Film forming device, adjustment method, film forming method, and manufacturing method for electronic device

Abstract

Provided is film forming device in which a substrate and a mask are stacked and a film of a vapor deposition substance is formed on the substrate. The film forming device is characterized in that: the film forming device includes a substrate support member for supporting the substrate, a suction plate for suctioning the substrate, a mask base on which the mask is placed, and an adjustment means for adjusting the posture of the suction plate; the adjustment means adjusts, before the substrate and the mask are stacked, the suction plate so that the same transitions from a first posture, which is based on a substrate support surface of the substrate support member when the substrate is suctioned to the suction plate, to a second posture, which is based on the mask placed on the mask base or a mask loading surface of the mask base.

Description

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

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, an adjusting method, 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. Methods for suppressing the effects of distortion of the substrate and mask and improving alignment accuracy are known. Patent Document 1 discloses adjusting the inclination of the adsorption plate that adsorbs the substrate and the mask table while the inside of a chamber is maintained in a vacuum. Patent Document 2 also discloses a method for adsorbing a substrate to an electrostatic chuck.

[0003] JP 2022-57673 A JP 2021-141312 A

[0004] However, when the suction plate adheres to the substrate while its posture is adjusted based on the mask table, the suction position between the suction plate and the substrate may be misaligned due to the posture of the suction plate or distortion of the substrate. When the substrate and the mask are superimposed while the suction position between the suction plate and the substrate is misaligned, misalignment between the substrate and the mask may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress the misalignment between the substrate and the mask.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for suppressing misalignment between a substrate and a mask.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a film formation apparatus for depositing a film of a vapor deposition material on a substrate by overlapping a substrate and a mask, the film formation apparatus comprising: a substrate support member for supporting the substrate; an adsorption plate for adsorbing the substrate; a mask table on which the mask is placed; and an adjustment means for adjusting the attitude of the adsorption plate, wherein, before the substrate and the mask are overlapped, the adjustment means adjusts the adsorption plate from a first attitude based on a substrate support surface of the substrate support member when the substrate is adsorbed to the adsorption plate, to a second attitude based on the mask placed on the mask table or the mask loading surface of the mask table.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress misalignment between the substrate and the mask.

[0008] 1 is 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. An explanatory diagram of a substrate support unit and an adsorption plate. An explanatory diagram of electrical wiring of the adsorption plate. An explanatory diagram of a pressing member. An explanatory diagram of a pressing member. An explanatory diagram of a measurement unit. An explanatory diagram of an adjustment unit. An explanatory diagram of a process of overlaying a substrate and a mask using an adsorption plate. An explanatory diagram of the relative tilt between the adsorption plate and the mask table. An explanatory diagram of the relative tilt between the adsorption plate and the mask table. An explanatory diagram of the relative tilt between the adsorption plate and the mask table. An explanatory diagram of the attitude of the adsorption plate. An explanatory diagram of the attitude of the adsorption plate. A flowchart showing an example of control processing. A diagram showing an example of a display screen of a display unit. A flowchart showing an example of control processing. An overall view of an organic EL display device. A diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel. An explanatory diagram of the relative tilt between the adsorption plate and the mask.

[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] <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 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. In this embodiment, the swirl chamber 307 rotates the orientation of the substrate 100 by 180 degrees using a transfer robot provided in the swirl chamber 307. 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, and therefore the scan direction of film formation on the substrate S and the orientation of the mask can be aligned in each film formation block 301. This configuration allows the orientation of the masks installed in the mask storage chambers 305 in each film formation block 301 to be aligned, 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 a substrate 100, forming a thin film of the vapor deposition material in a predetermined pattern using a mask 101. The material of the substrate 100 on which a 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 can 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 applicable to manufacturing apparatuses 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 applied. In each drawing, arrow Z indicates the vertical direction (gravity direction), 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 (also simply referred to as a chamber) capable of maintaining a vacuum inside. The 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, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with a gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced pressure state. The internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is equipped with a substrate support unit 6 that supports the substrate 100 in a horizontal position, a mask table 5 that supports a mask 101, a film forming unit 4, a plate unit 9, and an adsorption plate 15. The mask 101 is a metal mask with an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern to be formed on the substrate 100 and is placed on the 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 can be a mask having a structure in which a mask foil having a thickness of several microns to several tens of microns is welded to a frame-shaped mask frame. Although there are no particular limitations on the material of the mask 101, it is preferable to use a metal with a small thermal expansion coefficient, such as an Invar material. The film formation process is performed in a state where the substrate 100 is placed on the mask 101 and the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are superimposed on each other.

[0020] The plate unit 9 includes a cooling plate 10 and a magnet plate 11. The cooling plate 10 is suspended below the magnet plate 11 so as to be displaceable in the Z direction relative to the magnet plate 11. The cooling plate 10 has a function of cooling the substrate 100 attracted to the attraction plate 15 during film formation by contacting the attraction plate 15 (described later). The cooling plate 10 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 plate 15. The magnet plate 11 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.

[0021] The cooling plate 10 and the magnetic plate 11 may be omitted as appropriate. For example, if the attraction plate 15 is provided with a cooling mechanism, the cooling plate 10 may be omitted. Also, if the attraction plate 15 attracts the mask 101, the magnetic plate 11 may be omitted.

[0022] The film forming unit 4 is an evaporation source that is composed of a heater, a shutter, an evaporation source drive mechanism, an evaporation rate monitor, etc., and that deposits an evaporation material onto the substrate 100. More specifically, in this embodiment, the film forming unit 4 is a linear evaporation source in which a plurality of nozzles (not shown) are arranged in the X direction, and an 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 apparatus) by an evaporation source moving mechanism (not shown). In this embodiment, the film forming unit 4 is provided in the same vacuum chamber 3 as the alignment apparatus 2, which will be described later. However, in an embodiment in which the film forming process is performed in a chamber other than the vacuum chamber 3 in which alignment is performed, the film forming unit 4 is not provided in the vacuum chamber 3.

[0023] <Alignment Device> The film forming apparatus 1 includes an alignment device 2 that aligns the substrate 100 and the mask 101. The alignment device 2 includes a substrate support unit 6, an adsorption plate 15, a position adjustment unit 20, a distance adjustment unit 22, a plate unit lifting / lowering unit 13, measurement units 7 and 8, an adjustment unit 17, a floating portion 19, and a detection unit 16. Each component of the alignment device will be described below.

[0024] (Substrate Support Unit) The alignment apparatus 2 includes a substrate support unit 6 that supports the peripheral edge of the substrate 100. Description will be made with reference to Fig. 3 in addition to Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the substrate support unit 6 and the suction plate 15, as viewed from below.

[0025] The substrate support unit 6 includes a plurality of base portions 61a to 61d that form its outer frame, and a plurality of mounting portions 62 and 63 that protrude inward from the base portions 61a to 61d. The mounting portions 62 and 63 are sometimes also referred to as "receiving claws" or "fingers." The base portions 61a to 61d are each supported by a support shaft R3. The mounting portions 62 are spaced apart on the base portions 61a to 61d so as to support the long sides of the periphery of the substrate 100. The mounting portions 63 are spaced apart on the base portions 61a to 61d so as to support the short sides of the periphery of the substrate 100. The substrate 100 carried into the film forming apparatus 1 by the transfer robot 302a is supported by the mounting portions 62 and 63. Hereinafter, when the base portions 61a to 61d are collectively referred to or when no distinction is made, they will be referred to as the base portion 61. In other words, the substrate supporting unit 6 also functions as a substrate supporting member that supports the substrate 100 .

[0026] In this embodiment, the multiple mounting portions 62 and 63 are composed of leaf springs, and when the substrate 100 supported by the multiple mounting portions 62 and 63 is adsorbed onto the suction plate 15, the elastic force of the leaf springs can press the substrate 100 against the suction plate 15.

[0027] 3, a rectangular frame body with a partial cutout is formed by four base portions 61, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the base portions 61 may be a continuous rectangular frame body that surrounds the outer periphery of the rectangular substrate 100. However, by providing cutouts by a plurality of base portions 61, the transfer robot 302a can retreat while avoiding the base portions 61 when transferring the substrate 100 to the placement portions 62 and 63. This can improve the efficiency of transferring and transferring the substrate 100.

[0028] In addition, the substrate support unit 6 may be provided with multiple clamping sections corresponding to the multiple mounting sections 62 and 63, and a configuration may be adopted in which the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 placed on the mounting sections 62 and 63 is clamped and held by the clamping sections.

[0029] 2 and 3 , the alignment device 2 is provided inside the vacuum chamber 3 and includes a suction plate 15 that is capable of suctioning the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the suction plate 15 is provided between the substrate support unit 6 and the plate unit 9 and is supported by one or more support shafts R1. In this embodiment, the suction plate 15 is supported by four support shafts R1. In one embodiment, the support shafts R1 are cylindrical shafts.

[0030] In this embodiment, the attraction plate 15 is an electrostatic chuck that attracts the substrate 100 by electrostatic force. For example, the attraction plate 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 attracted and fixed to the attraction surface 150 of the attraction plate 15 due to the electrostatic attraction (electrostatic force) between the substrate 100 and the attraction plate 15.

[0031] The electrode arrangement area 151 can be set as appropriate. For example, in this embodiment, the plurality of electrode arrangement areas 151 are provided spaced apart from one another, but one electrode arrangement area 151 may be formed over substantially the entire surface of the attraction surface 150 of the attraction plate 15.

[0032] Furthermore, a plurality of touch sensors 1621 that detect contact between the suction plate 15 and the substrate 100 are embedded in the suction plate 15. In this embodiment, a total of nine touch sensors 1621 are provided. Four touch sensors 1621 are provided along each of the long sides of the periphery of the suction plate 15, and one touch sensor 1621 is provided in the center of the suction plate 15. In this way, by providing the touch sensors 1621 at multiple locations on the suction plate 15, it is possible to confirm that the entire surface of the substrate 100 has been suctioned to the suction surface 150. The number and arrangement of the touch sensors 1621 can be changed as appropriate.

[0033] In this embodiment, the touch sensor 1621 mechanically detects contact between itself and an object. As an example, the tip of the touch sensor 1621 is biased by a spring or the like, and is configured to protrude from the suction surface 150 when not in contact with the substrate 100 or the like. When the substrate 100 contacts the tip of the touch sensor 1621, the tip is pushed by the substrate 100 and retracts toward the suction plate 15, contacting an internal contact and outputting a predetermined electrical signal. The shape of the tip is not particularly limited and may be button-shaped or rod-shaped. By appropriately setting the length by which the tip protrudes from the suction surface 150 when not in contact with the object, the touch sensor 1621 can essentially detect contact between the suction plate 15 and the substrate 100. Furthermore, as described below, the multiple touch sensors 1621 constitute a detection unit 16 that detects the parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 (see <Detection Unit>).

[0034] In this embodiment, the suction plate 15 is provided with a fiber sensor 1622 that checks the state of suction of the substrate 100 to the suction plate 15. The fiber sensor 1622 includes a light emitter 1622a and a light receiver 1622b. The light emitter 1622a and the light receiver 1622b are provided so as to form an optical path 1622c below the suction plate 15, for example, several millimeters to several tens of millimeters below the suction plate 15. If a portion of the substrate 100 is not attached to the suction plate 15, that portion will bend downward due to gravity. If the substrate 100 is bent after the suction process of the substrate 100 being attached to the suction plate 15, the bent portion will block the optical path 1622c, and the bending of the substrate 100 will be detected. In other words, it is possible to detect that the substrate 100 is not being properly attached. The fiber sensor 1622 may be omitted.

[0035] Furthermore, a plurality of openings 152 and 155 are formed in the suction plate 15, and measurement units (first measurement unit 7 and second measurement unit 8) described later capture images of mask marks described later through the plurality of openings 152. Furthermore, pressing members 23 described later press the substrate 100 through the openings 155. The openings 155 are holes that penetrate the suction plate 15 in the thickness direction. The number of openings 155 corresponds to the number of pressing members 23.

[0036] Please also refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure from the suction plate 15 to the support shaft R1. FIG. 4 is also an explanatory diagram of the electrical wiring of the suction plate, illustrating the wiring for supplying electricity to the electrodes arranged in the electrode arrangement area 151 of the suction plate 15. In this embodiment, the multiple support shafts R1 supporting the suction plate 15 are formed into hollow cylindrical shapes. Electric wires 153 for applying positive (+) and negative (-) voltages are wired to pass through the inside of the support shafts R1. In the example of FIG. 4, two electric wires 153 are shown, one each for applying positive (+) and negative (-) voltages. The electric wires 153 extending from the lower part of the support shaft R1 into the vacuum chamber 3 extend along the short sides of the suction plate 15 and connect to electrical connection parts 154 provided approximately in the center of the short sides. In other words, the electric wires 153 are led from the outside to the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 via the support shafts R1 and connected to the electrical connection parts 154. Furthermore, power supplied from the electric wire 153 to the electrical connection portion 154 is supplied to each electrode arranged in the electrode arrangement region 151 .

[0037] In this embodiment, four support shafts R1 are provided, and various electric wires (cables) are led through these support shafts R1 into the vacuum chamber 3. In one embodiment, electric wires 153 that supply electricity to the suction plate 15 pass inside two of the support shafts R1 provided diagonally, and bundled cables for the touch sensor 1621, a fiber sensor 1622 (described later), and the like pass inside the remaining two support shafts R1.

[0038] 2, the film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment further includes a pressing member 23 for pressing corners of the substrate 100 supported by the substrate supporting unit 6 from the upper surface side of the substrate 100. Note that the corners of the substrate 100 do not have to be "corners" in the strict mathematical sense, and may be corners that are rounded by, for example, R processing.

[0039] The pressing member 23 presses the substrate 100 from above by abutting one end of the pressing member 23 against the upper surface of the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the pressing member 23 is a pin-shaped member. In this embodiment, the pressing region where the pressing member 23 presses the upper surface of the substrate 100 is located at a corner of the substrate 100. Therefore, the pressing member 23 is installed at a position corresponding to the corner of the rectangular substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6. More specifically, the pressing region of the pressing member 23 is located at at least two of the four corners of the substrate 100.

[0040] 5A and 5B are schematic plan views of the attraction plate 15, each showing the position of the pressing area 23a pressed by the pressing member 23.

[0041] 5A, the pressing members 23 may be installed at positions corresponding to a pair of diagonally opposite corners of the rectangular substrate 100. That is, the pressing members 23 may be arranged at positions corresponding to at least two opposing corners of the substrate 100. This allows the number of pressing members 23 to be minimized while effectively pressing the substrate 100.

[0042] 5B , the pressing members 23 may be installed at positions corresponding to all four corners of the rectangular substrate 100. In this manner, by pressing two or four corners of the substrate 100 from above with the pressing members 23, the warped central portion of the substrate 100 can be lifted and the degree of downward warping can be reduced or the substrate can be made flat. In particular, by using the pressing members 23 to press corners far away from the central portion of the substrate 100, where warping is most likely to occur, warping of the central portion of the substrate 100 can be effectively reduced.

[0043] 5A or 5B , the pressing member 23 is provided at a corner of the substrate 100, so that the pressing area 23a (e.g., a corner) of the pressing member 23 does not overlap with the support area (e.g., a side area) where the substrate 100 is supported by the plurality of mounting portions 62 and 63 of the substrate support unit 6 when viewed in the vertical direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the substrate surface). In other words, the support area of ​​the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 and the pressing area of ​​the substrate 100 pressed by the plurality of pressing members 23 are different areas. Therefore, the pressing member 23 can sufficiently press the substrate 100 without being restricted by the plurality of mounting portions 62 and 63.

[0044] The projection area formed by vertically projecting the support area supported by the substrate support unit 6 onto the upper surface of the substrate 100 and the pressing area 23a pressed by the pressing member 23 are aligned along a virtual line L (see Figure 5B) that forms a shape similar to the periphery of the lower surface of the substrate 100 (e.g., a rectangle).

[0045] According to one aspect of this embodiment, the pressing member 23 is installed on a wall (e.g., an upper wall) of the vacuum chamber 3 and fixed to extend downward. In this case, as the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 rises, the upper surface of the substrate 100 comes into contact with the pressing member 23, and the substrate 100 is pressed downward. In this way, since the pressing member 23 can press the substrate 100 using the distance adjustment unit 22 described below, a separate driving means for raising and lowering the pressing member 23 is not required. Therefore, the device configuration is not complicated.

[0046] The configuration for raising and lowering the pressing member 23 is not limited to this. For example, a separate lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the pressing member 23 may be provided on the upper outside (atmosphere side) of the film forming apparatus 1. Furthermore, the pressing member 23 is not limited to being provided on the wall of the chamber 3. For example, the lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the pressing member 23 and the pressing member may be provided on the suction plate 15. For example, the pressing member 23 may be provided inside the suction plate 15 and protrude from the suction surface side of the suction plate 15 that attracts the substrate 100. Furthermore, the pressing member 23 may not be fixed to one position, but may be movable between a pressing position where it can press the corners of the substrate 100 and a retracted position. This makes it possible to prevent the pressing member 23 from interfering with other configurations.

[0047] In addition, in the present embodiment, the pressing member 23 has a circular shape at the portion that comes into contact with the substrate 100, but this is not limiting. For example, the pressing member 23 may have a polygonal shape at the portion that comes into contact with the substrate 100. The polygon may be, for example, a triangle to a hexagon, or may have another shape.

[0048] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, while the substrate support unit 6 is raised and the substrate 100 approaches the pressing member 23, the suction plate 15 is also raised in conjunction with this by the distance adjustment unit 22 described below.

[0049] As described above, the suction plate 15 is formed with an opening 155 through which the pressing member 23 can pass so that the pressing member 23 can press the substrate 100 through the suction plate 15. To allow the pressing member 23 to pass through, the opening 155 is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the pressing member 23, i.e., the pressing area of ​​the substrate 100.

[0050] In some embodiments, a block member (not shown) capable of adjusting the length of the pressing member 23 may be installed in the opening 155. The block member is, for example, a member that, when pressed from above by the pressing member 23, protrudes downward from the opening 155 and presses the substrate 100. The block member may be configured, for example, to return to its original position within the opening 155 when the pressure from the pressing member 23 is released. In other words, the block member may be configured to exert a restoring force toward the opening 155 when it protrudes from the opening 155. For example, the block member may be coupled to an elastic means such as a spring and installed within the opening 155. Alternatively, for example, the block member may be an elastic member. The elasticity of the block member allows it to absorb the load applied to the surface of the substrate 100 when the substrate 100 is pressed by the pressing member 23.

[0051] (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 adsorbed by the adsorption plate 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 adsorption plate 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 made by displacing the mask 101, or both the substrate 100 and the mask 101 may be displaced.

[0052] In this embodiment, the position adjustment unit 20 includes a fixed plate 20a, a movable plate 20b, and a plurality of actuators 201 arranged between these plates. The fixed plate 20a is fixed onto the upper wall 30 of the vacuum chamber 3. A frame-shaped base 21 is mounted on the movable plate 20b, and a distance adjustment unit 22 and a plate unit lifting unit 13 are supported on the base 21. When the actuator 201 displaces the movable plate 20b in the horizontal direction relative to the fixed plate 20a, the base 21, distance adjustment unit 22, and plate unit lifting unit 13 are displaced together.

[0053] The multiple actuators 201 include, for example, an actuator that can displace the movable plate 20b in the X direction and an actuator that can displace the movable plate 20b in the Y direction, and by controlling the amount of movement of these actuators, the movable plate 20b can be displaced in rotational directions around axes in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. For example, the multiple actuators 201 can include a motor that is a drive source and a mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism that converts the drive force of the motor into linear motion.

[0054] (Distance Adjustment Unit) The distance adjustment unit 22 adjusts the distance between the suction plate 15 and the substrate support unit 6 and 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 22 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 22 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.

[0055] 2, the distance adjustment unit 22 includes a first lifting plate 220. A guide rail 21a extending in the Z direction is formed on the side of the frame 21, and the first lifting plate 220 can be raised and lowered in the Z direction along the guide rail 21a.

[0056] The first lift plate 220 supports the suction plate 15 via multiple support shafts R1. When the first lift plate 220 moves up and down, the suction plate 15 moves up and down accordingly. In other words, the first lift plate 220 supports multiple support shafts R1 that support the suction plate 15, and as the first lift plate 220 moves up and down, the multiple support shafts R1 move up and down synchronously, causing the suction plate 15 to move up and down while maintaining its parallelism. The first lift plate 220 also supports the substrate support unit 6 via multiple actuators 65 and multiple support shafts R3. When the first lift plate 220 moves up and down, the substrate support unit 6 moves up and down accordingly. The multiple actuators 65 can move the multiple support shafts R3 connected to them in the vertical direction. The substrate support unit 6 moves vertically relative to the suction plate 15 by the multiple actuators 65. The multiple actuators 65 may be configured to move the support shafts R3 in the vertical direction using, for example, a motor and a ball screw mechanism.

[0057] The elevation of the first lift plate 220 will now be described in more detail. The distance adjustment unit 22 is supported by the frame 21 and includes a drive unit 221 as an actuator for raising and lowering the first lift plate 220. The drive unit 221 is a mechanism that transmits the driving force of a motor 221a, which serves as a driving source, to the first lift plate 220. In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism having a ball screw shaft 221b and a ball nut 221c is used as the transmission mechanism of the drive unit 221. The ball screw shaft 221b extends in the Z direction and rotates around an axis in the Z direction due to the driving force of the motor 221a. The ball nut 221c is fixed to the first lift plate 220 and engages with the ball screw shaft 221b. The first lift plate 220 can be raised and lowered in the Z direction by rotating the ball screw shaft 221b and switching the rotation direction. The amount of lifting of the first lifting plate 220 can be controlled, for example, based on the detection results of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the rotation amount of each motor 221 a. This makes it possible to control the position in the Z direction of the suction plate 15 that suctions and supports the substrate 100, thereby controlling the contact and separation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In addition, an adjustment unit 17, which will be described later, is provided above the first lifting plate 220.

[0058] 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 plate 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 plate 15 may be fixed and the mask table 5 may be moved to perform adjustment, or the substrate support unit 6, the suction plate 15, and the mask table 5 may each be moved to adjust the distance therebetween.

[0059] (Plate Unit Lifting Unit) The plate unit lifting unit 13 lifts and lowers the second lifting plate 12, which is disposed outside the vacuum chamber 3, thereby lifting and lowering the plate unit 9, which is connected to the second lifting plate 12 and disposed inside the vacuum chamber 3. The plate unit 9 is connected to the second lifting plate 12 via one or more support shafts R2. In this embodiment, the plate unit 9 is supported by two support shafts R2. The support shafts R2 extend upward from the magnet plate 11 and pass through openings in the upper wall portion 30, the openings in the fixed plate 20a and the movable plate 20b, and the opening in the first lifting plate 220, before being connected to the second lifting plate 12.

[0060] The second lift plate 12 can be raised and lowered in the Z direction along the guide shaft 12a. The plate unit lift unit 13 is supported by the frame 21 and includes a drive mechanism for raising and lowering the second lift plate 12. The drive mechanism of the plate unit lift unit 13 transmits the driving force of a motor 13a, which serves as a drive source, to the second lift plate 12. In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism having a ball screw shaft 13b and a ball nut 13c is used as the transmission mechanism of the plate unit lift unit 13. The ball screw shaft 13b extends in the Z direction and rotates around an axis in the Z direction due to the driving force of the motor 13a. The ball nut 13c is fixed to the second lift plate 12 and engages with the ball screw shaft 13b. The second lift plate 12 can be raised and lowered in the Z direction by rotating the ball screw shaft 13b and switching the rotation direction. The amount of lifting of the second lifting plate 12 can be controlled based on the detection results of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the rotation amount of each motor 13 a, thereby controlling the position of the plate unit 9 in the Z direction and controlling the contact and separation between the plate unit 9 and the substrate 100.

[0061] The openings in the upper wall 30 of the vacuum chamber 3, through which the support shafts R1 to R3 pass, are large enough to allow the support shafts R1 to R3 to move in the X and Y directions. To maintain the airtightness of the vacuum chamber 3, bellows or the like are provided in the openings in the upper wall 30 through which the support shafts R1 to R3 pass. For example, the support shaft R1 that supports the first lifting plate 220 is covered with bellows 31 (see FIG. 4, etc.).

[0062] (Measurement Unit) The alignment apparatus 2 includes measurement units (first measurement unit 7 and second measurement unit 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. 6 in addition to FIG. 2 . FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the first measurement unit 7 and the second measurement unit 8, showing how the positional misalignment between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is measured. In this embodiment, the first measurement unit 7 and the second measurement unit 8 are both imaging devices (cameras) that capture images. The first measurement unit 7 and the second measurement unit 8 are disposed above the upper wall 30, and are capable of capturing images of the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 through a window (not shown) formed in the upper wall 30.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] Four second measurement units 8 are provided (second measurement units 8a to 8d) to capture images of each pair (four pairs in this embodiment) of corresponding substrate fine marks 100b and mask fine marks 101b. Second 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 first 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.

[0066] The first 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. While the example in Fig. 6 shows a configuration in which two sets of substrate rough marks 100a and mask rough marks 101a are collectively imaged by one first measurement unit 7, the present invention is not limited to this. As with the second measurement unit 8, two first 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.

[0067] In this embodiment, a rough position adjustment between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed based on the measurement results of the first measurement unit 7, and then a precise position adjustment between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed based on the measurement results of the second measurement unit 8.

[0068] (Adjustment Unit) The alignment device 2 includes an adjustment unit 17. Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the adjustment unit 17 (adjustment device). The adjustment unit 17 is a unit that adjusts the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. In this embodiment, the adjustment unit 17 adjusts the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 by moving the suction plate 15. Furthermore, the adjustment unit 17 adjusts the axial position of at least some of the support axes R1 out of the multiple support axes R1, thereby adjusting the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5.

[0069] The adjustment unit 17 has a plurality of operation units 171 operated by an operator. In this embodiment, a plurality of operation units 171 are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of support axes R1. When an operation unit 171 is operated, the corresponding support axis R1 moves in the vertical direction, which is its axial direction, independently of the other support axes R1. That is, each of the plurality of operation units 171 can independently adjust the vertical position at which the corresponding support axis R1 supports the suction plate 15. Therefore, the operator can adjust the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 by operating the operation unit 171. To increase the degree of freedom of adjustment, it is preferable to provide an operation unit 171 for each of the plurality of support axes R1. However, if an operation unit 171 is provided for at least one support axis R1, the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 can be adjusted within a certain range.

[0070] In this embodiment, the operating portion 171 is an adjusting nut that moves the support shaft R1 in the vertical direction, which is its axial direction. The adjusting nut and the thread 172 formed on the support shaft R1 are threadedly engaged with each other, and when the adjusting nut is turned by an operator, the support shaft R1 moves.

[0071] In this embodiment, the operation unit 171 is provided outside the vacuum chamber 3. Specifically, the support shaft R1 is supported by the first lifting plate 220 via a slide bush 173, and the operation unit 171 is provided above the slide bush 173. By providing the operation unit 171 outside the vacuum chamber 3, an operator can perform adjustments using the adjustment unit 17 while the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 is maintained at a vacuum.

[0072] In addition, a bent portion 18 is provided between the support shaft R1 and the suction plate 15. The bent portion 18 connects the support shaft R1 and the suction plate 15 so that the angle of the suction plate 15 relative to the support shaft R1 can be varied. In this embodiment, the bent portion 18 is a spherical bearing, and includes a spherical portion 181 and a bearing portion 182 that slidably supports the spherical portion 181.

[0073] In this embodiment, the multiple support shafts R1 are configured to be movable only in the vertical direction (axial direction). Therefore, the angle of the suction plate 15 relative to the support shafts R1 differs between a state in which the suction plate 15 is held horizontal, as shown in state ST1 on the left side of Fig. 7 , and a state in which the suction plate 15 is tilted, as shown in state ST2 on the right side of Fig. 7 . In this embodiment, the suction plate 15 is bent relative to the support shafts R1 at the bent portions 18, so that the support shafts R1 can support the suction plate 15 even when the suction plate 15 is tilted. The bent portions 18 can be configured as appropriate using a structure, such as a universal joint, that connects two members in a manner that allows the connection angle to be changed.

[0074] Here, the configuration of the adjustment unit 17 will be described in comparison with the distance adjustment unit 22. When the first lift plate 220 of the distance adjustment unit 22 moves up and down, all of the multiple support shafts R1 supported by the first lift plate 220 are moved up and down by the same amount, that is, the multiple support shafts R1 are moved up and down synchronously. Therefore, the suction plate 15 moves up and down while maintaining its parallelism or relative tilt with respect to the mask table 5. Meanwhile, the adjustment unit 17 can move any of the multiple support shafts R1 in the vertical direction (axial direction) relative to the first lift plate 220 independently of the other support shafts R1. For example, the adjustment unit 17 can adjust the axial position of the remaining support shaft R1 without changing the positions of the three support shafts R1. This allows the adjustment unit 17 to adjust the tilt of the suction plate 15 supported by the multiple support shafts R1.

[0075] (Floating Portion) The alignment device 2 includes a floating portion 19. The floating portion 19 is provided between the bent portion 18 and the suction plate 15. The floating portion 19 includes an elastic member 191, a bushing 192, a shaft member 193, a suction plate support portion 194, and a flange 195. The shaft member 193 is provided to extend downward from the bent portion 18. The bushing 192 is provided to be interposed between the shaft member 193 and the suction plate support portion 194, and reduces friction and rattle therebetween. For example, the bushing 192 is formed from a sintered metal material or the like that has good slipperiness. The suction plate support portion 194 supports the suction plate 15. The elastic member 191 is provided between the suction plate support portion 194 and the flange 195 provided on the shaft member 193, and is configured to bear the load of the suction plate 15. That is, the floating portion 19 is connected to the support shaft R1 via the bent portion 18, and the elastic member 191 of the floating portion 19 supports the suction plate 15. In this way, the support shaft R1 supports the suction plate 15 via the elastic member 191 of the floating portion 19, thereby reducing the load applied to the mask 101 when the suction plate 15 comes into contact with the mask 101 and ensuring the suction plate 15's relief when it comes into contact with the mask 101.

[0076] (Detection Unit) The alignment device 2 includes a detection unit 16. Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the detection unit 16 detects the parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. In this embodiment, the parallelism indicates the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. In this embodiment, the detection unit 16 includes the aforementioned multiple touch sensors 1621 provided on the suction plate 15. The multiple touch sensors 1621 are attached to the suction plate 15 so that the lengths of their tips protruding from the suction surface 150 are approximately equal to each other. By attaching the touch sensors 1621 to the suction plate 15, changes in the relative positions of the suction plate 15 and the touch sensors 1621 can be minimized even when the vacuum chamber 3 is deformed by atmospheric pressure. In other words, even in a vacuum state, the protruding lengths of the tips of the touch sensors 1621 hardly change and remain equal to each other. Therefore, if all of the touch sensors 1621 react simultaneously when the suction plate 15 moves, it can be determined that the parallelism is high, in other words, that the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 is small. By appropriately changing the length of the tip that protrudes from the suction surface 150, a predetermined non-parallel tilt can also be set as a target value. The operation of detecting the parallelism of the suction plate 15 using the detection unit 16 will be described later. In this embodiment, the touch sensor 1621 detects both the contact between the suction plate 15 and the substrate 100 and the parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. This allows the number of sensors to be reduced compared to when sensors for these detections are provided separately.

[0077] <Control Device> The control device 14 controls the entire film forming apparatus 1. The control device 14 includes a processing unit 141, a storage unit 142, an input / output interface (I / O) 143, a communication unit 144, a display unit 145, and an input unit 146. The processing unit 141 is a processor, such as a CPU, that executes a program stored in the storage unit 142 to control the film forming apparatus 1. The storage unit 142 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 141. The I / O 143 is an interface that transmits and receives signals between the processing unit 141 and external devices. The communication unit 144 is a communication device that communicates with the host device 300 or other control devices 14, 309, 310, etc. via a communication line 300a. The processing unit 141 receives information from the host device 300 or transmits information to the host device 300 via the communication unit 144. The display unit 145 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The input unit 146 is, for example, a keyboard or a pointing device, and receives various inputs from the user. All or part of the control devices 14, 309, 310 and the higher-level device 300 may be configured using a PLC, ASIC, or FPGA.

[0078] <Process of Overlaying Substrate and Mask> Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the process of overlaying the substrate 100 and the mask 101 using the chucking plate 15. Fig. 8 shows each state of the process.

[0079] State ST100 is a state after the transfer robot 302a has carried the substrate 100 into the film forming apparatus 1 and then retracted. At this time, the substrate 100 is supported by the substrate support unit 6. The pressing member 23, the suction plate 15, and the substrate 100 are spaced apart. In state ST100, as shown in the figure, the center of the substrate 100 is bent downward due to its own weight.

[0080] In state ST101, the substrate support unit 6 is elevated in preparation for the suction plate 15 to suction the substrate 100. The actuator 65 raises the substrate support unit 6 from state ST100 to approach the suction plate 15. The multiple pressing members 23 are fixed to the interior (top wall) of the vacuum chamber 3. The actuator 65 moves the substrate support unit 6 toward the multiple pressing members 23, causing them to penetrate the openings 155 in the suction plate 15 and press against the pressing area on the top surface of the substrate 100. In this way, by pressing the pressing area of ​​the substrate 100 with the pressing members 23, the substrate 100, which has bent downward due to its own weight, can be brought into a horizontal position. This makes it easier for the suction plate 15 to suction the substrate 100. Pressing corners far from the center of the substrate 100 can also more effectively reduce the bending of the central portion.

[0081] In state ST102, the substrate 100 is attracted by the attraction plate 15. Note that even in state ST102, the substrate 100 is pressed by the pressure member 23 in the pressure region. A voltage is applied to the electrodes arranged in the electrode arrangement region 151 of the attraction plate 15, and the substrate 100 is attracted to the attraction plate 15 by electrostatic force. In this way, the pressure member 23 presses the substrate 100, and the substrate 100 with reduced deflection is attracted by the attraction plate 15, thereby shortening the time required for attraction and shortening the time for the film formation process. It is also possible to reduce the magnitude of the voltage applied to the attraction plate 15.

[0082] State ST103 is a state in which it is confirmed whether or not the substrate 100 is normally adsorbed to the suction plate 15. When the substrate support unit 6 has descended and separated from the substrate 100, it is confirmed whether or not the substrate 100 is adsorbed to the suction plate 15 based on the detection value of the touch sensor 1621. For example, when all of the touch sensors 1621 embedded in the suction plate 15 detect contact with the substrate 100, the control device 14 determines that the substrate 100 is normally adsorbed to the suction plate 15. Furthermore, when a fiber sensor 1622 is provided, it may be determined whether or not the substrate 100 is normally adsorbed based on the output from the fiber sensor 1622.

[0083] State ST104 is a state in which the alignment operation is being performed between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. The control device 14 causes the distance adjustment unit 22 to lower the suction plate 15 to bring the substrate 100 and the mask 101 closer to each other, and then causes the position adjustment unit 20 to perform the alignment operation.

[0084] In state ST105, the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are brought into closer contact with each other by the magnetic plate 11. After the alignment operation is completed, the control device 14 lowers the plate unit 9 using the plate unit lifting unit 13. As the magnetic plate 11 approaches the substrate 100 and the mask 101, the mask 101 is drawn toward the substrate 100, improving the contact between the substrate 100 and the mask 101.

[0085] The process of superposing the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is completed by the operations described above. For example, after this process is completed, a vapor deposition process is performed by the film-forming unit 4. Then, the substrate 100 is adsorbed by the adsorption plate 15 in a state where the bending of the substrate 100 due to its own weight is reduced, which prevents wrinkles from remaining on the substrate 100 after it has been adsorbed to the adsorption plate 15. In other words, the substrate 100 is adsorbed to the adsorption plate 15 over a wider area. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in deposition accuracy during the vapor deposition process, and to form a precise pattern of the deposition material on the substrate 100.

[0086] Incidentally, when aligning the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the process described above, the tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 can affect the alignment accuracy. By shortening the distance between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 during alignment, the alignment accuracy can be improved. However, if there is a relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5, a portion of the substrate 100 may come into contact with the mask 101, which may result in scratches or other damage to the substrate 100. Increasing the distance between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 to protect the substrate 100 can reduce the alignment accuracy. Therefore, the parallelism adjustment between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 is generally performed in an environment where the internal space 3 a of the vacuum chamber 3 is at atmospheric pressure. Parallelism adjustment in an atmospheric pressure environment is performed, for example, by inserting a shim into the connecting portion of the substrate support unit 6.

[0087] 9A to 9C are explanatory diagrams of the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. FIG. 9A shows the state after tilt adjustment when the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is at atmospheric pressure. In the state shown in FIG. 9A, the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 are maintained approximately parallel. On the other hand, FIG. 9B shows the state after the air in the internal space 3a is evacuated from the state shown in FIG. 9A to create a vacuum. Even if the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 are adjusted to be parallel in an atmospheric pressure environment, distortion or the like may occur in the vacuum chamber 3 due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vacuum chamber 3 when the internal space 3a is evacuated, resulting in tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. However, when the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is a vacuum, it may not be possible to perform the same parallel adjustment as in an atmospheric pressure environment. FIG. 9C shows the state after the attitude of the suction plate 15 is adjusted from the state shown in FIG. 9B to correspond to the tilt of the mask table 5. In this embodiment, for example, control for adjusting the attitude of the suction plate 15 to correspond to the tilt of the mask table 5 may be performed before the film formation process (ST100 to ST105 in FIG. 8) is performed. Details of this control will be described later with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13. By adjusting the tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 while the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is in a vacuum state, it is possible to suppress a decrease in alignment accuracy.

[0088] 9C , assume that the substrate 100 is supported by the substrate support unit 6 and the mask 101 is supported by the mask table 5 as in state ST100 of FIG. 8 , with the attitude of the suction plate 15 adjusted based on the tilt of the mask table. Then, when the substrate 100 is suctioned to the suction plate 15 as in state ST101 of FIG. 8 , a deviation in the suction position of the substrate 100 on the suction plate 15 may occur. Also, the pressing force of the pressing member 23 on the substrate 100 may be insufficient. If a deviation in the suction position of the substrate 100 on the suction plate 15 occurs or if the pressing force of the pressing member 23 on the substrate 100 is insufficient, a positional deviation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 may occur.

[0089] Here, reference is made to FIGS. 10A and 10B. FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the posture of the suction plate 15. In other words, the posture of the suction plate 15 is also the inclination of the suction plate 15 with respect to the mask 101 and the mask table 5. In the following description, the inclination of the suction plate 15 may be referred to as the posture of the suction plate 15. FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating the posture of the suction plate 15 when the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are introduced into the vacuum chamber 3 in this embodiment. FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating the posture of the suction plate 15 before the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are superimposed on each other (before ST105) in this embodiment.

[0090] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10A , when the substrate 100 and mask 101 are transported into the internal space 3 a of the vacuum chamber 3, the attitude of the suction plate 15, which was adjusted based on the inclination of the mask table 5, is released. In this embodiment, the suction plate 15 adsorbs the substrate 100 in a predetermined attitude as shown in FIG. 10A . The predetermined attitude is, for example, an attitude based on the substrate support surface of the substrate support unit 6. The substrate support surface is the surface of the substrate support unit 6 that supports the substrate 100. Specifically, this is an attitude adjusted by the adjustment unit 17 so that the suction plate 15 is parallel to the substrate support surface of the substrate support unit 6. In this way, by adsorbing the substrate 100 in an attitude adjusted so that the suction plate 15 is parallel to the substrate support surface, it is possible to prevent the adsorption position between the suction plate 15 and the substrate 100 from shifting.

[0091] Furthermore, by bringing the orientation of the substrate 101 closer to being parallel to the substrate support surface, the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the substrate 100 can be suppressed. This makes it easier for the pressing member 23 to press the pressing area of ​​the substrate 100. Therefore, even if the substrate 100 is bent in the center, the substrate 100 can be easily adsorbed to the suction plate 15. It can also be said that the substrate support unit 6 supports the substrate 100 in a horizontal orientation. In other words, the suction plate 15 adsorbs the substrate 100 in a horizontal orientation. This also makes it possible to improve the adhesion between the suction plate 15 and the substrate 100.

[0092] 10B , in this embodiment, before the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are superimposed on each other, the adjustment unit 17 adjusts the suction plate 15 based on the inclination of the mask table. The suction plate 15 is adjusted to a position based on the mask placement surface of the mask table 5. The mask placement surface is the surface of the mask table 5 on which the mask 101 is placed. As will be described later, before the film formation process is performed, the inclination of the mask placement surface of the mask table 5 is detected by multiple touch sensors 1621 provided on the suction plate 15. The position of the suction plate 15 is adjusted based on information about the inclination of the mask placement surface of the mask table 5 detected by the multiple touch sensors 1621. In this way, before the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are superimposed on each other, the adjustment unit 17 adjusts the suction plate 15 based on the inclination of the mask table 5, thereby suppressing misalignment between the substrate 100 adsorbed to the suction plate 15 and the mask 101 placed on the mask table 5. 10B is performed when an alignment operation is performed between the substrate 100 adsorbed to the adsorption plate 15 and the mask 101 placed on the mask table 5. Specifically, the attitude of the adsorption plate 15 shown in FIG. 10B may be adjusted in state ST104 of FIG. 8. Alternatively, the attitude of the adsorption plate 15 may be adjusted before the alignment operation such as state ST103 begins. In this way, by adjusting the attitude of the adsorption plate 15 when an alignment operation is performed, it is possible to prevent a decrease in alignment accuracy.

[0093] That is, as shown in Figures 10A and 10B, in this embodiment, before the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are stacked and a film of evaporation material is formed on the substrate 100, the suction plate 15 is adjusted from the position corresponding to the substrate 100 when the substrate 100 is adsorbed onto the suction plate 15 to the position corresponding to the mask table 5.

[0094] (Explanation of Adjustment Operation) FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of control processing by the processing unit 141, illustrating processing when the adjustment unit 17 adjusts the attitude of the suction plate 15. In this embodiment, this flowchart is specifically described as an example of a case where the processing is executed before the film formation process is performed. That is, the processing is executed before state ST100 in FIG. 8 described above. Note that, for example, this flowchart may be executed when the air in the internal space 3 a of the vacuum chamber 3, which has been in an atmospheric pressure environment, is exhausted by a vacuum pump (not shown) or the like, and the internal space 3 a is placed in a vacuum state. Note that, for example, this flowchart may be executed at a predetermined interval while the internal space 3 a is in a vacuum state.

[0095] In step S1 (hereinafter simply referred to as S1, and the same applies to other steps), the processing unit 141 executes a process for detecting the parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. In this embodiment, in the parallelism detection process, the processing unit 141 detects the parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 and determines whether the detected parallelism is within an allowable range. A specific example of this process will be described later (see FIG. 13 ).

[0096] In S2, the processing unit 141 ends the flowchart if the parallelism is within the allowable range based on the processing result of S1, and proceeds to S3 if the parallelism is not within the allowable range. For example, in the case of the state shown in Fig. 9B, it is determined in S1 that the parallelism or tilt is outside the allowable range, and the processing proceeds to S3.

[0097] In S3, the processing unit 141 instructs the tilt adjustment. In one embodiment, the processing unit 141 displays, on the display unit 145, a message instructing the tilt adjustment of the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen 145a of the display unit 145. In the example of FIG. 12, an example of a message instructing the tilt adjustment is a string of characters reading, "Operate the operation unit of the support axis C to lower the support axis C." In other words, information regarding the support axis to be adjusted by the adjustment unit 17 and the adjustment direction of the support axis is displayed. The processing unit 141 may also display information such as whether adjustment by the adjustment unit 17 is necessary and the amount of operation of the support axis R1 to be adjusted (the amount of adjustment by the adjustment unit 17). The processing unit 141 may transmit information instructing the tilt adjustment to the host device 300, and the host device 300, upon receiving the information, may display an instruction to perform adjustment on a display unit (not shown) or the like.

[0098] 12, for example, the operator can execute the operation using the adjustment unit 17 based on the instruction given in S3. This allows the operator to operate the support shaft to be adjusted by the adjustment unit 17 and the adjustment direction of that support shaft, thereby adjusting the posture of the suction plate 15 as shown in FIG. 9C above. In the state shown in FIG. 9C above, compared to the state shown in FIG. 9B, it is shown that the support shaft R1 on the right side of the drawing has been moved downward by the adjustment unit 17. This reduces the tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5.

[0099] In S4, the processing unit 141 accepts the end of adjustment. Specifically, the processing unit 141 accepts, via the input unit 146, an input indicating that the adjustment has been completed by the operator who adjusted the tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. For example, the processing unit 141 may determine that the end of adjustment has been accepted when the operator selects an "End Adjustment" button 145b shown in FIG. 12 using the input unit 146, such as a pointing device. Upon accepting the end of adjustment, the processing unit 141 returns to S1. Through the above-described process, the tilt adjustment between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 is performed until the parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 falls within an allowable range.

[0100] In S5, the processing unit 141 may store the amount of lowering of the suction plate 15 by the distance adjustment unit 22 as tilt information of the mask table in a memory such as the storage unit 142. The amount of lowering of the suction plate 15 is also the movement distance of the distance adjustment unit 22 with respect to the mask placement surface of the mask table 5. By storing the mask tilt information in S5, for example, when an alignment operation is performed, the attitude of the suction plate 15 can be adjusted as shown in FIG. 10B based on the tilt information of the mask table 5 detected in advance.

[0101] 13 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the parallelism detection process of FIG. 11. In S11, the processing unit 141 starts lowering the suction plate 15 by using the distance adjustment unit 22. In S12, the processing unit 141 checks whether any of the touch sensors 1621 among the plurality of touch sensors 1621 detects contact, and if contact is detected, the process proceeds to S13. If contact is not detected, the process repeats the determination of S12. That is, after starting the lowering of the suction plate 15 in S11, the processing unit 141 continues lowering the suction plate 15 until any of the touch sensors 1621 detects contact.

[0102] In S13, the processing unit 141 controls the distance adjustment unit 22 to lower the suction plate 15 by a predetermined amount. That is, the processing unit 141 further lowers the suction plate 15 by a predetermined amount from the state where any of the touch sensors 1621 first detects contact. The amount of lowering of the suction plate 15 can be appropriately set depending on the desired parallelism. In one embodiment, for example, the suction plate 15 may be lowered by 5 to 10 mm. Note that the processing unit 141 may temporarily suspend the suction plate 15 when any of the touch sensors 1621 detects contact and then lower the suction plate 15 by a predetermined amount. Alternatively, the processing unit 141 may stop the suction plate 15 when the suction plate 15 has further lowered by a predetermined amount after any of the touch sensors 1621 detects contact while the suction plate 15 is being lowered. That is, the lowering operation of the suction plate 15 initiated in S11 and the lowering operation of the suction plate 15 in S13 may be continuous or independent.

[0103] In S14, the processing unit 141 checks whether all of the touch sensors 1621 have detected contact, and if all of the touch sensors 1621 have detected contact, the processing unit 141 proceeds to S15, and if at least one of the touch sensors 1621 has not detected contact, the processing unit 141 proceeds to S16.

[0104] Here, when the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 are parallel or the inclination between them is relatively small, all of the touch sensors 1621 provided on the suction plate 15 almost simultaneously detect contact with the mask table 5. Therefore, when the suction plate 15 is lowered a predetermined amount in S13, all of the touch sensors 1621 can detect contact with the mask table 5.

[0105] On the other hand, if the relative inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 is relatively large, there will be a touch sensor 1621 that is relatively far from the mask table 5 when any of the touch sensors 1621 detects contact with the mask table 5. In the example of Fig. 9B , when the touch sensor 1621 on the left side of the drawing comes into contact with the mask table 5, the touch sensor 1621 on the right side of the drawing is relatively far from the mask table 5. If the distance between the touch sensor 1621 and the mask table 5 at this time is greater than the predetermined distance in S13, all of the touch sensors 1621 will not detect contact even if the suction plate 15 is lowered the predetermined distance in S13.

[0106] That is, by checking whether all of the touch sensors 1621 detect contact while the suction plate 15 is lowered a predetermined amount from the height at which any of the touch sensors 1621 detects contact, it is possible to check whether the tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 is smaller than a predetermined value. Therefore, from one point of view, the amount of lowering of the suction plate 15 in S13 can be set based on the tolerance for the parallelism (or tilt) between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. When adjusting to a higher parallelism, that is, when the tolerance for parallelism is narrow, the amount of lowering of the suction plate 15 in S13 can be set small.

[0107] In S15, the processing unit 141 determines that the parallelism is within the allowable range. On the other hand, if the process proceeds to S16, the processing unit 141 determines that the parallelism is outside the allowable range.

[0108] In S17, the processing unit 141 raises the suction plate 15 by a predetermined amount, and then the flow chart ends. Note that this predetermined amount may be different from the predetermined amount in S13. In one embodiment, the processing unit 141 raises the suction plate 15 to the height at which the suction plate 15 starts to descend in S11. This may result in the suction plate 15 being in the position shown in FIG. 10A, for example.

[0109] Through the above processing, it is possible to determine whether the parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 is within an acceptable range. Note that in this embodiment, the processing unit 141 checks whether all of the touch sensors 1621 have detected contact in S14. However, if a predetermined number of touch sensors 1621 have detected contact, the processing unit 141 may proceed to S15 and determine that the parallelism is within an acceptable range. For example, the processing unit 141 may determine that the parallelism is within an acceptable range if the touch sensors 1621 provided at the four corners of the suction plate 15 have detected contact. Alternatively, the processing unit 141 may proceed to S15 and determine that the parallelism is within an acceptable range if a predetermined number of touch sensors 1621 have detected contact in S14. For example, the processing unit 141 may determine that the parallelism is within an acceptable range if five or more touch sensors 1621, i.e., a majority, of the nine touch sensors 1621 provided on the suction plate 15 have detected contact.

[0110] As described above with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13 , the amount of descent of the suction plate 15 is detected before the film formation process (states ST100 to ST105 in FIG. 8 ). The detection result is stored as tilt information of the mask table 5. Note that, before the alignment operation is performed in state ST104 in FIG. 8 , the operator may operate the distance adjustment unit 22 to adjust the orientation of the suction plate 15 on the mask table 5 to correspond to the tilt of the mask table 5 as shown in FIG. 10B . For example, when the operator adjusts the suction plate 15, the processing unit 141 may display an operation instruction such as that on the display screen 145a of the display unit 145 based on the tilt information of the mask table 5 stored in the memory unit 142. Specifically, for example, the processing unit 141 may display an operation instruction such as that on the display screen 145a of the display unit 145 based on the descent of the substrate support unit 6 in state ST103 in FIG. 8 .

[0111] <Method for Manufacturing Electronic Device> Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described. Below, as an example of an electronic device, the configuration and manufacturing method of an organic EL display device will be illustrated. In this example, the film formation block 301 illustrated in FIG. 1 is provided in, for example, three locations on a manufacturing line.

[0112] First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Fig. 14A is an overall view of the organic EL display device 50, and Fig. 14B is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

[0113] 14A, 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] 14B is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram taken along line A-B in FIG. 14A. 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.

[0116] Furthermore, the first electrode 54 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, the electron transport layer 57, and the second electrode 58 may be formed in common across multiple light-emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or may be formed for each light-emitting element. That is, as shown in FIG. 14B , the hole transport layer 55 may be formed as a layer common to multiple sub-pixel regions, and on top of that, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B may be formed separately for each sub-pixel region, and on top of that, the electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 may be formed as a layer common to multiple sub-pixel regions.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 14B 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 into 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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.

[0121] 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.

[0122] 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.

[0123] 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.

[0124] 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.

[0125] 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.

[0126] 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.

[0127] 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.

[0128] 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. 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. Here, the alignment process performed in each film formation chamber is performed in the same manner as the alignment process described above.

[0129] Other Embodiments In the above-described embodiment, the tilt of the mask table 5 is detected before the film formation process is performed. However, this is not limiting. For example, the tilt of the mask 101 may be detected before the film formation process is performed. See FIG. 15 . FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating detection of the tilt of the mask 101. FIG. 15 also illustrates an example in which the mask 101 is placed on the mask table 5 in FIGS. 9A to 9C . As shown in FIG. 15 , for example, information on the tilt of the mask 101 may be acquired by detecting contact of a touch sensor 1621 provided on the suction plate 15 with the mask 101 placed on the mask table 5. That is, in the process of FIG. 11 , a parallelism detection process (S1) of the mask 101 may be performed. In addition, in S5, the amount of descent of the suction plate 15 to the mask 101 by the distance adjustment unit 22 may be stored as tilt information of the mask 101. In addition, in the process of FIG. 13 , it may be determined in S12 or S14 whether the touch sensor 1621 has come into contact with the mask 101. 10B may be adjusted based on information about the tilt of the mask 101. That is, the attitude of the suction plate 15 is adjusted based on information related to the attitude of the mask 101, such as the tilt of the mask table 5 or the tilt of the mask 101. Even when the attitude of the suction plate 15 is adjusted based on the tilt of the mask 101, it is possible to suppress misalignment between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 and prevent a decrease in alignment accuracy.

[0130] In the above embodiment, the tilt of the mask table 5 and the mask 101 is detected by the touch sensor 1621 provided on the suction plate 15, but this is not limiting. For example, a sensor different from the touch sensor 1621 that detects the tilt of the mask table 5, the mask 101, the suction plate 15, etc. may be provided inside the vacuum chamber 3. For example, the sensor may be one that detects these tilts using laser light.

[0131] In the above embodiment, the adjustment unit 17 is configured so that an operator can manually perform the adjustment operation. However, the adjustment unit 17 may also be configured so that the axial position of the support shaft R1 can be adjusted by a motor or the like. For example, each support shaft R1 may be individually provided with a servo motor, and the individual servo motors may operate operation units 171 provided on the support shafts R1 (for example, by rotating nuts in the above embodiment) to independently raise and lower each support shaft R1. Furthermore, when such a configuration is adopted, the entire suction plate 15 may be raised and lowered by synchronously driving the individual servo motors. Note that, if the adjustment unit 17 includes a motor, the motor and operation unit 171 may be provided outside the vacuum chamber 3. By providing these outside the vacuum chamber 3, the generation of particles and the like inside the vacuum chamber 3 can be suppressed.

[0132] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 is adjusted by adjusting the tilt of the suction plate 15, but the relative tilt between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 may also be adjusted by adjusting the tilt with respect to the mask table 5. However, in the above embodiment, the adjustment can be made more reliably by adjusting the tilt on the side of the suction plate 15, which is made of a ceramic material or the like that has relatively higher rigidity than the mask table 5, which is made of an aluminum plate or the like.

[0133] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 is detected by the multiple touch sensors 1621. However, the parallelism detection may be performed by other sensors. For example, a group of optical sensors (multiple distance measurement sensors) capable of measuring the distance between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 may be provided at multiple positions. The parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 may then be detected based on the difference in the detection results of each sensor, i.e., the difference in the distance between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 at the measurement positions. However, in the above embodiment, the use of the touch sensors 1621 allows the sensors to be smaller and electrical wiring to be simplified compared to when optical sensors are used. Note that by miniaturizing the sensors, the area of ​​the electrode arrangement region 151 can be increased, thereby improving the suction force of the suction plate 15.

[0134] Although the attraction plate 15 is an electrostatic chuck in the above embodiment, the attraction plate 15 may have another configuration. For example, the attraction plate 15 may be a physical sticky chuck (PSC) having physical adhesiveness on its surface.

[0135] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the 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.

[0136] 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.

[0137] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-202137, filed November 29, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0138] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Film forming apparatus, 2 Alignment apparatus, 5 Mask table, 6 Substrate support unit, 15 Suction plate, 16 Detection unit, 17 Adjustment unit, 22 Distance adjustment unit, 23 Pressing member, 100 Substrate, 101 Mask, 141 Processing section, 155 Opening, 1621 Touch sensor

Claims

1. A film formation apparatus for depositing a film of a vapor deposition material on a substrate by overlapping a substrate and a mask, comprising: a substrate support member for supporting the substrate; an adsorption plate for adsorbing the substrate supported by the substrate support member; a mask table on which the mask is placed; and an adjustment means for adjusting the attitude of the adsorption plate, wherein the adjustment means adjusts the adsorption plate from a first attitude based on a substrate support surface of the substrate support member when the substrate is adsorbed to the adsorption plate, to a second attitude based on the mask placed on the mask table or the mask loading surface of the mask table, before the substrate and the mask are overlapped.

2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first attitude is an attitude adjusted by the adjustment means so that the suction plate is parallel to the substrate support surface.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: the substrate support member supports the substrate in a horizontal position; and the first position is a horizontal position.

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjustment means adjusts the suction plate to the second attitude based on information relating to the attitude of the mask.

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a detection means for detecting the inclination of the mask placed on the mask table, and the information relating to the posture of the mask is information on the inclination of the mask detected by the detection means.

6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a detection means for detecting an inclination of a mask placement surface of the mask table, and the information relating to the mask posture is information on the inclination of the mask placement surface detected by the detection means.

7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alignment means for aligning the substrate adsorbed to the adsorption plate with the mask placed on the mask table, and the adjustment means adjusts the adsorption plate to the second attitude when the alignment means aligns the substrate with the mask.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pressing members that press the substrate before the substrate is attracted to the attraction plate.

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the substrate is rectangular, and the multiple pressing members are arranged at positions corresponding to at least two opposing corners of the substrate.

10. A film forming apparatus as described in claim 8, comprising: a chamber that maintains a vacuum inside; and a moving means for moving the substrate support member in the vertical direction of the chamber, wherein the multiple pressing members are fixed inside the chamber, and the substrate is pressed by the substrate support member approaching the multiple pressing members using the moving means.

11. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a support area of ​​the substrate supported by the substrate support member and a pressing area of ​​the substrate pressed by the multiple pressing members are different areas.

12. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a film forming means for forming a film of a deposition material on the substrate from below in the direction of gravity.

13. An adjustment method used in a film formation apparatus which overlaps a substrate and a mask and forms a film of a vapor deposition material on the substrate, comprising: an adsorption plate which adsorbs the substrate; a mask table on which the mask is placed; and an adjustment process which adjusts the attitude of the adsorption plate, characterized in that the adjustment process adjusts the adsorption plate from a first attitude when the substrate is adsorbed to the adsorption plate to a second attitude before the substrate and the mask are overlapped.

14. A film formation method for depositing a film of a vapor deposition material on a substrate by overlapping a substrate and a mask, comprising: an adsorption plate for adsorbing the substrate; a mask table on which the mask is placed; and an adjustment step for adjusting the attitude of the adsorption plate, wherein the adjustment step includes adjusting the adsorption plate from a first attitude when the substrate is adsorbed onto the adsorption plate to a second attitude before the substrate and the mask are overlapped.

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

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