Mask positioning method and device, electronic equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a mask positioning method and device, electronic equipment and storage medium, comprising: obtaining etching information of a plurality of glasses in a current batch; when positioning a mask used for etching a glass, determining a target photolithography machine used for etching a first layer pattern of the glass based on the etching information; determining whether there is a target etched glass adopting the target photolithography machine to etch the first layer pattern and adopting a first positioning mode to position the mask when the current photolithography machine etches an n-th layer pattern; if yes, adopting a second positioning mode to position the mask based on compensation data of the mask when the target etched glass etches the n-th layer pattern and a positioning mark on the glass to be etched; and if no, adopting the first positioning mode to position the mask based on the positioning mark on the glass to be etched. The application realizes different positioning modes of the target photolithography machine etching the first layer pattern for positioning the mask, and improves the positioning precision of the mask.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of display panel processing technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium for positioning a mask. Background Technology

[0002] When etching multi-layer metal patterns on glass, the positioning marks of the masks for each subsequent layer are usually etched when etching the first layer, so that the masks for each layer can be positioned according to the positioning marks.

[0003] Currently, in order to improve production efficiency, when positioning the photomasks for patterns after the first pattern layer, the first two glass panes usually use the first positioning mode to position the photomasks, that is, to use all the positioning marks of all the photomasks for that pattern layer. The subsequent glass panes use the second positioning mode to position the photomasks, that is, to use some of the positioning marks of the photomasks for that pattern layer, in order to improve positioning efficiency.

[0004] However, in a batch of glass, if the first layer pattern and positioning marks are completed in different lithography machines, and there are differences between the lithography machines, using the above method to position the mask after the first layer pattern will result in differences in the positioning of the mask for the same layer pattern in different glasses, leading to a decrease in the positioning accuracy of the mask. As a result, the pattern accuracy after etching the first layer pattern based on the positioned mask will decrease. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium for positioning a photomask, in order to solve the problem of low positioning accuracy of existing photomasks due to differences in lithography machines.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for positioning a mask, comprising:

[0007] Obtain etching information for multiple pieces of glass in the current batch. The etching information includes information about the lithography machine used when etching the first layer pattern on the glass, and the positioning mark of the mask on which the nth layer pattern is etched on the glass, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2.

[0008] When positioning the mask used for etching the glass in the current batch, the target lithography machine used for etching the first layer pattern of the glass to be etched is determined based on the etching information.

[0009] Determine whether there is a target etched glass. The target etched glass is glass that has been etched with the first layer pattern by the target lithography machine, and the mask has been positioned by the first positioning mode when the current lithography machine is etching the nth layer pattern. The first positioning mode is a complete positioning mode.

[0010] If so, based on the compensation data of the mask when the nth layer pattern is etched on the target etched glass and the positioning mark on the glass to be etched, the mask is positioned using a second positioning mode, which is an incomplete positioning mode.

[0011] If not, the mask is positioned using the first positioning mode based on the positioning marks on the glass to be etched.

[0012] Optionally, before obtaining the etching information for multiple glass pieces in the current batch, the following steps are also included:

[0013] When etching the first layer pattern for each batch of glass, the positioning marks of the mask for the first layer pattern and the nth layer pattern are etched on the glass.

[0014] The photolithography machine number at the moment when the first layer of pattern is applied to each piece of glass is recorded as etching information.

[0015] Optionally, the step of positioning the mask using a second positioning mode based on the compensation data of the mask when etching the nth layer pattern on the target etched glass and the positioning marks on the glass to be etched includes:

[0016] Identify at least two pairs of target positioning marks from the positioning marks on the glass to be etched;

[0017] The initial position of the mask is obtained by positioning the mask using at least two pairs of target positioning markers;

[0018] The initial position is compensated using the compensation data to obtain the final position of the mask.

[0019] Optionally, after positioning the mask based on the at least two pairs of positioning marks, the method further includes:

[0020] The mask, positioned using the second positioning mode, is exposed to display the nth layer pattern on the photoresist on the glass to be etched;

[0021] The detection result is obtained by detecting the nth layer pattern;

[0022] When the detection result is unqualified, an abnormal alarm message is generated to locate the mask plate using the second positioning mode.

[0023] Optionally, the positioning of the mask based on the positioning marks on the glass to be etched using a first positioning mode includes:

[0024] Identify all positioning marks on the glass to be etched;

[0025] The mask plate is positioned using all positioning markers.

[0026] Optionally, after positioning the mask using all positioning markers, the method further includes:

[0027] The mask, positioned using the first positioning mode, is exposed to display the nth layer pattern on the photoresist on the glass to be etched;

[0028] The detection result is obtained by detecting the nth layer pattern;

[0029] When the detection result is unqualified, an abnormal alarm message is generated to locate the mask using the first positioning mode.

[0030] Optional, also includes:

[0031] The nth layer pattern is etched onto the glass to be etched using a positioned mask.

[0032] The detection result is obtained by detecting the pattern of the nth layer obtained by etching;

[0033] Based on the test results, defective glass was identified from multiple etched glass pieces in the current batch;

[0034] Replace the non-conforming glass in the current batch with glass that has a conforming pattern in the nth layer;

[0035] Update the etching information of the multiple glass pieces in the current batch.

[0036] Secondly, the present invention provides a mask positioning device, comprising:

[0037] The etching information acquisition module is used to acquire etching information of multiple pieces of glass in the current batch. The etching information includes information about the lithography machine used when etching the first layer pattern on the glass, and the positioning mark of the mask on the glass where the nth layer pattern is etched, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2.

[0038] The target lithography machine determination module is used to determine the target lithography machine used for etching the first layer pattern of the glass to be etched based on the etching information when positioning the mask used for the glass to be etched in the current batch.

[0039] The judgment module is used to determine whether there is a target etched glass. The target etched glass is glass that has been etched with the first layer of pattern by the target lithography machine and has been positioned by the mask using the first positioning mode when the current lithography machine is etching the nth layer of pattern. The first positioning mode is a complete positioning mode.

[0040] The first positioning module is used to position the mask based on the compensation data of the mask when etching the nth layer pattern on the target etched glass and the positioning mark on the glass to be etched, using a second positioning mode, wherein the second positioning mode is an incomplete positioning mode.

[0041] The second positioning module is used to position the mask plate using a first positioning mode based on the positioning mark on the glass to be etched.

[0042] Thirdly, the present invention provides an electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

[0043] At least one processor; and

[0044] A memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein,

[0045] The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the at least one processor, the computer program being executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the mask positioning method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0046] Fourthly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the mask positioning method described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0047] This invention can acquire etching information for multiple pieces of glass in the current batch. This etching information includes the lithography machine used when etching the first layer pattern on the glass. When positioning the mask used for etching the glass in the current batch, the target lithography machine used when etching the first layer pattern on the glass is determined based on the etching information. It is then determined whether a target etched glass exists. The target etched glass is the glass whose first layer pattern was etched using the target lithography machine, and whose mask was positioned using a first positioning mode when the current lithography machine etched the nth layer pattern. If so, the etching information is determined based on the compensation data of the mask used when the target etched glass etched the nth layer pattern and the positioning data on the glass to be etched. The mask is positioned using a second positioning mode, while the first positioning mode is a complete positioning mode and the second positioning mode is a partial positioning mode. This embodiment can determine the target lithography machine for etching the first layer pattern on each piece of glass in a batch. For glass etching the first layer pattern using the same target lithography machine, if the first positioning mode has already been used to position the mask, the second positioning mode is used; otherwise, the first positioning mode is used. This allows for the selection of different positioning modes based on the target lithography machine for etching the first layer pattern and whether the first positioning mode has already been used to position the mask, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the mask.

[0048] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0049] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0050] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a mask positioning method provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing multiple pieces of glass loaded onto a single vehicle as a batch of glass.

[0052] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the positioning marks on the glass;

[0053] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a mask positioning method provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of two pairs of target location markers;

[0055] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the replacement of substandard glass;

[0056] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mask positioning device provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0058] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0059] Example 1

[0060] Figure 1This is a flowchart of a photomask positioning method provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This embodiment is applicable to the positioning of photomasks. The method can be executed by a photomask positioning device, which can be implemented in hardware and / or software and can be configured in a lithography machine. Figure 1 As shown, the method for positioning the mask includes:

[0061] S101. Obtain etching information for multiple pieces of glass in the current batch. The etching information includes information about the lithography machine used when etching the first layer of pattern on the glass, and the positioning mark of the mask on the glass with the nth layer of pattern etched on it, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2.

[0062] In this embodiment, the multiple pieces of glass in the current batch can refer to multiple pieces of glass loaded in the same carrier that need to have the nth layer pattern etched on them. Here, n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. For example... Figure 2 As shown, m pieces of glass G(G1-G2) are to be etched with the nth layer pattern. m When the carrier K is transported to the lithography machine for etching the nth layer pattern, the lithography machine can obtain the number of the lithography machine used to etch the first layer pattern of each glass in the carrier K by scanning the identification code L on the carrier K. This number is the etching information. Of course, the etching information may also include other information such as time.

[0063] When etching the first layer pattern on each batch of glass, the positioning marks of the masks for the first and nth layer patterns are typically etched onto the glass, and the photolithography machine number used for etching the first layer pattern on each piece of glass is recorded as etching information, such as... Figure 3 The diagram shows a schematic of the positioning marks. Positioning marks d2 for the second layer pattern mask, d3 for the third layer pattern mask, and dn for the nth layer pattern mask can be etched onto the glass G. These positioning marks for different layer patterns are used to position the corresponding masks during etching, allowing the positioned masks to expose and display the pattern on the glass using a photolithography machine. Figure 3 The positioning marks in this example are merely examples. In practical applications, those skilled in the art can set the positioning marks of the mask for each pattern according to the actual situation. The setting of the positioning marks in this embodiment is not limited.

[0064] S102. When positioning the mask used for etching the glass in the current batch, determine the target lithography machine used for etching the first layer pattern of the glass based on the etching information.

[0065] In this embodiment, the mask is the mask used for the nth layer pattern exposure. For multiple pieces of glass in the current batch loaded in the carrier, by reading the identification code on the carrier loaded with glass, the lithography machine used for the first layer pattern etching of each piece of glass in the carrier can be determined as the target lithography machine.

[0066] For example, for a glass to be etched that is taken out from the carrier and transferred to the current lithography machine, the etching information corresponding to the glass to be etched can be determined according to the position of the glass to be etched in the carrier, and the number of the lithography machine that etches the first layer pattern can be read from the etching information to determine the target lithography machine.

[0067] In another example, each piece of glass may be provided with an identification code, so that the number of the lithography machine that etches the first layer pattern of each piece of glass can be directly determined by the identification code of each piece of glass. This embodiment does not limit the method of determining the target lithography machine.

[0068] S103. Determine whether there is a target etched glass. The target etched glass is the glass that has been etched with the first layer pattern by the target lithography machine and has used the first positioning mode to position the mask when the current lithography machine is etching the nth layer pattern. The first positioning mode is the complete positioning mode.

[0069] Specifically, after determining the number of the lithography machine used to etch the first layer pattern of the glass to be etched, it can be determined whether the current lithography machine has etched the nth layer pattern. From the glass that has etched the nth layer pattern, the glass that has also sampled the first layer pattern etched by the target lithography machine and used the first positioning mode to position the mask when etching the nth layer pattern is identified as the target etched glass.

[0070] In this process, the number of positioning marks on the mask of each pattern layer is more than two. The first positioning mode is the mode of positioning the mask using all the positioning marks of the mask of the nth pattern layer. If there is a target that has been etched glass, then S104 is executed; otherwise, S105 is executed.

[0071] S104. Based on the compensation data of the mask when etching the nth layer pattern on the target etched glass and the positioning marks on the glass to be etched, the mask is positioned using a second positioning mode, which is an incomplete positioning mode.

[0072] For the glass to be etched, since there is already a target etched glass, that is, a glass with the same photolithography machine as the first layer pattern etched and which has already been positioned using the first positioning mode, the second positioning mode can be used to position the mask for the glass to be etched. The second positioning mode is to select a portion of the positioning marks of the mask of the nth layer pattern on the glass to be etched to position the mask. The compensation data is the offset between the positioning marks on the mask and the positioning marks on the glass to be etched.

[0073] S105. Position the mask using the first positioning mode based on the positioning marks on the glass to be etched.

[0074] For the glass to be etched, since there is already a target etched glass, that is, there is no glass with the same photolithography machine as the first layer pattern etched and the mask has already been positioned using the first positioning mode, the mask is positioned using all the positioning marks of the mask of the nth layer pattern on the glass to be etched.

[0075] This embodiment identifies the target lithography machine for etching the first layer pattern on each piece of glass in a batch. For glass using the same target lithography machine to etch the first layer pattern, if the first positioning mode has already been used to position the mask, then the second positioning mode is used to position the mask; otherwise, the first positioning mode is used. This allows for the selection of different positioning modes based on the different target lithography machines used to etch the first layer pattern and whether multiple first positioning modes have already been used to position the mask, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the mask.

[0076] Example 2

[0077] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a mask positioning method provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This embodiment of the present invention is an optimization based on Embodiment 1 described above, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the method for positioning the mask includes:

[0078] S201. Obtain etching information for multiple pieces of glass in the current batch. The etching information includes information about the lithography machine used when etching the first layer of pattern on the glass, and the positioning mark of the mask on the glass with the nth layer of pattern etched on it, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2.

[0079] S202. When positioning the mask used for etching the glass in the current batch, determine the target lithography machine used for etching the first layer pattern of the glass based on the etching information.

[0080] S203. Determine whether there is a target etched glass. The target etched glass is the glass that has been etched with the first layer pattern by the target lithography machine, and the mask has been positioned by the first positioning mode when the current lithography machine is etching the nth layer pattern. The first positioning mode is the complete positioning mode.

[0081] The above S201-S203 can be referred to as S101-S103 in Embodiment 1, and will not be described in detail here.

[0082] If it is determined in S203 that there is a target etched glass, proceed to S204-S206; otherwise, proceed to S207-208.

[0083] S204. Identify at least two pairs of target positioning marks from the positioning marks on the glass to be etched.

[0084] like Figure 5 As shown, assuming the current lithography machine needs to etch a second layer pattern, at least two pairs of target positioning marks (d21, d22) and (d23, d24) of the mask for the second layer pattern can be determined on the glass to be etched.

[0085] S205. Use at least two pairs of target positioning markers to position the mask to obtain the initial position of the mask.

[0086] In this embodiment, the mask is provided with corresponding positioning marks. The initial positioning of the mask is achieved by aligning the positioning marks on the mask with the positioning marks on the glass to be etched. For example, the initial positioning can be achieved by aligning most of the positioning marks, or by aligning the offsets of each positioning mark on average. This embodiment does not limit the method of using at least two pairs of target positioning marks to position the mask and obtain the initial position of the mask.

[0087] S206. The initial position is compensated using compensation data to obtain the final position of the mask.

[0088] The compensation data is the offset between the positioning mark on the mask and the positioning mark on the glass after the mask is positioned using the first positioning mode. After the mask is positioned using at least two pairs of target positioning marks to obtain the initial position of the mask, the offset is superimposed on the initial position to obtain the final position of the mask.

[0089] In an optional embodiment, the mask positioned in the second positioning mode can be exposed to display the nth layer pattern on the photoresist on the glass to be etched. The nth layer pattern is then inspected to obtain a test result. If the test result is unqualified, an abnormal alarm message is generated indicating that the mask was positioned using the second positioning mode. If the inspection result is qualified, the next piece of glass is etched. For example, when the first positioning mode is switched to the second positioning mode, after the mask is positioned using the second positioning mode and the photoresist on the glass is exposed to obtain the nth layer pattern, the position data of the nth layer pattern can be measured using the measurement points of the nth layer pattern as the test result. This position data can represent the relative position between the nth layer pattern and the first layer pattern. If the test result is unqualified, it is determined that the mask positioning using the second positioning mode is abnormal. An abnormal message can be generated to prompt the staff to determine the cause of the abnormality, thus avoiding a large number of defects in mass production.

[0090] S207. Identify all target positioning marks on the glass to be etched.

[0091] That is, select all the positioning marks on the glass to be etched for the mask positioning of the nth layer pattern, and use them as target positioning marks.

[0092] S208. Position the mask using all target positioning marks.

[0093] Specifically, positioning the mask using all positioning marks can be based on the principle of prioritizing the alignment of most positioning marks, or it can be based on the principle of prioritizing the equal distribution of the offset of each positioning mark. This embodiment does not limit the method of positioning the mask using all positioning marks.

[0094] In an optional embodiment, the mask positioned using the first positioning mode can be exposed to display the nth layer pattern on the photoresist on the glass to be etched. The nth layer pattern is then inspected to obtain a detection result. If the detection result is unqualified, an abnormal alarm message is generated indicating that the mask was positioned using the first positioning mode. That is, when the mask is positioned using the first positioning mode, the offset between the preset measurement point in the nth layer pattern and the corresponding measurement point in the first layer pattern can be calculated. If the offset is greater than a preset threshold, the mask positioned using the first positioning mode is determined to be abnormal, and an abnormal alarm message can be generated to remind the staff to manually intervene in the mask positioning.

[0095] When the test result is qualified, the offset between the positioning mark on the mask and the positioning mark on the glass can be calculated. This offset is stored in the memory as compensation data so that it can be used for positioning in the second positioning mode.

[0096] S209. Use the positioned mask to etch the nth layer pattern on the glass to be etched.

[0097] After the photomask is positioned, the photomask can be used to expose and develop the lithography machine on the glass to be etched, and then etch the nth layer pattern. The method of etching the pattern can refer to existing technology, which will not be described in detail here.

[0098] S210. The nth layer pattern obtained by etching is detected to obtain the detection result.

[0099] Specifically, the distance between the nth layer pattern and the pre-marked measurement points in the first layer pattern can be measured as the detection result.

[0100] S211. Based on the test results, identify the substandard glass from multiple etched glass pieces in the current batch.

[0101] After etching the nth layer pattern on multiple pieces of glass in the current batch and obtaining the test results for each piece of glass, the unqualified glass can be identified.

[0102] S212. Replace the unqualified glass in the current batch with glass that has a qualified pattern in the nth layer.

[0103] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, assuming the second and m-th pieces of glass are defective, the robotic arm can be controlled to remove the second and m-th pieces of glass from the carrier K, and two pieces of glass with a qualified n-th layer pattern can be selected from other locations and placed in the second and m-th positions of the carrier K respectively to replace the second and m-th pieces of glass.

[0104] S213. Update the etching information of multiple glass pieces in the current batch.

[0105] Specifically, the etching information of the previously defective second glass and m-th glass is deleted from the etching information associated with the identification code on the carrier K in the system. For example, the number of the lithography machine used to etch the first layer pattern of the previously defective second glass and m-th glass is deleted, and the number of the lithography machine used to etch the first layer pattern of the two replacement glasses is added.

[0106] To enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand the mask positioning method of the present invention, the following description is provided in conjunction with examples.

[0107] Assume the information for the current batch of glass is as shown in the table below:

[0108]

[0109]

[0110] As shown in the table above, the current lithography machine etches the nth layer pattern sequentially, starting from the first glass. The first glass uses lithography machine #1 to etch the first layer pattern. Before this, the current lithography machine did not use the first positioning mode to perform mask positioning on the glass using lithography machine #1 to etch the first layer pattern. When etching the nth layer pattern on the first glass, the current lithography machine first uses the first positioning mode to position the mask and obtain compensation data. Afterwards, when etching the nth layer pattern on the second glass, since the second glass also uses lithography machine #1 to etch the first layer pattern, which is the same lithography machine used when etching the first layer pattern on the first glass, and since the current lithography machine has already used the first positioning mode to position the mask on the first glass, the second positioning mode can be used to position the mask on the second glass, and so on.

[0111] This embodiment identifies the target lithography machine for etching the first layer pattern on each piece of glass in a batch. For glass using the same target lithography machine to etch the first layer pattern, if the mask has already been positioned using the first positioning mode, at least two pairs of target positioning marks are identified from the positioning marks on the glass to be etched. The initial position of the mask is obtained by using at least two pairs of target positioning marks, and the initial position is compensated using compensation data to obtain the final position of the mask. If the mask has not been positioned using the first positioning mode, all target positioning marks are identified from the glass to be etched, and the mask is positioned using all target positioning marks. This allows for the selection of different positioning modes based on the different target lithography machines used for etching the first layer pattern and whether multiple first positioning modes have been used for mask positioning, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the mask.

[0112] Furthermore, after the nth layer of pattern is etched on the current batch of glass, defective glass is identified and replaced with qualified glass. The etching information is then updated to ensure that the quantity of glass in each batch is maximized, thereby improving the utilization rate and automation of the glass loading carrier and increasing production efficiency.

[0113] Example 3

[0114] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a mask positioning device provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the positioning device for the mask plate includes:

[0115] Etching information acquisition module 301 is used to acquire etching information of multiple pieces of glass in the current batch. The etching information includes information of the photolithography machine used when etching the first layer pattern on the glass, and the positioning mark of the mask on which the nth layer pattern is etched on the glass, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2.

[0116] The target lithography machine determination module 302 is used to determine the target lithography machine used for etching the first layer pattern of the glass to be etched based on the etching information when positioning the mask used for the glass to be etched in the current batch.

[0117] The judgment module 303 is used to determine whether there is a target etched glass. The target etched glass is glass that has been etched with the first layer of pattern by the target lithography machine and has been positioned by the mask using the first positioning mode when the current lithography machine is etching the nth layer of pattern. The first positioning mode is a complete positioning mode.

[0118] The first positioning module 304 is used to position the mask based on the compensation data of the mask when etching the nth layer pattern on the target etched glass and the positioning mark on the glass to be etched, using a second positioning mode, wherein the second positioning mode is an incomplete positioning mode.

[0119] The second positioning module 305 is used to position the mask plate using a first positioning mode based on the positioning mark on the glass to be etched.

[0120] Optional, also includes:

[0121] The first layer etching module is used to etch positioning marks of the mask for the first layer pattern and the nth layer pattern on the glass when etching the first layer pattern for each batch of glass.

[0122] The etching information recording module is used to record the photolithography machine number at the moment when the first layer of pattern is applied to each piece of glass as etching information.

[0123] Optionally, the first positioning module 304 includes:

[0124] The first target positioning mark determination unit is used to determine at least two pairs of target positioning marks from the positioning marks on the glass to be etched;

[0125] An initial position positioning unit is used to position the mask plate using the at least two pairs of target positioning markers to obtain the initial position of the mask plate;

[0126] The first final position determination unit is used to compensate the initial position using the compensation data to obtain the final position of the mask plate.

[0127] Optionally, the base first positioning module 304 further includes:

[0128] The first exposure unit is used to expose the mask after it is positioned using the second positioning mode, so as to display the nth layer pattern on the photoresist on the glass to be etched.

[0129] The first detection unit is used to detect the nth layer pattern and obtain the detection result;

[0130] The first abnormal alarm information generation unit is used to generate abnormal alarm information for positioning the mask plate using the second positioning mode when the detection result is unqualified.

[0131] Optionally, the second positioning module 305 includes:

[0132] The second target positioning mark determination unit is used to determine all target positioning marks from the glass to be etched;

[0133] The second final position positioning unit is used to position the mask using all positioning marks.

[0134] Optionally, the second positioning module 305 further includes:

[0135] The second exposure unit is used to expose the mask after it has been positioned using the first positioning mode, so as to display the nth layer pattern on the photoresist on the glass to be etched.

[0136] The second detection result determination unit is used to detect the nth layer pattern and obtain the detection result;

[0137] The second abnormal alarm information generation unit is used to generate abnormal alarm information for positioning the mask plate using the first positioning mode when the detection result is unqualified.

[0138] The compensation data storage unit is used to calculate the offset between the positioning mark on the mask and the positioning mark on the glass to be etched when the detection result is qualified, and to store the compensation data as compensation data.

[0139] Optionally, it also includes:

[0140] An etching module is used to etch the nth layer pattern onto the glass to be etched using a positioned mask.

[0141] The detection result acquisition module is used to detect the nth layer pattern obtained by etching and obtain the detection result;

[0142] The defective glass identification module is used to identify defective glass from multiple etched glass pieces in the current batch based on the test results.

[0143] A glass replacement module is used to replace the defective glass in the current batch with glass that has a qualified pattern in the nth layer.

[0144] The etching information update module is used to update the etching information of multiple glass pieces in the current batch.

[0145] The mask positioning device provided in the embodiments of the present invention can execute the mask positioning method provided in any embodiment of the present invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of the method execution.

[0146] Example 4

[0147] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of an electronic device 40 that can be used to implement embodiments of the present invention is shown. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices (e.g., helmets, glasses, watches, etc.), and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the implementation of the invention described and / or claimed herein.

[0148] like Figure 8 As shown, the electronic device 40 includes at least one processor 41 and a memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM) 42 or a random access memory (RAM) 43, communicatively connected to the at least one processor 41. The memory stores computer programs executable by the at least one processor. The processor 41 can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on the computer program stored in the ROM 42 or loaded into the RAM 43 from storage unit 48. The RAM 43 may also store various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 40. The processor 41, ROM 42, and RAM 43 are interconnected via a bus 44. An input / output (I / O) interface 45 is also connected to the bus 44.

[0149] Multiple components in electronic device 40 are connected to I / O interface 45, including: input unit 46, such as keyboard, mouse, etc.; output unit 47, such as various types of monitors, speakers, etc.; storage unit 48, such as disk, optical disk, etc.; and communication unit 49, such as network card, modem, wireless transceiver, etc. Communication unit 49 allows electronic device 40 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks.

[0150] Processor 41 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of processor 41 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various processors running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. Processor 41 performs the various methods and processes described above, such as the mask positioning method.

[0151] In some embodiments, the mask positioning method may be implemented as a computer program tangibly contained in a computer-readable storage medium, such as storage unit 48. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and / or mounted on electronic device 40 via ROM 42 and / or communication unit 49. When the computer program is loaded into RAM 43 and executed by processor 41, one or more steps of the mask positioning method described above may be performed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, processor 41 may be configured to perform the mask positioning method by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0152] Various embodiments of the systems and techniques described above herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may include implementations in one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be a dedicated or general-purpose programmable processor, capable of receiving data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transmitting data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.

[0153] Computer programs used to implement the methods of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These computer programs may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, such that when executed by the processor, the computer programs cause the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be performed. The computer programs may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, or as a standalone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0154] In the context of this invention, a computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a computer program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. Alternatively, a computer-readable storage medium may be a machine-readable signal medium. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0155] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on an electronic device having: a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user; and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user provides input to the electronic device. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including sound input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0156] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing systems that include backend components (e.g., as data servers), or computing systems that include middleware components (e.g., application servers), or computing systems that include frontend components (e.g., user computers with graphical user interfaces or web browsers through which users can interact with implementations of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication of any form or medium (e.g., communication networks). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), blockchain networks, and the Internet.

[0157] A computing system can include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally located far apart and typically interact through communication networks. The client-server relationship is created by computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other. The server can be a cloud server, also known as a cloud computing server or cloud host, which is a hosting product within the cloud computing service system to address the shortcomings of traditional physical hosts and VPS services, such as high management difficulty and weak business scalability.

[0158] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0159] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for positioning a photomask, characterized in that, Applications in display panel manufacturing, including: Obtain etching information for multiple pieces of glass in the current batch. The etching information includes information about the lithography machine used when etching the first layer pattern on the glass, and the positioning mark of the mask on which the nth layer pattern is etched on the glass, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. When positioning the mask used for etching the glass in the current batch, the target lithography machine used for etching the first layer pattern of the glass to be etched is determined based on the etching information. Determine whether there is a target etched glass. The target etched glass is glass that has been etched with the first layer pattern by the target lithography machine, and the mask has been positioned by the first positioning mode when the current lithography machine is etching the nth layer pattern. The first positioning mode is a complete positioning mode that uses all the positioning marks of the mask of the nth layer pattern to position the mask. If so, based on the compensation data of the mask when the nth layer pattern is etched on the target etched glass and the positioning marks on the glass to be etched, the mask is positioned using a second positioning mode. The second positioning mode is an incomplete positioning mode that uses some positioning marks of the mask of the nth layer pattern to position the mask. If not, the mask is positioned using the first positioning mode based on the positioning marks on the glass to be etched; Based on the compensation data of the mask when etching the nth layer pattern on the target etched glass and the positioning marks on the glass to be etched, a second positioning mode is used to position the mask, including: Identify at least two pairs of target positioning marks from the positioning marks on the glass to be etched; The initial position of the mask is obtained by positioning the mask using at least two pairs of target positioning markers; The initial position is compensated using the compensation data to obtain the final position of the mask plate. The compensation data is the offset between the positioning mark on the mask plate and the positioning mark on the glass after the mask plate is positioned using the first positioning mode. The final position of the mask plate is obtained by superimposing the offset on the initial position.

2. The method for positioning a mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before obtaining the etching information for multiple glass pieces in the current batch, the process also includes: When etching the first layer pattern for each batch of glass, the positioning marks of the mask for the first layer pattern and the nth layer pattern are etched on the glass. The photolithography machine number at the moment when the first layer of pattern is applied to each piece of glass is recorded as etching information.

3. The method for positioning a mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, After positioning the mask using the second positioning mode, the process further includes: The mask, positioned using the second positioning mode, is exposed to display the nth layer pattern on the photoresist on the glass to be etched; The detection result is obtained by detecting the nth layer pattern; When the detection result is unqualified, an abnormal alarm message is generated to locate the mask plate using the second positioning mode.

4. The method for positioning a mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning of the mask plate based on the positioning marks on the glass to be etched using a first positioning mode includes: All target positioning marks are determined from the glass to be etched, wherein the target positioning marks are the positioning marks of the mask of the nth layer pattern; The mask is positioned using all target positioning markers.

5. The method for positioning a mask plate according to claim 4, characterized in that, After positioning the mask using all positioning markers, the process further includes: The mask, positioned using the first positioning mode, is exposed to display the nth layer pattern on the photoresist on the glass to be etched; The detection result is obtained by detecting the nth layer pattern; When the detection result is unqualified, an abnormal alarm message is generated for positioning the mask plate using the first positioning mode; When the test result is qualified, the offset between the positioning mark on the mask and the positioning mark on the glass to be etched is calculated as compensation data and the compensation data is stored.

6. The method for positioning a mask according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Also includes: The nth layer pattern is etched onto the glass to be etched using a positioned mask. The detection result is obtained by detecting the nth layer pattern obtained by etching; Based on the test results, defective glass was identified from multiple etched glass pieces in the current batch; Replace the non-conforming glass in the current batch with glass that has a conforming pattern in the nth layer; Update the etching information of the multiple glass pieces in the current batch.

7. A positioning device for a photomask, characterized in that, Applications in display panel manufacturing, including: The etching information acquisition module is used to acquire etching information of multiple pieces of glass in the current batch. The etching information includes information about the lithography machine used when etching the first layer pattern on the glass, and the positioning mark of the mask on the glass where the nth layer pattern is etched, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. The target lithography machine determination module is used to determine the target lithography machine used for etching the first layer pattern of the glass to be etched based on the etching information when positioning the mask used for the glass to be etched in the current batch. The judgment module is used to determine whether there is a target etched glass. The target etched glass is glass that has been etched with the first layer pattern by the target lithography machine and has been positioned by the mask using the first positioning mode when the current lithography machine is etching the nth layer pattern. The first positioning mode is a complete positioning mode that uses all the positioning marks of the mask of the nth layer pattern to position the mask. The first positioning module is used to position the mask based on the compensation data of the mask when etching the nth layer pattern on the target etched glass and the positioning marks on the glass to be etched, using a second positioning mode. The second positioning mode is an incomplete positioning mode that uses some positioning marks of the mask of the nth layer pattern to position the mask. The second positioning module is used to position the mask plate using a first positioning mode based on the positioning mark on the glass to be etched. The first positioning module includes: The first target positioning mark determination unit is used to determine at least two pairs of target positioning marks from the positioning marks on the glass to be etched; An initial position positioning unit is used to position the mask plate using the at least two pairs of target positioning markers to obtain the initial position of the mask plate; The first final position determination unit is used to compensate the initial position using the compensation data to obtain the final position of the mask plate. The compensation data is the offset between the positioning mark on the mask plate and the positioning mark on the glass after the mask plate is positioned using the first positioning mode. The final position of the mask plate is obtained by superimposing the offset on the initial position.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes: At least one processor; and A memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the mask positioning method according to any one of claims 1-6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the mask positioning method according to any one of claims 1-6.

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