Evaporation apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

The application provides an evaporation equipment and a control method thereof, which are used for solving the problem of how to improve the precision of the evaporation film layer of a display panel. The mask plate of the evaporation equipment is arranged on one side of the substrate along the thickness direction of the substrate. A plurality of adsorption units are arranged on the other side of the substrate along the thickness direction of the substrate. One adsorption unit is provided with at least one pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor is used for detecting the pressure applied by the substrate to the adsorption unit. The controller is used for: inputting current to the adsorption unit to make the adsorption unit generate adsorption force to the mask plate, and if the pressure detected by any pressure sensor is greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, reducing the current input to the corresponding adsorption unit, and if the pressure detected by any pressure sensor is less than or equal to a second pressure threshold, increasing the current input to the corresponding adsorption unit, and the second pressure threshold is less than the first pressure threshold. The evaporation equipment provided by the application can improve the manufacturing precision of the display panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display panel manufacturing technology, specifically to a vapor deposition equipment and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] In the fabrication of Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display panels, a high-precision fine metal mask (FMM) is typically used to deposit red, green, and blue sub-pixels, electrodes, and other film layers onto predetermined positions on the substrate via an evaporation deposition process. However, because the substrate is positioned above the mask during evaporation deposition, when the display panel area is large, the mask, especially its central area, may sag due to its own gravity. This can create gaps between the mask and the substrate, leading to inaccurate placement of the deposited film layers and a low yield rate for the display panel. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a vapor deposition apparatus and its control method to solve the problem of how to improve the precision of vapor deposition film layers on display panels.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a vapor deposition apparatus, which includes a substrate, a mask, multiple adsorption units, multiple pressure sensors, and a controller. The mask is disposed on one side of the substrate along its thickness direction. Multiple adsorption units are disposed on the side of the substrate opposite to the mask, also along its thickness direction. Each adsorption unit is equipped with at least one pressure sensor, which detects the pressure applied by the substrate to the adsorption unit. The controller is electrically connected to the multiple adsorption units and the multiple pressure sensors. The controller is configured to: supply current to the adsorption units to generate an adsorption force on the mask; and, if the pressure detected by any pressure sensor is greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, decrease the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit; and if the pressure detected by any pressure sensor is less than or equal to a second pressure threshold, increase the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit, wherein the second pressure threshold is less than the first pressure threshold.

[0006] In some possible implementations of the first aspect, the vapor deposition apparatus further includes a drive unit connected to multiple adsorption units for moving the multiple adsorption units toward or away from the substrate. A controller is electrically connected to the drive unit and is further configured to: if, without supplying current to the multiple adsorption units, the pressure detected by any pressure sensor is greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, control the drive unit to move the multiple adsorption units away from the substrate.

[0007] In some possible implementations of the first aspect, the vapor deposition apparatus includes a pressure plate and a plurality of electromagnets. The pressure plate is stacked with a substrate; the pressure plate includes a plurality of sub-plate portions arranged parallel to the substrate, each sub-plate portion forming part of an adsorption unit, and a pressure sensor is disposed on each sub-plate portion. An electromagnet is disposed on one sub-plate portion and forms another part of an adsorption unit; all the electromagnets are electrically connected to a controller.

[0008] In some possible implementations of the first aspect, the pressure plate is flat, a subplate has a first groove on its surface facing the substrate, and an electromagnet is fixed in the first groove.

[0009] In some possible implementations of the first aspect, the sub-plate portion includes a main body portion and a protrusion portion arranged along the thickness direction of the substrate, the main body portions of multiple sub-plate portions form a flat plate portion, the protrusion portion is located between the main body portion and the substrate, and each protrusion portion is provided with an electromagnet and at least one pressure sensor.

[0010] In some possible implementations of the first aspect, the density of the electromagnet gradually decreases along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate.

[0011] In some possible implementations of the first aspect, the vapor deposition apparatus includes a pressure plate and multiple coils. The pressure plate is stacked with a substrate, and the pressure plate includes multiple sub-plates arranged along a direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate. Multiple coils are concentrically arranged on the pressure plate; the multiple coils and multiple sub-plates are alternately arranged along a direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate, and a sub-plate and an adjacent coil located on its outer periphery form an adsorption unit, with a pressure sensor disposed on the sub-plate.

[0012] In some possible implementations of the first aspect, the pressure plate has a plurality of annular second grooves on the surface facing the substrate, and a coil is fixed in one of the second grooves.

[0013] In some possible implementations of the first aspect, the spacing between two adjacent coils gradually increases along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate.

[0014] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a control method for a vapor deposition apparatus, used to control the vapor deposition apparatus described in any of the above implementations. The control method includes: passing current through multiple adsorption units to generate adsorption force on a mask plate by the multiple adsorption units; detecting the pressure applied by the substrate to the multiple adsorption units; if the pressure detected by any pressure sensor is greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, reducing the current passed through the corresponding adsorption unit; if the pressure detected by any pressure sensor is less than or equal to a second pressure threshold, increasing the current passed through the corresponding adsorption unit, wherein the second pressure threshold is less than the first pressure threshold.

[0015] The vapor deposition equipment and control method provided in this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0016] The vapor deposition equipment provided in this application sets a mask on one side of a substrate and multiple adsorption units on the other side of the substrate. The controller is electrically connected to the multiple adsorption units, so that the controller can pass current into the multiple adsorption units to make the multiple adsorption units generate different adsorption forces on different areas of the mask. In this way, a larger adsorption force can be applied to the central area of ​​the mask and a smaller adsorption force can be applied to the edge area of ​​the mask, thereby enabling the mask to be completely attached to the substrate (as shown in the figure). This can improve the accuracy of the position and thickness of the film layer formed by vapor deposition, thereby improving the yield of the display panel.

[0017] Based on this, by incorporating at least one pressure sensor in each adsorption unit, and electrically connecting the controller to the pressure sensor, if any pressure sensor detects that the pressure exerted by the substrate on the adsorption unit exceeds a first pressure threshold, the controller reduces the current flowing into the corresponding adsorption unit; conversely, if any pressure sensor detects that the pressure exerted by the substrate on the adsorption unit is less than a second pressure threshold, the controller increases the current flowing into the corresponding adsorption unit. This prevents the adsorption unit from generating too weak an adsorption force on the mask, which could cause the mask to detach from the substrate, resulting in gaps and inaccuracies in the position and thickness of the vapor-deposited film. It also prevents the adsorption unit from generating too strong an adsorption force on the mask, which could cause the mask and adsorption unit to squeeze the substrate, leading to substrate deformation and damage.

[0018] The beneficial technical effects of the control method for the vapor deposition equipment provided in this application are the same as those of the vapor deposition equipment provided in this application, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the substrate and photomask for related technologies;

[0020] Figure 2 A top view of a portion of the structure of a vapor deposition apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A side view of a portion of the vapor deposition equipment in its first state;

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A side view of a portion of the vapor deposition equipment in its second state;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A bottom view of the adsorption assembly of the vapor deposition equipment shown.

[0024] Figure 6 A side view of the structure of the vapor deposition apparatus provided in a first state according to some embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 7 for Figure 6 The side view of the vapor deposition equipment shown is in the second state;

[0026] Figure 8 A bottom view of the adsorption component of a vapor deposition apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the control method for a vapor deposition apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0028] Figure label:

[0029] 100 - Evaporation equipment;

[0030] 10-Shell; 10a-Receiving cavity; 10a1-Vapor deposition cavity; 10a2-Alignment cavity; 11-Isolation door;

[0031] 20 - Evaporation source;

[0032] 30 - Substrate assembly; 31 - Substrate; 32 - Conveying device; 321 - Conveying mechanism; 322 - Tray;

[0033] 40 - Mask assembly; 41 - Mask; 41a - Opening; 42 - Support device;

[0034] 50 - Adsorption assembly; 51 - Adsorption unit; 511 - Electromagnet; 512 - Coil; 52 - Pressure plate; 52a - First groove; 52b - Second groove; 521 - Subplate; 5211 - Main body; 5212 - Protrusion;

[0035] 60 - Drive unit; 61 - Drive shaft; 62 - Drive plate;

[0036] 70 - Pressure sensor;

[0037] 80 - Alignment system; 81 - Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0038] In the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0039] In the embodiments of this application, it should be understood that the directional terms mentioned, such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", etc., are only for reference to the direction of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for better and clearer explanation and understanding of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0040] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0041] In embodiments of this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0042] In the embodiments of this application, "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0043] In the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the descriptions of "vertical" and "parallel" respectively indicate approximately vertical and approximately parallel within a certain error range. This error range can be a range with a deviation angle of less than or equal to 5°, 8° or 10° relative to absolute verticality and absolute parallelism, respectively, and is not specifically limited here.

[0044] In related technologies, during the fabrication of Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display panels, a high-precision fine metal mask (FMM) is typically used to deposit pixel layers such as red, green, and blue sub-pixels, as well as electrode layers, onto predetermined locations on the substrate through an evaporation deposition process. However, please refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the substrate 31 and the mask 41 in the related technology. Since the substrate 31 is placed above the mask 41 during the evaporation deposition, when the area of ​​the display panel is large, the mask 41, especially the central area of ​​the mask 41, will sag due to its own gravity. There is a gap between the mask 41 and the substrate 31, which leads to inaccurate position and thickness of the film layer formed by evaporation deposition, resulting in a low yield of the display panel.

[0045] To resolve the above issues, please refer to the following: Figures 2-4 , Figure 2 This is a top view of a portion of the structure of the vapor deposition apparatus 100 provided in some embodiments of this application. Figure 3 for Figure 2 The side view of a portion of the vapor deposition equipment 100 in its first state is shown. Figure 4 for Figure 2 The diagram shows a side view of a portion of the vapor deposition equipment 100 in its second state; wherein... Figure 3 The adsorption unit 51 is in an inactive state. Figure 4 The adsorption unit 51 and its working state. This application provides a vapor deposition apparatus 100. The vapor deposition apparatus 100 includes a housing 10, a vapor deposition source 20, a substrate assembly 30, a mask assembly 40, an adsorption assembly 50, a drive device 60, a pressure sensor 70, an alignment device (not shown in the figure), and a controller (not shown in the figure).

[0046] The housing 10 surrounds a receiving cavity 10a, which is a vacuum cavity. At least a portion of the vapor deposition source 20, the mask assembly 40, the substrate assembly 30, the adsorption assembly 50, and at least a portion of the driving device 60 are disposed within the receiving cavity 10a. Specifically, the receiving cavity 10a may include a vapor deposition cavity 10a1 and an alignment cavity 10a2. The alignment cavity 10a and the vapor deposition cavity 10a1 are separated by an openable and closable isolation door 11. The vapor deposition source 20 is disposed within the vapor deposition cavity 10a1, and the alignment mechanism is disposed within the alignment cavity 10a2. In some other embodiments, the receiving cavity 10a may not include the alignment cavity 10a2, and the alignment mechanism may also be disposed within the vapor deposition cavity 10a1.

[0047] The substrate assembly 30 includes a substrate 31 and a conveying device 32. The substrate 31 can be a glass substrate, thus possessing good rigidity and flatness, making it suitable as a support substrate for the pixel layer and electrode layer. Furthermore, the substrate 31 also exhibits good high-temperature resistance and chemical stability, minimizing limitations on the manufacturing process of the display panel. The conveying device 32 is disposed on the housing 10 and includes a conveying mechanism 321 and a tray 322. A portion of the conveying mechanism 321 is movable relative to the housing 10 in a direction parallel to the substrate 31; specifically, the conveying mechanism 321 can be a belt conveyor. The tray 322 is disposed on the conveying mechanism 321; specifically, the tray 322 can be disposed on the conveying mechanism 321 by means of snap-fit, threaded connection, or other methods. Based on this, the substrate 31 can be fixed to the tray 322, so that the conveying device 32 can convey the substrate 31 to a preset position in the receiving cavity 10a. For example, the substrate 31 can be conveyed to the alignment cavity 10a2 for alignment with the mask plate 41, or it can be conveyed to the evaporation cavity 10a1 for evaporation of the pixel layer and / or electrode layer.

[0048] The mask assembly 40 includes a mask 41 and a support device 42. The mask 41 can be a metal structural component. The mask 41 is disposed on one side of the substrate 31 along the thickness direction of the substrate 31. Specifically, when the vapor deposition equipment 100 is in alignment or vapor deposition mode, the mask 41 is stacked below the substrate 31. The mask 41 includes a plurality of openings 41a, which penetrate the mask 41 along the thickness direction of the mask 41, for forming a film layer with a preset pattern on the substrate 31 by vapor deposition material. The support device 42 is disposed in the housing 10, and the support device 42 is used to support the mask 41 and drive the mask 41 to move relative to the housing 10. Specifically, the support device 42 can drive the mask plate 41 to move in a direction perpendicular to the mask plate 41, so that the mask plate 41 moves closer to or further away from the substrate 31 in the vertical direction. The support device 42 can also drive the mask plate 41 to move in a direction parallel to the mask plate 41, so that the mask plate 41 can be aligned with the substrate 31.

[0049] The vapor deposition source 20 is disposed on the side of the mask 41 opposite to the substrate 31. Specifically, when the vapor deposition equipment 100 is in the vapor deposition state, the vapor deposition source 20 is disposed below the mask 41. The vapor deposition source 20 can evaporate the vapor deposition material (such as organic material or electrode material) by heating it at high temperature, and then deposit it on the substrate 31 through the opening of the mask 41 to form a pixel layer or electrode layer with a preset pattern.

[0050] The adsorption component 50 is disposed in the housing 10 and is located on the side of the substrate 31 opposite to the mask plate 41 along the thickness direction of the substrate 31. Specifically, when the vapor deposition equipment 100 is in the vapor deposition state, the adsorption component 50 is disposed above the substrate 31. The adsorption component 50 includes a plurality of adsorption units 51, which are used to generate an adsorption force on the mask plate 41 when an electric current is applied, so that the mask plate 41 adheres to the substrate 31.

[0051] The driving device 60 is disposed in the housing 10 and is connected to the adsorption component 50. The driving device 60 can drive the adsorption component 50 to move relative to the housing 10 in a direction perpendicular to the thickness of the substrate 31, so that the adsorption component 50 can move towards the substrate 31 to contact the substrate 31, and move away from the substrate 31 to be spaced apart from the substrate 31.

[0052] There are multiple pressure sensors 70, and each adsorption unit 51 is provided with at least one pressure sensor 70. The pressure sensor 70 is used to detect the pressure applied by the substrate 31 to the adsorption unit 51. In some examples, an adsorption unit 51 may be provided with one pressure sensor 70. In other examples, an adsorption unit 51 may be provided with multiple pressure sensors 70.

[0053] The controller is electrically connected to multiple adsorption units 51 and multiple pressure sensors 70. The controller supplies current to the adsorption units 51 to generate an adsorption force on the mask plate 41. Furthermore, if any pressure sensor 70 detects a pressure greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, the controller decreases the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit 51; if any pressure sensor 70 detects a pressure less than or equal to a second pressure threshold, the controller increases the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit 51. The second pressure threshold is less than the first pressure threshold. In some examples, different adsorption units 51 can generate different adsorption forces on the mask plate 41. In other examples, some adsorption units 51 can generate the same adsorption force on the mask plate 41.

[0054] In this way, the vapor deposition equipment 100 provided in this application, by setting a mask plate 41 on one side of the substrate 31 and setting multiple adsorption units 51 on the other side of the substrate 31, and electrically connecting the controller to the multiple adsorption units 51, allows the controller to pass current into the multiple adsorption units 51 so that the multiple adsorption units 51 generate different adsorption forces on different areas of the mask plate 41. In this way, a larger adsorption force can be applied to the central area of ​​the mask plate 41, and a smaller adsorption force can be applied to the edge area of ​​the mask plate 41, thereby enabling the mask plate 41 to be completely adhered to the substrate 31 (e.g., ...). Figure 4 As shown in the figure, this can improve the accuracy of the position and thickness of the film layer formed by vapor deposition, thereby improving the yield of the display panel.

[0055] Based on this, by providing at least one pressure sensor 70 in each adsorption unit 51, and electrically connecting the controller to the pressure sensor 70, if the pressure exerted by the substrate 31 on the adsorption unit 51 detected by any pressure sensor 70 is greater than a first pressure threshold, the controller reduces the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit 51; if the pressure exerted by the substrate 31 on the adsorption unit 51 detected by any pressure sensor 70 is less than a second pressure threshold, the controller increases the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit 51. This prevents the adsorption force generated by the adsorption unit 51 on the mask 41 from being too weak, which could cause the mask 41 to easily detach from the substrate 31, resulting in gaps and inaccurate film position and thickness during vapor deposition. It also prevents the adsorption force generated by the adsorption unit 51 on the mask 41 from being too strong, which could cause the mask 41 to squeeze the substrate 31, leading to deformation and damage to the substrate 31.

[0056] It should be noted that the first pressure threshold can be selected based on the compressive strength of the substrate 31 and can be obtained through experimental measurement. The second pressure threshold can be selected based on the size and material of the mask 41 and can also be calibrated through experiments.

[0057] Building upon the above, the controller is also electrically connected to the drive device 60. The controller is further configured to: control the drive device 60 to move the plurality of adsorption units 51 toward or away from the substrate 31; and, when no current is applied to the plurality of adsorption units 51, if any pressure sensor 70 detects a pressure greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, control the drive device 60 to move the plurality of adsorption units 51 away from the substrate 31. This allows for accurate control of the relative position between the adsorption units 51 and the substrate 31, preventing excessive pressure applied by the adsorption units 51 to the substrate 31, which could cause deformation or damage to the substrate 31.

[0058] As one possible implementation, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 for Figure 3 The image shows a bottom view of the adsorption assembly 50 of the vapor deposition apparatus 100. The adsorption assembly 50 includes a pressure plate 52 and a plurality of electromagnets 511. The pressure plate 52 is stacked on top of the substrate 31. The pressure plate 52 includes a plurality of sub-plate portions 521 arranged in a direction parallel to the substrate 31. Each sub-plate portion 521 forms part of an adsorption unit 51, and a pressure sensor 70 is disposed on the sub-plate portion 521. Accordingly, an electromagnet 511 is disposed on one sub-plate portion 521 and forms another part of an adsorption unit 51. All of the plurality of electromagnets 511 are electrically connected to a controller.

[0059] In this way, it is easier to install the electromagnet 511 on the pressure plate 52 to form multiple adsorption units 51, and it is easier to control the current supplied to each electromagnet 511 individually so that different electromagnets 511 generate different adsorption forces on different areas of the mask plate 41. This is beneficial to make the mask plate 41 and the substrate 31 fit together completely, thereby improving the accuracy of the evaporation position and film thickness.

[0060] In some embodiments, please continue reading Figure 3 and Figure 4 The pressure plate 52 is flat, and a first groove 52a is provided on the surface of the subplate portion 521 facing the substrate 31. An electromagnet 511 is fixed in the first groove 52a. Specifically, the electromagnet 511 can be fixed in the first groove 52a by means of bonding, threaded connection or interference fit with the first groove 52a.

[0061] In this way, the electromagnet 511 is located in the first groove 52a, which can protect the electromagnet 511, and the overall design and manufacturing difficulty of the adsorption component 50 is relatively low.

[0062] Please see Figure 5 Along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate 52, the density of electromagnets 511 gradually decreases. In this way, approximately the same current can be passed through all electromagnets 511, which makes the attraction force generated by the multiple electromagnets 511 located in the center region of the pressure plate 52 on the center region of the mask plate 41 greater, reducing the difficulty of controlling the current passing through multiple electromagnets 511.

[0063] In some other embodiments, the density of electromagnets 511 can also be the same. By passing a larger current into the electromagnets 511 near the center region than into the electromagnets 511 far from the center region, the electromagnets 511 located in the center region of the pressure plate 52 can generate a larger attraction force on the center region of the mask plate 41.

[0064] Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of electromagnets 511 may be arranged in a radial pattern extending from the central region to the edge region of the pressure plate 52. In other embodiments, the plurality of electromagnets 511 may also be arranged in a rectangular grid pattern.

[0065] In other embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 A side view of the structure of the vapor deposition apparatus 100 provided in some embodiments of this application in a first state. Figure 7 for Figure 6The side view of the vapor deposition equipment 100 in the second state is shown; the first and second states are the same as described above and will not be repeated here. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The illustrated embodiments and Figures 3-5 The difference in the illustrated embodiment is that the sub-plate portion 521 includes a main body portion 5211 and a protrusion portion 5212 arranged along the thickness direction of the substrate 31, and the main body portions 5211 of all sub-plate portions 521 form the flat plate portion of the pressure plate 52. The protrusion portion 5212 is located between the main body portion 5211 and the substrate 31, and each protrusion portion 5212 is provided with an electromagnet 511 and at least one pressure sensor 70. Specifically, the electromagnet 511 can be fixed in a groove provided in the protrusion portion 5212.

[0066] In this way, when the adsorption unit 51 is attached to the substrate 31, the adsorption unit 51 can also apply pressure to the substrate 31 through the protrusion 5212, which further improves the reliability of the attachment between the substrate 31 and the mask plate 41, so as to ensure the accuracy of the position and thickness of the film layer formed by vapor deposition.

[0067] In some examples, the protrusion 5212 can be integrally formed with the main body 5211. In other examples, the protrusion 5212 can also be fixed to the main body 5211 by means of bonding, embedding, or other methods.

[0068] As another possible implementation, please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 A bottom view of the adsorption component 50 of a vapor deposition apparatus 100 provided in some embodiments of this application. Figure 8 The illustrated embodiments and Figures 3-5 The difference in the illustrated embodiment is that the adsorption assembly 50 includes a pressure plate 52 and a plurality of coils 512. The pressure plate 52 includes a plurality of sub-plate portions 521 arranged along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate 52. The plurality of coils 512 are all annular and concentrically arranged on the pressure plate 52, and the inner diameters of any two coils 512 are different. The plurality of sub-plate portions 521 and the plurality of coils 512 are arranged alternately along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate 52. One sub-plate portion 521 and one adjacent coil 512 located on its outer periphery form an adsorption unit 51. The pressure sensor 70 is disposed on the sub-plate portion 521. It should be noted that the concentric arrangement of the coils 512 means approximately concentric within a certain error range, that is, the eccentric distance between two coils 512 is less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the difference between their inner diameters, and can be regarded as concentric arrangement.

[0069] In this way, when current is passed into multiple coils 512, due to the superposition of the magnetic fields generated by multiple coils 512, the attraction force of multiple coils 512 on the mask plate 41 gradually decreases from the center area to the edge area of ​​the pressure plate 52. Therefore, it can prevent the gap between the center area of ​​the mask plate 41 and the substrate 31, which would lead to inaccurate film position and film thickness formed by vapor deposition.

[0070] In some examples, the coil 512 may be approximately circular. In other examples, the coil 512 may be approximately shaped to fit the outer edge of the pressure plate 52 so that the adsorption force generated by the adsorption unit 51 on the edge region of the mask plate 41 is more uniform.

[0071] Specifically, the surface of the pressure plate 52 facing the substrate 31 has a plurality of annular second grooves 52b, and a coil 512 is fixed in one of the second grooves 52b. In this way, the coil 512 is located in the second groove 52b, which can protect the coil 512, and the overall design and manufacturing difficulty of the adsorption assembly 50 is relatively low.

[0072] Please continue reading. Figure 8 Along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate 52, the spacing between two adjacent coils 512 gradually increases. In this way, approximately the same current can be passed into all coils 512, which makes the attraction force of multiple coils 512 located in the center region of the pressure plate 52 on the center region of the mask plate 41 greater, reducing the difficulty of controlling the current passing into multiple coils 512.

[0073] In some other embodiments, the spacing between adjacent coils 512 can also be the same. By passing a larger current into the coil 512 closer to the center region than into the coil 512 farther from the center region, the adsorption force of the coil 512 located in the center region of the pressure plate 52 on the center region of the mask plate 41 can be made greater.

[0074] Based on the above, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 6 The drive device 60 includes a drive shaft 61 and a drive plate 62. The drive plate 62 is connected to the pressure plate 52, specifically, the drive plate 62 can be connected to the pressure plate 52 by bolts. The drive shaft 61 can be connected to a power source (not shown in the figure). Specifically, the power source can be a linear motor (not shown in the figure) or a drive cylinder, etc. In some other embodiments, the drive device 60 may not include the drive plate 62, and the drive shaft 61 is directly connected to the pressure plate 52.

[0075] Please see Figure 9 , Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the control method for a vapor deposition apparatus 100 provided in some embodiments of this application. This application provides a control method for a vapor deposition apparatus 100, used to control the aforementioned vapor deposition apparatus 100, the vapor deposition method including steps S10-S100.

[0076] S10: Please refer to Figure 9 In step (a), the substrate 31 is fixed to the tray 322 of the conveying device 32, and the conveying mechanism 321 is controlled to convey the substrate 31 to the first preset position. Specifically, the first preset position can be a preset position within the alignment cavity 10a2.

[0077] S20: Please refer to Figure 9 In (b), the control support device 42 drives the mask plate 41 to move so that the mask plate 41 and the substrate 31 are stacked.

[0078] S30: The photomask 41 and the substrate 31 are aligned using the alignment system 80 disposed on the housing 10. Specifically, the alignment system 80 may include a camera 81, which may be located above the substrate 31. The controller is electrically connected to the camera 81. The controller acquires image information of the substrate 31 and the photomask 41 through the camera 81 and calculates the position information of corresponding reference points on the photomask 41 and the substrate 31. This position information includes orientation and distance. If the position information does not meet the preset reference value, the controller controls the support device 42 to move the photomask 41 until the position information meets the preset reference value.

[0079] S40: Please refer to Figure 9 In step (c), the control conveying mechanism 321 and the support device 42 respectively transport the substrate 31 and the mask plate 41 to the second preset position. Specifically, the second preset position can be above the vapor deposition source 20.

[0080] S50: Please refer to Figure 9 In step (d), the control drive device 60 drives multiple adsorption units 51 to move closer to the substrate 31 so that the adsorption units 51 come into contact with the substrate 31.

[0081] S60: Current is passed through the multiple adsorption units 51 so that the multiple adsorption units 51 generate an adsorption force on the mask plate 41. Specifically, a larger current can be passed through the electromagnet 511 or coil 512 located in the central region of the pressure plate 52 so that the adsorption units 51 there generate a larger adsorption force on the central region of the mask plate 41.

[0082] S70: Detect the pressure applied by the substrate 31 to the multiple adsorption units 51.

[0083] S80: If the pressure detected by any pressure sensor 70 is greater than or equal to the first pressure threshold, the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit 51 is reduced; if the pressure detected by any pressure sensor 70 is less than or equal to the second pressure threshold, the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit 51 is increased. The second pressure threshold is less than the first pressure threshold.

[0084] It should be noted that step S70 can also be performed before step S50 or step S60.

[0085] S90: Turn on the vapor deposition source 20 to evaporate the vapor deposition material and deposit it on the substrate 31 to form a film layer with a preset pattern.

[0086] S100: Please refer to Figure 9 In step (e), the current is stopped from flowing into the multiple adsorption units 51 and the drive device 60 is controlled to drive the multiple adsorption units 51 to move away from the substrate 31.

[0087] In some other embodiments, the control method may not include step S40, and the first preset position in step S10 may be above the vapor deposition source 20 in the vapor deposition chamber 10a1.

[0088] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0089] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A vapor deposition apparatus, characterized in that, include: substrate; A photomask, wherein the photomask is disposed on one side of the substrate along the thickness direction of the substrate; Multiple adsorption units are disposed along the thickness direction of the substrate on the side of the substrate opposite to the mask plate. Multiple pressure sensors are provided, and each adsorption unit is provided with at least one of the pressure sensors, the pressure sensors being used to detect the pressure applied by the substrate to the adsorption unit; The controller is electrically connected to the plurality of adsorption units and the plurality of pressure sensors. The controller is configured to: supply current to the adsorption unit to generate an adsorption force on the mask plate by the adsorption unit; and, if the pressure detected by any of the pressure sensors is greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, decrease the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit; and if the pressure detected by any of the pressure sensors is less than or equal to a second pressure threshold, increase the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit, wherein the second pressure threshold is less than the first pressure threshold.

2. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vapor deposition equipment also includes a driving device, which is connected to the plurality of adsorption units and is used to drive the plurality of adsorption units to move toward the substrate or away from the substrate. The controller is electrically connected to the drive device, and the controller is further configured to: if the pressure detected by any of the pressure sensors is greater than or equal to the first pressure threshold when no current is supplied to the plurality of adsorption units, control the drive device to move the plurality of adsorption units away from the substrate.

3. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The vapor deposition equipment includes: A pressure plate is stacked on top of a substrate; the pressure plate includes a plurality of sub-plate portions arranged in a direction parallel to the substrate, each sub-plate portion forming part of an adsorption unit, and the pressure sensor is disposed on the sub-plate portion; Multiple electromagnets are provided, one of which is disposed on one of the sub-plate portions and forms another part of the adsorption unit; all of the multiple electromagnets are electrically connected to the controller.

4. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pressure plate is flat, and one of the sub-plates has a first groove on its surface facing the substrate, and one of the electromagnets is fixed in one of the first grooves.

5. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sub-plate portion includes a main body portion and a protrusion portion arranged along the thickness direction of the substrate. The main body portion of the plurality of sub-plate portions forms a flat plate portion. The protrusion portion is located between the main body portion and the substrate. Each protrusion portion is provided with an electromagnet and at least one pressure sensor.

6. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The density of the electromagnet gradually decreases along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate.

7. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The vapor deposition equipment includes: A pressure plate, which is stacked with the substrate, the pressure plate including a plurality of sub-plate portions arranged along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate; Multiple coils are concentrically arranged on the pressure plate; the multiple coils and multiple sub-plates are alternately arranged along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate; one sub-plate and one adjacent coil located on its outer periphery form an adsorption unit; the pressure sensor is disposed on the sub-plate.

8. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The pressure plate has a plurality of annular second grooves on its surface facing the substrate, and one of the coils is fixed in one of the second grooves.

9. The vapor deposition equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, Along the direction from the center region to the edge region of the pressure plate, the spacing between two adjacent coils gradually increases.

10. A control method for a vapor deposition equipment, characterized in that, The method for controlling the vapor deposition equipment according to any one of claims 1-9, the method comprising: An electric current is passed through the plurality of adsorption units to cause the plurality of adsorption units to generate an adsorption force on the mask plate; Detect the pressure applied by the substrate to the plurality of adsorption units; If the pressure detected by any of the pressure sensors is greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit is reduced; if the pressure detected by any of the pressure sensors is less than or equal to a second pressure threshold, the current supplied to the corresponding adsorption unit is increased, wherein the second pressure threshold is less than the first pressure threshold.

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