Patent ID: 12240259

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, an embodiment for implementing the inventive concept will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this case, when a certain part “includes” a certain component throughout the specification, it is considered to mean that it may further include other components, rather than controlling other components, unless otherwise stated. Furthermore, the term “ . . . unit” used in the specification may refer to a unit of processing at least one function or operation when describing electronic hardware or electronic software, which is considered to mean one part, function, use, point, or driving element, when describing a mechanical device. Furthermore, hereinafter, the same configuration or a similar configuration will be described using the same reference number, and a duplicated description of the same component will be omitted.

FIG.1is a drawing illustrating a configuration of a substrate processing device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.FIG.2is a graph for comparing a pulse wave output from an encoder shown inFIG.1with an alternative pulse wave output from a signal splitter shown inFIG.1in the same time zone.FIG.3is a graph in a state where an alternative pulse wave shown inFIG.2is transformed into another alternative pulse wave.

As shown inFIG.1, the substrate processing device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept may include a substrate transfer part10and a jetting system part20.

The substrate transfer part10may include a transfer base11on which a transfer object1ais received, a transfer actuator driving part12for transferring the transfer base11in one axis or more directions, and a base controller13for controlling the transfer actuator driving part12. In this case, the transfer actuator driving part12may be composed of a transfer device such as a linear motor or a linear actuator. In the present embodiment, the substrate transfer part10is exemplified as a one-axis transfer device which transfers the transfer base11along one axis. Herein, the transfer object1atransferred by the substrate transfer part10may be composed of a display substrate printed by ink and the display substrate may be transferred. However, the transfer object1atransferred by the substrate transfer part10is not limited to the display substrate in the inventive concept. It is obvious that the transfer object1ais able to be implemented by being various transformed into a printed circuit board and the like. Herein, the substrate transfer part10may be disposed to cross an ink module transfer part23to be described below. For example, when transferring the transfer object1aalong the Y-axis on the plane with respect to the X-axis and the Y-axis, the ink module transfer part23may move along the X-axis to move on the plane. Furthermore, the substrate transfer part10may interwork with an ink ejection controller25to transmit location information about the Y-axis of the transfer object1a. In this case, the location information about the Y-axis may be transmitted from a device having an encoding function, which is installed in the substrate transfer part10to provide the location information of the Y-axis. Furthermore, the base controller13may interwork with the substrate transfer part10to transfer the transfer base11of the substrate transfer part10depending on a predetermine work command, thus transferring the transfer object1areceived on the transfer base11. In this case, when the jetting system part20proceeds with an ink jetting command, the base controller13may stop transferring the transfer object1aand may move a certain distance after printing proceeds on a partial area of the transfer object1ato proceed with printing on a next area of the transfer object1a.

The jetting system part20may include an ink jet body21for jetting ink, an ink supply part22, the ink module transfer part23, an encoder24, the ink ejection controller25, and a signal splitter26.

The ink jet body21may be formed, including a piezo element (not shown) and a head part (not shown) equipped with the piezo element, through which ink passes. Such an ink jet body21may be connected with the ink supply part22. When the ink supplied from the ink supply part22is introduced into a flow path inside the head part, the piezo element coupled to the head part may be driven to eject the ink inside the head part. However, the configuration of the ink jet body21is not limited to the scheme using the piezo element in the inventive concept. It is obvious that the configuration of the ink jet body21is implemented by being transformed in various forms such as a type for heating the heat part. In this case, the ink jet body21may be mounted on a module base23ato jet the ink while varying in jetting location. Such an ink jet body21may be composed of a plurality of ink jet bodies21to be disposed in a state where the plurality of ink jet bodies21are spaced apart from each other. The plurality of ink jet bodies21may jet the ink on a printed surface of the transfer object1aat the same time to reduce an ink application time.

The ink supply part22may interwork with the ink jet body21to pump and supply the ink to the ink jet body21. In this case, the ink may be variously formed as display RGB light emitting layer ink, conductive ink for wiring on a substrate layer, ink for doping for doping of a semiconductor, ink for insulating for forming an insulating layer, and the like, depending on a process.

The ink module transfer part23may include the module base23aon which the ink jet body21is mounted, an actuator driving part23bfor transferring the module base23ain one direction, and an ink module location controller23cfor controlling the actuator driving part23bto transfer the module base23aand controlling a location where the ink is jetted. In this case, the actuator driving part23bmay be composed of a linear motor or a linear actuator, which interworks with the module base23ato transfer the module base23ain one axis or more directions. In the present embodiment, the ink module transfer part23is exemplified as a one-axis transfer device which transfers the module base23aalong one axis. Herein, the plurality of ink jet bodies21may be arranged spaced apart from each other on the ink module transfer part23. Furthermore, the ink module location controller23cmay receive pulse waves2afrom the encoder24to obtain location information of the encoder24and may control the actuator driving part23bbased on the location information of the encoder24to control the location of the ink jet body21.

The encoder24may be mounted around the ink module transfer part23to detect a straight movement distance of the ink jet body21. In the present embodiment, the encoder24may output the pulse waves2a, which is a signal for each movement distance, to the signal splitter26per unit movement distance of the ink module transfer part23. For example, the encoder24may output one pulse wave2awhen the ink module transfer part23moves at intervals of 100 nm. At this time, a width of the pulse waves2aoutput from the encoder24may correspond to 100 ns when a transfer speed of the ink module transfer part23is 1 m/s. In this case, the more the transfer speed of the ink module transfer part23increases, the shorter the width of the pulse waves2aoutput from the encoder24may become.

The ink ejection controller25may be composed of a plurality of ink ejection controllers25to be connected with the ink jet bodies21, respectively. The plurality of ink ejection controllers25may respectively interwork with the ink jet bodies21to adjust a jetting timing of the ink ejected from the ink jet bodies21. In this case, the ink ejection controller25may receive an alternative pulse wave3bfrom the signal splitter26to adjust the jetting timing of the ink, may obtain a location of the ink jet body21by means of the received alternative pulse wave3b, and may transmit an ink ejection command to the ink jet body21such that the ink is jetted from a location at which the ink will be jetted.

The signal splitter26may be connected between the encoder24and the plurality of ink ejection controllers25and may transmit the movement signal for each movement distance, which is output from the encoder24, to the plurality of ink ejection controllers25. In this case, the signal splitter26may count the number of pulse waves2a, which are a signal for each movement distance, which is input from the encoder24, in a defined unit to generate the alternative pulse wave3bin which a width as much as the signal width of the pulse waves2ais reset and may transmit the generated alternative pulse wave3bto the ink ejection controller25. For example, when the encoder24outputs one pulse wave2awhen the ink module transfer part23moves at intervals of 100 nm and when the encoder24outputs10pulse waves2aas the ink module transfer part23moves 1000 nm, the signal splitter26may count the 10 pulse waves2aoutput from the encoder24in a defined unit and may reset a width the 10 pulse waves2ato generate one alternative pulse wave3b. At this time, when the width of the one pulse wave2aoutput from the encoder24is 10 ns, the signal splitter26may generate the alternative pulse wave3bwith the width of 100 ns when the width of the 10 pulse waves2ais reset. At this time, the time point when the alternative pulse wave3bis generated may be a time point 90 ns when the 10th pulse wave2aoutput from the encoder24is received. In this case, as show inFIG.3, as the duty ratio of the width of the alternative pulse wave3bmay be adjusted, the alternative pulse wave3bmay be output with a width different from the width of the alternative pulse wave3bshown inFIG.2. As such, it may be seen that the ink ejection location moves 1000 nm whenever the ink ejection controller25receives the alternative pulse wave3bwith the width of 100 ns. Herein, when counting the pulse waves2aoutput from the encoder24for each defined unit to generate the alternative pulse waves3b, the signal splitter26may more effectively convert the pulse waves2aof the encoder24into the alternative pulse waves3bby using a multiplier.

As such, because of forming the pulse waves2a, each of which has a short width, which are output from the encoder24, into one alternative pulse wave3bto transmit the alternative pulse wave3bto the ink ejection controller25, the signal splitter26may distribute the signal of the encoder24to the plurality of ink ejection controllers25. Furthermore, because the ink ejection controllers25are not selected as an expensive product group robust to noise, production costs may be reduced.

Meanwhile, as described above, when counting pulse waves2aoutput from the encoder24in units, resetting a width of the pulse waves2a, and outputting the pulse waves, the width of which is reset, for example, when generating10pulse waves2aas one alternative pulse wave3b, the signal splitter26may fail to detect a minute movement distance corresponding to one pulse wave2a. To this end, as described above, while counting the pulse waves2ain units of a number where the pulse waves2aare added, that is, in the same defined unit, for example, in units of 10 to generate the alternative pulse wave3b, the signal splitter26may adjust a number where the pulse waves2aare added to be different from an existing number where the pulse waves2aare added at a certain period or a timing of a predetermined program command to output an alternative pulse wave4bfor precision movement. For example, the signal splitter26may count the pulse waves2aoutput from the encoder24in units of 10 to periodically output one alternative pulse wave3bin the state where it sets the defined unit to 10. At this time, the signal splitter26may correct a program to count9pulse waves2aor11pulse waves2ain one non-defined unit to generate the alternative pulse wave4bfor precise movement in the process of periodically counting10pulse waves2ain one defined unit. Then, receiving the alternative pulse wave4bfor precision movement, which is obtained by counting the9pulse waves2ain the one non-defined unit, the ink ejection controller25knows that the movement distance of the ink jet body21is a distance corresponding to9rather than a distance corresponding to 10. Likewise, receiving the alternative pulse wave4bfor precision movement, which is obtained by counting the11pulse waves2ain the one non-defined unit, the ink ejection controller25knows that the movement distance of the ink jet body21is a distance corresponding to11rather than a distance corresponding to 10.

As such, the signal splitter26may count the pulse waves2aoutput from the encoder24to output the one alternative pulse wave3bper defined unit and may output the alternative pulse wave4bfor precision movement to vary in a number where the pulse waves2aare added at a certain period or a predetermined specific timing to know the movement distance of the ink jet body21in units of resolution of the encoder24, thus ejecting the ink even without adopting an ink ejection controller in a high-performance product group.

Hereinafter, a description will be given of a control method for a substrate processing device described above.

FIG.4is a flowchart of a control method for a substrate processing device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

Referring toFIG.4, the control method for the substrate processing device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept may include transferring (S10) a transfer object, transferring (S20) an ink jet body, outputting (S30) a signal of an encoder, converting (S40) a signal of a signal splitter, distributing (S50) a signal, and controlling (S60) ejection of ink.

First of all, in operation S10, a substrate transfer part10ofFIG.1may transfer a display substrate, which is a transfer object1areceived on a substrate transfer part10ofFIG.1, under a predetermined command of a base controller13ofFIG.1to arrange the display substrate, which is the transfer object1a, at a specific location under an ink jet body21ofFIG.1.

In operation S20, an ink module transfer part23ofFIG.1may transfer the ink jet body21disposed over the display substrate.

In operation S30, an encoder24ofFIG.1may output pulse waves2a, which are a movement signal, per movement distance when the ink jet body21moves. For example, as described above, the encoder24may output one pulse wave2awhen the ink jet body21moves per 100 nm as the ink module transfer part23is driven.

In operation S40, a signal splitter26ofFIG.1may receive pulse waves2afrom the encoder24, may count a number where the pulse waves2aare received, and may output an alternative pulse wave3bwhen the pulse waves2aare received by a defined unit. For example, as described above, the signal splitter26may count the signal of the pulse waves2aoutput from the encoder24and may output one alternative pulse wave3bwhen the counted number is 10. At this time, the width of the alternative pulse wave3boutput from the encoder24may be output to be the same as a value obtained by adding widths of all pulse waves2abefore being reset or may be set to be greater than or equal to the widths of the pulse waves2aof the encoder24.

Furthermore, as described above, in operation S40, the signal splitter26may generate the alternative pulse wave3bfor each defined unit of the pulse waves2aand may output an alternative pulse wave4bfor precision movement in a non-defined unit deviating from the defined unit, such that the movement distance of the ink jet body21is detected in in units of resolution of the encoder24.

In operation S50, the signal splitter26may output and distribute the alternative pulse wave3bto each ink ejection controller25. Receiving the alternative pulse wave3b, the ink ejection controller25may identify the location of the ink jet body21based on the width of the alternative pulse wave3b.

In operation S60, the ink ejection controller25may adjust and set location information of the ink jet body21by the width of the received alternative pulse wave3band the counted number. When the corresponding location corresponds to a location to which ink will be jetted, the ink ejection controller25may transmit a jetting command such that the ink jet body21jets the ink. When the corresponding location corresponds to a location to which the ink will not be jetted, the ink ejection controller25may fail to transmit the jetting command.

As such, in the substrate processing device and the control method for the substrate processing device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept, the signal splitter26may count the signal of the encoder24and may output the alternative pulse wave3b, the width of which is reset, such that the pulse waves2aof the encoder24, which are input to the ink ejection controller25, are distinguished from noise, such that an expensive ink ejection controller is not used not to increase production costs, and such that the ink module transfer part23moves at a higher speed than before to improve productivity.

In the inventive concept, a signal splitter outputs an alternative pulse wave in place of the signal of the encoder to distinguish pulse waves of the encoder, which are input to an ink ejection controller, from noise, such that an expensive ink ejection controller is not used not to increase production costs, and such that a movement speed of an ink jet body is more improved than before to improve productivity.

As described above, the inventive concept has been described by specific details such as specific components, limited embodiments, and drawings, but these are provided to help a more general understanding of the inventive concept, and the inventive concept is not limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art in the field to which the inventive concept pertains may make various modifications and variations from these descriptions.

Thus, the spirit of the inventive concept should not be limited to the described embodiments, and the claims to be described later and all modifications equivalent to these claims belong to the scope of the inventive concept.