Film forming apparatus and film forming method

• US 20020132047A1
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishi, Takeshi, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Granted Patent: US 6,946,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/255.6
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/60 Deposition of organic layers from vapour phase vapour phase deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/12 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/564 Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases

Abstract

To provide a film forming apparatus in which an impurity contained in an organic compound is separated to be removed and a film is formed without decreasing the purity of the purified organic compound, whereby a high-purity organic compound is formed. A film forming apparatus of the present invention includes a purifying chamber for purifying an organic compound and a film forming chamber for vapor-depositing the purified organic compound onto a substrate. The organic compound purified by a zone melting method in the purifying chamber can be vapor-deposited onto the substrate provided in the film forming chamber without decreasing the purity thereof, so that a high-purity organic compound layer can be formed.

Claims

1. A film forming apparatus comprising:

a container;

a heater; and

a substrate holder,

wherein the heater comprises heating means for heating the container and moving means.

2. A film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heater comprises moving means for moving in a longitudinal direction of the container.

3. A film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heater moves at a speed of 10⁻

2 to 10 cm/h.

4. A film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container includes an organic compound in a solid state at room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure.

5. A film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container is provided with a plurality of the heaters.

6. A film forming apparatus according to claim 1, said film forming apparatus comprises a plurality of the containers.

7. A film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the containers comprises crucible.

8. A film forming apparatus comprising:

a film forming chamber; and

a purifying chamber connected to film forming chamber via a gate,

wherein the purifying chamber comprises a container and a heater, and

wherein the heater comprises heating means for heating the container and moving means.

9. A film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the heater comprises moving means for moving in a longitudinal direction of the container.

10. A film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the heater moves at a speed of 10⁻

2 to 10 cm/h.

11. A film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the container includes an organic compound in a solid state at room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure.

12. A film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the container is provided with a plurality of the heaters.

13. A film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said film forming apparatus comprises a plurality of the containers.

14. A film forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the containers comprises crucible.

16. A film forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the heater comprises moving means for moving in a longitudinal direction of the container.

17. A film forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the heater moves at a speed of 10⁻

2 to 10 cm/h.

18. A film forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of containers have a structure in which a plurality of containers each having an opening at a bottom are stacked on a container having a bottom portion.

19. A film forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the container includes an organic compound in a solid state at room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure.

20. A film forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the container is provided with a plurality of the heaters.

21. A film forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the containers comprises crucible.

15. A film forming apparatus comprising:

a film forming chamber;

a purifying chamber,

wherein the film forming chamber comprises a vaporization source and the purifying chamber comprises a plurality of containers, a heater, and a carrier mechanism,

wherein the plurality of containers are stacked on each other, wherein the heater comprises moving means and heating means for heating the containers at the time of movement of the heater, and wherein the carrier mechanism comprises carrying means for carrying only a container containing a highly purified organic compound among the plurality of containers from the purifying chamber to the film forming chamber.

22. A film forming apparatus comprising:

a load chamber;

an alignment chamber;

a first film forming chamber for forming an organic compound layer on a first electrode;

a purifying chamber;

a second film forming chamber for forming a second electrode on the organic compound layer; and

a sealing chamber,

wherein the first film forming chamber comprises a vaporization source and the purifying chamber comprises a plurality of containers, a heater, and a carrier mechanism,

wherein the heater comprises moving means and heating means for heating the plurality of containers at the time of movement of the heater, and

wherein the carrier mechanism comprises carrying means for carrying the plurality of containers from the purifying chamber to the vaporization source.

23. A film forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the heater comprises moving means for moving in a longitudinal direction of the container.

24. A film forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the heater moves at a speed of 10⁻

2 to 10 cm/h.

25. A film forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of containers have a structure in which a plurality of containers each having an opening at a bottom are stacked on a container having a bottom portion.

26. A film forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the container includes an organic compound in a solid state at room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure.

27. A film forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the container comprises a plurality of the heaters.

28. A film forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the containers comprises crucible.

30. A film forming apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the container moves at a speed of 10⁻

2 to 10 cm/h.

31. A film forming apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the container includes an organic compound in a solid state at room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure.

32. A film forming apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the container is provided with a plurality of the heaters.

33. A film forming apparatus according to claim 29, said film forming apparatus comprises a plurality of the containers.

34. A film forming apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the film forming chamber is disposed above the purifying chamber via the gate.

35. A film forming apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the containers comprises crucible.

37. A film forming apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the container moves at a speed of 10⁻

2 to 10 cm/h.

38. A film forming apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the plurality of containers have a structure in which a plurality of containers each having an opening at a bottom are stacked on a container having a bottom portion.

39. A film forming apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the container includes an organic compound in a solid state at room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure.

40. A film forming apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the container is provided with a plurality of the heaters.

41. A film forming apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the containers comprises crucible.

29. A film forming apparatus comprising:

a film forming chamber; and

a purifying chamber connected to the film forming chamber via a gate,

wherein the purifying chamber comprises a container and a heater,

wherein the container comprises moving means for moving in a longitudinal direction of the container, and

wherein the heater heats the container.

36. A film forming apparatus comprising:

a film forming chamber; and

a purifying chamber,

wherein the film forming chamber comprises a vaporization source, and the purifying chamber comprises a plurality of containers, a heater, and a carrier mechanism,

wherein the plurality of containers are stacked on each other, and the plurality of containers comprise moving means for moving in a longitudinal direction in which the plurality of containers are stacked on each other,

wherein the heater comprises heating means for heating the plurality of containers, and

wherein the carrier mechanism comprises carrying means for carrying only a container containing a highly purified organic compound among the plurality of containers from the purifying chamber to the vaporization source.

42. A film forming apparatus comprising:

a load chamber;

an alignment chamber;

a first film forming chamber for forming an organic compound layer on a first electrode;

a purifying chamber;

a second film forming chamber for forming a second electrode on the organic compound layer; and

a sealing chamber,

wherein the first film forming chamber comprises a vaporization source and the purifying chamber comprises a plurality of containers, a heater, and a carrier mechanism, wherein the plurality of containers comprise moving means for moving in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of containers, and

wherein the heater heats the plurality of containers.

43. A film forming apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the plurality of containers have a structure in which a plurality of containers each having an opening at a bottom are stacked on a container having a bottom portion.

44. A film forming apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the container moves at a speed of 10⁻

2 to 10 cm/h.

45. A film forming apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the container includes an organic compound in a solid state at room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure.

46. A film forming apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the container is provided with a plurality of the heaters.

47. A film forming apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the containers comprises crucible.

49. A method of forming a film according to claim 48, wherein the heater heats the container while moving at a speed of 10⁻

2 to 10 cm/h in a longitudinal direction of the container.

50. A method of forming a film according to claim 48, wherein the impurity is evaporated by heating with the heater to be removed through an exhaust system.

51. A method of forming a film according to claim 48, wherein a plurality of containers each having an opening at a bottom are stacked on a container and only the container containing the high-purity organic compound is taken out to be used as a vaporization source.

52. A film forming apparatus according to claim 48, wherein the containers comprises crucible.

48. A method of forming a film, comprising the steps of:

heating an organic compound provided in a container with a heater;

separating an impurity contained in the organic compound along with the movement of the heater; and

evaporating a high-purity organic compound obtained by separating the impurity to form an organic compound layer.

53. A method of forming a light emitting device comprising:

purifying an organic compound by zone melting to form a purified organic compound in a film forming apparatus;

evaporating the purified organic compound to form an organic compound film over a substrate in the same film forming apparatus.

54. A method of forming light emitting device comprising:

purifying an organic compound by zone melting in a first chamber of an apparatus to form a purified organic compound; and

evaporating the purified organic compound to form an organic compound film over a substrate in a second chamber of the same apparatus.

55. A method of forming a light emitting device according to claim 54, wherein the method further comprising a step of transferring the purified organic compound from the first chamber to the second chamber without exposing the purified organic compound to the air.

56. A method of forming a film, comprising the steps of:

heating an organic compound with a heater in a first chamber;

separating an impurity contained in the organic compound along with the movement of the heater in the first chamber;

carrying a purified portion in the organic compound from the first chamber to a second chamber by using a carrier mechanism;

evaporating the purified portion in the organic compound onto a substrate in the second chamber;

wherein the first chamber is connected to the second chamber, and

wherein the purified region in the organic compound is carried from the first chamber to the second chamber without exposing air outside chambers.