Apparatus for manufacturing flat panel display and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing capable of reducing footprint and a working time for loading substrates as short as possible, and a method using the same are disclosed. The apparatus includes a cassette to accommodate a plurality of substrates, a stocker in which the cassette is loaded, a process progressing unit to receive the respective substrates in the cassette and to perform a process, a loader having at least two hands and disposed between the stocker and the process progressing unit to receive and supply the respective substrates accommodated in the cassette on the stocker to the process progressing unit, and at least one withdrawing unit to withdraw and supply the respective substrates from the cassette to at least one of the hands in the loader.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating the layout of a related art apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view illustrating a layout of the apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating main parts of a cassette, a stocker, and a discharging unit of the apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view illustrating main parts of a loader of the apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating exemplary operation of the apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating exemplary operation of the apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays, comprising: a cassette to accommodate a plurality of substrates;a stocker in which the cassette is loaded;a process progressing unit to receive the respective substrates in the cassette and to perform a process;a loader having at least two hands and disposed between the stocker and the process progressing unit to receive and supply the respective substrates accommodated in the cassette on the stocker to the process progressing unit; andat least one withdrawing unit to withdraw and supply the respective substrates from the cassette to at least one of the hands in the loader.

2. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cassette includes: a body to form an external appearance having an open ended bottom; anda plurality of loading projections, provided in the inner sidewalls of the body in the vertical direction, on which the substrates are loaded.

3. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stocker includes shelves on which the cassette is loaded and an elevator for elevating the shelves.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 3, wherein the elevator comprises: coupling brackets respectively coupled with the lateral sides of the shelves;ball screws penetrating through any one of the respective coupling brackets; anddriving motors for driving the ball screws.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 3, wherein the stocker further includes a supporting unit to support the elevation of the shelves.

6. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 5, wherein the supporting unit has linear motion guides to support four corners of the shelves.

7. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the hands of the loader comprises at least one roller.

8. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 1, wherein the respective hands of the loader comprise at least one suctioning unit to suction the substrate loaded thereon.

9. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 8, wherein the suctioning unit includes: a vacuum holes penetrating the upper sides of the respective hands;a vacuum pump to generate an air suctioning force; anda vacuum passageway to transmit the air suctioning force to the vacuum holes.

10. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 8, wherein the respective hands of the loader further comprise air discharging units to discharge air upward.

11. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 10, wherein the air discharging unit comprises: discharge holes penetrating the upper sides of the respective hands;an air discharge pump to generate an air discharging force; andan air passageway to transmit the air discharging force to the discharge holes.

12. The apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 1, wherein the withdrawing unit includes: frames provided in the lower sides of the shelves of the stocker;at least one rolling unit installed in the upper sides of the frames to roll; anda driving unit to roll the rolling unit.

13. A stocker of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays, comprising: shelves on which cassette accommodating a plurality of substrates is placed;frames provided in the lower sides of the shelves;at least one rolling unit installed in the upper sides of the frames;a driving unit to roll the rolling unit; andan elevating unit to elevate the shelves.

14. The stocker of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 13, wherein the elevating unit includes: coupling brackets respectively coupled with the lateral sides of the shelves;ball screws penetrating through any one of the respective coupling brackets; anddriving motors to drive the ball screws.

15. The stocker of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a supporting unit to support the elevation of the shelves.

16. The stocker of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 15, wherein the supporting unit includes linear motion guides to support four corners of the shelves.

17. A loader of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays, comprising: a body;at least two hands coupled with the body to load substrates on the upper sides thereof; andat least one roller provided in the upper side of at least one of the respective hands.

18. The loader of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 17, wherein the respective hands include at least one suctioning unit to suction the substrates loaded thereon.

19. The loader of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 18, wherein the suctioning unit comprises: a vacuum holes penetrating the upper sides of the respective hands;a vacuum pump to generate an air suctioning force; anda vacuum passageway to transmit the air suctioning force to the vacuum holes.

20. The loader of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 18, wherein the respective hands of the loader further include air discharging units to discharge air upward.

21. The loader of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claim 20, wherein the air discharging unit comprises: discharge holes penetrating the upper sides of the respective hands;an air discharge pump to generate an air discharging force; andan air passageway to transmit the air discharging force to the discharge holes.

22. The loader of an apparatus for manufacturing flat panel displays as set forth in claims 17, further comprising a driving motor to drive the at least one roller.

23. A method of manufacturing a flat panel display, comprising the steps of: supplying a cassette in which a plurality of substrates are accommodated on shelves of a stocker;withdrawing each substrate from the cassette successively by driving a withdrawing unit installed in the stocker and supplying the withdrawn substrate to a loader; andcontrolling the loader to supply the received substrates to a process progressing unit.

24. The method of manufacturing a flat panel display as set forth in claim 23, wherein the shelves are controlled to move down step by step when each substrate is successively withdrawn by the withdrawing unit in the withdrawing step.

25. The method of manufacturing a flat panel display as set forth in claim 23, further comprising a step of controlling an air discharging unit to discharge air toward the lower side of the received substrate using the loader during the withdrawing step.

26. The method of manufacturing a flat panel display as set forth in claim 23, further comprising a step of controlling a suctioning unit to suction and fix the received substrate on the upper sides of the respective hands using the loader when the substrate is supplied to the loader by performing the withdrawing step.