Carrier plate information management method of evaporation equipment, evaporation equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a carrier plate information management method of evaporation equipment, the evaporation equipment and a storage medium, the method is realized based on a chamber structure of the evaporation equipment, and the method comprises the following steps: defining a group of carrier plate information queues for storing carrier plate information structural bodies for each chamber, each group of carrier plate information queues at least comprising one information queue; in response to a first event that a feeding sensor of a specific chamber is triggered, transmitting an information structure body of a target carrier plate from an information queue of a previous adjacent chamber to an idle information queue of a maximum serial number of the specific chamber; wherein the information structure body is transmitted and managed among the information queues of the chambers in a first-in first-out manner. Through event driving triggered by a feeding sensor of a specific cavity and sequence management between information queues, a first-in first-out method is adopted for transmission and management of carrier plate information, the operation load of a PLC is effectively relieved, and efficient, coherent and reliable transmission of the carrier plate information is achieved.

Description

A method for managing carrier information in a vapor deposition equipment, the vapor deposition equipment, and a storage medium. Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vacuum coating equipment control technology, and in particular to a carrier plate information management method, evaporation equipment and storage medium for evaporation equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Evaporation equipment is a key piece of equipment in the manufacturing of solar cells, semiconductors and display panels. With precise speed control as its core, it completes the coating operation by providing a uniform and constant evaporation rate during the stable transmission of the carrier board, so as to ensure that the coating layer thickness is stable and consistent.

[0003] In the vapor deposition process, carrier information (such as carrier ID, cumulative vapor deposition times, substrate ID, start / end vapor deposition time, etc.) is a crucial traceability basis for ensuring process stability and coating quality. Currently, high-performance vapor deposition equipment typically uses a programmable logic controller (PLC) to directly control the temperature via a PID controller and controls the film thickness gauge slave via high-speed TCP communication to achieve dynamic adjustment of vapor deposition parameters. To ensure that the PLC dedicates its main computing resources to core process PID calculations and high-speed communication, other parts of the equipment must conserve computing resources as much as possible.

[0004] In existing technologies, carrier board information management typically faces the following challenges: High resource consumption: Traditional methods often use For loop statements to scan the position of each carrier board throughout the entire process, which significantly prolongs the PLC's scanning cycle, squeezes out the computing resources that are originally used for core process control, and affects the equipment's response speed and control accuracy.

[0005] Inflexible information management: It is difficult to efficiently and reliably manage the dynamic information flow generated when multiple carrier boards move continuously and at high speed within the equipment, resulting in sluggish and discontinuous display of the human-machine interface (HMI) and difficulty in achieving accurate carrier board position tracking.

[0006] Poor system integration: The carrier board information fails to achieve deep and efficient integration with equipment safety controls (such as valve interlocks) and the upper-level manufacturing execution system (MES). Data transmission often requires additional redundant code, which increases system complexity and the probability of errors.

[0007] For example, Chinese patent document CN116167390A discloses a carrier plate identification method and PVD coating equipment, which uses identification components at the loading and unloading ends to read identification holes on the carrier plate to obtain information such as the carrier plate ID. This method focuses on static identification and recording at specific points and does not solve the problems of dynamic information transmission, real-time position calculation, and system resource optimization during the continuous movement of the carrier plate inside the equipment.

[0008] For example, Chinese patent document CN120174328A discloses a carrier plate transfer method and a vacuum coating apparatus, which optimizes the physical spacing of the carrier plates through multi-segment speed control to reduce chip loss and save target material. This solution focuses on the motion control of the carrier plate itself, rather than the management and transmission of information data flow associated with the carrier plate, and also does not involve PLC resource optimization and information-driven system coordination.

[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a solution that can significantly reduce the PLC's computational load while ensuring information reliability and achieving efficient and coherent information flow on the carrier board. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a method for managing carrier information in a vapor deposition equipment, a vapor deposition equipment and a storage medium, which can effectively reduce the computational load of the PLC and realize the efficient, continuous and reliable transmission of carrier information.

[0011] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a technical solution as follows: a method for managing carrier plate information in a vapor deposition apparatus, the method being implemented based on the chamber structure of the vapor deposition apparatus, the chamber structure comprising multiple chambers arranged sequentially along the carrier plate transport direction; the method comprising: defining a set of carrier plate information queues for each chamber, each set of carrier plate information queues comprising at least one information queue, each set of carrier plate information queues being used to store information structures of one or more carrier plates; in response to a first event triggered by a feed sensor in a specific chamber, transferring the information structure of a target carrier plate from the information queue of the previous adjacent chamber to the idle information queue with the largest sequence number of the specific chamber; wherein, the information structure is transferred and managed among the information queues of the chambers using a first-in, first-out (FIFO) method.

[0012] Furthermore, the step of "transferring the information structure of the target carrier from the information queue of the previous adjacent chamber to the idle queue with the largest sequence number of the specific chamber" includes: determining the target information queue for receiving the target carrier information structure according to the current occupancy status of each information queue of the specific chamber; writing the information structure of the target carrier into the target information queue, and returning a completion signal to the previous adjacent chamber after writing is completed; and clearing the carrier information of the corresponding source carrier information queue in the previous adjacent chamber in response to the completion signal.

[0013] Furthermore, when multiple information queues are set up in the same chamber, if there is an empty space in the information queue with a larger sequence number, the information structure in the preceding information queue with a smaller sequence number is written into the information queue with the larger sequence number.

[0014] Furthermore, the method also includes a carrier plate position calculation step: maintaining a basic position value and a real-time displacement value for each information queue of each chamber; when a carrier plate information structure enters a certain information queue due to an event, updating its basic position value with its physical position at the trigger time; while the carrier plate information structure resides in the information queue, dynamically calculating the real-time displacement value and updating the carrier plate position based on the integral of the motor speed and time of the chamber to which it belongs; and sending the real-time updated carrier plate position variable to the human-computer interaction interface to drive the continuous display of the carrier plate position animation.

[0015] Furthermore, for a chamber driven by multiple servo motors, the equivalent motor speed used for calculating the position of the carrier plate is obtained by: acquiring the actual operating speed of each motor; calculating the weight of each motor speed based on the time required for each motor speed to traverse the length of the chamber; and weighting the actual speeds of each motor according to their corresponding weights to obtain the equivalent motor speed of the chamber.

[0016] Furthermore, the information structure includes the cumulative number of vapor depositions, and the cumulative number of vapor depositions update step includes: defining an array corresponding to the carrier ID, wherein the array value stores the cumulative number of vapor depositions for the corresponding carrier; when the carrier is identified and the feeding sensor is triggered for the first time, the corresponding position in the array is located according to its carrier ID, and the value stored at that position is incremented by one, thereby increasing the cumulative number of vapor depositions by one.

[0017] Furthermore, the method also includes a data interaction step with the Manufacturing Execution System (MES): during the transmission of the carrier information structure between information queues, timestamp information is recorded; when the carrier information structure is transmitted to the information queue of the next adjacent chamber, the carrier information is packaged into a data packet and sent to the MES; a verification variable is set, and its value is changed before and after data transmission for the purpose of verifying the reliability and integrity of the communication process.

[0018] Furthermore, the method also includes an equipment protection step: using the calculated carrier plate position information as one of the interlocking conditions for controlling the opening and closing of the chamber valve to prevent interference between the carrier plate and the valve; and / or counting the number of carrier plates in the process chamber in real time, and prohibiting the upstream chamber from transmitting carrier plate information and physically feeding materials to the process chamber when the number exceeds a set threshold.

[0019] One embodiment of the present invention also provides a vapor deposition apparatus, comprising: one or more processors; a memory; and one or more computer programs, wherein the one or more computer programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs comprising instructions for performing the methods described in any of the above.

[0020] In embodiments of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a computer program for controlling a vapor deposition apparatus, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method described in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0021] The carrier plate information management method, evaporation equipment, and storage medium provided by this invention, compared with the prior art, define a set of carrier plate information queues for each chamber, focusing on a single chamber and only associating data from adjacent chambers. Through event-driven processing triggered by the feed sensor of a specific chamber and sequence management between information queues, a first-in-first-out (FIFO) method is used for the transmission and management of carrier plate information. This effectively reduces the computational load on the PLC, improves the overall response speed and control accuracy of the evaporation equipment, and achieves efficient, continuous, and reliable transmission of carrier plate information. In particular, by maintaining a basic [database name missing] for each information queue in each chamber... The carrier plate position is updated in real time using a position value and a real-time position value. By connecting the position variable with the human-machine interface, the carrier plate position animation displayed in the human-machine interface can accurately reflect the equipment's operating status. The display rate of the carrier plate position animation is adjusted in real time in conjunction with the actual transmission speed of the carrier plate, ultimately achieving a precise visualization of the carrier plate's motion trajectory. In particular, by using the calculated carrier plate position information as one of the interlocking conditions for controlling the opening and stopping of the chamber valve, interference between the carrier plate and the valve can be prevented, improving the equipment's protection capabilities and helping to reduce equipment damage or process interruptions. Attached Figure Description

[0022] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute a limitation on scale.

[0023] Figure 1 is a flowchart of the carrier plate information management method in the vapor deposition equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the chamber structure of the vapor deposition equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the length model of the carrier plate and the wafer feeding chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the length model of the carrier plate and the buffer chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the length model of the carrier plate and the process chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the carrier plate information queue structure in each chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 is a timing diagram of carrier plate information transmission between individual information queue chambers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. First wafer loading chamber; 2. Second wafer loading chamber; 3. Third wafer loading chamber; 4. First buffer chamber; 5. First process chamber; 6. Second buffer chamber; 7. Second process chamber; 8. Third buffer chamber; 9. Third wafer exit chamber; 10. Second wafer exit chamber; 11. First wafer exit chamber; 12. Loading platform; 13. Unloading platform; 14. Discharge sensor of the first buffer chamber; 15. Feed sensor of the second buffer chamber; 16. Discharge sensor of the second buffer chamber; 17. Feed sensor of the third buffer chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the various embodiments of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will understand that many technical details have been provided in the various embodiments of this invention to facilitate a better understanding of this application. However, the technical solutions claimed in the claims of this application can be implemented even without these technical details and with various variations and modifications based on the following embodiments.

[0026] It should be noted that the following terms used in this article, such as CLASS, PLC, ID, and PID, are conventional technical terms in this field.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a carrier plate information management method for a vapor deposition apparatus, implemented based on the chamber structure of the vapor deposition apparatus. The chamber structure includes multiple chambers arranged sequentially along the carrier plate transport direction. The method includes: defining a set of carrier plate information queues for each chamber, each set of carrier plate information queues being used to store information structures of one or more carrier plates; wherein the number of information queues in each set of carrier plate information queues is determined according to the physical dimensions of the chamber, the length of the carrier plate, and process requirements, and includes at least one information queue, with each information queue corresponding to the storage of an information structure of one carrier plate; responding to a first event triggered by a feed sensor in a specific chamber. The information structure of the target carrier board from the information queue of the previous adjacent chamber is transferred to the idle information queue with the largest sequence number of the specific chamber. In one example, the step of transferring the target carrier board information structure to the idle information queue with the largest sequence number of the specific chamber includes: determining the target information queue to receive the target carrier board information structure according to the current occupancy status of each information queue of the specific chamber; writing the information structure of the target carrier board into the target carrier board information queue, and returning a completion signal to the previous adjacent chamber after writing is completed; and clearing the carrier board information stored in the corresponding source information queue in the previous adjacent chamber in response to the completion signal.

[0028] The target carrier information structure is transferred and managed among the information queues in the chamber using a first-in, first-out (FIFO) method, without needing to update the carrier information by cyclically scanning all carrier positions. The carrier information structure includes, but is not limited to, the following parameters: chamber serial number, carrier ID, substrate ID, carrier status, carrier position, whether to delete the carrier, cumulative evaporation count, start evaporation time, and end evaporation time. Specifically, the carrier ID is an integer obtained by converting the key on each carrier into binary; the substrate ID is a 20-character string, a combination of letters and numbers; the carrier status is a Boolean value, comparing the cumulative evaporation count setpoint with the actual evaporation count; if the actual evaporation count exceeds the threshold, entry into the evaporation equipment is not permitted; the carrier position is the actual location of the carrier, calculated based on actual conditions; and whether to delete the carrier is a Boolean value, indicating that when the carrier needs to be operated, the carrier information is actually deleted while simultaneously clearing the material marker bit in the chamber.

[0029] Compared to the traditional method of updating carrier information by cyclically scanning the carrier position, this method defines a set of carrier information queues for each chamber, focuses on a single chamber, and only associates data from adjacent chambers. Through event-driven processing triggered by the feed sensor and sequence management between carrier information queues in a single chamber, a first-in-first-out (FIFO) approach is used to transmit and manage carrier information. This not only ensures reliable transmission of carrier information but also reduces the computational load on the PLC, allowing the PLC to concentrate its main resources on core PID process control. This improves the overall response speed and control accuracy of the equipment, achieving efficient, continuous, and reliable transmission of carrier information.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, in one example, the vapor deposition equipment includes a loading platform 12 and a unloading platform 13, as well as a chamber structure disposed between the loading platform 12 and the unloading platform 13. The chamber structure includes a first loading chamber 1, a second loading chamber 2, a third loading chamber 3, a first buffer chamber 4, a first process chamber 5, a second buffer chamber 6, a second process chamber 7, a third buffer chamber 8, a third unloading chamber 9, a second unloading chamber 10, and a first unloading chamber 11 arranged sequentially along the carrier plate transport direction, for a total of 11 chambers. The carrier plate transport direction, i.e., the forward flow direction of the carrier plate, is from the loading platform 12 into the first loading chamber 1, and then sequentially transported along the multiple chambers of the chamber structure to the unloading platform 13 for outflow. The three infeed chambers and three outfeed chambers are of the same size and are all equipped with infeed and outfeed sensors. The three buffer chambers are of the same size, but the sensor configurations differ slightly. Specifically, the first buffer chamber 4 has an infeed sensor, two wafer tracking sensors, and an outfeed sensor sequentially along the forward flow direction of the carrier plate; the second buffer chamber 6 has an infeed sensor and an outfeed sensor sequentially along the forward flow direction of the carrier plate; and the third buffer chamber 8 has an infeed sensor, two wafer separation sensors, and an outfeed sensor sequentially along the forward flow direction of the carrier plate. Due to environmental limitations, the process chambers utilize sensors from adjacent buffer chambers for infeed and feed signal identification. Specifically, the outfeed sensor 14 of the first buffer chamber serves as the infeed sensor for the first process chamber 5, the infeed sensor 15 of the second buffer chamber serves as the outfeed sensor for the first process chamber 5, the outfeed sensor 16 of the second buffer chamber serves as the infeed sensor for the second process chamber 7, and the infeed sensor 17 of the third buffer chamber serves as the outfeed sensor for the second process chamber 7.

[0031] The transfer of the carrier board between the chambers is powered and speed controlled by servo motors. To meet the functions of carrier board transfer, substrate tracking, and wafer splitting, the first wafer entry chamber 1, the second wafer entry chamber 2, the second buffer chamber 6, the second wafer exit chamber 10, and the first wafer exit chamber 11 are each equipped with an independent servo motor. The third wafer entry chamber 3, the first buffer chamber 4, and the first process chamber 5 are equipped with two servo motors to complete the wafer tracking function. The second process chamber 7, the third buffer chamber 8, and the third wafer exit chamber 9 are equipped with two motors to complete the wafer splitting function.

[0032] In this invention, the terms "substrate" and "carrier" are conventional technical terms in the field. The substrate is the object to which the vapor deposition film is applied; commonly used substrates include silicon wafers or silicon dioxide. The carrier is the support used to move and transport the substrate within the equipment; it is generally made of a chromium-nickel alloy or indium steel. As shown in Figures 3-5, the relationship between the carrier length and the equipment chamber length is configured as follows: the length of the wafer entry chamber is n1, the length of the buffer chamber is n2, the length of the process chamber is n3, the carrier length is m, and the wafer tracking distance is z. Then: n1 > m, n2 < m, n3 > 2(m + z).

[0033] As shown in Figure 6, this invention uses a chamber as the basic unit and defines a set of carrier information queues for each chamber. Each queue is used to store the information structure of one or more carriers. Specifically, the number of information queues corresponding to each wafer entry chamber and wafer exit chamber is 1, and each wafer entry chamber and wafer exit chamber is only allowed to hold one carrier. The number of information queues corresponding to each buffer chamber is 2. Due to the continuous movement of the carriers, a maximum of two carriers can appear in the buffer chamber. The number of information queues corresponding to each process chamber is 3. Due to the length of the process chamber and the continuous movement of the carriers, a maximum of three carriers can appear in the process chamber.

[0034] The carrier board information structure is transferred and managed between queues in the chambers according to an event-driven and first-in-first-out (FIFO) principle, eliminating the need to update carrier board information through cyclic scanning of carrier board positions. During the transfer of carrier board information queues between adjacent chambers, in response to the triggering of the feed sensor corresponding to a specific chamber, the information structure with the larger sequence number in the carrier board information queue of the previous adjacent chamber is transferred to the free information queue with the largest unoccupied sequence number in the specific chamber. If a space becomes available in the information queue with a larger sequence number within the same chamber, the information structure from the previous information queue with a smaller sequence number is written into the information queue with the larger sequence number. This method of transferring information structures ensures the reliability and rigor of carrier board information transfer while also reflecting the continuity of wafer tracking and segmentation. It avoids the need for continuous tracking and updating of carrier board information through cyclic scanning, reducing the PLC's code workspace and significantly alleviating the PLC's computational load. This allows the PLC's computational work to be mainly focused on the PID calculations of the vapor deposition equipment, thereby improving PID calculation efficiency and effectively enhancing the overall response speed and control accuracy of the vapor deposition equipment, achieving efficient, continuous, and reliable transfer of carrier board information.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, taking the transfer of a carrier plate from the first loading chamber 1 to the second loading chamber 2 as an example, the following example illustrates the event triggering and carrier plate information transfer process between chambers with an information queue: The target carrier plate is transferred from the loading platform 12 to the first loading chamber 1. At time one, the rising edge of the infeed sensor in the first loading chamber 1 is triggered, generating the initial information structure of the carrier plate and storing it in the information queue of the first loading chamber 1; the target carrier plate continues to be transferred forward in the first loading chamber 1. At time two, the falling edge of the infeed sensor in the first loading chamber 1 is triggered (the tail of the target carrier plate gradually moves away from the infeed sensor of the first loading chamber 1). The target carrier plate information structure does not undergo any enqueue transfer or clearing action, and the transfer continues. The information queue stored in the first wafer loading chamber 1; at time three, the rising edge of the feed sensor in the second wafer loading chamber 2 is triggered (the front end of the target carrier begins to contact the feed sensor in the second wafer loading chamber 2), the carrier information structure stored in the information queue of the first wafer loading chamber 1 requests to execute the enqueue action from the information queue of the second wafer loading chamber 2. After the second wafer loading chamber 2 verifies and receives the data, the information structure is enqueued and stored in the information queue of the second wafer loading chamber 2, and a completion signal is returned to the first wafer loading chamber 1. After receiving the completion signal, the first wafer loading chamber 1 clears the information structure in its information queue, and the transfer of the target carrier information structure from the first wafer loading chamber 1 to the second wafer loading chamber 2 is completed.

[0036] In one example, the process of transferring carrier board information to a chamber equipped with multiple information queues is illustrated by taking the transfer of the carrier board from the third wafer entry chamber 3 to the first buffer chamber 4 as an example.

[0037] First, based on the truth table of the first buffer chamber 4 shown in Table 1, the occupancy status of the two information queues of the first buffer chamber 4, namely the first information queue A and the second information queue B, is determined, and the first-in-first-out strategy is adopted to transfer and manage the carrier board information structure.

[0038] Table 1 - Truth Table for Entry into the First Buffer Chamber:

[0039] When F=0, that is, when both information queues are idle, the information queue of the third wafer entry chamber 3 requests to be enqueued from the second information queue of the first buffer chamber 4. After the transfer of the target carrier board information structure is completed, the information queue of the third wafer entry chamber 3 is cleared.

[0040] When F=B, that is, when only the second information queue B is occupied, the information queue of the third chip entry chamber 3 requests to be enqueued from the first information queue of the first buffer chamber 4.

[0041] When F=A, that is, only the first information queue A is occupied, the information structure stored in the first information queue A of the first buffer chamber 4 is first transferred to the second information queue B and the first information queue A is cleared. Then the information queue of the third chip feeding chamber 3 requests to be enqueued in the first information queue of the first buffer chamber 4.

[0042] When F=AB, both information queues in the first buffer chamber 4 are occupied and cannot be transmitted, so the transmission of the carrier board from the third wafer entry chamber 3 to the first buffer chamber 4 is stopped.

[0043] Taking the first process chamber 5 as an example, the truth table of the process chamber with three information queues is shown in Table 2, which is the truth table of the first process chamber 5: Table 2 - Truth Table of the First Process Chamber:

[0044] Based on the truth table of the first process chamber 5, the occupancy status of the three information queues is determined, and a first-in, first-out (FIFO) strategy is adopted for the transfer and management of the carrier board information structure. The information structure of the target carrier board is preferentially transferred to the information queue with the largest unoccupied sequence number in the next adjacent chamber in the transmission direction. If there is a vacancy in the information queue with a larger sequence number in the same chamber due to information dequeueing, the information structure in the adjacent information queue with a smaller sequence number is moved to the information queue with the larger sequence number.

[0045] To ensure the authenticity of the carrier information, the target carrier information mechanism is generated and stored in the information queue of the first loading chamber 1 only when the target carrier enters the first loading chamber 1 and triggers its loading sensor. As the position of the target carrier changes, it is sequentially transmitted in the information queues of each chamber. When the falling edge of the discharge sensor of the first discharge chamber 11 is triggered, that is, when the tail of the target carrier gradually moves away from the discharge sensor of the first discharge chamber 11, it is considered that the target carrier has completely left the equipment. Then the target carrier information in the information queue is cleared, and its life cycle management is completed.

[0046] In one embodiment, to ensure the continuity of the carrier plate position animation on the HMI interface, the carrier plate position needs to be accurately calculated. The carrier plate position calculation steps include: maintaining a basic position value and a real-time displacement value for each information queue of each chamber; when a carrier plate information structure enters a certain information queue due to an event, updating its basic position value with its physical position at the trigger time; while the carrier plate information structure resides in the information queue, dynamically calculating the real-time displacement value and updating the carrier plate position based on the integral of the motor speed and time of the chamber to which it belongs; and sending the real-time updated carrier plate position variable to the human-machine interface to drive the continuous display of the carrier plate position animation.

[0047] By maintaining a basic position value and a real-time position value for each information queue in each chamber, the carrier plate position is updated in real time. Connecting the position variables with the human-machine interface (HMI) allows the carrier plate position animation displayed on the HMI to accurately reflect the equipment's operating status. The display rate of the carrier plate position animation is dynamically adjusted in real time in conjunction with the actual transmission speed of the carrier plate. This provides operators with an intuitive and dynamic visualization of the position, enabling them to quickly grasp the precise status and trajectory of the carrier plate on the transport track. This provides immediate basis for operational decisions such as process adjustments and anomaly interventions. Preferably, during the vapor deposition process, when the carrier plate ID is not equal to 0, a carrier plate label will be displayed on the HMI according to the position of the carrier plate animation. The carrier plate label includes at least the following parameters: carrier plate ID, substrate ID, carrier plate status, and cumulative vapor deposition count, allowing operators to view carrier plate information more intuitively and facilitating management.

[0048] Taking the first process chamber 5 as an example, the calculation process of the carrier plate position is explained. The motor speed of the first process chamber 5 is V, that is, the target carrier plate transmission speed is V. The position of the feed sensor of the first loading chamber is taken as the origin. The distance between the feed sensor of the first process chamber 5 (actually the discharge sensor of the first buffer chamber 4) and the origin is L1.

[0049] When the target carrier triggers the rising edge of the feed sensor in the first process chamber 5, the corresponding timestamp is t0. The target carrier information structure is entered into the first information queue of the first process chamber 5, which is in an idle state. The target carrier position calculation formula is: x1 = L1 + Δt0 × V × K1; where L1 is the basic position value constant, K1 is the speed compensation coefficient, Δt0 is the difference between the timestamp corresponding to the real-time movement position of the target carrier and t0, and Δt0 × V × K1 is the real-time displacement value.

[0050] When the carrier plate corresponding to the third information queue of the first process chamber 5 completes its first feeding into the second buffer chamber 6, the timestamp corresponding to this is t1. That is, the third information queue has completed its entry into the information queue of the second buffer chamber 6. At this time, the third information queue is cleared, the second information queue moves to the third information queue, and the first information queue moves to the second information queue. The target carrier plate position calculation formula is executed: x2 = L2 + Δt1 × V × K2; where L2 is the basic position value constant, and its calculation formula is: L2 = L1 + (t1 - t0) × V × K1, K2 is the speed compensation coefficient, Δt1 is the difference between the timestamp corresponding to the real-time movement position of the target carrier plate and t1, and Δt1 × V × K2 is the real-time displacement value.

[0051] When the carrier plate corresponding to the third information queue of the first process chamber 5 completes its second feeding into the second buffer chamber 6, the timestamp is recorded as t2. That is, the third information queue completes its entry into the information queue of the second buffer chamber 6. The information structure corresponding to the target carrier plate moves from the second information queue to the third information queue. The target carrier plate position calculation formula is executed: x3=L3+Δt2×V×K3; where L3 is the basic position value constant, and its calculation formula is: L3=L2+(t2-t1)×V×K2, K3 is the speed compensation coefficient, Δt2 is the difference between the timestamp corresponding to the real-time movement position of the target carrier plate and t2, and Δt2×V×K3 is the real-time displacement value variable.

[0052] This segmented accumulation algorithm can accurately calculate the continuous position of the target carrier plate within the cavity. The carrier plate position variables x1, x2, x3 are used as the data interface of the HMI and sent to the human-machine interface to drive the continuous display of the carrier plate animation, ensuring the continuity of the corresponding HMI display animation and realizing a continuous carrier plate animation display. This allows on-site personnel to monitor the equipment status more intuitively when operating the equipment.

[0053] To achieve the tracking and separation functions of the vapor deposition equipment, the carrier plate is driven by two servo motors with different speeds during the transfer process in the first buffer chamber 4 and the third buffer chamber 8. For chambers driven by multiple servo motors, in order to more accurately express the movement position of the target carrier plate in the first buffer chamber 4 and the third buffer chamber 8, the weighted average of the speeds of multiple servo motors is used as the equivalent motor speed for calculating the carrier plate position. The specific steps are as follows: obtain the actual running speed of each motor; calculate the weight of each motor speed according to the time required for each motor speed to traverse the length of the chamber; calculate the weighted average of the actual speeds of each motor according to their corresponding weights to obtain the equivalent motor speed of the chamber; use this equivalent motor speed as the speed parameter to calculate the position of the carrier plate in the chamber, resulting in a more accurate real-time position of the carrier plate.

[0054] One embodiment relates to a carrier plate information management method for a vapor deposition apparatus, including a cumulative vapor deposition count update step. The update step includes: defining an array corresponding to a carrier plate ID, wherein the array value stores the cumulative vapor deposition count of the corresponding carrier plate; when the carrier plate is identified and the feed sensor is triggered for the first time, the corresponding position in the array is located according to its carrier plate ID, and the value stored at that position is incremented by one, thereby increasing the cumulative vapor deposition count by one.

[0055] In one example, the carrier ID is generated based on the recognition status of 8 keys. These 8 keys are photosensitive sensors; a high-level signal is emitted when a key is recognized, and a low-level signal is emitted when no key is recognized. The carrier ID is constructed by combining these 8 sensors into a 1-byte integer. For example, if the sensor status is 0000 1000, then the carrier ID = 8. Therefore, the array range corresponding to the carrier ID is 0-255. This array variable is defined as "cumulative evaporation counts," a power-off retained variable of data type int. A pointer variable n of data type int is created. First, to prevent errors in the loading station interaction, n is limited to ensure it is within the range of 0-255. When the loading station recognizes the carrier ID and triggers the rising edge of the feed sensor in the first loading chamber 1, the following calculation method is executed: cumulative evaporation counts [ = Cumulative number of vapor deposition cycles[ +1; When the loading platform clears the cumulative number of evaporation times for a certain carrier ID, the data in the array is assigned the value 0.

[0056] One embodiment relates to a carrier plate information management method for a vapor deposition apparatus, further comprising an equipment protection step. This step involves using the calculated real-time carrier plate position information as one of the interlocking conditions for controlling the start and stop of valves, preventing interference between the carrier plate and the chamber valves; and / or real-time counting of the number of carrier plates in the process chambers. When the number exceeds a set threshold, upstream chambers are prohibited from transmitting carrier plate information and physically feeding materials into that process chamber. In one example, on the one hand, when the calculated real-time carrier plate position exceeds a set threshold, a stop command is sent to the motor to prevent motor failure and to prevent the carrier plate from impacting the valves. This means that the real-time carrier plate position animation displayed in the human-machine interface is used as one of the hard interlocking conditions for controlling the actions of valves such as flap valves and slide valves, avoiding interference and collisions. On the other hand, the number of carrier plates in the first process chamber 5 and the second process chamber 7 (i.e., the number of information queues with a carrier plate ID not equal to 0) is monitored in real time. When the number of carrier plates exceeds a set threshold, the first buffer chamber 4 is prohibited from feeding materials into the first process chamber 5, preventing downstream congestion. By using the calculated carrier plate position information as one of the interlocking conditions for controlling the opening and closing of the chamber valve, interference between the carrier plate and the valve can be prevented, thereby improving the protection capability of the equipment and helping to reduce equipment damage or process interruption.

[0057] One embodiment relates to a carrier plate information management method for a vapor deposition apparatus, which further includes a data interaction step with a Manufacturing Execution System (MES): During the transfer of the carrier plate information structure between information queues, timestamp information is recorded; when the carrier plate information structure is transferred to the information queue of the next adjacent chamber, all relevant information of the carrier plate is packaged into a data packet and sent to the MES; a verification variable is set, and its value is changed before and after data transmission for verification of the reliability and integrity of the communication process. Through the data interface between the carrier plate information and the factory's MES, the carrier plate information can serve as key data support for production plant management personnel to conduct capacity statistics and production planning, ultimately achieving digital control and efficient collaboration of the vapor deposition production process.

[0058] In one example, taking the information transfer between the first buffer chamber 4, the first process chamber 5, and the second buffer chamber 6 as an example, a time-formatted array with a size of 3 is created. When the target carrier triggers the rising edge of the feed sensor in the first process chamber 5, the current time is immediately recorded as timestamp T1. The timestamp is passed along with the carrier information structure in the information queue. When the discharge sensor in the first process chamber 5 is triggered for the first time, the current time is recorded as timestamp T2, and the carrier information structure moves to the second information queue of the first process chamber 5. When the discharge sensor in the first process chamber 5 is triggered for the second time, the current time is recorded as timestamp T3, and the carrier information structure... The body moves to the third information queue of the first process chamber 5; when the discharge sensor of the first process chamber 5 is triggered for the third time, that is, when the target carrier triggers the infeed sensor of the second buffer chamber 6, the carrier information structure, timestamps T1, T2, T3 and other carrier information are packaged into a data packet; the data packet is sent to the MES system, and at the same time, a variable named "Mes data authenticity" with a data type of Byte is assigned the value of FF in hexadecimal. While waiting for the Mes system to complete receiving, the variable "Mes data authenticity" is assigned the value of 00 in hexadecimal. It is considered that the Mes interaction is completed. If no Mes assignment confirmation is received for a long time, the system alarm is triggered.

[0059] One embodiment relates to a carrier information management method for an evaporation deposition apparatus, which further includes a function extension step: the core functions such as carrier information transmission, position calculation, and MES interaction are encapsulated into independent, interface-standard function blocks (FBs) according to the different number of chamber queues. When other evaporation deposition apparatuses need to implement the same functions, these function blocks can be directly copied and adapted, greatly improving development efficiency and program consistency.

[0060] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a vapor deposition apparatus, comprising: one or more processors; a memory; and one or more computer programs, wherein the one or more computer programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs comprising instructions for performing a carrier information management method of the vapor deposition apparatus described above.

[0061] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for controlling a vapor deposition apparatus. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it is used to implement the above-described method for managing carrier information of the vapor deposition apparatus.

[0062] The carrier plate information management method, evaporation equipment, and storage medium provided by this invention define a set of carrier plate information queues for each chamber, focusing on a single chamber and only associating data from adjacent chambers. Through event-driven mechanisms triggered by the feed sensor in a specific chamber and sequence management between information queues, a first-in-first-out (FIFO) method is used for the transmission and management of carrier plate information. This effectively reduces the computational load on the PLC, improves the overall response speed and control accuracy of the evaporation equipment, and achieves efficient, continuous, and reliable transmission of carrier plate information. In particular, by maintaining a basic position value and a... The carrier plate position is updated in real time using a real-time position value method. By connecting the position variable with the human-machine interface, the carrier plate position animation displayed in the human-machine interface can accurately reflect the equipment's operating status. The display rate of the carrier plate position animation is adjusted in real time in conjunction with the actual transmission speed of the carrier plate, ultimately achieving a precise visualization of the carrier plate's motion trajectory. In particular, by using the calculated carrier plate position information as one of the interlocking conditions for controlling the opening and stopping of the chamber valve, interference between the carrier plate and the valve can be prevented, improving the equipment's protection capabilities and helping to reduce equipment damage or process interruptions.

[0063] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method for managing carrier plate information in a vapor deposition equipment, characterized in that, The method is based on the chamber structure of the vapor deposition equipment, which includes multiple chambers arranged sequentially along the carrier plate transport direction. The method includes the following steps: defining a set of carrier plate information queues for each chamber, each set of carrier plate information queues including at least one information queue, and each set of carrier plate information queues being used to store information structures of one or more carrier plates; in response to a first event triggered by the feed sensor of a specific chamber, transferring the information structure of the target carrier plate from the information queue of the previous adjacent chamber to the idle information queue with the largest sequence number of the specific chamber; wherein, the information structure is transferred and managed among the information queues of the chambers using a first-in, first-out (FIFO) method.

2. The carrier plate information management method for the vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of "transferring the information structure of the target carrier from the information queue of the previous adjacent chamber to the idle queue with the largest sequence number of the specific chamber" includes: determining the target information queue to receive the target carrier information structure according to the current occupancy status of each information queue of the specific chamber; writing the information structure of the target carrier into the target information queue, and returning a completion signal to the previous adjacent chamber after writing is completed; and clearing the carrier information of the corresponding source carrier information queue in the previous adjacent chamber in response to the completion signal.

3. The carrier plate information management method for the vapor deposition equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, When multiple information queues are set up in the same chamber, if there is an empty space in the information queue with a larger sequence number, the information structure in the preceding information queue with a smaller sequence number will be written into the information queue with the larger sequence number.

4. The carrier plate information management method for the vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method also includes a carrier plate position calculation step: maintaining a basic position value and a real-time displacement value for each information queue of each chamber; when a carrier plate information structure enters an information queue due to an event, its basic position value is updated with the physical position at the trigger time. While the information structure of the carrier plate resides in the information queue, the real-time displacement value is dynamically calculated and the position of the carrier plate is updated based on the integral of the motor speed of the chamber with time. The real-time updated carrier board position variables are sent to the human-computer interaction interface to drive the continuous display of the carrier board position animation.

5. The carrier plate information management method for the vapor deposition equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, For a chamber driven by multiple servo motors, the equivalent motor speed used for carrier plate position calculation is obtained as follows: the actual operating speed of each motor is obtained; the weight of each motor speed is calculated based on the time required for each motor speed to traverse the length of the chamber; and the actual speeds of each motor are weighted and averaged according to their corresponding weights to obtain the equivalent motor speed of the chamber.

6. The carrier plate information management method for the vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information structure includes the cumulative number of vapor depositions. The cumulative number of vapor depositions update step includes: defining an array corresponding to the carrier ID, wherein the array value stores the cumulative number of vapor depositions for the corresponding carrier; when the carrier is identified and the feed sensor is triggered for the first time, the corresponding position in the array is located according to its carrier ID, and the value stored at that position is incremented by one, thereby increasing the cumulative number of vapor depositions by one.

7. The carrier plate information management method for the vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method also includes a data interaction step with the Manufacturing Execution System (MES): during the transfer of the carrier information structure between information queues, timestamp information is recorded; when the carrier information structure is transferred to the information queue of the next adjacent chamber, the carrier information is packaged into a data packet and sent to the Manufacturing Execution System. Set a verification variable and change its value before and after data transmission to verify the reliability and integrity of the communication process.

8. The carrier plate information management method for the vapor deposition equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes a device protection step: using the calculated carrier plate position information as one of the interlocking conditions for controlling the opening and closing of the chamber valve, so as to prevent interference between the carrier plate and the valve; And / or count the number of carrier plates in the process chamber in real time. When the number exceeds a set threshold, the upstream chamber is prohibited from transmitting carrier plate information and physically feeding materials into the process chamber.

9. A vapor deposition apparatus, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; Memory; And one or more computer programs, wherein the one or more computer programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including instructions for performing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It stores a computer program for controlling the vapor deposition equipment, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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