Inspection device, film formation system, inspection method, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Abstract

This inspection device comprises: an clamping means for clamping a substrate; an inspection means for inspecting, in an inspection region which is a partial region thereof, a film formed on the substrate that has been clamped by the clamping means; and a control means for executing decrease control for decreasing the clamping force exerted on the substrate by the clamping means in a second portion corresponding to the outside of the inspection region, compared with a first portion corresponding to the inspection region of the substrate.

Description

Inspection apparatus, film formation system, inspection method, and electronic device manufacturing method

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

[0002] In the manufacture of organic electroluminescence (EL) display devices, etc., the quality of the film is improved by inspecting the film formed on the substrate and reflecting the inspection results in subsequent manufacturing. As an example of such inspection, Patent Document 1 discloses measuring the film thickness of a film vapor-deposited on a substrate. During the measurement, the substrate is attracted to an electrostatic chuck.

[0003] JP 2023-79032 A

[0004] To improve production efficiency, it is necessary to quickly release the substrate from the chuck and transport it after film inspection. When using an electrostatic chuck to hold the substrate, it can take time to release the substrate due to poor release of the substrate from the chuck.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique that enables the substrate to be released from suction in a shorter time after film inspection.

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided an inspection device comprising: an adsorption means for adsorbing a substrate; an inspection means for inspecting a film formed in an inspection area of ​​the substrate adsorbed to the adsorption means; and a control means for performing a reduction control to reduce the adsorption force of the adsorption means on the substrate in a second portion corresponding to outside the inspection area compared to a first portion corresponding to the inspection area of ​​the substrate.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that enables the substrate to be released from suction in a shorter time after film inspection.

[0008] 1 is a schematic diagram of a film forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a schematic diagram of an inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 3 is an explanatory diagram of film thickness measurement. 4 is a perspective view of a suction unit. 5 is a diagram showing the suction surface of the suction unit. 6 is a perspective view of a substrate support unit and an inspection unit. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the inspection device of FIG. 2. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the inspection device of FIG. 2. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the inspection device of FIG. 2. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate correction operation. 11 is a diagram showing an example of voltage applied to an electrode. 12 is a diagram showing another example of voltage applied to an electrode. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of control of the inspection device of FIG. 2. 14 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of a substrate support unit. 15 is a flowchart showing another example of control of the inspection device. 16 is a diagram showing an example of operation related to adjustment of the support height of a substrate. 17 is an overall view of an organic EL display device. 18 is 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> <Film formation system> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a film formation system 1 according to one embodiment. The film formation system 1 is an apparatus that forms a film on a substrate 100. The film formation system 1 can be applied to, for example, the manufacture of display panels for organic EL display devices for smartphones, in which the substrates 100 are sequentially transported to a film formation block 301, and an organic EL film is formed on the substrates 100.

[0011] In the film formation block 301, a transfer chamber 302 having an octagonal shape in a plan view is surrounded by 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 are stored before and after use. A transfer robot 302a that transfers the substrate 100 is disposed 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. In the following description, when the film formation chambers 303a to 303d are not particularly distinguished from one another, they may 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 deposition system 1 may include multiple deposition blocks 301. Adjacent 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 the substrates 100 depending on the operating status of the film formation system 1. The buffer chamber 306 is provided with a multi-tiered substrate storage shelf (also called a cassette) that can store multiple substrates 100 while maintaining the horizontal state with the film formation surface of the substrates 100 facing downward in the direction of gravity, and an elevator mechanism that raises and lowers the substrate storage shelf to align the tier for loading or unloading the substrates 100 with the transport position. This allows the buffer chamber 306 to temporarily store and retain multiple substrates 100.

[0015] The swirl chamber 307 is equipped with a device for changing the orientation of the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the swirl chamber 307 rotates the orientation of the substrate 100 by 180 degrees using a transfer robot 307a provided in the swirl chamber 307. The transfer robot 307a provided in the swirl chamber 307 turns 180 degrees while supporting the substrate 100 received in the buffer chamber 306 and delivers it to the delivery chamber 308, thereby switching the front end and rear end of the substrate 100 in the transport direction (arrow direction) between the buffer chamber 306 and the delivery chamber 308. As a result, 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 film formation scan direction and mask orientation for the substrate 100 can be aligned in each film formation block 301. With this configuration, the orientation of the masks placed in the mask storage chambers 305 in each film formation block 301 can be aligned, simplifying mask management and improving usability.

[0016] The delivery chamber 308 is a chamber for delivering the substrate 100 carried in by the transfer robot 307a in the swirl chamber 307 to the transfer robot 302a in the downstream film-forming block 301. The delivery chamber 308 downstream of the film-forming block 301 functions as an inspection chamber for inspecting the film formed on the substrate 100 in the film-forming block 301.

[0017] The control system of the film formation system 1 includes a host device 300 that controls the entire line as a host computer, and control devices 309, 310, 311, 313a-313d that control each component, and these devices can communicate via a wired or wireless communication line 300a. The control devices 313a-313d are provided corresponding to the film formation chambers 303a-303d and control the film formation devices provided in each film formation chamber. The control device 309 controls the transfer robot 302a. The control device 310 controls the transfer robot provided in the swirl chamber 307. The control device 311 controls the inspection device 110 (described below) that constitutes the delivery chamber 308. The host device 300 transmits information about the substrate 100 and instructions such as transfer timing to each of the control devices 309, 310, 311, 313a-313d, and each of the control devices 309, 310, 311, 313a-313d controls each component based on the received instructions.

[0018] <Inspection Apparatus> Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an inspection apparatus 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and in particular, an inspection apparatus that forms a delivery chamber 308 downstream of a film formation block 301. In each figure including Figure 2, the X and Y directions indicate horizontal directions, and the Z direction indicates vertical direction. The inspection apparatus 110 includes a chamber 10, a suction unit 11, a moving unit 12, a suction auxiliary unit 13, a positioning unit 14, a substrate support unit 15, and an inspection unit 16.

[0019] The chamber 10 has a box-like shape and forms a delivery chamber 308. The interior of the chamber 10 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. In this embodiment, the chamber 10 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). In this specification, the term "vacuum" refers to a state filled with gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced pressure state.

[0020] In this embodiment, the substrate 100 to be inspected, on which a film has been formed, is carried into the chamber 10 by the transport robot 307a in the swirl chamber 307 through a carry-in port (not shown) formed in the chamber 10. In addition, the inspected substrate 100 is carried out of the chamber 10 through a carry-in port (not shown) formed in the chamber 10 by a transport robot (not shown) downstream of the delivery chamber 308.

[0021] In this embodiment, the inspection performed by the inspection unit 16 includes measuring the thickness of the film formed on the substrate 100. The measurement results are used to control the film forming apparatus in the film forming chamber 303, thereby improving the quality of the film formation.

[0022] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of film thickness measurement. In the illustrated example, a film 101 such as an organic electroluminescent (EL) film is formed on the underside of a substrate 100, and the film 101 is formed in a film formation region serving as a manufacturing region for electronic devices. An inspection film 103 for film thickness measurement is formed in an inspection region 102 adjacent to the film formation region for the film 101. The inspection region 102 is set at a predetermined position (an edge of the substrate 100 in this embodiment). In this embodiment, the inspection region 102 is distinguished from the film formation region (manufacturing region), but the inspection region 102 may be part of the film formation region. Film thickness measurement is performed by moving a measurement head 161 of the inspection unit 16 along the underside of the substrate 100 and reading the inspection film 103 with the measurement head 161.

[0023] In this embodiment, the measurement head 161 optically measures the film thickness of the inspection film 103. The measurement head 161 includes a light source that irradiates the substrate 100 with light, and a light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the substrate 100. The light received by the light receiving unit is dispersed to calculate the light intensity for each wavelength band, and the film thickness can be estimated from the relationship between film thickness and light intensity in multiple wavelength bands obtained in advance through experiments, etc. Note that the method for measuring the film thickness is not limited to this example, and the inspection content by the inspection unit 16 may also be film properties other than film thickness.

[0024] The suction unit 11 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the suction unit 11. Figure 5 is a view showing the suction surface of the suction unit 11. The suction unit 11 of this embodiment is a unit that suctions the substrate 100 by electrostatic force. However, the suction method is not limited to this, and for example, a method that uses negative pressure or adhesive force to suction may also be used.

[0025] The suction unit 11 includes a frame 111 and an adsorption plate (electrode arrangement portion) 112. The frame 111 is a rectangular member that forms the outer shape of the suction unit 11. For example, the frame 111 forms a frame that is equal to or larger in size than the substrate 100 that is the target of suction by the suction unit 11. Components of a moving unit 13 and a positioning unit 14, which will be described later, are provided on the side surface of the frame 111.

[0026] The attraction plate 112 is an electrostatic chuck that attracts the substrate 100 by electrostatic force. For example, the attraction plate 112 has a structure in which an electrical circuit such as a metal electrode is embedded inside a ceramic matrix (also called a base). A plurality of electrodes 151a to 151l (collectively referred to as electrodes 151) that generate electrostatic force are arranged on the lower surface 112a of the attraction plate 112, and each of these electrodes constitutes an attraction portion. The lower surface 112a forms a horizontal attraction surface that attracts the substrate 100. When positive (+) and negative (-) voltages are applied to the electrodes 151, a polarization charge is induced in the substrate 100 through the ceramic matrix, and the substrate 100 is attracted and held by the attraction plate 112 due to the electrostatic attraction (electrostatic force) between the substrate 100 and the attraction plate 112. In this embodiment, the plurality of electrodes 151a to 151l are arranged in a matrix, and the voltage application can be individually controlled.

[0027] The multiple electrodes 151a to 151l are divided into three adsorption sites R1 to R3 based on their arrangement. Electrodes 151a to 151d are arranged in adsorption site R1, electrodes 115e and 115f are arranged in adsorption site R2, and electrodes 151g to 151l are arranged in adsorption site R3. Adsorption sites R1 and R2 have the same area as adsorption site R3, and adsorption site R3 occupies approximately half of the adsorption range.

[0028] The suction site R1 includes a site 114 corresponding to the inspection region 102 (see FIG. 3). When the substrate 100 is suctioned, the site 114 overlaps with the inspection region 102 (see FIG. 3). The suction sites R2 and R3 are sites corresponding to the outside of the inspection region 102. As will be described later, in this embodiment, the suction site R3 is controlled separately from the suction sites R1 and R2. Therefore, the voltage application control circuits for the plurality of electrodes 151a to 151l may be provided as separate circuits for the suction site R3 and for the suction sites R1 and R2.

[0029] The suction plate 112 is also provided with a plurality of sensors 113 that detect suction and release of the substrate 100 relative to the lower surface 112a. The sensors 113 are, for example, touch sensors that detect contact of the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the plurality of sensors 113 are arranged in the Y direction at the center of the X direction of the lower surface 112a. The arrangement of the sensors 113 is not limited to this, and they may be located on the periphery of the lower surface 112a. The suction and release of the substrate 100 may be detected, for example, by a capacitance sensor that uses the electrodes 151, a camera that captures the positions of the substrate 100 and the suction plate 112, or a laser displacement meter that detects the position of the substrate 100.

[0030] 2 and 4 , the moving unit 12 is a mechanism for moving the suction unit 11. In this embodiment, the moving unit 12 is an elevation unit for vertically raising and lowering the suction unit 11. The moving unit 12 includes a movable part 121, a fixed part 122, and a drive part 123.

[0031] The movable part 121 supports the suction unit 11 and is provided so as to be movable together with the suction unit 11. The movable part 121 includes a lifting member 1211, a plurality of connecting members 1212, and a plurality of lifting shafts 1214. The lifting shafts 1214 are shaft members that extend in the Z direction so as to be suspended from the lifting member 1211, and only the lower end portions thereof are shown in FIG. 4 . The connecting members 1212 are members that are connected to the suction unit 1212. The lifting shafts 1214 and the connecting members 1212 are connected via joints 1213 that include spherical bearings, and the connecting members 1212 are swingable relative to the lifting shafts 1214.

[0032] The fixed part 122 is fixed to the upper wall 10a of the chamber 10. The drive part 123 includes a drive source that generates a drive force for moving the movable part 121 and a mechanism that converts the drive force of the drive source into translational motion. For example, the rotational drive force of an electric motor is converted into translational motion by a ball screw mechanism and transmitted to the movable part 121, causing the movable part 121 to rise and fall. This causes the suction unit 11 to rise and fall.

[0033] When the suction unit 11 suctions the substrate 100, the suction auxiliary unit 13 reduces the curvature of the substrate 100 and corrects the substrate 100 so that the substrate 100 is suctioned in a flatter posture. The peripheral edge of the substrate 100 is supported by the substrate support unit 15. As a result, the central portion of the substrate 100 curves downward. The suction auxiliary unit 13 presses the peripheral edge of the substrate 100 downward to correct this curvature.

[0034] The suction auxiliary unit 13 of this embodiment includes a shaft-shaped pressing part 131 that presses the substrate 100, and a lifting part 132 that raises and lowers the pressing part 131. The lifting part 132 can appropriately employ known technology such as an electric motor and a ball screw mechanism.

[0035] In this embodiment, the suction auxiliary unit 13 presses the substrate 100 so that the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support portion 14 is partially separated from the suction unit 11. Specifically, the pressing portion 131 presses the substrate 100 from above via the through-hole 1112 formed in the frame 111 of the suction unit 11. In this embodiment, the suction auxiliary unit 13 presses the four corners of the substrate 100 from above using the four pressing portions 131 to correct the substrate 100 to a more horizontal position. Note that, as another form of the suction unit 13, it may be one that presses the center of the substrate 100 from below upward.

[0036] The positioning unit 14 is a unit that positions the suction unit 11. Specifically, the positioning unit 14 positions the suction unit 11 at a position where inspection is performed by the inspection unit 16. The positioning unit 14 includes a butting portion 141 and a receiving portion 142.

[0037] The abutting portion 141 is provided on a side surface of the frame body 111 of the suction unit 11. That is, the abutting portion 141 moves together with the suction unit 11 by the moving unit 12. In this embodiment, the abutting portion 141 is formed so that the portion that abuts against the receiving portion 142 has a spherical shape.

[0038] The receiving portions 142 are fixed within the chamber 10 at positions corresponding to the abutting portions 141 and receive the abutting portions 141. Here, the receiving portions 142 are shown as conical recesses opening upward. The spherical portions of the receiving portions 142 fit into the recesses of the receiving portions 142, thereby determining the position of the suction unit 11. In this embodiment, six abutting portions 141 are provided on the side surface of the frame 111 of the suction unit 11, and six receiving portions 142 are provided at positions corresponding to these abutting portions 141. However, the number of abutting portions 141 and receiving portions 142 can be changed. Furthermore, not all receiving portions 142 need to be conical recesses as shown. For example, the multiple receiving portions 142 may include a V-shaped groove and a flat portion. Furthermore, the abutting portions 141 and receiving portions 142 may form a so-called kinematic mount.

[0039] Please refer to Figures 2 and 6. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the substrate supporting unit 15 and the inspection unit 16. The substrate supporting unit 15 is a unit that supports the substrate 100. The substrate 100 to be inspected that is carried into the inspection device 110 is supported by the substrate supporting unit 15, and the inspected substrate 100 is carried out from the substrate supporting unit 15 to the outside. The substrate supporting unit 15 supports the substrate 100 from below. The substrate supporting unit 15 is located between the suction unit 11 and the inspection unit 16 in the vertical direction within the chamber 10. In this embodiment, the substrate supporting unit 15 includes a frame 151 and a plurality of support members 152.

[0040] The frame 151 forms the outer shape of the substrate support unit 15 and is supported by a base member 164 via support members. The base member 164 is fixed inside the chamber 10. The frame 151 has a rectangular frame shape, and the substrate 100 is supported inside the frame formed by the frame 151. In this embodiment, the frame 151 is composed of multiple members 1511 to 1514. The members 1511 and 1513 are arranged opposite each other in the Y direction, and the members 1512 and 1514 are arranged correspondingly in the X direction. A gap is provided between the members 1511 and 1513 and between the members 1512 and 1514. By providing a gap between the members at the short sides of the frame 151, contact between the frame 151 and the transport robot 307a can be avoided when the substrate 100 is transported by the transport robot 307a or the like.

[0041] The support members 152 are parts of the substrate support unit 15 that directly support the substrate 100, and are formed of, for example, leaf springs. In this embodiment, the plurality of support members 152 are supported by the frame body 151 so as to extend inside the frame formed by the frame body 151, and the peripheral edge of the substrate 100 is placed on the plurality of support members 152. Because the support members 152 are elastic, the load acting on the substrate 100 when the substrate 100 supported by the plurality of support members 152 comes into contact with the suction unit 11 can be released by the elastic deformation of the support members 152.

[0042] The inspection unit 16 includes a measuring head 161, a slider 162, and a guide rail 163. The guide rail 163 extends in the Y direction on a base member 164. The slider 162 can reciprocate in the Y direction by being guided by the guide rail 163. The mechanism for moving the slider 162 can be, for example, a ball screw mechanism using a motor as a drive source, or a linear motor. The measuring head 161 is mounted on the slider 162 and reciprocates in the Y direction together with the slider 162.

[0043] See FIG. 2. The control device 311 controls the inspection device 110. The control device 311 includes a processing unit 311a, a storage unit 311b, an input / output interface (I / O) 311c, and a communication unit 311d. The processing unit 311a is a processor, such as a CPU, and controls the film forming device 1 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 311b. The storage unit 311b 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 311a. The I / O 311c is an interface that transmits and receives signals between the processing unit 311a and an external device. The external device includes an actuator and a sensor provided in the inspection device 110. The communication unit 311d is a communication device that communicates with a higher-level device or another control device via a communication line.

[0044] <Control Example> A description will be given of an example of control of the inspection device 110 by the control device 311. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the processing unit 311a, and in particular shows an example of processing related to the inspection of the substrate 100. Figs. 8 and 9 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the inspection device 110.

[0045] During inspection, the planarity of the substrate 100 to be inspected can be improved by using the chucking plate 112 to chucking the substrate 100. This improves inspection accuracy. On the other hand, if it takes a long time to release the chucking of the substrate 100, production efficiency decreases. In general, with an electrostatic chuck such as that of this embodiment, even after the application of voltage to the electrode 151 is terminated, there is a possibility that the substrate 100 may not be released smoothly due to the charge on the substrate. If it takes a long time to release the chucking of the substrate 100, the substrate 100 cannot be smoothly removed, and production efficiency decreases.

[0046] Therefore, in this embodiment, a reduction control is performed to reduce the suction force of the suction plate 112 on the substrate 100 at suction site R3, which corresponds to the outside of the inspection region 102, compared to suction site R1, which corresponds to the inspection region 102. This improves the ease with which the substrate 100 can be separated from the suction unit 11 when suction is released. Although suction site R2 does not correspond to the inspection region 102, it is adjacent to suction site R1 and contributes to improving the planarity of the substrate 100 in the inspection region 102 during suction. Therefore, suction site R2 is controlled in the same way as suction site R1.

[0047] 7, it is determined whether or not the substrate 100 has been carried into the inspection device 110. The carrying-in of the substrate 100 can be determined by a notification from another device such as the upper device 300 or the control device 310, for example.

[0048] 8 shows the operation of the inspection apparatus 110 when the substrate 100 is loaded. State ST81 shows the state before the substrate 100 is loaded. In state ST101, the suction unit 11 is located at the retracted position POS11. The retracted position is higher than the measurement position POS12 (see state ST91) during film thickness measurement, and is a position that prevents the substrate 100 being transported from coming into contact with the suction unit 11 and the substrate support unit 15. The measurement head 161 is located at the retracted position POS21. The retracted position POS21 is a position retracted outward in the Y direction from the substrate 100.

[0049] In state ST82, the transfer robot 307a in the swirl chamber 307 is loading the substrate 100 into the chamber 10. In state ST83, the transfer robot 307a places the substrate 100 on the substrate support unit 15 and then retreats. In this state, the center of the substrate 100 is bent due to its own weight. This completes the loading of the substrate 100.

[0050] 7, the suction auxiliary unit 13 corrects the warp of the substrate 100. The pressing units 131 press the four corners of the substrate 100 from above to correct the substrate 100 to a more horizontal position. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of this.

[0051] In state ST101, the suction auxiliary unit 13 is not pressing the substrate 100, and in state ST102, the suction auxiliary unit 13 is pressing the substrate 100. Note that in this figure, the deformation of the substrate 100 is emphasized for ease of understanding.

[0052] In state ST101, due to the positional relationship between the substrate support unit 15 and the substrate 100, the substrate 100 is deformed so that the outer side of the substrate 100 faces upward. Therefore, if the suction unit 11 is brought close to the substrate 100 in this state, the suction unit 11 will come into contact with the substrate 100 from the outside of the substrate 100. Therefore, as shown in state ST102, the pressing portion 131 of the suction auxiliary unit 13 presses the corner of the substrate 100, thereby suppressing deformation of the substrate 100 such that the outer side faces upward. After this, when the suction unit 11 is brought close to the substrate 100, the substrate 100 and the suction unit 11 come into contact with each other from above the multiple support members 152 of the substrate support unit 15. As a result, compared to state ST301, the contact area between the substrate 100 and the suction unit 11 is increased when the suction unit 11 suctions the substrate, allowing the suction unit 11 to perform a smooth substrate suction operation.

[0053] In S3 of FIG. 7, a voltage is applied to the electrode 115 of the suction unit 11. An electrostatic suction force is generated on the suction surface 112a. FIG. 11 shows an example of the voltage applied to each of the suction sites R1 to R3. "When voltage is applied" in the figure illustrates the voltage applied to each electrode 115 in S3 of FIG. 7. The same voltage (1.5 kV) is applied to all of the electrodes of the suction sites R1 to R3. Therefore, a uniform electrostatic suction force is generated on the suction surface 112a.

[0054] In S4 of Fig. 7, the moving unit 12 lowers the suction unit 11 to the measurement position POS12. As a result, the substrate 100 is sucked onto the suction unit 11. The positioning unit 14 also positions the suction unit 11. State ST91 in Fig. 9 shows this state. The suction unit 11 is lowered by the moving unit 12 to the measurement position POS12 for film thickness measurement, and this movement by the moving unit 12 presses the suction unit 11 against the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 15. The abutment portion 141 fits into the receiving portion 142, and the position of the suction unit 11 is determined. At this time, the suction unit 11 is slightly displaceable due to the action of the joint 1213 equipped with a spherical bearing, and is positioned by the positioning unit 14.

[0055] Then, the suction unit 11 suctions the substrate 100 by electrostatic force while the substrate 100 is pressed against the suction unit 11. In particular, at this stage, the same voltage is applied to all of the electrodes of the suction sites R1 to R3, and a uniform suction force is generated on the suction surface 112a, so that the suction region where the suction plate 112 of the suction unit 11 is provided and the substrate 100 come into contact with each other without any gaps, and bending of the substrate 100 due to its own weight is eliminated.

[0056] 7, the detection result of the sensor 113 is acquired to determine whether or not suction of the substrate 100 has been completed. If the sensor 113 detects contact of the substrate 100, it is determined that suction of the substrate 100 has been completed, and the process of S6 is executed.

[0057] In S6, as a reduction control, the applied voltage to each electrode 115 of the suction site R3 is changed. An example is shown in "When voltage is changed" in FIG. 11 . The applied voltage to each electrode 115 of the suction sites R1 and R2 is maintained at the same voltage as "When voltage is applied." Meanwhile, the applied voltage to each electrode 115 of the suction site R3 is reduced to 0.5 kV. This reduces the suction force of the suction site R3, improving the releasability of the substrate 100 from the suction unit 11 after film thickness measurement. Because the applied voltage to each electrode 115 of the suction sites R1 and R2 is maintained at the initial voltage, the planarity of the inspection region 102 is maintained even if the suction force at the suction site R3 is reduced.

[0058] In S7 of Figure 7, the substrate 100 is inspected. Here, the film thickness of the inspection film 103 (Figure 3) in the inspection area 102 is measured. State ST92 in Figure 9 shows this state. The measurement head 161 moves from position POS21 to position POS22 for film thickness measurement. The film thickness of the inspection film 103 is measured during the movement of the measurement head 161. This completes the inspection.

[0059] 7, the application of voltage to the electrode 115 of the suction unit 11 is stopped (0 V). The suction force of the suction surface 112a is lost, and the substrate 100 is peeled off from the suction surface 112a. Static electricity charged on the substrate 100 may inhibit peeling, but in this embodiment, the applied voltage (i.e., the suction force) is reduced in advance at the suction site R3 (S6), so the substrate 100 can be smoothly peeled off from the suction surface 112a from the suction site R3 side.

[0060] In S9, the detection result of the sensor 113 is acquired to determine whether peeling of the substrate 100 is complete. If the sensor 113 does not detect contact of the substrate 100, it is determined that peeling of the substrate 100 is complete, and the process of S10 is executed. In S19, the moving unit 12 raises the suction unit 11 to the retracted position POS11. State ST93 in FIG. 9 shows this state. The substrate 100 is placed on the substrate supporting unit 15, and the suction unit 11 is separated from the substrate 100. The measuring head 161 is located at the retracted position POS21.

[0061] In S11 of FIG. 7 , an instruction to remove the substrate 100 is sent to the host device 300 or the like. In response to this, a transport robot (not shown) disposed downstream of the inspection device 110 removes the inspected substrate 100 from the inspection device 110. This completes one inspection process. As described above, in this embodiment, the control (S6) to reduce the suction force at the suction site R3 is performed in advance. Therefore, when the substrate 100 is to be peeled from the suction unit 11, the suction force at the suction site R3 has already been reduced, allowing the substrate 100 to be peeled smoothly. In particular, in this embodiment, half of the electrodes 115 belong to the suction site R3, and reducing the suction force of these electrodes in advance can further enhance the peeling effect of the substrate 100. Meanwhile, during the inspection stage, the substrate 100 is firmly attached to the suction unit 11 in the inspection area 102, ensuring flatness. Therefore, inspection accuracy is also ensured.

[0062] Second Embodiment Another example of voltage application to each of the adsorption sites R1 to R3 on the electrode 115 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. "During voltage application" illustrates the voltage applied to each electrode 115 in S3 of Fig. 7, and "during voltage change" illustrates the voltage applied to each electrode 115 as a reduction control in S6 of Fig. 7.

[0063] In Example 1, during "voltage application," the same voltage (1.5 kV) is applied to all of the electrodes 115 of the suction sites R1 to R3, as in the first embodiment. Therefore, a uniform suction force is generated on the suction surface 112a due to electrostatic force. During "voltage change," the voltage applied to the electrodes 115 of the suction sites R1 and R2 as well as the suction site R3 is changed. The voltage applied to the electrodes 115 of the suction sites R1 and R2 is set to 1.0 kV, lower than during "voltage application." This improves the peelability after inspection. As in the first embodiment, the voltage at the suction site R3 is reduced to 0.5 kV as a reduction control.

[0064] In Example 2, during "voltage application," a voltage of 1.5 kV is applied to the electrodes 115 of the suction sites R1 and R2, as in the first embodiment, but a lower voltage of 1.0 kV is applied to the suction site R3 as a reduction control. During "voltage change," the voltage applied to not only the suction site R3 but also the electrodes 115 of the suction sites R1 and R2 is changed. The voltage applied to the electrodes 115 of the suction sites R1 and R2 is set to 1.0 kV, lower than during "voltage application." This improves post-inspection peelability. During reduction control, the voltage applied to the suction site R3 is set to 0.0 kV, meaning that the voltage application is stopped and the electrostatic force becomes zero.

[0065] In the first embodiment, after the suction unit 11 has suctioned the substrate 100, the voltage applied to each electrode 115 of the suction site R3 is changed as the reduction control at the timing of S6 in Fig. 7 before the inspection of the substrate 100. However, the timing is not limited to this. For example, the reduction control may be performed during the inspection, as long as it is performed before the inspection is completed.

[0066] Also, the lowering control may be performed when the suction unit 11 suctions the substrate 100, and not thereafter. Fig. 13 shows an example of this, and is a flowchart illustrating a processing example that replaces Fig. 7. The differences between the contents of Fig. 13 and Fig. 7 will be described below.

[0067] In the example of Fig. 13, there is no voltage change process corresponding to S6 in Fig. 7. Therefore, voltage reduction control is performed at the initial voltage application stage of S3, and this control remains in place until application is stopped in S8. As an example, in the voltage application of S3, a voltage of 1.5 kV is applied to the electrodes 115 of the suction sites R1 and R2, as in the first embodiment, and 0 V is applied to the electrode 115 of the suction site R3. In other words, no electrostatic suction force is generated at the suction site R3. The suction site R3 is supported only by the support members 152 of the substrate support unit 15.

[0068] Fourth Embodiment In the first to third embodiments, the suction force of the suction unit 11 is reduced at the suction site R3 by controlling the suction unit 11, but the reduction control can also be implemented by controlling components other than the suction unit 11. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate support unit 15 of this embodiment. Below, configurations that differ from the substrate support unit 15 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 6 will be described.

[0069] In the substrate support unit 15 of this embodiment, the members 1511 and 1513 of the frame 151 are each composed of two members 1511A and 1511B, and two members 1513A and 1513B separated in the X direction. As in the first embodiment, the members 1511B and 1513B corresponding to the suction site R3 of the suction unit 11 are fixed to the base member 164. On the other hand, the members 1511A and 1513A corresponding to the suction sites R1 and R2 of the suction unit 11 are fixed to the base member 164 via a displacement unit 17. The displacement unit 17 is an elevation mechanism that displaces the members 1511A and 1513A in the Z direction, and is, for example, an electric cylinder or an air cylinder.

[0070] In this embodiment, the lifting and lowering of members 1511A and 1513A creates a difference in the suction force between suction sites R1 and R2 and suction site R3. That is, the target of the reduction control is the substrate support unit 15, and control of the suction unit 11 is not required. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the voltage applied to each electrode of the suction unit 11, and it is possible to use a suction unit that generates a uniform suction force.

[0071] Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing a processing example of this embodiment, which is an alternative processing example to Fig. 7. Differences between the contents of Fig. 15 and Fig. 7 will be described.

[0072] When it is determined in S1 that the substrate 100 has been carried in, in S21, as lowering control, the displacement unit 17 is driven to adjust the support height of the substrate support unit 15. Specifically, the support height of the substrate support unit 15 at the suction sites R1 and R2 is raised. Then, the processing from S2 onwards is executed.

[0073] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of the adjustment of the support height in S21 and the lowering operation of the suction unit 11 in S4.

[0074] State ST161 shows the stage where the substrate 100 has been carried in. The member 1513A (and member 1511A) is located at the delivery position, and has the same support height (the position of the support member 152 in the Z direction) as the member 1513B (and member 1511B). State ST162 shows the stage where the displacement unit 17 is driven by the control of S21 to raise the support height of the member 1513A (and member 1511A). The support height of the member 1513A (and member 1511A) is higher than the support height of the member 1513B (and member 1511B).

[0075] State ST163 shows a stage during the downward movement of the suction unit 11 in S4. The suction site R3 is farther from the substrate 100 than the suction site R1 (and the suction site R2). Even if the same voltage is applied to the electrodes 115 of the suction sites R1 (and the suction site R2) and R3, the suction force at the suction site R3 is relatively weaker. State ST164 shows a stage after the suction unit 11 has completed suction of the substrate 100. The substrate 100 is in close contact with the suction site R1 (and the suction site R2), while the substrate 100 is almost completely released from the suction site R3. This improves the releasability of the substrate 100 from the suction unit 11 when suction is released. Note that in the example of FIG. 16 , there is no voltage change process corresponding to S6 in FIG. 7 , and the lowering control is achieved solely by controlling the support height of the substrate support unit 13.

[0076] <Method for Manufacturing an Electronic Device> Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described. Hereinafter, the configuration and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be illustrated as an example of the electronic device.

[0077] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Fig. 17A is an overall view of the organic EL display device 50, and Fig. 17B is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0078] 17A, 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 17B is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram taken along line A-B in FIG. 17A. A pixel 52 has, on a substrate 53, a plurality of subpixels each composed of an organic EL element including a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, one of a red layer 56R, a green layer 56G, and a blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58. Of these, the hole transport layer 55, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, the blue layer 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to organic layers. The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue light, respectively.

[0081] 17B , 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 17B shows the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 as a single layer, but they may be formed of multiple layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer depending on the structure of the organic EL display element. Furthermore, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure that can smoothly inject holes from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55 may be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer may be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described. Here, it is assumed that the red layer 56R is made up of two layers, a lower layer 56R1 and an upper layer 56R2, and the green layer 56G and the blue layer 56B are made up of a single light-emitting layer.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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.

[0089] The substrate 53 on which the insulating layer 59 has been patterned is carried into a first film-forming chamber, and a 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 having openings formed for each display region 51 which will ultimately become the panel portion of each organic EL display device.

[0090] Next, the substrate 53 on which the hole transport layer 55 has been formed is carried into a second film formation chamber. 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.

[0091] Similar to the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G is formed in the third film formation chamber, and then the blue layer 56B is formed in the fourth film formation chamber. 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. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a layer common to the three color layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

[0092] The substrate on which the electron transport layer 57 has been formed is moved to a sixth film-forming chamber, where the second electrode 58 is formed. In this embodiment, each layer is formed by vacuum deposition in the first to sixth film-forming chambers. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the second electrode 58 in the sixth film-forming chamber may be formed by sputtering. Thereafter, the substrate on which the second electrode 68 has 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 it may also be formed by an ALD method or an inkjet method.

[0093] Here, the films are formed in the first to sixth film formation chambers using a mask having an opening corresponding to the pattern of each layer to be formed. During film formation, 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.

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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.

[0096] 1 Film forming system, 11 Adsorption unit, 16 Inspection unit, 110 Inspection device, 311 Control device

Claims

1. An inspection device comprising: an adsorption means for adsorbing a substrate; an inspection means for inspecting a film formed in an inspection area of ​​the substrate adsorbed to the adsorption means; and a control means for executing a reduction control to reduce the adsorption force applied to the substrate by the adsorption means in a second portion of the substrate corresponding to outside the inspection area, compared to a first portion of the substrate corresponding to the inspection area.

2. An inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: said inspection means measures the thickness of said film; and said suction means suctions said substrate by electrostatic force.

3. An inspection device according to claim 2, characterized in that the suction means has a plurality of suction portions.

4. An inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the reduction control, the suction means is controlled so that the suction force of the second portion is lower than that of the first portion.

5. An inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the reduction control, the suction means is controlled so that the electrostatic force in the second portion is smaller than that in the first portion.

6. An inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the reduction control, the suction means is controlled so that the electrostatic force in the second portion becomes zero.

7. An inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that said control means executes said lowering control at a stage where said suction means suctions said substrate.

8. An inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that the control means executes the lowering control after the suction means has suctioned the substrate.

9. An inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that the control means executes the lowering control after the suction means has sucked the substrate and before inspection by the inspection means.

10. An inspection device as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the control means controls the suction means so that a similar suction force is generated at the first portion and the second portion when the suction means suctions the substrate.

11. An inspection device as described in claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that the control means controls the suction means so that, when the suction means suctions the substrate, a lower suction force is generated at the second location than at the first location.

12. An inspection apparatus as described in claim 1, comprising a substrate supporting means for supporting a substrate to be carried into the inspection apparatus, the suction means suctions the substrate supported by the substrate supporting means, and in the lowering control, the substrate supporting means is controlled so that when the substrate supported by the substrate supporting means is suctioned by the suction means, the second portion is farther away from the substrate than the first portion.

13. An inspection device according to claim 1, wherein said inspection means measures the thickness of said film by irradiating said film with light.

14. A film formation system comprising: a film formation chamber in which a film is formed on a substrate; and an inspection chamber in which an inspection device is disposed in which the film formed on the substrate is inspected, the inspection device comprising: an adsorption means for adsorbing a substrate; an inspection means for inspecting a film formed in an inspection area of ​​the substrate adsorbed to the adsorption means; and a control means for executing a reduction control to reduce the adsorption force of the adsorption means on the substrate in a second portion corresponding to outside the inspection area compared to a first portion corresponding to the inspection area of ​​the substrate.

15. An inspection method comprising: an adsorption process for adsorbing a substrate by an adsorption means; an inspection process for inspecting a film formed in an inspection area of ​​the substrate adsorbed by the adsorption process; and a control process for performing a reduction control for reducing the adsorption force applied to the substrate by the adsorption means in a second portion corresponding to outside the inspection area compared to a first portion corresponding to the inspection area of ​​the substrate.

16. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising: a film-forming step of forming a film on a substrate; and an inspection step of inspecting the film formed in the film-forming step by the inspection method according to claim 15.

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