Abstract:
A method and an apparatus for transporting substrates in an organic light emitting diode (OLED) process is disclosed, which has a transferring chamber provided for transporting substrates between processing modules and the atmosphere condition therein is able to be adjusted to be the same as the processing module by an atmosphere conditioner unit. According to the present invention, the substrates are not contaminated by moisture and the process operation and the factory layout are more flexible. Moreover, the OLED yield is improved.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transporting substrates in an organic light emitting diode (OLED) process. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In the manufacture of electronic devices, an issue is to promote efficiency and reduce cost by modifying processes, meanwhile the organic light emitting diode (OLED) which is one of the most significant display technologies still has many unresolved problems in mass production. 
     FIG. 1 shows the layout of a prior relevant display process, in which an unclosed transferring case  91  is moved between several independent closed processing modules such as pretreatment units  921 ,  921 ′, panel preparation units  922 ,  922 ′, deposition units of emitting materials  923 ,  923 ′, deposition units of cathode materials  924 ,  924 ′, and encapsulation units  925 ,  925 ′. In a conventional method and apparatus, the substrates are exposed to air and easily contaminated before and during transportatioii. Additionally, it&#39;s also necessary to adjust the enviroiunental condition of the processing module after the substrates arc moved therein, since the environmental conditions of the processing modules are changed while transporting substrates. Moreover, the organic emitting materials is highly moisture sensitive. The trace moisture in air leads to the degradation of organic materials and the failure of OLED. Therefore, there is a need for the above transporting procedure to be improved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for transporting substrates in an OLED) process, so that the substrates can be reserved in desired environmental conditions to prevent atmosphere contamination and to improve the OLED yields, since the inside atmosphcre of a transferring chamber can be controlled. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for transporting substrates in an OLED process, so that the process operation and layout of the factory can be more flexible by moving the transferring chamber arbitrarily. 
     To achieve the above objects, it&#39;s necessary to adjust the environmental condition of the transferring chamber to be the same as the processing modules by an environmental conditioner. The environmental conditioner may itclude a pumping system, a gas regulator to input purified gas such as nitrogen or helium, and an atmosphere detector, which can control or detect the conditions of the transferring chamber, such as species, dew points and pressure of gas, moisture content, and temperature. 
     After the environmental condition of the transferring chamber is adjustcd as desired, the transferring chamber can commnunnicate with the desired processing module and the substrates can be transported in a closed space by a robot device. When finished, the transferring chamber can disconimunicate with the processing module, and be moved to next processing module. 
     The transforming chamber aforemenntioned has a vessel to contain substrates and at least a gate with a flange. The transferring chamber can be designed to have a door for cleaning or a window for inspecting. The transfenring chamber may be shifted on rails or a conveyor. The above processing module also has a vessel to construct a closed space and a gate with a flange, in which at least a processing module is contained. 
     In order to connect the transferring chamber and the processing module tightly, a connecting unit such as alignment elements or a positioning buffer having alignment elements and mounted on the gate of the processing module may be applied. The alignment elements can be any clamp, joint or connector able to fix the transferring chamber and maintain a closed space. 
     According to the substrate transporting method and apparatus of the present invention, the substrates can be transported and reserve in spccific environmental conditions to avoid contamination, since the inside atmosphere of the transferring chamber can be controlled. Furthermore, the process operation and layout of the OLED factory can be more flexible, since the transferring chamber can be moved arbitrarily. 
     Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a layout of a prior relevant display process; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view or an apparatus for transporting substrates in OLED process of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of another apparatus for transporting substrates in OLED process of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for transporting substrates in OLED process of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a flowchart of another method for transporting substrates in OLED process of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In an OLED process, the procedure for transporting substrates of the present invention may be different for the option of processing modules filled with different concentrations or species of gas. On the other hand, the arrangement of chambers used in the substrate transportation can be alternative. In order that the present invention may more readily be understood the following description is given, merely by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     With reference to FIG. 2, an apparatus in an OLED process of the present invention primarily includes a transferring chamber  10  able to slide on rails  80  and a processing module  30 . The transferring chamber  10  has a first vessel to construct a first closed space containing substrates, and therein contains an atmosphere detector  60  and an ionizer  70 . The transferring chamber  10  also has a first flange with a first gate  11  on the first vessel. The processing modle  30  has a second vessel to form a second closed space in which three processing units  34 ,  34 ′,  34 ″ are contained, and a second flange with a second gate  31  on the second vessel. The processing units  34 ,  34 ′,  34 ″ are provided to perform the OLED process such as pretreatment units, panel preparation units, deposition units of emitting materials, deposition units of cathode materials or encapulation units. The processing module  30  also includes a robot device  33  therein. A positioning buffer  20  has a second end mounted on external side of the second gate  31  of the processing module  30  and a first end as a flange  21 . The positioning buffer  20  also provide hooks  221 ,  222  as alignment elements to lock with rods  121 ,  122  of the transferring chamber  10 . A pumping system  40  and a gas regulator  50  are located around the processing module  30  and connected to the positioning buffer  20  by pipes, which can control the inside atmosphere condition of the transferring chamber device  10 . 
     FIG. 3 shows another apparatus in an OLED process of the present invention, which is similar to that in FIG.  2 . The differences between them are: (a) the processing module  30  without a positioning buffer has hooks  321 ,  322  as alignment elements to directly lock with rods  121 ,  122  of the transferring chamber  10 , (b) the transferring chamber  10  has wheels able to be moved arbitrarily, (c) the transferring chamber  10  has two gates  11 ,  11 ′ enabling substrates to be transported from different flanges as necessary, (d) the transferring chamber  10  has an elevator  15  to adjust a substrate stage  14  at a fit elevation, and (c) the pumping system  40 , the gas regulator  50 , and the atmosphere detector  60  located around the processing module  30  can be connected to the transferring chamber  10  by pipes. 
     FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operating procedure in the present invention, in which the processing area  30  has hooks  321 ,  322  as alignment elements to lock directly with the rods  121 ,  122  of the transferring chamber  10  as shown in FIG.  3 . Steps of the procedure are: 
     SA 1 : moving the transferring chamber  10  to the processing module  30  and locking hooks  321 ,  322  of the processing module  30  and the rods  121 ,  122  of the transferring chamber IO together; 
     SA 2 : adjusting the inside gas species and pressures of the transferring chamber  10  to be the same as the processing module  30  by a pumping system  40  and/or a gas regulator  50 ; 
     SA 3 : opening the first gate  11  and the second gate  31  to make the transferring chamber  10  communicate with the processing module  30 ; 
     SA 4  : transporting substrates between the transferring chamber  10  and the processing module  30  by using a robot device  33 ; 
     SA 5 : closing the first gate  11  and the second gate  31  to make the transferring chamber discommunicate with the processing module and form two individual closed spaces; 
     SA 6 : pumping nitrogen into the transferring chamber  10  by a gas regulator  50 ; and 
     SA 7 : moving the transferring chamber away from the processing module  30 . 
     It should be noticed that the steps SA 1  and SA 2  can be optionally exchanged with each other, and the step SA 6  can be neglected if the processing module  30  is filled with desired gas. 
     FIG. 5 is a flowchart of another operating procedure in the present invention, which is similar to that in FIG. 4, but a positioning buffer  20  is provided on external side of the processing module  30  as shown in FIG.  2 . Steps of the procedure are: 
     SB 1 : moving a transferring chamber IO to a processing module  30  and locking hooks  221 ,  222  of the buffer  20  and the rods  121 ,  122  of the transferring chamber  10  together; 
     SB 2 : pumping the positioning buffer  20  to desired vacuum by the pumping system  40 ; 
     SB 3 : opening the first gate  11  to make the transferring chamber  10  comuninlicate with the positioning buffer  20 ; 
     SB 4 : adjusting the inside gas species and pressures of the transferring chamber  10  and the positioning buffer  20  to be the same as the processing module  30  by the pumping system  40  or the gas regulator  50 ; 
     SB 5 : opening the second gate  31  to make the processing module  30  communicate with the positioning buffer  20 ; 
     SB 6 : transporting substrates between the transferring chamber  10  and the processing module  30  by the robot device  33 ; 
     SB 7 : closing the second gate  31  to make the processing module  30  as an independent closed space; 
     SB 8 : introducing nitrogen into the transferring chamber  10  by the gas regulator  50  through the positioning buffer  20 ; and 
     SB 9 : closing the first gate  11  to make the tran.sferting chamber  10  an independent closed space; and 
     SB 10 : moving the transferring chamber  10  away from the positioning buffer  20 . 
     It should be noticed that the steps SB 2  can be neglected if the transferring chamber  20  is filled with the desired gas, and the step SB 8  can be neglected if the processing module  30  is filled with the desired gas. 
     According to the method and apparatus of the present invention, the substrates can be reserve and transported in desired environmental conditions to avoid atmosphere contamination, since the inside atmosphere of the transferring chamber can be controlled. Hence, the yield of OLED process can be improved. Furthermore, the operation and factory layout of the OLED process can be more flexible since the transferring chamber can be moved arbitrarily. 
     Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications atid variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of thie invention as hereinafter claimed.