TWM577959U - Environment retaining system for precision production - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses an environment holding system for precision production, which mainly comprises a conveyor card 匣 and a process processing equipment. A first environment holding device is disposed in the conveying cassette to maintain a positive pressure environment, and a second environment holding device is disposed in the processing device to maintain a positive pressure environment and a constant temperature/humidity environment. After the cassette is combined with the process processing device, an accommodating space of the transport cassette is exposed to a working space of the process processing device, and the product to be processed is taken out and placed in the process processing device for processing. Processing operations. Therefore, whether it is in storage, handling or in the production process, it can effectively improve the cleanliness of the product.

Description

Environmental retention system for precision production

The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor and flat panel display technology, and more particularly to a system for improving cleanliness in a precision production environment of a clean room class.

In recent years, high-order panels such as Low Temperature Poly-silicon (LTPS), which are more and more demanding for liquid crystal display panels, are ultra-thin, light in weight, and low in power consumption, and can provide more vivid colors and clearer images. More and more popular. However, high-priced panel production such as LTPS has encountered a technical bottleneck with low yield. A large part of the reason is that the cleanliness of the clean room environment (air pollutants such as dust, acid and alkali gases, organic matter, boron, etc.) and temperature and humidity cannot meet the resolution requirements.

In the factory for manufacturing electronic components such as liquid crystal display components and semiconductor components (integrated circuits), in order to ensure the cleanliness of the products, the existing practice is to form a closed type by designing a clean room, mainly using the concept of air flow. The environment uses a Fan Filter Unit (FFU) to generate clean gas to remove the dirty air inside the original environment, and then filter the particles in the dirty air to achieve a dust-free environment. The return air used in the clean room automatic storage system, loading and unloading device, buffer device, and substrate platform adopts the air circulation mode of the entire clean room environment.

However, due to the large clean room environment, the airflow between the equipments interferes with each other. The products are highly susceptible to environmental cleanliness during storage, handling and production. The dust-free grade can only be maintained to Class 10 (0.3u). (No more than 10 particles larger than 0.3um in 1 cubic meter of air). In the future, high-priced products such as high-resolution LTPS/OLED may require Class 1 (0.1u) cleanliness (no more than one particle larger than 0.1um in 1 cubic meter of air). Therefore, the prior art cannot solve the problem that the cleanliness, temperature and humidity of the high-precision products such as LTPS/IGZO/AM-OLED cannot meet the requirements.

In view of this, it is necessary to provide an environmental maintenance system for precision production to solve the problem of insufficient cleanliness of the existing clean room environment.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an environment holding system for precision production, which mainly comprises a transport cassette and a process processing device. The transport cassette and the process processing device can maintain good environmental cleanliness separately or after combination, and can effectively improve the cleanliness of the product, whether in storage, handling or in the production process, and solve the LTPS/ High-precision products such as IGZO/OLED produce problems such as cleanliness, temperature and humidity that cannot meet the requirements.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an environment holding system for precision production, comprising: a transport cassette comprising a receiving space, a switchable first movable door and a first environment holding device; The accommodating space is configured to carry at least one product to be processed; the first movable door is disposed at one side of the accommodating space to form a seal for the accommodating space, and the first environment holding device Maintaining a positive pressure environment in the accommodating space; and a process processing apparatus comprising a work space, a switchable second movable door, an internal transport unit and a second environment holding device, wherein the work space is for processing the product to be processed; a second movable door is disposed at one side of the working space; when the first movable door of the conveying cassette is combined with the second movable door of the process processing device and opened; The accommodating space is exposed to the working space of the process processing device; the internal transport unit is configured to transport the product to be processed back and forth between the accommodating space and the working space; when the second active compartment When the door is closed, the working space forms a seal, and the second environment holding device maintains a positive pressure and a constant temperature/humidity environment in the working space.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first environment holding device includes a first air filtering unit that maintains a positive pressure environment in the accommodating space.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the second environment holding device includes a second air filtering unit and a temperature and humidity control unit, and the second air filtering unit maintains a positive pressure environment in the process processing device. The temperature and humidity control unit maintains a constant temperature/humidity environment in the process processing apparatus.

In an embodiment of the present creation, the internal transport unit is a mechanical arm.

In an embodiment of the present creation, the process processing apparatus is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus or an excimer laser annealing (ELA) apparatus.

Compared with the background art, the creative technical solution has the following advantages: an environmental maintenance system for precision production of the present embodiment can be used to improve the cleanliness of a precision production environment (such as a clean room), whether in storage, In the production process, in addition to relying on the return air system of the entire factory environment, the product uses a small environment to increase the independent return air system. In addition, this creation can increase the independence of some small environments in the factory for certain processes that require high cleanliness and temperature and humidity. Return air system. Through the above-mentioned environment-preserving system for precision production, the product is purified and treated for air pollutants (dust, acid and alkali gas, organic matter, boron, etc.), and constant temperature and throughout the storage, handling and production process. Constant humidity. Therefore, it is possible to solve the problem that the production purity, temperature and humidity of the high-precision products such as LTPS/IGZO/AM-OLED cannot meet the requirements. Among them, through the transport cassette 10 and the process processing device 20, the product cleanliness can be significantly improved from class 10 (0.3u) to class 1 (0.1u). Moreover, the environment of each device in the system is independent of each other, and the cleanliness, temperature and humidity are independently controllable, and the independent return air system can be added separately for some processes in the factory that have high requirements on product cleanliness and temperature and humidity. . It meets both cleanliness requirements and cost savings.

100‧‧‧Precisely produced environmental retention system

200‧‧‧Processed products

300‧‧‧External transport unit

10‧‧‧Transportation card

11‧‧‧ accommodating space

12‧‧‧First activity door

13‧‧‧First environmental holding device

13a‧‧‧First air filter unit

20‧‧‧Process processing equipment

21‧‧‧Work space

22‧‧‧Second activity hatch

23‧‧‧Internal transport unit

24‧‧‧Second environmental holding device

24a‧‧‧Second air filter unit

24b‧‧‧temperature and humidity control unit

[Fig. 1] A schematic view of an environment holding system for precision production according to the present embodiment; [Fig. 2A - 2F] is a schematic view showing the operation of an environment holding method for precision production of the present embodiment.

In order to make the above objects, technical means and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to make the above objects, technical means and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the directional terms mentioned in this creation, such as "upper", "lower", "before", "after", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", "side", etc. Just refer to the direction of the additional schema. Therefore, the directional terminology used is used to describe and understand the creation, and is not intended to limit the creation.

The drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. In the figures, structurally similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for the sake of understanding and convenience of description, but the present creation is not limited thereto.

In the figures, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions are exaggerated for the purposes of illustration and description. It will be understood that when a component such as a layer, a film, a region or a substrate is referred to as being "on" another component, the component can be directly on the other component or an intermediate component can also be present.

In addition, in the specification, the word "comprising" is to be understood to include the component, but does not exclude any other component. Further, in the specification, "on" means located above or below the target component, and does not mean that it must be on the top based on the direction of gravity.

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of an environment-preserving system for precision production according to an embodiment of the present invention. An environment-preserving system 100 for precision production of the present embodiment may include: a transport cassette 10 and a process processing device 20.

The transport cassette 10 includes an accommodating space 11, a switchable first movable door 12, and a first environment holding device 13, wherein the accommodating space 11 is used to carry at least one product to be processed 200; The first movable door 12 is disposed at one side of the accommodating space 11 to form a seal for the accommodating space 11 , and the first environment holding device 13 maintains a positive inside the accommodating space 11 . Pressure the environment.

The process processing device 20 includes a work space 21, a switchable second activity door 22, an internal transport unit 23, and a second environment holding device 24, wherein the work space 21 is used to process the to-be-processed Production 200; the second movable door 22 is disposed at one side of the working space 21; when the first movable door 12 of the conveying cassette 10 and the second movable door of the process processing device 20 22 combined When it is opened, the accommodating space 11 of the transport cassette 10 is exposed to the working space 21 of the process processing device 20; the internal transport unit 23 is used in the accommodating space 11 and the working space 21 The product to be processed 200 is transported back and forth; when the second movable door 22 is closed, the working space 21 forms a seal, and the second environment holding device 24 maintains a positive pressure in the working space 21 And constant temperature / constant humidity environment.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first environment holding device 13 includes a first air filtering unit 13a that maintains a positive pressure environment in the accommodating space 11. In an embodiment of the present invention, the first air filter unit 13a is, for example, a Fan Filter Unit (FFU), and the FFU maintains a power-on operation state, and the FFU maintains the inside of the transport cassette 10 The positive pressure causes the surface of the product to be processed 200 (such as a glass substrate of a liquid crystal panel or a substrate of a semiconductor) to continue to be blown out of the transport cassette 10 if dust is present.

In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the first air filter unit 13a is, for example, a high-pressure pump unit (HPU) and a chemical filter unit.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the second environment holding device 24 includes a second air filtering unit 24a and a temperature and humidity control unit 24b, and the second air filtering unit 24a holds the processing device 20 in the process. In a positive pressure environment, the temperature and humidity control unit 24b maintains a constant temperature/constant humidity environment within the process processing apparatus 20. The second air filter unit 24a is, for example, a High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA).

In an embodiment of the present creation, the internal transport unit 23 is a transport device such as a robot arm, a roller or a crawler.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the process processing device 20 is, for example, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) device, and a chemical vapor deposition (Chemical vapor deposition) in the LTPS process. Referred to as CVD), a thin film is formed on a substrate by a gas phase or a chemical reaction on the surface of the substrate. When a thin film material is prepared by a chemical vapor deposition method, in order to synthesize a high quality thin film material, it is necessary to control the composition of the reaction gas, the working gas pressure, the substrate temperature, the gas flow rate, and the purity of the raw material gas. The CVD process can effectively solve the problem of high foreign matter before film formation by this creative design method.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the process processing device 20 is, for example, an excimer laser annealing (ELA) device, and a key process of the LTPS is Excimer Laser Annealing (ELA) technology, that is, utilizing The excimer laser acts as a heat source to convert the amorphous germanium structure into a polycrystalline germanium structure with higher resolution and faster reaction speed. Environmental air pollutants such as dust, acid and alkali gases, organic matter, and boron are particularly important for this process. Through the creative design method, the ELA process can effectively solve the problem of acid and alkali and organic gases affecting graphic anomalies.

However, it is not limited to the above embodiment. In other embodiments, the processing device 20 can also be applied to other semiconductor processes, or optoelectronic processes and the like.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the process processing device 20 is sealed in such a manner that the circumferences and upper and lower sides of the device are sealed and isolated, and only the entrances and exits for providing the transport cassettes 10 are provided. The second activity door 22 is described. In addition, preferably, the process processing device 20 is configured to feed ultra-clean constant temperature and humidity air from above, and to remove air with low cleanliness from below, so that the process processing device 20 is always kept at a constant temperature and humidity. Ultra clean state.

In summary, an environment-preserving system 100 for precision production of the present embodiment can be used to improve the cleanliness of a precision production environment (such as a clean room), whether in storage, handling or in the production process, in addition to relying on Outside the return air system of the entire factory environment, the product uses a small environment to increase the independent return air system. Moreover, this creation can add a separate return air system to the factory to design a small environment separately for some processes with high requirements for product cleanliness and temperature and humidity.

Please refer to FIG. 2A-2F, which are schematic diagrams of the operation of an environment holding method for precision production according to the embodiment of the present invention. An environment holding method for precision production of the present embodiment includes the following steps:

(a) As shown in FIG. 2A, a transport cassette 10 is provided, which includes an accommodating space 11, a switchable first movable door 12, and a first environment holding device 13, wherein the accommodating space 11 Carrying a plurality of products to be processed 200; closing the first movable door 12 to form a seal in the accommodating space 11 and operating the first environment holding device 13 to maintain a positive pressure environment in the accommodating space 11.

(b) As shown in FIG. 2B, a process processing apparatus 20 is provided, which includes a work space 21, a switchable second movable door 22, an internal transport unit 23, and a second environmental holding device 24; The second environment holding device 24 maintains a positive pressure and a constant temperature/humidity environment in the working space 21.

(c) As shown in FIG. 2C, the transport cassette 10 is transported to the process processing apparatus 20 using an external transport unit 300.

(d) as shown in FIG. 2D, the first movable door 12 of the transport cassette 10 is combined with the second movable door 22 of the process processing apparatus 20 and simultaneously opened to allow the capacity of the transport cassette 10 The space 11 is exposed to the work space 21 of the process processing apparatus 20.

(e) As shown in FIG. 2E, the product to be processed 200 in the accommodating space 11 is taken out using the internal transport unit 23 and placed in the work space 21 of the process processing apparatus 20.

(f) As shown in FIG. 2F, the process processing apparatus 20 is operated to perform a processing operation on the product 200 to be processed.

Preferably, the external transport unit 300 is a transport unit of an automated storage system.

In addition, after the process operation is completed, the internal transport unit 23 is used to send the product to be processed 200 in the work space 21 of the process processing device 20 back to the transport cassette 10 The housing space 11 is accommodated, and the next product to be processed 200 can be taken out for processing work. When all the products to be processed 200 in the transport cassette 10 have completed the work, the first movable door 12 of the transport cassette 10 and the second movable door 22 of the process processing device 20 can be closed. The transport cassette 10 is removed from the process processing apparatus 20 by the external transport unit 300.

Through the above-mentioned environment-preserving system and method for precision production, the product is purified and treated for air pollutants (dust, acid and alkali gas, organic matter, boron, etc.) and constant throughout the storage, handling and production process. Temperature and constant humidity. Therefore, it is possible to solve the problem that the production purity, temperature and humidity of the high-precision products such as LTPS/IGZO/AM-OLED cannot meet the requirements. Among them, through the transport cassette 10 and the process processing device 20, the product cleanliness can be significantly improved from class 10 (0.3u) to class 1 (0.1u). Moreover, the environment of each device in the system is independent of each other, and the cleanliness, temperature and humidity are independently controllable, and the independent return air system can be added separately for some processes in the factory that have high requirements on product cleanliness and temperature and humidity. . It meets both cleanliness requirements and cost savings.

Terms such as "in some embodiments" and "in various embodiments" are used repeatedly. The term generally does not refer to the same embodiment; however, it may also refer to the same embodiment. Terms such as "including", "having" and "including" are synonymous, unless the context is intended to mean otherwise.

Although examples of various methods, apparatus, and systems have been described herein, the scope of the disclosure is not limited in this respect. Rather, the present disclosure encompasses all methods, devices, systems, and articles of manufacture that fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of the claims is to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of the claimed scope of application. For example, while the examples of systems disclosed above include software or firmware that can be executed on a hard body in addition to other components, it should be understood that such systems are merely exemplary examples and should be interpreted as It is a restrictive example. In detail, any Any or all of the disclosed hardware, software, and/or firmware components may be specifically embodied as hardware, specifically embodied as software, specifically embodied as firmware, or as hardware or software. And/or some combination of firmware.

This creation has been described by the above related embodiments, but the above embodiments are merely examples for implementing the present creation. It must be noted that the disclosed embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. On the contrary, modifications and equivalents of the spirit and scope of the invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (5)

An environment-preserving system for precision production, comprising: a transport cassette, comprising an accommodating space, a switchable first movable door and a first environment holding device, wherein the accommodating space is used for Carrying at least one product to be processed, the first movable door is disposed at one side of the accommodating space to form a seal for the accommodating space, and the first environment holding device keeps the accommodating space a positive pressure environment; and a process processing apparatus including a work space, a switchable second movable door, an internal transport unit, and a second environment holding device, wherein the work space is used to process the Processing the product, the second movable door is disposed on one side of the working space, when the first movable door of the conveying cassette is combined with the second movable door of the process processing device, The accommodating space of the transport cassette is exposed in a working space of the process processing device, and the internal transport unit is configured to transport the product to be processed back and forth between the accommodating space and the working space. Said When the second movable doors are closed, sealing the work space is formed, said second retaining means holding ambient pressure and a constant temperature / humidity environment within the work space. The environment holding system of claim 1, wherein the first environment holding device comprises a first air filtering unit that maintains a positive pressure environment within the accommodating space. The environment holding system of claim 1, wherein the second environment holding device comprises a second air filtering unit and a temperature and humidity control unit, the second air filtering unit maintaining a positive inside the process processing device The temperature and humidity control unit maintains a constant temperature/humidity environment in the process processing apparatus. The environmental maintenance system of claim 1, wherein the internal transport unit is a robotic arm. The environmental maintenance system of claim 1, wherein the process processing device is a chemical vapor deposition device or an excimer laser annealing device.