Substrate contamination detection production line and substrate production system

Abstract

The application relates to a substrate contamination detection production line and a substrate production system, and belongs to the technical field of display. The substrate contamination detection production line comprises a main line mechanism and a reflow line mechanism. The main line mechanism comprises a cleaning device and a detection device. The detection device is arranged downstream of the cleaning device. The cleaning device is used for cleaning input substrates. The detection device is used for detecting the contamination of the cleaned substrates. The reflow line mechanism comprises a conveying device and a storage device. The conveying device is used for conveying defective products detected by the detection device to the storage device for storage. The conveying device is also used for conveying at least part of the substrates in the storage device to the cleaning device. The substrate contamination detection production line and the substrate production system provided by the application aim to solve the problem of low AOI detection yield in the related art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a substrate contamination detection production line and substrate production system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most defects can be accurately detected when performing AOI inspection on substrates. The largest number of defects detected (about 80%) are dirt. Due to the presence of this dirt, the yield rate after AOI inspection is very low (<20%). Among these, there are many defective products that can be identified as qualified products after re-cleaning.

[0003] Therefore, how to solve the problem of low yield during AOI inspection of related technologies has become an urgent issue for the industry. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a substrate contamination detection production line and substrate production system to solve the problem of low AOI inspection yield in related technologies.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a substrate contamination detection production line, which includes a main line mechanism and a return line mechanism. The main line mechanism includes a cleaning device and a detection device. The detection device is located downstream of the cleaning device. The cleaning device is used to clean the input substrate, and the detection device is used to detect contamination on the cleaned substrate. The return line mechanism includes a conveying device and a storage device. The conveying device is used to convey the defective products detected by the detection device to the storage device for storage, and the conveying device is also used to convey at least a portion of the substrates in the storage device to the cleaning device.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a substrate production system, which includes the substrate contamination detection production line provided in the first aspect.

[0007] The substrate contamination detection production line provided in this application embodiment includes a return line mechanism comprising a conveying device and a storage device. The conveying device transports defective products detected by the detection device to the storage device for storage, and the conveying device also transports at least a portion of the substrates in the storage device to a cleaning device. This provides at least one opportunity for re-cleaning and re-inspection of defective products that have already been detected by the detection device, keeping each substrate online for re-cleaning and re-inspection. The return line mechanism can re-clean and re-inspect defective products, reducing the impact of easily cleanable contamination on the overall yield of substrate contamination detection and effectively improving the yield of a single inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1A structural block diagram of a substrate contamination detection production line provided in this application embodiment;

[0009] Figure 2 A structural block diagram of a substrate contamination detection production line provided in this application embodiment;

[0010] Figure 3 A structural block diagram of a substrate contamination detection production line provided in this application embodiment;

[0011] Figure 4 A structural block diagram of a substrate contamination detection production line provided in this application embodiment;

[0012] Figure 5 A structural block diagram of a substrate contamination detection production line provided in this application embodiment;

[0013] Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of a substrate contamination detection production line provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings. However, this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this application.

[0015] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0016] When describing positional relationships, unless otherwise specified, when an element, such as a layer, film, or substrate, is referred to as being "on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be intermediate elements present. Furthermore, when a layer is referred to as being "below" another layer, it may be directly below it or there may be one or more intermediate elements present. It is also understood that when a layer is referred to as being "between" two layers, it may be the only layer between the two layers, or there may be one or more intermediate elements present.

[0017] When using the terms “including,” “having,” and “comprising” as described herein, another component may be added unless explicitly qualifying terms such as “only,” “consisting of,” etc. are used. Unless otherwise stated, singular terms may include plural forms and should not be construed as having a quantity of one.

[0018] It should be understood that although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present application, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element.

[0019] It should also be understood that when interpreting an element, although not explicitly described, the element is interpreted to include an error range, which should be within the acceptable deviation range of a specific value determined by those skilled in the art. For example, "about", "approximately" or "substantially" may mean within one or more standard deviations, which are not defined herein.

[0020] In addition, in the specification, the phrase "schematic diagram of planar distribution" refers to the accompanying drawing when observing the target part from above, and the phrase "schematic cross-section diagram" refers to the accompanying drawing when observing the cross-section intercepted by vertically cutting the target part from the side.

[0021] In addition, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to a 1:1 scale, and the relative sizes of the various elements are only drawn by way of example in the accompanying drawings and not necessarily to the true scale.

[0022] As described in the background art section, the detection yield of the substrate contamination detection production line in the related art is generally low. The inventor found that the reason for the above phenomenon is that in the production process of the substrate, various defects will occur, such as edge collapse, scratches, contamination (including chemical solvent residues, dust, fibers, fingerprints and other stains), pinholes, etc. Since a large amount of chemical solvents are used in the substrate manufacturing process, and under the cleaning effect of a single cleaning device, it is very easy to have contamination residues, and such contamination residues can be completely cleaned by simple wiping or re-cleaning. In this way, after the substrate contamination detection production line in the related art detects the substrate for contamination, there are a large number of substrates that can be recognized as qualified products after re-cleaning. Since the substrate contamination detection production line in the related art only has a single cleaning-detection process, the yield of single substrate contamination detection is too low.

[0023] Based on the above technical problems, the inventor has studied and found that by arranging a return line mechanism between the downstream of the detection device and the upstream of the cleaning device, collecting the defective products after the first cleaning-detection through the return line mechanism, and then performing return cleaning-re-detection while keeping each substrate online, the yield of single detection can be greatly improved.

[0024] The above is the core idea of ​​this application. The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of a substrate contamination detection production line provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, this application embodiment provides a substrate contamination detection production line 100, which includes a main line mechanism 10 and a return line mechanism 20. The main line mechanism 10 includes a cleaning device 11 and a detection device 12. The detection device 12 is located downstream of the cleaning device 11. The cleaning device 11 is used to clean the input substrate, and the detection device 12 is used to detect contamination on the cleaned substrate. The return line mechanism 20 includes a conveying device 21 and a storage device 22. The conveying device 21 is used to convey the defective products detected by the detection device 12 to the storage device 22 for storage, and the conveying device 21 is also used to convey at least a portion of the substrates in the storage device 22 to the cleaning device 11.

[0026] The main line mechanism 10 is the main structure of the substrate contamination detection production line 100 and is used to realize the main functions of the substrate contamination detection production line 100, namely cleaning and detection. In the entire substrate production line, the main line mechanism 10 can be set in the middle or end of the production line before chip mounting, and is used to perform random inspection or full inspection of the produced substrates. In some embodiments, the main line mechanism 10 can also be integrated into an automated production line and work in conjunction with equipment such as loading machines, unloading machines, and conveyor lines to realize a fully automated detection process.

[0027] The main assembly 10 includes a cleaning device 11 and a detection device 12. The cleaning device 11 is used to clean the input substrate to remove dust and stains that may have accumulated on the substrate during the production process. In these embodiments of this application, the cleaning device 11 may employ, but is not limited to, methods such as dust-adhesive roller cleaning, ion air cleaning, and high-pressure gas blowing.

[0028] The detection device 12 is used to determine whether there is dirt on the substrate, and then to determine whether each substrate that has passed through the detection device 12 is a qualified product. At the output end of the detection device 12, the substrate that has been determined to be a qualified product can be transported to the next step of the bonding process.

[0029] The detection device 12 is located downstream of the cleaning device 11, meaning that the detection device 12 is used to detect whether there is still dirt adhering to the substrate after the substrate has undergone the cleaning process of the cleaning device 11. In these embodiments of this application, a transport device can be provided between the output end of the cleaning device 11 and the input end of the detection device 12 to automatically transport the substrate cleaned by the cleaning device 11 to the detection device 12 for detection, thereby improving the automation level of dirt detection and reducing the risk of the substrate being recontaminated by the outside world after the cleaning process is completed.

[0030] The return line mechanism 20 is used to store substrates that have been identified as defective by the inspection device 12 and to keep each substrate online. In other words, when a substrate is identified as defective after one cleaning-inspection process in the main line mechanism 10, the substrate can still remain online in the return line mechanism 20 and can be returned to the main line mechanism 10 at least once more for a second cleaning-inspection process. In this way, the removal efficiency of easily removable dirt on the substrate can be greatly improved, thereby increasing the yield of a single inspection.

[0031] The return line mechanism 20 includes a conveying device 21 and a storage device 22. The conveying device 21 is a device for transporting substrates. The conveying device 21 can transport substrates that are determined to be defective in the main line mechanism 10 to the return line mechanism 20, and transport the substrates stored in the return line mechanism 20 back to the main line mechanism 10.

[0032] The storage device 22 is used to store the substrates delivered by the main line mechanism 10 in order to keep each substrate online.

[0033] In these embodiments of the present application, a manual cleaning station can be set in the return line mechanism 20. The substrates (determined to be defective by the main line mechanism 10) stored in the storage device 22 are simply wiped by a person to remove dirt that can be easily removed. The substrates are then returned to the main line mechanism 10 by the conveyor device 21 for another cleaning-inspection process.

[0034] The conveying device 21 is used to convey defective products detected by the detection device 12 to the storage device 22 for storage, and the conveying device 21 is also used to convey at least a portion of the substrates in the storage device 22 to the cleaning device 11. The conveying device 21 may include, but is not limited to, a robotic arm and a conveyor belt, so as to use the robotic arm to pick up (or absorb) the substrates determined to be defective by the detection device 12 and transport them to the return line mechanism 20, and then use the conveyor belt to transport the substrates to the storage device 22 for storage, and then use the robotic arm again to transport the substrates that have not undergone any treatment, have been manually re-judged and wiped or other cleaning processes back to the main line mechanism 10.

[0035] The conveying device 21 is also used to convey at least a portion of the substrates in the storage device 22 to the cleaning device 11. This means that a manual re-inspection station can be set up in the return line mechanism 20 to manually inspect whether the contaminants on the substrates are removable through further cleaning. For example, defects such as edge chips, scratches, and pinholes cannot be removed through further cleaning. In this case, the operator at the manual re-inspection station can remove that portion of the substrate from the line. Contaminants such as those containing chemical solvent residues, dust, and fingerprints, which can be removed by simple wiping or further cleaning, can be conveyed back to the main line mechanism 10 via the conveying device 21 for a re-cleaning and inspection process. In this way, the overall inspection yield of the substrates can be improved while reducing the cleaning and inspection pressure on the main line mechanism 10. Through the cooperation between the return line mechanism 20 and the main line mechanism 10, a significant improvement in the overall inspection yield of the substrates can be achieved.

[0036] According to the substrate contamination detection production line 100 provided in the embodiments of this application, a return line mechanism 20 is set up, which includes a conveying device 21 and a storage device 22. The conveying device 21 is used to convey defective products detected by the detection device 12 to the storage device 22 for storage. The conveying device 21 is also used to convey at least a portion of the substrates in the storage device 22 to the cleaning device 11. In this way, at least one re-cleaning-inspection opportunity is provided for defective products that have been detected by the detection device 12. Each substrate is kept online for re-cleaning and inspection. The defective products can be cleaned again and inspected by the return line mechanism 20, which reduces the impact of easily cleanable contamination on the overall yield of substrate contamination detection and effectively improves the yield of a single inspection.

[0037] Please see Figure 2 In some embodiments, the conveying device 21 includes a robotic arm 211 and a conveyor belt 212. The number of robotic arms 211 is at least two, and at least two robotic arms 211 are disposed at both ends of the conveyor belt 212. At least one robotic arm 211 is disposed downstream of the detection device, and at least one robotic arm 211 is disposed upstream of the cleaning device 11.

[0038] In these embodiments of the present application, the robotic arm 211 and the conveyor belt 212 work together to realize the process of transporting the substrate from the main line mechanism 10 to the return line mechanism 20, and then returning it from the return line mechanism 20 to the main line mechanism 10.

[0039] The number of robotic arms 211 is at least two, meaning that at least two robotic arms 211 are respectively used to transport the substrate on the main line mechanism 10 to the return line mechanism 20, and to transport the substrate in the return line mechanism 20 to the main line mechanism 10.

[0040] At least two robotic arms 211 are positioned at both ends of the conveyor belt 212, with at least one robotic arm 211 positioned downstream of the detection device and at least one robotic arm 211 positioned upstream of the cleaning device 11. This means that the overall conveying direction of the conveying device 21, with reference to the main line mechanism 10, is to convey the substrate from the output end of the detection device 12 to the input end of the cleaning device 11, thereby providing at least one opportunity for the substrate determined to be defective in the main line mechanism 10 to be re-inspected.

[0041] In these embodiments of the present application, the conveyor belt 212 may be parallel to the conveying direction of the main line mechanism 10 and opposite to the conveying direction. At least two robotic arms 211 are provided at both ends of the conveyor belt 212 to transport the substrates that are detected as defective products at the output end of the detection device 12 to the return line mechanism 20 and to transport the substrates at the end of the conveyor belt 212 to the main line mechanism 10, respectively.

[0042] This setup enables automatic handling and transport of the substrate between the main line mechanism 10 and the return line mechanism 20, improving the automation level of substrate cleaning, inspection, re-judgment, and re-inspection, which is beneficial to improving the overall yield of online substrate inspection.

[0043] In some embodiments, the conveyor belt 212 can be configured as a roller conveyor belt. Transporting the substrate by a roller conveyor belt can reduce the contact area between the substrate and the conveyor belt 212, thereby further reducing the risk of the substrate being recontaminated during transportation.

[0044] In some embodiments of this application, the conveyor belt 212 may also be configured as a pulley.

[0045] Please see Figure 3 In some embodiments, the conveyor belt 212 includes a first segment 2121 and a second segment 2122, which are separated; a storage device 22 is disposed at the end of the first segment 2121 and at the beginning of the second segment 2122.

[0046] The conveyor belt 212 includes a first segment 2121 and a second segment 2122. The separation between the first segment 2121 and the second segment 2122 indicates that the conveyor belt 212 can adopt a segmented control structure to improve the overall reliability of the conveyor belt 212. In these embodiments of this application, the separated first segment 2121 and second segment 2122 can be used as the conveyor belt 212 that is transported from the main line mechanism 10 to the storage device 22 and returned from the storage device 22 to the main line mechanism 10, respectively. This segmented control structure ensures that the two transport processes do not interfere with each other.

[0047] The storage device 22 is disposed at the end of the first segment 2121 and at the beginning of the second segment 2122. This means that in these embodiments of the present application, the first segment 2121 is the part used to transport the substrate from the main line mechanism 10 to the return line mechanism 20, and the second segment 2122 is the part used to transport the substrate from the return line mechanism 20 back to the main line mechanism 10. The storage device 22 is disposed at the end of the first segment 2121 and at the beginning of the second segment 2122, so that the aforementioned steps can be controlled in segments.

[0048] For example, under normal operating conditions, the first segment 2121 can continuously receive substrates that are judged to be defective and transported by the main line mechanism 10 from the robotic arm 211, so as to continuously transport the substrates to the storage device 22. However, between the storage device 22 and the main line mechanism 10, there may be processes such as re-judgment and wiping, which causes the transport frequency of this segment (the second segment 2122) to be different from the transport frequency of the first segment 2121. In this case, setting the first segment 2121 and the second segment 2122 as a two-segment structure that is separated from each other can meet the above-mentioned requirements of the substrate contamination detection production line 100.

[0049] Please see Figure 4 In some embodiments, the storage device 22 includes a lifting platform 221 and a storage rack 222, with the lifting platform 221 connecting the first segment 2121 and the storage rack 222.

[0050] The storage device 22 includes a lifting platform 221 and a storage rack 222. The lifting platform 221 connects the first segment 2121 and the storage rack 222 to transport a substrate that has been transported along the first segment 2121 to its end along the height direction into the storage rack 222 for storage. It is understood that there is a height difference between the storage surface of the storage rack 222 and the transport surface of the first segment 2121, and the lifting platform 221 is used to drive the substrate to be transported along the height direction into the storage rack 222.

[0051] This setup utilizes the vertical space of the production line via the lifting platform 221, which helps to shorten the conveying distance between the first section 2121 and the second section 2122, and reduces the space occupied by the return line mechanism 20 on the production line.

[0052] In some embodiments, the lifting platform 221 can be configured as a CST (Chain & Sprocket Transmission) lifting platform. The CST lifting platform uses a precise meshing of gears and a high-strength alloy steel rack for lifting, and with the aid of a grease protection system, the stability and durability of the lifting platform during operation can be improved.

[0053] Please see Figure 5In some embodiments, the main line mechanism 10 further includes a feeding device 13, and the end of the second segment 2122 is disposed near the feeding device 13 and / or the cleaning device 11.

[0054] The loading device 13 is used for loading substrates. In these embodiments of the present application, the loading device 13 may, but is not limited to, use a robotic arm and a suction cup module for loading, a conveyor belt / conveyor belt mechanism for loading, a tray / clamp type for loading, etc., to improve the automation level of substrate loading.

[0055] The second segment 2122 is positioned near the feeding device 13 and / or the cleaning device 11. This means that the second segment 2122 can be positioned near the feeding device 13, the second segment 2122 can be positioned near the cleaning device 11, or the second segment 2122 can have two ends, with the two ends of the second segment 2122 positioned near the feeding device 13 and the cleaning device 11 respectively.

[0056] This arrangement allows the robotic arm 211, located at the end of the second segment 2122, to transport the substrate to the loading device 13 and / or cleaning device 11 of the main line mechanism 10, i.e., upstream of the cleaning device 11. This enables the substrate to undergo at least one more cleaning-re-inspection process, thereby minimizing easily cleanable dirt residue on the substrate and improving the overall yield of a single inspection.

[0057] Meanwhile, in embodiments where the end of the second segment 2122 includes two components, the robotic arm 211 can transport the substrate from the end of the second segment 2122 to the loading device 13 or the cleaning device 11. This can alleviate the pressure on the main line mechanism 10 and reduce the risk of substrates piling up on the main line mechanism 10 or different substrates colliding. In other words, when there are many substrates at the loading device 13, the robotic arm 211 can transport the substrates to the cleaning device 11 via the second segment 2122 near the cleaning device 11. Conversely, when there are many substrates at the cleaning device 11, the robotic arm 211 can also transport the substrates to the loading device 13 via the second segment 2122 near the loading device 13.

[0058] Please see Figure 6 In some embodiments, the return line mechanism 20 further includes a re-judgment device 23, which is located near the storage device 22. The re-judgment device 23 is used to clean the substrate before re-judging it, and the conveying device 21 is used to convey the substrate judged as good by the re-judgment device 23 to the upstream of the detection device 12.

[0059] The re-judgment device 23 is an automated cleaning-re-judgment device in the return line mechanism 20, which further improves the automation level of the substrate contamination detection production line 100. As described above in this application, a re-judgment station can be set up in the return line mechanism 20 to remove easily wipeable contaminants on the substrates judged as defective by the detection device 12 through manual re-judgment and wiping. In these embodiments of this application, by setting up the re-judgment device 23, the automation level of the aforementioned process steps in the return line mechanism 20 can be improved.

[0060] The re-judgment device 23 is positioned close to the storage device 22, which facilitates the transport of substrates from the storage device 22 to the re-judgment device 23. The re-judgment device 23 is used to clean the substrates before re-judging them. The conveying device 21 is used to transport the substrates judged as good by the re-judgment device 23 to the upstream of the detection device 12. In this way, since the substrates are kept online throughout the entire contamination detection process, when the conveying device 21 transports the substrates judged as good by the re-judgment device 23 to the upstream of the detection device 12, the substrates are re-inspected and pass the inspection, which can improve the yield rate of all substrates in that inspection. At the same time, when the re-judgment device 23 judges the substrates as unqualified products, it can indicate that the substrates cannot or are difficult to become good products through simple cleaning. In this case, the unqualified products can be removed from the return line mechanism 20 to reduce the detection pressure of the main line mechanism 10.

[0061] In some embodiments, the detection device 12 is an AOI (Automatic Optical Inspection) device. Utilizing the advantages of AOI detection devices—high precision, high efficiency, and high consistency—it enables rapid and high-precision detection of contaminants on the substrate, effectively improving the efficiency of substrate contaminant detection.

[0062] Based on the same concept, this application also provides a substrate production system, which includes a substrate contamination detection production line 100 as provided in any of the foregoing embodiments. By setting up the substrate contamination detection production line 100 in the substrate production system, the automation level of substrate production and inspection can be further improved, and the substrate inspection yield can be effectively increased.

[0063] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0064] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A substrate contamination detection production line, characterized in that, include: The main line mechanism includes a cleaning device and a detection device. The detection device is located downstream of the cleaning device. The cleaning device is used to clean the input substrate, and the detection device is used to detect dirt on the cleaned substrate. The return line mechanism includes a conveying device and a storage device. The conveying device is used to convey defective products detected by the detection device to the storage device for storage, and the conveying device is also used to convey at least a portion of the substrates in the storage device to the cleaning device.

2. The substrate contamination detection production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying device includes robotic arms and a conveyor belt, and the number of robotic arms is at least two, with at least two robotic arms located at both ends of the conveyor belt; At least one of the robotic arms is positioned downstream of the detection device, and at least one of the robotic arms is positioned upstream of the cleaning device.

3. The substrate contamination detection production line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conveyor belt is a roller conveyor belt.

4. The substrate contamination detection production line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conveyor belt includes a first section and a second section, which are separated from each other. The storage device is located at the end of the first segment and at the beginning of the second segment.

5. The substrate contamination detection production line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The storage device includes a lifting platform and a storage rack, wherein the lifting platform connects the first section and the storage rack.

6. The substrate contamination detection production line according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lifting platform is a CST lifting platform.

7. The substrate contamination detection production line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The main line mechanism also includes a feeding device, and the end of the second section is located near the feeding device and / or the cleaning device.

8. The substrate contamination detection production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The return line mechanism also includes a re-judgment device, which is disposed close to the storage device; The re-judgment device is used to clean the substrate before re-judging it, and the conveying device is used to convey the substrate judged as good by the re-judgment device to the upstream of the detection device.

9. The substrate contamination detection production line according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The detection device is an AOI detection device.

10. A substrate manufacturing system, characterized in that, Including a substrate contamination detection production line as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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