Mask cleaning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10857574-B2
Application number	US-201815991305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2018
Priority date	May 30, 2017
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A mask cleaning apparatus includes: a mask holding unit configured to hold a mask; a light source unit configured to irradiate light onto the mask to remove a deposition material accumulated on a surface of the mask; and a material collecting unit configured to collect the deposition material removed from the mask, wherein the material collecting unit includes: a plurality of collecting cases corresponding to kinds of the deposition material; a rotating plate having a suction hole; and a plate driving unit configured to rotate the rotating plate to connect the suction hole to at least one of the collecting cases. Based on the irradiated light, different organic deposition materials may be collected for reuse.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mask cleaning apparatus, comprising:
a mask holding unit configured to hold a mask;
a light source unit configured to irradiate light onto the mask to remove a deposition material accumulated on a surface of the mask; and
a material collecting unit configured to collect the deposition material removed from the mask,
wherein the material collecting unit further comprises:
a plurality of collecting cases corresponding to kinds of the deposition material;
a rotating plate comprising a suction hole; and
a plate driving unit configured to rotate the rotating plate to connect the suction hole to at least one of the plurality of collecting cases.

2. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light source unit and the material collecting unit are integrally combined with each other.

3. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the rotating plate is coupled to one surface of the light source unit that faces the mask, and further comprises an aperture that allows light generated from the light source unit to be transmitted therethrough.

4. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising plurality of suction holes, and the plurality of suction holes are symmetrically located on the rotating plate around the aperture.

5. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plate driving unit rotates the rotating plate to connect the suction hole to any one of the plurality of collecting cases corresponding to a kind of the deposition material previously recognized through an identification code of the mask.

6. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material collecting unit further comprises a plurality of collecting lines that connect the suction hole to the plurality of collecting cases.

7. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material collecting unit further comprises a suction unit that sucks an ambient gas through the suction hole.

8. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light source unit further comprises first light source units that irradiate infrared light and second light source units that irradiate ultraviolet light.

9. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first light source units are located at outer sides, and the second light source units are located at a central portion.

10. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first light source units and the second light source units are alternately arranged.

11. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising beam field control plates disposed between the first light source units and the second light source units, to distinguish an irradiation area of the infrared light from an irradiation area of the ultraviolet light.

12. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the mask further comprises a mask frame and a mask sheet supported by the mask frame,
wherein angles of the beam field control plates are controlled such that the infrared light is irradiated onto first areas corresponding to the mask frame and the ultraviolet light is irradiated onto a second area corresponding to the mask sheet.

13. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a clamping unit configured to clamp the mask and change a position of the mask.

14. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the clamping unit vertically aligns the mask to face the light source unit.

15. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the clamping unit performs a scanning operation to reciprocate such that light from the light source unit is uniformly irradiated onto a surface of the mask when the mask is aligned vertically.

16. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an air blowing unit configured to blow a deposition material removed from the mask in a direction of the suction hole.

17. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling plate disposed on a rear surface of the mask, which is opposed to the light source unit.

18. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the cooling plate further comprises:
a glass substrate in contact with the rear surface of the mask;
a glass tray configured to support the glass substrate;
a glass chuck configured to fix the glass tray; and
a glass cleaner configured to clean the glass substrate.

19. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deposition material further comprises at least one of a plurality of organic materials used in manufacturing of an organic light emitting display device.

20. The mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light source unit comprises a laser.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Myung Kyu
• Chung Kyung Hoon

Classifications

• G03F7/70925

  Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning · CPC title

• B08B15/04

  from a small area, e.g. a tool {(removing chips B23Q11/0042)} · CPC title

• H10K71/311 Primary

  Purifying organic semiconductor materials · CPC title

• B08B7/0057

  by ultraviolet radiation · CPC title

• B08B7/0042 Primary

  by laser · CPC title