Patent ID: 8882918

Claim:
A vapor deposition apparatus for forming a film of a predetermined pattern on a film formation substrate on which the film is to be formed, the vapor deposition apparatus comprising: a substrate holding member for holding the film formation substrate; a mask unit including (i) a vapor deposition source from which vapor deposition particles are ejected, (ii) a vapor deposition mask which has openings and causes the vapor deposition particles ejected from the vapor deposition source to be vapor-deposited on the film formation substrate through the openings, and (iii) a mask holding member for holding the vapor deposition mask, the vapor deposition mask being smaller in area than the film formation substrate, the vapor deposition source and the vapor deposition mask having their relative positions fixed; and the vapor deposition apparatus is configured for scanning, wherein at least one of (A) the mask unit and (B) the substrate holding member move relative each other during vapor deposition, the substrate holding member and the mask holding member being placed opposite each other so that the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate face each other during scanning, the substrate holding member being arranged to face the vapor deposition mask during scanning, the mask holding member being arranged to face the film formation substrate during scanning, the vapor deposition apparatus further comprising at least one gap retaining member provided in a surface of the mask holding member which surface is to face the film formation substrate during scanning, said at least one gap retaining member protruding toward a surface of the substrate holding member, said at least one gap retaining member rotating, during scanning, in a scanning direction while in contact with the member it faces and thereby keeping a gap between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate constant during scanning, at least part of said at least one gap retaining member is disposed between the film formation substrate and the vapor deposition mask, and said at least one gap retaining member comprising a gap retaining member arranged to directly or indirectly make contact with a non-vapor-deposition region of the film formation substrate.