Substrate deposition apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

A substrate deposition apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention may include a chamber, an aligner frame, a vibration suppression unit, a substrate fixing means, a displacement adjustment unit, a mask support frame coupled to the aligner frame and extending to a lower side of the substrate fixing means, a mask fixing means provided on the mask support frame to fix a mask below the substrate fixing means, a gap sensor that measures a gap between a substrate fixed to the substrate fixing means and a mask fixed to the mask fixing means, a force sensor that is provided between the mask fixing means and the mask support frame and measures a load acting on the mask fixing means, and a control unit that controls the substrate fixing means, the displacement adjustment unit, and the mask fixing means.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate deposition apparatus, and more particularly to a substrate deposition apparatus capable of depositing a substrate with higher resolution and a method for controlling the same. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Semiconductor manufacturing processes or display manufacturing processes include processes for forming organic thin films, and vacuum deposition methods are generally used to form such thin films.

[0003] The vacuum deposition method involves placing a substrate, which is the object to be deposited, and an evaporation source, such as a source containing the raw material of the deposition material, in a chamber, and heating and vaporizing the evaporation source to vaporize and spray the raw material, thereby forming a thin film on one surface of the substrate.

[0004] A deposition apparatus 10 is used to perform the vacuum deposition. As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional deposition apparatus 10 has a structure in which a substrate 11, which is an object to be deposited, is fixed on the upper side of a chamber 20 that forms a space where deposition takes place, and an evaporation source 40 for the substrate 11 is installed.

[0005] The mounted substrate 11 has a mask 15 on its underside. The substrate 11 and the mask 15 are minute and may be mounted at a fixed interval. The substrate 11 and the mark are aligned by an aligner 30.

[0006] In addition, the source 40 can be transported horizontally from the lower side of the chamber 20 to scatter deposition materials and deposit them on the substrate 11 .

[0007] Meanwhile, technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have been gaining attention recently, and goggle-shaped displays have been proposed to realize these technologies. However, such displays require extremely high resolution, which requires the application of extremely fine Micro OLED technology.

[0008] Meanwhile, in order to manufacture a display using such Micro OLED technology, it is necessary to carry out extremely fine processes. However, the conventional deposition apparatus 10 has a problem in that the substrate 11 vibrates due to vibrations caused by the movement of the evaporation source 40, vibrations of the pump, and vibrations transmitted from the surroundings, making it difficult to apply fine processes.

[0009] In addition, the mask 15 should be made of a silicon material, which can form finer patterns, instead of the existing metal material. However, if no tension is applied to such a silicon mask, the surface may bend, reducing flatness and causing a shadow phenomenon. If excessive tension is applied, the mask may stretch, making accurate patterning difficult. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate deposition apparatus capable of patterning with higher resolution and a method for controlling the same.

[0011] The objects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate deposition apparatus including: a chamber that defines a deposition space and has an opening formed in a portion of its upper side; an aligner frame located above the opening and supported on the edge of the opening in the upper side of the chamber; a substrate holding means that holds a substrate drawn into the deposition space; a displacement adjuster that is coupled to and supported by the aligner frame and disposed facing the deposition space inside the chamber, the displacement adjuster being provided at its lower end with the substrate holding means and that adjusts the horizontal and angular positions of the substrate held by the substrate holding means by moving the substrate in the horizontal and vertical directions; a mask support frame that is coupled to the aligner frame and extends below the substrate holding means; a mask holding means that is provided on the mask support frame and that holds a mask below the substrate holding means; and a controller that controls the substrate holding means, the displacement adjuster, and the mask holding means.

[0013] The aligner may further include a vibration damper disposed between the chamber and the aligner frame to isolate the chamber and the aligner frame from vibrations.

[0014] The mask support frame may include a hanging frame extending from the aligner frame below the substrate fixing means, and a mask support plate extending from the hanging frame to a region below the substrate fixing means and having the mask fixing means provided on an upper surface thereof.

[0015] The substrate holding device may further include a mask supporter disposed between the mask holding means so as to be positioned below the mask fixed to the mask holding means, and a magnet provided above the substrate holding means so as to be able to move up and down and to apply an attractive force to the mask supporter as a magnetic force.

[0016] The displacement adjusting unit may include a large displacement adjusting unit that is coupled to and supported by the aligner frame, is disposed facing the deposition space inside the chamber, and adjusts horizontal movement, vertical movement, and horizontality of the substrate; and a small displacement adjusting unit that has an upper side coupled to a lower side of the large displacement adjusting unit, is moved by the large displacement adjusting unit, has a substrate fixing means on its lower side, and finely adjusts the horizontal movement and horizontal angle of the substrate.

[0017] The large displacement adjustment part may include an upper plate coupled to the aligner frame, a lower plate coupled to the small displacement adjustment part, and a plurality of legs whose upper ends are coupled to the upper plate, whose lower ends are coupled to the lower plate, and which are hingedly coupled at points spaced apart from each other to allow length adjustment.

[0018] The small displacement adjustment unit may include a first member coupled to the lower side of the lower plate and movable horizontally relative to the lower plate, a second member coupled to the first member and movable horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first member moves horizontally relative to the lower plate, and a third member coupled to the second member, having the substrate fixing means coupled to its lower side and rotating relative to the second member about an axis perpendicular to a deposition surface of a substrate attached to the substrate fixing means.

[0019] The large displacement adjustment section may be a hexapod having six degrees of freedom.

[0020] The mask support frame may include a hanging frame extending from the aligner frame below the substrate fixing means, and a mask support plate extending from the hanging frame to a region below the substrate fixing means and having the mask fixing means provided on its upper surface.

[0021] The substrate holding device may further include a mask supporter disposed between the mask holding means so as to be positioned below the mask fixed to the mask holding means, and a magnet provided above the substrate holding means so as to be able to move up and down and to apply an attractive force to the mask supporter as a magnetic force.

[0022] The apparatus may further include a gap sensor for measuring a gap between the substrate fixed on the substrate fixing means and the mask fixed on the mask fixing means.

[0023] The apparatus may further include an alignment optical unit that recognizes alignment marks on the substrate and the mask.

[0024] The mask holding device may further include a force sensor disposed between the mask holding device and the mask support frame to measure a load acting on the mask holding device.

[0025] The mask fixing means may be coupled to the mask support frame at regular intervals so as to have a degree of freedom in the up and down direction.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling the aforementioned substrate deposition apparatus, including: a drawing step in which a substrate and a mask are drawn into a chamber and fixed to a substrate fixing means and a mask fixing means, respectively; an approach step in which a displacement adjuster is activated to lower the substrate fixed to the substrate fixing means and approach the mask; a horizontal control step in which the displacement adjuster is controlled so that the substrate approaching the mask and the mask are horizontal; a first alignment step in which the substrate and the mask are aligned; and a bonding step in which the displacement adjuster is activated to further lower the aligned substrate and bond the substrate and the mask together at a constant pressure.

[0027] After the bonding step, the method may further include an alignment confirmation step of confirming an alignment state between the substrate and the mask bonded in the bonding step; a magnet lowering step of lowering the magnet by magnetically attracting the mask supporter upward to further bring the mask and the substrate into close contact if the alignment state between the substrate and the mask confirmed in the alignment confirmation step matches a reference state; and a realignment step of lifting the substrate again and realigning the substrate if the alignment state between the substrate and the mask confirmed in the alignment confirmation step does not match the reference state.

[0028] The realignment step may include a substrate lifting step in which the displacement adjusting unit is activated to lift the substrate so as to separate it from the mask, and a second alignment step in which, while the substrate is lifted, the substrate is aligning so that misalignment is compensated for based on misalignment data confirmed in the alignment confirmation step. After the substrate is realigned, the process may return to the bonding step.

[0029] In the approach step, the distance between the substrate and the mask is measured and the displacement adjustment unit is controlled; in the horizontal control step, the displacement adjustment unit is controlled so that the distances between the substrate and the mask measured at multiple points become the same; and in the bonding step, the displacement adjustment unit is controlled so that the magnitude of the force acting on multiple points of the mask fixing means does not exceed a certain pressure and the magnitude of the force acting on multiple points of the mask fixing means is all uniform.

[0030] If the alignment state between the substrate and the mask confirmed in the alignment confirmation step matches the reference state, the alignment data aligned in the second alignment step is stored, and alignment can be performed using the stored alignment data in the first alignment step of a subsequent substrate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the above configuration, the substrate deposition apparatus and control method of the present invention has an advantage that the part where the substrate is fixed is vibration-insulated from the chamber, so that vibrations from various parts in the chamber, such as the evaporation source, do not affect the substrate, thereby enabling a deposition process with higher resolution.

[0032] In addition, in the substrate deposition apparatus of the present invention, the substrate and the mask are pressed together with a force, so that the mask can be spread flat without applying excessive tension to the silicon mask, thereby enabling a deposition process with higher resolution.

[0033] In addition, the substrate deposition apparatus of the present invention has a large displacement adjustment unit that moves a large displacement for aligning the substrate and a small displacement adjustment unit that moves a small displacement, which are connected in series, thereby enabling faster and more precise movement and alignment of the substrate.

[0034] In addition, the substrate deposition apparatus of the present invention has the effect that the loads of the substrate fixing means on which the substrate is mounted and the large displacement adjustment unit and small displacement adjustment unit connected to the substrate fixing means act when the substrate and the mask are bonded together, thereby enabling the substrate and the mask to be bonded more stably.

[0035] In addition, the substrate deposition apparatus of the present invention measures the pressure acting on each point via a force sensor in real time when the substrate and mask are bonded together, and controls the pressure so that each point on the substrate and mask does not receive pressure exceeding a permissible value, thereby preventing damage to the substrate and mask during the bonding process.

[0036] In addition, the substrate deposition apparatus of the present invention measures the pressure acting on each point via a force sensor in real time when the substrate and mask are bonded together, and controls the mask so that each point receives a uniform pressure, thereby allowing the mask to spread evenly and enabling deposition with higher resolution.

[0037] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, but should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description of the present invention or the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional vapor deposition apparatus. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a substrate deposition apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing a large displacement adjustment unit of a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a view showing a small displacement adjusting unit of a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating how a large displacement adjusting unit of a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is vertically moved. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating horizontal and tilting movements of a large displacement adjusting unit of a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a view illustrating a state in which a small displacement adjusting unit of a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is horizontally moved. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing the arrangement of a mask support plate and a force sensor in a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing a contact position of a force sensor that contacts a mask fixing means of a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating how pressure acts on a force sensor when a substrate and a mask are bonded together in a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 4 is a graph showing the state where pressures acting on a plurality of force sensors of a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention are different (a) and uniform (b). [Figure 12] 1 is a view showing a state in which a substrate has been lowered and is close to a mask in a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 13]1 is a diagram showing a state in which alignment is performed when a substrate is close to a mask in a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 1 is a view showing a state in which a substrate and a mask are joined together in a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a magnet of a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention descends and pulls a mask supporter with magnetic force. FIG. [Figure 16] 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a substrate deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description of the drawings will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar components.

[0040] The words and terms used in this specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as meanings and concepts that fit the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor can define terms and concepts in order to best describe his or her invention.

[0041] Therefore, the embodiment described in this specification and the configuration shown in the drawings correspond to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, and therefore, the configuration may have various equivalents and modifications that can replace it at the time of filing the application for this invention.

[0042] As used herein, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to describe the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood not to preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0043] Unless there are special circumstances, a component being "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" another component does not only mean that the component is directly in contact with the other component and is disposed "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below," but also includes the case where another component is disposed between them. Furthermore, unless there are special circumstances, a component being "connected" to another component does not only mean that the components are directly connected to each other, but also includes the case where the components are indirectly connected to each other.

[0044] A substrate deposition apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate deposition apparatus 100 according to this embodiment may include a chamber 110, the aligner frame 120, a vibration damping unit 122, a substrate fixing means 150, a displacement adjusting unit 130, a mask support frame 190, a mask fixing means 196, and a control unit C.

[0046] The chamber 110 may be configured to form a deposition space 112 in which the substrate 11 is loaded and deposition is performed, and to maintain a vacuum in the deposition space 112. A vacuum pump (not shown) for creating and maintaining a vacuum in the chamber 110 and a door (not shown) for opening and closing the chamber 110 may also be provided.

[0047] At this time, an opening 114 may be formed in a portion of an upper surface 116 of the chamber 110 .

[0048] The opening 114 does not have to be formed on the entire upper surface 116 of the chamber 110, but may be formed on a part of the upper surface 116. That is, a horizontal upper surface 116 is formed on the edge of the upper surface of the chamber 110, and the opening 114 is formed inside the horizontal upper surface 116.

[0049] Meanwhile, the aligner frame 120 may be positioned above the opening 114 and supported by the edge of the opening 114 on the upper surface 116 of the chamber 110 .

[0050] In addition, a vibration damper 122 may be disposed between the chamber 110 and the aligner frame 120 to provide vibration isolation between the chamber 110 and the aligner frame 120 and support the aligner frame 120 on the chamber 110 .

[0051] In addition, the deposition space 112 of the chamber 110 can be sealed by the aligner frame 120 and a bellows (not shown) to form a vacuum.

[0052] The vibration suppressing unit 122 may be in the form of an airbag or may include a damper for vibration suppression therein, and may be an active damper for canceling vibration in addition to damping vibration.

[0053] The substrate holding means 150 may be disposed inside the deposition space 112 and configured to hold the substrate 11 drawn into the deposition space 112. In this embodiment, the substrate holding means 150 may be an electrostatic chuck that holds the substrate 11 using static electricity. However, in the present invention, the substrate holding means 150 is not necessarily limited to an electrostatic chuck.

[0054] The displacement adjusting unit 130 may be coupled to and supported by the aligner frame 120, disposed toward the deposition space 112 inside the chamber 110, and configured to adjust horizontal and vertical movement, parallelism, and angle.

[0055] In addition, the substrate holding means 150 may be provided at the lower end of the displacement adjusting unit 130 to adjust the horizontal and vertical movement, parallelism, and angle of the substrate 11 fixed to the substrate holding means 150.

[0056] In this case, the parallelism may refer to the parallelism with the mask 15, and the angle may refer to the angle of rotation based on an axis perpendicular to the substrate 11.

[0057] Meanwhile, the mask support frame 190 may be coupled to the aligner frame 120 and extend to the lower side of the substrate holding means 150 .

[0058] The mask support frame 190 may include a hanging frame 192 and a mask support plate 194, wherein the hanging frame 192 may extend from the aligner frame 120 below the substrate fixing means 150, and the mask support plate 194 may extend from a position on the hanging frame 192 below the substrate fixing means 150 toward the lower region of the substrate fixing means 150.

[0059] The mask holding means 196 may be provided on the mask support frame 190 to hold the mask 15 below the substrate holding means 150 .

[0060] In this embodiment, the mask fixing means 196 may be an electrostatic chuck that fixes the mask 15 by static electricity. However, in the present invention, the mask fixing means 196 is not necessarily limited to an electrostatic chuck.

[0061] The mask fixing means 196 may fix a mask 15 for patterning to the substrate 11. In this case, the mask 15 may be made of silicon. A silicon mask 15 may be capable of forming finer patterns than a metal mask 15, and may be advantageous for a micro OLED mounting process that requires high resolution. Of course, the present invention is not limited to using silicon as the material for the mask 15, and masks made of various materials, such as a metal mask, may also be used.

[0062] In this case, the mask fixing means 196 may be provided on the mask support plate 194 .

[0063] In addition, a mask supporter 198 may be provided under the mask 15 to support the mask 15. The mask supporter 198 is made of a metal material and has a lattice-like shape, and is a component that supports and prevents the mask 15 from sagging due to gravity.

[0064] Meanwhile, although the mask supporter 198 is made of metal, it may sag downward due to its own weight. To prevent this, a magnet M may be provided.

[0065] The magnet M is provided above the substrate fixing means 150, which is above the mask supporter 198, so as to be able to move up and down, and acts as a magnetic force on the upper side of the mask supporter 198 to prevent the mask supporter 198 from sagging due to its own weight, and can support the mask 15 and the substrate 11 from below so that they can be more securely attached.

[0066] The magnet M may be configured to be able to move up and down and to selectively apply an attractive force to the mask supporter 198.

[0067] That is, the substrate holding means 150 and the mask holding means 196 on which the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are mounted are both mounted on the aligner frame 120 which is vibration-insulated from the chamber 110. This provides vibration isolation from vibrations generated within the chamber 110 as well as vibrations transmitted from outside the chamber 110. This minimizes the effects of vibrations during deposition, making it possible to achieve finer patterns and advantageously realizing a high-resolution display substrate 11.

[0068] As described above, the displacement adjusting unit 130 can adjust the parallelism and angle of the substrate 11 fixed to the substrate fixing means 150 while moving the substrate 11 in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0069] The displacement adjusting portion 130 may include a large displacement adjusting portion 140 and a small displacement adjusting portion 160 as shown in FIGS.

[0070] The large displacement adjusting unit 140 is coupled to and supported by the aligner frame 120 and can adjust the horizontal and vertical movement and horizontality of the substrate 11 .

[0071] The large displacement adjustment unit 140 may be realized by a hexapod as shown in FIG.

[0072] The large displacement adjustment portion 140 may include an upper plate 141, a lower plate 143, and six cylindrical legs 145 provided between the upper plate 141 and the lower plate 143, each of which can be individually adjusted in length.

[0073] The upper end of each leg 145 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper plate 141, and the lower end is attached to the upper surface of the lower plate 143. At this time, it is preferable that the upper and lower ends of the legs 145 are respectively coupled with self-aligning bearings or spherical bearings and connected to the upper plate 141 and the lower plate 143.

[0074] In this case, the upper plate 141 may be configured to be fixed to the aligner frame 120 .

[0075] In addition, the small displacement adjusting part 160, which will be described later, may be attached to the lower side of the lower plate 143.

[0076] Therefore, by adjusting the extension and contraction of each leg 145, the horizontal and vertical movement of the lower plate 143 in the x, y, and z directions can be controlled, and the horizontality can be adjusted by adjusting the angle of the lower plate 143 in the Rx, Ry, and Rz directions.

[0077] Meanwhile, the small displacement adjustment unit 160 may be coupled to the lower side of the large displacement adjustment unit 140, and may be moved horizontally and vertically by the large displacement adjustment unit 140 to adjust the horizontal position. The substrate holding means 150 may be provided below the small displacement adjustment unit 160, and the small displacement adjustment unit 160 may be provided to finely adjust the horizontal movement and horizontal angle of the substrate 11 mounted on the substrate holding means 150.

[0078] The small displacement adjustment unit 160 may include a first member 161 that is connected to the lower plate 143 of the hexapod, which is the large displacement adjustment unit 140, and that moves horizontally in the x-axis or y-axis relative to the lower plate 143; a second member 163 that is connected to the first member 161 and moves horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first member 161 moves horizontally relative to the lower plate 143; and a third member 165 that rotates relative to the second member 163 and to which the substrate fixing means 150 is connected.

[0079] In this case, the third member 165 may be configured to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the substrate holding means 150 or the deposition surface of the substrate 11 attached to the substrate holding means 150. Hereinafter, this will be referred to as "horizontal rotation."

[0080] That is, the large displacement adjusting part 140 adjusts a large range of displacement, and the small displacement adjusting part 160 precisely and finely adjusts a small range of displacement.

[0081] That is, the large displacement adjusting unit 140 may be expanded or contracted vertically as shown in FIG. 5, or may be moved or tilted horizontally as shown in FIG.

[0082] That is, the small displacement adjustment unit 160 is provided below the adjustment unit 140, and the substrate holding means 150 is provided below the small displacement adjustment unit 160, so that when the large displacement adjustment unit 140 moves or tilts in the horizontal or vertical direction, the substrate holding means 150 may also move or tilt in the horizontal or vertical direction.

[0083] 4 and 7, the small displacement adjusting unit 160 has the substrate holding means 150 provided thereunder, and can finely move the substrate holding means 150 in the horizontal (x, y) directions and finely adjust the horizontal angle of the substrate holding means 150. This may be for the purpose of aligning the substrate 11 and the mask 15.

[0084] That is, the substrate 11 can be further finely moved by the small displacement adjusting unit 160 after being moved by the large displacement adjusting unit 140 .

[0085] In the above embodiment, an XYθ type stage is used as the small displacement adjusting unit 160, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a UVW type stage may also be applied.

[0086] Meanwhile, a gap sensor 170 may be provided to measure the gap between the substrate 11 fixed to the substrate fixing means 150 and the mask 15 fixed to the mask fixing means 196 .

[0087] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the gap sensors 170 are provided at a plurality of locations on the edge of the substrate holding means 150 to measure the distance to the mask 15 or mask holding means 196 located below.

[0088] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the gap sensor 170 is provided to measure the distance between the substrate 11 and the mask 15, and if multiple gap sensors 170 are provided, the distance from multiple points on the substrate 11 to the mask 15 can be measured, so the parallelism between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 can also be measured.

[0089] That is, if the distances between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 measured by the plurality of gap sensors 170 are all the same, it can be determined that the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are parallel, and if not, it can be determined that the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are not parallel.

[0090] In this embodiment, the gap sensor 170 is provided on the edge of the substrate holding means 150, but the present invention is not limited thereto and the gap sensor 170 may be provided at a plurality of locations on the outer edge of the area where the mask is held by the mask holding means 196. Furthermore, the gap sensor 170 may be located anywhere that can measure the gap between the substrate 11 and the mask 15, in addition to the substrate holding means 150 or the mask holding means 196.

[0091] The control unit C controls the large displacement adjustment unit 140 and the small displacement adjustment unit 160 of the displacement adjustment unit 130 based on the distance information measured by the gap sensor 170, thereby adjusting the horizontal and vertical positions and angles of the substrate holding means 150 to which the substrate 11 is adsorbed.

[0092] That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the gap sensor 170 is provided to measure the distance between the substrate 11 and the mask 15, and if multiple gap sensors 170 are provided, the distance from multiple points on the substrate 11 to the mask 15 can be measured, so that the parallelism between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 can also be measured.

[0093] In this case, the gap sensor 170 may be a confocal laser type sensor, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and other known types of non-contact distance measurement sensors such as laser, ultrasonic, infrared, or capacitance type may also be applied.

[0094] Also, an alignment optical unit 175 may be provided to check the alignment of the alignment keys of the substrate 11 and the mask 15. The alignment optical unit 175 includes a camera 176 and a reflector 177, and can obtain relative position information of each alignment key of the substrate 11 and the mask 15.

[0095] Therefore, the control unit C can check the parallelism, spacing, and alignment of the substrate 11 and the mask 15 through the gap sensor 170 and the alignment optical unit 175, and as shown in Figures 5 to 7, it controls the large displacement adjustment unit 140 and the small displacement adjustment unit 160 to adjust the spacing and parallelism of the substrate 11 and the mask 15, thereby aligning the substrate 11 and the mask 15, or bonding the substrate 11 and the mask 15 by raising or lowering the substrate 11.

[0096] Meanwhile, the substrate deposition apparatus according to this embodiment may include a force sensor 180 .

[0097] The force sensor 180 may be provided between the mask fixing means 196 and the mask support frame 190 to measure the load acting on the mask fixing means 196 .

[0098] The force sensor 180 may be a piezoelectric sensor that converts an applied pressure into an electrical signal, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a strain gauge or other known pressure measurement sensor may be used instead of a piezoelectric sensor.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 5, a groove 182 may be formed in the upper surface of the mask support plate 194 , and the force sensor 180 may be inserted into the groove 182 and be in contact with the lower surface of the mask fixing means 196 .

[0100] Meanwhile, the force sensor 180 may be disposed below the area of ​​the mask fixing means 196 where the mask 15 is fixed, so that the force applied to the mask 15 is directly transmitted.

[0101] At this time, the mask fixing means 196 may be coupled to the mask supporting frame 190 at regular intervals so as to have a degree of freedom in the up and down direction.

[0102] That is, the mask fixing means 196 is connected to the mask support frame 190, but is not completely fixed, but is connected to have a play that allows it to move vertically at a certain interval.

[0103] Meanwhile, a plurality of force sensors 180 may be provided as shown in Fig. 9. In the description of this embodiment, a total of four force sensors 180 are disposed at each corner of the mask fixing means 196.

[0104] In the description of this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the force sensors 180 are numbered 1 to 4.

[0105] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, in the substrate deposition apparatus 100 equipped with the force sensor according to this embodiment, the substrate holding means 150 is lowered, and the substrate 11 held by suction on the substrate holding means 150 is joined to the mask 15 held by suction on the mask holding means 196, thereby applying pressure to the mask 15.

[0106] Therefore, the mask 15 in a bent state may be pushed by the substrate 11 and spread out onto a plane.

[0107] At this time, the mask fixing means 196 to which the mask 15 is fixed is pressurized, and the applied pressure may be transmitted to the force sensor 180 disposed below.

[0108] As described above, the mask fixing means 196 are coupled to the mask support frame 190 at regular intervals to have a degree of freedom in the vertical direction, so that the pressure transmitted to the mask fixing means 196 may be transmitted to the force sensor 180 without attenuation.

[0109] The force sensor 180 may measure the pressure at which the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded together, and the measured pressure may be transmitted to the control unit C.

[0110] The control unit C receives the pressure data transmitted from the force sensor 180 and can estimate the force applied to the substrate 11 and the mask 15 in real time.

[0111] Meanwhile, the control unit C may be preset with an appropriate reference pressure to be applied to the substrate 11 and the mask 15 when the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded together.

[0112] That is, if a pressure lower than the set reference pressure is applied, the substrate 11 and the mask 15 may not be completely bonded to each other, and if a pressure higher than the set reference pressure is applied, the substrate 11 and the mask 15 may be damaged. The reference pressure may be set as a single value or may have a range of values.

[0113] Therefore, the control unit C can receive pressure data in real time from the force sensor 180 and control the displacement control unit 130 so that the pressure applied to the substrate 11 and mask 15 matches the set reference pressure.

[0114] That is, the pressure applied when the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded can be adjusted by raising or lowering the displacement adjusting unit, so the control unit C can control the pressure applied to the substrate 11 and the mask 15 in real time via the displacement adjusting unit 130.

[0115] Meanwhile, as mentioned above, a total of four force sensors 180 are arranged at each corner of the mask fixing means 196, and the pressure transmitted from each force sensor 180 can be transmitted to the control unit C.

[0116] If the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are attached in a non-parallel state, the pressures measured by the force sensors 180 may be non-uniform, as shown in FIG. 11(a).

[0117] For example, if the pressure measured by force sensor No. 1 180 and force sensor No. 4 180 is lower than the pressure measured by force sensor No. 2 180 and force sensor No. 3 180, and if the pressure measured by force sensor No. 2 180 and force sensor No. 3 180 is higher than the upper limit value (Pmax) of the reference pressure, control unit C can perform control such as slightly raising or tilting the displacement adjustment unit so that force sensors No. 1 180 to No. 4 180 are all uniform and measure a pressure that does not exceed the upper limit value (Pmax) of the reference pressure, as shown in Figure 11 (b).

[0118] Therefore, when the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded together, the pressure acting on each point is measured in real time through the force sensor, and the pressure on each point of the substrate 11 and the mask 15 is controlled so that it does not exceed the allowable value, thereby preventing damage to the substrate 11 and the mask 15 during the bonding process.

[0119] In addition, when the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded together, the pressure acting on each point is measured in real time using a force sensor, and the mask 15 is controlled so that each point receives a uniform pressure, thereby allowing the mask 15 to spread uniformly, thereby enabling deposition with higher resolution.

[0120] A method for controlling the substrate deposition apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0121] The control method for the substrate deposition apparatus 100 according to this embodiment may include, as shown in FIG. 16, a retraction step S110, an approach step S120, a horizontal control step S130, a first alignment step S140, a joining step S150, an alignment confirmation step S160, a magnet lowering step S170, and a realignment step S180.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 2, the retraction step S110 is a step in which the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are loaded into the chamber 110, the substrate 11 is retracted into and fixed by the substrate fixing means 150, and the mask 15 is retracted into and fixed by the mask fixing means 196.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 12, the approaching step S120 is a step in which the displacement adjusting unit 130 is operated to lower the substrate 11 fixed on the substrate fixing means 150 to approach the mask 15.

[0124] At this time, the large displacement adjusting unit 140 or the small displacement adjusting unit 160 may be operated to lower the substrate 11 fixed to the substrate fixing means 150 to be positioned above the mask 15 .

[0125] At this time, the gap between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 may be about 0.05 to 0.5 mm, and the gap between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 may be measured and controlled through the gap sensor 170.

[0126] The horizontal control step S130 is a step of controlling the displacement adjustment unit 130 so that the substrate 11 approaching the mask 15 and the mask 15 are horizontal, as shown in FIG. 13.

[0127] After the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are horizontally aligned, a first alignment step S140 for aligning the positions of the substrate 11 and the mask 15 may be performed.

[0128] When the substrate deposition apparatus 100 of this embodiment is operated for the first time (i.e., when the first substrate 11 is loaded after power is applied, or when a substrate 11 of a new specification or a substrate 11 with a new patterning shape is loaded for the first time), the first alignment step S140 may be a step of aligning the alignment keys formed on the mask 15 and the substrate 11.

[0129] After the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are aligned in the first alignment step S140, a bonding step S150 may be performed.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 14, the bonding step S150 is a step in which the displacement control unit 130 is operated to further lower the aligned substrate 11, and the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded together with a constant pressure.

[0131] That is, the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are not simply brought into contact with each other, but are bonded together by applying a certain pressure therebetween.

[0132] Since the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded together with a certain pressure, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the bending occurring on the surface of the silicon mask 15 is spread by the bonding pressure of the substrate 11.

[0133] At this time, the pressure acting on each point is measured through the force sensor 180, and as shown in FIG. 11(b), it can be controlled so that the pressure is uniform without exceeding the upper limit value Pmax of the reference pressure.

[0134] Meanwhile, the alignment confirmation step S160 may be performed after the joining step S150.

[0135] The alignment confirmation step S160 can confirm the alignment state between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 bonded in the bonding step S150.

[0136] That is, when the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded together, the curved surface is expanded by the pressure of the mask 15, and in the process, the alignment may be displaced.

[0137] Therefore, in the alignment confirmation step S160, the alignment state between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 bonded in the bonding step S150 is confirmed, thereby confirming the alignment state in the bonded state.

[0138] If the alignment state between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 confirmed in the alignment confirmation step S160 matches the set reference state, a magnet lowering step S170 may be performed.

[0139] In the magnet lowering step S170, after the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded together, if the alignment state matches the reference state, the magnet M descends so that the mask 15 and the substrate 11 are more closely attached to each other, and the mask supporter 198 can be used as a magnetic force to pull the upper side.

[0140] Meanwhile, if the alignment state between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 confirmed in the alignment confirmation step S160 does not match the set reference state, a realignment step S180 may be performed in which the substrate 11 is realigned again.

[0141] The realignment step S180 may include a substrate lift step S182 and a second alignment step S184.

[0142] In the substrate lifting step S182, the displacement control unit 130 may be operated to lift the substrate 11 away from the mask 15.

[0143] In the second alignment step S184, the substrate 11 is raised and separated from the mask 15, and the substrate 11 is aligned so that the misalignment confirmed in the alignment confirmation step S160 is compensated for using the misalignment data S190 confirmed in the alignment confirmation step.

[0144] At this time, in the second alignment step S184, the substrate 11 and the mask 15 may be misaligned, i.e., their alignment keys are not aligned. This is because, when the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are joined together in the first alignment step S140 with their alignment keys aligned, the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are misaligned, and a misalignment is intentionally created to compensate for the misalignment between the substrate 11 and the mask 15.

[0145] In the second alignment step S184, after the substrate 11 is realigned, the process may return to the bonding step S150.

[0146] In the bonding step S150, after the substrate 11 and the mask 15 are bonded, an alignment confirmation step S160 is performed again, and after the alignment state of the substrate 11 and the mask 15 is confirmed, a lowering step of the mask 15 is performed, or a realignment step S180 may be performed again.

[0147] On the other hand, if the alignment state between the substrate 11 and the mask 15 confirmed in the alignment confirmation step S160 matches the reference state, the misalignment data S190 aligned in the second alignment step S184 is stored, and alignment can be performed using the stored misalignment data during the first alignment step S140 of the subsequent substrate 11.

[0148] At this time, the subsequent substrate 11 may be a substrate 11 of the same standard and pattern as the previously loaded substrate 11.

[0149] That is, in the second alignment step S184 of the realignment step S180, the alignment is performed in the first alignment step S140 based on the misalignment data that resulted in successful alignment of the substrate 11 and the mask 15, thereby shortening the time required to align the substrate 11.

[0150] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described, the concept of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented in this specification, and a person skilled in the art who understands the concept of the present invention can easily propose other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components within the scope of the same concept, which can also be said to be within the scope of the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. a chamber that forms a deposition space and has an opening formed in a part of an upper side surface thereof; an aligner frame located above the opening and supported by an edge of the opening on the upper side of the chamber; a substrate holding means for holding the substrate drawn into the deposition space; a displacement adjusting unit coupled to and supported by the aligner frame, disposed facing the deposition space inside the chamber, and having the substrate holding means at its lower end, for adjusting the horizontal and vertical directions of the substrate held by the substrate holding means; a mask support frame coupled to the aligner frame and extending to a lower side of the substrate fixing means; a mask holding means provided on the mask support frame for holding a mask below the substrate holding means; a control unit that controls the substrate fixing means, the displacement adjusting unit, and the mask fixing means, Substrate evaporation equipment.

2. The substrate deposition apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a vibration damper disposed between the chamber and the aligner frame to isolate the chamber from the aligner frame.

3. The mask support frame includes: a hanging frame extending from the aligner frame downward beyond the substrate fixing means; 2. The substrate deposition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a mask support plate extending from the hanging frame to a region below the substrate fixing means, the mask fixing means being provided on an upper surface thereof.

4. a mask supporter disposed between the mask fixing means so as to be positioned below the mask fixed to the mask fixing means; The substrate deposition apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a magnet provided above the substrate holding means so as to be movable up and down, and for applying an attractive force to the mask supporter as a magnetic force.

5. The displacement adjustment unit is a large displacement adjusting unit coupled to and supported by the aligner frame, disposed toward the deposition space inside the chamber, and configured to adjust horizontal and vertical movement and horizontality of the substrate; 2. The substrate deposition apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a small displacement adjustment unit having an upper side coupled to a lower side of the large displacement adjustment unit, moved by the large displacement adjustment unit, and having the substrate fixing means provided on a lower side thereof, for finely adjusting the horizontal movement and horizontal angle of the substrate.

6. The large displacement adjustment unit is an upper plate coupled to the aligner frame; a lower plate to which the small displacement adjusting part is coupled; 6. The substrate deposition apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a plurality of legs whose upper ends are connected to the upper plate, whose lower ends are connected to the lower plate, and whose hinged joints are spaced apart from each other to allow length adjustment.

7. The small displacement adjustment portion is a first member coupled to a lower side of the lower plate and adapted to move horizontally relative to the lower plate; a second member coupled to the first member and horizontally moved in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first member is horizontally moved relative to the lower plate; a third member coupled to the second member, having the substrate fixing means coupled to its underside, and rotating relative to the second member about an axis perpendicular to the deposition surface of the substrate attached to the substrate fixing means.

8. The large displacement adjustment unit is 6. The substrate deposition apparatus of claim 5, which is a hexapod having six degrees of freedom.

9. The mask support frame includes: a hanging frame extending from the aligner frame to a position below the substrate fixing means; 2. The substrate deposition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a mask support plate extending from the hanging frame to a region below the substrate fixing means, the mask fixing means being provided on an upper surface thereof.

10. a mask supporter disposed between the mask fixing means so as to be positioned below the mask fixed to the mask fixing means; The substrate deposition apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a magnet provided above the substrate holding means so as to be movable up and down, and for applying an attractive force to the mask supporter as a magnetic force.

11. The substrate deposition apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a gap sensor for measuring a gap between the substrate fixed to the substrate fixing means and the mask fixed to the mask fixing means.

12. The substrate deposition apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising an alignment optical unit that recognizes alignment marks on the substrate and the mask.

13. 2. The substrate deposition apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a force sensor provided between the mask fixing means and the mask support frame, for measuring a load acting on the mask fixing means.

14. 2. The substrate deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask fixing means are coupled to the mask support frame at regular intervals so as to have a degree of freedom in the up and down direction.

15. A method for controlling a substrate deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising: a retracting step in which the substrate and the mask are retracted into the chamber and fixed to the substrate fixing means and the mask fixing means, respectively; an approaching step in which a displacement adjusting unit is activated to lower the substrate fixed to the substrate fixing means so as to approach the mask; a horizontal control step of controlling the displacement adjusting unit so that the substrate approaching the mask and the mask are horizontal; a first alignment step of aligning the substrate and the mask; and further lowering the aligned substrate by operating the displacement control unit to bond the substrate and the mask together at a constant pressure.

16. After the bonding step, an alignment confirmation step of confirming an alignment state between the substrate and the mask bonded in the bonding step; a magnet lowering step in which, if the alignment state between the substrate and the mask confirmed in the alignment confirmation step matches a reference state, a magnet is lowered to attract a mask supporter upward with a magnetic force so that the mask and the substrate are more closely attached to each other; 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: a realignment step of realigning the substrate after lifting it again if the alignment state between the substrate and the mask confirmed in the alignment confirmation step does not match a reference state.

17. The realignment step comprises: a substrate lifting step in which the displacement adjusting unit is activated to lift the substrate away from the mask; a second alignment step of aligning the substrate in a state where the substrate is elevated, so that misalignment is compensated for based on the misalignment data confirmed in the alignment confirmation step; The method of claim 16, further comprising returning to the bonding step after the substrate is realigned.

18. In the approaching step, the distance between the substrate and the mask is measured and the displacement adjusting unit is controlled, and in the horizontal control step, the displacement adjusting unit is controlled so that the distances between the substrate and the mask measured at a plurality of points become the same.

16. The method for controlling a substrate deposition apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, in the bonding step, the displacement adjusting unit is controlled so that the magnitude of the force acting on the mask fixing means at multiple points does not exceed a certain pressure and the magnitude of the force acting on the mask fixing means at multiple points is all uniform.

19. If the alignment state between the substrate and the mask confirmed in the alignment confirmation step matches a reference state, storing alignment data aligned in the second alignment step; The method of claim 17, wherein alignment is performed using the stored alignment data in a first alignment step of a subsequent substrate.

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