CN115806160A

CN115806160A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Info

Publication number: CN115806160A
Application number: CN202111082817.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 徐贵阳; 徐涛; 林枫
Original assignee: Wuhan DR Llaser Technology Corp Ltd
Current assignee: Wuhan DR Llaser Technology Corp Ltd
Priority date: 2021-09-15
Filing date: 2021-09-15
Publication date: 2023-03-17

Abstract

The application discloses a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method, wherein the method comprises the following steps: driving the at least two conveying mechanisms to move along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction so as to drive the carrying platform to sequentially pass through the feeding station, the processing station and the discharging station, and driving the at least two conveying mechanisms to alternately and continuously pass through the processing station; the transport mechanism is attached to at least one stage configured to support at least one substrate; and in the process that the carrying platform receives the substrate at the loading station and then transmits the substrate to the processing station, the horizontal position of the substrate is adjusted through the horizontal adjusting module on the carrying platform. According to the substrate processing device and the substrate processing method, the at least two conveying mechanisms alternately and continuously pass through the processing station to convey the substrate to the processing station, the processing equipment processes the substrate, waiting time of laser processing is shortened, laser utilization rate is improved, and production efficiency is improved.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of laser processing technologies, and in particular, to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

Background

Laser machining finds increasing application in solar cell processing in the photovoltaic industry. The traditional laser processing equipment generally adopts a stepping structure to circularly feed, process, discharge and other processes, and enters the next station after the corresponding operations of the feeding, processing, discharging and other stations are finished. At present, there is the transport mechanism of interactive platform structure among the prior art, and when a platform carried out laser beam machining in the processing position promptly, another platform carried out supplementary process, if: blanking, returning to a loading position, loading and the like, when one platform finishes processing and is transferred to the next procedure, moving the other platform to the processing position for processing, and circularly finishing the processing operation. However, the laser processing is still performed with waiting time due to the working condition that the time required by the auxiliary process is longer than that required by the laser processing, so that the laser processing utilization rate is low. In addition, in order to improve the laser processing utilization rate and the processing effect, the requirement on the processing positioning precision is high, and the current laser processing equipment cannot meet the high-precision requirement.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present application is to solve at least to some extent one of the above mentioned technical problems.

Therefore, a first objective of the present application is to provide a substrate processing apparatus, which ensures that a substrate stably and continuously enters a processing area, laser runs at full load, laser utilization rate is improved, and productivity is increased.

A second object of the present application is to provide a substrate processing method.

In order to achieve the above object, a first embodiment of the present application provides a substrate processing apparatus, including:

a base;

at least two transport mechanisms disposed on the base, each transport mechanism having attached thereto at least one stage configured to support at least one substrate;

the at least two conveying mechanisms are configured to move in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction to drive the carrier to pass through a loading station, a processing station and a blanking station in sequence, and the at least two conveying mechanisms are configured to pass through the processing station alternately and continuously;

the processing equipment is arranged above the processing station, and is used for processing the substrate on the carrying platform when the carrying platform is positioned at the processing station;

the carrier comprises a horizontal adjustment module and a supporting plate positioned on the horizontal adjustment module, wherein the supporting plate is used for supporting at least one substrate, and the horizontal adjustment module is configured to adjust the horizontal position of the substrate on the supporting plate in the process that the supporting plate receives the substrate from the feeding station and then conveys the substrate to the processing station.

Optionally, the conveying mechanism includes an X-axis module and a Z-axis module, and the X-axis module and the Z-axis module respectively drive the stage to move left and right along the horizontal direction and move up and down along the vertical direction.

Optionally, the X-axis module is configured to compensate for an X-direction position deviation generated when the horizontal adjustment module adjusts the position of the substrate in the process that the support plate is conveyed from the loading station to the processing station.

Optionally, the Z-axis module is configured to adjust a Z-direction position of the substrate on the support plate during the transfer of the support plate from the loading station to the processing station.

Optionally, the horizontal adjustment module includes an angle adjustment module and/or a Y-axis adjustment module configured to adjust a position of the substrate in a horizontal angular direction and/or a position of the substrate in a Y-direction.

Optionally, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a position obtaining device disposed above the feeding station, where the position obtaining device is configured to obtain position information of the substrate on the supporting plate after the supporting plate receives the substrate at the feeding station, so that the horizontal adjusting module adjusts the horizontal position of the substrate according to the position information.

Optionally, each of the conveying mechanisms continuously passes through the processing station at a first conveying speed, and the first conveying speed is matched with a processing speed of processing equipment above the processing station, so that the substrate just leaves the processing station when processing is finished.

Optionally, the first transmission speed is a constant speed.

Optionally, two adjacent conveying mechanisms are configured such that when the substrate on the previous conveying mechanism is processed or before the substrate is processed, the conveying speed of the next conveying mechanism reaches the first conveying speed before the substrate is conveyed from the loading station to the processing station.

Optionally, the moving speed of the conveying mechanism in a part of the time period during the process of conveying from the loading station to the processing station is greater than the first conveying speed.

Optionally, two adjacent conveying mechanisms are configured such that, when the processing of the substrate on the previous conveying mechanism is finished, the interval between the next conveying mechanism moving from the loading station to the processing station and the previous conveying mechanism is a target distance.

Optionally, the target distance is equal to a first transmission speed multiplied by the processing jump time, and the first transmission speed is a speed of the conveying mechanism when the conveying mechanism passes through the processing station.

Optionally, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a printing quality detection mechanism, the printing quality detection mechanism is disposed in a region between the processing station and the blanking station or in the blanking station, and the printing quality detection mechanism is configured to perform quality detection on the processed substrate.

Optionally, the number of the carriers is two.

Optionally, the substrate processing apparatus further includes at least one feeding device and at least one discharging device, the feeding device is located at the feeding station, and the feeding device is configured to convey the substrate conveyed by the feeding mechanism to the carrier; the outfeed device is located at the blanking station, the outfeed device configured to transfer the substrate from the stage.

Optionally, the feeding device comprises two spaced conveyor belts, and the feeding device comprises a position sensor.

Optionally, the number of the stages is two, each stage is configured to support one substrate, the number of the feeding devices is two, and the two feeding devices are configured to control a distance between the substrates on the two feeding devices to be a target distance. The substrate processing device provided by the embodiment of the application alternately and continuously passes through the processing station through at least two conveying mechanisms, the substrate is conveyed to the processing station, the processing equipment processes the substrate, the waiting time of laser processing is reduced, the laser utilization rate is improved, and the production efficiency is improved.

In order to achieve the above object, a second aspect of the present application provides a substrate processing method, including:

driving at least two conveying mechanisms to move along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction so as to drive the carrying platform to pass through a feeding station, a processing station and a discharging station in sequence, and driving the at least two conveying mechanisms to alternately and continuously pass through the processing station; the transport mechanism attaches at least one stage configured to support at least one substrate;

and in the process that the carrier receives the substrate at the loading station and then transmits the substrate to the processing station, the horizontal position of the substrate is adjusted through a horizontal adjusting module on the carrier.

Optionally, the speed of each conveying mechanism passing through the processing station is matched with the processing speed, so that the substrate just leaves the processing station when the processing is finished.

Optionally, when or before the substrate on the previous conveying mechanism is processed, the conveying speed of the subsequent conveying mechanism reaches a first conveying speed before the substrate is conveyed from the loading station to the processing station, where the first conveying speed is a speed when the conveying mechanism passes through the processing station.

Optionally, when the processing of the substrate on the previous conveying mechanism is finished, the interval between the previous conveying mechanism and the next conveying mechanism moving from the loading station to the processing station is a target distance.

According to the substrate processing method, the at least two conveying mechanisms pass through the processing station alternately and continuously to convey the substrate to the processing station, the processing equipment processes the substrate, waiting time of laser processing is shortened, the laser utilization rate is improved, and production efficiency is improved.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present application.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 is a right side view of the substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present application;

fig. 4 is a perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a stage of one embodiment of the present application;

fig. 6 is a perspective view of a stage of one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a position of a stage according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 8 is a schematic structural view of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a method of processing a substrate according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a method of processing a substrate according to one embodiment of the present application;

fig. 12 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of a method of processing a substrate according to another embodiment of the present application;

fig. 14 is a flow chart of a method of processing a substrate according to yet another embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

It should be noted that the embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present invention may be combined with each other without conflict. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings in conjunction with embodiments.

The invention is described in further detail below with reference to specific examples, which are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.

A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present application are described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the substrate processing apparatus includes a susceptor 100, at least two transfer mechanisms 200, and a processing device 400.

Wherein the transport mechanisms 200 are arranged on the base 100, each transport mechanism 200 is attached with at least one stage 231, the stage 231 being configured to support at least one substrate 232.

The at least two conveying mechanisms 200 are configured to move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction to drive the stage 231 to sequentially pass through the feeding station a01, the processing station a03, and the discharging station a05, and the at least two conveying mechanisms 200 are configured to alternately and continuously pass through the processing station a03.

The processing apparatus 400 is provided above the processing station a03, and processes the substrate 232 on the stage 231 when the stage 231 is positioned at the processing station a03.

As shown in fig. 4-6, the carrier 232 includes a horizontal adjustment module 2311 and a supporting plate 2312 disposed on the horizontal adjustment module 2311, wherein the supporting plate 2312 is used for supporting at least one substrate 232. The horizontal adjustment module 2311 is configured to adjust the horizontal position of the substrate 232 on the support plate 2312 during the transfer from the loading station a01 to the processing station a03 after the substrate 232 is received by the support plate 2312 at the loading station a 01. The horizontal position of the substrate on the supporting plate can be adjusted through the horizontal adjusting module 2311, so that accurate positioning is realized, and the substrate is conveniently processed by processing equipment.

The substrate processing device provided by the embodiment of the application has the advantages that the substrate is conveyed to the processing station through the at least two conveying mechanisms alternately and continuously passing through the processing station, the processing equipment processes the substrate, the waiting time of laser processing is reduced, the laser utilization rate is improved, and the production efficiency is improved. Because the base plate processingequipment of this application adjusts base plate 232 horizontal position at backup pad 2312 from the in-process that material loading station A01 conveyed to processing station A03 after material loading station A01 received base plate 232, so not only realized the dynamic adjustment of each base plate completion position before processing, and owing to go on in continuous transfer process, improved the operating efficiency, further reduced laser machining's latency, improved the laser utilization ratio, and improved production efficiency.

In one embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 2-3, each transport mechanism 200 includes an X-axis module 210, a Z-axis module 220. The X-axis module 210 and the Z-axis module 220 are configured to drive the stage 231 to move left and right in the horizontal direction and to move up and down in the vertical direction, respectively. The carrier 232 is located on the Z-axis module 220, the Z-axis module 220 is located on the X-axis module 210, and the X-axis module 210 is located on the base 100.

In addition, considering that the adjustment of the angular position of the support plate in the Y direction of the substrate during the transfer from the loading station to the processing station may affect the position of the substrate in the X direction, the X-axis module 210 is configured to compensate for the X-direction positional deviation generated when the horizontal adjustment module 2311 adjusts the position of the substrate 232 during the transfer of the support plate 2312 from the loading station a01 to the processing station a03.

In addition, the Z-axis module 220 is configured to adjust the position of the substrate 232 in the Z-direction on the support plate 2312 during the transfer of the support plate 2312 from the loading station to the processing station a03 to meet a processing scenario requiring the substrate in the Z-direction during processing at the processing station.

In one embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 4, the horizontal adjustment module 2311 includes an angle adjustment module 23111 and/or a Y-axis adjustment module 23112 for adjusting the horizontal angular position and/or the Y-direction position of the substrate 232, respectively. The substrate 232 can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise in the horizontal direction under the driving of the angle adjustment module 23111.

In another embodiment, the horizontal adjustment module 2311 includes an angle adjustment module 23111 and a Y-axis adjustment module 23112, and the angle adjustment module 23111 and the Y-axis adjustment module 23112 are located at the same horizontal level. On one hand, the running time in the Z direction is compressed, on the other hand, the Z-axis stroke is reduced, and the height of the whole device is reduced.

The angle adjustment module 23111 is coupled to the Y-axis adjustment module 23112 via a track assembly 23113. Support plate 2312 is disposed on angle adjustment module 23111, angle adjustment module 23111 is disposed on rail assembly 23113, and rail assembly 23113 is coupled to Y-axis adjustment module 23112, which is configured to drive angle adjustment module 23111 and support plate 2312 along rail assembly 23113.

The angle adjustment module 23111 and the Y-axis adjustment module 23112 may be implemented as a translation adjustment module and an angle adjustment module, respectively, as known in the art.

In this embodiment, the angle adjustment module 2311 and the Y-axis adjustment module 23112 are configured to adjust the position of the substrate 232 to match the position of the processing equipment 400 before processing. That is, when the substrate is positioned below the processing apparatus 400, the position and the angle of the substrate 232 correspond to those of the processing apparatus 400, and thus high-precision processing is performed.

According to the substrate processing device, the same transmission mechanism realizes displacement control in the X direction and the Z direction through the X-axis module and the Z-axis module; meanwhile, the Y direction and the angle direction of the carrying platform are independently controlled, on one hand, the X-axis module and the Z-axis module can reduce the volume occupied by the position adjusting module and the manufacturing cost, and meanwhile, the load of the substrate processing device is lighter and the movement speed is faster; on the other hand, the structure can realize that the Y direction and the angle direction of the carrying platform can be adjusted in the continuous movement (the time for adjusting the position of the substrate does not need to be configured independently), and then the adjustment and the turning of the X direction can be integrated into the process of 'catching up' the previous conveying mechanism by the latter conveying mechanism, so that the X-axis drive is saved, the adjustment precision is improved, the substrate can continuously and stably enter a processing area, and the processing efficiency is further improved.

In one embodiment of the present application, the transfer mechanism 200 includes two stages 231.

The X direction of the carriers on the same conveying mechanism is controlled together (an X-axis module is shared and arranged in parallel along the X direction), and the Y direction and the angle of each carrier are controlled independently, so that the Y direction and the angle of the substrate can be adjusted in the continuous motion of the carriers; on the other hand, the adjustment and the diversion in the X direction are integrated into the speed matching process, so that the X-axis drive is saved, the weight of the carrier is lighter, and the adjustment precision is improved.

The multiple carrier platforms are matched with at least two conveying mechanisms, so that the two adjacent conveying mechanisms are configured to be in the process that the base plate on the previous conveying mechanism is continuously processed by laser in a processing area, all auxiliary processes can be completed by the next conveying mechanism, the previous conveying mechanism is tracked before the previous conveying mechanism completes the laser processing, the two carrier platforms of the next conveying mechanism continuously enter a processing station in sequence at a certain speed and at certain intervals for processing, the processing is continuously performed, the laser utilization rate is improved, and the production efficiency is improved.

Referring to fig. 1 and 7, in the substrate conveying process, the carrier 231 sequentially feeds at a feeding station a01 of the substrate processing apparatus, then continuously conveys the substrate through a preparation station a02, a processing station a03 and a waiting station a03, discharges at a discharging station a05 of the substrate processing apparatus, then continuously conveys the substrate to a waiting station a06, and then to the feeding station a01, thereby completing a cycle.

Specifically, the positions of the stations may include a feeding station a01, a preparation station a02, a processing station a03, a waiting station a04, a blanking station a05, and a waiting station a06, as shown in fig. 7. It should be understood that the above-mentioned respective stations are only defined for the functional areas, for example, the preparation station a02 is a functional area between the loading station a01 and the processing station a03, and not the specific position shown in fig. 7. The feeding station A01, the preparation station A02, the processing station A03, the waiting station A04 and the blanking station A05 are basically consistent in the Z direction, namely the heights are basically the same. However, since the processing accuracy is required to be higher for some processed substrates, the Z-direction height is required when such substrates are processed, and the stage 231 can be raised, that is, the processing station a03 has a height slightly higher than that of other stations. And then lowered to the original height after the processing is completed. And the positions of the waiting station A06 and the loading station A01 in the X direction are consistent, and the difference is that the loading station A01 is positioned above the waiting station A06.

In the substrate conveying process, the carriers 231 of different conveying mechanisms are driven by the respective X-axis module 210 and Z-axis module 220 to circularly and alternately move among the feeding station, the preparation station, the processing station, the waiting station, the discharging station and the waiting station. As a non-limiting embodiment, the carrier of the first conveying mechanism is driven by the Z-axis module 220 to ascend to the loading station a01 at the loading station a06, where loading of two substrates 232 is completed, then the X-axis module 210 drives the substrates 232 to move continuously in the X direction, and moves to the processing station a03 via the preparation station a02, and in the process of passing through the processing station a03, the processing equipment 400 arranged above the processing station completes corresponding processing, and continues to be driven by the X-axis module 210 to move continuously in the X direction to the waiting station a04, and then reaches the unloading station a05, and completes transferring and unloading of the substrates 232 at the unloading station a05, and then moves downward via the Z-axis module 220, and then (or simultaneously) is driven by the X-axis module 210 to move reversely to the loading station a06, and then moves upward via the Z-axis module 220 to reach the loading station a01, and completes one cycle. The movement of the stage of the second transport mechanism is similar to the movement of the stage of the first transport mechanism, except that the movement of the stage of the second transport mechanism precedes the movement of the stage of the first transport mechanism. The first conveying mechanism and the second conveying mechanism are circularly and alternately used for finishing corresponding processing.

In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus further includes at least one in-feed device 300 and at least one out-feed device 500.

The feeding device 300 is arranged at the front end of the base 100 and corresponds to the feeding station A01; the discharging device 500 is disposed at the rear end of the base 100 and corresponds to the discharging station a05. The feed device 300 receives the substrate 232 to be processed from the feed mechanism at the front position, and conveys the substrate 232 to be processed to the stage 231, and the discharge device 500 conveys the processed substrate 232 away from the stage 231 moving to the blanking station a05.

In a specific embodiment of the present application, the number of the feeding devices 300 is the same as the number of the carriers 231, and the feeding device 300 includes two conveyor belts arranged at intervals so that the carriers 231 located at the feeding station a01 move in the Z-axis direction as the carriers 231 receive the substrates 232 thereon. The discharging device 500 is two conveyor belts arranged at intervals so that the stage 231 located at the charging station receives the substrate 232 on the stage 231 while moving downward in the Z-axis direction therethrough.

Taking 2 feeding devices as an example, the feeding device 300 includes a first feeding device 301 and a second feeding device 302, both of which include two spaced conveyor belts that are conveyed in the X direction, and the distance between the conveyor belts is greater than the size of the stage. Each stage 231 is configured to support one substrate 232, and the two feed devices 300 are configured to control the distance between the substrates 232 on the two feed devices to be a target distance. When the stage 231 is located at the waiting station a06, the substrate 232 is conveyed to the loading station a01 by the first feeding apparatus 301 and the second feeding apparatus 302, and when the stage 231 reaches the loading station a01 from a06, the stage 231 passes between two conveyor belts of the first feeding apparatus 301 and the second feeding apparatus 302, and the substrate 232 is transferred onto the stage 231. It is desirable that the distance between the two conveyor belts be greater than the size of the carrier 231 to ensure that the carrier 231 can pass between them.

In one embodiment, the first feeding device 301 and the second feeding device 302 may each comprise a positioning sensor (not shown). The positioning sensors are used to position the substrate 232 to predetermined positions of the first feeding apparatus 301 and the second feeding apparatus 302, respectively. The positioning sensors may be provided on the first feeding device 301 and the second feeding device 302, respectively.

In addition, the first feeding device 301 and the second feeding device 302 can be controlled to start and stop independently, and the first substrate 232 is conveyed to the second feeding device 302 through the first feeding device 301 and is detected to be in place through the first positioning sensor. The second substrate 232 is detected in place by the first positioning sensor.

The first initial adjustment of the substrate 232 in the X direction, especially for two substrates on two stages on the same transport mechanism, can also be accomplished by providing the first feeding apparatus 301 and the second feeding apparatus 302. Specifically, the positions of the two substrates on the two carrying tables on the supporting plate can be basically the same, so that the two substrates meet the processing requirement when being processed through the processing station. For example, the substrate is transferred to the right (X direction), the two stages have the same height, the stage on the right side is the first stage, and the first stage is used for bearing the first substrate; the left carrying platform is a second carrying platform which is used for bearing a second substrate. During feeding, the first substrate is conveyed to the corresponding position of the first feeding device 301 along with the two conveying belts of the first feeding device 301, the conveying of the belts is stopped, the first substrate stays at the position, and the first adjustment and positioning in the X direction are completed; the second substrate is conveyed to the corresponding position of the second feeding device 302 by following the two conveying belts of the second feeding device 302, the conveying of the belts is stopped, and the second substrate stays at the position, so that the first adjustment and positioning in the X direction are completed. When the first substrate and the second substrate stop, the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate is a target distance, the target distance is equal to a first transmission speed multiplied by a jump time, the jump time is a time interval between the end position of the previous substrate after being processed and the processing start position of the next substrate, and the first transmission speed is a speed when the conveying mechanism passes through the processing station.

It should be understood that the base 100 may be made of marble and the angle adjustment module 23111 may be a rotating motor.

In this embodiment, two stages are taken as an example for explanation, and in an actual work flow, a larger number of stages can be arranged on the conveying mechanism, so that the laser waiting time can be further reduced, and the laser utilization rate can be improved.

In another embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 8, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a position acquiring device 600, and the position acquiring device 600 is disposed above the loading station. The position acquiring apparatus 600 is configured to acquire the position information of the substrate 232 on the supporting plate after the supporting plate 2312 receives the substrate 232 at the loading station, so that the horizontal adjusting module 2311 adjusts the horizontal position of the substrate 232 according to the position information. The position acquisition apparatus 600 covers at least two stages 231 on one transport mechanism for acquiring position information of the substrate 232 on the at least two stages 231.

Specifically, the position acquiring apparatus 600 may be a vision device such as a CCD camera, and acquires position information of the substrate by taking an image of the substrate downward. Specifically, position information of the optical pickup device in the X direction, the Y direction, and the angle is acquired. As can be seen from fig. 8, the coverage of the position acquisition apparatus 600 covers the substrates of both stages on the same transport mechanism.

The at least two transfer mechanisms 200 are configured such that one of the transfer mechanisms performs the process at the process station by the process apparatus 400, and the other transfer mechanism performs the process of transferring the processed substrate to the discharge apparatus 500 at the blanking station, receiving the unprocessed substrate transferred by the feeding apparatus 300 at the feeding station, performing the position acquisition of the substrate by the position acquisition apparatus 600 at the position acquisition station, and transferring the substrate to the process station.

Specifically, the position acquiring apparatus 600 may be disposed right above the loading station a01, and after the loading of the stage 231 is completed, the position information of the substrate 232 is captured. Generally, when loading, it is not guaranteed that the position of the substrate 232 is exactly the same each time, and when it is conveyed to the processing station a03 to be processed, it is necessary to align the position of the substrate 232 with the processing apparatus 400, thereby completing high-precision processing. Therefore, the substrate 232 can be adjusted in position in the horizontal direction (X direction, Y direction) and angle (i.e., second adjustment) based on the position information obtained by the photographing.

Specifically, the position adjustment in the horizontal direction (in the X direction and the Y direction) can be achieved by adjusting the substrate using the X-axis module 210 and the Y-axis module 23112, and the angle adjustment can be achieved by using the angle adjustment module 23111. As a preferred option, the horizontal and angular adjustment is carried out during the passage of the transport device through the preparation station a 02. Therefore, dynamic adjustment of the position of each substrate can be completed before laser processing, the position adjustment is performed in the continuous conveying process, the efficiency is improved, the equipment structure is compact, the occupied space is small, and the operating efficiency of the mechanism is improved.

In addition, the adjustment in the Y direction and the angle also affects the positional accuracy of the substrate in the X direction, and therefore, it is necessary to perform compensation adjustment of the substrate in the X direction. Specifically, the deviation between the Y direction and the angle can be obtained by the position obtaining device 600 during the secondary adjustment in the X direction, and then the position deviation value in the X direction caused when the Y direction and the angle are adjusted correctly can be obtained through calculation. During specific adjustment, the positions of the Y direction and the angle can be adjusted correctly in the process of preparing the station a02, and then the compensation adjustment of the position deviation value in the X direction is performed through the X-axis module 210.

In another embodiment of the present application, a grating ruler is correspondingly disposed on the base 100 corresponding to the position of the X-axis module 210, and the grating ruler may be used to obtain the position information of the carrier 231 in the X direction in real time. The information in the X direction is obtained through the grating ruler, so that the accurate position of the carrier 231 in the X direction can be obtained, and the position adjustment in the X direction is more accurate.

Further, the substrate processing apparatus starts processing the substrate 232 while conveying the substrate to the processing station, as shown in fig. 2, by a processing device 400 disposed above the processing station. In this application, the substrate 232 is continuously transported past the first transport speed to match the processing speed of the processing apparatus 400, i.e. the processing of the substrate 232 is completed as the processing platform is continuously moved past the processing stations. That is to say that the transport devices 200 each continue through the processing stations at a first transport speed which is matched to the processing speed of the processing device 400 above the processing stations, so that the substrates 232 leave the processing stations just at the end of the processing. Specifically, the process may be a flying marking process or a dynamic marking process.

Preferably, the first transmission speed is a constant speed.

Further, two adjacent conveying mechanisms 200 are configured such that, at or before the end of processing of the substrate on the preceding conveying mechanism, the conveying speed of the succeeding conveying mechanism reaches the first conveying speed before the substrate is conveyed from the loading station a01 to the processing station a03.

Preferably, the conveying mechanism 200 is configured to move at a speed greater than the first conveying speed during a part of the period of time during which the loading station a01 is conveyed to the processing station a03.

In one embodiment, two adjacent transport mechanisms 200 are configured such that at the end of processing a substrate on a previous transport mechanism, the next transport mechanism moving from the loading station to the processing station is spaced from the previous transport mechanism by the target distance.

The target distance is equal to the first transmission speed multiplied by the jump time, the first transmission speed is the speed when the conveying mechanism passes through the processing station, and the jump time is the time interval between the end position of the previous substrate after processing and the processing start position of the next substrate.

In yet another embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 9, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a printing quality detection mechanism 700, the printing quality detection mechanism 700 is disposed above the blanking station or in a region between the processing station and the blanking station, and the printing quality detection mechanism 700 is configured to perform quality detection on the processed substrate.

The printing quality detection mechanism 700 is a CCD camera, when the printing quality detection mechanism 700 is arranged above the blanking station A05, the substrate on the carrying platform can be firstly transferred onto the discharging device, and then the processed substrate is photographed above the discharging device for quality detection; when the printing quality detection mechanism 700 is arranged in the area between the processing station a03 and the blanking station a05A, the quality of the substrate can be detected by photographing the substrate in the moving process of the substrate.

The substrate processing device provided by the embodiment of the application can be used for simultaneously taking and placing a plurality of substrates by arranging at least two carrying platforms on each conveying mechanism, and coupling the time of laser processing to ensure that the substrates stably and continuously enter a processing area, so that the laser runs at full load, the laser utilization rate is improved, and the productivity is increased.

In order to implement the above embodiment, the present application further provides a substrate processing method.

As shown in fig. 10, the substrate processing method includes:

s1, driving at least two conveying mechanisms to move along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction so as to drive a carrying platform to sequentially pass through a feeding station, a processing station and a discharging station, and driving the at least two conveying mechanisms to alternately and continuously pass through the processing station.

Wherein the transport mechanism is attached to at least one stage configured to support at least one substrate.

And S2, in the process that the carrier receives the substrate at the feeding station and then transmits the substrate to the processing station, the horizontal position of the substrate is adjusted through a horizontal adjusting module on the carrier.

In one embodiment of the application, the speed of each transport mechanism through the processing station is matched to the processing speed so that the substrate just leaves the processing station at the end of the processing.

Further, when the processing of the substrate on the previous conveying mechanism is finished or before the processing is finished, the conveying speed of the next conveying mechanism reaches a first conveying speed before the substrate is conveyed from the loading station to the processing station, and the first conveying speed is the speed of the conveying mechanism passing through the processing station.

When the processing of the substrate on the previous conveying mechanism is finished, the next conveying mechanism moves to the processing station, the distance between the next conveying mechanism and the previous conveying mechanism is a target distance, the target distance is equal to the time obtained by multiplying the first conveying speed by the jump time, the jump time is the time interval between the end position of the processed previous substrate and the processing start position of the next substrate, and the first conveying speed is the speed when the conveying mechanism passes through the processing station.

According to the substrate processing method, the at least two conveying mechanisms alternately and continuously pass through the processing station to convey the substrate to the processing station, the processing equipment processes the substrate, waiting time of laser processing is shortened, laser utilization rate is improved, and production efficiency is improved.

The substrate processing method comprises the steps that the carrier receives the substrate at the feeding station and then transmits the substrate to the processing station, and the horizontal position of the substrate is adjusted through the horizontal adjusting module on the carrier, so that the dynamic adjustment of the position of each substrate before laser processing is realized, and the continuous transmission process is carried out, so that the operation efficiency is improved, the waiting time of the laser processing is further reduced, the laser utilization rate is improved, and the production efficiency is improved.

The substrate processing and transferring process is described in detail below with an embodiment. As shown in fig. 11, the method includes:

s601, at least two stages receive a substrate to be processed.

Wherein each carrying platform corresponds to a substrate to be processed. Through the station position diagram shown in fig. 7, it can be seen that the carrier can sequentially pass through the feeding station a01, the preparation station a02, the processing station a03, the waiting station a04, the blanking station a05 and the waiting station a06. It should be understood that the above-mentioned respective stations are only definitions of functional areas, for example, the preparation station a02 is a functional area between the loading station a01 and the processing station a03, and not the specific position shown in fig. 7.

When moving to the feeding station A01, at least two carrying platforms of the same conveying mechanism receive at least two substrates to be processed.

Preferably, the substrate is received by the feeding device and the initial position of the substrate is adjusted before the substrate to be processed is received by the at least two stages.

Specifically, the number of feeding means is at least two. And at least two feeding devices respectively adjust the initial positions of the corresponding substrates, and the number of the feeding devices is the same as that of the substrates. One feeding device is respectively provided with a positioning sensor for positioning one substrate. Wherein the feeding device is a conveyor belt.

For example, as shown in fig. 12, the two carriers are used, first, the substrates are respectively conveyed to the feeding station a01 by the feeding mechanism, the first substrate is conveyed to the first conveying belt, and the first conveying belt is stopped after the positioning sensor senses that the first substrate is in place. In the process, the second substrate closely follows the first substrate, the second substrate is transmitted to the second conveying belt, and the second conveying belt is stopped after the positioning sensor senses that the second substrate is in place. In the process, the first substrate and the second substrate stay at the preset positions at the basically same positions, and the first adjustment of the first substrate and the second substrate in the X direction is completed. This adjustment is a position adjustment on the conveyor belt. The bold solid line frame B01 in fig. 12 indicates a substrate.

When the two substrates all stay at or before the preset positions on the two conveying belts (at the moment, the distance between the two substrates is the target distance), the carrier moves from the material waiting station A06 to the material loading station A01, and after the two substrates are sensed to be in place, the carrier is lifted through the Z-axis module to take the materials.

The carrying platform passes through a gap between the two first conveying belts in the ascending process, so that the first substrate staying on the first conveying belts is taken away; similarly, the second substrate staying on the second conveyor belt is taken away through the gap between the two second conveyor belts.

And S602, before the received substrate is conveyed to the processing station, the position of the substrate on the carrier is synchronously adjusted in the conveying process.

Before the position of the substrate on the carrier is synchronously adjusted in the transmission process, the position information of the substrate on the carrier is obtained through the position obtaining equipment. Specifically, taking the example that the same conveying mechanism has two stages, the positions of the first substrate and the second substrate can be obtained by performing photographing positioning through the CCD camera disposed above the loading station a01 (a fine solid line frame B02 in fig. 12 represents a photographing range of the CCD camera), so as to provide a basis for secondary adjustment.

Specifically, when the substrate is loaded at the loading station, it is not guaranteed that the position of the substrate is exactly the same every time, and when the substrate is conveyed to the processing station a03 to be processed, the position of the substrate needs to be aligned with the processing equipment, so that high-precision processing is performed, and therefore, the position of the substrate can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and in the angle (i.e., second adjustment) based on the position information obtained by photographing.

When the stage passes through the preparation station a02, the position and the rotation angle of the substrate on the Y axis are adjusted by the Y-axis module and the angle adjustment module. This adjustment is a dynamic adjustment during the transmission.

In addition, the adjustment in the Y direction and the rotation angle also affects the positional accuracy of the substrate in the X direction, and therefore, it is necessary to compensate the position of the substrate in the X direction.

The compensation in the X direction is a minor compensation, and if the compensation distance is longer, more time is consumed, which results in a chaotic motion beat. The distance between two carriers on the same platform of the application has requirements, and in order to realize the time continuity of two conveying mechanisms when the two conveying mechanisms sequentially pass through the processing station well, the distance and the speed between the two conveying mechanisms when the two conveying mechanisms enter the processing station have requirements (the distance required here is calculated according to the laser processing distance and the edge of the substrate, and the speed required here is calculated according to the laser processing distance and the X-axis moving speed). Each carrying platform on the conveying mechanism can independently adjust the horizontal position and the angle, the position adjustment of the substrate is completed in the continuous moving process before the substrate enters the processing station after the conveying mechanism receives and positions the substrate, the position adjustment time of the substrate does not need to be independently configured, so that the substrate can continuously and stably enter the processing area, and the processing efficiency is further improved.

And S603, before the received substrate is transmitted to the processing station, the transmission speed of the carrier in the X direction is synchronously adjusted in the transmission process, so that the matching with the laser processing speed and the matching with the target distance are realized.

Specifically, when or before the substrate on the previous conveying mechanism is processed, the conveying speed of the next conveying mechanism reaches a first conveying speed before the substrate is conveyed from the loading station to the processing station, and the first conveying speed is the speed of the conveying mechanism when the substrate passes through the processing station. In addition, when the processing of the substrate on the previous conveying mechanism is finished, the interval between the next conveying mechanism and the previous conveying mechanism is the target distance.

Generally, the conveying mechanism preferably moves at a constant speed when passing through the processing station, and when the former conveying mechanism is processing, the latter conveying mechanism performs auxiliary motion, wherein the auxiliary motion comprises feeding, position adjustment, positioning, blanking and the like. The speed matching means that after the feeding of the last conveying mechanism is finished, when the last conveying mechanism moves to a distance away from the target of the first carrying platform, the speed of the last conveying mechanism is consistent with that of the previous conveying mechanism which is being processed, and the speed is preferably uniform.

According to the invention, the matching with the laser processing speed is completed before at least two substrates to be processed are conveyed to the processing station. And the matching of the speed is performed during the movement.

As described above, before and after laser processing, auxiliary processes such as feeding, positioning, blanking, etc. need to be performed, and the conveying mechanism needs to be moved cyclically from the processing station to the processing station, and at least from the feeding station to the processing station, at least a part of the area needs to be operated at a speed higher than the first speed, that is, in order to save waiting time for laser processing, in the process from the feeding station to the processing station, the speed change of the conveying mechanism is accelerated and then decelerated. The speed matching includes at least effecting a uniform motion at a first speed before reaching the processing station.

And S604, sequentially carrying out laser processing on at least two to-be-processed substrates passing through the processing station.

Speed matching control is also involved in the laser machining process. Specifically, the processing speed of the laser processing equipment can be controlled to be matched with the transmission speed of the processed substrate, so that the processed substrate just leaves the processing station when the laser processing of the laser processing equipment is finished.

When the carrier moves to the processing station, the substrate on the carrier of the same conveying mechanism can be sequentially subjected to continuous laser processing. The laser processing may be laser scribing, breaking, laser transfer, or the like. (thin solid line circle box B03 in FIG. 12 shows laser processing)

In the invention, dynamic processing or flying marking processing is adopted, namely laser processing is carried out while the carrying platform moves through a processing station at a certain speed.

Preferably, when the carrying platform passes through the processing station at a constant speed, the laser processing is completed.

Preferably, the former stage and the latter stage enter the processing station at a target distance. The target distance is equal to the first transmission speed multiplied by a jump time, and the jump time is a time interval between the end position of the previous substrate after processing and the processing start position of the next substrate.

The laser jumping device has the advantages that the jumping time of the laser is effectively utilized, and the laser utilization rate is improved to the maximum extent.

And S605, sequentially discharging at least two processed substrates.

Continuing to the above example, after the laser processing is completed, the previous stage of the same conveying mechanism enters the waiting station a04, and when the next stage also enters the waiting station a04, the previous stage and the next stage simultaneously enter the blanking station a05 for discharging. (B04 in FIG. 12 indicates a flow line, i.e., waiting for discharge)

After the two substrates move to the blanking station A05, the substrates are discharged and transferred to the discharging equipment 500. The transfer mechanism then moves from the blanking station a05 to the waiting station a06, i.e. the transfer mechanism descends through the Z-axis module and then (or simultaneously) moves through the X-axis module back to the waiting station a06. And after a new substrate is in place, the conveying mechanism is lifted up again through the Z-axis module and moved to the feeding station A01 for the next round of circulation. The waiting station A04 and the feeding station A01 are in the same horizontal position in the vertical direction.

It should be noted that, when the substrate of the subsequent transport mechanism is being laser-processed, the previous transport mechanism completes the operations of discharging, taking and preparing, and when the substrate is moved to reach the target distance from the subsequent transport mechanism, the speed is adjusted to the same speed as the subsequent transport mechanism to wait for laser processing. The front conveying mechanism and the rear conveying mechanism rotate to complete continuous and dynamic laser processing.

When the two conveying mechanisms move along the X axis to generate staggering, the conveying mechanisms which are not in the processing state are lowered by controlling the Z axis module, or the conveying mechanisms positioned on the two sides of the base are arranged in a stacking mode in the vertical direction so as to avoid the conveying mechanisms in the processing state, and then the conveying mechanisms return to the material waiting station A06 to wait for the next round of material taking.

The substrate processing method provided by the embodiment of the application comprises the steps of feeding, discharging and positioning, other actions such as position adjustment and speed matching of a preparation station, continuous processing of processing stations, station movement waiting and the like are all carried out in the continuous motion process of a conveying mechanism, the auxiliary actions are parallel to the greatest extent, compared with stepping transmission in the prior art, the production efficiency is greatly improved due to continuous motion, compared with traditional continuous transmission, the auxiliary actions are parallel to the greatest extent, continuous processing of laser is realized, the laser utilization rate is improved to the greatest extent, and the production efficiency and the productivity are greatly improved.

In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 13, the substrate processing method further includes:

and S606, adjusting the processing height of the substrate before sequentially carrying out laser processing on at least two substrates to be processed.

For some laser processing processes, the height of the processing substrate in the Z direction is required (for example, in a laser transfer process, the height precision of the processing substrate in the Z direction is very high), and the conveying mechanism needs to be lifted up again in the moving process, and then lowered after the processing is completed.

In yet another embodiment, as shown in fig. 14, the substrate processing method further includes:

and S607, detecting at least two processed substrates at the blanking station.

When the printing quality detection mechanism 700 is arranged above the blanking station, the substrate on the carrying platform can be transferred to the discharging device firstly, and then the printing quality detection mechanism 700 takes a picture of the processed substrate above the discharging device to perform quality detection.

The substrate processing method provided by the embodiment of the application adopts at least two conveying mechanisms, and each conveying mechanism is provided with a plurality of loading platforms (at least one loading platform) to bear the substrate, so that the substrate on the previous conveying mechanism can complete all auxiliary processes in the process of continuously passing through a processing area to be subjected to laser processing, and the previous conveying mechanism is 'tracked' (arranged at a fixed interval with the previous platform module) before the previous conveying mechanism completes the laser processing, and the speed matching (the speed is the same as that of the previous conveying mechanism) and the distance matching with the previous conveying mechanism are completed, two adjacent conveying mechanisms continuously and sequentially enter a processing position at a certain speed and interval to be processed, the processing time is coupled, the processing can be stably and continuously carried out, the laser runs at full load, the laser utilization rate is improved, and the production efficiency is improved.

It is noted that, herein, relational terms such as first and second, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Also, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrases "comprising a component of' 8230; \8230;" does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

The logic and/or steps represented in the flowcharts or otherwise described herein, such as an ordered listing of executable instructions that can be considered to implement logical functions, can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. For the purposes of this description, a "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection (electronic device) having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette (magnetic device), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber device, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM). Additionally, the computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via for instance optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted or otherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

It should be understood that portions of the present application may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, the various steps or methods may be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, any one or combination of the following techniques, which are known in the art, may be used: a discrete logic circuit having a logic gate circuit for implementing a logic function on a data signal, an application specific integrated circuit having an appropriate combinational logic gate circuit, a Programmable Gate Array (PGA), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or the like.

It should be noted that in the description of the present specification, reference to the description of the term "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples", etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the terms used above are not necessarily intended to refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, various embodiments or examples and features of different embodiments or examples described in this specification can be combined and combined by one skilled in the art without contradiction.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a base;

the carrier comprises a horizontal adjustment module and a support plate positioned on the horizontal adjustment module, the support plate is used for supporting at least one substrate, and the horizontal adjustment module is configured to adjust the horizontal position of the substrate on the support plate in the process that the support plate receives the substrate at the feeding station and then conveys the substrate from the feeding station to the processing station.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism comprises an X-axis module and a Z-axis module that respectively drive the stage to move left and right in a horizontal direction and to move up and down in a vertical direction.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the X-axis module is configured to compensate for an X-direction positional deviation occurring when the leveling module adjusts the position of the substrate during the transfer of the support plate from the loading station to the processing station.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the Z-axis module is configured to adjust a Z-direction position of the substrate on the support plate during transport of the support plate from the loading station to the processing station.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the horizontal adjustment module comprises an angle adjustment module and/or a Y-axis adjustment module configured to adjust a horizontal angular position and/or a Y-direction position of the substrate.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a position acquiring device disposed above the loading station, wherein the position acquiring device is configured to acquire position information of the substrate on the supporting plate after the supporting plate receives the substrate at the loading station, so that the horizontal adjusting module adjusts a horizontal position of the substrate according to the position information.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the transport mechanisms is configured to continue through the processing station at a first transport speed that matches a processing speed of a processing device above the processing station such that the substrate is just away from the processing station at the end of processing.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first transport speed is a constant speed.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein two adjacent transport mechanisms are configured such that at or before the end of processing of the substrate on the preceding transport mechanism, the transport speed of the succeeding transport mechanism reaches the first transport speed before transport from the loading station to the processing station.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured to move at a speed greater than the first transport speed during a portion of a time period during which the transfer mechanism is transferred from the loading station to the processing station.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein two adjacent transport mechanisms are configured such that at the end of processing a substrate on a previous transport mechanism, a subsequent transport mechanism moving from the loading station to the processing station is spaced apart from the previous transport mechanism by a target distance.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the target distance is equal to a first transport speed multiplied by a process skip time, the first transport speed being a speed of the transport mechanism as it passes through the process station.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a print quality detection mechanism provided in a region between the processing station and the blanking station or the blanking station, the print quality detection mechanism being configured to perform quality detection on the processed substrate.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the number of the stages is two.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one in-feed device and at least one out-feed device, the in-feed device being located at the in-feed station, the in-feed device being configured to transfer the substrate transferred by the in-feed mechanism to the stage; the outfeed device is located at the blanking station, the outfeed device configured to transfer the substrate from the stage.

16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the feed device comprises two spaced apart conveyor belts, and wherein the feed device comprises a position sensor thereon.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the number of the stages is two, each of the stages is configured to support one substrate, the number of the feed devices is two, and the two feed devices are configured to control a distance between the substrates on the two feed devices to be a target distance.

18. A substrate processing method, comprising:

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the speed of each of the transport mechanisms through the processing station is matched to the processing speed such that the substrate just exits the processing station at the end of processing.

20. The substrate processing method according to claim 18, wherein at or before the end of processing the substrate on the preceding transport mechanism, the transport speed of the succeeding transport mechanism reaches a first transport speed before the transport from the loading station to the processing station, the first transport speed being a speed at which the transport mechanism passes through the processing station.

21. The substrate processing method according to claim 18, wherein at the end of processing the substrate on the preceding transfer mechanism, the succeeding transfer mechanism moving from the loading station to the processing station is spaced apart from the preceding transfer mechanism by a target distance.