JP2014177683A - Substrate conveyance tray and deposition apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate conveyance tray and a deposition apparatus in which a structure for substrate conveyance can be made simple and deposition efficiency can be improved.SOLUTION: A substrate conveyance tray 20 comprises a support part 22 provided for an upper end side of a frame body 21, and the support part 22 has a rail part 31 which contacts a drive roller 63 that applies driving force for conveyance. Further, even if particles caused by film peeling or the like are generated in the drive roller 63 or a portion contacting the drive roller 63, it becomes possible for a lower wall part 32 extending in a thickness direction to receive the particles. Thus, in spite of a simple structure in which the rail part 31 of the support part 22 is brought into contact with the drive roller 63, conveyance of a substrate 101 is made possible and scattering of particles can be suppressed as well.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transfer tray for a film forming apparatus and a film forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a substrate transport tray shown in Patent Document 1 is known as a substrate transport tray used when transporting a substrate in a vacuum chamber of a film forming apparatus. A rack and pinion system is adopted for transporting the substrate transport tray. That is, a drive unit having a pinion is provided on the upper side of the vacuum chamber, and a rack in which teeth are arranged in a straight line so as to mesh with the pinion of the drive unit is provided on the upper end side of the substrate transport tray. . With such a configuration, the substrate carrying tray is held in the substrate carrying tray, and the substrate carrying tray moves in the carrying direction together with the rack by rotating the pinion of the driving unit. As a result, the substrate is transported while being held on the substrate transport tray in the vacuum chamber of the film forming apparatus.

JP-A-1-268870

  However, as described above, when the rack and pinion method is adopted as the method for transporting the substrate transport tray, there is a problem that the structure of the transport unit of the film forming apparatus and the structure of the substrate transport tray become complicated. Further, when the substrate transfer tray is transferred from one vacuum chamber to the adjacent vacuum chamber, the substrate transfer tray transferred from the one vacuum chamber can catch up with the substrate transfer tray transferred in the adjacent vacuum chamber. There is a case where control (catch-up control) is performed. When the rack and pinion method is adopted, the rack carrier and the pinion teeth mesh with each other, so that the substrate transport tray is in contact with the drive part of one vacuum chamber and the drive part of another vacuum chamber. There is a problem that it is difficult to cope with catch-up control because a difference in transport speed cannot be provided between the driving units of the vacuum chambers. When it is difficult to cope with the catch-up control, the interval between the substrate transfer trays may be increased in the film forming portion, which affects the film forming efficiency. From the above, there has been a demand for simplifying the substrate transport structure and improving the efficiency of film formation.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and can simplify a structure for transporting a substrate and improve the efficiency of film formation, and a substrate transport tray. An object is to provide a membrane device.

  A substrate transport tray according to the present invention is a substrate transport tray for a film forming apparatus that can hold a substrate when transporting the substrate in a transport direction that intersects the thickness direction of the substrate, and a frame on which the substrate can be attached And a support portion that is provided on one end side of the frame body and supports the frame body during transport, and the support portion is connected to one end side of the frame body and extends at least in the thickness direction of the frame body And a second portion that comes into contact with a driving roller that applies a driving force for conveyance.

  The substrate transport tray according to the present invention includes a support portion provided on one end side of the frame, and the support portion has a second portion that comes into contact with a driving roller that applies a driving force for transport. ing. As a result, the frame body to which the substrate can be attached can be moved with the substrate in the transport direction by being applied with the driving force from the driving roller via the support portion having the second portion. Moreover, the support part has the 1st part connected to a frame, and the said 1st part is extended in the thickness direction of the frame. Therefore, even if particles due to film peeling or the like are generated at the drive roller or a portion in contact with the drive roller, the first portion extending in the thickness direction can receive the particles. As described above, the substrate can be transported and the scattering of particles can be suppressed while having a simple structure in which the second portion of the support portion is simply brought into contact with the drive roller. In addition, the rack-side teeth and pinion-side teeth are not meshed with each other as in the rack and pinion system, and a driving force is not applied. By using a driving roller, the driving unit of one vacuum chamber and the other vacuum Even if there is a difference in the conveyance speed between the chamber drive unit and the chamber drive unit, the conveyance is possible, so it is possible to cope with catch-up control. Accordingly, the substrate can be efficiently transferred, and the film formation efficiency can be improved. As described above, the structure for transporting the substrate can be simplified and the efficiency of film formation can be improved.

  In the substrate transport tray according to the present invention, the end of the second portion in the transport direction may have a shape whose width becomes narrower toward the transport direction. The second portion is in contact with a driving roller that applies a driving force for conveyance, but the driving roller may have flanges on both ends in the thickness direction in order to support the second member. In such a case, the end portion of the second portion has a shape that becomes narrower as it goes in the transport direction, so that the end portion of the second portion can smoothly move without interfering with the flange portion of the drive roller. Can contact the drive roller.

  The board | substrate conveyance tray which concerns on this invention WHEREIN: The edge part in a conveyance direction may have a shape where a width | variety becomes narrow as it goes to a conveyance direction at the other end side of a frame. On the other end side of the frame body, there may be a side support portion that supports both side surfaces on the other end side of the frame body. In such a case, since the end portion in the transport direction of the frame body has a shape whose width becomes narrower toward the transport direction, the end portion in the transport direction of the frame body can be smooth without interfering with the side surface support portion. Can be moved in the transport direction.

  In the substrate transfer tray according to the present invention, the first portion is formed in a U shape when viewed from the transfer direction, and a second member may be attached to the inner surface of the U shape. As a result, the U-shape of the first portion can surround the drive roller that is in contact with the second portion. Therefore, the particles generated in the vicinity of the drive roller can be reliably received and scattering can be suppressed.

  The film forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the above-described substrate transfer tray, a vacuum chamber capable of accommodating the substrate held by the substrate transfer tray, and a state in which the substrate is upright or tilted from the upright state. A transport unit that transports the substrate transport tray, the transport unit being disposed on the upper side of the vacuum chamber, and having a driving roller that applies a driving force to the substrate transport tray. When arranged in a space surrounded by the first portion and the second portion, the second portion comes into contact with the substrate conveying tray, and a driving force is applied to the substrate carrying tray.

  In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the drive roller disposed on the upper side of the vacuum chamber is disposed in a space surrounded by the first portion and the second portion of the support portion of the substrate transport tray, so that the first It is possible to apply a driving force to the substrate transfer tray by contacting the portion 2. As described above, the effect of the substrate transport tray as described above can be obtained with a simple structure in which the driving roller is simply disposed in the space surrounded by the first portion and the second portion of the support portion.

  In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, when the substrate transport tray is supported and driven by the driving roller, the lower end portion of the substrate transport tray may be separated from the structure on the bottom side of the vacuum chamber in the vertical direction. In this way, the weight of the substrate transfer tray is supported by being hung by the upper drive roller of the vacuum chamber, thereby eliminating the influence on transfer when the substrate transfer tray extends in the vertical direction due to heat or the like. be able to. In addition, when supporting the weight on the lower side of the substrate transport tray, the center of the substrate transport tray is located on the upper side of the support portion, so that the strength of the substrate transport tray itself must be high. By supporting only, the center of gravity is positioned below the support portion, and the structure of the substrate transport tray can be simplified.

  In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the transport unit may include side surface support units that support both side surfaces on the lower end side of the substrate transport tray. As a result, the wobbling in the thickness direction may increase on the lower end side opposite to the upper end side supporting the substrate transport tray, but the wobbling can be suppressed by the side surface support portion.

  According to the present invention, the structure for transporting a substrate can be simplified, and the efficiency of film formation can be improved.

It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the film-forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which looked at the board | substrate conveyance tray which concerns on embodiment of this invention from the vapor deposition source side. It is sectional drawing along the III-III line | wire shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a configuration around an upper structure shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a configuration around a lower structure shown in FIG. 3. It is the figure which looked at schematic structure of a drive system from the upper part. It is the schematic which shows the shape of the edge part of the frame in the edge part of a rail part in a conveyance direction, and a lower end part side. It is an enlarged view which shows schematic structure of the upper structure periphery of the board | substrate conveyance tray which concerns on a modification.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a substrate transport tray and a film forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a film forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. A film forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for performing a film forming process on a substrate 101 (for example, a glass substrate) that is a film forming target. The film forming apparatus 100 is an apparatus that performs film formation by an RPD method (reactive plasma vapor deposition method), for example. The film forming apparatus 100 includes a plasma gun that generates plasma, and uses the generated plasma to ionize the film forming material (evaporation source 140) and attach particles of the film forming material to the surface of the substrate 101. Film formation is performed. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 1 shows an XYZ coordinate system. The Y-axis direction is a direction in which the substrate 101 is transported. The X-axis direction is a direction in which the substrate 101 and the vapor deposition source 140 face each other. The Z-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In the film forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the substrate 101 is placed in a vacuum chamber and transported in a state where the substrate 101 is tilted from an upright state or an upright state so that the thickness direction of the substrate 101 is a horizontal direction. This is a so-called vertical film forming apparatus, and the Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction.

  The film forming apparatus 100 includes a load lock chamber 121, a buffer chamber 122, a film forming chamber 123, a buffer chamber 124, and a load lock chamber 125. These chambers 121 to 125 are arranged in this order. All the chambers 121 to 125 are configured as a vacuum chamber 150, and a chamber gate 135 is provided at the entrance / exit of the chambers 121 to 125. The film forming apparatus 100 may have a configuration in which a plurality of buffer chambers 122 and 124 and a plurality of film forming chambers 123 are arranged. Moreover, the film-forming apparatus comprised by a series of chambers may be sufficient.

  A vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to each of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 for setting the inside to an appropriate pressure. Each vacuum chamber 121 to 125 is provided with a vacuum gauge (not shown) for monitoring the pressure in the chamber. Each chamber 121-125 is connected to a vacuum exhaust pipe connected to a vacuum pump, and a vacuum gauge is installed in the vacuum exhaust pipe.

  The film forming apparatus 100 is provided with a transport unit 10 for transporting the substrate transport tray 20 that holds the substrate 101. The transport unit 10 has a function of transporting the substrate 101 and the substrate transport tray 20 in an upright state in the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. The detailed configuration of the transport unit 10 and the substrate transport tray 20 will be described later.

  In the film forming apparatus 100, the outlet side of one vacuum chamber 150 is connected to the inlet side of another vacuum chamber 150 adjacent in the transport direction D <b> 1 of the substrate 101 via a chamber gate 135. One vacuum chamber 150 communicates with another adjacent vacuum chamber 150 by opening the chamber gate 135. Further, the substrate 101 and the substrate transport tray 20 move from one vacuum chamber 150 to another adjacent vacuum chamber 150 by passing through the opened chamber gate 135. After the movement of the substrate 101 and the substrate transfer tray 20 is completed, the chamber gate 135 is closed.

  Next, the substrate transport tray 20 and the transport unit 10 of the film forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The substrate transport tray 20 can hold the substrate 101 when transporting the substrate 101 in an upright state. The state in which the substrate 101 is upright is a state in which the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101 is a horizontal direction (in this case, the thickness direction D2 coincides with the X-axis direction). At this time, the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101 is arranged along the vertical direction. Note that the substrate 101 may be held while the substrate 101 is inclined from the upright state. The thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101 may be a substantially horizontal direction or may be inclined from the horizontal direction. The transport direction D1 of the substrate 101 (which coincides with the Y-axis direction) is perpendicular to the substrate thickness direction D2 and is a horizontal direction. In the thickness direction D2, the side facing the film forming surface 101e of the substrate 101 is referred to as “front side”, and the side facing the back surface 101f of the substrate 101 is referred to as “rear side”.

(Vacuum chamber)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vacuum chamber 150 has a box shape that can accommodate the substrate transfer tray 20, and includes an upper wall portion 51, a lower wall portion 52, a front wall portion (not shown), and a rear wall portion. 54, an entry-side end wall portion 55, and an exit-side end wall portion 56. The upper wall portion 51 and the lower wall portion 52 are wall bodies that are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction. The entry side end wall portion 55 and the exit side end wall portion 56 are wall bodies arranged to face the transport direction D1. The entrance-side end wall portion 55 is a wall on the entrance side that is the side on which the substrate 101 and the substrate transport tray 20 are carried into the vacuum chamber 150. The exit-side end wall portion 56 is an exit-side wall body on the side where the substrate 101 and the substrate transport tray 20 are carried out of the vacuum chamber 150. The front wall portion and the rear wall portion 54 are wall bodies arranged to face the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101. A hole 57 for allowing the substrate 101 and the substrate transport tray 20 to pass therethrough is formed in the entry side end wall portion 55. A hole 58 for allowing the substrate 101 and the substrate transport tray 20 to pass through is formed in the exit side end wall portion 56.

(Substrate transport tray)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the substrate transport tray 20 includes a frame body 21 to which the substrate 101 can be attached, and a support portion 22 provided on the upper end side of the frame body 21. The substrate transport tray 20 of this embodiment is configured to hold one substrate 101. The substrate transport tray 20 may be configured to hold a plurality (for example, two) of substrates 101. The substrate transport tray 20 may hold the entire periphery of the edge of the substrate 101, or may hold the edge of the substrate 101 partially. As a material of the substrate transport tray 20, for example, stainless steel can be used.

  The frame body 21 is a rectangular annular member having an outer periphery larger than that of the substrate 101 and an opening 23 smaller than that of the substrate 101 when viewed from the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101. The frame body 21 includes an upper end holding portion 21A that holds the upper end portion 101a of the substrate 101, a lower end holding portion 21B that holds the lower end portion 101b of the substrate 101, and a side that holds the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101. End holding portions 21C and 21D.

  The upper end holding portion 21A includes a support plate 24A that supports a part of the upper end portion 101a of the substrate 101 from the side opposite to the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101. The support plate 24A is a plate material extending along the transport direction D1 on the upper end 101a side of the substrate 101. The thickness direction of the support plate 24A coincides with the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101 and is at least thicker than the substrate 101. The support plate 24A supports the upper end 101a of the substrate 101 at the lower edge. The support plate 24A is provided with a substrate pressing member 26 (see FIG. 4) for pressing the upper end portion 101a of the substrate 101 from the film formation surface 101e side. Accordingly, the upper end portion 101a of the substrate 101 is sandwiched and supported by the support plate 24A and the substrate pressing member 26 from both sides in the thickness direction D2.

  The lower end holding unit 21B includes a support plate 24B that supports a part of the lower end 101b of the substrate 101 from the side opposite to the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101. The support plate 24 </ b> B is a plate material that extends along the transport direction D <b> 1 on the lower end 101 b side of the substrate 101. The thickness direction of the support plate 24B coincides with the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101 and is at least thicker than the substrate 101. The support plate 24B supports the lower end portion 101b of the substrate 101 at the upper end side edge portion. The support plate 24B is provided with a substrate pressing member 26 (see FIG. 5) for pressing the lower end portion 101b of the substrate 101 from the film forming surface 101e side. Thereby, the lower end 101b of the substrate 101 is sandwiched and supported by the support plate 24B and the substrate pressing member 26 from both sides in the thickness direction D2.

  A frame member 27B is provided at the lower end 24Ba of the support plate 24B of the lower end holding part 21B. The frame member 27B extends in the transport direction D1 so as to support the entire area of the lower end 24Ba of the support plate 24B. The frame member 27B has a rectangular cross section extending in the thickness direction D2, and is fixed to the lower end 24Ba of the support plate 24B at the center position in the thickness direction D2 of the upper surface 27Ba (see FIG. 5).

  The side end holding portions 21C and 21D respectively include support plates 24C and 24D that support part of the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101 from the side opposite to the film formation surface 101e of the substrate 101. The support plates 24C and 24D are plate members extending along the vertical direction on the side end portions 101c and 101d side of the substrate 101. The thickness directions of the support plates 24C and 24D coincide with the thickness direction D2 of the substrate 101 and are at least thicker than the substrate 101. The support plates 24C and 24D support the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101 at the edge on the opening 23 side. The support plates 24C and 24D are provided with a substrate pressing member (not shown, but having the same configuration as the substrate pressing member 26) that presses the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101 from the film formation surface 101e side. Yes. As a result, the side end portions 101c and 101d of the substrate 101 are sandwiched and supported by the support plates 24C and 24D and the substrate pressing member from both sides in the thickness direction D2.

  Frame members 27C and 27D are provided on the side end portions 24Ca and 24Da outside the support plates 24C and 24D of the side end holding portions 21C and 21D. The frame members 27C and 27D extend in the vertical direction so as to support the entire region of the side end portions 24Ca and 24Da of the support plates 24C and 24D. The frame members 27C and 27D have a rectangular cross section extending in the thickness direction D2, and are fixed to the side end portions 24Ca and 24Da of the support plates 24C and 24D at the center position in the thickness direction D2 of the inner side surfaces 27Ca and 27Da. The

  The support plates 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D described above may be integrally configured by providing the opening 23 in a single plate material, or individual plate materials may be connected to each other.

  Next, the configuration of the support portion 22 of the substrate transport tray 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the support portion 22 is provided on the upper end side of the frame body 21 and supports the frame body 21 when the substrate 101 is transported. The support portion 22 includes a main body portion (first portion) 30 connected to the frame body 21 and a rail portion (second portion) 31 that comes into contact with a driving roller 63 (detailed structure will be described later) of the transport portion 10. And.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the main body 30 is a member that is formed in a U-shaped cross section when viewed in the transport direction D <b> 1 and extends in the transport direction D <b> 1 on the upper end side of the frame body 21. Specifically, the main body portion 30 is fixed to the upper end portion 24Aa of the support plate 24A of the upper holding portion 21A of the frame body 21 and extends in the thickness direction D2, and the front end of the lower wall portion 32. The front wall part 33 extended upwards from the part 32a, and the upper wall part 34 extended in the thickness direction D2 from the upper end part 33a of the front wall part 33 to the rear side are provided. The lower wall portion 32, the front wall portion 33, and the upper wall portion 34 extend in the transport direction D1 over the entire region from one end portion to the other end portion in the transport direction D1 of the frame body 21 (see FIG. 2). ).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the lower wall portion 32 is fixed to the upper end portion 24Aa of the support plate 24A at a substantially central position in the thickness direction D2 of the lower surface 32b. In the present embodiment, the end portion 32c on the rear side of the lower wall portion 32 is disposed at the same position in the thickness direction D2 as the end portion 27Cb of the frame member 27C (and the frame member 27D). Not necessary. Further, the front end portion 32a of the lower wall portion 32 (that is, the front surface 33b of the front wall portion 33) is disposed on the front side in the thickness direction D2 relative to the end portion 27Cc of the frame portion 27C (and the frame portion 27D). However, it may be disposed anywhere depending on the size of the drive roller 63.

  The upper wall portion 34 is provided so as to face the lower wall portion 32 in the vertical direction, and the rail portion 31 is attached to the lower surface 34a. Although the fixing method of the upper wall part 34 and the rail part 31 is not specifically limited, In this embodiment, it is fixed with the volt | bolt. The end portion 34b on the rear side of the upper wall portion 34 is disposed on the front side of the end portion 32c of the lower wall portion 32. However, a sufficient fixing allowance with the rail portion 31 can be secured, and attachment As long as it does not interfere with the member 73, it may be disposed anywhere.

  The rail portion 31 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape extending in the thickness direction D2, and extends in the transport direction D1 along the lower surface 34a of the upper wall portion 34 of the main body portion 30. The rail portion 31 extends over the entire region from one end portion to the other end portion in the transport direction D1 of the upper wall portion 34 of the main body portion 30. The upper surface 31 a of the rail portion 31 is in contact with the lower surface 34 a of the upper wall portion 34, and the lower surface 31 b of the rail portion 31 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface 63 a of the drive roller 63.

(Transport section)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport unit 10 includes an upper structure 60 provided in the upper end side region of the vacuum chamber 150 and a lower structure 61 provided in the lower end side region of the vacuum chamber 150. I have. The upper structure 60 has a function of supporting the substrate transport tray 20 holding the substrate 101 in a suspended manner and applying a driving force to the substrate transport tray 20. The lower structure 61 has a function of guiding movement on the lower end side of the substrate carrying tray 20 and restricting movement in the thickness direction D2.

  With reference to FIG. 4, the detailed structure of the upper structure 60 of the conveyance part 10 is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper structure 60 includes a driving roller 63 that applies driving force to the substrate transport tray 20, a shaft portion 64 that rotatably supports the driving roller 63, and a rear wall portion 54 of the vacuum chamber 150. A first bearing portion 66 that rotatably supports the shaft portion 64 in the penetrating portion, a second bearing portion 67 that rotatably supports the shaft portion 64 in the vacuum chamber 150, and a driving roller via the shaft portion 64 And a drive system 68 that rotationally drives 63. In the upper structure 60, the driving roller 63, the shaft portion 64, the first bearing portion 66, and the second bearing portion 67 constitute a set of roller units 70. A plurality of roller units 70 are provided along the transport direction D1 at predetermined intervals (see FIG. 2). Each roller unit 70 is arrange | positioned in the same position in the up-down direction.

  The drive roller 63 is a cylindrical member that is disposed on the upper side in the vacuum chamber 150 and is rotatable about an axis CL1 extending in parallel with the thickness direction D2. The drive roller 63 is disposed so as to be spaced downward from the upper wall portion 51 of the vacuum chamber 150 and spaced from the rear wall portion 54 in the thickness direction D2. The drive roller 63 has an outer peripheral surface 63 a that contacts the rail portion 31 of the support portion 22 of the substrate transport tray 20. The outer peripheral surface 63a of the drive roller 63 is in contact with the lower surface 31b of the rail portion 31 and applies a driving force in the transport direction D1 to the substrate transport tray 20 via the rail portion 31. At both ends of the drive roller 63 in the axial direction, flange portions 71 are formed that restrict the movement of the rail portion 31 in the thickness direction D2. The flange portion 71 extends to the outer peripheral side so as to have a larger outer diameter than the outer peripheral surface 63a. Each flange 71 is opposed to both end portions in the thickness direction D2 of the rail portion 31. The dimension in the thickness direction D2 between the flange parts 71 is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction D2 of the rail part 31.

  When the substrate transport tray 20 is supported by the drive roller 63 of the transport unit 10, that is, when the outer peripheral surface 63 a of the drive roller 63 is in contact with the lower surface 31 b of the rail unit 31, A gap is provided between the upper surface 32 d of the wall portion 32. A gap is provided between the front end of the driving roller 63 and the rear surface 33 c of the front wall portion 33.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the end 31 c side of the rail portion 31 has a ship bottom shape so as not to be caught by the flange portion 71 of the drive roller 63. That is, the end portion 31c of the rail portion 31 has a shape in which the width (the size in the thickness direction D2) becomes narrower toward the leading end side in the transport direction D1. On the end portion 31c side of the rail portion 31, inclined surfaces 31d and 31d are formed so as to be inclined in the transport direction.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the shaft portion 64 is a circular rod-shaped member that extends in the thickness direction D2 around the axis line CL1. The shaft portion 64 passes through the rear wall portion 54 of the vacuum chamber 150. The shaft portion 64 is fixed to the drive roller 63 at the inner end of the vacuum chamber 150 and is connected to the drive system 68 at the outer end. The shaft portion 64 rotates together with the driving roller 63 by the driving force from the driving system 68.

  The first bearing portion 66 is provided at a portion of the rear wall portion 54 of the vacuum chamber 150 through which the shaft portion 64 passes. A magnetic fluid bearing or the like is used as the first bearing portion 66. As a result, the first bearing portion 66 can rotatably support the shaft portion 64 and ensure airtightness of the portion of the rear wall portion 54 through which the shaft portion 64 passes.

  The 2nd bearing part 67 supports the front end side of the axial part 64 rotatably. The second bearing portion 67 includes a bearing 72 that rotatably supports the shaft portion 64 and an attachment member 73 for attaching the bearing 72. The attachment member 73 extends downward from the upper wall portion 51 of the vacuum chamber 150, and the bearing 72 is attached to the lower end side. An upper end portion of the attachment member 73 is connected to a plate-like member 74 fixed to the upper wall portion 51. The bearing 72 and the attachment member 73 are disposed on the rear side of the drive roller 63. Accordingly, the upper wall portion 51 of the vacuum chamber 150 can support the load applied to the driving roller 63 and the shaft portion 64 by supporting the substrate transport tray 20 via the second bearing portion.

  The drive system 68 applies a rotational drive force to the shaft portion 64 and the drive roller 63 of each roller unit 70. The drive system 68 is disposed outside the vacuum chamber 150. The configuration of the drive system 68 is not particularly limited as long as the shaft portion 64 and the drive roller 63 of each roller unit 70 can be rotationally driven. However, the drive force of one motor is applied to each shaft portion 64 and the drive roller 63. It is preferable to distribute at a constant speed.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the motor 76 rotates the shaft portion 64 and the driving roller 63 of each roller unit 70 simultaneously at a constant speed using a toothed belt 77 and a toothed pulley 78. A toothed pulley 78 is attached to the outer end of the vacuum chamber 150 of the shaft portion 64, and the toothed pulleys 78 of the shaft portion 64 adjacent in the transport direction D <b> 1 are connected by a toothed belt 77. In addition, a toothed pulley 78 is provided in two stages in the thickness direction D2 at the end of the shaft portion 64, and a toothed belt 77 for connecting to another roller unit 70 adjacent in the transport direction D1, and a transport direction The toothed belt 77 for connecting with another roller unit 70 adjacent on the opposite side to D1 is staggered in the thickness direction D2. A tensioner (not shown) that adjusts the tension of the toothed belt 77 may be provided between the adjacent roller units 70.

  The most downstream roller unit 70 in the transport direction D1 is given a driving force from the motor 76 (however, the most upstream roller unit 70 or the roller unit 70 at the intermediate position may be used). The motor 76 is disposed on the lower side (or on the upper side or the side) of the roller unit 70, and is fixed to the wall portion of the vacuum chamber 150 via a bracket (not shown). A toothed pulley is provided at the tip of the shaft portion of the motor 76, and the toothed pulley of the motor 76 is connected to a toothed pulley 78 of the shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70 via a toothed belt 79. However, the shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70 and the shaft portion of the motor 76 may be coupled in the axial direction, and the motor 76 may directly apply a driving force to the shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70.

  The motor 76 in the drive system 68 may be attached in any manner as long as it can apply a rotational force to the shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70. For example, the shaft portion of the motor 76 may extend in the vertical direction, and a driving force may be applied to the shaft portion 64 of the roller unit 70 via a bevel gear.

  With reference to FIG. 5, the detailed structure of the lower structure 61 of the conveyance part 10 is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. The lower structure 61 includes a side surface support portion 81 that supports both side surfaces facing the thickness direction D <b> 2 on the lower end side of the substrate transport tray 20, and a pedestal portion 82 for fixing the side surface support portion 81. Note that, in the lower structure 61, a plurality of sets of the side surface support portions 81 and the pedestal portions 82 are provided along the transport direction D1 with a predetermined interval therebetween (see FIG. 2).

  The pedestal portion 82 is a rectangular parallelepiped member that extends upward from the lower wall portion 52 of the vacuum chamber 150 and extends in the thickness direction D2. The pedestal portion 82 is disposed below the substrate transport tray 20 that is supported by the drive roller 63. One end portion 82b in the thickness direction D2 of the pedestal portion 82 extends to the front side of the front side surface (here, the side surface 27Bb of the frame member 27B) of the substrate transport tray 20, and the other end portion 82c The rear side surface of the transport tray 20 (here, the side surface 27Bc of the frame member 27B) extends rearward. A side support portion 81 is provided on the upper surface 82 a of the pedestal portion 82.

  The side support part 81 has a function of regulating movement of the lower end side region of the substrate transport tray 20 in the thickness direction D2 and guiding movement of the lower end side region of the substrate transport tray 20 in the transport direction D1. The side surface support portion 81 includes a pair of idler bearings 83A and 83B arranged at intervals in the thickness direction D2, and a pair of shaft portions 84A and 84B that respectively support the idler bearings 83A and 83B. The idler bearings 83A and 83B are rotatable about the outer peripheral surfaces 83Aa and 83Ba around the axes CL2 and CL3 extending vertically in the vertical direction. The shaft portions 84A and 84B are columnar members extending in the vertical direction about the center axis lines CL2 and CL3. The upper end portions of the shaft portions 84A and 84B are fitted into portions on the inner peripheral surfaces 83Ab and 83Bb side of the idler bearings 83A and 83B. The lower end portions of the shaft portions 84A and 84B are fixed to the upper surface 82a of the pedestal portion 82.

  The idler bearing 83A supports the front side surface of the substrate transport tray 20 (here, the side surface 27Bb of the frame member 27B), and the idler bearing 83B supports the rear side surface of the substrate transport tray 20 (here, the frame member 27B). The side surface 27Bc) is supported. The idler bearings 83 </ b> A and 83 </ b> B are disposed at the same position in the vertical direction as the frame member 27 </ b> B on the lower end side of the substrate transport tray 20 supported by the driving roller 63. Further, the idler bearings 83A and 83B are arranged so as to sandwich the frame member 27B in the thickness direction D2. The outer peripheral surface 83Aa of the idler bearing 83A and the side surface 27Bb of the frame member 27B are opposed to each other in the thickness direction D2 with a slight gap. The outer peripheral surface 83Ba of the idler bearing 83B and the side surface 27Bc of the frame member 27B are opposed to each other in the thickness direction D2 with a slight gap.

  When the substrate transport tray 20 is supported by the driving roller 63 and a driving force is applied, the lower end portion of the substrate transport tray 20 (in this embodiment, the lower surface 27Bd of the frame member 27B) is the structure on the bottom side of the vacuum chamber 150. From the object (here, the pedestal portion 82, even if a structure projecting upward from the bottom surface side of the vacuum chamber is provided), the vertical direction Are separated. That is, the weight of the substrate transport tray 20 is supported only by the upper structure 60 on the upper end side, and is not supported by the member provided in the vacuum chamber 150 on the lower end side, and is in a state of floating in the air. It has become. In the present embodiment, the lower surface 27 </ b> Bd of the frame member 27 </ b> B corresponding to the lower end portion of the substrate transport tray 20 is separated from the upper surface 82 a of the pedestal portion 82 provided on the bottom side of the vacuum chamber 150. The idler bearings 83A and 83B can support the substrate transport tray 20 in the thickness direction D2 (regulate the movement in the thickness direction D2), but do not support the weight of the substrate transport tray 20.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the end 27Be side of the frame member 27B has a ship bottom shape so that it can smoothly enter between the idler bearings 83A and 83B. That is, the end portion 27Be of the frame member 27B has a shape in which the width (the size in the thickness direction D2) becomes narrower toward the front end side in the transport direction D1. Inclined surfaces 27Bf and 27Bf are formed on the end 27Be side of the frame member 27B so as to incline in the transport direction D1.

  Next, operations and effects of the film forming apparatus 100 and the substrate transport tray 20 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  Conventionally, a rack and pinion system has been adopted as a mechanism for transporting a substrate in a film forming apparatus. That is, a drive unit having a pinion is provided on the upper side of the vacuum chamber, and a rack formed so that teeth are arranged in a straight line so as to mesh with the pinion of the drive unit is provided on the upper end side of the substrate transport tray. It has been. With such a configuration, the substrate carrying tray is held in the substrate carrying tray, and the substrate carrying tray moves in the carrying direction together with the rack by rotating the pinion of the driving unit. As a result, the substrate is transported while being held on the substrate transport tray in the vacuum chamber of the film forming apparatus. However, when the rack and pinion method is adopted as described above, the structure of the substrate transport tray itself is complicated, and the structure of the driving unit for applying a driving force to the substrate transport tray is also complicated. There is a problem that the structure is complicated and large.

  On the other hand, the substrate transport tray 20 according to the present embodiment includes a support portion 22 provided on the upper end side of the frame body 21, and the support portion 22 contacts a driving roller 63 that applies a driving force for transport. The rail part 31 to be used is provided. As a result, the frame body 21 to which the substrate 101 can be attached can be moved together with the substrate 101 in the transport direction D <b> 1 by being applied with a driving force from the driving roller 63 via the support portion 22 having the rail portion 31. Moreover, the support part 22 has the main-body part 30 connected to the frame 21, and the lower wall part 32 (the upper surface 32d) connected to the frame 21 among the said main-body parts 30 is a frame. 21 extends in the thickness direction D2. Therefore, even if particles due to film peeling or the like are generated at the driving roller 63 or a portion in contact with the driving roller 63, the lower wall portion 32 extending in the thickness direction can receive the particles. At this time, at least the upper surface 32d extending in the thickness direction D2 and the end 32c facing the drive system 68 among the surfaces of the lower wall portion 32 function as a particle receiving surface. By receiving the particles on the particle receiving surface, it is possible to suppress the particles from adhering to the film forming surface of the substrate 101 and the deterioration of the quality of the film forming surface due to the contact. As described above, the substrate 101 can be transported and the scattering of particles can be suppressed while having a simple structure in which the rail portion 31 of the support portion 22 is in contact with the driving roller 63.

  In the film forming apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. 1, the substrate transport tray 20 transported from one vacuum chamber 150 when transporting the substrate transport tray 20 from one vacuum chamber 150 to the adjacent vacuum chamber 150. However, there may be a control (catch-up control) that can catch up with the substrate transfer tray 20 transferred in the adjacent vacuum chamber 150. Specifically, in the film forming chamber 123, the substrate transfer tray 20 is moved at a constant speed (in order to secure the deposition time of the film, the speed in the film forming chamber 123 is different from other vacuum chambers in order to obtain a uniform film thickness. It is necessary to transport at a lower speed than the speed at 150). On the other hand, when the substrate transfer tray 20 is transferred from the buffer chamber 122 to the film formation chamber 123, the interval between the substrate transfer tray 20 already transferred into the film formation chamber 123 and transferred at a constant speed is not increased. In order to catch up with the preceding substrate transfer tray 20, the substrate transfer tray 20 is preferably accelerated and transferred from the buffer chamber 122 into the film forming chamber 123.

  Here, when the rack and pinion system as in the prior art is adopted, the rack teeth and the pinion teeth are engaged with each other, so that the drive part of one vacuum chamber 150 and the drive part of the other vacuum chamber 150 are connected. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to provide a difference in the conveyance speed and it is difficult to cope with the catch-up control (for example, due to the extremely complicated structure). When it is difficult to cope with the catch-up control, the interval between the substrate transfer trays may be increased in the film forming portion, which affects the film forming efficiency.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the deposition chamber 123 receives the substrate transport tray 20 from the buffer chamber 122, and a constant speed at which the substrate transport tray 20 is transported at a constant speed at a position facing the vapor deposition source 140. An area EA2 and a transfer area EA3 for transferring the substrate transport tray 20 to the buffer chamber 124, and each of the areas EA1, EA2, and EA3 has a drive system 68 that is driven independently. To do. When the catch-up control is performed with such a configuration, in the constant speed area EA2, the driving system 68 transports the substrate transport tray 20 at a constant speed, while the receiving area EA1 and the driving system 68 of the buffer chamber 122 promptly form the film forming chamber. It operates to accelerate the substrate transport tray 20 to enter 123. However, when the rack and pinion method is adopted, if the rack teeth of the substrate transport tray 20 being transported in the constant speed area EA2 are partially engaged with the pinion teeth in the receiving area EA1, the receiving area EA1 is also It is necessary to match the speed of the constant speed area EA2. Accordingly, the drive system 68 in the receiving area EA1 and the buffer chamber 122 cannot accelerate the substrate transport tray 20 without waiting for the substrate transport tray 20 to completely move to the constant speed area EA2. Thus, it is difficult for the conventional rack and pinion system to cope with catch-up control.

  On the other hand, the substrate transport tray 20 according to the present embodiment is transported by applying a driving force by the drive roller 63. Accordingly, it is assumed that the driving roller 63 of the receiving area EA1 and the buffer chamber 122 is accelerated in a state where a part of the substrate transport tray 20 transported in the constant speed area EA2 is approaching the driving roller 63 in the receiving area EA1. However, the drive roller 63 that is in contact with a part of the substrate transport tray 20 that is transported at a constant speed is merely slid and idles, and cannot be transported unlike the rack and pinion system. Therefore, the subsequent substrate transfer tray 20 can be quickly accelerated from the buffer chamber 122 to the film forming chamber 123 and transferred without waiting for the preceding substrate transfer tray 20 to be completely transferred to the constant speed area EA2. it can. Thus, in this embodiment, by using the drive roller 63, even if there is a difference in the conveyance speed between the drive system 68 of one vacuum chamber 150 and the drive system 68 of the other vacuum chamber 150, Since it is possible, it can respond to catch-up control. Accordingly, the substrate 101 can be efficiently transferred, and the film formation efficiency can be improved. As described above, the structure for transporting the substrate can be simplified and the efficiency of film formation can be improved.

  In the film forming apparatus 100, the driving roller 63 disposed on the upper side of the vacuum chamber 150 is placed on the lower wall portion 32, the front wall portion 33, the upper wall portion 34, and the rail portion 31 of the support portion 22 of the substrate transport tray 20. By being arranged in the enclosed space, it becomes possible to apply a driving force to the substrate transport tray 20 in contact with the rail portion 31. As described above, the effect of the substrate transport tray 20 as described above can be achieved with a simple structure in which the driving roller 63 is simply disposed in the space in the support portion 22.

  Moreover, in the board | substrate conveyance tray 20 which concerns on this embodiment, the edge part 31c of the rail part 31 in the conveyance direction D1 has a shape where a width | variety becomes narrow as it goes to the conveyance direction D1. As a result, the end portion 31 c of the rail portion 31 can smoothly contact the drive roller 63 without interfering with the flange portion 71 of the drive roller 63.

  In the substrate transport tray 20 according to the present embodiment, on the lower end side of the frame body 21, the end portion 27Be in the traveling direction in the transport direction D1 has a shape whose width becomes narrower toward the transport direction D1. Accordingly, the end 27Be of the frame body 21 in the transport direction D1 can smoothly move in the transport direction without interfering with the side surface support portion 81.

  In the substrate transport tray 20 according to the present embodiment, the main body 30 is formed in a U-shape when viewed from the transport direction D1, and the inner surface of the U-shape (here, the lower surface 34a of the upper wall portion 34) The rail part 31 is attached. Accordingly, the U-shaped shape of the main body 30 can surround the drive roller 63 in contact with the rail portion 31. Therefore, it is possible to reliably receive particles generated in the vicinity of the driving roller 63 and to prevent the substrate 101 from being scattered on the film formation surface 101e. In this case, at least a part of the upper surface 32d and end portion 32c of the lower wall portion 32, the inner surface 33c of the front wall portion 33, and the lower surface 34a of the upper wall portion 34 of the main body portion 30 function as a particle receiving surface. . By receiving particles on such a particle receiving surface, it is possible to prevent the particles from adhering to the film forming surface of the substrate 101 and from deteriorating the quality of the film forming surface by hitting.

  In the film forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, when the substrate transport tray 20 is supported by the driving roller 63 and a driving force is applied, the lower end portion of the substrate transport tray 20 is separated from the structure on the bottom side of the vacuum chamber. They are separated in the vertical direction. In this way, the weight of the substrate transport tray 20 is supported by being suspended by the driving roller 63 on the upper side of the vacuum chamber 150, so that the transport when the substrate transport tray 20 extends in the vertical direction due to heat or the like is performed. The influence of can be eliminated. Further, for example, when weight is supported on the lower side of the substrate transport tray 20, the center of gravity of the substrate transport tray 20 is located above the support point of the substrate transport tray 20, and therefore unstable (a state in which vibration is likely to occur). )become. In addition, if the substrate transport tray 20 is supported on the lower side, the substrate transport tray 20 must withstand its own weight (it must withstand bending due to its own weight), and thus the strength needs to be increased. However, in this embodiment, by supporting the substrate transport tray 20 only on the upper side of the vacuum chamber 150, the center of gravity is positioned below the support portion 22 of the substrate transport tray 20, so that stable support is possible. it can. Further, since it is not necessary to excessively consider deformation due to the weight of the substrate transport tray 20, it is not necessary to increase the strength, and the structure of the substrate transport tray 20 can be simplified.

  In the film forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the transport unit 10 includes a side surface support unit 81 that supports both side surfaces 27Bb and 27Bc on the lower end side of the substrate transport tray 20. On the lower end side opposite to the upper end side supporting the substrate transport tray 20, the wobbling in the thickness direction D <b> 2 may be increased, but the wobbling can be suppressed by the side support portion 81.

  Further, in the film forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, a cantilever structure in which the driving roller 63 is supported on the rear wall portion 54 side of the vacuum chamber 150 and a structure in which the substrate transport tray 20 is hooked on the driving roller 63 is provided. It is. Therefore, it is possible to move the structure related to driving (for example, the second bearing portion 67 and the driving system 68 that support the driving roller 63) to the rear side of the substrate transport tray 20. There is no need to provide a driving part or a sliding part above the film surface 101e, and particles generated by film peeling from these structures can be prevented from moving toward the film forming surface 101e.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the shape and size of the frame and the number and arrangement of the driving rollers are merely examples, and may be appropriately changed depending on the size and shape of the substrate and the size and type of the film forming apparatus. For example, a ball-shaped roller unit 270 as shown in FIG. 8 may be employed. Correspondingly, the shape of the main body 270 on the substrate transport tray side also becomes a shape corresponding to the ball-shaped roller.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Conveyance part, 20 ... Board | substrate conveyance tray, 21 ... Frame, 22 ... Support part, 30 ... Main-body part (1st part), 31 ... Rail part (2nd part), 61 ... Drive roller, 81 ... Side support part, 100 ... film forming apparatus, 150 ... vacuum chamber.

In the substrate transport tray according to the present invention, the end of the second portion in the transport direction may have a shape whose width becomes narrower toward the transport direction. The second portion comes into contact with a driving roller that applies a driving force for conveyance, but the driving roller may have flanges on both ends in the thickness direction in order to support the second portion . In such a case, the end portion of the second portion has a shape that becomes narrower as it goes in the transport direction, so that the end portion of the second portion can smoothly move without interfering with the flange portion of the drive roller. Can contact the drive roller.

In the substrate transport tray according to the present invention, the first portion is formed in a U shape when viewed from the transport direction, and the second portion may be attached to the inner surface of the U shape. As a result, the U-shape of the first portion can surround the drive roller that is in contact with the second portion. Therefore, the particles generated in the vicinity of the drive roller can be reliably received and scattering can be suppressed.

Each chamber 121 to 125 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) for setting the inside to an appropriate pressure. Each chamber 121-125 is provided with a vacuum gauge (not shown) for monitoring the pressure in the chamber. Each chamber 121-125 is connected to a vacuum exhaust pipe connected to a vacuum pump, and a vacuum gauge is installed in the vacuum exhaust pipe.

The film forming apparatus 100 is provided with a transport unit 10 for transporting the substrate transport tray 20 that holds the substrate 101. The transport unit 10 has a function of transporting the substrate 101 and the substrate transport tray 20 in an upright state in the chambers 121 to 125. The detailed configuration of the transport unit 10 and the substrate transport tray 20 will be described later.

With reference to FIG. 5, the detailed structure of the lower structure 61 of the conveyance part 10 is demonstrated. The lower structure 61 shown in FIG. 5 includes a side support part 81 that supports both side faces facing the thickness direction D2 on the lower end part side of the substrate transport tray 20, and a pedestal part 82 for fixing the side support part 81. I have. Note that, in the lower structure 61, a plurality of sets of the side surface support portions 81 and the pedestal portions 82 are provided along the transport direction D1 with a predetermined interval therebetween (see FIG. 2).

Claims (7)

A substrate transport tray for a film forming apparatus capable of holding the substrate when transporting the substrate in a transport direction intersecting a thickness direction of the substrate,
A frame to which the substrate can be attached;
A support portion that is provided on one end side of the frame body and supports the frame body during transportation;
The support part is
A first portion connected to the one end side of the frame body and extending at least in the thickness direction of the frame body;
A substrate transport tray having a second portion in contact with a driving roller for applying a driving force for transport.   2. The substrate transport tray according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the second portion in the transport direction has a shape whose width becomes narrower toward the transport direction.   3. The substrate transport tray according to claim 1, wherein, on the other end side of the frame body, an end portion in the transport direction has a shape whose width becomes narrower toward the transport direction.   The first portion is formed in a U shape when viewed from the transport direction, and the second member is attached to an inner surface of the U shape. The substrate transfer tray according to one item. A substrate transfer tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and a vacuum chamber capable of accommodating the substrate held by the substrate transfer tray;
A film forming apparatus comprising: a transfer unit configured to transfer the substrate in an upright state or in an inclined state from the upright state,
The transport unit is
A driving roller disposed on the upper side of the vacuum chamber for applying a driving force to the substrate transport tray;
When the driving roller is disposed in a space surrounded by the first portion and the second portion of the support portion, the driving roller is in contact with the second portion and applies a driving force to the substrate transport tray. A film forming apparatus.   The lower end portion of the substrate transport tray is spaced apart in the vertical direction from the bottom structure of the vacuum chamber when the substrate transport tray is supported and driven by the drive roller. Deposition device. The transport unit is
The film-forming apparatus of Claim 5 or 6 provided with the side surface support part which supports the both sides | surfaces in the lower end part side of the said board | substrate conveyance tray.

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