KR20140021313A - Align module, and method for aligning substrate and mask - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing system, more particularly to a module and a method for transferring a substrate used in the substrate processing system processing a substrate while a mask is closely attached to the substrate. The present invention provides the module for transferring the substrate used in the substrate processing system processing a substrate while a mask is closely attached to the substrate, wherein a first gate and one or more second gates are facing each other, a vacuum chamber forming an inner space which is separated from the outside is included in the module, and a mask coupled with a mask holder is introduced through the second gate before closely attaching the substrate introduced through the first gate between the mask and the mask holder for discharging through the second gate.

Description

Substrate transfer module and substrate transfer method {Align module, and method for aligning substrate and mask}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing system, and more particularly, to a substrate transfer module and a substrate transfer method for use in a substrate processing system for performing substrate processing in a state where a mask is in close contact with a substrate.

Flat panel displays include liquid crystal displays, plasma display panels, and organic light emitting diodes.

Among them, organic light emitting diodes have characteristics such as fast response speed, lower power consumption, higher brightness, and lighter weight than conventional liquid crystal display devices, and can be made ultra thin without the need for a separate back light device. It has been in the spotlight as a next generation display device.

On the other hand, as a general method for forming a thin film on a substrate of a flat panel display device, evaporation, physical vapor deposition (PVD) such as ion-plating and sputtering, and gas reaction Chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Among them, an evaporation deposition method may be used to form a thin film such as an organic material layer and an inorganic material layer of the organic light emitting device.

In the above-described substrate processing methods, the substrate treatment may be performed by bringing a mask having one or more openings into close contact with the substrate according to the substrate treatment type.

Here, the mask has a variety of configurations as a configuration for performing a substrate treatment in a predetermined pattern on the substrate or to prevent sagging of the substrate.

On the other hand, a substrate processing system that performs substrate processing while the mask is in close contact with the substrate has undergone a substrate introduction process between the mask and the mask holder, alignment of the mask and the substrate, and alignment of the mask, the substrate and the mask holder after alignment. Subsequently, substrate processing can be performed.

In the case of using the evaporation deposition method, an evaporation source for evaporation of the deposition material is installed under the vacuum chamber, and a substrate processing surface of the substrate is disposed toward the deposition source, that is, downwardly, and a mask in close contact with the substrate is also in close contact with the substrate.

Therefore, in relation to the alignment process of the mask and the substrate, it is necessary to secure the reliability of substrate processing through precise alignment, and to increase the productivity of the substrate by performing the alignment and adhesion of the substrate and mask more precisely and quickly. Need to increase

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to recognize a necessity as described above, in a substrate processing system in which a substrate treatment is performed while a mask is in close contact with a substrate, the substrate transfer module capable of precisely and quickly performing alignment of the mask and the substrate. And a substrate transfer method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate support assembly for supporting the edge of the substrate is installed on the inner wall in which the gate is formed in the vacuum chamber can be driven in a narrow space to stably support the edge of the substrate without increasing the size of the vacuum chamber The present invention provides a substrate transfer module and a substrate transfer method.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing system in which substrate processing is performed while the mask is in close contact with the substrate, wherein the mask and the mask holder are automatically separated to introduce the substrate between the mask and the mask holder. The present invention provides a substrate transfer module and a substrate transfer method capable of smoothly and quickly performing a substrate introduction process for introducing a substrate between mask holders.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing system in which a substrate treatment is performed while the mask is in close contact with a substrate, the substrate supporting assembly including a lift pin passing through the mask to support the substrate for alignment of the mask and the substrate. By providing a substrate transfer module and a substrate transfer method that can be more efficiently aligned to the mask and the substrate.

The present invention was created to achieve the object of the present invention as described above, the present invention is a substrate transfer module used in a substrate processing system for performing a substrate treatment in a state in which the mask is in close contact with the substrate, the first gate and one A vacuum chamber in which the second gates are formed to face each other and form an inner space isolated from the outside; A pair of carrier members installed in the vacuum chamber to vertically move and support the mask directly or indirectly upon introduction or discharge of the mask through the second gate into the vacuum chamber; A substrate support assembly installed in the vacuum chamber to support a substrate introduced through the first gate; A mask support part installed in the vacuum chamber to support the mask and move up and down; A mask holder separator for separating the mask holder from the mask introduced into the vacuum chamber while the mask holder is coupled to introduce a substrate between the mask and the mask holder; Disclosed is a substrate transfer module including an aligner portion for aligning a substrate and a mask by a relative movement between a mask supported on the mask support and a substrate supported on the substrate support assembly.

The mask introduced through the second gate may be introduced in a state coupled with the mask holder.

The substrate support assembly may include a substrate central support assembly for supporting a central portion of the substrate.

The substrate support assembly may further include a pair of second substrate outer support assemblies supporting both edges of the substrate with respect to the transfer direction of the substrate.

The second gate may include an introduction gate through which a mask combined with a mask holder is introduced, and an emission gate formed on an upper side or a lower side of the introduction gate and discharged after the mask, substrate, and mask holder are in close contact with each other.

The pair of carriers may be installed to move in the vertical direction in the vacuum chamber.

Corresponding to the introduction gate and the discharge gate, respectively, is installed as an upper object carrier and a lower object carrier, the upper object carrier is supported by the mask support portion and transferred to the lower object carrier It may be installed to be movable in the width direction to prevent interference when moved.

The present invention also provides a substrate transfer module for use in a substrate processing system that performs substrate processing in a state in which a mask is in close contact with a substrate, wherein the first and one or more second gates are formed to face each other and are separated from the outside. And a vacuum chamber for forming a mask, wherein a mask having a mask holder coupled thereto is introduced through the second gate, and a substrate introduced through the first gate is brought into close contact between the mask and the mask holder. Disclosed is a substrate transfer module, characterized in that discharge through.

The present invention also provides a mask introduction step of introducing a mask coupled to the mask holder into the vacuum chamber; A mask holder separation step of separating the mask and the mask holder after the mask introduction step; A substrate introduction step of introducing a substrate between the mask and the mask holder after the mask holder separation step; An alignment step of aligning and aligning the mask and the substrate after the substrate introduction step; An adhesion step of closely contacting the mask, the substrate and the mask holder after the alignment step; And a mask discharging step of discharging the mask combined with the substrate and the mask holder from the vacuum chamber after the close contacting step.

In the mask holder separation step, the mask and the mask holder may be separated through the support of the mask holder.

In the mask holder separating step, the mask is coupled to the mask holder and the mask holder may be separated through the support of the mask holder.

The vacuum chamber may include a first gate and one or more second gates facing each other, the substrate may be introduced through the first gate, and the mask may be introduced and discharged through the one or more second gates.

The substrate introduction step includes a substrate introduction step of introducing a substrate through the first gate by a robot; It may include a substrate support step of supporting the substrate introduced by the substrate support assembly after the substrate introduction step.

In the substrate retracting step, the robot may rise after introducing the substrate into the vacuum chamber by horizontal movement, and after the substrate supporting step, the robot may descend and move horizontally out of the vacuum chamber.

In the substrate insertion step, the robot may descend after introducing the substrate into the vacuum chamber by horizontal movement, and after the substrate supporting step, the robot may be horizontally moved out of the vacuum chamber.

After the adhesion step and before the discharge step, an alignment inspection step of inspecting whether the alignment is properly performed after the substrate and the mask are in close contact may be additionally performed.

In the alignment inspection step, an image of the substrate and the mask may be acquired through an opening formed in the mask holder, and the obtained image may be analyzed to determine whether alignment is normally performed.

When it is determined that the alignment is abnormally performed in the alignment inspection step, the substrate and the mask may be lowered, the substrate and the mask may be separated, and the alignment may be performed again from the alignment step.

The substrate transfer module according to the present invention is installed in front of a substrate processing module (not shown) for substrate processing to closely adhere the substrate to be subjected to the substrate processing between the mask and the mask holder, and transfer the substrate processing module after the adhesion process. After the substrate is processed in the discharge process, the substrate is transferred to another module after the substrate is processed, the introduction process of receiving the mask combined with the remaining mask holders again, and repeating the process from close contact again to perform precise alignment of the substrate and the mask. It is possible to improve the reliability of the substrate treatment has the advantage.

Furthermore, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is configured as a module which repeatedly performs the discharge process after the mask is closely adhered to the substrate from the introduction process of the mask, so that the alignment of the mask and the substrate can be performed more quickly, thereby improving the productivity of the substrate processing. There is an advantage that can be improved.

In addition, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is a substrate processing system in which the substrate treatment is performed in a state in which the mask is in close contact with the substrate, the alignment of the mask and the substrate, or to support the edge of the substrate to separate the substrate from the mask By providing the substrate support assembly, there is an advantage that the alignment of the mask and the substrate or the separation of the substrate from the mask can be performed more efficiently and stably.

In addition, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is installed on the inner wall in which the gate is formed in the vacuum chamber, so that the substrate support assembly supporting the edge of the substrate can be driven in a narrow space, thereby increasing the edge of the substrate without increasing the size of the vacuum chamber. There is an advantage that can be stably supported.

In addition, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is a substrate processing system in which the substrate processing is performed in a state in which the mask is in close contact with the substrate, the substrate for supporting the center portion of the substrate through the mask for the alignment of the mask and the substrate Having a support assembly has the advantage that alignment to the mask and substrate can be performed more efficiently.

In particular, as the size of the substrate to be processed is increased, that is, the area becomes large, the amount of deflection increases at the center of the substrate due to the weight of the substrate. There is a problem that works, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention has an advantage that the alignment of the mask and the substrate can be performed more efficiently by having a substrate support assembly for supporting the central portion of the substrate.

In addition, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is installed so that the lift pin for supporting the substrate moves up and down through the through hole formed in the unopened portion of the mask to stably support the substrate without affecting the area of the effective area of the substrate. There is an advantage to this.

In addition, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is a substrate processing system in which the substrate processing is performed in a state in which the mask is in close contact with the substrate, the mask holder separation to automatically separate the mask holder from the mask in a state where the mask and the mask holder is coupled The provision of the part has the advantage of smoothly and quickly performing the substrate introduction process for introducing the substrate between the mask and the mask holder.

In addition, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention automatically removes the mask holder from the mask by the mask holder in a state in which the mask and the mask holder are coupled, and a mask holder separation unit for releasing the mask holder after the substrate and the mask holder are coupled. In this case, the substrate introduction process of introducing the substrate between the mask and the mask holder can be performed smoothly and quickly.

In addition, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is a substrate processing assembly in which a substrate treatment is performed in a state in which the mask is in close contact with the substrate, the substrate supporting assembly in which the lift pin passes through the mask to support the mask and the substrate. By having the advantage that the alignment of the mask and the substrate can be performed more efficiently.

In addition, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is installed so that the lift pin for supporting the substrate moves up and down through the through-hole formed in the unopened portion of the mask so that the substrate does not affect the area of the effective area of the substrate after the substrate treatment. There is an advantage that can be stably supported.

That is, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention forms through-holes in the mask in correspondence with a portion of the substrate processing surface that is in close contact with the mask, which is one of the invalid areas discarded after the substrate treatment when supporting the substrate by the lift pin. Since the lift pin penetrates the through hole to support the substrate, the lift pin does not reduce the area of the effective area of the substrate due to the lift pin support, thereby significantly increasing the productivity of the substrate processing.

Furthermore, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention reduces the outer diameter of the moving part that vertically moves through the through hole formed in the unopened portion of the mask by the lift pin supporting the substrate, thereby ensuring sufficient rigidity for supporting the substrate. And minimizing the inner diameter of the through-holes for the mask alignment, thereby stably supporting the substrate without reducing the area of the effective area of the substrate.

In more detail, when the through-hole through which the lift pin passes is formed in the mask, a portion of the mask supporting the substrate should be formed to have a width larger than the inner diameter of the through-hole, which reduces the outer diameter of the lift pin through the mask. In this case, it is possible to reduce the inner diameter of the through-hole, and consequently to reduce the width of the portion supporting the substrate. Consequently, the area of the effective area of the substrate can be reduced by reducing the area of the ineffective area that is closely adhered by the mask. There is an advantage that the substrate can be stably supported without reducing.

1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a substrate transfer module according to the present invention, a cross-sectional view seen in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction in which the substrate is transferred.
2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the substrate transfer module of FIG.
3A and 3B are plan views illustrating some of the components of the substrate transfer module of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3A is a plan view illustrating a carrier and a mask support part of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is FIG. 1. A plan view showing a substrate support assembly of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.
4 is a plan view illustrating an example of a mask used in the substrate transfer module of FIG. 1.
5A and 5B are views illustrating a process of operating a mask holder in the substrate transfer module of FIG. 1, FIG. 5A illustrates a state in which a mask holder is locked to a locking member, and FIG. 5B illustrates a state in which a mask holder is released from a locking member. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a process of operating a mask holder in the substrate transfer module of FIG. 1.
6A and 6B are partial cross-sectional views illustrating a state in which a lift pin passes through a mask to support a substrate in the substrate transfer module of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6A illustrates a state in which a substrate is simply supported, and FIG. 6B illustrates a substrate and a mask. Here are some cross-sectional views that show the alignment.
7A and 7B are partial cross-sectional views illustrating a state in which a substrate is supported by the first to second substrate outer support assemblies of FIG. 1.
8 and 9 are plan and side cross-sectional views showing the operation of the first substrate outer support assembly of FIG.
10 is a flowchart showing a substrate transfer method according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an alignment method of FIG. 10.

Hereinafter, the substrate transfer module and the substrate transfer method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The substrate transfer module according to the present invention is a substrate transfer module used in a substrate processing system for performing substrate treatment in a state in which a mask is in close contact with a substrate, wherein the first gate and one or more second gates are formed to face each other. And a vacuum chamber forming an isolated internal space, wherein after the mask is introduced through the second gate, the substrate introduced through the first gate is brought into close contact between the mask and the mask holder and then discharged through the second gate. It features.

In particular, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is coupled to the substrate processing module (not shown) for substrate processing to adhere the substrate to be subjected to the substrate processing between the mask and the mask holder in close contact, transfer to the substrate processing module after the close process It is characterized in that it provides a configuration and alignment method for implementing the repeated operation from the discharge process, the introduction process of receiving the mask again after the substrate is transferred to another module after the substrate treatment in the substrate processing module, and again in close contact.

For example, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is a substrate transfer module used in a substrate processing system for performing a substrate treatment in a state in which the mask 20 is in close contact with the substrate 10 as shown in FIGS. The vacuum chamber 100 includes a first gate 111 and one or more second gates 112 and 113 formed to face each other and form an inner space S isolated from the outside; One or more carriers installed in the vacuum chamber 100 to directly or indirectly support the mask 20 when the mask 20 is introduced or discharged into the vacuum chamber 100 through the second gates 112 and 113. 210; A mask support part 320 installed in the vacuum chamber 100 to support the mask 20 and move up and down; In order to introduce the substrate 10 between the mask 20 and the mask holder 30, the mask 20 and the mask holder 30 introduced into the vacuum chamber 100 with the mask holder 30 coupled thereto are mutually intersected. A mask holder separating part 360 to be separated; A substrate support assembly (410, 420, 430) installed in the vacuum chamber (100) to support the substrate (10) introduced through the first gate (111); Alignment for aligning the substrate 10 and the mask 20 by relative movement between the mask 20 supported by the mask support 320 and the substrate 10 supported by the substrate support assemblies 410, 420, and 430. And a nugget 330.

The substrate 10 may be any object of substrate processing, such as a glass substrate for an LCD panel, a silicon substrate for a solar cell, an OLED panel substrate, and the planar shape of the substrate is preferably rectangular.

In addition, when the substrate 10 is introduced through the first gate 111, the substrate 10 may be directly transferred by a robot, a guide rail, or the like, or may be transported by being seated on a substrate tray (not shown).

The mask 20 is in close contact with the substrate 10 by a mask holder 30 to be described later so that the substrate treatment is performed on the surface of the substrate in a predetermined pattern, or the substrate 10 is prevented from sagging. It can have various functions such as support.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the mask 20 includes a pattern forming unit 21 having one or more openings 24 and an outer frame 22 coupled to the pattern forming unit 21. Various configurations are possible. The mask 20 may be composed of only the outer frame 22 and may not include the pattern forming unit 21.

The pattern forming unit 21 is a structure in which one or more patterned openings 24 are formed on the surface of the substrate so as to enable patterned substrate processing. It is installed for various purposes such as preventing and may be variously configured as a sheet member, a band-like member.

The openings 24 formed in the pattern forming portion 21 are formed in a pattern corresponding to the substrate surface for processing a predetermined pattern on the surface of the substrate, or as shown in FIG. 4, the grid 24 is formed to form a rectangular pattern. Branches can be made in a variety of structures.

In particular, the pattern forming portion 21 preferably has a portion of the substrate surface that is not opened at a position corresponding to the portion to be cut after the substrate treatment.

The outer frame 22 is a member that supports the pattern forming portion 21 of a thin member such as a sheet, and is preferably configured to have a sufficient structure. Here, the outer frame 22 may be formed integrally with the pattern forming unit 21.

The mask holder 30 is configured to support the substrate 10 by bringing the mask 20 into close contact with the substrate 10. The mask holder 30 includes a mask 20 made of a material that reacts to the magnet, such as iron. It may be configured to adhere to the substrate 10 by magnetic force.

The mask holder 30 may be configured in various ways, and may include a plurality of tabs 31 formed to protrude outward from the edge.

The tab 31 lowers the mask 20 by supporting the tab 31 by a mask holder separating part 360 to be described later so that the substrate 10 may be positioned between the mask 20 and the mask holder 30. And the mask holder 30 and the mask 20 can be used to mutually separate.

The mask 20, the mask holder 30, and the like may have a rectangular shape when viewed from above.

In addition, the mask holder 30 is an alignment process of the substrate 10 and the mask 20, the camera device is the substrate 10 and the mask 20 for alignment inspection of the substrate 10 and the mask 20 after being in close contact with each other. It is preferable that a plurality of openings (not shown) are formed to obtain an image of the.

The vacuum chamber 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the first gate 111 and the at least one second gate 112 are formed to face each other, and may form an inner space S isolated from the outside. Any configuration is possible as long as it is a configuration, and as an example, it may be composed of the upper chamber 120 that is detachably coupled to the chamber body 110 and the chamber body 110 opened upwards.

The chamber body 110 may be formed in various ways such that the first gate 111 and the at least one second gate 112 are formed to face each other according to the introduction and discharge method of the substrate 10.

The first gate 111 may have any structure as long as the substrate 10 is a gate through which the substrate 10 is introduced and sometimes discharged by a robot (40 in FIGS. 7A and 7B). Do.

The second gate 112 is a gate that is introduced or discharged in a state in which the mask 20 and the mask holder 30 are combined, and may be formed in one or two.

First, when the second gate 112 is formed as one, introduction of the mask 20 to which the mask holder 30 is coupled, the mask 20 to which the mask 20, the substrate 10, and the mask holder 30 are coupled Emissions of all can be made.

Meanwhile, the second gate 112 may be formed in two, and the introduction gate 112 and the discharge gate 113 may be formed up and down.

That is, the introduction gate 112 introduces the mask 20, in particular the introduction of the mask 20 combined with the mask holder 30, and the discharge gate 113 combines the substrate 10 and the mask holder 30. The discharge of the mask 20 can be made. Here, the mask 20 and the mask holder 30 may be introduced into the vacuum chamber 100 separately.

The introduction gate 112 may be formed above or below the discharge gate 113, as in the embodiment of the present invention.

The chamber body 110 may be supported and installed by the frame member 160 or the like so as to be spaced apart from the ground for installation of the elevating driving unit 220 to be described later.

The upper lead 120 is configured to cover the opening formed on the upper side of the chamber body 110 to form an inner space S isolated from the outside, and various configurations are possible.

Meanwhile, the vacuum chamber 100 may be connected to a vacuum pump for pressure control and exhaust of a predetermined vacuum pressure in the internal space S.

The object to be transferred 210 may be installed in the vacuum chamber 100 to support the mask 20 when the mask 20 is introduced and discharged.

The object to be transported 210 may be configured in various ways such as being installed in a pair in the vacuum chamber 100 to directly or indirectly support both ends of the mask 20 and to guide the linear movement in the horizontal direction. In this case, the mask 20 may be directly supported by the object to be conveyed 210 or indirectly supported by the object to be conveyed 210 in a state of being loaded in a separate transfer tray (not shown).

As an example, the object to be transferred 210 may include a plurality of guide rollers 212 supporting the bottom of the mask 20 and guide rollers 212 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A. It may include a frame member 211 to be installed.

The guide roller 212 is configured to support the bottom surface of the object to be conveyed and to convey the object to be conveyed by rotation. The guide roller 212 is connected to a rotating motor and a bevel gear installed inside or outside the vacuum chamber 100 to drive the rotation. Can be.

The guide rollers 212 may be provided in plural along the conveying direction of the object to be conveyed, and some of them may be configured as idle rollers.

The frame member 211 is provided with a guide roller 212 is configured to drive the support and the horizontal movement of the object to be conveyed in various configurations.

Meanwhile, the object to be transferred 210 is positioned at the upper side when the mask 20 is introduced through the introduction gate 112 positioned at the upper side thereof, and is discharged from the mask 20 through the discharge gate 113 positioned at the lower side thereof. It can be moved up and down by the elevating driving unit 220 to be located at the lower side.

For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3A, the object to be transferred 210 may include a guide hole 213a through which the guide member 230, which will be described later, penetrates vertically and is inserted into the connection member 213. As a result, it may be moved up and down in the vacuum chamber 100 by the vertical driving of the elevating driving unit 220 and the guide of the guide member 230.

The object to be transported 210 may be raised and lowered in various structures according to its configuration. For example, the frame member 211 may be connected to at least one frame member 211 of the object to be transported 210. It is connected to the member 213, the elevating drive unit 220 can drive the vertical movement of the pair of the carrier body 210 by moving the connecting member 213 up and down.

The connection member 213 connects and constrains a pair of the to-be-carried support members 210 which are opposed to each other so that the pair of the to-be-carried support members 210 are moved up and down by the elevating drive unit 220 which will be described later. It is possible to move up and down interlockedly.

In particular, the connecting member 213 may be configured as a pair to connect the ends of each frame member 211 as a member for restraining the pair of the carrier body 210 to be transferred to each other.

On the other hand, in connection with the vertical movement of the pair of the carrier body 210, the connecting member 213 is formed with a guide hole 213a through which the guide member 230 is inserted through the guide member 230, By the coupling with the frame member 211, furthermore, precise vertical movement of the object to be supported by the object to be transferred 210 is realized.

The lifting and lowering driving unit 220 is installed in the vacuum chamber 100 to drive the vertical movement of the pair of the carrier body 210, various configurations are possible depending on the driving method, such as screw jack, hydraulic cylinder. Do.

As an example, the elevating driving unit 220 is installed below the vacuum chamber 100 and the elevating member 221 is connected to the frame member 211, in particular the connecting member 213, the elevating member 221 is By moving up and down, the pair of carriers 210 to be moved up and down is driven up and down.

The elevating driving unit 220 has been described as an example in which a plurality is installed, but the elevating driving unit 220 is configured as one, and a pair of the carrier body 210 is interlocked with each other by a combination of a belt and a pulley to move up and down. I can drive it.

The guide member 230 is one end is coupled to the ceiling of the vacuum chamber 100 and the other end is coupled to the inner bottom of the vacuum chamber 100 to guide the vertical movement of the carrier body 210 is a variety of configurations It is possible.

The guide member 230 may be installed in a plurality in the vacuum chamber 100 to be coupled to the object carrier 210 to guide the vertical movement of the object carrier 210. Various configurations are possible.

As an example, the guide member 230 may have a rod shape, in which the carrier member 210, in particular the guide block 213, has a rod-shaped guide member 230 inserted therein to support the carrier 210. Can be guided up and down.

On the other hand, the carrier body 210 may be installed so that the width thereof is variable so as to be able to respond to the width change of the support mask 20 when the pair is configured to support both ends of the mask (20).

That is, the carrier body 210 may be installed so that the width of the carrier body 210 facing each other is variable, and specifically, the frame member in which the guide roller 212 for supporting the mask 20 is installed. 211 may be linearly movable in the width direction so that the width of the mask 20 may be changed.

Meanwhile, in addition to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3A, the object to be transferred 210 may be installed in a form without vertical movement in the vacuum chamber 100.

That is, in the vacuum chamber 100, only one second gate 112 may be formed, and the object to be transported 210 may be installed in a position without vertical movement in a position corresponding to the second gate 112. .

In the vacuum chamber 100, a second gate is formed with an introduction gate 112 and an discharge gate 113, and the object to be transported 210 supports the introduction gate 112 and the discharge gate 113, respectively. Can be installed.

At this time, in order to enable the vertical movement of the mask 20, the pair of the carrier body 210 is installed so that its width is larger or smaller than the width of the mask 20 to support.

The mask supporter 320 may be configured to support the mask 20 from the bottom side for vertical movement and alignment of the mask 20.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, the mask support part 320 includes a support member 321 for supporting at least a portion of the bottom of the mask 20 and a support member 321 up and down. It may include a vertical movement unit 322 for moving the supported mask 20 up and down.

The support member 321 may have any configuration as long as it supports at least a portion of the mask 20 to stably support the entire mask 20.

For example, the support member 321 may be formed with one or more openings, grooves, and the like, which are vertically penetrated to enable vertical movement of the lift pin 411 to be described later, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A. Here, the support member 321 may be formed of one or more openings, grooves, etc. on the premise of stably supporting the mask 20.

On the other hand, the upper surface of the support member 321 may be formed with at least one position alignment portion in the form of protrusions or grooves corresponding to the grooves or protrusions formed on the bottom surface of the mask 20 for accurate alignment with the mask 20.

The vertically moving portion 322 may be any configuration such as a screw jack, a hydraulic cylinder as long as the support member 321 can be moved up and down.

Meanwhile, the mask supporter 320 may support the mask 20 in various forms according to an operation process together with the object carrier 210 supporting the mask 20 when the mask 20 is introduced and discharged.

For example, the object to be transferred 210 may support the mask 20 only when the mask 20 is introduced and discharged, and in other cases, the mask support 320 may support the mask 20.

In addition, the object to be transferred 210 supports the mask 20 before the introduction and alignment of the mask 20, and is supported by the mask support 320, and then again the mask 20 when the mask 20 is discharged. ) Can be supported.

The mask holder separator 360 may be configured to separate the mask 20 and the mask holder 30 so that the substrate 10 is introduced between the mask holder 30 and the mask 20.

As an example, the mask holder separating part 360 may include a plurality of locking members 361 that are selectively locked to or released from the mask holder 30, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and 5A to 5C. And a plurality of operation drivers 362 corresponding to the locking members 361 to drive the locking and the locking release of the locking member 361.

The locking member 361 is a member that selectively locks or releases the mask holder 30, and selectively locks or releases the mask holder 30 by "rotation", wherein the operation driving unit 362 is locked. It may be configured as a rotary motor or the like to rotate the member 361.

On the other hand, the locking member 361 is selectively caught or released to the mask holder 30, the locking or release of the mask holder 30 itself, or, as shown, the tab installed in the mask holder 30 ( 31) can be jammed or released.

In addition, the locking member 361 may be selectively locked to or released from the mask holder 30, so that the locking member 361 may be selectively locked or released to the mask holder 30 by linear movement instead of rotation. Although not shown, it may be configured as a linear moving device to linearly move the locking member 361.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the locking member 361 supports the mask holder 30 in the locking member 361 so as to stably support the mask holder 30. One or more position fixing parts 363 may be formed in the shape of a protrusion or a groove corresponding to the groove or the protrusion formed on the bottom of the 30.

The operation driving unit 362 is configured to selectively lock or release the locking member 361 to the mask holder 30 by rotating or linearly moving the locking member 361, and may have various configurations such as a rotating motor and a linear motor.

Meanwhile, the mask holder separator 360 may have various methods according to the mutual separation of the mask 20 and the mask holder 30. Unlike the above-described embodiment, the mask holder separator 360 may not move the locking member 361. It can be fixed and installed in the (100).

That is, when the mask 20 is introduced through the second gate 112 and discharged through the second gate 112 in a state where the substrate 10 and the mask holder 30 are sequentially coupled, the mask holder is provided. The separating part 360 may include a plurality of locking members 361 fixedly installed in the vacuum chamber 100.

Here, the mask holder separating part 360 is a mask holder is caught when the tab 31 provided in the mask holder 30 is caught when the mask support portion 210 or the mask 20 supported by the mask support portion 320 is lowered. The 30 and the mask 20 can be separated from each other.

In this case, the mask 20, which is lowered and separated from the mask holder 30, rises again after introduction and alignment of the substrate 10, is coupled with the mask holder 30, and discharged through the second gate 112.

The locking member 361 is configured to separate the mask holder 30 by lowering the mask 20 by supporting a portion of the bottom surface of the mask holder 30 or the tab 31, and the locking member 361 described above. There is no practical difference other than being fixed.

Meanwhile, the mask holder separator 360 may be installed from the ceiling in the vacuum chamber 100, or may be installed in various forms, such as being installed on the sidewall inner surface and the lower inner surface.

In addition, the mask holder separation unit 360 may be used anywhere in the device that requires separation of the mask holder 30 from the mask 20 as a mask holder separation device.

The substrate support assemblies 410, 420, and 430 are configurations for supporting the substrate 10 introduced through the first gate 111, and various configurations are possible.

For example, the substrate support assembly 410, 420, 430 may include a substrate central support assembly 410 installed in the vacuum chamber 100 to support a central portion of the substrate 10; A pair of first substrate outer support assemblies 420 installed in the vacuum chamber 100 to support the front and rear edges, respectively, based on the moving direction of the substrate 10; It may include at least one of a pair of second substrate outer support assembly 430 installed in the vacuum chamber 100 to support both edges of the substrate 10.

The substrate central support assembly 410 is provided with a vacuum chamber 100 to support a central portion of the substrate 10 introduced through the first gate 111 to prevent sagging of the substrate 10. Configuration is possible.

As an example, the substrate central support assembly 410 is installed to vertically move through the mask 20 up and down, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3b, 6a and 6b, and 7a and 7b. It may include a plurality of lift pins 411, and a linear driving unit 412 for linearly driving the plurality of lift pins 411 up and down. In this case, the lift pins 411 may have an end that is greater than that of the mask 20 so that the mask 20, in which the substrate 10 and the mask holder 30 are in close contact with each other, does not interfere with movement when the mask 20 is discharged out of the vacuum chamber 100. It is located below.

The plurality of lift pins 411 are configured to support the substrate 10 at ends thereof, and may have a rod shape.

In addition, the number and arrangement in which the plurality of lift pins 411 are installed may be appropriately selected and designed to stably support the substrate 10.

Meanwhile, a portion of the substrate processing surface of the substrate 10 supported by the lift pins 411 may not be used as an effective area of the substrate 10 so that the lift pin may be maximized to maximize the effective area of the substrate 10 after the substrate processing. The part supported by 411 needs to be set efficiently.

Therefore, the portion where the lift pins 411 are supported is a portion of the substrate that is not an effective region of the substrate 10, that is, a portion of the substrate surface supported by the mask 20, that is, an unopened portion of the mask 20. It is preferable that the part to be cut after being utilized and the like.

That is, one or more through-holes 23 are formed to allow the lift pins 411 to penetrate and move up and down in portions not opened in the pattern forming unit 21 of the mask 20, and the lift pins 411. Each is preferably installed so as to move up and down through the through hole (23).

Meanwhile, when the mask 20 performs alignment by the aligner unit 330 by relative movement with the substrate 10, the lift pins 411 are illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, 7A and 7B. As described above, the substrate 10 is maintained in a supported state, and the size of the inner diameter of the through hole 23 into which the lift pin 411 is inserted should be formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the lift pin 411.

That is, the through hole 23 should be formed such that the inner circumferential surface thereof has a horizontal movement interval with the outer circumferential surface of the lift pin 411 so that the lift pin 411 can move horizontally in the planar direction of the substrate 10.

Wherein the horizontal movement interval is shown in Figure 6a, when the center of the lift pin 411 is experimentally located in the center of the through hole 23, the outer peripheral surface of the lift pin 411 and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 23 It is preferable that it is 2 mm-5 mm.

However, in consideration of the productivity of substrate processing, when increasing the size of the non-opened portion of the mask 20 to secure the inner diameter of the through hole 23 to a sufficient size, the area of the effective area of the substrate 10 is reduced. The productivity of a process can be reduced.

Therefore, the pattern forming part 21 of the mask 20 may be formed by extending only the portion where the through hole 23 is formed.

As another method, the lift pin 411 may be an unopened portion of the mask 20, that is, the pattern forming part 21, from the end supporting the substrate 10, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The outer diameter of the moving part 411b vertically moving through the hole may be smaller than the connection part 411a connected to the linear driving part.

The reason for reducing only the outer diameter of the moving part 411b of the lift pins 411 is that it is difficult to secure sufficient rigidity due to the reduction of the outer diameter of the lift pins 411, and thus there is a limit to stably supporting the substrate 10.

Accordingly, the lift pin 411 reduces only the outer diameter of the moving part 411b that moves up and down through the unopened portion of the mask 20, thereby securing sufficient rigidity for supporting the substrate 10 and the substrate 10 and By minimizing the inner diameter of the through hole 23 for aligning the mask 20, the substrate 10 may be stably supported without affecting the area of the effective area of the substrate 10.

The linear driving unit 412 is configured to drive the vertical movement of the lift pins 411 can be a variety of configurations.

For example, the linear driver 412 is a lift plate 413 to which the lift pins 411 are fixedly coupled, and a vertical drive part 414 to vertically move the lift pins 411 by moving the lift plate 413 up and down. It may include.

The lift plate 413 is configured to drive the vertical movement in conjunction with each other by being fixed to the lower end of the plurality of lift pins 411, it is possible to be configured in various ways, such as installed in or outside the vacuum chamber (100).

The vertical driving unit 414 is configured to move the plurality of lift pins 411 up and down by driving the lift plate 413 up and down, and various configurations such as a screw jack and a hydraulic cylinder are possible.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3b and 6a to 7b, the first substrate outer support assembly 420 is configured to support the front and rear edges based on the substrate transfer among the edges of the rectangular substrate 10. Various configurations are possible.

For example, the first substrate outer support assembly 420 may include a support bracket 423 installed on the sidewall of the vacuum chamber 100; One or more support members 421 installed on the support bracket 423 to linearly support the front or rear edge of the substrate 10 by at least one of linear movement and rotational movement; The support member 421 may include a linear driving unit for driving a linear movement to move forward or backward to the edge of the substrate 10.

The support bracket 423 is configured to support all or part of the linear driving unit to be described later. Various configurations are possible according to the structure of the linear driving unit.

The support member 421 is configured to support the edge of the substrate 10 by linear movement. The support member 421 is provided in plural and preferably has an 'L' shape in consideration of supporting the substrate 10 at the edge. Do.

The linear driving unit is a configuration for driving the linear movement of the support member 421 is possible in various configurations depending on the driving method.

For example, the linear driving part includes a driving member 422 coupled to the plurality of support members 421 and installed linearly on the support bracket 423; A driving source 424 coupled to an outer surface of a side wall corresponding to the side of the substrate 10 to generate a driving force; It is installed on the support bracket 423 may include a linear conversion unit for receiving a driving force from the drive source 424 to convert to a linear movement of the drive member 422.

The driving member 422 is a configuration for linearly driving the plurality of support members 421 supporting the edge of the substrate 10 at one time. If the plurality of support members 421 may be combined, various components such as plates may be used. Is possible.

In addition, the driving member 422 is coupled to the support bracket 423 so as to be linearly moved along the guide rail installed in the support bracket 423.

The driving source 424 is coupled to the outer surface of the side wall of the vacuum chamber 100 corresponding to the side of the substrate 10 to generate a driving force for linear movement of the driving member 422, and generates a rotational driving force. Various configurations, such as a rotating motor and a hydraulic cylinder that generates a linear driving force, are possible. Here, the driving source 424 may be coupled to the ceiling of the vacuum chamber 100 in addition to the sidewall of the vacuum chamber 100.

The linear switching unit is configured to convert the driving force of the driving source 424 into the linear movement of the driving member 422, and various configurations are possible according to the driving force generated by the driving source 424.

For example, when the driving force generated by the driving source 424 is a rotational force, the linear conversion unit may be configured to convert the rotational force into linear movement.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 9B, the linear switching unit is perpendicular to the moving direction of the driving member 422 by a linear moving device such as a screw jack by the rotation driving of the driving source 424 which generates the rotational force. A driving block 426 linearly moved; One end may include a link member 425 hinged to the driving block 426 and the other end is hinged to the driving member 422 to change the moving direction in the linear moving direction of the driving member 422.

As another example, the linear conversion unit may be configured in various ways, such as a rack and pinion combination, or a cam and elastic member combination.

Meanwhile, when the driving source 424 linearly drives in a linear driving direction perpendicular to the linear moving direction of the driving member 422, the linear switching unit changes the moving direction in the linear moving direction of the driving member 422. It can be configured to.

The first substrate outer support assembly 420 may be linearly driven by the support member 421 according to the configuration of the linear switching unit as described above. Since the support is possible, the substrate 10 may be more stably supported.

Meanwhile, the first substrate outer support assembly 420 having the configuration described above may be applied to a structure for supporting the substrate 10 introduced into the vacuum chamber 100 in addition to the configuration of the substrate transfer module according to the present invention. Of course.

In addition, the first substrate outer support assembly 420 has been described as supporting the substrate 10 by linear movement in the present embodiment, but similarly to the mask holder separation unit 360 shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C. Of course, it can be configured to support the substrate 10 by movement.

Furthermore, the first substrate outer support assembly 420 may be configured to support the substrate 10 by a combination of linear movement and rotational movement such that a portion supporting the substrate 10 is movable up and down. Of course.

The second substrate outer support assembly 430 is installed in the vacuum chamber 100 to support both edges of the substrate 10, and various configurations are possible. Here, the principle that the second substrate outer support assembly 430 supports the substrate 10 is the first substrate outer support assembly 420.

Specifically, the second substrate outer support assembly 430 has at least one of linear movement and rotational movement when the front and rear edges of the substrate 10 are supported by the pair of first substrate outer support assemblies 420. It is configured to support both edges of the substrate 10 by one.

As an example, the second substrate outer support assembly 430 may include a support bracket 433 installed on the sidewall of the vacuum chamber 100, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3B, 7A, and 7B; One or more support members 431 installed on the support bracket 433 so as to support the side edges of the substrate by linear movement; The support member 431 may include a linear driving part 434 for driving a linear movement to move forward or backward to the lateral edge of the substrate 10.

Meanwhile, the first substrate outer support assembly 420 and the second substrate outer support assembly 430 are each provided with one or more support members 421 and 431 and the linear driving unit 434 as one substrate lifting unit. Can be.

For example, the second substrate outer support assembly 430 may be provided with three substrate lifting units, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3B.

The aligner 330 is configured to align the substrate 10 and the mask 20 by moving the mask 20 supported by the mask support 320 to the substrate 10 in parallel with each other. It is possible.

As an example, the aligner part 330 may be installed in the mask support part 320 so that the mask 20 may be planar with respect to the substrate 10 (eg, X1, X2, Y, or X, Y, θ, etc.). Relative movement, that is, the mask support portion 320 to move relative to the configuration of the substrate 10 and the mask 20 is configured to perform a variety of configurations.

Here, the vacuum chamber 100 includes a plurality of camera apparatuses for acquiring an image of the substrate 10 and the mask 20 to align the substrate 10 and the mask 20 by the aligner unit 330 ( Not shown) is installed.

Referring to the substrate transfer method by the substrate transfer module according to the present invention having the configuration as described above in detail as follows.

The substrate transfer method according to the present invention, as shown in Figure 10 and 11, the mask introduction step (S10) is introduced into the vacuum chamber 100, the mask 20 coupled to the mask holder 30; A mask holder separation step S20 for separating the mask 20 and the mask holder 30 after the mask introduction step S10; A substrate introduction step S30 of introducing a substrate 10 between the mask 20 and the mask holder 30 after the mask holder separation step S20; An alignment step S40 of relatively moving the mask 20 and the substrate 10 after the substrate introduction step S30; A close step (S50) of closely contacting the mask 20, the substrate 10, and the mask holder 30 after the alignment step S40; And a mask discharge step S60 for discharging the mask 20, to which the substrate 10 and the mask holder 30 are coupled, from the vacuum chamber 100 after the adhesion step S50.

The mask introduction step S10 is a step in which the mask 20 is introduced into the vacuum chamber 100. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11A, when the mask 20 is introduced into the second gate 112. The object to be transferred 210 is moved upward to support and introduce the mask 20. Here, the mask 20 is illustrated as being coupled to the mask holder 30 but may be introduced separately.

Meanwhile, the mask holder separation step S20 is a step of separating the mask 20 and the mask holder 30 after the mask introduction step S10.

The mask holder separation step S20 may be variously performed according to a separation method of the mask 20 and the mask holder 30.

For example, in the mask holder separation step S20, as shown in FIG. 11B, the mask 20 coupled with the mask holder 30 descends and the mask holder 30 descends while the mask 20 descends. The tab 31 may be directly or supported by the holder separating part 360 to be separated from the mask 20.

Here, the mask 20 may be further lowered until the mask 20 has a sufficient distance from the mask holder 30.

On the other hand, the lowering of the mask 20 may be made in various ways depending on the support shape of the mask 20.

First, the mask 20 is supported by the object to be conveyed 210 and introduced by the mask support 320 and the object to be conveyed 210 is a mask 20, such as the discharge gate 113, the lower side Move to the discharge position of).

Here, of course, the object carrier 210 is installed as an upper object carrier and a lower object carrier, corresponding to the introduction gate 112 and the discharge gate 113, the upper carrier body, the mask 20 Is supported by the mask support part 320 so as to be moved in the width direction to prevent interference when it is moved to be transferred to the lower object to be transferred. Here, the upper object to be conveyed and the lower object to be supported correspond to the introduction gate 112 and the discharge gate 113 to maintain a fixed state without the vertical direction.

The mask supporter 320 lowers the mask 20 supported by the lowering to separate the mask holder 30 as described above.

As another method of lowering the mask 20, the mask 20 may also be lowered by being lowered by the object carrier 210 itself after being supported by the object carrier 210.

On the other hand, the separation position of the mask holder 30 is almost the same position as the second gate 112, in particular the mask 20 mask holder 30 or in order to prevent interference with the mask holder 30 when the mask 20 is introduced. It can be positioned slightly lower.

Meanwhile, in the mask holder separation step S20, instead of the mask holder 30 being separated by the falling of the mask 20, the mask holder 30 is provided with a separate mask holder separation device to lift the mask holder 30. Can be separated from. Here, the mask holder separation device may be brought into close contact with the mask 20 by lowering the mask holder 30 after the alignment step S40 described later.

The substrate introduction step (S30) is a step of introducing the substrate 10 between the mask 20 and the mask holder 30 after the mask holder separation step (S20), as shown in Figure 11b, a robot (Fig. 7a) 7B, the substrate 10 may be introduced through the first gate 111 and performed by the method according to various methods according to substrate transfer between the robot 40 and the substrate support assembly 410, 420, 430. Can be performed.

In particular, the substrate introduction step (S30) includes a substrate introduction step in which the substrate 10 is introduced through the first gate 111 by the robot 40; It may include a substrate support step of supporting the substrate 10 by one or more substrate support assemblies (410, 420. 430).

The substrate introduction step is a step in which the substrate 10 is introduced through the first gate 111 by the robot 40, and the robot 40 introduces the substrate 10 into the vacuum chamber 100 by horizontal movement. After the ascending, descending after the substrate supporting step may be performed by moving horizontally out of the vacuum chamber 100.

In addition, the robot 40 may be lowered after introducing the substrate 10 into the vacuum chamber 100 by horizontal movement and horizontally moved out of the vacuum chamber 100 after the substrate supporting step.

In this case, the robot 40 may rise before moving horizontally to the outside and then move horizontally to the outside of the vacuum chamber 100. Here, of course, after the substrate 10 is sufficiently moved upward by the one or more substrate support assemblies 410, 420, 430, the robot 40 is raised before being horizontally moved to the outside, and then horizontally moved out of the vacuum chamber 100. Of course it can be.

The substrate supporting step is a step in which the substrate 10 is supported by at least one substrate supporting assembly 410, 420. 430. After the substrate insertion step, the substrate 10 is supported by the substrate supporting assembly 410, 420. 430. Is supported and performed.

As a specific example of the substrate supporting step, as shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C, after the robot 40 is raised, the first and second substrate outer support assemblies 420 and 430 are formed by the substrate center support assembly 410. After the substrate 10 is supported by the support of both sides, front and rear edges by the robots, the robot 40 retreats to the outside of the vacuum chamber 100 after descending.

The robot 40 may have an appropriate shape in consideration of interference with other members when transferring the substrate with the substrate support assemblies 410, 420, 430.

The substrate transfer from the robot 40 to the substrate support assemblies 410, 420. 430 will be described in more detail below.

First, the robot 40 enters the vacuum chamber 100 in a state in which the substrate 10 supports the substrate 10 to a support such as an arm.

After the robot 40 enters, the substrate support assemblies 410, 420, 430 move to support the substrate according to its configuration and position, such as lifting and horizontal movement, for supporting the substrate 10.

For example, the first and second substrate outer support assemblies 420 and 430 described above may have both side, front and rear edges of the substrate 10 by movement, as shown in FIGS. 3B, 7A and 7B. Supporting the portion, the central support assembly 410, the lift pin 411 is raised to support the central portion of the substrate 10.

In this case, the first and second substrate outer support assemblies 420 and 430 and the central substrate support assembly 410 may be driven simultaneously or sequentially.

Meanwhile, when the substrate 10 is supported by the first and second substrate outer support assemblies 420 and 430 and the substrate central support assembly 410, the robot 40 retreats to the outside of the vacuum chamber 100.

The alignment step S40 is a step of aligning and moving the mask 20 and the substrate 10 after the substrate introduction step S30 as shown in FIG. 11C. The mask 20 and the substrate 10 are aligned. It can be performed by various methods according to the alignment method of.

That is, in the alignment step S40, the alignment unit 330 relatively moves the mask 20 and the substrate 10 after the robot 40 retreats. In this case, the mask 20 is supported by the mask support part 320 to perform the alignment step S40.

In the alignment step S40, as described above, the camera apparatus obtains an image of the substrate 10 and the mask 20, calculates a deviation of the mask 20 and the substrate 10, and then provides a mask support 320. ) Is moved relative to the substrate 10 in a plane direction (for example, X1, X2, Y, or X, Y, θ, etc.), that is, the mask support part 320 is relatively moved. Alignment of the substrate 10 and the mask 20 is performed.

Meanwhile, when the mask 20 and the substrate 10 are aligned, a relative movement in the horizontal direction of the mask 20 with respect to the substrate 10 is performed, and the inner diameter of the through hole 23 through which the lift pins 411 pass. Has a sufficient size so that the relative movement of the mask 20 relative to the substrate 10 in the horizontal direction is not disturbed.

The adhesion step S50 is a step of raising the mask 20 after the alignment step S40 to bring the mask 20 into close contact with the mask 20, the substrate 10, and the mask holder 30 in order to closely adhere to the mask holder 30. Depending on the method can be carried out by various methods.

For example, the close contacting step S50 may be performed by raising the mask supporter 320 after the alignment step S40, so that the mask 20 supported by the mask supporter 320 is upward. By moving, the mask holder 30 and the substrate 10 are in close contact with each other.

The mask discharging step S60 is a step of discharging the mask 20 in which the substrate 10 and the mask holder 30 are combined from the vacuum chamber 100 after the adhesion step S50, and may be performed by various methods. have.

For example, in the mask discharging step S60, after the mask 20 is in close contact with the substrate 10 and the mask holder 30, the mask support 320 is lowered again, as shown in FIG. 11E. The mask 20 in which the 10 and the mask holder 30 are in close contact with each other is supported by the carrier body 210 and then discharged to the outside of the vacuum chamber 100.

Here, the support of the tab 31 by the mask holder separator 360 is released so that the mask holder 30 can be lowered after the substrate 10 is recombined with the mask 20 in close contact.

In addition, the position of the object to be transferred 210 is a mask 20 in which the substrate 10 and the mask holder 30 are in close contact with each other, and the second gate 112 and the second gate 112 and 113 are introduced into the gate 112. ) And the discharge gate 113 is located at a position that can be discharged through the discharge gate (113).

Meanwhile, when the mask support part 320 descends, the lift pins 411 of the center support assembly 410 are sufficiently lowered so that the substrate 10 and the mask holder 30 do not interfere with the ejection of the mask 20 in close contact. do.

In addition, the mask discharge step (S60) may be performed by various methods, such as being discharged to the outside in a raised or raised state in addition to the falling of the mask 20.

Through the above steps, the substrate transfer module according to the present invention is discharged from the vacuum chamber 100 in a state in which the substrate 10 is introduced and aligned and closely adhered between the mask 20 and the mask holder 30. It is delivered to the substrate processing module for.

On the other hand, after the adhesion step (S50) and before the discharge step (S60), an alignment inspection step of inspecting whether the alignment is properly performed after the substrate 10 and the mask 20 are in close contact may be additionally performed.

The alignment inspection step is performed by acquiring images of the substrate 10 and the mask 20 through the camera device through the openings formed in the mask holder 30 and analyzing the acquired images.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the alignment is normally performed in the alignment inspection step, the discharge step (S60) is performed, and it is determined that the abnormality is made-if it is determined that the alignment is not sufficiently made-the mask 20 and the substrate 10 ), The mask 20 and the substrate 10 may be separated, and then performed again from the alignment step S40.

The mask 20 and the substrate 10 may be separated in various ways. For example, the mask support 320 supporting the mask 20 is lowered and the substrate support assembly 410, 420, 430. Moves to a position where the substrate 10 can be supported, thereby supporting the substrate 10 by the substrate support assemblies 410, 420, and 430 and further lowering the mask support 320. 10) are separated from each other.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the alignment is normally performed in the alignment inspection step, the discharge step is performed, and if it is determined that the abnormality is made, the abnormal signal may be notified to the worker through at least one of hearing and vision.

In addition, when it is determined that the alignment is normally performed in the alignment inspection step, the discharge step may be performed, and when it is determined that the alignment is abnormally performed, the operation may be stopped.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the technical idea and the technical spirit of the invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

100: Vacuum chamber
210: carrier body 220: lifting and lowering drive
230: guide member
410, 420, 430: substrate support assembly

Claims (18)

A substrate transfer module for use in a substrate processing system that performs substrate processing while the mask is in close contact with the substrate,
A vacuum chamber in which the first gate and the at least one second gate are formed to face each other and form an inner space isolated from the outside;
A pair of carrier members installed in the vacuum chamber to directly or indirectly support the mask upon introduction or discharge of the mask through the second gate into the vacuum chamber;
A substrate support assembly installed in the vacuum chamber to support a substrate introduced through the first gate;
A mask support part installed in the vacuum chamber to support the mask and move up and down;
A mask holder separator for separating the mask holder from the mask introduced into the vacuum chamber while the mask holder is coupled to introduce a substrate between the mask and the mask holder;
And an aligner portion for aligning the substrate and the mask by a relative movement between the mask supported by the mask support and the substrate supported by the substrate support assembly. The method according to claim 1,
And a mask introduced through the second gate is introduced in a state in which the mask is coupled to the mask holder. Claim 1
The substrate support assembly is
A substrate transfer module comprising a substrate central support assembly for supporting a central portion of the substrate. The method according to claim 1,
The substrate support assembly is
A substrate transfer module comprising a pair of second substrate outer support assemblies for supporting both edges of the substrate with respect to the transfer direction of the substrate. The method according to claim 1,
The second gate may include an introduction gate through which a mask combined with a mask holder is introduced, and a discharge gate formed on an upper side or a lower side of the introduction gate and discharged after the mask, the substrate, and the mask holder are in close contact with each other. Transfer module. The method according to claim 5,
And the pair of object to be transported are installed in the vacuum chamber so as to be moved upward and downward. The method according to claim 5,
The pair of carrier objects
Corresponding to each of the introduction gate and the discharge gate is provided as an upper carrier body and a lower carrier body,
And the upper portion to be transported is supported in the width direction to prevent interference when the mask is moved to be supported by the mask support and is transferred to the lower object to be transferred. A substrate transfer module used in a substrate processing system for performing substrate processing in a state in which a mask is in close contact with a substrate. Including;
After the mask coupled to the mask holder is introduced through the second gate, the substrate introduced through the first gate is in close contact between the mask and the mask holder and then discharged through the second gate Transfer module. A mask introduction step of introducing a mask combined with the mask holder into the vacuum chamber;
A mask holder separation step of separating the mask and the mask holder after the mask introduction step;
A substrate introduction step of introducing a substrate between the mask and the mask holder after the mask holder separation step;
An alignment step of aligning and aligning the mask and the substrate after the substrate introduction step;
An adhesion step of closely contacting the mask, the substrate and the mask holder after the alignment step;
And a mask discharging step of discharging the mask combined with the substrate and the mask holder from the vacuum chamber after the adhesion step. The method of claim 9,
The mask holder separating step of separating the mask and the mask holder through the support of the mask holder. The method of claim 10,
The mask holder separating step may include lowering the mask to which the mask holder is coupled and separating the mask and the mask holder through the support of the mask holder. The method of claim 9,
The vacuum chamber is formed with the first gate and one or more second gates facing each other,
The substrate is introduced through the first gate,
And the mask is introduced and discharged through the one or more second gates. The method of claim 9,
The substrate introduction step
A substrate introduction step of introducing a substrate through the first gate by a robot;
And a substrate support step of supporting the substrate introduced by the substrate support assembly after the substrate insertion step. The method according to claim 13,
In the substrate retracting step, the robot rises after introducing the substrate into the vacuum chamber by horizontal movement,
And after the substrate supporting step, the robot descends and is horizontally moved out of the vacuum chamber. The method according to claim 13,
In the substrate insertion step, the robot descends after introducing the substrate into the vacuum chamber by horizontal movement,
And the robot moves horizontally out of the vacuum chamber after the substrate supporting step. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 15,
And an alignment inspection step of inspecting whether the alignment is properly performed after the adhesion between the substrate and the mask after the adhesion step and before the discharge step. 18. The method of claim 16,
And obtaining images of the substrate and the mask through the openings formed in the mask holder in the alignment inspection step, and analyzing the acquired images to determine whether alignment is normally performed. 18. The method of claim 16,
And if it is determined that the alignment is abnormal in the alignment inspection step, the substrate and the mask are lowered, the substrate and the mask are separated, and the substrate transfer method is performed again from the alignment step.

Images