of the substrate 101 and the mask 102 in a comparative example. In the comparative example, the wall portion 312 of the substrate 101 and the wall portion 412 of the mask 102 are not provided. When the substrate 101 or the mask 102 comes into contact with the claw portion F1 when placed on the claw portion F1, particles P may be generated due to friction and wear during contact. In the comparative example, the generated particles P are easily infiltrated into the pixel formation region 300. If the generated particles P adhere between the pixel formation region 300 and the surface of the mask 102 (the surface of the mask region 102e), this may cause adhesion to be impaired. Furthermore, depending on the size of the particles P, it may be impossible to ensure an accurate positional relationship between the pixel formation region 300 and the mask 102 during film formation, which may result in blurred patterns.

[0034] 3CB in FIG. 3C is a partially enlarged view of the substrate 101 and the mask 102 according to the embodiment. Even if particles P are generated due to contact with the claws F1 when the substrate 101 or the mask 102 is placed on the claws F1, the particles P are held (retained) by the stepped shape of the wall portions 312, thereby preventing the particles P from entering (mixing) into the pixel formation region 300. According to the configuration of this embodiment, by preventing the particles P from entering the pixel formation region 300, it is possible to improve adhesion between the pixel formation region 300 and the surface of the mask 102 (the surface of the mask region 102e). This ensures an accurate positional relationship between the pixel formation region 300 and the mask 102 during film formation, enabling the formation of patterns with higher precision.

[0035] 3C 3CC is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of 3CB in Fig. 3C, in which the claw portion F1 (placing portion) is provided with a collection portion 350 that collects particles P that may be generated when the substrate 101 is placed. The collection portion 350 is provided at a position near the placement surface SF where the claw portion F1 abuts against the contact region 311.

[0036] In one example of the configuration of the collection unit 350, the collection unit 350 can collect (attract) particles P by electrostatic force. For example, a charged sheet (charged member) may be provided inside the housing of the collection unit 350, and by applying a predetermined voltage to the charged sheet, the charged sheet may be charged and collect particles by electrostatic force.

[0037] The processing unit 90 can control the application of a predetermined voltage to the charged sheet from the power supply of the film forming apparatus 1. For example, a detection unit (sensor) that detects the amount (number or concentration) of particles P may be provided in the film forming apparatus 1, and the processing unit 90 may control the predetermined voltage based on the amount of particles P detected by the detection unit.

[0038] As another example of the configuration of the collection unit 350, it may be configured as an adhesive member that collects particles by adhesive force. For example, an adhesive member that collects particles P by adhesive force may be attached to a position near the mounting surface SF as the collection unit 350. In addition to this, in addition to the configuration using electrostatic force, an adhesive member may be attached to the outside of the housing of the collection unit 350, and electrostatic force may be generated by a charged sheet (charged member) inside the housing, and particles may be collected based on the adhesive force of the adhesive member and the electrostatic force.

[0039] Furthermore, as a configuration for preventing particles P from entering the pixel formation region 300, a protrusion 360 protruding from the pixel formation region 300 toward the mask 102 may be provided between the pixel formation region 300 and the contact region 311. The protrusion 360 may be formed integrally with the substrate 101 by a semiconductor manufacturing process, or may be a separate member. In order to improve adhesion between the substrate 101 and the mask 102, the height of the protrusion 360 may be, for example, higher than the height H1 of the wall portion 312 of the substrate 101 and equal to or less than the combined height (H1 + H2) of the height H1 of the wall portion 312 of the substrate 101 and the height H2 of the wall portion 412 of the mask 102.

[0040] The position where the protrusion 360 is provided is not limited to between the pixel formation region 300 and the contact region 311, and it may be provided in a region surrounding the pixel formation region 300. In this case, a recess may be provided in a region surrounding the mask region 102e (peripheral region 410) so as to avoid contact between the protrusion 360 and the mask 102.

[0041] Although FIG. 3C shows an example in which the protrusion 360 is provided on the substrate 101 side, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the protrusion 360 may be provided on the mask 102 side.

[0042] Alternatively, the substrate 101 may be provided with the protrusion 360 instead of the wall 312. In this case, the height of the protrusion 360 may be equal to or less than the height H2 of the wall 412 of the mask 102 in order to improve the adhesion between the substrate 101 and the mask 102.

[0043] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views taken along lines A-A, B-B, and C-C in FIG. 3A. The mask 102 includes a mask body 1020 and a magnetic body 1021 formed on the mask body 1020. The mask body 1020 is made of a non-magnetic material such as silicon (Si). By using a silicon wafer as the mask body 1020, finer and more precise openings 102c can be formed by applying semiconductor manufacturing technology. The frame portion 102a is a relatively thick portion, and the mask portion 102b is a relatively thin portion. The frame portion 102a has higher rigidity than the mask portion 102b. The mask portion 102b can be made thinner without significantly reducing the overall rigidity of the mask 102.

[0044] A plurality of slits 102d are formed on the surface of the mask body 102. Each slit 102d is a cross-shaped groove with a bottom formed in the mask portion 102b in plan view. By forming the slits 102d, deformation at the slits 102 can be tolerated when stress acts on the mask body 102, preventing damage such as cracking of the mask body 102.

[0045] The magnetic material 1021 is, for example, a thin film of a magnetic material such as nickel (Ni). In this embodiment, the magnetic force of the magnet plate 5 brings the mask 102 and the substrate 101 into close contact with each other during film formation. If the mask body 1020 is made of a non-magnetic material as in this embodiment, the magnetic force alone cannot provide a close contact effect. By forming the magnetic material 1021 on the mask body 1020, the magnetic force of the magnet plate 5 acts on the magnetic material 1021, thereby providing a close contact effect between the mask 102 and the substrate 101.

[0046] The magnetic material 1021 in this embodiment is formed on the surface of the mask body 1020, particularly on the surface that overlaps with the substrate 101. The magnetic force allows the mask 102 and the substrate 101 to adhere to each other. The magnetic material 1021 is formed to surround each of the openings 102c, and in this embodiment, the magnetic material 1021 is generally formed in a lattice pattern with vertical and horizontal lines intersecting each other at right angles. This improves the adhesion between the mask 102 and the substrate 101 due to the magnetic force around the openings 102c, allowing the deposition material released through the openings 102c to be deposited accurately on the desired portion of the substrate 101.

[0047] <Control Example> An example of control of the film forming apparatus 1 executed by the processing unit 90 of the control unit 9 will be described. Figures 5A in Figure 5 to 9B in Figure 9 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film forming apparatus 1, showing an example from loading of the substrate 101 to film formation and unloading. Here, the configurations of the substrate 101 and the mask 102 are as described in Figures 3B and 3C.

[0048] 5A in Fig. 5 shows the state in which the substrate 101 has been carried into the vacuum chamber 2. The substrate 101 is carried below the substrate support plate 3 by the transfer robot 121. The substrate attraction surface 3a on the underside of the substrate support plate 3 is horizontal. Next, the mask support unit 6 transfers the substrate 101 from the transfer robot 121 to the substrate support plate 3. 5B in Fig. 5 shows this operation. By raising the support member 6a, the peripheral edge of the substrate 101 is placed on the claws F1, and the substrate 101 is raised from the transfer robot 121 and pressed against the substrate attraction surface 3a of the substrate support plate 3. The electrostatic chuck of the substrate support plate 3 is activated to attract and hold the substrate 101.

[0049] Next, the mask 102 is carried into the vacuum chamber 2. 6A in FIG. 6 shows the state in which the mask 102 has been carried into the vacuum chamber 2. The mask 102 is carried into the vacuum chamber 2 from the storage chamber 140 by the transfer robot 131. The mask 102 is positioned directly below the substrate 101. Next, the mask 102 is transferred from the transfer robot 131 to the mask support unit 6 and positioned at the alignment position. 6B in FIG. 6 shows this operation. By raising the support member 6a, the periphery of the mask 102 is placed on the claw portion F1, and the mask 102 is raised from the transfer robot 131. The mask 102 is supported by the support member 6a, and by further raising, it is positioned at the alignment position. In this embodiment, the mask 102 is raised to be positioned at the alignment position, but a configuration in which the substrate 101 is lowered to be positioned at the alignment position may also be used.

[0050] Next, an alignment operation is performed. As shown in 7A of Figure 7, the measurement unit SR measures the relative positions of the alignment marks on the substrate 101 and the mask 102. If the measurement result (the amount of misalignment between the substrate 101 and the mask 102) is within the allowable range, the alignment operation is terminated. If the measurement result is outside the allowable range, a control amount (the amount of displacement of the substrate 101) is set based on the measurement result to bring the amount of misalignment within the allowable range.

[0051] The "amount of misalignment" is defined as the distance and direction (X, Y, θ) of the misalignment. Based on the set control amount, the position adjustment unit 80 is operated as shown in FIG. 7B. This displaces the substrate support plate 3 on the XY plane, and the relative position of the substrate 101 with respect to the mask 102 is adjusted.

[0052] Whether or not the measurement results are within the allowable range can be determined, for example, by calculating the distances between the alignment marks and comparing the average value or sum of squares of the distances with a preset threshold value.

[0053] After adjusting the relative positions, the measurement unit SR again measures the relative positions of the alignment marks on the substrate 101 and the mask 102. If the measurement result is within the tolerance range, the alignment operation is terminated. If the measurement result is outside the tolerance range, the relative position of the substrate 101 with respect to the mask 102 is adjusted again. Thereafter, measurement and relative position adjustment are repeated until the measurement result falls within the tolerance range.

[0054] Next, a film formation operation is performed. First, the substrate 101 is placed on the mask 102. 8A in FIG. 8 shows this operation. When the substrate support plate 3 is lowered, the substrate 101 is placed on the mask 102, and the entire surface to be processed of the substrate 101 comes into contact with the mask 102. The magnetic plate 5 abuts on the cooling plate 4, and from above, the magnetic plate 5, cooling plate 4, substrate support plate 3, substrate 101, and mask 102 are in close contact. The magnetic force of the magnetic plate 5 attracts the mask 102, allowing the mask 102 and the substrate 101 to be in close contact with each other overall. Since the mask 102 is formed with magnetic material 1021 (FIG. 3A, 4B in FIG. 4, and 4C in FIG. 4), a stronger magnetic attraction force can be obtained. As described above, according to this embodiment, the mask 102 made of a non-magnetic material can be used, and the adhesion between the substrate 101 and the mask 102 can be improved. Furthermore, even if stress is generated in the mask body 1020 due to the action of magnetic force, deformation is permitted by the slits 102d, and damage such as cracking of the mask 1020 can be prevented.

[0055] 8B, the shutter 10a is opened to release the deposition material from the deposition unit 10. The deposition material is deposited on the substrate 101 through the mask 102.

[0056] When this film formation is completed, the mask 102 and the substrate 101 are each unloaded. 9A in FIG. 9 shows the operation of unloading the mask 102. First, the magnetic plate 5 is raised, and the substrate 101 and the mask 102 are separated from each other. After the hand portion of the transport robot 131 is advanced below the mask 102, the support member 6a of the mask support unit 6 is lowered, and the mask 102 is transferred from the support member 6a to the transport robot 131. The transport robot 131 transports the mask 102 to the storage chamber 140.

[0057] Next, the substrate 101 on which the film has been formed is carried out. The support members 6a of the mask support unit 6 are raised, and the substrate 101 is supported from below by the claws F1. The suction of the substrate support unit 3 to the substrate 101 is released, and the substrate 101 is transferred to the support members 6a. After the hand portion of the transfer robot 121 is advanced below the substrate 101, the support members 6a of the mask support unit 6 are lowered, and the substrate 101 is transferred from the support members 6a to the transfer robot 121, as shown in FIG. 9B . The transfer robot 121 transports the substrate 101 to the transport path 111. This completes the operations from carrying in the substrate 101, to film formation, and carrying it out.

[0058] 4 illustrates an example in which the magnetic material 1021 is formed on the mask body 1020, but the magnetic material may also be formed on the substrate 101. 10A and 10B of FIG. 10 show an example of this. These figures correspond to the cross-sectional view of 4B of FIG. 4 and also show cross-sectional views of the substrate 101 aligned with respect to the mask 102.

[0059] 10A, a magnetic body 101d is formed on the substrate 101 around one pixel region 101b, which is the target region for deposition. In the illustrated example, the magnetic body 101d is formed on the surface of a bank 101c around the one pixel region 101b. The magnetic body 101d is a thin film made of a magnetic material such as nickel (Ni). The magnetic body 101d and the magnetic body 1021 are arranged in a position where they overlap when the substrate 101 and the mask 102 are appropriately aligned.

[0060] 10B shows a state in which the substrate 101 is superimposed on the mask 102 after the substrate 101 and the mask 102 have been aligned. The magnetic force of the magnetic plate 5 causes the magnetic material 101d and the magnetic material 1021 to attract each other, improving the adhesion between the substrate 101 and the mask 102. Furthermore, the magnetic material 101d and the magnetic material 1021 attract each other, thereby self-aligning the relative positions of the opening 102c and the pixel region 101b, allowing the evaporation material to be more accurately evaporated onto the pixel region 101b, which is the target region for evaporation, through the opening 102c.

[0061] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more of the functions.

[0062] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

[0063] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-126420, filed on August 2, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0064] 1: film forming apparatus, 8: alignment unit, 10: vapor deposition unit (film forming source), 101: substrate, 102: mask, 300: pixel formation region, 310:, 311:, 312: wall portion (wall portion of substrate), 412: wall portion (wall portion of mask)

Claims

1. A film formation apparatus for depositing a deposition material on a pixel formation region of a substrate through a mask having a plurality of openings, comprising a mounting portion for mounting at least a portion of a contact region of a peripheral region of the pixel formation region, the mounting portion mounting the substrate on which a wall portion is formed between the pixel formation region and the contact region such that a surface of the pixel formation region protrudes from the contact region toward the mask.

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate on which the wall portion is formed has a stepped shape in which the thickness of the contact region is thinner than the thickness of the pixel formation region.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is a silicon wafer, and the wall portion is a structure formed on the substrate using a semiconductor manufacturing process.

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a protruding portion protruding from the pixel formation region toward the mask side between the pixel formation region and the contact region.

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the contact area of ​​the peripheral region of the mask is placed on the placement portion, and the placement portion places the mask on which a wall portion is formed so that the surface of the mask facing the pixel formation region protrudes from the contact area of ​​the mask toward the substrate.

6. A film forming apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that the wall portion of the mask is formed at a position where the distance between the wall portion of the mask and the edge of the mask is longer than the distance between the wall portion of the substrate and the edge of the substrate.

7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the mask on which the wall portion is formed has a stepped shape in which the thickness of the contact area of ​​the mask is thinner than the thickness of the area of ​​the mask facing the pixel formation area.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion is provided with a collector for collecting particles at a position near the mounting surface that contacts the contact area.

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the collection section includes a charged member, and collects the particles by electrostatic force of the charged member which is charged by applying a predetermined voltage thereto.

10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a detection unit that detects the amount of said particles; and a processing unit that controls a predetermined voltage based on the amount of said particles detected by said detection unit.

11. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein an adhesive member for collecting the particles by adhesive force is attached as the collecting portion to a position near the mounting surface.

12. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising a film forming step of forming a film on a substrate using the film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A film formation method for a film formation apparatus which forms a film with a deposition material on a pixel formation region of a substrate through a mask having a plurality of openings, the film formation method comprising a placing step of placing at least a contact region of a peripheral region of the pixel formation region on a placing section of the film formation apparatus, wherein in the placing step, the substrate, in which a wall portion is formed between the pixel formation region and the contact region such that a surface of the pixel formation region protrudes from the contact region towards the mask, is placed on the placing section.

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