Apparatus for manufacturing flat-panel display

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a flat panel display (FPD) manufacturing apparatus for performing a desired process for a substrate positioned in a chamber after establishing a vacuum atmosphere in the chamber. The vacuum chamber is divided into a chamber body and an upper cover to ensure easy opening/closing operations of the upper cover.

1 . A flat panel display (FPD) manufacturing apparatus comprising: 
 a vacuum chamber including a chamber body and an upper cover located at an upper side of the chamber body to face the chamber body, the upper cover being spaced apart from the chamber body by a predetermined distance;    sealing means separably coupled to the upper cover to seal rims of the chamber body and the upper cover; and    one or more processor units arranged in the vacuum chamber to perform a desired process for an object loaded in the vacuum chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the chamber body is provided with a lower flange, which extends along an upper end surface of the chamber body to protrude outward from the chamber;    the upper cover is provided with an upper flange, which extends along a lower end surface of the upper cover to protrude outward from the chamber; and    the sealing means is provided with upper and lower contact regions, which come into close contact with the upper and lower flanges, respectively, whereby the sealing means comes into close contact with both the upper and lower flanges to hermetically seal the vacuum chamber.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the upper or lower contact region is inclined, and the upper or lower flange is inclined to correspond to the upper or lower contact region.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the upper or lower contact region is provided with at least one sealing subsidiary which is made of a flexible material, to assist the sealing of the vacuum chamber.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the sealing means is further provided with a plurality of vertical drive units, which are coupled to the sealing means to vertically move the sealing means.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein each of the vertical drive units includes: 
 a cylinder rod coupled to the bottom of the sealing means to move the sealing means in a vertical direction; and    a cylinder coupled to a lower end of the cylinder rod to drive the cylinder rod.    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising: 
 fastening means provided at corresponding locations of opposite lateral surfaces of the upper cover for the fastening of an upper cover opening/closing device, which is independent of the FPD manufacturing apparatus and is used to open the upper cover.    
   
   
       8 . An FPD manufacturing apparatus comprising: 
 a vacuum chamber including a chamber body and an upper cover located at an upper side of the chamber body to face the chamber body, the upper cover being spaced apart from the chamber body by a predetermined distance;    sealing means separably coupled to the upper cover to seal rims of the chamber body and the upper cover;    a pair of rotating units coupled to corresponding positions of opposite lateral surfaces of the upper cover and adapted to rotate the upper cover;    a pair of horizontal drive units coupled to the rotating units, respectively, and adapted to support the upper cover coupled to the rotating units and to horizontally move the upper cover;    track units coupled to the horizontal drive units, respectively, to provide a movement path of the horizontal drive units; and    one or more processor units provided in the vacuum chamber to perform a desired process for an object loaded in the vacuum chamber.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the chamber body is provided with a lower flange, which extends along an upper end surface of the chamber body to protrude outward from the chamber;    the upper cover is provided with an upper flange, which extends along a lower end surface of the upper cover to protrude outward from the chamber; and    the sealing means is provided with upper and lower contact regions, which come into close contact with the upper and lower flanges, respectively, whereby the sealing means comes into close contact with both the upper and lower flanges to hermetically seal the vacuum chamber.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the upper or lower contact region is inclined, and the upper or lower flange is inclined to correspond to the upper or lower contact region.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the upper or lower contact region is provided with at least one sealing subsidiary which is made of a flexible material, to assist the sealing of the vacuum chamber.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the sealing means is provided with a plurality of vertical drive units, which are coupled to the sealing means to vertically move the sealing means.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein each of the vertical drive units includes: 
 a cylinder rod coupled to the bottom of the sealing means to move the sealing means in a vertical direction; and    a cylinder coupled to a lower end of the cylinder rod to drive the cylinder rod.    
   
   
       14 . An FPD manufacturing apparatus for performing a desired process for a substrate loaded into a chamber under a vacuum atmosphere, wherein: 
 the chamber includes: a lower chamber; and an upper chamber disposed on the lower chamber to be opened away from or closed to the lower chamber, coupling surfaces of the lower and upper chambers being inclined downwardly in a movement direction of the upper chamber;    and further comprising:    a pair of horizontal drive units to support the upper chamber in a horizontally movable manner; and    a pair of rotating units to rotatably support the upper chamber.    
   
   
       15 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the coupling surfaces of the lower and upper chambers is formed with a sealing member arrangement recess, and a sealing member is interposed between the lower and upper chambers.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein a sealing member drive unit is further provided in the sealing member arrangement recess to vertically move the sealing member.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the sealing member drive unit is located in a lower region of the sealing member arrangement recess so that it comes into contact with a bottom surface of the sealing member to pneumatically drive the sealing member.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the sealing member has an air passage so that air is injected into the air passage to pneumatically expand or constrict the sealing member.  
   
   
       19 . An upper cover opening/closing device for use in an FPD manufacturing apparatus that performs a desired process for a substrate loaded into a vacuum chamber, comprising: 
 a cover loading unit to support and rotate an upper cover separated from the vacuum chamber; and    a track unit to provide a movement path for moving the cover loading unit to a location close to the vacuum chamber, wherein a movable block is provided at a portion of the cover loading unit to be coupled with the track unit, to allow the cover loading unit to move along the track unit in a state of being seated on the track unit.    
   
   
       20 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the track unit includes: 
 main tracks arranged parallel to an arrangement direction of a plurality of vacuum chambers; and    auxiliary tracks arranged perpendicular to the main tracks to define a movement path toward a respective one of the vacuum chambers.    
   
   
       21 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein the track unit has a male cross section ( ), and the movable block to be seated on the track unit has a female cross section ( ).  
   
   
       22 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein the track unit has a female cross section ( ), and the movable block to be seated on the track unit has a male cross section ( ).  
   
   
       23 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 21  or  22 , wherein stoppers are provided at predetermined locations around intersections of the track unit, to restrict the movement position of the cover loading unit on the track unit.  
   
   
       24 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein friction reducing means are provided at a contact surface of the movable block of the cover loading unit in contact with the track unit, to reduce a frictional resistance caused upon movement of the cover loading unit.  
   
   
       25 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein the friction reducing means are rigid balls.  
   
   
       26 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 drive means to provide a drive force required to longitudinally or transversely move the cover loading unit on the track unit.    
   
   
       27 . An upper cover opening/closing device for opening/closing an upper cover provided on a vacuum chamber of an FPD manufacturing apparatus that performs a desired process for a substrate loaded into the vacuum chamber, comprising: 
 a linkage independent of the upper cover, the linkage being coupled to the upper cover to pivotally rotate the upper cover along a parabolic orbit, to be opened away from or closed to the vacuum chamber.    
   
   
       28 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein the linkage includes: 
 a plate shaped base;    a drive shaft located parallel to an upper surface of the base while being supported at both ends thereof by the base, to rotate by a predetermined angle;    a pair of drive links fixedly coupled to the ends of the drive shaft, respectively, to rotate by a predetermined angle along with the drive shaft;    a pair of follower links arranged parallel to the drive links on a side of the drive links opposite to the vacuum chamber, to rotate by the same angle as that of the drive links;    a pair of connection links to hinge upper ends of the drive links and the follower links, to pivotally rotate the upper cover while supporting opposite sides of the upper cover at lateral surfaces thereof facing the opposite sides of the upper cover; and    drive means having one end supported by a center location of the drive shaft and the other end rotatably supported by a center location of an end of the base opposite to the vacuum chamber, to rotate the drive shaft.    
   
   
       29 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 28 , wherein each of the drive links includes a fixed link and a movable link, so that the movable link is extended from or retracted into the fixed link.  
   
   
       30 . The opening/closing device as set forth in  claim 29 , wherein: the upper cover is provided at opposite sides thereof with protrusions; and 
 the connection links are provided, at the lateral surfaces thereof facing the opposite sides of the upper cover, with rotation drive units, respectively, to provide a drive force required to rotate the upper cover by a predetermined angle, the rotation drive unit being supported by an associated one of the protrusions.    
   
   
       31 . An FPD manufacturing apparatus for performing a desired process for a substrate loaded into a chamber under a vacuum atmosphere comprising: 
 a transfer chamber provided therein with a transfer robot to load or unload a substrate to or from a load lock chamber or processing chamber, a separable upper cover being provided on an upper end of the transfer chamber to move the transfer robot to an external station; and    a pair of horizontal drive units provided at opposite sides of the transfer chamber to support the upper cover in a horizontally movable manner.    
   
   
       32 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 31 , wherein at least one of coupling surfaces of the upper cover and the transfer chamber is formed with an air-tightness member arrangement recess, so that an air-tightness member is inserted into the air-tightness member arrangement recess.  
   
   
       33 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 31 , wherein each of the horizontal drive units includes: 
 a longitudinally extending horizontal guide; and    a supporting unit seated on an upper surface of the horizontal guide to horizontally slide in rolling contact with the horizontal guide.    
   
   
       34 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 a vertical drive unit provided in the supporting unit to lift the upper cover to a predetermined position.    
   
   
       35 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 33 , wherein the horizontal guide is foldable upward or outward about a middle location thereof.