JP7797332B2 - Film thickness measurement apparatus, film formation apparatus, film thickness measurement method, and electronic device manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a film thickness measurement apparatus, a film formation apparatus, a film thickness measurement method, and a method for manufacturing electronic devices.

As manufacturing equipment for organic EL displays and the like, there is known equipment that transports substrates to a deposition chamber and deposits a film on the substrate. Patent Document 1 proposes a deposition apparatus equipped with a film thickness measurement unit that optically measures the film thickness of a film deposited on a substrate.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-161490

Generally, when optically measuring the thickness of a film deposited on a substrate, a reference measurement is performed to obtain reference data. In a reference measurement, for example, light is emitted onto an area of the substrate where no film has been deposited and the reflected light is received. To improve the accuracy of film thickness measurements, it is desirable to perform the reference measurement with higher precision.

The present invention provides technology to improve the accuracy of reference measurements.

According to the present invention,
provided in a film formation chamber where a film is formed on a substrate or in a delivery chamber for delivering the substrate to the film formation chamber,
a light receiving section that receives light that is emitted by an emitting section that emits light to the substrate and is reflected by the substrate;
and a determination unit that determines a thickness of a film formed on the film formation region of the substrate based on a light receiving result of the light receiving unit,
The identification means identifies the film thickness of the film deposited in the film deposition area based on the light reception results for reflected light reflected in the film deposition area where the film was deposited, and reflected light reflected in a first reference area and a second reference area aligned in a first direction with the film deposition area of the substrate.

The present invention can improve the accuracy of reference measurements.

FIG. 1A to 1F are explanatory diagrams of the structure and operation of the vapor deposition source and the moving unit. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a transport unit. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a transport unit. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a film thickness measuring device. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a measurement position of a film thickness measurement device. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the film forming apparatus in the YZ plane. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of measurement results of reflectance for each film thickness. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing examples of the arrangement of film formation regions and reference regions for film thickness measurement provided on a substrate; FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of the film formation area and the reference area for film thickness measurement. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a film thickness measurement method. 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the film thickness measuring device. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of the arrangement of the periphery of the film formation region and the reference region for film thickness measurement. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the position in the X direction and the intensity of received light. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. Schematic diagram showing an overview of the delivery room. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a substrate support portion. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the influence of the posture of the substrate W on the film thickness value. 1A is an overall view of an organic EL display device, and FIG. 1B is a view showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the claimed invention, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. Furthermore, the same reference numbers are used for identical or similar components, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

<1. Overview of the film formation device>
1 is a layout diagram of a film forming apparatus 1. In each drawing, arrow Z indicates the vertical direction (the direction of gravity), arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are orthogonal to each other, and arrow θ indicates the direction of rotation around the Z axis.

The film forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a film on a substrate W. The film forming apparatus 1 is capable of forming a thin film of a vapor deposition material in a predetermined pattern on the substrate W using a mask M. The material of the substrate W can be selected from glass, resin, metal, etc., and a typical example is glass with a resin layer such as polyimide formed on it. In this embodiment, the substrate W is rectangular. The vapor deposition material may be an organic material or an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.). The film forming apparatus 1 is applicable to manufacturing equipment for manufacturing electronic devices such as display devices (such as flat panel displays), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), as well as optical components, and is particularly applicable to manufacturing equipment for manufacturing organic EL panels.

The film formation apparatus 1 includes a transfer chamber 2, a terminal chamber 3, and a film formation chamber 4. Each chamber can be kept airtight by the walls that make up the chamber. That is, each chamber is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. In this embodiment, each chamber is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). In this specification, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced pressure state.

In this example, the transfer chamber 2 and terminal chamber 3 are arranged side by side in the X direction, and two film formation chambers 4 are arranged on both sides of the terminal chamber 3 in the Y direction. The film formation apparatus 1 is configured so that one transfer chamber 2, one terminal chamber 3, and two film formation chambers 4 form one cluster, and multiple clusters can be connected in the X direction. The number of connected clusters can be set as appropriate. The film formation chamber 4 may also be provided on only one side of the terminal chamber 3 in the Y direction.

The film formation apparatus 1 includes transport units 5A and 5B. The transport units 5A and 5B are provided between the terminal chamber 3 and the film formation chamber 4, and transport the substrate W and mask M between the terminal chamber 3 and the film formation chamber 4.

The control system of the film formation apparatus 1 includes a host device 300 that controls the entire line as a host computer, and control devices 301-305 that control each component. These devices can communicate via a wired or wireless communication line 300a. The control device 301 controls a transfer robot 2a (described below) installed in the transfer chamber 2. The base unit 302 controls a transfer robot 3a (described below) installed in the terminal chamber 3. Each of the multiple control devices 303 controls a deposition source 8 and a moving unit 9 (described below) in the corresponding film formation chamber 4. Control devices 304 and 305 control a transfer unit 5A and a transfer unit 5B (described below), respectively. The host device 300 transmits information about the substrate W and instructions such as transfer timing to each of the control devices 301-305, and each of the control devices 301-305 controls each component based on the received instructions. The host device 300 and each of the control devices 301-305 each include a processor such as a CPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk, and an input/output interface.

The film forming apparatus 1 also includes a mask chamber 104 located adjacent to the transfer chamber 2 and housing a mask M.

<2. Transport Room>
In the transfer chamber 2, the substrate W or the mask M is transferred to the terminal chamber 3. A transfer robot 2a is provided in the transfer chamber 2. The transfer robot 2a is a double-arm robot in which two sets of arms 21 and hands 22 are supported on a base 20. The two sets of arms 21 and hands 22 rotate in the θ direction on the base 20 and are also extendable. The transfer robot 2a transfers the mask M in addition to transferring the substrate W. The hand 22 has a fork shape, and the substrate M or mask M is placed on the hand 22 for transfer.

<3. Terminal Room>
In the terminal chamber 3, the substrates W or masks M are transferred between the transfer chamber 2 and the film formation chamber 4, and the substrates W or masks M are distributed to the film formation chambers 4. A transfer robot 3a is provided in the terminal chamber 3. The transfer robot 3a is a robot having an arm 31 and a hand 32 supported on a base 30. The arm 31 and the hand 32 rotate in the θ direction on the base 30 and are also extendable. The transfer robot 3a receives the substrates W or masks M from the transfer robot 2a in the transfer chamber 2 and transfers them to the transfer unit 5 described below. The transfer robot 3a also transfers the substrates W or masks M received from the transfer unit 5 to the downstream transfer chamber 2. A camera (not shown) is provided in the terminal chamber 3 for identifying the position of the substrate W or mask M when the transfer robot 3a transfers the substrate W or mask M to the transfer unit 5.

<4. Film forming chamber>
In the film formation chamber 4, a film is formed on a substrate W using a mask M. As shown in FIG. 1, two mask stages 41 are arranged in each of the two film formation chambers 4. A total of four mask stages 41 define deposition positions JA to JD where deposition processes are performed. The two film formation chambers 4 have the same structure. Each film formation chamber 4 is provided with a deposition source 8 and a moving unit 9 that moves the deposition source 8. The structure and operation of the deposition source 8 and the moving unit 9 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2(A) to 2(F).

The vapor deposition source 8 is a film-forming unit that includes a crucible containing the raw material for the vapor deposition material, a heater for heating the crucible, and the like, and heats the raw material and releases the vapor of the vapor deposition material upward from the opening 8a. The movement unit 9 includes an actuator 90, a pair of movable rails 94, and a pair of fixed rails 95. The actuator 90 includes a drive source (not shown), an arm member 91, and an arm member 92. One end of the arm member 91 is connected to a drive source (not shown) and is rotated by the drive source (not shown). The other end of the arm member 91 is rotatably connected to one end of the arm member 92, and the other end of the arm member 92 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the vapor deposition source 8.

A pair of movable rails 94 guides movement of the vapor deposition source 8 in the Y direction. Each movable rail 94 extends in the Y direction, and the pair of movable rails 94 are spaced apart from each other in the X direction. A pair of fixed rails 95 guides movement of the pair of movable rails 94 in the X direction. Each fixed rail 95 is fixed so as not to move, and extends in the Y direction. The pair of fixed rails 95 are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction.

By driving the actuator 90, the deposition source 8 slides in the Y direction below deposition position JA (below the mask table 41), then slides from deposition position JA to deposition position JB, and then slides in the Y direction below deposition position JB (below the mask table 41). Specifically, when the arm members 91 and 92 are rotated by driving the actuator 90 from the position shown in FIG. 2(A), the deposition source 8 passes below deposition position JA in the Y direction, guided by a pair of movable rails 94, as shown in FIG. 2(B). From this state, when the arm members 91 and 92 are rotated in the opposite direction by driving the actuator 90, the deposition source 8 passes below deposition position JA in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 2(C), and returns to the position shown in FIG. 2(A).

When the arm members 91 and 92 are further rotated by driving the actuator 90, the vapor deposition source 8 and the pair of movable rails 94 move in the X direction toward the vapor deposition position JB, guided by the pair of fixed rails 95. When the arm members 91 and 92 are further rotated by driving the actuator 90 from the position shown in Figure 2(D), the vapor deposition source 8 passes below the vapor deposition position JB in the Y direction, guided by the pair of movable rails 94, as shown in Figure 2(E). When the arm members 91 and 92 are rotated in the opposite direction by driving the actuator 90 from this state, the vapor deposition source 8 passes below the vapor deposition position JB in the Y direction, as shown in Figure 2(F), and returns to the position shown in Figure 2(D).

In this way, in this embodiment, by moving one deposition source 8, the deposition source 8 can be shared between two deposition positions, deposition position JA and deposition position JB.

<5. Transport unit>
1 , the film formation apparatus 1 includes two transport units 5A and 5B arranged from the terminal chamber 3 to the two film formation chambers 4. The transport unit 5A includes holding units 6A and 6C and a moving unit 7A that moves the holding units 6A and 6C independently in parallel in a direction along the film formation surface of the substrate W (the Y direction in this embodiment). The transport unit 5B has a similar structure to the transport unit 5A and includes holding units 6B and 6D and a moving unit 7B that moves the holding units 6B and 6D independently in parallel in a direction along the film formation surface of the substrate W (the Y direction in this embodiment). The number and arrangement of the transport units and the holding units and moving units that make up the transport units may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the terminal chamber 3 and the film formation chambers 4.

Figure 3 shows the portions of transport units 5A and 5B that are located in terminal room 3. Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of transport unit 5A (moving unit 7A and holding unit 6A). Transport units 5A and 5B are units that move holding units 6A-6D independently back and forth in the Y direction in a horizontal position at a position higher than transport robot 3a, and are arranged side by side in the X direction. Note that while Figure 4 shows the structure of transport unit 5A (moving unit 7A and holding unit 6A) as a representative example, holding units 6A-6D have the same structure, and moving units 7A and 7B also have the same structure.

In this embodiment, the moving units 7A and 7B are mechanisms that move the holding units 6A-6D using magnetic force, and in particular, are mechanisms that use magnetic levitation for movement. Each of the moving units 7A and 7B is equipped with a pair of guide members 70 that define the movement trajectory of the holding units 6A-6D in the Y direction. Each guide member 70 has a C-shaped cross section and is a rail member that extends in the Y direction. The pair of guide members 70 are spaced apart from each other in the X direction.

Each guide member 70 has a large number of pairs of magnetic elements 71 spaced apart in the Z direction. The large number of pairs of magnetic elements 71 are arranged at equal pitches in the Y direction. At least one of the pair of magnetic elements 71 is an electromagnet, and the other is an electromagnet or a permanent magnet.

The holding units 6A to 6D are carriers for transporting substrates W and masks M. Each of the holding units 6A to 6D has a main body member 65 that is rectangular in plan view. Each X-direction end of the main body member 65 is inserted into a corresponding guide member 70. A permanent magnet 61 with a yoke (not shown) is fixed to the upper and lower surfaces of each X-direction end of the main body member 65. Multiple upper and lower permanent magnets 61 are provided on the main body member 65 in the Y direction. The permanent magnets 61 face magnetic elements 71 on the guide member 70. A levitation force can be generated in the holding units 6A to 6D by the repulsive force between the permanent magnets 61 and the magnetic elements 71. By sequentially switching between the magnetic elements 71 that generate magnetic force among the many magnetic elements (electromagnets) 71 provided in the Y direction, a moving force in the Y direction can be generated in the holding units 6A to 6D by the attractive force between the permanent magnets 61 and the magnetic elements 71.

In this embodiment, the moving units 7A and 7B are magnetic levitation conveying mechanisms, but they may also be other conveying mechanisms capable of moving the holding units 6A to 6D, such as a roller conveying mechanism, a belt conveying mechanism, or a rack-and-pinion mechanism.

A scale 72 extending in the Y direction is disposed on the guide member 70, and a sensor 64 that reads the scale 72 is provided on the main body member 65. The detection results of the sensor 64 can be used to determine the Y-direction position of each holding unit 6A-6D.

Each of the holding units 6A to 6D includes a holding portion 62 that holds the substrate W. In this embodiment, the holding portion 62 is an electrostatic chuck that attracts the substrate W by electrostatic force, and includes multiple electrodes 62a arranged on the underside of the holding units 6A to 6D. The holding portion 62 may also include an adhesive pad that holds the substrate W by adhesive force, a vacuum pad, or the like.

Each of the holding units 6A to 6D also includes a holding portion 63 that holds the mask M. The holding portion 63 is, for example, a magnetic chuck that attracts the mask M using magnetic force, and is located outside the holding portion 62 in the X direction. The holding portion 63 may also be a clamping mechanism that mechanically clamps the mask M.

The holding units 6A-6D receive the substrates W and masks M transferred from the transfer robot 3a at predetermined positions within the terminal chamber 3. Figure 3 shows the holding units 6A-6D positioned at the respective receiving positions PA-PD. The receiving positions PA-PD are arranged in a matrix (2x2) on the X-Y plane and are located inside the terminal chamber 3, outside the film formation chamber 4. The presence of four different receiving positions PA-PD also allows these receiving positions PA-PD to be used as buffers for holding substrates W in the event of a system failure downstream.

<6. Film Thickness Measuring Device>
Next, a description will be given of the film thickness measurement device 120 that measures the film thickness of a substrate on which a film has been formed. In this embodiment, the film thickness measurement device 120 uses an optical sensor to measure the film thickness based on the reflectance of light on the substrate surface.

<6.1. Configuration example of film thickness measurement device>
5 shows a configuration example of the film thickness measurement device 120. The film thickness measurement device 120 according to configuration example 1 includes a light source 2901, a vacuum flange 2902, a light projecting and receiving unit 2903, a spectroscope 2904, a PC 2905, and a moving unit 2906. The light source 2901, the vacuum flange 2902, the light projecting and receiving unit 2903, and the spectroscope 2904 are connected by optical fibers.

Light source 2901 is a light-emitting device that can switch between light output and non-output by operating shutter 29011. In one example, light source 2901 includes a deuterium (D2) halogen light source 29012 that emits continuous halogen and deuterium light from a single emission port. In another example, light source 2901 includes a laser light source.

The vacuum flange 2902 is disposed at the connection between the vacuum environment and the atmospheric environment. For example, the light source 2901, spectrometer 2904, and PC 2905 are disposed in a housing maintained in an atmospheric environment, the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 is disposed in a film formation chamber outside the housing that may be placed in a vacuum state, and optical fibers connecting the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 to the light source 2901 and spectrometer 2904 connect the inside and outside of the housing via the vacuum flange 2902. In another example, the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 may be disposed inside the film formation chamber 4 or terminal chamber 3, and the light source 2901, spectrometer 2904, and PC 2905 may be disposed outside the film formation chamber 4 or terminal chamber 3. In this case, the vacuum flange 2902 may be provided on the wall of the film formation chamber 4 or terminal chamber 3.

The light-emitting/receiving unit 2903 has an emission unit for emitting light from the light source 2901 vertically upward, and a light-receiving unit for receiving reflected light and sending it to the spectroscope 2904. The spectroscope 2904 has a light input port, disperses the input light, and measures the light intensity for each wavelength band. It then transmits information about the measured light intensity to the PC 2905.

The PC 2905 calculates the film thickness measurement value using equations (1) and (2) described below based on the light intensity measured by the spectrometer 2904. In one example, the PC 2905 can use the film thickness measurement value to adjust the time taken for the film formation process in the film formation apparatus 1, adjust the amount of deposition material released from the deposition source 8 in the film formation apparatus 1, or adjust the parameters of subsequent film formation processes.

The moving unit 2906 moves the light projecting and receiving unit 2903. In this embodiment, the moving unit 2906 moves the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 in the X direction (the direction of the short side of the substrate W).

<6.2. Tapered member>
As shown in FIG. 8 (to be described later) and other figures, at the placement positions MAA to MDC where the film thickness measurement device 120 is installed, the measurement light emitted from the film thickness measurement device 120 may be reflected by the ceiling of the terminal chamber 3 or the deposition chamber 4 and input to the light projecting/receiving unit, resulting in a decrease in measurement accuracy. For this reason, a tapered member 3101 is installed in the direction of light irradiation from the film thickness measurement device 120, i.e., the ceiling of the terminal chamber 3 in the example of FIG. 6 . For example, the tapered member 3101 has a triangular prism, pyramid, or cone shape. This allows the measurement light to be reflected in a direction different from that of the film thickness measurement device 120. In one example, the tapered member 3101 is a black member with high light absorption. In another example, the surface onto which the measurement light from the film thickness measurement device 120 is irradiated is subjected to a surface treatment such as sandblasting to promote light diffusion.

By arranging the tapered member 3101 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the measurement light emitted from the film thickness measurement device 120 from being reflected at a location other than the substrate W, thereby preventing a decrease in film thickness measurement accuracy.

<6.3. Placement of Film Thickness Measuring Device>
7 shows measurement positions MAA to MDC where the film thickness measurement device 120 can be disposed in the film formation apparatus. Measurement positions MAA, MBA, MCA, and MDA are located between the receiving positions PA to PD and the deposition positions JA to JD and are positions where the film thickness of the substrate W transported by the transport units 5A and 5B is measured within the terminal chamber 3, i.e., outside the film formation chamber 4. Measurement positions MAB, MBB, MCB, and MDB are located between the receiving positions PA to PD and the deposition positions JA to JD and are positions where the film thickness of the substrate transported by the transport units 5A and 5B is measured within the film formation chamber 4. Measurement positions MAC, MBC, MCC, and MDC are positions where the film thickness of the substrate located at the deposition positions JA to JD within the film formation chamber 4 is measured. Note that it is sufficient to dispose the film thickness measurement device 120 at at least one of the measurement positions MAA to MDC between the receiving positions PA to PD and the deposition positions JA to JD; it is not necessary to dispose the film thickness measurement device 120 at all measurement positions.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the film formation apparatus in the YZ plane. As shown in Figure 8, measurement positions MAA to MDC where the film thickness measurement device 120 can be located are all located below the substrate W in the vertical direction (Z direction). This allows the film thickness of the substrate W to be measured by the film thickness measurement device 120 while it is being transported by the transport units 5A and 5B.

In this way, the film thickness of the substrate W is measured while the substrate W is held by the holding unit 6, so film thickness measurement can be performed without the need for additional large equipment such as a film thickness measurement chamber. Furthermore, because film thickness measurement is performed while the substrate W is being transported, film thickness measurement can be performed promptly after film formation.

<6.4. Measurement principle>
The following describes the principle of film thickness measurement by the film thickness measurement apparatus 120. The film thickness measurement apparatus 120 of this embodiment performs background measurement, reference measurement, and sample measurement, and identifies the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W based on these measurement results.

<6.4.1. Background Measurement>
The film thickness measurement device 120 emits laser light, for example, before the substrate W is carried into the measurement position, and measures the intensity of the reflected light. The received light intensity of the laser light here is designated as P _BG . By measuring the received light intensity P _BG , it is possible to identify the magnitude of noise (background noise) caused by the temperature characteristics of the light receiving sensor, and light leakage from fibers within the measurement device.

<6.4.2. Reference Measurement>
The film thickness measuring device 120 emits laser light toward a reference region (described below) on the substrate W and measures the intensity of the reflected light as a reference. Here, the laser light is emitted toward a region with a known reflectance _Rref , such as a region on the substrate W where no film has been formed (e.g., plain glass). Here, if the irradiation intensity of the transmitted laser light is P _Tref and the received intensity of the received laser light is P _Rref , then the following equation (1) holds:
R _ref = (P _Rref - _{P BG} )/(P _Tref - _{P BG} ) (1)
As described above, the reflectance R _ref (known), the received light intensity P _BG in the background measurement, and the received light intensity P _Rref in the reference measurement can be obtained. Therefore, the irradiation intensity P _Tref of the laser light can be determined based on the above formula. This allows the correspondence relationship between the reflectance and the received light intensity to be determined.

6.4.3. Sample Measurement
The film thickness measuring device 120 emits laser light onto a film formation region (sample region) of the substrate W and measures the intensity of the reflected light from the film formation region (sample region). Here, by referring to the irradiation intensity P _Tref of the laser light determined in the reference measurement, the reflectance R of the substrate W on which a film has been formed can be determined based on the received light intensity P _R of the received laser light using the following equation (2).
R=(P _R - P _BG )/(P _Tref - _{P BG} ) (2)

Figure 9 shows an example of the reflectance measurement results for each film thickness. As shown in Figure 9, compared to the reflectance of the substrate when the film thickness is 40 angstroms (Å), when the film thickness is 1600 Å, the reflectance is higher at wavelengths around 280 and 330-420 nm. Therefore, by measuring the reflectance in this wavelength band, the film thickness can be estimated. Known techniques can be used to estimate film thickness based on reflectance. For example, reflectance can be measured in advance for multiple film thicknesses, and the measured reflectance can be used to estimate which measurement result is closest. Note that information indicating the relationship between film thickness and reflectance may be stored in the PC 2905 or the host device 300, etc.

Furthermore, when estimating film thickness based on reflectance measurement results, the film thickness may be estimated based on reflectance measured in multiple frequency bands. For example, if the estimated film thickness based on reflectance measurement results at wavelengths of 280 nm and 330 nm are 1000 Å and 1200 Å, respectively, the estimated film thickness results may be averaged to determine the film thickness as 1100 Å.

6.5. Improving the accuracy of reference measurements
One example of a specific method for reference measurement is to flow a reference substrate separately from the substrate W on which a film is to be formed. This method involves flowing substrates on which no film is to be formed through the film formation apparatus 1, which may result in reduced production efficiency. Furthermore, this method may involve a risk of the measurement results being affected by differences in the posture (deflection) of the substrate W on which a film is to be formed and the reference substrate while held in the holding unit 6. Another possible method is to use a predetermined un-filmed region of the substrate W on which a film has been formed as the reference region. However, even in this case, differences in posture (deflection) between the film formation region where sample measurement is performed and the reference region may affect the measurement results. The impact of these postures (deflection) on the measurement results may be greater for larger substrates. For example, with a sixth-generation (G6) full-size (approximately 1500 mm x approximately 1850 mm) or half-cut size (approximately 1500 mm x approximately 925 mm) rectangular substrate, the impact of the substrate posture (deflection) on the measurement results may be a concern. Therefore, in this embodiment, the accuracy of the reference measurement is improved by the following method.

<6.5.1. Examples of reference area placement>
Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of film formation regions (sample regions) and reference regions for film thickness measurement provided on a substrate W. Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the film formation regions (sample regions) and reference regions for film thickness measurement.

In this embodiment, a region R1 for film thickness measurement is provided on the substrate W, separate from the region R2 where a film is deposited to form a display element of an electronic device.

The film thickness measurement region R1 includes a film formation region R11 for film thickness measurement and reference regions R12a-R12d. The film formation region R11 is the region that is irradiated with laser light when the sample measurement described above is performed. The reference regions R12a-R12d are the regions that are irradiated with laser light when the reference measurement described above is performed.

A thin film (sometimes called a measurement patch) for film thickness measurement is formed in the film formation region R11. The measurement patch can be formed by forming an opening for the measurement patch in the mask M in advance.

In addition, in this embodiment, the reference regions R12a to R12d are regions where no thin film is formed. In other words, the reference regions R12a to R12d are regions where the substrate W itself is exposed even after film formation in the film formation chamber 4.

In addition, in this embodiment, the two reference regions R12a and R12b are arranged side by side with the film formation region R11 in the short-side direction of the substrate W. More specifically, the two reference regions R12a and R12b are arranged so that the film formation region R11 is located between the reference regions R12a and R12b in the short-side direction of the substrate W. In addition, the two reference regions R12c and R12d are arranged side by side with the film formation region R11 in the long-side direction of the substrate W. More specifically, the two reference regions R12c and R12d are arranged so that the film formation region R11 is located between the reference regions R12c and R12d in the short-side direction of the substrate W. In other words, in this embodiment, the four reference regions R12a to R12d are arranged to surround the film formation region R11 on all four sides.

The four reference regions R12a-R12d may be positioned so that they are equally distant from the film formation region R11. Furthermore, the four reference regions R12a-R12d may be positioned so that the distance between their centers of gravity and the center of gravity of the film formation region R11 is equally distant.

In region R2, film deposition is performed through mask M to form display elements for multiple electronic devices.

<6.5.2. Film Thickness Measurement Method>
Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a film thickness measurement method. Here, as an example, a case will be described in which the film thickness measurement device 120 measures the film thickness of a film formed on the substrate W at the measurement position MAA. Figs. 13A to 13C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the film thickness measurement device 120. For example, this measurement is performed when the substrate W returns from the film formation chamber 4 to the terminal chamber 3 after a film has been formed on the substrate W at the deposition position JA.

In S1, background measurement is performed (FIG. 13A). The background measurement is performed before the substrate W after film formation reaches the measurement position MAA. For example, under the control of the PC 2905, the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 emits laser light from the emission unit and receives the light from the light receiving unit. The PC 2905 then measures the received light intensity P _BG for each wavelength band of light emitted from the light receiving unit of the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 and dispersed by the spectroscope 2904. Note that background measurement does not have to be performed for each substrate W. Background measurement may be performed every time film formation is performed on a predetermined number of substrates W. Furthermore, background measurement may be performed at predetermined intervals.

In S2, reference measurement is performed ( FIG. 13B ). The reference measurement is performed after the film formation region R11 of the substrate W after film formation reaches the measurement position MAA. Under the control of the PC 2905, the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 emits laser light to the reference regions R12a to R12d using the emission unit, and receives the reflected light using the emission unit. In this embodiment, the positional adjustment between the laser light emission position of the emission unit and each of the reference regions R12a to R12d is performed by the moving unit 2906. However, part of the position adjustment process may be performed by the transport unit 5A. For example, if the moving unit 2906 is capable of moving the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 only in the X direction, the positional adjustment in the X direction may be performed by the moving unit 2906, and the positional adjustment in the Y direction may be performed by the transport unit 5A. The PC 2905 measures the received light intensities P _Rrefa to P _Rrefd for each of the reference regions R12a to R12d.

In S3, sample measurement is performed (FIG. 13C). Under the control of the PC 2905, the light projecting/receiving unit 2903 emits laser light to the film formation region R11 (sample region) using the emission unit, and receives the reflected light using the light receiving unit. The PC 2905 acquires the received light intensity P _R of the reflected light by the light receiving unit.

In S4, the film thickness is determined. PC2905 determines the thickness of the film formed in film formation region R11 based on the light reception results of the light receiving section of light projecting and receiving unit 2903 for the light reflected from film formation region R11 and the light reflected from reference regions R12a to R12d. As described above, PC2905 can calculate the reflectance R of film formation region R11 using the measurement results of the background measurement, reference measurement, and background measurement. PC2905 can then determine the film thickness of the film formed in film formation region R11 based on the reflectance R calculated from the current measurement and stored information indicating the relationship between film thickness and reflectance.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the PC 2905 determines the film thickness using the received light intensity P _Rrefave , which is the average value of the received light intensities P _Rrefa to P _Rrefd . As described above, considering the influence of the attitude (deflection) of the substrate W, the received light intensity at the light receiving unit may differ between the film formation region R11 and the reference regions R12a to R12d, which are located a predetermined distance away from the film formation region R11, due to differences in attitude (deflection). In this embodiment, using the averaging function reduces the influence of differences in the attitude of the substrate W and improves the accuracy of the reference measurement. Furthermore, by averaging the received light intensities P _Rrefa to P _Rrefd of the multiple reference regions R12a to R12d surrounding the film formation region R11, the measurement results can be closer to those obtained when a reference measurement is performed on a region with the same attitude (deflection) as the film formation region R11. In other words, the average received light intensity P _Rrefave can be considered an estimate of the received light intensity when a reference measurement is performed by irradiating the film formation region R11 with laser light before film formation.

Here, an example has been described in which a reference measurement is performed in S2 and then a sample measurement is performed in S3. However, the reference measurement and sample measurement may be performed in parallel. For example, the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 may emit laser light and receive reflected light in the order of reference region R12a, film formation region R11, and reference region R12b. This reduces the amount of movement of the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 by the moving unit 2906 throughout the entire measurement, thereby improving the efficiency of film thickness measurement.

<6.5.3. Other examples of reference area placement>
14A and 14B are diagrams showing other examples of the arrangement of the film formation region (sample region) and the periphery of the reference region for film thickness measurement.

In this example, the two reference regions R12Ba and R12Bb are provided so that the film formation region R11B is located between the reference regions R12Ba and R12Bb in the short side direction of the substrate W. For example, PC2905 determines the film thickness using the average value of the received light intensity in the reference regions R12Ba and R12Bb. Even with this arrangement, the accuracy of the reference measurement can be improved compared to, for example, when only one reference region is provided.

14(B), the film formation region R11C and two reference regions R12Ca and R12Cb are arranged so that they are aligned in the order of film formation region R11C, reference region R12Ca, and reference region R12Cb in the short-side direction of the substrate W. For example, the PC 2905 determines the film thickness based on the received light intensities P _RrefCa and P _RrefCd of the reference regions R12Ca and R12Cb and the positions X _R12Ca and X _R12Cb in the short-side direction (X direction) of the substrate W. In detail, as shown in FIG. 15, a relational expression 1501 of the received light intensity Rref relative to the position X at the position Y= _YC in the Y direction is calculated from the received light intensities P _RrefCa and P _RrefCd and the positions X _R12Ca and X _R12Cb . Then, _{the received light intensity Rref as} a result of the reference measurement is calculated from this relational expression 1501 and the position X _R11C in the X direction of the film formation region R11C. Here, if the substrate W is warped, the distance between the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 and the substrate W changes depending on the position in the X direction. Therefore, the intensity of received light may change depending on the position in the X direction, as shown in FIG.

When the film formation region and multiple reference regions are arranged in a single direction, as shown in Figures 14(A) and 14(B), the moving unit 2906 can move in only one direction to perform reference and sample measurements. This allows for efficient film thickness measurements.

Here, relational expression 1501 was calculated based on the measurement results from two reference regions R12Ca and R12Cb. However, three or more reference regions may be arranged side by side with the film formation region R11 in a predetermined direction. An approximate straight line or approximate curve may then be calculated from these measurement results. Any known method, such as a method using the least squares method, may be used as the calculation method.

Furthermore, an example has been shown here in which the film formation region R11C and the two reference regions R12Ca and R12Cb are aligned in the short side direction of the substrate W. However, the film formation region R11C and the two reference regions R12Ca and R12Cb may also be aligned in the long side direction of the substrate W. Alternatively, they may be aligned diagonally with respect to the short side and long side directions of the substrate W.

As described above, in this embodiment, reference measurement is performed by emitting light to at least two reference areas aligned in a predetermined direction with the film formation area. This reduces the effect of the substrate W's attitude on measurement accuracy. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the reference measurement.

In addition, in this embodiment, the film thickness is measured based on the results of reference measurements in reference regions R12a and R12b that are aligned with the film formation region R11 in the X direction, and in reference regions R12c and R12d that are aligned with the film formation region R11 in the Y direction that intersects the X direction. Therefore, the accuracy of the reference measurements can be further improved.

In addition, in this embodiment, measurements are performed in the film formation region R11 and reference region R12 while the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 is moved by the moving unit 2906. When the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 moves, the posture of the optical fiber connected to the light projecting and receiving unit 2903 changes, which may affect the amount of emitted light. However, by performing reference measurements in reference regions R12a to R12d, the impact of changes in light quantity due to changes in the posture of the optical fiber can be reduced.

8. Other Embodiments
<8.1. Film forming equipment>
FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a film forming apparatus 901 according to one embodiment.

In the film formation block 9301, multiple film formation chambers 9303a to 9303d in which film formation processing is performed on substrates W, and a mask storage chamber 9305 in which masks are stored before and after use, are arranged around a transfer chamber 9302 that has an octagonal shape in a plan view. A transfer robot 9302a that transfers substrates W is arranged in the transfer chamber 9302. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the film formation chambers 9303a to 9303d, they may be referred to as film formation chambers 9303.

A buffer chamber 9306, a swirl chamber 9307, and a delivery chamber 9308 are located upstream and downstream of the film formation block 9301 in the transport direction (arrow direction) of the substrate W, respectively. During the manufacturing process, each chamber is maintained in a vacuum. Note that although only one film formation block 9301 is shown in Figure 16, the film formation apparatus 901 according to this embodiment has multiple film formation blocks 9301, which are connected by a connecting device consisting of the buffer chamber 9306, the swirl chamber 9307, and the delivery chamber 9308.

The transfer robot 9302a transfers substrates W from the upstream delivery chamber 9308 to the transfer chamber 9302, transfers substrates W between the film formation chambers 9303, transfers masks between the mask storage chamber 9305 and the film formation chamber 9303, and transfers substrates W from the transfer chamber 9302 to the downstream buffer chamber 9306.

The buffer chamber 9306 is a chamber for temporarily storing substrates W depending on the operating status of the film formation apparatus 901. The buffer chamber 9306 is equipped with a multi-tiered substrate storage shelf (also called a cassette) that can store multiple substrates W while maintaining the substrates W in a horizontal position with their surfaces to be processed (film-formed surfaces) facing downward in the direction of gravity, and an elevator mechanism that raises and lowers the substrate storage shelf to align the tier for loading or unloading the substrates W with the transport position. This allows multiple substrates W to be temporarily stored and retained in the buffer chamber 9306.

The swirl chamber 9307 is equipped with a device for changing the orientation of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the swirl chamber 9307 rotates the orientation of the substrate W 180 degrees using a transfer robot 9307a provided in the swirl chamber 9307. The transfer robot 9307a provided in the swirl chamber 9307 rotates 180 degrees while supporting the substrate W received in the buffer chamber 9306 and delivers it to the delivery chamber 9308, thereby swapping the front and rear ends of the substrate W in the transport direction (arrow direction) between the buffer chamber 9306 and the delivery chamber 9308. This ensures that the orientation of the substrate W when loaded into the film formation chamber 9303 is the same in each film formation block 9301, thereby allowing the film formation scan direction and mask orientation for the substrate W to be consistent in each film formation block 9301. With this configuration, the orientation of the masks placed in the mask storage chambers 9305 in each deposition block 9301 can be aligned, simplifying mask management and improving usability.

The delivery chamber 9308 is a chamber for delivering the substrate W, which has been carried in by the transport robot 9307a in the swirl chamber 9307, to the transport robot 9302a in the downstream film formation block 9301. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W is measured in the delivery chamber 9308. In other words, the delivery chamber 9308 can be considered an inspection chamber for inspecting the film formed on the substrate W.

The control system of the film formation apparatus 901 includes a host computer, a host device 9300, which controls the entire line, and control devices 9309, 9310, 9311, 9313a-9313d, which control each component, and these devices can communicate via a wired or wireless communication line 9300a. The control devices 9313a-9313d are provided corresponding to the film formation chambers 9303a-9303d and control the film formation process in the film formation chambers. The control device 9309 controls the transfer robot 9302a. The control device 9310 controls the transfer robot provided in the swirl chamber 9307. The control device 9311 controls the equipment in the delivery chamber 9308 that performs alignment and film thickness measurement. The host device 9300 transmits information about the substrate W and instructions such as transport timing to each of the control devices 9309, 9310, 9311, 9313a to 9313d, and each of the control devices 9309, 9310, 9311, 9313a to 9313d controls each component based on the received instructions.

<8.2. Delivery Room>
17 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the delivery chamber 9308. The delivery chamber 9308 is provided with a substrate support part 950 that supports a substrate W, and a film thickness measurement device 9120 that measures the film thickness of the substrate W supported by the substrate support part 950. Note that the elements that make up the film thickness measurement device 9120 may have the same configuration as the elements of the film thickness measurement device 120 of the above embodiment, and therefore the same reference numerals are used and description thereof will be omitted.

<8.3. Substrate Support>
18 is a plan view illustrating the substrate support part 950. The substrate support part 950 supports a substrate W. The substrate W supported by the substrate support part 950 has a rectangular shape including a side Wa, a side Wb opposite to the side Wa, and a side Wc connecting the sides Wa and Wb. In this embodiment, the sides Wa and Wb are long sides, and the side Wc and the side Wd opposite to the side Wc are short sides. The substrate support part 950 includes a frame member 951 and a plurality of support members 952 (952a to 952d).

The frame member 951 is a member that supports a plurality of support members 952. The frame member 951 is supported, for example, on the wall of the delivery chamber 9308. The frame member 951 may be provided so as to be movable in a predetermined direction so that alignment of the substrate W supported by the plurality of support members 952 can be performed. The frame member 951 is also provided so as to cover the entire periphery of the substrate W while it is supported by the support members 952. However, a notch or the like may be provided in part of the frame member 951 to avoid interference with the hand of the transport robot 9307a.

The multiple support members 952 are members that support the substrate W. The multiple support members 952 include a support member group 952A that is spaced apart from one another to support the portion of the peripheral edge of the substrate W that extends along side Wa. The support member group 952A is made up of a plurality of support members 952a. The multiple support members 952 also include a support member group 952B that is spaced apart from one another to support the portion of the peripheral edge of the substrate W that extends along side Wb. The support member group 952B is made up of a plurality of support members 952b. The multiple support members 952 also include a support member group 952C that is spaced apart from one another to support the portion of the peripheral edge of the substrate W that extends along side Wc. The support member group 952C is made up of a plurality of support members 952c. The multiple support members 952 also include a support member group 952D that is spaced apart from one another to support the portion of the peripheral edge of the substrate W that extends along side Wd. The support member group 952D is made up of multiple support members 952d. In this embodiment, the support members 952 are leaf springs. However, the support members 952 may have other structures, such as pins or protrusions.

In this embodiment, the substrate W is supported by multiple support members 952 of the substrate support section 950, which means that the substrate W is more likely to bend than when the substrate W is supported by an electrostatic chuck or the like, as described above. However, in this embodiment, as described above, the received light intensity is measured in multiple reference regions aligned with the film formation region. This makes it possible to suppress the impact of changes in the posture (deflection) of the substrate W on the accuracy of the reference measurement.

In this embodiment, the film thickness measurement device 9120 performs measurements in a film thickness measurement region R1 near the portion of the substrate W supported by the support member group 952C. Therefore, if the spacing between the multiple support members 952c becomes relatively large, there is a risk that the substrate W will bend significantly near the film thickness measurement region R1. This could affect the thickness of the film deposited in the film thickness measurement region R1. Therefore, in this embodiment, the support members 952c that make up the support member group 952C are spaced apart so that the film thickness fluctuation value caused by the bending of the portion of the substrate W supported by the support member group 952C is below a threshold. This is explained in detail below.

Figures 19(A) and 19(B) are diagrams illustrating the effect of the substrate W's posture on the film thickness value.

19A shows the variation in film thickness value with respect to deviation in the actual height of the substrate W when the reference height of the substrate W is set to Z = 0. The reference height of the substrate W can be the height of the substrate W when it is assumed that the substrate W is not warped while supported by the support member 952, for example. In other words, the reference height of the substrate W can be the height of the support surface of the substrate W by the support member 952. The reference film thickness value d _r is the film thickness of a film formed on the substrate W when the deposition source 8 performs a deposition process under predetermined conditions on the substrate W at the reference height. In other words, FIG. 19A shows that when the height of the substrate W is different, the film thickness of a film actually formed on the substrate W varies even when the deposition source 8 performs a deposition process under the same conditions.

For example, when the height of the film formation position on the substrate W becomes higher than the reference height (Z>0) due to bending of the substrate W, the thickness of the film formed at the film formation position on the substrate W becomes smaller than the reference value _dr . On the other hand, when the height of the film formation position on the substrate W becomes lower than the reference height (Z<0) due to bending of the substrate W, the thickness of the film formed at the film formation position on the substrate W becomes larger than the reference value _dr .

19(B) shows the variation in film thickness value with respect to the angle of the substrate W. Here, it is shown that the film thickness of the film formed at the film formation position on the substrate W becomes smaller than the reference value d _r as the film formation position on the substrate W is tilted more with respect to the horizontal state (θ=0).

19A and 19B, the amount of variation Δd of the film thickness relative to the reference value d _r can be estimated by the following equation (3), where the slope of the approximation curve 1901 is a and the slope of the approximation curve 1902 is b.
Δd=aZ+bθ (3)

As such, in order to suppress fluctuations in the film thickness value of the film formed on the substrate W, it is necessary to reduce deviations in height and angle of the substrate W. When the vicinity of the film thickness measurement region R1 is supported by the support member group 952C as in this embodiment, the spacing between each support member 952c that makes up the support member group 952C can be set according to the tolerance for deviations in height and angle of the substrate W.

In detail, the greater the distance between the support members 952c, the greater the influence of deviations in height and angle due to bending of the substrate W. That is, the maximum value Z _max of the height deviation of the film formation position from the reference and the maximum value θ _max of the angle of the film formation position from the horizontal plane depend on the distance L between the support members 952c. Therefore, for example, when the threshold value of the allowable variation Δd is Δd _th , the variation in film thickness can be kept within a desired range by setting the distance L so as to satisfy the following formula (4):
Δd _th ≧aZ _max +b _θmax (4)

The maximum values Z _max and θ _max depend on the size and rigidity of the substrate W as well as the distance L. Therefore, the distance L may be set so that the above formula (4) is satisfied, taking these conditions into consideration.

9. Manufacturing method of electronic device
Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described. Hereinafter, as an example of an electronic device, the configuration of an organic EL display device and a manufacturing method thereof will be illustrated. For example, one transfer chamber 2, one terminal chamber 3, and two film formation chambers 4 shown in FIG. 1 may be treated as one cluster, and three clusters may be connected to provide first to sixth film formation chambers, which will be described later.

First, we will explain the organic EL display device to be manufactured. Figure 20(A) is an overall view of the organic EL display device 50, and Figure 20(B) is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

As shown in Figure 20 (A), a plurality of pixels 52, each of which includes a plurality of light-emitting elements, are arranged in a matrix in the display area 51 of the organic EL display device 50. As will be explained in detail later, each light-emitting element has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes.

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

Figure 20(B) is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram taken along line A-B in Figure 20(A). Pixel 52 has, on substrate 53, multiple subpixels composed of organic EL elements each including a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, one of red layer 56R, green layer 56G, or blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58. Of these, hole transport layer 55, red layer 56R, green layer 56G, blue layer 56B, and electron transport layer 57 are organic layers. Red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, and blue light, respectively.

Furthermore, the first electrode 54 is formed separately for each light-emitting element. The hole transport layer 55, electron transport layer 57, and second electrode 58 may be formed in common across multiple light-emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or may be formed for each light-emitting element. That is, as shown in FIG. 20(B), the hole transport layer 55 may be formed as a common layer across multiple sub-pixel regions, on which the red layer 56R, green layer 56G, and blue layer 56B may be formed separately for each sub-pixel region, and on top of that the electron transport layer 57 and second electrode 58 may be formed as a common layer across multiple sub-pixel regions.

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

In Figure 20 (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. Furthermore, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure that allows smooth injection of holes from the first electrode 54 to the hole transport layer 55 may be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer may be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

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

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

Next, we will specifically explain an example of a manufacturing method for an organic EL display device. Here, we will assume that the red layer 56R consists of two layers, a lower layer 56R1 and an upper layer 56R2, and the green layer 56G and blue layer 56B consist of a single light-emitting layer.

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

A resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is coated by bar coating or spin coating on the substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed, and the resin layer is patterned using lithography to form an opening in the area where the first electrode 54 is formed, forming an insulating layer 59. This opening corresponds to the light-emitting area where the light-emitting element actually emits light.

The substrate 53 with the patterned insulating layer 59 is carried into the first film-forming chamber, and a hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on top of the first electrode 54 in the display area. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask with openings for each display area 51, which will ultimately become the panel portion of each individual organic EL display device.

Next, the substrate 53, on which the hole transport layer 55 has been formed, is loaded into a second deposition chamber. The substrate 53 and a mask are aligned, and the substrate is placed on the mask. A red layer 56R is then deposited on the hole transport layer 55 in the area of the substrate 53 where the red-emitting elements will be located (the area where the red subpixels will be formed). The mask used in the second deposition chamber is a high-definition mask with openings formed only in the areas that will become the red subpixels of the organic EL display device, among the areas on the substrate 53 that will become the subpixels of the organic EL display device. As a result, the red layer 56R, including the red light-emitting layer, is deposited only in the areas that will become the red subpixels of the areas on the substrate 53 that will become the red subpixels. In other words, the red layer 56R is selectively deposited in the areas that will become the red subpixels, but not in the areas that will become the blue or green subpixels of the areas on the substrate 53 that will become the subpixels.

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

The substrate, on which the electron transport layer 57 has been formed, is moved to the sixth deposition chamber, where the second electrode 58 is deposited. In this embodiment, each layer is deposited by vacuum deposition in the first to sixth deposition chambers. However, the present invention is not limited to this; for example, the second electrode 58 in the sixth deposition chamber may be deposited by sputtering. The substrate, on which the second electrode 58 has been formed, is then moved to a sealing device, where the protective layer 60 is deposited by plasma CVD (sealing process), completing the organic EL display device 50. Note that while the protective layer 60 is formed by CVD here, this is not limiting and it may also be formed by ALD or inkjet deposition.

Here, films are formed in the first to sixth film formation chambers using masks with openings corresponding to the patterns of the layers to be formed. During film formation, the relative positions of the substrate 53 and the mask are adjusted (aligned), and then the substrate 53 is placed on the mask and film formation begins.

<10. Other>
The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more of the functions.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

1: Film deposition device, 5A-5B: Transfer unit, 6A-6D: Carrier, 7A-7B: Moving unit, 63: Mask holder

Claims (14)

provided in a film formation chamber where a film is formed on a substrate or in a delivery chamber for delivering the substrate to the film formation chamber,
a light receiving section that receives light that is emitted by an emitting section that emits light to the substrate and is reflected by the substrate;
and a determination unit that determines a thickness of a film formed on the film formation region of the substrate based on a light receiving result of the light receiving unit,
the specifying means specifies a thickness of the film formed in the film formation region based on the light reception results of the reflected light reflected in the film formation region where the film is formed, and the reflected light reflected in a first reference region and a second reference region aligned in a first direction with the film formation region of the substrate;
A film thickness measuring device characterized by: 2. The film thickness measurement device according to claim 1,
The determination means determines the thickness of the film formed in the film formation area based on the light reception results for the reflected light reflected in the film formation area located between the first reference area and the second reference area in the first direction of the substrate, the reflected light reflected in the first reference area, and the reflected light reflected in the second reference area. 3. The film thickness measurement device according to claim 2,
the specifying means specifies the film thickness based on the light receiving results for the reflected light reflected at the film formation region provided between the first reference region and the second reference region in the first direction of the substrate, and between a third reference region of the substrate and a fourth reference region of the substrate in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the reflected light reflected at the first reference region, the reflected light reflected at the second reference region, the reflected light reflected at the third reference region, and the reflected light reflected at the fourth reference region;
A film thickness measuring device characterized by: 2. The film thickness measurement device according to claim 1,
A light source and
an optical fiber connecting the light source and the emission unit;
a moving unit that moves the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit in the first direction,
A film thickness measuring device characterized by: 5. The film thickness measurement device according to claim 1,
the specifying means specifies a thickness of the film formed in the film formation region based on the light reception result of the reflected light reflected in the film formation region, which is a region for measuring film thickness provided separately from a region where a film is formed to form a display element of an electronic device.
A film thickness measuring device characterized by: A film forming apparatus equipped with the film thickness measurement device according to claim 5,
a substrate support unit that supports the substrate with a plurality of support members;
the light receiving unit receives reflected light of emitted light reflected by the substrate in a state supported by the substrate support unit;
A film forming apparatus characterized by: 7. The film forming apparatus according to claim 6,
the substrate has a rectangular shape including a first side and a second side opposite to the first side,
The plurality of support members include:
a first support member group in which each support member is spaced apart from one another so as to support a portion of the peripheral edge of the substrate along the first side;
a second support member group in which each support member is provided spaced apart from one another so as to support a portion of the peripheral edge portion along the second side,
a region where a film is to be deposited to form a display element of the electronic device is located between the first support member group and the second support member group while the substrate is supported by the substrate support section;
A film forming apparatus characterized by: The film forming apparatus according to claim 7,
the substrate includes a third side connecting the first side and the second side,
the deposition region is provided between an area where a film is deposited to form a display element of the electronic device and the third side;
A film forming apparatus characterized by: 9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 8,
the third side is a short side of the substrate;
A film forming apparatus characterized by: 10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 9,
the plurality of support members include a third support member group in which each support member is spaced apart from one another so as to support a portion of the peripheral edge portion along the third side;
A film forming apparatus characterized by: The film forming apparatus according to claim 10,
the support members constituting the third support member group are provided at intervals such that a variation in film thickness caused by deflection of the portion of the substrate supported by the third support member group is equal to or less than a threshold value;
A film forming apparatus characterized by: A film forming apparatus equipped with the film thickness measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
a substrate support unit that adsorbs and supports the substrate by electrostatic force;
the light receiving unit receives reflected light of emitted light reflected by the substrate in a state supported by the substrate support unit;
A film forming apparatus characterized by: a light receiving step of receiving light that is emitted to the substrate and reflected by the substrate in a film formation chamber where a film is formed on the substrate or in a delivery chamber for delivering the substrate to the film formation chamber;
a determination step of determining a film thickness of the film formed on the film formation region of the substrate based on a result of light reception in the light reception step,
In the identifying step, a thickness of the film formed in the film formation region is identified based on the light receiving results of the reflected light reflected in the film formation region where the film is formed and the reflected light reflected in a first reference region and a second reference region aligned in a first direction with the film formation region of the substrate.
A film thickness measurement method characterized by: a film forming step of forming a film on a substrate;
a measuring step of measuring the thickness of the film formed on the substrate in the film forming step by the film thickness measuring method according to claim 13,
1. A method for manufacturing an electronic device comprising the steps of: