Evaporation mask plate stage and motion stage system

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of evaporation mask plate stage and motion platform system, including conveying mechanical arm, evaporation mask plate stage and multi-axis motion platform system.Evaporation mask plate stage includes bottom plate, multiple ball head plunger, sensor and at least two pairs of lateral positioning components, bottom plate center is provided with bottom plate through-hole, ball head plunger is installed on bottom plate, each ball head plunger includes main body, ball head, spring and top silk, height is adjusted by thread, spring provides buffer energy absorption, ball head can be rolled to avoid scratching mask plate bottom surface.Lateral positioning component includes oppositely arranged air cylinder assembly and small cylinder assembly, and the end portion thereof is equipped with rollable cam follower, air cylinder assembly is completely stretched as positioning reference, and small cylinder assembly does not provide flexible following force by not completely stretching out.The problem that evaporation mask plate cannot be fixed by vacuum suction due to heavy quality and hollow bottom surface is solved, reliable clamping, back light detection and multi-degree-of-freedom precision motion of mask plate are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of precision manufacturing equipment technology, specifically relating to a mask stage and multi-axis motion stage system for vapor deposition processes. It is suitable for scenarios requiring high-precision positioning and back-side lighting inspection, such as automatic optical inspection, defect detection, and critical dimension measurement of vapor deposition masks. Background Technology

[0002] In the automated optical inspection process of vapor deposition masks, it is necessary to stably fix the mask on a stage and achieve precise multi-degree-of-freedom positioning through a motion stage system. Vapor deposition masks are characterized by their heavy weight and large open area on the bottom surface, with the open area accounting for a high proportion of the total area, resulting in a very limited continuous flat area on the bottom surface available for adsorption. Existing stages generally use vacuum adsorption to support continuous planar workpieces such as wafers, but for vapor deposition masks with open bottom surfaces, the vacuum adsorption force is insufficient to overcome the mask's own weight, making it impossible to achieve stable and reliable fixation during movement. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a mechanical clamping stage suitable for vapor deposition masks.

[0003] The inspection requirements for vapor deposition masks are unique. The masks contain numerous perforated openings, and protruding defects or foreign particles at the edges of these openings are key factors affecting vapor deposition quality. Conventional front-lit inspection methods are limited by the incident light angle and the reflective properties of the mask surface, making it difficult for light to effectively illuminate the back area at the opening edges. This results in insufficient imaging contrast for edge protrusions and foreign particles, easily leading to missed detections or misjudgments. To accurately detect such defects, it is necessary to illuminate from the back of the mask, allowing the light source to penetrate the perforated openings and form a clear backlight profile at the opening edges. This necessitates that each layer of the stage and motion stage system's support structure have a through-hole in the center, allowing the camera or light source to illuminate or image from the back of the mask.

[0004] Furthermore, automated optical inspection of vapor deposition masks places high demands on positioning accuracy and operational safety. During the handover process between the robotic arm and the stage, any deviation in the relative position of the mask not only affects the efficiency of subsequent alignment and calibration but may also lead to mechanical collisions that damage the mask or equipment. Existing stage limit protection mechanisms are relatively simple, typically relying only on contact-type limit blocks, which are insufficient to provide adequate safety buffering against overtravel at high speeds. Therefore, an integrated stage and motion stage system is needed that can reliably fix the mask, ensure unobstructed back-side optical path, and provide a safe and controllable handover process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system to solve the problems in the prior art where the traditional vacuum adsorption method cannot effectively fix the mask due to the heavy weight and hollow bottom surface of the vapor deposition mask, and the difficulty of detecting protrusions or foreign objects at the opening edge of the mask by conventional front lighting detection methods.

[0006] To address the above problems, the present invention provides a vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system, comprising: A robotic arm for gripping and conveying vapor deposition masks; A vapor deposition mask stage is used to support and hold vapor deposition masks conveyed by a robotic arm. A multi-axis motion stage system is used to carry and drive the vapor deposition mask stage to perform multi-degree-of-freedom motion; The vapor deposition mask stage includes: The base plate has a through hole in the center area for optical detection or light source to pass through; Multiple ball-head plungers are mounted on the base plate to jointly support the vapor deposition mask. Each ball-head plunger includes a body, a rollable ball head at the top of the body, a spring and a set screw at the bottom of the body. The body adjusts its own installation height through a threaded connection, thereby adjusting the height of the ball head apex. The set screw is used to lock the body after adjustment. The spring is used to provide cushioning when the vapor deposition mask contacts the ball head. Sensors are used to detect whether the vapor deposition mask is placed on multiple ball-head plungers; At least two pairs of lateral positioning components are mounted on the base plate. Each pair of lateral positioning components acts on a pair of opposite sides of the vapor deposition mask. Each pair of lateral positioning components includes a large cylinder assembly and a small cylinder assembly. The large cylinder assembly and the small cylinder assembly are arranged opposite each other. The large cylinder assembly is in a fully extended state, and the small cylinder assembly is in a partially extended state. A cam follower is installed at the end of both the large cylinder assembly and the small cylinder assembly. The cam follower presses against the side of the vapor deposition mask when the cylinder is extended, and the spherical surface of the cam follower is rollable.

[0007] Furthermore, the lower ends of the through holes in the base plate of the vapor deposition mask stage, the lower ends of the circular holes in the T-axis base plate, the lower ends of the circular holes in the X-axis base plate, and the lower ends of the through holes in the Y-axis base plate are all equipped with openable and closable dustproof and light-shielding components. The openable and closable dustproof and light-shielding components include micro-drive components and symmetrically arranged light-shielding and dustproof baffles. The micro-drive components drive the light-shielding and dustproof baffles to open and close. In the detection operation state, the light-shielding and dustproof baffles are open, and in the standby state, the light-shielding and dustproof baffles are closed to block the corresponding through holes or circular holes.

[0008] Furthermore, both the air path ends of the large cylinder assembly and the small cylinder assembly are integrated with high-precision pressure sensors and adaptive pressure regulating valve groups. The high-precision pressure sensors are used to collect the cylinder clamping pressure signal in real time, and the adaptive pressure regulating valve group dynamically adjusts the air path pressure according to the pressure signal to achieve constant control of the clamping pressure. The system also has a pressure abnormality early warning and shutdown function. When the clamping pressure exceeds the preset threshold, an alarm is issued and the system stops.

[0009] Furthermore, a Z-axis micro-adjustment leveling module is provided between the T-axis base plate and the large hollow direct drive motor; the Z-axis micro-adjustment leveling module includes three voice coil motors arranged in a triangle and a corresponding grating ruler for each voice coil motor; the system independently controls the extension and retraction of the three voice coil motors based on the surface flatness data of the vapor deposition mask fed back by external measuring equipment, and performs micron-level attitude fine-tuning of the vapor deposition mask stage to compensate for stage level error and mask deformation.

[0010] Furthermore, the vapor deposition mask stage is connected to the large hollow direct drive motor via a tapered self-centering interface and a pneumatic locking mechanism to enable quick disassembly and automatic centering installation of the stage; the vapor deposition mask stage is equipped with a radio frequency identification tag for storing the stage's calibration parameters, and the large hollow direct drive motor or control system is equipped with a reader for automatically reading and loading the calibration parameters after the stage is installed.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes an adaptive clamping strategy system based on mask feature recognition. The adaptive clamping strategy system includes a 3D structured light scanning module mounted on the conveying robotic arm, an edge contour scanning unit mounted on the vapor deposition mask platform, and a memory storing a mask specification database. The 3D structured light scanning module is used to perform non-contact 3D scanning before gripping the vapor deposition mask to obtain the mask's external dimensions, thickness distribution, and the location data of the cutout areas. The system has a controller that compares the scanned data with the specification database to identify the mask's specifications or automatically calculates the mask's mass, center of gravity, moment of inertia, and the reduction coefficient of rigidity due to cutout areas based on the scanned data. Based on the identified or calculated mask features, the controller calls the optimal clamping strategy from a preset clamping strategy library. The optimal clamping strategy includes the number of cam follower activation schemes, the air supply pressure ratio between the large and small cylinder assemblies, and the clamping sequence timing. The edge contour scanning unit monitors the changes in the mask's edge contour in real time during clamping, and the controller dynamically adjusts the air supply pressure of the corresponding cylinders based on the amount of contour deformation.

[0012] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) This invention effectively solves the problem that vapor deposition masks cannot be fixed by vacuum adsorption due to their heavy weight and hollow bottom surface by adopting a mechanical clamping method combining a ball-head plunger and a cam follower. The ball-head plunger provides vertical buffer support, and the ball head can roll to avoid scratching the bottom surface of the mask; the large and small cylinder assemblies arranged opposite each other provide lateral clamping force. The large cylinder assembly is fully extended as a positioning reference, and the small cylinder assembly is not fully extended as a flexible follower, so as to avoid the clamping forces canceling each other out and causing the mask to shake, thus ensuring stable and reliable clamping.

[0013] (2) The present invention has through holes in the center of each layer of the base plate of the multi-axis motion stage to form a through optical path, so that the camera or light source can perform light detection from the back of the mask, which effectively solves the problem that conventional front lighting is difficult to detect protrusions or foreign objects on the edge of the mask's hollow opening. At the same time, each axis motion component is equipped with a dual limit protection device consisting of photoelectric sensors and mechanical limit blocks. The X-axis and Y-axis are also equipped with hydraulic buffers, forming a triple protection mechanism of photoelectric signal warning, buffer energy absorption, and mechanical hard limit, to avoid damage to the motion platform due to overtravel impact and ensure long-term stable operation of the equipment.

[0014] (3) This invention improves handover efficiency and safety by using an attitude pre-alignment and anti-collision system to complete angle pre-alignment and determine interference risks on the descent path before the mask is placed. The active cleaning system automatically blows the ball head surface, rolling surface, and through-hole edges after the mask is removed, achieving online self-cleaning. The Z-axis micro-motion leveling module uses three voice coil motors to perform micron-level attitude fine-tuning of the stage, compensating for levelness errors and mask deformation, ensuring that the detection focal plane is always in the optimal depth of field range, thereby comprehensively improving detection accuracy and automation level. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the 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.

[0016] Figure 1 This is an assembly diagram of the platform and motion stage in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the vapor deposition mask stage assembly in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an assembly diagram of the motion table T-axis in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the X-axis of the motion table in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the Y-axis of the motion table in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ball-head plunger in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: Evaporation mask stage 100; Y-axis base plate 201; Y-axis base plate through hole 2011; Y-axis guide rail 202; Y-axis linear motor 203; Y-axis hydraulic buffer 204; Y-axis photoelectric sensor 205; Y-axis limit block 206; X-axis base plate 301; X-axis guide rail 302; X-axis linear motor 303; hydraulic buffer 304; X-axis photoelectric sensor 305; X-axis limit block 306; T-axis base plate 401; circular hole 4011; large hollow direct drive motor 402; T-axis limit block 403; T-axis photoelectric sensor... Sensor 404; T-axis photoelectric limit stop 405; conveying robotic arm 500; robotic finger 501; arm push rod 502; base plate 1; base plate through hole 11; large air cylinder assembly 2; large air cylinder adapter block 21; large air cylinder 23; large air cylinder mounting block 24; small air cylinder assembly 3; small air cylinder adapter block 31; small air cylinder 33; small air cylinder mounting block 34; cam follower 4; ball plunger 5; set screw 51; ball 52; spring 53; main body 54; sensor mounting block 6; sensor 7; ball plunger mounting block 8; vapor deposition mask 9. Detailed Implementation

[0018] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well-known in the art have not been described in order to avoid obscuring the invention.

[0019] To fully understand this invention, detailed steps and structures will be presented in the following description to illustrate the technical solution of this invention. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail below; however, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the invention may have other embodiments.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 6 In one embodiment of the vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system of the present invention, the system includes a transfer robot arm 500, a vapor deposition mask stage 100, and a multi-axis motion stage system. The vapor deposition mask stage 100 is mounted on the multi-axis motion stage system, and the transfer robot arm 500 is used to transfer the vapor deposition mask 9 onto the vapor deposition mask stage 100.

[0021] A transfer robotic arm 500 is used to grip and transfer the vapor deposition mask 9. The transfer robotic arm 500 includes robotic fingers 501 and arm pushers 502, with a protrusion at the end of the robotic fingers 501. During transfer, the transfer robotic arm 500 passes under the vapor deposition mask 9 and lifts it upwards. The arm pushers 502 push one side of the vapor deposition mask 9, causing the other side of the mask to press against the protrusion at the end of the robotic fingers 501, thereby clamping and fixing the vapor deposition mask 9 onto the transfer robotic arm 500 for transfer. After the transfer robotic arm 500 carries the vapor deposition mask 9 above the vapor deposition mask stage 100, it moves downwards to place the mask 9 onto the stage 100.

[0022] The vapor deposition mask stage 100 is used to carry and hold the vapor deposition mask 9 conveyed by the transfer robot arm 500. The vapor deposition mask stage 100 includes a base plate 1, a plurality of ball plungers 5, sensors 7, and at least two pairs of lateral positioning assemblies.

[0023] The base plate 1 serves as the fundamental support structure for the vapor deposition mask stage 100. A through-hole 11 is formed in the central region of the base plate 1, extending through both the upper and lower surfaces. The through-hole 11 allows optical inspection equipment or a light source to pass through for inspection or illumination of the back surface of the vapor deposition mask 9. When inspecting protrusions or foreign objects at the opening edge of the vapor deposition mask 9, a camera or light source illuminates or images from the back surface of the vapor deposition mask 9 through the through-hole 11.

[0024] Multiple ball-head plungers 5 are mounted on the base plate 1 to collectively support the vapor deposition mask 9. Each ball-head plunger 5 includes a body 54, a ball head 52 at the top of the body 54, a spring 53 at the bottom of the body 54, and a set screw 51. The body 54 is threaded onto a sensor mounting block 6 or a ball-head plunger mounting block 8, which are fixedly mounted on the base plate 1. By rotating the body 54 counterclockwise or clockwise, the installation height of the ball-head plunger 5 can be precisely adjusted, thereby adjusting the height of the apex of the ball head 52. After the height of the ball-head plunger 5 is adjusted, the set screw 51 is tightened to fix the body 54 and prevent changes in height. The spring 53 is located inside the body 54. When the vapor deposition mask 9 contacts the ball head 52, the spring 53 provides a buffer to absorb energy, preventing scratches or impact damage to the bottom surface of the vapor deposition mask 9 due to hard contact. The ball head 52 can roll freely at the top of the body 54. In this embodiment, there are four ball-head plungers 5, which are distributed in the four corner areas of the base plate 1. By precisely adjusting the main body 54 of each of the four ball-head plungers 5, the plane formed by the vertices of the four ball heads 52 is made to achieve the required levelness.

[0025] Sensor 7 is a proximity sensor mounted on the base plate 1, used to sense whether the vapor deposition mask 9 is placed on the multiple ball-head plungers 5. When the conveying robotic arm 500 conveys the vapor deposition mask 9 above the vapor deposition mask stage 100 and moves downwards, the vapor deposition mask 9 disengages from the robotic fingers 501 and contacts the tops of the four ball heads 52. At this time, sensor 7 senses that the vapor deposition mask 9 has been placed in position and sends a signal to the control system. After receiving the signal from sensor 7, the control system controls the lateral positioning component to operate.

[0026] At least two pairs of lateral positioning components are mounted on the base plate 1, each pair acting on a pair of opposite sides of the vapor deposition mask 9. Each pair of lateral positioning components includes a large cylinder assembly 2 and a small cylinder assembly 3, which are arranged opposite to each other. The large cylinder assembly 2 includes a large cylinder adapter block 21, a large cylinder 23, and a large cylinder mounting block 24, while the small cylinder assembly 3 includes a small cylinder adapter block 31, a small cylinder 33, and a small cylinder mounting block 34. The large cylinder assembly 2 is in a fully extended state, while the small cylinder assembly 3 is in a partially extended state. The force output by the large cylinder assembly 2 is greater than the force output by the small cylinder assembly 3. Cam followers 4 are mounted at the ends of both the large cylinder assembly 2 and the small cylinder assembly 3. Once sensor 7 detects that the vapor deposition mask 9 is in place, the large cylinder assembly 2 and the small cylinder assembly 3 extend, and the eight cam followers 4 press against the four sides of the vapor deposition mask 9, fixing it to the vapor deposition mask stage 100. Because the large cylinder assembly 2 and the small cylinder assembly 3 are installed relative to each other and have different force values, the forces acting on the vapor deposition mask 9 do not completely cancel each other out, ensuring stability and preventing wobbling during movement. During installation, the position of the large cylinder assembly 2 needs to be adjusted so that the apexes of the cam followers 4 at the end of the large cylinder assembly 2, when fully extended, can all press against the sides of the vapor deposition mask 9.

[0027] When the large cylinder assembly 2 and the small cylinder assembly 3 extend, the vapor deposition mask 9 will move slightly. The cam follower 4 has a rolling spherical surface that rolls on the side of the vapor deposition mask 9 to avoid scratching the side of the vapor deposition mask 9. At the same time, the ball head 52 of the ball plunger 5 rolls on the bottom surface of the vapor deposition mask 9 to avoid scratching the bottom surface of the vapor deposition mask 9.

[0028] The multi-axis motion stage system is used to support and drive the evaporation mask stage 100 to perform multi-degree-of-freedom motion. The multi-axis motion stage system includes at least a T-axis motion component, an X-axis motion component, and a Y-axis motion component. The three motion components are stacked sequentially from bottom to top or from top to bottom to realize the rotational motion of the evaporation mask 9 in the T-axis direction, the horizontal linear motion in the X-axis direction, and the horizontal linear motion in the Y-axis direction.

[0029] The T-axis motion assembly includes a T-axis base plate 401 and a large hollow direct-drive motor 402 mounted on the T-axis base plate 401. The base plate 1 of the vapor deposition mask stage 100 is fixed to the large hollow direct-drive motor 402. The large hollow direct-drive motor 402 has a hollow internal structure, allowing for angle adjustment, and drives the vapor deposition mask stage 100 to rotate around the vertical axis, enabling the vapor deposition mask 9 to be angularly aligned and calibrated. A circular hole 4011 is provided in the central area of ​​the T-axis base plate 401, which is aligned with the through hole 11 of the base plate, allowing a camera or light source to inspect or illuminate the back side of the vapor deposition mask 9 through the circular hole 4011 and the through hole 11 of the base plate.

[0030] The T-axis motion assembly also includes a T-axis limit protection device. This device comprises a T-axis photoelectric sensor 404, a T-axis photoelectric limit baffle 405, and a T-axis limit block 403. The T-axis photoelectric limit baffle 405 is mounted on the base plate 1 and rotates together with the vapor deposition mask stage 100. The T-axis photoelectric sensor 404 is mounted in a fixed position on the T-axis base plate 401. When the large hollow direct drive motor 402 rotates too much, the T-axis photoelectric limit baffle 405 rotates with the base plate 1 to a position that blocks the T-axis photoelectric sensor 404. Once blocked, the T-axis photoelectric sensor 404 generates a photoelectric limit signal, which is fed back to the controller to stop the movement of the large hollow direct drive motor 402. If the T-axis photoelectric sensor 404 fails, the side of the base plate 1 will continue to rotate until it hits the T-axis limit block 403. The T-axis limit block 403 mechanically stops the rotation, achieving mechanical hard limiting and preventing damage to the equipment due to excessive rotation angle.

[0031] The X-axis motion assembly includes an X-axis base plate 301, an X-axis guide rail 302, and an X-axis linear motor 303. The X-axis guide rail 302 is mounted on the X-axis base plate 301, and the T-axis base plate 401 is connected to the X-axis guide rail 302 via a slider. The X-axis linear motor 303 drives the T-axis base plate 401 to move along the X-axis guide rail 302, achieving linear motion in the X-axis direction. A circular hole 3011 is provided in the central area of ​​the X-axis base plate 301, which is aligned with the circular hole 4011 in the T-axis base plate 401, allowing a camera or light source to inspect or illuminate the back side of the vapor deposition mask 9 through the circular hole 3011, the circular hole 4011, and the through hole 11 in the base plate.

[0032] The X-axis motion assembly also includes an X-axis limit protection device. This device includes an X-axis photoelectric sensor 305, an X-axis photoelectric limit baffle, a hydraulic buffer 304, and an X-axis limit block 306. The X-axis photoelectric limit baffle is mounted on the T-axis base plate 401 and moves along the X-axis with it. The X-axis photoelectric sensor 305 is mounted in a fixed position on the X-axis base plate 301. When the travel distance of the T-axis base plate 401 exceeds a preset range, the X-axis photoelectric limit baffle blocks the X-axis photoelectric sensor 305, which generates a photoelectric limit signal and feeds it back to the controller, causing the X-axis linear motor 303 to stop. If the X-axis photoelectric sensor 305 fails, the T-axis base plate 401 will continue to move and first contact the hydraulic buffer 304. After the hydraulic buffer 304 absorbs some of the impact energy, the T-axis base plate 401 will then collide with the X-axis limit block 306, which mechanically stops the movement. Because the T-axis base plate 401 has a large mass, the hydraulic buffer 304 can prevent damage to the motion platform caused by instantaneous impact.

[0033] The Y-axis motion assembly includes a Y-axis base plate 201, a Y-axis guide rail 202, and a Y-axis linear motor 203. The Y-axis guide rail 202 is mounted on the Y-axis base plate 201, and the X-axis base plate 301 is connected to the Y-axis guide rail 202 via a slider. The Y-axis linear motor 203 drives the X-axis base plate 301 to move along the Y-axis guide rail 202, achieving linear motion in the Y-axis direction. A Y-axis base plate through hole 2011 is provided in the central area of ​​the Y-axis base plate 201. The Y-axis base plate through hole 2011 is aligned with the circular hole 3011 of the X-axis base plate 301, allowing a camera or light source to be installed at the position of the Y-axis base plate through hole 2011. The back side of the vapor deposition mask 9 can be inspected or illuminated through the Y-axis base plate through hole 2011, circular hole 3011, circular hole 4011, and base plate through hole 11.

[0034] The Y-axis motion assembly also includes a Y-axis limit protection device. This device comprises a Y-axis photoelectric sensor 205, a Y-axis photoelectric limit baffle, a Y-axis hydraulic damper 204, and a Y-axis limit block 206. The Y-axis photoelectric limit baffle is mounted on the X-axis base plate 301 and moves along the Y-axis with it. The Y-axis photoelectric sensor 205 is mounted in a fixed position on the Y-axis base plate 201. When the travel distance of the X-axis base plate 301 exceeds a preset range, the Y-axis photoelectric limit baffle blocks the Y-axis photoelectric sensor 205, which generates a photoelectric limit signal and feeds it back to the controller, causing the Y-axis linear motor 203 to stop moving. If the Y-axis photoelectric sensor 205 fails, the X-axis base plate 301 will continue to move and first contact the Y-axis hydraulic buffer 204. After the Y-axis hydraulic buffer 204 absorbs some of the impact energy, the X-axis base plate 301 will then collide with the Y-axis limit block 206, which will mechanically stop the movement. Because the X-axis base plate 301 has a large mass, the Y-axis hydraulic buffer 204 can prevent damage to the motion platform from instantaneous impact.

[0035] In one specific embodiment, the vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system further includes an attitude pre-alignment and anti-collision system. The attitude pre-alignment and anti-collision system includes at least one non-contact position sensor and a controller. The non-contact position sensor, which may be a laser displacement sensor or a vision camera, is fixedly mounted above the vapor deposition mask stage 100 or on the transfer robotic arm 500. When the transfer robotic arm 500 moves the vapor deposition mask 9 to a predetermined height above the ball plunger 5, the non-contact position sensor scans the edge contour or specific markings of the vapor deposition mask 9 to measure the current deflection angle and horizontal position offset of the vapor deposition mask 9. The controller is electrically connected to the non-contact position sensor and the large hollow direct drive motor 402. After receiving the current deflection angle and horizontal position offset data, the controller pre-calculates an optimal compensation trajectory before the vapor deposition mask 9 contacts the ball plunger 5, and controls the large hollow direct drive motor 402 to rotate, so that the angle of the vapor deposition mask 9 is basically aligned with the target angle of the vapor deposition mask platform 100, completing the pre-alignment of the attitude. At the same time, the controller also determines whether there is a risk of interference with surrounding components on the descent path of the conveying robotic arm 500 based on the current deflection angle and horizontal position offset. If an interference risk is determined, a stop or avoidance command is issued, the descent action is paused and an alarm is triggered, fundamentally preventing collision accidents from occurring.

[0036] In one specific embodiment, the vapor deposition mask stage and motion table system also includes an active cleaning system. The active cleaning system includes multiple gas nozzles, multiple solenoid valves, a high-pressure clean air source, and a controller. The multiple gas nozzles are embedded within the base plate 1 or installed around its periphery. The outlet of each gas nozzle faces at least one of the following: the surface of the ball head 52 of the ball plunger 5, the rolling surface of the cam follower 4, and the edge of the through hole 11 in the base plate. The outlet direction ensures that the airflow can effectively clean the target surface. The multiple solenoid valves are connected to each gas nozzle in a one-to-one correspondence, and each solenoid valve independently controls the on / off state of its corresponding gas nozzle. The high-pressure clean air source is connected to each solenoid valve via pipelines, providing the high-pressure clean gas required for cleaning, such as highly efficient filtered dry air or nitrogen. The controller is electrically connected to each solenoid valve, automatically initiating the cleaning program within a preset cleaning cycle, or initiating the cleaning program during the idle interval between each removal of the vapor deposition mask 9 by the conveying robot arm 500 and the next loading. After the cleaning program is started, the controller sequentially or simultaneously controls the solenoid valves to open, causing high-pressure clean gas to be ejected from the gas nozzle in a pulsed or sweeping manner. This cleans the surface of the ball head 52, the rolling surface of the cam follower 4, and the edge of the bottom plate through-hole 11, blowing away any attached fine particles from the critical surfaces. The blown-off dust can be discharged downwards through the bottom plate through-hole 11 or collected by the negative pressure dust suction ports integrated around the bottom plate 1, achieving online self-cleaning of the equipment.

[0037] In one specific embodiment, the lower ends of the through holes 11 on the base plate of the vapor deposition mask stage 100, the lower ends of the circular holes 4011 on the T-axis base plate 401, the lower ends of the circular holes 3011 on the X-axis base plate 301, and the lower ends of the through holes 2011 on the Y-axis base plate 201 are all provided with openable and closable dustproof and light-shielding components. The openable and closable dustproof and light-shielding components include a micro-drive component and symmetrically arranged light-shielding and dustproof baffles. The micro-drive component can be a micro-motor or a micro-cylinder, which is connected to the light-shielding and dustproof baffles. The light-shielding and dustproof baffles are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the lower opening of the corresponding through holes or circular holes. In the detection operation state, the micro-drive component drives the light-shielding and dustproof baffles to open outwards, avoiding the detection light path, allowing the light from the camera or light source to pass smoothly through the through holes and circular holes of each layer. In standby mode or during equipment transport, the miniature drive unit drives the light-shielding and dust-proof baffle to close inward, completely sealing the corresponding through holes or round holes. This prevents external dust and impurities from entering the multi-axis motion stage system through the hollow through holes, protecting the precision components such as the X-axis linear motor 303, Y-axis linear motor 203, X-axis guide rail 302, Y-axis guide rail 202, and various photoelectric sensors from contamination. At the same time, it blocks stray ambient light from entering the detection area through the through holes, avoiding interference from stray light with the accuracy of back-lit detection.

[0038] In one specific embodiment, both the air path ends of the large air cylinder assembly 2 and the small air cylinder assembly 3 integrate high-precision pressure sensors and adaptive pressure regulating valve groups. The high-precision pressure sensors are connected in series in the air supply lines of the large air cylinder 23 and the small air cylinder 33 to collect the clamping pressure signals of the large air cylinder 23 and the small air cylinder 33 in real time and transmit the pressure signals to the control system. The adaptive pressure regulating valve group is located on the air supply line and works in conjunction with the high-precision pressure sensors to dynamically adjust the air path pressure according to the real-time pressure signal. When fluctuations in the air source pressure cause the clamping pressure to deviate from the preset value, the adaptive pressure regulating valve group automatically adjusts the valve opening to compensate for the pressure change, keeping the output pressure of the large air cylinder 23 and the small air cylinder 33 constant, thereby ensuring that the clamping force on the vapor deposition mask 9 remains stable. The system also has a pressure abnormality warning and shutdown function. When the clamping pressure exceeds the preset safety threshold range, the control system determines that there is an abnormal air pressure fault, immediately issues an alarm signal and automatically shuts down to prevent the side of the vapor deposition mask 9 from being damaged due to excessive clamping pressure, or the vapor deposition mask 9 from slipping and shaking during movement due to insufficient clamping pressure.

[0039] In one specific embodiment, a Z-axis micro-adjustment leveling module is provided between the T-axis base plate 401 and the large hollow direct drive motor 402. The Z-axis micro-adjustment leveling module includes three voice coil motors arranged in a triangular configuration and corresponding grating rulers for each voice coil motor. The three voice coil motors are arranged in an isosceles or equilateral triangle between the T-axis base plate 401 and the large hollow direct drive motor 402, and each voice coil motor is equipped with a grating ruler for closed-loop feedback position. After the vapor deposition mask 9 is clamped by the lateral positioning assembly, the flatness of the surface of the vapor deposition mask 9 is measured by external measuring equipment such as an external laser interferometer or a confocal sensor to obtain the flatness data of the surface of the vapor deposition mask 9. Based on the flatness data, the system calculates the required extension compensation amount for each of the three voice coil motors in real time, independently controls the extension amount of the three voice coil motors, and performs micron-level attitude fine-tuning of the vapor deposition mask stage 100 to achieve dynamic virtual leveling of the vapor deposition mask 9. This compensates for the levelness error of the vapor deposition mask stage 100 itself and the slight deformation of the vapor deposition mask 9 caused by gravity or clamping force, ensuring that the detection focal plane is always within the optimal depth of field range of the optical detection equipment.

[0040] In one specific embodiment, the vapor deposition mask stage 100 and the large hollow direct drive motor 402 are connected via a conical self-centering interface and a pneumatic locking mechanism. The conical self-centering interface is located on the upper end face of the large hollow direct drive motor 402 or the lower end face of the base plate 1 of the vapor deposition mask stage 100. When the two are engaged, the conical surface guides and automatically achieves coaxiality calibration. The pneumatic locking mechanism is used to apply locking force after the conical self-centering interface is in place, firmly fixing the vapor deposition mask stage 100 to the large hollow direct drive motor 402. When it is necessary to replace the vapor deposition mask stage 100 with a different size or to perform quick repairs after the stage components are damaged, maintenance personnel or external robots only need to operate the pneumatic valve to unlock the pneumatic locking mechanism and remove the old vapor deposition mask stage 100. When installing a new vapor deposition mask stage 100, the tapered self-centering interface ensures automatic alignment between the vapor deposition mask stage 100 and the axis of the large hollow direct drive motor 402, eliminating the need for repeated manual alignment using dial indicators. The vapor deposition mask stage 100 is also equipped with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to store calibration parameters, including flatness compensation values ​​and cylinder pressure thresholds. The large hollow direct drive motor 402 or the control system has a corresponding reader that automatically reads the calibration parameters stored in the RFID tag after the vapor deposition mask stage 100 is installed and loads them into the control system, enabling plug-and-play intelligent maintenance of the vapor deposition mask stage 100.

[0041] In one specific embodiment, the vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system further includes an adaptive clamping strategy system based on mask feature recognition. The adaptive clamping strategy system includes a 3D structured light scanning module mounted on the conveying robotic arm 500, an edge contour scanning unit mounted on the vapor deposition mask stage 100, and a memory storing a mask specification database. The 3D structured light scanning module performs a non-contact 3D scan of the vapor deposition mask 9 before the conveying robotic arm 500 grasps it, acquiring data on the mask's external dimensions, thickness distribution, and the location of the cutout areas. The controller compares the scan data acquired by the 3D structured light scanning module with the pre-stored mask specification database in the memory to identify the current specification of the vapor deposition mask 9. If no matching record is found in the specification database, the controller automatically calculates the mechanical characteristic parameters of the vapor deposition mask 9, such as its mass, center of gravity, moment of inertia, and the weakening coefficient of rigidity due to the cutout areas, based on the scan data. Based on the identified or calculated mask features, the controller retrieves the optimal clamping strategy from a pre-defined clamping strategy library. The optimal clamping strategy includes: an activation scheme for the number of cam followers 4 (for small-sized vapor deposition masks, only a portion of the cam followers 4 can be activated to reduce stress concentration at clamping points); a pressure ratio between the large and small cylinder assemblies 2 and 3 (for masks with high perforation rates, the air supply pressure is reduced and the number of clamping points is increased); and a clamping sequence timing (for masks with asymmetrical mass distribution, progressive clamping is used to avoid deflection). During clamping, the edge contour scanning unit monitors the actual contour changes of the vapor deposition mask 9 edge in real time and sends the contour data to the controller. The controller compares the real-time contour with the initial contour and calculates the contour deformation. If the detected contour deformation exceeds a preset threshold, the controller dynamically adjusts the air supply pressure of the large cylinder assembly 2 or the small cylinder assembly 3 at the corresponding position to reduce the clamping force and minimize deformation, achieving real-time adaptive optimization of the clamping process.

[0042] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, nor is it limited to the vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system. Devices and structures not described in detail herein should be understood as being implemented in a manner common to the art. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention, or modify them into equivalent embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present invention. This does not affect the essential content of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention, without departing from the content of the present invention, still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system, characterized in that, include: A robotic arm for gripping and conveying vapor deposition masks; A vapor deposition mask stage is used to support and hold vapor deposition masks conveyed by a robotic arm. A multi-axis motion stage system is used to carry and drive the vapor deposition mask stage to perform multi-degree-of-freedom motion; The multi-axis motion table system includes: The T-axis motion assembly includes a T-axis base plate and a large hollow direct drive motor mounted on the T-axis base plate. The base plate of the vapor deposition mask stage is fixed on the large hollow direct drive motor. A circular hole aligned with the through hole of the base plate is opened in the central area of ​​the T-axis base plate. The X-axis motion assembly includes an X-axis base plate, an X-axis guide rail, and an X-axis linear motor. The T-axis base plate is mounted on the X-axis base plate via the X-axis guide rail and is driven by the X-axis linear motor to move along the X-axis. A circular hole aligned with the through hole of the base plate is opened in the central area of ​​the X-axis base plate. The Y-axis motion assembly includes a Y-axis base plate, a Y-axis guide rail, and a Y-axis linear motor. The X-axis base plate is mounted on the Y-axis base plate via the Y-axis guide rail and is driven by the Y-axis linear motor to move along the Y-axis. A through hole aligned with the through hole of the base plate is provided in the central area of ​​the Y-axis base plate. The vapor deposition mask stage includes: The base plate has a through hole in the center area for optical detection or light source to pass through; Multiple ball-head plungers are mounted on a base plate to collectively support the vapor deposition mask. Each ball-head plunger includes a body, a rollable ball head at the top of the body, a spring at the bottom of the body, and a set screw. The body adjusts its installation height via a threaded connection, thereby adjusting the height of the ball head apex. The set screw locks the body in place after adjustment, and the spring provides cushioning when the vapor deposition mask contacts the ball head. There are four ball-head plungers in total, and after adjustment, the apexes of their ball heads form a plane. Sensors are used to detect whether the vapor deposition mask is placed on multiple ball-head plungers; At least two pairs of lateral positioning components are mounted on the base plate. Each pair of lateral positioning components acts on a pair of opposite sides of the vapor deposition mask. Each pair of lateral positioning components includes a large cylinder assembly and a small cylinder assembly, which are arranged opposite to each other. The large cylinder assembly is in a fully extended state, and the small cylinder assembly is in a partially extended state. A cam follower is installed at the end of both the large and small cylinder assemblies. The cam follower presses against the side of the vapor deposition mask when the cylinder is extended, and the spherical surface of the cam follower is rollable. The cam follower rolls on the side of the vapor deposition mask through its spherical surface, and the ball-head plunger rolls on the bottom surface of the vapor deposition mask through its ball head. Attitude pre-alignment and collision avoidance system, including: At least one non-contact position sensor is fixedly mounted above the vapor deposition mask stage or on the conveying robotic arm to measure the current deflection angle and horizontal position offset of the vapor deposition mask when the conveying robotic arm moves the vapor deposition mask to a predetermined height above the ball plunger. The controller is electrically connected to a non-contact position sensor and a large hollow direct drive motor. Based on the current deflection angle and horizontal position offset, the controller controls the large hollow direct drive motor to rotate before the vapor deposition mask contacts the ball plunger, so as to pre-align the posture of the vapor deposition mask. Furthermore, the controller also determines whether there is a risk of interference with surrounding components on the descent path of the conveying robotic arm based on the current deflection angle and horizontal position offset, and issues a stop or avoidance command when an interference risk is determined. The lower ends of the through holes in the base plate of the vapor deposition mask stage, the lower ends of the circular holes in the T-axis base plate, the lower ends of the circular holes in the X-axis base plate, and the lower ends of the through holes in the Y-axis base plate are all equipped with openable and closable dustproof and light-shielding components. The openable and closable dustproof and light-shielding components include micro-drive components and symmetrically arranged light-shielding and dustproof baffles. The micro-drive components drive the light-shielding and dustproof baffles to open and close. In the detection operation state, the light-shielding and dustproof baffles are open, and in the standby state, the light-shielding and dustproof baffles are closed to block the corresponding through holes or circular holes. A Z-axis micro-adjustment leveling module is installed between the T-axis base plate and the large hollow direct drive motor. The Z-axis micro-adjustment leveling module includes three voice coil motors arranged in a triangle and a corresponding grating ruler for each voice coil motor. Based on the surface flatness data of the vapor deposition mask fed back by external measuring equipment, the system independently controls the extension and retraction of the three voice coil motors to perform micron-level attitude fine-tuning of the vapor deposition mask stage to compensate for stage level errors and mask deformation.

2. The vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer robotic arm includes robotic fingers and an arm pusher. The robotic fingers have protrusions at their ends, and the arm pusher is used to push the vapor deposition mask so that it presses against the protrusions at the ends of the robotic fingers to clamp the vapor deposition mask.

3. The vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The T-axis motion assembly also includes a T-axis limit protection device, which includes: T-axis photoelectric sensor and T-axis photoelectric limit plate. The T-axis photoelectric limit plate is installed on the base plate and is used to block the T-axis photoelectric sensor when the rotation angle of the large hollow direct drive motor is too large, so as to generate a photoelectric limit signal. The T-axis limiting block is used to achieve mechanical hard limiting by contacting the side of the base plate when the T-axis photoelectric sensor fails.

4. The vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The X-axis motion assembly also includes an X-axis limit protection device, which includes: The X-axis photoelectric sensor and the X-axis photoelectric limit plate are mounted on the T-axis base plate and are used to block the X-axis photoelectric sensor and generate a photoelectric limit signal when the movement of the T-axis base plate exceeds the limit. When the X-axis photoelectric sensor fails, the T-axis base plate first contacts the hydraulic buffer and then hits the X-axis limit block, thus achieving buffering and mechanical limiting.

5. The vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Y-axis motion assembly also includes a Y-axis limit protection device, which includes: The Y-axis photoelectric sensor and the Y-axis photoelectric limit plate are mounted on the X-axis base plate and are used to block the Y-axis photoelectric sensor when the X-axis base plate moves beyond its limit, thereby generating a photoelectric limit signal. When the Y-axis photoelectric sensor fails, the X-axis base plate first contacts the Y-axis hydraulic buffer and then hits the Y-axis limit block, thus achieving buffering and mechanical limiting.

6. The vapor deposition mask stage and motion stage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an active cleaning system, which includes: Multiple gas nozzles are embedded in the base plate or installed around the base plate, with their outlets facing at least one of the ball head surface of the ball head plunger, the rolling surface of the cam follower, and the edge of the through hole in the base plate. Multiple solenoid valves are connected to each gas nozzle in a corresponding manner; A high-pressure clean air source is connected to each solenoid valve through pipelines; The controller, electrically connected to each solenoid valve, controls the solenoid valves to open sequentially or simultaneously within a preset cleaning cycle, or after each vapor deposition mask is removed, so that the gas nozzles spray airflow to blow and clean the ball head surface, rolling surface and through hole edge.

Images