阅读说明：本技术 基板检查系统及检查方法、电子设备制造系统及制造方法 (Substrate inspection system and inspection method, electronic device manufacturing system and manufacturing method ) 是由 住川谦 于 2018-12-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种基板检查系统、电子设备的制造系统、基板检查方法以及电子设备的制造方法。本发明的基板检查系统用于检查在第一方向上搬送的基板,包含：容器；基板支承机构,该基板支承机构设置在所述容器内,用于支承基板；基板位置信息取得单元,该基板位置信息取得单元用于取得表示所述基板的位置的基板位置信息；基板检查单元,该基板检查单元用于检查所述基板；以及驱动单元,该驱动单元基于所述基板位置信息,驱动所述基板支承机构和所述基板检查单元中的至少一个,所述基板位置信息包含与所述第一方向交叉且与所述基板支承机构的基板支承面平行的第二方向上的基板的位置信息。(The invention provides a substrate inspection system, a manufacturing system of an electronic device, a substrate inspection method, and a manufacturing method of an electronic device. The substrate inspection system of the present invention is a substrate inspection system for inspecting a substrate conveyed in a first direction, comprising: a container; a substrate supporting mechanism provided in the container for supporting a substrate; a substrate position information acquiring unit configured to acquire substrate position information indicating a position of the substrate; a substrate inspection unit for inspecting the substrate; and a drive unit that drives at least one of the substrate support mechanism and the substrate inspection unit based on the substrate position information including position information of the substrate in a second direction that intersects the first direction and is parallel to a substrate support surface of the substrate support mechanism.)

1. A substrate inspection system for inspecting a substrate transported in a first direction, comprising:

a container;

a substrate supporting mechanism provided in the container for supporting a substrate;

a substrate position information acquiring unit configured to acquire substrate position information indicating a position of the substrate;

a substrate inspection unit for inspecting the substrate; and

a drive unit that drives at least one of the substrate support mechanism and the substrate inspection unit based on the substrate position information,

the substrate position information includes position information of the substrate in a second direction intersecting the first direction and parallel to a substrate supporting surface of the substrate supporting mechanism.

2. The substrate inspection system of claim 1,

the substrate position information acquiring unit is provided upstream of the substrate inspecting unit in the first direction.

3. The substrate inspection system of claim 2,

the drive unit drives the substrate inspection unit based on the substrate position information.

4. The substrate inspection system of claim 1,

the container includes a substrate carrying-in port for carrying in the substrate from an upstream side in the first direction, and a substrate carrying-out port for carrying out the substrate to a downstream side in the first direction.

5. The substrate inspection system of claim 4,

the substrate position information acquiring unit is provided on the substrate carrying-in port side with reference to a center portion of the container in the first direction, and the substrate inspecting unit is provided on the substrate carrying-out port side with reference to the center portion.

6. The substrate inspection system of claim 1,

the substrate position information acquiring unit is provided so as to be able to acquire the substrate position information in a state where the substrate is supported by the substrate supporting mechanism.

7. The substrate inspection system of claim 1,

the substrate position information acquiring unit is a unit that acquires information relating to a position of an edge of the substrate in the second direction.

8. The substrate inspection system of claim 7,

the substrate position information acquiring unit includes a camera,

obtaining information related to a position of an edge of the substrate in the second direction based on the image obtained by the camera.

9. The substrate inspection system of claim 3,

the drive unit adjusts the position of the substrate inspection unit based on the substrate position information acquired by the substrate position information acquisition unit.

10. The substrate inspection system of claim 3,

the drive unit adjusts the angle of the substrate inspection unit based on the substrate position information acquired by the substrate position information acquisition unit.

11. The substrate inspection system of claim 1,

the substrate position information includes information relating to a position of the substrate in a rotational direction having a third direction as an axis, the third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction,

the drive unit continuously or intermittently drives the substrate inspection unit based on the substrate position information and the conveyance speed of the substrate in the first direction.

12. The substrate inspection system of claim 1,

further comprising a control unit for controlling the drive unit,

the control unit calculates a relative positional displacement amount of the substrate with respect to a reference position based on the substrate position information acquired by the substrate position information acquisition unit,

the control unit controls the drive unit to drive the substrate support mechanism based on the relative positional displacement amount,

the substrate position information includes: information relating to a position of the substrate in the second direction; and information related to a position of the substrate in a rotation direction with a third direction as an axis, the third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction.

13. The substrate inspection system of claim 1,

the substrate inspection unit includes an optical unit.

14. The substrate inspection system of claim 13,

the substrate inspection unit includes a plurality of laser sensors arranged in the second direction.

15. The substrate inspection system of claim 1,

further comprising a vacuum unit for maintaining the inside of the container in a vacuum state.

16. A substrate inspection system for inspecting a substrate transported in a first direction, comprising:

a container;

a substrate position information acquiring unit configured to acquire substrate position information indicating a position of the substrate;

a substrate inspection unit for inspecting the substrate; and

an adjusting unit that adjusts a relative position between the substrate to be conveyed and the substrate inspecting unit based on the substrate position information,

the substrate position information includes position information of the substrate in a second direction,

the second direction is a direction intersecting the first direction and parallel to the main surface of the substrate to be conveyed.

17. The substrate inspection system of claim 16,

the adjustment unit is a driving unit that drives the substrate inspection unit based on the substrate position information.

18. A system for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:

a first cluster apparatus including a film deposition apparatus for depositing a first material on a substrate through a mask to form a film;

a second cluster apparatus including a film deposition apparatus for depositing a second material on the substrate through the mask to form a film; and

a substrate inspection system for inspecting a substrate transferred from the first cluster device to the second cluster device,

the substrate inspection system is the substrate inspection system of any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A method of inspecting a substrate using an inspection unit, comprising:

a substrate carrying-in stage, wherein the substrate is carried along a first direction and carried into a container;

a substrate position information acquisition step of acquiring substrate position information indicating position information of the substrate;

a driving step of driving at least one of the substrate and the inspection unit based on the acquired substrate position information; and

a substrate inspection stage in which the substrate is inspected by the inspection unit,

the substrate position information includes position information of the substrate in a second direction intersecting the first direction and parallel to a main surface of the substrate being conveyed.

20. The substrate inspection method according to claim 19,

in the driving stage, the inspection unit is driven based on the substrate position information.

21. The substrate inspection method according to claim 20,

the substrate position information acquisition step is performed during a process of loading the substrate into the container in the substrate loading step.

22. The substrate inspection method according to claim 20,

a substrate supporting step of supporting the substrate loaded into the container by a substrate supporting mechanism in the container after the substrate loading step,

the substrate position information acquisition stage is performed after the substrate support stage.

23. The substrate inspection method according to claim 20,

in the substrate position information acquisition step, information on a position of an edge of the substrate in the second direction is acquired.

24. The substrate inspection method according to claim 20,

in the driving stage, the position of the inspection unit is adjusted based on the substrate position information acquired in the substrate position information acquisition stage.

25. The substrate inspection method according to claim 20,

in the driving stage, the angle of the inspection unit is adjusted based on the substrate position information acquired in the substrate position information acquisition stage.

26. The substrate inspection method according to claim 19,

a substrate supporting step of supporting the substrate loaded into the container by a substrate supporting mechanism in the container after the substrate loading step,

in the substrate position information acquisition step, the substrate position information is acquired in a state where the substrate is supported by the substrate support mechanism,

the substrate position information acquiring step includes a step of calculating a relative positional displacement amount of the substrate with respect to a reference position based on the substrate position information,

in the driving stage, the substrate support mechanism is driven based on the calculated relative positional displacement amount.

27. The substrate inspection method according to claim 19,

further comprising a substrate carrying-out stage for carrying out the substrate from the container,

the inspection stage is performed during a process of carrying out the substrate from the container at the substrate carrying-out stage.

28. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:

a film formation step of depositing a material on a substrate through a mask; and

a substrate inspection stage of inspecting the substrate before or after the film formation stage,

the substrate inspection stage is performed by the substrate inspection method of any one of claims 19 to 27.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to inspection of a substrate in a manufacturing apparatus.

Background

Recently, as a flat panel display device, an organic EL display device (organic EL display) has attracted attention. Organic EL display devices are self-emitting displays, have superior characteristics such as response speed, viewing angle, and reduction in thickness to liquid crystal panel displays, and are rapidly replacing conventional liquid crystal panel displays in various portable terminals including monitors, televisions, and smartphones. In addition, the application fields thereof are also expanding to automobile displays and the like.

An organic light-emitting element (organic EL element; OLED) constituting an organic EL display device has a basic structure in which a functional layer including a light-emitting layer as an organic layer that causes light emission is formed between two opposing electrodes (cathode electrode, anode electrode). The functional layer and the electrode layer of the organic light-emitting element can be produced by, for example, forming a film of a material constituting each layer on a substrate through a mask in a vacuum film-forming apparatus.

The organic light-emitting element is manufactured by sequentially forming an electrode and various functional layers on a surface to be processed of a substrate while sequentially conveying the substrate to each film forming chamber. In the process of manufacturing an organic light-emitting element, a crack may be generated in the peripheral portion of the substrate or a part of the peripheral portion of the substrate may be broken due to stress applied to the substrate by the flexure of the substrate or impact during the conveyance of the substrate. In this state, the entire substrate may be damaged when the substrate continues to be subjected to stress or impact. Since the operation of the entire apparatus for manufacturing an organic light-emitting element is stopped due to the breakage of the substrate, it is desirable to inspect whether or not a crack or a defect is generated in the peripheral portion of the substrate before the substrate is broken.

Patent document 1 (japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2016-.

However, even if it is intended to inspect the presence or absence of cracks in the substrate, the substrate may shift from a predetermined position or posture due to a conveyance error during conveyance of the substrate, and thus, the presence or absence of cracks or chipping in the substrate may not be inspected.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The invention aims to provide a substrate inspection system capable of detecting whether a substrate has cracks or defects more accurately than the prior art, a manufacturing system of an electronic device comprising the substrate inspection system, a substrate inspection method and a manufacturing method of the electronic device comprising the substrate inspection method.

Means for solving the problems

A substrate inspection system according to a first aspect of the present invention is a substrate inspection system for inspecting a substrate conveyed in a first direction, the substrate inspection system including: a container; a substrate supporting mechanism provided in the container for supporting a substrate; a substrate position information acquiring unit configured to acquire substrate position information indicating a position of the substrate; a substrate inspection unit for inspecting the substrate; and a drive unit that drives at least one of the substrate support mechanism and the substrate inspection unit based on the substrate position information including position information of the substrate in a second direction that intersects the first direction and is parallel to a substrate support surface of the substrate support mechanism.

A substrate inspection system according to a second aspect of the present invention is a substrate inspection system for inspecting a substrate conveyed in a first direction, the substrate inspection system including: a container; a substrate position information acquiring unit configured to acquire substrate position information indicating a position of the substrate; a substrate inspection unit for inspecting the substrate; and an adjusting unit that adjusts a relative position between the substrate being conveyed and the substrate inspecting unit based on the substrate position information, the substrate position information including position information of the substrate in a second direction that intersects the first direction and is parallel to a main surface of the substrate being conveyed.

A manufacturing system of an electronic device according to a third aspect of the present invention includes: a first cluster apparatus including a film deposition apparatus for depositing a first material on a substrate through a mask to form a film; a second cluster apparatus including a film deposition apparatus for depositing a second material on the substrate through the mask to form a film; and a substrate inspection system for inspecting the substrate transferred from the first cluster apparatus to the second cluster apparatus, the substrate inspection system being the substrate inspection system according to the first or second aspect of the present invention.

A substrate inspection method according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a substrate inspection method for inspecting a substrate using an inspection unit, the method including: a substrate carrying-in stage, wherein the substrate is carried along a first direction and carried into a container; a substrate position information acquisition step of acquiring substrate position information indicating position information of the substrate; a driving step of driving at least one of the substrate and the inspection unit based on the acquired substrate position information; and a substrate inspection step of inspecting the substrate by the inspection unit, the substrate position information including position information of the substrate in a second direction intersecting the first direction and parallel to a main surface of the substrate being conveyed.

A method for manufacturing an electronic device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention includes: a film formation step of depositing a material on a substrate through a mask to form a film; and a substrate inspection stage of inspecting the substrate before or after the film formation stage, the substrate inspection stage being performed by the substrate inspection method according to the fourth aspect of the present invention.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, the inspection accuracy of the presence or absence of cracks or defects in the substrate can be improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a substrate inspection system of a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of a substrate inspection system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a substrate inspection system of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatus.

Description of the reference numerals

20: substrate inspection system

21: inspection unit

22: vacuum container (Container)

23: substrate supporting mechanism

24: substrate position information acquisition unit

25: drive unit

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments and examples merely illustrate preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these configurations. Note that the hardware configuration and software configuration of the device, the process flow, the manufacturing conditions, the size, the material, the shape, and the like in the following description are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these embodiments, unless otherwise specified.

The present invention is applicable to an apparatus for depositing various materials on the surface of a substrate to form a film while sequentially conveying the substrate to a plurality of film forming chambers, and is preferably applicable to an apparatus for forming a thin film (material layer) having a desired pattern by vacuum deposition. As a material of the substrate, any material such as glass, a thin film of a polymer material, or metal can be selected, and the substrate may be, for example, a substrate in which a thin film of polyimide or the like is laminated on a glass substrate. As the vapor deposition material, any material such as an organic material or a metallic material (metal, metal oxide, or the like) may be selected. The present invention can be applied to a film deposition apparatus including a sputtering apparatus and a CVD (Chemical vapor deposition) apparatus, in addition to the vacuum deposition apparatus described in the following description. The technique of the present invention is particularly applicable to manufacturing apparatuses for organic electronic devices (e.g., organic light-emitting elements, thin-film solar cells), optical members, and the like. Among these, an apparatus for manufacturing an organic light-emitting element, in which an organic light-emitting element is formed by evaporating a vapor deposition material onto a substrate through a mask, is one of preferable application examples of the present invention.

< apparatus for manufacturing electronic device >

Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a part of the structure of an apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device.

The manufacturing apparatus of fig. 1 is used for manufacturing a display panel of an organic EL display device for a smart phone, for example. In the case of a display panel for a smartphone, for example, a film for forming an organic EL element is formed on a 4.5 th generation substrate (about 700mm × about 900mm), a 6 th generation substrate having a full size (about 1500mm × about 1850mm), or a half-cut size (about 1500mm × about 925mm), and then the substrate is cut to produce a plurality of small-sized panels.

A manufacturing apparatus for electronic equipment generally includes a plurality of cluster apparatuses 1 and a relay apparatus 2 connecting the cluster apparatuses.

The cluster apparatus 1 includes a plurality of film deposition devices 11 for performing processes (e.g., film deposition) on the substrate S, a plurality of mask storage devices 12 for storing masks before and after use, and a transfer chamber 13 disposed at the center thereof. As shown in fig. 1, the transfer chambers 13 are connected to the plurality of film deposition apparatuses 11 and the mask stocker 12, respectively.

A transfer robot 14 for transferring the substrate and the mask is disposed in the transfer chamber 13. The transfer robot 14 transfers the substrate S from the passage chamber 15 of the relay apparatus 2 disposed on the upstream side to the film deposition apparatus 11. Further, the transfer robot 14 transfers the mask between the film deposition apparatus 11 and the mask stocker 12. The transfer robot 14 is, for example, a robot having a configuration in which a robot hand for holding the substrate S or the mask M is attached to an articulated arm.

In the film forming apparatus 11 (also referred to as a vapor deposition apparatus when film formation is performed by vapor deposition), a vapor deposition material stored in a vapor deposition source is heated by a heater to be evaporated, and is vapor-deposited on a substrate through a mask. A series of film formation processes such as transfer to and from the substrate S by the transfer robot 14, adjustment (alignment) of the relative position between the substrate S and the mask, fixing of the substrate S to the mask, and film formation (vapor deposition) are performed by the film formation apparatus.

The mask stocker 12 stores a new mask used in the film forming process in the film forming apparatus 11 and a used mask in two cassettes. The transfer robot 14 transfers the used mask from the film formation device 11 to the cassette of the mask storage device 12, and transfers a new mask stored in another cassette of the mask storage device 12 to the film formation device 11.

The relay device 2 includes at least one of a passage chamber 15, a buffer chamber 16, and a swirling chamber 17, and the relay device 2 is provided upstream and/or downstream of the cluster device 1 in the flow direction of the substrate S, and relays the conveyance and flow of the substrate S. The relay device and the control unit that controls the transfer of the substrate in the relay device are collectively referred to as a substrate transfer system.

The passage chamber 15 delivers the substrate S conveyed from the cluster apparatus on the upstream side in the flow direction of the substrate S to the downstream side, or delivers the substrate S conveyed from the upstream side to the cluster apparatus 1 on the downstream side. In fig. 1, the case where the passage chamber 15 is adjacent to the downstream-side cluster device 1 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be provided adjacent to the upstream-side cluster device 1.

The buffer chamber 16 delivers the substrate S from the cluster apparatus 1 on the upstream side to the downstream side. The buffer chamber 16 is configured to temporarily store a plurality of substrates when there is a difference in processing speed between the upstream cluster apparatus and the downstream cluster apparatus, or when the substrates cannot flow normally due to the influence of a failure on the downstream side. For example, the buffer chamber 16 may include a substrate storage portion capable of storing up to 8 substrates.

The transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13 receives the substrate S from the upstream passage chamber 15 and transfers the substrate S to one of the film deposition apparatuses 11 (for example, the film deposition apparatus 11a) in the cluster apparatus 1. The transfer robot 14 receives the substrate S having completed the film formation process in the cluster apparatus 1 from one of the plurality of film formation apparatuses 11 (for example, the film formation apparatus 11b), and transfers the substrate S to the buffer chamber 16 connected to the downstream side.

A whirling chamber 17 for changing the orientation of the substrate is provided between the buffer chamber 16 and the passage chamber 15. A transfer robot 18 is provided in the whirling chamber 17, and the transfer robot 18 receives the substrate S from the buffer chamber 16, rotates the substrate S by 180 °, and transfers the substrate S to the passage chamber 15. This makes it possible to easily process substrates in the same direction in the upstream cluster device and the downstream cluster device.

The film forming apparatus 11, the mask stocker 12, the transfer chamber 13, the buffer chamber 16, the whirling chamber 17, and the like are maintained in a high vacuum state during the process of manufacturing the organic light emitting element. The passage chamber 15 is normally maintained in a low vacuum state, but may be maintained in a high vacuum state as needed.

In the present embodiment, the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus for electronic devices is described with reference to fig. 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of apparatuses and chambers may be provided, and the arrangement between these apparatuses and chambers may be changed. For example, in a relay device connected to a cluster device which is a part of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus, passage chambers may be provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the swirling chamber 17, respectively, without providing a buffer chamber. Instead of the whirling chamber 17, a substrate rotating device for changing the orientation of the substrate may be provided in the passage chamber 15.

< substrate inspection System and substrate inspection method >

In a process in which a substrate for manufacturing an electronic device such as an organic light-emitting element is conveyed and handled in the above-described manufacturing apparatus for an electronic device, a crack may be generated from a peripheral portion of the substrate or a part of the peripheral portion of the substrate may be broken due to stress or impact applied to the substrate. If the entire substrate is damaged due to damage to the substrate, the operation of the entire apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device is stopped in order to remove the damaged substrate.

In order to prevent the operation of the entire manufacturing apparatus for electronic devices from being stopped due to the breakage of the substrate, an inspection unit for inspecting the substrate for abnormalities or damages (for example, the presence or absence of cracks or defects) is provided in the manufacturing apparatus for electronic devices. In the embodiment of the present invention, the inspection unit 21 of the substrate S is provided in a substrate conveyance system that conveys substrates between the cluster apparatuses 1. In the present embodiment, a substrate transport system including the inspection unit 21 of the substrate is referred to as a substrate inspection system 20.

The substrate inspection system 20 of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to fig. 2 and 3.

In the following description, an XYZ rectangular coordinate system in which the vertical direction is the Z direction is used. When the substrate S or the mask M is fixed in parallel with the horizontal plane (XY plane), the longitudinal direction (direction parallel to the long side) of the substrate S or the mask M is defined as the X direction (first direction), and the width direction (direction parallel to the short side) is defined as the Y direction (second direction). In addition, a rotation angle around the Z direction (third direction) as an axis is represented by θ (rotation direction).

Fig. 2 and 3 show a substrate inspection system 20 in which an inspection unit 21 for a substrate S is provided in the passage chamber 15 of the relay device 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the inspection unit 21 may be provided in the buffer chamber 16 or the whirling chamber 17 in addition to the passage chamber 15, or may be provided in the transfer chamber 13 of the cluster apparatus 1.

The substrate inspection system 20 of the present embodiment includes: a vacuum container 22 whose interior is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas; a substrate support mechanism 23 for supporting the substrate S carried into the vacuum chamber 22; an inspection unit 21 for inspecting the substrate S; a substrate position information acquiring unit 24 for acquiring substrate position information indicating position information of the substrate S carried into the vacuum chamber 22; a drive unit 25 for driving at least one of the inspection unit 21 and the substrate support mechanism 23 based on the substrate position information acquired by the substrate position information acquisition unit 24; and a control unit 26 that controls the substrate transfer and inspection operations in the substrate inspection system 20.

The vacuum container 22 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) for evacuating the interior thereof to a vacuum state. The substrate inspection system 20 of the present embodiment includes a vacuum chamber 22 in which the interior is kept at a low vacuum state (e.g., 10 to 10)^-3Torr) inflation/evacuation Pump (ポ ン プ for ラ フ emanation) for evacuating the interior of vacuum vessel 22 to a high vacuum state (e.g., about 10F)^-8Torr) and a pump for high vacuum evacuation (for example, a cryopump).

A substrate carrying-in port 221 is provided upstream of the vacuum chamber 22 in the substrate transfer direction (first direction), for example, between the substrate carrying-in port and the turning chamber 17, and a substrate carrying-out port 222 is provided downstream of the vacuum chamber 22, for example, between the substrate carrying-in port and the transfer chamber 13. The substrate transfer port 221 and the substrate transfer port 222 are realized by gate valves.

The substrate S carried into the vacuum container 22 by the transfer robot 18 of the revolving chamber 17 is supported by the substrate support mechanism 23. Here, since the substrate S is conveyed in a state where the main surface (surface to be processed) of the substrate is perpendicular to the vertical direction, the substrate support mechanism 23 may be a support table or a plurality of support pins (support members) that support the substrate S from the gravity direction downward. Therefore, in the following description, the case where the substrate S is supported by the substrate support mechanism 23 may be described as the case where the substrate S is placed on the substrate support mechanism 23, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the substrate S may be supported by the substrate support mechanism 23 in a standing state. The substrate support mechanism 23 is a means for temporarily supporting the substrate S carried in by the transfer robot 18 in the whirling chamber 17 before the substrate S is carried out by the transfer robot 14 in the transfer chamber 13 on the downstream side thereof, and relays the transfer of the substrate S to and from the transfer robots 14 and 18.

That is, when the transfer robot 18 of the upstream-side whirling chamber 17 carries the substrate S into the vacuum chamber 22 through the substrate carrying-in port 221 and sets and withdraws the substrate S on the substrate support mechanism 23, the transfer robot 14 of the downstream-side transfer chamber 13 enters the vacuum chamber 22 through the substrate carrying-out port 222 and lifts and carries out the substrate S on the substrate support mechanism 23. This enables the substrate to be transferred more stably than a configuration in which the substrate is directly transferred between the transfer robots 14 and 18.

The substrate support mechanism 23 supports a peripheral edge portion of a deposition surface (lower surface) of the substrate S by a plurality of supports (not shown).

In fig. 2 and 3, the substrate support mechanism 23 is shown fixed to the vacuum chamber 22, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the substrate support mechanism 23 may be provided so as to be movable in the first direction, which is the substrate transfer direction. For example, the substrate support mechanism 23 may be provided to be movable in the first direction using a motor and a ball screw, or a motor and a linear guide.

When the substrate support mechanism 23 is provided so as to be movable in the first direction, the substrate support mechanism 23 is located at a position close to the substrate carrying-in port 221 when the substrate S is received from the transfer robot 18 of the whirling chamber 17, and moves in the first direction to a position close to the substrate carrying-out port 222 when the substrate S is placed. When the substrate support mechanism 23 on which the substrate is placed moves to a position near the substrate carrying-out port 222 and stops, the transfer robot 14 of the downstream transfer chamber 13 carries out the substrate on the substrate support mechanism 23 through the substrate carrying-out port 222.

As described later, the substrate support mechanism 23 may be provided so as to be movable in a second direction intersecting the first direction and in a rotational direction about a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction.

The inspection unit 21 optically inspects the surface of the substrate S for the presence or absence of substrate abnormalities (e.g., the presence or absence of cracks and defects). For example, the inspection unit 21 may be constituted by a laser sensor. Specifically, when the inspection unit 21 is implemented by a laser sensor, the inspection unit 21 includes a laser light source unit and a laser light receiving unit as light irradiation means. When the laser light emitted from the laser light source unit is diffracted or scattered from the edge or the crack of the substrate, the presence or absence of a defect or a crack at the edge of the substrate can be checked by detecting the laser light by the laser light receiving unit.

The laser sensor used as the inspection unit 21 can be of a spot (spot) type, a line (line) type, an area (area) type, or the like, depending on the beam shape of the laser light.

As shown in fig. 2, the inspection unit 21 is provided outside (on the atmosphere side) the upper surface of the vacuum chamber 22 in the vertical direction. The inspection unit 21 can irradiate a region to be inspected of the substrate (for example, a peripheral portion of the substrate) with laser light through a window provided on an upper surface of the vacuum chamber 22. The inspection unit 21 may be provided outside (on the atmosphere side) the lower surface of the vacuum chamber 22 in the vertical direction. When a laser sensor is used as the inspection unit 21, the laser light source and the laser light receiving unit constituting the laser sensor may be provided on the same side with respect to the vacuum chamber 22 (for example, both may be provided outside the upper surface of the vacuum chamber 22 in the vertical direction) as a reflection-type laser sensor. Alternatively, the transmission-type laser sensor may be configured such that the laser light source and the laser light receiving unit are disposed opposite to each other with the vacuum chamber 22 as the center (for example, the laser light source is disposed outside the upper surface of the vacuum chamber 22 in the vertical direction, and the laser light receiving unit is disposed outside the lower surface of the vacuum chamber 22 in the vertical direction).

The inspection unit 21 is disposed downstream of the substrate position information acquisition unit 24 in the first direction. For example, the inspection unit 21 is disposed to be biased toward the substrate carrying-out port 222 with reference to the center of the vacuum chamber 22.

As shown in fig. 3, a plurality of inspection units 21 are provided at positions corresponding to the positions of the peripheral edge portions of the substrate S. In fig. 3, the case where two inspection units 21 are provided at positions corresponding to the positions of the two long sides of the substrate S is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a plurality of inspection units 21 may be provided along the long side direction (first direction) at positions corresponding to the respective long sides, or inspection units 21 may be provided at positions corresponding to the short sides of the substrate S.

The inspection unit 21 is fixed in a first direction, which is a substrate conveyance direction, and is provided to be movable or rotatable in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

Even if the inspection unit 21 is fixed in the first direction, the substrate S is conveyed in the first direction by the conveying robot 14 or the substrate support mechanism 23 of the conveying chamber 13, and therefore, cracks or chipping can be inspected along the long side of the substrate S. That is, the inspection unit 21 inspects the presence or absence of cracks or chipping along the long sides of the substrate S while the transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13 lifts up the substrate S placed on the substrate support mechanism 23 and transfers it in the first direction. In the configuration in which the substrate support mechanism 23 is movable in the first direction, the inspection unit 21 may be configured to inspect the presence or absence of cracks/defects along the long sides of the substrate S while the substrate S is being conveyed in the first direction by the movement of the substrate support mechanism 23 in the first direction in a state in which the substrate S is placed on the substrate support mechanism 23.

In the present embodiment, since the inspection unit 21 is provided so as to be movable in the second direction or rotatable at an angle, when the substrate S is carried into the substrate inspection system 20, even if the substrate S is carried into the substrate inspection system from a predetermined position or posture due to a conveyance error or the like, for example, even if the substrate S is carried into the substrate inspection system while being displaced in the second direction, the presence or absence of a crack can be inspected along the long side of the substrate (S) by moving the inspection unit 21 in the second direction or by moving the inspection region (laser light irradiation region in the case of a laser sensor) of the inspection unit 21 in the second direction by rotating the angle of the inspection unit 21.

The description has been given mainly on the configuration in which the inspection unit 21 is realized by a laser sensor, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the inspection unit 21 may be another optical unit such as a camera. In this case, the peripheral edge of the substrate S is imaged, and the presence or absence of cracks or defects is inspected by image processing.

The substrate position information acquiring unit 24 acquires position information of the substrate S loaded into the vacuum chamber 22. In particular, in the present embodiment, information about the position of the substrate S in the second direction is acquired. Therefore, the substrate position information acquiring unit 24 can be realized by using a camera or a line laser sensor.

For example, when the substrate position information acquiring unit 24 is a camera, the substrate is photographed by the camera, and the position information of the edge of the substrate S in the second direction (that is, the long sides of both sides) can be acquired by image recognition processing of the image of the substrate. In fig. 3, the configuration of the substrate position information acquiring unit 24 is illustrated as being implemented by one camera, but the present invention is not limited to this, and position information of the substrate in the second direction may be acquired by imaging, for example, two corners of the incoming substrate S with a plurality of cameras and performing image processing.

In the case of using the line laser sensor, as shown in fig. 3, the line laser sensor may be arranged along the second direction, and the substrate may be irradiated with the linear laser beam to obtain the positional information of (the edge of) the substrate in the second direction.

The substrate position information acquiring unit 24 is provided outside (on the atmospheric side) the upper surface of the vacuum chamber 22 in order to be able to photograph the substrate S through a window provided in the vacuum chamber 22, as in the inspection unit 21. The substrate position information acquiring unit 24 may be provided outside (on the atmospheric side) the lower surface of the vacuum chamber 22.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the substrate position information acquiring unit 24 is provided upstream of the inspection unit 21 in the first direction. That is, the substrate position information acquiring unit 24 is provided so as to be offset toward the substrate loading port 221 side of the vacuum chamber 22 with respect to the center of the vacuum chamber 22. Thus, before the substrate S enters the inspectable area of the inspection unit 21, the position information of the substrate S in the second direction can be acquired in advance, and the inspection unit 21 can be driven based on the position information. That is, the substrate S is conveyed into the vacuum chamber 22 in the first direction by the conveying robot 18, and when entering, the positional information of the substrate S in the second direction can be acquired, and the time taken to acquire the positional information of the substrate can be shortened.

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the substrate position information acquisition unit 24 may be provided to acquire the position information of the substrate after the substrate S is placed on the substrate support mechanism 23 by the transfer robot 18. The positional information of the substrate S is acquired not while the substrate S is carried into the vacuum chamber 22 by the transfer robot 18 but after being placed on the substrate support mechanism 23, and thus the positional information of the substrate can be acquired while reflecting a transfer error occurring during the transfer of the substrate between the transfer robot 18 and the substrate support mechanism 23. Therefore, the position of the inspection unit 21 can be more precisely matched with the position of the substrate, and the inspection accuracy of the substrate can be improved.

The substrate position information acquiring unit 24 may acquire position information of the substrate S in a rotation direction about the third direction. For example, by capturing images of two corners on opposite corners of the substrate S with a camera and performing image processing, positional information in the rotational direction of the substrate S can be acquired.

The drive unit 25 moves the inspection unit 21 in the second direction or rotates about the first direction (i.e., adjusts the angle of the inspection unit 21 in a plane including the second direction) based on the positional information (e.g., positional information in the second direction) of the substrate (edge) acquired by the substrate positional information acquisition unit 24, and moves the inspection region of the inspection unit 21 in the second direction. That is, the driving unit 25 functions as an adjusting unit that adjusts the relative position between the substrate S being conveyed and the inspection unit 21 based on the substrate position information. The drive unit 25 thus comprises a motor and/or a ball screw, linear guide.

As described above, in the manufacturing apparatus of electronic devices such as organic EL display devices, the substrate S is transferred between the film forming apparatus 11 and the passage chamber 15/the buffer chamber 16 or between the passage chamber 15 and the buffer chamber 16 by the transfer robot such as the transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13 or the transfer robot 18 of the swirl chamber 17. However, in this process, when the repeatability of substrate conveyance by the conveyance robots 14 and 18 (i.e., the accuracy of conveying the substrate to the same location each time the conveyance robots convey the substrate) is low, the substrate S is not conveyed to a predetermined position and is conveyed to a different position each time the substrate S is conveyed by the conveyance robots 14 and 18.

However, as in the conventional technique, when the inspection unit 21 is fixed and disposed in the vicinity of the substrate carrying-out port 222 of the passage chamber 15 in the second direction, the inspection unit 21 is disposed as close as possible to the edge (for example, the long side) of the substrate in order to more accurately inspect whether or not there is a crack or a defect in the substrate (the crack or the defect usually starts from the edge of the substrate and travels inside the substrate). Therefore, when the position of the long side of the substrate S carried into the vacuum container 22 by the transfer robot 18 of the whirling chamber 17 is shifted from the position of the inspection unit 21 in the second direction, there is a possibility that it is not possible to inspect whether or not there is a crack or a defect in the long side of the substrate S.

In the present invention, in order to solve this problem, a substrate position information acquiring means 24 for detecting the position of the substrate in the second direction is provided in the vicinity of the carrying-in port 221 of the vacuum chamber 22 of the substrate inspection system 20, and based on the position information of the substrate in the second direction thus acquired, the inspection means 21 is moved in the second direction by the driving means 25 or the inspection means 21 is rotationally driven so that the inspection region thereof is moved in the second direction.

According to such a configuration, even if the substrate S is carried into the substrate inspection system 20 in a state of being shifted in the lateral direction (second direction), the long side of the substrate S can be inspected always with high accuracy by moving or rotating the inspection unit 21 by the shift amount in the second direction.

The conveyance errors by the conveyance robots 14 and 18 do not occur only in the second direction, but for example, the substrate S may be conveyed into the substrate inspection system 20 in a state of being tilted in the first direction (i.e., in a state of being rotated in a rotation direction about the third direction as an axis). In such a case, the substrate position information acquisition means 24 may be provided so as to be able to detect the rotation angle of the substrate with the Z direction (third direction) as an axis, in order to be able to check the presence or absence of cracks/defects along the long sides of the substrate S.

In addition, when the substrate S is carried in while being rotated about the third direction, the presence or absence of a crack or a defect may not be inspected on the entire long side of the substrate S only by moving the inspection unit 21 in the second direction or rotating it once by the driving unit 25. In this case, the driving unit 25 continuously or intermittently drives the position, angle of the inspection unit 21 in the second direction. More specifically, the driving unit 25 continuously or intermittently drives the position and angle of the inspection unit S in the second direction in accordance with the speed of conveying the substrate S, for example, the speed at which the conveying robot 14 of the conveying chamber 13 carries out the substrate placed on the substrate support mechanism 23 of the substrate inspection system 20. Thus, the presence or absence of cracks or defects can be inspected along the long side of the substrate not only when the substrate S is shifted in parallel only in the second direction, but also when the substrate S is rotated about the third direction as an axis within a plane including the first direction and the second direction, for example, within the substrate placement plane of the substrate support mechanism 23.

The control unit 26 controls the transfer and inspection operations of the substrate in the substrate inspection system 20. That is, the control unit 26 calculates the amounts (Δ X, Δ θ) of substrate deviation from a predetermined position (reference position) based on the captured images of the edge and corner of the substrate acquired by the substrate position information acquiring unit 24. The driving unit 25 is controlled based on the calculated relative positional displacement amount to move or rotationally drive the inspection unit 21 in the second direction. When the substrate S is also deviated in the rotation direction, the control unit 26 controls the driving unit 25 in consideration of the conveyance speed of the substrate S.

In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the board inspection system 20 includes the control unit 26 has been described as a premise, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be incorporated in a control unit that controls the operation of the cluster apparatus 1.

In the above-described embodiment (first embodiment), the description has been given mainly on the configuration in which the position and angle of the inspection unit 21 are adjusted in the second direction by the drive unit 25, but the present invention is not limited to this, and instead of the above-described configuration, the inspection unit 21 may be fixed and provided in the vacuum chamber 22, and the substrate support mechanism 23 may be moved or rotated in the second direction and/or the rotational direction by the drive unit 25 (second embodiment).

In the second embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, after the substrate S is carried into the vacuum chamber 22 and placed on the substrate support mechanism 23, the positional information of the substrate S is acquired by, for example, a substrate positional information acquisition unit 24 provided at positions corresponding to two corners on a diagonal line of the substrate.

The control unit 26 compares the acquired positional information of the substrate with a reference position of the substrate S (the reference position is set to coincide with the position of the inspection unit 21), and calculates a positional displacement amount of the substrate S. Based on the calculated amount of positional deviation, the substrate support mechanism 23 is driven by the driving unit 25 to adjust the position of the substrate. In this case, the inspection unit 21 does not need to be moved, and the substrate S can be inspected at a position fixed in the second direction.

According to the second embodiment, the position information of the substrate S is not acquired during the process of carrying the substrate S into the vacuum chamber 22 by the transfer robot 18, but acquired after the substrate S is placed on the substrate support mechanism 23, so that the position of the substrate can be adjusted in consideration of the transfer error occurring during the process of transferring the substrate between the transfer robot 18 and the substrate support mechanism 23. Therefore, the position of the substrate can be adjusted more precisely, and the inspection accuracy of the substrate can be improved. However, for this reason, unlike the first embodiment, the driving unit 25 needs to be configured to be able to drive the substrate support mechanism 23 not only in the second direction but also in the rotational direction about the Z direction as an axis.

As shown in fig. 4, the driving unit 25 used in the second embodiment is disposed outside (atmosphere side) the lower surface of the vacuum vessel 22 of the substrate inspection system. The driving unit 25 can be realized in the same manner as a general alignment table mechanism for aligning a substrate in the film deposition apparatus 11. For example, the servo motor may include two X-direction servo motors and one or two Y-direction servo motors. The drive unit 25 and the substrate support mechanism 23 of the second embodiment are coupled to each other via a shaft 251 via the lower surface of the vacuum chamber 22.

In this case, the substrate position information acquiring unit 24 is preferably provided outside (on the atmospheric side) the lower surface of the vacuum chamber 22 so as to photograph the substrate via a window provided on the lower surface, instead of being provided on the upper surface of the vacuum chamber 22.

Hereinafter, a method of inspecting a substrate using the substrate inspection system of the present embodiment will be described.

First, when the substrate S on which the film formation of the first vapor deposition material (for example, an organic material of a light-emitting layer described later) has been completed in the film formation device 11 included in the upstream cluster device (first cluster device) is carried to the buffer chamber 16 by the carrying robot 14 of the carrying chamber 13 of the upstream cluster device, the carrying robot 18 of the whirling chamber 17 rotates the substrate S carried to the buffer chamber 16 by 180 ° about an axis in a direction (Z direction) perpendicular to the substrate surface, and then carries the substrate S into the substrate inspection system 20 of the present invention. That is, the transfer robot 18 transfers the substrate S into the vacuum chamber 22 through the substrate transfer port 221 (S1).

At this time, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the substrate position information acquiring unit 24 acquires information on the position of the substrate that enters the vacuum chamber 22 on the hand of the transfer robot 18. The acquired positional information of the substrate includes at least positional information of the substrate in the second direction (S2).

The substrate S carried in by the transfer robot 18 is placed on the substrate support mechanism 23 and supported by the substrate support mechanism 23 (S3).

On the other hand, the control unit 26 calculates the distance by which the substrate is shifted from the predetermined position (reference position) in the second direction based on the position information of the substrate, particularly the position information of the substrate in the second direction, acquired by the substrate position information acquiring unit 24. The driving unit 25 is driven based on the calculated amount of positional deviation to adjust the position or the irradiation angle of the inspection unit 21 in the second direction (S4).

The transfer robot 14 of the downstream transfer chamber 13 enters the vacuum chamber 22 through the substrate carrying-out port 222 of the substrate inspection system 20, lifts the substrate S placed on the substrate support mechanism 23 from the lower surface, and transfers the substrate S in the first direction. At this time, the substrate S is conveyed below the inspection unit 21 whose position has been adjusted, and the presence or absence of cracks/defects is detected along the long side of the substrate S (S5).

According to the present embodiment, since the inspection unit S has adjusted the position in the second direction in accordance with the positional deviation of the substrate S in the second direction, the presence or absence of the crack/defect can be detected with high accuracy along the long side of the substrate S.

In the above-described embodiment, the information on the position of the substrate S in the second direction is acquired while the substrate S is being carried into the vacuum chamber 22 by the transfer robot 18, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the position information of the substrate may be acquired after the substrate S is placed on the substrate support mechanism 23. In this case, since the positional information of the substrate S reflecting the conveyance error generated in the process of transferring the substrate S from the conveyance robot 18 to the substrate support mechanism 23 can be acquired, the position of the inspection unit 21 can be adjusted more precisely in accordance with the position of the substrate S.

In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given mainly on the configuration in which the position of the inspection unit 21 is adjusted based on the acquired position information of the substrate S, but in another embodiment (second embodiment), the substrate support mechanism 23 is driven by the drive unit 25 so as to coincide with the position of the fixed inspection unit 21. In this process, since the position, posture, or orientation of the substrate S itself can be adjusted (that is, the substrate S can be pre-aligned by the substrate inspection system 20), when the film formation process is performed in the cluster apparatus 1 on the downstream side, the time taken for substrate alignment can be shortened, and the film formation accuracy can be improved.

< method for manufacturing electronic device >

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an electronic device using the film formation apparatus of the present embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, a structure and a manufacturing method of an organic EL display device are exemplified as an example of an electronic apparatus.

First, the organic EL display device manufactured will be described. Fig. 5 (a) shows an overall view of the organic EL display device 50, and fig. 5 (b) shows a cross-sectional structure of 1 pixel.

As shown in fig. 5 (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 an organic EL display device 50. Each of the light-emitting elements has a structure including an organic layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes, and details thereof will be described later. Here, the pixel is a minimum unit that can display a desired color in the display region 51. In the case of the organic EL display device of the present embodiment, the pixel 52 is configured by a combination of the first light-emitting element 52R, the second light-emitting element 52G, and the third light-emitting element 52B which represent mutually different light emissions. The pixel 52 is often configured by a combination of a red light emitting element, a green light emitting element, and a blue light emitting element, but may be a combination of a yellow light emitting element, a cyan light emitting element, and a white light emitting element, and is not particularly limited as long as it is at least 1 color or more.

Fig. 5 (B) is a partial cross-sectional view of line a-B of fig. 5 (a). The pixel 52 has an organic EL element including a first electrode (anode) 54, a hole transport layer 55, any one of light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B, an electron transport layer 57, and a cathode 58 on a substrate 53. The hole transport layer 55, the light emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B, and the electron transport layer 57 correspond to organic layers. In this embodiment, the light-emitting layer 56R is an organic EL layer that emits red, the light-emitting layer 56G is an organic EL layer that emits green, and the light-emitting layer 56B is an organic EL layer that emits blue. The light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B are formed in patterns corresponding to light-emitting elements (also referred to as organic EL elements) that emit red, green, 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 with the plurality of light emitting elements 52R, 52G, and 52B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. In order to prevent the first electrode 54 and the second electrode 58 from being short-circuited by foreign matter, an insulating layer 59 is provided between the first electrodes 54. Further, since the organic EL layer is deteriorated by moisture or oxygen, a protective layer 60 for protecting the organic EL element from moisture or oxygen is provided.

In fig. 5 (b), the hole transport layer 55 and the electron transport layer 57 are illustrated as one layer, but may be formed of a plurality of layers including a hole blocking layer and an electron blocking layer depending on the structure of the organic EL display element. Further, a hole injection layer having an energy band structure may be formed between the first electrode 54 and the hole transport layer 55, and the hole injection layer can smoothly inject holes from the first electrode 54 into the hole transport layer 55. Similarly, an electron injection layer can be formed between the second electrode 58 and the electron transport layer 57.

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be specifically described.

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

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

The substrate 53 with the patterned insulating layer 59 is carried into the first film forming apparatus, and the substrate is held by the substrate holding unit, and the hole transport layer 55 is formed as a layer common to the first electrodes 54 in the display region. The hole transport layer 55 is formed by vacuum evaporation. In practice, the hole transport layer 55 is formed to have a size larger than the display region 51, and therefore a high-definition mask is not required.

Next, the substrate 53 having been formed on the hole transport layer 55 is carried into the second film formation apparatus and held by the substrate holding means. The substrate is placed on the mask by aligning the substrate with the mask, and a light-emitting layer 56R emitting red light is formed on a portion of the substrate 53 where the elements emitting red light are disposed. According to the present embodiment, before the substrate is carried into the cluster device by the transfer robot 14 in the transfer chamber 13, the substrate inspection system 20 inspects with high accuracy whether or not a crack or a defect is present in the peripheral edge portion of the substrate. This can prevent damage to the entire substrate S.

Similarly to the formation of the light-emitting layer 56R, the light-emitting layer 56G emitting green light is formed by the third film formation device, and the light-emitting layer 56B emitting blue light is formed by the fourth film formation device. After the completion of the formation of the light-emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B, the electron transport layer 57 is formed on the entire display region 51 by the fifth film formation device. The electron transport layer 57 is formed as a layer common to the 3-color light emitting layers 56R, 56G, and 56B.

The substrate on which the electron transport layer 57 has been formed is moved to a sixth film forming apparatus to form the second electrode 57, and then moved to a plasma CVD apparatus to form the protective layer 60, thereby completing the organic EL display apparatus 50.

When the substrate 53 having the patterned insulating layer 59 is exposed to an environment containing moisture or oxygen until the deposition of the protective layer 60 is completed after being carried into the deposition apparatus, the light-emitting layer made of the organic EL material may be deteriorated by moisture or oxygen. Therefore, in this example, the substrate is carried in and out between the film deposition apparatuses in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere.

The above embodiments and examples are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above embodiments and examples, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea.