JP2001000927A - Treatment apparatus using treatment liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a support member which immerses/holds an object to be treated in a treatment liquid to be able to ascend/descend without being in contact with the inside of a treatment liquid tank without being deformed by a load. SOLUTION: A treatment apparatus is composed of a treatment liquid tank 2 for storing the treatment liquid 1, a support member 3 for immersing/holding an object 9 to be treated in the liquid 1, and an ascent/descent driving device 7. A pressurized fluid ejection opening member 15 is formed in the support member 3, and the pressurized fluid is ejected toward the tank 2 to form a mechanism in which the support member 3 is brought up/down while being floated from the tank 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for oscillating an object to be processed in a processing liquid and performing some processing on the object, for example, a cleaning apparatus for a glass substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A cleaning apparatus for a glass substrate used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display or the like will be described below as an example. In a conventional cleaning apparatus, cleaning is performed by immersing a glass substrate in a cleaning liquid tank filled with a cleaning liquid. Here, in order to improve the cleaning efficiency, a method of circulating the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank or swinging the glass substrate in the cleaning liquid is generally adopted.

[0003] The simplest mechanism for swinging the glass substrate is to provide a lifting drive directly above the cleaning liquid tank. However, in this arrangement, when the lifting drive is operated, dust generated from the drive may fall into the cleaning liquid tank and contaminate the cleaning liquid. Therefore,
A structure is often used in which the elevation driving device is provided adjacent to the cleaning liquid tank, and the glass substrate is immersed and held in the cleaning liquid by a support member connected to the elevation driving device.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a conventional cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus comprises a cleaning liquid tank 2 for storing a cleaning liquid 1, a support member 3 for immersing and holding a glass substrate 9 in the cleaning liquid 1, and a lifting drive device 7 for raising and lowering the support member 3. The support member 3 and the elevation drive device 7 are connected by a joint 4, and the joint 4 moves up and down along the linear bearing 6. As a result, it is possible to obtain a stable vertical movement without any shake.

[0005] Here, about 20 glass substrates are placed in the basket 8 and washed at a time, thereby realizing high efficiency of the operation. However, since the support member 3 is provided not adjacent to the cleaning liquid tank 2 but adjacent to the cleaning liquid layer 2, the point of application of the load (the tip portion of the support member 3) supports the load ( (A connecting portion between the support member 3 and the joining portion 4). Therefore, a large moment is applied to the fulcrum. In addition, the load applied to the support member 3 is increasing with the recent increase in size of the glass substrate, and the support member 3 cannot withstand the load and may be deformed.

In order to prevent the deformation of the support member 3, the cleaning device has a structure in which a roller 21 is provided on the support member 3 and a part of the applied load is released to the inner surface of the cleaning liquid tank 2. The roller 21 is attached to the support member 3 via a roller base 23, and can rotate around a shaft 22. On the other hand, a guide rail 16 made of stainless steel is provided inside the cleaning liquid tank 2 on a surface facing the roller 21. With this mechanism, the support member 3 is auxiliary supported by the rollers 21,
It moves up and down along the guide rail 16.

[0007]

However, the problem here is lubrication between the roller 21 and the shaft 22. These rotating parts operate while immersed in the cleaning liquid 1. Therefore, rolling bearings such as ball bearings that require a lubricant (grease, lubricating oil, etc.) cannot be used. This is to prevent the lubricant from dissolving in the cleaning liquid and contaminating the cleaning liquid.

For this reason, the roller 21 provided on the support member 3 is made of 6-6 nylon resin or polyacetal resin for use in a non-lubricated state.
6-6 nylon resin has self-lubricating properties, a small coefficient of friction, and excellent wear resistance. Polyacetal resin, on the other hand, has high fatigue strength and dimensional accuracy, and is a material suitable for use when exposed to an extremely humid environment. Both resins have very good self-lubricating properties, but also cause abrasion if they continue to be used without lubrication.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing a worn state of the roller 21. As shown in FIG. When the roller 21 is continuously used in a non-lubricated state as shown in FIG.
Between the shaft 21 and the shaft 22, the hole inside the roller 21 is enlarged. As a result, the rotational movement of the roller 21 becomes unstable. On the other hand, when the roller 21 and the shaft 22 adhere to each other as shown in (b) in the drawing, the roller 21 slides on the guide rail 16 without rotating. As a result, the abrasion of the roller 21 becomes uneven and unusable. In any case, the generation of dust caused by the wear of the roller 21 cannot be prevented.
In addition, the glass substrate 9 may be contaminated.

According to the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus in which a support member for immersing and holding an object to be processed in a processing liquid can be moved up and down without being deformed by a load and in a non-contact state with respect to the inner surface of the processing liquid tank. The purpose is to provide.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a processing liquid tank for storing a processing liquid, a support member for immersing and holding an object to be processed in the processing liquid, and a lifting drive for raising and lowering the support member In a processing apparatus comprising a device, a pressurized fluid ejection port is provided in the support member, and a pressurized fluid is jetted toward an inner surface of the processing liquid tank, thereby causing the support member to be an inner surface of the processing liquid tank. It is a mechanism that moves up and down while floating from above. Conversely, a mechanism may be provided in which a pressurized fluid ejection port is provided on the inner surface of the processing liquid tank, and the pressurized fluid is ejected toward the support member. Note that the processing liquid is used as the pressurized fluid. In addition, a pressurized fluid distribution chamber is provided around the pressurized fluid ejection port and opens toward the facing surface. Further, a joint between the support member and the lifting drive device is configured to be rotatable.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As an embodiment of a processing apparatus according to the present invention, a glass substrate cleaning apparatus will be described as an example.
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of the cleaning device according to the present invention. This cleaning device includes a cleaning liquid tank 2 for storing a cleaning liquid 1,
It comprises a support member 3 for immersing and holding a glass substrate 9 in the cleaning liquid 1 and a lifting drive 7 for raising and lowering the support member 3. The support member 3 and the elevation drive device 7 are connected by a joint 4, and the joint 4 moves up and down along the linear bearing 6. As a result, it is possible to obtain a stable vertical movement without any shake.

Since the support member 3 and the joint portion 4 are connected via the shaft 5, the support member 3 can rotate around the shaft 5. Thereby, the fulcrum supporting the load (the supporting member 3 and the connecting portion 4
It is possible to prevent an excessive moment from being applied only to the connecting portion with the connection. Further, as will be described later in detail, the rotational movement of the support member 3 also has a function of keeping a constant distance between the pressurized fluid ejection member 15 (hereinafter, ejection member 15) and the guide rail 16.

In the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, as in the conventional case, about 20 glass substrates are placed in the basket 8 and cleaned at a time, thereby realizing high efficiency of the operation. In order to supplement this load, a spout member 15 is provided on the support member 3 instead of the conventional roller 21 shown in FIG. On the other hand, inside the cleaning liquid tank 2,
A guide rail 16 made of stainless steel is provided on a surface facing the jet port member 15.

The jet port member 15 jets the pressurized fluid toward the guide rail 16 to obtain a repulsive force. Utilizing this repulsive force, the support member 3 can be supplementarily supported while floating from the inner surface of the cleaning liquid tank 2, and can be moved up and down along the guide rail 16. As described above, by supporting the support member 3 in a non-contact state, it is possible to solve all the conventional problems such as lubrication between the roller and the shaft and dust generation due to wear. In addition, this spout member 15 has a smaller number of components and is easier to maintain than a conventional roller-supporting mechanism. Further, the size of the cleaning liquid tank 2 is only about one-third that of the conventional roller 21.
Can be reduced in depth. Thus, the internal volume of the cleaning liquid tank 2 can be reduced, and the amount of the cleaning liquid 1 used can be reduced.

Next, the configuration of the ejection port member 15 will be described. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view and a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of the ejection port member 15. As shown in FIG. 2A, the ejection port member 15 is provided on one surface of the support member 3 so as to face the guide rail 16. A liquid supply pipe 14 provided along the support member 3 is connected to the ejection port member 15. The pressurized cleaning liquid 1 is supplied from the liquid supply pipe 14. As described above, by using the cleaning liquid 1 as a pressurized fluid, the ejection member 1
5 also functions as a kind of liquid supply port, so that the concentration and components in the cleaning liquid tank 2 do not change. In addition,
In the present embodiment, one ejection port member 15 is provided for each of the two support members 3, and a pressurized fluid of 1 kg / cm ² is supplied to each of them.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the jet port member 15 is provided with a pressurized fluid jet port 15a (hereinafter referred to as jet port 15).
a) and a pressurized fluid distribution chamber 15b (hereinafter, distribution chamber 15b) provided around the jet port 15a. The distribution chamber 15b has a box shape opened toward the facing surface, and distributes the pressurized fluid over a predetermined area to obtain a uniform repulsive force. The arrows in the figure indicate the streamline direction of the pressurized fluid.

In the distribution chamber 15b, the jet port member 1 is provided.
There is also a function of keeping the distance between the guide rail 5 and the guide rail 16 constant. The support member 3 slightly rotates about the shaft 5 due to the repulsive force generated by the ejection of the pressurized fluid, so that the distance between the ejection port member 15 and the guide rail 16 increases. Then, as shown by the arrow in the figure, the cleaning liquid 1 inside the distribution chamber 15b flows out to the cleaning liquid tank 2, and
The pressure inside the distribution chamber 15b decreases. Therefore, the repulsive force is reduced, and the distance between the ejection port member 15 and the guide rail 16 is reduced.

In the gap where the cleaning liquid 1 flows out of the distribution chamber 15b, the flow velocity becomes larger than the surroundings, and a negative pressure is generated. This negative pressure generates a suction force between the ejection port member 15 and the guide rail 16. From the above, the interval between the ejection port member 15 and the guide rail 16 is (repulsive force due to ejection of pressurized fluid) = (load applied to the support member) + (suction force due to outflow of the cleaning liquid). It always becomes constant to converge to the equilibrium position. This makes it possible to smoothly move up and down, and the cleaning liquid tank 2
No excessive force is applied to the linear bearing 6 provided outside of the linear bearing 6, and the life of the linear bearing 6 can be extended.
In this embodiment, the shape of the distribution chamber 15b is set to 100 mm.
It has a square box shape.

Next, the supply and circulation of the cleaning liquid 1 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the cleaning liquid 1 is supplied from the liquid supply pipe 10 by opening the valve 11a. Subsequently, the cleaning liquid 1 is supplied into the cleaning liquid tank 2 from the liquid supply port 13 through the liquid supply pipe 12 by opening the valve 11b. At this time, the liquid may be supplied from the ejection port member 15 by opening the valve 11c to connect the liquid supply pipe 14. In addition, the valve 11a can be opened other than at the time of new liquid supply, and the cleaning liquid 1 can be replenished at any time.

When the cleaning device is in operation, the cleaning liquid 1
Is supplied to the ejection port member 15 to support the support member 3 in a state of floating above the inner surface of the cleaning liquid tank 2 and to move up and down along the guide rail 16. be able to. At this time, since the liquid supply port 13 or the ejection port member 15 is located below the glass substrate 9 that is the object to be cleaned, the circulation path of the cleaning liquid 1 in the cleaning liquid tank 2 always goes upward from below. .

With such a so-called overflow structure, the cleaning liquid 1 contaminated by cleaning the glass substrate 9 is provided above the cleaning liquid tank 2 without staying in the cleaning liquid tank 2. Waste liquid port 17
Can be discharged smoothly. Thereby, the inside of the cleaning liquid tank 2 can always be filled with the clean cleaning liquid 1, so that the cleaning effect is improved. In addition, the waste liquid pipe 17 is connected to the waste liquid port 17.
After the cleaning liquid 1 discharged through 8 is pressurized again by the pump 19, the dirt is removed by the filter 20 and recirculated into the cleaning liquid tank 2.

In order to configure the above-mentioned overflow structure, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 may be used. In this embodiment, the valve 11b, the liquid supply pipe 12, and the liquid supply port 13 shown in FIG. 1 are removed, and all the liquid is supplied from the jet port member 15. As a result, the piping can be greatly simplified, and the overflow structure can be maintained. Further, a waste liquid receiving tray 2a is provided above the cleaning liquid tank 2 to allow excess liquid to overflow, thereby further facilitating discharge of the contaminated cleaning liquid 1.

On the other hand, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the ejection port member 15 may be provided on the inner surface of the cleaning liquid tank 2, and the guide rail 16 may be provided on the support member 3. According to this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the liquid supply pipe 14 along the support members 3, the coupling portion 4, and the elevation drive device 7, which are driving parts, so that the length of the liquid supply pipe 14 is reduced. be able to. Further, since the liquid supply pipe 14 is not immersed in the cleaning liquid 1, the life is extended and the maintenance is facilitated.

In the above embodiment, a processing apparatus using a cleaning liquid as a processing liquid for cleaning a glass substrate has been described as an example. However, the processing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to a glass substrate. The present invention can be applied to a cleaning device for any member. In addition, the present invention can be widely applied to not only a cleaning device but also a processing device that performs some processing on an object to be processed by using a liquid.

[0026]

According to the present invention, the support member is provided with the pressurized fluid ejection port, and the repulsive force generated by the ejection of the pressurized fluid is used.
The support member is auxiliary supported in a non-contact state. This makes it possible to eliminate all conventional problems such as dust generation due to roller wear. In addition, the support mechanism using the pressurized fluid has a smaller number of components and is easier to maintain than the conventional support mechanism using rollers. Further, the size of the roller is only about one third of that of the conventional roller, so that the depth of the processing liquid tank can be shortened, and the amount of processing liquid used can be reduced.

On the other hand, a pressurized fluid ejection port may be provided on the inner surface of the processing liquid tank, and the pressurized fluid may be ejected toward the support member.
By adopting this configuration, it is not necessary to provide a liquid supply pipe connected to the pressurized fluid ejection port along the support member that is a driving portion, and thus the length of the liquid supply pipe can be reduced. Further, since the liquid supply pipe is not immersed in the processing liquid, the service life is prolonged and the maintenance becomes easy.

Further, by using the processing liquid as the pressurized fluid to be jetted from the pressurized fluid jet, the pressurized fluid jet also has a function as a kind of liquid supply port. This makes it possible to support the supporting member in a non-contact state without changing the concentration or components in the processing liquid tank.

Further, by providing a pressurized fluid distribution chamber opened toward the facing surface around the pressurized fluid jet port, the pressurized fluid can be distributed over a certain area, and a uniform repulsive force can be obtained. . Further, the distance between the pressurized fluid ejection port and the guide rail is kept constant, and a smooth up-and-down movement is possible. Thus, no excessive force is applied to the linear bearing provided outside the processing liquid tank, and the life can be extended, which is very economical.

In addition, since the connecting portion between the support member and the lifting drive device has a rotatable structure, it is possible to avoid applying an excessive moment only to the fulcrum supporting the load. It also has the function of keeping the distance between the pressurized fluid jet and the guide rail constant.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a cleaning device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view and a partial cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a pressurized fluid jet port provided in the cleaning device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a cleaning device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a cleaning device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a conventional cleaning device.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a worn state of a roller provided in a conventional cleaning device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaning liquid 2 Cleaning liquid tank 2a Waste liquid receiving tray 3 Support member 6 Linear bearing 7 Elevating drive device 8 Basket 9 Glass substrate 15 Pressurized fluid jetting member 15a Pressurized fluid jetting port 15b Pressurized fluid distribution chamber 16 Guide rail 21 Roller

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Nobuyuki Sugai 4-133, Atobe-Honmachi, Yao-shi, Osaka Sharp Manufacturing System Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2H090 HC18 JC19 3B201 AA02 AA03 AB40 AB45 BB02 BB03 BB04 4D075 AB03 AB12 AB38 DA06 DB13 DC24 EB60 4F040 AA01 AA14 AB20 AC02 BA42 CC02 CC08 CC18 CC20

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A processing apparatus comprising: a processing liquid tank for storing a processing liquid; a support member for immersing and holding an object to be processed in the processing liquid; and a lifting drive device for raising and lowering the support member. A pressure fluid ejection port is provided to eject the pressurized fluid toward the inner surface of the processing liquid tank, thereby raising and lowering the support member while being floated from the inner surface of the processing liquid tank. Processing equipment. 2. A processing apparatus comprising: a processing liquid tank for storing a processing liquid; a support member for immersing and holding an object to be processed in the processing liquid; and a lifting drive device for raising and lowering the support member. A pressurized fluid ejection port is provided on the inner surface, and the pressurized fluid is ejected toward the support member, whereby the support member is raised and lowered while being floated from the inner surface of the processing liquid tank. Processing equipment. 3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid is used as the pressurized fluid. 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pressurized fluid distribution chamber opened toward an opposing surface is provided around the pressurized fluid jet port. . 5. A joint between the supporting member and the lifting / lowering drive device, wherein the joining portion has a rotatable structure.
The processing device according to claim 4. 6. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing object is cleaned using the processing liquid.