JP7657610B2 - Film forming equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus.

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-treatment for film formation, the mask and substrate are aligned and then superimposed. Patent Document 1 discloses that alignment is performed by bringing the substrate and mask close together while the substrate is attached to an attachment plate such as an electrostatic chuck. It also discloses a detection means for detecting the attachment state of the substrate.

JP 2019-117926 A

In conventional technology, the location of the detection means is fixed. This may limit the location where the adhesion state of the substrate is measured. As a result, the accuracy of measuring the adhesion degree of the substrate may decrease.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to improve the measurement accuracy of the adhesion degree of a substrate.

The present invention employs the following configuration.
A chamber that maintains a vacuum inside;
an adsorption plate provided inside the chamber for adsorbing a substrate;
a detection means arranged vertically below the suction plate and configured to detect a degree of suction of the substrate to the suction plate;
a moving means for moving the detection means in a first direction along a film formation surface of the substrate ,
The apparatus further includes an evaporation source provided inside the chamber and configured to emit an evaporation material onto the substrate;
The detection means is provided in the evaporation source,
The moving means moves the evaporation source in the first direction to move the detection means.
The film forming apparatus is characterized in that:

The present invention also employs the following configuration.
A chamber that maintains a vacuum inside;
an adsorption plate provided inside the chamber for adsorbing a substrate;
a mask support means provided inside the chamber and supporting a mask;
an alignment means for aligning the substrate adsorbed on the adsorption plate with the mask;
a detection means arranged vertically below the suction plate and configured to detect a degree of adhesion of the mask to the substrate;
a moving means for moving the detection means in a first direction along a film formation surface of the substrate ,
The apparatus further includes an evaporation source provided inside the chamber and configured to emit an evaporation material onto the substrate;
The detection means is provided in the evaporation source,
The film forming apparatus is characterized in that the moving means moves the evaporation source in the first direction, thereby moving the detection means .

The present invention can improve the measurement accuracy of the substrate adsorption degree.

Schematic diagram of a part of a manufacturing line for electronic devices. 1 is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate supporting unit and an adsorption plate. An explanatory diagram of the electrical wiring of the suction plate. FIG. FIG. 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams of a process for overlapping a substrate and a mask using an adsorption plate. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a detection unit. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state of detection by a detection unit. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing another example of detection by the detection unit. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing another example of scanning by the detection means. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a manufacturing line for electronic devices. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a sensor unit. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a method for manufacturing an electronic device.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

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

In the deposition block 301, a plurality of deposition chambers 303a to 303d in which deposition 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 having an octagonal shape in a plan view. A transfer robot 302a for transporting the substrate 100 is arranged in the transfer chamber 302. The transfer robot 302a includes a hand for holding the substrate 100 and a multi-joint arm for moving the hand in the horizontal direction. In other words, the deposition block 301 is a cluster-type deposition unit in which a plurality of deposition chambers 303a to 303d are arranged so as to surround the transfer robot 302a. When the deposition chambers 303a to 303d are collectively referred to or when no distinction is made, they are referred to as deposition chambers 303.

In the transport direction (arrow direction) of the substrate 100, a buffer chamber 306, a swirl chamber 307, and a delivery chamber 308 are arranged upstream and downstream of the deposition block 301, respectively. During the manufacturing process, each chamber is maintained in a vacuum state. 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 connection device composed of a buffer chamber 306, a swirl chamber 307, and a delivery chamber 308. The configuration of the connection device is not limited to this, and may be composed of only the buffer chamber 306 or the delivery chamber 308, for example.

The transfer robot 302a transfers the substrate 100 from the upstream delivery chamber 308 to the transfer chamber 302, transfers the substrate 100 between the film formation chambers 303, transfers the mask between the mask storage chamber 305 and the film formation chamber 303, and transfers the substrate 100 from the transfer chamber 302 to the downstream buffer chamber 306.

The buffer chamber 306 is a chamber for temporarily storing the 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 a lifting mechanism. The substrate storage shelf has a multi-stage structure capable of storing multiple substrates 100 while maintaining the horizontal state in which the surface to be processed (surface to be film-formed) of the substrate 100 faces downward in the direction of gravity. The lifting mechanism raises and lowers the substrate storage shelf to align the stage where the substrate 100 is loaded or unloaded with the transport position. This allows multiple substrates 100 to be temporarily stored and retained in the buffer chamber 306.

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 transport robot provided in the swirl chamber 307. The transport 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, so that the front end and the rear end of the substrate are swapped between the buffer chamber 306 and the delivery chamber 308. As a result, the orientation of the substrate 100 when it is brought into the film formation chamber 303 is the same in each film formation block 301, so that the scan direction of the film formation on the substrate S and the orientation of the mask can be matched in each film formation block 301. With this configuration, the orientation of the mask installed in the mask storage chamber 305 in each film formation block 301 can be aligned, simplifying mask management and improving usability.

The control system of the production line includes a higher-level device 300 that controls the entire line as a host computer, and control devices 14a-14d, 309, and 310 that control each component, and these can communicate via a wired or wireless communication line 300a. The control devices 14a-14d are provided corresponding to the deposition chambers 303a-303d, and control the deposition device 1 described below. Note that when the control devices 14a-14d are referred to collectively or when no distinction is made, they are referred to as control device 14.

The control device 309 controls the transport robot 302a. The control device 310 controls the devices in the swirl chamber 307. The higher-level device 300 transmits information about the substrate 100 and instructions such as transport timing to each of the control devices 14, 309, and 310, and each of the control devices 14, 309, and 310 controls each component based on the received instructions.

<Overview of the film formation equipment>
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. The film forming apparatus 1 provided in the film forming chamber 303 is an apparatus for forming a film of a deposition material on a substrate 100, and forms a thin film of the 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 appropriately selected from materials such as glass, resin, and metal, and a resin layer such as polyimide formed on glass is preferably used. The deposition material is an organic material, an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.), and the like. The film forming apparatus 1 can be applied to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing electronic devices such as display devices (flat panel displays, etc.), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), and optical members, and is particularly applicable to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing organic EL panels. In the following description, an example will be described in which the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film on the substrate 100 by vacuum deposition, but the present invention is not limited thereto, 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 perpendicular to each other.

The film forming apparatus 1 has a box-shaped vacuum chamber 3 (also simply called a chamber) capable of maintaining a vacuum inside. An internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. In this embodiment, the vacuum chamber 3 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). In this specification, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with a gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced pressure state. In the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3, a substrate support unit 6 that supports the substrate 100 in a horizontal position, a mask table 5 that supports the mask 101, a film forming unit 4, a plate unit 9, and an adsorption plate 15 are arranged. The mask 101 is a metal mask having an opening pattern corresponding to the thin film pattern to be formed on the substrate 100, and is placed on the mask table 5. The mask table 5 can be replaced with another form of means for fixing the mask 101 in a predetermined position. As the mask 101, a mask having a structure in which a mask foil having a thickness of about several μm to several tens of μm is welded and fixed to a frame-shaped mask frame can be used. Although there is no particular limitation on the material of the mask 101, it is preferable to use a metal having a small thermal expansion coefficient, such as an Invar material. The film formation process is performed in a state in which the substrate 100 is placed on the mask 101 and the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are superimposed on each other.

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 adsorbed to the adsorption plate 15 during film formation by contacting the adsorption plate 15 described later. The cooling plate 10 is not limited to a type that is equipped with a water cooling mechanism or the like and actively cools the substrate 100, and 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 adsorption plate 15. The magnet plate 11 is a plate that functions as a mask support means that attracts the mask 101 by magnetic force, and is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 100 to improve the adhesion between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 during film formation.

The cooling plate 10 and the magnetic plate 11 may be omitted as appropriate. For example, if the suction plate 15 is provided with a cooling mechanism, the cooling plate 10 may not be necessary. Also, if the suction plate 15 also functions as a mask support means for adsorbing the mask 101, the magnetic plate 11 may not be necessary.

The film-forming unit 4 is composed of a heater, a shutter, an evaporation source drive mechanism, an evaporation rate monitor, etc., and is an evaporation source that deposits an evaporation material onto the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the film-forming unit 4 is arranged vertically below the suction plate 15. 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 the evaporation material is emitted from each nozzle. For example, the linear evaporation source is moved back and forth in the Y direction (depth direction of the device) by an evaporation source moving mechanism (not shown). In this embodiment, the film-forming unit 4 is provided in the same vacuum chamber 3 as the alignment device 2 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 the alignment is performed, the film-forming unit 4 is not provided in the vacuum chamber 3.

<Alignment device>
The film forming apparatus 1 includes an alignment device 2 as an alignment means for aligning a substrate 100 and a 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 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.

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

The substrate support unit 6 includes a plurality of base portions 61a to 61d that form an outer frame thereof, and a plurality of placement portions 62 and 63 that protrude inward from the base portions 61a to 61d. The placement portions 62 and 63 may also be called "claws" or "fingers". The base portions 61a to 61d are each supported by a support shaft R3. The placement portions 62 are arranged at intervals on the base portions 61a to 61d so as to receive the long side of the periphery of the substrate 100. The placement portions 63 are arranged at intervals on the base portions 61a to 61d so as to receive the short side of the periphery of the substrate 100. The substrate 100 that is carried into the film forming apparatus 1 by the transfer robot 302a is supported by the placement portions 62 and 63. Hereinafter, when the base portions 61a to 61d are collectively referred to or when no distinction is made, they are referred to as the base portion 61.

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 to be attached to the suction plate 15, the elastic force of the leaf springs can be used to press the substrate 100 against the suction plate 15.

In the example of FIG. 3, the four base parts 61 form a rectangular frame with partial cutouts, but this is not limited thereto, and the base parts 61 may be a continuous rectangular frame that surrounds the outer periphery of the rectangular substrate 100. However, by providing cutouts by the multiple base parts 61, the transport robot 302a can avoid the base parts 61 when transferring the substrate 100 to the placement parts 62 and 63. This can improve the efficiency of transferring and transferring the substrate 100.

In addition, the substrate support unit 6 may be provided with a plurality of clamping parts corresponding to the plurality of mounting parts 62 and 63, and the peripheral part of the substrate 100 mounted on the mounting parts 62 and 63 may be clamped and held by the clamping parts.

(Adsorption plate)
2 and 3 , the alignment device 2 is provided inside the vacuum chamber 3, and includes a suction plate 15 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.

In this embodiment, the suction plate 15 is an electrostatic chuck that suctions the substrate 100 by electrostatic force. For example, the suction plate 15 has a structure in which an electric circuit such as a metal electrode is embedded inside a matrix (also called a base) made of a ceramic material. For example, in each electrode arrangement region 151, a pair of electrodes to which positive and negative voltages are applied to generate electrostatic attraction are arranged. The positive and negative electrodes are arranged alternately within one electrode arrangement region 151. When positive (+) and negative (-) voltages are applied to the metal electrodes arranged in the electrode arrangement region 151, a polarized charge is induced in the substrate 100 through the ceramic matrix, and the substrate 100 is suctioned and fixed to the suction surface 150 of the suction plate 15 by the electrostatic attraction (electrostatic force) between the substrate 100 and the suction plate 15.

The suction plate 15 also includes a voltage control unit (not shown) that controls the magnitude of the voltage applied to the electrodes, the start time of the voltage application, the duration of the voltage application, the order of voltage application, etc. The voltage control unit can control the voltage application to the multiple electrode arrangement areas 151 independently of each other.

The electrode arrangement area 151 can be set as appropriate. For example, in this embodiment, multiple electrode arrangement areas 151 are provided spaced apart from each other, but one electrode arrangement area 151 may be formed over substantially the entire surface of the adsorption surface 150 of the adsorption plate 15.

In addition, a plurality of touch sensors 1621 are embedded in the suction plate 15 to detect contact between the suction plate 15 and the substrate 100. 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 is provided in the center of the suction plate 15. In this manner, by providing the touch sensors 1621 at a plurality of 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.

In this embodiment, the touch sensor 1621 mechanically detects contact between itself and the object. As an example, the tip of the touch sensor 1621 is biased by a spring or the like, and is provided so that the tip protrudes from the adsorption surface 150 when the tip is 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 adsorption plate 15, and is configured to output a predetermined electrical signal by contacting an internal contact. The shape of the tip is not particularly limited, and may be a button shape or a rod shape. By appropriately setting the length by which the tip protrudes from the adsorption surface 150 when not in contact with the object, the touch sensor 1621 can substantially detect contact between the adsorption plate 15 and the substrate 100. In addition, the multiple touch sensors 1621 constitute a detection unit 16 that detects the parallelism between the adsorption plate 15 and the mask table 5, as described later (see <detection unit>).

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 mm to several tens of mm below the suction plate 15. If a part of the substrate 100 is not attached to the suction plate 15, the part will bend downward due to gravity. If the substrate 100 is bent after the substrate 100 is attached to the suction plate 15, the bent part will block the optical path 1622c, and the bending of the substrate 100 will be detected. In other words, it can be detected that the substrate 100 is not properly attached. The fiber sensor 1622 may be omitted.

In addition, multiple openings 152 are formed in the suction plate 15, and the measurement units (first measurement unit 7 and second measurement unit 8) described later capture images of the mask marks described later through the multiple openings 152.

Please also refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows a schematic structure from the suction plate 15 to the support shaft R1. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the electrical wiring of the suction plate, and shows the wiring for supplying electricity to the electrodes arranged in the electrode arrangement area 151 of the suction plate 15. In the present embodiment, the multiple support shafts R1 supporting the suction plate 15 are formed in a hollow cylindrical shape. Then, the electric wires 153 for applying positive (+) and negative (-) voltages are wired so as to pass through the inside of the support shafts. In the example of FIG. 4, one each of the electric wires 153 for applying positive (+) and negative (-) voltages are shown, for a total of two. In addition, the electric wires 153 extending from the lower part of the support shaft R1 to the vacuum chamber 3 extend along the short side of the suction plate 15 and connect to the electrical connection part 154 provided at approximately the center of the short side. In other words, the electric wires 153 are led from the outside to the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 via the support shaft R1 and connect to the electrical connection part 154. In addition, power supplied from the electric wire 153 to the electrical connection portion 154 is supplied to each electrode arranged in the electrode arrangement area 151.

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

(Position adjustment unit)
The alignment device 2 includes a position adjustment unit 20 that adjusts the relative position between the substrate 100, the peripheral portion of which is supported by the substrate support unit 6, or the substrate 100, which is attracted by the suction 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 suction plate 15 on the XY plane. That is, 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 the rotational directions around the axes in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. In this embodiment, the position of the mask 101 is fixed, and the substrate 100 is displaced to adjust their relative positions, but the mask 101 may be displaced to adjust the relative positions, or both the substrate 100 and the mask 101 may be displaced.

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

The multiple actuators 201 include, for example, an actuator capable of displacing the movable plate 20b in the X direction and an actuator capable of displacing 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 the X, Y, and Z axes. For example, the multiple actuators 201 can include a motor as a drive source and a mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism that converts the driving force of the motor into linear motion.

(Distance adjustment unit)
The distance adjustment unit 22 raises and lowers the suction plate 15 and the substrate support unit 6 to adjust the distance between them and the mask table 5, and moves the substrate 100 and the mask 101 closer to each other 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, 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.

As shown in FIG. 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 stand 21, and the first lifting plate 220 can be freely raised and lowered in the Z direction along the guide rail 21a.

The first lift plate 220 supports the suction plate 15 via a plurality of 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 a plurality of support shafts R1 that support the suction plate 15, and the plurality of support shafts R1 move up and down synchronously as the first lift plate 220 moves up and down, and the suction plate 15 moves up and down while maintaining its parallelism. The first lift plate 220 also supports the substrate support unit 6 via a plurality of actuators 65 and a plurality of support shafts R3. When the first lift plate 220 moves up and down, the substrate support unit 6 moves up and down accordingly. The plurality of actuators 65 can move the plurality of support shafts R3 connected thereto in the vertical direction. The substrate support unit 6 moves vertically relative to the suction plate 15 by the plurality of actuators 65. The plurality of actuators 65 may be configured to be able to move the support shaft R3 in the vertical direction, for example, by a motor and a ball screw mechanism or the like.

The lifting and lowering of the first lifting plate 220 will 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 lifting and lowering the first lifting plate 220. The drive unit 221 is a mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the motor 221a, which is a driving source, to the first lifting 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 the axis in the Z direction by the driving force of the motor 221a. The ball nut 221c is fixed to the first lifting plate 220 and engages with the ball screw shaft 221b. The first lifting plate 220 can be lifted and lowered in the Z direction by rotating the ball screw shaft 221b and switching the rotation direction. The amount of lift of the first lift plate 220 can be controlled, for example, from the detection results of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the amount of rotation of each motor 221a. This allows the position in the Z direction of the suction plate 15 that suctions and supports the substrate 100 to be controlled, and the contact and separation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 to be controlled. In addition, an adjustment unit 17, which will be described later, is provided above the first lift plate 220.

In the present 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 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 adjust, or each of the substrate support unit 6, the suction plate 15, and the mask table 5 may be moved to adjust the distance between them.

(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 are connected to the second lifting plate 12 by passing through an opening in the upper wall portion 30, each opening in the fixed plate 20a and the movable plate 20b, and an opening in the first lifting plate 220.

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 stand 21 and has 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 the motor 13a, which is the driving 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 the axis in the Z direction by the driving force of the motor 13a. The ball nut 13c is fixed to the second lift plate 12 and meshes 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 lift of the second lift plate 12 can be controlled, for example, from the detection results of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the amount of rotation of each motor 13a. This allows the position of the plate unit 9 in the Z direction to be controlled, and the contact and separation between the plate unit 9 and the substrate 100 to be controlled.

The openings in the upper wall 30 of the vacuum chamber 3 through which the above-mentioned support shafts R1 to R3 pass have a size that allows the support shafts R1 to R3 to be displaced in the X and Y directions. In order 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.).

(Measuring unit)
The alignment device 2 includes measurement units (first measurement unit 7 and second measurement unit 8) that measure the positional deviation between the substrate 100, the peripheral portion of which is supported by the substrate support unit 6, and the mask 101. The description will be given with reference to FIG. 5 in addition to FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the first measurement unit 7 and the second measurement unit 8, and shows a state in which the positional deviation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is measured. The first measurement unit 7 and the second measurement unit 8 in this embodiment 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 portion 30, and can capture an image of the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 through a window portion (not shown) formed in the upper wall portion 30.

Substrate 100 has substrate rough alignment mark 100a and substrate fine alignment mark 100b formed thereon, and mask 101 has mask rough alignment mark 101a and mask fine mark 101b formed thereon. Hereinafter, substrate rough alignment mark 100a will be referred to as substrate rough mark 100a, substrate fine alignment mark 100b will be referred to as substrate fine mark 100b, and both will be collectively referred to as substrate marks. Further, mask rough alignment mark 101a will be referred to as mask rough mark 101a, mask fine alignment mark 101b will be referred to as mask fine mark 101b, and both will be collectively referred to as mask marks.

The substrate rough mark 100a is formed in the center of the short side of the substrate 100. The substrate fine mark 100b is formed at the four corners of the substrate 100. The mask rough mark 101a is formed in the center of the short side of the mask 101 in correspondence with the substrate rough mark 100a. In addition, the mask fine mark 101b is formed at the four corners of the mask 101 in correspondence with the substrate fine mark 100b.

Four second measurement units 8 are provided (second measurement units 8a to 8d) to capture each pair (four pairs in this embodiment) of corresponding substrate fine marks 100b and mask fine marks 101b. The second measurement unit 8 is a high-magnification CCD camera (fine camera) with a relatively narrow field of view but high resolution (for example, on the order of several μm), and measures the positional deviation between the substrate 100 and mask 101 with high accuracy. One first measurement unit 7 is provided and captures each pair (two pairs in this embodiment) of corresponding substrate rough marks 100a and mask rough marks 101a.

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. In the example of FIG. 5, a configuration is shown in which two sets of substrate rough marks 100a and mask rough marks 101a are imaged together by one first measurement unit 7, but this 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 so as to image each set of substrate rough marks 100a and mask rough marks 101a.

In this embodiment, the substrate 100 and mask 101 are roughly adjusted in position based on the measurement results of the first measurement unit 7, and then the substrate 100 and mask 101 are precisely adjusted in position based on the measurement results of the second measurement unit 8.

(Adjustment unit)
The alignment device 2 includes an adjustment unit 17. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the adjustment unit 17 (adjustment device). The adjustment unit 17 is a unit that adjusts the relative inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. In this embodiment, the adjustment unit 17 adjusts the relative inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 by moving the suction plate 15. More specifically, the adjustment unit 17 adjusts the relative inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 by adjusting the axial positions of at least some of the support axes R1 among the multiple support axes R1.

The adjustment unit 17 has a plurality of operation parts 171 operated by an operator. In this embodiment, a plurality of operation parts 171 are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of support axes R1. When the operation part 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 parts 171 can independently adjust the vertical position at which the corresponding support axis R1 supports the suction plate 15. Therefore, the operator operates the operation part 171 to adjust the relative inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. In order to increase the degree of freedom of adjustment, it is preferable that the operation part 171 is provided for each of the plurality of support axes R1, but if the operation part 171 is provided for at least one support axis R1, the relative inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 can be adjusted within a certain range.

In this embodiment, the operating part 171 is an adjustment nut that moves the support shaft R1 in the vertical direction, which is its axial direction. The adjustment nut and the thread 172 formed on the support shaft R1 are arranged to screw together, and when the adjustment nut is turned by the operator, the support shaft R1 moves.

In addition, in this embodiment, the operation unit 171 is provided outside the vacuum chamber 3. Specifically, the support shaft R1 is supported by the first lift 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.

A joint portion 18 is provided between the support shaft R1 and the suction plate 15 to connect 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 changed. In this embodiment, the joint portion 18 is a spherical bearing, and includes a spherical portion 181 and a bearing portion 182 that slidably receives the spherical portion 181.

In this embodiment, the multiple support shafts R1 are configured to be movable only in the vertical direction (axial direction). Therefore, the angle that the suction plate 15 makes with respect to the support shafts R1 differs between a state in which the suction plate 15 is held horizontal, as in state ST1 shown on the left side of FIG. 6, and a state in which the suction plate 15 is tilted, as in state ST2 shown on the right side of FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the suction plate 15 is bent with respect to the support shafts R1 at the joint portion 18, so that the support shafts R1 can support the suction plate 15 even when the suction plate 15 is tilted. The joint portion 18 can be appropriately configured with a structure that connects two members in a manner that allows the connection angle to be changed, such as a universal joint.

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 is raised and lowered, all of the multiple support shafts R1 supported by the first lift plate 220 are raised and lowered by the same amount, that is, the multiple support shafts R1 are raised and lowered synchronously. Therefore, the suction plate 15 is raised and lowered while maintaining the parallelism or relative inclination of the suction plate 15 with respect to the mask table 5. On the other hand, the adjustment unit 17 can move any of the multiple support shafts R1 in the vertical direction (axial direction) with respect 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 one support shaft R1 without changing the positions of the three support shafts R1. This allows the adjustment unit 17 to adjust the inclination of the suction plate 15 supported by the multiple support shafts R1.

(Floating part)
The alignment device 2 includes a floating portion 19. The floating portion 19 is provided between the joint portion 18 and the suction plate 15. The floating portion 19 includes an elastic member 191, a bush 192, a shaft member 193, a suction plate support portion 194, and a flange 195. The shaft member 193 is provided extending downward from the joint portion 18. The bush 192 is provided so as to be interposed between the shaft member 193 and the suction plate support portion 194, and reduces friction therebetween and reduces wobbling. For example, the bush 192 is formed of a metal sintered material having good sliding properties. 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 a flange 195 provided on the shaft member 193, and is configured to receive the load of the suction plate 15. That is, the floating part 19 is connected to the support shaft R1 via the joint part 18, and the elastic member 191 of the floating part 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 part 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 escape of the suction plate 15 when the suction plate 15 comes into contact with the mask 101.

(Detection unit)
The alignment device 2 includes a detection unit 16. Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3 again. The detection unit 16 detects the parallelism between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. In this embodiment, the parallelism is a degree indicating the degree of relative inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5. In this embodiment, the detection unit 16 includes the above-mentioned multiple touch sensors 1621 provided on the side of the suction plate 15. The multiple touch sensors 1621 are attached to the suction plate 15 so that the lengths of the tips protruding from the suction surface 150 are approximately equal to each other. By attaching the touch sensor 1621 to the suction plate 15, even if the vacuum chamber 3 is deformed by atmospheric pressure, the change occurring in the relative position between the suction plate 15 and the touch sensor 1621 can be reduced. In other words, even in a vacuum state, the protruding lengths of the tips of the touch sensors 1621 hardly change and are maintained approximately equal to each other. Therefore, if all of the touch sensors 1621 react almost simultaneously when the suction plate 15 moves, it can be determined that the parallelism is high, in other words, that the relative inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 is small. By appropriately changing the length of the tip protruding from the suction surface 150, a predetermined inclination that is not parallel 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 the case where sensors for detecting these are provided separately.

<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 represented by a CPU, and 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, a RAM, or a 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 an external device. The communication unit 144 is a communication device that communicates with the upper device 300 or other control devices 14, 309, 310, etc. via a communication line 300a, and the processing unit 141 receives information from the upper device 300 via the communication unit 144, or transmits information to the upper device 300. 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 with a PLC, ASIC, or FPGA.

<Substrate and mask overlap process>
7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating the process of overlapping the substrate 100 and the mask 101 using the chucking plate 15. FIG. 7A to 7C show each state of the process.

State ST100 is the state after the transfer robot 302a has loaded the substrate 100 into the film forming apparatus 1 and the transfer robot 302a has retreated. At this time, the substrate 100 is supported by the substrate support unit 6.

In state ST101, the substrate support unit 6 is raised in preparation for the suction plate 15 to suction the substrate 100. The substrate support unit 6 is raised from state ST100 by the actuator 65 so as to approach the suction plate 15. In state ST101, the peripheral portion of the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 6 is in contact with the suction plate 15 or is slightly spaced apart from it. Meanwhile, the center portion of the substrate 100 is bent due to its own weight and is therefore spaced apart from the suction plate 15 compared to the peripheral portion.

State ST102 is a state in which the substrate 100 is attracted to the attraction plate 15. When a voltage is applied to the electrodes arranged in the electrode arrangement area 151 of the attraction plate 15, the substrate 100 is attracted to the attraction plate 15 by electrostatic force.

State ST103 is a state in which it is confirmed whether the substrate 100 is normally adsorbed to the suction plate 15. When the substrate support unit 6 has descended and is separated from the substrate 100, it is confirmed whether the substrate 100 is normally adsorbed to the suction plate 15 based on the detection value of the touch sensor 1621. For example, when all 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. In addition, when a fiber sensor 1622 is provided, it may be determined whether the substrate 100 is normally adsorbed based on the output from the fiber sensor 1622.

State ST104 is a state in which the alignment operation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is in progress. The control device 14 uses 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 executes the alignment operation using the position adjustment unit 20.

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 by 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 adhesion between the substrate 100 and the mask 101.

The process of overlapping the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is completed by the operations described above. For example, after this process is completed, a deposition process is performed by the film forming unit 4.

Incidentally, when aligning the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the above-described process, the inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 may affect the accuracy of the alignment. By performing the alignment by bringing the substrate 100 and the mask 101 closer to each other, the accuracy of the alignment can be improved. However, if there is a relative inclination between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5, a part of the substrate 100 may come into contact with the mask 101, which may cause scratches on the substrate 100. The accuracy of the alignment may be reduced by increasing the distance between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 to protect the substrate 100. Therefore, in general, the parallel adjustment between the suction plate 15 and the mask table 5 may be performed in an environment where the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is at atmospheric pressure. The parallel adjustment in an atmospheric pressure environment is performed, for example, by inserting a shim into the connecting portion of the substrate support unit 6.

[Example 1]
A configuration for detecting the suction strength of the suction plate 15 (the degree of adhesion between the suction plate 15 and the substrate 100) according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Detection Means>
The arrangement, configuration and function of the sensor according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 8(a) is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a film is formed on a substrate 100 inside a vacuum chamber 3. The substrate 100 is adsorbed to an adsorption plate 15 and aligned with a mask 101. The film forming unit 4 includes an evaporation source 208 having a plurality of nozzles 244. Inside the housing of the evaporation source 208, a container (crucible) for accommodating an evaporation material, a heater, and a shutter are provided. As the heater, a sheath heater that generates heat when an electric current is applied is suitable, and the heater generates heat to heat the container, and the evaporation material is vaporized and released from the nozzle 244 (dotted arrow 251). The control device 14 controls the current to the heater and the opening and closing degree of the shutter, thereby controlling the amount of the evaporation material released.

The moving mechanism 204 is a moving means including a guide rail 204a and a driving unit 204b. The driving unit 204b is equipped with a driving means such as a motor, and can be equipped with a housing. The control device 14 moves the driving unit 204b back and forth on the guide rail 204a, so that the evaporation source mounted on the driving unit 204b also moves. As a result, the film is formed while changing the relative position between the evaporation source and the substrate 100, so that the film is formed evenly over the entire substrate 100. That is, the control device 14 performs film formation that satisfies the desired film formation conditions by controlling the scanning speed and number of scans by the driving unit 204b, the heater temperature, and the opening and closing degree of the shutter. In addition, when the film formation unit 4 is equipped with a quartz oscillation type film formation rate monitor, the control device 14 may control the film formation according to the measured film formation rate. In addition to the linear evaporation source as exemplified, a point-like or planar evaporation source may be used. In addition, the scanning is not limited to the reciprocating scan, and a raster scan method may be adopted depending on the shape of the evaporation source.

The deposition unit 4 of the embodiment is further provided with a distance sensor 236 as a detection means. In this embodiment, a plurality of distance sensors 236a to 236e are arranged along the line of the linear evaporation source, and as shown in the plan view of FIG. 8(b), they move together with the evaporation source 208 as the driving unit 204b moves. The distance sensor 236 in this embodiment is a laser distance meter, and as shown in FIG. 8(c), measures the distance to the substrate 100 by irradiating laser light L in the Z direction and receiving the reflected light. Therefore, the linearly arranged distance sensors 236a to 236e scan the chamber from one end to the other end by the moving mechanism 204, so that the distance in the Z direction can be measured over the entire substrate 100. As will be described later, the distance sensor 236 functions as a detection means (adhesion sensor) that detects the degree of adsorption between the substrate 100 and the adsorption plate 15 by working in cooperation with the control device 14. That is, the moving mechanism 204 moves not only the evaporation source but also the distance sensor 236, which serves as a detection means, in a direction along the deposition surface of the substrate 100 (for example, the Y direction as the first direction).

The object of distance measurement is not limited to the substrate 100, and any type of object to be measured above can be used. Therefore, if there is a mask 101 aligned with the substrate 100 directly above the distance sensor 236, it is possible to measure the distance to the mask. Also, if there is no substrate 100 directly above the distance sensor 236, it is possible to measure the distance to the suction plate 15. Also, the distance measuring means is not limited to a laser distance meter,
For example, an image obtained by an imaging means may be analyzed. Alternatively, various distance measuring sensors may be used.

<Detection of Adsorption Degree in the Embodiment>
The procedure for detecting the degree of suction will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9(a) shows the first stage of detection, in which the substrate 100 has not been loaded into the vacuum chamber 3, or the substrate 100 has been loaded but is not present between the distance sensor 236 and the suction plate 15. In this state, the moving mechanism 204 moves the evaporation source 208 using the driving unit 204b, and the distance sensor 236 connected to the evaporation source 208 also moves. The coordinates of the distance sensor 236 in the XY plane are DS(x,y), and the distance (height) from the distance sensor 236 to the suction plate 15 at DS(x,y) is h1(x,y). The height of each part of the suction plate 15 without the substrate 100 can be measured by measuring the distance of the entire surface of the suction plate 15 at a predetermined interval while moving the distance sensors 236.

Next, in the second stage, as shown in FIG. 9B, while the suction plate 15 is suctioning the substrate 100, the moving mechanism 204 moves the evaporation source 208 using the drive unit 204b. The distance sensor 236 measures the distance to the bottom surface of the substrate while moving together with the evaporation source 208. The distance (height) from the distance sensor 236 to the bottom surface of the substrate at the coordinates DS(x,y) is defined as h2(x,y). The distance sensor 236 measures the distance of the entire substrate 100 at a predetermined interval while moving, thereby making it possible to measure the height of each part of the bottom surface of the substrate. Here, if the thickness of the substrate 100 is defined as t1, then if the substrate 100 is suctioned flat by the suction plate 15, then for all DS(x,y),
h1(x,y) = t1 + h2(x,y)
It becomes.

On the other hand, if the substrate 100 is warped or distorted as shown in FIG. 9B, an error m1(x, y) occurs in the coordinates of the warp.
h1(x,y) - {t1 + h2(x,y)} = m1(x,y) ≠ 0
Therefore, the control device 14 reads out the value of the predetermined tolerance for the bending from the memory, and judges whether the error is within the predetermined tolerance. If the error is within the predetermined tolerance, it is judged that the suction by the suction plate 15 is complete, and the process moves to the next step. On the other hand, if the error is outside the tolerance, it is judged that the suction by the suction plate 15 is insufficient at the coordinates of the bending. Then, a process such as increasing the voltage applied to the electrode arrangement region 151 corresponding to the coordinates of insufficient suction is performed.

<Modification of Adsorption Degree Detection>
Another procedure for detecting the degree of adhesion will be described with reference to FIG. 10. In the first stage shown in FIG. 10(a), scanning is performed in the same manner as in FIG. 9(a) without the substrate 100, and the height h1(x,y) of each part of the adhesion plate 15 is measured. Then, the adhesion plate 15 adheres the substrate 100. Then, after the alignment of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed, the measurement of the second stage shown in FIG. 10(b) is performed in a state where the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are in close contact with each other by the magnet plate 11. That is, as the moving mechanism 204 moves the evaporation source 208 using the driving unit 204b, the distance sensor 236 measures the distance to the lower surface of the mask. The distance (height) from the distance sensor 236 to the lower surface of the mask at the coordinates DS(x,y) is set to h3(x,y). The distance sensor 236
By measuring the distance over the entire mask 101 at a predetermined interval while moving, the height of each part on the lower surface of the mask can be measured. If the thickness of the mask 101 is t2, then if the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are adsorbed flat, then for all DS(x, y),
h1(x,y) = t1 + t2 + h3(x,y)
It becomes.

On the other hand, if there is a warp or distortion in at least one of the substrate 100 and the mask 101, an error m2(x, y) occurs in the coordinates of the warp,
h1(x,y) - {t1 + t2 + h3(x,y)} = m2(x,y) ≠ 0
Therefore, the control device 14 reads out the value of the predetermined tolerance from the memory and judges whether the error is within the predetermined tolerance. If the error is within the predetermined tolerance, it can be determined that the suction of the substrate 100 and the adhesion of the mask 101 have been performed correctly. On the other hand, if the error is outside the tolerance, it is determined that the suction of the substrate 100 or the adhesion of the mask 101 has not been performed correctly at that coordinate, and therefore the substrate suction or the mask adhesion is corrected.

In this modified example, the evaporation source 208 and the distance sensor 236 are scanned while the mask 101 is in close contact with the substrate 100. Therefore, distance measurement by the distance sensor 236 may be performed during deposition by the evaporation source 208, thereby shortening the processing time. By performing deposition and adhesion measurement in parallel, it is also possible to obtain the effect of quickly detecting defects during deposition.

In this modification, the height h1(x,y) of the suction plate surface, the height h2(x,y) of the substrate bottom surface, and the height h3(x,y) of the mask bottom surface may all be measured. This allows the degree of suction of the substrate 100 and the degree of adhesion of the mask 101 to be detected separately, enabling more accurate film formation. In this modification, the degree of adhesion between the substrate 100 and the suction plate 15 may be measured using touch sensors 1621 provided at multiple locations on the suction plate 15.

[Example 2]
The arrangement of the distance sensor 236 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11. The same configuration as in the first embodiment will not be described. In the deposition unit 4 of the present embodiment, one distance sensor 236 is provided in the evaporation source 208. The distance sensor 236 is relatively movable in the X direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the evaporation source 208 under the control of the control device 14. For this purpose, the driving unit 204b has, for example, a linear slide mechanism including a guide rail extending in the X direction provided along the evaporation source 208 as a second moving means.

In this configuration, the driving unit 204b moves the evaporation source 208 in the Y direction as the first scan (SCAN1), as in the first embodiment. At the same time, the distance sensor 236 moves in the X direction as the second scan (SCAN2). The distance sensor 236 measures distances while moving in the first and second scans, so that the distance to the measurement object above can be measured. As in the first embodiment, the suction plate 15, the substrate 100, and the mask 101 can be used as the measurement objects, and the degree of suction of the substrate 100 can be detected based on the measurement results. According to the configuration of this embodiment, the number of distance sensors 236 can be reduced, thereby reducing costs.

[Example 3]
A third embodiment will be described. Descriptions of the same configurations as those of the above-mentioned embodiments will be omitted. In the above-mentioned embodiments, the adsorption of the substrate 100 by the adsorption plate 15 and the alignment and close contact of the mask 101 to the substrate 100 are performed inside the film formation apparatus 1 of the film formation chamber 303. Therefore, the distance sensor 236 is also provided in the film formation unit 4 of the film formation apparatus 1. However, when the adsorption of the substrate 100 and the alignment of the mask 101 are performed in a place other than the film formation chamber, the arrangement of the distance sensor 236 is not limited to this.

(Configuration of in-line type film forming device)
Here, a manufacturing system 250 including an in-line type film forming apparatus as shown in Fig. 12 is known. The manufacturing system 250 has the following chambers: a mask carry-in chamber 90, an alignment chamber 107 (mask mounting chamber), a plurality of film forming chambers 303a, 303b, an inversion chamber 111a, 111b, a transfer chamber 112, a mask separation chamber 113, a substrate separation chamber 114, a carrier transfer chamber 115, a mask transfer chamber 116, and a substrate carry-in chamber 117 (substrate mounting chamber). The substrate carrier 212 is transferred within each chamber by a transfer means included in the manufacturing system 250.

Specifically, the substrate carrier 212 is transported through each chamber in the order of the substrate loading chamber 117, the inversion chamber 111a, the mask loading chamber 90, the alignment chamber 107, the multiple deposition chambers 303a, 303b, the transfer chamber 112, the mask separation chamber 113, the inversion chamber 111b, the substrate separation chamber 114, and the transfer chamber 115, and then returns to the substrate loading chamber 117. On the other hand, the mask 101 is transported through each chamber in the order of the mask loading chamber 90, the alignment chamber 107, the multiple deposition chambers 303a, 303b, the transfer chamber 112, and the mask separation chamber 113, and then returns to the mask loading chamber 90. In this way, the substrate carrier 212 and the mask 101 are transported in circulation along the predetermined transport path (circulation transport path) indicated by the dashed line and the dotted line, respectively.

The function of each chamber will be explained. The substrate 100 on which a film is not yet formed is carried into the substrate loading chamber 117 with the surface on which the film is to be formed facing vertically upward. At that time, the substrate carrier 212 is arranged in the substrate loading chamber 117 with its holding surface facing vertically upward. Therefore, the carried-in substrate 100 is placed on the holding surface of the substrate carrier 212 and is held by the substrate carrier 212.

The inversion chambers 111a and 111b are equipped with inversion mechanisms 120a and 120b that invert the orientation of the substrate holding surface of the substrate carrier 212. In the inversion chamber 111a, the substrate carrier 212 holding the substrate 100 is inverted by the inversion mechanism 120a, so that the surface on which the film is to be formed of the substrate 100 faces vertically downward. On the other hand, when the substrate carrier 212 is carried into the inversion chamber 111b from the mask separation chamber 113, the substrate carrier 212 is carried in with the surface on which the film is to be formed of the substrate 100 facing vertically downward. After carrying in, the substrate carrier 212 holding the substrate 100 is inverted by the inversion mechanism 120b, so that the surface on which the film is to be formed of the substrate 100 faces vertically upward. Thereafter, the substrate 100 is carried out of the substrate separation chamber 114 with the surface on which the film is to be formed facing vertically upward.

The inverted substrate carrier 212 holding the substrate 100 is carried into the alignment chamber 107 via the mask carry-in chamber 90. At the same time, the mask 101 is also carried into the alignment chamber 107 from the mask carry-in chamber 90. The alignment chamber 107 (mask mounting chamber) is equipped with an alignment device 2. In the alignment chamber 107, the alignment device 2 aligns the substrate 100 and mask 101 placed on the substrate carrier 212, and places the substrate carrier 212 (substrate 100) on the mask 101.

Then, the mask 101 on which the substrate carrier 212 is placed is handed over to a transport roller (not shown) to start transport. A number of transport rollers are arranged on both sides of the transport path along the transport direction, and transport the substrate carrier 212 and mask 101 by rotating with the driving force of an AC servo motor (not shown). In the film formation chambers 303a and 303b, the substrate 100 adsorbed to the loaded substrate carrier 212 passes over the film formation unit 4, and a film is formed on the film formation surface of the substrate 100 via the mask 101.

After the film formation is completed, the mask 101 is separated from the substrate carrier 212 in the mask separation chamber 113. The separated mask 101 is transported to the mask transport chamber 116 and used for the next substrate 100. Meanwhile, the substrate carrier 212 holding the substrate 100 is inverted in the inversion chamber 111b and transported to the substrate separation chamber 114. In the substrate separation chamber 114, the substrate 100 is separated from the substrate carrier 212, recovered from the circulating transport path, and sent to the next process. Meanwhile, the substrate carrier 212 is transported to the substrate load chamber 117.

(Configuration and Function of Distance Sensor)
In the above in-line type configuration, a substrate carrier 212 that holds the substrate 100 may be provided with an adsorption plate using an electrostatic chuck. In this case, the substrate carrier 212 is transported to the alignment chamber 107 in front of the film formation chamber while adsorbing and holding the substrate 100 using the adsorption plate. In such a configuration, it is not possible to measure the degree of adhesion by fixing the distance sensor 236 to the film formation unit as in the above embodiments.

The arrangement of the distance sensor 236 suitable for this embodiment will now be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13(a) shows an example of a sensor unit 209 arranged in the alignment chamber 107. The sensor unit 209 has a drive mechanism capable of scanning in a direction substantially parallel to the deposition surface of the substrate 100 in the alignment chamber 107, and is equipped with a number of distance sensors 236a to 236e arranged in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction.

The sensor unit 209 first performs measurements using the distance sensors 236a to 236e while scanning within a plane facing the substrate carrier 212. This allows the distance to each position on the substrate 100 held by the substrate carrier 212 to be measured. Next, after the mask 101 is aligned and attached to the substrate 100, measurements are performed again using the distance sensors 236a to 236e. This allows the distance to each position on the mask 101 to be measured. Then, based on the distance to the substrate 100 and the distance to the mask 101 at each position, the degree of contact between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 can be measured.

The above explanation describes measurements in the alignment chamber 107 using the sensor unit 209, but by providing a similar sensor unit in the substrate loading chamber 117, it is also possible to measure the degree of adhesion of the substrate 100 to the suction plate of the substrate carrier 212.

In this way, the present invention is applicable even when deposition is performed in a second chamber (film formation chamber 303) separate from the chamber (alignment chamber 107) where the adhesion is measured.

(Modification)
13B shows a modified example of the sensor unit 209. In this modified example, the sensor unit 209 is equipped with one distance sensor 236. When measuring distance, the sensor unit itself is scanned in a first direction (Y direction) by the driving mechanism (SCAN1), and the distance sensor 236 is scanned in a second direction (X direction) intersecting the first direction (SCAN2). This allows the distance sensor 236 to measure the distance to each position of the measurement target.

Figure 13 (c) shows another modified example of the sensor unit 209. In this modified example, the sensor unit 209 also includes one distance sensor 236. The sensor unit 209 further includes a moving mechanism 213 that moves the distance sensor 236 to each position in a plane. For example, a multi-joint arm as shown in the figure is suitable as the moving mechanism 213. With this configuration, the distance sensor 236 can measure the distance to each position of the measurement target.

[Example 4]
The measurement of the adhesion between the suction plate and the substrate, or the measurement of the adhesion between the substrate and the mask according to the present invention may be performed during the process of actually forming a film on the substrate, or may be performed in a maintenance mode when the film forming apparatus is installed or during regular inspection, etc. When the adhesion measurement is performed during the actual film forming process, defects in the film formation can be detected early.

On the other hand, when the adhesion measurement is performed in the maintenance mode, the distance sensor 236 may be disposed only when the adhesion measurement is performed. For example, in the case of the first and second embodiments, the distance sensor 236 may be disposed in the evaporation source 208 in the maintenance mode to perform the measurement, and the distance sensor 236 may be removed in the actual film formation process. Alternatively, the film formation unit may be removed in the maintenance mode, and a sensor unit including the distance sensor 236 may be attached to perform the measurement. In the case of the third embodiment, the sensor unit 209 may be disposed in the alignment chamber 107 in the maintenance mode to perform the measurement, and the sensor unit 209 may be removed in the actual film formation process. This simplifies the configuration of the film formation chamber and the alignment chamber during the actual film formation, and prevents malfunctions.

<Method of Manufacturing Electronic Device>
Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device using the film forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described below. The configuration of an organic EL display device will be shown as an example of an electronic device, and a method for manufacturing the organic EL display device will be illustrated.

First, the organic EL display device to be manufactured will be described. Figure 14(a) shows an overall view of the organic EL display device 60, and Figure 14(b) shows the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

As shown in FIG. 14(a), a plurality of pixels 52 each including a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in a matrix in a display area 51 of an organic EL display device 50. As will be described in detail later, each light-emitting element has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. Note that the pixel here refers to the smallest unit that allows a desired color to be displayed in the display area 51. In the case of the organic EL display device according to this embodiment, the pixel 52 is configured by a combination of a first light-emitting element 52R, a second light-emitting element 52G, and a third light-emitting element 52B that emit light different from each other. The pixel 52 is often configured by a combination of a red light-emitting element, a green light-emitting element, and a blue light-emitting element, but may also be a combination of a yellow light-emitting element, a cyan light-emitting element, and a white light-emitting element, and is not particularly limited as long as it is at least one color.

Fig. 14(b) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line A-B in Fig. 14(a). The pixel 52 is made up of a plurality of light-emitting elements, and each light-emitting element has a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, any one of light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58 on a substrate 53. Of these, the hole transport layer 55, the light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to organic layers. In this embodiment, the light-emitting layer 56R is an organic EL layer that emits red light, the light-emitting layer 56G is an organic EL layer that emits green light, and the light-emitting layer 56B is an organic EL layer that emits blue light. The light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to the light-emitting elements (sometimes referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue lights, respectively. 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 to the plurality of light emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. In order to prevent the first electrode 54 and the second electrode 58 from being shorted by foreign matter, 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 40 is provided to protect the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen.

In FIG. 14(b), the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are shown as a single layer, but depending on the structure of the organic EL display element, they may be formed of multiple layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer. In addition, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure that can smoothly inject holes from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55 can be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer can be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described.
First, a substrate 53 on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and a first electrode 54 are formed is prepared.

An acrylic resin is formed by spin coating on the substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed, and the acrylic resin is patterned by lithography so as to form an opening in the portion where the first electrode 54 is formed, thereby forming an insulating layer 59. This opening corresponds to a light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light.

The substrate 53 with the patterned insulating layer 59 is carried into a first organic material deposition apparatus, the substrate is held by a substrate support table and an electrostatic chuck, and a hole transport layer 55 is deposited as a common layer on the first electrode 54 in the display area. The hole transport layer 55 is deposited by vacuum deposition. In practice, the hole transport layer 55 is formed to be larger than the display area 51, so no high-resolution mask is required.

Next, the substrate 53 on which the hole transport layer 55 has been formed is carried into a second organic material deposition apparatus and held by a substrate support table and an electrostatic chuck. The substrate and the mask are aligned, the substrate is placed on the mask, and a red-emitting light-emitting layer 56R is deposited on the portion of the substrate 53 where the red-emitting element is to be located.

Similar to the deposition of the light-emitting layer 56R, the third organic material deposition apparatus deposits the light-emitting layer 56G that emits green light, and the fourth organic material deposition apparatus deposits the light-emitting layer 56B that emits blue light. After the deposition of the light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B is completed, the fifth deposition apparatus deposits the electron transport layer 57 over the entire display area 51. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a layer common to the three light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

The substrate on which the electron transport layer 57 has been formed is moved by a metallic deposition material deposition device to deposit the second electrode 58.

Then, it is moved to a plasma CVD device to deposit a protective layer 40, completing the organic EL display device 50.

If the substrate 53 on which the insulating layer 59 is patterned is exposed to an atmosphere containing moisture or oxygen from the time it is carried into the film-forming apparatus until the formation of the protective layer 40 is completed, the light-emitting layer made of the organic EL material may be deteriorated by moisture or oxygen. Therefore, in this embodiment, the substrate is carried in and out of the film-forming apparatus in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere.

The above embodiment shows one example of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and may be modified appropriately within the scope of its technical concept.

2: Alignment device, 3: Vacuum chamber, 14: Control device, 15: Adsorption plate, 100: Substrate, 101: Mask, 204: Movement mechanism, 236: Distance sensor

Claims (6)

A chamber that maintains a vacuum inside;
an adsorption plate provided inside the chamber for adsorbing a substrate;
a detection means arranged vertically below the suction plate and configured to detect a degree of suction of the substrate to the suction plate;
a moving means for moving the detection means in a first direction along a film formation surface of the substrate ,
The apparatus further includes an evaporation source provided inside the chamber and configured to emit an evaporation material onto the substrate;
The detection means is provided in the evaporation source,
The moving means moves the evaporation source in the first direction to move the detection means.
A film forming apparatus comprising: a mask support means provided inside the chamber and supporting a mask;
and an alignment means for aligning the substrate adsorbed on the adsorption plate with a mask,
2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means detects the degree of adhesion of the substrate and the mask to the adhesion plate. A chamber that maintains a vacuum inside;
an adsorption plate provided inside the chamber for adsorbing a substrate;
a mask support means provided inside the chamber and supporting a mask;
an alignment means for aligning the substrate adsorbed on the adsorption plate with the mask;
a detection means arranged vertically below the suction plate and configured to detect a degree of adhesion of the mask to the substrate;
a moving means for moving the detection means in a first direction along a film formation surface of the substrate ,
The apparatus further includes an evaporation source provided inside the chamber and configured to emit an evaporation material onto the substrate;
The detection means is provided in the evaporation source,
The moving means moves the evaporation source in the first direction to move the detection means.
A film forming apparatus comprising: 4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means is fixed to the evaporation source. 4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a second moving means for moving the detection means relative to the evaporation source in a second direction along the film forming surface and intersecting the first direction. 6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means includes a distance measuring sensor using a laser.

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