Evaporation apparatus and array substrate

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide an evaporation device and an array substrate. The evaporation device comprises a vacuum chamber, a crucible, an evaporation source, a weighing member and an alarm member. The vacuum chamber contains the array substrate. The crucible contains a material to be evaporated. The evaporation source has a groove, and the crucible is contained in the groove. A plurality of heating members are arranged in the groove, and the heating members are used to heat the material to be evaporated in the crucible into evaporation gas. The crucible is located on one side of the weighing member, so that the weighing member can weigh the crucible and the material to be evaporated in the crucible in real time during the evaporation process. The alarm member is communicatively connected with the weighing member, and the alarm member is configured to send an alarm signal when detecting that the total weight of the crucible and the material to be evaporated in the crucible is lower than a preset weight. According to the embodiments of the present application, the alarm member can send an alarm signal when the material to be evaporated in the crucible is exhausted or about to be exhausted, so that the user can timely shut down the device, prevent the crucible from being empty, and thus reduce the defective rate of the evaporation product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vapor deposition equipment technology, and in particular to a vapor deposition equipment and an array substrate. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, there are various display panels, including liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light-emitting diode (OLEDs), and electronic ink displays. Among them, OLED displays, with their advantages of being thin and light, low power consumption, high contrast, wide color gamut, and flexible display, have become the development trend of next-generation displays. The pixels of OLED display panels are prepared by vapor deposition, where organic materials are sublimated at high temperatures and deposited onto an array substrate through a precision metal mask, achieving the light-emitting display of a mobile phone screen. The material to be vaporized is placed in a crucible, and the material in the crucible is evaporated, causing the evaporated gas to deposit onto the surface of the array substrate, forming a vapor-deposited material layer.

[0003] However, currently, users cannot know the amount of material remaining in the crucible during the vapor deposition process. They can only rely on manual experience to guess the amount of material remaining based on historical data and estimate the time it takes for the material to be vapor-deposited to be exhausted. The estimation error is large, which can easily lead to the crucible burning dry or even equipment damage, thus increasing the defect rate of vapor-deposited products. Alternatively, users may actively stop the machine during the vapor deposition process to observe the amount of material remaining in the crucible, resulting in material waste and low production efficiency of vapor-deposited products. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a vapor deposition apparatus and an array substrate, which aims to solve the problem that the remaining amount of material to be vapor deposited in the crucible cannot be known during the vapor deposition process, which leads to the crucible burning dry and increases the defect rate of vapor-deposited products.

[0005] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a vapor deposition apparatus for forming a vapor deposition material layer on the surface of an array substrate to be vapor deposited, the vapor deposition apparatus comprising:

[0006] A vacuum chamber, wherein the array substrate is disposed within the vacuum chamber;

[0007] A crucible having a receiving cavity for holding the material to be vapor-deposited;

[0008] An evaporation source is located within the vacuum chamber. The evaporation source has a groove, and a crucible is housed in the groove. The wall of the groove is provided with a plurality of heating elements, which are used to heat the material to be deposited in the crucible into an evaporating gas.

[0009] A weighing device is fixedly installed at the bottom of the groove, and the crucible is located on one side of the weighing device, so that the weighing device can weigh the crucible and the material to be vaporized in the crucible in real time during the vapor deposition process;

[0010] An alarm device is communicatively connected to the weighing device, and the alarm device is configured to issue an alarm signal when the total weight of the crucible and the material to be vaporized inside the crucible is detected to be lower than a preset weight.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the vapor deposition equipment further includes a display, which is located outside the vacuum chamber. The display includes a housing, a circuit board, and a display screen. The circuit board is installed inside the housing, and the display screen is installed on the front of the housing. The weighing component is communicatively connected to the circuit board, and the circuit board and the display screen are electrically connected.

[0012] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the weighing component and the circuit board are communicatively connected via high-temperature resistant wires;

[0013] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the weighing component and the circuit board are wirelessly connected.

[0014] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the alarm component is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the housing, the weighing component and the circuit board are communicatively connected, and the circuit board is communicatively connected to the alarm component and the display screen respectively.

[0015] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the weighing element is a plurality of weighing elements, and the plurality of weighing elements are respectively communicatively connected to the alarm element;

[0016] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, a plurality of the weighing elements are arranged at intervals along the outer edge of the side of the crucible facing the bottom of the groove.

[0017] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the vapor deposition equipment further includes a feeding mechanism, which includes a material pump and a material conveying pipeline. The crucible has a feed inlet, the feed end of the material pump is connected to a feeding device, and the discharge end of the material pump is connected to the feed inlet through the material conveying pipeline. The material pump and the heating element are respectively communicatively connected to the weighing element. The weighing element is configured to control the heating element to shut down and control the material pump to start for a preset time when it detects that the total weight of the crucible and the material to be vapor deposited in the crucible is lower than a preset weight.

[0018] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, a seal is installed between the material conveying pipeline and the feed inlet.

[0019] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, a heat-insulating ceramic component is provided at the bottom of the groove corresponding to the weighing component, the heat-insulating ceramic component has a mounting groove, the weighing component is inserted into the mounting groove, and a heat-insulating sheet is placed between the side of the crucible facing the bottom of the groove and the weighing tray of the weighing component.

[0020] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the alarm device is one of a buzzer, an indicator light, or an audible and visual alarm.

[0021] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the weighing element is one of an electronic scale, a strain gauge load cell, a piezoelectric load cell, a capacitive load cell, or a hydraulic load cell.

[0022] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application also provides an array substrate for a display panel, the array substrate having a plurality of film layers, at least one of the film layers being formed by a vapor deposition apparatus as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0023] In the vapor deposition equipment and array substrate provided in this application embodiment, by placing a crucible in the groove of the evaporation source, the material to be vapor-deposited is contained in the receiving cavity of the crucible, so that the heating element arranged on the wall of the groove can heat the wall of the crucible, thereby achieving indirect heating of the material to be vapor-deposited; the material to be vapor-deposited is heated to form vapor deposition gas which escapes from the crucible and deposits on the surface of the array substrate to form a vapor deposition material layer; a weighing element is fixedly installed at the bottom of the groove, which can weigh the crucible and the material to be vapor-deposited in the crucible in real time. The weighing element and the alarm element are connected in communication so that when the weighing element detects that the crucible and the material to be vapor-deposited in the crucible are below the preset weight, the alarm element is controlled to issue an alarm signal to remind the user that the current vapor deposition material has been exhausted or is about to be exhausted, so that the user can shut down the equipment in time, stop the continued vapor deposition of the array substrate, thereby preventing equipment damage and reducing the defect rate of vapor-deposited products. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar features.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a vapor deposition apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a vapor deposition apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fit between the crucible and the weighing device when there is residual material in the crucible, as provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the fit between the crucible and the weighing device when the material in the crucible is exhausted, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a vapor deposition equipment provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Vacuum chamber; 2. Crucible; 21. Receiving cavity; 22. Feed inlet; 3. Evaporation source; 31. Groove; 32. Heating element; 4. Weighing element; 5. Alarm element; 6. Display; 61. Housing; 62. Display screen; 63. High-temperature resistant wire; 7. Feeding mechanism; 71. Material pump; 72. Material conveying pipeline; 8. Thermal insulation ceramic component; 9. Thermal insulation sheet;

[0031] 100, Array substrate; 200, Material to be vaporized; 300, Feeding equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of this application will now be described in detail. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following detailed description to provide a comprehensive understanding of this application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this application can be implemented without requiring some of these specific details. The following description of embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of this application by illustrating examples. In the accompanying drawings and the following description, at least some well-known structures and techniques are not shown to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the application; and, for clarity, the dimensions of some structures may be exaggerated. Furthermore, the features, structures, or characteristics described below can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0034] The directional terms appearing in the following description refer to the directions shown in the figures and are not intended to limit the specific structure of the embodiments of this application. It should also be noted in the description of this application that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] OLED display panels require an array substrate including a driving circuit to drive the light-emitting units to emit light. The array substrate includes a semiconductor layer, a conductive layer, and an insulating layer stacked together. For example, the array substrate may include a substrate and a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a third conductive layer stacked on one side of the substrate. An insulating layer is disposed between adjacent conductive layers. Exemplarily, a pixel circuit is disposed on the array substrate, and the pixel driving circuit includes a transistor and a storage capacitor. The transistor includes a semiconductor, a gate, a source, and a drain. The source and drain can be connected to the semiconductor through vias in the insulating layer. The storage capacitor includes a first electrode and a second electrode. As an example, the gate and the first electrode can be located in the first conductive layer, the second electrode can be located in the second conductive layer, and the source and drain can be located in the third conductive layer. When preparing the film layers of the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer, the third conductive layer, the semiconductor, and the insulating layer, a vapor deposition process may be used to attach the material to be vapor deposited onto the array substrate to form a vapor-deposited film layer, and then the vapor-deposited film layer is patterned to obtain the corresponding film layer structure.

[0036] In related technologies, users cannot know the amount of material remaining in the crucible during the vapor deposition process. They can only rely on manual experience to guess the amount of material remaining based on historical data and estimate the time it takes for the material to be vapor-deposited to be exhausted. This has a large error, which can easily lead to the crucible burning out or even equipment damage. This results in an increased defect rate of vapor-deposited products. Alternatively, users may need to stop the machine during the vapor deposition process to observe the amount of material remaining in the crucible, which leads to material waste and low production efficiency of vapor-deposited products.

[0037] To better understand this application, the following will be combined with... Figures 1 to 5 The vapor deposition apparatus and array substrate of the present application embodiments are described in detail.

[0038] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 4 , Figure 1 A vapor deposition apparatus provided for an embodiment of this application.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the vapor deposition equipment provided in this application is used to form a vapor deposition material layer on the surface of the array substrate 100 to be vapor deposited. The vapor deposition equipment includes:

[0040] Vacuum chamber 1 contains an array substrate 100.

[0041] The crucible 2 has a receiving cavity 21 for receiving the material 200 to be vaporized.

[0042] An evaporation source 3 is located within a vacuum chamber 1. The evaporation source 3 has a recess 31. A crucible 2 is housed within the recess 31. The walls of the recess 31 are provided with several heating elements 32. The heating elements 32 are used to heat the material 200 to be deposited within the crucible 2 into an evaporating gas.

[0043] Weighing element 4 is fixedly installed at the bottom of groove 31. Crucible 2 is located on one side of weighing element 4 so that weighing element 4 can weigh crucible 2 and the material 200 to be vaporized inside crucible 2 in real time during the vapor deposition process.

[0044] Alarm element 5 is communicatively connected to weighing element 4. Alarm element 5 is configured to issue an alarm signal when the total weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be vaporized inside the crucible 2 is detected to be lower than a preset weight.

[0045] In the embodiments provided in this application, the crucible 2 is placed in the groove 31 of the evaporation source 3, and the material to be vaporized 200 is placed in the receiving cavity 21 of the crucible 2, so that the heating element 32 heats the wall of the crucible 2, thereby achieving indirect heating of the material to be vaporized 200. The material to be vaporized 200 is heated to form vaporization gas, which escapes from the crucible 2 and deposits on the surface of the array substrate 100 to form a vaporized material layer. The weighing element 4 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the groove 31, which can weigh the crucible 2 and the material to be vaporized 200 in the crucible 2 in real time. The weighing element 4 is communicatively connected to the alarm element 5 so that when the weighing element 4 detects that the crucible 2 and the material to be vaporized 200 in the crucible 2 are below the preset weight, the alarm element 5 is controlled to issue an alarm signal to remind the user that the current vaporized material has been exhausted or is about to be exhausted, so that the user can shut down the equipment in time and stop the continued vaporization of the array substrate, thereby preventing equipment damage and reducing the defect rate of vaporized products.

[0046] During the vapor deposition process, the material to be deposited 200 in crucible 2 is evaporated under heating, becoming gas or vapor. The evaporation process is as follows: the material to be deposited 200 (such as metal, alloy, etc.) in crucible 2 is heated to a sufficiently high temperature, reaching its evaporation point. At this time, the material to be deposited 200 begins to change from a solid to a gas, generating vapor. In a vacuum environment, due to the low air density, the material to be deposited 200 rapidly escapes from crucible 2 in gaseous form and diffuses within the vacuum chamber 1. The array substrate 100 is located within the vacuum chamber 1 and is relatively close to the crucible 2. When the vapor comes into contact with the array substrate 100, it cools and condenses on the array substrate 100, forming a solid film on the surface of the array substrate 100. This solid film is the vapor-deposited material layer.

[0047] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, both the evaporation source 3 and the crucible 2 are installed inside the vacuum chamber 1 and are located at the bottom of the vacuum chamber 1. Optionally, a mounting base is provided at the bottom of the vacuum chamber 1, and the mounting base has a slot. The evaporation source 3 is inserted into the slot to provide support for the evaporation source 3 through the mounting base, and the wall of the slot limits the evaporation source 3. The evaporation source 3 includes a base and a heating element 32. A groove 31 is provided on the base, and the groove opening of the groove 31 is arranged facing upwards. The array substrate 100 is disposed on the top of the vacuum chamber 1. The crucible 2 has an opening. The opening of the crucible 2 and the groove opening of the groove 31 are arranged correspondingly. The array substrate 100 to be vapor-deposited is located above the groove opening of the groove 31 so that the gaseous vapor deposition material is deposited on the surface of the array substrate 100 to form a vapor deposition material layer.

[0048] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of heating elements 32 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the groove wall 31 to heat the wall of the crucible 2, thereby indirectly heating the material 200 to be vaporized in the receiving cavity 21. In other embodiments, a plurality of heating elements 32 are evenly arranged on the groove wall and the bottom of the groove 31 to further ensure that the heating elements 32 heat the material 200 to be vaporized in the crucible 2.

[0049] Optionally, the heating element 32 is a heating wire or an electric heating rod. When the heating element 32 is a heating wire, the wall of the groove 31 is provided with multiple positioning posts, and the multiple heating wires are wound around the multiple positioning posts one by one, so as to provide support for the heating wires through the positioning posts.

[0050] In existing technology, before vapor deposition, the user estimates the required amount of vapor deposition material based on the preset thickness of the vapor deposition layer, and then adds the corresponding weight of the material to be vaporized into crucible 2 at once. During the vapor deposition process, the operator still estimates the required deposition time and whether the current vapor deposition material has been exhausted. The specific estimation method is as follows: the equipment is stopped, the remaining material in crucible 2 is removed and weighed; based on the material consumption and deposition time, the material consumption rate is calculated, and then based on the next required deposition time, a suitable amount of material is calculated for the next deposition.

[0051] However, due to the uncertainties of the vapor deposition process, the vapor deposition material in crucible 2 may suddenly run out, and manual estimation has a large margin of error. In particular, when the material runs out, the user cannot know that crucible 2 has been depleted. Even when the vapor deposition material runs out, the entire vapor deposition equipment is still vapor depositioning the array substrate 100, which makes it difficult for the vapor deposition material layer on the surface of the array substrate 100 to meet production requirements, and may even cause equipment damage.

[0052] In this embodiment of the application, the vapor deposition equipment includes an alarm element 5. Optionally, the alarm element 5 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 1 to avoid damage to the alarm element 5 caused by the high temperature environment inside the vacuum chamber 1, and at the same time to facilitate the user to hear the alarm signal of the alarm element 5.

[0053] Please refer to the following: Figures 2 to 4 A weighing element 4 is provided at the bottom of the groove 31. The depth of the groove 31 is consistent with the vertical direction. The crucible 2 is housed within the groove 31. The weighing element 4 is located between the bottom of the groove 31 and the crucible 2.

[0054] Figure 3 The diagram shows the arrangement of crucible 2 and weighing device 4 when the material to be vaporized 200 in crucible 2 has not been exhausted. Figure 4 The diagram shows the connection between crucible 2 and weighing element 4 when the material to be deposited 200 in crucible 2 is exhausted. Weighing element 4 can be a load cell or a high-temperature resistant electronic scale. Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the weighing tray of the weighing component 4 and the crucible 2 are in close contact with the side facing the bottom of the groove 31 to weigh the entire crucible 2 and the remaining material inside it. The weighing component 4 is communicatively connected to the controller of the vapor deposition equipment, and the controller of the vapor deposition equipment is communicatively connected to the alarm component 5. During the vapor deposition process, the weighing component 4 weighs the crucible 2 and the remaining material inside it in real time and feeds the weighing information back to the controller of the vapor deposition equipment in real time. Based on the above weighing information, the controller of the vapor deposition equipment determines whether the weight of the vapor deposition material in the crucible 2 is lower than the minimum preset weight. When the weight of the vapor deposition material in the crucible 2 is lower than the preset weight, the controller of the vapor deposition equipment immediately controls the alarm component 5 to issue an alarm signal to remind the user that the current vapor deposition material has been exhausted or is about to be exhausted. This allows the user to control the entire vapor deposition equipment to shut down in time, stop the vapor deposition of the array substrate 100, thereby preventing equipment damage and reducing the defect rate of vapor-deposited products.

[0055] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the vapor deposition equipment also includes a display 6. The display 6 is located outside the vacuum chamber 1. The display 6 includes a housing 61, a circuit board, and a display screen 62. The circuit board is mounted inside the housing 61. The display screen 62 is mounted on the front of the housing 61. The weighing component 4 is communicatively connected to the circuit board. The circuit board and the display screen 62 are electrically connected.

[0056] In these optional embodiments, on the one hand, when the material to be vaporized 200 in the crucible 2 is exhausted or about to be exhausted, the alarm 5 can issue an alarm signal to alert the user; on the other hand, the display 6 is located outside the vacuum chamber 1, and the weighing device 4 is communicatively connected to the circuit board to feed back the weighing information of the crucible 2 and the material to be vaporized 200 in the crucible 2 to the circuit board in real time. The circuit board can display the above weighing information on the display screen 62 so that the user can understand the consumption of the material to be vaporized 200 in the crucible 2 in real time, thereby enabling the user to judge whether there is any abnormality in the vaporization process in the vacuum chamber 1 based on the consumption of the material to be vaporized 200, thus improving the ease of use of the vaporization equipment.

[0057] The display 6 can be separated from the vacuum chamber 1 or fixedly installed on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 1; this embodiment does not specifically limit this. Optionally, the circuit board is a printed circuit board (PCB) known in the art. In an optional embodiment, a positioning seat is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the housing 61. The positioning seat has a connecting groove. Multiple mounting posts are arranged circumferentially along the bottom of the connecting groove. Correspondingly, multiple mounting holes are provided on the outer edge of the circuit board. During assembly, the circuit board is snapped into the connecting groove, and the multiple mounting posts are inserted one by one into the multiple mounting holes, thereby achieving a fixed connection between the circuit board and the housing 61, ensuring that the circuit board is securely installed inside the housing 61.

[0058] Optionally, the display screen 62 can be a CRT display screen or an LCD display screen. The display screen 62 is fixedly mounted on the front of the monitor 6. The weighing device 4 feeds back the weighing information of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be vaporized inside the crucible 2 to the circuit board in real time. The circuit board can then display the weighing information on the display screen 62 in real time for the user to view.

[0059] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the weighing component 4 and the circuit board are connected via a high-temperature resistant wire 63.

[0060] In these optional embodiments, the weighing component 4 is connected to the circuit board via a high-temperature resistant wire 63, which effectively avoids problems such as insulation aging and poor conductivity that may occur with conventional wires in high-temperature environments. This ensures stable and reliable data transmission between the weighing component 4 and the circuit board, making it suitable for applications in high-temperature environments within the vacuum chamber 1.

[0061] Optionally, the housing 61 is provided with a first electrical interface. The connection end of the high-temperature resistant wire 63 to the circuit board is provided with a first electrical plug. The first electrical connector is adapted to the first electrical interface. The weighing component 4 is provided with a second electrical interface. The connection end of the high-temperature resistant wire 63 to the weighing component 4 is provided with a second electrical connector. The second electrical connector is adapted to the second electrical interface. During assembly, the first electrical connector is electrically plugged into the first electrical interface, and then the second electrical connector is electrically plugged into the second electrical interface to achieve communication connection between the weighing component 4 and the circuit board. When the weighing component 4 is not needed, simply unplug the second electrical connector from the second electrical interface and then remove the weighing component 4 from the groove 31, providing good versatility.

[0062] The high-temperature resistant conductor 63 is made of high-temperature resistant material to ensure that the high-temperature resistant conductor 63 can maintain stable electrical performance and physical structure in high-temperature working environment and prevent short circuit of the weighing component 4.

[0063] Optionally, the high-temperature resistant wire 63 is a high-temperature silicone insulated wire or a high-temperature resistant polymer wire.

[0064] In some alternative embodiments, the weighing element 4 and the circuit board are wirelessly connected.

[0065] In these alternative embodiments, by using wireless communication to connect the weighing element 4 and the circuit board, the ease of use of the vapor deposition equipment can be improved, effectively avoiding the wires from getting tangled in the vacuum chamber 1 and / or the groove 31.

[0066] Optionally, the weighing component 4 and the circuit board are wirelessly connected using a high-temperature resistant Bluetooth module or a high-temperature resistant WiFi module. The high-temperature resistant Bluetooth module and the high-temperature resistant WiFi module are existing technologies and will not be described further in this embodiment.

[0067] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the alarm component 5 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the housing 61. The weighing component 4 is communicatively connected to the circuit board, which is communicatively connected to both the alarm component 5 and the display screen 62.

[0068] In these optional embodiments, by fixing the alarm element 5 to the outer wall of the housing 61 and simultaneously connecting the weighing element 4, the alarm element 5, and the display screen 62 to the circuit board, the functional integration of the vapor deposition equipment is improved, enhancing user convenience. The circuit board can display the real-time weighing information of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be vaporized within it on the display screen 62. Furthermore, when it detects that the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 is below a preset weight, it can immediately control the alarm element 5 to issue an alarm signal, reminding the user to shut down the equipment promptly to prevent the crucible 2 from burning dry and ensuring the yield rate of the vapor-deposited products. Simultaneously, the user can monitor the consumption of the material 200 in the crucible 2 in real time, allowing them to determine if there are any abnormalities in the vapor deposition process within the vacuum chamber 1 based on the consumption of the material 200, thus improving the ease of use of the vapor deposition equipment.

[0069] Optionally, the alarm element 5 can be glued to the outer wall of the housing 61 using adhesive. Alternatively, the alarm element 5 can be fastened to the outer wall of the housing 61 using fasteners such as screws or bolts.

[0070] In some alternative embodiments, there are multiple weighing elements 4. Each of the multiple weighing elements 4 is communicatively connected to an alarm element 5.

[0071] In these optional embodiments, each weighing element 4 independently measures the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be vaporized within it, and is electrically connected to the alarm element 5. Each weighing element 4 is connected to the input of the alarm element 5 via a signal output terminal. The controller of the vapor deposition equipment monitors the signal changes of the weighing elements 4 and controls the alarm element 5 to issue an alarm signal when it detects that the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be vaporized within it is lower than a preset weight. To ensure the reliability of weighing the remaining material in the crucible 2, the communication lines between each weighing element 4 and the alarm element 5 are independent to avoid signal interference, effectively enabling multi-point weighing and real-time monitoring of the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be vaporized within it. Once a weighing element 4 detects that the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be vaporized within it is lower than a preset weight, the controller of the vapor deposition equipment can control the alarm element 5 to issue an alarm, prompting the operator to promptly stop the vapor deposition equipment to prevent increased defect rates of vapor-deposited products or equipment damage due to dry burning of the crucible 2.

[0072] Optionally, in this embodiment, the weighing components 4 can be two, four, six, seven, or eight, etc. The user can select the number of weighing components 4 according to the actual size of the crucible 2. This embodiment does not make a specific limitation on this.

[0073] In some alternative embodiments, multiple weighing elements 4 are arranged at intervals along the outer edge of the crucible 2 on the side facing the bottom of the groove 31.

[0074] In these optional embodiments, multiple weighing elements 4 are evenly spaced along the outer edge of the crucible 2 and arranged along the side of the crucible 2 facing the bottom of the groove 31. Each weighing element 4 is fixedly connected to the outer edge of the crucible 2 to ensure that each weighing element 4 can accurately sense the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be deposited inside it. This spaced arrangement effectively distributes the force on the crucible 2, avoiding weighing errors or damage caused by concentrated loads on the weighing elements 4. At the same time, the arrangement of multiple weighing elements 4 can improve the accuracy and stability of the weight monitoring of the material 200 to be deposited.

[0075] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the vapor deposition mechanism also includes a feeding mechanism 7. The feeding mechanism 7 includes a material pump 71 and a material conveying pipeline 72. The crucible 2 has a feed inlet 22. The feed end of the material pump 71 is connected to the feeding device 300. The discharge end of the material pump 71 is connected to the feed inlet 22 via the material conveying pipeline 72. The material pump 71 and the heating element 32 are respectively communicatively connected to the weighing element 4. The weighing element 4 is configured to control the heating element 32 to shut down and control the material pump 71 to start for a preset time when the total weight of the crucible 2 and the material to be vapor deposited 200 in the crucible 2 is detected to be lower than a preset weight.

[0076] In these optional embodiments, the material pump 71 can be fixedly mounted outside the vacuum chamber 1 using a mounting bracket. The inlet of the material pump 71 is connected to the feeding device 300 via a material conveying pipeline 72, which provides the material to be vaporized 200. The outlet of the material pump 71 is connected to the inlet 22 of the crucible 2, for injecting the material to be vaporized 200 into the crucible 2.

[0077] The weighing component 4 is communicatively connected to the controller of the vapor deposition equipment, which in turn is communicatively connected to the material pump 71. When the controller of the vapor deposition equipment determines that the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be vaporized within it is lower than a preset weight, the controller immediately cuts off the power to the heating element 32 to stop heating the crucible 2 and prevent it from burning dry. Simultaneously, the controller immediately activates the material pump 71 for a preset duration to replenish the crucible 2 with an appropriate amount of material 200 to be vaporized, facilitating the next vapor deposition process without manual replenishment, thus improving the ease of use of the vapor deposition equipment. Users can rationally select the activation duration of the material pump 71 based on the next vapor deposition duration to ensure that the amount of material 200 replenished by the material pump 71 to the crucible 2 meets the requirements for the next vapor deposition.

[0078] Optionally, the material pump 71 is one of a centrifugal pump, gear pump, piston pump, diaphragm pump, screw pump, or axial flow pump.

[0079] In some alternative embodiments, a seal is installed between the material conveying line 72 and the inlet 22.

[0080] In these optional embodiments, a seal is provided at the interface connecting the material conveying pipeline 72 and the inlet 22 to ensure that the material to be vapor-deposited 200 does not leak during the conveying process, thereby improving the sealing and safety of the crucible 2. The seal can be made of a high-temperature resistant and wear-resistant sealing material. The seal ensures tight contact between the walls of the material conveying pipeline 72 and the inlet 22, preventing leakage of the material to be vapor-deposited 200 due to pressure changes or vibrations during the conveying process. This effectively reduces waste of the material to be vapor-deposited 200, improves conveying efficiency, and ensures the cleanliness of the vacuum chamber 1, thus ensuring the vapor deposition quality of the product.

[0081] Optionally, the seal is a graphite sealing ring.

[0082] In some optional embodiments, a heat-insulating ceramic component 8 is provided at the bottom of the groove 31 corresponding to the weighing component 4. The heat-insulating ceramic component 8 has a mounting groove. The weighing component 4 is inserted into the mounting groove. A heat-insulating sheet 9 is placed between the side of the crucible 2 facing the bottom of the groove 31 and the weighing tray of the weighing component 4.

[0083] In these optional embodiments, the function of the heat-insulating ceramic component 8 is to effectively isolate heat transfer, prevent the high-temperature environment generated by the heating element 32 from affecting the weighing component 4, and ensure the measurement accuracy of the weighing component 4. The crucible 2 is located on the weighing tray, and a heat-insulating sheet 9 is placed between the crucible 2 and the weighing tray of the weighing component 4 to further ensure the heat insulation effect of the weighing component 4, avoid the high-temperature wall of the crucible 2 from directly contacting the weighing tray and affecting the weighing accuracy of the weighing component 4, and prevent weighing errors caused by temperature changes.

[0084] Optionally, the material of the heat-insulating ceramic component 8 can be any one of bauxite ceramic, aluminum silicate ceramic, zirconia ceramic, silicon carbide ceramic, silicon nitride ceramic or barium titanate ceramic.

[0085] Optionally, the material of the heat insulation sheet 9 can also be any one of bauxite ceramic, aluminum silicate ceramic, zirconia ceramic, silicon carbide ceramic, silicon nitride ceramic or barium titanate ceramic.

[0086] In some alternative embodiments, the alarm element 5 is one of a buzzer, an indicator light, or an audible and visual alarm.

[0087] In this embodiment, the alarm element 5 can be one of a buzzer, an indicator light, or an audible and visual alarm, used to issue an alarm when the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be deposited inside the crucible 2 is detected to be lower than a preset weight. The buzzer is used to issue an audible alarm. The indicator light indicates the alarm status by turning on or off, while the audible and visual alarm combines sound and light signal outputs, providing a more significant warning effect. When the weighing device 4 detects that the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be deposited inside the crucible 2 is lower than the preset weight, the alarm element 5 will automatically activate, emitting a loud sound or flashing light signal to remind the operator to check or take appropriate measures.

[0088] Users can choose the appropriate alarm method according to their specific needs to ensure that alarm information can be transmitted to operators in a timely and accurate manner.

[0089] In some alternative embodiments, the weighing element 4 is one of an electronic scale, a strain gauge load cell, a piezoelectric load cell, a capacitive load cell, or a hydraulic load cell.

[0090] In this embodiment, the weighing element 4 can be any one of an electronic scale, a strain gauge load cell, a piezoelectric load cell, a capacitive load cell, or a hydraulic load cell, used to accurately measure the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 to be deposited inside the crucible 2. The electronic scale, through a combination of circuitry and sensors, electronically measures the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 inside the crucible 2. The strain gauge load cell utilizes the strain characteristics of the material to sense changes in weight applied to it. The piezoelectric load cell measures the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 inside the crucible 2 by detecting changes in charge generated when the material is subjected to force. The capacitive load cell obtains the weight data of the crucible 2 and the material 200 inside the crucible 2 by detecting changes in capacitance between the object and the sensor. The hydraulic load cell reflects the weight of the crucible 2 and the material 200 inside the crucible 2 by detecting changes in pressure of the liquid under force. Users can select the appropriate type of weighing element 4 according to specific needs to ensure high accuracy and stability in the weighing process.

[0091] A second aspect of this application also provides a display substrate for a display panel, including an array substrate 100 deposited using the vapor deposition equipment described above.

[0092] The second aspect of this application also provides an array substrate 100 for a display panel. The array substrate 100 includes multiple film layers, at least one of which is formed by the vapor deposition equipment system provided in any of the first aspects of the application. Since at least one film layer of the array substrate 100 in the third aspect of this application is formed by the vapor deposition equipment provided in any of the first aspects of the application, the array substrate 100 in the second aspect of this application has the beneficial effects of the vapor deposition equipment provided in any of the first aspects of the application, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0093] The embodiments of the third aspect of this application also provide a display panel, including the array substrate 100 provided in any of the second aspect embodiments described above. Since the display panel of the third aspect embodiment includes the array substrate 100 of any of the second aspect embodiments described above, the display panel of the third aspect embodiment has the beneficial effects of the array substrate 100 of any of the second aspect embodiments described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0094] A fourth aspect of this application provides a display device including the display panel provided in any of the third aspect embodiments described above. Since the display device provided in the fourth aspect of this application includes the display panel of any of the third aspect embodiments described above, it possesses the beneficial effects of the display panel of any of the first aspect embodiments described above, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0095] The display devices in this application include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, e-books, televisions, access control systems, smart landline phones, control consoles, and other devices with display functions.

[0096] Although this application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications can be made thereto and components can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of this application. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner, provided there is no structural conflict. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A vapor deposition apparatus for forming a vapor deposition material layer on the surface of an array substrate to be vapor deposited, characterized in that, The vapor deposition equipment includes: A vacuum chamber, wherein the array substrate is disposed within the vacuum chamber; A crucible having a receiving cavity for holding the material to be vapor-deposited; An evaporation source is located within the vacuum chamber. The evaporation source has a groove, and a crucible is housed in the groove. The wall of the groove is provided with a plurality of heating elements, which are used to heat the material to be deposited in the crucible into an evaporating gas. A weighing device is fixedly installed at the bottom of the groove, and the crucible is located on one side of the weighing device, so that the weighing device can weigh the crucible and the material to be vaporized in the crucible in real time during the vapor deposition process; An alarm device is communicatively connected to the weighing device, and the alarm device is configured to issue an alarm signal when the total weight of the crucible and the material to be vaporized inside the crucible is detected to be lower than a preset weight.

2. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a display located outside the vacuum chamber. The display includes a housing, a circuit board, and a display screen. The circuit board is installed inside the housing, and the display screen is installed on the front of the housing. The weighing component is communicatively connected to the circuit board, and the circuit board and the display screen are electrically connected. Preferably, the weighing component and the circuit board are connected in communication via high-temperature resistant wires; Preferably, the weighing device and the circuit board are wirelessly connected.

3. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The alarm component is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the housing. The weighing component and the circuit board are communicatively connected. The circuit board is communicatively connected to both the alarm component and the display screen.

4. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The weighing element is multiple, and each of the multiple weighing elements is communicatively connected to the alarm element; Preferably, the plurality of weighing elements are arranged at intervals along the outer edge of the side of the crucible facing the bottom of the groove.

5. The vapor deposition equipment according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes a feeding mechanism, which includes a material pump and a material conveying pipeline. The crucible has a feed inlet. The feed end of the material pump is used to connect to a feeding device. The discharge end of the material pump is connected to the feed inlet through the material conveying pipeline. The material pump and the heating element are respectively communicatively connected to the weighing element. The weighing element is configured to control the heating element to shut down and control the material pump to start for a preset time when it detects that the total weight of the crucible and the material to be vaporized in the crucible is lower than a preset weight.

6. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, A seal is installed between the material conveying pipeline and the feed inlet.

7. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A heat-insulating ceramic component is provided at the bottom of the groove corresponding to the weighing component. The heat-insulating ceramic component has a mounting groove. The weighing component is inserted into the mounting groove. A heat-insulating sheet is placed between the side of the crucible facing the bottom of the groove and the weighing tray of the weighing component.

8. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The alarm device is one of a buzzer, an indicator light, or an audible and visual alarm.

9. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The weighing device is one of an electronic scale, a strain gauge load cell, a piezoelectric load cell, a capacitive load cell, or a hydraulic load cell.

10. An array substrate for a display panel, characterized in that, The array substrate has multiple film layers, at least one of which is formed by the vapor deposition equipment according to any one of claims 1-9.

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