CN113851407B

CN113851407B - Alignment apparatus, film forming apparatus, alignment method, manufacturing method of electronic device and storage medium

Info

Publication number: CN113851407B
Application number: CN202110669672.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 小林康信; 谷和宪
Original assignee: Canon Tokki Corp
Current assignee: Canon Tokki Corp
Priority date: 2020-06-26
Filing date: 2021-06-17
Publication date: 2026-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2041-06-17
Also published as: CN113851407A; JP2022007538A; JP7440356B2; KR102625048B1; KR20220000821A

Abstract

This invention provides an alignment apparatus, a film-forming apparatus, an alignment method, a method for manufacturing an electronic device, and a storage medium, relating to the alignment of a substrate cut from a large substrate, capable of suppressing the influence on measurement accuracy caused by differences in the cut portion. The alignment apparatus includes: a substrate support member that supports a substrate obtained by cutting a large substrate; a distance adjustment member that adjusts the distance in the direction of gravity between the substrate support member and a mask support member that supports a mask; a measuring member that measures the positional offset between the substrate and the mask; and a position adjustment member that adjusts the relative position of the substrate and the mask, ensuring that the substrate and the mask coincide when the positional offset is within an acceptable range. The measurement operation is performed after adjusting the distance between the substrate and the measuring member based on substrate information related to a portion of the substrate in the large substrate before cutting.

Description

Alignment device, film forming device, alignment method, method for manufacturing electronic device, and storage medium

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an alignment apparatus, a film forming apparatus, an alignment method, a method for manufacturing an electronic device, and a storage medium, and more particularly to an alignment technique of a substrate and a mask.

Background

In the manufacture of an organic EL display or the like, a deposition material is formed on a substrate using a mask. As a pretreatment for film formation, alignment of the mask and the substrate is performed so that both are overlapped. In the alignment, measurement of positional displacement of the substrate and the mask and adjustment of the relative position of the substrate and the mask based on the measurement result are performed. Patent document 1 discloses that alignment is performed so as to eliminate errors caused by the types of substrates such as production substrates and non-production substrates.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1 Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2019-83311

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The organic EL display is manufactured by forming a plurality of layers on a substrate by various film forming processes. In this case, depending on the production line, a large substrate (also referred to as a mother glass) may be processed before a certain step, and then the large substrate may be cut into a plurality of smaller substrates, and in the subsequent step, a film formation or other process may be performed on the separated substrates. For example, in the production of an organic EL display for a smart phone, a film formation process or the like is performed on a sixth-generation large substrate (about 1500mm×about 1850 mm) in a back plate process (TFT formation process, anode formation process or the like). Thereafter, the large substrate is cut into half, and a sixth generation half-cut substrate (about 1500mm×about 925 mm) is used, and in the subsequent steps, a film formation or other process is performed on the sixth generation half-cut substrate.

In this case, substrates having different cut-out portions are sequentially carried into an alignment device provided in a film forming apparatus used in a film forming process subsequent to the dicing process, and aligned. However, the characteristics of a substrate cut out from a large substrate may be different depending on the portion from which the large substrate is cut out (for example, depending on whether the portion is the left half or the right half of the mother glass), such as the size and the rigidity distribution. The substrates having different characteristics may have different positions and deflection modes when the positions of the substrates and the mask are shifted, and may affect the measurement accuracy. As a result, alignment accuracy and time variation may occur between substrates.

The present invention relates to alignment of substrates cut out from a large substrate, and provides a technique capable of suppressing influence on measurement accuracy due to difference in cut-out portions.

Means for solving the problems

According to the present invention, there is provided an alignment device including:

A substrate supporting member that supports any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate;

A mask support member that supports a mask;

A distance adjustment member that adjusts a distance in a gravitational direction between the substrate support member and the mask support member;

a measuring unit that performs a measuring operation of measuring a positional deviation amount between the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit and the mask supported by the mask supporting unit;

A position adjusting member for performing a position adjusting operation for adjusting a relative position between the substrate and the mask, and

A control unit that controls the position adjustment unit and the distance adjustment unit,

When the positional deviation is within an allowable range, the substrate and the mask are overlapped with each other,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The alignment device includes an acquisition unit that acquires substrate information on a portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support unit, the portion being in the large substrate before division,

The measuring means performs the measuring operation after causing the distance adjusting means to adjust the distance between the substrate and the measuring means based on the substrate information.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an alignment device including:

A mask support member that supports a mask;

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The measuring means makes a distance between the substrate and the measuring means different from each other based on the substrate information acquired by the acquiring means, and performs the measuring operation.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a film forming apparatus comprising,

The film forming apparatus includes:

The alignment device and

And a film forming member that forms a film on the substrate via the mask.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an alignment method including:

A substrate supporting step of supporting any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate;

A measurement step of measuring a positional displacement amount between the substrate and the mask by a measurement means;

A position adjustment step of adjusting a relative position between the substrate and the mask in the position adjustment step after the measurement step, and

A superimposing step of superimposing the substrate and the mask on each other when the positional deviation is within an allowable range,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The alignment method further comprises the steps of:

An acquisition step of acquiring substrate information on a portion of the large substrate before division of the substrate on which the measurement of the positional displacement is performed, and

A distance adjustment step of adjusting a distance between the substrate and the measuring member based on the substrate information acquired in the acquisition step,

After the distance adjustment step, the measurement step is performed.

Further, according to the present invention, an alignment method includes:

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The alignment method further includes an acquisition step of acquiring substrate information on a portion of the large substrate before division of the substrate on which the measurement of the positional deviation is performed,

In the measuring step, the positional deviation amount is measured by making a distance between the substrate and the measuring member different from the substrate information acquired in the acquiring step.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that,

The manufacturing method of the electronic device comprises the following steps:

An alignment step of aligning the substrate and the mask by the alignment method, and

And a film forming step of forming a film on the substrate through the mask whose relative position is adjusted by the alignment step.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a program for causing a computer to execute the above-described alignment method.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, regarding alignment of substrates cut out from a large substrate, a technique capable of suppressing an influence on measurement accuracy due to a difference in cut-out portions can be provided.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a production line for electronic devices.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory view of the substrate supporting unit.

Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the adjusting unit.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the measurement unit.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a large-sized substrate and a dicing substrate.

Fig. 7 (a) and (B) are explanatory diagrams showing examples of influencing the characteristics of the substrate.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the control process.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the control process.

Fig. 10 (a) to (C) are operation explanatory views of the alignment device.

FIGS. 11 (A) - (C) are explanatory views of the alignment device.

FIGS. 12 (A) - (C) are explanatory views of the alignment device.

Fig. 13 (a) - (C) are operation explanatory diagrams of the alignment device.

Fig. 14 (a) and (B) are operation explanatory views of the alignment device.

Fig. 15 (a) is an overall view of the organic EL display device, and (B) is a view showing a cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

Description of the reference numerals

1. A film forming apparatus, a2 alignment apparatus, a 5 mask stage (mask supporting member), a 6 substrate supporting unit (substrate supporting member), an 8 second measuring unit (measuring member), a 141 processing unit (control member, acquisition member), a 142 storage unit (storage member), a 20 position adjusting unit (position adjusting member), a22 distance adjusting unit (distance adjusting member), a 100 substrate, and a 101 mask.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the case of the optical fiber, the following embodiments do not limit the technical scope of the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, all of the plurality of features are not necessarily essential to the invention, and a plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. In the drawings, the same or similar structures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

< Production line of electronic device >

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a part of a structure of a production line of an electronic device to which a film forming apparatus of the present invention can be applied. In the production line of fig. 1, for example, for manufacturing a display panel of an organic EL display device for a smart phone, the substrate 100 is sequentially transported to the film forming module 301, and the organic EL is formed on the substrate 100.

In the film forming module 301, a plurality of film forming chambers 303a to 303d for performing film forming processing on the substrate 100 and a mask storage chamber 305 for storing masks before and after use are disposed around a transfer chamber 302 having an octagonal shape in a plan view. A transfer robot (transfer member) 302a for transferring the substrate 100 is disposed in the transfer chamber 302. The transfer robot 302a includes a hand that holds the substrate 100 and a multi-joint arm that moves the hand in the horizontal direction. In other words, the film forming module 301 is a cluster type film forming unit in which a plurality of film forming chambers 303a to 303d are arranged so as to surround the periphery of the transfer robot 302a. Note that the film forming chambers 303a to 303d are collectively referred to as film forming chambers or not separately referred to as film forming chambers.

In the transport direction (arrow direction) of the substrate 100, a buffer chamber 306, a spin chamber 307, and a transfer chamber 308 are disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the film forming module 301, respectively. During the manufacturing process, the chambers are maintained in a vacuum state. Although only one film forming module 301 is illustrated in fig. 1, the production line of the present embodiment includes a plurality of film forming modules 301, and the plurality of film forming modules 301 are connected by a connecting device including a buffer chamber 306, a rotation chamber 307, and a delivery chamber 308. The structure of the coupling device is not limited to this, and may be constituted by only the buffer chamber 306 or the transfer chamber 308, for example.

The transfer robot 302a carries in the substrate 100 from the delivery chamber 308 on the upstream side to the transfer chamber 302, carries in the substrate 100 between the film forming chambers 303, carries in the mask between the mask holding chamber 305 and the film forming chambers 303, and carries out the substrate 100 from the transfer chamber 302 to the buffer chamber 306 on the downstream side.

The buffer chamber 306 is a chamber for temporarily storing the substrate 100 according to the operation conditions of the production line. The buffer chamber 306 is provided with a substrate storage shelf (also referred to as a cassette) having a multilayer structure capable of storing a plurality of substrates 100 while maintaining a horizontal state in which a surface to be processed (a surface to be deposited) of the substrates 100 is oriented downward in the gravitational direction, and a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the substrate storage shelf so as to match a layer to be carried in or out of the substrates 100 with a carrying position. This allows a plurality of substrates 100 to be temporarily stored and retained in the buffer chamber 306.

The swivel chamber 307 includes a device for changing the orientation of the substrate 100. In the present embodiment, the rotation chamber 307 rotates the orientation of the substrate 100 by 180 degrees by a transfer robot provided in the rotation chamber 307. The transfer robot provided in the rotation chamber 307 rotates 180 degrees while supporting the substrate 100 received in the buffer chamber 306, and transfers the substrate to the transfer chamber 308, whereby the front end and the rear end of the substrate are exchanged in the buffer chamber 306 and the transfer chamber 308. Accordingly, the orientation when the substrate 100 is carried into the film forming chamber 303 is the same in each film forming module 301, and therefore, the scanning direction of film formation with respect to the substrate S and the orientation of the mask can be made uniform in each film forming module 301. With such a configuration, the mask can be set in the mask storage chamber 305 in each film forming module 301 in a uniform orientation, and the mask management can be simplified and usability can be improved.

The control system of the production line includes a host device 300 for controlling the entire production line and control devices 14a to 14d, 309, 310 for controlling the respective configurations, which can communicate via a wired or wireless communication line 300 a. The control devices 14a to 14d are provided corresponding to the film forming chambers 303a to 303d, and control the film forming apparatus 1 described later. Note that, when the control devices 14a to 14d are collectively referred to or not separately referred to, they are described as the control device 14.

The control device 309 controls the transfer robot 302 a. The control device 310 controls the device of the swivel chamber 307. The host device 300 transmits instructions such as information on the substrate 100 and conveyance timing to the control devices 14, 309, 310, and the control devices 14, 309, 310 control the respective configurations based on the received instructions.

< Overview of film Forming apparatus >

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a film forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The film forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a film of a vapor deposition material on a substrate 100, and forms a thin film of the vapor deposition material in a predetermined pattern using a mask 101. The substrate 100 to be formed in the film forming apparatus 1 may be made of a material such as glass, resin, or metal, and preferably a material having a resin layer such as polyimide formed on glass is used. The vapor deposition material may be an organic material, an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, or the like), or the like. The film forming apparatus 1 can be applied to, for example, a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing electronic devices such as a display device (flat panel display or the like), a thin film solar cell, and an organic photoelectric conversion element (organic thin film imaging element), and an optical member, and in particular, a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL panel. In the following description, an example in which the film forming apparatus 1 forms a film on the substrate 100 by vacuum deposition is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various film forming methods such as sputtering and CVD can be applied. In each figure, arrow Z indicates the vertical direction (gravitational direction), and arrow X and arrow Y indicate mutually orthogonal horizontal directions.

The film forming apparatus 1 has a vacuum chamber 3 of a box type. The internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. In the present embodiment, the vacuum chamber 3 is connected to a vacuum pump (vacuum evacuation means) not shown. In the present specification, "vacuum" refers to a state filled with a gas having a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, refers to a reduced pressure state. A substrate support unit 6 (substrate support member) for supporting the substrate 100 in a horizontal posture, a mask table 5 (mask support member) for supporting the mask 101, a film formation unit 4, and a plate unit 9 are disposed in the internal space 3a of the vacuum chamber 3. The mask 101 is a metal mask having an opening pattern corresponding to a thin film pattern formed on the substrate 100, and is fixed on the mask stage 5. As the mask 101, a mask having a structure in which a mask foil having a thickness of about several μm to several tens μm is welded and fixed to a frame-shaped mask frame can be used. The material of the mask 101 is not particularly limited, but a metal having a small thermal expansion coefficient such as invar is preferably used. The film formation process is performed in a state where the substrate 100 is placed on the mask 101 and the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are superposed 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 with respect to the magnet plate 11. The cooling plate 10 is a plate for contacting a surface (back surface) of the substrate 100 opposite to a surface to be formed during film formation, and sandwiching the substrate 100 between the cooling plate and the mask 101. The cooling plate 10 has a function of cooling the substrate 100 at the time of film formation by contact with the back surface of the substrate 100.

The cooling plate 10 is not limited to the plate-shaped member provided with a water cooling mechanism or the like to actively cool the substrate 100, and may be a plate-shaped member that does not provide a water cooling mechanism or the like but is brought into contact with the substrate 100 to extract heat from the substrate 100. The cooling plate 10 may also be referred to as a platen. The magnet plate 11 is a plate that attracts the mask 101 by magnetic force, and is placed above the substrate 100 to improve adhesion between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 during film formation. The film forming unit 4 is constituted by a heater, a shutter, a driving mechanism for an evaporation source, an evaporation rate monitor, and the like, and is a vapor deposition source for depositing a vapor deposition substance on the substrate 100. More specifically, in the present 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 vapor deposition material is discharged from each nozzle. The evaporation source is reciprocated in the Y direction (the depth direction of the apparatus) by an evaporation source moving mechanism (not shown).

< Alignment device >

The film forming apparatus 1 includes an alignment device 2 for performing alignment between the substrate 100 and the mask 101. The alignment device 2 includes a substrate support unit 6 that supports a peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100. In addition to fig. 2, the description is made with reference to fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an explanatory view of the substrate supporting unit 6, and is a perspective view thereof. The substrate support unit 6 includes a rectangular frame-shaped base portion 60 and a plurality of claw-shaped mounting portions 61 and 62 protruding inward from the base portion 60. The placement portions 61 and 62 are also sometimes referred to as "receiving claws" or "fingers". The plurality of placement portions 61 are disposed at intervals on the long side of the base portion 60, and the plurality of placement portions 62 are disposed at intervals on the short side of the base portion 60. The peripheral edge of the substrate 100 is placed on each of the placement portions 61 and 62. The base portion 60 is suspended from the beam member 222 via a plurality of struts 64 a.

In the example of fig. 3, the base portion 60 has a rectangular frame shape having no gap and surrounding the outer periphery of the rectangular substrate 100, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may have a rectangular frame shape with a cutout locally. By providing the slit in the base portion 60, the transfer robot 302a can be allowed to escape from the base portion 60 when the substrate 100 is transferred from the transfer robot 302a to the mounting portion 61 of the substrate support unit 6, and the efficiency of transferring and transferring the substrate 100 can be improved.

The substrate support unit 6 further includes a clamping unit 63 (clamping portion). The clamp unit 63 is provided with a plurality of clamp portions 66. Each of the clamping portions 66 is provided corresponding to each of the mounting portions 61, and can be held by the clamping portions 66 and the mounting portions 61 with the peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100 interposed therebetween. As a supporting form of the substrate 100, a form in which the substrate 100 is placed only on the placement portion 61 and the placement portion 62 without providing the clamp portion 66 may be adopted, in addition to a form in which the peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100 is held by the clamp portion 66 and the placement portion 61 in such a manner.

The clamp unit 63 further includes a support member 65 that supports a plurality of clamp portions 66. The support member 65 extends along the long side of the base portion 60. The support member 65 is coupled to the actuator 64 via the shaft R3. The shaft R3 extends upward from the support member 65 through an opening formed in the beam member 222 and an opening formed in the upper wall portion 30 of the vacuum chamber 3. The actuator 64 is, for example, an electric cylinder, and clamps and releases the peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100 by the clamp portion 66 and the mounting portion 61 by lifting and lowering the support member 65. The clamping unit 63 includes two sets of support members 65, a shaft R3, and a set of actuators 64.

The alignment apparatus 2 includes a position adjustment unit 20 (position adjustment means), and the position adjustment unit 20 adjusts the relative position between the mask 101 and the substrate 100 whose peripheral edge portion is supported by the substrate support unit 6. In addition to fig. 2, the description is made with reference to fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a perspective view (partial perspective view) of the position adjustment unit 20. 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 in the X-Y plane. That is, the position adjustment unit 20 may be a unit for adjusting the horizontal positions of the mask 101 and the substrate 100. The position adjustment unit 20 can displace the substrate support unit 6 in the rotation direction about the axis in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. In the present embodiment, the position of the mask 101 is fixed and the substrate 100 is displaced to adjust the relative positions thereof, but the mask 101 may be displaced to adjust the relative positions, or both the substrate 100 and the mask 101 may be displaced.

The position adjustment unit 20 includes a fixed plate 20a, a movable plate 20b, and a plurality of actuators 201 disposed between these plates. The fixed plate 20a and the movable plate 20b are rectangular frame-shaped plates, and the fixed plate 20a is fixed to the upper wall portion 30 of the vacuum chamber 3. In the case of the present embodiment, the actuators 201 are provided with four, and are located at four corners of the fixing plate 20 a.

Each actuator 201 includes a motor 2011 as a driving source, a slider 2013 movable along a guide 2012, a slider 2014 provided on the slider 2013, and a rotating body 2015 provided on the slider 2014. The driving force of the motor 2011 is transmitted to the slider 2013 via a transmission mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism, and the slider 2013 is moved along the linear guide 2012. The rotary body 2015 is supported by the slider 2014 so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the slider 2013. The rotating body 2015 has a fixed portion fixed to the slider 2014 and a rotating portion rotatable about an axis in the Z direction with respect to the fixed portion, and the movable plate 20b is supported by the rotating portion.

The moving direction of the slider 2013 of two actuators 201 located on the opposite corners of the fixed plate 20a among the four actuators 201 is the X direction, and the moving direction of the slider 2013 of the remaining two actuators 201 is the Y direction. By a combination of the amounts of movement of the respective sliders 2013 of the four actuators 201, the movable plate 20b can be displaced relative to the fixed plate 20a in the rotational directions about the axes in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. For example, the displacement amount can be controlled based on the detection result of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the rotation amount of each motor 2011.

A frame-shaped mount 21 is mounted on the movable plate 20b, and a distance adjusting unit 22 (first elevating unit) and a second elevating unit 13 as distance adjusting members are supported on the mount 21. When the movable plate 20b is displaced, the stand 21, the distance adjusting unit 22, and the second elevating unit 13 are integrally displaced.

The distance adjusting unit 22 adjusts the distance between the substrate supporting unit 6 and the mask table 5 by raising and lowering the substrate supporting unit 6, thereby bringing the mask 101 into close proximity with and separating (separating) from the substrate 100, the peripheral edge portion of which is supported by the substrate supporting unit 6, in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 100. In other words, the distance adjusting unit 22 is a contact-and-separation member that brings the substrate 100 and the mask 101 close to each other in the overlapping direction or separates them in the opposite direction. The "distance" adjusted by the distance adjusting means 22 is a so-called vertical distance (or vertical distance), and the distance adjusting means may be said to be a means for adjusting the vertical position of the mask 101 and the substrate 100. In the present embodiment, the distance adjusting means 22 is a means for raising and lowering the substrate 100, and is therefore also referred to as a "substrate raising and lowering means". As shown in fig. 2, the distance adjusting unit 22 includes a first lifter plate 220. A guide rail 21a extending in the Z direction is formed on a side portion of the stand 21, and the first lifting plate 220 is vertically movable in the Z direction along the guide rail 21 a. The actuator 64 of the clamping unit 63 is supported by the first lifter plate 220. The beam member 222 of the substrate supporting unit 6 provided inside the vacuum chamber 3 is coupled to the first lift plate 220 provided outside the vacuum chamber 3 via a plurality of shafts R1, and is lifted integrally with the first lift plate 220. The shaft R1 extends upward from the beam member 222, and is connected to the first lifter plate 220 through the opening of the upper wall 30. Since the first lift plate 220 is a plate that lifts integrally with the substrate supporting unit 6 supporting the substrate 100, it is also referred to as a "substrate lift plate".

The distance adjusting means 22 further includes driving means 221 supported by the stand 21 and configured to raise and lower the first raising/lowering plate 220. The driving unit 221 is a mechanism that transmits driving force of a motor 221a to the first lifter plate 220 as a driving source, and a ball screw mechanism having a ball screw shaft 221b and a ball nut 221c is used as a transmission mechanism in the present embodiment. 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 221 a. The ball nut 221c is fixed to the first elevating plate 220 and is engaged with the ball screw shaft 221 b. The first lifting plate 220 can be lifted and lowered in the Z direction by the rotation of the ball screw shaft 221b and the switching of the rotation direction thereof. For example, the amount of elevation of the first elevation plate 220 is controlled based on the detection result of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the rotation amount of each motor 221 a. This can control the positions of the placement portions 61 and 62 of the support substrate 100 in the Z direction, and can control the contact and separation between the substrate 100 and the mask 101.

The distance adjustment means of the present embodiment fixes the position of the mask stage 5 and moves the substrate support means 6 to adjust the distance in the Z direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The position of the substrate support unit 6 may be fixed and the mask stage 5 may be moved to adjust the position, or the distance between the substrate support unit 6 and the mask stage 5 may be moved to adjust the distance between them.

The second lifting means 13 lifts the second lifting plate 12 disposed outside the vacuum chamber 3, thereby lifting the plate unit 9 connected to the second lifting plate 12 and disposed inside the vacuum chamber 3. The plate unit 9 is connected to the second lift plate 12 via a plurality of shafts R2. The shaft R2 extends upward from the magnet plate 11, and is connected to the lifting plate 12 through the opening of the beam member 222, the opening of the upper wall 30, the openings of the fixed plate 20a and the movable plate 20b, and the opening of the lifting plate 220. The second lifting unit 13 is also referred to as a "cooling plate lifting unit" or a "magnet plate lifting unit", and the second lifting plate 12 is also referred to as a "cooling plate lifting plate" or a "magnet plate lifting plate".

The second elevating plate 12 is vertically movable along the guide shaft 12a in the Z direction. The second lifting unit 13 includes a driving mechanism supported by the stand 21 and lifting the second lifting plate 12. The driving mechanism provided in the second elevating unit 13 is a mechanism that transmits the driving force of the motor 13a to the second elevating plate 12 using the motor as a driving source, and in the present embodiment, a ball screw mechanism having a ball screw shaft 13b and a ball nut 13c is used as a transmission mechanism. 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 13 a. The ball nut 13c is fixed to the second lifter plate 12 and engages with the ball screw shaft 13 b. The second lifting plate 12 can be lifted and lowered in the Z direction by the rotation of the ball screw shaft 13b and the switching of the rotation direction thereof. For example, the amount of elevation and depression of the second elevation plate 12 is controlled based on the detection result of a sensor such as a rotary encoder that detects the rotation amount of each motor 13 a. Thereby, the position of the control board unit 9 in the Z direction can be controlled, and the control board unit 9 can be brought into contact with and separated from the substrate 100.

The opening of the upper wall 30 for each of the shafts R1 to R3 to pass through has a size that allows each of the shafts R1 to R3 to be displaced in the X direction and the Y direction. In order to maintain the air tightness of the vacuum chamber 3, the opening of the upper wall 30 through which each of the shafts R1 to R3 passes is covered with a bellows or the like.

The alignment apparatus 2 includes measurement means (first measurement means 7 and second measurement means 8 (measurement members)) for measuring the positional displacement between the mask 101 and the substrate 100 whose peripheral edge portion is supported by the substrate support means 6. In addition to fig. 2, the description is made with reference to fig. 5. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the first measuring unit 7 and the second measuring unit 8, and shows a measurement form of positional displacement of the substrate 100 and the mask 101. The first measuring unit 7 and the second measuring unit 8 of the present embodiment are imaging devices (cameras) that capture images. The first measuring means 7 and the second measuring means 8 are disposed above the upper wall portion 30, and can capture an image of the vacuum chamber 3 through a window portion (not shown) formed in the upper wall portion 30.

A substrate rough alignment mark 100a and a substrate fine alignment mark 100b are formed on the substrate 100, and a mask rough alignment mark 101a and a mask fine mark 101b are formed on the mask 101. Hereinafter, the substrate rough alignment mark 100a may be referred to as a substrate rough mark 100a, the substrate fine alignment mark 100b may be referred to as a substrate fine mark 100b, and both may be referred to as substrate marks. The mask coarse alignment mark 101a may be referred to as a mask coarse mark 101a, the mask fine alignment mark 101b may be referred to as a mask fine mark 101b, and both may be referred to as mask marks.

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

The second measuring units 8 are provided with four (second measuring units 8a to 8 d) so as to photograph respective groups (four groups in the present embodiment) of the corresponding substrate fine marks 100b and mask fine marks 101 b. The second measurement unit 8 is a high-magnification CCD camera (fine camera) having a relatively narrow field of view but a high resolution (for example, on the order of several μm), and measures the positional shift of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 with high accuracy. The first measuring unit 7 is provided with one, and photographs each group (two groups in the present embodiment) of the corresponding substrate rough mark 100a and mask rough mark 101 a.

The first measurement unit 7 is a low-magnification CCD camera (rough camera) having a relatively wide field of view but a low resolution, and measures the approximate positional displacement of the substrate 100 and the mask 101. In the example of fig. 5, the structure in which two sets of the substrate rough marks 100a and the mask rough marks 101a are imaged together by one first measuring unit 7 is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As with the second measuring units 8, two first measuring units 7 may be provided at positions corresponding to the respective groups so as to image the respective groups of the substrate rough marks 100a and the mask rough marks 101 a.

In the present embodiment, after the positional adjustment (first alignment) of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed based on the measurement result of the first measurement unit 7, the precise positional adjustment (second alignment) of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed based on the measurement result of the second measurement unit 8.

Here, in order to improve the accuracy of alignment-based positional adjustment, it is required to improve the detection accuracy of each mark by the measuring unit. Therefore, as the second measuring unit 8 (fine camera) used in the second alignment (fine alignment) requiring the position adjustment with high accuracy, it is preferable to use a camera capable of acquiring an image with high resolution. However, when the resolution of the camera is increased, the depth of field becomes shallow, and therefore, in order to simultaneously photograph the mark formed on the substrate 100 and the mark formed on the mask 101, which are targets of photographing, it is necessary to bring the two marks closer together in the optical axis direction of the second measuring unit 8.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the substrate fine mark 100b and the mask fine mark 101b are detected in the second alignment, the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are brought close to a position where the substrate 100 is locally in contact with the mask 101. Since the peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100 is supported, the central portion is deflected by its own weight, and thus, typically, the central portion of the substrate 100 is partially in contact with the mask 101.

In the first alignment (rough alignment), the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are detected while the substrate 100 is separated from the mask 101, and the positions of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are adjusted. In the first alignment, the first measuring unit 7 (rough camera) having a deep depth of field is used, whereby alignment can be performed in a state in which the substrate 100 is separated from the mask 101. In this embodiment, the position of the substrate 100 is adjusted substantially in a state of being separated from the mask 101 by the first alignment, and then the second alignment with higher accuracy of the position adjustment is performed.

Thus, in the second alignment, when the substrate 100 is brought into close contact with the mask 101 for detecting the mark, since the relative positions of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 have been adjusted to some extent, the pattern of the film formed on the substrate 100 is brought into contact with the opening pattern of the mask 101 in a state of being aligned to some extent. Therefore, damage to the film formed on the substrate 100 caused by contact of the substrate 100 with the mask 101 can be reduced.

That is, by combining and performing the first alignment in which the position of the substrate 100 is substantially adjusted in a state of being separated from the mask 101 and the second alignment including the step of bringing the substrate 100 into partial contact with the mask 101 as in the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce damage to the film formed on the substrate 100 and realize highly accurate position adjustment. Details of the first alignment and the second alignment will be described later.

The control device 14 controls the entire film forming apparatus 1. The control device 14 includes a processing unit (control means) 141, a storage unit 142, an input/output interface (I/O) 143, and a communication unit 144. The processing unit 141 is a processor typified by a CPU, executes a program stored in the storage unit 142, and controls the film forming apparatus 1. The storage unit 142 is a storage device (storage means) such as ROM, RAM, HDD, and stores various control information in addition to the programs executed by the processing unit 141. The I/O143 is an interface for transmitting and receiving signals between the processing unit 141 and an external device. The communication unit 144 is communication equipment that communicates with the higher-level device 300 or other control devices 14, 309, 310, etc. via the communication line 300a, and the processing unit 141 receives information from the higher-level device 300 or transmits information to the higher-level device 300 via the communication unit 144. The control device 14, 309, 310 and all or part of the host device 300 may be constituted by PLC, ASIC, FPGA.

< Substrate >

The substrate 100 of the present embodiment is a dicing substrate cut out from a large substrate. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a large-sized substrate and a dicing substrate. The large-sized substrate MG is a sixth generation full-sized (about 1500mm×about 1850 mm) mother glass, and has a rectangular shape. An orientation plane OF for determining the orientation OF the large-sized substrate MG is formed at a corner OF a part OF the large-sized substrate MG.

Here, although an example is shown in which only one corner OF the four corners OF the large-sized substrate MG is cut out to form the orientation flat OF, the present invention is not limited to this, and the orientation flat OF may be formed by cutting out one corner larger than the other corners although all the four corners are cut out. In this case, a portion cut out into a shape different from other corners can be understood as an orientation plane OF.

As described above, in the manufacture of the organic EL display for a smart phone, for example, in the back plate process (TFT forming process, anode forming process, etc.), film forming process or the like is performed on the sixth-generation full-size large substrate MG. Thereafter, the large substrate MG is cut into half (cutting step), and the substrate 100 of the sixth generation (about 1500mm×about 925 mm) obtained by cutting is carried into the film forming module 301 for forming the organic layer in the production line of the present embodiment. The substrate 100 carried into the film forming module 301 is any one of two divided substrates obtained by cutting out from the large-sized substrate MG, and in the present embodiment, is the substrate 100A or the substrate 100B. The large-sized substrate MG is cut by a cutting line CTL located at a distance L from a reference side serving as one side thereof, thereby obtaining the substrates 100A and 100B. In the production line illustrated in fig. 1, a substrate 100A and a substrate 100B are mixed, transported as the substrate 100, and subjected to various processes.

Here, the large substrate MG is cut into half, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the large substrate MG may be cut into a plurality of substrates having substantially the same size. For example, the large substrate MG may be divided into four substrates 100 and carried into the film forming module 301.

The characteristics of the substrates 100A and 100B may be different from each other in terms of the size and rigidity distribution. For example, the substrate 100A is a substrate in which the length of the short side is cut to L, but the length of the short side of the substrate 100B is not cut, and the lengths of the short sides may be different between the substrate 100A and the substrate 100B. In addition, the orientation flat OF exists in the substrate 100B, but the orientation flat OF does not exist in the substrate 100A. There are also cases where the magnitudes of residual stresses in the cut surfaces are different in the substrate 100A and the substrate 100B. The position of the cut surface is right in the substrate 100A, and left in the substrate 100B, and the positions are different.

Such differences in the characteristics of the substrate may sometimes affect the measurement of the substrate 100 at the time of alignment. Fig. 7 (a) and 7 (B) are explanatory views thereof. Fig. 7 (a) illustrates downward deflection of the substrate 100 supported by the substrate supporting unit 6. The vicinity of the central portion of the substrate 100 supported at the peripheral portion is deflected downward by its own weight. Depending on the characteristics of the substrate 100, the deflection H may be different. When the substrate 100 is brought into contact with the mask 101, the difference in the deflection amount H affects the relative positions of the second measuring unit 8 and the substrate fine mark 100b of the substrate 100. For example, when the deflection amount H is large, the contact area between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 increases, and the deformation of the entire substrate 100 increases, compared with the case where the deflection amount H is small, and as a result, the position (height) of the substrate fine mark 100b in the Z direction changes. Even when the substrate 100 is not in contact with the mask 101, there is a possibility that the position (height) of the peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100 may be changed depending on the magnitude of the deflection H. If the distance between the second measuring unit 8 and the substrate fine mark 100b of the substrate 100 varies due to the deflection H, the substrate fine mark 100b may deviate from the depth of field of the second measuring unit 8, and the sharpness of the image may be reduced. If the sharpness of the image is reduced, when the acquired image is analyzed and the position of the substrate fine mark 100b is detected, the accuracy of detecting the position is reduced.

Regarding the substrate 100 different from fig. 7 (a), fig. 7 (B) illustrates a position where the deflection of the substrate 100 is the maximum. If the rigidity distribution of the substrate 100 is uniform, the position W1 where the deflection is the maximum is w1=1/2·w0 as shown in fig. 7 (a) with respect to the width W0 of the substrate 100 (the position of one side is 0 and the position of the other side is w0), but if there is a deviation in the rigidity distribution, w1+ 1/2·w0 is as shown in the illustrated example. When the substrate 100 is brought into contact with the mask 101, the difference in the position where the deflection is the maximum may also be a factor of varying the distance between the second measuring unit 8 and the substrate fine mark 100b of the substrate 100. In particular, in a case where the position where the deflection is the maximum is greatly displaced from the center of the substrate 100, the distance between each of the plurality of substrate fine marks 100b and the corresponding second measurement unit 8 may be different for each substrate fine mark 100 b. For example, in the present embodiment, the distance between the second measurement unit 8a of the four second measurement units 8a to 8d and the substrate fine mark 100b corresponding to the second measurement unit 8a may be different from the distance between the second measurement unit 8c and the substrate fine mark 100b corresponding to the second measurement unit 8 c.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, alignment control is performed according to the portion of the large substrate MG from which the substrate 100 is cut, and particularly, positional adjustment in the Z direction of the substrate 100 is performed as described below. Thus, the distance between the substrate 100 and the second measuring unit 8 can be changed according to the position from which the substrate 100 is cut, and measurement can be performed at a distance suitable for the position.

< Control example >

A control example of the film forming apparatus 1 executed by the processing unit 141 of the control device 14 will be described. Fig. 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing an example of the processing performed by the processing unit 141, and fig. 10 to 14 are operation explanatory views of the alignment device 2.

In step S1, the processing unit 141 acquires substrate information of the substrate 100 to be processed next (acquisition step). The substrate information includes location information (in the present embodiment, the substrate 100A or the substrate 100B) regarding a location of the large-sized substrate MG from which the substrate 100 is cut. In other words, this information is information related to the relative position in the large-sized substrate MG before division, and is also referred to as "cut-out information" and "cut-out information". As described above, the processing unit 141 has a function as an acquisition means for acquiring information on from which position of the large-sized substrate MG the substrate 100 is cut.

In the present embodiment, the substrate information is managed by the host device 300. The host device 300 stores substrate information in which identification information of each substrate 100 and position information (substrate 100A or substrate 100B, also referred to as "cut-out information") of the substrate 100 are associated with each other. When the host apparatus 300 instructs the control apparatus 14 or the like to process the substrate 100, the host apparatus transmits the substrate information to the control apparatus 14 or the like as the instruction destination. In step S1, the processing unit 141 receives the substrate information from the higher-level apparatus 300 via the communication unit 144, and thereby obtains the substrate information. The upper device 300 may acquire the substrate information from, for example, a cutting device (substrate dividing device) for cutting the large-sized substrate MG, another device disposed upstream of the film forming device 1 in the production line, or a device outside the production line, or may acquire the substrate information by receiving an input from an operator of the production line.

In step S2, the substrate 100 is transported into the vacuum chamber 3 by the transport robot 302a, and the substrate 100 is supported by the substrate support unit 6. The substrate 100 is supported by the substrate support unit 6 above the mask 101 and is maintained in a state separated from the mask 101. In step S2 and step S3, alignment of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed.

In step S3, a first alignment is performed. Here, based on the measurement result of the first measurement unit 7, the approximate positions of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are adjusted. Fig. 10 (a) to 10 (C) schematically show the alignment operation of step S3. Fig. 10 (a) shows a form when the substrate rough mark 100a and the mask rough mark 101a are measured by the first measuring unit 7. The peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100 is placed on the placement portions 61 and 62, and is sandwiched between the placement portion 61 and the clamping portion 66. The central portion of the substrate 100 is deflected downward by its own weight. The board unit 9 stands by above the substrate 100.

The relative positions of the substrate rough mark 100a and the mask rough mark 101a are measured by the first measuring unit 7. If the measurement result (the amount of positional deviation of the substrate 100 and the mask 101) is within the allowable range, the first alignment is ended. If the measurement result is outside the allowable range, a control amount (displacement amount of the substrate 100) for converging the positional deviation amount within the allowable range is set based on the measurement result. In the following description, the "positional shift amount" includes the direction of positional shift in addition to the amount of positional shift itself. The amount of positional displacement referred to herein refers to a distance between the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in a projection view (vertical projection) obtained by projecting the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the Z direction with respect to the same plane, and refers to a so-called horizontal distance. The position adjustment unit 20 is operated based on the set control amount. Thus, as shown in fig. 10 (B), the substrate support unit 6 is displaced in the X-Y plane, and the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the mask 101 is adjusted.

For example, it is possible to determine whether or not the measurement result is within the allowable range by calculating the distances between the corresponding substrate rough marks 100a and the mask rough marks 101a, and comparing the average value or the sum of squares of the distances with a predetermined threshold value. Alternatively, as in the case of the second alignment described later, the ideal positions (mask rough mark target positions) at which the respective mask rough marks 101a should be positioned in order to align the substrate 100 with the mask 101 may be calculated from the substrate rough marks 100a corresponding to the respective mask rough marks 101 a. Further, the determination may be performed by calculating the distances between the corresponding mask rough marks 101a and the mask rough mark target positions, and comparing the average value or the sum of squares of the distances with a predetermined threshold value.

After the adjustment of the relative positions, as shown in fig. 10 (C), the relative positions of the substrate rough mark 100a and the mask rough mark 101a are measured again by the first measuring unit 7. If the measurement result is within the allowable range, the first alignment is ended. If the measurement result is outside the allowable range, the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the mask 101 is again adjusted. Thereafter, the measurement and the relative position adjustment are repeated until the measurement result falls within the allowable range. In the first alignment, the substrate 100 is always separated from the mask 101 above. Accordingly, the substrate 100 is maintained in a state of being separated from the mask 101 until the first second alignment (described later) is performed.

At the end of the first alignment, a second alignment is performed in step S4 of fig. 8. Here, based on the measurement result of the second measurement unit 8, precise positional adjustment of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed. Details are described later.

When the second alignment is completed, a process of placing the substrate 100 on the mask 101 is performed in step S5 of fig. 8. Here, the driving unit 221 is driven to lower the substrate support unit 6, and control to overlap the substrate 100 with the mask 101 is performed as shown in fig. 13 (a). Specifically, the substrate support unit 6 is lowered so that the height of the upper surfaces (substrate support surfaces) of the placement portions 61 and 62 of the substrate support unit 6 matches the height of the upper surface of the mask 101. Thus, the substrate 100 is placed on the mask 101, and is supported by the substrate support unit 6 and the mask 101. In this state, the entire surface of the substrate 100 to be processed is in contact with the mask 101 with respect to the substrate 100.

Next, the second elevating unit 13 is driven to lower the plate unit 9, and the cooling plate 10 is brought into contact with the substrate 100 as shown in fig. 13 (B). Then, the second elevating means 13 is driven to lower the magnet plate 11 relative to the cooling plate 10 while maintaining the height of the cooling plate 10, and the magnet plate 11 is brought close to the substrate 100 and the mask 101 as shown in fig. 10 (C). By bringing the magnet plate 11 close to the mask 101, the mask 101 can be attracted to the substrate 100 by the magnetic force of the magnet plate 11, and the mask 101 can be brought into close contact with the substrate 100.

In step S6 of fig. 8, the clamping of the peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100 is released, and the final measurement by the second measurement unit 8 (also referred to as "measurement before film formation") is performed. During the release of the clamping, the clamping portion 66 is lifted from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100 by driving the actuator 64 as shown in fig. 14 (a). Thereafter, the substrate support unit 6 may be further lowered to separate the substrate support unit 6 from the substrate. This makes it possible to bring the substrate 100 into contact with only two of the mask 101 and the cooling plate 10. In the final measurement, the positional displacement of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is measured by the second measurement unit 8. Fig. 14 (B) shows a form when the substrate fine marks 100B and the mask fine marks 101B are measured by the second measuring unit 8. The relative positions of the four sets of substrate fine marks 100b and the mask fine marks 101b are measured by the four second measuring units 8.

In step S7, it is determined whether or not the measurement result (the positional deviation amount of the substrate 100 and the mask 101) of the final measurement in step S6 is within the allowable range. If the alignment is within the allowable range, the process proceeds to step S8, and if the alignment is outside the allowable range, the process returns to step S4 and the second alignment is repeated. When returning to step S4, it is necessary to clamp the peripheral edge portion of the substrate 100 again, raise the plate unit 9 to separate from the substrate 100, and raise the substrate 100. In addition, it is possible to determine whether or not the measurement result is within the allowable range, similarly to step S3 and step S4.

In step S8 of fig. 8, a film formation process is performed. Here, a thin film is formed on the lower surface of the substrate 100 through the mask 101 by the film forming unit 4. When the film formation process is completed, the substrate 100 is carried out of the vacuum chamber 3 by the transfer robot 302a in step S9. Through the above steps, the process ends.

< Second alignment >

The process of the second alignment of step S4 will be described. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing of the second alignment of step S4. The second alignment is a process of repeating the measurement/position adjustment operation including the measurement operation (steps S11 and S12) and the position adjustment operation (steps S14 and S15) until the measurement result in the measurement operation falls within the allowable range.

In step S11, a proximity operation of bringing the substrate 100 and the mask 101 into proximity in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 100 is performed. Here, the driving unit 221 is driven to lower the substrate supporting unit 6, and the substrate 100 is locally brought into contact with the mask 101.

Fig. 11 (a) shows an example of the approaching operation. The substrate 100 is lowered to a height where the center portion deflected downward contacts the mask 101. The portions of the substrate 100 other than the center are separated from the mask 101. By bringing the substrate 100 and the mask 101 close to each other until the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are locally brought into contact with each other, the substrate fine mark 100b formed on the substrate 100 and the mask fine mark 101b formed on the mask 101 can be simultaneously photographed by the second measuring means having a shallow depth of field, and the positional displacement can be measured.

Further, by not bringing the substrate 100 into contact with the mask 101 as a whole but bringing it into contact with a part at the time of measurement, it is possible to suppress as much as possible damage to the thin film that has been formed on the substrate 100 due to contact with the mask 101.

When the substrate support unit 6 is lowered, the position in the Z direction is controlled based on the substrate information acquired in step S1 (fig. 8). Thereby, the position of the substrate support unit 6 in the Z direction, in other words, the position of the substrate 100 in the Z direction is adjusted according to the cut-out position of the substrate 100 from the large-sized substrate MG. Thereby, the substrate 100, in particular, the distance between the region of the substrate 100 where the substrate fine mark 100b is formed and the second measuring unit 8 is adjusted.

In the case of the present embodiment, the distance adjustment information 142a stored in the storage unit 142 in correspondence with the substrate information is referred to. The distance adjustment information 142a is control information for reducing a variation in the distance between the second measuring unit 8 and the substrate fine mark 100b of the substrate 100 due to the cut-out portion of the substrate 100, and is, for example, coordinate information of a position in the Z direction in which the substrate supporting unit 6 is lowered. The storage unit 142 stores a plurality of pieces of distance adjustment information 142a corresponding to the number of substrates 100 cut out from one large-sized substrate MG (i.e., the number of divisions). In the case of the present embodiment, the number of portions of the large-sized substrate MG is two, and the distance adjustment information 142a stores the distance adjustment information corresponding to the substrate information a (substrate 100A) and the distance adjustment information corresponding to the substrate information B (substrate 100B) in the storage unit 142.

The distance adjustment information 142a stored in the storage unit 142 corresponding to one cut-out portion may not be single coordinate information of the position in the Z direction of the substrate support unit 6. For example, the substrate support unit 6 may be configured to be able to raise and lower the plurality of claw-shaped mounting portions 61 and 62 constituting the substrate support unit 6 in the Z direction independently. In this case, the distance adjustment information 142a may include coordinate information of the positions of the plurality of placement units 61 and 62 in the Z direction. Thereby, the heights of the plurality of claw-shaped mounting portions 61 and 62 can be individually adjusted based on the distance adjustment information 142 a. As a result, even when the heights of the plurality of substrate fine marks 100b are changed, the heights of the regions of the substrate 100 where the substrate fine marks 100b are formed can be adjusted, and the distances between the substrate fine marks 100b and the second measuring section can be made uniform.

The processing unit 141 reads the distance adjustment information 142a corresponding to the substrate information acquired in step S1 (fig. 8), and controls the distance adjustment unit 22 according to the read distance adjustment information 142a to lower the substrate support unit 6 to the target position. The distance adjustment information 142a can be set by a test or the like in advance.

In step S12 of fig. 9, the positional deviation of the substrate 100 and the mask 101, which are locally in contact, is measured by the second measurement unit 8. Fig. 11 (B) shows a form when the substrate fine marks 100B and the mask fine marks 101B are measured by the second measuring unit 8. The relative positions of the four sets of substrate fine marks 100b and the mask fine marks 101b are measured by the four second measuring units 8. In the present embodiment, in step S11, the height of the substrate fine mark 100B of the substrate 100 is adjusted by adjusting the position of the substrate support unit 6 in the Z direction according to the cut-out position of the substrate 100 from the large-sized substrate MG, and therefore, more accurate measurement can be performed in both the substrates 100A and 100B.

In step S12, after the substrate fine marks 100b are measured by the second measuring unit 8, the target positions (mask fine mark target positions) of the four mask fine marks 101b corresponding to the four substrate fine marks 100b, respectively, are calculated based on the measurement results. Here, the mask fine mark target position is set to an ideal position where each mask fine mark 101b is to be located in order to align the substrate 100 with the mask 101, and is calculated based on the design size of the position of each mark.

In step S12, when the substrate fine mark 100b in the image obtained by the second measuring unit 8 is unclear, an operation (search operation) of searching for the height of the substrate support unit 6 into which the substrate fine mark 100b enters may be performed within the depth of field of the second measuring unit 8. In the searching operation, the second measuring unit 8 performs image acquisition a plurality of times while the substrate supporting unit 6 is lifted and lowered to change the position in the Z direction. Then, the image is successively analyzed, and the height of the substrate support unit 6 that can obtain an image of high definition is found and determined based on the tendency of definition and contrast. After the seek operation, the height of the substrate support unit 6 found as a result of the seek operation may be updated to new distance adjustment information 142a and stored in the storage unit 142. When such processing (update processing) is performed, the processing unit 141 functions as an updating means for updating the distance adjustment information 142 a.

In step S13 of fig. 9, it is determined whether the measurement result of step S12 (positional deviation of the substrate 100 and the mask 101) is within an allowable range. Here, for example, the distances between the mask fine mark target positions calculated in step S12 and the positions of the mask fine marks 101b are calculated for each of the four sets of the substrate fine marks 100b and the mask fine marks 101 b. Then, the average value or the sum of squares of the calculated distances is compared with a preset threshold value, and if the distance is equal to or smaller than the threshold value, it is determined that the distance is within the allowable range, and if the distance exceeds the threshold value, it is determined that the distance is outside the allowable range. If the determination result in step S13 is within the allowable range, the second alignment is ended, and if it is outside the allowable range, the process proceeds to step S14.

In step S14, a separation operation of separating the substrate 100 from the mask 101 in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 100 is performed. Here, the driving unit 221 is driven to raise the substrate support unit 6, and the substrate 100 is separated from the mask 101. Fig. 11 (C) shows an example of the separation operation. The substrate 100 is raised to a height at which the center portion deflected downward is not in contact with the mask 101. The substrate 100 is separated from the mask 101, and the substrate 100 is not in contact with the mask 101. By separating the substrate 100 from the mask 101, it is possible to prevent the film formed on the substrate 100 from being damaged by friction between the film formation region of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 in the position adjustment operation in the subsequent step S17.

In step S15 of fig. 9, a position adjustment operation for adjusting the relative position of the substrate 100 and the mask 101 is performed based on the measurement result of step S12. Here, the displacement amount of the substrate 100 is set based on the measurement result of step S12, and the adjustment unit 20 is operated based on the set displacement amount. Thus, as shown in fig. 12 (a), the substrate support unit 6 is displaced in the X-Y plane, and the relative position of the substrate 100 with respect to the mask 101 is adjusted.

When the process of step S15 ends, the process returns to step S11 and the same process is repeated. That is, after the position adjustment operation in fig. 12 a, as shown in fig. 12B, the approaching operation is performed again (step S11), and the substrate 100 is lowered to a height where the center portion of the substrate 100 contacts the mask 101. Next, as shown in fig. 12C, measurement is performed again (step S12), and positional displacement between the substrate 100 and the mask 101, which are locally in contact, is measured.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in step S11, the distance between the substrate support unit 6 and the mask stage 5 in the Z direction is adjusted according to the cut-out portions (substrates 100A and 100B) of the substrate 100 in the large-sized substrate MG. This makes it possible to measure the substrate while suppressing the variation in the distance between the second measuring unit 8 and the substrate fine mark 100b of the substrate 100 due to the cut-out portion. As a result, the measurement accuracy can be improved, and variations in alignment accuracy and time due to differences in cut-out portions can be suppressed.

< Method for manufacturing electronic device >

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device will be described. Hereinafter, as examples of the electronic device, a structure and a manufacturing method of the organic EL display device are illustrated. In this example, the film forming module 301 illustrated in fig. 1 is provided at three places on a production line, for example.

First, an organic EL display device to be manufactured is explained. Fig. 15 (a) is an overall view showing the organic EL display device 50, and fig. 15 (B) is a view showing a cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

As shown in fig. 15 (a), a plurality of pixels 52 each including a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in a matrix in a display region 51 of the organic EL display device 50. The light emitting elements each have a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes, which will be described later in detail.

The pixel herein refers to the smallest unit in which a desired color can be displayed in the display area 51. In the case of a color organic EL display device, the pixel 52 is configured by a combination of a plurality of sub-pixels, i.e., a first light-emitting element 52R, a second light-emitting element 52G, and a third light-emitting element 52B, which emit light different from each other. The pixel 52 is generally composed of a combination of three sub-pixels of a red (R) light emitting element, a green (G) light emitting element, and a blue (B) light emitting element, but is not limited thereto. The pixel 52 may include at least one type of sub-pixel, preferably two or more types of sub-pixels, and more preferably three or more types of sub-pixels. The sub-pixels constituting the pixel 52 may be, for example, a combination of four sub-pixels, that is, 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.

Fig. 15 (B) is a partially cross-sectional schematic view at line a-B of fig. 15 (a). The pixel 52 includes a plurality of sub-pixels including an organic EL element including a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, any one of a red layer 56R and a green layer 56G and a blue layer 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a second electrode (cathode) 58 on a substrate 53. Among them, the hole transport layer 55, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, the blue layer 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to organic layers. The red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (sometimes also referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red light, green light, and blue light, 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 over the plurality of light emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. That is, as shown in fig. 15 (B), the hole transport layer 55 may be formed as a layer common to a plurality of sub-pixel regions, the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B may be formed separately for each sub-pixel region, and the electron transport layer 57 and the second electrode 58 may be formed as a layer common to a plurality of sub-pixel regions over the red layer, the green layer, and the blue layer.

Further, in order to prevent short-circuiting between the adjacent first electrodes 54, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54. Further, since the organic EL layer is degraded by moisture and oxygen, a protective layer 60a for protecting the organic EL element from moisture and oxygen is provided.

In fig. 15 (B), the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are shown as one layer, but may be formed of a plurality of layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer according to the structure of the organic EL display element. In addition, a hole injection layer having a band structure that enables smooth injection of holes from the first electrode 54 into the hole transport layer 55 may be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer may be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

Each of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B may be formed of a single light-emitting layer or may be formed by stacking a plurality of layers. For example, the red layer 56R may be formed of two layers, the upper layer may be formed of a red light-emitting layer, and the lower layer may be formed of a hole-transporting layer or an electron-blocking layer. Alternatively, the lower layer may be formed with a red light-emitting layer, and the upper layer may be formed with an electron transport layer or a hole blocking layer. By providing a layer on the lower side or the upper side of the light-emitting layer in this manner, the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer is adjusted, and by adjusting the optical path length, the color purity of the light-emitting element can be improved.

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

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

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

A resin layer such as acrylic or polyimide is applied to the substrate 53 on which the first electrode 54 is formed by bar coating or spin coating, and the resin layer is patterned by photolithography so as to form an opening in a portion where the first electrode 54 is formed, and an insulating layer 59 is formed. The opening corresponds to a light emitting region where the light emitting element actually emits light. In the present embodiment, the large-sized substrate is processed before the insulating layer 59 is formed, and the dividing step of dividing the substrate 53 is performed after the insulating layer 59 is formed.

The substrate 53 on which the insulating layer 59 is patterned is carried into the first film formation chamber 303, and the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a common layer on the first electrode 54 in the display region. The hole transport layer 55 is formed using a mask in which openings are formed in each display region 51 of a panel portion which is finally one organic EL display device.

Next, the substrate 53 formed to the hole transport layer 55 is carried into the second film formation chamber 303. Alignment of the substrate 53 and the mask is performed, the substrate is placed on the mask, and a red layer 56R is formed on a portion (a region where a red subpixel is formed) of the hole transport layer 55 where the red light emitting element of the substrate 53 is arranged. Here, the mask used in the second film formation chamber is a high-definition mask in which openings are formed only in a plurality of regions of the sub-pixel which becomes red out of a plurality of regions on the substrate 53 which becomes the sub-pixel of the organic EL display device. Thus, the red layer 56R including the red light emitting layer is formed only in the region of the sub-pixel which is red out of the regions of the substrate 53 which are the sub-pixels. In other words, the red layer 56R is not formed in the region of the blue subpixel and the region of the green subpixel among the regions of the plurality of subpixels on the substrate 53, and is selectively formed in the region of the red subpixel.

In the same manner as the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G is formed in the third film formation chamber 303, and the blue layer 56B is formed in the fourth film formation chamber 303. After the formation of the red layer 56R, the green layer 56G, and the blue layer 56B, the electron transport layer 57 is formed in the fifth film formation chamber 303 over the entire display region 51. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a common layer on the three color layers 56R, 56G, 56B.

The substrate formed to the electron transport layer 57 is moved to the sixth film formation chamber 303, and the film is formed on the second electrode 58. In the present embodiment, each layer is formed by vacuum deposition in the first to sixth film forming chambers 303, 303. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the film formation of the second electrode 58 in the sixth film formation chamber 303 may be performed by sputtering. Thereafter, the substrate formed to the second electrode 68 is moved to a sealing device, and the protective layer 60a is formed into a film by plasma CVD (sealing process), and the organic EL display device 50 is completed. The protective layer 60a is formed by CVD, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be formed by ALD or inkjet.

Here, for the film formation in the first to sixth film formation chambers 303, film formation is performed using a mask in which openings corresponding to the pattern of each layer to be formed are formed. In the film formation, after the relative position adjustment (alignment) of the substrate 53 and the mask is performed, the substrate 53 is placed on the mask and film formation is performed. The alignment step performed in each film forming chamber is performed as described above.

< Other embodiments >

In the above embodiment, the distance adjustment information 142a is stored in the storage unit 142 of each control device 14. However, the distance adjustment information 142a may be stored in the host device 300 separately for each control device 14, and each control device 14 may acquire the distance adjustment information 142a from the host device 300 by communication.

In the above embodiment, the adjustment of the distance between the substrate 100 and the second measurement unit 8 in the Z direction based on the substrate information was performed in the second alignment, but may be performed in the first alignment. In the first alignment, the distance between the substrate rough mark 100a and the first measurement unit 7 is also different due to the deflection amount of the substrate 100 and the variation of the maximum deflection position caused by the cut-out portion, and therefore, the measurement accuracy can be improved by performing the distance adjustment also in the first alignment.

In the above embodiment, the Z-direction distance between the substrate 100 and the second measuring unit 8 based on the substrate information is adjusted by adjusting the Z-direction position of the substrate supporting unit 6, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The adjustment of the distance between the substrate 100 and the second measuring unit 8 in the Z direction based on the substrate information can also be performed by adjusting the position of the mask stage 5 as the mask supporting member in the Z direction or the positions of both the substrate supporting unit 6 and the mask stage 5 in the Z direction. By adjusting the position of the mask stage 5 in the Z direction, the size of the contact area between the mask 101 and the substrate 100 can be changed, and as a result, the distance between the substrate 100 and the second measurement unit 8 in the Z direction can be adjusted.

In the above embodiment, the substrate 100 and the mask 101 are locally brought into contact with each other and the positional shift is measured in the second alignment, but the measurement may be performed in a state where both are brought close to each other without contact.

In the above embodiment, the control device 14 acquires substrate information from the host device 300 (step S1). However, for example, the substrate information may be acquired from the control device 309 that controls the transfer robot 302a by communication.

In the above embodiment, the control device 14 acquires the substrate information from the host device 300 by communication (step S1). However, for example, a code indicating the substrate information may be given to each substrate 100 in advance, and the control device 14 may acquire the substrate information by reading the code. The code reading means is electrically connected to the control device 14, and may be disposed in the film formation chamber 303 or the film formation apparatus 1.

The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and reading the program and executing the program by one or more processors in a computer of the system or the apparatus. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An alignment device, comprising:

a substrate supporting member that supports a peripheral edge portion of any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate;

A mask support member that supports a mask;

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The measuring means performs the measuring operation after adjusting the distance between the substrate and the measuring means by the distance adjusting means based on the substrate information and according to the difference in the deflection amount caused by the difference in the length of the side of the substrate.

2. The alignment device of claim 1,

The distance adjusting means moves the substrate supporting means in the gravity direction based on the substrate information, and adjusts the distance between the substrate and the measuring means.

3. The alignment device of claim 1,

The distance adjustment means moves the mask support means in the gravity direction based on the substrate information, and adjusts the distance between the substrate and the measurement means.

4. The alignment device of claim 1,

The substrate supporting member supports a peripheral edge portion of the substrate,

The measuring means performs the measuring operation in a state where the substrate is locally brought into contact with the mask by the distance adjusting means,

The position adjusting means performs the position adjusting operation in a state where the substrate is separated from the mask by the distance adjusting means.

5. The alignment device of claim 1,

And repeating the measuring operation and the position adjusting operation until the position deviation amount falls within an allowable range.

6. The alignment device of claim 4,

The substrate supporting member includes a clamping portion that clamps at least a portion of a peripheral edge portion of the substrate.

7. The alignment device of claim 1,

The alignment device includes a storage unit that stores distance adjustment information in which a correspondence relationship is established with the substrate information,

The control unit reads the distance adjustment information corresponding to the substrate information from the storage unit, and controls the distance adjustment unit according to the read distance adjustment information.

8. The alignment device of claim 1,

The position adjustment member moves the substrate support member to adjust the relative position.

9. The alignment device of claim 1,

The measuring means is a camera that photographs the alignment mark of the substrate and the alignment mark of the mask.

10. An alignment device, comprising:

A mask support member that supports a mask;

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The measuring means performs the measuring operation by making a distance between the substrate and the measuring means different according to a difference in deflection amount caused by a difference in length of the side of the substrate based on the substrate information acquired by the acquiring means.

11. The alignment device of claim 10,

12. The alignment device of claim 10,

13. The alignment device of claim 10,

14. The alignment device of claim 10,

15. The alignment device of claim 13,

16. The alignment device of claim 10,

17. The alignment device of claim 10,

18. The alignment device of claim 10,

19. A film forming apparatus, characterized in that,

The film forming apparatus includes:

The alignment device of any of claims 1-18, and

And a film forming member that forms a film on the substrate via the mask.

20. An alignment method, the alignment method comprising:

A substrate supporting step of supporting a peripheral edge portion of any one of a plurality of substrates obtained by dividing a large substrate;

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The alignment method further comprises the steps of:

A distance adjustment step of adjusting a distance between the substrate and the measuring member based on the substrate information acquired in the acquisition step and in accordance with a difference in deflection amount caused by a difference in length of a side of the substrate,

After the distance adjustment step, the measurement step is performed.

21. An alignment method, the alignment method comprising:

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

In the measuring step, the positional deviation amount is measured by making the distance between the substrate and the measuring member different based on the substrate information acquired in the acquiring step and according to the difference in deflection amount caused by the difference in length of the side of the substrate.

22. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that,

an alignment step in which alignment of a substrate and a mask is performed by the alignment method according to claim 20 or 21, and

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that,

The computer-readable storage medium stores a program for causing a computer to execute the alignment method of claim 20 or 21.