CN117716482A - Device for coating a substrate with corners - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for coating a substrate (2) having corners, comprising a coating head (3.1, 3.2) and a displacement device (5), wherein the coating head (3.1, 3.2) can be guided along a longitudinal edge (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) of the substrate (2) in a working path.

Description

Device for coating a substrate with corners

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for said device.

Background

Such devices are known and commonly used in a variety of forms and designs. An apparatus for removing a coating from a substrate is disclosed, for example, in DE 102012,330a 1.

Substrates, such as, for example, wafers or circuit boards, are coated for different applications or processing steps. Such a coating is usually realized over the entire surface of the substrate. However, for certain applications, the edge regions of the substrate must be uncoated. It is often very complex to apply the coating to the substrate only locally and nevertheless very uniformly. The substrate is therefore usually completely coated and then removed again in a predetermined edge region.

Removal of the coating is simpler for round substrates. The nozzle is preferably aligned at a defined distance to the edge region to be removed and the coating is then removed by means of a solvent applied by means of the nozzle, while the substrate is rotated under the nozzle. This can be done even when there is a high demand for speed in removing the coating.

However, for angular substrates, such as, for example, rectangular, square or triangular substrates, it is in this way virtually impossible to remove the coating at high speeds.

Furthermore, the coating can be formed from different layers on the substrate, which layers have different solubilities or can even be removed only by etching. Removal of these different layers cannot be easily achieved with only one nozzle.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome said drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, an apparatus should be provided with which substrates of arbitrary shape can be rapidly de-coated. Here, in addition to saving time, it should also be achieved that the quality of the coating removed remains at least the same. It is provided here that the substrate should be able to be uncoated in less than one minute and that at the same time different layers of paint and/or metal on the upper and/or lower side of the substrate should be able to be removed.

The object is achieved according to the features of claim 1 and claim 10.

The device and the method according to the invention for coating a substrate to be angular are used for removing so-called photoresist and/or metal from a substrate in the photovoltaic field or in the field of computer chip manufacturing. The apparatus and method are not limited to only these two fields, but are specifically designed for both fields. If removal of the coating of the substrate is discussed, this also refers to removal of the coating on the upper and/or lower side of the substrate. The expression "removing the coating" here includes removing the paint layer and other references to removing the layer or paint or metal or the like.

Here, a so-called decoating head is used, which has corresponding nozzles. The applied photoresist and/or the applied metal, which must be removed in the edge region of the substrate in order to be able to carry out further processing, is usually applied in liquid form or, in the case of metals, galvanically or vapor-deposited onto the carrier plate and forms a solid surface after the drying process. The solvent medium and/or etching medium used in the decoating head is generally adapted to the coating to be removed.

The apparatus according to the invention for coating removal is necessary in particular for coating substrates with corners and wafers (Flats) which are not completely round. Such a substrate may for example have dimensions of up to 2000mm by 2000 mm. Other dimensions are also contemplated. However, a round base body can of course also be used in the present invention. At this point, the apparatus has a decoating head and a moving device. As angular matrix is meant a matrix which is not round. For example, angular substrates are also known, i.e. substantially angular substrates with rounded corners.

The decoating head has a nozzle through which a solvent medium and/or an etching medium is applied to the substrate in the operating position. The corresponding medium is used for removing paint or metal, i.e. a coating, located on the substrate. In particular, the paint and/or metal should be removed uniformly from the edge regions of the angular base body.

Particularly preferably, the solvent medium and/or the etching medium should be delivered in a straight line or in a beam. By using a nozzle, the advantage is achieved that the width of the area to be removed can be determined in such a way that the nozzle is guided to a certain extent towards or away from the edge of the substrate. Preferably, the range of +/-20 μm should be removed from the edge. It is furthermore advantageous that the coating can be removed without damaging the substrate. It is furthermore advantageous that the coating can be removed completely by a suitable choice of the solvent medium and/or of the etching medium and the pressure of the beam.

In a common embodiment, the nozzle is adapted to output a media beam such that the media beam is directed in a nitrogen stream until the coating to be removed is hit. This achieves the advantage that the medium beam is very stable and the micro-splash liquid is guided out. Thereby further allowing for the removal of one area of the substrate coating to be refined.

The de-coating head can be guided in the working rail along one longitudinal edge of the base body. By "guidable" is meant in this case that the decoating head is capable of reciprocating in a first direction.

In the current state of the art, the coating removal head is arranged stationary and holds the generally circular substrate rotationally below and/or above the coating removal head, so that the edge region of the substrate can be coated. This is not suitable for coating the angular substrate, since only the corner regions, but not the longitudinal edges of the substrate, are coated.

Furthermore, a displacement device is provided, which is connected to the coating removal head in an alternative circuit. In this case, the coating-removing head is either guided in operation or the base body is rotated by the displacement device in such a way that the other longitudinal base body edge of the base body is operatively connected to the operating rail of the coating-removing head.

It can be provided that the displacement means are also activated between the reciprocating movements of the decoating head. The longitudinal edges of the first substrate are thus uncoated during the forward movement. Once the moving device has placed the longitudinal edge of the further substrate in operative connection with the working rail of the decoating head, the return movement of the decoating head can be used for decoating the longitudinal edge of the further substrate. However, depending on the particular paint and/or metal, the reciprocating movement of the decoating head may also be accomplished before the moving means places the other longitudinal edge of the substrate in operative connection with the working rail.

In order to achieve a further increase in efficiency, it is conceivable to provide a further working rail with a further coating removal head in the apparatus. Advantageously, a further increase in efficiency can be achieved.

It is also advantageous if the decoating head and the further decoating head are operated simultaneously. In this way, the opposite longitudinal edges of the substrate can each be acted on simultaneously in the same way, which generally simplifies the stabilization of the substrate and reduces the time for orienting the substrate by half.

It can additionally be provided that the decoating head and the further decoating head can be guided in the same direction or in opposite directions. By "co-directional" is meant here that the two decoating heads perform the same reciprocating motion in parallel. By "reverse" is meant that the decoating head performs a forward motion and the other decoating head performs a reverse motion. Advantageously, this structure can be arranged in the device in a space-saving manner. In the reverse operation of the decoating heads, there is less risk that the supply lines of the two decoating heads interfere with each other in a too narrow housing of the apparatus.

Furthermore, a cantilever may be provided on the device. The cantilever is designed in such a way that there is a gas extrusion structure. The gas extrusion structure is arranged as an air outlet or air outlet nozzle. In the operating position, the cantilever arms are slid on the base body along the base body to be coated on the other side of the corresponding coating-removing head. For thin substrates, deformation of the substrate may occur if stabilization is not achieved by the cantilever on the other side. For this purpose, the cantilever has a gas extrusion structure. The gas extrusion structure forms a stabilizing gas stream. Finally, the gas extrusion is a gas outlet which is arranged in the cantilever and is arranged here to rush and thereby stabilize the substrate on the other side of the decoating head.

By "thin" it is meant that the substrate may have a thickness of less than 1 mm. Of course, the invention is not limited to this, as a substrate having a thickness of a few millimeters may also be provided.

Furthermore, more than one nozzle may be installed in each decoating head. In this way, a reduction in the working time for coating the substrate can advantageously be achieved. Furthermore, different solvent media, etching media, water and/or gases or gas mixtures, which can be dissolved differently, water-washed or possibly also dried, can be output via different nozzles.

The possibility is also contemplated here of using different nozzles with different solvent media and/or etching media in the forward and/or return movement of the coating head. It is thus conceivable, for example, that in the forward movement of one coating head, the first nozzle is caused to output a first solvent medium/etching medium, in the backward movement the other nozzle can output a further solvent medium/etching medium, and in the further forward movement of the coating head the third nozzle can output a third solvent medium/etching medium, and so on. It is of course also conceivable that all nozzles can deliver different solvent/etching media only in the forward and/or backward movement of the coating head, although this would seem to be of poor utility.

In a common embodiment, the device furthermore comprises aspiration means. This gives the advantage that the solvent medium and/or etching medium which is ejected from the substrate does not enter the environment or the area surrounding the treatment but is sucked away, possibly to be treated and in some cases reused. Another advantage of the suction device is that the coating removed from the substrate can be sucked away and that said removed coating does not enter the area surrounding the treatment. The suction device is preferably provided with a cover for this purpose. The cover thus serves as an additional protection against the solvent medium and/or etching medium and/or dissolved coating from splashing around.

Furthermore, a sensor monitoring device is provided. The sensor monitoring device is used for monitoring the quality assurance of the machining process.

A method according to the invention for coating a substrate with corners is additionally claimed. Here, too, a coating removal head and a displacement device are used, which guide the coating removal head in the working rail along the longitudinal edge of the substrate and then bring the other longitudinal edge of the substrate into operative connection with the working rail of the coating removal head. For this purpose, the decoating head and the displacement device have an alternative circuit. This means that either the de-coating head or the moving device is operated. This is not to be excluded, the decoating head being decoated during the forward movement. Next, the moving device can bring the other substrate longitudinal side of the substrate into the working track of the de-coating head by rotating the substrate by 90 degrees. The longitudinal edges of the other substrate are then subsequently uncoated again in a return movement. In this way, for example, a further increase in efficiency can be achieved.

In the method according to the invention, a further coating-removing head can also be used, which simultaneously machines and removes the coating from the further longitudinal edge of the substrate on a further working track. It is advantageous here if the decoating head and the further decoating head are operated simultaneously. Here, the decoating head moves on its working rail, and the other decoating head moves on its own further working rail.

Furthermore, the decoating head and the further decoating head are guided in the same direction or in opposite directions. By "co-directional" is meant that the decoating head and the other decoating head move parallel side by side in one direction. By "reverse" is meant here that the decoating head performs, for example, a forward motion and the other decoating head simultaneously performs a return motion. "simultaneous" or "contemporaneous" is within the scope of the invention to mean that no time delay is to be involved. A time delay within an almost imperceptible time window may be considered to be simultaneous or time. The same applies when the two decoating heads travel at different speeds and arrive at the start or end of the respective working track at the same time.

It should also be possible to remove the coating of the substrate or of the edges of the substrate on the upper side of the substrate and on the lower side of the substrate in succession or simultaneously.

During the coating removal process or the working process or in the working position, the cantilever arm is moved on the other side of the substrate, said cantilever arm being connected to the respectively associated coating removal head material or being moved together as part of the device on the other side of the substrate in the working position independently of the coating removal head and always on the one hand flushing a part of the longitudinal edge of the substrate with a gas or gas mixture on the plane of the coating removal head, said part being processed by the coating removal head on the other side of the substrate. This is advantageous because in this way this region of the longitudinal edges of the substrate or of the substrate being uncoated can be stabilized.

In the present case, the use of one or two decoating heads is envisaged and described. It is also within the scope of the invention that more than two decoating heads may be provided. Thus, for example, three or four coating heads can be provided, or for substrates having more than four longitudinal edges of the substrate, more than four coating heads can be provided. The decoating heads are only required to be switched on and off in such a way that they do not interfere with one another during their reciprocating movement.

Furthermore, the use of the invention should be able in particular to edge-decoating quadrangular substrates with ABF coatings (Ajinomoto Build-up films) or other resin-based coatings. For this purpose, for example, a quadrangular matrix with ABF coating is provided. Such a substrate is glued with a plastic film (for ABF, said plastic film is made of PET) so that the plastic film covers almost the whole coating. Outside the plastic film, there is usually an edge of a few millimeters that remains exposed and uncovered by the plastic film. By applying a plastic film to the areas coated with ABF, for example, some ABF is pressed slightly outwards and thereby squeezed out from under the plastic film. These excess coating materials are removed.

The following method steps are used to remove the residual coating on the edges:

soaking the coating by applying a solvent (mek= Methyl Ethyl Ketone: butanone for ABF for example) at a lower pressure,

after the soaking phase, the dissolved but tacky coating material can be removed by a high-pressure beam realized with a fan nozzle, so that only the coating underneath the plastic film remains.

In this method, low-pressure and high-pressure nozzles are combined in one nozzle head. In the first step, only the low pressure nozzle is opened and the solvent for dissolution is applied. After a waiting time of about 15 seconds (in the case of ABF), the coating is then removed in a second process by means of a high-pressure fan nozzle. The time of action can be varied depending on the coating material and the layer thickness. In this method, it may occur that the substrate is simultaneously de-coated above and below.

Drawings

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the drawings; wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of an apparatus for coating a substrate with corners; and

fig. 2 shows a schematic side view of the device according to fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 and 2 show a device 1 for coating a substrate 2 with corners. The de-coating comprises removing a coating, in particular a photoresist and/or a metal, from the surface of the substrate 2 and in the present case in particular from the edge region 12 of the substrate 2.

Examples of possible substrates are square wafers, rectangular wafers, polygonal wafers, thin-layer plates, circuit boards or the like.

The device 1 in the present case has two coating removal heads 3.1 and 3.2, which can be guided along the longitudinal edges 4.1 or 4.2 of the substrate in a working path along the arrows 10 and 11, respectively. That is, the decoating heads 3.1 and 3.2 are movable in the X and Y directions along arrows 10 and 11. However, the movability of the decoating heads 3.1 and 3.2 in the Z direction can also be set. In this way, the distance between the decoating head 3.1 or 3.2 and the substrate 2 can be adjusted, but the distance between the decoating head 3.1 or 3.2 and the respective longitudinal edge 4.1 or 4.2 of the substrate can also be adjusted. The adjustability or movability of the decoating heads 3.1 and 3.2 is achieved by means of an adjusting device which is not shown in detail.

The device 1 further has a moving device 5 for holding, positioning and/or orienting the base body 2. The mobile device 5 is shown in fig. 1 with a broken line. The displacement device enables the base body 2 to be rotated 90 degrees in the direction of the arrow 6 in the present case, whereby the other longitudinal base body edge 4.3 or 4.4 of the base body 2 can be brought into operative connection with the working rail of the coating-removal head 3.1 or 3.2.

The decoating heads 3.1 or 3.2 and the moving device 5 have alternative circuits which are not shown in detail. This circuit enables either the de-coating heads 3.1 and 3.2 to be guided along the longitudinal edges 4.1 or 4.2 or 4.3 or 4.4 of the substrate in its working track or the substrate 2 to be rotated by the moving device 5. Whereby the individual elements do not interfere.

Furthermore, the two decoating heads 3.1 and 3.2 act in preferably opposite directions. It is within the scope of the invention to include movement of the two decoating heads 3.1 and 3.2 in the same direction. However, this can only be achieved if the substrate 2 is sufficiently large, so that a sufficient position is left for the respective decoating heads 3.1 or 3.2 along the respective longitudinal edges of the substrate.

The device 1 further has a cantilever arm 7, which cantilever arm 7 is arranged in the operating position on the side of the base body 2 opposite the coating-removing heads 3.1 and 3.2, respectively. The cantilever 7 is provided with a gas extrusion 8 for the substrate 2. Through the gas extrusion structure, a stabilizing gas flow is output in the direction of the substrate 2. Since the base body 2 can be generally very thin (possibly less than 1 mm), sagging or sagging can occur during processing when the base body has a large area. Thus, the area to be de-coated may have irregularities. In order to prevent this, a stabilizing gas flow is output in the direction of the base body 2 via the gas extrusion 8. The substrate 2 can thus be uniformly de-coated by the gas extrusion 8 by flushing the substrate 2 with a stabilizing air stream on the other side of the de-coating head 3.1 or 3.2 and thereby stabilizing and leveling it.

For the purpose of coating removal, each of the coating removal heads 3.1 and 3.2 has more than one nozzle 9, preferably five to nine nozzles 9.

Furthermore, the device 1 has a sensor monitoring device, not shown in detail, preferably for quality assurance.

The functional manner of the device according to the invention is explained below with reference to fig. 1 and 2:

the substrate 2 to be de-coated is placed on the moving device 5 and held by suction cups, not shown in detail. The two coating removal heads 3.1 and 3.2 are positioned on two opposite longitudinal sides 4.1 and 4.2 of the substrate at a predetermined distance from the longitudinal sides 4.1 or 4.2 of the substrate and are positioned such that they are arranged diagonally with respect to one another on the one hand. On the other hand, the nozzles 9 of the coating removal heads 3.1 and 3.2 are arranged at a predetermined distance from the surface of the substrate 2 and in particular from the region of the substrate 2 to be coated.

At the same time, the cantilever arm 7 with the gas extrusion 8 is positioned at a small distance below the substrate or on the side of the substrate 2 opposite the decoating heads 3.1 or 3.2. This is done in such a way that the stabilizing air flow from the gas extrusion 8 can flow directly onto the areas to be stabilized on opposite sides of the edge area 12 of the substrate 2. Air can flow particularly rapidly through the small gap between the gas extrusion 8 and the substrate 2. The static pressure between the two elements drops. Thereby, a smaller pressure acts on the lower side of the base body 2 than on the upper side. Thus, the base body 2 is pressed downward due to the greater ambient pressure on the upper side.

If the positioning of the substrate 2 on the displacement device 5 and of the coating-removing heads 3.1 and 3.2 on the longitudinal edges 4.1 and 4.2 of the substrate is completed, the coating-removing heads 3.1 and 3.2 are displaced along the longitudinal edges 4.1 and 4.2 of the substrate in their working track and in the present case in the opposite direction, that is to say in the direction of the distal end of the respective longitudinal edge 4.1 or 4.2 of the substrate, respectively, as shown in fig. 1.

When the coating removal heads 3.1 and 3.2 are guided in their running path along the longitudinal edges 4.1 and 4.2 of the substrate, the cantilever arms 7 are also guided uniformly under the substrate 2 together with the gas extrusion 8 in order to guide the flow onto the substrate 2, whereby the substrate can be kept flat uniformly during the coating removal process. If the substrate 2 is tilted or arched, the coating may not be removed uniformly and in the desired areas. Furthermore, the domed substrate may present problems in that in some cases too much or too little material may be removed. That is to say that the smoothing of the substrate 2 is achieved at the same time as the stripping heads 3.1 and 3.2 are moved along the longitudinal edges 4.1 and 4.2 of the substrate and thus the stripping takes place.

Furthermore, one or more solvent media and/or etching media are sprayed via the spray nozzles 9 while the decoating heads 3.1 or 3.2 are moved in the working track along the longitudinal edges 4.1 and 4.2 of the substrate, depending on the structure of the coating on the substrate surface. The nozzle 9 is connected to a medium pump, not shown in detail, and to a solvent or etching medium reservoir, not shown in detail, for this purpose. The medium pump is preferably adapted to output the solvent medium and/or the etching medium at a (lower) pressure. At the same time, the solvent medium and/or the etching medium can be output preferably linearly or also in a beam-like manner. For this purpose, the nozzle 9 is preferably connected to a pressurized air source or a nitrogen source, which are not shown in detail. In order to be able to deliver the solvent medium and/or the etching medium and the pressurized air/nitrogen jet, the nozzle 9 can have two delivery pipes which are not shown in detail and are distributed in a mutually nested manner. The solvent medium and/or etching medium is preferably output from the inner tube in a straight line or beam-like manner and under pressure. A pressurized air/nitrogen jet is then output from the outer tube. At this point, the coating is dissolved and removed along the longitudinal edges 4.1 and 4.2 of the substrate in this way.

Suitable solvents, etching media or small abrasive particles can be used as solvent media.

The coating and/or also the solvent medium and/or the etching medium itself, which are removed by means of the solvent medium and/or the etching medium, must be removed from the substrate 2 in such a way that the substrate is not damaged. For this purpose, an aspiration device 13 is provided with a housing, not shown in detail, which is connected to a low-pressure source, not shown in detail, via a line, not shown in detail. The housing serves as an additional protection against the solvent medium and/or etching medium which is sprayed around.

When the decoating heads 3.1 or 3.2 reach the respective distal ends of the longitudinal edges 4.1 or 4.2 of the substrate and the decoating process ends for said longitudinal edges 4.1 and 4.2 of the substrate, the decoating heads 3.1 and 3.2 are moved back to their initial starting positions in the working track. The displacement device 5 then rotates the base body 2 by 90 degrees and brings the further longitudinal base body edges 4.3 and 4.4 of the base body 2 into operative connection with the further working track of the further coating-removing head, and the above-described procedure is repeated. Due to the alternative circuit, either the decoating heads 3.1 and 3.2 or the moving device 5 are operated. The above-listed steps are repeated until all desired edges and/or sides of the substrate 2 have been processed or at least have been suitably de-coated.

Although only one preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, numerous modifications can be added by those skilled in the art without departing from the core and scope of the invention.

List of reference numerals

1. Apparatus and method for controlling the operation of a device

2. Matrix body

3. Coating removing head

4. Longitudinal edge of substrate

5. Mobile device

6. Arrows

7. Cantilever arm

8. Gas extrusion structure

9. Nozzle

10. Arrows

11. Arrows

12. Edge region

13. And an aspiration device.

Claims (14)

1. Device for coating a substrate (2) with corners, said device comprising a coating head (3.1, 3.2) and a displacement device (5), characterized in that the coating head (3.1, 3.2) can be guided in a working path along one longitudinal substrate edge (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) of the substrate (2).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the moving means (5) place the other substrate longitudinal edge (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) of the substrate (2) in operative connection with the working track of the decoating head (3.1, 3.2), the decoating head (3.1, 3.2) and the moving means (5) having alternative loops.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a further working track with a further decoating head (3.1, 3.2) is provided.

4. A device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the decoating heads (3.1, 3.2) and the further decoating heads (3.1, 3.2) can be guided in the same direction or in opposite directions.

5. The apparatus according to at least one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a cantilever (7) is provided and that the cantilever (7) has a gas extrusion structure (8).

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the cantilever (7) is arranged in the operating position on the side of the base body (2) opposite the decoating head (3.1, 3.2).

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the cantilever (7) has a gas extrusion structure (8) for stabilizing the air flow, the gas extrusion structure (8) being arranged to direct a flow over the substrate (2) at the other side of the decoating head (3.1, 3.2).

8. The apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that each de-coating head (3.1, 3.2) has more than one nozzle (9).

9. The apparatus according to at least one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a sensor monitoring device is provided.

10. Method for coating a substrate (2) with corners using a coating removal head (3.1, 3.2) and a displacement device (5), characterized in that the coating removal head (3.1, 3.2) is displaced in a working path along one longitudinal substrate edge (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) of the substrate (2).

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the moving device (5) places the further longitudinal substrate edges (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) of the substrate (2) in operative connection with the working track of the decoating heads (3.1, 3.2), the decoating heads (3.1, 3.2) and the moving device (5) being connected by a two-way loop.

12. Method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the further longitudinal edges (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) of the substrate (2) are operatively connected to further running tracks of further decoating heads (3.1, 3.2).

13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the decoating heads (3.1, 3.2) and the further decoating heads (3.1, 3.2) are guided in the same direction or in opposite directions.

14. Method according to at least one of the claims 10 to 13, characterized in that a stabilizing air stream of the gas extrusion structure (8) of the cantilever (7) is caused to flow onto the substrate (2) on the other side of the decoating head (3.1, 3.2) and stabilizes the substrate.