JP2014070241A - Vapor deposition device and vapor deposition method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a waste evaporation time of an evaporation source as much as possible in a horizontal vapor deposition type evaporation device for organic EL film deposition.SOLUTION: An vapor deposition device for organic EL film deposition has: a robot conveying chamber in which a vacuum robot is arranged; two vapor deposition chambers connected to the robot conveying chamber; an index table on which two substrates can be located and that is horizontally housed in the vapor deposition chamber; rotation means for rotating the index table in a horizontal direction; and an evaporation source arranged movably in the horizontal direction below the index table. The vacuum robot can convey the substrates in and out in the horizontal direction between the vapor deposition chamber and the robot conveying chamber. While one of the two substrates located on the index table is vapor deposited by the evaporation source, using the vacuum robot, the other substrate is conveyed to the robot conveying chamber from the vapor deposition chamber, and instead a new substrate is conveyed from the robot conveying chamber to the vapor deposition chamber. After completing the vapor deposition, the index table is rotated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vapor deposition apparatus and a vapor deposition method, and more particularly to a vapor deposition apparatus and a vapor deposition method suitable for vapor deposition of an organic EL film.

  Examples of conventional vapor deposition apparatuses for forming an organic EL film are described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. In these publications, in order to provide an economical organic EL device manufacturing apparatus with less material loss, two or more substrates can be arranged in a vacuum chamber. Then, while the first substrate is being vapor-deposited with the vapor deposition material evaporated from the evaporation source, another substrate is carried into the vacuum chamber, and while the second substrate is being vapor-deposited with the vapor deposition material, the first substrate is Removed from the vacuum chamber. Alternatively, the alignment of the other substrate is completed during the deposition of the first substrate, and the first substrate is deposited during the deposition of the second substrate with the same evaporation source used for the deposition of the first substrate. Is removed from the vacuum chamber. In Patent Document 2, the substrate is further transported with the deposition surface of the substrate facing upward.

JP 2010-86956 A JP 2010-62043 A

  In the vacuum vapor deposition method which is an effective method for manufacturing an organic EL device, it is necessary to control the evaporation rate of the material from a vapor source in order to maintain stable vapor deposition. Therefore, physical vapor deposition (PVC) is performed by heating the vapor deposition material using a method such as resistance heating or induction heating, but a certain amount of time is required to stabilize the evaporation rate, and evaporation of the material from the evaporation source It is not easy to control the switch so as to turn it on / off. In addition, since it is necessary to constantly evaporate in order to keep the material evaporation rate constant, it is also evaporated during the substrate loading / unloading process and positioning process that are not necessary for vapor deposition. In these processes, the material evaporated from the evaporation source is It does not contribute to the vapor deposition process at all, and it is a material loss as it is.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, in the vertical vapor deposition method in which the substrate is vapor-deposited while standing vertically in the vacuum chamber, a plurality of substrates can be accommodated in the vacuum chamber, and one substrate is being vapor-deposited. Any one of the other substrates is carried in / out or positioned. However, even in the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the other substrate loaded is deposited after the deposition of one substrate is completed, the deposition source is moved from the position of the one substrate to the position of the other substrate. Therefore, during the movement time, the vapor deposition source is shielded by a shutter or the like to prevent vapor deposition outside the substrate or the substrate, and the shutter is vaporized wastefully.

  By the way, since organic EL material is expensive, it is required to avoid useless use as much as possible. In Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above, wasteful use of evaporates can be drastically reduced as compared with the prior art, but there is still a demand for reduction in loss of organic EL materials that leads to an increase in product price. In addition, when the loss material increases, there is a problem that the replacement frequency of the material increases and the operation time of the apparatus decreases.

  Further, those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are for vapor deposition with the substrate vertical, and the case of horizontal vapor deposition in which vapor deposition is performed from the lower surface of the substrate while the substrate is held horizontally is not considered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to reduce the evaporation time of a useless evaporation source as much as possible in an evaporation apparatus for forming a horizontal evaporation type organic EL film. In addition to the above object, another object of the present invention is to improve the effective operating rate of the evaporation source, reduce material loss, and reduce the manufacturing cost of the organic EL device.

  A feature of the present invention that achieves the above object is that a robot transfer chamber in which a vacuum robot is arranged, one or two deposition chambers connected to the robot transfer chamber via gate valves, and a plurality of substrates are mounted. An index table that is horizontally housed in the vapor deposition chamber, a rotating means that rotates the index table in the horizontal direction, and one of the plurality of substrates below the index table. A vapor deposition apparatus for forming an organic EL film having an evaporation source movably disposed in a horizontal direction, wherein the vacuum robot carries a substrate in a horizontal direction between the vapor deposition chamber and the robot transfer chamber. During the deposition of one of the plurality of substrates placed on the index table with the evaporation source, the other one substrate is removed using the vacuum robot. There a new substrate instead unloaded into the robotic transfer chamber from said robotic transfer chamber from Chakushitsu to carried into the deposition chamber.

  And in this feature, it is desirable that the rotating means transmits a rotational driving force of a motor disposed outside the vapor deposition chamber to the index table accommodated in the vapor deposition chamber via a magnetic fluid sealing means, A holding plate having a work lifting portion is arranged on the side opposite to the vapor deposition surface of the substrate placed on the index table, a cylinder arranged outside the vapor deposition chamber, a bellows to which one end of the cylinder is connected, and an inner side of the bellows A lifting shaft connected to the bellows via a floating joint connected to the vacuum chamber and disposed in the vapor deposition chamber, and a socket portion provided at a lower end portion of the lifting shaft and capable of being fitted into the workpiece lifting portion. .

  Further, the index table can place two substrates, an evaporation position for performing vapor deposition by the evaporation source on the side far from the robot transfer chamber, and a substrate by the vacuum robot on the side closer to the robot transfer chamber. It is preferable to form a delivery position for loading and unloading.

  Another feature of the present invention that achieves the above object is to provide an organic EL that deposits and carries in / out a plurality of substrates disposed in a deposition chamber attached to the robot transport chamber using a vacuum robot disposed in the robot transport chamber. A method for depositing a film deposition substrate, wherein a plurality of substrates are placed on an index table disposed horizontally using the vacuum robot, and one of the plurality of substrates is placed below the substrate. The evaporation source disposed opposite to the substrate is moved to deposit the vapor, and another substrate is transported to the robot transfer chamber using the vacuum robot during the deposition and a new substrate is deposited. When the deposition of the substrate being deposited is completed, the index table is rotated in the horizontal direction to position the undeposited substrate at the position of the evaporation source. Thereafter in which the above procedure is repeated.

  And in this feature, when the substrate is carried into the evaporation chamber, or when the substrate is carried out to the robot transfer chamber, a workpiece lifting portion disposed on the surface opposite to the vapor deposition surface of the substrate is provided with a bellows. It is preferable that the substrate is lifted from the index table or suspended from the index table by being fitted into a socket portion at the tip of a lifting shaft connected to a cylinder disposed outside the deposition surface.

  According to the present invention, in an evaporation apparatus for forming a horizontal evaporation type organic EL film, a plurality of substrates can be disposed in the same vacuum chamber, and another substrate is carried into the vacuum chamber while one substrate is being evaporated. In addition, since the plurality of substrate positions are exchanged immediately after unloading and substrate deposition, the evaporation time of a useless evaporation source can be reduced as much as possible. In addition, since the effective operating rate of the evaporation source is improved and the material loss is reduced, the manufacturing cost of the organic EL device is reduced.

It is a top view of one Example of the organic electroluminescent vapor deposition line which concerns on this invention. It is the top view which showed typically a part of vapor deposition apparatus with which the organic EL vapor deposition line shown in FIG. 1 is provided. It is a top view explaining the state which a board | substrate moves within the vapor deposition apparatus shown in FIG. It is a partial top view of the vapor deposition apparatus with which the organic EL vapor deposition line shown in FIG. 1 is provided. It is the figure which showed a part of vapor deposition apparatus shown in FIG. 4 with front sectional drawing. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a T portion in FIG. 5. It is a disassembled perspective view around the index table accommodated in the vapor deposition chamber shown in FIG. It is the U section enlarged view of FIG. It is the V section sectional view of FIG.

  Hereinafter, one example of an organic EL vapor deposition line according to the present invention and a vapor deposition apparatus provided therein will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a commonly used active matrix type organic EL vapor deposition line 100. FIGS. 2 and 3 are views in which one of the vapor deposition apparatuses 130 to 137 provided in the organic EL vapor deposition line 100 is taken out. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the robot transfer chambers 101 to 108 and one of the vapor deposition chambers 121a to 128b disposed on both sides of each of the robot transfer chambers 101 to 108, and FIG. 6 is a plan view for explaining a movement state of the substrates S0 to S2 in the chamber 121a and the robot transfer chamber 101. FIG.

  By the way, when manufacturing an organic EL device having an organic EL vapor-deposited film, not only a light emitting material layer (EL layer), but also an electrode layer sandwiching the EL layer, a hole injection layer formed on the anode, transportation Various thin films such as a layer and an electron injection layer formed on the cathode are required. Therefore, a necessary layer is formed using a plurality of vapor deposition materials. Each layer is a vapor deposition film layer formed on the substrate by evaporation for each vapor deposition material, and each of these layers is laminated in multiple layers. Finally, an organic EL device is completed.

  Specifically, when creating an active matrix organic EL device, a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), a red light emitting layer (R) on a TFT substrate (backplane). The green light emitting layer (G), the blue light emitting layer (B), the electron transport layer (ETL), the electron injection tank (EIL), and the cathode (cathode) are deposited in this order. A specific example of this is schematically shown in FIG. In addition, in order to improve the characteristic of an organic EL device, an arbitrary layer may be added or omitted as needed.

  In this embodiment, since the organic EL vapor deposition line 100 forms the same vapor deposition film in the left and right vapor deposition chambers (for example, 121a and 121b), it is possible to create eight vapor deposition film layers. Gate valves 141a to 148b are arranged on both front and rear sides of each robot transfer chamber 101 to 108, a delivery chamber 111 is arranged upstream of the gate valve 141a, and a delivery chamber 112 is arranged between the gate valve 141b and the gate valve 142a. Similarly, the delivery chambers 113 to 118 are disposed between the gate valves 142b to 148a. A delivery chamber 119 is arranged on the downstream side of the gate valve 148b.

  Each of the robot transfer chambers 101 to 108 accommodates a vacuum robot whose details will be described later. Vapor deposition chambers 121a to 128b are arranged through gate valves 231a to 238b in the directions substantially perpendicular to the delivery chambers 111 to 119 on the left and right sides of the robot transfer chambers 101 to 108, respectively.

  In the organic EL vapor deposition line 100 configured as described above, the robot transfer chambers 101 to 108 and the vapor deposition chambers 121a to 128b disposed on both the left and right sides thereof are used by using the gate valves 141a to 148b attached to the delivery chambers 111 to 119, respectively. It becomes possible to partition into 8 sets of clusters (evaporation apparatus). For example, the first evaporation apparatus 101 includes a robot transfer chamber 101 and left and right evaporation chambers 121a and 121b, and the gate valves 141a and 141b are closed with the other evaporation chambers 122a to 128b and the robot transfer chambers 102 to 108. Can be partitioned.

In the organic EL vapor deposition line 100 shown in FIG. 1, a substrate (not shown) that has undergone an annealing process, a plasma cleaning process, and the like, which are processes before vapor deposition, is supplied to the delivery chamber 111 positioned at the upper end in FIG. On the other hand, the substrate that has undergone a series of vapor deposition film creation steps is sent from the delivery chamber 119 at the lower end to the next step. During the vapor deposition process, all of the robot transfer chambers 101 to 108 and the vapor deposition chambers 121a to 128b shown in FIG. 1 can be evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown) up to a vacuum pressure of 10 ⁻⁶ Pa. .

  First, the substrate S0 supplied to the delivery chamber 111 is transferred to the robot transfer chamber 101 by the transfer means after the gate valve 141a is opened. Next, the gate valve 141 a is closed, the gate valve 231 a or 231 b provided on either the left or right side of the robot transfer chamber 101 is opened, and the opened gate valve 231 a ( 231b) is led to the vapor deposition chamber 121a (121b). The substrate S0 that has been deposited in the deposition chamber 121a (or 121b) is taken out of the deposition chamber 121a (121b) by a vacuum robot disposed in the robot transfer chamber 101 for deposition of the next layer. And in order to form the next vapor deposition layer, the gate valve 141b is opened and a conveyance means sends board | substrate S0 to the delivery chamber 112. FIG. Thereafter, the same procedure is repeated, and the substrate S0 guided to the delivery chamber 119 is delivered to the next process.

  Next, two substrates S0 and S1 are arranged in a vapor deposition chamber 121a composed of one vacuum chamber, which is a feature of the present invention, and vacuum vapor deposition onto the substrate and loading / unloading of the substrate into the vapor deposition chamber 121a are performed. The procedure will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, only main components are simulated. Only one vapor deposition chamber 121a is taken up with respect to the evaporation apparatus 130 for creating the first layer in the evaporation process. In the other evaporation apparatuses 131 to 137 and the vapor deposition chamber 121b on the opposite side, the vapor deposition onto the substrate and the conveyance / carrying-in of the substrate are performed similarly.

  In the vapor deposition chamber 121a, an index table 213 capable of arranging two substrates side by side is arranged. The left substrate position far from the robot transfer chamber 101 is a deposition position 211, and the right substrate position near the robot transfer chamber 101 is a delivery position 212. The index table 213 can be rotated 180 ° right and left, and is reversed as switching operations 214a and 214b when the substrate is carried into and out of the vapor deposition chamber 121a. Even if the index table 213 rotates left and right, the deposition position 211 is always on the side far from the robot transfer chamber 101. As the index table 213 rotates 180 degrees to the left and right, an index table interference area 215 is formed in the vapor deposition chamber 121a.

  As will be described in detail later, an evaporation source VDS is disposed below the index table 213 so as to face the substrate on the evaporation position 211 side. The evaporation source VDS deposits an evaporation material on the lower surface side of the substrate. The evaporation source VDS reciprocates in the front-rear direction 222 of the vapor deposition chamber 121a with the vicinity of the front and rear ends of the index table 213 as the evaporation source folding positions 221 and 223.

  FIG. 3 illustrates how the index substrate 213 is used to carry out the other substrate S0 and carry in the new substrate S2 while one substrate S1 is being deposited. First, in step (A), preparation for vapor deposition on the substrate S1 is started. The substrate S0 (denoted by hatching) that has already been deposited is positioned at the delivery position 212, and the substrate S1 before deposition is positioned at the deposition position 211. At this time, the vapor deposition source VDS is located at the evaporation source turn-back position 221 in the vicinity of the front end of the substrate S1.

  Next, in step (B), the vapor deposition source VDS is moved in the evaporation source movement direction 222 to form a vapor deposition film on the surface of the substrate S1. On the other hand, the substrate S0 on which the vapor deposition film to be formed in the vapor deposition chamber 121a has already been formed is carried out from the vapor deposition chamber 121a to the robot conveyance chamber 101 by a vacuum robot (not shown) disposed in the robot conveyance chamber 101. Here, a substrate delivery position 216 is formed in the robot transfer chamber 101, and a substrate S0 on which a vapor deposition film is formed is disposed at the substrate delivery position 216. Thereafter, the substrate S0 is sent to the next process by a transfer means (not shown) in the robot transfer chamber 101.

  In step (C), a new substrate S2 is placed at the substrate delivery position 216 by the transfer means in the robot transfer chamber 101, instead of the substrate S0 after vapor deposition. During this time, the vapor deposition source VDS continues vapor deposition on the substrate S1. The vacuum robot in the robot transfer chamber 101 carries a new substrate S2 into the delivery position 212 in the vapor deposition chamber 121a. Thereby, the replacement of the substrate S0 and the substrate S2 is completed. Then, it waits for the film-forming in the vapor deposition chamber 121a of board | substrate S1 to be completed.

  Next, in step (D), when the film formation on the substrate S1 in the vapor deposition chamber 121a is completed, the index table 213 is rotated by 180 degrees to the right or left in FIG. At this time, the evaporation source VDS is located at the evaporation source return position 223 on the rear end side. Since the index table 213 is rotated by 180 °, the state returns to the same state as the state of step (A). However, only the evaporation source VDS has a different position. Thereafter, the evaporation source VDS is moved in the evaporation source moving direction 222, and deposition on the substrate S2 is started. In parallel with this, the substrate S1 at the substrate delivery position 212 is unloaded from the vapor deposition chamber 121a using a vacuum robot. Thereafter, the operations of the above steps (A) to (D) are repeated.

  In the above sequence, the time not substantially involved in vapor deposition on the substrate surface is only the time for rotating the index table 213, and the vapor deposition efficiency is improved. In particular, since the rotation angle of the index table is uniquely determined by the number of substrates assigned to the index table, the rotation angle of the index table can be determined in advance, and the time required for rotation can be significantly reduced. For example, the rotation angle can be mechanically determined by a mechanism such as a ratchet.

  Next, specific configurations of the vapor deposition chamber and the robot transfer chamber will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a vapor deposition apparatus 130 having a robot transfer chamber 101 and two vapor deposition chambers 121a and 121b. The left vapor deposition chamber 121a and the robot transfer chamber 101 are partially shown in cross section. FIG. 5 is a front view of the left vapor deposition chamber 121a and the robot transfer chamber 101, and a part thereof is shown in cross section. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a T portion in FIG. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view around the index table 213 accommodated in the vapor deposition chamber 121a. 8 and 9 are an enlarged view of the U portion and a cross-sectional view of the V portion of FIG. 7, respectively.

  Gate valves 231a and 231b are provided between the robot transfer chamber 101 and the respective vapor deposition chambers 121a and 121b. The robot transfer chamber 101 is provided with a vertical vacuum robot 401 for carrying the substrate S1 (S0) into the vapor deposition chamber 121a and carrying the substrate S1 (S0) out of the vapor deposition chamber 121a. The vacuum robot 401 has a robot arm 403 composed of an upper arm 403a and a lower arm 403b, and a cross-shaped robot hand 402 attached to the tip of the robot arm 403. The vacuum robot 401 is driven by a motor 405 attached to the lower part of the robot transfer chamber 101.

  In FIG. 4, the robot arm 403 and the robot hand 402 indicated by solid lines indicate a state in which the substrate S0 is extended to the delivery position 212 in order to carry it out of the vapor deposition chamber 121a. The hand 402 shows a state immediately before the substrate S0 is transferred to the delivery position 216 provided in the robot transfer chamber 101 and transferred to the next process. When the vacuum robot 401 is used in the deposition chamber 121b on the right side, the robot arm 403 and the robot hand 402 are rotated by 180 ° around the axis of the motor 405 with the robot arm 403 folded. A substrate holding mechanism is formed on the upper surface side of the robot hand 401 so that the substrate can be stably held on the upper surface of the robot hand 401.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the substrate S1 is placed on the index table 213 via the mask frame 413, and the pressing plate 411 holds the upper surface of the substrate S1. Here, the mask frame 413 and the substrate S1 are positioned in advance using mutual alignment marks (not shown), and are transferred by the robot arm 403 in this state.

  In the vapor deposition chamber 121a, an index table 213 is disposed at the upper portion, and a vapor deposition source VDS is disposed at the lower portion. On the upper surface of the vapor deposition source VDS, a plurality of openings (nozzles) are formed in a line in the left-right direction (a direction perpendicular to the moving direction 222 of the vapor deposition source VDS). That is, in the evaporation source VSD, a light emitting material that is a vapor deposition material is accommodated therein, and the light emitting material is ejected from a plurality of nozzles arranged in a line. The vapor deposition material accommodated in the vapor deposition source VDS is heated and controlled so as to obtain a stable evaporation rate. Further, if necessary, the additive is also heated and deposited at the same time.

  An atmospheric box 441 is disposed below the vapor deposition source VDS. The atmospheric box 441 and the vapor deposition source VDS can be moved together in the moving direction 222 of the vapor deposition source VDS by a linear motion guide 442 attached to the bottom surface of the atmospheric box 441. The linear guide 442 includes a pair of guides 442a and a rail 442b on which the guide 442a can linearly move. The rail 442b is fixed on a base 443 attached to the vapor deposition chamber 121a. In order to move the evaporation source VDS and the atmospheric box 441, a motor 444 is accommodated in the atmospheric box 441.

  The output shaft of the motor 444 is connected to the magnetic fluid seal 446 via a coupling 445. The magnetic fluid seal 446 is for sealing the atmospheric box 441 and the vacuum deposition chamber 121a. A pinion 447 is attached to the vacuum tip of the magnetic fluid seal 446 and meshes with a rack 448 arranged in parallel to the pair of rails 442b and fixed to the base 443.

  Therefore, the driving force of the motor 444 disposed on the atmosphere side is transmitted to the pinion 447 via the magnetic fluid seal 446, and the guide 442a slides on the rail 442b due to the engagement of the pinion 447 and the rack 448. Thereby, the vapor deposition source VDS can move in the moving direction 222.

  The wiring / pipe 449 of the motor 444 and the like is held in a wiring arm 450 (450a to 450c) that is airtightly connected to the atmospheric box 441. The wiring arm 450 has an opening on one end side that opens to the atmosphere in order to guide the wiring / piping 449 to the outside of the vapor deposition chamber 121a. In FIG. 4, a wiring arm 450 indicated by a broken line and a solid line is a case where the evaporation source VDS is located at the evaporation source turn-back position 221 on the front end side, and the wiring arm 450 indicated by a one-dot chain line indicates the evaporation source on the rear end side. This is a case where it is located at the folding position 223.

  A substrate holding mechanism for holding the substrates S1 and S0 on the index table 213 is provided in the upper part of the vapor deposition chamber 121a. The substrate holding mechanism is a mechanism for lifting or hanging the substrate S0 (S1), the mask frame 413, and the holding plate 411 when the substrate S0 (S1) is carried into or out of the vapor deposition chamber 121a. The mechanism is roughly divided into a mechanism for rotating the index table 213.

  A mechanism for lifting or hanging the substrate S0 (S1) or the like is fixed to a bracket 423 provided on the outer upper surface of the vapor deposition chamber 121a, and a motor 422 for driving the index table 213 and a rotation transmission mechanism (for transmitting the power of the motor 422). 424, 425, 426), a rotating shaft 428 serving as an output shaft, and a flat plate-like rotating arm 429 connected to the tip of the rotating shaft 428. The rotation transmission mechanism includes a pulley 424 attached to the output shaft of the motor 422, a belt wound around the pulley 424, and a pulley 426 attached to one end side of the rotation shaft 428. The rotating shaft 428 is rotatably supported by a plurality of bearings 427.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the rotary arm 429 has a hole 429a formed in a portion corresponding to the central portion of each of the substrates S0 and S1, and has a magnetic presser disposed on the back side of each of the substrates S0 and S1. A workpiece lifting portion 437 provided at the central portion of the plate 411 can be penetrated. As shown in FIG. 8, the workpiece lifting portion 437 has a head portion 437c, a hook portion 437b having a smaller diameter than the head portion 437c, and a through portion 437a penetrating a hole 429a formed in the rotating arm 429. Yes.

  As described above, the substrate S1 and the mask frame 413, and the substrate S0 and the mask frame 413 are respectively positioned in advance. In order to secure a vapor deposition surface at the time of vapor deposition on the substrate S1 or the like, the index table 213 is formed with a pair of openings 213b slightly larger than the vapor deposition surface of the substrate S1 on the left and right. A support column 213 a is provided between the pair of openings 213 b, and the support column 213 a is connected to the lower surface of the rotating arm 429. Therefore, a gap corresponding to the height of the column 213a is formed between the rotary arm 429 and the index table 213.

  On the other hand, a mechanism for lifting or suspending a workpiece composed of the substrate S0 (S1), the mask frame 413, the holding plate 411, and the like has a socket portion 434a that is engaged with a workpiece lifting portion 437 provided on the upper surface side of the holding plate 411. Lift shaft 434 attached to the tip, bellows 435 to which the opposite end of the lift shaft is attached, a floating joint 433 fixed to the outside of the bellows 435, and a bracket to which the floating joint 433 is connected and fixed to the outside of the vapor deposition chamber 121a It has a cylinder 431 attached to 432. The bellows 435 seals the inside of the vacuum deposition chamber 121a and the atmosphere side where the cylinder 431 is disposed. At the same time, it expands and contracts up and down to allow the lifting shaft 434 to move up and down by the operation of the cylinder 431. The elevating shaft 434 is guided by a linear motion guide 436 fixed to the vapor deposition chamber 121a.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the socket portion 434 a attached to the tip of the elevating shaft 434 has a groove 434 b extending in the horizontal direction, and the head portion 437 c of the workpiece lifting portion 437 can be fitted. Here, the upper surface shape of the head portion 437c of the workpiece lifting portion 437 has a pseudo-rectangular shape obtained by cutting a part of a circle along two parallel straight lines (see FIG. 8). After the head portion 437c of the work lifting portion 437 is fitted into the groove 434b, the head portion 437c is locked to the locking portion 434c by rotating the socket portion 434a by 90 degrees with respect to the head portion 437c. Thereby, the substrate S0 (S1) can be lifted and hung by the linear motion of the cylinder 431.

  5 shows a state where the workpiece including the substrate S0 is lifted from the robot hand 402 when the substrate S0 is located at the substrate delivery position 212, or the workpiece is lifted by the workpiece lifting portion 437. A state immediately before transfer onto the robot hand 402 using 437 is shown.

  According to this embodiment, while one of the two substrates arranged in the vapor deposition chamber is vapor-deposited, the cylinder provided on the atmosphere side is driven to lift the work including the other substrate from the index table, and the tip of the vacuum robot The robot is attached to the robot hand and transferred. Further, the vacuum robot is driven to carry out the other substrate from the vapor deposition chamber. Further, the new substrate is similarly carried by the vacuum robot, and the cylinder is driven and lifted from the robot hand and suspended on the index table for positioning. When the deposition of one substrate is completed, the motor is driven immediately to rotate the index table. Thereby, vapor deposition on the substrate can be continued almost without interruption.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Organic EL vapor deposition line, 101-108 ... Robot transfer chamber, 111-119 ... Delivery chamber, 121a-128b ... Deposition chamber, 130-137 ... Cluster (deposition apparatus), 141a-18b ... Gate valve, 211 ... Deposition position 212 ... Delivery position, 213 ... Index table, 213b ... Opening, 214a, 214b ... Switching operation (reversal), 215 ... Interference area of index table, 216 ... Delivery position, 221 ... Evaporation source return position, 222 ... Evaporation source movement Direction, 223 ... evaporation source folding position, 231a to 238b ... gate valve, 401 ... vacuum robot, 402 ... robot hand, 403 ... robot arm, 403a ... upper arm, 403b ... lower arm, 405 ... motor, 413 ... mask frame, 422 ... motor, 423 ... bracket, 424 ... , 425 ... belt, 426 ... pulley, 427 ... bearing, 428 ... rotating shaft, 429 ... rotating arm, 429a ... hole, 431 ... cylinder, 432 ... bracket, 433 ... floating joint, 434 ... lifting shaft, 434a ... socket part 434b: groove, 434c: locking portion, 435 ... bellows, 436 ... linear motion guide, 437 ... work lifting portion, 437a ... penetrating portion, 437b ... hooking portion, 437c ... head, 441 ... atmospheric box, 442 ... Linear guide, 442a ... Guide, 442b ... Rail, 443 ... Base, 444 ... Motor, 445 ... Coupling, 446 ... Magnetic fluid seal, 447 ... Pinion, 448 ... Rack, 449 ... Wiring and piping, 450, 450a-450c ... wiring arm, S0 to S2 ... substrate, VDS ... evaporation source.

Claims (6)

  A robot transfer chamber in which a vacuum robot is disposed, one or two deposition chambers connected to the robot transfer chamber via gate valves, and a plurality of substrates can be placed horizontally in the deposition chamber. A stored index table, a rotating means for rotating the index table in the horizontal direction, and an evaporation disposed below the index table, facing one of the plurality of substrates, and movable in the horizontal direction. A vacuum evaporation apparatus for forming an organic EL film having a source, wherein the vacuum robot can carry in and out a substrate in a horizontal direction between the vapor deposition chamber and the robot transfer chamber, and is placed on the index table During deposition of one of the plurality of substrates by the evaporation source, the other substrate is unloaded from the deposition chamber to the robot transfer chamber using the vacuum robot. Deposition apparatus characterized by loading a new substrate instead to the deposition chamber from said robotic transfer chamber.   The said rotating means transmits the rotational drive force of the motor arrange | positioned outside the said vapor deposition chamber to the said index table accommodated in the said vapor deposition chamber via a magnetic fluid sealing means. Vapor deposition equipment.   A holding plate having a work lifting portion is disposed on the side opposite to the vapor deposition surface of the substrate placed on the index table, a cylinder disposed outside the vapor deposition chamber, a bellows to which one end of the cylinder is connected, and the bellows A lifting shaft connected to the bellows via a floating joint connected to the inside and disposed in the vapor deposition chamber; and a socket portion provided at a lower end portion of the lifting shaft and capable of being fitted into the workpiece lifting portion. The vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vapor deposition apparatus is characterized.   The index table can place two substrates, the evaporation position for performing evaporation by the evaporation source on the side far from the robot transfer chamber, and the substrate on the side closer to the robot transfer chamber by the vacuum robot. The vapor deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a delivery position for carrying out is formed.   A method for depositing a plurality of substrates by depositing and carrying in / out a plurality of substrates disposed in a deposition chamber attached to the robot transport chamber using a vacuum robot disposed in a robot transport chamber. The substrate is placed on an index table arranged horizontally using the vacuum robot, and an evaporation source in which one of the plurality of substrates is arranged below the substrate and facing the substrate is provided. During the deposition, another substrate is transported to the robot transfer chamber using the vacuum robot and a new substrate is transported to the deposition chamber and placed on the index table. When the deposition of the substrate being deposited is completed, the index table is rotated in the horizontal direction to position the undeposited substrate at the position of the evaporation source, and thereafter the above procedure is repeated. Vapor deposition method.   When the substrate is carried into the evaporation chamber, or when the substrate is carried out into the robot transfer chamber, a work lifting portion disposed on the opposite side of the vapor deposition surface of the substrate is provided via the bellows on the vapor deposition surface. 6. The vapor deposition method according to claim 5, wherein the substrate is lifted from the index table or suspended from the index table by being fitted into a socket portion at a tip of a lifting shaft connected to a cylinder disposed outside.

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