Abstract:
A carrier and a substrate unloading method using the same are provided. The carrier comprises a bottom board, a rim and a stop board. The bottom board is for carrying a substrate. The rim is disposed on a periphery of the bottom board. The rim has at least one opening. The stop board is disposed on the rim. One end of the stop board is pivotally connected to the rim, and the other end of the stop board is rotated to the outside or the inside of the rim.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial No. 100147222, filed Dec. 19, 2011, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The disclosure relates to a carrier of a substrate and a substrate unloading method using the same. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Along with the advance in technology, various electronic products are continually provided, and particularly the portable products having the features of lightweight, slimness and compactness have gained dramatic growth. Let the display panels of portable products be taken for example. The substrate is directed towards thinness and lightweight. The thickness of a single substrate which normally ranged between 1.1 to 0.7 millimeter (mm) in early stages has now been reduced to 0.5 mm. 
         [0006]    However, if the thickness of a substrate is smaller than 0.5 mm, the substrate, which becomes deflected and may be easily damaged, cannot be transported in the current production line for panels. For the current production line for panels, substrates are transported by way of roller transportation or robotic arm transportation. According to the roller transportation, a substrate laid horizontally is transported with the rollers underneath the substrate. The roller transportation is not applicable to the thin-type substrate which is too light to generate sufficient friction between the substrate and the rollers for transporting the substrate. According to the robotic arm transportation, a robotic arm is firstly attached to the bottom of a substrate by way of vacuum absorption for carrying and fixing the substrate, and then the substrate is transported by the robotic arm. However, if the substrate is too thin, the substrate may bend downward or even become deformed at the location of vacuum absorption. Therefore, how to adapt the thin-type substrate to the current production line has become an imminent task for the industries. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The disclosure is directed to a carrier and a substrate unloading method using the same. The carrier comprises a bottom board, a rim and a stop board. The bottom board is for carrying a substrate. The rim is disposed on a periphery of the bottom board. The rim has at least one opening. The stop board is disposed on the rim. One end of the stop board is pivotally connected to the rim, and the other end of the stop board is rotated to the outside or the inside of the rim. 
         [0008]    According to another aspect of the disclosure, a substrate unloading method for a carrier is provided. The method comprises the following steps. A carrier is provided. The carrier comprises a bottom board, a rim and at least one stop board. The bottom board is for carrying a substrate. The bottom board has at least one through hole. The rim is disposed on a periphery of the bottom board. The rim has at least one opening. The stop board is disposed on the rim. One end of the stop board is pivotally connected to the rim. The other end of the stop board is rotated to the outside of the rim. The substrate is lifted by a high-pressure gas or a pole passing through the through hole. The substrate is taken out through the opening by a robotic arm. 
         [0009]    The above and other aspects of the disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following detailed description of but non-limiting embodiment(s). The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram of a carrier according to a first embodiment; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic diagram of the carrier carrying a substrate according to the first embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of the carrier of  FIG. 2  along a cross-sectional line  3 - 3  according to the first embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view of the carrier of  FIG. 2  along a cross-sectional line  4 - 4  according to the first embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view of the carrier of  FIG. 2  along a cross-sectional line  5 - 5  according to the first embodiment; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  shows another schematic diagram of the carrier unloading the substrate according to the first embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  shows another schematic diagram of the carrier unloading the substrate according to the first embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  shows another schematic diagram of the carrier unloading the substrate according to the first embodiment; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  shows a schematic diagram of a carrier according to a second embodiment; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  shows a schematic diagram of a carrier according to a third embodiment; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  shows a schematic diagram of a carrier according to a fourth embodiment; 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  shows a schematic diagram of a carrier according to a fifth embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     First Embodiment 
       [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of a carrier  100  according to a first embodiment is shown. The carrier  100  comprises a bottom board  110 , a rim  120  and two stop boards  130 . The bottom board  110  has three through holes  111  whose total area is smaller than a half of the area of the bottom board  110 . The through holes  111  expedite the draining of the process liquid. The number of the through holes  111  is associated with the area of the bottom board  110 . The bottom board  110  can have one, two or more than two through holes  111 . If the bottom board  110  has only one through hole  111 , the single through hole  111  is big for conveniently draining impurities with big particles. If the bottom board  110  has more through holes  111 , the bottom board  110  and the substrate  900  are supported in a uniform manner to maintain a robust supporting structure. The rim  120  is disposed on a periphery of the bottom board  110 . The material of the rim  120  is such as glass, Teflon, plastic or metal. The stop board  130  is disposed on the rim  120 . The material of the stop board  130  is such as glass, Teflon, plastic or metal. One end of the stop board  130  is pivotally connected to the rim  120 . 
         [0023]    The rim  120  has an opening  121 . After the carrier  100  carrying a substrate to be performed a wet process (such as a cleaning process or a wet etching process), the opening  121  expedites the draining of the process liquid. In the wet etching process, the length of duration is a critical parameter. The more quickly the process liquid is drained, the more precisely the soaking time can be controlled. Particularly, as the manufacturing process for panel, semiconductor wafer or micro-electromechanical system is directed towards the tendency of miniaturization and precision, the soaking time of the wet etching process needs to be precisely controlled to avoid the occurrence of over-etching or under-etching. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic diagram of a carrier  100  carrying a substrate  900  according to the first embodiment. The carrier  100  can be used in the manufacturing process of a thin-type display or a 3D integrated circuit for transporting the substrate  900  from one operating station to another operating station. In some operating stations, the substrate  90  is treated in conjunction with the carrier  100 . 
         [0025]    In the present embodiment of the disclosure, the rim  120  has only one single opening  121  located at the center of an edge of the rim  120 . Anyone who is skilled in the technology of the disclosure can adjust the quantity and the location of the opening  121  to fit actual needs, and the quantity and the location of the opening  121  are not limited to the above exemplification. The width W 121  of the opening  121  is smaller than the width W 900  of the substrate  900 , so that the substrate  900  will not slide off the opening  121 . When the substrate  900  is disposed on the bottom board  110 , the rim  120  surrounds the substrate  900  to avoid the substrate  900  coming off the bottom board  110 . In the present embodiment of the disclosure, the height D 120  of the rim  120  is larger than the thickness D 900  of the substrate  900  to effectively avoid the substrate  900  coming off the bottom board  110 . In an embodiment, taking the material of the substrate  900  and the liquidity of process liquid into consideration, the height D 120  of the rim  120  can be smaller than or equal to the thickness D 900  of the substrate  900 . 
         [0026]    Please refer to  FIGS. 3 to 5 .  FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of the carrier  100  of  FIG. 2  along a cross-sectional line  3 - 3  according to the first embodiment.  FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view of the carrier  100  of  FIG. 2  along a cross-sectional line  4 - 4  according to the first embodiment.  FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view of the carrier  100  of  FIG. 2  along a cross-sectional line  5 - 5  according to the first embodiment. 
         [0027]    As indicated in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , when another end of the stop board  130  is rotated to the inside of the rim  120 , the stop board  130  and the bottom board  110  are respectively located on the top and the bottom of the periphery of the substrate  900 . Thus, the stop board  130  avoids the substrate  900  coming off the carrier  100  in the course of transportation. 
         [0028]    The number of stop boards  130  is non-limiting. In the present embodiment of the disclosure, the carrier  100  has two stop boards  130 . Since the rim  120  is a rectangle, the stop boards  130  are located on a diagonal line L 120  of the rim  120 . Thus, the substrate  900  will not easily come off from any edge of the rim  120 . 
         [0029]    In the present embodiment of the disclosure, the distance G 130  between the stop board  130  and the bottom board  110  is larger than the thickness D 900  of the substrate  900 . Thus, the stop board  130  will not press the substrate  900  too tightly, such that the substrate  900  is prevented from any damage of breaking. Furthermore, the substrate  900  does not contact with the bottom board  110  too tightly, so that the process liquid can be drained from the through holes  111  of the bottom board  110  easily. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , another schematic diagram of the carrier  100  unloading the substrate  900  according to the first embodiment is shown. When the substrate  900  is to be unloaded from the carrier  100 , the stop board  130  is rotated to the outside of the rim  120  first, and then the substrate  900  is taken out through the opening  121  by a robotic arm  800 . 
         [0031]    Alternatively, as indicated in  FIG. 7 , another schematic diagram of the carrier  100  unloading the substrate  900  according to the first embodiment is shown. When the substrate  900  is to be unloaded from the carrier  100 , the stop board  130  is rotated to the outside of the rim  120  first, and then the substrate  900  lifted by a high-pressure gas  700  applied through the through hole  111  can be taken out accordingly. 
         [0032]    Alternatively, as indicated in  FIG. 8 , another schematic diagram of the carrier  100  unloading the substrate  900  according to the first embodiment is sown. When the substrate  900  is to be unloaded from the carrier  100 , the stop board  130  is rotated to the outside of the rim  120  first, and then the substrate  900  is lifted by a pole  600  passing through the through hole  111  to be taken out accordingly. 
         [0033]    In compliance with the thinning tendency, the thickness D 900  of the substrate  900  is normally smaller than 1 mm or even is smaller than 0.2 mm. The material of the substrate  900  is such as glass, metal, plastic or silicon. In the course of transporting the substrate  900 , the substrate  900  may be deformed and the quality is thus affected. In a film process which requires higher level of precision, various process factors need to be controlled carefully. With the design of the bottom board  110 , the rim  120  and the stop board  130  will not be deformed easily in the course of transportation, the substrate  900  can be remained flat without being bended or deformed, and the process liquid can be quickly drained, such that the process can be controlled with high precision. 
       Second Embodiment 
       [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , a schematic diagram of a carrier  200  according to a second embodiment is shown. The carrier  200  of the present embodiment of the disclosure is different from the carrier  100  of the first embodiment in the design of the rim  220 , and the similarities are not repeated here. 
         [0035]    In the present embodiment of the disclosure, the rim has four openings  221  each being located at the center of an edge of the rim  220 . If the substrate  900  (illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) has a large area, or the wet etching process requires a high precision level of time control and the rim  220  has sufficient stability, then the number of the openings  221  can be increased to expedite the draining of the process liquid. 
       Third Embodiment 
       [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , a schematic diagram of a carrier  300  according to a third embodiment is shown. The carrier  300  of the present embodiment of the disclosure is different from the carrier  100  of the first embodiment in the design of the rim  320 , and the similarities are not repeated here. 
         [0037]    In the present embodiment of the disclosure, the rim  320  has four openings  321  each being located on an edge of the rim  320 . Each opening  321  does not have to be at the center of an edge. For example, each opening  321  can be near a corner of the rim  320 . The locations of the openings  321  can be adjusted according to the structural strength of the carrier  300  and the shape and location of the substrate  900  (illustrated in  FIG. 2 ). 
       Fourth Embodiment 
       [0038]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , a schematic diagram of a carrier  400  according to a fourth embodiment is shown. The carrier  400  of the present embodiment of the disclosure is different from the carrier  100  of the first embodiment in the design of the rim  420 , and the similarities are not repeated here. 
         [0039]    In the present embodiment of the disclosure, the rim  420  has two openings  421  respectively located at two corners of the rim  420 . The two openings  421  correspond to a diagonal line L 420  of the rim  420 . Each opening  421  does not have to be located at the center of an edge. For example, each opening  421  can be near a corner of the rim. The locations of the openings  421  can be adjusted according to the structural strength of the carrier  400  and the shape and location of the substrate  900  (illustrated in  FIG. 2 ). 
       Fifth Embodiment 
       [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 12 , a schematic diagram of a carrier  500  according to a fifth embodiment is shown. The carrier  500  of the present embodiment of the disclosure is different from the carrier  100  of the first embodiment in the design of through holes  511 , and the similarities are not repeated here. 
         [0041]    In the present embodiment of the disclosure, the through holes  511  are distributed in the form of a matrix, so that the bottom board  510  forms a reticular structure. The total area of the through holes  511  is larger than a half of the area of the bottom board  510 . The through holes  511  can expedite the draining of the process liquid quickly. 
         [0042]    While the disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of the exemplary embodiment(s), it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.