Supporting apparatus and method for warped substrate in vacuum coating and etching device

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention is a supporting method for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and an etching device. The supporting method comprises the following steps: placing below a substrate (24) a plurality of thimbles (22) having sensors (30); the plurality of thimbles (22) being prepared to rise simultaneously to receive the substrate (24) placed on a manipulator or a substrate table (46); the sensors (30) at lower portions of the thimbles (22) checking whether the thimbles (22) come into contact with the substrate (24) when the thimbles (22) rise, and transmitting a signal to a controller; the sensors (30) or the controller transmitting a signal of "the thimbles have not come into contact with the substrate" to an actuator, so that the actuator drives the thimbles (22) to continue to rise; and the actuator immediately stopping lifting of the thimbles (22) when receiving a signal of "the thimbles have come into contact with the substrate", and so on, until all of the thimbles (22) have come into contact with the substrate (24). According to the supporting method for the warped substrate in the vacuum coating and the etching device of the present invention, different substrates can be accurately lifted and it is ensured that the substrates do not slip on the thimbles in a lifting / lowering process.

Description

Support device and support method for warped substrate in vacuum coating and etching equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of substrate support devices in vacuum equipment, and in particular to a support device and a support method for a warped substrate in vacuum coating and etching equipment. Background Art

[0002] In related technologies, both the photovoltaic and semiconductor industries place high demands on thin film quality, uniformity, and thickness tolerance. Substrates, at various stages of the production process, require constant lifting and lowering to facilitate robotic transport and transfer, enabling them to undergo various processes, such as thin film deposition, etching, and inspection.

[0003] During the substrate manufacturing process, the substrate is prone to warping due to uneven heating or cooling, or internal stress generated or released during thin film deposition and etching. After warping, the warping shape of the substrate is relatively complex and changeable, and the warping conditions of different substrates are inconsistent. In existing equipment for lifting substrates, since the equipment uses the same driving mechanism to lift multiple ejectors to lift the substrate, during the lifting process of the warped substrate, multiple ejectors are raised to the same horizontal height. However, due to the warping of the substrate, it is impossible to ensure that all ejectors can contact the bottom of the warped substrate. Therefore, the existing lifting equipment is unable to achieve precise lifting of different substrates, which may cause the warped substrate to slip on the ejector pins, resulting in fragmentation.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a support device for warped substrates in vacuum coating and etching equipment, which can accurately lift different substrates and ensure that the substrates do not slip on the ejector pins during the lifting process.

[0006] The present invention also provides a method for supporting a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, a support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching apparatus comprises:

[0008] substrate stage;

[0009] Multiple ejector pin lifting assemblies are installed on the substrate stage, the ejector pin lifting assemblies include ejectors, and the ejector pins include a supporting portion, a sensor and a connecting portion. The two ends of the sensor are respectively connected to the supporting portion and the connecting portion. The supporting portion is used to support the substrate, and the sensor is used to sense whether the supporting portion is in contact with the substrate.

[0010] The support device for warping substrates in vacuum coating and etching equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the ejector pins of multiple ejector pin lifting assemblies support the substrate, and the sensors detect whether the supporting portion and the substrate are in contact, effectively avoiding the situation where the supporting portion does not abut the substrate, thereby enabling each ejector pin to accurately abut the substrate. Moreover, for different substrates, after detection by the sensors, each ejector pin can accurately abut the substrate. In this way, the support device can accurately lift different substrates and ensure that the substrate does not slip on the ejector pins during the lifting process.

[0011] According to the support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device in some embodiments of the present invention, the ejector lifting assembly further comprises an ejector driving member, one end of the connecting portion is detachably connected to the ejector driving member, and the other end of the connecting portion is detachably connected to the sensor; the ejector driving member is used to drive the ejector to perform a lifting motion so that the ejector lifts the substrate up and down.

[0012] According to the support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device in some embodiments of the present invention, the ejector drive member is provided with an ejector drive member groove, the connecting portion includes a connecting portion end and a connecting rod connected to each other, the connecting portion end protrudes from the end surface of the connecting rod toward the ejector drive member, and when the connecting portion end is connected to the groove wall of the ejector drive member groove, the ejector drive member drives the connecting portion to rise and fall, so that the ejector lifts the substrate to rise and fall.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device further includes a substrate stage lifting assembly, wherein the substrate stage lifting assembly is used to drive the substrate stage to rise or fall, the substrate stage is provided with a substrate stage groove and a through hole, the substrate stage groove is connected to the through hole, the abutting portion is penetrated by the through hole and the substrate stage groove, the top of the abutting portion is provided with an abutting head, the abutting head protrudes along the radial direction of the abutting head, the diameter of the abutting head gradually decreases from top to bottom, the diameter of the substrate stage groove gradually decreases from top to bottom, the abutting head is provided in the substrate stage groove, and the abutting head abuts against the groove wall of the substrate stage groove, the substrate stage lifting assembly first drives the substrate stage to rise and fall, and the ejector pin lifting assembly then drives the abutting head to rise and fall, so as to avoid the generation of plasma in the gap between the ejector pin and the substrate stage when an RF bias is applied to the substrate stage.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device, the diameter of the through hole is smaller than the minimum diameter of the substrate stage groove to avoid plasma generation in the gap between the ejector pin and the substrate stage when an RF bias is applied to the substrate stage.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device, the abutment head is made of a flexible material, so that the abutment head can safely support the substrate.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device, the substrate stage lifting assembly includes a stepper motor connected to the substrate stage, and the stepper motor is used to drive the substrate stage to rise and fall.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device, at least three ejector pin lifting assemblies are provided, and at least three ejector pin lifting assemblies are distributedly installed on the substrate table in an array, and at least three ejector pin lifting assemblies are used to jointly lift the substrate.

[0018] According to the supporting device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device in some embodiments of the present invention, the sensor is configured as a pressure sensor or a distance sensor, the pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure exerted by the substrate on the supporting portion, and the distance sensor is used to detect the distance between the supporting portion and the substrate.

[0019] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a method for supporting a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device includes supporting the substrate using a device for supporting a warped substrate in the vacuum coating and etching device, the device comprising an ejector pin, the ejector pin comprising a supporting portion, a sensor, and a connecting portion, the two ends of the sensor being respectively connected to the supporting portion and the connecting portion, the supporting portion being used to support the substrate, and the sensor being used to sense whether the supporting portion is in contact with the substrate;

[0020] The method for supporting a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device comprises the following steps:

[0021] placing the plurality of ejector pins with the sensors attached thereto under the substrate;

[0022] The plurality of ejectors are simultaneously ready to rise to receive the substrate placed on the robot arm or the substrate stage;

[0023] The sensor at the bottom of the ejector pin detects whether the ejector pin contacts the substrate during the ejector pin's ascent and transmits a signal to the controller;

[0024] The sensor or the controller transmits a signal indicating that the ejector pins have not yet contacted the substrate to the actuator, and the actuator drives the ejector pins to continue to rise. When the actuator receives a signal indicating that the ejector pins have contacted the substrate, the actuator immediately stops the ejector pins, and the operation continues until all the ejector pins contact the substrate.

[0025] The method for supporting warped substrates in vacuum coating and etching equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: After ejector pins are placed under a substrate, a sensor detects the position and transmits a signal to a controller, which in turn causes an actuator to drive the ejector pins upward or downward, thereby causing the ejector pins to contact the substrate. This method can accurately support different substrates and ensure that the substrates do not slip on the ejector pins during the raising and lowering process.

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, in which:

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a square, horizontal, flat substrate being simultaneously lifted by four ejector pins at the same horizontal position;

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a square, horizontally placed, warped substrate being lifted by four ejector pins at the same horizontal position. However, due to the warping of the substrate, only two of the ejector pins are in contact with the bottom surface of the substrate, while the other two ejector pins do not.

[0030] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of ejector pins in a support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0031] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an ejector pin driving member in a support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0032] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an ejector pin lifting assembly (including an ejector pin and an ejector pin driving member) in a support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a substrate stage and a substrate stage lifting assembly in a support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0034] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an ejector pin lifting assembly and a substrate stage in a support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0035] FIG8 is a flow chart of a method for supporting a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0036] Figure numerals: flat substrate 20, ejector 22, warped substrate 24, supporting portion 26, abutting head 28, sensor 30, connecting portion 32, connecting portion end 34, connecting rod 36, connecting portion limit block 38, ejector drive 40, ejector drive slot 42, ejector lifting assembly 44, substrate stage 46, substrate stage slot 48, through hole 50, substrate stage lifting assembly 52, supporting device 54. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means more than two, and "greater than," "less than," "exceed," etc. are understood to exclude the number itself. The terms "first" and "second" are used solely to distinguish technical features and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly specifying the number of the indicated technical features, or implicitly specifying the order of the indicated technical features.

[0040] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, and connecting should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, reference to the term "some embodiments" means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic diagram of an existing flat substrate 20 being lifted by ejector pins 22. In Figure 1, the substrate is in a flat state and is therefore recorded as a flat substrate 20. The four ejector pins 22 can all be supported under the flat substrate 20. Please refer to Figure 2, which shows a schematic diagram of a square, horizontally placed, warped substrate 24 being lifted by four ejector pins 22 at the same horizontal position. However, the warping of the substrate 24 results in only two ejector pins 22 being in contact with the bottom surface of the substrate 24, and the other two ejector pins 22 do not contact the bottom surface of the substrate 24. That is, in addition to the above-mentioned flat substrate 20, there is another situation with the existing substrate, which is a warped substrate 24 formed after warping during the production and packaging process. This application is mainly aimed at the warped substrate 24, wherein the warped substrate 24 is collectively referred to as substrate 24 hereinafter. After the substrate 24 is warped, it will form a shape that is low in the middle and high on both sides, or a shape that is high in the middle and low on both sides, or it may form a shape that is undulating like a wave, etc. Due to the variable shape after warping, in the prior art, since the equipment uses the same driving mechanism to lift multiple ejectors 22 to lift the substrate 24, during the lifting process of the warped substrate 24, multiple ejectors 22 are raised to the same horizontal height, but due to the warping of the substrate 24, it cannot be guaranteed that all ejectors 22 can contact the bottom of the warped substrate 24. Therefore, the existing lifting equipment cannot achieve precise lifting of different substrates 24, which will cause the warped substrate 24 to slip on the ejector 22, resulting in fragmentation problems. In view of this, the present application proposes a support device 54 for the warped substrate 24 in a vacuum coating and etching device. It is hereinafter referred to as the support device 54.

[0043] Referring to Figures 3 to 7, in some embodiments, the support device 54 includes a substrate stage 46 and a plurality of ejector lift assemblies 44. The plurality of ejector lift assemblies 44 are mounted on the substrate stage 46. The ejector lift assemblies 44 include ejector pins 22, which include abutting portions 26, a sensor 30, and a connecting portion 32. The sensor 30 is connected to the abutting portion 26 and the connecting portion 32 at both ends. The abutting head 28 of the abutting portion 26 is used to support the substrate 24, and the sensor 30 is used to sense whether the abutting head 28 is in contact with the substrate 24. Specifically, the ejector pins 22 of the plurality of ejector lift assemblies 44 support the substrate 24, and the sensor 30 detects whether the abutting head 28 is in contact with the substrate 24, effectively preventing the abutting head 28 from not abutting the substrate 24. This ensures that each ejector pin 22 accurately abuts the substrate 24. For different substrates 24, the sensor 30 can detect that each ejector pin 22 accurately abuts the substrate 24. In this way, the support device 54 can accurately lift different substrates 24 and ensure that the substrate 24 does not slip on the ejector pin 22 due to the lack of support from a certain ejector pin 22 during the lifting process. It should be noted that when each ejector pin 22 accurately supports the substrate 24, the length of each ejector pin 22 can be different, which varies according to the warping position of the substrate 24. For example, when the warping amplitude of the substrate 24 is relatively large, a longer ejector pin 22 can be selected. In addition, the length of the ejector pin 22 can also be a fixed value. The stroke of the ejector pin 22 can be controlled by the signal from the sensor 30 to ensure that all the ejector pins 22 are in contact with the bottom surface of the substrate 24.

[0044] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the sensor 30 is configured as a pressure sensor or a distance sensor. The pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure exerted by the substrate 24 on the abutting portion 26, and the distance sensor is used to detect the distance between the abutting head 28 and the substrate 24. When the sensor 30 is a pressure sensor, it is conceivable that the abutting head 28 of the ejector pin 22 is used to support the substrate 24, and the connecting portion 32 is connected to the ejector pin driving member 40. The ejector pin driving member 40 can drive the connecting portion 32 to rise or fall, thereby enabling the ejector pin 22 to rise or fall. Specifically, by judging the data from the pressure sensor, it is determined whether the abutting head 28 is in contact with the substrate 24. For example, when the data from the pressure sensor is zero or absent, it can be determined that the abutting portion 26 has not yet abutted against the substrate 24. In this way, through detection by the pressure sensor, the abutting head 28 of each ejector pin 22 can be made to abut against the substrate 24, thereby lifting the substrate 24. When the sensor 30 is a distance sensor, when the data of the distance sensor is zero or small, it can be known that the abutting head 28 is in contact with the substrate 24, and when the data is large, it can be known that there is still a distance between the abutting head 28 and the substrate 24.

[0045] It should be noted that if the ejector pin 22 rises too high, the abutment head 28 may damage the substrate 24 or cause the substrate 24 to deform. Therefore, after detection by the sensor 30, the abutment head 28 can be driven to slowly abut against the substrate 24, so that there is an appropriate contact force between the abutment head 28 and the substrate 24.

[0046] 3, 4, and 5, in some embodiments, the ejector lifting assembly 44 further includes an ejector driver 40. One end of the connecting portion 32 is detachably connected to the ejector driver 40, and the other end of the connecting portion 32 is detachably connected to the sensor 30. The ejector driver 40 is used to drive the ejector 22 to move up and down, so that the ejector 22 lifts the substrate 24.

[0047] The other end of the connecting portion 32 can be connected to the sensor 30 via a bolt, while one end of the connecting portion 32 is connected to the connecting portion end 34 via an ejector driver slot 42. Specifically, referring to FIG5 , in some embodiments, the ejector driver 40 is provided with an ejector driver slot 42. The connecting portion 32 includes a connecting portion end 34 and a connecting rod 36 that are interconnected. The connecting portion end 34 protrudes from the end surface of the connecting rod 36 toward the ejector driver 40. When the connecting portion end 34 is connected to the wall of the ejector driver slot 42, the ejector driver 40 drives the connecting portion to rise and fall, causing the ejector 22 to lift and lower the substrate 24. When the connecting portion end 34 is disposed in the ejector driver slot 42, the ejector driver 40 can drive the connecting portion 32 to rise or fall, thereby causing the ejector 22 to rise or fall before contacting the bottom surface of the substrate 24, or to rise or fall while the ejector 22 is lifting and lowering the substrate 24. The ejector driver 40 can be a stepper motor, etc. In addition, referring to Figure 5, when the connecting portion end 34 is set in the ejector drive member slot 42, a connecting portion limit block 38 can be set on the connecting portion 32, and the connecting portion limit block 38 is located between the connecting portion end 34 and the connecting rod 36. The connecting portion limit block 38 can abut against the opening of the ejector drive member slot 42 to prevent the connecting portion 32 from moving further downward.

[0048] Referring to Figures 6 and 7 , in some embodiments, the support device 54 further includes a substrate stage lifting assembly 52, which is used to drive the substrate stage 46 upward or downward to switch the substrate stage 46 between a process station and a pick-and-place station. After the substrate stage 46 is raised, it can cooperate with a baffle to prevent thin films or etched products from being deposited on the inner wall of the chamber. Furthermore, since the substrate 24 will subsequently undergo an etching process on the substrate stage 46, or an RF power source will be applied to the substrate stage 46 to generate a bias voltage on the substrate surface, if the substrate stage 46 has a large hole, the hole will generate secondary plasma, thereby reducing the uniformity of etching or coating on the substrate 24. Therefore, the hole in the substrate stage 46 is preferably small. Furthermore, the substrate stage 46 is provided with a substrate stage groove 48 and a through-hole 50. The substrate stage groove 48 communicates with the through-hole 50. The abutting portion 26 extends through the through-hole 50 and the substrate stage groove 48. A top abutting portion 28 is provided at the abutting portion 26. The abutting portion 28 protrudes radially from the abutting portion 26. The diameter of the abutting portion 28 gradually decreases from top to bottom. The diameter of the substrate stage groove 48 gradually decreases from top to bottom. The abutting portion 28 may have a trapezoidal cross-section. The cross-section of the substrate stage groove 48 may also be trapezoidal. The abutting portion 28 is disposed in the substrate stage groove 48 and abuts against the groove wall of the substrate stage groove 48. The substrate stage lifting assembly 52 first drives the substrate 24 up and down, and the ejector pin lifting assembly 44 then drives the abutting portion 26 up and down. This prevents the generation of plasma in the gap between the ejector pin 22 and the substrate stage 46 when an RF bias is applied to the substrate stage 46. This reduces the generation of secondary plasma. In this way, when the substrate stage 46 rises, the supporting portion 26, in cooperation with the abutment head 28 and the substrate stage groove 48, will rise along with the substrate stage 46. After the substrate stage 46 stops rising, the supporting portion 26 can begin to rise to support the substrate 24. Specifically, the substrate stage groove 48 of the substrate stage 46 opens only after the ejector pin 22 moves upward relative to the substrate stage 46. When the substrate stage 46 and the ejector pin 22 are moving, the process has not yet begun, the substrate stage 46 has not yet been supplied with RF power, and the plasma in the chamber has not yet existed. It should be noted that the existing ejector pin 22 adopts an integrated structure, which cannot achieve the situation in which the ejector pin 22 rises synchronously with the substrate stage 46 in this application. It can only be operated to rise together with the substrate stage 46 when the substrate stage 46 rises. When operating the ejector pin 22 and the substrate stage 46 to rise at the same time, the ejector pin 22 and the substrate stage 46 need to be controlled simultaneously, which makes control more difficult. In the present application, when the substrate stage 46 rises, the abutting portion 26, in cooperation with the abutting head 28 and the substrate stage groove 48, will rise along with the substrate stage 46. After the substrate stage 46 stops rising, the abutting portion 26 can begin to rise to support the substrate 24. In other words, the substrate stage 46 can be controlled to rise first, and then the ejector pins 22 can be controlled to rise, which helps to reduce the difficulty of operation.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 6 , in some embodiments, the diameter of the through hole 50 is smaller than the minimum diameter of the substrate stage groove 48 to prevent plasma from being generated in the gap between the ejector pin 22 and the substrate stage 46 when an RF bias is applied to the substrate stage 46. Specifically, to reduce the generation of secondary plasma, the size of the hole in the substrate stage 46 can be reduced. In other words, the diameter of the through hole 50 can be smaller than the minimum diameter of the substrate stage groove 48. The minimum diameter can be the diameter of the substrate stage groove 48 at the junction of the substrate stage groove 48 and the through hole 50.

[0050] Furthermore, in order to prevent the ejector pins 22 from damaging the substrate 24 when supporting the substrate 24, in some embodiments, the abutment head 28 is made of a flexible material, thereby allowing the abutment head 28 to safely abut the substrate 24. The flexible material may be rubber, which minimizes damage to the substrate 24 caused by the abutment head 28.

[0051] In some embodiments, the substrate stage lifting assembly 52 includes a stepper motor, which can also be a pneumatic cylinder. The stepper motor is connected to the substrate stage 46 and is used to drive the substrate 24 up and down. Specifically, the stepper motor is connected to the substrate stage lifting assembly 52 and can drive the substrate stage 46 up or down, thereby switching the substrate stage 46 between the processing station and the pick and place station.

[0052] In some embodiments, at least three, for example, six, ejector pin lift assemblies 44 are provided. For a square substrate 24, at least three ejector pins 22 are required to support a single substrate surface. Multiple ejector pin lift assemblies 44 are distributed in an array and mounted on a substrate stage 46. These multiple ejector pin lift assemblies 44 are used to collectively support substrates 24. Specifically, for most substrates 24, the size differences between substrates 24 are relatively small. Therefore, the multiple ejector pins 22 of the multiple ejector pin lift assemblies 44 can accommodate different substrates 24, thereby providing precise support for the substrates 24 and improving the adaptability of the support device 54.

[0053] The function of the supporting device 54 is explained again below. The substrate 24 is lifted by the robot and penetrated into the cavity of the etching or coating chamber. The ejector pin 22 rises and fits the substrate 24, and continues to rise and lift the substrate 24, so that the substrate 24 is separated from the robot. After that, the robot is returned to its original position. The ejector pin 22 can descend or lift the substrate stage 46 to make the substrate 24 fall on the substrate stage 46, and then rise and fall to the process position. In this way, one process movement of the substrate 24 is completed.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 8 , in some embodiments, a method for supporting a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching apparatus uses a support device 54 to support the substrate 24 . The support device 54 includes an ejector pin 22 . The ejector pin 22 includes a supporting portion 26 , a sensor 30 , and a connecting portion 32 . Two ends of the sensor 30 are connected to the supporting portion 26 and the connecting portion 32 , respectively. The supporting portion 26 is used to support the substrate 24 , and the sensor 30 is used to sense whether the supporting portion 26 is in contact with the substrate 24 .

[0055] A method for supporting a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching apparatus comprises the following steps:

[0056] S101, placing a plurality of ejector pins 22 with attached sensors 30 under a substrate 24;

[0057] S102, multiple ejectors 22 are simultaneously ready to rise to receive a substrate 24 placed on a robot or a substrate table;

[0058] S103: The sensor 30 at the lower portion of the ejector 22 detects whether the ejector 22 contacts the substrate 24 during the ascending process of the ejector 22 and transmits a signal to the controller;

[0059] In step S104 , the sensor 30 or the controller transmits a signal indicating that the ejector pins 22 have not yet contacted the substrate 24 , and the actuator drives the ejector pins 22 to continue to rise. Upon receiving the signal indicating that the ejector pins 22 have contacted the substrate 24 , the actuator immediately stops the ejector pins 22 , and continues this operation until all the ejector pins 22 have contacted the substrate 24 .

[0060] Furthermore, the actuator can be an ejector drive 40, such as a linear motor, stepper motor, or pneumatic cylinder. Specifically, after ejector 22 is placed under substrate 24, sensor 30 detects it and transmits a signal to the controller, which in turn sends a signal to the actuator. The actuator receives the signal and drives ejector 22 upward or downward, causing ejector 22 to contact substrate 24. This support method can precisely support substrate 24 and prevent it from slipping on ejector 22.

[0061] The sensor 30 can be a pressure sensor or a distance sensor. When the sensor 30 is a pressure sensor, it can be imagined that the supporting portion 26 of the ejector 22 is used to support the substrate 24, and the connecting portion 32 is connected to the ejector drive 40. The controller can control the ejector drive 40, so that the ejector drive 40 drives the connecting portion 32 to rise or fall, thereby the ejector 22 can rise or fall. Specifically, by judging the data of the pressure sensor, it is determined whether the supporting portion 26 is in contact with the substrate 24. For example, when the data of the pressure sensor is zero or not, it can be known that the supporting portion 26 has not yet been abutted on the substrate 24. Therefore, the pressure sensor transmits a signal to the controller, and the controller transmits a signal to control the actuator to drive the ejector 22 to rise. In this way, through the pressure sensor detection, the supporting portion 26 of each ejector 22 can be made to abut on the substrate 24, thereby lifting the substrate 24. When the sensor 30 is a distance sensor, when the data of the distance sensor is zero or small, it can be known that the supporting portion 26 is in contact with the substrate 24, and when the data is large, it can be known that there is still a distance between the supporting portion 26 and the substrate 24. At this time, the distance sensor transmits a signal to the controller, and the controller transmits a signal to control the actuator to drive the ejector 22 to rise, so that the ejector 22 resists the substrate 24.

[0062] The signal "the ejector pin 22 has not yet contacted the substrate 24" mentioned above means that when the sensor 30 is a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor does not detect pressure, the pressure value is zero, and the ejector pin 22 has not yet contacted the substrate 24. The signal "the ejector pin 22 has contacted the substrate 24" means that the pressure sensor detects a value, that is, the ejector pin 22 has contacted the substrate 24. When the sensor 30 is a distance sensor, the distance sensor detects the distance between the abutting portion 26 and the substrate 24. The distance value is 10mm, which means that the ejector pin 22 has not yet contacted the substrate 24. The signal "the ejector pin 22 has contacted the substrate 24" means that the distance sensor detects the value between the abutting portion 26 and the substrate 24. For example, the value is 0 or the value is 0 to 0.1mm, which means that the ejector pin 22 has contacted the substrate 24. The principle that the controller receives the signal from the sensor 30 and sends the signal to the actuator is common knowledge and will not be described in detail here.

[0063] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications may be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof may be combined with one another unless there is a conflict.

Claims

1. A support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device, characterized in that: include: Substrate stage; A plurality of ejector pin lifting assemblies are installed on the substrate stage, the ejector pin lifting assemblies include ejectors, the ejectors include a supporting portion, a sensor and a connecting portion, two ends of the sensor are respectively connected to the supporting portion and the connecting portion, the supporting portion is used to support the substrate, and the sensor is used to sense whether the supporting portion is in contact with the substrate.

2. The support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ejector lifting assembly also includes an ejector driving member, one end of the connecting portion is detachably connected to the ejector driving member, and the other end of the connecting portion is detachably connected to the sensor; the ejector driving member is used to drive the ejector to perform lifting motion so that the ejector lifts the substrate up and down.

3. The support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ejector drive member is provided with an ejector drive member groove, the connecting portion comprises a connecting portion end and a connecting rod connected to each other, the connecting portion end protrudes from the end surface of the connecting rod toward the ejector drive member, and when the connecting portion end is connected to the groove wall of the ejector drive member groove, the ejector drive member drives the connecting portion to rise and fall, so that the ejector lifts the substrate to rise and fall.

4. The support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate stage is also included in the lifting component of the substrate stage, which is used to drive the substrate stage to rise or fall, the substrate stage is provided with a substrate stage groove and a through hole, the substrate stage groove is connected with the through hole, the abutting portion is penetrated by the through hole and the substrate stage groove, the top of the abutting portion is provided with an abutting head, the abutting head protrudes along the radial direction of the abutting head, the diameter of the abutting head gradually decreases from top to bottom, the diameter of the substrate stage groove gradually decreases from top to bottom, the abutting head is arranged in the substrate stage groove, and the abutting head abuts against the groove wall of the substrate stage groove, the substrate stage ejector pin lifting component first drives the substrate stage to rise and fall, and the ejector pin lifting component then drives the ejector pin to rise and fall, so as to avoid the generation of plasma in the gap between the ejector pin and the substrate stage when the substrate stage is applied with radio frequency bias.

5. The support device for warping substrate in vacuum coating and etching equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The diameter of the through hole is smaller than the minimum diameter of the substrate stage groove to avoid the generation of plasma in the gap between the ejector pin and the substrate stage when a radio frequency bias is applied to the substrate stage.

6. The support device for warping substrate in vacuum coating and etching equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The abutment head is made of a flexible material, so that the abutment head can safely abut against the substrate.

7. The support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The substrate stage lifting assembly includes a stepper motor, the stepper motor is connected to the substrate stage, and the stepper motor is used to drive the substrate stage to lift and lower.

8. The support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least three ejector lifting assemblies are provided, and at least three ejector lifting assemblies are installed in an array distributed on the substrate stage, and at least three ejector lifting assemblies are used to lift the substrate together.

9. The support device for a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor is configured as a pressure sensor or a distance sensor. The pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure exerted by the substrate on the abutting portion, and the distance sensor is used to detect the distance between the abutting portion and the substrate.

10. A method for supporting a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device, characterized in that: The substrate is supported by a support device for warping the substrate in the vacuum coating and etching equipment, wherein the support device comprises an ejector pin, the ejector pin comprises a supporting portion, a sensor and a connecting portion, two ends of the sensor are respectively connected to the supporting portion and the connecting portion, the supporting portion is used to support the substrate, and the sensor is used to sense whether the supporting portion is in contact with the substrate; The method for supporting a warped substrate in a vacuum coating and etching device comprises the following steps: placing a plurality of the ejector pins with the sensors attached thereto under the substrate; A plurality of ejectors are simultaneously prepared to rise to receive the substrate placed on the robot arm or the substrate stage; The sensor at the lower part of the ejector pin detects whether the ejector pin contacts the substrate during the ejector pin's ascending process, and transmits a signal to the controller; The sensor or the controller transmits a signal "the ejector pin has not yet contacted the substrate" to the actuator, and the actuator drives the ejector pin to continue to rise; when the actuator receives the signal "the ejector pin has already contacted the substrate", the actuator immediately stops the ejector pin, and operates in this way until all the ejector pins contact the substrate.

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