Method of depositing organic material

An apparatus for depositing an organic material and a depositing method thereof, wherein a deposition process is performed with respect to a second substrate while transfer and alignment processes are performed with respect to a first substrate in a chamber, so that loss of an organic material wasted in the transfer and alignment processes can be reduced, thereby maximizing material efficiency and minimizing a processing tack time. The apparatus includes a chamber having an interior divided into a first substrate deposition area and a second substrate deposition area, an organic material deposition source transferred to within ones of the first and second substrate deposition areas to spray particles of an organic material onto respective ones of first and second substrates and a first transferring unit to rotate the organic material deposition source in a first direction from one of the first and second substrate deposition areas to an other of the first and second substrate deposition areas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

An aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus for depositing an organic material and a depositing method thereof that can perform a deposition process with respect to a second substrate while performing transfer and alignment processes with respect to a first substrate in the same chamber.

2. Description of the Related Art

An organic light emitting display device has come into the spotlight as a next generation self-emissive display device because of wide viewing angle, excellent contrast and fast response speed characteristics. An organic light emitting diode included in the organic light emitting display device includes first and second electrodes (anode and cathode electrodes) facing each other and an intermediate layer formed between the electrodes. The intermediate layer may include various layers, e.g., a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, or an electron injection layer. In the organic light emitting diode element, such intermediate layers are organic thin films formed of an organic material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, there are provided an apparatus for depositing an organic material and a deposition method thereof, wherein a deposition process is performed with respect to a second substrate while transfer and alignment processes are performed with respect to a first substrate in a same chamber, so that loss of an organic material during the transfer and alignment processes can be reduced, thereby maximizing material efficiency and minimizing a processing tack time.

In addition, there is provided an organic material deposition system having more processing chambers arranged in a same space than that of earlier organic material deposition systems, the processing chambers being arranged in a direction where a deposition source moves for the deposition performance with respect to respective substrates is different from a direction where the deposition moves for the deposition of another substrate, so that the size of a chamber is optimized and space use is maximized.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a deposition apparatus that includes a chamber having an interior divided into a first substrate deposition area and a second substrate deposition area, an organic material deposition source transferred to within ones of the first and second substrate deposition areas to spray particles of an organic material onto respective ones of first and second substrates and first transferring unit to rotate the organic material deposition source in a first direction from one of the first and second substrate deposition areas to an other of the first and second substrate deposition areas. The deposition apparatus may also include a second transferring unit to reciprocate the organic material deposition source in a second direction within one of the first and second substrate deposition area. The deposition apparatus may also include a first substrate aligning unit positioned in the first substrate deposition area to align the first substrate transferred from an outside and a second substrate aligning unit positioned in the second substrate deposition area to align the second substrate transferred from the outside.

The first substrate deposition area and the second substrate deposition area may extend in a second direction that intersects the first direction. The organic material deposition source may be a linear deposition source. A body of the chamber may be a polygonal container having a first side adjacent to the first transferring unit that is longer than a second side opposite the first side. The first and second substrates may enter and exit the chamber through the second side of the chamber.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of depositing an organic material, which includes transferring a first substrate into a first substrate deposition area of a chamber and performing an alignment process on the first substrate, transferring a deposition source to within the first substrate deposition area to perform a deposition process on the first substrate after completion of the alignment process on the first substrate, transferring a second substrate into a second substrate deposition area of the chamber and performing an alignment process on the transferred second substrate while the deposition process on the first substrate is being performed, transferring the deposition source to the second substrate deposition area by rotating the deposition source in a first direction when the deposition process on the first substrate and the alignment process on the second substrate are completed and transferring the deposition source within the second substrate deposition area to perform the deposition process on the second substrate. The method may also include transferring a third substrate into the first substrate deposition area of the chamber and performing an alignment process with respect to the third substrate while performing the deposition process with respect to the second substrate.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus, which includes a chamber having an interior divided into a first substrate deposition area, a standby area, and a second substrate deposition area, a first substrate aligning unit positioned in the first substrate deposition area to align a first substrate transferred from an outside, a second substrate aligning unit positioned in the second substrate deposition area to align a second substrate transferred from the outside, at least one organic material deposition source to spray particles of an organic material onto ones of the first and second substrates and a transferring unit to transfer the organic material deposition source in a first direction. The apparatus may also include a deposition source holding unit to hold the organic material deposition source and an angle limiting plate arranged on an upper outer wall of the deposition source holding unit. The first substrate deposition area, the standby area, and the second substrate deposition area may be arranged in a line extending in the first direction.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of depositing an organic material, which includes positioning a deposition source in a standby area of a chamber while a first substrate is transferred from an outside into a first substrate deposition area of the chamber and while an alignment process is being performed on the first substrate, performing a deposition process with respect to the first substrate by transferring the deposition source positioned in the standby area of the chamber into the first substrate deposition area after the alignment process with respect to the first substrate is completed, transferring a second substrate from an outside into a second substrate deposition area and performing an alignment process with respect to the second substrate, transferring the deposition source from the first substrate deposition area back to the standby area of the chamber after the deposition process with respect to the first substrate is completed and performing a deposition process with respect to the second substrate by transferring the deposition source positioned in the standby area of the chamber into the second substrate deposition area after the alignment process with respect to the second substrate is completed. The alignment process with respect to the second substrate may be performed while the deposition process is being performed with respect to the first substrate. The method may also include transferring the first substrate from the first substrate deposition area of the chamber to the outside upon completion of the deposition process on the first substrate and transferring a third substrate into the first substrate deposition area of the chamber from the outside.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a deposition system, which includes a plurality of organic material deposition apparatuses, a transfer chamber to commonly connect the plurality of organic material deposition apparatuses and a load lock chamber to load and/or unload substrates inserted into the organic material deposition apparatuses through the transfer chamber, wherein the plurality of organic material deposition apparatuses comprises a first organic material deposition apparatus to perform a deposition process with respect to at least two substrates and to perform transfer and an alignment processes of at least one of the at least two substrates while performing the deposition process with respect to an other of the at least two substrates. The plurality of organic material deposition apparatuses may further include a second organic material deposition apparatus to sequentially perform a transfer process, an alignment process, and a deposition process with respect to a single substrate.

The first organic material deposition apparatus may include a chamber having an interior divided into a first substrate deposition area and a second substrate deposition area, an organic material deposition source transferred to within ones of the first and second substrate deposition areas to spray particles of an organic material onto respective ones of first and second substrates and a transferring unit to rotate the organic material deposition source in a first direction from one of the first and second substrate deposition areas to an other of the first and second substrate deposition areas. The chamber may be a polygonal container having a first side adjacent to the first transferring unit that is longer than a second side opposite the first side. The first and second substrates may enter and exit the chamber through the second side of the chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An organic light emitting display device has come into the spotlight as a next generation self-emissive display device because of wide viewing angle, excellent contrast and fast response speed characteristics. An organic light emitting diode included in the organic light emitting display device includes first and second electrodes (anode and cathode electrodes) facing each other and an intermediate layer arranged between the electrodes. The intermediate layer may include various layers, e.g., a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, and/or an electron injection layer. In the organic light emitting diode element, such intermediate layers are organic thin films made out of an organic material.

In the process of manufacturing an organic light emitting diode element having the aforementioned configuration, organic thin films and electrodes including a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer and the like may be formed on a substrate through a deposition method using a deposition apparatus.

In the deposition method, after loading a substrate into a vacuum chamber, a thin film is formed by heating a container containing an organic material to be deposited and then evaporating or sublimating the organic material in the container. An organic thin film is deposited on the substrate by aligning a shadow mask pattern having an opening with a desired shape in front of the substrate and then evaporating or sublimating the organic material.

Before such a deposition process is performed, a process of transferring a substrate into a chamber, a process of precisely aligning a shadow mask to the substrate, and the like are necessarily performed. According to earlier deposition apparatus and method, the deposition process is impossible during the substrate transfer and mask alignment processes. Further, the substrate transfer and mask alignment processes are separated from the deposition process. Therefore, a processing tack time may be increased.

In addition, according to earlier deposition apparatus and method, the organic material is continuously evaporated or sublimated from a deposition source during the substrate transfer and mask alignment processes. Therefore, the organic material may be wasted.

Turning now toFIG. 1,FIG. 1is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an apparatus for depositing an organic material according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG. 1, the apparatus for depositing an organic material according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber100having an interior divided into a first substrate deposition area, a standby area and a second substrate deposition area, a first substrate aligning unit200positioned in the first substrate deposition area to align a first substrate110transferred from the outside, a second substrate aligning unit210positioned in the second substrate deposition area to align a second substrate110′ transferred from the outside, at least one organic material deposition source300for spraying particles of the deposition material onto the first and second substrates110and110′, a deposition source holding unit400for holding the organic material deposition source300, and a transferring unit500for transferring the deposition source holding unit in a first direction (for example, a horizontal direction). As illustrated inFIG. 1, the first substrate deposition area, the standby area, and the second substrate deposition area are arranged in a line in the first direction.

Here, a vacuum state is maintained within the chamber100by a vacuum pump (not shown). Two organic material deposition sources300are held in the deposition source holding unit400in the first embodiment ofFIG. 1, and an angle limiting plate410is formed on the upper outer wall of the deposition source holding unit400. Accordingly, the angle limiting plate410functions to limit the spraying direction of the organic material sprayed from the organic material deposition source300.

The transferring unit500functions to transfer the deposition source holding unit400in the first direction (in a horizontal direction). The transferring unit500controls the deposition source holding unit400to be initially positioned in the standby area of the chamber100. Then, when the alignment of the first substrate110is completed by the first substrate aligning unit200, the transferring unit500transfers the deposition source holding unit400to the first substrate deposition area to perform a deposition process on the first substrate110.

Thereafter, when the alignment of the second substrate110′ is completed by the second substrate aligning unit210, the transferring unit500transfers the deposition source holding unit400to the second substrate deposition area to perform a deposition process on the second substrate110′.

That is, transfer and alignment processes are performed with respect to the second substrate110′ while a deposition process is being performed with respect to the first substrate110. Conversely, transfer and alignment processes are performed with respect to the first substrate110while a deposition process is being performed with respect to the second substrate110′. Accordingly, a processing tack time can be considerably reduced and the amount of waste of organic material is also reduced, so that material efficiency can be maximized.

The transferring unit500is preferably implemented so that the use of the transferring unit500can be suitable in the chamber100maintained in the vacuum state, and that the transfer speed of the organic material deposition source300can be controlled depending on processing conditions. The transferring unit500may include a ball screw (not shown), a motor (not shown) for rotating the ball screw, and a guide (not shown) for guiding the deposition source holding unit400, however this description is provided only for illustrative purposes. In another embodiment, the transferring unit500may be implemented so that the organic material deposition source300can be driven at a constant speed using a linear motor (not shown).

In addition, a mask pattern120for determining the shape of the organic material to be deposited is positioned at the front sides of the first and second substrates110and110′, i.e., between the organic material deposition source300and the first and second substrates110and110′. Accordingly, the organic material evaporated from the organic material deposition source300is deposited onto the first and second substrates110and110′ while passing through the mask pattern120, so that an organic film with a predetermined shape is formed on the first and second substrates110and110′.

Meanwhile, the organic material deposition source300contains within an organic material to be deposited on the first and second substrates110and110′ and heats the received organic material to evaporate the organic material. Then, the organic material deposition source300sprays the evaporated organic material onto the first and second substrates110and110′ so that an organic film is formed on the first and second substrates100and110′. The organic material deposition source300may be implemented as a linear deposition source or a point deposition source.

It is to be appreciated that it is difficult for the point deposition source to perform the depositions of the organic material on a large area. For the deposition of the organic material on the large area, several point deposition sources must be arranged. When many point sources are used, it is difficult to control the plurality of point deposition sources. Accordingly, in the embodiment of the present invention, the organic deposition source300is preferably implemented as a linear deposition source.

Turning now toFIGS. 2A through 2D,FIGS. 2A through 2Dare views illustrating a method of depositing an organic material according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is performed by the apparatus for depositing an organic material as illustrated inFIG. 1. As illustrated inFIG. 2A, after the first substrate110is transferred into the chamber100and before the alignment process is completed on the first substrate110, the deposition source holding unit400holding the organic material deposition source300is positioned in the standby area, which is a central area of the chamber100. To transfer a substrate into the chamber100, a robot arm (seeFIG. 5) and a transfer chamber (seeFIG. 5) are connected to the chamber100of a cluster type deposition.

The organic deposition source300keeps evaporating and spraying the organic material, even when being positioned in the standby area. However, when the organic material deposition source300is positioned in the standby area, organic material is not being deposited on either of the first or the second substrate110or110′. Therefore, while first or second substrate110or110′ is being aligned, the angle limiting plate410provided on the upper outer wall of the deposition source holding unit400blocks the evaporated organic material from reaching either of the first or second substrate110or110′.

That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, the angle limiting plate410is provided on the upper outer wall of the deposition source holding unit400so that a barrier layer provided in earlier deposition apparatuses is no longer necessary. The barrier layer is provided in earlier deposition apparatuses and is formed between the substrate and the organic material deposition source to prevent the organic material from being depositing on the substrate while the alignment process of the substrate is being performed.

When the alignment on the first substrate110is completed by the first substrate aligning unit200, the deposition source holding unit400positioned in the standby area of the chamber100as illustrated inFIG. 2Ais transferred to the first substrate deposition area as illustrated inFIG. 2Bso that the first substrate110faces the organic material deposition source300so that the deposition process can be performed on the first substrate110. As illustrated inFIG. 2B, in the first embodiment, deposition source300moves in the same first direction within the first substrate deposition area during the deposition onto the first substrate110.

However, in the embodiment of the present invention, the second substrate110′ is transferred to the second substrate deposition area of the chamber from an outside and the alignment process of the transferred second substrate110′ is performed by the second substrate aligning unit210while the deposition process with respect to the first substrate110is carried out. That is, the transfer and the alignment processes of the second substrate110′ are performed simultaneously with the deposition process with respect to the first substrate110.

Next, when the deposition process with respect to the first substrate110is completed, the source holding unit400is transferred back into the standby area of the chamber100by transfer unit500as illustrated inFIG. 2C, and the first substrate110is removed from the chamber100. The removal of first substrate110is implemented by the robot arm provided in the transfer chamber as described above and as illustrated inFIG. 5.

When the alignment with respect to the second substrate110′ is completed, the deposition source holding unit400positioned in the standby area of the chamber100is transferred to the second substrate deposition area as illustrated inFIG. 2Dby the transfer unit500and the deposition process is performed within the second substrate deposition area. In this embodiment, deposition is performed on second substrate110′ while a new third substrate is transferred into the chamber and into the first substrate deposition area and is aligned by the first substrate aligning unit200. While organic material is being deposited onto second substrate110′, deposition source is moved in the same direction (i.e., the first direction) as when moved from ones of the standby area and the first and second substrate deposition areas. As will be described later in the second embodiment ofFIGS. 3 through 4D, this is not the most efficient use of space as the chamber100according to the first embodiment must be designed to extend an extra large distance in the first direction when the direction of translation of the deposition source in between depositions is the same as direction of movement of the deposition source300during a deposition.

When the deposition process with respect to the second substrate110′ is completed, the deposition source holding unit400is transferred again back to the standby area of the chamber100by the transfer unit500as illustrated inFIG. 2Aand the second substrate110′ is removed from the chamber and a new fourth substrate is transferred into the chamber and to the second substrate deposition area.

According to the method in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, the deposition process with respect to the second substrate110′ is performed while the transfer and the alignment processes with respect to the first substrate110are performed in the same chamber so that waste of organic material is reduced and throughput can be increased, thereby maximizing material efficiency and minimizing a processing tack time.

However, in the first embodiment of the present invention as illustrated inFIGS. 1 through 2D, since the direction that the deposition source300moves during a deposition process is the same as the direction that the deposition source300moves when going from the first substrate deposition area to the second substrate deposition area (or from the second substrate deposition area to the first substrate deposition area) to perform the deposition with respect to another substrate, the width of the chamber100must be increased in the direction that the deposition process is performed (the first direction).

That is, since the deposition source300is transferred in the same first direction (horizontal direction) as the deposition performance direction when the deposition source300is transferred to perform the deposition on the second substrate110′ after the deposition with respect to the first substrate110is completed, the chamber length must be increased about two times in the first direction (horizontal direction) to allow for the deposition with respect to the first and second substrates110and110′.

Therefore, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the direction that the deposition source moves during a deposition is different from the direction that the deposition source is moved to get from one substrate deposition area to another. By designing the chamber as such according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the size and shape of the chamber results in optimum space efficiency and the above-mentioned problem will be solved.

Turning now toFIG. 3,FIG. 3is a view illustrating an apparatus for depositing an organic material according to a second embodiment of the present invention. However, since the shadow mask and the deposition source are identical to those in the first embodiment of the present invention as illustrated inFIG. 1, their descriptions will be omitted and same elements are assigned with same reference numerals for illustrative purposes.

Referring toFIG. 3, an apparatus for depositing an organic material according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber600having an interior divided into a first substrate deposition area A and a second substrate deposition area B, a first substrate aligning unit200positioned in the first substrate deposition area A to align a first substrate110transferred from the outside, a second substrate aligning unit210positioned in the second substrate deposition area B to align a second substrate110′ transferred from the outside, at least one organic material deposition source300for spraying particles of the organic material onto the first and second substrates110and110′, a deposition source holding unit400for holding the organic material deposition source300, a first transferring unit510for rotating the organic material deposition source in a first direction to move the organic material deposition source300from one of a first and second substrate deposition area to another of a first and second deposition area, and a second transferring unit520for transferring the deposition source holding unit400in a second direction within one of the first and second substrate deposition areas.

Here, a vacuum state is maintained within the chamber600by a vacuum pump (not shown). The transfer and carrying of the substrate into the chamber600are implemented by a robot arm (seeFIG. 5) provided in a transfer chamber (seeFIG. 5) connected to the chamber600of a cluster type deposition system.

The first substrate deposition area A and the second substrate deposition are B, as illustrated, are arranged almost in parallel to each other near the second direction, wherein the deposition of the substrates performed in the respective deposition areas A and B is performed by which the deposition source holding unit400holding the deposition source300is reciprocated in the second direction by the second transferring unit520.

When deposition on the first substrate110is completed in the first substrate deposition area A, the deposition source holding unit400is rotated in the first direction by the first transferring unit510so that it is positioned within the second substrate deposition area B, and then the deposition source holding unit400is reciprocated in the second direction by the second transferring unit520during the deposition on the second substrate110′.

Similarly, when the deposition of the second substrate110′ is completed in the second substrate deposition area B, the deposition source holding unit400is rotated in the first direction by the first transferring unit510so that it is positioned within the first substrate deposition area A, and then the deposition source holding unit400is reciprocated in the second direction by the second transferring unit520during deposition on a newly entered third substrate.

The first and second transferring units510and520are preferably implemented so that the use of the first and second transferring units510and520can be suitable in the chamber600maintained in the vacuum state, and that the transfer speed of the organic material deposition source300can be controlled depending on processing conditions. The first and second transferring units510and520may include holders512and522for holding each substrate, a ball screw (not shown), a motor (not shown) for rotating the ball screw, and a guide (not shown) for guiding the deposition source holding unit400, however, this description is provided only for illustrative purposes. In another variation, the transferring units510and520may be implemented so that the organic material deposition source300can be driven at a constant speed using a linear motor (not shown).

In the first embodiment described with reference toFIGS. 1 through 2D, since the deposition source is transferred to perform the deposition of the respective substrates in the chamber in the same direction (horizontal direction) as the direction the deposition source is transferred when being moved from one substrate deposition area to the other, the width of the chamber must be increased about two times in the first direction that the deposition source moves. However, in the embodiment as illustrated inFIG. 3, the direction that the deposition source is transferred to perform the deposition of the respective substrates (second direction) is different from the direction that the deposition source300is transferred to move from one substrate deposition area to the other (first direction), so that the size and shape of chamber600of the second embodiment of the present invention is more space efficient than the process chamber100of the first embodiment of the present invention.

However, to this end, in the embodiment as illustrated inFIG. 3, the body of the chamber600is implemented as a polygonal container having a length L1on a first side102longer than a length L2on a second side104such that the first transferring unit510can be rotated in the first direction and accordingly, the increase of the width of the chamber600can be minimized. Although the body of the chamber600is depicted as a polygonal container in the embodiment as illustrated inFIG. 3, this is provided only for illustrative purposes. The body of the chamber can instead be implemented as a pentagonal container in which the first side102is bent.

In this case, the first side102is adjacent to the first transferring unit510and the second side104is opposite to the first side102, wherein the transfer and the carrying of the substrates into and out of chamber600are performed on the second side104. As a result, the second side104has an opening (not shown) such that the transfer and the carrying of the substrates can be performed.

Hereinafter, the method of depositing an organic material performed by the apparatus illustrated inFIG. 3will be described in detail with reference toFIGS. 4A to 4D. Referring toFIG. 4A, a first substrate110is transferred into the chamber600through an opening (not shown) formed in the second side104of the body of the chamber100. Then, an alignment process is performed by the first substrate aligning unit200. Then, the deposition source holding unit400is reciprocated in the second direction within the first substrate deposition area A by the second transferring unit520positioned in the first substrate deposition area A so that the deposition process on the first substrate110can be performed.

During the deposition process with respect to the first substrate110, the second substrate110′ is transferred into the chamber600through the opening (not shown) formed in the second side104and as illustrated inFIG. 4B, and an alignment process is performed by the second substrate aligning unit210.

At this time, the first substrate aligning unit200and the second substrate aligning unit210are respectively positioned in the first substrate deposition area A and the second substrate deposition area B, and since configuration thereof is identical to that as illustrated inFIG. 1, the description will be omitted. That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, the transfer and the alignment process of the second substrate110′ are performed simultaneously and within the same chamber600as the deposition of organic material onto the first substrate110.

When the deposition process on the first substrate110and the alignment process on the second substrate110′ are completed, the deposition source holding unit400, as illustrated inFIG. 4C, is rotated in the first direction by the first transferring unit510so that it is positioned within the second substrate deposition area B. At this time, the first substrate110, upon which the deposition process is completed, is removed from chamber600and a new first substrate110(hereinafter a third substrate) enters the first substrate deposition area A of the chamber600for alignment. Because the deposition source holding unit400containing the organic material deposition source300is rotated from the first substrate deposition area A to the second substrate deposition area B by the first transferring unit510in a first direction that is essentially orthogonal to the second direction, the width of the chamber600can be remarkably reduced in comparison to the chamber100of the first embodiment ofFIGS. 1 through 2D.

That is, as illustrated inFIGS. 3 through 4D, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the chamber600is implemented as a polygonal container having the length L1on the first side102longer than the length L2on the second side104to enable the deposition source holding unit400and the organic material deposition source300to be rotated so that spatial use can be maximized.

After the deposition source holding unit400is positioned in the second substrate deposition are B as illustrated inFIG. 4D, the source holding unit400reciprocates in the second direction within the second substrate deposition area B so that the deposition process on the second substrate110′ can be performed.

In addition, the alignment process of the third substrate that is newly transferred into the chamber600is performed by the first substrate aligning unit200positioned in the first substrate deposition area A simultaneous with the deposition process on the second substrate110′ in the second substrate deposition area B being carried out. That is, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the transfer and the alignment processes of the new first substrate110(aka third substrate) are performed in the same chamber600and at the same time that the deposition process on the second substrate110′ is being performed. When the deposition process on the second substrate110′ is completed, the process sequence as illustrated inFIGS. 4A through 4Dare repeated and the deposition and alignment processes of the respective substrates are performed.

Turning now toFIG. 5,FIG. 5is a block diagram schematically illustrating an organic material deposition system10including an organic material deposition apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The organic material deposition system10as illustrated inFIG. 5is provided with process chambers600aand600banalogous in design to process chamber600ofFIG. 3. Specifically, the body of chambers600aand600bofFIG. 5include a polygonal container having a first side longer than a second side to maximize the spatial use so that more process chambers can be provided in a limited space environment such as the cluster system10ofFIG. 5.

Referring toFIG. 5, the system10for depositing an organic material according to the third embodiment of the present invention is implemented as a cluster type system including a plurality of process chambers600a,600b,700aand700bfor performing the deposition process of an organic material, a transfer chamber20for commonly connecting each of process chambers600a,600b,700aand700b, and load lock chambers30and32for loading and/or unloading substrates110,110′, and110″ inserted into the process chambers through the transfer chamber. A shadow mask unit40may be further provided at a side of the transfer chamber20to be used during the deposition process in the process chambers600a,600b,700aand700b.

The process chambers600a,600b,700aand700bare organic material deposition apparatuses where the deposition process of an organic material is performed and include process chambers600aand600bthat each perform a deposition process on at least two substrates and process chambers700aand700bthat perform a deposition process on a single substrate. That is, in the third embodiment ofFIG. 5, first and second process chambers600aand600beach perform the deposition process of two substrates and are implemented such that the deposition process is performed with respect to one substrate while transfer and alignment processes on the other substrate are being performed. In this case, the first and second process chambers600aand600bare implemented as in the second embodiment of the organic material deposition apparatus as described with reference toFIGS. 3 through 4D. The third and fourth process chambers700aand700bsequentially perform the alignment and deposition process of a single substrate, respectively.

In the cluster type deposition system according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the first and second process chambers600aand600bare implemented as a polygonal container having first and second sides with different lengths so that space occupied by the first and second process chambers600aand600bcan be remarkably reduced and the third and fourth process chambers700aand700bcan be further provided. In addition, deposition yield is considerably improved over earlier deposition systems.

The respective process chambers600a,600b,700aand700bmay deposit additional organic materials on the substrate respectively or may deposit a same organic material on the substrate. For example, in the embodiment ofFIG. 5, a first organic material is deposited in the first and third process chambers600aand700aand a second organic material is deposited in the second and fourth process chambers600band700b.

The substrate on which the deposition process of the first organic material is completed in the first process chamber600ais transferred to the second process chamber600band then the second organic material is further deposited. Similarly, the substrate on which the deposition of the first organic material is completed in the third process chamber700ais transferred to the fourth process chamber700band the second organic material is further deposited in the fourth process chamber700b.

The transfer chamber20is connected to the above-mentioned process chambers600a,600b,700aand700b, the load lock chambers30and32, and the shadow mask unit40through side wall regions of the transfer chamber20. In this case, penetration portions24are provided to allow the substrate to enter and exit in the respective side wall regions.

That is, the transfer chamber20includes a body22having a transferring space for substrate transfer and a pair of robot arms26and26′ provided in the body22. The pair of robot arms26and26′ transfers the substrate provided in the load lock chamber30to one of the process chambers600a,600b,700aand700bor transfers and carries the substrate on which the first deposition is performed by process chamber600aor700ato another process chamber600bor700bor the load lock chamber32. The load lock chambers30and32, as described above, loads and/or unloads the substrates110,110′, and110″ inserted into the process chamber.

In the third embodiment of the present invention, at least two robot arms26and26′ are provided in the body22of the transfer chamber20so that the second substrate110′ can be transferred to the process chamber600aor600bwhile the deposition process of the first substrate110is being carried out.

Operation of the organic material deposition system10according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in brief as follows. First, when a plurality of substrates are transferred from an external carrier apparatus (not shown) to the first load lock chamber30, the first load lock chamber30loads the transferred substrates.

When the loading of the substrates is completed, a door (not shown) of the first load lock chamber30is closed and the first load lock chamber30is vacuumed. After that, the first robot arm26of the transfer chamber20transfers the first substrate110among the substrates to the first process chamber600athrough the transfer chamber20. In this case, processes in the first process chamber600aand the second process chamber600bare identical to the deposition process performed by the organic material deposition apparatus of the chamber600ofFIGS. 3 through 4D, and will be described in brief as follows.

The first substrate110transferred to the first process chamber600ais aligned in the first process chamber600a. When the alignment process is completed, the deposition process on the first substrate110is performed. That is, the first organic material is deposited on the first substrate110.

The second substrate110′, among the plurality of substrates loaded in the first load lock chamber30, is transferred by the second robot arm26′ to the first process chamber600aat the same time that the first organic material is being deposited onto the first substrate110in the first process chamber600a. That is, when the deposition process on the first substrate100is being carried out in the first process chamber600a, the transfer and the alignment processes of the second substrate110′ are performed in the first process chamber600a. The deposition process on the second substrate110′ is performed after the alignment process is completed.

The first substrate110, on which the deposition process is completed, is transferred to the second process chamber600bby the first robot arm26. Accordingly, the first substrate110is aligned in the second process chamber600band the deposition of the second organic material onto the first substrate110is carried out upon completion of the alignment process of first substrate110in process chamber600b.

After the first substrate110enters the second process chamber600b, the second substrate110′, upon which the deposition process is completed in the first process chamber600a, is transferred by the second robot arm26′ from the first process chamber600ato the second process chamber600bduring the deposition process of the second organic material onto the first substrate110within the second process chamber600b.

That is, the transfer and the alignment processes of the second substrate110′ are performed in the second process chamber600bat the same time that the deposition process of the second organic layer is being carried out on the first substrate110within the second process chamber600b.

By doing so, when the deposition processes of the first and second organic materials on the first and second substrates110and110′ are completed, the first and second substrates110and110′ are continuously transferred to the second load lock chamber32by the robot arm26or26′ and are unloaded respectively.

While the first and second substrates110and110′ are being processed in process chambers600aand600b, process chambers700aand700bcan process third substrate100″. This begins with the first or second robot arm26or26′ transferring the third substrate110″ among the substrates loaded in the first load lock chamber30to the third process chamber700athrough the transfer chamber20. After that, the third substrate110″ is aligned in the third process chamber700a. When the alignment process is completed, the deposition process of the first organic material on the third substrate110″ is carried out. When the deposition process of the third substrate110″ is completed, a robot arm26or26′ transfers the third substrate110″ to the fourth process chamber700b, and the third substrate110″ is aligned within the fourth process chamber700b. When the alignment process is completed, a second organic material is deposited onto the third substrate110″. After that, when the deposition processes of the first and second organic materials on the third substrate110″ are completed, the third substrate110″ is transferred to the second load lock chamber32and is unloaded by a robot arm26or26′.

At this time, the deposition processes of the third substrate110″, that is, the deposition processes performed in the third and fourth process chambers700aand700b, may be performed simultaneously with the deposition processes on the first and second substrates110and110′.

Consequently, according to the organic material deposition system10in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention, the deposition processes with respect to three substrates can be performed at the same time so that standby time in the respective process chambers can be reduced and productivity and throughput can be increased and maximized.