Deposition apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10547003-B2
Application number	US-201715429740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2017
Priority date	Jul 12, 2016
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A deposition apparatus includes a chamber, a first stage and a second stage for supporting substrates within the chamber, an evaporating source assembly moving a first stage area corresponding to the first stage and a second stage area corresponding to the second stage, and including a plurality of nozzles through which a source material is spurted, and a photographing assembly which is disposed between the first stage and the second stage and photographs the plurality of nozzles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deposition apparatus, comprising:
a chamber;
a first stage and a second stage which respectively support substrates within the chamber;
an evaporating source assembly which moves between a first stage area corresponding to the first stage and a second stage area corresponding to the second stage, and includes a plurality of nozzles through which a source material is spurted; and
one or more cameras are fixedly disposed between the first stage and the second stage, photographs the plurality of nozzles which are moving between the first stage area and the second stage area such that the one or more cameras do not overlap the substrates in a plan view, and photographs the plurality of nozzles plural times within a predetermined time such that the evaporating source assembly moves without stop during the movement between the first and second stages; and
a controller configured to control the one or more cameras to photograph one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles at a time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the controller determines blocking states of the plurality of nozzles based on image data provided from the one or more cameras.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a driving motor which moves the evaporating source assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the evaporating source assembly further includes:
an evaporating container which accommodates the source material;
a heat reflecting plate, on which the plurality of nozzles is arranged, and which covers the evaporating container; and
a heater which heats the source material.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller includes:
an image analyzer which analyzes the image data;
a driving controller which controls the driving motor so that the evaporating source assembly moves between the first stage area and the second stage area; and
a heating controller which controls a degree of heating of the heater.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein when it is determined that a predetermined number or more of nozzles among the plurality of nozzles are blocked, the controller controls the heater to radiate heat.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a display which displays the blocking states of the plurality of nozzles.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein when a degree of blocking of a nozzle opening area of any one nozzle among the plurality of nozzles is equal to or larger than a reference value, the controller makes a warning through the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cameras are provided on a movement path of the evaporating source assembly and photographs the plurality of nozzles of the moving evaporating source assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cameras further includes:
a housing the accommodated the one or more cameras;
lighting corresponding to the one or more cameras; and
an observation window disposed on a front surface of the housing facing the evaporating source assembly.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein an internal side of the housing is maintained in an atmospheric pressure state.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the evaporating source assembly includes one or more nozzle rows, and the number of the cameras is the same as the number of nozzle rows.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a shutter which is provided between the evaporating source assembly and the one or more cameras and which opens and closes an area corresponding to the observation window.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
a cover glass detachable between the one or more cameras and the shutter.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
an adhesion preventing plate which prevents the source material from contacting an area other than an area corresponding to the observation window.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jae Wan
• Mun Ju Eel
• Kang Seung Ki
• Hwang In Hyun

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• C23C14/543 Primary

  using measurement on the vapor source · CPC title