Mask repairing apparatus, method for repairing mask and evaporation apparatus

• US 10,443,118 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fu, Wenyue, Cui, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Aiden
• Application Number:
  US15/503,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20180148821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/04 Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/042 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/24 Vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/166 using selective deposition, e.g. using a mask

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a mask repairing apparatus, a method for repairing a mask and an evaporation apparatus. The mask repairing apparatus includes: a repairing device configured to repair a portion of a mask to be repaired; and a moving mechanism installed within a region facing towards the mask and configured to drive the repairing device to move to a position which is opposite to the portion of the mask to be repaired.

Claims

1. A mask repairing apparatus comprising:

a repairing device configured to repair a portion of a mask to be repaired; and

a moving mechanism installed within a region facing towards the mask and configured to drive the repairing device to move to a position which is opposite to the portion of the mask to be repaired,

wherein the repairing device comprises;

a demagnetizer configured to generate a magnetic field for removing magnetism generated in the mask; and

a laser configured to emit laser radiation towards the mask, and

wherein the laser is disposed on the demagnetizer and is movable with the demagnetizer;

the moving mechanism is further configured to drive the demagnetizer to move in a plane parallel to the mask and drive the laser to move in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the demagnetizer.

2. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the repairing device further comprises:

a current controller configured to control a strength and an alternating frequency of the magnetic field generated by the demagnetizer.

3. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, the mask has a substantially rectangular profile and has a first side and a second side adjacent to the first side;

and a length of the demagnetizer is larger than or equal to a length of the mask along the first side of the mask; and

wherein, the moving mechanism is configured to drive the repairing device to move in a direction parallel to the second side.

4. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, the moving mechanism comprises a first screw rod which is parallel to the second side of the mask, extends through the demagnetizer and is threadedly coupled with the demagnetizer.

5. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, the moving mechanism further comprises a guiding rod which is parallel to the second side of the mask and extends through the demagnetizer, and

wherein, a plane in which the first screw rod and the guiding rod are located is parallel to the mask so as to guide the demagnetizer to move parallel to the mask.

6. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an image capturing device configured to move within the region facing towards the mask in a plane parallel to the mask under driving of the moving mechanism so as to capture an image of the mask; and

a display device configured to display the image captured by the image capturing device.

7. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, the image capturing device is disposed on the demagnetizer and is movable with the demagnetizer;

and

wherein the moving mechanism is further configured to drive the image capturing device to move in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the demagnetizer.

8. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein, the moving mechanism is further configured to drive the laser to move to the position which is opposite to the portion of the mask to be repaired according to the image displayed on the display device.

9. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, the moving mechanism is configured to drive the laser to move to a position which is directly opposite to a position on the mask where evaporated material is accumulated based on a case that the display device shows that the evaporated material has been accumulated on the mask.

10. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprises a laser controller which is configured to control an intensity of the laser radiation emitted by the laser.

11. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, the moving mechanism further comprises:

a guiding slot disposed in a surface of the demagnetizer facing towards the mask and extending in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the demagnetizer; and

a second screw rod disposed in the guiding slot and connected to the image capturing device and/or the laser.

12. The mask repairing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, the moving mechanism further comprises:

a guiding slot disposed in a surface of the demagnetizer facing towards the mask and extending in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the demagnetizer; and

a second screw rod disposed in the guiding slot and connected to the image capturing device and/or the laser.

13. An evaporation apparatus comprising:

a vacuum evaporation chamber;

an evaporation source disposed in the evaporation chamber and configured to carry out a vapor-deposition to a mask disposed in the evaporation chamber and located above the evaporation source; and

the mask repairing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, the repairing device of the mask repairing apparatus is located inside the evaporation chamber.

14. A method for repairing a mask by using the mask repairing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

activating the repairing device; and

activating the moving mechanism so that the moving mechanism drives the repairing device to move within the region facing towards the mask.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, the step of activating the repairing device comprises:

activating a current controller to supply an alternating current into the demagnetizer,

wherein a magnitude of the alternating current supplied into the demagnetizer by the current controller is continuously changed.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein, the method further comprises:

capturing an image of a portion of the mask opposite to an image capturing device and sending the image to a display device; and

receiving and displaying the image sent by the image capturing device.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, the method further comprises:

activating the moving mechanism so that the moving mechanism drives the laser to move to a position which is directly opposite to a position on the mask where the evaporated material is accumulated, when it is displayed that the evaporated material has been accumulated on the mask; and

activating the laser to emit laser radiation towards the position where the accumulated evaporated material is located.