Substrate support unit, transfer device, film deposition device, film deposition method, and electronic device manufacturing method

Abstract

This substrate support unit for supporting a substrate comprises: a first support part for supporting a first edge part of the substrate; and a second support part for supporting a second edge part on the opposite side of the substrate from the first edge part. The first support part comprises a first restriction means for restricting the displacement of the first edge part in the inward direction more than the displacement in the outward direction of the substrate.

Description

Substrate supporting unit, transfer device, film forming device, film forming method, and electronic device manufacturing method

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

[0002] In the manufacture of organic electroluminescence displays and the like, a film of a deposition material is formed on a substrate using a mask. As a pre-processing step for film formation, the mask and the substrate are aligned and then superimposed. As methods for maintaining the superimposed substrate and mask in a flat state, a method in which the substrate is placed on the mask and then sandwiched between a magnetic plate and the mask by magnetic force (Patent Document 1) and a method in which the substrate is temporarily held in a flat state on an electrostatic chuck (Patent Document 2) have been proposed. In some cases, the film thickness is measured after film formation is completed.

[0003] International Publication No. 2010 / 106958 Pamphlet Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-102802

[0004] Although the substrate may bend due to its own weight, it must be kept flat during film deposition and film thickness measurement. When correcting the bending, it is necessary to prevent excessive load from being applied to the substrate and to prevent it from shifting position.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique that can smoothly eliminate the warp of a substrate.

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided a substrate supporting unit for supporting a substrate, comprising: a first supporting portion for supporting a first peripheral edge portion of the substrate; and a second supporting portion for supporting a second peripheral edge portion of the substrate opposite the first peripheral edge portion, wherein the first supporting portion is provided with a first regulating means for regulating displacement of the first peripheral edge portion in an inward direction of the substrate more than displacement of the first peripheral edge portion in an outward direction of the substrate.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that can smoothly eliminate bending of a substrate.

[0008] 8A. A schematic diagram of a part of a manufacturing line for electronic devices. A schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. An explanatory diagram of a measurement unit. An explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. An explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. An explanatory diagram of the operation of the film forming apparatus of FIG. 2. An explanatory diagram of a regulating mechanism. An explanatory diagram of a regulating mechanism. An explanatory diagram of a regulating mechanism. An explanatory diagram of another regulating mechanism. An explanatory diagram of the regulating mechanism of FIG. 8A. An explanatory diagram of the regulating mechanism of FIG. 8A. An explanatory diagram of yet another regulating mechanism. An explanatory diagram of the regulating mechanism of FIG. 9A. An explanatory diagram of the regulating mechanism of FIG. 9A. A diagram showing an application example of a regulating mechanism to another film forming apparatus. A diagram showing an application example of FIG. 10A. A diagram showing an application example of FIG. 10A. A diagram showing another application example of a substrate support unit. A diagram showing an application example of FIG. 11A. An overall view of an organic EL display device. A diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[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> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the configuration of an electronic device manufacturing line to which the film forming apparatus of the present invention can be applied. The manufacturing line in Fig. 1 is used, for example, to manufacture display panels for organic EL display devices for smartphones, in which rectangular substrates 100 are sequentially transported to a film forming block 301, and an organic EL film is formed on the substrates 100.

[0011] In the film formation block 301, a plurality of film formation chambers 303a to 303d in which film formation processing is performed on the substrate 100 and a mask storage chamber 305 in which masks before and after use are stored are arranged around a transfer chamber 302 that has an octagonal shape in a plan view. A transfer robot 302a that transfers the substrate 100 is arranged in the transfer chamber 302. The transfer robot 302a includes a hand that holds the substrate 100 and an articulated arm that moves the hand horizontally. In other words, the film formation block 301 is a cluster-type film formation unit in which a plurality of film formation chambers 303a to 303d are arranged around the transfer robot 302a. When the film formation chambers 303a to 303d are referred to collectively or when no distinction is made between them, they will be referred to as film formation chambers 303.

[0012] A buffer chamber 306, a swirl chamber 307, and a delivery chamber 308 are disposed upstream and downstream of the deposition block 301 in the transport direction (arrow direction) of the substrate 100, respectively. Each chamber is maintained in a vacuum state during the manufacturing process. Although only one deposition block 301 is shown in FIG. 1 , the manufacturing line according to this embodiment has multiple deposition blocks 301, and the multiple deposition blocks 301 are connected by a connecting device composed of the buffer chamber 306, the swirl chamber 307, and the delivery chamber 308. The configuration of the connecting device is not limited to this, and may be composed of only the buffer chamber 306 or the delivery chamber 308, for example.

[0013] The transport robot 302a transports the substrate 100 from the upstream delivery chamber 308 to the transport chamber 302, transports the substrate 100 between the film formation chambers 303, transports the mask between the mask storage chamber 305 and the film formation chamber 303, and transports the substrate 100 from the transport chamber 302 to the downstream buffer chamber 306.

[0014] The buffer chamber 306 is a chamber for temporarily storing substrates 100 depending on the operating status of the production line. The buffer chamber 306 is provided with a substrate storage shelf, also called a cassette, and an elevator mechanism. The substrate storage shelf has a multi-tier structure that can store multiple substrates 100 while maintaining the substrates 100 in a horizontal position with their surfaces to be processed (surfaces to be film-formed) facing downward in the direction of gravity. The elevator mechanism raises and lowers the substrate storage shelf to align the tier where the substrates 100 are loaded or unloaded with the transport position. This allows multiple substrates 100 to be temporarily stored and retained in the buffer chamber 306.

[0015] The swirl chamber 307 is equipped with a device for changing the orientation of the substrate 100. For example, in the swirl chamber 307, a transfer robot provided in the swirl chamber 307 rotates the orientation of the substrate 100 by 180 degrees. The transfer robot provided in the swirl chamber 307 rotates 180 degrees while supporting the substrate 100 received in the buffer chamber 306 and delivers it to the delivery chamber 308, thereby swapping the front and rear ends of the substrate between the buffer chamber 306 and the delivery chamber 308. This ensures that the orientation of the substrate 100 when carried into the film formation chamber 303 is the same in each film formation block 301, so that the scan direction of film formation on the substrate 100 and the orientation of the mask can be consistent in each film formation block 301. With this configuration, the orientation of the mask installed in the mask storage chamber 305 in each film formation block 301 can be consistent, simplifying mask management and improving usability.

[0016] The control system of the production line includes a host computer 300 that controls the entire line, and control devices 14a-14d, 309, and 310 that control each component, and these devices can communicate with each other via a wired or wireless communication line 300a. The control devices 14a-14d are provided corresponding to the film formation chambers 303a-303d, and control the film formation apparatus 1 described below. When the control devices 14a-14d are referred to collectively or when they are not to be distinguished, they will be referred to as the control device 14.

[0017] The control device 309 controls the transfer robot 302a. The control device 310 controls the devices in the swirl chamber 307. The host device 300 transmits information about the substrate 100 and instructions such as transfer timing to the respective control devices 14, 309, and 310, and the respective control devices 14, 309, and 310 control their respective components based on the received instructions.

[0018] <Overview of Film Forming Apparatus> FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. The film forming apparatus 1, installed in the film forming chamber 303, forms a film of a vapor deposition material on the substrate 100. The film forming apparatus 1 uses a mask 101 to form a thin film of the vapor deposition material in a predetermined pattern on the substrate 100. The material of the substrate 100 on which the film is formed in the film forming apparatus 1 can be selected from glass, resin, metal, and other materials, and a resin layer such as polyimide formed on glass is preferably used. The vapor deposition material may be an organic material or an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.). The film forming apparatus 1 can be used in manufacturing electronic devices such as display devices (e.g., flat panel displays), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), as well as optical components, and is particularly suitable for manufacturing organic EL panels. The following description will discuss an example in which the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film on the substrate 100 by vacuum deposition. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various film forming methods such as sputtering and CVD can be used. In each drawing, arrow Z indicates the vertical direction (direction of gravity), and arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are orthogonal to each other.

[0019] The film forming apparatus 1 has a box-shaped vacuum chamber 3 (sometimes simply referred to as chamber 3) capable of maintaining a vacuum inside. An internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. In this embodiment, the vacuum chamber 3 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). In this specification, the term "vacuum" refers to a state filled with a gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced pressure state.

[0020] In the internal space 3 a of the vacuum chamber 3 , a substrate support unit 6 that supports the substrate 100 in a horizontal position, a mask table 5 that supports the mask 101 , a vapor deposition unit 4 , a plate unit 9 , and a suction unit 15 are arranged.

[0021] The mask 101 is a metal mask having an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern to be formed on the substrate 100, and is placed on a mask table 5. The mask table 5 can be replaced with other means for fixing the mask 101 in a predetermined position. The mask 101 may have a structure in which a mask foil having a thickness of several μm to several tens of μm is welded to a frame-shaped mask frame. The material of the mask 101 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a metal with a low thermal expansion coefficient, such as Invar. The film formation process is performed by placing the substrate 100 on the mask 101, with the substrate 100 and the mask 101 overlapping each other.

[0022] The plate unit 9 includes a cooling plate 90 and a magnet plate 91. The cooling plate 90 is suspended below the magnet plate 91 via a support 92 so as to be displaceable in the Z direction relative to the magnet plate 91. The cooling plate 90 functions to cool the substrate 100 attracted to the attraction unit 15 during film formation by contacting the attraction unit 15 (described later). The cooling plate 90 is not limited to a cooling plate equipped with a water-cooling mechanism or the like to actively cool the substrate 100, but may be a plate-like member that does not have a water-cooling mechanism or the like but removes heat from the substrate 100 by contacting the attraction unit 15. The magnet plate 91 is a plate that attracts the mask 101 by magnetic force and is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 100 to improve adhesion between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 during film formation.

[0023] The cooling plate 90 and the magnetic plate 91 may be omitted as appropriate. For example, if the suction unit 15 is provided with a cooling mechanism, the cooling plate 90 may be omitted. Also, if the suction unit 15 suctions the mask 101, the magnetic plate 91 may be omitted.

[0024] The deposition unit 4 is composed of a heater, a shutter, an evaporation source drive mechanism, an evaporation rate monitor, etc., and is an evaporation source that deposits an evaporation material onto the substrate 100. More specifically, in this embodiment, the deposition unit 4 is a linear evaporation source in which multiple nozzles (not shown) are arranged in the X direction, and evaporation material is emitted from each nozzle. For example, the linear evaporation source is moved back and forth in the Y direction (depth direction of the device) by an evaporation source moving mechanism (not shown). In this embodiment, the deposition unit 4 is provided in the same vacuum chamber 3 as the alignment device 2, which will be described later.

[0025] <Alignment Apparatus> The film forming apparatus 1 includes an alignment apparatus 2 that aligns the substrate 100 and the mask 101. The alignment apparatus 2 includes a substrate support unit 6, a suction unit 15, a position adjustment unit 20, a distance adjustment unit 24, measurement units 7 and 8, etc. Each component of the alignment apparatus will be described below.

[0026] (Substrate Support Unit) The alignment apparatus 2 includes a substrate support unit 6 that supports the peripheral edge of the substrate 100. The substrate support unit 6 includes a base portion 61 that is a rectangular frame body. The base portion 61 includes beam portions 61L, 61R that extend in the Y direction. The beam portions 61L, 61R extend parallel to and spaced apart from each other in the X direction. The base portion 61 is provided with a plurality of support portions that protrude inward from the base portion 61. The substrate 100 is placed on the plurality of support portions.

[0027] The multiple support portions include multiple support portions 62L and multiple support portions 62R. The multiple support portions 62L are arranged in the Y direction and supported by the beam portion 61L. The multiple support portions 62R are arranged in the Y direction and supported by the beam portion 61R. One peripheral edge portion in the X direction of the substrate 100 is placed on the multiple support portions 62L, and the other peripheral edge portion in the X direction (the peripheral edge portion opposite the one peripheral edge) is placed on the multiple support portions 62R.

[0028] The base portion 61 is suspended from a plurality of support shafts 63. The support shafts 63 extend in the Z direction and are moved in the Z direction by actuators 64 mounted on the lifting plate 25. The substrate support units 6 are moved by operation of the actuators 64, and the substrates 100 supported by the substrate support units 6 are transferred to their destinations. The substrate support units 6, the plurality of support shafts 63, and the actuators 64 constitute a transfer device TA that transfers the substrates 100.

[0029] (Suction Unit) The alignment device 2 is provided inside the vacuum chamber 3 and includes a suction unit 15 that is capable of suctioning the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the suction unit 15 is provided between the substrate support unit 6 and the plate unit 9, and is suspended by a plurality of support shafts 27. The support shafts 27 extend in the Z direction and are movable in the Z direction. The support shafts 27 support the suction unit 15 at their lower ends and are fixed to the lift plate 25 at their upper ends.

[0030] In this embodiment, the suction unit 15 is an electrostatic chuck that suctions the substrate 100 by electrostatic force. For example, the suction unit 15 has a structure in which an electrical circuit, such as a metal electrode, is embedded inside a ceramic matrix (also called a base). For example, when a positive (+) and negative (-) voltage is applied to the metal electrodes arranged in the electrode arrangement region 151, a polarization charge is induced in the substrate 100 through the ceramic matrix, and the substrate 100 is fixed to the suction surface (lower surface) of the suction unit 15 by the electrostatic attraction (electrostatic force) between the substrate 100 and the suction unit 15. Note that the suction unit 15 may also be a physical sticky chuck (PSC) or the like having physical adhesiveness on its surface.

[0031] (Position Adjustment Unit) The alignment apparatus 2 includes a position adjustment unit 20 that adjusts the relative position of the substrate 100, whose peripheral edge is supported by the substrate support unit 6, or the substrate 100 that is sucked by the suction unit 15, and the mask 101. The position adjustment unit 20 adjusts the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the mask 101 by displacing the substrate support unit 6 or the suction unit 15 on the X-Y plane. In other words, the position adjustment unit 20 can also be said to be a unit that adjusts the horizontal positions of the mask 101 and the substrate 100. For example, the position adjustment unit 20 can displace the substrate support unit 6 in rotational directions around axes in the X, Y, and Z directions. In this embodiment, the position of the mask 101 is fixed and the substrate 100 is displaced to adjust their relative positions, but the adjustment may be performed by displacing the mask 101, or both the substrate 100 and the mask 101 may be displaced.

[0032] In this embodiment, the position adjustment unit 20 includes a fixed plate 21, a movable plate 22, and a plurality of actuators M arranged between these plates. The fixed plate 21 is fixed onto the upper wall 30 of the vacuum chamber 3. A frame-shaped base 23 is mounted on the movable plate 22, and the base 23 supports a distance adjustment unit 24 and the like. When the actuator M displaces the movable plate 22 horizontally relative to the fixed plate 21, the base 23 and the components supported by the base 23 are displaced integrally.

[0033] The multiple actuators M may include, for example, an actuator capable of displacing the movable plate 21 in the X direction and an actuator capable of displacing the movable plate 22 in the Y direction, and by controlling the amount of movement of these actuators, the movable plate 22 may be displaced in rotational directions around the X, Y, and Z axes. For example, the multiple actuators M may include a motor as a drive source and a mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism that converts the drive force of the motor into linear motion.

[0034] (Distance Adjustment Unit) The distance adjustment unit 24 is an elevation unit that adjusts the distance between the suction unit 15 and the substrate support unit 6 and the mask 101 on the mask table 5 by raising and lowering them, thereby moving the substrate 100 and the mask 101 closer to or farther apart in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 100. In other words, the distance adjustment unit 24 moves the substrate 100 and the mask 101 closer to each other in the direction in which they are superimposed, and moves them apart in the opposite direction. Note that the "distance" adjusted by the distance adjustment unit 24 is the so-called vertical distance (or perpendicular distance), and the distance adjustment unit can also be said to be a unit that adjusts the vertical positions of the mask 101 and the substrate 100.

[0035] The distance adjustment unit 24 includes a lifting plate 25. A guide rail 23a extending in the Z direction is formed on the side of the stand 23, and the lifting plate 25 can be raised and lowered in the Z direction along the guide rail 23a.

[0036] The lifting plate 25 supports the suction unit 15 via a plurality of support shafts 27. When the lifting plate 25 moves up and down, the suction unit 15 moves up and down accordingly. In other words, the lifting plate 25 supports a plurality of support shafts 27 that support the suction unit 15, and when the lifting plate 25 moves up and down, the plurality of support shafts 27 move up and down in synchronous with each other, and the suction unit 15 moves up and down while maintaining its parallelism.

[0037] The lifting plate 25 also supports the substrate support unit 6 via a plurality of actuators 64 and a plurality of support shafts 63. When the lifting plate 25 moves up and down, the substrate support unit 6 also moves up and down. The actuators 64 move the support shafts 63 in the Z direction, thereby lifting and lowering the substrate support unit 6. The actuators 64 are, for example, electric cylinders equipped with a motor and a ball screw mechanism.

[0038] The lifting mechanism of the lifting plate 25 will be described in more detail. The distance adjustment unit 24 includes a motor 26 supported by the stand 23 and a ball screw mechanism 26a as a transmission mechanism driven by the motor 26. The ball screw mechanism 26a includes a ball screw shaft extending in the Z direction and a ball nut fixed to the lifting plate 25. The lifting plate 25 can be raised and lowered in the Z direction by rotating the ball screw shaft and switching the direction of rotation. The amount of lifting of the lifting plate 25 can be controlled, for example, based on the detection results of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the amount of rotation of the motor 26. This allows the position in the Z direction of the suction unit 15 that suctions and supports the substrate 100 to be controlled, thereby controlling the contact and separation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101.

[0039] In this embodiment, the distance adjustment unit fixes the position of the mask table 5 and moves the substrate support unit 6 and the suction unit 15 to adjust the distance therebetween in the Z direction, but this is not limited to this. The positions of the substrate support unit 6 or the suction unit 15 may be fixed and the mask table 5 may be moved to perform adjustment, or the substrate support unit 6, the suction unit 15, and the mask table 5 may each be moved to adjust the distance therebetween.

[0040] (Lifting Mechanism of Plate Unit) The lifting mechanism of the plate unit 9 will now be described. The magnet plate 91 of the plate unit 9 is connected to a lifting plate 94 via a plurality of support shafts 93. The lifting plate 94 is raised and lowered by a motor 95 and a ball screw mechanism 95a, which is a mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the motor 95. The motor 95 is supported by the base 23.

[0041] The support shafts 27, 63, and 93 described above pass through openings in the upper wall 30 of the chamber 3 and extend into the chamber 3. To maintain the airtightness of the vacuum chamber 3, an airtight member such as a bellows is provided in the opening of the upper wall 30.

[0042] (Measurement Unit) The alignment apparatus 2 includes measurement units 7 and 8 that measure the positional misalignment between the substrate 100, whose peripheral edge is supported by the substrate support unit 6, and the mask 101. The following description will be made with reference to FIG. 3 in addition to FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the measurement units 7 and 8, showing how the positional misalignment between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is measured. In this embodiment, the measurement units 7 and 8 are both imaging devices (cameras) that capture images. The measurement units 7 and 8 are disposed above the upper wall 30, and can capture images of the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 through windows (not shown) formed in the upper wall 30. The suction unit 15 has a plurality of openings formed therein that allow the measurement units 7 and 8 to capture images of the alignment marks on the substrate 100 and the mask 101.

[0043] Substrate rough alignment marks 100a and substrate fine alignment marks 100b are formed on substrate 100, and mask rough alignment marks 101a and mask fine marks 101b are formed on mask 101. Hereinafter, substrate rough alignment mark 100a will be referred to as substrate rough mark 100a, and substrate fine alignment mark 100b will be referred to as substrate fine mark 100b, and both will sometimes be collectively referred to as substrate marks. Furthermore, mask rough alignment mark 101a will be referred to as mask rough mark 101a, and mask fine alignment mark 101b will be referred to as mask fine mark 101b, and both will sometimes be collectively referred to as mask marks.

[0044] Substrate rough mark 100a is formed in the center of a short side of substrate 100. Substrate fine marks 100b are formed at the four corners of substrate 100. Mask rough mark 101a is formed in the center of a short side of mask 101 in correspondence with substrate rough mark 100a. Mask fine marks 101b are formed at the four corners of mask 101 in correspondence with substrate fine marks 100b.

[0045] Four measurement units 8 are provided to capture images of each pair (four pairs in this embodiment) of corresponding substrate fine marks 100b and mask fine marks 101b. Each measurement unit 8 is a high-magnification CCD camera (fine camera) with a relatively narrow field of view but high resolution (e.g., on the order of several μm), and measures the misalignment between substrate 100 and mask 101 with high precision. One measurement unit 7 is provided, and captures images of each pair (two pairs in this embodiment) of corresponding substrate rough marks 100a and mask rough marks 101a.

[0046] The measurement unit 7 is a low-magnification CCD camera (rough camera) with a relatively wide field of view but low resolution, and measures the rough positional deviation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In the example of Fig. 3, a configuration is shown in which two sets of substrate rough marks 100a and mask rough marks 101a are collectively imaged by one measurement unit 7, but this is not limiting. As with the measurement unit 8, two measurement units 7 may be provided at positions corresponding to each set of substrate rough marks 100a and mask rough marks 101a so as to image each set.

[0047] By providing two types of measurement units 7 and 8 in this manner, in this embodiment, rough position adjustment between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 can be performed based on the measurement results of the first measurement unit 7, and then precise position adjustment between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 can be performed based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 8.

[0048] <Control Device> The control device 14 is an electronic circuit that controls the entire film forming apparatus 1. The control device 14 includes, for example, a processing unit, a storage unit, an input / output interface (I / O), and a communication unit. The processing unit is a processor represented by a CPU, and controls the film forming apparatus 1 by executing a program stored in the storage unit. The storage unit 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. The input / output interface is an interface that transmits and receives signals between the processing unit and an external device. The communication unit is a communication device that communicates with the upper device 300 or other control devices 14, 309, 310, etc. via a communication line 300a.

[0049] <Example of Operation of Film Forming Apparatus> A description will be given of an example of operation of the film forming apparatus 1. Fig. 2 shows a state after the substrate 100 is carried into the film forming apparatus 1 by the transfer robot 302a and the transfer robot 302a has retreated. Subsequent operations will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6.

[0050] 4 illustrates an example of an operation in which the substrate 100 is sucked onto the suction unit 15. The substrate support unit 6 is raised by driving each actuator 64, and the substrate 100 is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the suction unit 15. The suction unit 15 is driven, and the substrate 100 is sucked onto the suction unit 15. In this manner, the substrate 100 is transferred between the substrate support unit 6 and the suction unit 15.

[0051] The substrate 100 is supported at its peripheral edge by the substrate support unit 6. The substrate 100 has a warped center that is convex downward due to its own weight ( FIG. 2 ). When transferring the substrate 100 from the substrate support unit 6 to the suction unit 15, the suction force of the center of the suction unit 15 is first exerted, and then the suction force of the suction unit 15 is exerted at its peripheral edge. By controlling the suction unit 15 in this manner, the suction force of the substrate 100 can be eliminated from the suction unit 15 and the substrate 100 can be adsorbed in a flat state.

[0052] 4, the motor 26 is driven to lower the lift plate 25, lowering the suction unit 15 and the substrate support unit 6, and the actuators 64 are driven to further lower the substrate support unit 6. The suction unit 15 is lowered to a position where the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are aligned.

[0053] 5 show examples of alignment operations between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. The alignment operations include an operation of measuring the amount of misalignment using the measurement units 7 and 8 (state ST51) and an operation of adjusting the relative position using the position adjustment unit 20 (state ST52). The alignment operations also include a rough alignment operation using the measurement results of the measurement unit 7 and a fine alignment operation using the measurement results of the measurement unit 8.

[0054] The "amount of misalignment" is defined as the distance and direction (X, Y, θ) of the misalignment. The position adjustment unit 20 displaces the suction unit 15 on the XY plane, and adjusts the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the mask 101.

[0055] In the rough alignment operation, the alignment mark is photographed by the measurement unit 7 to measure the amount of misalignment, and the position adjustment unit 20 is operated to reduce the amount of misalignment. Measurement and position adjustment are repeated until the amount of misalignment falls within the allowable range.

[0056] After the rough alignment operation is completed, the fine alignment operation is performed. In the fine alignment operation, the lift plate 25 is lowered to bring the substrate 100 and the mask 101 closer to each other than in the rough alignment operation, and the alignment mark is photographed by the measurement unit 8 to measure the amount of misalignment. The position adjustment unit 20 is then operated to reduce the amount of misalignment. Measurement and position adjustment are repeated until the amount of misalignment falls within the allowable range.

[0057] When the alignment operation is complete, the lift plate 25 is lowered to place the substrate 100 on the mask 101, as shown in state ST61 in FIG. 6 . Then, as shown in state ST62 in FIG. 6 , the motor 95 is driven to lower the plate unit 9 to the suction unit 15. After the cooling plate 90 abuts against the suction unit 15, the magnetic plate 5 abuts against the cooling plate 4. The magnetic force of the magnetic plate 91 attracts the mask 102, allowing the mask 102 and the substrate 101 to be brought into close contact with each other overall. Thereafter, a deposition process is performed by the deposition unit 4, and a thin film is formed on the substrate 100.

[0058] When film formation on the substrate 100 is completed, the substrate 100 is unloaded from the film formation apparatus 1. The procedure from film formation completion to unloading will be described. First, the plate unit 9 is lifted (returning to state ST61). Next, the lift plate 25 is lifted to separate the substrate 100 from the mask 101 (returning to state ST52). The substrate support unit 6 is lifted, and the substrate 100, which is adsorbed to the suction unit 15, is supported from below by the supports 62L and 62R (returning to state ST41). The suction unit 15 releases the substrate 100, and the substrate support unit 6 is lowered (returning to the state shown in FIG. 2). In this manner, the substrate 100 is transferred between the substrate support unit 6 and the suction unit 15. Thereafter, the transfer robot 302a enters the film formation apparatus 1, and the substrate 100 is transferred from the substrate support unit 6 to the transfer robot 302a, and the substrate 100 is unloaded by the transfer robot 302a.

[0059] <Structure of Support Section> The structure of the support sections 62L, 62R will be described. In this embodiment, the substrate 100 is transferred between the substrate support unit 6 and the suction unit 15. When the substrate 100 is transferred from the substrate support unit 6 to the suction unit 15, the substrate 100 changes from a state in which the center portion of the substrate 100 is bent downward in a convex shape to a flat state. Therefore, during transfer, when eliminating the bending of the substrate 100, it is necessary to prevent an excessive load from being applied to the substrate 100 or to prevent the substrate 100 from shifting position. The support sections 62L, 62R of this embodiment have the function of smoothly eliminating the bending of the substrate 100.

[0060] 7A , the support portions 62L and 62R have a restricting structure 620 that restricts displacement of the peripheral edge of the substrate 100. The restricting structure 620 includes a rotating roller 621 on which the peripheral edge of the substrate 100 rests, a cylindrical one-way clutch 622, and a support member 623. The rotating roller 621 is supported by the support member 623 via the one-way clutch 622. The rotating roller 621 is, for example, a rubber roller. By forming the surface of the rotating roller 621 from a material with a high coefficient of friction, slippage between the substrate 100 and the rotating roller 621 can be prevented.

[0061] The one-way clutch 622 has an inner ring fixed to the support member 623 and an outer ring to which the rotating roller 621 is fixed, and a mechanism is provided between the inner ring and the outer ring to allow the outer ring to rotate in one direction relative to the inner ring.

[0062] The one-way clutch 622 allows the rotating roller 621 to rotate around the rotation axis in the Y-axis direction in the direction of the solid arrow in Figure 7A, but restricts rotation in the direction of the dashed arrow. In both support parts 62L and 62R, the rotating roller 621 restricts the inward displacement of the peripheral edge of the placed substrate 100 more than the outward displacement of the substrate 100. In the example of Figure 7A, in support part 62L, the peripheral edge of the substrate 100 is permitted to displace to the left in the X direction, but is prohibited from displacing to the right. In support part 62R, the peripheral edge of the substrate 100 is permitted to displace to the right in the X direction, but is prohibited from displacing to the left.

[0063] 7B shows the stage when the substrate 100 is transferred from the transfer robot 302a to the substrate support unit 6 (the stage when the substrate 100 is loaded into the film forming apparatus 1). The substrate 100 bends downward at its center due to its own weight. As a result, each peripheral portion of the substrate 100 in the X direction attempts to displace in the direction indicated by the solid arrows, and each rotating roller 621 receives a load from the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 that rotates it in the direction indicated by the dashed arrows. However, due to the action of the one-way clutch 622, the rotating roller 621 does not rotate in the direction indicated by the dashed arrows. Therefore, the substrate 100 is prevented from falling off the supports 62L and 62R.

[0064] 7C shows the stage in which the substrate 100 has been transferred from the substrate support unit 6 to the suction unit 15 (the stage of state ST41 in FIG. 4 ). As described above, during transfer, the suction force of the central portion of the suction unit 15 is exerted first, and then the suction force of the peripheral portion of the suction unit 15 is exerted. By controlling the suction unit 15 in this manner, the substrate 100 can be adsorbed to the suction unit 15 in a flat state with no warping. When the warping is eliminated, each peripheral portion of the substrate 100 attempts to displace in the X direction relative to the rotating rollers 621, and each rotating roller 621 receives a load from the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 that rotates it in the direction indicated by the solid arrow. The rotation restriction of the one-way clutch 622 does not act, and the rotating rollers 621 rotate in the direction indicated by the solid arrow.

[0065] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the substrate 100 from falling off the support portions 62L and 62R, and also to smoothly eliminate the bending of the substrate 100.

[0066] In this embodiment, the axial direction of each rotating roller 621 is the Y direction, but when the deflection of the substrate 100 is eliminated, the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 may be displaced not only in the X direction but also radially. As a countermeasure, the axial direction of each rotating roller 621 may be made different depending on the position of the rotating roller 621 so as to match the displacement direction of the peripheral portion. Alternatively, the support member 623 may be attached to the beam portions 61L, 61R so as to be able to swing freely around an axis in the Z direction. By allowing the support member 623 to freely rotate around the Z axis, the orientation of the rotating roller 621 can be changed to match the displacement direction of the peripheral portion.

[0067] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, the restricting structure 620 is provided on both of the support portions 62L, 62R, but it may be provided on only one of them. In this configuration, for example, when the substrate 100 is transferred from the substrate support unit 6 to the suction unit 15, the position of the substrate 100 will be shifted in the X direction, but the load acting on the substrate 100 can be reduced as the deflection is eliminated.

[0068] In addition, in the first embodiment, the support portions 62L and 62R are arranged at positions opposite each other in the X direction. However, in a configuration in which the support portions are arranged at positions opposite each other in the Y direction, a regulating structure 620 may also be provided on these support portions.

[0069] Third Embodiment FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram of another example of a regulating structure 620. The illustrated regulating structure 620A includes finger portions 624, which are plate-shaped members, and anisotropic frictional resistance portions 625 formed on the upper surfaces of the finger portions 624. The finger portions 624 are fixed to the beam portions 61L and 61R, and the peripheral edge of the substrate 100 is placed on the finger portions 624. The anisotropic frictional resistance portions 625 have different frictional resistance against the contacting member in the surface direction of the substrate 100 (here, the X direction), with the frictional resistance in the direction of the dashed arrow being higher than the frictional resistance in the direction of the solid arrow. In this embodiment, the anisotropic frictional resistance portions 625 have a structure similar to the scale structure of shark skin, and have multiple wedge-shaped undulations. By orienting the wedges outward from the substrate 100, the surface friction coefficient is higher in the direction of the dashed arrow and lower in the direction of the solid arrow.

[0070] 8B shows the stage when the substrate 100 is transferred from the transfer robot 302a to the substrate support unit 6 (the stage when the substrate 100 is loaded into the film forming apparatus 1). The substrate 100 bends downward at its center due to its own weight. As a result, each peripheral portion of the substrate 100 in the X direction attempts to displace in the direction indicated by the solid arrows, and a frictional force acts on each finger portion 624 in the direction indicated by the dashed arrows. However, due to the action of the anisotropic frictional resistance portion 625, the frictional resistance against the displacement of the substrate 100 in the direction indicated by the dashed arrows is high. Therefore, the substrate 100 is prevented from falling off the supports 62L, 62R.

[0071] FIG. 8C shows the stage in which the substrate 100 is transferred from the substrate support unit 6 to the suction unit 15 (state ST41 in FIG. 4 ). As described above, during transfer, the suction force of the central portion of the suction unit 15 is exerted first, followed by the suction force of the peripheral portion of the suction unit 15. By controlling the suction unit 15 in this manner, the substrate 100 can be adsorbed to the suction unit 15 in a flat state without warping. When the warping is eliminated, each peripheral portion of the substrate 100 attempts to displace in the X direction relative to the finger portions 624, and frictional forces act on each finger portion 624 in the direction indicated by the solid arrows. However, due to the action of the anisotropic frictional resistance portion 625, the frictional resistance in the direction indicated by the solid arrows relative to the displacement of the substrate 100 is low. The peripheral portion of the substrate 100 displaces smoothly relative to the finger portions 624.

[0072] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the substrate 100 from falling off the support portions 62L and 62R, and also to smoothly eliminate the bending of the substrate 100.

[0073] In this embodiment, the anisotropic frictional resistance portion 625 is configured to have different frictional resistance in one direction and the other direction in the X direction, but when the deflection of the substrate 100 is eliminated, the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 may be displaced not only in the X direction but also radially. As a countermeasure for this, the directionality of the frictional resistance of the anisotropic frictional resistance portion 625 may be varied depending on the position of the finger portion 624, and may be aligned with the displacement direction of the peripheral portion.

[0074] Fourth Embodiment Fig. 9A is an explanatory diagram of another example of a regulating structure 620B. The illustrated regulating structure 620B includes a guide member 626, a mounting portion 627 on which the substrate 100 is placed, and a biasing unit 628 that biases the mounting portion 627 in one direction along the surface of the substrate 100 (the X direction in this embodiment). The mounting portion 627 includes a claw-shaped mounting member 627a on which the substrate 100 is placed and a slide member 627b to which the mounting member 627a is fixed. The guide member 626 is a rail member that guides the sliding of the slide member 627b in the X direction. One end of the guide member 626 is fixed to the beam portion 61L or 61R, and the other end is formed with a stopper 626a. The stopper 626a abuts against the mounting member 627a to define the displacement limit position of the mounting portion 627 in the X direction. In this embodiment, the biasing unit 628 is an elastic member such as a spring or rubber, and presses the slide member 627b against the stopper 626a.

[0075] 9B shows the stage when the substrate 100 is transferred from the transfer robot 302a to the substrate support unit 6 (the stage when the substrate 100 is loaded into the film forming apparatus 1). The substrate 100 bends downward at its center due to its own weight. As a result, each peripheral portion of the substrate 100 in the X direction attempts to displace in the direction indicated by the solid arrows, and frictional forces act on each mounting portion 627 in the direction indicated by the dashed arrows. However, the action of the stopper 626a restricts the displacement of the mounting portion 627 in the direction indicated by the dashed arrows. Therefore, the substrate 100 is prevented from falling off the supports 62L and 62R.

[0076] 9C shows the stage in which the substrate 100 has been transferred from the substrate support unit 6 to the suction unit 15 (state ST41 in FIG. 4 ). As described above, during transfer, the suction force of the central portion of the suction unit 15 is exerted first, followed by the suction force of the peripheral portion of the suction unit 15. By controlling the suction unit 15 in this manner, the substrate 100 can be adsorbed to the suction unit 15 in a flat state without warping. When the warping is eliminated, each peripheral portion of the substrate 100 attempts to displace in the X direction relative to the finger portions 624, and a frictional force acts on each placement portion 627 in the direction indicated by the solid arrow. At this time, the placement portion 627 slides outward in the X direction (away from the stopper 626a) under the guidance of the guide member 626. The peripheral portion of the substrate 100 displaces smoothly together with the placement portion 627.

[0077] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the substrate 100 from falling off the support portions 62L and 62R, and also to smoothly eliminate the bending of the substrate 100.

[0078] In the present embodiment, this effect is exerted by the action of the elastic force of the urging unit 628. Specifically, the strength of the elastic force of the urging unit 628 is set so that when the substrate 100 is not placed on the placement portion 627, the placement portion 627 maintains a state in which it abuts against the stopper 626 a ( FIG. 9A ), and when the substrate 100 is placed on the placement portion 627 in a bent state, the placement portion 627 maintains a state in which it abuts against the stopper 626 a ( FIG. 9B ), and when the substrate 100 is placed on the placement portion 627 in a bent state and changes from the bent state to a flat state due to the action of an external force on the substrate 100 (the suction force of the suction unit 15), the placement portion 627 is allowed to be displaced outward ( FIG. 9C ).

[0079] In this embodiment, the sliding direction of the mounting portion 627 is the X direction, but when the deflection of the substrate 100 is eliminated, the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 may be displaced not only in the X direction but also radially. As a countermeasure for this, the sliding direction of the mounting portion 627 may be varied depending on the position of the mounting portion 627 to match the displacement direction of the peripheral portion.

[0080] Fifth Embodiment In each of the above embodiments, a configuration has been described in which the substrate 100 is sucked onto the suction unit 15 to perform alignment with the mask 101, etc. However, a configuration that does not use the suction unit 15 can also be employed. Fig. 10A shows one example of this, illustrating an alignment operation (corresponding to state ST52 in Fig. 5). In this embodiment, the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the mask 101 is adjusted by displacing the substrate support unit 6 in the XY plane using the position adjustment unit 20. At this time, the center of the substrate 100 is bent downward in a convex shape.

[0081] 10B, the substrate support unit 6 is lowered, and the substrate 100 is placed on the mask 101. During the placement process, the deflection of the substrate 100 is gradually eliminated. At this time, in the support portions 62L and 62R, the rotating rollers 621 rotate in response to the displacement of the peripheral edge of the substrate 100 in the X direction, allowing the peripheral portion to be displaced (the same action as in FIG. 7C).

[0082] Thereafter, the plate unit 9 descends, and the substrate 100 and the mask 101 come into close contact with each other, flattening the substrate 100. At this time, the rollers 621 rotate in the support portions 62L and 62R in response to the displacement of the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 in the X direction, allowing the peripheral portion to be displaced (the same action as in FIG. 7C ).

[0083] 11A and 11B show an example in which the substrate support unit 6 is used to transfer the substrate 100 during film thickness measurement. For the purpose of inspecting a film formed on the substrate 100, the film thickness can be measured, for example, in the buffer chamber 306 or the delivery chamber 308 in FIG. 1 .

[0084] In the illustrated example, a transport robot 401 provided with a substrate support unit 6' is shown as the transfer device. The substrate support unit 6' corresponds to the substrate support unit 6 in each of the above-described embodiments, and has support portions 62L and 62R that support the peripheral portion of the substrate 100. As an example, the support portions 62L and 62R are equipped with the regulating structure 620 of the first embodiment, but the regulating structures 620A and 620B can also be adopted. The transport robot 401 is an articulated robot, and is capable of moving the substrate support unit 6' in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

[0085] The film thickness measuring device 500 includes a slider 501, a guide rail 502 that guides the movement of the slider 501, an adsorption unit 503 supported by the slider 501, and a measuring device 504. The adsorption unit 503 is, for example, an electrostatic chuck, and adsorbs the substrate 100 in a flat state. The measuring device 504 is, for example, an optical sensor, and measures the film thickness by irradiating light onto the film and receiving the reflected light to measure the reflectance.

[0086] 11A shows the stage where the substrate 100 is transferred from the transfer robot 401 to the suction unit 503. The substrate 100 is placed on the substrate support unit 6'.

[0087] As the substrate support unit 6' is raised toward the suction unit 503, the suction force of the central portion of the suction unit 503 is first exerted, and then the suction force of the peripheral portion of the suction unit 503 is exerted. By controlling the suction unit 503 in this manner, the substrate 100 can be adsorbed to the suction unit 503 in a flat state with no warping. When the warping is eliminated, the rotation of the rotating rollers 621 allows displacement of each peripheral portion of the substrate 100.

[0088] After the substrate support unit 6' is lowered, the thickness of the film formed on the substrate 100 can be measured by the measuring device 504 while the slider 501 is moved as shown in FIG. 11B.

[0089] Seventh Embodiment: Manufacturing Method of Electronic Device Next, an example of a manufacturing method of an electronic device will be described. Below, the configuration and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be illustrated as an example of an electronic device. In this example, the film formation block 301 illustrated in FIG. 1 is provided in, for example, three locations on a manufacturing line.

[0090] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Fig. 12A is an overall view of the organic EL display device 50, and Fig. 12B is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0091] 12A, a plurality of pixels 52, each including a plurality of light-emitting elements, are arranged in a matrix in a display region 51 of an organic EL display device 50. As will be described in detail later, each of the light-emitting elements has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes.

[0092] Note that the term "pixel" as used herein refers to the smallest unit capable of displaying a desired color in the display region 51. In the case of a color organic EL display device, a pixel 52 is configured by a combination of multiple sub-pixels, each of which is a first light-emitting element 52R, a second light-emitting element 52G, and a third light-emitting element 52B, each of which emits light differently from one another. The pixel 52 is often configured by a combination of three types of sub-pixels: a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, and a blue (B) light-emitting element, but this is not limited thereto. The pixel 52 may include at least one type of sub-pixel, preferably two or more types of sub-pixels, and more preferably three or more types of sub-pixels. The sub-pixels that make up the pixel 52 may also be a combination of four types of sub-pixels: a red (R) light-emitting element, a green (G) light-emitting element, a blue (B) light-emitting element, and a yellow (Y) light-emitting element, for example.

[0093] 12B is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram taken along line A-B in FIG. 12A. A pixel 52 has, on a substrate 53, a plurality of sub-pixels each composed of an organic EL element including a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, one of a red layer 56R, a green layer 56G, and a blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58. Of these, the hole transport layer 55, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, the blue layer 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to organic layers. The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue light, respectively.

[0094] 12B , the hole transport layer 55 may be formed as a common layer across the plurality of sub-pixel regions, and thereon the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B may be formed separately for each sub-pixel region, and thereon the electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 may be formed as a common layer across the plurality of sub-pixel regions.

[0095] In order to prevent short circuits between adjacent first electrodes 54, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54. Furthermore, since the organic EL layer deteriorates due to moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 60 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen.

[0096] 12B shows the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 as a single layer, they may be formed of multiple layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer depending on the structure of the organic EL display element. Furthermore, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure that can smoothly inject holes from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55 may be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer may be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

[0097] Each of the red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B may be formed of a single light-emitting layer or may be formed by laminating multiple layers. For example, the red layer 56R may be formed of two layers, with the upper layer being a red light-emitting layer and the lower layer being a hole transport layer or an electron blocking layer. Alternatively, the lower layer may be a red light-emitting layer and the upper layer being an electron transport layer or a hole blocking layer. By providing a layer below or above the light-emitting layer in this manner, the light-emitting position in the light-emitting layer can be adjusted, and the optical path length can be adjusted, thereby improving the color purity of the light-emitting element.

[0098] Although the red layer 56R is shown as an example here, a similar structure may be adopted for the green layer 56G or the blue layer 56B. The number of layers may be two or more. Furthermore, layers of different materials may be stacked, such as a light-emitting layer and an electron-blocking layer, or layers of the same material may be stacked, such as two or more light-emitting layers.

[0099] Next, an example of a manufacturing method for an organic EL display device will be specifically described. Here, it is assumed that the red layer 56R is composed of two layers, a lower layer 56R1 and an upper layer 56R2, and the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B are composed of a single light-emitting layer. It is assumed that there are six film-forming chambers 303.

[0100] First, a substrate 53 is prepared on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a first electrode 54 are formed. The material of the substrate 53 is not particularly limited, and it can be made of glass, plastic, metal, etc. In this embodiment, a substrate in which a polyimide film is laminated on a glass substrate is used as the substrate 53.

[0101] A resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is coated by bar coating or spin coating on the substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed, and the resin layer is patterned by lithography so as to form an opening in the area where the first electrode 54 is formed, thereby forming an insulating layer 59. This opening corresponds to the light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light. In this embodiment, the large substrate is processed up to the formation of the insulating layer 59, and after the insulating layer 59 is formed, a dividing step is carried out to divide the substrate 53.

[0102] The substrate 53 with the patterned insulating layer 59 is carried into the first film-forming chamber 303, and the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on the first electrodes 54 in the display region. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask in which an opening is formed for each display region 51 that will ultimately become the panel portion of each organic EL display device.

[0103] Next, the substrate 53 on which the hole transport layer 55 has been formed is carried into the second film formation chamber 303. The substrate 53 and a mask are aligned, and the substrate is placed on the mask. A red layer 56R is then formed on the hole transport layer 55 in the portion of the substrate 53 where the red-emitting elements are to be disposed (the region where the red subpixels are to be formed). The mask used in the second film formation chamber is a high-definition mask with openings formed only in the regions that will become the red subpixels among the regions on the substrate 53 that will become the subpixels of the organic EL display device. As a result, the red layer 56R including the red light-emitting layer is formed only in the regions that will become the red subpixels among the regions on the substrate 53 that will become the red subpixels. In other words, the red layer 56R is selectively formed in the regions that will become the red subpixels, but not in the regions that will become the blue or green subpixels among the regions on the substrate 53 that will become the subpixels.

[0104] Similar to the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G is formed in the third film formation chamber 303, and then the blue layer 56B is formed in the fourth film formation chamber 303. After the formation of the red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B is completed, the electron transport layer 57 is formed over the entire display area 51 in the fifth film formation chamber 303. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a layer common to the three color layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

[0105] The substrate on which the layers up to the electron transport layer 57 have been formed is moved to the sixth film formation chamber 303, where the second electrode 58 is formed. In this embodiment, each layer is formed by vacuum deposition in the first to sixth film formation chambers 303. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the second electrode 58 may be formed by sputtering in the sixth film formation chamber 303. Thereafter, the substrate on which the layers up to the second electrode 58 have been formed is moved to a sealing device, where the protective layer 60 is formed by plasma CVD (sealing step), thereby completing the organic EL display device 50. Note that, although the protective layer 60 is formed by the CVD method here, the method is not limited thereto, and the protective layer 60 may also be formed by ALD or an inkjet method.

[0106] Here, the films are formed in the first to sixth film formation chambers 303 using masks in which openings corresponding to the patterns of the respective layers to be formed are formed. When forming the films, the relative positions of the substrate 53 and the mask are adjusted (aligned), and then the substrate 53 is placed on the mask and film formation is performed.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 1 Film forming apparatus, 62L support part, 62R support part, 620 regulation structure

Claims

1. A substrate supporting unit for supporting a substrate, comprising: a first supporting part supporting a first peripheral portion of the substrate; and a second supporting part supporting a second peripheral portion of the substrate opposite the first peripheral portion, wherein the first supporting part is provided with a first restricting means for restricting displacement of the first peripheral portion in an inward direction of the substrate relative to displacement in an outward direction of the substrate.

2. A substrate supporting unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second supporting portion is provided with a second restricting means for restricting the inward displacement of the second peripheral portion of the substrate more than the outward displacement of the substrate.

3. A substrate supporting unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the first regulating means comprises a rotating roller on which the substrate is placed and whose rotation in one direction is regulated.

4. A substrate supporting unit as described in claim 1, wherein the first regulating means comprises a mounting portion on which the substrate is placed, and the mounting portion has different frictional resistance against displacement of the substrate in one direction and the other direction of the substrate surface direction of the substrate.

5. A substrate supporting unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that the first regulating means comprises: a mounting portion on which the substrate is placed; and a biasing means for biasing the mounting portion in one direction in the substrate surface direction of the substrate.

6. A substrate supporting unit as described in claim 5, wherein the first regulating means comprises a stopper which defines a displacement limit position of the placement part in the one direction, and the biasing means is an elastic member which presses the placement part against the stopper.

7. A substrate supporting unit as described in claim 6, characterized in that the elastic force of the elastic member is set to a strength such that, when the substrate is not placed on the mounting portion, the mounting portion maintains a state in contact with the stopper, and when the substrate is placed on the mounting portion in a bent state, the mounting portion maintains a state in contact with the stopper, and when an external force acts on the substrate to change the substrate from its bent state to a flat state, the mounting portion is allowed to displace in a direction opposite to the one direction.

8. A transfer device for transferring a substrate, comprising: a substrate supporting unit according to claim 1; and a moving means for moving the substrate supporting unit to transfer the substrate to a destination.

9. A transfer device according to claim 8, characterized in that the moving means transfers the substrate to a suction means for suctioning the substrate as the transfer destination.

10. A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate through a mask, comprising the substrate support unit according to claim 1.

11. A film forming method comprising a film forming step of forming a film on a substrate using the film forming apparatus according to claim 10.

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 claim 10.

Images