Substrate conveying apparatus, film forming apparatus, control method, film forming method

Abstract

The present application provides a conveyance device that suppresses meandering of a substrate in conveyance, a film formation device, a control method, and a film formation method. A conveyance device that supports both sides of a conveyance body and conveys the conveyance body includes a first conveyance roller that supports a left side of the conveyance body in a conveyance direction, conveys the conveyance body, a second conveyance roller that supports a right side of the conveyance body in the conveyance direction, conveys the conveyance body, a detection member that detects a shift in the posture of the conveyance body with respect to a reference, and a control member that independently controls the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller to correct the shift detected by the detection member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate transport device, a film forming device, a control method, and a film forming method. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacture of organic EL displays, organic materials are deposited on a substrate where TFTs (thin-film transistors) are formed. Vacuum evaporation has become the mainstream method for depositing organic materials, using a method where the TFT-forming surface faces downwards and the material is deposited from below the substrate upwards. Sometimes, multiple panel areas are arranged on the substrate where the TFTs are formed; this area is called a substrate glass. In recent years, the size of substrate glass has increased. Therefore, research has begun on inline deposition methods where the substrate is moved while the deposition process is underway, moving away from conventional deposition methods where the glass substrate is stationary (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-141706 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, in in-line film deposition apparatuses, it is difficult to deposit a film while simultaneously transporting the glass substrate; the substrate must be loaded onto a tray that functions as a mask for transport. In in-line film deposition, side rollers are installed to guide the substrate and suppress kinks during transport. However, contact with these side rollers can lead to particle generation and substrate misalignment with the tray.

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present invention is to suppress the curvature of the substrate during transport.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, a conveying device supports both sides of the conveying body and performs conveying, wherein it comprises:

[0011] The first conveying roller, which is supported on the left side of the conveying body facing the conveying direction, conveys the conveying body;

[0012] The second conveying roller, which is supported on the right side of the conveying body facing the conveying direction, conveys the conveying body.

[0013] A detection component that detects the deviation in the posture of the transport body relative to a reference; and

[0014] A control unit independently controls the first and second conveyor rollers to correct the offset detected by the detection unit.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, the control method is a control method for a conveying device for conveying a conveying body, wherein it includes:

[0016] A detection process for detecting the deviation of the posture of the conveyor body relative to a reference; and

[0017] A control process that independently controls a first conveying roller that conveys the conveyor body on the left side toward the conveying direction and a second conveying roller that conveys the conveyor body on the right side toward the conveying direction to correct the offset detected in the detection process.

[0018] The effects of the invention

[0019] This allows for the suppression of substrate warping during transport. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a production line according to this embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 This diagram shows an example of a substrate being transported by the transport device of this embodiment.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing another example of a substrate transported by the transport device of this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates an example of the processing performed by the control device in this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates an example of a method for estimating the posture of a substrate based on a posture detection sensor.

[0025] Figure 6 (A) Figure 6 (B) is a diagram illustrating an example of the variation in power consumption of multiple servo motors.

[0026] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates a method for suppressing the curvature of a substrate using the conveying device of this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments do not limit the invention as described in the claims. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features can be combined arbitrarily. In the accompanying drawings, the same or identical structures are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0028] <First Embodiment>

[0029] Reference Figure 1 This illustrates an example of a production line according to this embodiment.

[0030] exist Figure 1 In the production line shown, a glass substrate 7 is fed into the substrate feeding section 11. The glass substrate 7 is fed into the substrate feeding section 11 with its lower surface as the film-forming surface. The glass substrate 7 fed into the substrate feeding section 11 is depressurized to below a predetermined pressure by a vacuum pump (not shown) connected to the substrate feeding section 11. In this embodiment, the substrate feeding section 11 performs depressurization treatment until a pressure of 5.0 × 10⁻⁶ is reached. －4 Pa or less. Therefore, when the chamber volume of the substrate insertion section 11 is small, the time spent on venting can be reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, the glass substrate is not rotated in the substrate insertion section 11. Therefore, the glass substrate 7 is inserted into the substrate insertion section 11 with the film-forming surface as the lower surface.

[0031] In this embodiment, the glass substrate 7 is a sixth-generation substrate, specifically 1850mm × 1500mm × 0.5t alkali-free glass. The glass substrate 7 is mounted on a mask 8, which has dimensions of 2050mm × 1700mm × 50mm. For organic EL displays, TFT circuits are formed on the glass substrate 7. For organic EL lighting, electrodes are formed on the glass substrate 7.

[0032] After exhausting the air using a vacuum pump (not shown) until the pressure in the substrate input section 11 reaches below a predetermined level, the glass substrate 7 is transported by a vacuum transport robot 24 installed in the substrate transport section 12. Specifically, a gate valve, a plate-shaped valve located between the substrate input section 11 and the substrate transport section 12, is opened, and the vacuum transport robot 24 receives the glass substrate 7 located in the substrate input section 11, thereby transporting it. At this time, the pressure in the substrate transport section 12 is 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ lower than that in the substrate input section 11. －4Pa or less. The vacuum transport robot 24, which receives the glass substrate 7, introduces the glass substrate 7 into the substrate transport section 12. After the glass substrate 7 is introduced into the substrate transport section 12 and reaches a predetermined position, the plate-shaped valve that can be opened and closed, located between the substrate input section 11 and the substrate transport section 12, is closed. A buffer section for storing the glass substrate 7 and a pretreatment section for activating the film-forming surface of the glass substrate 7 may also be provided in the substrate transport section 12 as needed, but these are omitted in this embodiment.

[0033] Then, the glass substrate 7 introduced into the substrate transport section 12 is transferred to the substrate mask assembly section 13. First, the mask 8 is inserted into the substrate mask assembly section 13 from the mask return section 21 or the mask insertion section 20. Next, a plate-shaped valve that can be opened and closed is opened between the substrate transport section 12 and the substrate mask assembly section 13, and the vacuum transport robot 24 transfers the glass substrate 7 to a substrate receiving member (not shown) in the substrate glass assembly section 13. After the transfer of the glass substrate 7 is completed, the vacuum transport robot 24 returns to a predetermined position in the substrate transport section 12 and closes the plate-shaped valve that can be opened and closed between the substrate transport section 12 and the substrate mask assembly section 13. Next, the glass substrate assembly section 13 moves the glass substrate 7 disposed on the substrate receiving member onto the mask 8.

[0034] When the glass substrate 7 is placed onto the mask 8, the glass substrate assembly section 13 performs a position alignment process by an alignment mechanism (not shown) that aligns the glass substrate 7 and the mask 8. In the position alignment process, methods can be employed such as aligning the glass substrate 7 and the mask 8 separately within the substrate-mask assembly section 13 before assembling, or setting position alignment marks on the glass substrate 7 and the mask 8 and performing alignment based on image processing.

[0035] Next, a component for bringing the mask 8 into close contact with the glass substrate 7 is placed on the glass substrate 7 placed on the mask 8. Specifically, this is a component utilizing a magnet or a component having a mechanism for adjusting the shape of the glass substrate. Hereinafter, the structure after the mask 8 and the glass substrate 7 are combined will be referred to as the mask substrate 100. The mask 8 has an opening, thereby allowing organic material (hereinafter also referred to as vapor deposition material) to be released from below the mask substrate 100 through the vapor deposition section described later, and organic material can be vapor deposited at a predetermined position on the glass substrate 7 in the film forming section 15 described later.

[0036] With the mask substrate 100 loaded, it is transported by conveying rollers through the substrate mask assembly section 13, the chasing section 14, the film forming section 15, the pulling section 16, and the substrate mask separation section 17.

[0037] The substrate-mask assembly 13 moves the mask substrate 100 toward the chasing section 14. The mask substrate 100 is transported from the substrate-mask assembly 13 to the lower surface of the mask 8 via transport rollers arranged at predetermined intervals. In the chasing section 14, the interval between the preceding mask substrates 100 is reduced. Specifically, while the preceding mask is being transported at a film-forming speed, the interval is reduced at a speed higher than the film-forming speed, and the film-forming speed is set when the interval becomes closer, thereby reducing the interval. If the interval between the preceding and following mask substrates 100 can be reduced in the transport direction, waste of film-forming material can be reduced. However, if the mask substrates 100 are in contact with each other, it can lead to particle generation, positional misalignment of the substrate 7 and the mask 8, and deformation. Therefore, the chasing section 14 preferably ensures a minimum interval. The mask substrate 100 is transported from the substrate-mask assembly 13 via the transport rollers 4.

[0038] The mask substrate 100 is transported to the film deposition section 15 while maintaining the state in which the spacing of the mask substrate 100 has been reduced by the chasing section 14. The orientation of the mask substrate 100 is detected during transport, and the film deposition process is performed while the orientation control of the mask substrate 100 is described later. A film deposition source (not shown) is provided in the film deposition section 15; for evaporation deposition, an evaporation source is provided; for sputtering, a target is provided; and for chemical vapor deposition (CVD), an electrode and a flow path for the film deposition gas are provided. Evaporation deposition is an example described in this embodiment, but the orientation control described later can also be used in sputtering and CVD.

[0039] In the film deposition section 15, multilayer films are generally deposited. The film deposition source is fixed, and the desired film can be deposited onto the glass substrate by transporting the mask substrate 100. For monochromatic emitting organic EL devices, a mask with openings in the emitting regions is used. For multicolor emitting organic EL devices, a mask with openings in regions where each color is to be deposited is used. In inline film deposition methods, monochromatic emitting devices are the mainstream, including those for lighting applications. In monochromatic emitting organic EL devices, multilayer films such as Hall transport layers, emitting layers, and electron transport layers are generally deposited. By adjusting the deposition rate of each layer according to the transport speed of the mask substrate 100, the desired film is deposited at the desired thickness, thereby forming the organic EL device.

[0040] When the film-forming process in the film-forming section 15 is completed and the mask substrate 100 is transported to the pulling-out section 16, since processing needs to be stopped in the subsequent substrate-mask separation section 17, the gap between the front and rear mask substrates 100 needs to be pulled apart in the transport direction. During pulling apart, a position confirmation sensor (not shown) provided in the pulling-out section 16 is used to increase the rotation speed of the transport rollers of the pulling-out section 16 on which the mask substrate 100 is mounted only when the mask substrate 100 passes a predetermined position. As a result, the distance to the upstream mask substrate 100 can be increased in the transport direction.

[0041] Next, the pulling part 16 conveys the mask substrate 100 to the substrate mask separation part 17. If there is no substrate 7 or mask 8 remaining in the substrate mask separation part 17, the mask substrate 100 can be conveyed to the substrate mask separation part 17 at a constant pulling speed.

[0042] The substrate mask separation unit 17 removes the component used to tightly adhere the mask 8 of the transported mask substrate 100 to the glass substrate 7, and lifts the glass substrate 7 using a mechanism inside the substrate mask separation unit 17. The lifted glass substrate 7 is then transported to the substrate transport unit 18 by a vacuum transport robot 25 provided in the substrate transport unit 18. The mask 8 is transported by the mask return unit 21 to the substrate mask assembly unit 13 or to the mask discharge unit 23.

[0043] When transporting the glass substrate 7 to the substrate transport section 18, a plate-shaped valve that can be opened and closed is provided between the substrate mask separation section 17 and the substrate transport section 18. The vacuum transport robot 25 rotates to face the substrate mask separation section 17, extends its arm towards the lower surface of the glass substrate 7 placed in the substrate mask separation section 17, and receives the glass substrate 7 in a lifting manner. The vacuum transport robot 25, having received the glass substrate 7, introduces the glass substrate 7 into the substrate transport section 18. After the glass substrate 7 is introduced into the substrate transport section 18 and reaches a predetermined position, the plate-shaped valve that can be opened and closed is closed between the substrate mask separation section 17 and the substrate transport section 18. A buffer section for storing the film-formed glass substrate 7 and a sealing section for preventing the organic film from deteriorating may also be provided in the substrate transport section 18 as needed, but these are omitted in this embodiment.

[0044] When transporting the glass substrate 7 from the substrate transport section 18 to the substrate discharge section 19, a plate-shaped valve that can be opened and closed is provided between the substrate transport section 18 and the substrate discharge section 19. The vacuum transport robot 25 rotates to face the substrate discharge section 19 and transports the glass substrate 7 to the glass substrate loading section provided within the substrate discharge section 19. After the vacuum transport robot 25 reaches a predetermined position within the substrate transport section 18, the plate-shaped valve that can be opened and closed is closed between the substrate transport section 18 and the substrate discharge section 19.

[0045] In the substrate discharge section 19, if the subsequent process is a vacuum environment, the operation of restoring to atmospheric pressure is not performed. Depending on the subsequent process, nitrogen exhaust and atmospheric exhaust for forming a nitrogen atmosphere can also be performed.

[0046] The above describes the method for implementing this embodiment. Furthermore, in the above method, the glass substrate 7 or the structure formed by overlapping the glass substrate 7 and the mask 8 is used as a transport body. Alternatively, a substrate carrier holding the glass substrate 7 may also be used as a transport body.

[0047] <Substrate posture control using a conveyor>

[0048] Next, the substrate transport method and transport device in the film deposition system will be described. (Refer to...) Figure 2 An example of a conveyor roller 4 will be described. The conveyor roller 4 is connected to the magnetic seal 3 and to the servo motor 1 via a coupling 2 outside the chamber. In this embodiment, only one conveyor roller 4 connected to one servo motor 1 will be described, but multiple conveyor rollers 4 can also be connected to one servo motor 1. The servo motor 1 is synchronously controlled by a control device 90 that controls the servo motor 1. Figure 2 In the illustration, one control device 90 is used to control all servo motors 1. However, as long as synchronous control can be achieved, multiple control devices 90 can also share the control of the servo motors 1.

[0049] The control device 90 includes a processor 91, a memory 92, a main memory 93, and an interface (I / F) 94. The processor 91, memory 92, main memory 93, and I / F 94 are connected via a bus 95 to enable communication.

[0050] The processor 91 expands the program stored in memory 93 to memory 92 and controls the servo motor 1 via I / F 94 of the mask substrate 100 (described later). Alternatively, in one example, the control device 90 receives the output value of the posture detection sensor 6 via I / F 94. Additionally, in another example, the control device 90 monitors the power consumption of the servo motor 1.

[0051] Here, the control device 90 synchronously controls multiple servo motors 1 to transport the mask substrate 100. However, depending on slight differences in the outer diameter of the transport rollers 4, mechanical assembly precision, etc., the mask substrate 100 may tilt or bend relative to the transport direction. Therefore, in order to prevent the mask substrate 100 from bending, a side roller 5 is installed on the side of the transport path formed by the transport rollers 4 to abut against the side of the mask substrate 100 and limit the bending.

[0052] In this embodiment, the gap between the side roller 5 and the mask substrate 100 is 5 mm on each side in the conveying direction. Therefore, if the curvature is within ±5 mm, the mask substrate 100 can be conveyed without contacting the side roller 5. An attitude detection sensor 6 is provided in the section conveyed by the conveyor roller 4. The attitude detection sensor is a sensor used to measure parameters related to the attitude of the conveyed mask substrate 100, for example, a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance to the left and right ends of the mask substrate 100 in the conveying direction. In this embodiment, the attitude detection sensor 6 is arranged in multiple positions capable of detecting at least three locations on the mask substrate 100 to continuously detect the attitude of the mask substrate 100. The attitude detection sensor 6 measures a base value when it is in contact with the side roller 5, and stores the normal attitude of the mask 8 at each position. If it is determined that the attitude deviates from the normal attitude during conveying, the rotation speed of the servo motor 1 is controlled to change the attitude of the mask 8.

[0053] However, if the mask 8 and substrate 7 are curved and come into contact with the side roller 5, sometimes misalignment may occur due to misalignment between the substrate 7 and the mask 8, or particles may be generated from the substrate 7 or mask 8 and come into contact with the substrate 7, resulting in poor film formation. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 90 detects the deviation of the mask substrate 100's posture relative to the transport direction from a reference, and controls the transport roller 4 to correct the deviation, thereby suppressing the curvature of the mask substrate 100. In one example, the control device 90 performs control before the mask substrate 100 comes into contact with the side roller 5 to eliminate tilting of the mask substrate 100.

[0054] Figure 3 This indicates the state when the mask substrate 100 is tilted relative to the transport direction. Figure 3 The image shows the left front contacting the side roller 5 in the conveying direction. (Example) Figure 3 In this way, it travels while in contact with the side roller 5 during conveying. Furthermore, in Figure 3 The control device 90 is omitted.

[0055] Here, refer to Figure 4 This describes the process performed by the control device 90, which detects the tilt of the mask substrate 100 relative to the transport direction and corrects the travel direction. Figure 4 The processing is achieved by the processor 91 of the control device 90 executing commands stored in memory 93 at predetermined time intervals during the transport of the mask substrate 100.

[0056] First, in step S401 (hereinafter referred to as S401), the processor 91 detects the offset of the mask substrate 100's posture relative to a reference based on the detection results of the posture detection sensor 6 or the servo motor 1. The posture of the mask substrate 100 includes at least one of the tilt of the mask substrate 100 in the conveying surface relative to the conveying direction or the distance to the left or right side rollers 5 or the posture detection sensor 6. The reference for the tilt of the mask substrate 100 relative to the conveying direction can be 0 degrees, or a specified range such as -1 degree or more and 1 degree or less. The reference for the distance to the left or right side rollers 5 or the posture detection sensor 6 can be that the distances from the left and right side rollers 5 to the mask substrate 100 are equal. Alternatively, the reference can be that the difference between the distances from the left and right side rollers 5 to the mask substrate 100 is less than 1 mm.

[0057] The processing in S401 is performed, for example, by the processor 91 acquiring the output value of the posture detection sensor 6 via I / F 94. For example, the control device 90 first acquires the output of the posture detection sensors 6a and 6b (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as posture detection sensors 6 without distinction). Next, based on the acquired output of the posture detection sensors 6, the difference in distance from the posture detection sensors 6a and 6b to the mask substrate 100 is calculated, and the offset of the posture of the mask substrate 100 relative to a reference can be detected based on the distance difference.

[0058] Reference Figure 5 This illustrates a method for calculating the travel direction of the mask 8 based on the positions of the posture detection sensor 6 and the mask substrate 100. Figure 5 This image shows the conveyor roller 4, posture detection sensor 6, and enlarged view of the mask substrate 100 facing left in the conveying direction, indicating that the mask substrate 100 is in a curved state. Figure 5 In this process, the distances from the posture detection sensors 6a and 6b to the mask 8 are defined as la and lb, respectively, and the distance from the posture detection sensors 6a to 6b is defined as d. In this case, the tilt angle θ of the substrate relative to the transport direction can be detected using tanθ = (la - lb) / d. When θ is, for example, 0 degrees, the control device 9 can determine that the posture of the mask substrate 100 has not deviated relative to the reference. On the other hand, when θ is less than -1 degree or greater than 1 degree, the control device 9 can determine that the posture of the substrate has deviated relative to the reference and control the transport roller 4 to correct the deviation.

[0059] In addition, the processing of S401 can also be performed by the control device 9 by monitoring the power consumption of the servo motor 1.

[0060] Here, refer to Figure 6 (A) Figure 6(B) describes a method by which the control device 90 estimates the offset of the mask substrate 100's orientation relative to a reference based on the power consumption of the servo motor 1. The power consumption of the servo motor 1 can vary due to the load applied by the weight of the substrate when transporting the mask substrate 100. In this case, by monitoring the power consumption, it is possible to determine whether the transport roller 4 corresponding to the servo motor 1 is currently transporting the mask substrate 100.

[0061] Figure 6 In (A), the solid line 601 represents the change in power consumption of the servo motor 1 of the left conveyor roller 4 facing the conveying direction, and the dashed line 602 represents the power consumption of the servo motor 1 of the right conveyor roller 4. In this case, the power consumption difference at the point in time of the increase in power consumption of the left and right servo motors 1 is considered... Figure 6 In (A), based on the fact that PL is larger than PR, it can be determined that the substrate is closer to the left side. That is, by comparing the power consumption of the servo motor 1 that drives the left and right and front and back conveyor rollers 4, it is possible to determine which side is subjected to greater weight, that is, it is possible to determine the tilt of the mask substrate 100 and the shift of the substrate's center of gravity.

[0062] in addition, Figure 6 (B) The solid line 611 represents the change in power consumption of the servo motor 1 of the left conveyor roller 4 in the conveying direction, and the dashed line 612 represents the change in power consumption of the servo motor 1 of the right conveyor roller 4. In this case, the control device 90 can determine the timing of the mask substrate 100 being placed on the conveyor roller 4 by determining the moment when the power consumption of the servo motor 1 exceeds the threshold Pth. Then, the tilt of the mask substrate 100 can be determined based on the difference in timing between the left and right conveyor rollers 4. Figure 6 In example (B), the power consumption of the right-side servo motor 1 increases earlier than that of the left-side servo motor 1. Therefore, the control device 9 can determine that the right side of the conveying direction toward the mask substrate 100 proceeds first.

[0063] Next, in S402, the control device 90 determines whether posture control of the mask substrate 100 is required. For example, it determines whether the deviation of the mask substrate's posture relative to a reference is within an acceptable range. In S402, the control device 90 can also determine, based on the output value of the posture detection sensor 6, whether the distance to the mask substrate 100 deviates by more than 1 mm relative to the reference, and if the deviation is more than 1 mm, it determines that the posture of the mask substrate 100 needs to be corrected. In other words, if the reference gap between the side roller 4 and the mask substrate 100 is 5 mm, the control device 90 can determine that the posture of the mask substrate 100 needs to be corrected if the gap is less than 4 mm or more than 6 mm. The process ends when it is determined that posture control is not required. Figure 4 The processing.

[0064] In S403, the left and right servo motors 1 are independently controlled based on the offset of the mask substrate 100's posture relative to the reference, as determined in S401. For example, based on the offset of the mask substrate 100's posture relative to the reference, as determined in S401, target values ​​for the rotational speeds of the left and right conveyor rollers 4 are calculated respectively, and control values ​​corresponding to the target values ​​are set for the left and right servo motors 1. That is, the control device 90 independently controls the left and right conveyor rollers.

[0065] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, when the mask substrate 100 is tilted to the left in the conveying direction, control is applied to increase the rotational speed of the left conveyor roller 4 compared to the right conveyor roller 4, thereby causing the left mask substrate 100 to move more than the right. Therefore, the tilt of the mask substrate 100 can be corrected. For example, either the left or right conveyor roller 4 can be controlled, or the rotational speed of the right conveyor roller 4 can be decreased while the rotational speed of the left conveyor roller 4 is increased.

[0066] Furthermore, in S403, the control values ​​of the left and right servo motors 1 can be set based on the distance from the posture detection sensor 6 to the mask substrate 100 determined in S401. For example, if the distance from the posture detection sensor 6 on the left side of the conveying direction to the mask substrate 100 is 3 mm, since the reference value is 5 mm, the control device 90 can determine whether the mask substrate 100 is close to the left side of the conveying direction or facing the left. Therefore, by controlling the conveying speed of the conveying roller 4 on the left side of the conveying direction to be faster than the conveying speed of the conveying roller 4 on the right side, the posture of the mask substrate 100 can be controlled in the direction away from the left side roller 5.

[0067] As an example, the servo motor 1 has a rated rotational speed of 2000 rpm, a reducer (not shown) mounted on the servo motor has a reduction ratio of 1 / 16, and the conveyor roller 4 has a diameter of 50 mm. The conveying speed of the mask 8 when the servo motor 1 rotates at its rated rotational speed is 327 mm / sec. In this case, the conveying speed of the mask substrate 100, which reaches approximately 1 / 3 of the rated rotational speed of the servo motor 1, is set to 100 mm / sec. At this time, the rotational speed of the servo motor 1 is 611 rpm. Control is performed to accelerate the rotational speed of the servo motor 1 to a maximum of 200% while setting the rotational speed of the servo motor 1 to 100%. In this case, control is performed to detect the posture every second via the posture detection sensor 6 and increase the target value of the rotational speed of the servo motor 1 in increments of 1%. As a result, the posture of the mask substrate 100 can be restored to within 1 mm of the distance difference from the left and right side rollers, which serves as the posture reference, within approximately 20 seconds. When the mask substrate 100 returns to its normal position, the control device 9 restores the rotational speed of the servo motor 1 to a stable 611 rpm. In this embodiment, control is performed based on the part of the mask substrate 100 whose position deviates the most from the reference to correct the deviation, but for example, multiple deviations such as left front and right rear can also be corrected simultaneously.

[0068] Alternatively, the control device 90 may determine the control value of the tilting servo motor 1 based on the mask substrate 100 by means of a control model for steering, such as a circular motion model, a linear motion model, or a kinematic (mechanical) model.

[0069] Alternatively, the control device 90 may, after changing the rotational speed of the conveyor roller 4 by a predetermined amount, such as 1% of the current rotational speed, acquire the tilt of the mask substrate 100 again, and determine the control quantity of the servo motor 1 based on the change in rotational speed and the corresponding change in tilt. In other words, the control device 90 may also use a feedback-type control model for sequential control.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple servo motors 1 on the right side are set to the same control value, and the multiple servo motors 1 on the left side are set to the same control value. This is because when the rotational speeds of the front and rear conveyor rollers 4 in the conveying direction are different, slippage or deformation of the mask substrate 100 does not occur. However, when the diameters of the front and rear conveyor rollers 4 in the conveying direction are different, different control values ​​can be input to each servo motor 1. That is, in order to make the conveying speeds of the front and rear conveyor rollers 4 consistent in the conveying direction, different control values ​​can be input depending on the type of conveyor roller 4.

[0071] As explained above, through Figure 4 The processing, such as Figure 7Arrow 701 indicates that the conveying roller 4, moving towards the left side in the conveying direction, increases the conveying speed of the mask substrate 100, preventing contact with the left-side roller 5. The posture detection sensor 6, positioned at a distance from at least three points on the side of the mask substrate 100, can continuously detect the posture of the mask substrate 100. Furthermore, in Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 7 In the example, the posture detection sensors 6 are illustrated as being arranged at equal intervals, but as long as the control device 90 has information related to the intervals of each posture detection sensor 6, the posture detection sensors 6 can also be arranged at different intervals.

[0072] In this embodiment, posture control during the transport of the mask substrate 100 is described as being performed in the film-forming section 15. In one example, posture control may also be performed in the transport interval from the mask assembly section 13 to the mask separation section 17.

[0073] Alternatively, the posture of the mask 8 can be controlled during transport at the mask return section 21. This prevents damage to the mask 8.

[0074] As explained above, before the mask substrate 100 contacts the side roller 5, the control device 90 corrects the offset of the mask substrate 100's posture relative to the reference, thus preventing the mask substrate 100 from contacting the side roller 5. This reduces particle generation and substrate / tray misalignment, resulting in fewer defective products and improved yield.

[0075] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0076] The present invention can also be implemented by supplying a program that implements one or more functions of the above embodiments to a system or device, or to one or more processors in the computer of the system or device, via a network or storage medium, and having the program read and executed. Alternatively, it can be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0077] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0078] 1: Servo motor, 2: Coupling, 3: Magnetic seal, 4: Conveyor roller, 5: Side roller, 6: Posture detection sensor, 7: Glass substrate, 8: Mask, 11: Substrate input section, 12: Substrate conveying section, 13: Substrate-mask assembly section, 14: Chasing section, 15: Film forming section, 16: Pulling section, 17: Substrate-mask separation section, 18: Substrate conveying section, 19: Substrate discharge section, 20: Mask input section, 21: Mask return section, 23: Mask discharge section, 24: Vacuum conveying robot, 25: Vacuum conveying robot, 100: Mask substrate.

Claims

1. A conveying device, wherein the conveying device supports both sides of a conveying body and performs conveying, characterized in that, have: The first conveying roller, which is supported on the left side of the conveying body facing the conveying direction, conveys the conveying body; The second conveying roller, which is supported on the right side of the conveying body facing the conveying direction, conveys the conveying body. A detection component that detects the deviation of the orientation of the conveyor body relative to a reference; as well as A control unit independently controls the first and second conveyor rollers to correct the offset detected by the detection unit. The detection component monitors the power consumption of the servo motors of the first and second conveyor rollers. The control unit determines the deviation of the conveyor's posture relative to a reference based on the power consumption, and sets the control values ​​for the servo motors of the first and second conveyor rollers.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the detection results of the detection component, the control component calculates the target values ​​of the rotational speeds of the first conveyor roller and the second conveyor roller respectively, and sets the control values ​​of the first conveyor roller and the second conveyor roller to achieve the target values.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit determines the deviation of the conveyor's posture relative to a reference based on the difference in the timing of the rise in power consumption of the servo motors of the first and second conveyor rollers.

4. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit determines the deviation of the posture of the conveyor body relative to a reference based on the difference in power consumption of the servo motors of the first and second conveyor rollers at a predetermined time point.

5. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a side roller, which is disposed on the side of the conveying path of the conveyor body and abuts against the conveyor body conveyed by the first conveyor roller and the second conveyor roller to change the conveying direction of the conveyor body.

6. A film-forming apparatus, characterized in that, have: The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and An evaporation source that deposits film material onto a conveyor body transported by the conveying device.

7. A film-forming apparatus, characterized in that, have: The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and An alignment device that aligns the conveyor body transported by the conveying device with the mask.

8. A control method for a conveying device for conveying a conveying body, characterized in that, include: A detection process for detecting the deviation of the posture of the conveyor body relative to a reference; as well as A control process that independently controls a first conveyor roller that conveys the conveyor body on the left side of the conveying direction and a second conveyor roller that conveys the conveyor body on the right side of the conveying direction to correct the offset detected in the detection process. During the testing process, the power consumption of the servo motors of the first and second conveyor rollers is monitored. In the control process, the deviation of the posture of the conveyor relative to the reference is determined based on the power consumption, and the control values ​​of the servo motors of the first conveyor roller and the second conveyor roller are set.

9. A film-forming method, characterized in that, include: The process of conveying the conveyor body by controlling the conveying device using the control method described in claim 8; as well as The film-forming process is carried out while the conveyor body is being transported.

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