Organic thin film deposition device, organic EL element manufacturing device, and organic thin film deposition method

• US 8,298,340 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ulvac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ulvac Incorporated
• Inventors: Fukao, Masato, Sunaga, Yoshio, Kikuchi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh, Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ford, Nathan K
• Application Number:
  US13/080,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 118/721, 118/729, 414/938
• US Class Current: 118/729
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/042 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/50 Substrate holders
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/56 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67005 Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere processes per se H01L21/30, H01L21/46, H01L23/00; simple temporary support means, e.g. using adhesives, electric or magnetic means H01L21/68, H01L21/302
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67225 comprising at least one lithography chamber lithographic apparatuses G03F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/164 using vacuum deposition

Abstract

An organic thin film deposition device that is compact and high in processing capability is provided. Inside a vacuum chamber, first and second substrate arrangement devices that can be in a horizontal posture and a standing posture are provided; and when in the standing posture, substrates held by the respective substrate arrangement devices and first and second organic vapor discharging devices face each other. When one of the substrate arrangement devices is in the horizontal posture, masks and the substrates are lifted up by alignment pins and transfer pins and are replaced with a substrate not yet film formed, for position adjustment. With one organic thin film deposition device, two substrates can be processed at the same time.

Claims

1. An organic thin film deposition device, comprising:

a vacuum chamber;

first and second substrate arrangement devices arranged in the vacuum chamber, and in which first and second substrates arranged;

first and second masks respectively located on the first and second substrate arrangement devices, and having openings formed therein;

a first rotating shaft for operating so as to switch the first substrate arrangement device together with the first mask into a horizontal posture to be horizontal, and to switch the first substrate arrangement device together with the first mask into a standing posture to be arranged in a standing manner;

a second rotating shaft for operating to place the second substrate arrangement device together with the second mask into the horizontal posture to be horizontal, and to switch the second substrate arrangement device together with the second mask into the standing posture to be arranged in a standing manner,

first and second organic vapor discharging devices, provided in the vacuum chamber, and for discharging an organic material vapor from discharging openings provided in first and second organic vapor discharging planes;

a mask moving device; and

a substrate moving device,

wherein the first and second substrates are configured to change their posture between the horizontal posture and the standing posture in a state of being sandwiched respectively by the first and second substrate arrangement devices and the first and second masks, due to operation of the first and second rotating shafts,

wherein the first and second organic vapor discharging planes are configured to face respectively the first and second masks which have switched into the standing posture, and to let the organic material vapor discharged from the discharging openings of the first and second organic vapor discharging planes pass through the openings of the first and second masks to reach film formation planes of the first and second substrates, and

wherein the first substrate arrangement device in the horizontal posture and the second substrate arrangement device in the horizontal posture are made into the horizontal posture at a same position horizontally,

wherein when the second substrate arrangement device is switched into the standing posture and the first substrate arrangement device is switched into the horizontal posture, the mask moving device and the substrate moving device are arranged at a position below the first substrate arrangement device made into the horizontal posture, the first mask on the first substrate arrangement device is lifted up by the mask moving device which is lifted up, and the first substrate on the first substrate arrangement device is lifted up by the substrate moving device which is lifted up,

wherein when the first substrate arrangement device is switched into the standing posture and the second substrate arrangement device is switched into the horizontal posture, the mask moving device and the substrate moving device are arranged at a position below the second substrate arrangement device made into the horizontal posture, the second mask on the second substrate arrangement device is lifted up by the mask moving device which is lifted up, and the second substrate on the second substrate arrangement device is lifted up by the substrate moving device which is lifted up.

2. The organic thin film deposition device according to claim 1, wherein the standing posture is made by moving the first and second substrates rotationally at an angle of less than 90°

from the horizontal posture, with surfaces on which the first and second masks are arranged facing upward.

3. The organic thin film deposition device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a passage for flowing a cooling medium liquid is formed respectively in the first and second substrate arrangement devices.

4. The organic thin film deposition device according to claim 1,

wherein vapor generation sources are respectively connected to the first and second organic vapor discharging devices;

and

wherein the organic material vapor generated by the vapor generation source is configured such that the vapor can be discharged from the discharging openings of the first and second organic vapor discharging planes.

5. The organic thin film deposition device according to claim 1, further comprising first and second absorbing magnets provided in the first and second substrate arrangement devices, for magnetically absorbing the first and second masks to the first and second substrate arrangement devices.

6. The organic thin film deposition device according to claim 1, further comprising a mask moving device for moving the respective first and second masks vertically on the first and second substrate arrangement devices in the horizontal posture.

7. The organic thin film deposition device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate arrangement device in the horizontal posture and the second substrate arrangement device in the horizontal posture are configured such that one of the first or the second substrate arrangement devices stops or stays still at a position right below the other.

8. The organic thin film deposition device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate arrangement device and the second substrate arrangement device are configured so as to be placed in the horizontal posture at a same position vertically.

9. An organic EL element manufacturing device, comprising:

a transport chamber having a substrate transport robot arranged therein; and

the organic thin film deposition device according to claim 1 connected to the transport chamber.