JP2008161772A - Atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus capable of continuously cleaning a cleaning target with plasma in a simple operation, and obtaining effects such as saving of electric power and reduction of costs. <P>SOLUTION: The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus includes a gas spiral stream chamber having two or more gas input ports, a first electrode installed in the gas chamber, a second electrode installed in the gas chamber and facing the first electrode, an insulated spacing layer prepared between the first electrode and the second electrode, a magnetic field generating device provided outside the first electrode, and a gas input buffering chamber provided outside the gas spiral stream chamber. Furthermore, a high-voltage power supply device is electrically connected to the first and second electrodes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an atmospheric plasma cleaning processing apparatus, and in particular, in a chamber, discharge is generated by a predetermined gas to generate plasma, and the operation for cleaning the surface to be cleaned is simple and continuous with plasma. The present invention relates to an object to be cleaned.

The conventional cleaning method consumes a large amount of chemical cleaning solvent, and after that, it is necessary to clean and dry with a large amount of fresh water. Therefore, the problem is that volatile organic gas is generated and air pollution occurs in the cleaning process. In addition, there is a problem that water resources are wasted and time is required. Taking Taiwan as an example, legislation has been amended by the Environmental Protection Department recently to begin collecting VOC air pollution costs, so the cleaning process must be improved in Taiwan. In the world as well, there is a tendency to proceed to manufacture green products by the green process, and related laws and regulations are being formulated or implemented.

Atmospheric plasma cleaning treatment technology generates free electrons with high kinetic energy by gas high-pressure discharge method, and the electrons collide with other gas molecules and atoms to transfer energy, thereby causing free active groups and excited states. Molecules and the like are formed and reacted with organic contaminants on the target surface, for example, converting the organic contaminants into harmless or low contaminants by an oxidation reaction, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning the target surface. In the discharge process, most of the energy is applied to the electrons from the outside, so the energy of the gas molecules does not fluctuate significantly, i.e., the average temperature of the electrons is much higher than the gas temperature, so that non-thermal plasma It is called. The technology provides energy savings and high efficiency advantages, and can greatly reduce the amount of chemicals used.

The structural design of a general high-pressure discharge plasma reactor is greatly influenced by the target applied. There are two main types of plasma reactors that are applied to clean the surface of existing objects, RF discharges and dielectric shield discharges. In the case of RF discharge, it is mainly a metal oscillation chamber discharge, and initial discharge is not easy in the atmosphere, so it is necessary to assist by other methods, and reflection is reduced by load matching by a tuning device. Is complicated and expensive. Since 1857, Siemens, Germany, has produced ozone by means of a dielectric shield discharge, and still uses it without significant change, such a method is used in a reactor between discharge metal electrodes. One or two dielectric insulators are provided between the two to prevent a short circuit, and this method uses a general AC high-voltage power supply, so the cost for installing the power supply is reduced. And can be applied to a wider field.

In addition, “Plasma cleaning device” of the publication of the Chinese Patent Gazette No. 541614 relates to a plasma cleaning device, and a plurality of plate-shaped cleaning objects are installed in a chamber by a support frame and a groove tank, and a power supply and an electrode Plasma cleaning is performed on the object to be cleaned by a magnetic field by a magnet located on the outside, and as a feature, a transmission lever that is driven in a lateral direction connected to the power source of the chamber is provided in the support frame. Thus, the transmission lever can be moved up and down in the support frame, and at least two objects to be cleaned can be pushed out from the support frame, respectively, so that there is no influence by the support frame and the cleaning effect is more uniform. A plasma cleaning apparatus is configured.

However, the above-described conventional plasma cleaning apparatus can clean the substrate, but the structure is complicated, it is necessary to install a plurality of substrates at once, and the plasma cleaning time is long and the substrate can be cleaned once. And the replacement of the substrate takes time, and if the power of the plasma cleaning apparatus is not shut off in the exchange process, the power is wasted, and if it is shut off, the startup time is again consumed. Therefore, the general conventional one is not practical.
Republic of China Patent Publication No. 541614

The main object of the present invention is to provide an atmospheric plasma cleaning processing apparatus that is easy to operate. The cleaning effect can be obtained simply by installing the cleaning target at the plasma injection position. It can be washed, and effects such as power saving and cost reduction can be obtained.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a gas spiral flow chamber having two or more gas input ports, a first electrode installed in the gas spiral flow chamber, and a gas spiral flow chamber. A second electrode corresponding to the first electrode, an insulating gap layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, and provided outside the gas spiral flow chamber. A high-voltage power supply device that includes a gas input buffer chamber and a magnetic field generation device located outside the first electrode, and that provides a high-voltage power supply for generating a non-thermal plasma by performing a gas discharge. Since the generated non-thermal plasma is ejected from the hollow cylindrical passage of the second electrode and is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, the object to be cleaned is installed at the plasma ejection outlet Atmosphere that can perform plasma cleaning A plasma cleaning device.

1 and 2 are a side sectional conceptual view of the usage state of the present invention and a top sectional conceptual view of the usage state of the present invention, respectively. As shown in the figure, the atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a gas spiral flow chamber 11, a first electrode 12, a second electrode 13, an insulating spacing layer 14, a magnetic field generation device 15, and a gas input buffer chamber 16. In addition, a high voltage power supply device 122 that provides a high voltage power source for generating a non-thermal plasma by performing gas discharge is electrically connected to the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 13. .

The first electrode 12 is provided at one end in the gas spiral flow chamber 11, and the second electrode 13 corresponds to the first electrode 12 and the other end in the gas spiral flow chamber 11. The first insulating layer 121 is covered on one side of the first electrode 12, and the magnetic field generating device 15 is provided on the other side so as to correspond to the first insulating layer 121. Further, the first electrode 12 is connected to the high voltage power supply device 122.

The second electrode 13 is provided with a hollow cylindrical passage 131 at the center, the second insulating layer 132 is covered on one side approaching the first electrode 12, and is a ground electrode.

The insulating interval layer 14 is provided between the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 13. The first electrode 12 and the second electrode 13 are made of a metal conductive material, and the metal material is a copper alloy that is impermeable, and the thickness of the electrode is 3 to 5 mm depending on the actual operation. It is in the range. The material of the first insulating layer 121 and the second insulating layer 132 is Teflon (registered trademark) (PTFE), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyethylene (PE), ceramic, glass, quartz, etc. The thickness is in the range of 0.5-3 mm.

The high voltage power supply 122 is a high voltage high frequency (> 1 kHz) AC power supply.

In use, the process gas first enters the gas input buffer chamber 16 and then enters the gas spiral flow chamber 11 at an accelerated rate through the two or more fine gas input ports 111. Two or more gas input ports 111 are provided in the gas spiral flow chamber 11, and the gas input ports 111 are circularly symmetric and are perforations that penetrate the insulating interval layer 14 at a substantially tangential angle. Is about 1 mm, and the process gas passes through the gas input port 111, so that the gas spiral formed of the insulating spacing layer 14, the first insulating layer 121, and the second insulating layer 132 is formed. A high-speed spiral flow is formed in the discharge space in the flow chamber 11, thereby extending the flow route of the processing gas in the discharge space and increasing the number of collisions, thereby generating more active free radicals. Is done. The processing gas is a dry gas such as oxygen gas, nitrogen gas, air, helium gas, argon gas, carbon tetrafluoride, etc., and according to the contamination properties of the object to be cleaned, water vapor is added and adjusted and mixed. Also good. The insulating spacing layer 14 is made of Teflon (registered trademark) (PTFE), polyethylene (PE), or the like, and has a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 3 mm depending on a practical high-pressure operation and a discharge gap. The actual discharge gap formed between the first insulating layer 121 on the first electrode 12 side and the second insulating layer 132 on the second electrode 13 side is 0.3 to It is in the range of 1 cm.

After the processing gas enters the gas input buffer chamber 16, the gas input port 111 acceleratingly enters the gas spiral flow chamber 11 to form a high-speed spiral flow. A high-voltage power source is output to the first electrode 12, whereby the gas in the gas spiral flow chamber 11 is released by high-pressure discharge to generate plasma, and the magnetic field generator 15 Since it is located in the center of the spiral flow chamber 11, a symmetrical axial field line is generated, which controls the free gas to guide the injection direction, increasing the injection speed, and the plasma is applied to the second electrode. The 13 hollow cylindrical passages 131 are injected. The wall of the hollow cylindrical passage 131 is made of an electrically insulating material, for example, an insulating material such as Teflon (registered trademark) (PTFE), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or polyethylene (PE), and the inner diameter of the passage is 0.5. In the range of ~ 1.5 cm, by reducing the outlet of the hollow cylindrical passage 131 little by little to form one nozzle, the flow velocity of the gas at the outlet end is accelerated, and the diameter of the nozzle port is 0.3 ~ It is in the range of 0.8 cm. The effect of cleaning with plasma can be obtained only by installing the object to be cleaned 2 below the hollow cylindrical passage 131. The magnetic field generation device 15 is a current-carrying magnet that controls the magnitude of the magnetic field with a permanent magnet or current. The gas input buffer chamber 16 not only provides a gas input buffer space, but is also an insulating fixing device that connects the first and second electrodes 12 and 13 and the magnetic field generating device 15 and is made of Teflon. It is a machinable insulating material such as (registered trademark) (PTFE) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK).

Therefore, the present invention can be operated under atmospheric pressure, and can be easily combined with the process control of the transportation platform to perform cleaning on the object to be cleaned. In addition, it is a technology that can eliminate the use of a conventional chemical cleaning solvent by an advanced plasma cleaning method.

As described above, according to the atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively improve the conventional drawbacks, the operation is simple, and the cleaning target is simply installed at the plasma injection position. The cleaning effect can be obtained, and the cleaning can be performed continuously, resulting in the effect of saving power and reducing the cost. Therefore, the present invention is more progressive and more practical, and claims are filed according to the law.

The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereby, and equivalent changes and modifications made based on the scope of claims and the description of the present invention. Are all within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Side sectional conceptual diagram of the usage state of the present invention Top sectional conceptual diagram of the usage state of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Plasma cleaning apparatus 11 Gas spiral flow chamber 111 Gas input port 12 1st electrode 121 1st insulating layer 122 High voltage power supply device 13 2nd electrode 131 Hollow cylindrical channel | path 132 2nd insulating layer 14 Insulation space | interval layer 15 Magnetic field generation Device 16 Gas input buffer chamber 2 Object to be cleaned

Claims (10)

at least,
A high voltage power supply,
A gas input buffer chamber;
A gas spiral flow chamber installed in the gas input buffer chamber and having two or more gas input ports;
A first electrode installed in the gas spiral flow chamber and electrically connected to the high-voltage power supply device, the surface of which is covered with a first insulating layer;
A second electrode that is installed in the gas spiral flow chamber so as to correspond to the first electrode, is also a ground electrode, has a hollow cylindrical passage in the center, and is covered with a second insulating layer on the surface. When,
An insulating spacing layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode;
An atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus, comprising: a magnetic field generation device disposed on one side of the first electrode and facing a first insulating layer covered with the first electrode. The two or more gas input ports are installed so as to be circularly symmetric, have a perforation having an aperture of about 1 mm through the insulating interval layer at a substantially tangential angle, and the processing gas is the two or more gasses. A high-speed spiral flow is formed in the discharge space that is entered from the input port and is constituted by the insulating gap layer and the first and second electrodes, thereby extending the discharge route of the processing gas in the discharge space. The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein more active free radicals are generated by increasing the number of collisions. The processing gas is a dry gas such as oxygen gas, nitrogen gas, air, helium gas, argon gas or carbon tetrafluoride, and is adjusted and mixed by adding water vapor according to the contamination property of the object to be cleaned. The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 2. The first electrode and the second electrode are made of a metal conductive material, and the metal material is a non-permeable copper alloy, and the thickness of the electrode is in a range of 3 to 5 mm depending on practical use. The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 1. The insulating spacing layer is made of Teflon (registered trademark) (PTFE), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene (PE), etc., and the thickness of the insulating spacing layer depends on the practical high-pressure operation and discharge gap. The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is in the range of 0.5 to 3 mm. The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a discharge gap of the high-voltage power supply device is in a range of 0.3 to 1 cm. The hollow cylindrical passage is made of an electrically insulating material, and the electrically insulating material is Teflon (registered trademark) (PTFE), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyethylene (PE), or a similar insulating material, and the inner diameter of the passage is 0.00. It is in the range of 5 to 1.5 cm, and by gradually reducing the outlet of the hollow cylindrical passage into a nozzle shape, the gas flow velocity at the outlet end is accelerated, and the nozzle opening diameter is 0.3 to 0. The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, which is in a range of .8 cm. 2. The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field generating device is a permanent magnet or a current-carrying magnet that controls the magnitude of the magnetic field with an electric current. The gas input buffer chamber not only provides a gas input buffer space, but is also an insulating fixing device that connects the first and second electrodes and the magnetic field generator, and is made of Teflon (registered trademark) ( The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an insulating material that can be machined, such as PTFE) or polyetheretherketone (PEEK). 2. The atmospheric plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the high-voltage power supply device is a high-voltage high-frequency (> 1 kHz) AC power supply device.