1-27. (canceled)
28. A film formation method for depositing an organic compound over a substrate provided in a film formation chamber; wherein said film formation chamber is kept in a high vacuum degree of 5\xd710\u22123 Torr or lower pressure, and in the case of forming a film by depositing an organic compound material over the substrate from a deposition source provided opposite to the substrate, said substrate is simultaneously heated to decrease a gas in the film.
29. A method according to claim 28 wherein the temperature T1 of said substrate is controlled to be in a range from 50\xb0 C. to 200\xb0 C.
30. A film formation method for depositing an organic compound over a substrate provided in a film formation chamber; wherein said film formation chamber is kept in a high vacuum degree of 5\xd710\u22123 Torr or lower pressure, and after formation of a film by depositing an organic compound material over the substrate from a deposition source provided opposite to the substrate, the vacuum degree is increased further than that during the film formation while said substrates is kept from atmospheric air, and said substrate is heated to decrease a gas in the film.
31. A method according to claim 30 wherein the treatment for decreasing the gas in the film by keeping the vacuum degree higher than that during the film formation and heating said substrate is carried out in the same film formation chamber as the chamber for the film formation.
32. A method according to claim 30; wherein the treatment for decreasing the gas in the film by keeping the vacuum degree higher than that during the film formation and heating said substrate is carried out in a treatment chamber different from the chamber for the film formation.
33. A method according to claim 30; wherein during the film formation, said substrate is simultaneously heated to decrease the gas in the film.
34. A film formation method for depositing an organic compound over a substrate provided in a film formation chamber; wherein after formation of a first organic compound layer over the substrate, said film formation chamber is kept in a high vacuum degree of 5\xd710\u22123 Torr or lower pressure, and before film formation of a second organic compound layer over said first organic compound layer by depositing an organic compound material over the substrate from a deposition source provided opposite to the substrate, the substrate is heated to decrease the gas in the first organic compound layer.
35. A cleaning method for removing an organic compound adhering to a film formation chamber provided with a deposition source, said method comprising:
cleaning a mask or an inner wall or an adhesion prevention means for preventing film formation on the inner wall by generating plasma in the film formation chamber.
36. A method according to claim 35 wherein said plasma is generated between said mask and an electrodes provided between said mask and said deposition source.
37. A method according to claim 35 wherein said plasma is generated by exciting one or a plurality of kinds of gases selected from Ar, H, F, NF3, and O.
38. A method for forming an EL device in a film formation chamber; wherein said film formation chamber is kept in a high vacuum degree of 5\xd710\u22123 Torr or lower pressure, and in the case of forming a film by depositing an organic compound material over a substrate from a deposition source provided opposite to the substrate, said substrate is simultaneously heated to decrease a gas in the film.
39. A method according to claim 38 wherein the temperature T1 of said substrate is controlled to be in a range from 50\xb0 C. to 200\xb0 C.
40. A method for forming an EL device in a film formation chamber; wherein said film formation chamber is kept in a high vacuum degree of 5\xd710\u22123 Torr or lower pressure, and after formation of a film by depositing an organic compound material over a substrate from a deposition source provided opposite to the substrate, the vacuum degree is increased further than that during the film formation while said substrate is kept from atmospheric air, and said substrate is heated to decrease a gas in the film.
41. A method according to claim 40 wherein the treatment for decreasing the gas in the film by keeping the vacuum degree higher than that during the film formation and heating said substrate is carried out in the same film formation chamber as the chamber for the film formation.
42. A method according to claim 40 wherein the treatment for decreasing the gas in the film by keeping the vacuum degree higher than that during the film formation and heating said substrate is carried out in a treatment chamber different from the chamber for the film formation.
43. A method according to claim 40 wherein during the film formation, said substrate is simultaneously heated to decrease the gas in the film.
44. A method for forming an EL device in a film formation chamber; wherein after formation of a first organic compound layer over a substrate, said film formation chamber is kept in a high vacuum degree of 5\xd710\u22123 Torr or lower pressure, and before film formation of a second organic compound layer over said first organic compound layer by depositing an organic compound material over the substrate from a deposition source provided opposite to the substrate, the substrate is heated to decrease the gas In the first organic compound layer.
45. A method according to claim 38 wherein said EL device is incorporated into one selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a video camera, a mobile computer, a mobile phone, an electronic book, and a display.
46. A method according to claim 40 wherein said EL device is incorporated into one selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a video camera, a mobile computer, a mobile phone, an electronic book, and a display
47. A method according to claim 44 wherein said EL device is incorporated into one selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a video camera, a mobile computer, a mobile phone, an electronic book, and a display.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A lighting device comprising:
a plurality of light sources;
at least two light source boards on which the light sources are mounted;
a chassis housing the at least two light source boards; and
at least one connecting and retaining member,
wherein:
the at least two light source boards include light source boards arranged adjacent to each other; and
the adjacent light source boards are electrically connected to each other and retained on the chassis with a connecting and retaining member.
2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent light source boards have a gap therebetween.
3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the at least two light source boards have an elongated shape and are arranged parallel to each other along a long side direction thereof.
4. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the light sources is arranged parallel to each other on the at least two light source boards along the long side direction.
5. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein:
the connecting and retaining member includes a fixing portion to be fixed to the chassis; and
the fixing portion is arranged between the adjacent light source boards.
6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting and retaining member sandwiches the adjacent light source boards with the chassis.
7. The lighting device according to claim 6, wherein the connecting and retaining member has substantially the same overlapping area with respect to the adjacent light source boards.
8. The lighting device according to claim 6, wherein:
the adjacent light source boards include a wiring pattern connected to the light sources on the light source mounting surface;
the connecting and retaining member includes a wiring portion formed on the surface opposed to the adjacent light source boards; and
the wiring portion is abutted on the wiring pattern.
9. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the wiring portion is entirely exposed to the adjacent light source boards.
10. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the wiring pattern includes an abutted portion to be abutted on the wiring portion at end portions of the adjacent light source boards.
11. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the connecting and retaining member is formed in a mountain shape spreading out toward the light source mounting surface of the adjacent light source boards.
12. The lighting device according to claim 11, wherein the connecting and retaining member includes an inclined surface.
13. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the connecting and retaining member is abutted on side surfaces of the adjacent light source boards, which are adjacent to both the light source mounting surface and an opposite surface of the light source mounting surface.
14. The lighting device according to claim 13, wherein:
one of the side surfaces of the adjacent light source boards is abutted on the connecting and retaining member; and
the other of the side surfaces on an opposite side is abutted on the chassis.
15. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the connecting and retaining member has a white surface.
16. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein:
the at least two light source boards have an elongated shape and are arranged parallel to each other along a long side direction thereof; and
the connecting and retaining member has a width dimension substantially the same as a short side dimension of the light source boards.
17. The lighting device according to according to claim 8, wherein:
the at least two light source boards have an elongated shape and are arranged parallel to each other along a long side direction thereof;
the connecting and retaining member has a width dimension larger than a short side dimension of the adjacent light source boards; and
the connecting and retaining member includes a fixing portion to be fixed to the chassis, the fixing portion projecting out beyond the adjacent light source boards.
18. The lighting device according to claim 17, wherein at least a pair of the fixing portions is arranged across the adjacent light source boards.
19. The lighting device according to claim 18, wherein the fixing portions are arranged at the four corners of the connecting and retaining member.
20. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting and retaining member has a rotationally symmetric shape of two-fold symmetry.
21. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two light source boards have white surfaces.
22. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising a light guide member, wherein the light guide member includes an end portion opposed to the light sources on the at least two light source boards.
23. The lighting device according to claim 22, wherein the chassis includes a bottom portion supporting the light guide member, and side portions rising from the bottom portion and sandwiching the adjacent light source boards with the connecting and retaining member.
24. The lighting device according to claim 22, further comprising a pair of reflection members, wherein:
the light sources and the end portion of the light guide member opposed to the light sources are arranged apart from each other with a space therebetween; and
the pair of reflection members arranged across the space.
25. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising an optical member, wherein:
the chassis includes a bottom portion arranged on a side opposite to the light output side with respect to the at least two light source boards and supporting the light source boards; and
the optical member is arranged on the light output side in such a manner as to be opposed to the bottom portion and the light source boards.
26. The lighting device according to claim 25, wherein the connecting and retaining member includes a support portion projecting toward the light output side and supporting the optical member.
27. The lighting device according to claim 25, wherein:
the at least two light source boards have an elongated shape and are arranged parallel to each other along a long side direction thereof; and
the at least two light source boards include a plurality of types of light source boards with different lengths with respect to the long side direction.
28. The lighting device according to claim 27, wherein:
the at least two light source boards includes a group of the light source boards arranged parallel to each other along the long side direction and connected to each other by the connecting and retaining member; and
a plurality of the groups of the light source boards are arranged side by side intermittently along the short side direction of the at least two light source boards.
29. The lighting device according to claim 25, further comprising a diffuser lens on the light output side of the light sources to diffuse the light from the light sources.
30. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is an LED.
31. A display device comprising:
the lighting device according to claim 1; and
a display panel configured to provide a display by utilizing the light from the lighting device.
32. The display device according to claim 31, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal panel having liquid crystal contained between a pair of substrates.
33. A television receiver comprising the display device according to claim 31.