JP5366790B2 - Substrate reversing apparatus, vacuum film forming apparatus, and substrate reversing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for reversing the vertical relationship of a substrate in a vacuum chamber, and more particularly to a technique for reversing a film formation surface of an organic EL element or a resin substrate.

Conventionally, as an organic EL element manufacturing technique, a technique is known in which a lower electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and an upper electrode are formed on a substrate, and a protective film such as silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride is formed on the substrate.
Such silicon nitride (SiN) or silicon oxynitride (SiON) is supplied with a Si supply gas such as SiH ₄ and a reaction gas such as N ₂ , NH ₃ or O ₂ in a vacuum chamber, and plasma is generated in the vacuum chamber. The film is formed by a so-called plasma CVD method. At this time, a silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride film is also formed in the vacuum chamber other than the film formation target.

By the way, in the plasma CVD method, film formation is performed by so-called deposition down in which a film is formed with the film formation surface facing upward.
On the other hand, the organic layer of the organic EL element is widely known to be performed by a vacuum deposition method.

In the vacuum evaporation method, film formation is generally performed by so-called deposition up in which a film is formed with the film formation surface facing down.
Therefore, when manufacturing an organic EL element by a vacuum method, a step of inverting the substrate during the process is required.

  In recent years, mass production of organic EL elements has progressed, and it is required to speed up the process of inverting the substrate.

JP 2000-239833 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the conventional technique, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for quickly inverting a substrate in a vacuum.

The present invention made to achieve the above object includes a vacuum chamber, a lifting mechanism provided in the vacuum chamber for raising and lowering the substrate, and a holding unit provided in the vacuum chamber and holding the substrate therebetween. a plurality having the substrate holding mechanism, provided in the vacuum tank, said holding portions of the substrate holding mechanism is rotated possess the substrate reversing mechanism that reverses the vertical relationship of the substrate, the substrate reversing mechanism, horizontal The substrate holding mechanism is provided on the reversing frame, and the substrate holding mechanism is provided on the reversing frame. The substrate reversing device is configured to hold a plurality of locations on opposite sides of the substrate at positions on both sides of the rotation center axis .
In the present invention, the elevating mechanism may have a plurality of support pins that support the lower surface of the substrate.
In the present invention, in the substrate holding mechanism, the holding portion may have a pair of holding members that hold the edge portion of the substrate from both sides by elastic force .
Also, the present invention includes a vacuum transfer chamber having a transfer robot is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber is a vacuum deposition apparatus having said substrate inverting device, and connected to the film forming chamber to the vacuum transfer chamber .
The present invention is also a substrate reversing method for inverting a substrate in a vacuum chamber, a step of carrying the substrate into the vacuum chamber by a transfer robot, and supporting the substrate and moving the substrate up and down to a predetermined position. A step of holding, a step of holding a plurality of locations on opposite sides of the substrate arranged at predetermined positions by a substrate holding mechanism provided on an inversion frame supported at both ends, and the substrate holding mechanism placing in a state of holding the substrate, a step of 180 ° rotation of the straight line extending in the horizontal direction as a rotation axis, the said release and thereby supported lifting the holding of the substrate by a predetermined position the substrate holding mechanism by the conveying And a substrate reversing method including a step of discharging the substrate from the vacuum chamber by a robot.

In the case of the present invention, in the vacuum chamber, an elevating mechanism for elevating the substrate, a substrate holding mechanism having a plurality of holding units for holding the substrate, and a substrate for rotating the holding unit of the substrate holding mechanism to reverse the vertical relationship Since the reversing mechanism is provided, the vertical relationship of the substrates can be reversed quickly and reliably in the vacuum chamber without using a complicated and large-sized mechanism such as a transfer robot.
As a result, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vacuum apparatus / vacuum system capable of rapid film formation and processing with a simple configuration even when the deposition down and deposition up processes are mixed.

  According to the present invention, the vertical relationship of the substrates can be quickly reversed in a vacuum.

The top view which shows the structural example of the protective film formation apparatus for forming a protective film in an organic EL element Schematic configuration front view of a substrate reversing device in the present embodiment Schematic configuration plan view of the substrate reversing device (A) (b): Explanatory drawing which shows the inversion operation | movement of a board | substrate in this Embodiment (the 1) (A) (b): Explanatory drawing which shows the inversion operation | movement of a board | substrate in this Embodiment (the 2) (A) (b): Explanatory drawing which shows the inversion operation | movement of a board | substrate in this Embodiment (the 3) (A) (b): Explanatory drawing which shows the inversion operation | movement of a board | substrate in this Embodiment (the 4) (A) (b): Explanatory drawing which shows the inversion operation | movement of a board | substrate in this Embodiment (the 5) (A) (b): Explanatory drawing which shows the inversion operation | movement of a board | substrate in this Embodiment (the 6)

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a protective film forming apparatus for forming a protective film on an organic EL element.
As shown in FIG. 1, the protective film forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes a film forming chamber 11, a carry-in chamber 12, a transfer chamber 13, a reversing chamber 14, and a carry-out chamber 15. Except for the unloading chamber 15 when unloading the film formation target, each chamber inside the protective film forming apparatus 10 in operation is maintained in a vacuum.
In the film forming chamber 11, a protective film is formed therein, and a plurality of film forming chambers 11 are installed around the transfer chamber 13. In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, five film forming chambers 11 _{1 to} 11 ₅ are provided.
The carry-in chamber 12 is a chamber for carrying in an organic EL element on which a protective film is to be formed. Usually, since the organic EL element has a first electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a second electrode deposited by vapor deposition, the substrate 50 which is a deposition target with the deposition surface facing downward is brought into the carry-in chamber 12. Is brought in.
The transfer chamber 13 includes a transfer robot (not shown) that transfers the substrate 50 between the chambers. Around the transfer chamber 13, a film forming chamber 11, a carry-in chamber 12, a reversing chamber 14, and a carry-out chamber 15 are arranged via valves.
The reversing chamber 14 includes a substrate reversing device 20 that vertically flips the substrate 50 transferred with the film formation surface facing downward, and turns the film formation surface upward. This is because, as will be described later, a protective film is formed on the substrate 50 by deposition in the film forming chamber 11.
The substrate 50 on which the protective film is formed in the film forming chamber 11 is carried out from the carry-out chamber 15. By adjusting the pressure inside the unloading chamber 15 to the atmosphere and vacuum, the substrate 50 is unloaded from the vacuum atmosphere to the atmosphere while maintaining the vacuum in the transfer chamber 13.
The substrate 50 carried into the carry-in chamber 12 is transferred to the reversing chamber 14 by the transfer robot in the transfer chamber 13, and is turned upside down in the reversing chamber 14, and the plurality of film forming chambers 11 ₁ to 11-by the transfer robot in the transfer chamber 13. 11 ₅ to be transferred. The substrate 50 formed in the film forming chambers 11 _{1 to} 11 ₅ is transferred to the carry-out chamber 15 by the transfer robot in the transfer chamber 13 and is carried out from the carry-out chamber 15.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the substrate reversing apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the substrate reversing apparatus.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the substrate reversing device 20 of the present embodiment is configured by arranging a substrate rotating mechanism 30 as described below in a chamber 21.
The substrate rotation mechanism 30 includes, for example, a three-dimensional lattice-shaped reversal frame 31 made of a rigid metal, and a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D described later are provided on the reversal frame 31. It is provided and configured.
The reversal frame 31 is disposed in a region inside the chamber 21. The reversal frames 31 are supported at both ends of the chamber 21 so as to rotate in the vertical plane direction about the support shafts 32 and 33 positioned on a straight line extending in the horizontal direction.
Here, one of the support shafts 32 is connected to a rotation shaft of a drive motor 34 made of, for example, a pulse motor fixed to the side portion of the chamber 21 so that the reversal frame 31 rotates by a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction. It is configured.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, two substrate holding mechanisms 4 </ b> A, two at each position on both sides of the rotation center axis of the reversal frame 31, for example, at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the reversal frame 31. 4B, 4C, and 4D are disposed.
Here, the four substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D have the same configuration. In FIG. 2, only two substrate holding mechanisms 4A and 4C among the four substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D are shown. Hereinafter, the configuration will be described by taking one substrate holding mechanism 4A as an example as appropriate.

In the substrate holding mechanism 4A of the present embodiment, the main body portion 40 is configured by combining two substantially identically-shaped constituent members made of a highly rigid metal, and first and second constituent members 41 and 42.
The first and second component members 41 and 42 are formed in a substantially “<”-shaped flat plate shape. Here, the one part of the first and second component members 41 and 42 is defined as gripping parts (holding parts) 41a and 42a, and the other part is defined as arm parts 41b and 42b.
Then, with the first and second constituent members 41 and 42 turned upside down, the respective bent portions at the center are overlapped, and the clockwise direction or It is configured to open and close by rotating counterclockwise.
In this case, the first and second constituent members 41 and 42 are formed so that the respective gripping portions 41a and 42a face each other at the distal end portion by slightly bending the flat plate. Anti-slip members 44 and 45 made of, for example, fluororubber are attached to the tip portions of the first and second constituent members 41 and 42 facing the grip portions 41a and 42a.
The main body portion 40 of the substrate holding mechanism 4A having such a configuration is attached to the end portion of the reversal frame 31 with the gripping portions 41a and 42a facing inward. Further, the main body portions 40 of the other substrate holding mechanisms 4B to 4D are respectively attached to both end portions of the reversal frame 31 with the above-described gripping portions 41a and 42a facing inward.

Further, the gripping portions 41 a and 42 a of the first and second component members 41 and 42 are attached to one end portion of the tension coil springs 46 and 47 at a portion in the vicinity of the support shaft 43 described above. The other end portions of the tension coil springs 46 and 47 are formed on projecting portions 37 and 38 provided on the tip side of the arm portions 41b and 42b of the first and second constituent members 41 and 42 on the reversal frame 31, respectively. Each is attached.
Moreover, the front-end | tip part of the arm parts 41b and 42b of the 1st and 2nd structural members 41 and 42 is each urged | biased by the holding parts 41a and 42a side by operation | movement of the urging means 51 and 52 using compressed air, for example. It is configured as follows.

  With such a configuration, when the respective biasing means 51 and 52 are operated to bias the arm portions 41b and 42b of the first and second component members 41 and 42 toward the gripping portions 41a and 42a, the respective tension coil springs 46 are provided. 47, the gripping portions 41a, 42a of the first and second component members 41, 42 are moved away from the horizontal direction (opening) against the elastic force of 47, while the operation of the biasing means 51, 52 is performed. When stopped, the gripping portions 41a, 42a of the first and second component members 41, 42 are moved toward each other (closed) by the elastic force of the tension coil springs 46, 47 and directed in the horizontal direction.

When the gripping portions 41 a and 42 a of the first and second constituent members 41 and 42 are closed, the anti-slip members 44 and 45 provided in the gripping portions 41 a and 42 a are smaller than the thickness of the substrate 50. It is good to set so that
A substrate lifting mechanism 60 is provided below the reversal frame 31.
The substrate lifting mechanism 60 has a lifting shaft 61 that is connected to a lifting motor (not shown) and extends in the vertical direction, and a flat base 62 is attached to the upper end of the lifting shaft 61.

As shown in FIG. 3, the base 62 is disposed in an area inside each of the above-described substrate holding mechanisms 4 </ b> A to 4 </ b> D, and a plurality (eight here) lifting pins 63 are erected on the upper surface thereof. ing.
In the present embodiment, the support portion 64 at the upper end portion of each lifting pin 63 is slightly higher than the positions of the grip portions 41a and 42a of the first and second component members 41 and 42 of the substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D. It is configured to rise.

FIGS. 4A, 4B to 9A, 9B are explanatory views showing the inversion operation of the substrate 50 in the present embodiment.
In the present embodiment having such a configuration, when the substrate 50 is reversed, the biasing means 51 on the lower side of each of the substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D is operated as shown in FIG. The grip 41a of the first component 41 is moved upward with respect to the grip 42a of the second component 42 so as to be separated.
In this state, using the transfer robot in the transfer chamber 13, the substrate 50 is placed on the placement unit 70 and the substrate 50 is carried into the reversing chamber 14.
Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the substrate lifting mechanism 60 is raised, the substrate 50 is supported by the support portion 64 and slightly lifted from the placement portion 70 of the transfer robot, and the placement portion 70 of the transfer robot is lowered. Return to the transfer chamber 13.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5A, the substrate lifting mechanism 60 is lowered. Thereby, the board | substrate 50 is supported by the holding part 42a of the 2nd structural member 42 of each board | substrate holding | maintenance mechanism 4A-4D.
Further, the operation of the biasing means 51 on the lower side of each of the substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D is stopped. As a result, the holding portion 41 a of the first component member 41 moves downward by the elastic force of each tension coil spring 46.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 5B, the edge of the substrate 50 is sandwiched between the grip portions 41 a and 42 a of the first and second constituent members 41 and 42, and the substrate 50 is held.
In this state, the drive motor 34 is operated to rotate the reversal frame 31 of the substrate rotation mechanism 30 about the support shafts 32 and 33 by 180 ° in the vertical plane direction.

Thereby, as shown to Fig.6 (a), the vertical relationship of the holding parts 41a and 42a of the 1st and 2nd structural members 41 and 42 of each board | substrate holding mechanism 4A-4D is reversed, and the vertical relationship of the board | substrate 50 is also the same. Inversion (in the example shown in FIG. 6A, the film formation surface 50a of the substrate 50 is on the upper side).
Next, the lower biasing means 52 of each of the substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D is operated, and the grip portion 42a of the second component member 42 is moved to the grip portion of the first component member 41 as shown in FIG. It moves away from 41a and leaves.
Then, the substrate lifting mechanism 60 is lowered, and the substrate 50 is aligned in this state.

After completion of the alignment, as shown in FIG. 8A, the substrate lifting mechanism 60 is raised to position the substrate 50 between the gripping portions 41a and 42a of the first and second component members 41 and 42. Further, the operation of the biasing means 52 on the upper side of each of the substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D is stopped. As a result, the gripping portion 41a of the first component member 41 returns to the initial horizontal state by the elastic force of each tension coil spring 47.
In this state, as shown in FIG. 8B, the placement unit 70 of the transfer robot in the transfer chamber 13 is carried into the reversing chamber 14, and the placement unit 70 is positioned below the substrate 50.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9A, the substrate elevating mechanism 60 is lowered and the substrate 50 is placed on the placement portion 70 of the transfer robot.
In this state, as shown in FIG. 9B, the placement unit 70 of the transfer robot is moved from the reversing chamber 14 and the substrate 50 is discharged.
Thereafter, the operation of the lower biasing means 52 of each of the substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D is stopped and returned to the initial state, the drive motor 34 is operated as described above, and the reversal frame 31 of the substrate rotation mechanism 30 is operated. Is rotated 180 ° around the support shafts 32 and 33 to return to the state shown in FIG. Then, each operation described above is repeated.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the substrate having the substrate elevating mechanism 60 that elevates and lowers the substrate 50 and the first and second constituent members 41 and 42 that hold the substrate 50 in the reversing chamber 14. Since the holding mechanisms 4A to 4D and the substrate rotating mechanism 30 for rotating the substrate holding mechanisms 4A to 4D to reverse the vertical relationship are provided, the reversing chamber is used without using a complicated and large mechanism such as a transfer robot. 14, the vertical relationship of the substrate 50 can be reversed quickly and reliably.
As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a vacuum apparatus / vacuum system capable of rapid film formation and processing with a simple configuration even when the deposition and deposition processes are mixed. .

4A to 4D ... Substrate holding mechanism 10 ... Protective film forming device 11 ... Film forming chamber 13 ... Transfer chamber 14 ... Reversing chamber 20 ... Substrate reversing device 34 ... Drive motor 40 ... Main body 41 ... First component 41a ... Gripping part ( Holding part)
42 ... 2nd component 42a ... Gripping part (holding part)
44 ... Anti-slip member 45 ... Anti-slip member 50 ... Deposition target (substrate)
51 ... Biasing means 52 ... Biasing means 60 ... Substrate elevating mechanism 63 ... Elevating pin 64 ... Supporting portion

Claims (5)

A vacuum chamber;
An elevating mechanism provided in the vacuum chamber and elevating the substrate;
A substrate holding mechanism provided in the vacuum chamber and having a plurality of holding portions for holding the substrate therebetween;
Wherein provided in the vacuum chamber, said holding portions of the substrate holding mechanism is rotated possess the substrate reversing mechanism that reverses the vertical relationship of the substrate,
The substrate reversing mechanism has a reversing frame in which both ends are supported so as to rotate in a vertical plane direction about a support shaft positioned on a straight line extending in the horizontal direction,
The substrate holding mechanism is provided on the reversing frame, and is configured to hold a plurality of locations on opposite sides of the substrate at positions on both sides across the rotation center axis of the reversing frame. .   The substrate inversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elevating mechanism has a plurality of support pins that support the lower surface of the substrate.   3. The substrate reversing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate holding mechanism includes a pair of holding members that hold the edge portion of the substrate from both sides by elastic force. 4. A vacuum transfer chamber having a transfer robot;
A substrate reversing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , connected to the vacuum transfer chamber,
A vacuum film forming apparatus having a film forming chamber connected to the vacuum transfer chamber. A substrate inversion method for inverting a substrate in a vacuum chamber,
A step of carrying the substrate into the vacuum chamber by a transfer robot;
Supporting the substrate and moving the substrate up and down to place it in a predetermined position;
A step of holding a plurality of locations on opposite sides of the substrate disposed at a predetermined position by a substrate holding mechanism provided on a reversal frame supported at both ends , and
Rotating the substrate 180 degrees about a straight line extending in the horizontal direction with the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism ;
Releasing the holding of the substrate by the substrate holding mechanism, supporting and raising and lowering the substrate, and placing the substrate at a predetermined position;
And a substrate reversal method comprising: discharging the substrate from the vacuum chamber by a transfer robot.

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