Thin film deposition apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8973525-B2
Application number	US-201113014225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2011
Priority date	Mar 11, 2010
Publication date	Mar 10, 2015
Grant date	Mar 10, 2015

Abstract

A thin film deposition apparatus includes: a deposition source that discharges a deposition material; a deposition source nozzle unit disposed at a side of the deposition source and including a plurality of deposition source nozzles arranged in a first direction; a patterning slit sheet disposed opposite to the deposition source nozzle unit and including a plurality of patterning slits arranged in the first direction; a position detection member that detects a relative position of the substrate to the patterning slit sheet; and an alignment control member that controls a relative position of the patterning slit sheet to the substrate by using the relative position of the substrate detected by the position detection member, wherein the thin film deposition apparatus and the substrate are separated from each other, and the thin film deposition apparatus and the substrate are moved relative to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thin film deposition apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a deposition source that discharges a deposition material;
a deposition source nozzle unit disposed at a side of the deposition source and including a plurality of deposition source nozzles arranged in a first direction;
a patterning slit sheet disposed opposite to and spaced apart from the deposition source nozzle unit and including a plurality of patterning slits arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a position detection member that detects a relative position of the substrate to the patterning slit sheet and including a single camera utilized to measure both distance and alignment between the patterning slit sheet and the substrate; and
an alignment control member that controls a relative position of the patterning slit sheet to the substrate by using the relative position of the substrate detected by the position detection member,
wherein a deposition is performed and the relative position is detected while the substrate is separated from the patterning slit sheet of the thin film deposition apparatus by a set distance and the substrate or the patterning slit sheet of the thin film deposition apparatus is moved relative to the other in the first direction, and
wherein the deposition material from the deposition source nozzle unit is patterned on the substrate by the patterning slit sheet.

2. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the patterning slit sheet comprises a first alignment mark and the camera takes images of the first alignment mark and a second alignment mark on the substrate.

3. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the position detection member is configured to utilize the second alignment mark that comprises at least one stripe that is substantially parallel to a direction in which the substrate is moved, for position detection.

4. A thin film deposition apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a deposition source that discharges a deposition material;
a deposition source nozzle unit disposed at a side of the deposition source and including a plurality of deposition source nozzles arranged in a first direction;
a patterning slit sheet disposed opposite to and spaced apart from the deposition source nozzle unit and including a plurality of patterning slits arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a position detection member that detects a relative position of the substrate to the patterning slit sheet;
an alignment control member including a camera, the alignment control member controls a relative position of the patterning slit sheet to the substrate by using the relative position of the substrate detected by the position detection member; and
a focus control member disposed between the camera and the patterning slit sheet to control a focal point of the camera to alternately be on the substrate and the patterning slit sheet,
wherein a deposition is performed and the relative position is detected while the substrate or the thin film deposition apparatus is moved relative to the other in the first direction.

5. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the focus control member is disposed to be rotatable, and comprises a first hole and a second hole that have different refractive indices.

6. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 5 , wherein one of the first hole and the second hole is filled with a transparent material.

7. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the focus control member is disposed in such a way that the first hole and the second hole alternate on an optical axis of the camera.

8. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the camera controls a focal point of the camera by reciprocating along an optical axis of the camera.

9. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the position detection member further comprises:
a laser irradiation member that irradiates a laser beam in a direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the substrate is moved; and
at least one measurement member coaxially disposed with the laser beam irradiated from the laser irradiation member and comprising a third alignment mark.

10. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the alignment control member comprises at least two first actuators providing a predetermined driving force to move the patterning slit sheet relative to the substrate in the first direction.

11. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the alignment control member comprises at least three second actuators providing a predetermined driving force to move the patterning slit sheet relative to the substrate in a direction perpendicular to a deposition surface of the substrate.

12. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deposition source, the deposition source nozzle unit, and the patterning slit sheet are integrally connected as one body by a connection member.

13. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the connection member guides a flow path of the deposition material.

14. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the connection member seals a space between the deposition source nozzle unit disposed at the side of the deposition source, and the patterning slit sheet.

15. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thin film deposition apparatus is separated from the substrate by a predetermined distance.

16. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the patterning slit sheet of the thin film deposition apparatus is smaller than the substrate.

17. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of deposition source nozzles are tilted at a predetermined angle.

18. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of deposition source nozzles include deposition source nozzles arranged in two rows formed in the first direction, and the deposition source nozzles in the two rows are tilted to face each other.

19. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of deposition source nozzles include deposition source nozzles arranged in two rows formed in the first direction, wherein the deposition source nozzles of a row located at a first side of the patterning slit sheet are arranged to face a second side of the patterning slit sheet, and the deposition source nozzles of the other row located at the second side of the patterning slit sheet are arranged to face the first side of the patterning slit sheet.

Assignees

• Hong Jong-Won
• Chang Seok-Rak
• Jo Chang-Mog
• Choi Young-Mook
• Ryu Jae-Kwang
• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hong Jong-Won
• Chang Seok-Rak
• Jo Chang-Mog
• Choi Young-Mook
• Ryu Jae-Kwang

Classifications

• C23C14/243 Primary

  Crucibles for source material (C23C14/28, C23C14/30 take precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/568

  Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations (C23C14/562 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/54

  Controlling or regulating the coating process · CPC title

• C23C14/042 Primary

  using masks · CPC title

• C23C16/042

  using masks · CPC title