CN110246785B - Transfer apparatus and transfer method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a transfer device and a transfer method, the transfer device includes: a carrier substrate; a plurality of transfer heads arranged on the carrier substrate, the plurality of transfer heads are arranged in an array, and the The transfer head is used for grasping the target device to be transferred and transferring the target device to be transferred to the target substrate. In the present invention, multiple transfer heads can be used to grab multiple target devices at the same time, and transfer the multiple target devices to the target substrate at the same time, which can greatly improve the transfer efficiency while ensuring the transfer accuracy.

Description

Transfer equipment and transfer method

technical field

The present invention relates to the technical field of micro-transfer printing, in particular to a transfer device and a transfer method.

Background technique

Micro transfer technology is a refined technology that transfers target devices to corresponding substrates. The production efficiency and production quality of this technology will directly affect the mass production of next-generation technologies such as Micro-LED display (Micro-LED, also known as μLED). It can be said that it can have a transformative impact on the entire display industry.

In the prior art, the transfer technology is to place the target device and the target substrate on the same plane, and then, according to a set program or manual operation, grab the target devices one by one and transfer them to the target substrate one by one. Although this one-by-one "grab-transfer" method can control high precision, its transfer efficiency is too low, which is not conducive to mass production.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of this, the present invention provides a transfer apparatus and a transfer method, which are used to solve the problem of low transfer efficiency in the existing transfer technology, which needs to be grasped one by one and transferred one by one.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problem, the present invention provides a kind of transfer equipment, including:

carrier substrate;

A plurality of transfer heads arranged on the carrier substrate, the plurality of transfer heads are arranged in an array, and the transfer heads are used to grab the target device to be transferred and transfer the target device to be transferred. The target device is transferred to the target substrate.

Optionally, the plurality of transfer heads are arranged in at least one row;

The transfer device also includes:

At least one transfer track is arranged on the carrier substrate, each row of the transfer heads is arranged on one of the transfer tracks, and the transfer heads can move along the corresponding transfer track.

Optionally, the transfer device further includes:

A track change track, the extension direction of the track change track is perpendicular to the extension direction of the transfer track, and the transfer track is movably arranged on the track change track.

Optionally, the transfer device further includes:

An electrical test head is disposed at both ends of each of the transfer tracks or on the track changing track, and is used for connecting an external electrical test tool with a test point on the target substrate.

Optionally, the transfer device further includes:

a plurality of optical sensors, arranged on the transfer head and corresponding to the transfer head one-to-one;

The processor is connected to the optical sensor, and is used for determining the position of the bad target device according to the sensing signal transmitted by the optical sensor.

Optionally, the transfer device further includes:

A plurality of repair heads disposed on the carrier substrate, the plurality of repair heads are arranged in an array, and the repair heads are used for repairing defective target devices transferred to the target substrate.

Optionally, the plurality of repair heads are arranged in at least one row;

The transfer device also includes:

At least one repair track is arranged on the track changing track, each row of the repair heads is arranged on one of the repair tracks, and the repair heads can move along the corresponding repair track.

The present invention also provides a transfer method, which is applied to the above transfer device, and the transfer method includes:

Grab a plurality of target devices to be transferred from the area for placing the target devices to be transferred;

Transfer the grabbed multiple target devices to be transferred to the target substrate at the same time.

Optionally, the transfer device further includes:

An electrical test head is disposed at both ends of each of the transfer tracks or on the track changing track, and is used for connecting an external electrical test tool with a test point on the target substrate.

After transferring the grabbed multiple target devices to be transferred to the target substrate at the same time, the method further includes:

Connect an external electrical test tool with the test point on the target substrate through the electrical test head;

The target device transferred to the target substrate is energized by the electrical test tool to determine whether the target device is defective.

Optionally, the transfer device further includes:

A plurality of repair heads disposed on the carrier substrate, the plurality of repair heads are arranged in an array, and the repair heads are used for repairing defective target devices transferred to the target substrate.

After transferring the grabbed multiple target devices to be transferred to the target substrate at the same time, the method further includes:

moving the repair head to the position corresponding to the bad target device;

using the repair head to remove the defective target device;

The repair head is used to grab the target device to be replenished, and transfer it to the position where the defective target device is located.

The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned technical solutions of the present invention are as follows:

In the embodiment of the present invention, the transfer device has multiple transfer heads, so multiple transfer heads can be used to grab multiple target devices at the same time, and transfer the multiple target devices to the target substrate at the same time. At the same time, the transfer efficiency can be greatly improved.

Description of drawings

In order to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention more clearly, the following briefly introduces the drawings that are used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. , for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained from these drawings without creative labor.

1 is a side view of a transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a top view of a transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a top view of a target substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a schematic structural diagram of a repair head according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a schematic diagram of a process of repairing a defective target device by a transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a schematic diagram of a state of a transfer device in a transfer process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart of a transfer method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, embodiments of the present invention. Based on the described embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a side view of a transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view of a transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transfer device includes:

carrier substrate 10;

The plurality of transfer heads 20 disposed on the carrier substrate 10 are arranged in an array. The transfer heads 20 are used to grab the target device to be transferred and transfer the The target device to be transferred is transferred to the target substrate.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the transfer device has multiple transfer heads, so multiple transfer heads can be used to grab multiple target devices at the same time, and transfer the multiple target devices to the target substrate at the same time. At the same time, the transfer efficiency can be greatly improved.

In the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, each of the transfer heads 20 can independently control the expansion and contraction.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of transfer heads 20 on the carrier substrate 10 are arranged in at least one row, and each row includes a plurality of transfer heads 20 . Preferably, the plurality of transfer heads 20 are arranged in multiple rows, so that during transfer, multiple rows of transfer heads 20 can be used to grab and transfer multiple target devices at the same time, so as to further improve the transfer efficiency .

In the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, each row of transfer heads 20 has an independent alignment function to improve transfer accuracy. Please refer to FIG. 2 , each transfer head 20 has an independent alignment point 90 can.

In the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the distance between two adjacent transfer heads 20 in each row is adjustable, so as to be suitable for transfer tasks and transfer accuracy control at different positions, so that the line distance of the target device can be produced. Different types of target substrates, or target substrates in which the target devices are arranged in an irregular manner are fabricated. As shown in FIG. 3 , the target devices 101 on the target substrate 100 shown in FIG. 3 are in an irregular arrangement (after the adjacent target devices 101 are linked to form a shape, they are not rectangular and can be called irregular arrangement). During transfer, the positions of the respective transfer heads 20 in each row are adjusted so that the arrangement of the transfer heads 20 is a corresponding irregular arrangement. When transferring target devices in an irregular arrangement, preferably, the transfer device includes multiple rows of transfer heads, so as to avoid the problem of repeated adjustment of the spacing between the transfer heads and repeated alignment when applying a single row.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to realize the adjustable distance between two adjacent transfer heads 20 in each row, please refer to FIG. 2 . In the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the transfer device includes: at least one The transfer track 30 is disposed on the carrier substrate 10 , each row of the transfer heads 20 is disposed on one of the transfer tracks 30 , and the transfer heads 20 can move along the corresponding transfer track 30 moves. That is to say, the transfer head 20 is movably connected to the corresponding transfer track 30 , and the transfer head 20 has components matched with the transfer track 30 to be able to be fixed on the transfer track 30 . and move along the transfer track 30 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the transfer device includes a plurality of transfer tracks 30 , the plurality of transfer tracks 30 are arranged in parallel, and each transfer track 30 is provided with a plurality of transfer heads 20 .

In the embodiment of the present invention, please refer to FIG. 2. Optionally, each of the transfer heads 20 is arranged at a designated position on the transfer track 30 and can move within a designated movement range. The designated movement range can be determined according to the transfer head. The density of 20 and the size of the transfer head 20 are determined.

Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, in addition to adjusting the distance between the two adjacent transfer heads 20 in each row through the transfer track 30, other structures can also be used, which will not be described here. a description.

In the above embodiment, the distance between two adjacent transfer heads 20 in each row is adjustable, and the transfer heads 20 can move in the extending direction of the row (ie, the lateral direction in FIG. 2 ). In some other embodiments, optionally, the spacing between the transfer heads 20 in different rows can be adjusted, that is, the transfer heads 20 can also be moved in the column direction, so as to be suitable for transfer tasks and transfer in different positions. Precision control.

In order to realize the adjustable spacing between the transfer heads 20 between different rows, please refer to FIG. 2 , in the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the transfer device further includes: a track change track 40 , the track change track The extension direction of the rail 40 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the transfer rail 30 (in FIG. 2 , the transfer rail 30 extends in the transverse direction, and the track change rail 40 extends in the longitudinal direction), and the transfer rail 30 is movably arranged On the track changing track 40 , by moving the transfer track 30 , the spacing between the transfer heads 20 in different rows can be adjusted to manufacture various types of target substrates with different column spacings of the target devices.

In the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2 , optionally, the transfer device includes two track-changing rails 40 , which are respectively located at both ends of the transfer rail 30 . The matched components of the track change track 40 can be fixed on the track change track 40 and move along the track change track 40 .

Taking the mass transfer of LEDs of μLED as an example, the yield of transfer printing is extremely high, so if the target device for transfer cannot be tested in time, it will greatly affect the quality of the product. Therefore, in this embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the transfer device further includes: an electrical test head (not shown in the figure) disposed on the carrier substrate 10 for connecting an external electrical test tool to the target substrate connected to the target device on . In the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the electrical test head may be disposed on both ends of each transfer track 30 or on the track change track 40 . For example, if the electrical test heads are arranged at both ends of each of the transfer tracks 30, when the plurality of transfer heads 20 on the transfer track 30 transfer the captured target device to the target substrate, the The electrical test heads at both ends of the print track 30 are electrically connected to the target device on the target substrate to be transferred by the transfer head 20 on the transfer track 30. The electrical test head is electrically connected with an external electrical test tool, thereby connecting the external electrical test tool with the test point on the target substrate, the test point is connected with the target device on the target substrate, and the electrical test head is connected to the electrical test head through the electrical test tool. An electrical signal is input, the target device transferred by the transfer head 20 on the transfer track 30 is lit, and the transfer effect is checked, and the defective target device (ie, dead pixel) is measured. With this structure, the transferred target device can be tested immediately after the transfer, so as to ensure the transfer success rate of the target device, the test is timely, and the process is simple.

In the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the transfer device further includes:

A plurality of optical sensors (not shown) are disposed on the transfer head 20 and correspond to the transfer heads 20 one-to-one, that is, each transfer head 20 has one optical sensor;

A processor (not shown in the figure), connected to the optical sensor, is used for determining the position of the defective target device according to the sensing signal transmitted by the optical sensor.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the plurality of transfer heads 20 on the transfer track 30 transfer the grabbed target device to the target substrate, the transfer device is not evacuated at this time, and the transferred target device is energized, And the optical sensor on the transfer head 20 senses the light signal of the target device, the optical sensor generates the sensing signal according to the sensing result, and transmits it to the processor, if a target device is not bright, or the brightness is low, the processor will The sensing signal of the optical sensor determines that the target device is a non-lighting target device, and according to the position of the optical sensor, the position of the bad target device is determined.

If the defective target device cannot be repaired in time, it will greatly affect the quality of the product. Therefore, optionally, please refer to FIG. 2 , the transfer apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention further includes: a plurality of repair heads 50 disposed on the carrier substrate 10 , and the plurality of repair heads 50 are arranged in an array The repairing head 50 is used for repairing the defective target device transferred onto the target substrate.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the transfer device has a repair head, and the transfer and repair can be completed continuously, which greatly improves the quality of the transfer.

In this embodiment of the present invention, optionally, each repair head 50 can independently control the expansion and contraction.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of repair heads 50 on the carrier substrate 10 are arranged in at least one row, and each row includes a plurality of repair heads 50 . Preferably, the multiple repair heads 50 are arranged in multiple rows, so that multiple rows of repair heads 50 can be used to repair multiple defective target devices at the same time, so as to further improve the repair efficiency.

In the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the distance between two adjacent repair heads 50 in each row is adjustable, so as to be able to repair various types of target substrates with different row distances of the target device, or, the repair target device is Irregularly arranged target substrates.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to realize the adjustable distance between two adjacent repair heads 50 in each row, please refer to FIG. 2 . In the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the transfer device includes: at least one repair head The rails 60 are disposed on the carrier substrate 10 , each row of the repair heads 50 is disposed on one of the repair rails 60 , and the repair heads 50 can move along the corresponding repair rails 60 . That is to say, the repair head 50 is movably connected with the corresponding repair track 60 , and the repair head 50 has components matched with the repair track 60 so as to be able to be fixed on the repair track 60 and move along the repair track 60 . The repair track 60 moves. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the transfer device includes a repair track 60 , each repair track 60 is provided with a plurality of repair heads 50 , the repair track 60 is arranged in parallel with the transfer track 30 and is arranged on the transfer track 60 . The rear of the rail 30 (the rear here refers to the moving direction of the carrier substrate 10 during transfer). The number of repair heads 50 on each repair track 60 may be equal to or less than the number of transfer heads 20 on each transfer track 30 .

In the embodiment of the present invention, please refer to FIG. 2 . Optionally, each repair head 50 is arranged at a designated position on the repair track 60 and can move within a designated movement range, which can be matched with the transfer head 20 The specified movement range is the same.

In the embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the repair track 60 may also be disposed on the track change track 40, so as to realize the longitudinal movement of the repair head 50 as required. The repairing rail 60 has components matched with the rail changing rail 40 to be able to be fixed on the rail changing rail 40 and move along the rail changing rail 40 . In the embodiment of the present invention, after confirming the position of the defective target device, the carrier substrate 10 can be moved forward (the forward movement is relative to the moving direction of the carrier substrate 10 during transfer), so that the repair track 60 is facing the defective target The position of the device is above the position of the device, and then the defective target device is repaired. For multiple defective target devices on the same row, the repair can be completed only once, which improves the repair efficiency. While repairing, the transfer head 20 on the transfer track 30 can also be used to perform the next transfer at the same time, so as to improve the work efficiency.

In the embodiment of the present invention, please refer to FIG. 4 , optionally, the repair head 50 includes: a supplementary head 51 and a dissociation head 52 , and the dissociation head 52 is used for dissociating defective target devices on the target substrate , the replenishing head 51 is used to replenish the target device at the position of the defective target device on the target substrate. The dissociation head 51 can process the defective target device by means of high temperature, ultraviolet light or laser, etc., and then remove the processed target device by means of adsorption. When repairing, the replenishing head 51 can be used to grab the target device to be replenished, control the repairing head 50 to move to the position of the defective target device, dissociate the defective target device on the target substrate through the dissociation head 52, and finally pass The replenishment head 51 replenishes a new target device at the same position. FIG. 4 is only the structure of the repair head according to an embodiment of the present invention. Of course, in some other embodiments of the present invention, the repair head may also have other structures. For example, the repair head 50 only includes the dissociation head 52 and does not include the replenishment head 51, but the position of the dissociated target device is supplemented with new target devices by the transfer head 20 on the transfer track. Please refer to FIG. 5 . In the embodiment described in FIG. 5 , for the defective target device 101 on the target substrate 100 (the target device framed by the dotted circle), the transfer head 20 at the corresponding position on the transfer track 30 can be used. (Transfer head framed by dotted circle) Replenish new target device.

In the embodiment of the present invention, during repairing, a row of repairing heads can be controlled to grab multiple target devices at the same time, and then only individual repairing heads are used for repairing, and other target devices in positions that do not need repairing are reserved for subsequent repairing, so that It can reduce the number of pickups and improve work efficiency. Of course, if the target device grasped on the repair track is not enough to complete the next repair, the carrier substrate can be moved to the area for placing the target device to be transferred to perform supplementary grasping of the target device.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when repairing is performed, when there are multiple rows of repairing heads, the repairing heads in the front row can be controlled to dissociate the target device, and the repairing heads in the rear row are used to supplement the target device, so that two rows of repairing heads can be completed at the same time. Dissociate and replenish movements to improve work efficiency.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the transfer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include: a machine base 200 , and the base base 200 includes a first area 201 for placing the target device to be transferred and a first area 201 for placing the target device to be transferred. The second region 202 of the target substrate 100 .

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 6 , the transfer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include: a transport rail 70 , and the carrier substrate 10 is disposed on the transport rail 70 and can move on the transport rail 70 , thereby The carrier substrate 10 can be moved back and forth above the first area 201 and the second area 202 of the submount base 200 to complete the grabbing and transfer of the target device. In addition, optionally, the transfer device further includes: a telescopic shaft 80 , the carrier substrate 10 is disposed on the transport track 70 through the telescopic shaft 80 , and the telescopic shaft 80 can be stretched up and down, so that the When the target device is grasped or transferred, the carrier substrate 10 is controlled to move upward or downward.

Referring to FIG. 7 , an embodiment of the present invention further provides a transfer method, which is applied to the transfer device described in any of the above embodiments, and the transfer method includes:

Step 701: Grab a plurality of target devices to be transferred from the area for placing the target devices to be transferred;

Step 702: Transfer the grabbed multiple target devices to be transferred to the target substrate at the same time.

Optionally, the transfer device in the embodiment of the present invention includes: an electrical test head, which is arranged at both ends of each of the transfer tracks or on the track changing track, and is used to connect an external electrical test tool to the track. The test points on the target substrate are connected.

After transferring the grabbed multiple target devices to be transferred to the target substrate at the same time, the method further includes:

Step 703: Connect an external electrical test tool with the test point on the target substrate through the electrical test head;

Step 704: Power on the target device transferred to the target substrate by using the electrical testing tool to determine whether the target device is defective.

Optionally, the transfer device in the embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of repair heads disposed on the carrier substrate, the plurality of repair heads are arranged in an array, and the repair heads are used for Defective target devices on the target substrate are repaired.

After transferring the grabbed multiple target devices to be transferred to the target substrate at the same time, the method further includes:

Step 705: Move the repair head to a position corresponding to the defective target device;

Step 706: use the repair head to remove the defective target device;

Step 707: Use the repair head to grab the target device to be replenished, and transfer it to the location where the defective target device is located.

In some other embodiments of the present invention, the transfer head may also be used to grab the target device to be replenished, and transfer the target device to the location where the defective target device is located.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the transfer method may further include: while using the repair head to repair the target device, using the transfer head to perform the next transfer, thereby improving work efficiency.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the step of using the repair head to grab the target device to be replenished and transfer it to the location of the defective target device may include: controlling a row of repair heads to grab a plurality of target devices at the same time, and then Only individual repair heads are used for repair, and other target devices in positions that do not need repair are reserved for subsequent repair, thereby reducing the number of pickups and improving work efficiency. Of course, if the target device grasped on the repair track is not enough to complete the next repair, the carrier substrate can be moved to the area for placing the target device to be transferred to perform supplementary grasping of the target device.

In the embodiment of the present invention, using the repair head to remove the defective target device may include: controlling the repair head in the front row to dissociate the target device, and the repair head in the rear row to supplement the target device, so that at the same time Complete two lines of dissociation and replenishment actions to improve work efficiency.

In the above embodiments of the present invention, the target device may be a Micro-LED or a mini-LED.

Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in the present invention should have the ordinary meaning as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Words like "connected" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "Down", "Left", "Right", etc. are only used to represent the relative positional relationship, and when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship also changes accordingly.

The above are the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those skilled in the art, without departing from the principles of the present invention, several improvements and modifications can be made. It should be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (5)

1. A transfer apparatus, characterized by comprising:

a carrier substrate;

the transfer printing heads are arranged in an array mode and used for grabbing target devices to be transferred and transferring the target devices to be transferred to a target substrate;

the plurality of transfer heads are arranged in at least one row;

the transfer apparatus further includes:

at least one transfer printing track arranged on the bearing substrate, wherein each row of transfer printing heads is arranged on one transfer printing track and can move along the corresponding transfer printing track;

the extension direction of the orbital transfer is perpendicular to that of the transfer printing track, and the transfer printing track is movably arranged on the orbital transfer;

the electrical test heads are arranged at two ends of each transfer printing track or on the track transfer tracks and are used for communicating an electrical test tool outside the transfer printing equipment with the test points on the target substrate;

the optical sensors are arranged on the transfer printing heads and correspond to the transfer printing heads one by one;

and the processor is connected with the optical sensor and used for determining the position of a bad target device according to the sensing signal transmitted by the optical sensor, wherein the sensing signal is used for representing the brightness information of the target device.

2. The transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

the repair heads are arranged on the bearing substrate in an array mode and used for repairing bad target devices transferred to the target substrate.

3. The transfer apparatus according to claim 2,

the plurality of repair heads are arranged in at least one row;

the transfer apparatus further includes:

at least one repair track is arranged on the orbital transfer track, each row of repair heads is arranged on one repair track, and the repair heads can move along the corresponding repair tracks.

4. A transfer method applied to the transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the transfer method comprising:

grabbing a plurality of target devices to be transferred from an area for placing the target devices to be transferred;

simultaneously transferring the plurality of grabbed target devices to be transferred to a target substrate;

after the plurality of grabbed target devices to be transferred are transferred to the target substrate at the same time, the method further comprises the following steps:

communicating an external electrical test tool with the test point on the target substrate through an electrical test head;

energizing, by the electrical test tool, a target device transferred to the target substrate to determine whether the target device is defective.

5. The transfer method according to claim 4, applied to the transfer apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising, after simultaneously transferring the plurality of target devices to be transferred that are grasped to the target substrate:

moving the repairing head to a position corresponding to the bad target device;

removing the bad target device by using the repairing head;

and grabbing a target device to be supplemented by adopting the repairing head, and transferring the target device to the position of the bad target device.

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