阅读说明：本技术 掩模对准方法、成膜方法、掩模对准装置及成膜装置 (Mask alignment method, film formation method, mask alignment apparatus, and film formation apparatus ) 是由 富井广树 谷和宪 鸟泻光太郎 于 2020-08-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的掩模对准方法调整掩模载置台与掩模的相对位置,其特征在于,包括：对所述掩模载置台上的所述掩模的相对的位置偏离量进行计测的计测工序；在使所述掩模从所述掩模载置台分离的状态下,在与所述掩模载置台的载置面平行的面内,使所述掩模相对于所述掩模载置台相对移动与计测到的所述位置偏离量相当的移动指示量的位置调整工序；及将相对移动后的所述掩模载置到所述掩模载置台上的载置工序,所述掩模对准方法基于规定的条件,对所述移动指示量进行补正,并使用补正后的移动指示量进行所述位置调整工序。(The mask alignment method of the present invention adjusts a relative position between a mask stage and a mask, and includes: a measurement step of measuring a relative positional displacement amount of the mask on the mask stage; a position adjustment step of relatively moving the mask with respect to the mask stage by a movement instruction amount corresponding to the measured positional deviation amount in a plane parallel to a mounting surface of the mask stage in a state where the mask is separated from the mask stage; and a placement step of placing the mask after the relative movement on the mask placement table, wherein the mask alignment method corrects the movement instruction amount based on a predetermined condition, and performs the position adjustment step using the corrected movement instruction amount.)

1. A mask alignment method for adjusting a relative position of a mask stage and a mask, comprising:

a measurement step of measuring a relative positional displacement amount of the mask on the mask stage;

a position adjustment step of relatively moving the mask with respect to the mask stage by a movement instruction amount corresponding to the measured positional deviation amount in a plane parallel to a mounting surface of the mask stage in a state where the mask is separated from the mask stage; and

a mounting step of mounting the mask after the relative movement on the mask stage,

the mask alignment method corrects the movement instruction amount based on a predetermined condition, and performs the position adjustment process using the corrected movement instruction amount.

2. The mask alignment method according to claim 1,

in the correction of the movement instruction amount, the movement instruction amount is corrected to be twice as large as the positional deviation amount measured in the measurement step.

3. The mask alignment method according to claim 2,

in the step of sequentially repeating the measuring step, the position adjusting step, and the mounting step, if the amount of positional deviation of the mask on the mask mounting table is repeatedly set to a deviation amount exceeding a predetermined value and a change in the amount of positional deviation becomes a predetermined reference value or less, it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied, and the corrected position adjustment is performed using the corrected movement instruction amount in the next position adjusting step.

4. The mask alignment method according to claim 3,

when a difference between immediately preceding movement instruction amounts, which are movement instruction amounts corresponding to the amount of positional deviation of the mask on the mask stage, is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value two consecutive times, it is determined that the change in the amount of positional deviation is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value.

5. The mask alignment method according to claim 3,

when the difference between the two previous movement instruction amounts, which is the movement instruction amount corresponding to the position deviation amount of the mask on the mask stage, becomes equal to or less than the predetermined reference value, it is determined that the change in the position deviation amount becomes equal to or less than the predetermined reference value, and the first post-correction position adjustment is performed using the post-correction movement instruction amount in the next position adjustment step.

6. The mask alignment method according to claim 5,

one of the movement instruction amounts to be compared with the difference at the time of the first post-correction position adjustment is compared with the movement instruction amount immediately before the second post-correction position adjustment, and the second post-correction position adjustment is performed when the difference is equal to or smaller than the predetermined reference value.

7. The mask alignment method according to any one of claims 3 to 6,

the reference value is a value smaller than the predetermined value.

8. A film forming method is characterized by comprising:

a first alignment step of placing the mask on the mask stage with the relative position of the mask and the mask stage adjusted, by using the mask alignment method according to any one of claims 1 to 6;

a second alignment step of adjusting a relative position of the substrate with respect to the mask placed on the mask stage; and

and a step of forming a film of a vapor deposition material from a vapor deposition source on the substrate via the mask after the substrate and the mask are brought into close contact with each other with the position thereof adjusted.

9. A mask alignment apparatus for adjusting a relative position of a mask stage and a mask, comprising:

a mask supporting unit that temporarily supports the mask before and after the mask is placed on the mask placing table;

a mask supporting unit elevating mechanism that elevates the mask supporting unit;

a measurement unit configured to measure a relative displacement amount of the mask on the mask stage;

a position adjustment mechanism that moves the mask relative to the mask stage by a movement instruction amount corresponding to the measured position deviation amount within a plane parallel to a mounting surface of the mask stage in a state where the mask is separated from the mask stage; and

a control unit that controls the movement instruction amount when the position adjustment mechanism performs position adjustment,

the control unit corrects the movement instruction amount based on a predetermined condition, and controls the position adjustment mechanism so that the position adjustment is performed using the corrected movement instruction amount.

10. The mask alignment apparatus of claim 9,

in the correction of the movement instruction amount, the movement instruction amount is corrected to be twice as large as the positional deviation amount measured by the measurement mechanism.

11. The mask alignment apparatus of claim 10,

in the process of sequentially repeating the measurement step of the position deviation amount by the measurement mechanism, the position adjustment step by the position adjustment mechanism, and the placing step of lowering the mask support unit by the mask support unit raising and lowering mechanism and placing the mask after the position adjustment on the mask placing table again, if the position deviation amount of the mask on the mask placing table is repeatedly set to a deviation amount exceeding a predetermined value and a change in the position deviation amount becomes a predetermined reference value or less, the control unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, and controls the position adjustment mechanism so as to perform the position adjustment after the correction using the movement instruction amount after the correction in the next position adjustment step.

12. The mask alignment apparatus of claim 11,

the control unit determines that the change in the amount of positional deviation is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value when a difference between immediately preceding movement instruction amounts, which are movement instruction amounts corresponding to the amount of positional deviation of the mask on the mask stage, is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value two consecutive times.

13. The mask alignment apparatus of claim 11,

when a difference between two previous movement instruction amounts, which is a movement instruction amount corresponding to a position deviation amount of the mask on the mask stage, becomes equal to or smaller than the predetermined reference value, the control unit determines that a change in the position deviation amount becomes equal to or smaller than the predetermined reference value, and controls the position adjustment mechanism so as to perform a first post-correction position adjustment using the corrected movement instruction amount in a next position adjustment step.

14. The mask alignment apparatus of claim 13,

the control unit compares one of the movement instruction amounts to be compared with the difference when the first post-correction position adjustment is performed with the movement instruction amount immediately before the second post-correction position adjustment, and controls the position adjustment mechanism so as to perform the second post-correction position adjustment when the difference is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value.

15. The mask alignment device according to any one of claims 11 to 14,

the reference value is a value smaller than the predetermined value.

16. A film deposition apparatus, comprising:

the mask alignment device of any one of claims 9 to 15;

a substrate supporting unit for holding a substrate; and

a vapor deposition source for accommodating a vapor deposition material.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to mask alignment for positioning a mask on a mask stage.

Background

Recently, as a flat panel display device, an organic EL display device has attracted attention. The organic EL display device is a self-luminous display, has characteristics such as excellent response speed, viewing angle, and reduction in thickness compared to a liquid crystal panel display, and has been used as a substitute for an existing liquid crystal panel display at a relatively high speed in various portable terminals such as monitors, televisions, and smartphones. Further, the application field is also expanded in displays for automobiles and the like.

An element of an organic EL display device has a basic structure in which an organic layer that causes light emission is formed between two facing electrodes (a cathode electrode, an anode electrode). The organic layer and the electrode metal layer of the element of the organic EL display device are produced by forming a film of a vapor deposition substance on a substrate through a mask having a pixel pattern formed therein in a film forming apparatus, but in order to improve the accuracy of such a film forming process, it is necessary to accurately align the relative positions of the mask and the substrate before forming a film on the substrate.

Therefore, marks (which will be referred to as alignment marks) are formed on the substrate and the mask, and the alignment marks are imaged by a camera provided in the film deposition apparatus, thereby measuring the relative positional deviation between the substrate and the mask.

Based on the measured relative positional deviation between the substrate and the mask, the substrate holder on which the substrate is placed is relatively moved with respect to the mask stage on which the mask is placed, thereby adjusting the relative position of the substrate with respect to the mask.

On the other hand, if the mask itself is placed on the mask stage at a position or orientation deviated from the reference position before the measurement and position adjustment of the relative position deviation of the substrate with respect to the mask are performed, problems occur such as deviation of the alignment mark of the mask from the field of view of the camera, an increase in the time of the alignment process of the substrate with respect to the mask, or a decrease in the accuracy of the substrate alignment process. Therefore, mask alignment is also performed in which the mask carried into the film deposition apparatus is positioned on the mask stage before measurement and position adjustment of the relative position of the substrate with respect to the mask are performed.

However, depending on the mask, a certain amount of positional deviation may continue to occur even if the positional adjustment by the mask alignment is repeated a plurality of times. In such a case, mask alignment cannot be completed normally, and the TACT (TACT) time of the entire film deposition apparatus increases.

Disclosure of Invention

[ problem to be solved by the invention ]

The invention aims to provide an improved mask alignment method, a film formation method using the mask alignment method, an alignment device and a film formation device for realizing the mask alignment method, which can make the position deviation of a mask quickly converge within a specified value and complete the mask alignment in a short time, thereby preventing the delay of the overall TACT (TACT) time of the film formation device.

[ MEANS FOR solving PROBLEMS ] A method for solving the problems

The mask alignment method of the present invention adjusts a relative position between a mask stage and a mask, and includes: a measurement step of measuring a relative positional displacement amount of the mask on the mask stage; a position adjustment step of relatively moving the mask with respect to the mask stage by a movement instruction amount corresponding to the measured positional deviation amount in a plane parallel to a mounting surface of the mask stage in a state where the mask is separated from the mask stage; and a placement step of placing the mask after the relative movement on the mask placement table, wherein the mask alignment method corrects the movement instruction amount based on a predetermined condition, and performs the position adjustment step using the corrected movement instruction amount.

The film forming method of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first alignment step of placing the mask on the mask stage with the relative position of the mask and the mask stage adjusted by using the alignment method; a second alignment step of adjusting a relative position of the substrate with respect to the mask placed on the mask stage; and a step of forming a film of a vapor deposition material from a vapor deposition source on the substrate via the mask after the substrate and the mask are brought into close contact with each other with the position thereof adjusted.

The mask alignment apparatus of the present invention is a mask alignment apparatus for adjusting a relative position between a mask stage and a mask, comprising: a mask supporting unit that temporarily supports the mask before and after the mask is placed on the mask placing table; a mask supporting unit elevating mechanism that elevates the mask supporting unit; a measurement unit configured to measure a relative displacement amount of the mask on the mask stage; a position adjustment mechanism that moves the mask relative to the mask stage by a movement instruction amount corresponding to the measured position deviation amount within a plane parallel to a mounting surface of the mask stage in a state where the mask is separated from the mask stage; and a control unit that controls the movement instruction amount when the position adjustment mechanism performs position adjustment, wherein the control unit corrects the movement instruction amount based on a predetermined condition, and controls the position adjustment mechanism so that the position adjustment is performed using the corrected movement instruction amount.

A film forming apparatus includes a mask alignment device, a substrate support unit for holding a substrate, and a vapor deposition source for receiving a vapor deposition material.

[ Effect of the invention ]

According to the present invention, the positional deviation of the mask can be quickly converged within a predetermined value, and the mask alignment can be completed in a short time, thereby preventing a delay in the TACT (TACT) time of the entire film deposition apparatus.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a part of an apparatus for manufacturing an electronic device.

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

Fig. 3(a) and 3(b) are schematic views of a mask stage and a mask supporting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4(a) to 4(c) are conceptual views for explaining basic operations of mask alignment.

Fig. 5(a) to 5(c) are schematic diagrams illustrating a state in which a certain amount of misalignment continues to occur even if the position adjustment is repeated in the basic operation of the mask alignment.

Fig. 6(a) to 6(d) are schematic views for conceptually explaining the mask alignment operation improved according to the present invention.

Fig. 7(a) and 7(b) are flowcharts for explaining the offset correction timing according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8(a) and 8(b) are flowcharts for explaining the offset correction timing according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9(a) and 9(b) are schematic views showing an electronic device.

[ description of reference ]

20: vacuum vessel, 21: substrate support unit, 22: mask supporting unit, 26: substrate supporting unit elevating mechanism, 27: mask supporting unit elevating mechanism, 29: position adjustment mechanism, 30: alignment camera, 221: support tool, 231: holding groove for supporting tool

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments and examples of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments and examples are merely illustrative of preferred configurations of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these configurations. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration and software configuration, the process flow, the manufacturing conditions, the dimensions, the materials, the shapes, and the like of the devices are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these.

The present invention is preferably applicable to an apparatus for forming a thin film (material layer) having a desired pattern on a surface of a substrate by vacuum deposition. As a material of the substrate, any material such as glass, a film of a polymer material, or a metal can be selected, and as a deposition material, any material such as an organic material or a metallic material (metal, metal oxide, or the like) can be selected. Specifically, the technique of the present invention can be applied to manufacturing apparatuses for organic electronic devices (e.g., organic EL display devices, thin-film solar cells), optical members, and the like. Among these, in an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL display device, an organic EL display element is formed by evaporating a vapor deposition material and depositing the vapor deposition material on a substrate through a mask, and therefore, this is one of preferable application examples of the present invention.

< apparatus for manufacturing electronic device >

Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a partial 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 4.5 th generation substrate (about 700MM × about 900MM) or a 6 th generation substrate (about 1500MM × about 1850MM) having a full size or a half-cut size (about 1500MM × about 925MM) is subjected to film formation for forming an organic EL element, and then the substrate is cut into a plurality of small-sized panels.

An apparatus for manufacturing electronic devices generally includes a plurality of cluster apparatuses 1 and a relay apparatus for connecting the cluster apparatuses.

The cluster apparatus 1 includes a plurality of film deposition apparatuses 11 for performing processes (e.g., film deposition) on the substrate S, a plurality of mask stockers 12 for storing masks before and after use, and a transfer chamber 13 disposed at the center thereof.

A transfer robot 14 that transfers the substrate S between the plurality of film formation devices 11 and transfers the mask between the film formation devices 11 and the mask stocker 12 is provided in the transfer chamber 13. The transfer robot 14 is a robot having a structure in which a robot hand holding the substrate S or the mask M is attached to an articulated arm, for example.

In the film forming apparatus 11 (also referred to as a vapor deposition apparatus), a vapor deposition material contained in a vapor deposition source is heated by a heater and evaporated onto a substrate through a mask. A series of film formation processes such as transfer of the substrate S to and from 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 device.

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

The cluster apparatus 1 is connected to a transfer chamber 15 and a buffer chamber 16, the transfer chamber 15 transferring the substrate S from the upstream side to the cluster apparatus 1 in the flow direction of the substrate S, and the buffer chamber 16 transferring the substrate S on which the film formation process has been completed by the cluster apparatus 1 to another cluster apparatus on the downstream side. The transfer robot 14 of the transfer chamber 13 receives the substrate S from the upstream transfer 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 tool 1. The transfer robot 14 receives the substrate S after the film formation process by 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. The buffer chamber 16 may be configured to temporarily store a plurality of substrates when there is a difference in processing speed between the upstream and downstream cluster apparatuses, or when normal flow of substrates is not possible due to the influence of a failure on the downstream side.

A whirling chamber 17 for changing the orientation of the substrate is provided between the buffer chamber 16 and the transfer chamber 15. The whirling chamber 17 is provided with a transfer robot 18 for receiving the substrate S from the buffer chamber 16, rotating the substrate S by 180 ° and transferring the substrate S to the transfer chamber 15. This makes the orientation of the substrate identical between the upstream-side cluster device and the downstream-side cluster device, thereby facilitating the substrate processing.

The transfer chamber 15, the buffer chamber 16, and the swirling chamber 17 are so-called relay devices connecting the cluster devices, and the relay devices provided on the upstream side and/or the downstream side of the cluster devices include at least one of the transfer chamber, the buffer chamber, and the swirling chamber.

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 EL display panel. The transfer chamber 15 is normally maintained in a low vacuum state, but may be maintained in a high vacuum state if necessary.

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

The following describes a specific configuration of the film formation apparatus 11.

< film Forming apparatus >

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a film deposition apparatus 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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 so as to be parallel to a horizontal plane (XY plane) during film formation, the width direction (direction parallel to the short side) of the substrate S or the mask M is defined as the X direction (first direction), and the length direction (direction parallel to the long side) is defined as the Y direction (second direction). A rotation angle around the Z direction (third direction) as an axis is represented by θ (rotation direction).

The film deposition apparatus 11 includes a vacuum chamber 20 maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen, and a substrate support unit 21, a mask support unit 22, a mask stage 23, a cooling plate 24, a vapor deposition source 25, and the like provided in the vacuum chamber 20.

The substrate support unit 21 is a mechanism that receives the substrate S transferred by the transfer robot 14 provided in the transfer chamber 13 and supports the substrate S, and is also referred to as a substrate holder.

The mask support unit 22 is a mechanism that receives the mask M transferred by the transfer robot 14 provided in the transfer chamber 13 and supports the mask M, and is also referred to as a mask holder. The mask support unit 22 is provided so as to be able to support the mask M on the lower side in the vertical direction of the substrate S supported by the substrate support unit 21.

The mask support unit 22 includes a support tool 221 for supporting the peripheral edge portion of the mask M on the long side. The plurality of support tools 221 are provided along the peripheral edge of the long side of the mask M, respectively, so that the mask M can be stably supported.

The mask M has an opening pattern corresponding to a thin film pattern formed on the substrate S. In particular, a Mask used for manufacturing an organic EL element for a smart phone is a Metal Mask in which a Fine opening pattern is formed, and is also referred to as FMM (Fine Metal Mask).

A frame-shaped mask stage 23 is provided below the support tool 221 in the vertical direction. After the mask M delivered to the mask support unit 22 is completed in the mask alignment process described later, the mask M is delivered from the mask support unit 22 to the mask stage 23 by lowering the mask support unit 22, and is placed on the mask stage 23.

A support receiving groove 231 is formed in a peripheral edge portion on the long side of the mask stage 23 at a position corresponding to the support 221 of the mask support unit 22. When the mask supporting unit 22 is lowered to approach the mask stage 23, the supporting tool 221 of the mask supporting unit 22 passes through the opening 2311 of the supporting tool accommodating groove 231 of the mask stage 23 and enters the supporting tool accommodating groove 231, and the mask M is delivered from the mask supporting unit 22 to the mask stage 23 (fig. 3 a and 3 b). In the present embodiment, the supporting tool accommodating groove 231 has been described as a groove having a predetermined depth, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may have various shapes and configurations as long as the supporting tool 221 of the mask supporting unit 22 does not interfere with the mask stage 23. For example, a through hole may be provided to penetrate the mask stage 23.

The cooling plate 24 is a cooling mechanism that suppresses a temperature rise of the substrate S, and suppresses deterioration or degradation of the organic material deposited on the substrate S. Therefore, the cooling plate 24 is provided to be movable up and down on the upper surface side in the vertical direction of the substrate S supported by the substrate support unit 21. When the substrate S is fixed to the mask M placed on the mask stage 23, the cooling plate 24 presses the upper surface of the substrate S toward the mask M by its own weight, thereby bringing the substrate S into close contact with the mask M.

Although not shown in fig. 2, the cooling plate 24 may also serve as a magnet plate. The magnet plate attracts the mask M by a magnetic force, thereby improving the adhesion between the substrate S and the mask M at the time of film formation.

Although not shown in fig. 2, an electrostatic chuck (not shown) for attracting and fixing the upper surface of the substrate S by electrostatic attraction may be provided from the upper side of the support tool 221 of the substrate support unit 22 in the vertical direction. This can effectively solve the problem that the central portion of the substrate S is bent by its own weight.

The vapor deposition source 25 includes a crucible (not shown) for storing a vapor deposition material for forming a film on a substrate, a heater (not shown) for heating the crucible, a shutter (not shown) for preventing the vapor deposition material from scattering toward the substrate until an evaporation rate from the vapor deposition source becomes constant, and the like. The vapor deposition source 25 may have various structures depending on the application, such as a point (point) vapor deposition source and a line (linear) vapor deposition source. In particular, in the case of a film deposition apparatus for forming an electrode metal layer, a wheel-type vapor deposition source is used in which a plurality of crucibles arranged on the circumference of the deposition source rotate to respective evaporation positions.

Although not shown in fig. 2, the film forming apparatus 11 further includes a film thickness monitor (not shown) and a film thickness calculating unit (not shown) for measuring the thickness of a film deposited on the substrate.

A substrate supporting unit elevating mechanism 26, a mask supporting unit elevating mechanism 27, a cooling plate elevating mechanism 28, a position adjusting mechanism 29, and the like are provided on the outer side (atmosphere side) of the upper surface of the vacuum chamber 20 in the vertical direction.

The substrate support unit elevating mechanism 26 is a driving mechanism for elevating (moving in the Z direction) the substrate support unit 21. The mask support unit lifting mechanism 27 is a driving mechanism for lifting (moving in the Z direction) the mask support unit 22. The cooling plate lifting mechanism 28 is a driving mechanism for lifting (moving in the Z direction) the cooling plate 24. These lifting mechanisms are constituted by, for example, a motor and a ball screw, or a motor and a linear guide.

The position adjustment mechanism 29 is a drive mechanism for aligning the substrate S, the mask M, the cooling plate 24, and the like, and includes a table portion on which the substrate supporting unit elevating mechanism 26, the mask supporting unit elevating mechanism 27, the cooling plate elevating mechanism 28, and the like are mounted, and a drive portion for driving the table portion in the XY θ direction.

The driving unit of the position adjustment mechanism 29 may be configured by a plurality of servomotors including an X-direction servomotor that can horizontally drive the table portion in the X direction and a Y-direction servomotor that can horizontally drive the table portion in the Y direction. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, two X-direction servo motors and two Y-direction servo motors are provided, and the table portion can be driven horizontally in the X-direction and the Y-direction or rotationally in the θ -direction by a combined operation of these servo motors. As a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the servo motor to the table portion, for example, a ball screw, a linear guide, or the like can be used.

The substrate support unit 21, the mask support unit 22, and the cooling plate 24 are moved in the X direction, the Y direction, and/or the θ rotation with respect to the mask stage 23 fixed to the upper surface of the vacuum chamber 20 by the position adjustment mechanism 29, whereby alignment of the substrate S with respect to the mask M, alignment of the mask M with respect to the mask stage 23, and the like can be performed. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the mask support unit elevating mechanism 27 connected to the mask support unit 22 is mounted on the stage of the position adjusting mechanism 29, the mask support unit 22, and hence the mask M supported by the mask support unit 22, can be relatively position-adjusted with respect to the mask stage 23 fixed to the vacuum chamber 20 of the film forming apparatus 11 by driving the stage in the XY θ direction by the driving portion of the position adjusting mechanism 29.

On the outer side (atmosphere side) of the upper surface in the vertical direction of the vacuum chamber 20, an alignment camera 30 is provided in addition to the above-described elevating mechanism and position adjusting mechanism, and the alignment camera 30 is used to photograph an alignment mark formed on the substrate S and/or the mask M through a transparent window provided on the upper surface of the vacuum chamber 20. The alignment camera 30 functions as a position information acquiring means for acquiring position information of the substrate S and/or the mask M in the XY θ direction. In the present embodiment, the alignment camera 30 can be provided at a position corresponding to the center of the short side or four corner portions of the substrate S and the mask M.

The position adjustment mechanism 29 performs mask alignment (first alignment) for adjusting the relative position of the mask M with respect to the mask stage 23 and substrate alignment (second alignment) for adjusting the relative position between the substrate S and the mask M, based on the position information of the substrate S and the mask M acquired by the alignment camera 30.

The film deposition apparatus 11 includes a control unit (not shown). The control section has functions of conveyance of the substrate S, alignment of the substrate and mask, control of the vapor deposition source, control of film formation, and the like. The control unit may be constituted by a computer having a processor, a memory, a storage, an I/O, and the like, for example. In this case, the function of the control unit is realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory or the storage. As the computer, a general-purpose personal computer may be used, or an embedded computer or a PLC (programmable logic controller) may be used. Alternatively, a part or all of the functions of the control unit may be configured by a circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The control unit may be provided for each of the film forming apparatuses, or one control unit may control a plurality of film forming apparatuses.

< basic action of mask alignment (first alignment) >

Mask alignment for adjusting the position of the mask M relative to the mask stage 23 will be described below.

Fig. 4(a) to 4(c) are conceptual views for explaining basic operations of mask alignment.

The mask alignment includes: a step of measuring the amount of positional deviation of the mask M seated on the mask stage 23 (fig. 4 (a)); a step of adjusting the position by relatively moving the mask M and the mask stage 23 by an amount that offsets the measured amount of positional deviation after the mask M is lifted from the mask stage 23 (fig. 4 (b)); a step (fig. 4(c)) of seating the mask M after the position adjustment on the mask stage 23, measuring the position deviation again, and verifying whether or not the measured deviation falls within a predetermined value (in the case where the measured deviation does not fall within the predetermined value, the position adjustment operation is repeated).

In order to measure the amount of positional deviation and adjust the position, the film deposition apparatus 11 of the present invention includes the alignment camera 30 as the position information acquisition means and a position adjustment means 29 for adjusting the relative position of the mask support unit 22 with respect to the mask stage 23.

The alignment camera 30 images an alignment mark formed on the mask M placed on the mask stage 23, and acquires information on the position of the mask M. The control unit of the film deposition apparatus compares the acquired position of the mask M with a reference position on the mask stage 23, measures the degree of relative displacement (relative displacement amount, Δ X, Δ Y, Δ θ) of the mask M from the reference position in the XY θ direction, and calculates a movement instruction amount for relatively moving the mask M in a position adjustment step of the mask M with respect to the mask stage 23, which will be described later, based on the relative displacement amount. The movement instruction amount here is a value for adjusting the position of the mask M in the opposite direction with respect to the mask stage 23 in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by an amount corresponding to the amount of positional deviation so as to substantially cancel the amount of positional deviation measured, specifically, a value of a driving amount with respect to each of a plurality of X, Y-direction servomotors (in the case of the present embodiment, a total four-axis servomotor including two X-direction servomotors and two Y-direction servomotors) which drive the stage of the position adjustment mechanism 29 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions as the position adjustment mechanism in the horizontal plane (XY plane) of the mask support mechanism 22.

The reference position serving as a reference for measuring the amount of positional deviation can be set at the position of the center point of the captured image of the alignment camera. That is, the relative positional displacement amount of the mask M and the mask stage 23 can be calculated based on the distance from the alignment mark of the mask to the center point of the captured image in the captured image of the alignment camera. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the reference position may be set by another method. For example, a reference mark may be formed on the mask stage 23 or on another reference mark mounting table fixedly provided in the vacuum chamber 20, and the reference position may be determined from an image taken of the reference mark by an alignment camera. In addition, each time the mask is aligned, instead of calculating the reference position by image processing of the reference mark, the reference position may be calculated and stored in the storage unit of the control unit in advance at the time of initial installation of the film deposition apparatus or at the time of replacement of the mask, and may be read out at the time of mask alignment.

When the calculation of the movement instruction amount based on the measured position deviation amount is completed, the mask support unit 22 is raised by the mask support unit raising and lowering mechanism 27 to separate the mask M from the mask stage 23, and then the mask support unit 22 is relatively moved by the calculated movement instruction amount with respect to the mask stage 23 in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by the position adjustment mechanism 29 to adjust the position of the mask M with respect to the mask stage 23.

That is, the mask support unit elevating mechanism 27 to which the mask support unit 22 is connected is mounted on the table portion of the position adjusting mechanism 29 so as to be movable in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by the driving portion composed of a plurality of servomotors, and the table portion of the position adjusting mechanism 29 is driven to move the calculated movement instruction amount, whereby the mask M held by the mask support unit 22 can be adjusted (aligned) in position with respect to the mask stage 23.

In addition, as for mask alignment, fine alignment (for example, a predetermined value Δ Spec50 μm) may be performed after rough alignment (for example, a predetermined value Δ Spec200 μm) in the same manner as alignment between a substrate and a mask to be described later. In this case, the offset correction of mask alignment described later is performed at the time of fine alignment.

< correction of misalignment of mask >

Although the basic operation of mask alignment has been described above, depending on the mask, a certain amount of positional deviation may continue to occur even if the position adjustment operation is repeated as described above.

Fig. 5(a) to 5(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining such a situation.

Fig. 5(a) shows a case where the movement instruction amount is calculated based on the measured position deviation amount on the mask stage 23 in accordance with the basic operation of the mask alignment described above, and the mask M is moved by the calculated movement instruction amount and the position is adjusted in a state where the mask M is separated from the mask stage 23. Next, after it is confirmed whether or not the position deviation amount is within the predetermined value after the mask M after the position adjustment is seated on the mask mounting table 23, the process proceeds to the next step, but as shown in fig. 5(b), depending on the mask, the position of the mask M may be again deviated due to the seating operation when the mask M is seated. Such a phenomenon occurs, for example, when a mask having low processing accuracy such as poor flatness of the mask surface supported by the mask holder is used. That is, such a mask is inclined with respect to the mask stage when the mask is lifted up by the mask holder, and due to the inclination, even if the mask is dropped in the vertical direction without any change when the mask is seated on the mask stage again, the position of the mask may be constantly shifted in one direction. The amount of positional deviation in seating can be changed little by little each time the mask is raised and lowered, but this is because the position of the support surface when the mask is raised changes little by little. If the seating operation of the mask is repeated a predetermined number of times so that the position of the support surface when the mask is raised is substantially constant, then a position deviation of a substantially constant amount is repeated every time the mask is seated thereafter. Fig. 5(c) shows such a situation. That is, if the mask that has been displaced by the constant amount (Δ) when it is dropped onto the mask stage is subjected to the above-described alignment operation only as in the normal case, that is, if the mask is moved by the movement instruction amount corresponding to the measured displacement amount Δ to perform the position adjustment, the mask displacement by the constant amount (Δ) continues to be produced on the mask stage regardless of the number of times of the alignment operation.

The present invention provides an improved mask alignment method, a film formation method using the mask alignment method, an alignment apparatus and a film formation apparatus for implementing the mask alignment method, which can solve the problems that the position of a mask cannot be converged within a predetermined value even though the alignment operation is performed as described above, the position deviation is repeated, and the TACT (TACT) time of the entire film formation apparatus 11 is increased.

Fig. 6(a) to 6(d) are schematic diagrams for conceptually explaining the improved mask alignment operation of the present invention.

As described above, in fig. 5 c, if it is determined that the position deviation Δ of a substantially constant amount is continuously generated every time the mask M is seated even if the position adjustment of the mask is performed by the movement instruction amount corresponding to the measured position deviation Δ (fig. 6 a), the position adjustment is performed by moving the mask M by the movement instruction amount corresponding to the deviation amount Δ plus the total deviation amount 2 Δ of the same amount Δ when the position of the mask M is adjusted in the next alignment operation, that is, in the state where the mask M is lifted and separated again from the mask mounting table 23 (fig. 6 b) (fig. 6 c).

In other words, the measured deviation amount Δ is added with the same amount of deviation Δ, the movement instruction amount is corrected to a value corresponding to 2 Δ in total, and the mask M is moved in the opposite direction of the deviation by the deviation correction amount.

Finally, if the mask M moved by the offset correction amount is dropped onto the mask stage 23, the mask M is seated while being adjusted to the center position of the mask stage 23 by the position thereof by the constant offset amount Δ generated at the time of seating (fig. 6 d). That is, for example, when the current position of the mask is deviated from the center position (0 position) by a predetermined positional deviation amount — Δ, the mask becomes the 0 position when + Δ is moved, and becomes the + Δposition when + Δ is moved again from this position. When the mask is dropped from this +. DELTA.position, the shift instruction amount becomes (+. DELTA) + (+. DELTA) because the shift instruction amount comes to exactly the 0 position, and as a result, the shift instruction amount becomes 2 times (2. DELTA.) the specified position shift amount Δ.

As described above, the present invention is characterized in that, when the positional deviation of the mask on the mask stage repeatedly occurs by a substantially constant amount in the case where the positional adjustment of the mask is performed by the movement instruction amount based on the measured positional deviation amount, the alignment is performed by the movement instruction amount after the offset correction in the next alignment operation (positional adjustment of the mask).

In short, if it is determined that the mask is repeatedly misaligned by a substantially constant amount, it is determined that further position adjustment cannot be performed by the normal alignment, and the alignment operation is performed by the movement instruction amount after the offset correction.

Hereinafter, a specific embodiment will be described with respect to the timing of entering such offset correction, that is, the timing at which it is determined that the condition for performing offset correction is satisfied.

Fig. 7(a) and 7(b) are flowcharts for explaining the timing of offset correction according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

When the mask M is carried into the vacuum chamber 20 of the film deposition apparatus 11 by the carrier robot 14 (S1), the mask support unit 22 receives the mask M and seats the mask M on the mask stage 23 (S2).

Next, the alignment mark formed on the mask M is photographed using the alignment camera 30, and the amount of positional deviation Δ 1(Δ X, Δ Y, Δ θ) of the mask M in the horizontal plane (XY plane) with respect to the mask stage 23 is measured based on the photographed image information (S3).

The measured positional deviation Δ 1 is compared with a predetermined value Δ Spec (S4), and when the positional deviation Δ 1 falls below the predetermined value Δ Spec, mask alignment is completed, and after alignment with a substrate described later is performed, the process proceeds to a film formation step. The predetermined value Δ Spec for mask alignment is set to, for example, 50 μm in the present embodiment, but is not limited thereto, and may be set as appropriate as necessary.

When the measured amount of positional deviation Δ 1 exceeds a predetermined value Δ Spec, the mask support unit 22 is raised to separate the mask M from the mask stage 23, and then the stage of the position adjustment mechanism 29 is moved in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by a movement instruction amount d1 corresponding to the amount of positional deviation Δ 1, thereby adjusting the relative position of the mask M with respect to the mask stage 23 (S5: first position adjustment (Move 1)). As described above, specifically, the movement instruction amount is a value of a driving amount of each of the plurality of X, Y-direction servomotors (in the case of the present embodiment, four-axis servomotors in total including two X-direction servomotors and two Y-direction servomotors) that drive the table portion of the position adjustment mechanism 29 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

Next, after the mask M after the position adjustment is seated on the mask stage 23 again, the amount of positional deviation Δ 2 is measured (S6), the measured amount of positional deviation Δ 2 is compared with a predetermined value Δ Spec (S7), and when the amount of positional deviation Δ 2 becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value Δ Spec, the mask alignment is completed.

When the measured positional deviation Δ 2 exceeds the predetermined value Δ Spec, the mask M is separated from the mask stage 23 again, and then the stage of the position adjustment mechanism 29 is moved in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by the movement instruction amount d2 corresponding to the positional deviation Δ 2, thereby adjusting the relative position of the mask M with respect to the mask stage 23 (S8: second positional adjustment (Move 2)).

Next, after the mask M after the position adjustment is seated on the mask stage 23 again, the amount of positional deviation Δ 3 is measured (S9), the measured amount of positional deviation Δ 3 is compared with a predetermined value Δ Spec (S10), and when the amount of positional deviation Δ 3 falls below the predetermined value Δ Spec, the mask alignment is completed.

When the amount of positional deviation Δ 3 exceeds the predetermined value Δ Spec, the mask M is separated from the mask stage 23 again, and then the stage of the position adjustment mechanism 29 is moved in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by the movement instruction amount d3 corresponding to the amount of positional deviation Δ 3, thereby adjusting the relative position of the mask M with respect to the mask stage 23 (S11: third positional adjustment (Move 3)).

Next, after the mask M after the position adjustment is seated on the mask stage 23, the amount of positional deviation Δ 4 is measured (S12), the measured amount of positional deviation Δ 4 is compared with a predetermined value Δ Spec (S13), and when the amount of positional deviation Δ 4 becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value Δ Spec, the mask alignment is completed.

When the measured position deviation amount Δ 4 exceeds the predetermined value Δ Spec despite the position adjustment operation performed three times as described above, it is determined whether or not the difference between the movement instruction amounts immediately before is equal to or less than the reference value two consecutive times (S14). That is, it is determined whether or not the difference (| d1-d2|) between the movement instruction amount d1 in the first position adjustment (Move1) and the movement instruction amount d2 in the second position adjustment (Move2) is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value dref, and the difference (| d2-d3|) between the movement instruction amount d2 in the second position adjustment (Move2) and the movement instruction amount d3 in the third position adjustment (Move3) is also equal to or less than the predetermined reference value dref. Here, the difference in the movement instruction amount is compared with the reference value for each of the four servo motors of the drive stage. The reference value dref is preferably set to a value smaller than the predetermined value Δ Spec for mask alignment. In the present embodiment, as described above, the predetermined value Δ Spec for mask alignment is set to 50 μm, and the reference value dref is set to 30 μm, for example, which is smaller than the predetermined value Δ Spec.

The normal position adjustment operation similar to the first to third position adjustments (Move1 to 3) described above is continued until it is determined that the difference in the movement instruction amount immediately before is equal to or less than the reference value two consecutive times (S15-1).

In all four-axis servo motors, when the difference between the immediately previous movement instruction amounts becomes equal to or less than the reference value two consecutive times, it is determined that the positional deviation of the mask on the mask stage is repeated substantially constantly. That is, if it is determined that the alignment is performed as usual, the position cannot be further adjusted, and thus the condition for performing the offset correction is adjusted. Based on this determination, in the fourth position adjustment (Move4) performed in a state where the mask M is separated from the mask stage 23 again, the stage of the position adjustment mechanism 29 is moved in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by the movement instruction amount (2 × d4) corresponding to twice the measured position deviation amount Δ 4, thereby adjusting the relative position of the mask M with respect to the mask stage 23 (S15: fourth position adjustment (Move 4)). That is, the first offset correction operation is performed. In many cases, the offset correction is performed so that the amount of deviation measured later falls within a predetermined value, but depending on the mask, the same procedure is repeated and the offset correction is tried again when the amount of deviation exceeds the predetermined value even after the offset correction is performed once.

As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, when the misalignment of the mask is repeated substantially constantly, the misalignment of the mask can be completed by quickly converging the misalignment of the mask within the predetermined value by performing the alignment by the movement instruction amount after the offset correction, and as a result, the delay of the TACT (TACT) time of the entire film deposition apparatus 11 can also be prevented. In the first embodiment of the present invention, as the timing of the offset correction, when the difference between the immediately previous movement instruction amounts becomes equal to or less than the reference value two consecutive times, it is determined that the condition for performing the offset correction is satisfied.

Fig. 8(a) and 8(b) are flowcharts for explaining the timing of offset correction according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

After the second position adjustment (Move2), the amount of positional deviation Δ 3 is measured until the steps (S1 'to S'10) of comparison with the predetermined value Δ Spec, which is the same as in the first embodiment described above, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

When the measured position deviation amount Δ 3 exceeds the predetermined value Δ Spec, it is determined whether or not to enter the offset correction operation by the third position adjustment (Move 3). That is, when the deviation amount Δ 3 measured after the two-time position adjustment (Move1, Move2) exceeds the predetermined value Δ Spec, it is determined whether or not the difference between the two previous movement instruction amounts (the difference (| d1-d2|) between the movement instruction amount d1 in the first position adjustment (Move1) and the movement instruction amount d2 in the second position adjustment (Move2)) is equal to or smaller than the reference value dref (S' 11). As in the first embodiment, the difference in the movement instruction amount is compared with the reference value for each of the four servo motors driving the table portion.

In all four-axis servomotors, when the difference between the two immediately preceding movement instruction amounts is equal to or less than the reference value, it is determined that the position deviation of the mask is substantially constant, and it is determined that the condition for offset correction is satisfied. Thus, in the third position adjustment (Move3), the stage of the position adjustment mechanism 29 is moved in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by the movement instruction amount (2 × d3) corresponding to 2 times the measured position deviation amount Δ 3, and the relative position of the mask M with respect to the mask stage 23 is adjusted (S' 12: the third position adjustment (Move 3)). That is, the first offset correction operation is performed. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S '11 that the difference between the two immediately preceding movement instruction amounts is not equal to or less than the reference value, the normal position adjustment operation similar to the first and second position adjustments (Move1, 2) is continued until the condition is satisfied (S' 12-1).

If the deviation amount does not fall within the predetermined value even after the first offset correction in step S '12 (S'13, S '14), the alignment as in the normal case of performing the position adjustment based on the movement instruction amount corresponding to the measured deviation amount is performed once (S' 15: fourth position adjustment (Move4)), and then it is immediately determined whether the offset correction condition is satisfied in the next position adjustment step. That is, when the deviation amount Δ 5 measured after the fourth position adjustment (Move4) exceeds the predetermined value (S '16, S '17), it is determined whether or not the offset correction condition is satisfied in step S '18, and at this time, it is determined whether or not the offset correction condition is satisfied based on whether or not the difference (| d2-d4|) between the movement instruction amount d4 in the immediately previous position adjustment (Move4) and the movement instruction amount d2 when it is determined that the first offset correction condition is satisfied is equal to or less than the reference value dref. In short, the instructed amount of movement when the first offset correction condition is determined to be satisfied is set as a comparison target. In addition, although the movement instruction amount d2 is set as the comparison target when the first offset correction condition is determined to be satisfied, that is, | d1-d2 |). is equal to or less than dref, the other movement instruction amount d1 may be set as the comparison target.

Thus, when it is determined that the offset correction condition is satisfied, in the fifth position adjustment (Move5), the mask M is moved by the movement instruction amount (2Xd5) which is twice the measured position deviation amount Δ 5, and the second offset correction is attempted (S' 19). If the deviation amount exceeds the predetermined value even after the two offset corrections, the operations of S '13 to S'19 are repeated to try further offset correction.

As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as in the first embodiment, the misalignment of the mask can be quickly converged within the predetermined value to complete alignment in a short time, and thereby the same effect of preventing a TACT (TACT) time delay of the entire film deposition apparatus 11 can be obtained. Further, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, since the establishment of the first offset correction condition is determined only by the difference between the two immediately preceding movement instruction amounts, the timing of the first offset correction can be made earlier than that of the first embodiment. In addition, in the second and subsequent offset corrections, since the shift instruction amount when the first offset correction condition is determined to be satisfied is also a target of comparison, the timing can be advanced as compared with the first embodiment, and thus there is an advantage that the number of attempts for offset correction can be increased within a limited number of operations as compared with the first embodiment.

< substrate alignment (second alignment) >

As described above, when the mask alignment is completed, the alignment of the substrate S is performed with respect to the mask M placed on the mask stage 23.

In a state where the substrate S supported by the substrate support unit 21 is moved to a predetermined position above the mask M by the substrate support unit elevating mechanism 26, alignment marks formed on the substrate S and the mask M are photographed by the alignment camera 30, and the relative positional deviation of the substrate S and the mask M in a horizontal plane (XY plane) is adjusted based on the photographed images.

Such alignment of the substrate S with respect to the mask M can be performed by two steps of "rough alignment" in which the relative position of the substrate S is roughly adjusted, and "fine alignment" in which the substrate S roughly aligned by the rough alignment is aligned with respect to the mask M with high accuracy. Therefore, the alignment camera 30 can be provided with two types of cameras, a low-resolution wide-field camera for coarse alignment and a narrow-field-angle high-resolution camera for fine alignment.

When the alignment of the substrate S with respect to the mask M is completed, the substrate support unit 21 is lowered to place the entire substrate S on the mask M.

Through the above steps, the process of placing the substrate S on the mask M is completed, the cooling plate 24 and/or the magnet plate is lowered to the upper surface of the substrate S, and the substrate S and the mask M are brought into close contact and fixed to each other, and then a film forming step (vapor deposition step) is performed.

< film Forming Process >

As described above, in a state where the substrate S and the mask M are closely attached and fixed to each other after the alignment is completed, the shutter of the vapor deposition source 25 is opened, and the vapor deposition material is deposited on the substrate S through the mask M.

When a film is formed on the substrate S to a desired thickness, the shutter of the vapor deposition source 25 is closed.

Next, the substrate support unit 21 is raised after the cooling plate 24 and/or the magnet plate is raised, and the substrate S is separated from the mask M.

The hand of the transfer robot 14 enters the vacuum chamber 20 of the film deposition apparatus 11, and the substrate on which the film deposition has been completed is carried out of the vacuum chamber 20.

After the film formation process for the predetermined number of substrates S, the used mask M is carried out of the vacuum chamber 20 by the carrier robot 14 and is transported to the mask stocker 12.

< method for producing 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, the structure and the manufacturing method of the organic EL display device are exemplified as an example of the electronic device.

First, the organic EL display device manufactured will be described. Fig. 9(a) is an overall view of the organic EL display device 60, and fig. 9(b) shows a cross-sectional structure of one pixel.

As shown in fig. 9(a), in a display region 61 of an organic EL display device 60, a plurality of pixels 62 each including a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in a matrix. 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 the minimum unit that can display a desired color in the display region 61. In the case of the organic EL display device of the present embodiment, the pixel 62 is configured by a combination of the first light-emitting element 62R, the second light-emitting element 62G, and the third light-emitting element 62B which exhibit mutually different light emissions. The pixel 62 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. 9(B) is a partial cross-sectional view of line A-B of FIG. 9 (a). The pixel 62 has an organic EL element including an anode 64, a hole transport layer 65, any one of light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B, an electron transport layer 67, and a cathode 68 on a substrate 63. Among them, the hole transport layer 65, the light emitting layers 66R, 66G, 66B, and the electron transport layer 67 correspond to an organic layer. In this embodiment, the light-emitting layer 66R is an organic EL layer that emits red, the light-emitting layer 66G is an organic EL layer that emits green, and the light-emitting layer 66B is an organic EL layer that emits blue. The light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B 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 anode 64 is formed separately for each light emitting element. The hole transport layer 65, the electron transport layer 67, and the cathode 68 may be formed in common with the plurality of light emitting elements 62R, 62G, and 62B, or may be formed for each light emitting element. An insulating layer 69 is provided between the anodes 64 in order to prevent the anodes 64 and the cathodes 68 from being short-circuited by impurities. Further, since the organic EL layer is deteriorated by moisture or oxygen, a protective layer 70 for protecting the organic EL element from moisture or oxygen is provided.

In fig. 9(b), the hole transport layer 65 or the electron transport layer 67 is shown by one layer, but may be formed by a plurality of layers including a hole blocking layer or an electron blocking layer depending on the structure of the organic EL display element. Further, a hole injection layer having a band structure that can smoothly inject holes from the anode 64 into the hole transport layer 65 may be formed between the anode 64 and the hole transport layer 65. Similarly, an electron injection layer may be formed between the cathode 68 and the electron transport layer 67.

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

First, a substrate 63 on which a circuit (not shown) for driving the organic EL display device and the anode 64 are formed is prepared.

An acrylic resin is formed by spin coating on the substrate 63 on which the anode 64 is formed, and the acrylic resin is patterned by photolithography to form an opening in a portion where the anode 64 is formed, thereby forming the insulating layer 69. The opening corresponds to a light-emitting region where the light-emitting element actually emits light.

The substrate 63 on which the insulating layer 69 is patterned is sent to a first organic material film forming apparatus, and the substrate is held by a substrate holding unit, and the hole transport layer 65 is formed as a common layer on the anode 64 in the display region. The hole transport layer 65 is formed by vacuum evaporation. In practice, the hole transport layer 65 is formed to have a size larger than that of the display region 61, and therefore a high-definition mask is not required.

Next, the substrate 63 on which the hole transport layer 65 is formed is sent to the second organic material film formation device 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 66R emitting red light is formed on a portion of the substrate 63 where the elements emitting red light are disposed.

Similarly to the formation of the light-emitting layer 66R, the light-emitting layer 66G emitting green light is formed by the third organic material film-forming device, and the light-emitting layer 66B emitting blue light is formed by the fourth organic material film-forming device. After the completion of the formation of the light-emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B, the electron transport layer 67 is formed in the entire display region 61 by the fifth film formation device. The electron transport layer 67 is formed as a common layer in the light emitting layers 66R, 66G, and 66B of 3 colors.

The substrate formed with the electron transport layer 67 is moved to a film deposition apparatus for a metallic vapor deposition material to form a cathode 68.

Then, the substrate was moved to the plasma CVD apparatus to form the protective layer 70, thereby completing the organic EL display apparatus 60.

Until the substrate 63 on which the insulating layer 69 is patterned is fed to a film formation apparatus until the film formation of the protective layer 70 is completed, if it is exposed to an atmosphere containing moisture or oxygen, the light-emitting layer composed of an organic EL material may be deteriorated by moisture or oxygen. Therefore, in this example, the substrate is carried in and out between the film forming apparatuses in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere.

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