Patent Application
20240149599
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0148288, filed on Nov. 8, 2022, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus control system and a substrate processing apparatus control method and, more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus control system and substrate processing apparatus control method capable of printing an image on a substrate in an inkjet printing manner.
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are commonly used as displays of electronic devices. In general, the LCD includes an array substrate and a color filter substrate. The array substrate includes a thin film transistor (TFT), a pixel electrode, and an alignment layer. The color filter substrate includes a black matrix (BM), a color filter (CF), a common electrode, and an alignment layer. Liquid crystals are positioned in a space between the array substrate and the color filter substrate. The above-described LCD achieves an image effect by using the difference in refractive index of light based on the anisotropy of the liquid crystals.
An inkjet-type liquid coating unit is used to apply a treatment liquid such as an alignment solution or liquid crystals onto the substrate in order to manufacture the LCDs. The liquid coating unit includes a head for applying the treatment liquid onto the substrate, and the head includes nozzles for ejecting the treatment liquid. As such, the treatment liquid ejected from the nozzles may land on the substrate.
For accurate R/G/B patterning in the inkjet system, a correction process for solving a mechanical defect of a substrate processing apparatus is essentially required to correct and suppress an error which influences the landing of individual droplets on the substrate on a transfer path of a stage for transferring the substrate.
However, in the above-described substrate processing apparatus control system and substrate processing apparatus control method, position error correction is performed to correct a landing error by using a motion controller based on an encoder signal generated in a feed forward manner and provided by a controller, but an error still exists between the encoder signal and an actual position due to a following error based on a control sampling cycle.
For example, after the encoder signal of the stage is input to the motion controller, a sum value of a position correction value and an output signal for controlling the stage is converted into an encoder signal and input to a jetting driver. Because the output signal is delayed by the control sampling cycle of the motion controller and, particularly, the following error unavoidably exists, an error may occur compared to an actual stage position.
In addition, a position error correction method based on a pattern image may increase a pattern generation calculation time for correcting a position error due to the dependency on an image resolution. For example, when a pattern image resolution is increased at the same printing speed to correct the position error, a limitation of implementation (e.g., an increase in pattern image calculation speed is caused when a high-resolution image is generated) occurs due to a jetting frequency limitation of the head or an image size limitation (e.g., 2 G Byte).
The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus control system and substrate processing apparatus control method capable of reflecting an actual position without being influenced by a control sampling cycle and a following error by providing a linear position correction function to a jetting driver and allowing the jetting driver to linearly reflect a position correction value when an encoder signal of a stage is directly received and the encoder signal is counted. However, the above description is an example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus control system including an image generator for generating an image to be printed by a substrate processing apparatus including an inkjet head unit to print the image on a substrate in an inkjet printing manner, a jetting driver for receiving an image signal from the image generator and outputting a jetting signal to the inkjet head unit to allow the substrate processing apparatus to print the image on the substrate based on the image signal, and a motion controller for controlling operation of a stage unit for supporting and moving the substrate in the substrate processing apparatus, wherein the jetting driver receives an encoder signal output from an encoder of the stage unit, directly from the encoder and outputs the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit by counting the received encoder signal to control a jetting timing of the inkjet head unit based on a position of the stage unit.
The jetting driver may receive the encoder signal in a form of a pulse signal from the encoder of the stage unit.
The jetting driver may correct a count value of the encoder signal received in the form of the pulse signal by using a position correction value previously input and output the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit based on the corrected count value to correct a position error of the stage unit.
The jetting driver may linearly reflect the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal to correct each count value of the encoder signal over time to an accumulated form of the position correction value.
The jetting driver may include an encoder divider for dividing the encoder signal received from the encoder of the stage unit, at a certain division interval, an encoder counter for counting the encoder signal divided at the certain division interval by the encoder divider, and a jetting controller for outputting the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit based on a count value of the encoder signal counted by the encoder counter.
The jetting controller may include a position corrector for correcting the count value of the encoder signal counted by the encoder counter, to output the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit based on the count value corrected by using the position correction value.
The position corrector may previously calculate and store a certain error having occurred during a certain interval set with respect to a printing direction, as the position correction value to sample a position error.
The position corrector may correct the count value of the encoder signal as shown in [Equation 1] X=Y+(n×a) (where X: Corrected Encoder Count Value, Y: Encoder Count Value Before Correction, n: Count Value Number, and a: Position Correction Value) to linearly reflect the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal counted by the encoder counter.
The jetting controller may output a latch signal based on setting of a drop interval, head data for distributing the image signal for nozzles of the inkjet head unit, and a waveform signal obtained by converting an electrical signal for driving the nozzles, into a waveform, as the jetting signal.
The image generator may include a pattern controller for generating an image to be printed, as the image signal, and a hub for transmitting the image signal generated by the pattern controller, to the jetting driver.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus control method including an image generation step for generating an image to be printed by a substrate processing apparatus including an inkjet head unit to print the image a substrate in an inkjet printing manner, a motion control step for controlling operation of a stage unit for supporting and moving the substrate in the substrate processing apparatus, a jetting signal output step for outputting a jetting signal to the inkjet head unit to allow the substrate processing apparatus to print the image on the substrate based on an image signal generated in the image generation step, a head driving step for controlling driving of the inkjet head unit based on the jetting signal, and a printing step for printing the substrate based on the driving of the inkjet head unit, wherein, in the jetting signal output step, an encoder signal output from an encoder of the stage unit is directly received from the encoder and the jetting signal is output to the inkjet head unit by counting the received encoder signal to control a jetting timing of the inkjet head unit based on a position of the stage unit.
In the jetting signal output step, the encoder signal may be received in a form of a pulse signal from the encoder of the stage unit driven by the motion control step.
In the jetting signal output step, a count value of the encoder signal received in the form of the pulse signal may be corrected by using a position correction value previously input and the jetting signal may be output to the inkjet head unit based on the corrected count value to correct a position error of the stage unit.
In the jetting signal output step, the position correction value may be linearly reflected to the count value of the encoder signal to correct each count value of the encoder signal over time to an accumulated form of the position correction value.
The jetting signal output step may include an encoder division step for dividing the encoder signal received from the encoder of the stage unit, at a certain division interval, an encoder counting step for counting the encoder signal divided at the certain division interval in the encoder division step, and a jetting control step for outputting the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit based on a count value of the encoder signal counted in the encoder counting step.
The jetting control step may include a position correction step for correcting the count value of the encoder signal counted in the encoder counting step, to output the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit based on the count value corrected by using the position correction value.
In the position correction step, a certain error having occurred during a certain interval set with respect to a printing direction may be previously calculated and stored as the position correction value to sample a position error.
In the position correction step, the count value of the encoder signal may be corrected as shown in [Equation 1] X=Y+(n×a) (where X: Corrected Encoder Count Value, Y: Encoder Count Value Before Correction, n: Count Value Number, and a: Position Correction Value) to linearly reflect the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal counted in the encoder counting step.
In the jetting control step, a latch signal based on setting of a drop interval, head data for distributing the image signal for nozzles of the inkjet head unit, and a waveform signal obtained by converting an electrical signal for driving the nozzles, into a waveform may be output as the jetting signal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus control system including an image generator for generating an image to be printed by a substrate processing apparatus including an inkjet head unit to print the image on a substrate in an inkjet printing manner, a jetting driver for receiving an image signal from the image generator and outputting a jetting signal to the inkjet head unit to allow the substrate processing apparatus to print the image on the substrate based on the image signal, wherein the jetting driver receives an encoder signal output in a form of a pulse signal from an encoder of a stage unit, directly from the encoder and outputs the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit by counting the received encoder signal to control a jetting timing of the inkjet head unit based on a position of the stage unit, and a motion controller for controlling operation of the stage unit for supporting and moving the substrate in the substrate processing apparatus, wherein the jetting driver includes an encoder divider for dividing the encoder signal received from the encoder of the stage unit, at a certain division interval to correct a position error of the stage unit by correcting a count value of the encoder signal received in the form of the pulse signal by using a position correction value previously input and outputting the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit based on the corrected count value, and to correct each count value of the encoder signal over time to an accumulated form of the position correction value by linearly reflecting the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal, an encoder counter for counting the encoder signal divided at the certain division interval by the encoder divider, and a jetting controller for outputting the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit based on a count value of the encoder signal counted by the encoder counter, wherein the jetting controller includes a position corrector for correcting the count value of the encoder signal counted by the encoder counter, to output the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit based on the count value corrected by using the position correction value, and wherein the position corrector previously calculates and stores a certain error having occurred during a certain interval set with respect to a printing direction, as the position correction value to sample a position error, and corrects the count value of the encoder signal as shown in [Equation 1] X=Y+(n×a) (where X: Corrected Encoder Count Value, Y: Encoder Count Value Before Correction, n: Count Value Number, and a: Position Correction Value) to linearly reflect the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal counted by the encoder counter.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings.
The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art. In the drawings, the thicknesses or sizes of layers are exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation.
Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, the embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein, but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing.
Initially, as shown in
The image generator 110 may generate an image to be printed by a substrate processing apparatus 1000 (see
Specifically, the image generator 110 may include a pattern controller 111 and a hub 112.
The pattern controller 111 may generate an image to be printed, as an image signal. The image signal generated by the pattern controller 111 may be transmitted to the hub 112, and the hub 112 may transmit the image signal generated by the pattern controller 111, to the jetting driver 120 to be described below.
The jetting driver 120 may receive the image signal from the hub 112 of the image generator 110 and output a jetting signal to the inkjet head unit 200 to allow the substrate processing apparatus 1000 to print the image on the substrate S based on the image signal, and the motion controller 130 may control operation of a stage unit 400 for supporting and moving the substrate S in the substrate processing apparatus 1000.
For example, the jetting driver 120 may control driving of the inkjet head unit 200 based on the image signal. Although not shown in the drawings, the jetting driver 120 may include a plurality of jetting drivers one-to-one corresponding to a plurality of printheads 210, 220, and 230 included in the inkjet head unit 200. That is, one jetting driver 120 may control driving of one printhead. However, the above-described correspondence between the jetting driver 120 and the inkjet head unit 200 is merely an example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.
The jetting driver 120 may receive an encoder signal output from an encoder 440 of the stage unit 400, directly from the encoder 440 and output the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit 200 by counting the received encoder signal to control a jetting timing of the inkjet head unit 200 based on a position of the stage unit 400.
To this end, the jetting driver 120 may be directly connected to the encoder 440 of the stage unit 400 through a field bus 140. For example, the field bus 140 may bidirectionally transmit signals between the encoder 440 and the jetting driver 120 and between the encoder 440 and the motion controller 130. Specifically, the field bus 140 may be a network system capable of bidirectional communication.
As such, signals may be shared between the encoder 440 of the stage unit 400 and the jetting driver 120 or the motion controller 130 by the field bus 140. That is, the encoder 440 may transmit or receive signals to or from the jetting driver 120 and the motion controller 130 through the field bus 140.
As described above, the jetting driver 120 may receive the encoder signal in the form of a pulse signal from the encoder 440 of the stage unit 400 through the field bus 140. When the jetting signal is output to the inkjet head unit 200, the jetting driver 120 may correct a count value of the encoder signal received in the form of a pulse signal by using a position correction value previously input and output the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit 200 based on the corrected count value to correct a position error of the stage unit 400.
Specifically, as shown in
Herein, the jetting controller 123 may include a position corrector 124 for correcting the count value of the encoder signal counted by the encoder counter 122, to output the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit 200 based on the count value corrected by using the position correction value.
Specifically, the position corrector 124 may previously calculate and store a certain error having occurred during a certain interval set with respect to a printing direction (e.g., a stage unit moving direction), as the position correction value to sample a position error, and correct the count value of the encoder signal as shown in [Equation 1] below to linearly reflect the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal counted by the encoder counter 122.
X=Y+(n×a) [Equation 1]
For example, as shown in the embodiment of
As such, ultimately, the jetting controller 123 of the jetting driver 120 may output a latch signal based on setting of a drop interval, head data for distributing the image signal for nozzles of the printheads 210, 220, and 230 of the inkjet head unit 200, and a waveform signal obtained by converting an electrical signal for driving the nozzles, into a waveform, as the jetting signal based on the corrected count value of the encoder signal.
As shown in
As shown in
The stage unit 400 may be mounted on the base 300 to support the substrate S. Specifically, the stage unit 400 may include a flat plate-shaped stage 410 on which the substrate S is seated.
The stage unit 400 may include a rotary driving member 420 connected to a lower surface of the stage 410. The rotary driving member 420 is a type of rotary motor and may rotate the stage 410 about a central axis of rotation perpendicular to the stage 410.
For example, when the stage 410 is rotated by the rotary driving member 420, the substrate S may also be rotated by the rotation of the stage 410. When a long side direction of cells provided on the substrate S to be applied with droplets by the inkjet head unit 200 faces a Y-axis direction Y, the rotary driving member 420 may rotate the substrate S in such a manner that the long side direction of the cells faces an X-axis direction X.
The stage 410 and the rotary driving member 420 may be linearly moved in the X-axis direction X by a linear driving member 430. Specifically, the linear driving member 430 may include a slider 431 and a guide member 432, and the rotary driving member 420 may be mounted on an upper surface of the slider 431.
For example, the guide member 432 may extend along the X-axis direction X in the middle of the upper surface of the base 300. A linear motor (not shown) including the above-described encoder 440 may be embedded in the slider 431, and the slider 431 may be moved in the X-axis direction X along the guide member 432 by the driving of the linear motor.
The gentry unit 500 may be mounted above a path along which the stage 410 of the stage unit 400 is moved. The gentry unit 500 may be spaced apart from the upper surface of the base 300 in an upward direction, and disposed in such a manner that a longitudinal direction thereof faces the Y-axis direction Y.
Gentry movers 510 mounted under both sides of the gentry unit 500 may linearly move the gentry unit 500 in the X-axis direction X. The gentry movers 510 may include a first moving unit 511 mounted under an end of the gentry unit 500, and a second moving unit 512 mounted under another end of the gentry unit 500 to face the first moving unit 511.
Specifically, the first moving unit 511 may slide along a guide rail R2 mounted at a side of the base 300 and the second moving unit 512 may slide along a guide rail R1 mounted at another side of the base 300, thereby linearly moving the gentry unit 500 in the X-axis direction X.
The inkjet head unit 200 may be coupled to the gentry unit 500 by the head moving unit 600. The inkjet head unit 200 may be linearly moved in the longitudinal direction of the gentry unit 500, i.e., the Y-axis direction Y, by the head moving unit 600, and also linearly moved in a Z-axis direction Z. The inkjet head unit 200 may rotate about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction Z with respect to the head moving unit 600.
The inkjet head unit 200 may receive droplets through the droplet supply module 700 mounted on the gentry unit 500. For example, the droplet supply module 700 may receive droplets from an external droplet supply device (not shown) and supply the same to the inkjet head unit 200 at a certain pressure.
The inkjet head unit 200 may be mounted on the base 300 to eject the droplets onto the substrate S in an inkjet printing manner and print the image on the substrate S.
In this case, the inkjet head unit 200 may include a plurality of printheads. For example, the inkjet head unit 200 may include a first printhead 210, a second printhead 220, and a third printhead 230. The inkjet head unit 200 including the plurality of printheads 210, 220, and 230 may be coupled to the gentry unit 500 in a row along the Y-axis direction Y.
Herein, although the inkjet head unit 200 includes the first, second, and third printheads 210, 220, and 230 in
A substrate processing apparatus control method in the above-described substrate processing apparatus 1000 including the substrate processing apparatus control system 100 will now be described in detail.
Referring to
Initially, in the image generation step S100, an image to be printed by the substrate processing apparatus 1000 including the inkjet head unit 200 may be generated to print the image on a substrate S in an inkjet printing manner.
Then, in the motion control step S200, operation of the stage unit 400 for supporting and moving the substrate S in the substrate processing apparatus 1000 may be controlled and, in the jetting signal output step S300, a jetting signal may be output to the inkjet head unit 200 to allow the substrate processing apparatus 1000 to print the image on the substrate S based on an image signal generated in the image generation step S100.
In the jetting signal output step S300, an encoder signal output from the encoder 440 of the stage unit 400 may be received directly from the encoder 440 and the jetting signal may be output to the inkjet head unit 200 by counting the received encoder signal to control a jetting timing of the inkjet head unit 200 based on a position of the stage unit 400.
For example, in the jetting signal output step S300, the encoder signal may be received in the form of a pulse signal from the encoder 440 of the stage unit 400 driven by the motion control step S200, and a count value of the encoder signal received in the form of a pulse signal may be corrected by using a position correction value previously input and the jetting signal may be output to the inkjet head unit 200 based on the corrected count value to correct a position error of the stage unit 400.
Specifically, the jetting signal output step S300 may include an encoder division step S310 for dividing the encoder signal received from the encoder 440 of the stage unit 400, at a certain division interval, an encoder counting step S320 for counting the encoder signal divided at the certain division interval in the encoder division step S310, and a jetting control step S330 for outputting the jetting signal the inkjet head unit 200 based on a count value of the encoder signal counted in the encoder counting step S320.
Herein, the jetting control step S330 may include a position correction step S331 for correcting the count value of the encoder signal counted in the encoder counting step S320, to output the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit 200 based on the count value corrected by using the position correction value and, in the position correction step S331, a certain error having occurred during a certain interval set with respect to a printing direction may be previously calculated and stored as the position correction value to sample a position error, and the count value of the encoder signal may be corrected as shown in [Equation 1] above to linearly reflect the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal counted in the encoder counting step S320.
As described above, in the jetting signal output step S300, a latch signal based on setting of a drop interval, head data for distributing the image signal for nozzles of the inkjet head unit 200, and a waveform signal obtained by converting an electrical signal for driving the nozzles, into a waveform may be output as the jetting signal based on the corrected count value of the encoder signal by linearly reflecting the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal to correct each count value of the encoder signal over time to an accumulated form of the position correction value.
Then, as shown in
Therefore, based on the substrate processing apparatus control system 100 and the substrate processing apparatus control method according to various embodiments of the present invention, the jetting driver 120 may receive an encoder signal output from the encoder 440 of the stage unit 400, directly from the encoder 440 and output a jetting signal to the inkjet head unit 200 by counting the received encoder signal to correct and control a jetting timing of the inkjet head unit 200 based on a position of the stage unit 400. At this time, a position error of the stage unit 400 may be corrected by correcting a count value of the encoder signal received in the form of a pulse signal by using a position correction value previously input and outputting the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit 200 based on the corrected count value. In this case, each count value of the encoder signal over time may be corrected to an accumulated form of the position correction value by linearly reflecting the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal.
Therefore, an actual position may be reflected without being influenced by a control sampling cycle and a following error by providing a linear position correction function to the jetting driver 120 for receiving an encoder signal output from the encoder 440 of the stage unit 400, directly from the encoder 440 and by linearly reflecting a position correction value when the encoder signal is counted, and an advantageous printing speed may be achieved because an image resolution does not need to be increased to correct a position error and thus a reduction in calculation speed due to the increase in resolution of an image signal does not occur.
According to the afore-described embodiments of the present invention, to correct and control a jetting timing of an inkjet head unit based on a position of a stage unit, an encoder signal output from an encoder of the stage unit may be directly received from the encoder, and a jetting signal may be output to the inkjet head unit by counting the received encoder signal. At this time, a position error of the stage unit may be corrected by correcting a count value of the encoder signal received in the form of a pulse signal by using a position correction value previously input and outputting the jetting signal to the inkjet head unit based on the corrected count value. In this case, each count value of the encoder signal over time may be corrected to an accumulated form of the position correction value by linearly reflecting the position correction value to the count value of the encoder signal.
As described above, a substrate processing apparatus control system and substrate processing apparatus control method capable of reflecting an actual position without being influenced by a control sampling cycle and a following error by providing a linear position correction function to a jetting driver for receiving an encoder signal output from an encoder of a stage unit, directly from the encoder and by linearly reflecting a position correction value when the encoder signal is counted, and of achieving an advantageous printing speed because an image resolution does not need to be increased to correct a position error and thus a reduction in calculation speed due to the increase in resolution of an image signal does not occur may be implemented. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above effects.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2022-0148288 | Nov 2022 | KR | national |
